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5/30/2007 12:00:00 PM
Austria
Personal update

Family report from Vienna

Read up on each one of us what we've been up to and how we are doing with our lives in Vienna.

Well here finally is our report from our personal lives in Vienna, it looks like a few days turned into a few weeks.... I for sure thought I had sent the report already but I guess not. So here we go:

ROBERT

Robert has a job since early January and works in London for the company Activision (they develop/produce XBox, Playstation, Nintendo and computer games ... Tony Hawk, Shrek, Spiderman, Call of Duty). A good friend of ours has promoted him well and since we sort of knew that it won't be easy for Robert to find the job he is looking for in Vienna we were already prepared to go back to consulting life and be separated during the week once again. They have worked out a great arrangement for him so that he flies out Monday morning and comes back Thursday or Friday depending on work. When he comes home Thursday, he still has to work but we at least get to enjoy having already lunch together and get a full weekend. The company also arranged an apartment and car for him, which makes staying there a bit easier and comfy, than changing hotel rooms every week and being dependent on taxis. The main office of Activision is in Santa Monica, CA and because of that he actually has to be in the US quite a bit. Only a week after his start in January he had to go once around the world in 10 days... First to Sidney and then on to California - wow! Since then he has been in Santa Monica twice and most of the time he has managed to meet some of our friends and go up to the Bay Area for a day or two. This all works out really nicely and couldn't have been at a better place.  

NIKI

In one of our first Vienna reports Robert had mentioned that I would have had a job even before him... That would have been the case but then when he got the job in London I realized that that would be very stressful on all of us - the kids just starting school, Robert being gone, no time to settle in on land and in Austria after such a long time... I also wanted to observe how the boys were integrating and doing at school and concentrate on our afternoon activities, which would have rushed us all when I would have had to work. The original opportunity had changed as well at the company and therefore it all worked out fine for me to stay home, which I really enjoy anyways! I have to say there hasn't been one day were I as bored (school gets out at 1pm here!) - first renovating the apartment a bit, participating at the boy's school, errands and spending some time with family and friends or e-mail, but as many of you know there isn't even enough time for that. I also didn't want to put them in summer camps over the 9 weeks off in July and August as well as the many holidays in between we have here in Austria. I thoroughly enjoy doing stuff with them and the way it looks like we'll be already very busy during their vacation. I have had the opportunity to teach 4 kids (7 to 9 years) of friends of ours, once a week in English which has been really fun and according to the parents the children are looking forward  to it every week. There is always something to do, prepare, organize - but I don't remember the last time I was bored in my live... That's what I got Robert for... ;o)

SEBASTIAN UND BENJMAIN

They both have been integrating themselves great into their class rooms and even the teachers were surprised how easy going and adaptable they are, specially for not having been in  a "regular" school the last years and being new to Austria. I think if they have profited in any way from our live style and philosophy it should be to be flexible and make contacts quickly. Neither one of them is shy and both have found some friends already, not a close buddy but that can not be forced anyways. At home they are often at the park with many of the other kids of the neighborhood playing soccer. A few of them they have gotten closer to, so that every afternoon they have somebody around or go to their homes.

We had the opportunity to check out two different schools in early December and the principal was very nice and made the start in the middle of the school year real easy. Sebastian started out in 4th and Benjamin in 2nd grade. After a week trial at each school, all the teachers recommended to put them a grade lower, to make it easier for them in German. There is a lot happening in grammar and spelling in those grades which is important to move up and since we had "only" read with them in German we wanted to give them the chance to learn this language in writing proper as well. At the end we actually decided on a different school since the teachers for 1st and 3rd grade were horrible in the once we had tried out or there was no more space in the classroom.  Every year when visiting Vienna we also went to see Robert's elementary school teacher and have kept contact with her. So therefore we asked her for her professional opinion. As fate wanted it she has just started her last cycle (the first 4 years the teachers stay with the same class) So Benjamin joined hers, 32 years after Robert had! She is a great teacher and Benjamin really lucked out with her. Although I have to say that also Sebastian's teacher is super nice and the right character for him. Maybe not as goofy and innovative as Fritzi.

