Sour Service

29.5.09

As an American, I have become accustomed to excellent service. Salespeople are always eager to get you another size or help you in any way they can. This is not the case in Europe. The service is very unfriendly. There's no "hello, how are you today" or smile or "have a good day" or anything. But that's just how the culture is. There's a generally emotionless quality or distance when it comes to service. It may be the culture, but to me it seems the salespeople are not just unfriendly, but outright rude. They snatch whatever item you're looking at out of your hands the moment it seems it may be a bit too pricey or they seem incredibly insulted when you ask them to describe what is in a dish at a restaurant, as if service had nothing to do with their job description.

But it's hard to decipher if they're singling us out or not. There's a lot of animosity against foreigners and the service workers treat you very differently when they see that you're foreign and not a native Austrian, even if you speak German. They want Austria to revert back to its pure roots and will certainly not lift a finger to assist a foreigner like myself in any way...at least not when it comes to shopping.

This whole unfriendly approach to the Austrian (or maybe European) service industry makes me question even further how translation is even possible.  If you're translating a brochure or advertisement for a store, let's say Express because it's my favorite, there are sure to be sayings that would never occur in the other language. The English advertisement might in some way welcome a client into the store with a warm greeting. But in Austria, they don't give warm greetings. So how do you translate it? Do you keep it as a sort of greeting but just turn the warmth factor down to negative thirty, thereby accommodating the culture change? Or do you try to keep it close to the source text? Even if it doesn't quite make as much sense in the target language? It's all very confusing, but I just know that I can't wait to go shopping in America again where people smile when you say hello.

Language Diversity and Multilingualism in the European Union

28.5.09

Today we went to the European Union and sat in on a presentation regarding language diversity and multilingualism in the European Union.  There are currently 23 official languages of the European Union and 800 translators.  Getting a law passed is a long and involved process within the EU. It can be summarized with three general steps: communication within an organization, communication between organizations, communication from an organization to the people it supports.  It was also discussed how one might acquire a position within the European Union.  The EU is always searching for people who have a wide array of knowledge to supplement their language. For example, a translator is more marketable if he/she also has a degree in medicine because you then have a specific set of vocabulary at your disposal and you don’t have to look up every scientific word.

Translating Jokes

27.5.09

Today we talked about jokes and comedic sayings and the difficulties that come with translating them.  Freud was very interested in analyzing jokes and how they relate to the unconscious. He concluded that the pleasure one receives from hearing a joke is “due to the suspension of the expenditure of energy upon maintaining repression”[1]  But the definition of what is funny differs between social groups and genders. What is hilarious to a man might be offensive to a woman and what is funny to a Caucasian person may be offensive to an African American.  This creates difficulties when translating a joke because it is being converted into a different culture and mindset.  “The very structure of the joke embodies the distancing of existing attitudes and their replacement by a new language of science.”[2]  The function of Jewish jokes was to provide an escape from anti-Semitism by laughing at it.[3]  Does this go to say that a Jewish joke will never be fully understood by someone who is not Jewish? Maybe so.  Most of understanding a joke lies in the experiences and perception one has of the culture from which the joke stems. 

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[1] Viennese Laughter, 107

[2] Viennese Laughter, 113

[3] Camilla Nielsen, lecture 27.5.09

Cafe's

27.5.09

Coffee houses in Vienna differ greatly from those in America. They have a much more leisurely atmosphere about them. In America, if you sit at a table for more than an hour a waiter usually asks if you want anything else or in some way indicates that you should leave. Often they give you the bill just moments after getting your food and say “whenever you’re ready” but really they mean sooner rather than later. In Vienna the concept of a coffee house is completely different.  No one is going to ask you to leave after a while.  In fact, people often spend the entire day in a single coffee house. It is a place where one can go to read the newspaper or read a book.  In the past, there were even showers available because travelers would often come and want a place to freshen up and relax.

Freud Museum

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Today after class a few of us went to the Donau Insel because it was going to be the last hot day for a while and we wanted to enjoy the weather.  It was interesting to see how uninhibited the people here are when it comes to baring their bodies, especially the old people. They’re just so comfortable with showing skin.

After the Donau, we went to the Freud Museum for a group excursion.  The Freud Museum is where Freud actually lived for about fifty years before moving to London in his final years. It was a very large apartment for the time, and even still is now. There were 19 rooms! But besides him and his wife there were six children, so I’m sure they appreciated the space.  He held his practice within his home so I got to see where the famous couch would have been (the couch is kept at the museum in London).

