Chapter 129: Viennerschnitzel

nerd blog post #145

Steve and I met smoothly on Monday afternoon. He had been waiting in the Vienna airport for a couple of hours before I rolled in from London. Everything about Monday went seamlessly, which was nice. We took a bus to the train station in Vienna and then a train to St. Pölten, which is a town 60 kms away, and home to Steve´s great Tante Gerthe. Steve has a big family so tracing his family tree would take too long, but I met a lot of his extended family during our five nights in St. P.

Bah. So much has happened I don´t know where to start! Well, Tante Gerthe is a wonderful lady with a lot of wartime stories and even more spunk. Though she never managed to remember my name (but did think I looked Italian), she was one of the loveliest hostesses I have had. Steve and I stayed in our own apartment, right above hers, and enjoyed our mornings with her, eating breakie and looking at old photos and maps and hearing bits of her life. She is an interesting woman. She also took us on a tour of St.P our first evening and, though small, it´s a beautiful town. She knows the whole history, and we saw how most of it had been destroyed during the war.

Throughout our time in St.P, we had a few family members stop by to meet us, the first being TG´s daughter-in-law who insisted we call her sons to hang with them in Vienna. This is what my family calls a forced friendship, and I was worried her sons may have their own lives and not want to give up their day to us. But everything about every Austrian I have met so far is hospitable, and before we called the sons, they called us. And so, on Tuesday, we met Günther and Martin (TG´s grown-up grandsons) in Vienna and they showed us around a very nice section of the city we would have otherwise missed. They also took us on a ferris wheel, which was a lot of fun, and from up there they showed us the best spots to go! So after saying goodbye, Steve and I walked to the centre and saw the beautiful cathedral and parliament buildings, national library, townhall, etc. It´s a really nice city, walkable, clean and the peeps are very friendly.

We went back to Vienna the next day, this time to visit friends of Steve´s parents who live in the suburbs. They welcomed us warmly with apfelstrüdel and cafe and we had a great afternoon visit. They lived in Canada for five years in the late seventies, and it was at a house party of theirs that Steve´s parents first met. Neat. They also have a natural swimming pool-pond that I fell in love with and will build one day (with your help, dad and Ion, thunks). They made some good suggestions about what other places to see in Vienna, and so when we headed back downtown, we went to the Twelve Apostles Keller, which is a wine cellar and is my new fave thing. Weinkellers are these awesome little underground joints that have a great atmosphere, good wine, authentic cuisine, and sometimes live music! We had a great time. I also tried a most delicious drink called Sturm, which is basically grape cider: wine before it´s quite wine but after it´s juice. So it´s very sweet and delicious. Sturm4life.

We headed to Vienna a third time on Thursday, this time with no commitments to meet other people, so really with our own agenda, which was nice. We went to the Modern Art Museum, which was interesting, and then walked to another nice church, and then to a different weinkeller, and then another, and walked and walked... Vienna is a great place.

The next day, TG's son and d-i-l came over and took the four of us to Melk, a little town not too far from St.P that has a famous monastery. It was built in the Baroque era and is covered in gold! It houses the most ornate church I have ever entered and a library that looked too beautiful to be real. We took a German tour (I forgot to say that there was a loooot of German going on in St.P) but TG bought Steve and I an English guidebook, so that helped. Then we went to a restaurant for dindins, and the whoooooole family was there. Four generations of peeps, children running around, babies being passed around the table, and lot´s of delicious food.

Which brings me to an important announcement:

Do not order wiennerschniztel with saurkraut.

I was the laughing stock of the dinner because of this kooky kombination. And I still don´t know why.

We went to the family´s factory after dindins and had a neato tour, and then tea and dessert at a second cousin´s, and then went home. It was a great, though tiring, day!

We travelled to Innsbruck on Satruday, which is where I am now. I had a fabulous time in Vienna, and hope I see those people again. Steve and I are already talking about ending the trip in Austria, though we´ll see how things pan out. It is wonderful having him here. I can´t explain it any better that that.

With love,
Hincks.

Chapter 128: Special Rainbow Jelly

nerd blog post#136

The last night in Birmingham was a goodie. UD and AS took me out for a delicious Indian dindins. B-Ham is famous for their Indian food, and it was very tasty! Later, AS and I had a hot date to see the new Ricky Jervais film. He is a funny man. I had one last sleep in that extremely comfy bed and left the next morning for Londontown. I'm not sure if I'll be back in England again this time, so it felt like a different goodbye than other times. I so appreciated their constant and warm hospitality.

