See the world through my eyes! Experience it through these blog posts.

In Search of Nature (with my iPhone)

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What a great day yesterday! I can now say that I’ve traveled the underground trains, the fast trains, the trams and the buses.  I’m glad to report that I have successfully used and followed the instructions on the public transport’s Internet trip planner, even if it’s in German. My quest – nature!  Yesterday marked 1 month since I left Newfoundland and Labrador, and although Ottawa has its own unique charm and plenty of green spaces, it didn’t feed my soul as much as the wilderness and energy of The Rock.  I know peace is an internal state, but there’s something very grounding, connecting, peaceful, uplifting, serene about being in certain natural spaces and that’s what I was looking for.

University Botanical Garden
This morning I went back to the Belvedere area to explore the Botanical Garden that is attached to it.  I had cut through it for 2 minutes on my way to a get-together on Saturday.  It was nice, but just like the Stadtpark, I don’t think I’ll feel the need to return to it.  If you’re into studying zillions of species of plants, it’s great.  It simply didn’t satisfy me energetically (I know, I’m hard to please at times).

Since I was there, however, I returned to the Belvedere Palace and its gardens.  I do enjoy this space very much!

Schönbrunn Palace Botanical GardensAfter lunch at my place, I headed back out and made my way to Empress Sisi’s former summer residence, where I did a brief photo shoot last week for Kaliyana’s travelogue. This time, I walked around the grounds for more than 2 hours and only covered part of half (the free parts).  There’s also a zoo, labyrinth, palm house, and more.   I’ll definitely be back!  This will definitely be a go-to place for me.  As I walked into one of the side gates into the grounds, I instantly felt that connection to Mother Earth, that sense of relief, that being one and at peace – I felt home (OK, so I’ve been called a princess before, but I’m not talking about the palace or palatial gardens  – although these were great too!).  There are a lot of old growth trees here and countless tree-lined walkways, some of which feel like a hug.  Each part of the garden is big enough to create a mood as you walk around or sit in the multitude of secluded corners, and unique enough that when you exit, you immediately enter into a whole new world – not better or worse, just different.  I’ve tried to give you an idea through photos (I let go of weight and perfectionism today and chose to only bring my iPhone as my main goal was to walk).  I can only imagine this place in the spring.  Not sure what winter will be like with all the leaves gone, but I’ll try that too.  One thing that was really nice is that the park is big enough not to hear the cars outside (instead, I enjoyed the sounds of nature, even the surprising call of a monkey before I remembered there was a zoo here).  In addition, although there were lots of tourists around, they were dispersed enough, especially once outside the main garden alley with the palace at one end and the Gloriette at the other.  Notice the photo of the guard with lions  – its face is actually a tree trunk… interesting.  To congratulate myself for walking up there and to give me energy to continue my explorations before finding my way home, I treated myself to a famous Sacher torte … I can now say I’ve had some, but I don’t think I’ll order it again unless I become curious to know if there are different qualities – this one almost tasted stale, but I’m sure it wasn’t with the traffic that café has.  It’s a heavy and dry chocolate cake with apricot jam. Next on my must-try list is the equally famous apple strudel with warm vanilla sauce and whipped cream.

Oh, I’d like to thank the considerate patron who put toilet paper in between the door jam to stop it from locking – I’m not fond of the idea of paying the equivalent to 75 cents to use a public toilet. I’m not much for breaking the rules, but this is one I’ll have a hard time adjusting to.  For a few dollars more, you can use a toilet for free and eat a large pizza too.  They just didn’t have a pizza restaurant in the middle of the palatial gardens, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer (is that too much information? 🙂  )

I found my way back home on the bus and underground (along with the newly married couple I saw up at the Gloriette – they looked just as exhausted) and successfully cooked another meal.  We were 3 today doing the kitchen dance – Ellen from Belgium has just joined us.

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My Walk To School by iPhone

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We had our first meeting at the school yesterday and so I timed my walk at 40 minutes from door to door, with a few quick iPhone snaps (OK, more than a few!).  This will give you a good idea of where I live. The 2 first shots are my apartment and the junky-looking green palace at the end houses my school.  The red & pink paint blotches, I’m told, were done as a protest to the State for not renovating the Palais Palffy facade – the only one in this state in the whole sector.  It doesn’t seem to have worked…

After our meeting, I went off on my own to 11 locations in a few different districts to deliver posters and flyers for the school and its opening party. That was definitely a good way to get to know the public transportation system and to to see some of the like-minded businesses (yoga studios, art supply stores, shamanic store, new age bookshops, and the coolest clothing shot/gallery/vegan raw restaurant called Dancing Shiva).  I got quite a few hours of walking in there too.

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Happiness is a Choice

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Today, I had to continuously remind myself that happiness is a choice and that anger wouldn’t serve anyone, myself included.  It was just one of those days.  I’m glad to say, however, that I didn’t actually get angry (although it did bubble up a few times) and chose peace and happiness at every turn (OK, almost…).  Parts of my day were actually awesome, so in my heart I’m only focusing on those, but in this blog I’ll share the full story because it makes for better storytelling 🙂

I woke up at my normal 5am after almost 8 hours of sleep and my body begged for a restorative yoga session, which I was glad to oblige.  By 7:50am, I had done my yoga, had half my breakfast, showered, dressed, and was out the door for a very short drizzly walk to the corner where I waited until they opened the doors to Denn’s organic supermarket.  I needed fresh fruit for my breakfasts, but I also needed to stock cupboards.  After a week playing tourist and eating out, it was time to learn to cook without my steamer.  It took me about 45 minutes to go through the store to select various fruits & vegetables, goat milk cheeses, hummus spreads, pesto, quinoa, brown rice, lentils, seeds, and a whole variety of gluten free breads, pasta, and tamari.  I’ve kept my receipt so I can learn the German names – it came out to 95.84, which was perfect as I had only brought 100.  I’m thrilled with the variety of healthy organic foods available here. Yay!  I put everything away while eating my raspberries and then headed out for my day of exploring the public transportation system.

