Let’s celebrate!

Its been a very busy week for me, but just this morning I saw something that made me smile and I want to thank you all! For what you might ask: For visiting my Blog! Just last night I reached 2000 visitors. Most of the visitors come from the States, about 40 %, almost 12 % come from Germany, followed by Austria, United Kingdom… So far I count visitors from more then 70 countries!

Well, I’m going to celebrate visitor Nr. 2000 – with a cappuccino!

Have a nice day and enjoy the last week before Christmas!

Austria, Germany and the miracle of Pisa

About three years ago something called the PISA study caused uproar in my big neighbour country, called Germany. Pupils from forty countries where tested and it turned out that Germany ranked very low. Dumb Germans? This can’t be! A nation was in shock, everyone was to blame, the government, the teachers, the lazy pupils and students. Politicians promised to reform the system and take steps to improve, more money, copy the Finnish system (which had the best results of all the PISA countries) etc.

Well, Austria was on the sunny side… We did better then the Germans. Only a little, but that’s all we needed. While the Germans where complaining that “even” Austria was doing better, the Austrians where very proud to be MUCH (but in truth very little) better then the Germans. So Austria took a nap for three more years, thinking that, as long as we do better than the Germans (but much worse then the Finns, for example), we don’t have to change anything, that our system was doing alright. But now, 2004, Austrians got the wake up call. The new study shows that Austria got worse, while Germany had a little improvement. Just a little, but enough to beat the lazy Austrians!

So, the Austrian nation was in shock, everyone was to blame, the government, the teachers, the lazy pupils and students. Politicians promised to reform the system and take steps to improve… Bla Bla Bla… Deja-vu anyone? Well, Austria is among the countries that spend the most money on education, but still, pupils don’t seem to know much about Geography, Biology and Maths.

Just a couple of days ago, I was listening to a German radio station, the announcer said “Well, Germany isn’t among the best, but at least the Austrians are doing MUCH worse. Hopefully Germany doesn’t decide to take a nap this time.

I’m looking forward to the PISA results of 2007. Will Austria improve? Will Germany improve? Will the Finns still be Number one? It is a pity that Finland isn’t one of my neighbour countries…

London, short stories – Part one

Satuday, 27th of November 2004

London, what a wonderful city! My friend Seva and I had decided that we would go there for a couple of days. The flight was booked and so was the accommodation, but sometimes, plans change at the last minute. And this was one of those occasions. The passport of Seva had expired about three months ago. Unfortunately, when he realized that, we where already at the Check-In Counter of Ryan Air and the kind Ryan-Air lady refused to let him check in.

What a pity! We were really caught of guard. But when the woman turned to me and asked if I would still go to London I just replied “Of course” without any hesitation. Thinking about it now, I should have taken an extra minute just to show a little bit more sorrow for Seva.

But he was quiet cool about it. We decided to spend the rest of the time before my departure, smoking a cigar outside the airport, recording a message for his friends in London with my camera and making plans for the next trip to England, of course with a valid passport then.

The flight was very pleasant and upon my arrival in London, I was even more pleased to discover that my hostel, “the Ace Hotel” was superb. It had just opened up a couple of weeks ago, the interior was brand new and the staff was very friendly.

The initial plan was to meet with some friends of Seva, but as he was still in Austria, it was my duty to call them and tell them that Seva wouldn’t show up. They where disappointed, but I was invited to join them for night out in a club called “Ministry of Sound” which I happily accepted. So I met this group of Australians and immediately felt like I’ve known them for years. We danced to House music until early in the morning (very unusual for me) and I wouldn’t even return to my hostel until lunch the other day. I also have to admit that this must have been my most expensive night out – EVER!

Me, my girlfriend and the gay surfer

About half a year ago I was in Mexico with my former girlfriend. It was a last minute decision and we booked the flight only 16 hours prior to departure. Well, things turned out very well for us and it was a very nice trip and there is this one funny story that I want to share with you.