Talia met met me at the train station on Friday and we walked the few short blocks to her house. She lives with four others in a sweet house with a huge common area and some nice guys. We went out around 4pm to the grad student pub (Tal's doing a Master's at LSE) and had pints there with her classmates. It felt a lot like Canada in there. I think because it really had the student pub vibe and I haven't been in a student pub since I was a student, sooo that's why.... We stayed there for a few hours. Her classmates are really nice and its an international crew, which is fun. Later in the evening. we went to a cheap pub to get some food. There, Rob Macnamera met us and it was awesome seeing him after 14 months of virtual correspondence. After that pub, the three of us took a walk along the Thames and across the Jubilee Bridge by the London Eye. The city and the water looked beautiful, and I had one of those surreal moments when I realize just where I am and who I'm with and how great everything is. The Guiness helps the positivity, too.

The cool (and by cool, I mean nerdy) thing about hanging with Talia and Rob is that we were all managers at the P&CC (the student union's copy shop at Queen's) and we all LOVE talking about ANY aspect of that job, and can do so for hours.

Talia and I slept in hard on Saturday, and by the time we'd had a coffee, breakie and a chat, it was 4pm. So I left her to do some work and I went for a long walk in the area, stopping in Middle Eastern stores and at a cool market and on a search to replace my boots that are worn out completely. No luck with that, but it was a nice outing. Upon my return, Talia's roomie had made KFC pizza and I tried it and it was delicious.

In the evening, we met Rob in Little Hanoi in the East End and went to one of the busy Vietnamese restaurants in the area. They were all cheap, packed, and offering the BYOB service with a tiny corking fee. We ate well there and stayed for awhile with the OB that we Bed and even tried a dessert called Special Rainbow Jelly, which wasn't so special after all. After dindins, we went to a small club called On the Rocks that played really fun and funky music of a trendy genre for a hipster crowd. We danced and danced and it was very fun. Then the place closed and Talia and Rob wanted food so we went to a kebab place and they ate and I had a beer and OPF. We took two night buses home and were very much looking forward to bed!

Today we are meeting up with Rob and Danny Mahoney, another friend from Queen's, and either going to a market or to the zoo in Regent's Park. I fly out tomorrow to meet Steve. It is his bday today, so he gets some points. I am having a fantastic time in London and it feels great to catch up with good friends and, of course, to dance.

With love,

Hincks.

Chapter 127: Thunksgiving

nerd blog post #134

It has been a great vacay in the Queen's England so far. I was in much need of peeps from home, and this is the right place to come for that! I miss the Portugal sun and the eternal Summer it was giving me, but the warmth from Doc and my family in Birmingham is worth more than that.

The visit with Doctor was great, but passed all too quickly, as it always does. We had a great 4 days together. We spent most of the time talking, sitting in the park, relaxing in his pad, and eating great food.

We had two thanksgiving dinners, of sorts. One was on the Saturday when we cooked up a delicious turkey (well, part of one) with veggies and red wine. We then watched a good flick called Notes on a Scandal, in which a lady falls in love with a teen. Natch. On Sunday, we went out to a pub and had dinner there. It was amazing. For 12 pounds, we had a roast dinner, burger and fries, and two pints of guinness. What a deal! Because we saved so much money, we decided to have a few more guinnesses, and chatted the night away. It was a definite highlight of the visit. As Doctor wasn't planning for my visit, we also did some homework. I read my book, Doc wrote his dissertation. We had a micmic, of course, and also amazing Indian food that we bought at the grocery store.

It was sad saying goodbye once again, and I look forward to the day when we live in the same city, let alone country. We have been lucky enough to see each other about once a month here in Europe, but it just isn't the same as every day, as it was in Canada. Luckily, Doc has already bought tickets to visit Steve and I in Berlin, so that's something to look forward to!

On Tuesday, I came to Birmingham. I love being here. It almost feels like being at 99 K. There's always food and treats and the bed is super comfy. I like the time when UD and AS get home from work and we all sit in the living room and drink hot drinks and chat and watch tv and checky e-mee. It's nice. I went into town today and looked in shops and am also working on applications for schools. It's relaxing here, and feels like home. I will miss these wee visits when I'm back in the homeland.

