"Is he gay, or European?"

I went to Venice two days ago with Silvia for a "girl's day out," which was a very much needed day for both of us. She got to practice her English, I got to practice my shopping. Venice is only a three and a half hour bus ride from Villach, starting at 6:50 am and returning at 9:30 pm, giving us just enough time to tour the city by boat, shop for gifts, and experience all the italian commodities--pizza, pasta, leather jackets, high heels, hand-painted masks, gelato and cappacinos.

One topic, of many which were discussed between Silvia and I, was homosexuality. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, but I am always seeking a diverse set of opinions on the matter, especially from different countries. Now, back in America, I went to a Broadway show, "Legally Blonde." (Yes, it is also a movie, but i really suggest seeing the musical, because it is hysterical) One of the main numbers was entitled, "Is he gay, or European?" Walking down the streets of Seattle, it is sometimes very clear who is and who isn't, but here in Villach, and especially Venice, it is impossible.  I asked Silvia if it is common to be openly gay she said, "No, never." She discussed about the difficulties someone has in the workplace if they are gay and it would not be accepted here if a gay couple raised a child. I told her I knew many successful families who have raised socially healthy children in America. She looked as if I just discovered that the world was not flat. My impression of Europe was that people were so open and comfortable in society, that homosexuality would be accepted as a natural lifestyle. However, with no known gay rights in this society, it appears that is not the case. Yet, with the italian men, wearing nice leather shoes and finer clothing than myself (and the majority of my fashionable girlfriends), I couldn't help but wonder, "Is he gay, or European?"

Well, the answer is that he is definitely not American.

(Please note that I am PRO-gay rights, and I am sorry for you if you are not.)

ALSO, PICTURES!!!

Beautiful Venice

Where are the roads?

Oh the foods...

Actually, right when this picture was being taken, an old venetian woman yells and shoos me to get off the boat (I briefly sat on the side), as if I was a pigeon about to poop on it. The man in the right shares a laugh with us.

So, see the water behind me? Yeah, the main plaza floods when it rains, so everyone walks barefoot, even through all the pigeon caca. Also, these pigeons like to land on your head.

Notice, this city is quite old...

Carnivale!

Mmm.. Aperol Spritzer, a good way to end the day.

It's my birthday

Alles Gute, zum Geburtstag!

Today I climbed the Mittagskogel with my neighbor, Martin for my birthday. It was probably one of the best birthdays I have ever had. I have seen this mountain ever since I came here and knew it was mine to summit. Well folks, my wish has come true. I made it to the summit cross this morning at 11:30 am, and saw a great cloud of fog instead of a view of Austria and Slovenia, but hey, I still had a little celebration on top with some champagne. :)

The Mittagskogel, view on the way up from a gasthaus. A little bit of cloud cover on the top.

Martin and I at the summit cross, 2148 m.

A lil bubbly

An angry bird, who hated us for no reason. We even fed these birds some of our lunch!

On the way down, as you can see where the cloud cover lies.

After the mountain, I returned to my host family in all smiles and a sore achille's tendon, and they made me a wonderful birthday dinner. I could have not asked for anything more on this day (other than seeing some real family--but that's what Skype is for!).

One big happy family!

Two weeks left in Austria... I don't know if I will be able to leave.  :(

Austrian Glacial Surverying Trip

Holchamkees Glacier, Second largest in Austria

For six days, I was a part of an eight-member team to survey the glacial movements in the Austrian Alps. We started on foot, with all surveying equipment (including a Total Station and tripod), food, beer, and all the other necessities for six days of glacier hiking, which was more than 7000 meters in elevation difference and about 60 km or more of distance. Let's just say this was the biggest hiking expedition I have ever done in my life. Here is an excerpt from my journal on the fifth day of the trip:

"Now at the Celler Hütte, Andreas' favorite place in the whole wide world, and I can see why after five days of the hardest hiking--with many life threatening climbs--this Hütte is a mountainous oasis. Tomorrow we will wake up early (as we always do at sunrise) and survey two of our last six glaciers. Then it is only a four-hour hike back down to civilization, bakeries, and warm showers.

