ICH LIEBE WIEN <3

Wien is AMAZING!!! Honestly, only in Vienna can I have visited graves/memorials for Schubert, Beethoven, Brahms (<3), Mozart, etc...........and go to a free outdoor concert at Schönbrunn Palace by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra =) It was just amazing!!

To be honest, when I was told that I didn't get my top 3 choices for exchange (which were all in Singapore), I was a little disappointed. I mean, I was worried about internships, costs, language, etc that I didn't even know if I wanted to go anymore (but that only lasted a second lol). I'm so glad Alex convinced me to go to Vienna and not St. Gallen (which is SMALL, hard, and expensive). I don't regret my choice one bit; I love music and I just died when I was at the concert. Kinda reminds me of our band days =P

My parents are coming on the 15th and I have an exam on the 17th; thus I thought I would have a lot of time after my Prague trip to study -_- But I've been filling my days w. random activities. I met up with my buddy Lizhen and Ken for the concert; went to SOHO (that's right!) for a karaoke birthday party, biked from school to the city centre.............oh! and go to class once a week =P

Only in vienna................I've been telling myself that everytime my friends ask me to go out b/c there are certain things that I can only do in Vienna. The other day, my Austrian friend brought me to his flat; he lives inside a church, next to the Belvedere museum (remember Tee???) and from there, we went up to the attic to get a panoramic view of Vienna......My buddy Georg is a crazy athlete, running marathons and biking (hahaha kinda like Tim and Karim!) so he took me on a scenic route in Vienna.........we biked through parks and the city centre in order to get to the Donauinsel, the island next to the Danube. We biked all the way to the end =) ONLY IN VIENNA!!! (BTW check facebook for pics!)

As for my studying........the next couple of days are going to be crazy as some of my friends are leaving and I have to prep for my parents (aka the last of my freedom!!!) so I don't know when I'll be studying.........but there's more to life than studying ;)

All Travelled Out ><"

So after my crazy travels in May, I met Marcella at the airport =P She then spent 3 days w. me. The days that Cella were here, I realized how little of Wien I have actually seen. Thus, I don’t even want to travel. Funny how in Feb, I actually couldn’t wait to leave Wien and travel to other places but now....I don’t want to go!!! Prague, which I booked before leaving to travel with Naila, will be my last trip. Honestly, for April and May, I have only been here just for school.....In June, my parents are coming so I basically only have 3 weeks of freedom left.....

I always thought I was independent....but I never realized how much I loved freedom until exchange lol. Over here, my cell phone isn’t a dog tag, where people can track me 24/7.......I can bike to the city centre within 20 minutes if I don’t wait for Gill (BTW I love the bike lanes here......so much more space and all you have to do is ring your bell to get pplz outta your way!)......read on the Donau.......actually cooking b/c I have the time to do so......and not having to rush off to school/work/AIESEC......=P

I miss you guys but I’m going to miss Vienna when I leave ><” Funny how attached you can get to a place in a short period of time.......

May Travels =P

Hey you guys

so my exam is OVER..........I love my group members........especially Christoph, who rolled into class 30 mins late (5 mins into our exam) and later tells me that he forgot there's an exam for this course............which is why he was at Ride Club until 5am lol

Tomorrow I will have completed my presentation then travels w. Naila!!!!

Here is my schedule for May.


May
6-9 Nice
10/11 Dublin
12/13 Amsterdam see Polina C =P and maybe Marcella
14-18 Paris w. Wolf and Riddhi!
18-22 Marcella visits Vienna =)
27th Life in UK/US exam

I have a tentative trip to Croatia and Prague, Czech Rep. for the end of May...........I definitely want to go to Prague *wink wink* I'm doing it LonLon.......already sent the e-mail as well hehehehe

After Prague though, I won't be travelling anymore until my parents come.......I still can't believe I only have two more months left.......not even......less than two months......=( not that I don't miss T.O. or the people......but it's the freedom attached to exchange lol

I <3 My Buddy

After about 6 weeks, I met up with Lizhen, my Austrian buddy, and Kenneth, another exchange student from Singapore. We met up for dinner at the flea market near central Vienna =P Kenneth brought his friend Zed (the two are inseparable lol) and Lizhen brought along her younger sister, Lily. Daniel, another Austrian buddy, came along as well.

