Well, things here in Austria seem to be moving along at a more reasonable pace, as I am beginning to find a balance with living/school/cultural integration. As I have stated in my last few postings, life here continues to challenge me. And outside of the continued life challenges here, my schooling remains equally challenging. There is the omipresent importance of "time management", which has been a bit of a crash course for me lately. As many of my other former Peace Corps volunteer might agree, when living as a Peace Corps volunteer there is an abundance of time. Attempting to fill each day with meanful tasks was a job in and of itself. I remember reviewing my entire list of tasks and spreading them out over the course of a week, which in a modern society might take only a few hours to complete. Now, my life is again scheduled to the minute, and having a daily planner is the only way to keep track of the many projects/assignments/homework that I have to complete each week.
Other than that, I received a summary report from each of my classes yesterday. It appears that with all the quizzes, assignments, homework, and discussion board submissions, I seem to be in the "B" range. It's not easy to get an "A" average at this school, and they say that if you are found in the "C" range than you can be very proud. So, I'm feeling good about my "B" average. I think once I can get a handle on the work-load and find a balance between quality/quantity, my grade scale will rise. Hopefully! ;)
Monday, February 27, 2006
2006 Winter Olympics (Torino, Italy)
#1: Germany
11 Golds, 12 Silvers, 6 Bronzes = 29 total
#2: U.S.A.
9 Golds, 9 Silvers, 7 Bronzes = 25 total
#3: Austria
9 Golds, 7 Silvers, 7 Bronzes = 23 total
Austria (#3)...
A small bit of disgrace on the overall performance of the Austrian's 2006 Olympic performance. As they continue to deal with the Olympic police's anti-doping raid and the unannounced doping tests that targeted some of its cross-country skiers and biathletes.
Being on this side of the globe and hearing some of the Austrian local's viewpoints regarding the subject, I can say that they are quite ashamed. And considering that they are a candidate country for the 2014 winter Olympics, this might be a small embellishment on their records. http://www.salzburg2014.com/
However, Austria also had the best showing in its long Winter Games history with 23 medals overall, nine of them gold, despite a police raid. It was most proud of a record 14 medals in Alpine skiing, including a medal sweep in the men's slalom on Saturday.
...Austrian / Germanic Cultural Experiences...
In additional to living a somewhat normal life these days as I attend school each day, I am fortunate enough to be living outside of American where I can experience the various cultural events found here in Europe. Unfortunately, here in Graz Austria, I don't have the opportunity to experience all of these cultural celebrations, as you might find in other German-speaking countries/cities. However, I would like to share with you what they are, which might be of some interest to you...
"Fasching" - Germans call the pre-Lenten Carnival season die närrische Saison ("the foolish season") or die fünfte Jahreszeit ("the fifth season"). Except for Munich's Oktoberfest, it is the one time of year when many normally staid Germans (and Austrians and Swiss) loosen up and go a little crazy. Fastnacht or Karneval is a "movable feast" (ein beweglicher Festtag) that depends on the date of Easter (Ostern). In 2006 Fastnacht falls on February 28 (Faschingsdienstag). The official start of the Fasching season is either January 7 (the day after Ephiphany, Dreikönige) or the 11th day of the 11th month (Elfter im Elften, Nov. 11), depending on the region. That gives the Carnival guilds (Zünfte) three to four months to organize each year's events (Carnival balls, parades, royalty, etc.) leading up to the big bash in the week before Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch), when the Lenten season (die Fastenzeit) begins.
Carnival in Rio is probably the world's most famous. In the U.S., New Orleans is well known for Mardi Gras. While that former French possession is one of the few cities in the United States with a major Carnival celebration, almost all of the Catholic regions and cities across the German-speaking world (and the rest of Europe) celebrate Mardi Gras in a big way. Only a few Protestant areas in northern and eastern Germany also observe Karneval. Some of Germany's best known celebrations are held in Cologne (Köln), Mainz, Munich (München) and Rottweil. But Cologne's Karneval is not really the same as Munich's Fasching. Germanic Carnival celebrations vary from region to region, sometimes even taking place at different times! (The Fasnacht event in Basel, Switzerland happens a week after most other Carnivals.) The main event of Karneval in Köln is the parade on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday). Further south in Bavaria and Austria, the culmination of Fasching takes place on Shrove Tuesday (Faschingsdienstag), like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These and other differences reflect the long history and local traditions of the celebration, and they are also seen in the language.
Another celebration during this time is...
The "Vienesse Ball" in Vienna, Austria. Again, I wasn't able to attend this Ball for many reasons, but I did have the chance to see the Ball on local television here. The interesting point of the whole ball was that this year the actress, Carmen Electra, was invited by Viennese businessman Richard Lugner to visit the traditional Viennese opera ball last Thursday. Apparently this multi-millionaire, Richard Lugner, invites a new celebrity each year to this Ball, and pays large sums of money to do so. From what I've heard, he pays each celebrity between $60-100K to join him for 2 days in Vienna. In turn, it's there job to simply be their glamous selves as his guest to the Ball, and to make an appearance at his large department store. If you would like to learn more about it, here is the website... http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node2/home/opernball/7789.php
Another celebration especially this year is...