I believe I might be the first American EVER to have seen and hiked the Austrian majestic mountain range, the Hohe Tauren National Park, in Malnitz. I know I am the only American to have ever hiked down this steep rocky passage over the mountain ridge that we conquered today. In fact, only three people do it each year--the glacial surveyors. It is too dangerous for the general public. Last year, Andreas broke his thumb on this very passage. Imagine walking down a 40 degree slope of marbles, broken glass, and boulders the size of baby rhinos. Well, there were no rhinos, glass or marbles, only the most unstable non-uniform rock slope you could find. We survived it. I fell three times, leaving me only with a large scrape on my ass, a torn achille's tendon and raw feet. I am lucky to have nothing worse--like Andreas' ripped webbing between his thumb and hand. This was also just only one of the physically difficult tasks we were approached with each day.

Each new event I survive makes me live harder and happier every day. I am not religious, but God, mountain, marmot, breeze--Thank You for looking after me. I appreciate you for giving me this wonderful world to explore."

On the sixth day, only three of us left (others went back on the fourth day), we were faced with another equally difficult nearly-vertical rock climb of about 100 meters, with backpacks and very tired bodies. This was also the hardest day for me physically with an enflamed achille's tendon, but I fought through the pain, surveyed two glaciers, and made it safely down the mountain in one piece.

I got to ride up in this beautiful Lotus Elise, owned by a fellow volunteer surveyor, Horst. I have never had my heart palpitate so much while inside a vehicle. I now have a new reason to become rich someday.

First day, arriving at the Villacher Hütte, carrying all our equipment up 1200 m, not so easy.

Villacher Hütte, 150 years old. We stayed here for two nights.

Glacial cracks in the Holchamkees

Rock Climbing up to the Holchamspitze, the pinnacle point for all the six glaciers.

Using the Total Station to measure the distance of glacial melt.

Andreas and I about to glacial climb for 400 m or so.

A storm hit us at the top of a ridge right after a very hard glacial climb. Then we had to rock climb down in a thunderstorm with hail and all our equipment. We had three and a half more hours and 600 m of elevation to go until we got to the next Hutte. VERY long day.

Another Glacier on the 4th day.

5th day, this is where I fell three times. It gets steeper than what is pictured.

Celler Hütte, made in 1963.

Existential writing is best on top of mountains.

Last BIG rock climb, while on an enflamed achille's tendon. At the top it was near vertical and but there was a 50 year old steel rope part of the way that could assist us with our climbing.

Last point marked on the entire trip by Horst.

I think I will do this trip a few more times in the future until the glaciers are gone! Anyone want to join me?

Paragliding in the Alps

Last Thursday I went paragliding for my first time. My neighbor, Martin, works on the chairlifts and had some paragliding instructor friends, so not only did I get to go, but I got a VIP pass up the mountain and paraglide down all for free! If you ever get the chance to go paragliding for free (or not free) just do it--it is the best view of the world you will ever have.

Here is a video of me on the way down, I forgot to turn off my camera for a bit.. 

However, I witnessed another unfortunate thing yesterday. It was about 85 degrees out, sunny, beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, and the SHWOOOSSSSHHHH, BOOM! Huge gusts of wind hit from the west over the mountains, dark clouds bringing rain, lightning and hail the size of marbles. Andy rushes into my room and says, "Quick, we must secure the boathouse!" So we sprinted down to the lake, with a rush of excitement because Seattle storms are never this sudden and dramatic. I look up and see a paraglider trying to gain hold of his parachute way up in the clouds. After we secure the boat house, I see the same paraglider 15 km east, still trying to gain control. Then CRACK!!! A lightning bolt hits him. He and his chute fall quickly over past a mountainside out of sight. I think I lost my stomach at this point. I grab binoculars to try and see if there is any sign of him, but the clouds and rain proved this to be difficult for visibility.

I pray that this poor glider is safe, and hope for good weather for the rest of the week. Another scary aspect about this event is that I had a choice to either go yesterday or Thursday at the exact time the storm hit. I chose Thursday.

Anyways, I have to make this post sort of rushed and choppy since I am about to go survey the glaciers for the next 5-7 days!!! This will be a great test of engineering and wilderness training, and I am very excited. Hope for good weather for me!!!

Competing Apflestudels

"Annie, this last piece is for you."
"No, no, I can't. I am SO stuffed! I already had three servings." -I say in desperation
"Ah, but you could use a little more..." In a very convincing tone.
"Okay, fine. I suppose I can... Good thing I play frisbee sometimes..." I agree with a guilty succumbed look on my face, but still pleased I get to enjoy another delicious slice of Apflestrudel!

