Hitchcock Without the Murder

Looking out my rear window, big snow flakes the size of cotton balls gently fall.  It's been snowing for several day now, and it is cold, very cold.  My building lines three-quarters of a central courtyard - a small apartment building and a hotel rounds off the fourth quarter.  Across the way, I can see festive candles in windowsills, and families sitting down together to enjoy meals with each other.  Birds sit in the now-barren trees, singing their last songs before they fly south towards the Mediterranean for the winter, a puppy plays in the fluffy snow - judging by his small size, its probably it's first time seeing snow.  People sit on their balconies during the evening, smoking and drinking, reflecting on the day and relaxing in one another's company.  The other night, I was in the middle of typing an essay when I heard one of my favorite sounds in the world - brass instruments playing Christmas carols.  "Still, still, still," "Adeste Fideles," "Minuit, chrétiens," "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," "O Tannenbaum," "Stille Nacht," and "O du fröhliche."  Six of them played in the cold courtyard below my window.  Windows opened, and one by one, neighbors poked their heads out to get a better listen and to watch the musicians.  More than anything, I think, traditional Christmas carols get me in the Christmas state of mind.  Time-tested melodies and treasured lyrics that seem to put aside all of the riffraff that often surrounds this time of year - songs to which we all know the words, or at least how the tune goes.  Christmas music is something which binds our cultures together - the same songs performed both here and at home.  Listening to those musicians, seeing their brass instruments glisten in the lights coming from the hotel's Christmas trees, brought me to a place of warmth and familiarity.  I could nearly smell the house on Christmas morning, with dinner in the oven.  Each room is decorated with nutcrackers and angels, the tree stands tall and beautiful in the center of the living room.  Mom in her robe and Dad in his slippers, the dogs rushing about all the excitement.  Christmas cookies await in my grandmother's old tins on the counter top, and the Panetonne is sliced on the table.  Too excited to sleep after Mass, I'm still a bit tired, but that doesn't matter - it's Christmas morning.  Opening gifts and stockings, eating a tremendous meal with family, maybe going for a walk around the block, and, for one of the very few times of the year, simply, completely enjoying the day without a worry in sight.  It's one of the few words I can think of where I'm overcome with memories and feelings at it's very mention - Christmas.  

The final countdown has commenced, and this will be my last full week in Europe until 2013.  As wonderful as it is here, I truly am so looking forward to being home for Christmas.  I miss my family and my friends tremendously.  In a way, I'm envious of my English friends, as home's just a hop, skip, and a jump away, but looking on the bright side, being so far away from those I love only strengthens my appreciation for them and for home.  I'm starting to make plans to meet with friends back down at the Shore, and I'm getting really excited to see everyone again - the last time I'll be able to see them until July when I return home.  Today a few of us are meeting for coffee to bid a temporary farewell to one of our friends who's leaving soon for the holiday.  Just over a week to go, and I'll be there myself!  

This was a sleepy weekend, not doing too much.  We had our supplementary orientation Friday, which wasn't as bad as it could have been, thankfully, but it was a long day.  Later that evening we all gathered at Augustinerbräu, home to Austria's largest Biergarten, for a few beers with some visiting friends and one of my English friend's family.  Its a big, rowdy place, but it's one of my favorite places in the city to visit.  You get to pick your own mug, wash it, and have it filled with your choice of seasonal beer, and most nights, particularly on weekends, Lederhosen are abundant.  It's just a fun place to go with friends, and that's exactly what Friday night was - a great time with friends.

Saturday was very cold, but one of my friend's boyfriend was in town for the weekend, so a group of us met up and revisited the Strudel café.  What I had ordered the first time was so amazing, that I just had to get it again.  We crammed around a little table, but we had a nice time.  We explored the markets afterwards, and I picked up a much needed pair of warmer gloves.  That evening, we planned on going to an ice hockey game - the Salzburg Oilers vs. Weiz Bulls.  We got there a bit early to "beat the crowds."  When the beer cost more than the entrance fare, we should have known we were in for a surprise.  The verdict is still out on whether there were more people on the ice than in the stands, but we did get to select any seat we wanted!  There were two groups who were running a little late, so I had some fun, texting them that it was jam-packed, and that we were trying to hold their seats for as long as possible.  When they arrived and saw virtually empty stands, they were not amused.  But I sure was!  The game was actually a lot of fun, though, and it turned out to be a great night.  Sunday was just cold.  I very nearly froze to death in Church, despite wearing 4 layers of clothing.  I made some headway on some writing, and prepared my 12 introductory lessons for the week....  They're predicting snow nearly every day this week, and the temperature isn't supposed to rise above 32°.  My Colombian flatmate has just left for Bogota for the holidays, so the music's stopped for now.  The combination of excitement for Christmas and finding the motivation to make it through one more weekend is a tricky one, so I need to keep myself busy so that the time flies by.  But first, it's off to coffee...

Eternally beautiful Salzburg