Preparing for Christmas

(Warning: my English is getting a little strange. I speak a lot of German + hear almost-English at work all day long. Let's see how it will sound in May)

So... the Christmas season in Austria is basically Awesome—whether you're religious or not. And this year since I'm not in school, my December is not marked by end-of-the-semester papers and finals which is pretty nice.

For those of you who don't know, my mom and sister are arriving in Austria TOMORROW!! I am so excited and can't wait to show them everything! I'm so grateful that my grandmother and late-grandfather were able to make this possible. I'll have a lot to say about all the wonderful things we do together, so today's the last day I have to discuss some things I did before they got here:

--Went to Christmas concerts in Villach and Spittal (a more mountainous town of about 16,000) where 90% of the songs were in German, and most of the texts they read aloud were in Carinthian dialect

--Passed by the Villach Christmas market nearly every day on the main street. Each stand sold something different: from hats and mittens, to baked goods, to incense, to homemade dolls.

--heard lots of Italian at said Christmas market stands, since lots of Italians liked to go visit Villach's Christmas market

--Gluehwein at the Christmas markets: mugs of warm spiced wine + heated tents + music = wonderfully cozy

--Visited the ice skating rink just off the main street.

--Readings, concerts, and karaoke at my favorite cafe (I think I spend much more time there than in my own, mildly creepy living room)

--Baking American-style cookies

--Eating other people's Austrian cookies

--A Christmas party with my teachers IN the school. The teachers' room was transformed into a buffet area, and every time I looked up, my table was refreshed with a new bottle of wine.

--Gaping at the few Santa Claus decorations, all of which were sans reindeer and mostly had him up against the window staring inside...