It was great to see them all =) I love seeing Lizhen, who is so caring and motherly =P She treats both of us like her younger siblings, even though Kenneth is a year younger (but he's shorter lol). Lily is so lively! she is quite curious about life in Toronto, as she was really close to choosing York as her exchange school (she's going to BeiDai in Beijing though). Daniel is just hilarious =P He's such a gentleman and very polite. He may not seem like it but he's such a party-goer! He's been telling us how he studied for 11 exams in one week (relax, they are 1 hour exams in Vienna, but still.....) while attending some parties =P Now THAT'S time management lol

So May 1st is international labour day and everything is closed -_-. Honestly, I thought surviving a Sunday in Vienna was hard but even restaurants, which are typically open on Sundays, were closed! We were supposed to try this Turkish restaurant but it was closed =( Thus, we headed off to have Chinese food lol. It was fun times because Kenneth and I had travel stories to share and we were getting to know each and every one of them better =P

Dinner was about 2.5 hours and Daniel suggested we head to a bar =) Throughout dinner, he kept saying we had to visit this bar which served THE BEST strawberry daiquiris. Honestly, i was quite intrigued so I was happy to go along =P We went to "The Sign" which is located not far from school or my rez (soooooooooooo dangerous) and had cocktails........since it was a holiday, happy hour was all night =) whoooooot lol It's kinda scary though, cuz I've stopped converting from Euros to Cdn $........

The owners were a young Chinese couple. The guy studied bartending while he was in school and insists on making all the cocktails himself (bc he doesn't trust anyone else to make it). He uses fresh fruit for EVERY drink. Daniel bought the first round of strawberry daiquiris which tasted like heaven =) The bartender/owner used fresh strawberries so all I could taste was the fruit, not the alcohol. Another interesting feature of the bar is that they rate each drink, from 1 to 5 with 5 having the most alcohol content. Ken had "Old Fashion" which consisted of strong tequilla and mint leave. Zed tried the Passion Beach, which had banana liqueur so it tasted kinda like cough syrup ><" Both their drinks were 5 levels. I opted for mango marguerita (level 4) =P So cute! Daniel just stuck to his strawberry daiquiris =P

Daniel knew the owners quite well so we kept getting free drinks =P In my cup though, there was a shard of plastic. The owner was so embarassed and apologetic when Daniel brought it to his attention that they gave us 2 rounds of free drinks. His wife first gave us a lychee mixture (for some reason, they don't have Soho here ><"). Then she took out the good stuff; as they're both from Beijing, she told us to try this traditional Beijing alcohol. Not as strong as 151 but you could smell the alcohol. I had to use the marguerita to chase it down lol

A lovely time with my buddies =P Honestly, I couldn't have asked for a sweeter buddy in Vienna ^.^ Prost!

Home Sweet Home =P

Honestly, you guys have no idea how good it feels to be home in Vienna =) After about more than 14 flights and God only knows how many train rides...........it was quite satisfying to land at VIE =P However, there was a feeling of deja vu bc it seemed like yesturday I arrived at the same airport for the first time ><"

It's weird how in Feb I couldn't wait to start travelling........but after all of that, it just feels good to be home =P I may not speak German but I know how to get from the airport to my rez, where to buy groceries, and just the fact I can cook.......my own bed never felt sooooooo comfortable =) And just hearing "bitte, danke" was just so comforting =P After I dropped off my stuff, I like RAIDED the supermarket........I came home w. so many fruits and veggies that I think I went a little overboard, especially since I'm leaving next Wednesday lol.

Also, just seeing familiar faces in the kitchen as I cooked was so reassuring =P I'm glad I never lived in rez before (Shanghai didn't count lol) bc otherwise I would have expectations........speaking of which, I've learned to travel w.o expectations bc you build it up and most of the time you're let down.......I guess that's how expectations work in general right? =P

Anyway, it's amazing to be home that I don't want to leave......but at least I have trips every so often so I can appreciate it......I'm seeing friends, my Chinese/Austrian buddy =P, my Austrian friend who's teaching me German.....it feels GOOD to be home.......that's probably how Toronto will feel like in July......although I'll miss the freedom I have in Vienna =P

The Longest and Craziest Easter Break Ever =)

Honestly, April has been a complete blur to me =P travelling to all those places can be quite hectic. Furthermore, if I had been travelling w. just the same person for a whole month, I think I would've died -_-

But having said that, April was just amazing =) Honestly, I can't believe it's almost the 30th.....and I have presentations and exams coming up (although I know I don't have it as bad as you Schulichers out there). I spent some time travelling by myself, with a friend, and the last leg (Spain) w. Marcella and my Vienna exchange friends =). I met up w. Wolf, Riddhi, and some other Schulichers...........but I've also bumped into people randomly on the streets! It's honestly such a small world =P I had an amazing time w. Tina and her friends while I crashed at their place in Barcelona.........