That had been my goal from the start, so in a way I should be grateful for what happened next.  Do you remember the 3-hour walk I took to the Magistrat last week only to find out that they were closed on Wednesdays?  Well, after successfully buying my 1-week pass from a machine with a 20 Euro bill and getting change (yay again!), I asked a few people which tram to take to the Rathaus (City Hall). Being a major landmark, I figured most people would know, but the group I asked couldn’t agree. I kept walking a little and another man suggested I take the #6 tram for 1 stop to the Westbanhoff (train station) where there was an information kiosk with staff that speak English.  I’m glad I already had my pass as the information office was 3 levels underground beside one of the subway lines (for which you need a ticket to get to).  They had sold out of maps for the bus / tram lines (I wanted to do it above ground to see the city), but it was very simple and quick underground. I easily found the Magistrat’s office. If you’ll recall, it was the clerk at the government agency I went to last week to register my residency address who told me that this is where I needed to go to ask questions about extending my visa.  Before going to office #44 (which is where the helpful man at the front counter told me I should go), he escorted me to the elevator to show me how to get to the washroom (as per my request – this is not a Viennese courtesy offered without asking).  That’s where I got my first omen (forgive the graphic details if you’re sensitive to such things – again, it makes for better storytelling).  As I was crouched over the toilet, I heard the distinct sound of metal hitting ceramics and cringed.  As I looked down into the bowl that I had just urinated into, I saw my precious Our Lady of the Miraculous medal that my father had given me last Christmas.  What to do?!  I just couldn’t bear the symbolism of flushing it down the sewers, and so I had no alternative but to pull my sleeve up and fish it out.  I’m relieved to say, however, that this was a single washroom equipped for the handicapped and so there was actually a sink right beside the toilet, which I immediately used.  Both Mary and my hands got a good wash before I proceeded to the royal bureaucratic run-around that was to follow.

I went to #44 and figured out that I had to enter the office and ask the assistant for a ticket to see a clerk (many places have a ticket dispensing machine outside). I then sat down at her desk and explained to her that I had a question about extending my visa.  She did just as the clerk at Hermangasse had done last Wednesday. She told me I was at the wrong office and handed me a paper with an address and map. Having limited German (and she had very limited English), I simply forwent the complaining, smiled, breathed, and said “Danke, Auf Wiedersehen” (Thank you, goodbye).  Before venturing through the underground system to get there, however, I decided to walk the 4 blocks back to the Bank of Austria where I had put money on my Quick Card (for laundry) last Friday. Last week’s simple request had taken quite a bit of time while the clerk seemed to have trouble with the machine and was called away to help her colleague).  That had given me the time to really observe my surroundings, something I naturally do as a visual person.  I had observed how my 2 blue 20 Euro bills looked angled and superimposed on the counter versus the single red 10 Euro bill on the counter behind (which had me curious – I don’t usually see money lying around on back counters at banks).  I also took the time to count in my head how many loads of laundry 40 Euros would cover, hoping it would bring me to Christmas so I wouldn’t have to return here. When she explained that there would be a 1 Euro commission, I wrote on my expenses sheet in my wallet 39+1, thinking she would deduct it, but was surprised when she asked for an extra Euro.  No problem. When I got home and ventured to do the laundry, the card reader said I had 20 Euros on the card.  When I got upstairs and checked my bank receipt (not checking it there was my mistake), it said 20 Euros.  So I went back to the bank this morning to explain and to ask if their cash balanced out on Friday and if they were by chance 20 Euros over.  My banker wasn’t there today.  Today’s banker asked her colleague and checked through some papers, but informed me that the cash balance was clear at the end of Friday.  I asked if there was any way to check the TV cameras above as the time was stamped on my receipt.  She took my email address and said she’d do some checking through the Quick Card system, but it’s the end of the business day now and I haven’t heard back.  I’m 100% sure I gave 40 – the idea of the bank shortchanging me did get the anger bubbles rising a few times, but I kept reminding myself that these are all lessons learned and that I should have checked my receipt.  It’s hard to think of such basic things when so much is going on in a new country – all the visual, auditory, sensory stimulus can put a person like me in a state of overwhelm.  I had been so happy to find this bank after trying about 6 others last week, that I thought it was a done deal and that they knew what they were doing because they do it all day every day.  Who knows, however…. she could have had a really bad day and she’s also human. Mistakes happen.  I’m still hoping.  $27 of laundry makes a difference.