Food is a form of love all over the world. You make food to show your love, you eat food to show your love, you even make love to show your appreciation of food. Here, I do a lot of the eating of food--delicious, scrumptious food. Back in Bolivia, I also ate a lot of food, but not of the scrumptious kind, mostly just a bowl of potatoes with some form of animal meat and rice. In Austria, people eat relatively healthy, with the most common food groups of bread, cheese, meat, beer and pastries. Yet everyone is very active and skinny. I eat this diet, while still exercising regularly, and have already gained 5-10 pounds since being here. At home, these food groups I try to stay away from and I am usually pretty successful--but here, with the kids and family, it is impossible to escape. However, the  food is so good, I give up my fight for skinniness and give in to the temptation.

We had a BBQ yesterday with some of the extended family, and both sets of grandmothers made two separate apple strudels. Oh my, I knew I was in trouble when the powdered sugar and whipped cream were dumped on top of the strudel on my plate. I also couldn't have just one slice because that would offend the other grandmother. After two plates of apflestrudel, with a full belly of BBQ too, I could not even judge which strudel was better because I am sure the excess food filled all the voids in my body, including my brain.

Everyday is a emotional and physical struggle with the food here; I love and hate what it does to me at the same time. When I return to Seattle, I will only eat lettuce and salmon (yes, salmon--cause it's my favorite), and run everyday! Or, this new Austrian diet of mine will stick, and I will just have to learn about proportioning my meal, which is so hard to do here!

Now, excuse me, I have to go take care of some Apfelstrudel left overs...

Here are a few of my self made contributions to this new diet, then tonight, I will make Zuccini Carrot Cake-all fruits and veggies pictured are from our own garden.

Caramelized Upside-down Pear Cake

Blackberry Pie

Blackberry Apricot Pie

The Hunt

Quietly stepping quickly through the damp forest, tracking down your prey. A twig snaps behind you under the weight of another foot. A fellow hunter follows your footsteps in hope to strike your prey first. Now hot with competition, you pick up your pace and squint your eyes to sharpen your vision. A flash of  yellow appears 10 meters at 2 o'clock. Knife out, ready for the pounce, you sneak up slowly without disturbing the surroundings. Taking a breath in, you fall to all fours and attack! AH! Blast! It's only a Hydnum umbilicatum, of the non-edible kind. Disappointed that is not a delicious chantrelle mushroom, but still rather pleased with yourself for correctly identifying the fungus specimen, you continue your quest deeper into the Austrian old growth forest.

This is what I did today with my host family. It's funny how much of an exciting sport this mushroom hunting can be--especially with kids! Even though these mushrooms aren't going anywhere, you will always find yourself eagerly chasing them down.

The attack

Eagerly hunting for the mushrooms

The prized Eierschwammerl! (Chantrelle)

After our hunt, we got to head over to the next door neighbor's cow farm. There we played with baby cows, kittens and udders. What a fun-filled sunday :)

Evi and her new friend

Alex getting a cup of fresh warm milk

Farmer Thomas explains how to milk a cow

Babies getting fed fresh milk

COWLICK!

A Milestone for Maturity

When I started this blog, I was hoping to discuss more about "existential engineering" via means of my traveling experience, however, a month into my adventure, I have explored the role as an Au Pair more than an Austrian Geotechnical engineering intern. I have had the great privilege of visiting incredible job sites at the top of the Austrian Alps and worked some calculations into Autocad drawings, more so than what I was planning on doing when I signed up for this Au Pair job. My role here is Au Pair first, frisbee player/coach second, and then engineering intern last. I thought I would learn more if my role priorities were switched around, but I am learning about life, myself and others more this summer than my entire engineering experience thus far. For all my fellow engineering classmates, if you have any doubt about your future (I am fairly certain that's 100% of you--including all my peers), then take a step sideways, look at life from a different angle and see if you can find that one puzzle piece that fits perfectly in that 1,000,000 piece Starry Night sky.

