In 2002 and 2003 I got the chance to work in Graz, Austria as part of a nine–month IAESTE internship. I programmed with quality people, went skiing with quality people, drank beer with quality people, and generally had a nice time programming, learning, and exploring some of central Europe.
Getting started
Well, thanks to a newly updated web site generator (see pysite) and some increased initiative to not sit around too much on my lazy butt, I've decided to write some things about life here.
I've been living in and working near Graz, Austria since the middle of August 2002. Let's note, before this gets any further, that `Austria'—a smallish country in central Europe—is not the same as `Australia'—a rather large country taking up one of the world's continents. See more below.)
IAESTE
I'm here doing a nine–month technical internship through IAESTE, the International association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. IAESTE is an internship exchange program that places math, science, engineering, and design students in paid international internships, most commonly during the summer. Students run almost the entire program worldwide, and it is a great way to experience a new place and meet technical students from around the world.
I find it difficult to say enough good things about IAESTE ; if you have an IAESTE chapter at your university, get involved, and if not then find out how to get involved by contacting your national office. As a trainee you get to travel the world, find out what a little bit about what working and living in other countries is like, and meet and discuss with interesting folks from a lot of different places. And, if you're one of those lucky Americans, you get to field all kinds of interesting questions about why your national leadership is so horrible !
Austria
What more can one possibly ask of a country that has a 100 % literacy rate, offers such goodies as Wienerschnitzel and Küchen, and boasts 50 % of the population as volunteer firefighters ? Austria is a heavenly place to be, or at least was for me.
Graz
Graz is about the size of Raleigh, and although both cities are relatively unknow in the grand scheme of things, Graz is by far the culturally superior. Despite Raleigh's possession of Lilly's Pizza and the Neomonde Bakery, and its proximity to Go, Graz just plain has a leg up. Oops.
In fact, it's often difficult to compare the two, since I keep coming up with infinite or undefined results after trying to compare something (in Graz) with zero (in Raleigh). Both cities contain around 300 000 people, although Graz is easily one third the geographical area of Raleigh, and so is (at least) three times more accomodating to pedestrians, skateboarders, bikers, and other alternative fuel travelers. In addition, Graz and the surrounding countryside are impressively laced with public tram service, bus lines, train tracks, and bike paths—including a beautiful bike path along the Mur river that I hear goes all the way to Slovenia, at least 70km distant.
In addition, Graz is the cultural capital of Europe in 2003, so there are many concerts, museum exhibits, public performances, firework shows, etc. to entertain the folks out wandering in the street in the evenings.
— 30 jan 2002, 18h