Tribute

Train to Vienna is delayed by 15 minutes: typical for trains departing from the Czech Republic, according to Camel. Brno's train station is nostalgic: not just because of its neo-Baroque columns supporting a lofty ceiling but also its old departure-arrivals board on which plates of letters and numbers flip noisily every now and then as the board refreshes the times and destinations of trains. One of the many things I find most captivating.

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Vienna. Random thought of the day: Cold weather is cool because you can pretend that you're smoking and hanging with the 'in' gang every time your breath condenses upon exhalation. So this is how it feels like.


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Flight to Athens is delayed by an hour. Bought a guidebook at the airport bookshop. I now have three in my bag: Frommer's, which is my favourite because it is the most informative of the three; Lonely Planet, for its chapter on Greek history and just-in-cases; as well as the new Eyewitness, just because it's pretty.


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A tribute to my wonderful guide. And lovely host. But above all, my good friend Camel.

Vienna - Brno (Train)

I'm gently easing myself into this adventure. Travelbug has left me out of sheer frustration and boredom so I find it really hard to get myself excited about this trip, interested even to say the least. But part of me knows I really need this because I'll never have this chance again and I'll definitely regret it when Lent arrives.


Camel greets me on the platform itself. I briefly meet her sister who's heading to Prague for a workshop. Her brother drives us back home from Brno's train station to the small village of Tetcice. Camel and her father then treats me to a tour of the house: it's a work of art and love.


For three years, Camel's grandfather and father built this house from scratch. With two floors and a loft, it's beautiful in its simplicity. Tanks collecting litres of rainwater as well as firewood and gas to keep the house warm make it self-sufficient. Their terraced garden also has plots dedicated to growing vegetables and fruits like ice salads, apricots, grapes, strawberries and what-nots.


You can tell it's his pride and joy. 'You're not a man until you've built a house, planted a tree and fathered a child,' Camel's father propounds to me loudly. And rightfully so, seeing as he's already fulfilled all three requirements.

Vienna II

Eyes meet in an accident as the tray is set down. A moment. Of eyeing. Much to the interest of Turtle who picks up on the subtlety (or lack thereof). A hint of a smile and a small nod breaks it. But eyes linger with backward glances.


The competition is slow and long with practices in the morning and the main event in the evening. Ting & Co. explore the environs: a naked forest, a ruinous church and a children's playground blanketed in pure white snow. Childhoods relived: a snow angel, a downhill run, a snowfight and a merry-go-round.


We celebrated coming eighth out of 25 international teams at the after-party. Team walk-on couldn't have been better. I thought we'd make the finals but at least we got a certificate during the prize presentation ceremony as semi-finalists. I think Coach got got the most kick out of Zuvedra's coach deeming us fit to make the finals.


Hitched a ride back to the barracks with a Serbian team. Celebrated Tanmeister's birthday and spent the rest of the night playing Pictionary until 4.00 a.m.

Vienna

The aisle is crowded, congested. Eyes caught behind straight brown locks: deep, piercing. Features unlike the departing locals, he could be Austrian. Glances stolen in broad daylight right up to the gates.


Third time in Vienna. Nothing has changed. Snow here's probably a first, for me that is. The scaffolding of the Hofburg Palace from two years ago has been removed. The Christmas market before the Rathaus from a year ago is just as busy.


We must've waited for at least an hour on the coach for the second team, Neuss, to turn up at the Sudbahnhof, which they did, eventually: decked in lighted Santa hats and clearly pissed from mulled wine judging from their loud singing of foreign songs. We tried to rival them and I was quite impressed by our own rendition of Botafogo's 'Voices'.



Second time at the Viennesse military barracks. Nothing has changed. Communal showers still the same and the prospect of pulling just as far. This time, sharing a whole dorm with coach and close friends. Pictionary becomes our staple game (other than the dreaded 'Game') whilst noises during the night go unnoticed.

Glad tidings

So Christmas vacation started a fortnight ago and what have I been doing since? Why, catching up on all the work and revision I postponed during term! I even had to shift my entire workspace to the library because the darn computer kept distracting me Facebook and Youtube. Blogging activity has suffered as a consequence, I'm afraid.

Anyway, I digress. Why am I working this hard during the start of vacation? Well, simply because I have such an amazing holiday planned out that if I don't finish my work, it'll occupy my mind and that's not something I want to take with me on my travels. And everything starts tomorrow. Woo hoo!

So tomorrow, I'll be flying off to Vienna with the British XS Latin Formation Team to represent England at the World Championships. Alex (my best gay friend) and I have been designated travel buddies and will be sharing a room together (how cool is that going to be?!). David (our coach) will be picking us up in front of Churchill college to the airport and it'll be one happening party car. (He calls Alex and I the Chuckle Brothers. Go figure.)

There'll be 28 teams competing and it's going to be really tough for sure. Here are some videos of Latin formation teams and their themes:

Theme: Moulin Rouge
Not very strong technique but presentation is remarkable. Walk-on and walk-off are brilliant though!


Theme: Nightmare before Christmas
Very cute routine to very cute music.


Theme: Anime
A German team with the theme 'Anime'. You can hear the introduction song for Naruto as their walk-on. Now I know I've seen everything. (Brownie points to anyone who can name the rest of the animes from which the songs come from)

The competition itself is on Saturday and we'll probably explore Vienna on Sunday before flying back to England that very evening. It doesn't end there however as I'll be catching the next flight to Italy for the Christmas with two of my friends from Hong Kong. Maslina (a very old school friend) and her friends will be joining us in Rome up to Milan. The itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 (18th December)

Arrive at Naples
(will hopefully catch a glimpse of the Isle of Capri as described so beautifully by Somerset Maugham in his 'The Lotus Eater')

Day 2 (19th December)
Day trip to Pompeii
(my parents might've visited it but I might be mistaken)

Day 3 - 5 (20th - 22nd December)
Rome and Vatican City
(just before Christmas too. It'll be amazing! What with Christmas villages and the atmosphere. We might even catch sight of the Pope!)

Day 6 (23rd December)
Day trip to Pisa
(standard)

Day 7 (24th December)
Florence
(birthplace of Italian Renaissance)

Day 8 - 9 (25th - 26th December)
Venice
(to see the authentic Bridge of Sighs this time)

Day 10 (27th December)
Milan
(as much as it'll bore me to death, my friends wanted to do some shopping there)

On the 28th, we'll be catching a night train to Paris where we will spend the rest of the year till the New Year. I can barely imagine the Eiffel Tower framed by fireworks at midnight of the New Year. It'll be so wonderful!

So that's that. But until tomorrow, I've still got lots of work to do. There's no way I'll be able to finish everything by then but if I work really hard tonight (which I will after I'm done with this post), I should be able to get most of it done. Pictures should follow after I'm back.

Till then, a very merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to everyone!

the river chronicles (part 2 of 5)

the river chronicles (part 1)

gracefully...she dances along the green grassy banks of the river...with elegant steps she whirls the vienesse waltz...her long tresses of ebony hair cascade down her shoulders...to flow behind her in time with the imaginary music playing in her mind...

s she weaves in n out of her own shadow...her emerald eyes glitter intermittently in the benevolent sunlight...the same colour s the sparkling salzach river...which reflects the lofty festung hohensalzburg...

proud n tall it stands on the highest peak of the monchsberg...protecting the city of salzburg beneath it...n its inhabitants...s it stands out defiantly against the blue sky...