What a weekend.
The last time I felt this young and reckless was last fall in Hinterglemm...once a year is a pretty good pace I think. When large groups of people in their early and mid-twenties get together, things get wild. That’s how it was in Hinterglemm at the orientation seminar last year before I started teaching—there were something like 70 or 80 of us in one place, all doing the exact same thing, right down to what types of drinks we ordered in the bars. This weekend followed that rule down to the last stumble, or in my case, fall.
All I can say so far regarding my internship at Webster University: excellent. I started on Tuesday so that I could help out with the preparation for the soccer tournament Webster Vienna was hosting this weekend. I just ended up doing a few administrative things in preparation, which in hindsight were utterly useless. I should have been out buying first aid supplies, but whatever...neither Jutta (my boss) nor I thought of that. How was an American supposed to know that soccer is a dangerous sport? The teams from Leiden (Netherlands), London and Geneva arrived on Thursday, but the madness started on Friday at the tournament. I got roped into leading the players from Geneva and London to the sports center because none of the players from Vienna wanted to get up that early. I was trying to earn brownie points and show Jutta that I am truly engaged in this internship, so I yielded to her pleas and agreed to pick them up at 8:30 AM in BFE at their hotel. I told myself that I was just going to pick them up and lead them to the center, perhaps stay for a half an hour or so and then leave again. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. I spent nearly every waking moment over the next 72 hours with these people. Seeing as I slept a grand total of 7 hours over two nights, that’s quite a bit of time.
The group was a mishmash of peoples from the four corners of the earth—although this is an American uni, I’d say that more than two-thirds of the people present weren’t American. This is what I love about being involved in something that is truly international. When else would I have to opportunity to discuss Muslim religious practices with a Nigerian, an Austrian, a Chinese-Brit, a Malaysian-Brit and another American? Or shake it at a Moroccan club in Vienna with a Croat? It’s also amazing how one can make friends in such a short span of time.
The entire weekend revolved around soccer. Not only did the teams compete in this tournament, but we also watched soccer at the pubs and went to a professional game at an open-air stadium (and damn, it was COLD). I’ve never watched so much soccer in my entire life. It is a really interesting sport and I was able to understand some of the terms and whatnot from American football, things like “off sides” and such. Plus I had lots of “experts” to explain things to me when I didn’t understand what was going on. I wouldn’t mind learning how to play because I think soccer is to sports what English is to languages: the tie that binds.
Yesterday David (an Austrian who is going to study in London) and I showed a dozen of the London kids around the city. It was sunny and relatively nice weather, which made it wonderful to be in the city. I made sure we went to a classic Viennese coffee house and David ensured we took them to a traditional Viennese beisl so they could have Wiener Schnitzel, etc. We visited the kitschy and touristy Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) in front of the magnificent city hall, the windows of which have been transformed into a gigantic Advent calendar. Lanterns swing in the trees and there are gingerbread and caramal apples and sausages galore.
So you’re wondering about my fall huh? Yes, I thought I could arouse some interest by dropping that detail. On Friday night the students from London and Leiden met up at a bar which was packed. A few of us left and went across the street to an Irish pub where we could sit and actually talk without having to scream at each other. We had a couple pints there and then headed off down the street to a club called Moulin Rouge where the Webster Student Council had arranged for a VIP lounge and special entertainment in honor of the visiting teams. There was a line to get in and Param, one of the guys from London, swore up and down that we could get in by jumping the line and just telling the bouncers we were with Webster. While standing around discussing with David whether or not that would really work, I leaned against a column which turned out to be an inflatible advertisement. Suddenly I was sitting on the ground, laughing. Oops! The guys picked me up and dusted me off and we abandoned the attempt after talking to one of the Geneva guys who’d already tried to get in by mentioning Webster and was told to wait. None of the three of us noticed that I’d dropped my bag and left it lying on the ground by that damn column. About ten minutes later I went to get out my cash for the door and realized my bag was gone! That was definitely and oh shit moment. Param and I ran back to the pub because I couldn’t recall whether I’d left it there or not, and it wasn’t there. I returned to the line and was looking around near the column when some guy in line asked me if I was looking for my bag. He told me that the bouncers had it inside, which was an enormous relief! The bouncers let me in and I dragged Param with. Almost everything was still there—driver’s license, cell phone, keys, metrocard worth €45 which I had purchased that morning. Sadly my cash was gone, but I guess that was to be expected right? I think I’ve let that €50 go now, but it took a while. I hope the drinks purchased with that stolen cash tasted bitter and foul.
Sadly most of these fun people are gone now, back at their respective campuses. I’m welcome in London though, and even though I told myself that I wasn’t going to the UK again for another 10 years I might make an exception. They’ve promised to show me a good time, about which I have absolutely no doubts. *smiley*
What a weekend.