It was a great growth experience and I've honestly lost count of how many times I've said "This is breath taking". From drinking the cleanest water in Switzerland, having AMAZING gelato, climbing Mount Tibidabo (omg cream, FRIENDS!!!), the memories I have are priceless =) I won't go on about my travel experiences but if you *are* keen on hearing about it, I'll probably be gushing out stories in toronto if you want to hear them =P

Can't wait for my trip w. Naila!!! =) can you imagine the damage we'll do in amsterdam...........*wink wink*

Milano & Bergamo!!

When I arrived on Wednesday night, I took the bus from the Milan/Bergamo airport to Milan central station. My friend, Narges, then met me at the station. We took the metro before walking to her house. She lives w. one of our Schulich friends, Angela. They have the BEST appartment....it's close and there's a kitchen, bathroom, and a HUGE bedroom. There's a bunkbed with 2 more singles. So I slept quite well.



The next, the three of us and Angela's mom hopped onto a train to Bergamo city, about an hour away. It was a really cute city that didn't have a lot of tourists. We took a bus to the upper city centre, where we walked around, eating pizza (so cheap!) and shopped =P we saw a lot of cathedrals, basilicas and even took the funiculare down.That night, we had dinner around the corner from their house. Basically, in Milan, you can order one drink for like 7 euros and eat whatever food they have laid out for you. It was soooooooo good =) Then we went back and slept ><"


When we came back from Athens, I did a little city tour by myself, becuse my friends have exams on Friday. I went to the Duomo, a cathedral and an area where they have a lot of shops. Oh my goodness. I am so glad I didn't go to school in Milan because I would be pressured to buying stuff!! There was this store, La Rinacente that is like Holt Renfrew times 10~!!! There was this level of JUST designer bags -_- miu miu, prada, D&G, Dior........but i felt awkward looking at it ><" Something to aspire towards I guess...........The women here are so fashionable that you feel pressured =S but i didn't buy anything =) saving my money for Paris lol

I visited the Castello, a castle with museums within it. I spent about 30 mins in the ancient musical instrument exhibit.......so many pretty pianos of various shapes, sizes <3 I then walked back to the Duomo as it was a short walk, with a lot of shops to browse in =P I came home and Narges and Angela had pasta and salad waiting =P It's just good to be around people I'm familiar with........not that I don't enjoy my friends in Vienna.......this visit was just a tiny taste of home =)

The day of my departure, Narges and I walked along another shopping street.......the weather was grim as it started raining again......however, we took our time, checking out cute boutiques....surprisingly, some of the stores were relatively inexpensive =) We then had gelato at "Chocolat" for lunch ^.^ Yummy, I had pistachio and mango sorbet..........Like Cella said, no other place is able to top it! What a great end to a crazy trip =P

Athens!!

I had an amazing time in Athens! The sun was shining and the weather held up! It only started raining after we left (the protests also started the day we left but that's another story)



Narges and I woke up bright and early to catch a 5am taxi as our flight was for 6.30 am =( The system in Milan is amazing bc the stoplights turn into 4 way stops in the evening =) The driver just cruised to Linate airport.



If I can make a suggestion, I would not take connecting flights ><" the wait is too long (though necessary) and you're just exhausted. Thankfully I had Narges =P We just shopped and read while we waited for our connecting flight from Rome.

What can I say about Athens......it's amazing how they have so much culture and history in an urban city. As I looked down from Filoppapou Hill, I would see blotches of greens and historic sites admist the houses and buildings. We did a lot of walking, going from the Acropolis to the National Gardens, stopping for lunch near the Ancient Agora at Monastiraki market.....visiting the Olympic Stadiums of 2004......then climbing up Filopappou Hill to watch the sunset.......On Sundays, majority of the attractions are free. We hit most of the attractions on Sunday. Then on Monday, we visited the National Archaelogical Museum (so many scultpures!) and the Temple of Zeus for free bc we were EU students =) So many student perks! lol

Prior to exploring Athens though, we did a little island hopping =) We missed the ferry to Poros island bc there was construction on a metro line so we had to navigate the bus system ><" Anyway, it worked out for the best bc we took another ferry to Aegina instead. What was supposed to be only a quick stop for a map turned into us renting a car! The owner was so chill and didn't even care that Narges was 21. Her manual driving skills came in handy =) we saw half the island, visiting two monastaries, driving by the coastline, seeing a wild peacock..........it was just a lot of fun and a completely different experience =P We ran to catch the ferry to Poros from Aegina. Aegina was just a pretty, though we didn't have a car to wander around the city ><" Nonetheless, we followed randomed paths to reach the town's clock tower; as long as we were going up, we were getting somewhat closer =) We walked along the island's coast, stopping to skip rocks and dip our feet in water (well, it was just me, but that still counts lol).