From the bank, I ventured back underground and found my way via 2 lines to St. Stephen’s Cathedral station and then up through the streets to the office where I was told to go.  The fact that there were 2 doors with the same address on the same block was a bit confusing, but I managed to find my way. There were many foreigners there of various countries and various odorous states.  When it was my turn, I explained what I wanted and the receptionist went to get someone for me in a back office. Great! no line up!  Unfortunately, this woman explained to me that this was a counseling office to help immigrants, but not the one that specializes in students.  Also, they have no official power – they are an NGO that simply help with advice.  So she gave me 3 other addresses I could go to.  Supposedly, the office that actually gives the permits will no longer answer questions – you simply go there to apply. Again, I thanked her and said goodbye.
As I stood outside in the beautiful square with a statue in the middle, I was at a loss as to what to do next.  Do I try these other addresses?  No, I’d had enough of that for one day.  Instead, I turned 360 degrees to feel where I should go next and my eye caught that Godsend of a sign – Pizza!  I’m glad to report that I haven’t had potato chips in a few weekw (pretty good for a chipaholic) – but I’ve had pizza almost every day, at my hosts or on the street.  So much for all that gluten-free shopping I did this morning…  This one was cheap – 5 EUR and made fresh in front of me in a little hole it the wall with 3 tables and bar stools. Oh was it good!… that is until the 2 gals beside me finished theirs and lit up.  So it’s not only on terraces! Again, I chose to be happy and enjoy this treat while looking at my map and deciding my next step.  I needed greenspace.

The nearest park of any size was the Stadpark, which was on my wish list of places to experience.  It took me about 20 minutes to walk there and about 45 minutes to walk through.  There are sidewalks lined with benches through the whole park and statues of musicians everywhere, including the famous one of Johan Strauss.  It’s a nice park, but it didn’t really help me ground or connect to nature. I’m glad I went, but I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to return again.  I will go back to the Botanical Gardens though.
Once I had finished my walk, I hopped on the first tram I found and just sat and watched the city go by until the end of that line and then hopped on another and went to the end of that one.  When I recognized that I was close to home, I got off and found the stop for the #5 that passes on Kaiserstrasses at the corner from where I live, but a block down.  Right at the corner was a store full of rough stones and fossils – really impressive!  I got on the 5 to find out that the last stop was actually the train station where I took the underground this morning, so not far from my place. I stayed on as it turned around and went to the other end of the line (although I missed a few sights as I kept nodding off).  The final stop is the Prater, that park with the ferris wheel.  There’s quite a bit of nature around there too, but I was too tired to explore and stayed on it again as it turned around and took me home.  That’s when I found out that there was another shop diagonal to the first, this time full of polished stones and fossils – some to make jewelry (and they have a club/courses at the back) and others that I would love to stick on paintings.  What a thrill!

When I got home, I noticed my note on the table was at a different angle and heard a “hello!”.  I was greeted by Monica, my new roommate from Spain, who will be studying Economics here. She also studies law in her country.  Interestingly, her courses will also be in English, so we can communicate easily. It won’t help my German though, but that’s OK.  She’s out exploring right now and has friends in town in another residence, but she asked me a few questions about how things worked and it felt very strange being the expert around here.  It’s all relative!

So there you have it – plenty of opportunity for disgust, anger, frustration, disappointment, and more, but I chose otherwise and am quite happy about that. Today was a good day. Tomorrow, I have a meeting at school and we’ll be distributing posters around town, so I’ll get to know the city (and its art stores) some more.

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Happy Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving! This is the Erntedankfest (Harvest Festival) weekend here in Vienna. I’ll be taking a stroll to the big festival downtown today, but yesterday, I came across a few festivities during my travels, including this concert on Mariahilfstrasse (the big shopping street) on my way to the Opera House for my last few hours with the Hop On Hop Off tour.

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 A Vienna Sightseeing guide had told me that the DDSG boating company should honour the combo ticket pricing even if I didn’t buy a ticket in advance (as I didn’t know about that possibility). I tried asking for confirmation, but this day’s guide was put on hold for too long and told me I could take the chance. When I got to the DDSG offices near a gorgeous church on the Danube a half hour into the tour, however, I found out that they wouldn’t. Oh well.  I decided not to buy the full price ticket for a half tour (1.5 hours) because for a few extra dollars, I could get the whole loop (3 hours) on a day when I had more time, so I sat on a bench watching boats go by until I came up with another plan.  By this time, my ticket for the tour bus had expired.

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DLH_2457It was already 1pm and I was meeting some teachers and a classmate at 5pm in a part of town I hadn’t been to before.  I had considered walking there about 2-3 hours away in order to see more of the city, but my body protested. I then saw that the underground train had a station on the Danube island (Donauinsel) in front of me with a stop on the same line near my final destination, which seemed much more my speed.  As I crossed the bridge to the island, I remarked to myself that the blue Danube was really more of a milky green, but I soon found out that the Danube itself on the other side of the island is blue, but that the New Danube I had just crossed is of a different colour.  There are actually 4 Danubes in the city – the canal, the overflow canal in case of floods, the New and the Old.

IMG_2360After getting an island map from the ice cream vendor (along with a strawberry & white chocolate Magnum), I sat down and figured out that the island is huge (21km).  I thought of walking around to see as much as I could in the 2 hours I had, but when I spotted the little floating plastic docks every so often alongside the Danube (about 10 square feet with a ladder to get in and out of the water), I decided instead to just sit there with my feet in the water, just like a true Viennese.  I wasn’t dressed for swimming, but when one of the two older men who had joined me on my dock stood up from where he was sunning himself and dove in (he wasn’t a small man by any means), I got a bit of a splash.  I didn’t mind.  I was finally relaxing and just being – enjoying nature, water, and watching the world go by.  Some swimmers would cross the Danube to the stairs/bathing platforms across the way, or simply swim in the middle for a while and come back. I also watched cyclists, in-line skaters, skateboarders, and strollers wander past.  I’ll definitely rent a bike here one day to explore the full 21km.  Today, I just got a taste of it.

