On their way

I finished the coasters today and took them to the post office this afternoon. Now they're in the hands of the Austrian postal service (which I've heard is not so great, although I've only had one problem with them). So, without further ado, here's the design I settled on.




It's basically the design that everyone seemed to like, with a few extra lines thrown in. The coasters ended up being a little larger than my first one, so I added a second box around the whole thing. And then I added a diamond inside the blue diamond on the fabric.

I really like how they turned out.

And while I was at the post office, I picked up a package from Amazon. The mailman knocked on our door at 7:30 yesterday morning (which is a bit too early for me -- so I made Brian get it) to inform us that we had to pick up the package at the post office and pay the customs fees. The last time we got something from Amazon, the mailman delivered it to our door and collected the customs fees. He also showed up around 10 instead of 7:30. I wonder if this is because we didn't tip him at Christmas? Ha ha! Since you didn't give me a tip, I'll make you pick up your own mail. And knock on your door while you're still in bed. Actually, I'm pretty sure it's a different guy than before, but maybe they're in cahoots.

In any event, I've been eagerly awaiting these books. Especially Amy Butler's InStitches pattern book. I have one more sewing project to finish before I can get started on the wide-leg lounge pants. It's a good thing I have some time off from school.

This is university

My German teacher has a lot of sayings. My favorite is, "This is university." I like this one because it can be used to mean so many different things. I'll give you a few examples.

If you....

... didn't do the required homework, "this is university" means that you need to get your act together and treat the class with a little respect.

... didn't do the optional homework, "this is university" means don't worry about it; it's up to you whether or not you do the optional homework.

... miss class, "this is university" means she doesn't need to hear your excuse. Whether you were sick, attending a funeral or recovering from a hard night of partying, she doesn't care. You can miss up to 20% of the classes for any reason or no reason. (Of course, if you miss one day over the 20% limit, you don't pass the course regardless of your grade.)

This expression became even more humorous to me yesterday. Last week we took our two final exams -- an oral exam on Wednesday and a written exam on Friday. But we still had class through today. We spent Monday reviewing the final exam and discussing some final points, but we were left with two full days of nothing to do. So what did we do? We went on a field trip. After all, this is university.

Yesterday we loaded up on the public transportation and headed to ORF, the local television studio. We saw several other groups of field-trippers -- mostly between the ages of 6 and 8. Even though I felt a little silly going on a field trip, I had a good time.

Today was the last of class and the plan was to go to a cafe for coffee and cake. I assume that that's what happened, but can't be sure since I didn't go to class today. Do you want to know why? Well, I don't have to tell you. This is university.

Your opinion matters

First, some blog news. This is my 100th post. I feel like I should do something to celebrate. So I offer you this lovely shot of the sunset one day last week -- or maybe the week before last. Recently, in any event.



Now, on to other things.

A while back I mentioned that I had signed up for a coaster swap. I've been checking out some of the other coaster-makers and they're pretty impressive. So, of course, I'd like to do something impressive as well.

This what I'm working with right now.



The front side reminds me of cathedral window quilts, so I thought -- quilted coaster! Now here's the dilemma. Maybe you noticed that I've done a little quilting on this coaster already. Maybe you haven't -- it's a little hard to see in the photo. But I'm not sure that I like the design. Here's the front with some lines drawn on it so you can see the design.




The lines are kind of wonky. I think my sewing is a little straighter and more even. In most places. So my question -- should I keep this design? Or should I go with something more like this to highlight the cathedral window aspect?



Or should I just quilt them like Martha?

So many possibilities. I'd love to hear your opinion.

It's a nice day for a white wedding

Today Brian and I had our first oral exam in German class. Just so I don't keep you in suspense for too long, we both did well. We don't have the grades yet, but we are both confident that we passed with good marks.

The whole thought of an oral exam was a little intimidating, but I had a lot of info going into it, so that helped put me at ease. I knew that the proctor administering the exam would not be my regular teacher, I would have to speak over three topics and it would last about 5 minutes.

First, I had to introduce myself and tell why I was in Vienna. Then I had to speak about my favorite object -- the one I presented to the class earlier in the semester. I knew both of these topics prior to the exam, so I was completely prepared for them.