The city has just been amazing =) Everytime I stopped to ask for help, everyone was willing to give us directions. There were a few weird moments that I'm trying to forget but still =P Exchange in general has been an eye opener as to how evident cultural differences are in the real world.......

My crazy travel schedule =)

So I'm really excited to start travelling.....honestly, just getting a TASTE of what it was like w. Tina made me want more =) Of course, it's good to be home in Vienna w. my frnds and cooking nice, healthy meals but I cannot wait to start travelling~!

Here's my schedule =)

March
25/26 Milan
27/31 Athens

April
1/2 Milan
3 Vienna
4-6 Berlin
7/8 Cologne & Bonn
9/10 Zurich
11 Geneva
12/13 Rome
14 Florence
15 Pisa/Venice
16 Venice
17 Liverpool
18-23 Barcelona
24 Seville
25 Valencia
26 Madrid
28 Vienna

All the stress leading up to today has been worth it. It's amazing how much planning goes into something like this. Just looking up hostels, flights, train schedules, etc. can be quite tiring and frustrating, especially since some low cost airlines' prices fluctuate like the stock market ><" I'm become quite good at it though so planning a trip w. Naila took very little time =)

But it's all done! All my school work is done until I come back for my finals =) Can't waaaaaaait

BTW I will be doing Switzerland by myself (long story) but it'll be good soul searching time....to contemplate about everything =P Plus Geneva has a LOT of shopping to be done =) Unfortunately, it'll only be window shopping bc I only have a small carry on ><" But fun nonetheless (cream, I know you're probably cringing but you know me! I promise to visit the sites before I shop)

FOOD~!

I haven't really travelled a lot so I was kinda surprised how happy I was to come home to Vienna after Budapest. You're right Tina; Vienna *is* starting to feel like home.

That night, when we came back, it felt good to have veggies with nice, GRILLED, lean meat and rice (I would've been content w. pasta). Speaking of which, I'm starting to become quite the cook =) I can stir fry broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, amongst other veggies........I know how to make soup and congee with a pot (cooking rice old school w.o a rice cooker is quite an adventure!)

And yes, all my food is edible =)

But the best part about communial cooking is learning new things from my friends =) The Singaporean and Korean guys are all older so they give me pointers. One of them made duk buk ki <3, which is my fav Korean dish of spicy rice cakes =) I was in heave bc it tasted better than the ones in the restaurants!

I've just been randomly experimenting with food and they've all tasted quite well! I've come a long way since my first dish of pasta and veggies lol I think I'm going to learn how to bake saccatorte....

So don't be surprised if I come home and cook a Korean meal with an Austrian dessert lol

Bday Part 2

I spent my 21st bday w. Tina in Budapest =) Not too shabby........plus this Wednesday, I will be flying out to Milan so that I can see my friends in Athens =) I can't wait until that begins ^.^

No matter where I am, my bday is always so memorable.....I'm so lucky to have you guys because my inbox was filled w. well wishes and inquiries, missed phone calls, birthday cards and even text messages!!! And it didn't stop there.......when I came back, my friends in Vienna gave me friendship earrings that they purchased in Poland......plus one of my friends gave me a teddy bear with a heart-shaped box of Mozart chocolates.....I just DIED bc hearts + Mozart + teddy bear! lol it practically has my name written all over it =)

That celebration made me reminisce about various birthdays........about my 17th one in Paris (w. Josh sticking me head outta the Eiffel Tower lol)......my 18th at Frankie's and skating afterwards.....and who could forget my horrendous 20th bday?

But regardless of where I am, I'm so glad that you guys remembered my bday =) Miss you guys~!

Adventures w. Tina <3

So life in Vienna has been some what tame.....I haven't really travelled anywhere (Graz and Krems don't even count cuz it's like going to Buffalo from T.O.). However I was really excited when Tina came to visit =) It was soooo comforting to finally see a familiar face. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends here but I haven't seen this girl since last summer, before she took off for her year long exchange!