From just one month of being here, I think I have matured five years. Well, minus 17, plus 9, divided by 6, then to third power. I know I am only 21 years young (soon to be 22 this month), and my elders may take whatever I say as a whole bunch of Bullshit, but I am starting to feel like I sometimes have a wise opinion. Whether that be telling 10-year olds what is okay and not okay, or coaching zone offense and defense to an entire frisbee team, or consoling a concerned mother when times are fragile--hopely my opinion is wise. I wonder how my opinion will change in two months if it has already mature five years in just one month.

Mom, Dad, Mikey--Thank you for raising me well. I greatly value your parenting skills, I hope that someday, if I have children of my own, to use your tactics, as strict and silly as they may be, towards my own kin. After this experience, it will be a while before I am even considering having kids of my own, but if i do, I will make sure that the first thing they learn is respect. Today was a milestone with my "kids." After a long fun-filled day at Villacher-Kirchtag, Austrian's mini-Oktoberfest mixed with the puyallup fair, the kids finally understood that I am fun but also in-charge. After allowing them some space to practice their own responsibilites, they wanted me to read them a bedtime story (in English!) and kiss and tuck them Good Night right at bedtime, with teeth brushed and PJ's on. The little devils blossomed into innocent little angels. Tonight, I fall asleep with a well-deserved smile on my face.

This is a video of me going down a rollercoast alpine cart ride at Turracherhohe. Yippee!!

Hike at Grossglockner for two days. We did not go to the Grossglockner peak due to the little ones, but we did hike all around the alpine foothills, glaciers, and lakes. It was beautiful weather in the one of the most pristine places on earth.

Villacher Kirchtag, notice the lederhosen everywhere.

Matters

Often I find myself alone, reflecting on life's matters, what-matters, and anti-matter. Maybe I don't really think about quantum mechanics everyday, but it is pretty cool to think about what would happen if a tennis ball size of anti-matter was released inside a vacuum... (I'm not referring to a vacuum cleaner if you were curious-however, the effects would still be rather dramatic). Besides anti-matter, I have been mostly thinking about my future, asking myself where I will be in 3 months, 2 years, or a decade. I think I know where I will be in three months, but is that where I should be? In two years, will I be done with school, or will I continue, or will I be off in some land where technology and English does not exist? In a decade--no, I have not really thought about that, just hope that I will be happy.

Engineering fascinates, challenges, and belittles me. I want to continue my education with engineering because I keep learning things that I see as valuable and helpful towards society. However, I am like a puppy trying to dig a hole to bury a T-Rex femur bone, probably taking on a job a bit too big for my little paws. Also, like the puppy, I will easily be distracted by a butterfly fluttering in front of my nose, and I will have to follow and inspect it until exhaustion or the next distraction comes along. Why can't I just be content and work a blue-collar job, and not have to bring my dirty paws and work home with me every night? I think its because I need the challenge. I suppose my biggest question here is: will engineering be the right challenge for me? Andreas, my boss, is a very talented engineer and it is inspiring to see him work on such amazing projects, but also daunting to see him stay up until 1:30am with work and start again at 6:30 am every day. I hope in the next three months I can make a good pros and cons list of whether I, myself can be a good engineer someday and still maintain my sanity.

I hope you, my peers, can push me through some of these questions by your experience thus far in life, not necessarily with engineering, but how you have gone through or are going through this adolescent contemplation. Ha, but maybe not, I suppose everyone has to figure it out for themselves ;)

OH yeah, Austria update.

Disc Fiction played a showcase game in Klagenfurt, on a nice field with spectators and an announcer! Unfortunately we lost 12-9 (?), but I think it was a valuable experience for us and we will improve vastly in the near future. After the game, we all went out for mexican food, including my kiddos! Austrian mexican food is not really the same as american mexican food, nor anything close to Mexican food. So far, I have made my host family three mexican dishes, quesadillas, nachos and chicken enchiladas. They can't get enough of it!

The kids are great! Evi got her cast off, and tomorrow we will all go on a hike up some alpine mountain nearby.

I have not been to many field sites lately with the engineering internship, since I am mostly on kid duty, but what engineering I have done has been some AutoCAD work on a sound retaining wall for a highway. WOooo!

OK, until then, CIAO!

Hungary for Frisbee

Balaton Lake, in Fonyód, Hungary, where the water is only one waist deep as far as you can see. 