For the third topic, my teacher gave the class a list of possible questions earlier this week. Then when it came time to speak over the third topic, I had to draw a card and answer the question. Some of the questions were really easy. Talk about your last vacation. Where did you go? What did you do? But some of them were a bit more... abstract. What do you think about the future?

Fortunately, I drew a pretty easy question. I'm visiting your hometown for 3 days. What attractions are there? What do you recommend I see? This question was especially easy because it's the exact same question I drew during the practice exam yesterday. So I felt pretty confident in answering it.

The hardest part of the exam was knowing that the proctor could ask additional questions at any moment. She could ask something about your family. Or some detail about your hometown. Or whatever.

I know the proctor asked a few questions, but only one sticks in my mind. While talking about my favorite object (a wedding photo), she asked me whether I wore a white dress.

I'm not quite sure what she was getting at.

The most boring post ever

I don't really have anything to write about, but I feel compelled to write. It's a sickness, I think. So I've decided to show you some recent pictures. I hope you enjoy.



This is a sign for what is perhaps the most famous toilet in the world -- the Opera Toilet at the Karlsplatz U-Bahn station (right below the City Opera building). For a small fee, you can use the facilities while listening to the Blue Danube Waltz or something similar. The fee, in case you're wondering, is 60 Eurocents -- more than twice the price of the facilities at the train station which are an odd 27 Eurocents. I only took a picture of the sign and not the actual bathroom because I thought it was a little rude to snap a photo of the bathroom.



I don't know why, but I really like this old-timey Strassenbahn sign. Maybe because it's so ornate compared to the modern Strassenbahn signs. Although, I must admit, I prefer the digital signs that display how many minutes until the next Strassenbahn or bus arrives.



I was using the auto-timer on this photo. The camera makes a loud noise right before it takes the photo, which is what caused this quizzical look on Sharkdog's face.



If this is the first time you've seen this photo, head over to Sharkdog's blog for more details. And go ahead and add his blog to your regular reading list so I don't have to keep sending you over there.

Dreaming in deutsch

I had some trouble sleeping last night and decided to get up for a little snack. A few minutes later, Brian realized I wasn't in bed and called for me. I returned to the bedroom to see what he needed. He asked me what I was doing and I told him I was looking for something to eat. That's when the conversation got a little strange.

Brian: "Did you tell the neighbors it was ready?"

I had no idea what he was talking about so I asked him to repeat what he had said.

Brian: "Did you tell the neighbors? That the food was ready?"

Me: "I don't know what you mean."

Brian: "Nachbartisch." (This is the German word for the neighboring table, like at a restaurant or cafe.)

Then he giggled, rolled over and went back to sleep. I asked him today if he remembered the conversation and he said he didn't.

But he still thought the word "Nachbartisch" was pretty funny.

Kultur und Kaffee

One of the girls in our German course is in Vienna to receive training as an opera singer. An opera singer! Isn't that crazy impressive? She invited the class to a concert organized by her singing instructor. It was amazing. I've heard a lot of singing in my life. Just yesterday morning on our walk to the u-bahn I heard Brian's rendition of an R Kelly song. But I've never heard anything like this.

Several other classmates were also at the concert. Afterwards, Brian and I joined two of the other students for coffee -- at Starbucks. Here we are in a city known for their cafes and we end up at Starbucks. But that was okay with me. Starbucks is the probably the only place where you can get your coffee without second-hand smoke. Probably the most impressive part of the whole thing is that we spoke German most of the night. The girl we were with speaks English and prefers English over German. But the guy either doesn't speak English or prefers German -- I'm not sure which one. But either way, it was nice to speak to someone whose first language is neither English nor German. You both get to struggle a little. Although, there was definitely more struggling on our side of the table.

Music and coffee -- that's what this city is all about.

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In other news, if you haven't checked out Sharkdog's blog in a while, I recommend moseying on over there and taking a look at the first installment of Sharkdog Adventures. (Click on the photos to view a larger image.) And don't be afraid to leave a comment. Sharkdog thrives on positive affirmation.