It has been a little while since I last posted, and naturally, a lot has happened, as it does when one is on an adventure, seeking new and exciting things.
In my last posted (almost two weeks ago!) I had posted a bit about being 'dreary', inside and out. With the weather not being so nice, and then I was feeling too well. But I wanted to follow-up to that last post. I had mentioned that I might look for a job or volunteer, looking for something to fill my time, since I really do not have as much class time as I had anticipated. So the next day I dropped off a resume, and then another resume, and I went to check out a ministry called, "Lernhilfe" which is a ministry that is basically after school tutoring for school children ages 10-15 and it also just a safe place for preteens/teens to come to after school and be surrounded by support and love.
Since then, both jobs didn't work out. One of them would not fit in with my schedule and the other just didn't work out. And I'm not sure about the "Lernhilfe" yet, it is something I need to think about and pray through right now.
But I have found other things to do in the mean time of course.
On October 26th was Austria's National Day, and they celebrate very differently here than we would in Canada, meaning they don't really celebrate it at all. Only a tiny bit. Which is a new experience in itself. Oh yes, it also means no school on Thursday, and why not have Friday off too. So to 'celebrate' my friends and I communed with nature, which is a way of celebrating the land I think... and we went on a nice long hike! It took 4 hours to the top of the mountain, and 3 down again. Plus at least an hour of breaks added all together. We were really lucky with the weather, as it started to rain right when we were boarding the tram back into the city! Which then turned into snow, and we had our second snowfall! Since then it's melted down here in the valley, but it's snowed at least twice more on the mountain tops!
Another holiday, that is not at all huge like it is in North America, is Halloween (but I guess it's not a holiday here, since it's not celebrated...) I think I saw maybe three kids who were dressed up. Oh yes, I also saw some very smart kids who were dressed up, trick-or-treating in a huge apartment building, in the warmth, with in a many doors in a relatively small area. But it makes me wonder if the children get many treats, since no one really celebrates Halloween. My American friend and I showed our European friends how to carve pumpkins, which is my favourite thing about Halloween.
Then last week, the day after Halloween, was another 'real' Austrian holiday. Called, "Aller Heiligen", is the name for November 1st, a Catholic holiday on which the Saints are remembered; as well, families go to the cemetery and light candles at the sites of relatives who have passed away, to remember and pray for them. It also means that there is no school or work for anyone.
Since it was a long weekend, and there was no school on the Friday either, everyone had a long weekend.
My uncle had work in Innsbruck, so he brought my cousin along, and we had a really nice time hanging out together on Thursday evening. We also got to see the new James Bond movie: Skyfall, on opening night! Ya! The next day, my cousin and I had bonding time, visiting the Olympic Ski Jump (walking up all 455 stairs, and enjoying coffee at the café on top), going shopping and having a really good lunch together. Too soon, they had to leave, but it was a lovely trip.
This past Saturday I went on a kind of retreat with a group of students who I attend a group called "Österreiches Studenten Mission" with- a Christian students' club. It was a really good weekend of getting to know some good people better, planning for the upcoming semester and growing in God. It is always good when there is very intentionally time set aside for prayer and meditation and worship. I came back from the weekend feeling really refreshed in my soul, and really exhausted in my body.
And now I am back in Innsbruck starting a new week of school, with new classes! Today I started a new course, "Intercultural Communication" (which I am stoked about!) and tomorrow I start "Mediation", which I am also super excited about... but I am being taught in German. So I am a bit nervous.
Well, that is an overview of my past 2-ish weeks! I will write again soon, and I hope to hear from all of you, how you are doing!
Ciao!
Christi
P.S. Thank you all for the comments, it makes me so happy to read them!
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All those pumpkins look so "you", I can't guess which one is yours!
ReplyDeleteHaha, I didn't design one, but I helped with the one on the far right!
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