Vienna Friday

One ride left and one day to use it. I have a funny story to share with you but first I have to get something straight with all you readers and specifically my concerned grandma (Hi Nana!). She kindly, in a roundabout way as grandmas do, pointed out that many of my photos have a beer in them and reminded me that drinking can be addictive. Thanks for your concern Nana, it's given me something to think about.

The truth is that the camera does start snapping pictures when I'm having a good time and when people are smiling. So I would bet that a majority of my photos might have a drink or two in them.

My goals for traveling are to experience as much culture as possible and expose myself to as many new things as possible. With this goal in mind I try to repress the values, customs, traditions, beliefs, etc. that I have been taught so that I can fully enjoy every experience (I'm not convinced that what I grew up with was the best for me). And I'm not going about seeking experience blindly of course: Nana, I've got a good head that is capable of making wise decisions…

This journal is a project that I am doing for myself to record my full experience of the great times and great people that I've had the pleasure to meet. So if any words or pictures offend you or don't fit into your set of values please understand that different cultures have different values, customs, traditions, beliefs, etc. There's too many to list but two major differences in Europe that may be a little extreme to the taste of most Americans are: the liberal attitude towards nudity and sexuality in the media and the social consumption of beer and other liquors.

Everywhere I turn on the streets is advertising with enough skin to make my religiously-wipped American relatives blush. The Kronen Zeitung, the daily Austrian paper, has a fully naked girl on page 7 everyday. Bravo, a teen music and pop culture magazine that most of the kids at the hauptschule (including my cousins) subscribe to, has full frontal shots of boys and girls, pictures of teens in sensual embrace, as well as liberal "Ann Landers" advise columns on all kinds of topics.

Each country or province of the country has its own beers and liquors that the people are very proud of. Belgians will proudly tell you that over 500 different types of beer are brewed in their country. Europeans don't understand why Americans have to be 21 to drink; most countries don't have age limits for drinking and if they do they are never enforced. In Austria there are a few people in each village that produce their own liquor or cider (called 'Most"). Numerous times strangers I have just met go out of their way to buy me a half-liter of their favorite suds. Every time, without fail, when visiting the home of someone that I've met, I am always offered a local drink. When making agreements it is very common to share a drink. When making a toast (or a "prost") if you don't make eye contact with the person while clinking bottles or glasses they, traditionally, should not trust you.

So with all the previous things in mind, I am continuing with an open mind and conscious thoughts. This doesn't mean I am going to jump off a cliff if everyone is else is, but I'll give it a second thought. This in no way means that I am, or am becoming an alcoholic… But I like a little buzz from time to time… Come on, I went to school in Chico, California, where Sierra Nevada is brewed and flows cheaply.

But making mistakes is a large part of learning. With that in mind…

When I left Switzerland, I bought a Euro Domino ticket good for five trips in Austria. I had one day before the ticket expired and one more ride on the ticket so I decided to spend a Friday afternoon in Vienna.

I met up with Roland, Gregor and David and we went to a [record shop] . While Roland was searching for an album we each had one of the shops own micro-brews. It's kind of unique for a record shop to also serve beer…

We stopped for a Kebab on the way to the Shamrock. Many more of Roland's buddies were there to enjoy the beginning of the weekend. We joked about stupid stuff for a few hours and shared a few rounds. Time flies when you're having fun and before I knew it I noticed that I only 20 minutes to catch my 6:50 PM train.

I dashed out after a quick 'adios' and ran for the train. A slight buzz working it's way into my head, I quickly grabbed a slice of pizza from a vendor, and made it on the train as the doors shut right behind me. Digesting pizza, I wrote in my journal for an hour and as the buzz peaked, I slipped into dreamland.

Two hours passed and I woke up to: "Amstetten," as the train was screeching to a halt. Shit! I had gone one stop too far. I was a little too embarrassed to call my relatives for a ride because I knew that they were probably already fast asleep. The next trains weren't headed the other direction till the early morning and I wasn't about to wait in the freezing cold till then. So I walked over a few blocks to the Hauptstrasse (mainstreet) and, like Sissy Hankshaw, I confidently stuck my thumb in the air.

The third car, well technically a moving van, picked me up. After a15 minutes of communicating in poor German, I was dropped off by my front door!!!

I was a little embarrassed and didn't tell my relatives about this for a few weeks but I'm glad that I could share it with you.

Wanna comment?