Lost in Vienna: My weekend amongst Viennese Society

So I'm here at the Techniker-Cercle Ball, my first 'real' Ball in the European sense of things (somehow black tie in Chicago doesn't really compare to this). Honestly, it's almost as if time has gone backwards for a night in Vienna. Except there are a hell of a lot more hip flasks being pulled out of men's jackets than I imagine would have happened 100 years ago. Maybe I'm wrong though.

If you look closely at the clip of the opening waltz, you'll see Nick's friend Max right in the center (he's kind of in the center closest to the camera in the opening waltz). He spent the entire waltz looking utterly pissed off and counting out the choreography for his partner. Apparently the girl is called Rosina (translation: Raisin, who names their child "Raisin"???), given her apparent lack of dancing skill I can't really blame him for looking a little pissed off. But it was a gorgeous opening to watch and when all of the dancers entered they looked so stunning. I can only imagine what some of those dresses must have cost, they looking almost bridal!

And I have to say, I'm immeasurably jealous of the dancing skills every single man in Vienna seems to possess. Can I mention how glad I am that I took a dance lesson today? Not that you can actually dance once you get onto the floor, it's more kind of shuffling and trying not to get stepped on. But if you do happen to get some space it's such fun though. I could have danced all night long if it weren't for the migraine I was still sporting.

Okay, so I must make my slightly snarky comment on some of the jewels that these girls were wandering around in. Now don't get me wrong, I love beautiful jewelry as much as the next girl, but somehow I find it slightly disturbing to see girls in their late teens sporting jewels that, well quite frankly you probably could have put a nice down payment on a house or bought a car with some of the jewelry I saw last night. Nick and I had talked about it before, that some of the girls that move in this circle are so unaware of what they're walking around with, that for some of them it's just taken for granted, they're handed a credit card or an allowance and they don't really think twice about where it comes from, so at the end of the day I have to imagine that they don't really value what it takes to acquire all the pretty things they have in their homes/apartments/dorm rooms. I don't think I would ever be able to raise a child with that much privilege handed out without a second thought.

Having made my snarky commentary on upper society, I should point out that none of Nick's friends behaved in any manner that was less that wonderful. And they certainly didn't exclude me from anything just because I happen to be from out of town, well heck, from off the continent.

So anyway, I managed to make the night last from around 8:30pm until just around 3am in the morning, the ball went on until 5am, but I was pretty much done by then anyway.

It was amazing though, I wish I could have spent all night there. I can't wait to go back next year. . . hopefully I'll be able to break away from it all again.