Difficulties of Translating Freud

26.5.09

Sigmund Freud was a very complex individual and reading his works is difficult enough but translating them presents a whole new slew of complications. He used a lot of scientific words (some of which were coined by him) but spoke about them in a very artistic fashion.  The words he chose also have specific meanings that might not be reached when only looking in a dictionary.  It is important to look at the context of the text – who was writing, what was that’s individual’s lexicon – what was the period flavor and literary style.  There are many things to take under consideration.  When Freud talked about “die Seele” he more likely meant “the psyche” rather than “the soul” which is typically associated with the word “Seele.”  Similarly, Freud used the word “die Kranke” to refer to the patient, not someone who was ill.

Word for Word

25.5.09

It has been said that there is no such thing as an untranslatable text. Everything should be able to be expressed in each language in some form or another. But I think it’s safe to say that a translation will not always match the same format as that of the source text. For example we can examine the German word “Vergangenheitsbewältigung.”  There is no one word in the English language that sums up the sense of “Vergangenheitsbewältigung” but in general it means “(the process of) coming to terms with the past.” So sometimes the translator must take a few liberties with the text to obtain the overall sense of the word/phrase/text, since sometimes a word for word translation is just not possible.

“Make tour today?” - A Need for Native Speakers as Translators

24.5.09

At the opera house someone wearing a costume said, “make tour today?” That proves that while some Europeans (especially shop owners or workers) know enough English to get their point across but that they are by no means fluent. Native English speakers must be the ones doing the translating into English otherwise you end up with sentences like “make tour today?”

Old Woman and Big Flowers

Monday, May 25, 2009

Today we went to the Jewish Museum after class today. It was actually less exciting than I had hoped it would be. All the items were rather small. What made the most difference is that we didn't have a guide and just had to wander around by ourselves and try to figure out the significance of each item.

One of the most fun parts of the day actually came on the bus ride home. I sat next to this old lady and we ended up chit chatting the whole ride.  Her name was Autina and she was very sweet.  She talked some about her children and grandchildren and the big flowers which she was carrying.  It was exhilarating to have a conversation with a random person in German.  Back at school I really only use German to talk about books and symbolism. But being here in Vienna and witnessing that the language really is used in daily life and not just for the dissection of Goethe's Faust is truly encouraging.

Church and Museums = Best Day

Sunday morning Tina, Karla, Professor Lowe, and I went to church at St. Augustine’s Cathedral. The church was absolutely gorgeous, as was the music! There was a phenomenal organist and orchestra, which by the way, all the musicians came from the Vienna Philharmonic! How fabulous is that?! I think we should adopt that policy for all of the churches in America. 

After church we went to grab a quick bite to eat and I got my sacher torte. Of course.

Then we went by the opera house where visitors were being admitted for free as long as you had a ticket. We went up to one doorman and he said that all the tickets had already been distributed and that we were out of luck. But we weren’t going to give up just yet. We went around to another entrance and the lady guarding the door said she had four tickets that we could use! Score!  The opera house is heavenly inside. We got to sit in on the Vienna Philharmonic’s rehearsal of the Nibelungen Ring opera. Those singers were remarkable. They just filled up the space completely with sound.  

Then we went to see some dancers from the Vienna ballet rehearse Anna Karenina, which premiers June 8, 2009.  They were such a treat to watch and I could even tell that the female was wearing Bloch Serenade pointe shoes. How strange is it that I can recognize the kind of pointe shoes she was wearing when they practically all look the same.  

Then we went up onto the stage and got to pretend like the spotlight was on us.  It felt so good to be in the center of the stage and look out to an auditorium with five balconies. Oh man I miss being on stage and having that rush of adrenaline that only performing in that environment can bring. 

After the opera house Tina, Karla, and I went to the Belvedere Museum.  We spent hours in there just gawking at the magnificent artwork.

Overall, this was probably the best day I’ve had so far on this trip.  I got to do everything artsy that I like, and I didn’t have to pay for any of it except for the sacher torte! But that, of course, was well worth it. I hope I have many more days like this to come.

Leonard Orban and Multilingualism

According to Leonard Orban, the European Commissioner responsible for multilingualism, “many Europeans already speak a great number of different languages. But still, language skills are unevenly spread across countries and social groups in Europe”. [1] Vienna is a very multicultural city and most everyone here speaks several languages. But this is not the case throughout all of Austria or all of Europe.  People residing in larger cities speak several languages because of several reasons. They are near Universities and with higher education comes multilingualism. Large cities attract tourists and foreigners, which by default introduces new languages.