Our first two stops were Mexico City and Acapulco and from there we took a bus to Puerto Escondido. Puerto Escondido was described as a remote beach-paradise by Lonely Planet. Unfortunately this couldn’t have been any further from the truth… But back to the bus ride. The bus was a mess, we where sitting in the last row, right next to the toilet and air-condition wasn’t working properly. So there was an incredible heat and terrible smell for almost the entire six hour bus ride. Luckily we never had to use the toilet…

I like to talk to foreign travellers and started to talk to the guy next to us, it turned that he was a student from Australia and going to Puerto Escondido to do some surfing. Somewhat two minutes into the conversation he told me that he was gay. I was a bit confused but nonetheless, kept talking to him. A bit later I told my (now ex) girlfriend that the Australian just told me that he was gay. She looked at me in disbelief and started laughing. We did not bother too much about but eventually took actions to make clear that I wasn’t gay at all 😉

Well, at the end of the trip I said good bye to the Australian guy and left the bus with my girlfriend. We walked up to the taxi and where already putting our backpacks in the trunk when the Australian guy, out of the sudden, started to run towards us. He asked me if he could get my email address as he would be in Europe later this year and it would be great to meet me again. I was somewhat surprised (and so was my girlfriend) but handed him one of my cards, thinking that I would never hear from him again. Well, I was wrong about that, he arrived in Europe two weeks ago and is currently in Amsterdam. And he wants to meet me! Well, he is not going to be in Austria until January…

Oh, by the way, I just recently finished the picture book for Mexico – click here if you are interested!

A different point of view

Hello World!

I started to read a book yesterday. It is called “A People´s History of the United States: 1492 – Present” by Howard Zinn. A very interesting book, which shows a different side of America and its history. I just read the first chapter about Christopher Columbus and the early years in the new world. I was shocked to find out that the entire indigenous population was whipped out in the early days of “America”, more then three million people, in the greedy search for gold. I still have more then 700 pages and I wonder how I will think about American history when I finished the book.

But, to make this clear, I will never judge anyone because of the history of their nation. I live in Austria and to a lot of people the first thing that comes up when they hear that I’m from Austria is Nazis and Hitler. I know that this is the past of my country and it shall never be forgotten, but everyone deserves to get a fresh start without prejudices.

Is a breast more dangerous to a child then a bullet?

In Austria and Germany it is common to see images of nudity on TV. The biggest newspaper in Austria, the “Neue Kronen Zeitung” has nude picture every day. I think The European society is relaxed about nudity, its no big deal to see breast in a commercials or a nude woman on TV. And why should anyone be offended? After all we are all born naked!

Things are a bit difference in the land of the free, the United States. It seems like nudity is something Americans are not used too, its dirty. It’s no big deal to kill someone around 2:pm on TV, but to see a breast for a few seconds during the Superbowl is a national tragedy.

The article below is eight months old, and when I first read it, I thought it was a joke, but it is very serious…

My Son Deserves an Honest Apology!

