Courtesy of Alexandra and St. Joseph

Needless to say there are many cultural differences between Austrian and American living--not in the up front, thrown in your face kinds of ways, but in the whispered details which is makes these changes even that much more aggravating, or that much more delightfully surprising. 

In the case of Austrian kitchens, it has been both. 

I was surprised to learn that Austrian apartments do not become equipped with kitchens...you have to bring your own or buy a new one when you move in. (No wonder Austrians don't move as much as Americans...what a hassle) 

Thus we have been praying and praying, waiting and waiting, accepting donations and accepting donations during our 6 months here (can't believe its been that long) and have already compiled a rather motley collection of cabinets and appliances to form a somewhat congruous whole. And by congruous, I mean: and old refrigerator and dishwasher that no longer work, a completely new stove that was given us to replace the one that was leaking gas (safety first), a sink that is wonderfully huge but rusting and leaking as it nears its death, a huge and matching set of kitchen cabinets and drawers (although some are missing their corresponding countertops), and a couple other odds and ends...oh and the best part...a little kitchen window bench...so lovely. For us, it works well (although a little small when we have more than the three of us to dinner) especially because it is what has been given to us (God is so good, as well as are the people who give according to His inspiration), but the day before Alina left she met a man Claudio through Schwester Fritzi (not really a nun but shes never been married and has worked and lived for Karmeliterkirche for as long as people can remember) after mass. Claudio's sister in law is moving to Salzburg and has a 2 year old kitchen which 1. she cannot take with her, 2. she cannot sell on e-bay or the Austrian craig's list for the life of her, and 3. Caritas (like Goodwill) won't accept as a donation unless she pays them 40 euro to come pick it up. 

Guess what...my Sunday morning and afternoon was spent at Alexandra's apartment disassembling the kitchen (which also involved meeting most of the extended family, helping her pack for the move, eating Chinese, and hearing amazing stories about the family and their long connection with Karmeliterkirche and various stories about the priest who used to live in the apartment we live in now and the former booming life of the parish here), and yesterday after mass with the help of Claudio, Volker and his work truck (a friend of a friend), and many of our student friends who sacrificed an hour right in the middle of exam study time, the kitchen was successfully moved from the 22nd district into our apartment...more precisely the chapel (hellllllllo Jesus!) I guess its a good thing we haven't found a tabernacle or anything yet, might be more than a little inappropriate. 

Anyways, this, need I say it again, TWO YEAR OLD kitchen comes complete with a new sink, dishwasher, huge stove with electric, single paneled range, and a normal refrigerator and freezer (normal meaning smaller than a normal American refrigerator but bigger than anything else I've seen!) Wow, St. Joseph pulled through. Thank you God!! Now the thought of having five living in community here rather than just us three is not so daunting when it comes to having to cook (and no, that doesn't mean I know there are two more people coming...but for future possibilities), and now when visitors walk through the kitchen to get to the living room (which they have to do) they will be greeted by beauty rather than chaos. Lovely. 

Claudio leaves today for a week of summer vacay with his family (lovely) but is eager to get the kitchen pieced back together and installed into our kitchen. It won't exactly be an afternoon job of screwing some cabinets into walls because the previous form of the kitchen (the way the countertops were cut, where the stove must go and the water must come from, etc.) doesn't fit at all with the layout of our kitchen :) but Claudio assured me that with a little work and some help from some electrician friends and maybe a little payment for a plumber, we'll make it work! So that means, I have a week to get the kitchen ready...scraping down the existing layers or paint/wallpaper, resurfacing the walls, sanding the gibbs, and painting. So excited. no, really! 

So, I was going to make this post short, but I was so excited I had to tell you everything. One last thing...Since I am alone I need some entertainment while I work...I've never been the type to talk to myself, the people who I could ask to help me begin the renovations are busy studying for exams, taking exams, laying on the beach in Southern France (cough cough Monika and Philippine cough cough), jetsetting to Zurich, etc...and I can only pray so many rosaries out loud...so I need some tunes. 

An outdated music library is not so motivational...but yesterday while searching for music to stream (Pandora doesn't work in Europe) I stumbled upon NoiseTrade--the perfect fit for a audiophile missionary with no money for new music. You can explore new music, support up-and-coming artists of every genre, not pay a thing, and avoid going to jail (always such a hassle, right). You are encouraged to donate to the artist when you download the available tracks, but you can also spread the word about them through facebook and twitter, or do both. 

Well, I will be taking plenty advantage of this new find, especially in the next week, so here is my plug for all the artists I will be discovering and loving. I can't pay, but I can spread the word and encourage all of you to enjoy them and support them! So check it out.