Taking Tina around Vienna made me fall in love with the city all over again. We went to the palace, ate at a heuriger, visted the Belvedere museum (who else would I go to an art gallery w.??), and cooked a meal for our buddies =)

The week that Tee was here was just completely packed......we were off to Budapest for like 4 days, to not only see the sights but meet her NYU friends =) Budapest was gorgeous and relatively cheaper so we had so much local food lol. We went bathing in the Roman baths while it rained.....went on a walking tour where we met people from all over the world (some were English teachers who were teaching in Prague).......you never really know how big (or small) the world is until you actually travel.....

Tina's NYU friends were so nice and friendly =) we spent the 15th wandering around the city......besides it being my bday, it was Hungary's national Revolution Day....however it isn't like Canada's day where everyone's happy......it's more somber and kinda scary......in all the main attractions (St. Stephen's Basilica, the National Museum), there were cops everywhere, from mid afternoon until late in the evening. We were standing around a station exit when a couple SWAT teams came out and almost surrounded us!

All in all, the day was amazing =) Tina NEVER stopped wishing me happy bday, from 12am on the 15th until the 16th, when we finally got back to our hostel lol We had an amazing dinner with her friends in front of the St stephen's basilica while watching the SWAT team try to prevent riots......glad to know on my birthday, people are rioting! lol

When we finally came home, it felt GOOD to be back in Vienna <3 meal =")"><" It was bittersweet but I will definitely meet up w. her in Spain <3

Thanks a lot Tina =) for everything.........

Austrian Buddies ^.^

Pei Xian and Jing with their buddy Daniel


Nari feeding ice cream cake to Daniel, another buddy


My buddy, Lizhen sandwiched between the two Daniels!


FOOD!!! =D


So as you guys know, I have my Austrian buddy who is AMAZING =D She is always calling me to make sure I'm ok and teaching me about the Austrian culture =)

In addition though, I signed up for a German speaking buddy to learn German. His name is Georg and we meet about once a week (if i'm not travelling!) to do German and English communication. We've met about 3 times now, just talking about our lives, what we want to do, etc. The first time I had my "official" class with him, he was teaching me the difference between the "e" and "i" sound........cuz i'm that smart, I couldn't differentiate the Eng and German "e" sounds.....but Georg is very patient =) We meet for about 1.5-2 hours to go over our communication skills. I don't know if I will learn a lot of German but I will kill myself trying!! (ok cream???)

My friends and I decided to cook dinner for our buddies. We all made different dishes and somehow, about 15 of us crammed into the kitchen to eat ><" It was a lot of fun, plus I'm meeting various Austrians! They have all travelled and have a lot of experience and stories =D Plus there was amazing foooooooood =D For dessert, one girl went all out and made red bean soup.........yummy!!!

Luving it ^.^

And so it begins.....=)

hey you guys!!

So sorry for not blogging for a while ><" It warms my <3 to get all the e-mails/msn msgs/skype notes to see how I'm doing (i'm alive btw =P )

I ended the orientation program w. a trip to Melk and Krems, small cities outside of Vienna...we visited a monestary and had a very delicious, traditional Austrian lunch. The life I'm living here is so relaxed......complete opposite of what I'm used to over there (goodness, I can't even imagine going back to Schulich ><" )

Since then I've had my 1st block course.....it was on intercultural communications w. emphasis on women so I learned a lot about various other cultures.........however, 50% of the class were like North Americans but there was still a great variety of other cultures

For one of my friend's bday, we went to a sushi buffet........it wasn't like the typical ones in Toronto cuz there was like less than 10 sushi varieties........but they did have tepanyaki where you choose any sauce you want plus veggies, noodles, rice, and meat =P Kinda like mongolian grill...... and I had sago! lol They had a chocolate fondue too but all the good fruits were gone by then

BTW i am giving up chocolate for Lent cuz in Vienna, it's so hard to resist the yummy Manner waffers (I know some of you know what I'm talking about!). It'll be good for me and i can experience other desserts, though there aren't a lot of pastries in Vienna....

My friend and I found a church that had an English-speaking service so on Sundays we're at Church. The pastor is American and the people come from various backgrounds.......there's always coffee/tea and snacks offered so we've gotten a chance to talk to some Austrians/people who have come to Vienna.....in fact, last weekend I had kangeroo meat cuz it was South African and Austrian meal day.....tastes better than beef =P

i have some regular courses now..........I'm learning German and I have two culture related courses (diversity and sexism equality etc) and life in the UK and US course...........i am LOVING the UK course bc both profs are hilarious! One's from the UK and he says some very politically incorrect stuff all the time.....I won't say what but he's DEFINITELY not a Schulich/York prof! he's not even a stereotypical prof and I luv him =P Their teaching style is to use comics, idoymns, and humour to ensure we understand the customs and culture.......

