A Bunch Pictures from Greece... and a Weekend with the Santayanas...

Here are some pictures from Greece... I miss all of you!

Ok the rest of my blog has nothing to do with these pictures... sorry...

I have officially finished my German class and have moved out of my tiny apartment in the 17th district. It feels good to get out of there, honestly. I am currently staying with a beautiful family, the 

Santayanas. They have taken me, a transient Filipino (not really, but it sounds cool huh?), into their home and made me feel so welcomed. Thank you so much. And a special greeting to my new mother... Tita Nel! 

We just had dinner at the La Hodney Restaurant... fantastic. I had the "Maria Theresia," a grilled chicken dish with fried potatoes and covered with onions a

nd curry powder. It was a task to finish this dinner, because of the quantity and my shrunken stomach. I guess should eat more than pastries, espresso, and chocolate throughout the day. It was great conversation as well... Thank you Santayana family for a lovely evening.

I'm sitting now in their chic place. They even have a room made up for me. God you spoil me through your people. Thank you. 

On a side note, I miss all my brothers and sisters from the Athens conference. You are all a blessing! And I wish we could hang out all day and take funny pictures and put it to some cool music. 

Tomorrow will be a relaxing day... running in the morning. Mass. Prayer. Fellowship with the community tomorrow night. Praise you Lord....

Check these pics out from the Athens conference!!!

Reflection on my last day of class... almost...

My classes are done! Well, not really. Tommorow is my last day, but I love Deutsch... 

I can't believe that I have been here for a month now... I love it when something comes to an end, and I always say "Man, I can't believe that went by so fast..." I won't say that this time, because it didn't go by fast. I think for once in my life I lived (or at least I attempted) to live one day at a time. This was probably one of the most enjoyable months of my life... seriously... I have never experienced the Lord the way I did this month. He has been so intimate with me, and I think because of the time that I took to be with Him, I learned how to listen to Him better. Do I know what He wants for my life and all that stuff... no, not entirely, but I think I am more convinced that I am on the right track. Will we ever follow His will perfectly? Most likely not. But I think the point is that we are attempting (and falling short so many times), and He takes joy in that. Much like a dad who is watching His child trying to walk for the first time. The child will fall and cry and hurt, but the Father is delighting because we are trying to walk to Him...

Lord thank You for my time here. Please bring me closer to You everyday...

Alright time to get some gelato downtown... love you all...

Hotness...

All,

I would just like to say that it was almost 90 degrees (F) today in Vienna... love it! I almost skipped class. Okay peace...

Greece- Youth For Christ Conference in Athens...

Wow! 

I am actually speechless, and I have been this way since the conference ended yesterday afternoon. I was sitting in the airport in Athens, Greece on the verge of tears. I am just dumbfounded on how the Lord works and how He chooses us to do things we never thought we would be doing.

So let me give you a backstory, because you are probably wondering what the heck I am talking about. 

About three weeks ago I was invited by my very good friend Cay to give a workshop for an international youth organization called Youth for Christ. I agreed to do it without knowing too much about the organization, except my little involvement with them in the United States. She informed me that the conference was going to happen in Athens, Greece. I was excited. I started to pray and fast for the upcoming conference.

Anyways... I showed up on Friday afternoon at Athens... It was sunny and blazing hot. I felt like I was back in Texas. It was a radical change from the Austrian weather (It was 50 degrees F and raining the previous week).

When I showed up at the airport I was greeted by two awesome members of YFC (Annes from Nice and Zsa-Zsa from Monaco). They were also waiting to be picked up. Our ride showed up about an hour later and we headed straight to the conference center. 

We showed up and were immediately greeted by a service crew that had been preparing for the conference an entire week in advance. They were all so friendly and welcoming. I was overwhelmed! I must have met nearly a dozen people from 5 different countries in the first 30 minutes of my arrival.

They put me to work immediately as I had to do soundcheck with the band. The band was so cool. Many were from France... I love French people... which is good, considering a bad experience with the French earlier this year.

