Ice Age 3: Die Dinosaurier Sind Los

This week I wasn't really in the mood for sightseeing or exploring (perhaps I'm saving my energy for Switzerland next week), so I don't really have anything too exciting to post to the blog.  BUT...it's been brought to my attention that certain people don't like it when I go more than a week without posting something. (not to name names or anything but ...JOHN POULSEN)  So I've decided to write a little bit about the movie theaters here.

I know you're probably thinking that this is weird because they can't possibly be that different.  And you're right, this is weird.  However, there really are quite a few little differences.

  

This week I took Timon and Flora to the third Ice Age Movie, and of course, it was in german.  BIG DIFFERENCE!!!   The next difference is a little less obvious and concerns concessions...they don't have butter on their popcorn.  Butter isn't even an option, nor is any other kind of seasoning.  bleh  Also, they sell orange juice for the little kids.  And let me tell you, orange juice does not go well with butterless popcorn and chocolate.  The last difference I will talk about, is about the seating.  In America, when you go to a movie, you get to pick your own seats.  So naturally I thought it was the same here.  But when I chose the perfect seats right in the middle of theater, and looked up to find Timon and Flora still standing in the isle looking at me with a really strange look of irritation, I started to think otherwise.  Timon showed me the tickets and sure enough, there was an assigned seat written on it.  So in order to keep the kids calm, (because heaven forbid we sit in the wrong seat... I mean one of the other 4 people in the theater might drastically need that exact seat and who knows what kind of horrible things could happen then?!)  we hiked all the way to the top of the ridiculously large theater and sat in the back right next the other 4 people.

Needless to say, next time I'd rather just wait and rent the movie.  :)

they doesn't speak so good english

Something that Timon and Flora said to me over vacation inspired me to do a short little blog about the kids and their english.   It's absolutely amazing to see 4 kids at these ages that are bilingual.  But, as expected, they're grammar isn't exactly the best and they tend to mix things up a lot.  Because I am around them every day, I have grown used to all their little sayings and mix-ups but once in a while they say something that really tickles my funny bone. 

After we had been in Croatia for about a week I was beginning to get a pretty good tan and Timon came up to me and said "Wow Neecall you are really much brown!  really really much!!"  After a minute or two of staring at me he turned and left and then Flora leaned over to me and whispered "He don't speak so good english.  right Neecall?"  When she said this, it hit me just right and me laugh pretty hard so I just had to share that.

Fanny and Christoph are probably my favorite though when it comes to their english speaking skills.   Sometimes their sentences are half english and half german.  For some reason they just can't get a grasp on the english words  but, with, and now.  So whenever they would use them they replace them with the german words  aber, mit, and jetzt.  

For example:

"Aber Neecall, I don't want to!"

"Neecall! Come play mit me!"

"No, I want it jetzt!"

But my favorite thing that Fanny says, whenever she thinks she can't do or say something, is:  "Aber I don't can do it Neecall!" ( I wish you could hear her say because her voice is so cute!!)

One more quick example-

One day I was telling Timon about one of the weekend trips that I will hopefully be taking in the near future.  I told him I would be taking a train and he asked "But what happens when the train doesn't want to fly anymore?"  Of course I was a little confused so I asked him what the heck he meant and he just replied, "You know! When the trains stops flying and hits the ground where will it be?"   I, still a little confused, answered "trains don't fly Timon."  This answer seemed to throw him for a huge loop and then I finally realized what he meant and said.  "Trains don't fly but PLANES do."  He just got super irritated and said "yes whatever Neecall!  it sounds the same!"

Croatia

So for those of you who have been waiting, I am finally back from Croatia and I'm ready to tell you all about it!   We stayed in a mobile home in a camping area of a holiday resort.  Staying in the mobile home was by far the worst part of the trip because there were six of us crammed into a teeny little space that's smaller than the average living room.  But nonetheless it was still an amazing vacation.  The resort we were in was right on the Dalmatian Coast on the Adriatic Sea.  I literally felt like I was walking right through one of my infamous travel books!   On this resort they have a beach (obviously), a pool, and a shopping area filled with souvenir shops and restaurants.  They also had lots of things to keep the kids entertained such as mini golf, pony rides, water-slides, and about a million more things.    The beach was absolutely beautiful and the water was the perfect temperature.  However, after a few days of swimming in the sea I came to a conclusion about myself.  I'm a freshwater girl!!  If you get splashed in the face with fresh lake water its no big deal...it's just water.  But if you get splashed in face with sea water (which was inevitable and unavoidable in my case considering I was with 4 very active kids the whole time)  it tastes disgusting and stings your eyes like crazy!  Another thing I hated about the sea was whenever we got done swimming and dried off we each had enough salt caked on our bodies to fill a few salt shakers.  YUCK!    But luckily for me, Fanny and Flora hated swimming in the sea more than me, so the girls and I spent a lot of time in the nice clean pool. :) 

       -Just a quick story about Fanny because I think it's really cute...First you need to know that

        Fanny has really bad eyesight.  In fact it's terrible.  (which is sad considering she's only 4, 

        but she's so dang cute with her glasses!)     One day when we were at the pool and she 

       wasn't wearing her glasses she was wandering around the pool by herself (usually she likes

        to hold my hand).  After a little while I looked around to make sure she was still doing ok.  