I then figured out how to buy an underground ticket and make my way to the train.  These are clean, modern, efficient, and filled with all sorts of people.  Vienna is known as a very safe city – these are not at all like the subways in NYC that I’ve seen in movies or traveled on.  I may just get a monthly pass next month to visit different parks each weekend. We’ll see.  Tomorrow, I’ll get a weekly pass to start extensively exploring public transportation.  Once I arrived at my destination, it was tough trying to figure out which exit to take, so I just got above ground and was thrilled to see a sign to the Belvedere Palace I had been to the day before and which I knew was in the right direction.  I spent some time there in the lower gardens this time, and then cut across the University Botanical Gardens (which I’ll return to for sure) before finding my way to the apartment building where 4 of my teachers and 3 students will be living.  One thing that was different about the apartments here is that the toilet was in the hallway outside the apartment and is sometimes shared by several apartments.  These too didn’t have a sink.

I’m glad I’m getting this opportunity to meet the group a few people at a time – I’m better with small numbers than big crowds.  Laurence, Florence and their son were there and this time I met Kuba, Vera, and fellow classmate Martin.  The art I saw there was amazing.  I was especially taken by a painting Vera has been working on for a year, based on a vision from 3 years ago (if I remember well).  Wow!  Since I never know what I’m going to paint before I start and the whole process is intuitive and rather quick (usually a weekend of 12+ hour/day marathons to a couple of weeks if thick layers need to dry), I have a hard time imagining this for myself.  That’s definitely part of what I’ll be exploring here – the longer and more planned process based on drawing from visions – the visions I get, putting them on canvas has been another matter.  I’m very looking forward to seeing where it all leads. I noticed that my words and thoughts about what I’ll be producing here lacked in confidence.  I’d best redirect that – I’ve got some paraliminal CDs that can help. I’m glad I caught onto it early on.  Time for some openness, gentleness, and a sense of courageous adventure and acceptance of the results.

We had a lovely evening with homemade pizza and discussion on what needs to be done before the big public opening next weekend.  I’ll be volunteering a few days at the school this week and delivering posters around town (hard to imagine as I don’t know the city yet, but that’ll be a good way to do so).

OK – now off to see if I can figure out the laundry system.  I’m taking a break today – not so much running around.  I’ll go feed myself at the Erntedankefest later on (as shops are closed and I never did stock up on groceries for anything but breakfast) and that will be all the walking I’ll do today.

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12-Hour Tourist

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I walked in exactly 12 hours after I left home this morning – a few hours after I shoulda woulda coulda…  It was a terrific day, and we’ll see if I can wake up early tomorrow to take advantage of my last half day on the Hop On Hop Off bus.  What did I do? Let me tell ya…