After the check we started the conference... wow. So much energy right off the bat. You could feel that the teens had such a yearning for Christ. They brought a lot of baggage to the door. The speaker (Sherwin from the UK) was phoenomenal. He spoke on the love of God. It is such a simple message, but so essential. We all forget sometimes about the Lord who loves us in a crazy way. 

After his talk, I played a reflection song called "Magnificent" by Hillsong. After the song, I was given the ok to lead them into a little worship.  I just started singing "Glory, Glory, send Your Glory..." It was a powerful moment, because the Holy Spirit began to move throughout the crowd. 

We ended the night with a team meeting that must have lasted for over 2 hours. The thing about Europeans, which is so fascinating to me as an ignorant American, is that when they discuss things they discuss them at great lengths. Very different from the American mentality. 

We finally slept.

Saturday was filled with so many things, I can barely remember what happened. There were sports competitions early in the day (another thing that I have never seen at a youth conference), and then we started the sessions. The session had a number of Euro youth sharing how Christ has influenced them over the past year... very cool. After lunch I gave a workshop on worship, it was called "100% Worship." I felt it went well. 

The evening session was lead by Dun, a missionary for YFC from the US. Dun I miss you bro... We bonded over the weekend... it was cool. We then moved into the worship session of the night. It was powerful, because the actual session was lead by a missionary from Malta, JP. What fire he had. The Holy Spirit was definitely leading this guy. The whole hall was set ablaze and many healings and conversions happened that night. We went to sleep well that night...

Actually I lied. I didn't sleep at all on Saturday, but Im sure that everyone else besides Cay, Dun, Sherwin, Annes, Ivan, and myself slept great. We felt that the original line-up of the Sunday session was different from the Lord had planned. We spent some time in prayer and discerned that the Lord was moving in a different direction. SOOOOO... at the last moment, we changed the entire session and speaker line-up. We were up all night rewriting the session.

At 7am, we were exhausted, but at peace. Mass was at 8am and we were all dozing off. But I think the Lord understood. At 9:30 the speaker went on stage and gave the teens a final talk, which was fiery, yet practical. "You will go back into the world, and it will be difficult... be prepared and don't listen to the lies that this world will tell you. It will tell you that what you experienced this weekend was not real or that it doesn't matter. But don't listen. Stand firm to the faith and we, with God's grace, will change Europe!" Wow... what a powerful message. 

Lunch was bittersweet, because I had to say goodbye to all my new friends. I want to especially thank the community in Greece for being such incredible hosts. I want to give a special shout-out to the community in Malta! I love you Malta, and I'm excited for the next conference in Malta next summer! May God be praised...

Now its time to recover. I spent nearly all morning sleeping in and I plan on doing the same tomorrow. Next week work at Gaming starts, so I better enjoy it now... May God be praised!!!!

A scene from downtown Vienna...

All,

Here is a pic of the street in Vienna that I walk down everyday to get to class... immediately to the right of the camera is the Operahaus... Enjoy

Raining again....

Ahhh! I this rain is killing me... I mean, at least it's not raining fire with 100% humidity, but seriously folks. It's 57 degrees (according my handy Apple thermometer) outside in the middle of July. Lord bring us some sun.

I am getting my first haircut in Vienna. I'm kind of excited... the ladies don't speak English so we'll see how it all turns out. 

Tonight I am going to talk with my best bud/brother/friend in the whole world, Sean Donovan. Everyone in Steubenville... please keep an eye out for him. He's the one everyone claps for when he enters into a room. 

Ok, almost time for lunch... time to venture out into this storm, and find some cheap food. Peace...

It's freaking cold in Vienna...

It's July 21st and it was 60 degrees out tonight. What the heck? I had a scarf on tonight...

Katie and I just got finished watching a ballet (on screen) at the Rathaus... The ballet was loooooooong, and I love the ballet. I guess I wasn't expecting to be that long, and I think the people around didn't expect it either, because we had about 3 different couples get up in the middle of the performance to leave.

Getting really excited about the conference in Athens! Pray for us this weekend!