I haven't been drinking so much cuz I'm afraid my liver's literally going to break down soon -_- I've learned quite a few drinking games (so watch out CC, J Chow and MK!! when I get back......) Once we played w. two Romanians and a Serbian guy who brought his own home-brewed brandy which is at LEAST twice as strong ><" I think it was just as bad as the 151..........

As for travelling, I won't be doing much in March......Tee is visiting me <3 next week and then Cella may come for a bit before Athens.....I'll do my travelling starting end of March.....

Ok so I've updated you on my life but I want to hear about what you guys are doing! leave me comments on the blog or send me an e-mail =P

If you guys want to see pics, I've posted them on fcbk........

Feb 16th, 2009

Hey you guys ^.^

Sorry for not blogging in a while.......things have been so hectic =S plus my internet is messed up......i'm using a cable and they randomly do maintenance in the building ><" So when I have the internet, I'm doing bookings first =P lots to research! lol

On friday, we did an opera tour.......no big deal since I went to the opera already =P It was a pretty chill day......I went shopping with some friends....there are like cheap clothing now althoguh I'm probably going to stop buying winter clothes soon and buy some nice work clothes for Toronto ^.^

On saturday, we went to Graz =P GORGEOUS!!! On the way, we visited a chocolate factory =P The chocolate factory was like 4/5 rooms of taste testing....I tried cocoa beans and 100% pure chocolate ><" kinda gross lol also I purchased some for you =P it's pretty good.....Graz is a beautiful city....but I think I would only do it once ><" Not a bad way to spend Valentine's Day ^.^ lol

Sunday I went to church w. a friend....really pretty and the people were friendly =P After the service, there was tea/coffe and snacks.....sundays are relaxing bc everything is CLOSED and there's nothing to do ><" we just lounged around cafes.....did laundry ><" oh! and I got my internet back =P

On Monday, there was a lot of snow ><" originally there is supposed to be a scavenger hunt but I didn't do it =S all outdoors and it's cold ><" lol Joy and I went to a shopping mall......and I bought 20 euro boots!! tall black, suede, flat boots ^.^ also, found 10 euro short boots but i don't know about it yet ><"

In the evening, we watched the Giselle ballet =P Instead of sitting seats, we had to stand.....it was a different experience ^.^ I luved the ballet b/c it was art w.o borders....you don't need to understand German, English, Italian, etc to appreciate it..........it was just breath taking.....

I miss you guys!! there's nothing much to do here...my classes start on the 25th so just doing some pre class stuff =P

In the pics, the first two are of Graz. We had to climb up the stairs in the second picture to get the GORGEOUS view from the first pic. The other pictures are of the chocolate factory =P

Feb 12, 2009

hey you guys =P

Ok so this week we had orientation...and i started meeting some new people =P I made some friends from all over.....Singapore, HK, the States....there wasn't much to do on the first day (Monday) except acquaint myself w. others....the orientation program I'm in has me doing something almost every afternoon!! I met up with my buddy to have a little talk and she also showed me around the university. We went to "Ride club" that night for free drinks....not bad....I only paid 1 Euro for coat check but I somehow got 2 shots and sex on the beach ;) I danced w. two very nice American girls and some other gurls from a different rez. I took the bus home and even though I had to walk, it was SOOOO safe =P (no, it wasn't the alcohol giving me a false sense of security lol)

Tuesday we had a walking tour of Vienna, in the First District....it would've been such a nice walk but it was raining/snowing =S oh wellz....like my friend said, it would've been so romantic if we could have forgotten the cold....seriously, it was so picturesque *sigh*........

I also cooked for the first time that night =P it was a lot of fun bc my Singaporean friends were there...all of us were running around the kitchen ><" I finally had veggies ^.^ so happy! lol

Wednesday was a free day so I went skating w. my friends in front of city hall.......GORGEOUS!! First of all, their building is so historic! so much prettier than ours ><" In addition, there's two rinks so when they zamboni one rink, you can use the second one.....and how would you get to the second one? there are little walk ways where you can skate from one rink to another ^.^ I would honestly go everyday but rental and pass to get into the rink...it's like almost $20 each time ><" but fun times!!