  • 9am – left home and was thrilled to find a dollar store on that big shopping street (actually, a Euro store, so that’s a $1.44 store Cdn) to buy batteries for my camera flash.  Got confused about whether I wanted alkaline or non alkaline and so I ended up buying AAAs instead of AAs
  • arrived at the Opera House at 9:45 and got on the first Yellow Line bus to Shonbrunn Palace – arrived at 10:15.  I was wearing my Kaliyana anti-suit and so I decided to make today a fashion-shoot-play-day project to submit shots for the designer’s weekly Travelogue.  Thank goodness I bought a remote for my camera instead of a cable shutter release.  I could dance and pose to my heart’s content and keep on shooting – other tourists smiled, but they’re used to camera shenanigans … just not solo. Again, this is the back of the house – they have really nice backyards around here 🙂
  • took the 11:30 am bus to the Belvedere, where I’m hoping our class will go see Klimt’s work, including The Kiss (I’m a hopeless romantic).  Today, however, I just went around the garden pool and took some pictures.  I’ve never been much of a museum person – I’ll save a lot of time and money in Vienna. 🙂  I like the gardens and park lands.
  • took the 12:30 bus back to the Opera House and switched to the Red Line.  I got off at the University stop to go to the Bank Austria branch I was told would accept cash to put on my QuickCard that I’ll be using for laundry – all other banks use the ATM and that wasn’t practical with my bank in Canada.  To my horror, it didn’t open on Friday afternoons.  To my delight, the central office across the street was open and it’s actually where I was supposed to go (not sure why there are 2 Bank of Austria across the street from each other, but I won’t complain).  On my way back to the bus, I was intrigued by a restaurant called Yamm.  Wow!  It’s the same style as my favourite vegetarian restaurant in Ottawa, The Green Door (but much fancier) – buffet style, but pay by weight.  Dangerous!  My lunch was $26, but oh how healthy and I must have tasted small spoonfuls of about 15 different dishes and salads – many were similar to what many international vegetarian restaurants in Canada might offer, but there was also a stuffed dumpling with sauerkraut that was truly European.  What a treat!  I’m glad it’s not in my neighbourhood though – not at that price (or with my healthy appetite) … and I didn’t even have a drink or desert.
  • Got on the 2pm bus to continue the loop.  I tried listening to the German, but only understood a few words and so I thought I’d learn more (especially about Vienna) if I stuck to English.  Lots to see out the windows – today I sat on the left side for a different perspective.  Did you know that traffic lights flash green before going to yellow and red here? As a pedestrian, our little guy flashes green to before going red too, but only for 1 second, so really, run!!!!
  • Back at the Opera House, I got on the 2:30pm Blue Line to go to Kunst Haus (where I had another photo shoot) and Hundertwasserhaus. The latter has been my favourite building in the world since I first went there in 1992.  I even made a 3D maquette of it in art history class when I did my Certificate of Art & Design at the University of Saskatchewan.  I’ve seen a lot of buildings all around the world – there’s just something about this one that draws me – and today’s visit confirms it – it’s the energy there.  I just found out that the artist who created it said “This house is my soul”.  Maybe I’m connecting to that.  It’s actually a public housing complex, full of greenery, curves and undulating floors, colours, and yes, tourists.  I sat on one of the cobble stone bumps in the sidewalk and just felt happy.
  • A few streets back, there was a store with long silk scarves that caught my eye – Huntertwasser and Klimt designs.  At 29.99 Euros ($43), I thought I might do better for my chosen Vienna souvenir, but the stores across from the house had the same ones for 59 Euros and downtown they were 69 ($99).  I’ll see if I still want one in a month or so.
  • I got on the 5pm bus and hopped off at the Prater Fairgrounds to see the Giant Ferris Wheel, one of Vienna’s landmarks. I imagined some fun anti-suit photo shoot there, but alas, I couldn’t make them happen on my own, not even with my trusted tripod (it’s people walking away with my gear while I use the remote from the swings that just didn’t make sense).  The original that burnt down dated back to 1897 (it was originally meant to be there only for a few months, but was too expensive to dismantle).  It was rebuilt in 1945.  You may have seen it in the world’s best English movie in a hundred years (voted in 1999), The Third Man with Orson Welles.  I’ll have to see it while I’m here.
  • Got on the 6:30pm bus to head back to the Opera House.
  • Got there at 7pm and the setting sun on St. Stephan’s Cathedral down the busiest pedestrian mall in Vienna called me.  It looked like it was just a block away, but it wasn’t… still it was a great walk with lots to see.
  • Once there, I decided to trust my usually great sense of direction to head home through the tiny cobble stone alleys with palaces and shops.  I had considered not paying into a cell phone plan while I was here since I’ve got Internet and a passive phone (I can receive calls, but will need to buy a phone card to call out) at home and those who are most likely to call me will be in class with me all day.  But I may just get one to access Google Maps.   My sense of direction doesn’t work in all the twists and turns here.  Once again, I ended up way off track… by miles! I was back at the University, close to the Rathaus (city hall).  I knew where to go from here, but it would be another hour’s walk at least, especially since there were more pictures along the way.
  • Each time I put my camera away saying to myself “I’m tired – go home”, I’d turn the corner or round the bend and see another spectacular sight, all lit up (this city is gorgeous at night too!).  So I’d set up my tripod again and have fun shooting with cars and tramways running through my long exposures.  I had thought about doing a night photo shoot of the anti-suit, but just didn’t have it in me anymore.
  • Burgtheater, Vienna
    Rathaus (Vienna City Hall)
    Austrian Parliament Building
    Austrian Parliament Building
    Austrian Parliament Building
  • By 8:30pm, I knew I was close to home, but the bustling life in all the cafes and restaurants made me hungry (not the clouds of smoke I walked through at every terrace though).  Knowing I hadn’t really done groceries yet, I decided to stop for a snack/meal. I truly hadn’t thought I’d eat again after my big lunch at 1:30pm, but then again, it was now hours later and my body seems to be on a European schedule. I wonder when the next time will be that I’ll be in bed by 9pm and up at 5am…  At one point during my meal, I looked up to see the waiter lighting a cigarette behind the bar and a young lady walk through the restaurant to the bar with her big dog to place a take-out order….  I’m not in Canada anymore!  Being a very dog-friendly person, I certainly didn’t mind – it just surprised me.
  • Got home at 9pm.

Now it’s 1am – just had to go through my photos … goodnight!

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I Took the Long Way

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I just had dinner with the amazing team behind the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art – Director Laurence Caruna and Chief Administrator and Head of Communication Florence Ménard – in the lovely courtyard attached to their flat where they just moved in with their 4.5-year old son.  They came here from France to open the school.  After 6 months of corresponding with them and getting to know them through email and Facebook, it was so natural spending an evening with them.  If you thought I worked hard to get myself here … wow!  Bravo and thank you Laurence & Florence for spearheading this project – I’m very excited about starting classes (I learned so much simply over dinner) and am so glad I got the chance to spend an evening getting to know you better.

Their flat was the second residence I visited today – well, sort of – I didn’t actually get an invitation to the first one and chose not to take the tour… but I played tourist a bit in the back yard of the Hofburg Palace with Mozart.  These photos are of the President’s home  in the Burggarten.  I was all impressed with the place before knowing what it was (another day walking around without a map) – it’s quite the back door!  The front is where most of the crowds were.  I didn’t go in as I wasn’t really in tourist mode. I do look forward to coming back to the greenhouses next door where they have live butterflies I can photograph – I’ve always loved that.

IMG_2338 IMG_2344 IMG_2346 IMG_2356 In total, I spent 6.5 hours walking around today.  At one point, I found myself not remembering what to answer when a shop assistant greeted me as I came in.  I’d forgotten “Hallo” or “Gutten Tag”… that’s when I knew it was time to go home for a break, which is when I saw Florence’s invitation for 6pm drinks (a delicious flower syrup added to water) that turned into dinner.  They’re only 20 minutes walk away, so that was perfect.

The main purpose of my walk was to eventually end up at the Magistrate’s office to ask some questions regarding the extension of my 4-month visa.  They’re not open on Wednesdays, however.  I’ve discovered that it’s quite common for various offices here to only be open on certain days and at certain times.  For example, the registration office I went to early this morning is only open 8-12, but everyone who comes to live here must register within 3 days.