Orban also made the point that multilingualism has increased with the recent economic downturn.[2]  Shop owners cannot afford to turn anyone always simply because of a language barrier.  It is very common for business people to know enough of several languages to make a sale.  Because money is tight these days, shop owners are making a great effort to accommodate their customers.

It is also true that the work field for translators has increased since the economic crash. It is becoming more and more important to converse with each other on a more global level. With tensions running high all over the world, it is important that all messages are accurately and appropriately conveyed.  When non-native speakers translate, they often make mistakes, whether it be in grammar or colloquialisms or what have you.  It is important that the translator not only be a native speaker, but also exceptional in that particular language, to ensure that everything is translated to the highest degree.

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[1] Orban, Leonard. A Bridge to Mutual Understanding, http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/orban/news/docs/speeches/090515_discurs_Cluj/Discurs_Cluj_EN.pdf

[2] ibid

Homework

One of the things I have to do for GER 496 is keep a daily journal of my translation observations while here in Austria.  At the end of the trip we have to present our findings to the class.  In addition to posting my daily excursions, I will also be posting my translation observations just in case anyone would like to read what I'm thinking as well. I will label all of my translation posts as "translation" so feel free to skip over those if you just want to know what I did that day.

Tours and gay bars

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Today we went on a walking tour of the medieval part of Vienna with Professor Bruce Murray (from the U of I).  He knew so much about every little thing – every plaque, café, statue, you name it and he knew what it was.  There were a lot of cool buildings and the sheer age of everything here is mind-boggling. Every thing has such a deep history. We walked by a church that was built in the 11^th century! 

Everything we saw had such historical significance. We stopped in front of the building wear the last Holy Roman Emperor gave up the throne to Napolean!

Late that night we went out dancing to a gay club called the Viper Room and it was sooo much fun!  I think I had such a good time because I felt completely 100% safe. European men are rather forward and it made me feel a bit uncomfortable at another club. But at the Viper Room all the guys were only focused on other guys, which meant for a good time for me. Tamara Mascara was our D.J. and she/he (I don’t really know what pronoun to use for drag) was an exciting character. There were people taking pictures for promotional purposes and our group was so fabulous that we made it on to the website!

Wienerwald!

On Thursday, May 21 we took a hike through the Vienna woods and it was absolutely gorgeous! Here's a few pictures from the hike.

Me at the top of the Vienna woods! If you look really hard you can see my dorm! (far left)

Hiking in the Vienna woods!

Me in front of a vineyard.

Here's the group (minus Donnie) in front of a gorgeous rose bush.

I love shopping!

Late Wednesday afternoon we went to Mariahilfe Straße where there is excellent shopping. We came across this store called HUmanic and saw cute shoes and purses, so of course we went inside. When I was fully immersed in the store, I could feel my heart begin to warm with excitement. It was the biggest shoe and purse store I'd ever seen in my life. It was over 3 floors, each about the size of Bergners. It was a girls' dream shopping experience. Too bad all the prices were only meant for the rich and famous. I did try on a few pairs to satisfy my sweet tooth, or maybe the expression sweet feet is more appropriate in this instance? They were those kind of flats that are elasticy so they stay better on your feet. They felt so incredible, but they didn't have a color that I really fell in love with and they were like $300! So I had to say goodbye to them.

After all that shopping, a girl has got to get some sustenance, so of course we thought sacher torte would be the best. And it most definitely was. We just went to a little cafe on the street but it was still amazing. I can't wait for later in the trip when we go to the sacher torte school where they perfect this fabulous dessert that they are so famous for. Definitely going to where stretchy pants on that day!

Gardens and Museums

Wednesday afternoon Tiffany, Vanessa, and I went walking around the city and visited the museum of natural history. 

Vienna is famous for having spectacular gardens everywhere.  You can walk through them and there are benches set up where people come to read or relax. They're so pretty and well maintained. 

We went to the museum of natural history and I was attacked by a lion! Just kidding. He was stuffed but it was still pretty intimidating standing so close to him because he did look quite real.

This is a picture of a really big elk. It was huge. I think I came up to it's kneecap. 

We passed this car a few blocks after the museum and at first glance we all thought there really was a naked lady just sitting in the car.  But there's no need to avert your eyes...it's only a mannequin.  Still kind of scandalous though.