        I turned around just in time to see  her approach a lady who had a swimsuit 

       that looked like mine.  She put her arms around her neck and said "NICOLE!  where is 

       Flora?"  when the lady responded with nothing but a confused look, Fanny restated her 

       question but still the lady just looked at her and laughed.   At this point I went over closer          to her and said "Fanny, Flora and I are right here!"  She then looked at the lady with a                  panicked look and swam away from the lady to me as fast as she could.  ...Since then she has       worn her glasses EVERYWHERE!

My favorite part of the vacation was the boat trip we took from the resort to a national park called Kornati. We left at about 8 in the morning and returned at about 6:30 in the evening.  Kornati National Park is about 3 hours from the mainland, and consists of 365 islands of various size.  The islands were unbelievably beautiful.  I can only hope my pictures can give a small idea.  Also, the water was a shade of blue I'd never seen before.  Words can't begin to describe the beauty of the water.   The boat stopped at one of the major islands and let us off to wander for a few hours.  We ended up going swimming in a salt lake that was on the island (as if we hadn't had enough of salt water).  Around the lake and all over the island they have various wild animals.  The most popular one being the wild donkeys!  It was absolutely hilarious to see them just wandering around but surprisingly they were really tame and mild.  They handled the people very well and all the little kids loved petting them!  After spending some time on the islands we all piled back onto the boat and set off for another 3 hours back to the resort, and even saw a few dolphins on the way.  :)

This is all I can think of for now, so I'll just end with this last little piece of info.  After spending 2 weeks in the sun, for the first time in about 9 years...I'M TAN!!!  :)

I just had to add these pictures of Christoph because they're good for the soul and really make me laugh!  He loves wearing my glasses and Timon's hat!  :)

Just another day in paradise

  

Ok so it's not really just another day in paradise but I suppose we could call it "just another saturday in Vienna."  But either way I was in my element yesterday (saturday 6/28) as I, again, went into the city to do some sightseeing on my day off.   

But before I got to the actual sights that I was planning on seeing...I happened upon a small little store in the middle of Vienna called Bobby's Market.  It turns out that "Bobby" (whoever that might be)  wanted to look out for the english citizens of Vienna so he opened a British/American market.  In this little market I found things like betty crocker muffin mixes, doritos, oreos, and much much more.  But much to my surprise (and probably anybody else who reads this)  the thing I was excited to see the most was ....drumroll please....the cinnamon poptarts.  I didn't realize how much I liked them until now but putting that poptart in my mouth was like tasting a piece of heaven!  :)

Anyways, after entertaining my taste-buds I eventually found my way to my sight of interest for the week, Karlskirche.  (now this is the part where I should tell Allie, who will be reading this, to go get Joe because this just might be a post he'd be interested in....)  For anyone who doesn't know german, Karlzkirche means Karl's Church.   (and now for the brief history lesson for the history nerds...is Joe here yet? :))   

   -While Vienna was suffering through the plague epidemic in 1713, Emperor Karl VI promised that as soon as the city was delivered, he would build a church and dedicate it to St. Charles Borromeo.  (Borromeo was a former Archbishop of Milan and a patron saint of the plague; 1538-84)  In 1714, Emperor Karl VI announced a competition to design the church which was won by an architect by the name of Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. (I dare you to say that name 5 times fast!) The beautiful baroque building (shown in the pictures) was the result.  The huge dome and the portico are borrowed from ancient Greek and Roman architecture while the echoes in the gatehouses and minaret columns reflect Oriental styles.  Inside the building you can find carvings and altarpieces by the biggest artists of the day including Daniel Gran and Martino Altomonte.   The building of this church  took close to 25 years and sadly the designer, Fischer von Erlach, didn't live to see it finished.  he died in 1723, leaving his son to complete the task.  

Oh yeah...and I definitely put my feet in the 'cement pond'  out front.  :) hehe

Back to the future

As much as I love living over here, sometimes it feels as if I've gone back in time.  For three reasons specifically...

