I have now lived Graz for exactly 20 days. I apologize for not keeping vigilant update during that time. Yes, a lot has happened in this time however it tends to add up to a lot of nothing. What I mean is that I've filled out a lot of paperwork, walked (sometimes dragged myself) all over town, visited a dozen or so offices, made embarrassing language mistakes, met a lot of new people, and eaten a lot of food. What this all amounts to is a better understanding of the city, slightly more honed language skills, registration at the university, simple amenities such as health insurance, people to talk to, and maybe a little more fat on the waist. These are all things that one seems to take for granted back home. We know exactly where to go and who to talk to get all of these things. But, when you're in a foreign country the difficulty skyrockets and it almost seems as if the country's amount of procedural red tape is somehow outrageous in comparison to your own. That's been my biggest complaint of late anyway.
It has to be said however, Austrians seem to love their paperwork. I'm almost certain that you have to submit paperwork in order to make friends.
For those who are curious and/or worried, here's what you should know.
-I love my apartment. It's "klein aber fein" and has everything I could hope for (plus my new bed sheets which I bought at IKEA).
-Classes started a week and a half ago and I am in the groove of things finally. I haven't met with Professor Furrer, that will happen next Tuesday (post to follow).
-I'm singing in an opera choir for Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortileges. It's great fun so far and the performances are scheduled for December.
Other than that I'm happy and healthy. Feel free to write me with any questions or if you just get bored and feel like talking to someone. :-)
