Vienna 02.

University has officially started this week and last weeks frantic running around seems to be paying dividends. Austria is not a country in which you can study and fit the archetypal stereotype of a relaxed student as the lack of timetabling, schedules or indeed any structure whatsoever means that responsibility for organising your time is a personal concern.

We have so far managed to secure places on several Architecture and Theory courses, a Design Studio or Entwerfen and possibly a graphic design course; although at the introductory lecture the flamboyant and rather egotistical lecturer stated that he only wanted 30 of the most talented students out of 100 attendees and that anyone deemed unworthy would have to 'out', which we assumed meant 'leave the course'; so it might not be worth pursuing that option.

Having something constructive to do unfortunately means less time for sketching and wandering around Vienna; which I would rather be doing all day, everyday. However it does mean that you feel less like a tourist and more like you actually inhabit the city and use it practically.

Rehearsal's with the Jesuitenkircke choir have also been progressing well with another mass, this time 'The German Mass' by Schubert, on Sunday and general rehearsals for the Messiah by Handel (in English amusingly) which will be performed at a concert in May. These have prompted me to consider the English language in more depth than I have previously, mainly because each rehearsal consists of me attempting to offer advice to the German speaking choir on the finer points of English grammar and singing such as rolling 'r' sounds and emphasised vowels.