Döner, Elephants, and Bachelors

Tuesday night Donnie, Tina, and I went to get Döner. It's a Turkish kebab similar to a Greek gyro. Omygoodness it was soooo good.  For the past two days I haven't been impressed with Austrian food and that really disappointed me because I had heard it was super good.  But this Döner changed everything. It was amazing. And it was way cheaper than eating in a restaurant because they are sold on the street.

We then went to Mariahilfe Straße and looked at the awesome architecture and statues. There was this elephant statue outside of the museum of natural history, so of course we had to take pictures.

After a little while longer of walking, this man that had feminine products all around his waist came up to us and told us that he was getting married and that tonight was his bachelor party and he had to sell all the items around his waist to girls on the street. So we helped him out and got a fabulous picture and laugh out of it. 

This night was so much fun. It really made me start to enjoy being in Vienna and I can't wait to see what else it has to offer.

On the way to class

Tuesday morning (May 19) I had my first class. It was really boring and long. It was just so hard to concentrate for 3 hours straight on the same material without any sort of break. Here’s a pic of the building that connects to where we have class. 

Unfortunately our class is not in that gorgeous building but we walk through it to the next one.

On the way to class we passed a Jewish cemetery and it was surrounded by this wall that was covered in glass and barbed wire, which were done to help prevent destruction of the graves by Neo Nazis.

Getting set up in the dorm

We rushed through dinner at The Centimeter so we could get back to the dorms and get internet. In order to receive internet, your computer has to be registered with the dormitory and a small fee is required. But the problem was that the computer lab closed at 9pm and we were still at the restaurant at 8:15pm. We really wanted internet immediately because we wanted to inform people that we arrived safely to Vienna. We ran to the bus and went through all the various connections to get to our dorm. We made it there by 8:45. I ran upstairs to get my computer and my suit mate was there. I felt really bad because I wanted to have a proper introduction and be polite and talk for a bit, but I really wanted the internet.  But we introduced ourselves rather quickly and she understood that I needed to go take care of my computer. Unfortunately she was leaving in 15 minutes to visit a friend for the night.  But upon first meeting my suit mate, I learned that her name was Inas, and she's from southern Austria. (German spoken in southern Austria is as far away as possible from the German I've learned in the classroom.)  

I ran over to my friend Tina's room and grabbed her computer for her (she went ahead to the store and got in line for the both of us) and then raced to the computer store. I got there three minutes before closing and they said they wouldn't do anymore. I think I must have given the worker an incredibly distraught facial expression because he said, "wait, wait. what kind of computer do you have?" "A mac!" I shouted. "ok, we can do that." Apparently macs take only a couple of minutes to scan whereas pcs take a couple of hours. So I got my computer set up and immediately went back to my room to check my email.

I guess I should explain how my suit is set up. It's kind of like a very tiny apartment but you're with a random roommate.  When you open the main door, you are immediately in the kitchen, which is roughly 2.5 feet in width - super small - and the bathroom - also super small.

Then there are two more doors that lock. One is my room. The other is Inas's.  In my room I've got a bed, night stand, unit of cubbies, desk, and standing closet. My view is pretty nice. I overlook the Danube canal, some buildings, farmland, and mountains. 

Dinner Disappointment

After orientation to the dorms we had our first group meal together to kick off the program. We went to a place called "The Centimeter" which had paintings of strange viking type men on the walls.  Something to note about Viennese dinning is that it is very slow. Waitresses don't immediately come to get your order, nor does it matter how long it takes to get your food. Eating is supposed to be a complete experience in which conversation is the main focus. I know I eat slowly, but this was too slow - even for me. I didn't get a beverage until 2 hours after sitting down and I got my meal an hour after that. The whole dinner took close to 3.5 hours and we only had food for maybe 20 of those minutes, if that. Overall I was really disappointed. None of us had slept in days and were so stressed and exhausted that we just wanted food quickly. Instead we waited 3.5 hours for the Viennese experience, and it wasn't even good.

Arrival

After we got to the Vienna airport, we were to meet a U of I professor and bus over to the dorm. The plan was originally to leave at 12:45pm and if you weren't there at that time the group would leave without you and you just have to take a taxi. I was there at 12:40pm. There were about fifteen people who were supposed to be in this group. So far only two had shown up, myself included. We then waited for about an hour for 11 other people to show up. So there were only two missing - but their plans had landed. We continued to wait another hour thinking that any minute they would show up. No luck. We then waited another half hour on the bus. So much for the immediate 12:45pm departure and the "you're on your own" attitude. 

