Graz Social Media

For me it's Baba, Graz! The exams are as good as over, the departure is planned and the first farewells are imminent. I really enjoyed my time at FH Joanneum Graz and it was a great opportunity to gain an insight into life in our neighboring country, which was sometimes very and sometimes not at all like life in the north. I got to know a lot of great people over the last few weeks and I am infinitely grateful for that! I can promise you one thing: A semester abroad really is as great as everyone has said! Despite the corona restrictions, you take so much with you and leave with a broader horizon and a full heart.

After the holiday break, exams are now coming up in Graz. In addition to written exams, there are mainly group assignments: For example, in the form of a business plan, a podcast or video, but also as a pitch of a concept in the field of corporate publishing for local clients. All very exciting, but also very time-consuming. The semester runs until the beginning of February before I head back north.

Winter Wonderland
Unfortunately I can't ski (yet), so last weekend I went tobogganing on the Schöckl - Graz's local mountain - as an alternative. It was great fun and I've never seen so much snow before! After arriving above the clouds on the lift, the sun was shining and made for perfect winter weather. There is only one week left of university events this year before the first exams are due in January.

Since Monday, an Austria-wide lockdown has been in force, which was initially set for vaccinated people until 13.12.21. My lectures are currently taking place online, while the seminars can take place in person in compliance with the coronavirus regulations. Despite the closed Christmas markets, a walk through the beautifully decorated streets of Graz is already creating a Christmas atmosphere and I hope that I will be able to drink a mulled wine or two again in mid-December.

Tabea and I were able to bring a piece of northern Germany to Graz! As part of our "Cultural Diversity" module at FH Joanneum Graz, the participants had a lot of fun with a round of "Journey to Jerusalem" in addition to a few insights into our lives in Schleswig-Holstein! We are already looking forward to gaining insights into other cultures; so far there have been presentations from the Netherlands and Iran. The lectures promote getting to know each other and a better cultural understanding.

It's storm time in Graz
But a storm here is not the stiff breeze on the coast, as it is here, but young wine. The grape juice is still in the fermentation process, whereby sugar is converted into alcohol. As a result, the Sturm is very sweet and has a low alcohol content - depending on how far it has already fermented. The equivalent we are familiar with is Federweißer. I can definitely recommend trying a glass or two of Sturm during an autumn visit to Styria.
Here you can see Schilcher Sturm with coffee and cake at Café Schwalbennest with a beautiful view of the Graz Kunsthaus.

Celebrating the Graz way
At the start of the semester, the many students and with them life has come to Graz. In the evenings you can hear music on almost every corner, see young people drinking and chatting, because the sunny October days invite you to go out. On Wednesday evenings, the regulars' table of the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) is held in an Irish pub, where you can make friends with international students over a cheap beer. But you can also find a bar to suit your taste almost every evening of the week. With proof of 3G at the
entrance, all restrictions no longer apply and it feels like everything is a bit like it was before the start of the pandemic.