-First...I went from a really nice (fairly) new LG verizon cell phone (with unlimited texting) that I carried with me everywhere, to a really old, pay-as-you-go, junker nokia that I 'conveniently forget' to bring with me every time I go somewhere.  Talk about a step back...but to be honest I really don't even miss having a phone.  It's actually quite nice....simple and peaceful.  :)  

-Second...the people here have never seen Nike Shox.  People are always telling me that they look "futuristic" and asking me if they actually make me jump higher.   Sometimes if I'm feeling particularly spunky I say yes and then proceed to demonstrate like an idiot (only clearing about 6 inches or less) and then say "SEE?!?!"  They usually just look at me like I'm the dumbest little white girl they've ever seen...but I get a kick out of it.  :)  

-And third...The first time I did laundry here, I made quite an important discovery.  Which was....They don't have dryers here!   So once a week, instead of putting my freshly laundered, sopping wet clothes in an electrical dryer and pushing a button...I turn my room into a dryer buy hanging up all my clothes on two drying racks that take up way too much room.  It's kind of a pain because I have to crawl on the floor, under the racks, to get from my bed to my closet and I have to shrink about 10 sizes just to get through the door.  But in a way it's actually kind of fun.  It makes me laugh to find myself crawling on the floor like I'm a little baby.  I can imagine it would be a funny image for someone to walk in on...provided they fit through the door.  :)

Little things like this help humble me and remind me to be grateful for all the little things we have.  It's funny to think that all this time I've been taking everyday things, such as a dryer, for granted.  Like I said, I really am glad to be living here, but there are a few things that I'll be glad to get 'back to the future' for.  :)

Coexist

I haven't posted much lately because there hasn't been anything exciting to post.  But I suppose I could share a few boring details with the people who just want to know how I'm doing.  :)  So here is  a story that has scarred me forever and keeps me from sleeping at night.

In one of the conversations I had with the previous nanny when I first got here, the subject of spiders came up.  I don't know how and I don't know why but it did.  (and we all know how much I just LOVE spiders!!  haha NOT!)  She informed me that "there's not SO many but you will probably see quite a few in the basement."   Well folks, guess where my room is....yup the basement!!  She also felt the need to tell me exactly where in the basement they like to hang out.  As it happens, their favorite place is right by the window in my room.  And...as it happens...of course...my bed is right by the window!   What she failed to tell me what how big they were.  But don't worry I found that part out for myself later.

A few days ago I woke up and like every morning I went to the bathroom to take a shower.  But as I was getting ready I felt something kind of squishy on my shorts by my hip.  I looked down to see something brown smeared all over my white shorts.  My first thought was chocolate because well...I may or may not be but definitely am guilty of eating chocolate in my bed while watching a movie the night before.  :)   But as I took a closer look I realized that it was most definitely NOT chocolate.   It was in fact guts and smushed body parts of a very large spider.  I started to hyperventilate a little but once I caught my breath enough to remove the spider goo from my clothes I went back to my room to look at the bed.  And sure enough, there on my bed was the other half of that blasted creature's insides and about 5 of his ridiculously long legs.  The thought that that stupid, son of a *#&@!*$@$%$^*@#   had the nerve to come near me made my stomach lurch and I sprinted back to the bathroom because my stomach now felt the need to release most of it's contents.  I spent a good portion of the morning puking and hyperventilating before I was actually able to get my shower in.  

I think in the back of my mind there was a fantasy that told me that moving across the world would get me away from spiders...but, if I don't gain anything else from living over here, hopefully I eventually learn to coexist with the the horrid creatures we call spiders.

A lot of people have asked me about the food...so I wrote a few little poems to help me describe it.  But keep in mind that I am NOT poet and I have been told on many occasions that I have no rhythm.  :)  So this is just my attempt and if it backfires...I'm sorry.  :)

Austrian Dinner Parties

After All day on my feet

my hunger cannot be beat

I cannot wait to eat

so at the table I take a seat

Before we can begin 

everyone must come in

the kids and I wait to begin

while the adults sip their gin

With the table elegantly set

we ask if we can start yet

but our needs are not met

and my stomach gets more upset

At last the gin is gone

hopefully we eat before dawn

finally the food is brought on

as I try to stifle a yawn

Thank goodness the salad is ocming

because my stomach is now rumbling

Is this really salad? I'm guessing?

Oh no! There's no ranch dressing!!

Next we have asparagus

I really wish it was tasteless

I try to not gag or grimace

but I'm afraid it's hopeless

Finally the main course

hopefully it's not horse

down my throat I must force

unknown meat of unknown source

I send a prayer above 

that a dessert I won't get sick of

thank goodness I get a hold of

ice cream...mmm...I love.  :)

Mayo

Mayo here, mayo there

Holy crap! It's everywhere!!

In the morning, in the night

What a horrible sight!

On tomatoes, even a potatoe

It has become my biggest foe

On the meat, on the bread

I think I'll drop down dead

Mayo here, Mayo there

Oh gag me!! It's everywhere!!

Divine

Chocolate, chocolate oh so divine

I've never tasted anything quite this fine

I just might build a shrine

to this chocolate oh so divine

Meat and Bread

When I am not in bed

I am kept well fed

when every single spread

consists of meat and bread

the meat is not so bad

but much better I have had

I am always more glad

when I only have a tad

the bread is so delicious

I wish it were more nutritious

of weight gain I am suspicious

but the bread is so dang delicious

I am kept so well fed

it's hard to get out of bed

when every single spread

consists of meat and bread