Skating made me miss you guys so much!! lol skatin on the rideau...."someone" drilling me to learn cross overs (you know who you are!!!!) and other great times at angus glen ><"

Thursday we went to the schonbrunn palace.....breath taking! There's also this place in the garden where they originally planned to build the palace that over looks vienna.......*sigh* I'm in luv you guys ^.^

I've included some pics.....enjoy!

From the top: A gorgeous view of Vienna in the garden of the palace.....the picture after it is where I got the view from

The 3rd picture is one of Joy and I skating at city hall.....there was like 10 of us scattered around the rink ^.^

The 4th is my first cooked meal!! yummy ^.^

Finally, the 5th is the famous Sacatorte, an Austrian dessert. My little treat for the long 2 hour outdoor walk lol

My First Weekend

Hi you guys =P

I have been w.o internet for like 2 days ><" so I have been sooooo bored =S just watching shows on my laptop.....On Friday, we just walked around the city, looking at sites....then we went into a pub for like food.........i had pasta w. mushrooms, green peppers, and egg. We all talked and walked around the city. Honestly, Vienna is not even cold -_- it's like above 0 and if anything, it's windy (w.o windchill!!) and i don't need gloves/hat. I'm not close with these girls but i'm glad that they've included me in everything. If i'm by myself during the day, I think i will finally break down =( I haven't cried yet! and I refuse to =P

My buddy is sooooooo nice (shown in the pic). Apparently I was like one of few who got a female buddy (my other friends all have male buddies) and she's just constantly texting/calling me to see that I'm ok. Sundays all the stores are closed so she might take me skating or to see a palace. She doesn't speak mandarin to me (my mando is embarassing) but she constantly texts me; it's comforting to see that =P

Saturday we had schnitzel!!! It's like breaded pork and a traditional Austrian dish..the best part is that there was a student special =P works w. my budget lol Afterwards, we all went back to the Erasmaus residence where I met other exchange students (from Peru, serbia, the States) and we were just talking......then around 11.30pm we went to a club called the "Titanic"...honestly it was THE sketchiest place lol probably cuz it was free cover (minus coat check).....the club name isn't even located outside.....u have to walk up to these two body guards lolz.....and they were trying to convince us to go "ya ya, the club is downstairs, just come down"

It was Ana, Anna, Victoria, Whitney (aa girl from Calgary), and an Austria and a Serbian guy.....anyway the club was soooooooo smokey =S but the music was good.....n I thought clubs in Toronto filled up late....the club wasn`t packed until like 1am ><" I had a good time though (what to do about the smokey clothes though.....)

On Sunday, I slept in =P It rained all day (literally ALL day) plus the stores close so I couldn't do much....I had a lovely chat w. my room mate and then checked out the laundry room, exploring the rest of Panorama.....Around 6pm, the exchange stuents from Finland and Sweden asked if I wanted to join them for dinner....which was VERY sweet and nice of them =P Then I met some Thai students and a Vancouver gal who was about to leave after her year long exchange....

I *was* getting home sick (a little bit) today just cuz I hadn't really met anyone but in the evening, everything worked out =P It feels good to see so many different people from different cultures ^.^ Can't wait until orientation tomorrow!!

I uploaded some pics of my room, my buddy Li Zhen and I (yes Tim, I do *have* eyes ok), the opera house and schnitzel and potato salad =D

oh!! sorry you guys

add "shirleybsoon" for skype......not the other one ><"

thnx =P

Initial Shock =P

The first thing that happened when i arrived was that I was greeted by my buddy, Li Zhen, Tomas, and Joseph. They were all very welcoming.....as they discussed how to get back to our residences, they all began speaking fluent German! =P My first taste of the German language *le sigh*

We took the train from the airport to the city =P GORGEOUS SCENARY!! The whole time Li Zhen was apologizing for the weather...but i didn’t care cuz it was ABOVE 0!! Lol such a refreshing change =P

Then Anna, Tomas, Li Zhen and I went to Panorama, our residence.....the room is kinda small, reminds me of a pond room, and the washroom is even smaller =S Oh well, I’m only there to sleep anyhow...