Sundays = sweetness

What a fun weekend. I really got to experience the joyousness of the Filipino community here in Vienna. So to all you Filipino-Austrians reading this... Danke Sehr! You are all so welcoming and loving and I thank you for making me feel so at home.

Let me tell you about today...

I woke up at 8am and hit the streets running... literally. I had a good 30 minute run. I then took the public transport out to Floridsdorf to go to a Filipino Catholic Church here in Vienna.

Wow. What an experience. I felt like I was back in the homeland (Philippines that is). There must have been hundreds of Filipinos in this Church. It was packed! I met so many people it was overwhelming... in a good way.

As we were leaving it really made me realize how peoples of a different culture will really come together once they are outside of their native home. I see this to be true even in the USA. Look at the public Universities... All the groups stick together. You have your Pakistanis in one area. Your Hispanics in another. Your Asians in another... It's funny how it works, but it happens so naturally.

After Mass, we had lunch at Cay's place. We ate the following:

Adobo
Chicken Wings
Lumpia
Garlic Fried Rice
Tomato-Basil-Mozzarella salad *Yes kinda out of place, but it was good*

An amazing meal... After we played a couple of songs on the guitars and then headed to the youth center for the Youth For Christ. We got there and the teens were already there. We entered into a time of praise and worship... very powerful... Praise You Lord...

Then it was time for them to practice their dances for the upcoming weekend. They are competeting against other Youth For Christ dance groups in Athens, Greece this weekend. The Austrian group is defending their title, because they won last year. Let me say that from a layman's point of view the dance they have prepared is pretty spectacular. I'll try to get a video up after the weekend...

After the youth center we went to Lester and Sharon's place for dinner. They have the two most adorable daughters: KC and Zoey... Zoey was like a little eating machine. She could eat... a lot. Dinner was fantastic, and thank you Sharon for asking very personal questions about my love life... We must be family!

Now I'm back at my tiny crib in the 16th district... I'm going to look at my Deutsch homework and then drift off to sleep. Thank you Lord for another chance to encounter You. God bless...

Thank God it's Friday...

Lord,

Thank you for allowing me to experience You in so many ways this week. Through my new friends... through Katie... through the frustrations of language school... through strangers... and most of all through the Eucharist and the quiet moments during prayer.

Amen.

Everyone,

I humbly ask for you to pray for the upcoming Youth For Christ Leadership Conference this upcoming weekend, on July 25-27th. Pray for the young people who will be attending as well as the staff and speakers, especially Ana and Tessa. These ladies are two of the main organizers and could use as much prayer as we can give.

Peace...

Rain and pics of me with the Käsekrainer...

Raining. It's raining. The day was all about it. I love/hate days like this, because 1) The rain makes me sleepy 2) I always feel at peace. It's something about the rain that is conforting. I dunno...

So the day went on as usual... Woke up, grabbed some breakfast. Hopped on the tram, caught the subway and went to class. Class was great today. I learned how to say "cheap." After class, I went to adoration and then went to the store, because I was to cook dinner tonight with my friend Katie. I went to the Interspar and did some shopping for some food..

I bought the following items from the store:

1. 1) Brown hearty bread Käsekrainer
2. 2) Olive Oil from Italy
3. 3) Fresh mozzarella cheese (buffalo of course)
4. 4) Some other kind of cheese (mildly sharp and reasonably priced)
5. 5) Pasta
6. 6) Fresh vine tomatoes
7. 7) Butter
8. 8) Canned tomatoes
9. 9) Parmesan stuffed olives
10. 10) 2 Milka bars (I ate half of one on the tram, I was hungry)

*It's interesting, but the stores don't give you bags to put your groceries. I'm sure its a way of being enviromentally friendly. Go Austria.*

I left the store, waited forever at the tram station, and then walked through the pouring rain to Katie's apartment. I offered it up for all your souls..

So dinner tonight was pasta with some canned tomatoes, a little garlic, and some fresh olives. Wow. Good stuff. Katie made her pesto bruchetta with the fresh mozzarella. We had the Milka bars for dessert. I love cooking with good ingredients. Can't beat it.

