All in the timing

Well, I just got back from the post office, where it took me an HOUR AND A HALF to send a package and a postcard. Though to be fair, the postcard only took about 90 seconds. I’m also including the time it took me to walk to the post office only to find that, of course, they are closed from noon until 2pm every day. Of course they are. Why wouldn’t they be? After all, Austria is well known for their Siestas in the middle of the day. Oh wait. No they’re not. So then I just waited, something I’ve gotten good at. It’s funny, I see the Nordic girls going absolutely nuts at all the bureaucracy and disorganization. Strangely, I’m feeling pretty thankful for how absolutely unorganized and inefficient everything in South Africa was. Thanks to freaking out for the first two weeks there, I just sort of wander around now, figure something will open later, and go to the next office I’m told to go to… where chances are they’ll tell me to go somewhere else. It helps that NONE of my classes have actually started this week, when they are scheduled to start, so all I have is time to go from office to office to office in any case. So I sent a package home for Easter, which is only supposed to take 4-5 days to get there. I’m shooting for a week and a half. Either way, it would be nice to know that they receive it eventually. That took awhile, after standing in an Austrian “line”, which basically means a clump of people that you scratch eyes out to get out of first. Both Elisabeth (Swede) and Eva-Maria (Fin) had package problems. I probably do too, but I just don’t know yet. Apparently Beth sent me a package on Feb 14th, and it was supposed to take 10 business days. Still no sign of it. Will check tracking when she sends me the number, but chances are it’s stuck in customs, and it would have been just as fast for her to physically bring it with her when she comes in three weeks. Durr…. Still… not really frustrated just yet. The class situation is sort of bothersome, but I’m doing pretty well with that. Thanks UKZN. Seppi said something pretty useful last night: “Everyone thinks that Austria is going to be efficient like Germany, but really we’re much more like Italy.” Ahhhhh… I get it.

Had a great time last night: Went with Seppi and Jaron in this mobile soup kitchen. From 8-10 pm we made three stops at Stadtpark, Hauptplatz, and the main trainstation (Hauptbahnhof). We had hot tea and sandwiches we picked up from a convent. It was really a good time. Seppi volunteers to do it every other Thursday, and I’m invited along every time. Afterwards, Seppi took us through the seedy part of town, where he opened a loading dock door in the middle of a wall. We walked into the baking factory for Auer Brot (which is the ritzy bakery that’s all over town and drives up the prices for all the other bakeries). It smelled awesome. There was bread everywhere, and in the back they were baking in these huge ovens, and there were carts and carts full of pastries. Apparantly the bakers do a little downlow business at night and sell things at a discount. Very funny, and VERY secretive. It was so so so good. Something to add to our new bimonthly ritual.

It snowed again today. Not sure how long it’s going to last this time. Christy and I are going to take the Lacrosse sticks out as soon as it starts melting a bit. First meeting on Tuesday sounds like. Tonight: homemade salsa with some of the amis, then an ERASMUS (the EU joint study program) party late late tonight. Next week: classes start. If we’re lucky.