My buddy then took us to WU, our university, to grab student IDs. BTW they’re AMAZING because they convinced the admin to give us our student IDs earlier so we can purchase the cheap train passes...also to get into clubs for free =P In one day, we got SIM cards, opened a bank account, got metro passes, and went grocery shopping, unpacked, got internet......and this was only within an 8 hour time span =P Very efficient lol...Glad I’ve been keeping busy cuz I don’t want to be alone in my lil dorm room, alone w. my thoughts....I had the whole Brandstorm team when I was stressed but here I haven’t really met anyone yet....
Speaking of which, most of the people I have met are Chinese lol How ironic.....At least I won’t forget my Canto and I can practice my Mandarin.....I also realized how important it is to have some knowledge of German (yes Cream, you were right....) so i’m going to try to get enrolled into the German course here

In the evening, we went to a club/lounge call “Loco” around 10.45pm...pretty cool except it was smokey...that’s probably going to take some getting used too...everyone was smoking in the club....bleh =S Oh wellz you don’t notice it after a while but the stench is still on my clothes =S Does that mean I have to wash my clothes EVERY time after I go clubbing??? =S Oh boy......lol or I can take my friends advice n wear the same clothes each time I club =P My buddy was so nice....she told me that she doesn’t typically go to the student events but if I wanted to, she would meet me there. Honestly, she’s been so helpful and I couldn’t have asked for a better friend =P

By the second day, I finally got the hang of the city. I've figured out the metro system...during Day 1, I took the bus to the station like 5 times w. my friend...and we're always on the run so I know how to use the metro =D you know me, i'm good w. navigating things =P Today, we went to Ikea.......I bought salmon, bread and pasta for nights where I cannot go out to eat. Everything here closes at 7pm and Sundays ><" so I thought I’d stock up cuz we have been out late during the past two days....

By the time we came back, we had to get ready....we were meeting my friend's buddy to try to get cheap opera tickets. The five of us arrived at the opera house at 6.30 and lined up. There were already lots of people standing there but we tried anyway. By the time it got to us, there were 5 tickets left!!! Tomas kept telling us how LUCKY we were.....BTW, the tickets were AMAZING!! they were in the center right in front of the stage. Our buddy told us that this is where politicians sit during the opening night...we ONLY paid 12 Euros but they retail for 170!!! -_-

When we finished, we took lots of pictures in and around the opera house......I had lots of fun and I plan to go again to see a ballet and Carmen and La Boheme. I wished we had more time to take pictures but seriously, once the show is over, they like literally shove you out the door....we couldn’t even take more pics....in fact, when we went to get our coats out of coat check, they turned off the lights -_-

I'm keeping busy so I forget that I am home sick (I am also a little jet lagged.......i don't sleep until 1am and wake up around 10am....) But I miss all of you guys =P all your e-mails/msgs warm my <3 thanks so much ^.^

Pre Departure Sentiments =P

Take off day =P Finally, after about a year of waiting and fantasizing about exchange, the day’s finally here.

Leading up to today, there have been some crazy adventures. In addition to working in Dec/Jan,(what’s up with the crazy Euro?!), I’ve been trying to see as many friends as I can. In the beginning of January, it was quite relaxing after a crazy, emotional December; I would go to work (while PM-ing Lon Lon hahaha) and relax in the evening. Most of the time was spent going to yoga, skating (remember, Karim, Saima, Andrew, and Tims how much fun that was =P) or even playing squash for the first time. It never really hit me that I was leaving for exchange....it felt like the calm before the storm.....

I guess I should’ve known how hectic it was going to get when Saima helped me plan a gathering at the Lobby. Honestly, I was so touched that everyone, in an evening where the windchill was about minus 25 degrees Celcius, came out downtown in formal attire, to see me and each other. While the party should have been the evening to see everyone before i left, the week that followed made it seem that I was never going to come back. I think I have so many precious memories in those last two weeks that I think i was a little sad to leave you guys behind....
The crazy skiing experience (thanks to Andrew for being sooooooo encouraging)....the hectic one-day Ottawa trip where I didn’t get my visa but I met so many new friends instead =) .... the long talks I had with my girlfriends of European life, our childhood and precious memories that we shared.....I couldn’t have asked for better friends to see me off =D

Even up to the day I left, I still received many well wishes: text messages, voicemails, e-mails, phone calls, etc. I have never felt so blessed in my life. I think you finally realized how lucky you are when your girlfriends drive to your house and see you for as little as two hours because they were unable to attend other events....or when she’s been to the hospital because she fainted but the only thing on her mind was making sure you knew she was going to miss you (i <3 you!!!)...or a gf who wakes up bright and early to pick you up to go all the way to Markham to ensure that you’re completely ready for ANYTHING (and she meant ANYTHING!!! Lol) that life was going to throw my way during exchange.

You guys ALL know who you are....I will miss you but it`s only 5 months =P If anything, come visit me in VIENNA!!! *mwah*