My Week So Far

This week, I am feeling the frustrations of being in another country with a dialect that is different from my language that I feel I'm just not quite completely grasping. The systems between the universities here are so different. At U.S. universities, housing and everything is taken care of when you enroll and you just have to send in a few forms. Here, on the other hand, the housing companies are completely different from the university. You can't write a check here. You have to either pay in cash or have the money wired. Also, we had to sign up today for Austrian health insurance (it's mandated by law -- everyone here has it), but the bad part is I'm covered under my parents health insurance in the U.S. and the U.S. government requires that when students go abroad they buy some international health insurance. I am triple covered right now. Ugh. So I had to pay for the international health insurance, and now I find out I have to pay 25 Euro/month for my health insurance here.

Another frustration is the language. Kirsten and I have been slacking a bit on speaking German. It it just so easy to come back to the dorm and speak English because everyone does. But we decided that we were going to try and speak German because classes are getting more difficult when we only speak 4 hours of German each day. So, we came back here and started speaking German, and we were told by some of our friends that they don't understand our German. I don't know how it's possible. When I speak German in class or to my roommate, I am quite understood. Oh, I'm sure my language will get better, it is just frustrating today. Yesterday, for me was worse. Kirsten is having her bad day today.

I just found out about 20 minutes ago that Graz has a Hooters, yes a Hooters, just like the U.S. Also, when we were walking around downtown yesterday, we found a Chi-Chi's mexican restaurant. It was really cold walking around yesterday, but today it is even colder. Tonight we have a social with the other international students and our buddies(mentors) and then I think we're going to go out a bit to celebrate Trevor's 21st birthday. 21 isn't a big birthday here, but we think that Trevor still needs a taste of what we would be celebrating if we were back home.

Okay, that's good for now. Oh yes, I did get to watch the Superbowl Sunday night. It got done here at 4am. Needless to say, we were a bit tired the next day when we had to wake up for classes that started at 9! I hope everyone is staying warm back home!!!! :)