Quarantine Week 4: Our Daily Bread

Several days a week, we walk down to Obkirchergasse, a ten minute walk, to buy bread at one of the four bakeries located on the street.  The dinkle bread - bread from an ancient whole grain - remains our favourite. We have adapted to this European ritual of fresh made bread.  Over the last few weeks we extended those purchases to include pan a la chocolate, pudding, French cake, cheese cake or any other eye-catching (emotion-numbing) treat.

I continue to find it surreal to see all the masks and the police people everywhere as we go.   But the bread definitely takes the edge off.

Quarantine: Day 15 (Emily)

DISTANCE LEARNING

Being a teenager locked in a house with no one besides your 11 year old brother to play with (ain't no complaints), is a little isolating. I spend my non-school days working out & running, singing and practicing golf in our 'local backyard' (a small grassy area that is authorised to everyone within our half mile radius neighbourhood). But on school days, I'm a little bit more busy.

AIS (the American International School of Vienna) has a system where we have four odd days (1, 3, 5, & 7) and we have five classes on that those days, they just rotate. On even days (2, 4, 6 & 8), it's the same deal but we have a different five classes on those days. On even days I have classes that don't require a lot of writing, like Choir, P.E., and Advisory, so I don't have as much work to do. Where as on odd days I have almost all of my core classes, so I have a lot more work than I would on even days.

Unlike Owen, I don't just not like online school as a whole, I just don't like certain aspects of it. For example, I am constantly distracted by YouTube and my phone, so I have a harder time getting anything done. I also still have to get up early because I have to check in with my teachers before classes, but its a little better now because I have to get up at 8 and not 7. There are certain parts that I do like about distance learning, like the independence that I have with completing work. Not everything is due at the end of the class, which is nice.

So to summarise this blog piece, distance learning is fine, but I don't like it as much as normal school. Which is funny, because I never thought that I would ever say that. I think that normal school gives you everything in one, because I'm able to learn and socialise (one of the reasons why homeschooling doesn't really make any sense).

Quarantine: Day 14 (Owen)

This is day 14 of the Coronavirus online schooling.

Online school stinks. 😷.  Online school is a type of learning that they use when you can not go to school. It is mostly the same but it is just online.  I am not a computer fan but I have to do it until they find a cure for the Coronavirus.  The website that we use is called "Seesaw" and it is a good website but it is tough because we do not have a teacher to help us.

All of the sports are canceled so I basically have nothing  to do when I finish.  So far the past 2 weeks I have done a lot of running around the park, "turkachanz". My parents always say that we should take advantage to this crisis but in my opinion there is nothing to take advantage of. Don't get me wrong it is just that there is nothing to do and it gets me irritated 😤. One good thing about this is that I finish earlier then normal but then at the same time when I do finish early I have nothing to do.

The Eve of Quarantine

The speed of the quarantine procedures shocked all of us.  Monday 9 March, we debated a trip to Berlin for the upcoming weekend.  We chose not to go so the kids could play in their sports events never anticipating that by Thursday everything would be cancelled.  We said there is no way schools would close and the next week, schools, restaurants, stores, and Churches all shuttered.  Austria implemented strict procedures.  We can only leave the house for four reasons - groceries, medical, essential work, and exercise.  The playgrounds and fields are all wrapped in red and white striped tape.  Violators risk a 3600 euro fine.  Dave attempted a trip to a basketball court with Owen and the police stopped them.

The Sunday the new rules emerged we were out on one of the city hikes discussing how relieved we felt not being in Berlin as most of the borders had closed.

Dave thought we should try to find a schnitzel one last time.  While most places had already closed, we found a restaurant that dated from 1609, Buschenschank Wolff in Neustift am Walde.  Another American family with the same idea came in after us but otherwise we enjoyed an empty restaurant knowing it would be a bit before we dined out again.

Florence Artisanal Tour

Florence is still filled with artists and craftspeople whose shops date back centuries.  On our last day, I spent the morning with a guide learning about these crafts.

We started in a metal workshop with an 80 year-old who creates pieces for Dior and Gucci.  He showed us the templates and machines he uses to make the pieces.

We went to a studio where the artist etches images into metal, prints them, and then paints the prints.

Finally, we learned about different types of leathers from a women who designs purses and wallets.

A Morning at the Uffizi and breakfast at All'antico

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve, my favourite tour guide showed us around Florence and explained the magnificence of Michelangelo. She took us  to the main Medici buildings where he lived when he left his father's house. She explained how the city looked during his time and where his main works sat in the City.  We leaned how the Florentines valued style and beauty and felt every person should benefit from beautiful public spaces and buildings - not just the rich.  We left the Academia appreciating Michelangelo's genius.


After a late afternoon nap, we enjoyed an amazing dinner and walked around the beautiful city.