SEBASTIAN is definitely advanced in many subjects but in German he has a lot to catch up on, which would have been hard in 4th grade (although he could have managed just not as easy and smooth, why stress it those first school years, right?!) As mentioned grammar school only is 4 years in Austria, so he would have had to change school only a half a year later... It was a wise decision because he has had only perfect grades in his report card and has managed really well to do German. In the weekly spelling reports he has either none or a few errors, but the self writing lacks a bit. The teacher is not grading him at the moment until his grammar and sentence structure has improved but I have no doubt that that won't take too long. Math is really easy for him but with a lot to read and write there as well it is good practice and the system here is a bit more advanced anyways - a good repeat for him. He very much enjoys social studies (they are learning about Vienna history right now) and arts, which certainly lacked at our home schooling.

BENJAMIN has also adjusted well and since he was able to read and write in English already he had a big advantage in German. In math he always was way ahead his time specially with counting in his head. Most of the time he gets to do more difficult stuff since numbers below 20 are rather boring for him now. One thing he definitely has to learn is not too do things too fast and to write and color a bit nicer, obviously something I had not put too much effort in. He too would have been able to go into 2nd grade but again with more difficulty and not with such a success. In 2nd grade they already start with cursive writing which would have been hard to start later on, since he is one to get upset if things don't work out as it is. So therefore he is one of the best students and I am happy to say that his English and German are now equally good. His classroom is a new project, a "Integrated class", which means that there are max. 3 kids with light handicaps or learn difficulties. There is a second full time teacher in the class specialized on these kids but also helping with the others. I think it is a great idea and helps the "normal" kids to treat the other ones just alike but be more helpful and aware of it as well. The kids with differences get the chance to do the same school work and not feel left out. The 2nd teacher is wonderful and a real sweetheart. I am always happy to help out on Thursdays and be part of the classroom. Fritzi (the first teacher and the one that already taught Robert 32 years ago!) often says that it seems I should have been a teacher myself - in the next life maybe...?!

In order to not loose our English we now speak it at home which isn't that easy sometimes. It "only" took 4 month to make the click in the boys brain so that they now talk German to each other, I never would have thought that... Once a week I study with them writing and reading and certainly hope that this will all pay off later on, because right now it is more of a struggle and not so easy as it sounds to grow up bilingual.

Both of them have soccer training 2-3 times a week and games/tournaments on the weekend. It is quite an organization since they play at different teams but luckily they are close to each other. They are such soccer fans and if they don't play on the field they kick around the park or even at home in the hall way. Every other week they also go to the "big field" to watch a professional team playing together with Robert's father and his brother in law. Benjamin's team is more competitive, not like the YMCA... Sebastian is 2 leagues below but his trainer is taking it very seriously and is well organized to teach the kids a lot. Both of them have a lot of fun with this sport and are totally in their element.

In addition they go to a theater group each week. They have put together a very nice play that they have been rehearsing the last few months giving their performance on Thursday. They go together with their friend Jonathan (11 - he lives in the same complex as us) and enjoy that a lot, they always come home with a smile on their faces. It also helps to improve their German and even though Benjamin chose to be a monkey and has no lines he profits from it, I am sure.

It was cute to see how much they enjoyed their first Fasching (Mardis Gras) with all the different festivities and traditions. Benjamin dressed as an Indian and Sebastian as a pirate. Pictures are on the Web. Robert's mother has given them new bikes and we have taken them out on a few fun tours already exploring different areas. We've had a week off in February and March and have been busy seeing and doing all kinds of activities. We even went along the Danube (20km) with Robert's mom and believe me it wasn't the kids that were glad when we were back home again... I need a bit more practice to continue on..>! There are a lot of fun things to do in and around Vienna and we are doing our best to see as many as we can but we just don't have enough vacation!

MATEY

Yep, even the cat made it to Austria and once she got over the initial shock of the long flight and new environment she started to explore the apartment. She thoroughly enjoys it and even though I never wanted a pet to sleep with me she has chosen my feet to spend the night... She is really a cute cat and sometimes I think she forgets she is one... These days she bugs me already in the morning with her constant "Meows" to open the balcony door, one of her favorite places - sulking in the sun and listening to the birdies...

Well this is pretty much what has happened in the last few months. We are always looking forward to hearing from you and hope that all is well.

Big hugs and lots of sunshine, Yours the 4 Schmids Niki, Robert, Sebastian, Benjamin und Matey

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