Christmas in my apartment

Merry (early) Christmas!

Fröhlich Weihnachten!

:)

Yes, I know it's still November, but I've been gradually getting ready for it over the past few weeks here.  By the end of Fall Break a few weeks ago, I'd had most of my apartment decorated for Christmas.  Since then, I've done a bit more with decorations, most of which I'll give to people as presents.

(These photos aren't in order.  Sorry!)

Scripture on the wall with wooden ornaments from a Christmas market

I found a few retro-looking Christmas cards with German greetings that I love!

My snowman fridge :-P

I don't have room in my apartment for a Christmas tree, so a friend created one on the wall for me.  

:)

This is my Advent countdown.

I've never done Advent, so I don't really know what to do for it.

The countdown is on these cute, wooden pieces with clothespins.

For the countdown, I decided to write 24 verses on paper to ready each morning in lieu of whatever I'm supposed to do each day.

I'll begin reading the verses daily starting next week, even though that's not when Advent technically begins.  I can't wait until the actual starting date, though, b/c I won't be in Vienna when it technically ends on Christmas.  I get home on Friday, December 21st, which is less than 5 weeks away now!  

:)

My Fall Break

Happy November!

I'm cherishing today, as it's my last day of my much - needed Fall Break.  I'm still working on my lengthy to - do list that I've created over the past few months, and I'm still catching up on sleep.  I'm here at home, doing laundry, cleaning my apartment, getting ready to email my supporters, and am trying to fight what might be a second cold for me this season.  (The weather here is very chilly now.)  I'd thought about trying another afternoon church, but I woke up not feeling super great and thought I should stay home today.  I'll try to go to it soon, though.

I'm one of the few teachers who did not flee the country for a break, which ended up being a blessing for me.  In fact, I've been looking forward to staying home and getting stuff done!  

I've had a great time staying in Vienna for the break, so here are some snapshots of what I've been up to.

*Happy Halloween, from my coffee cup to yours!*

:)

Halloween was a very low-key affair.  I ended up hanging out with my friend Sarah that evening.  We went to the mall because Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes were half - price (woo hoo!), and then we had a chili supper at my house.

There were Halloween decorations in stores all season long, along with some very evil - looking decorations that I later learned were for All Saints' Day on November 1st.  While we were at Starbucks, we saw a lot of people dressed up in this stuff.  

Very creepy!

***

On Friday morning, I got up EARLY to go to the visa office with other newbies to get our Austrian work visas, which had FINALLY been processed.

We waited around for a few hours, so here are a couple photos of me in all of my morning glory.

Me with Sarah, the yellow leaf in the Fall Festival post

(She's being super serious here; she never looks like this.)  :-P

Yay!  Andrea just got her visa!

I, however, didn't get mine.  Someone in the process misspelled my middle name on EVERYTHING, so I have to return to the office this Friday to pick it all up.

***

(These photos are out of order, for some reason.)

On Thursday, I submitted my application to Drexel University to earn an ESL certificate with their online program.  I have to have 6 credit hours in any English certification program completed by June to maintain my Florida teaching license, which I need to keep active in order to teach here.

That night, I went to a concert w/ some teachers and students.  The band has a history w/ the school, somehow, but I don't really understand the connection.  I went out of politeness but had to leave early, mainly because of the INSANE noise level, but also because of the heat and because of cigarette smoke.

The band's name is Good Weather Forecast.

I have no idea why.

Meet Janet.

She's the leader of my women's Bible study group that meets every other Sunday.  She graciously serves us dinner and then leads us through our Beth Moore study on the book of Esther.

Before the concert, we went out for Indian food at an Indian restaurant that was around the corner from the concert building.  (The concert was actually in a keller/cellar of a bar.)

***

On Friday, after the unsuccessful trip to the visa office, I decided to head to the Euro Store and to a little craft store for some Christmas decorations.  :)

These are photos throughout my time wandering the streets around my apartment building.

Haha!

It's the name of a street, but it looks like it wants to say, "I'm weird."

:-D

Holy pizza???

This has jaded my view of Santa forever.  

>:-(

Ok, I DON'T KNOW what this is.  No one seems to know.

Therefore, it's made me both curious and horrified!

Nice - looking cafe 

Another plaque of Jews who were deported

The person in the top left corner was 100 years old.

 

The English teacher in me has MAJOR issues with grammatically - incorrect signs, like this one!

This is a restaurant that I'll try to check out sometime.  

Its building is connected to...

...the home of Johann Strauss, Jr., who is known as The Waltz King.

This says something like, "In this home, Johann Strauss wrote, in the year 1867, the Viennese folk anthem, the waltz, "On the Beautiful Blue Danube." The 100th birthday of the waltz king's honorary member. Schubert Bunch of Wiener 1925."

Creepy sign outside an Asian grocery store

Talk about an artistic building!

This guy was really tall and was painted beautifully from top to bottom.

Gambling places are very common here, almost as common as grocery stores.  Sad.  :'(

***

I'm now getting ready for some personal devo time, and then I'll continue to work on my to - do list.

I've also begun to decorate for Christmas, so when I'm done, I'll post photos.  Like always!  :)

***