On Friday I leave for London and I'm very much looking forward to that visit. This time, I know quite a few peeps in that city and will see some good friends from Queen's. I'm staying with Talia, who I worked with at the P&CC and spent a week with in Cuba. I'm pumped. I'll also see Rob Macnamera, a good friend who has been a great correspondent since I left. All good peeps, all good fun!

England never disappoints. Hope you're enjoying the short week that comes with my fave holiday, Thunksgiving!

Signing off,
Hincks.

Chapter 126: Farewell to fArms

nerd blog post #133

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
No, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.
Well, I try my best
To be just like I am,
But everybody wants you
To be just like them.
They say sing while you slave and I just get bored.
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.

-Bob Dylan

Steve pointed out this song to me. Gemma=Maggie, obv. So on Friday, I left the farm. The last couple of days were fine. I worked and hung out with Latoya. A new girl came on Wednesday from Australia and so my last work day was longer than normal, showing her how to do everything. I also took some photos and packed and all of that. On Thursday afternoon, the three of us were dropped off at the beach where I lay in the sun one more time. I already miss the heat and the beauty of Portugal. I said goodbyes to Lukas, my library friend, and the owners of the cafe I always went to. In the evening, Gemma joined us for dinner and we went to a great little restaurant where I had the best meal of the whole 3.5 weeks. Delicious fish.

On Friday, I headed to the airport by bus with Latoya. We had a few hours to kill there, and she bought me lunch (her parents did, actually, which was nice) and chatted and drank coffee. Then we said a little goodbye. She was very excited to go home, and I was a bit envious that she'd have family and friends and a boyfriend on the other end to greet her! Travelling alone can become tiring and lonely, at times. And those airport pick-ups really look nice! I am glad I met her and I hope her horsie life is a good one.

I eventually got on my flight to Liverpool. The reason I didn't nerd blog about leaving early is because Friday was Doctor's bday and I wanted to surprise him. So I secretly arrived in England and had exactly one hour and fifteen minutes to get from the landed plane onto the last train to Leamington Spa. This is not a long time, considering I had to go through customs (always the longest in England), get my suitcase, get to the train station, buy a ticket, and then finally board. So I sat at the front of the airplane and was the first one out, running to customs to beat the others. My flip flops broke so I ended up carrying them, and arrived to the customs desk looking like a train wreck. As usual, they questioned me for an annoyingly long time, and this time I was worried I might not make it in, but did manage to get through and finally get my bag. With the clock ticking in a serious way, I opted for a cab to the train station and when I finally got my ticket I had to get them to hold the train as I bolted down the stairs with my 22kg suitcase and my 10kg carryon. I made it. I also vowed to cut the weight of my bags in half, once in Birmingham.

I was finally in Leamington close to 11pm and made my way over to Doctor's. I called him to sing Happy Birthday from outside. He started telling me about the party the night before, which is when I started banging and shouting on his window outside. He nearly had a heart attack! I have never seen him so shocked.

And so, I am back in The Royal Leamington Spa, and we are having a great time. More nerd blogging latron. For now, though, Happy Thunksgiving. This was my fave holiday back in Canada. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I have gotten used to missing out on holidays back home, and today doesn't feel much different. Still, Canada is always on my mind. Enjoy the turkey and the family and the fall colours!

With love,

Hincks.

Chapter 125: My Little Pony

nerd blog psot #130

The other day, my pal Lukas took me outside of the beachside retaurant and pointed to the one cloud in the sky. Though a series of Portuguese explanations and full-body sign language, I got the feeling he was telling me rain was to come. Rain, here? In paradise!? Never....

But Lukas was right. It started raining yesterday and hasn't stopped. Warm, fat raindrops everywhere. It's actually kind of nice, but I do miss that hot sun. Last night was wonderful. I lay in the caravan and listened to the rain beating down on the roof and it reminded me of the rainy nights in Lesotho when a similar sound was heard on the tin roof above us. It's a beautiful thing.

Despite the rain, the work continues. Piri-piri's couch was finished today, and sheet lane is also finished. I have learned a great deal here, mostly about horses. I have seen a foal separated from her mother and then trained in the ring. Another mare is being broken now, and today wore a saddle for the first time. She reared up, her front legs much higher than Latoya's head, and my job was to stand by the fence so she didn't run out. I definitely don't have the experience to train a horse like that, but have learned how to launch two of the horses, and it's an added (and exciting) duty of my work day. I take the stallion out, groom him and clean his hooves, and then attach a long rope to him. I stand in the middle of the sandy ring with a whip and make him walk, trot, gallop and do a crossy-leggy trick. It's a really amazing feeling. The stallions are trained to be able to understand a multiple of commands. When I'm on the ground, they know what to do by the position of the whip, as well as by oral commands (in Dutch). While on the saddle, they know what to do by the position of my body on the saddle, as well as by my voice. It's neat.