I had the exceptional privilege this past weekend to attend an international beach Ultimate Frisbee tournament in Fonyód, Hungary. There were about 20 teams hailing from Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria--and a total of three Americans playing with some of these teams. Cheers and conversations heard in four different languages with English as the common language in between, hence I was able to communicate to all (who spoke English...). I had never played on ultimate on the beach (it was actually just a sand court for a volleyball), nor have I been to an international tournament, nor have I ever had horse goulash, but altogether each new experience added another dimple in my smile.

I am starting to get the hang of being the confused American. I don't know if I stand out in a crowd or if I just have a stamp on my forehead because I most certainly look a little European, but as soon as I open my mouth it is obvious that I am a foreigner. This is also not such a bad thing. I have only received the kindest offers and respect as well as an interview with the local Hungarian news channel at the tournament. I thought if they knew I was an American, I would automatically be hated, and then I would just say that I was actually Canadian to ease the tension. I suppose it is not what I thought, and that some Europeans actually like Americans, or at least they don't care, or maybe it isn't even about your nationality, but how you portray yourself. Its amazing how far you can go in this world by just communicating with a smile. :-)

Ok, back to talking about the tournament. One thing that I wish that I did not have to witness or that the event ever occurred was a terrible injury. A Croatian team member was going up for the disc in the end zone, and on his way down, his left foot caught a clump of sand, torquing his leg upon impact, where normally an ACL would be torn, but instead with a sonic bone-crushing sound, his femur snapped. A single cry of pain was heard throughout the whole tournament and everyone stood still, and saw an abnormally and disgustingly disfigured leg attached to the man's body. Too afraid to move towards the incident, people covered their eyes wishing to erase the image from their memory. Dani, one of our team members, bravely ran towards the man, hoping to figure out how to help since he is a physical therapist. Unfortunately, there was no doctor on sight at the tournament and the man had to sit in the sand, calmly in shock, for twenty minutes until an ambulance arrived. Our next game was canceled because it was on the field of which the man was sitting on, but no one really wanted to be very physical for a little while after witnessing such an event, just thinking about getting hurt gave everyone the chills. Later on in the evening, I heard from one of the fellow Croatian teammates that the man will be in the hospital for one week, but that he is doing okay, just sad to not play frisbee for the rest of the summer.

On a happier and lighter note, we won two of our games, played seven total, but its not about the winning, its about how much fun we all had and playing experience we gained. For a team that just formed nine months ago, Disc Fiction will be an unstoppable team in the near future :)

Chillin in our dorm room in an old Hungarian high school, where all the teams stayed in at the tournament

Disc Fiction ready for a pull

Got my own Camera!

In compensation for my work thus far, my boss bought me a camera, a Nikon Coolpix P500 with 14.1 MP and 36X optimal zoom! Since then, I have been non-stop with it and trying to capture every moment possible, but I have to be careful because I do not have enough Giga Bites for every possible moment on my computer. But I will now be able to show more pictures of the kids, worksites, frisbee, and Austria!

Speaking of Frisbee... I will be going to Hungary next weekend for a Beach tournament with my new team, Disc Fiction, who are a blast to play with! I am so lucky that I am able to play some super fun ultimate this summer--in Austria and Hungary!

Disc Fiction Party!!! Petra, Marten, Mani, Hermann, and Christopher. It was a fun night, despite my Austrian alcohol tolerance...

Okay, so I just had my first weekend with the kids. I have to say that being an Au Pair in this Au Pair/Engineering Internship gig is like 100X harder... Something to consider if you plan on having an engineering career and children someday. But hopefully your kids will speak the same language with you most of the time. Not knowing German has been the biggest difficulty so far on this adventure, with the kids and with the internship. Everyone is taught English and can theoretically speak it, but they never get to use it unless their job allows them to, which is not very many here. I am quickly learning, and by the end of the trip, I might have a 10-year-old's knowledge of German :)

Bernd taking pictures of catfish, he was such a pro using his dad's SLR.

Silvia and Andreas, my Austrian parents :)

Typical farm visage on a rainy day

Bernd (Berndy), 9 years old, and he loves fishing!

Alexander (Alex), 11 years old, he is a Boy Scout of Austria and loves soccer!

Eva-Maria (Evi), 10 years old, wants to do anything a boy can do, regardless of having broke two arms in the past two months.

Alex, Evi and Berndy made me a SURPRISE! :) They are so wonderful and very skilled in the culinary arts!