Ok... so here are some pictures from last night. This was when we went to St. Stefansplatz with my new awesome friends Cay and Jun.

(the Käsekrainer, cheese filled sausage)

(Jun, myself, and late night goodness)

(Cay, I don't know how you managed to take this picture)

Austria, Laughing, and the Filipinos...

Greetings people,

I had another memorable night tonight. Tonight was the first night I led worship in a European country. Granted, the people were Filipino, it was still in Europe. It's been so long since I've been able to praise like the way we did tonight. Thank you all you members of Couples For Christ and Singles for Christ in Vienna.

The day started out with me heading towards school. After, I met up with Cay and Jun at the Starbucks near the Operahaus. We then drove to Cay's house in the 22nd district. Jun and I took turns playing praise and worship songs together. I never realized how many praise and worship songs I don't know. It's like Europe has this secret stash of P&W that we haven't seen yet. But it was good. After an hour of playing, Jun tells me that we are playing for a prayer meeting tonight. Suprise :-) We left for the meeting at around 7 PM.

I felt like I was back in the Philippines! We stepped out of the car and immediately, as we walked into the Couples for Christ Center, I was greeted by smiling Filipino faces. There are so many Pinoys here in Vienna. I will never feel separated from my peoples. We, Filipinos, are some of the most adaptable people. Once I met a Pinoy in Haiti (of all places), and he tells me that there is a community of 300 Filipinos working construction there. Wow. So I'm greeted by Filipinos and they notice I am from the US from my accent. We speak in Tagalog and I felt so at home. For a moment I forgot I was in Austria.

Worship was awesome tonight. I was actually on guy singing, because Jun decided to leave me hanging by not taking a mic. Thanks Jun :-) JK. However, the prayer was led by an Austrian man who was married to a Filipina. He was real cool. I told him I was from Dallas and he asked me where JR from the show Dallas was. I have no idea. But he was still really cool. Tonight, a missionary from Couples for Christ Philippines gave a talk. He spoke about loving and what real love means. It was very good.

After the session was over, I met a whole mess of Filipinos again. They invited me back to play on Saturday for their general assembly. So that's what I'll be doing this weekend. Rock on. We left the center and then a whole bunch of us started piling into cars. I was told that we were going to get some Austrian sausages and gelato. Heck yeah, life is good. We drove to Stephensplatz and walked around for a bit. I love Vienna at night, it is so beautiful. I mean, its not like crazy busy like New York at night, but it's very chill and relaxed. Yet so many people are out having wine or gelato or just walking around. Very different from the rest of Austria, which shuts down after 7pm. Probably because everyone walking around is not from Austria... After the food, I felt stuffed. We walked around for a bit more.

I love being with Filipinos, because they know how to laugh. They will laugh at everything. I think it's because they have endured so much from the country's past. Therefore, nothing must be taken so seriously, or else how else are you going to make it through life? Life is hard... we should learn lessons from the island peoples. Laugh. Right now. Seriously. Tickle your feet or think of the time you peed your pants in the third grade (ok maybe that left some emotional scars). But laugh at your life, because it's pretty funny if you think about it... I was reading GK Chesterton the other night and he says that "truth is not solemn, because the truth of life is that it is laughable..."

The Rathause Film Festival in Vienna...

Wow... what a fantastic evening. Actually, what a fantastic day.

I started out early at 7:30, waking up and running through the Habsburg Palace and Volksgarten with Katie. It was so nice out, and a little cool so the sweating wasn't too terrible. There is something about running through gardens that feels so invigorating. We ended the run by stopping by this local baker right next to Katie's apartment in Alser Straße. He claims that he cuts the little indentions in each zimmel by hand, as opposed to all the other bakers who use machines to make their zimmels. It was good regardless.