Posted Feb. 2, 2004 at www.insightmag.com

By Paul M. Rodriguez

I was ashamed for being a football fan — and of encouraging my 8-year old son to be one — halfway through the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXVIII.Beyond the hype of “good” football and cool ads, the degradation from smut-filled dancing and foul-mouthed lyrics during the so-called show between halves was made worse by the breast exposure of Janet Jackson during a song about getting a woman naked before the tune was done.My son, an avid football fan, was so embarrassed at the dirty dancing and songs that he asked us to change channels until “the nasty stuff” was over — like women’s dresses being ripped off exposing “their underwear.”Despite such filthy displays of “artistic expression,” not even he could have been prepared for Jackson’s breast to be displayed on national television during a “family evening show” that the Super Bowl is supposed to be.”Why did she do that?” he asked his mother and me. “He shouldn’t have pulled her clothes off, right?” he asked me about Justin Timberlake’s white-trash antics.I’m sure that just as the embarrassment and shock exploded in our living room so too the national blush and, hopefully, outrage exploded in millions of homes at such vulgar displays of classlessness.Whether one believes that MTV — the group that put on the halftime show — knew about the undressing of women and the breast-baring of Jackson or whether the NFL and CBS knew about it makes no difference. The artists knew about it and, despite Timberlake’s pseudo apology, we think he and Jackson knew what they were doing. Why else would Jackson be wearing a stripper’s stock ‘n trade over her nipple?Whatever the NFL and CBS were thinking about what the halftime show was to represent, it certainly did not represent the high rollers who attended the football game, and it certainly didn’t represent the large numbers of middle-class adults and families with children who were watching the spectacle.It’s one thing to have such dirty dancing, crotch-grabbing and foul-mouthed lyrics on pay-per-view TV and/or cable-TV stations such as MTV in the post-“family hour” times. It’s certainly quite another to put such trash on knowing that children would be watching.Whether any laws were broken — and we’re hoping there were so fines can be imposed — is not enough for this father. I want an apology from all involved sent to my 8-year old son. An apology that states clearly that adults were wrong in what they did to him. And a promise that they never will do that again. Never!It’s about time that the common denominator that further dumbs down America is rejected. And if it cannot be stemmed from leaders in the entertainment world, the National Football League that prides itself on wholesome family fare, and from families that won’t stop buying services and goods from purveyors of inappropriate materials for our young people, then regulators and Congress need to get involved.We’re all for free speech and abhor the idea of censors. But we do expect that during the so-called family hours of “public” television — yes, it’s public airwaves folks — that my home will not be inundated with garbage that my young son 1) does not need to be exposed to and, 2) I do not want him exposed to.It’s bad enough now that during the morning shows and evening newscasts that my son is exposed to stories about sexual this and sexual that à la the Kobe Bryant debacle. In turn, my son asks me what one of his favorite basketball players is in trouble for with that woman. It’s bad enough that murder and mayhem are the daily feed that permeates local newscasts and we’re forced to turn off the television at breakfast and dinner because of the inappropriate stories being broadcast.But damn it, to be coldcocked like we were — along with millions of others — during halftime of the NFL’s biggest game of the year is too much. No amount of excuses and no amount of apologies ever will be enough because responsible adults should have known such a show was wrong.That said: My son deserves an apology. And every boy and girl who saw the broadcast deserves an apology, too.

I would be interrested in some feedback regarding the article above! So the question is: Is a breast more dangerous then a bullet?

Power to the people

Germany, the big neighbor to Austria, is going trough some tough times these days, economically speaking. Germany, or “Kingdom in debts“ as I like to call it, used to be an economic wonder for half a century, raising from the ashes after World War II. But right now its bad news for the Germans, day in day out. Virtually all the big companies want to cut back costs or relocate their factories to Eastern Europe or Asia and thousands of people fear to loose their jobs. Not that Austria, my home country, is doing well, it’s a general problem among western countries right now, but it seems to me that Germany is facing the toughest problems.

Just recently, Opel, owned by General Motors and one of the major car manufactures in Germany announced that it wants to cut back thousands of jobs in their factory in Bochum. Workers have been on strike for a couple of days now to fight for their jobs and a lot of people are supporting these workers. But what if not the workers would go on strike, but all the Germans would refuse to buy cars manufactured by Opel if they cut back those jobs? Germany is a huge market, and I doubt that Opel can afford to loose this key market. Consumers don’t realize that they are the one in charge. If you don’t buy a certain product, the producers will have to rethink the strategy, or disappear….

But to be honest, I think the problem is greed in everyone of us. We want to pay as little for as much quality as possible. If everyone is willing to pay a certain price for a certain product, let’s say a car that is manufactured in Germany, no company will have to cut back jobs or move to another country.