Some other observations from my day:

  • there’s enough floor space and wall space in my room for a great restorative yoga practice (and more active one too, just not yet) – finding a cheap yoga mat is on my list. My natural rubber one from NL was too big and definitely too heavy to bring along
  • the water here is supposedly great to drink, which is wonderful – and with my new Britta Fill & Go bottle, I’m all set
  • thank goodness I got glasses because I wouldn’t have been able to read the maps some people showed me along the way
  • smoking is still a craze here – they even have vending machines attached to the outside walls of some buildings (I guess there’s no age control).  Smoking is still permitted in cafes and bars and you can’t get away from it in the streets.
  • the sound cars make when driving on the concrete tiles used on streets with tram rails sounds a bit like the horse-drawn carriages I saw all over the  …. I wonder if that was done on purpose to honour their horse-loving tradition
  • my school is right next to the stables for the famous Lipizzaner stallions, which I saw here when I lived in Germany (between the ages of 5-10 as an “army brat” to answer someone’s question from yesterday).  With my interest in manifestation, I found myself wondering this morning whether I had said “I want to live here” at the time … something that’s easy to imagine whenever animals were involved.
  • there are so many things to see and do here that I felt a bit of sensory overload and didn’t do anything but walk around – I’ve got time…. I’m sure I’ll visit a few museums, see a few concerts, take a bus tour around the city, take my real camera out for some fun, sit in a park.  Wow! And the architecture – it’s amazing. Today, I just wasn’t in the mood.
  • this is definitely a bicycle town. They not only have special lanes, they have special sidewalks and traffic signals – a bit confusing with the tram lines and crosswalks.  I must remember to stay off those until I’m actually on a bike.
  • there are lots of vegan, vegetarian, organic, and health food stores around.  yay! but I’ll confess, I had a salami pizza for lunch (I used to have temper tantrums for them as a child in Europe … sorry Maman & Papa about that…) – it was delicious!!!
  • I seemed to understand and speak less German today …. oh well.
  • if I were a shopper, I’d be in trouble here.
  • My paraliminal CD “Youthful Vitally” works – I had hesitated about going back out tonight, but couldn’t pass up the chance to connect with Laurence and Florence and my 20-minute hypnotherapy did the trick. I’m getting back into my tools and spiritual routines after a short hiatus and that feels good.
  • still no roommates – but that gave me the chance to smudge the space with sacred palo santo smoke to clear any stuck energies from the years of previous tenants – that felt good.
  • Should I throw out that broccoli that was left behind? It really stinks… I just won’t open that mini-fridge again until they come back – I’m using the other one.

OK – bedtime – Goodnight.

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neighbourhood Prosi Exotic Supermarket lunch counter – vegetarian platter for 4.50 Euros ($7)

Life in Vienna – Day 1

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It’s been a long, but a very good transition day (although in theory, it’s been 2 with a nap in between). Here are the details for those who like such things. Photos of my new home at the end.

  • walk with family along Rideau River in Ottawa
  • pre-airport jitters (would they accept my heavy bag?) – yup! even if it was 1kg over
  • got on an earlier flight to Toronto stand-by (2pm)
  • ride was too turbulent for in-flight service, but it rocked me to sleep for 40 minutes
  • got a meal voucher that I used in TO before flight to Vienna
  • Air Austria flight attendant balked at the size of my “personal item” in addition to my carry-on, but let me on with it when I assured her it fit under the seat.
  • finally got to see “The Great Gatsby” and grudgingly forced myself to sleep for 4 hours instead of watching 2 more movies (“My name is Dominique Hurley and I’m a movie addict)
  • was sooooo grateful I hired the iHouse service to pick up my residence key at the downtown housing office before meeting me at the airport and driving me home (a taxi in those traffic jams would have been expensive too and there’s no way I would have managed the stairs and long wait at the housing office with all my luggage before hopping on another taxi to go to my apartment). Instead, my transition was stress free.
  • I’m in a 4-room flat on the 6th floor and my room faces the street, so a bit loud with construction next door, but spacious and clean (weekly cleaning service inlcuded).
  • I’ll have 3 international female roommates studying in various programs in Vienna, but I’ve yet to meet anyone despite the signs of co-habitation. The mystery continues.
  • We have 1 toilet (with no sink) in 1 room and the shower with 2 sinks in another
  • The basement laundry room has 2 washers and 2 dryers in total for a building with 100 tenants.  Hmmmmm…
  • Once I emptied my suitcases and made my bed, I decided to walk to the housing agency to pay my 4 months of rent and conclude some registration tasks. It felt good to rid myself of all that cash I’d been carrying.
  • had decided not to take a map there to practice my German.  I can understand much more than the few words I’ve managed to speak so far – my 5 months of audio training have been useful, but I’ll benefit from some immersion.  It took me about an hour to walk and gave me the chance to interact with a grocer, policeman, courier, bus driver on break, hairdresser, and two guys dressed as Mozart whose cell phones came in handy for the last couple of blocks.
  • museums, palaces and churches everywhere! The architecture is amazing!
  • Was half an hour early and glad I was first in line. When I left the office, there were about 50 people waiting, some very tired looking with suitcases, etc.  Again, so happy I hired the iHouse service.
  • Interestingly, I got lost on the way back while trying to follow the Googlemap they printed out for me.  It was funner the other way when the discoveries and mystery were more important than the extra few blocks I may have walked, not knowing where I was going.  Looking forward to playing tourist tomorrow.
  • I then explored my neighbourhood by walking in a grid-like fashion around my residence- found a discount store with hangers (for all that clothing 🙂 ), quite a few grocery stores (including an organic grocers at the corner and an Asian one a block away with a lunch counter that I know will be a regular – check out the vegetarian platter I got for $7), a couple of strip tease places (I’ll pass on those), lots of camera stores, and other boutiques and restaurants. An eclectic neighbourhood
  • grateful the previous tenant left their Internet cable in the room so that I could be online to post this as I eat my Milka white chocolate bar (couldn’t resist the purple wrapping that sent me back to my early childhood in Germany).
  • It’s 8:30pm.  I’ll go to bed and wake up in the morning – no jet lag. That’s the plan.

