Ooh de lally!

Hello again! It feels like the end of the weekend, even though it is only Saturday evening. Here are some musings and things that have happened. Despite there being plans for a load of assistants go go for pizza, I controversially opted for a quiet night in with a couple of other girls with some films and wine. Yes, that's right, I CHOSE not to go out. We have pooled our film resources and have discovered that we have so many to see that we're going to have to have regular film nights. Last night we watched 10 Things I Hate About You and A Knight's Tale, it was a veritable Heath Ledger fest. Such a shame he died. Oh and we watched Center Stage, a ballet film. Made me a bit sad that I am such a terrible dancer. It was a really nice night though. We started watching the Disney version of Robin Hood too but fell asleep after about 10 minutes so finished that off this morning before going for a burger and REAL CHIPS at the Australian bar near the Oper. It was expensive but worth it. I was planning an evening of sitting around in my pyjamas and making a star on the chocolate that Greg sent me but a friend text me and asked if I fancied a drink. As she wanted to go at 6, I decided I could go and still have my evening of lounging around. We were meeting at the Naschmarkt and I had forgotten that Saturday is Flohmarkt day. Oh my God, I am going to have to go again for a longer amount of time, if not to buy anything just for sheer people watching opportunities! I was shouted at and chased surprisingly quickly by a man with no legs and only one arm (I couldn't tell why he was shouting me). I saw an old man wearing what was quite clearly a Jewish Star from the Nazizeit. Now, I am all for retro and vintage things but is that maybe going a bit too far? I would be inclined to say that it is. Oh, and a man who I assumed to be Spanish wearing dungarees and a big floppy hat shouted at me because I wouldn't give him a Euro. There is certainly a mix of people in this city; it's much more multikulti than the rest of Austria, which I like. So, Jade and I headed to this bar where her housemate and his band were playing. We were not really expecting to like it and were just going to have one drink and then head home. Well, they were BRILLIANT. The bar was crowded and everyone was dancing and the band were spectacular. I don't really know how to describe the music, I guess the best I can say is that it was Eastern sounding- kind of Turkish, kind of Arabic, kind of something else. There was a pianist, a guitarist, a couple of percussionists and a clarinettist. He was absolutely amazing, I've never heard anything like it. Because Jade knew one of the drummers, we were introduced to the musicians during their break and I think they are going to become my new friends. They're so cool! They were from all sorts of places (Romania, Tunisia, Macedonia, Austria) and seemed really keen to talk to us, in German no less! We were invited to go out with them after the gig and had I not been so tired I definitely would have. My one complaint about today is how ineffective the smoking ban here is, but I think that is a rant for another day, my bed is calling to me! 

Ooh de lally, ooh de lally, golly what a day!