First Things First

Well, guys here I am in Austria, almost a month in, which is pretty hard to believe. An ami came up to my room yesterday and finally figured out how to set up the internet. It took her 20 minutes. four people have been in and out of here for the last four months, and nobody could seem to figure it out. I can't tell you how many times I heard: "but there's something that's supposed to show up in the corner." Thanks guys.
In any case, here is an overview of how I've spent my last month:

Took an intensive German language course with four Swedes, three Finns, a Turk, an Italien, an Arkansasian, and a Frenchman named--yes--Pierre. Finished class on Wednesday with a 2.. which is apparantly the equivalency of an A or maybe a B.. not quite sure.
Wondered around the entire city on my first weekend, and it is awesome! More on individual stuff later.
The first day I got here they had just gotten six days of snow, and it was still snowing, and has been on and off ever since. As soon as things begin to melt, it drops down again. They don't usually get much snow, so everybody is freaking out. On the other side of the country they got almost three feet in one night last week. No joke. The train ride from Vienna to Graz was absolutely beautiful (though a hassle to try to figure ouut at the time). The story is actually pretty funny to think about. Me on about 6 housr of sleep over the previous three days with my two huge suitcases, Kelty pack, and laptop case; no idea where I am going which means lugging them up and down stairs and stairs and more stairs, missing trains that I may or may not have been able to take in the first place. Finally, since I had so much crap, I had to stand the three hours to Graz. Plus side, right by the window and was gorgeous! Slight downside: always, always, always next to not one, but two train bathrooms. Which, in case you are not aware, are grosser than cat pee. Really really really pretty though. I took some pictures of the city when I got here.
Little things since I got here: Bought a bike, live across the street from the Uni, met my roommate after two weeks (went home for break), got a refrigerator space two weeks into the stay (was keeping things on my window ledge, because it turns out the Bosnians aren't very approachable). Made friends with the Finnish and Swedish girls.
Big things since I got here: Went to the Opera to see Jesus Christ Superstar, which was only 3 Euros, and really interesting. It was all sung in English, so they had subtitles scrolling across the top of the stage. Really well done. They have an opera house, ballet, and three theater houses here. Can get tickets from 3-7 Euros if you show up an hour before the show. Very very very cool. They are doing a German Streetcar Named Desire, which can't be missed... Went to jazz club with Frenchman and Fin. Had sort of house band, then an open mic sort of setup, so people would come up and take a couple of songs. Mostly singers, but a drummer and guitar player, too. Graz has a really impressive Music/Art Conservatory, and there were some really good jazz singers. Couldn't believe it, actually.
Can't really udnerstand what people say around here. They speak Austrian German, which is such a different dialect, it almost reduced me to tears the day we tried to study it in class. Even so, I really like it here. Really.
Been spending a lot of time with the Nordic girls: Wine and Cheese party: justoja ja venjia in finnish (!!!!)--in fact I can now say my name in Finnish, where I come from, and "Tommorrow evening we are have wines and cheeses at Elisabeth's house." Tacos last night, coffee all the time.. just a lot of Scandinavian all the time pretty much.
Something very very very exciting: The Noric girls always speak Swedish together. Always. Finnland has two national languages: Finnish and Swedish, because of a minority group of "Finnish Swedes" in the south of the country. One of the Finns speaks perfect Swedish (and Danish, Norwedgian, and English) and the other can at least understand it, because they have to study it for six years in school. So all swedish all the time. I don't mind. They keep saying it is kind of like a combination of German and English, sort of. So I just listen and try to follow hand gestures and pretend to get jokes. It's actually really fun. Here's the cool part: Last night we were having Tacos at Elisabeth's (Swede) and all of a sudden I started picking up words. Mainly, instead of what they say sounding like a long string of neverending bidibadipidipuaidiadi, I could sort of hear how things separated out, and for the first time when they would say something I could repeat it at least close to what they were saying, because I wasn't guessing, I could actually sort of hear the word separations. Elisabeth got really excited and we started talking. For real..., sort of. If I were a four year old, anyway. Still. VERY Exciting. She didn't even have to tell me what she was saying. I figured out What is your name? Where are you from? I am from... I miss my boyfriend (Elisabeth). I can speak Swedish. You are doing a really good job. You she they I.
How cool is that???!!! I am so excited!
Next stop. German..... ;)
Don't have a landline, only a cell phone. But I just downloaded AIM onto my computer, and my roommate uses that to talk to her family back home. If you download AIM you can talk with me for free!
Shoot me an email for my screenname, or how to set it up.
Love you all!
Jenna