I went back to my place at around 10am and got ready for class. I got on my normal transit: Walk 3 blocks to get to the Straßenbahn station. Take Güpterferlingstraße to Schöttenor. Get off at Schöttentor and hop on the U-bahn to Karlsplatz. Get to Karlsplatz and walk underground for a little bit till I get to the Operhause exit. I usually grab a pastry and a coffee at Anker (a chain bakery) before I go out the exit. As soon as I exit, I cross the street and my Deutsch school is right there.

Anyways, class was ok. Really long. Try taking an intensive language class for 3 hours everyday. I think some of you who took intensive Greek or Latin at FUS can relate. As soon as class was done, I met up with Martin and Georgi. These guys are from Bulgaria. Cool guys. We walk towards Stephensplatz and I give them a short tour of the Cathedral. We walked down what we call the "American Shopping Street" and stop in a couple of stores so my friends can look at some stuff. After, we headed to Habsburg palace (the second time for me today). I show them around the palace and explain a little of the history. It was good practice for when the students come.

I leave the guys at Hapsburg and then went to Mass at the Capuchinkirche (Capuchin Church). All in German... After Mass, I went back to Stephensplatz for my prayer time in the Eucharistic adoration chapel (the only one in the city center). I leave adoration and grab a quick dinner (I forgot to eat lunch) of Kebaps (a street food). Yums. I digest and then head to a cafe to check my email, but the email was down so I left.

I decided to head to the Rathause where I was meeting Katie for the jazz concert and movie that was playing that night. It was nice because: 1) it's free 2) the night was great as was the atmosphere. Katie grabs dinner and I grab a beer. We end up sitting next to this elderly couple from Holland and strike up a great conversation. Emi and Tom are their names and they have been all over the world. Every continent, except South America. But they did live in Guatemala for a year. We talked for about 2 hours. Good stuff.

They left us at around 9:30, which was perfect because the movie was beginning. The movie was Peter and the Wolf. It was a modern animated rendition of the Russian classic. It was good, but not as good as the Disney film (in my opinion). After the movie, we stayed around for a movie showing the San Francisco Symphony Orch. playing Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. We left the Rathause at around 11:00 pm. It took us a while to get back to our places, but here I am. Exhausted... Sleepy... A little more cultured... and filled with God's grace.

Loneliness...

Travel can be draining, and I know all of you who have travelled extensively know what I am talking about. Currently, I am back at my favorite cafe in Vienna, right next to the Opera House. I think for the first time in two weeks I am feeling like I am at home in Vienna. It is such a marvelous city, really. It's tiny enough that you know where everything is, yet it is big enough to make new discoveries on a daily basis and get lost in the crowd. 

Personally, I think today wa

s also the first time I felt a bit of loneliness. As I was exiting language school, I kinda felt it coming on. I miss my friends, family, and some of the comforts of home. So I rushed to the Eucharistic Chapel, which is conveniently located a block from this cafe. When I got there I immediately fell on my knees and told Jesus how much I needed Him and how I was feeling that day. 

It was such a moment for me, because Christ reminded me that nothing can fill the loneliness but Him. It must be Christ, and no one else. He reminded me that so many people, as I have experienced before, who have many friends, family, etc, all experience loneliness. I think this keeps us dependent on Him. What Augustine said really rang in my ear, "My heart is restless, till it rests in You..." 

Thank You Lord for reminding me of Your incredible and intimate love for me. I know that no matter where I go or how alone I may "feel," I will never be alone for You are always with me.

Sleepless...

Brothers and Sisters,

I am in fact awake at 4:48am in a hostel in Salzburgh, Austria... While my roommates (one of them whom I know) are sleeping, I am wide awake in the lobby pumping out this blog. I think that is one thing I annoys me, not being able to sleep. I must have tossed and turned in my bed for the past couple hours trying to fall asleep. I think I may have too much on my mind. I just bought a ticket to go to Athens, Greece to give a workshop at a youth conference. I am also thinking of this semester and how I need to finish my masters within this year so I can stand a chance on the comprehensive exams. Not to mention finances, yada yada yada. No wonder I can't sleep... ok. Breathe.... 

