When in Vienna, do as the Viennese do.

Lesson 1: Do you have any plans for the weekend? Hast du am Wochenende etwas vor?

You've no doubt heard, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Part of the fun and adventure of learning a foreign language is being downright bold and doing something that you have never done in your home culture. Why not try out some of the activities that the locals enjoy? I'll be your guide in this beginner lesson to develop your sense of "class" and prepare for a trip to Vienna, Austria. Let's go in style. Don't worry, I'll list other cities in German speaking countries that you might want to visit, but don't forget: When in Vienna, do as the Viennese do!

First let's start with a dialog between Markus, a student at the University of Austria, and Julia, a student at the Dolmetscher Institute (Translation Institute) in Vienna. They attend the same church and are both interested in the performing arts. Markus is seated at an outdoor café. After the dialog, well go to the actual web page in German and learn how to purchase the tickets our selves.

Markus: Grüß dich, Julia! Setzt dich.

Julia: Grüß dich, Markus. Danke.

Markus: Ich lade dich ein. Was möchtest du?

Julia: Ich hätte gern einen Brauner.

Markus: Kellner! Noch einen Brauner, bitte. (Der Kellner bringt Julia eine Tasse Kaffee.)

Julia: Du, Markus, hast du am Wochenende etwas vor?

Markus: Nein, warum?

Julia: Mein Bruder hat zwei Karten für Mozart, aber er kann Leider nicht gehen.
Möchtest du mit mir gehen?

Markus: Gerne! Wann beginnt das Konzert?

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English Translation:

Markus: Hi, Julia. Sit down.

Julia: Hi, Markus. Thanks.

Markus: I'll pay. (Lit. I'll invite you.) What would you like?

Julia: I'll have a "Brauner"*, please.

Markus: Waiter, a "Brauner", please. (The waiter brings Julia a cup of coffee.)

Julia: Hey, Markus, do you have any plans for the weekend?

Markus: No, why?

Julia: My brother has two tickets for Mozart, but unfortunately he can't go.
Would you like to go with me?

Markus: Gladly! When does the Concert begin?

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Notizen: Markus uses "Grüß dich.", a typical southern German and Austrian greeting, rather than "Guten Tag." which is used in northern German. * A "Brauner" is one of 30 different types of coffee served at coffee houses in Vienna.
http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/coffee.htm

Many German words look like English, so it is not necessary to translate every word. Here is a list of "Wortschatz" (vocabulary) we'll need.

1. Staatsoper - the State Opera House
2. Volksoper - the People's Opera House
3. Musikverein - the Musical Concert Hall. It is the home to the Vienna Philharmonic.
4. Stadthalle - City Concert Halls
5. Salzburg - Concerts in Salzburg, Austria
6. Sicherheit - security, i.e. a secure connection is provided for online payment.
7. Über uns - about us.
8. Warenkorb - shopping cart (used electronically here).
9. Wochentage: Montag, Dienstag, Mittwoch, Donnerstag, Freitag, Samstag, Sonntag
10. Goldener Saal - the Golden Hall. A "Saal" suggests a hall, a saloon, or auditorium.
11. Karten buchen - book tickets



Aktivität 1: To answer the question for Markus, Wann beginnt das Konzert? When does the concert begin?  Click the link to the Vienna Classic online ticket office and follow the instructions below.

http://www.viennaclassic.com/

1. Click "Konzerte" on the left side. You may want to scroll down, just to get an idea of the different concert halls and types of performances that are available.

2. Click Wiener Mozart Orcherster and choose "Karten buchen" at the bottom of the page.

3. On the next page, choose the price level and the number of tickets. Then click on the
"Warenkorb" and on the next page, above the total price "Gesamtpreis" will be listed.
On the bottom, you'll see the words "Zustellung" delivery and your choices are:

• Postzustellung nach Österreich (5,-) - Postal delivery to Austria
  
• Abholung an der Abendkasse (0,- €) - Pick up at the ticket theater
  
• Abholung in unserem Büro - Pick up at our office
  
• Postzustellung ins Ausland (10,- €) - Postal delivery abroad
  
• Zustellung in Ihr Hotel in Wien (12,- €) - Delivery to your hotel in Vienna

4. After you've made your choice, click "zur Kasse" check out. If you've made a mistake, you'll get a message: Ihr Warenkorb ist leer. (Your shopping cart is empty.) You may have to start over. If not, you'll need to fill out your "Vorname" first name and "Nachname" Last name as well as your address and method of payment. If you've made it this far, you've earned a "Wunderbar!" from me.