Ich bin schmutzig.

At some point during the wee hours of this morning, two of my roommates returned to the room slightly intoxicated, "SSSSHHHHH"-ing repeatedly at a loud volume for ten minutes. Tonight their bottle of vodka sits on the table, emptied, awaiting their return.
I went down to breakfast, which is free and held in a cute little room near the basement of the Westend City Hostel. They served two kinds of cereal, large rolls with butter, jam and generic Nutella, coffee, and hot tea. I like that Vienna is all about the Cafe-Konditerei, or Cafe-Bakery. These are EVERYWHERE, and therefore I find myself constantly craving a nice, hot cup of joe. Unfortunately, I have yet to experience an authentic Viennese cafe, seeing as I gave in to the familiar Starbucks due to minimal distance at that moment. I DID purchase lunch auf Deutsch. NordSee, named appropriately for the North Sea which is not terribly far from Austria, offered a nice variety of fish/seafood sandwiches and treats. I chose "Wrap mit Thunfisch," or "Wrap with Tuna Fish." Yum. I scarfed it rather quickly.
My adventures today were somewhat aimless. I chose to scout out the Staatsoper, or State Opera House of Vienna, across from which is located the Deutsch Akademie (the little engine that earned me money and a practically free trip.) I walked down the entirety of Mariahilfer Strasse, one of the biggest shopping strips in town (perhaps the largest, but I don't want to provide false information.) To my delight, I discovered an Austrian Nike store and American Apparel. Shopping is not my main focus on this trip, but due to its unfortunate neighboring to my living quarters, I basically am forced to run into it every day. I will take that strip every day on my way to class. Trouble, trouble!

Some important things to disclose:
My luggage is here! I was getting ready to go out aroun 6:30 PM when I looked into the front office and noticed it resting exhaustedly behind the counter. The only problem is that I have two suitcases- one loaded with clothes, the other necessities. I have one small 2x2x3 locker in which to store things. Living out of a suitcase will be interesting...
I discovered the gorgeous Opera...and need to pursure further exploration.
While wandering without a guide, I stumbled upon Stephansdom, an enormous, dark, looming figure visible from blocks away. With its skyscraping steeple, it is clear that this is an old and well-respected church. Visually stunning, its presence allowed me to block out the rest of the Vienna hustle and bustle, yet the contrast between it and its surrounding buildings was stunning.

I ran into a man selling ticked to a concert being held at Beethovenplatz. He talked me into purchasing a ticket, which I didn't mind because I had wanted to experience some authentic Austrian music. The Imperial Orchestra of Vienna played a multitude of pieces, including a waltz by Johann Strauss (the Wiener Walzer Koenig) and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," one of my favorites. Also, two opera singers embellished a few pieces, as did a pair of professional ballet dancers. Overall the concert was beautiful and soothing, nearly relaxing me into sleep. It was certainly an opportunity I am glad to have had. Something else to note- I received a coupon for a free drink with the purchase of my ticket. I chose champage. On that note, I will say that the lower drinking age here in Europe has seemingly made the overall nighttime atmosphere more relaxed. Beer can be purchased at most vendors and in all restaurants. Cafes even serve Alkoholisches Kaffee (alcoholic coffee.) Young people don't appear to chase after the booze as quickly. Drinking is not sneaky. And there is an infinite amount of nice bars and restaurants crowded with alcohol-sipping customers.
Vienna is simply pleasant. I feel safe enough to take my time walking to my hostel from the concert at 10:30 at night. The litter on the streets is minimal. The air is clear. The tap water is pure.
And I discovered a movie theater playing Angels and Demons in English! I had considered attending even if it were auf Deutsch. My luck as just given me the chance to spend my Sunday evening enjoying the talents of Tom Hanks.

I think I will upload pictures next time. Right now it's 2:30 AM here in Wien. I walked pretty heavily today and my body has been crying for sleep for since the middle of the concert.

Gute nacht!