It’s beginning to look like…

… Christmas! I know, it’s October the 17th and I’m talking about Christmas. But I’m not insane; in fact I’m sad that Christmas is already a topic for this blog. I went to IKEA in Salzburg on Friday and they already started to put up Christmas decoration, they even had a huge Christmas tree at the entrance. Then I went to Munich on Saturday, and again, Christmas all over the place. Candles, gifts, decoration! I think I’m going nuts!

Well, now I’m back in Austria and guess what – it is snowing right now! For the first time of the year! Not that unusual for Austria around this time of the year, but hey, not today!

I’m going to cut this short, hope you all out there are having a good time, I will put on some Caribbean music and enjoy a bubble bath now!

Salzburg, Mozart and a few surprises…

What a lovley Friday! I took off the day, to spend it with my cousin Felicitas in Salzburg. Salzburg, arguable the most famous sight of Austria, with the birthplace of Mozart and the infamous family Trapp and the Sound of Music. At first it looked like a rainy day, but when we arrived in Salzburg the sun started to shine and my cousin went to her class at the University while I was exploring the city on my own. We went shopping with a friend of Felicitas in the afternoon, but the main purpose to come to Salzburg was to go to a festival called “Salzburger Oktoberfest” for graduates with some friends.

At first we went to the wrong place, but we where able to find the right one, a fantastic restaurant with a senic view in the historic district. There was an obgliatory speech at the beginning, but fortunatley it did not take very long and the buffet was opend. And it was quiet a buffet! I was very impressed by the band, which had an amazing programm with music from all around the world. Felicitas was engaged with business and sience talk, while I was busy making new friends. Around 11 pm they had a very hot “fire dance” show and after that to cool down “Mozart liquer” on the rocks. Mozart liquer is like Baileys, just Austrian, and of course – better. I actually never had a Bailys kiss, but I doubt that it can top a Mozart Liquer kiss! Around midnight it was time for a Bavarian tradition, “Weisswurst”.

Normaly a tasty breakfast to start the day, (served with sweet mustard and pretzles) it marked the end of a lovley evening. At least the formal part… I wrote about the Muenchner Oktoberfest a while ago and now that I compare these two events, I have to admit that Salzburg knows how to celebrate too.

Thanks Felicitas 😉 for the wonderful Salzburg experience!

Aqua Dome – or the story of having a good time at work…

The last two days of “work” have been a real pleasure! I was in Tyrol in a village called Laengenfeld. A brand new spa resort named “Aqua Dome” was built there at the cost of 75 Million Euro and was officially opened up about two weeks ago. The entire complex was constructed under the supervision of a Feng Shui Expert. My hotel room was very inspiring, with a huge bed and a scenic view and I got a lot of ideas for my own (hopefully soon to be) flat.
Our office was invited to Laengenfeld for a presentation of the latest version of the travel-information-network Tiscover. Tiscover is an online network (like Expedia) were you can book vacations, search for events and sights and get detailed information for planning your holidays. Currently Tiscover is available in six countries and the company I work for is the official partner of Tiscover in Upper Austria.
On the first day we did not had much to do, beside going for a swim and trying all the opportunities the “Aqua Dome” had to offer. The Sauna area was amazing but most of the time I enjoyed myself in one of the outdoor pools. A very interesting part of the Aqua Dome is a huge tower with three “experience” to choose from, warm summer rain, fog and cold waterfall. The cold waterfall is good for people like me, who can’t stand the idea of diving into a pool of cold water after Sauna…
The first official part was the dinner. I met a lot of people who I knew only from talking on the phone, which was very nice. After dinner we all went to the cocktail bar and continued to share stories about difficult clients and software problems. Short version of that evening: I had lots of red wine and five cocktails and a real terrible hangover the next day… But I did manage to get up at 7 am and go for swim…
The second day was almost like a normal work day. We got a peek at the new corporate design and the new software. It was kind of hard to follow as I was still recovering from the previous evening…
The only “downside” for these two days was that we where five people and had to share one car, for the entire 4,5 hour ride to Laengenfeld and back home.