 

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What an Honour and Such a Pleasure

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I was in Bay Roberts all weekend working on the 2 commissions I got through my Vienna Visionary Art Scholarship crowdfunding campaign. This was a blessing for so many reasons!

Seventeen hours of painting – not only with my team of angels and guides, but that of my 2 Vienna Visionary Art Scholarship funders. My temporary seaside studio was crowded at times, but I’m certainly not complaining about the celestial company. What an honour it was to co-create in this manner.

Wow! I can’t show you the results until my clients have received their Energy Paintings, but I can say that I’m thrilled!

Thanks so much to my friend Sogno Art – Lori Reddy who drove me out to Bay Roberts (she had quite the creative weekend too!) and to my friend Victoria Munavish who provided us with an ocean-side house, lovely dinners, great company, a fire, a short tour of the area’s natural beauty, and the use of all the art supplies that she had bought from me with the stipulation that I could borrow them should a commission come in before the end of my campaign.

The whole series of events surrounding this weekend and how it came about makes for quite the story – all I’ll say for now is that I’m so grateful for all the lessons and experiences it has provided me with. Thanks everyone – including Guy and Patrick for your support – your paintings will soon be on their way – a few days of curing before applying the UV-resistant varnish.

iPhone Photo Note: We took a short break on Saturday morning to visit Mad Rock Trail, named for its infamous crashing surf … (yah, not this weekend). Did you know the ocean could be perfectly still? I didn’t! Wow!

Taking a break with 2 new friends after 17 hours of painting.
Lori Reddy and I taking a break from painting to visit Mad Rocks trail.
I’ve never seen an ocean so calm!
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The Guideposts Along the Way

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How did I arrive at my decision to register for the inaugural fall trimester at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts?  Some have asked, and so I’ll do my best to answer here.  I’m sure this has been a lifetime (or more) in the making, but here are some of the more recent guideposts.

First, people have been encouraging me to join Facebook for years … but I was scared that it would go against my ongoing efforts to simplify my life.  Had I never joined Facebook, however, I don’t know if the Universe would have found another way to inform me of this brand new school that I’m obviously meant to attend – I’d like to think that it would, but that it didn’t need to because it gradually led me into letting go of my resistance to being a part of the Facebook world.

You see, in the recent past, Facebook came out with their Pages to help businesses network with their clients – something that was in line with my priorities as an emerging artist in Newfoundland.  I soon found out that with just a Page, I could avoid some of the challenges I had feared while taking baby steps into social networking.  Interestingly, I did experience some frustration at the fact that I couldn’t explore the Facebook Energism Art Group that a fellow artist in Saskatoon had told me about when she informed me that there was a whole movement of artists out there with a similar purpose and energetic feel to their work. Joining groups is something only individual members can do – not business Pages. My curiosity was peaked, but still, that wasn’t enough for me to join.  Fear is a powerful thing…

Then, in January, I went to pick up an order of supplies at a local art shop and my friend Leslie, who gave me a ride, wanted to browse, so I did too (I’m not a browser, so that was unusual).  My eye caught sight of the book “Brave Intuitive Painting” by Flora Bowley, an artist whose process is very similar to mine. This was the kind of book I would have liked to have written– even some of the chapter titles were some that had been brewing in my mind and in my workshops.  When I found out she offered an e-course, I told one of my blog-followers in Hawaii about it since she had expressed disappointment that my workshops had been so far.  She immediately signed up.  At this point, I was extremely busy and so I didn’t even explore the e-course website, but I did contact the artist to thank her for her book and to tell her of the synchronicities.  Between her replies and my reading about the course, I ended up signing up and what an incredible journey that was (recorded on Facebook). To be able to network with my Bloom True classmates though, I needed to join Facebook as an individual, so this time I did (and my years of fear around that led to some weird technical challenges and a few stressful nights, but I’m over most of that now).  Just to let you know, I activated the settings that block “friend” requests in order to not be too overwhelmed all at once.  Instead, I focus my Facebook time on the “Energism Art” and “Bloom True E-Course” groups, and now also on the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts private group, where I’m getting to know my future classmates and getting tips before moving to Austria for 4 months.  There are days when Facebook consumes several hours of my precious time, but it’s worth it, and I’m slowly learning how to filter what’s not needed or desired.  Life is truly an ongoing opportunity to grow, learn, and “feel the fear and do it anyway”.  So that’s my journey into Facebook, which led to my finding out about the school.

OK – let’s put Facebook aside as I bring in the magical world of vision boards.  As the year started, I made a consciously planned Vision Board outlining my priorities for the year.

vision board 2Looking at it daily was instrumental in my joining the Bloom True E-Course, a decision I’ll never regret.  My art is my passion and my continued learning in that field is a top priority.  The visual reminders of that helps to make decisions in line with those priorities.  A few weeks later, my friend Corie asked to have another vision board gathering like I had organized in 2012, and so we got together and this time I created an intuitive board – the kind that gives no time or space for thinking and planning, and the type I’ll be teaching at the upcoming Body, Mind, and Spirit Retreat.  As you can see in this photo, there’s a strong focus on creativity, learning, and health.

vision board3After putting it all down on paper, I was able to interpret most of it readily to my friends …. all except one bit of text in the top right, under one of my photos of pelicans flying off into a dreamscape.  It says: “I don’t predict, I invent, I am a visionary”.  One thing you need to understand is that the term Visionary Arts was not one I used or was very conscious of, despite the fact that my main tarot deck was created by a Visionary Artist.