Still, the stallions can be unpredictable, and there have been some scary moments. Jacto reared up once when I was riding him because he saw his gf, and another of the stallions, X-Otico, bit my shoulder once, I don't know why. There was a round bruise there for a week. I have also had them step on my feet, which kills as they're over 600 kgs. X-Otico once head butted me, sending me flying into a fence, a cm of barbed wire lodging into my hand. But all in all, they have been patient with me, and I like them all very much. In fact, I am considering stealing Piri-piri, as Ion suggested.

And that's all for now.

Signing off,
Hincks.

Chapter 124: Rabbit Stew

nerd blog post #135 Isabella

I have wanted to write about the cork trees for awhile. This may be a bit bah-ring, but I think it's really cool. Portugal is the lead producer of cork, and right next to the farm is a huuuuge cork tree farm. They take off the bark and then the tree is red and then they paint the last number of the year on the tree. As the years go, the bark regrows and the number fades. So you can see all shades of brown and red on the trunks of trees, with the number of when it was trimmed. Every ten years, the cycle is repeated. And that's all about cork.

Next. When I was a teenager, I was seldom left home alone. And the first time I was ever left alone over night was when I was 19 and had already left home. My parents thought I would throw a party in their absence. Me?? A party!? Ahhhhh, how wise they were. I would have thrown the biggest jam Malvern had ever seen. Unfortunately, Gemma does not know me as well, and on Saturday she left me all alone at the farm from 5am until 10pm.

The morning went well. I realized how much I have learned in such a short time. I did all of the horsie things alone, and with confidence. I worked on Piri-piri's couch and raked sheet lane and pulled weeds and cleaned houses and washed clothes. And theeeen I wanted a bit of adventure.

On the week-ends I always hear gunshots in the fields behind our farm. It's the sound of men hunting wild pigs, quails (or some sort of small, fat bird), and rabbits. I have wanted to try my Mallorca gun skillz out, so decided I would join them. I couldn't get to the field any normal way because of how the property is built, so had to shimmy out of the bathroom window and over a fence and into their field. I wore bright colours so they wouldn't shoot me by accident. The men were very nice and spoke no English, but with universal sign language, they told me what they were shooting and that I could try. All of a sudden, a rabbit popped his ears out of a hole and the man gave me his big gun and explained I could try three times to get the rabbit. So when the rabbit came out of his hole, I had my first try at real life shooting. I missed, unfortunately, learning that a moving target is far harder than one pinned to the wall. Still, it was great fun and I thanked them and then watched for a bit and then returned to the farm to read my book. I think I'd like to learn the skill of the huntress one day.

Yesterday, Latoya and I came to Alcochete in the evening and had a really good time. We decided to go out for dindins, and chose a nice restaurant in the main square. There, we shared a big fish dish, their house specialty. It had cod and shrimp and was really tasty. The waiter seemed to like us, and gave us a free litre of wine, dessert, some Spanish liqueur, and his diggies. Latoya and I are getting along really well, which is good since we spend so much time together. She makes me laugh a lot. She says the most absurd things and is such a teenager and I love it.

I have two friends in Alcochete. One is the woman who works at the library and whose name is Louisa. She has adult braces but is really nice and trendy. I discovered that she spoke French, and then that she's half French and born in Lyon, so the other week we got to talking. And last Wednesday on my day off we went for lunch during her break. She's nice. The other is Lukas, who works at the beach-side restaurant. Lukas serves me cafe and is about sixteen. He speaks no English, so our friendship consists of me standing at the bar and pointing to things and him telling me their name in Portuguese. It's really, really deep. Straw. Napkin. Tray. Yeah, Lukas and I are tight.

That's all I have time for today. Hope this finds you well!

Signing off,
Hincks.

Chapter 123: Red Bull

nerd blog post #134

Well at least the farm isn't bah-ring! So much happens every day that it's hard to even think of what to write about.

