Birthday

So my first birthday outside of the States was wonderful.

It didn't start out too well, with me waking up early with a cough. I will go to an Apotheke today I think and see if I can get something for it like Guaifenesin. I got back asleep for a few hours and then got up, took a shower, and left for IES to practice for my last lesson with Barbara.

I only practiced for about 2 1/2 hours but it was focused and I felt okay about the last two pages of Sibelius. My lesson went really well. I'm sad that I was sick and Barbara is such a germophobe. After I used one of her pencils she washed her hands and then disinfected the pencil with a wipe. I asked for a copy of the 2nd and 3rd movements of Sibelius with her fingerings, and she gave them to me and I sight read the 2nd movement. I will miss her a lot, she was a fantastic teacher and such a funny woman. (She got a call from her husband during my lesson and they are so cute together. "Get bread, we don't have any. -something in Polish or German- ciao ciao.")

I left my lesson at 4:30 and it was already dark. Oh well. I went home and did I don't know what for a few hours until I left for my dinner party. I got there early so I could go find it so I didn't get people lost, but it was really easy to get to. Westrey and her friend couldn't come because her friend's flight was delayed and Westrey had to wait for her at the airport. Albert didn't answer his phone for the longest time and then called around 8:30 apologizing, saying he had just woken up. Charlotte totally called that, I don't know how.

So I found Emily and Ben at the Stephansplatz station, and Amelia was there too but decided to wait for Jennie. So the three of us left and met Oliver who had just gotten there. There were a bunch of people waiting for a table I guess but as I approached the hostess Ben asked if I had made a reservation, and I said, "Yes, of course I made a reservation." I think she heard that because I didn't actually give her my name before she exclaimed, "Oh, you're Mr. Stevens!" (Oliver, Emily, and Ben smiled) and she led us around the corner to the Mark Twain room, "This is your room."



The Mark Twain room was so nice. You can't really see the gold "Happy Birthday" confetti but I know Rochelle and Emily have pictures. I didn't take that many pictures, but I know they have the evening well documented and I will steal their pictures later.



I only found two famous signatures: Egon Schiele and Rilke.

Charlotte came a little late and I swear I gave her good directions, but I had to go outside to get reliable cell reception and talk to her. I must have missed her on the street but she found her way without a problem.

I don't remember what the aperitif was but it was delicious. We all joked about how many glasses we all had. (red wine, white wine, water, aperitif) Later Ben and Oliver played their glasses, but we didn't have enough water left to make consonant intervals. I had a glass of Chardonnay, and I know others got Zweigelt. (I am looking at the bill, which, incidentally, came out to be 249 Euro)

I ordered Zwiebelrostbraten which was delicious. I know Jennie tried the wild boar, because that started our "Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo,..." saying. And "like a bull" is an inside joke about Charlotte. "Oliver, hand gestures do not make this sentence easier to understand." "It made sense in my head." "Wouldn't it be buffalo buffaloes, if it's a verb?" "No, because buffalo is plural, not singular." It was ridiculous. "I wonder if people outside the door can overhear this conversation."

We were going to sing a song which is related to the restaurant, but I don't know the history of it right now. But instead we got started talking about solfege. In particular, the IU "number" system was very amusing. For chromaticisms, they add "fl-" or "sh-" in front of the number, representing flat or sharp. "This piece is in the key of Flive."

I remember talking about British accents with Oliver. Apparently the British pronounce Barack Obama really funny. I can't accurately represent it here. "controversy" was another such word.

It took a long time for them to split up the check. On the way out, I noticed one particular picture on the wall. "Is that an Asian The Sound of Music?" It was. There were also pictures of Pavarotti but we didn't stay to try to find his signature. It was a really fun time and I am so glad that such great friends could celebrate my birthday with me. I'm sad there isn't a picture with the whole group because Rochelle took the group pictures. And I don't even have those to offer yet, but I will probably make it my profile picture.