Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Things I'm Gonna Miss

Although it feels like only a few days have passed since first arriving in beautiful Salzburg, I have come along way since September 12....although not necessarily in my knowledge of German! I have travelled to Linz, Vienna, Innsbruck, London, Switzerland, Spain and Italy...not too bad! and there is plenty more travelling to come.

I have climbed mountains, skiied mountain(s), and seen many more mountains!

I have immersed myself somewhat in Austrian culture - all its beer loving, lederhosen-wearing, socially closed and seemingly ill-mannered quirks...and learnt alot about the other European cultures represented among the exchange students: Czech, Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, German, Swiss, Spanish, Mexican, New Zealandish, Norweigan, Finnish, Swedish, French...!

After 4.5 months on Salzburg there are alot of things I'm going to miss...alot Good, some bad, and a few just plain Ugly!!

-risking your life everytime you cross AT a pedestrian crossing!

-eeeeverything being closed on Sundays

-being greeted with "Gruss Gott" in every shop

-the peaceful silence of tuning off to 90% of the verbal noise going on around you...because you can't understand it!

-the wonderful mountains of the Alps all around...living in the shadow of the mighty Untersberg

-catching the S3!

- the knowledge that, if I had the money and motivation, I could be in a whole other country in no more than 3 hours

-living 60 seconds walk, with only 10 steps not in a building...from my school

- seeing the Festung (Castle) towering over the old town, and in the distance from Urstein

- saying I live in "Puch Urstein"! (say Poooock Ooo-er-st-I-n)

- certainly not least the wonderful Salzburg International Church and the brilliant friends I have made there....and the lazy Sunday afternoons that followed

But most of all, the wonderful people I have been blessed to spend this semester with, from all over the globe - and especially the cultural stereotypes they have bought.....thankyou guys!

Just a few points to sign off:

-Vegemite is the best thing to put on toast, &

- Pavlova is Australian, because

-Everything good comes from Australia! :P

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