Happy Thanksgiving and all that good stuff

I've nearly been in Austria for a week! Time has gone rather quickly now that I can't understand a lick of what people are saying (turns out I can't speak German) and Kati has taken the ropes. She is spoiling me royaly here in Graz. She's given me her big comfy bed, all the tea a girl could ever want, and a new sightseeing adventure everyday it seems.

PUMPKIN PIE as a part of our thanksgiving festivities.

We've explore Graz a bit and headed out to her hometown, Steyr, over the weekend. While in Graz Kati is busy doing research for her degree in psycology. She is evaluating how different activities affect the mood (at least that's her research in a nutshell). Lucky for me I get to go climbing at the rec center and on walks through town throughout the week! When climbing I opted out of spotting for anyone. It seemed like a bad idea to have a little American on the floor trying to figure out what someone is yelling to her as the climber is falling. So i just climb.

Main area in Old City Steyr

Turns out that Kati's shower is broke. The deutsch is kaputt! As a sidenote, Kati and her friends have come up with a number of jokes based on my very very kaputt German. Anyways, we've been able to find a shower or two but the point is that you really, really appreciate a good long shower after its been taken away from you.

Want to hear my german? Ahem.
Ich spreche kein Deutsch aber ich spreche Englisch. (i dont speak german but I speak english. very handy)
Ich bin Amerikanerin (I'm an American! not that i really need to tell anyone that)
Christkindl Markt (Christ child.. market... ok this is the name of the little christmas markets they have in nearly every town during advent. Honestly I can't remember what it means exactly. Christ child? Chirst angel?... Kati keeps telling me and I keep forgetting)
Entschuldigung (excuse me/sorry. very helpful when bumping into people at the store or apologizing for the fact that I can't understand what you are saying)
Achtung! (Warning. Good for when an avalanche is barreling down on me)

Chriskindl Markt

Today I am going to a free German language course so maybe I will have a few phrases to add to that! This coming week Kati and I are making a little tour of Austria. From Graz we'll head to the west and stop in a little town called Innsbruck, then we'll go to Bad Aussee (uhhh, this was the correct spelling for the town I called "polosi") to see the KRAMPUS!! just wait till I tell you about that, and then on the Salzburg and Vienna. Sounds like a lot, but Austria is pretty small. So long as the snow doesn't get too terrible we should make good time.

I'm off to rock climbing! I will come back and add some pictures later. maybe. if you remind me : )