I was also told that when you can't sleep at night, that's when you need to pray for someone who needs prayer. I'll get on top of that as soon as I am writing this blog.

Tommorow... today... er... whenever the sun comes up... we are leaving for Munich, which is about an hour and a half drive to pick up two Chinese priests. They apparently couldn't make it back to China, so we are bringing them to Gaming tommorow. I'm excited to see Munich. I hear from everyone that it's great... I guess I'll fill you all in later... peace, and pray that I get some sleep.   

Ah the weekend...

No class today! This is the beginning of my weekend... so off the Munich to pick up two Chinese priests and then back to Gaming. How I miss Gaming and it's natural beauty. Get me out of the concrete jungles!...

Opera and Waking up late...

I hate waking up late. I couldn't sleep last night, I think it was the mix of chocolate, wine, coffee, and walking. Never mix those if you want to get to bed that night...

But let me just say something about last night. I got back to my apartment in the 6th district at around 17:00 and then started to change. Alice (my British neighbor) and I headed to Katie's apartment in Alser Straße at 17:45. We had a fantastic dinner and then went to the Operahause in downtown Vienna to listen to the Orchestra play Mozart. We managed to get in the "standing room." Beautiful music... The only downside was the absurd amount of flash photography and the comments of the dude standing next to me. One of my favorites was immediately after a piece from Don Giovanni; he says, "Man, the are filming Cheech and Chong 5 now!" So funny... I didn't get back till midnight and just could not get to bed. I woke up late and missed breakfast again (the family that lives above me provides me with breakfast everyday...its nice.). I get on the Tram and then hop on the subway and make it to class a little early.

I step in the class room and my two vibrant Spanish classmates tell me they are going clubbing tommorow night to some place called Flex. They invite me to come, but I decline because of the trip Katie and I have to take to Münich this weekend. They give me a good tease about being so busy and that "todos Americanos" are like that. I told them some other time...

Class was great. There is nothing like three hours of intense German, with a 15 minute break. But I am learning a lot, and that is the point for this month.

After class, I met up with Cay and Jun. They are so great. We talked about everything. Most importantly, we talked about the Lord and the work that He has called us to. Europe is a tough cookie, because a lot of people have stopped believing in the Lord. Cay works as a missionary to many of the young adults, and she says that atheism and agnosticism are becoming more and more prevalent in Europe. She has her work cut out for her. But they were so welcoming and made me feel like family. Cay and Jun, thank you for your friendship. You two are a blessing...

After that, I met up with Katie at her apartment and we went for a run through the Schöbrunn palace. It was gorgeous. The manicured gardens and the tightly packed gravel paths seemed endless. It was a good run.

We finished the night off with a nice dinner and conversation. I decided to walk home tonight from Katie's apartment. It took me about 40 minutes. There is not too many people out at night here in this city. It's kinda nice.

So tommorow's goal is to wake up early. Have a nice breakfast and go over the tour notes for Vienna while looking at all the sights. This is to prepare for all the students coming in August. God please grant me a restful sleep....

Walking...

Dear peoples,

So I've been on this new kick of walking to get food. It is so good for you. You guys should definitely try it. Here let me demonstrate...
*disclaimer*
But before I demonstrate, let me say that walking to get food is not necessarily out of choice. I have no car. Thus I must foot it.


Let's say I need to get food. Ok, lets also assume that cooking in your kitchen is not an option, because the language-school program put you in an apartment where there is no kitchen. So its time to get food. Put on your "shoes." They are essential for making through many days of walking in Europe. And by shoes, I mean shoes, not stilettos or any type of high heel. Cowboy boots are bad too, especially for guys. You want something comfortable, and durable, and because I really love all of you, I put a short pictorial at the end of this blog for everyone...

So I got my comfortable yet stylish walking shoes on (and they must be stylish, because everyone here in Vienna is stylish... don't ask why, it's just part of their culture) and I'm walking out my door for the closest food place. I run into a small convenience store. I see some shady sandwiches that could be from last week. Nothing else around... Hmmm. OK, I have a monthly Tram/Bus/Subway pass, so everything is accessible if I can sit around for about 15 minutes. The only problem is that the nearest public transportation spot is a good 20 minute walk from my apartment.