When we got to the dorms we got our room keys and had approximately 30 minutes to find the rooms, unload our stuff, change clothes or freshen up, meet our suit mate (mine wasn't there at that moment), and be back downstairs for orientation. So much for any time to rest.

Frankfurt hatred

Omigosh I hate the Frankfurt airport. It's absolutely horrible. There are no signs anywhere! Never a board to say "you are here" or even a tv monitor displaying the times and gates of flights. I asked every worker for help and they all gave me different information, which eventually got us turned around and outside of the secure section so we had to go through security again which is always a blast. :-/  The guy ahead of me was questioned about the oreo's in his bag. I had oreo's in my bag but no one stopped me. Must have been my charm. After an hour and a half of confusion and frustration, we made it to our gate. After going through this nightmare, I would gladly go through Heathrow - that says a lot.

When I sat down at B13, another airport person came up to interview me - I must have some sort of sign written all over my facial expression because that's two in a row! First Detroit, now Frankfurt. Here's how the conversation went (it was obviously in German but I've provided the English translation):

Her: Do you speak German or English?

Me: Yes I speak German but I'm not fluent.

Her: Are you flying to Bergin?

Me: No, I'm flying to Vienna.

Her: Thank you for your time. You've been a great help. Have a good day.

I'm not really sure what the point of that little questionnaire was, but it was fun.

By this point the effects of this trip are really taking a toll on my body. I'm physically in pain and mentally drained. I'm wiped. This better be a kick ass trip because the journey getting there is beyond rough.

Flight #2: Detroit to Frankfurt

On the 9 hour flight to Frankfurt I sat on the aisle and luckily no one was next to me. So no worries about falling asleep on some stranger like I did on the MI trip to Ireland/London. awkward. At the beginning of the flight they showed that standard video acting out how to use various features of the plane. I've only ever seen attractive females fill this role. I had a fun surprise. Instead of an attractive female, it was a fat, bald, asian man that I got to watch blow up his floatation device. I've actually never paid such close attention to one of those videos, so maybe the bald guy served his purpose.

Dinner was decent. I chose chicken over pasta. It was some kind of asian inspired mixture of chicken, carrots, and rice - no different than the TV dinners I grew up on. The guy across from me got his meal before everyone else - I think because it was a vegetarian meal - so of course I watched him. I watched him squeeze the entire packet of french dressing into his mouth, swallow it, and then proceed to eat his salad plain. What? So weird. Needless to say I kept by eye on him the rest of the trip. Anyone who downs a salad dressing packet like a shot of rum must be a weirdo.

I made it through the overnight portion of flight two. I watched The Curios Case of Benjamin Button. After the movie I decided to try to get some sleep - but that proved quit difficult. Impossible actually.  Since I was on the aisle, every time someone went to the restroom or a stewardess walked by, my chair got bumped. There was also a very unhappy toddler. He was wailing - full out top of the lungs, heavy, choking kind of wailing. The parents were doing absolutely nothing. It was beyond any psychological approach of ignoring the problem - the totally didn't even see the problem - they just let him wail.  He was screaming the same phrase over and over again.  I know with the Gosselin family, repeating of any request sends them to timeout. Too bad John and Kate weren't here to take action.  It actually got so bad that other passengers began yelling at the farther to shut up his kid - that they had meetings in the morning and such.  So between the less than happy child, who by the was was two behind me, and the constant bumping, I didn't sleep a wink.

Interlude at Detroit

After getting off flight one, Tina, Tiffany, and I desperately needed some nourishment.  We were famished. We go to one of those "you are here" boards to see what is available. After a few moments of glaring at the screen, my eyes land on "Fuggruckers Burgers". We decide the comical name justifies the decision to make that our luncheon stop.  We head in the direction of what we think is Fuggruckers. After walking probably half a mile we stop to look at another "you are here" board to check our progress to Fuggruckers. After realizing that we went the complete opposite direction of our desired destination, we decide we're too tired and hungry to go another foot so we go to "Mediterranean Grill" right in front of us. I ordered a fish sandwich and I don't know if it was a particularly good restaurant or if I was just so incredibly exhausted and starved but it was a mighty fine sandwich. 

After our relaxing lunch, we began to meander around the airport. It was nicely laid out and clean, but seriously lacking in the shopping department. The few blocks we surveyed honestly didn't have anything other than Hello Kitty apparel and magazines. Clearly Detroit is not cut out to be a fashion capitol. 

