Week Three

REVISION: Jena wanted a bigger mention on the blog (which she well and truly deserves to be honest.) Here I’ve just included a quick snap from our walk this week. #iphonography

I don’t understand how it’s been three weeks already – it’s gone so quickly but paradoxically I feel like I’ve known these guys for ages. This week was super busy – most days about 8:30 til 5ish at Uni which was pretty tiring but enjoyable nonetheless. Here is an eclectic bunch of thoughts and events i’m thankful for from the week that was.

I’m thankful that things are well and truly falling into place – I’ve found my footing at school, church, jogging routes, ski hire and have now even started to be recognised at the farmers markets by the lady who sells amazing nuts (trust).

“Hallo 2 euros fifty worth of brazil nuts please” (Finally remembered the german word for brazil nuts after having to ask her what it was for two weeks in a row)

“Oh, you’re splurging. Gone up from the usual 2 euro portion!”

“Yes, I’m hungry and your selection is dangerously delicious”

“Well, you’re more than welcome to them anytime. Do you want me to close up the bag for you? That’s when it becomes most dangerous”

Got her to close the bag. Still managed to have polished them off by the time I got home. I’m super thankful for the markets. I bought some beautiful hydrangeas for just under 4 euros this week there. They’re really enjoyable and Isabella and I sat in a cafe overlooking them this weekend and did some German study which was short lived but great.

I’m thankful (but also bloody hate) Austria and their recycling – waste has to be separated into glass [white/brown], plastic, bio, paper, metal and the leftover rubbish. I included a photo of the bins that are in every classroom but this also has to be done at home.

I’m thankful for today – a day where I got to go to church and got to go skiing and then even still got to have a kebab. The sermon this morning I understood fully for the first time! And really enjoyed it – it was about the tension between God and suffering and that CS Lewis quote was mentioned “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world” which although I’m not going through any suffering was a timely reminder. If anything it was a push to keep God’s guidance louder than just whispers in a time of potential self indulgent pleasure. It’s been hard prioritising church over leisure.

I’m thankful though, however, that I went to bible study on Tuesday night. Exhausted from an 8 -7:30 uni day, I walked straight to bible study somewhat reluctantly. Oh how I’m glad I went and how thankful I am for that small group, who, put some of the songs into English to “make me feel at home”

I’m super thankful for other Maddie. It’s been such a blessing to have her not only show me the great outdoors of Austria but organise local events, potential morocco trips, make pavlova, mentor uni-wise but ultimately hook me into a fantastic church.

I’m thankful for the outdoors here. Isabella and I went for a run together on Thursday night following a sign up to a 10k run as part of Salzburg marathon. It was so much more enjoyable than I had anticipated (initially had thought it may have been the end to this friendship).

I’m thankful for my new local friends. There’s some really awesome people in our course who we’ve been making friends with. They’re quick to help, offer lifts and tours, amazingly talented and hilarious. We eat lunch together often and laugh over supermarket lentils (which are delicious btw). In particular I’m thinking about a lunchtime this week where I was explaining what ‘let’s get cracking means’ (seriously, being here has made me realise how man colloquialisms and abbreviations Australians have that even Americans have no idea about – hundge, wait a tick, to nick something etc). Anyway, I’d finished my lunch and had made the remark ‘let’s get cracking’ to which everyone just looked at me blankly. I explained what it meant to which a local responded ‘okay then – let’s crack!’ We laughed and laughed. Pre pub crawl last night we also went out to dinner with a local girl who’s in many of my classes and so nice. It was a really great evening.

I’m thankful for the resources here. I’ve spent the week animating in an amazing lab and have also been playing around with some sound recording, entailing being locked in a sound booth and having to do my own voiceover for my video (yuck but also great quality if I do say so myself.)

I’m thankful for midweek impulsive adventures. On Thursday night, after coming home from a jog I was peer pressured into going to a local American bar, Mr Johns. I went in my exercise gear (plus jeans), watched everyone else drink and smoke shisha, left after an hour, but it was still super enjoyable.

I’m thankful for friends who don’t judge you. Skiing today was a lot of fun, catching a 15 minute bus up the mountain after the service. Thibaut, Aurelien, Nevia, Adam and I did a fair few runs, getting lost now and then (and having to ski down hiking trails oops) but overall having a really enjoyable time. I fell off the T-bar a lot and was constantly made fun of (but also helped) by these guys who make me laugh and also make me go red with embarrassment. I’m also thankful that they didn’t judge my post kebab onion breath.

I’m thankful for late night walks with Chloe and Jena in the cold of Dornbirn. I’m super thankful because it was dark and scary.

I’m thankful for last nights pub crawl organised by some local students. The peak of the night would have been eating all of Thibaut’s french fries, riding a kangaroo carousel with 6 other people (about 5 too many) and doing limbo pretty badly in a local bar. These guys are a lot of fun.

I’m thankful for how kind everyone is too. This week Sibel turned 21 so we had a homemade meringue cake and got her some flowers. I think she really loved it.

And finally I’m thankful for home. Sydney is fantastic and the people in it are even more so. I miss you lots but am so thankful for the constant messages (sorry for not responding all the time, it’s pretty hectic.)

As cliche as it sounds, I’m thankful to my Lord for this opportunity, this life, this surprisingly fantastic period and ultimately his Son.

Here are some photos of the mentioned thoughts.

Recycling at school