Stories from Vienna (Intro)

[The date of this written post in my diary was 28th November 2015, when I bought one]

November 28, 2015

Meeting with friends from Zagreb, Vintage design exhibition and Glühwein at Museumsquartier

I am laying in the bed listening to the soundtrack from the 'Da Vinci's Demons'. My headphones are still working perfectly. The midnight has just passed by and the weekend has finally arrived. It also means that my seventh weekend in Vienna came. Many things have happened, both good and bad, but in the end the good ones prevailed.

Later today, after I was done with the work at the studio, I left it quickly around 18 h as I was about to meet with my friends from Zagreb. One of them is one of my best friends and colleagues from the School of Design and this was his last day before leaving home after his visit to cousins here. He is, just like me, making a one year break and pause from studying not finishing the Bachelor until autumn. The other two friends are one couple doing Erasmus exchange here as a students (and I am just here because of the internship) whereas one of them is my neighbour from the same building in the neighbourhood. We made a deal to meet in front of the cathedral at the Stephansplatz. I used the metro line U4 Pilgramgasse, changed to U1 at Karlsplatz and in total took me around 10 or more minutes until I reached Stephansplatz. I was still not used to the elevators and preferred walking by using the stairs. There I arrived maybe few minutes earlier and walked around. The guys who are wearing the costumes will immediately "attack" you with the offers to watch Opera and other things if they hear you speaking some other language other than German (or hear you not speaking like Austrian). I kept silent so they did not bother me.

And then my friend Mladen came! I have not seen him for.. well, a month and a half and both of us were happy to see each other and talk, tell the news and experience. We waited a bit until the other two found us. We headed to the Vintage Design market that was 3 streets further. It was something in the basement but looked totally boring ("My grandpa has that in his wardrobe") and was pretty expensive. After spending maybe 8 minutes there (and Mladen hit his head in the chandelier) we decided to go somewhere to sit and drink some warm wine or punch.

We ended up walking from Stephansplatz to Museumsquartier through the Kärtnerstraße by the Opera, then headed to Karlsplatz and followed the road all along to the Museumsquartier. We went into the yard next to Mumok where we entered one of many tents (Mladen found it with the free spots to sit) and talked there for maybe an hour as Mladen had to leave. It was nice to see him. I stayed a bit longer with my neighbour and her boyfriend to talk and we walked all the way to Rathaus where they left at the metro station. It always helps you feel better when meeting with friends and this broke the monotonous days. I came back home around half past nine. My flatmate told me I could go with him and his friends for a drink the other day, as well as inviting my Swiss flatmate and her friend to go with us (and her friend also came today and is going to stay 3-4 days).

However, this was all "in medias res". Let us go a month and a half back in Zagreb while preparing to go to Vienna.

Day before leaving for Vienna, on Monday the 12th October, I went to meet with one of my high school friends after shopping with my mom and in the morning picking up the signed Erasmus confirmation that I am a student. In the evening I played piano as I knew I was not going to have many opportunities to play it here. And I wrote and approached the end of my last diary. In October I was hanging out with my other Erasmus friends from Poland who came to Zagreb and I also slept twice at their place (which I usually do not do but for everything there is a first time). One of the Polish friend and the one from high school were going to come for a visit here later.

Now, everything was ready for the trip! I packed stuff and tried not to bring too many as I always think I need a lot but never use half of it. But when I do not take something I need it. Going back to sleep and waking up early in the morning.

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