can you prepare for an adventure?

my date of departure is getting closer... 9 December 2010

As far as I know right now, Fr. Jacques and the two other missionaries I will be living and working with won't be arriving in Vienna until January because we won't officially be starting the foundation of the Vienna Heart's Home until then. 

So why am I moving in December?

Mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut!

(I had to get help from googletranslate to even say that!)

Truthfully, I know very few details. All I have been told as of yet (and I assure you, I have an e-mail in to Sr. Regina asking for a little more information) is that: I will be living with a former Heart's Home missionary in Vienna, focusing on learning German, getting acquainted with the city of Wien, the customs and daily life of the Austrians, and starting to make friends!! 

as of now, I face a rather grand adventure of the unknown starting December 9th. 

the question is, can you prepare for this kind of adventure?

well, I don't think you can ever be totally prepared, and that is why adventures are 

so wunderbar!

i am going to start getting myself acquainted with all the "need to know" aspects of life in Vienna and in Austria in general. and im going to include you! 

#1: Edelweiß 

Leontopodium alpinum (apline lion's foot)
german meaning: edel-noble, weiß-white. 
"noble whiteness", "noble purity"

  + National flower of Austria; found on the Austrian 2 euro cent coin

  + die Blume (the flower) : white and yellow, small, star-shaped, "wooly"-covered with white hairs which protect the flower from cold air, airdity, and UV radiation; nicknamed "The Queen Flower" or "Silver Star" ; of the sunflower family; short lived perennial (meaning if blooms are picked during a number of season from the same plant, it will be unable to propagate by seeding and will disappear from the area)

  + Folk medicine: treats abdominal and respiratory diseases (asthma from hiking so far to pick it?)

  + How to grow Edelweiß : GOOD LUCK! Grows best in snowy conditions...aka it is found in the ALPS. If you want to give it a shot anyway, find some rocky/limestone-esque soil and sprinkle the seeds on the ground after the final frost. Wait for the plants to take hold and grow. (I recommend just leaving it to God if you don't live in the foothills of the Alps)

  + Where it grows : like I said, the Alps, but usually at 1700-2700 meters (thats 5575-8856 feet); calcareous light soils, southern exposure preferably. 

  + So why is it so famous in Austria? :  

    

      (1) in 1907, Emperor Franz Josef established the flower as the sign of the Austrian-Hungarian alpine troops, and during World War I, this sign was granted to the German alpine troops as well. All three alpine troops still bear the insignia and wear a badge of the Edelweiß flower on their collars. 

       (2) It was the favorite flower of that same Emperor Franz Josef (ruled from 1864-1916) as well as his wife, Empress Elizabeth. Its not just famous in Austria--the German Kaiser Wilhelm I adored the flower, and King Ludwig of Bavaria (famous for building the Neuschwanstein Castle) was usually depicted with the plant. 

       (3) Known as the "Ultimate Love Charm of the Mountain" (this is my fav...) : in Austrian times past, love-struck young men would try to woo their romantic interests and endear themselves by collecting Edelweiß bouquets from the high and hard to access crags and ledges in the High Alps. Sadly, many young men perished from falling in the climb, or due to exposure because they were insufficiently prepared for sudden weather changes. According to several sources, dozens of men would perish in single seasons. This seems absurd and silly, right? Well, the dangerous exercise of collecting these bouquets proved in those days that the suitor was brave, able-bodied, and serious in his intentions towards his romantic interest. Much more romantic than just having a drink bought for you, huh girls! 

       (4) Franz Josef's flower choice for the alpine troops (see reason 1) is somewhat explained by reason 4, but just to drive the point home...still today men decorate themselves (their lapels, hats, leiderhosen) with this bloom and wear it as a "medal of honor"                    
                                                                       




   + IMPORTANT: in 1878, the International Conference of Alpine Clubs in Obwalden, Switzerland, in cooperation with the Austrian, Swiss, German, and Italian governments, moved to protect the Edelweiß plant and flower in the majority of the Alps. Due to its nature as a short-lived perennial, the plant had already then started to disappear along most hiking and climbing routes. 




   + And for those of you, most likely Americans, who's minds  return to fond childhood memories of Rogers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" when you hear the name of this flower, I just want to help set the record straight. The song, "Edelweiss" is NOT an Austrian or German song-it was composed by Rogers (the music) and Hammerstein (the lyrics) specifically for their movie: two americans, an american movie. While the flower is the National flower, the song is NOT the National Anthem. 
      But for those of you who, like me, love the song no matter the false notions of ties to Austria...here is a link for your aural pleasure...and the lyrics...happily translated into German. Oh and...TODAY IS THE DAY "The Sound of Music" was first released on Broadway!!!! Happy Birthday "Edelweiss"!





in english:
Edelweiss, Edelweiss,
Every morning you greet me.
Small and white,
Clean and bright,
You look happy to meet me.
Blossom of snow
May you bloom and grow,
Bloom and grow forever.
Edelweiss, Edelweiss,
Bless my home land forever.

in deutsch:
Edelweiß, Edelweiß,
Du grüßt mich jeden Morgen,
Sehe ich dich,
Freue ich mich,
Und vergess' meine Sorgen.
Schmücke das Heimatland,
Schön und weiß,
Blühest wie die Sterne.
Edelweiß, Edelweiß,
Ach, ich hab dich se gerne.