Tiffany and I waited with Tine until her flight took off, and then went to wait at our gate. Within minutes of sitting down I'm approached by some airport person who asks if I'm flying to Frankfurt if I would mind filling out a survey about my airport satisfaction.  I agree since she says it wouldn't take any more than two minutes and I had over an hour to kill before boarding. I think that lady didn't know what she was getting into when she asked me to take a "quick survey". Nothing with me is quick (except my ability to cry at practically anything) and her "2 minute survey" took me more like 20. Whatever. My slow approach to life is part of my charm. Or so I'd like to think.

The gate then began to fill with Germans. It was beautiful. All around me people were speaking German - complaining about how annoying traveling is, searching for an outlet to charge a dying laptop, or gawking at the ridiculously fast tram. I was so excited to hear German being spoken because it made this trip seem more real.  All semester I've been preparing for Vienna: writing essays, signing forms, attending meetings. But hearing people speaking German started to turn Vienna into a more graspable object. I really am going and I'm so excited. What was once fear and nerves has turned into extreme anticipation.

On my way

Now that I'm here in Vienna and have internet, I can tell you how my journey thus far has gone.

At the airport, I said goodbye to Michael for the next 88 days. He will be leaving for Sao Tome before I get back so we'll be separated for quite some time.

Before going through security, Tina (someone from my group who was on the first flight with me) and I saw Tiffany (another girl from our program) who we didn't know was on that flight and I was so glad to find out that I had a travel buddy for the rest of the trip since Tina and I separated at Detroit.

Here's a picture of Tiffany, Tina, and myself at Willard just before departure.  All smiles before 23 hours of travel.

We boarded a teeny plane - only one seat, then an aisle, and then another seat. Needless to say there was quite a bit of turbulence. It also didn't help that the pilot said it was rather windy.

At this point in the trip I thought I was doing quite well. I hadn't cried or thrown up. But there was still plenty of time to catch up. 

A safe arrival to Vienna!

I landed in Vienna yesterday safe and sound and with my luggage. phew. big relief. I've been keeping a journey during the times in which I didn't have internet so that I could remember my experiences when updating this blog. I already have so many stories about my trip thus far and will be sure to post them as soon as I can.

I just had my first class and we're taking a an internet break so that we can check our email and such since there were many students in our group who were unable to receive internet in the dorms.

So far things are going really well. No major problems or complaints. I have most everything I need for now.

Bis spaeter!

Heading Out

I'll be heading to the airport in about 2 hours and beginning my journey. I'll be in my new residence by tomorrow evening and will hopefully have internet, but it could be stop and go for a little bit until we all get settled. 

In lue of needing to rid my apartment of all food, this morning I've eaten 2 pears, 1 grapefruit, 3 packets of string cheese, and half a gallon of milk. Breakfast of champions? I think so.

See you when I get there!

Pre-Departure

Packing is the worst part of traveling. I've been packing for several days now and have gone through many different stages: numerous check lists, stuffing my suitcase of pretty much everything I own, realizing my bag was just one pound away from being over the weight limit, taking stuff out, re-weighing, taking even more stuff out, and then finally being satisfied with a full six pounds under the weight limit. I think I'm finally set and ready to go. 

But with each minute that passes, I wish I had more time before departure. In 3 hours I have to wake up, 5 hours after that my first flight leaves, 21 hours after that I'll be in Vienna (let's hope!) and 2 hours after that I'll be in an orientation to the class. Thus the journey begins.

Background

From mid-May to mid-June I will be studying abroad in Vienna, Austria.  I am currently pursuing certification in written translation and studying abroad in Vienna seemed like the best way to get a real feel of the way translation operates. The host institution, The University of Vienna Center for Translation Studies, is one of the premier academic programs in Translation in Europe.  

We are a rather small group. There are 8 students, 2 of which are TAs, and one professor. We will be attending lectures and workshops with professors of the Vienna University as well as collaborating with other international translation groups. 

I'll be staying at the dormitory in the Forsthausgasse 2-8, which is a part of the Haus Panorama campus.  It's located at 1200 Vienna, Austria. We all have single rooms and then have a kitchen and bathroom on each floor to share. Fortunately, our entire group will be in the same dormitory however our professor has her own apartment quite a ways away from us. Here's a link to the dormitory where I will be staying (I could only find it in German but it doesn't say anything too exciting - just what the dorm offers):

http://www.wihast.at/index.en.html

Here's a picture of the actual dormitory:

First Entry

This is my first entry. I'm testing everything out to make sure it works alright. I'll be heading out to Vienna in 18 hours so wish me luck!