I'm still adjusting to my new environment. The good news is that I haven't had a melt down in the grocery store, yet. So there's that. Actually, I've made two friends at my local Spar store (it's pronounced shhh-par). Thomas and Regina work behind the deli counter. I met them two days ago when I went in looking to see if I could find a chuck roast because I wanted to make a pot roast. Thomas speaks excellent English and Regina smiles a lot. :) They finally pulled out a picture of a cow with the various sections and cuts, in German of course, and from what part of the cow. I told Thomas I'd come home, google the chuck roast and come back when I could tell him what part of the cow it comes from. I know you can make pot roast from other cuts, but my Mom swears by the chuck roast as being the best and honestly I think it is too. But hey, when in Rome. So, I'm open to trying a different roast they might recommend. And let me tell you, it ain't cheap here! So if I'm going to make a pot roast, it's going to be for SPECIAL company or occasion.
So back to melt downs. (I'll re-visit Thomas and Regina in a minute). I had one Friday. But before that, the Wednesday before, I got punked! It was hilarious! Actually, Gaynelle (an American from St. Pete, FL) and I got punked. I needed to get an Austrian SIM card for my phone. Christine so kindly did the research and sent me an email telling me the two plans available and the store I needed to go to, Saturn, at the Riverside shopping mall. She told me to ask for Bob Brietband and the best plan for me was the XL plan. She gave me the details and price. So, Wednesday Gaynelle graciously took me to the Riverside shopping mall and we went into the Saturn store. We went to the cellular department (it's like a Best Buy at home) and we asked the salesman if Bob was in. He said no. We told him we were looking for Bob Brietband. He laughed and pointed to a row of packs on a wall that said BOB cell products. Bob wasn't a person!!! Bob was the name of the product. Kind of like Walmart's Straight Talk products. Christine didn't do it on purpose. It was LOST IN THE TRANSLATION, LOL!!
The salesman wasn't any help so we left empty handed. Nothing had an english translation and there wasn't anyone to help me change my SIM card out. The next day Thursday, Randy (Cristy's husband) took me and he knew what to get. Friday Christine came over and helped me change my SIM card out. She's Austrian and before I knew it, I had an Austrian phone number and I don't know what happens when someone dials my US phone number now. I should maybe try dialing my number to see if I can change out my voicemail. I should've done that before I changed the card. Oh well. Now I have my voicemail in english for an Austrian phone number. I know how to check my messages and wait until I hear a message, then how to delete it. I just don't know what's being said in German before the message. I'm still adjusting, figuring it out as I go, as they say. Doing the best I can, as I say.
So the melt down. I woke up Friday and was extremely sad. Had NO idea where it came from. All of the sudden I wondered what on earth was I doing here and maybe should I go home. Now I'm astute enough to know where thoughts like these come from and they're NOT from God. But I couldn't figure out how they got in. Or where they were coming from. When Christine got here to change the SIM card, I just looked at her expressionless. Anyone who knows me knows that my face always says it all. I'm extremely transparent. She gave me a big hug and I just said "I don't know what's wrong". I'd finished my big assignment of importing all I had of Europe's budgets into the accounting system by noon. I can't even remember what I did after she left.
Saturday morning I woke up early with the sunrise and it hit me. I realised what was the cause of my sadness. It's a little too personal to go into here, but suffice it to say after I shared it with my best friend, it made total sense. Her response was it would have affected anyone in my situation the same, let alone others in a varied situation. The issue wasn't the sadness; the issue was what was I going to do about it. I think the proverb goes, get knocked down 7 times, get back up 8. I got knocked down again. Pain from my past. What happened was really sad. I wish I could go back and change things. Even then, maybe nothing would be different. Maybe there was never anything that I could have done. I can't change the past; I can only make better decisions today.
NOW, facing my greatest fear so far has been the dreaded PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION system. Actually it's a fear of getting lost on it. Taking the wrong bus, missing my stop, getting on the wrong train, going in the wrong direction, missing the bus/train/tram that only comes once every hour, whatever it may be!! UGH!! Well, Gaynelle (a career army wife) told me every time they moved to a new location (and they've been in numerous countries and states) she would take her girls and get on the bus and ride it all over to see her new location. So that's what I must do to overcome my fear. That's what I've started to do. I started Tuesday with the local bus system. I rode the Perchtoldsdorf bus 1, 2, & 3 all around town for three hours. Randy was right, it's all the same bus. It just changes numbers as it does three different routes in one hour! So I can get on it any time and eventually I'll get to my stop within the hour. I feel really comfortable now riding the bus. I rode it to the office this morning and back home again. I feel totally empowered now!!
I posted this on FaceBook and of course my Mom posted how proud she was of me. I replied don't be proud of me yet, wait until I've successfully taken the bus to Liesing, caught the train to Vienna, switched trains and caught a tram to a specific location, then turned around and found my way back home. Now THAT will be something to celebrate!! Shoot! I'll be celebrating myself! I found a church in Vienna that I want to visit on Sunday. According to the Scotty App on my phone (it actually picks up my location, I enter the address where I want to go, and it tells me what bus, train and tram to take and when. Pretty cool) it will take me an hour to get to the church. Ugh. An hour. Well, just think of the fun I can have afterwards in Vienna and maybe I'll meet some really great new people. Transportation is definitely THE biggest cultural adjustment challenge I'm having.
As far as I know the trap and skeet shoot is still on for Saturday. I'm really praying one of these guys will have a 28 gauge I can use rather than bruise my shoulder with a 12 gauge. I'm also praying they'll be using half brass, which would make it easier on me too. Come to find out, Randy and Cristy from Pennsylvania are quite the marksmen themselves. Cristy is the club women's champion with her pistol. Quite impressive!! Randy is quite the trap and skeet man himself. He's the one who taught me half brass. I had no idea. Also full choke makes a difference. Gotta love my fellow missionary Americans and our enjoyment of marksmanship! Thank God for Amazon-Germany because I had to order a shirt for Saturday's trap and skeet. I didn't bring anything appropriate, but Amazon prime shipped in two days to Austria from Germany! Good to know for the future.
Oh yea, back to Thomas and Regina at the Spar grocery store. So I caught the bus back home in time to make it to a 4:00 hair cut appointment in town, then afterwards went to the Spar to see Thomas and tell him the chuck roast comes from the shoulder of the cow. Both he and Regina smiled when I said their names and seemed happy to see me. I asked for the picture again and showed them where on the cow the chuck roast is. They both said "Ahhh!" and pointed to a German name of a roast, then they brought one out. I told them I didn't need it today, but next week, probably Friday and for 4 people, but I want leftovers so make it six. They laughed and said make it eight, they are coming, lol! We all laughed. So they wrote it in their calendar and I have plans now for a dinner party next week. I don't know yet who I will invite, but I have an idea. And I think I'm going to make it a Merlot pot roast. But now I've got to find a dutch oven that will fit the thing. Ovens here are small. Everything is smaller. Refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers....they're all mini ones. I'm praying someone has a dutch oven I can borrow. They may just be on the guest list, LOL!
When I think about the cultural adjustment of leaving my American ways, with my favorite American foods, and my American friends and coming to a foreign country where all I have are brothers and sisters in Christ in the physical and the Lord in the spiritual, I really pray my sacrifice is making a difference in the bigger picture of things. Stepping outside one's comfort zone isn't an easy step. It all sounds really exciting and adventurous, and it definitely has its moments, but it's also challenging and full of self-discovery. Something that when done with the Lord brings greater depth in a person's life.
I hope to have some good train stories for you next time! Until then, be blessed!
Michelle (Missy)
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