So I pass the shady convienience store and head to the tram stop.







I get on the tram and sit for 15 minutes (maybe I should have just walked)...

(thats not me, I just wont take pictures of myself in a public tram... thats sketch)

I then get off and head to corner off the main street where there is a plethora of kebap stands. These kebap stands are the equivalent to our pizza joints in major cities, they have one at every corner, and they are relatively inexpensive. But ohh sooo goooooood.




Now, my dimmema is which kebap stand because here I am on a street with 3 or 4 kebap stands within 15 seconds of each other. I think this is what you do in a problem like this. Look for the stand with the most people and go there. Avoid the ones with no one around, they probably use questionable meat or something. I gobble this fantastic blend of pita, meat (don't ask what kind), cucumber sauce, hot sauce, tomato, and lettuce. I wash it down with a beer. Great lunch.








Time to walk back (and I will walk the entire distance) and work this off... I love eating in Europe.

Now get ready for a....


A Basic Shoe Guide for Europe


Bad Shoes for walking in European cities

Cowboy Boots... you'll just get made fun of (behind your back)... trust me.


Some Haute Couture heel...You make look like a diva, but your feet will have their revenge on you later.

Flip-flops (Jcrew, Gap, Reef, Rainbow, etc) They look cool, but trust me, after an hour of walking, they won't be so nice. Furthermore, with so many people walking around the cities, your piggies are bound to get trampled.

Giraffe Slippers...Hmmmm.... no.


New Balance mall walker shoes...OK folks, here's the deal. Only wear these if you are 75+ and walk around malls. Nothing screams uncultured and loud American more than these. We have some better alternatives for you...


Good shoes for walking in European cities




Classic loafers... get yourself a good insole if they don't fit too well and these babies are good to go.


Chuck Taylors... these puppies have made a huge resurgence among the younger crowds and fit pretty much every occasion. I saw a pair tonight in the Opera House (although not recommended). Oh yeah, and they are cheap in the US.

Asics Otsunika- These are nice, because of the retro look and for the über comfortable fit.
Puma Speedcats- Same as the Asics, and great with jeans.


Kenneth Cole Dress Boot- Guys, these are the way to go when you are dressed up and walking around Europe. Super durable and comfortable. Plus, most cobblers will replace these soles when they wear down.

Nike shoes... use these instead of your above New Balances...



Gucci flat pumps- I love these flat shoes for women... almost all women in Europe wear some type of flat shoe like this...


Remember, when your living in a foreign country you want to fit in- blend in rather. I know...I know. Fashion smashion. I'm just saying, wearing these shoes are very comfortable for all the walking you'll be doing, and no one will think you're a foreigner... till you open your mouth...

FIrst blog...

Dear readers,

*disclaimer*

I hope you get a kick out of this blog. This intended for entertainment purposes only. If you learn anything from reading these ramblings, I assure you that it would be purely on accident, and perhaps providentially.

Ok, seriously. I am currently in a Starbucks right now in the middle of downtown Vienna. It's a little cold out (60 degrees), but it beats Dallas, Texas weather. I feel pretty bad for you Texans right now, because if you were to be outside in the middle of downtown Dallas, you may burst into flames. But it's nice out... let's see if I can get an Apple-cam photo for you all...

I'm about to head off to class to attempt to learn, but most likely butcher the Deutsch language. My teacher is a saint. Her name is Sophie Strsumthingortheother..., but she is great and incredibly patient. 

I'll be heading off to daily Mass after class with Katie, my co-worker at Franciscan University of Steubenville- Gaming Campus. Yes, it is a long title. After Mass, I'll take some pictures of this incredibly old, but hip city. It's sometimes hard to imagine (with the typical American mindset) that cities in Europe have been around for centuries longer than any American city. But it's made real when you see such a mix of different time periods in the art, architecture, music, etc...

Alright, I love you guys... I'm out...