Leibnitz visit, ich mog deutsch!, Graz in a new light

Servus! (the Austrian greeting, which seems to be more informal than Grüß Gott, and is actually pronounced here as "Servaaas")

This morning I woke up and took a trip to Leibnitz to check it out again. I got there just as church was getting out. The church is in the center of the town and I could see everyone pass through the doors to congregate in the church plaza from my seat from the outdoor patio of a bakery. I had a "kleines wiener frühstück" a small Viennese breakfast, which included cheese, bread, croissant, butter, jam, 1/4 L oj, and a small pot of coffee (the coffee here is really good by the way). There were some really cute old people sitting around me and also some cute little kids. I saw a few people my age, but none were really sitting around at bakeries, mostly hanging around smoking. A LOT of young kids smoke in Austria.

After paying I walked around the city some more, jotting down numbers of real estate people who could help me find a house here if I wanted. I also did some hiking into the hills, which was nice and fun. It's cool to explore the forest. I came across a living area with some large houses, the first houses I have seen in Austria other than those I pass on the train. The living quarters in Graz and around the center of Leibnitz are all apartments, and tiled larger houses as far as I've seen. I came across a castle and an old wine cellar and could hear some singing from inside the cellar. Most of the people up there were quite old. The view was amazing though. There were some great hills to look at and from one spot I could even see a small town below and a lake. I hiked back down and explored a little camping area before heading back to the train station.

I bought a ticket and waited around for the train to come. There was a young man there, probably around 18 who was talking on the phone. I could barely understand anything he was saying, although he wasn't talking as fast as some of the teenage girls I've heard around. When he got off the phone he started talking to me but I really couldnt understand him cuz his accent was so heavy. I was like "wie bitte?" (what?). He repeated himself but I could only understand one thing every few words. Eventually I started to get what he was saying. He was meeting his friends to watch a soccer match tonight and he was anxious for the train to come. We talked for a while and all the way back to Graz. It was fun to practice my german with someone young and also get a better grasp of how people my age actually speak. I loved learning more austrian pronunciations. "Das mog ich net" for "Das mag ich nicht" and "I konn anglish net" for "Ich kenne englisch nicht". I heard more "bist du deppert" and also lots of "yo" for "ja". He is studying at a Berufschule which is focused on training kids in specific professions. He is studying to become a house painter. I won't be teaching at any of those schools.

After skyping with the fam I went to a brewery/restaurant near the clocktower, which I read online also showed sports. I guess the game hadn't started yet cuz I didn't see anything showing. I ordered my daily .5L beer which was brewed at that spot and also some Erdäpfelpuffer, which are like potato pancakes. I called my Stammschule teacher who is going to pick me up tomorrow and take me to school at 6:50 AM!!!

I wandered around Graz after dinner. It actually isn't so bad at night when the lights are bouncing off the buildings and I really started appreciating the architecture. It is so romantic with the lights and the occasional street musician. I walked in streets I have never walked before, where no cars or streetcars can go. Those places were nice. And there are definitely more people my age here, I think it is just a matter of getting to know them. I think once I get settled into my apartment (Tuesday) then it will be easier to look for clubs (a book or hiking club would be nice), meet my neighbors, go to meetings, maybe take some classes.

I'll be teaching my first few classes tomorrow which I am pretty excited about. I've planned a few things which I think will be fun.

Bis morgen!