After Marie's departure, I moved into the caravan. I love it in there. My old bed was a high one, about 3 feet from the ceiling. A foot above my head was the mosquito net, which meant I couldn't even roll over without being suffocated in the smelly thing. So I was happy to move into my own place, where I could sort of unpack (there was no space in the old place, my suitcase was on my bed with me) and have some more privacy. I have decided that I would like to live in a caravan one day, at least for awhile. It rules.

As I mentioned in the last post, Gemma likes company, and last Saturday night (Marie was still here), she announced that that night, we would go to the discotheque. Huh!? Okay! So we all got ready on our own. The three others were near strangers to me. It had been under two weeks since my arrival, so was a weird thing to be doing. Plus, the age range is 31 years. Strange. Still, I put on my clubby clothes and heels and exited my room. I was met with the other three, and we were quite the funny group. Latoya was dressed to impress, with loads of make up, thigh-high leather boots, a small shirt. Marie wore her usual runners and baggyish jeans and a t-shirt. And Gemma had her white Michael Jackson pants, the outside seam unbuttoned. I laughed out loud several times in the evening thinking of the absurdity of it all, and wishing I had a friend to be there and witness the awkward hilarity of the evening. We went to a club in Montijo, a nearby town, and hung out in the Spanish music room. There, sexy cops taught us routine dances and we drank various bevies. We danced our faces off until 5am. It was great fun. We all danced with the Portuguese men, even Gemma. She also let her waist-length hair out of it's tight-knit braidbun. It was one of the funniest nights of the year.

Last night, Latoya and Gemma and I went to Lisbon for a bullfight. I debated going. I dig animals and not animal cruelty. But it's a wishy-washy area. It's a cultural event that dates back 250 years and is mainly to showcase Lusitano horses, and brave men. There is also a lot of myth that surrounds how the bulls are treated. I did some research before agreeing to go, and then decided that it was a once in a lifetime type of thing, and that I should go and then decide how I feel about it.

There were protestors outside of the arena, and I was glad to see them. It shows that while it is a national pasttime, it's also controversial, and people should be thinking about it in a critical way. Still, I didn't join them, but handed my ticket to the man and went to my seat.

We had great seats. They were the cheapest ones and near the top, but we had a railing right in front of us and were directly opposite of where the bull is released (like being across from home plate). Last night was a speshy gala night, so there was a huge processional parade beforehand, where everyone was introdued with their horses and in traditional outfits etc etc. And then there were six "rounds" or whatever. Basically, a man on a horse comes out with two helpers (who wave the sheet thing) and then the bull is released from behind doors. The bull has been annoyed, so comes out disoriented and angry. Then the man puts spears in the bull's back and it bleeds a lot. Then the man switches horses. Rinse and repeat a few times. Then a line of men come out and all try and tackle the bull. They sometimes try several times. Then they send out a herd of cattle who try and get the bull back into its area. Then a new man and a new bull and new everything, but the same.

The poor bull!! Kind of, but actually I didn't feel so badly for it. The bulls are four or five years old and have spent their lives in a large field with their buddies. If they're right for the fight (weighing over 600 kgs, perfect horns, etc), they are taken that day to the bullring, annoyed behind the doors, spend 20 minutes angry and getting stabbed, and then are taken to the meat factory. The alternative is not making it to the bullring, and going to the meat factory. So really, it's a different fate of one day. If the bull is really good, he has the chance to be stitched up and used for breeding. Also, the area of the back that is stabbed is really fleshy, so bleeds easily, and has less nerves that the rest of their bodies. While watching the bull, it was as if he was stung by a mosquito, not stabbed with a spear. They didn't get weaker or even seem to tire really. So I don't think there's much pain. And they can only be released into the ring once, otherwise they'd know what to expect. So whatevs.

Really what was astounding was how macho it all was. I'm supposed to cheer for a man on a horse who has been doing this professionally for years? A man who is smarter than any bull, knows what to expect, and is riding a horse that will always be faster and has done this countless times? Um, no thunks. The bull is totally confused, having been uprooted from his green pasture hours ago only to be thrust into mayhem, and I'm supposed to be happy for the man who's attacking him? It's absurd.

I enjoyed seeing the bullfight. It was an event, it was highly theatrical, and it was a night out (that went from 10pm until 3am!) in Lisbon. So no regrets going. But I definitely had my full of bullfighting and I think it's a weirdo and unnecessary "sport."

Otherwise, life is continuing just fine. My time is running out, so I should go. Hope this finds you all well!

Much love,
Hincks.