Ok – back to Facebook.  One day, someone posted a notice in the Energism Art Group that the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts was publically launching on that day.  I followed the link, which led to chills down my spine and total awe at the teachers’ artwork and references to the sacred and beautiful.  For a week, thoughts of it would pop into my mind at the oddest times and a growing excitement in every cell of my body was sending clear messages.

Despite these feelings, however, I was experiencing some confusion on an intellectual level.  To begin with, I had spent an increasing amount of time being an artist since I moved to Newfoundland almost 2 years ago, and so the school’s 2 & 3 year diploma programs were way out of my budget.  In addition, their focus on oil paints (which are more toxic than acrylics), and on working meticulously on 1 painting for a whole year did not particularly attract me.  My current art flows from a much more spontaneous intuitive style which leads to highly prolific painting spurts.  Figuring all this out simply required a few more hours of research and some emails back and forth with Florence, the very helpful and friendly school administrator.  You see, their first trimester will be all about drawing, sacred geometry, and acquiring visions through energy work.  This does appeal!  Finally, I will learn to draw after years of frustratingly “trying” (even tracing out my simple yoga tree silhouettes causes me challenges)…  But more than the drawing, there is something about spending a few months with this group of people that is calling me.  As my friend Kim told me, this is a lot more than about drawing  – I could learn that here…

I told Kim about my decision the night that I had committed to it in my mind.  We were in the car outside of yoga class.  Of course I expressed my concerns about the finances of such a project (something I had calculated would require raising $30K in 6 months).  The moment we entered the yoga studio, however, I noticed a student looking at the artwork on the wall and before I knew it, she had bought a small painting.  To me, that’s a sign – I sometimes go months without selling something, so this was no coincidence.  Someone had also left money for me after purchasing some of the magnetic bookmarks I have for sale there.  I felt my decision was being clearly supported!  On the way home from class, I checked my emails and found another confirming sign.  A workshop leader from 2 years before was contacting me because she wanted to chat about the impact of her Hawaii “Communing with Dolphins” retreat on my artwork because her upcoming workshop was aimed at visionary artists. Definitely another sign.

So I paid my deposit on tuition and housing within days (helping me feel totally committed), and then I started working on my fundraising plans, all the while spending 3-5 hours a day on my Bloom True e-course on top of teaching English Second Language. 2013 has been a hoppin’ year so far!

So how did I arrive at my decision to go to Vienna?  That was mostly the job of my right brain – the intuitive, receptive side of me.  I have developed a strong awareness and trust in the messages I receive from my Higher Self/ God / The Universe (I use many names). Basically, I’ve learned to hear and answer the Spirit Calls.  How will I make it happen? That’s in part the job of my left-brain – the action and goal-oriented side of me that will work in unison with my creative self that is manifesting the support I need on this path. Luckily, I’ve spent a lot of time developing both the right and left sides of my brain in this lifetime– not always in a balanced or harmonious way, but that’s all part of the learning.  My biggest lesson yet, however, is that things always work out best when it’s the heart/intuition that leads and the pragmatic action-self that follows.  It’s not about forcing things though (a lesson I’m still learning) – it’s about knowing when to act on what needs to be acted on…. even when that meant joining Facebook 🙂

OK … long enough for one post, eh?  “I have made this letter longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.” Blaise Pascal

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Spirit Calls Again… and I’m answering

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The last time I received a strong inner call to move was over 2 years ago when my intuition guided me to Newfoundland.  It’s no wonder, therefore, that I’ve come to trust these Spirit Calls – my time here has been so fulfilling on all levels, and I plan to return after I answer this latest calling to study for a trimester at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Arts in Austria in the Fall.

I found out about the school the day it was publicly launched on the Internet – the online gallery of the teachers’ work and description of their purpose sent chills through my entire being.  The following few days brought many undeniable signs confirming my initial intuitive guidance. I’ve since paid my tuition and housing deposits. I’m committed!

Their first trimester will be totally focused on drawing the human figure, sacred geometry, and seeking inner images through visualizations and visionary healing modalities. I’ve wanted to draw, but have been unsuccessful at it my whole life, building resistance and lots of frustration. The upside of that has been to develop my photography skills and to use photo gel transfers instead in my work – there’s a reason for everything.  I’m now ready, however, to focus on developing drawing skills so that I can integrate that more into my art.  Doing so with a group of like-minded artists whose purpose is to express through the beauty of the sacred will be such a blessing.  I know my intuition has guided me there for much more than just learning to draw – I could do that here – so I look forward to experiencing the reasons I’m meant to be there as I once again embrace the mystery and take the leap of faith.

This means raising over $30K in the next 5 months through art sales, ESL teaching contracts, and grass-roots fundraising efforts (details to come as plans evolve) to cover the costs of tuition, flights, visas, health insurance, student residence housing, living expenses, school supplies, etc. and my time here in St. John’s before I go and upon coming back.

So if you were ever considering buying one of my paintings or photographic prints (or another one), now is a great time.   You can see my work on my website or live in St. John’s at The Natural Health Shop, Ebb & Flow Boutique, Whole Health, Shakti Yoga Studios, the Craft Council Gift Shop, and Newfoundland Canvas.

I will announce further win-win fundraising plans as they evolve.  At this point, I wanted to share this happy news with you.

 

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