The "Mozart Festival" in honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most famous Austrian of all time. This year, 2006, marks the 250th anniversary of his birth and Austria will be honoring this musical genius with a rich and varied calendar of events the whole year. Just a few of the interesting facts about Mozart, that you may or may not have already known, is that he made such a large impact on the world before his death at only 35 years old. And speaking of age, Mozart was only 5 years old when he learned his first instrument, and 6 years old when he gave his first concert. A website dedicated to this year... http://www.mozart2006.net/eng/index.html
And finally, a celebration that I was fortunate to attend...
Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Austrian cultural event called the "Bauernbund Ball". This translates as, "Farmer's Alliance Ball". What makes this such a cool Ball for me is that I have the opportunity to witness the traditional customs of Austria.
"Fasching" - Germans call the pre-Lenten Carnival season die närrische Saison ("the foolish season") or die fünfte Jahreszeit ("the fifth season"). Except for Munich's Oktoberfest, it is the one time of year when many normally staid Germans (and Austrians and Swiss) loosen up and go a little crazy. Fastnacht or Karneval is a "movable feast" (ein beweglicher Festtag) that depends on the date of Easter (Ostern). In 2006 Fastnacht falls on February 28 (Faschingsdienstag). The official start of the Fasching season is either January 7 (the day after Ephiphany, Dreikönige) or the 11th day of the 11th month (Elfter im Elften, Nov. 11), depending on the region. That gives the Carnival guilds (Zünfte) three to four months to organize each year's events (Carnival balls, parades, royalty, etc.) leading up to the big bash in the week before Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch), when the Lenten season (die Fastenzeit) begins.
Carnival in Rio is probably the world's most famous. In the U.S., New Orleans is well known for Mardi Gras. While that former French possession is one of the few cities in the United States with a major Carnival celebration, almost all of the Catholic regions and cities across the German-speaking world (and the rest of Europe) celebrate Mardi Gras in a big way. Only a few Protestant areas in northern and eastern Germany also observe Karneval. Some of Germany's best known celebrations are held in Cologne (Köln), Mainz, Munich (München) and Rottweil. But Cologne's Karneval is not really the same as Munich's Fasching. Germanic Carnival celebrations vary from region to region, sometimes even taking place at different times! (The Fasnacht event in Basel, Switzerland happens a week after most other Carnivals.) The main event of Karneval in Köln is the parade on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday). Further south in Bavaria and Austria, the culmination of Fasching takes place on Shrove Tuesday (Faschingsdienstag), like Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These and other differences reflect the long history and local traditions of the celebration, and they are also seen in the language.Another celebration during this time is...
The "Vienesse Ball" in Vienna, Austria. Again, I wasn't able to attend this Ball for many reasons, but I did have the chance to see the Ball on local television here. The interesting point of the whole ball was that this year the actress, Carmen Electra, was invited by Viennese businessman Richard Lugner to visit the traditional Viennese opera ball last Thursday. Apparently this multi-millionaire, Richard Lugner, invites a new celebrity each year to this Ball, and pays large sums of money to do so. From what I've heard, he pays each celebrity between $60-100K to join him for 2 days in Vienna. In turn, it's there job to simply be their glamous selves as his guest to the Ball, and to make an appearance at his large department store. If you would like to learn more about it, here is the website... http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Content.Node2/home/opernball/7789.php
Another celebration especially this year is...
The "Mozart Festival" in honor of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most famous Austrian of all time. This year, 2006, marks the 250th anniversary of his birth and Austria will be honoring this musical genius with a rich and varied calendar of events the whole year. Just a few of the interesting facts about Mozart, that you may or may not have already known, is that he made such a large impact on the world before his death at only 35 years old. And speaking of age, Mozart was only 5 years old when he learned his first instrument, and 6 years old when he gave his first concert. A website dedicated to this year... http://www.mozart2006.net/eng/index.htmlAnd finally, a celebration that I was fortunate to attend...
Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend a traditional Austrian cultural event called the "Bauernbund Ball". This translates as, "Farmer's Alliance Ball". What makes this such a cool Ball for me is that I have the opportunity to witness the traditional customs of Austria.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Just a few words...
I'm trying to pick up the language German, but it's alittle difficult to understand. High German is alittle like High British English, so everything is pronounced and very clear. Which makes it hard for me, right now. Thinking back in comparison, I was lucky to have had those 3 month intensive training courses in Morocco for Arabic. It really does give you a great jump-start on the language.
But, I have school to deal with, and it's getting increasingly more intensified.
Although I'm not working while attending school, this graduate progam still takes up all my day. I think I'm alittle too detailed oriented, and where someone would take 20 minutes to complete an assignment I might take 2 hours. I just want to "nail it" each time, so I'm trying alittle harder than I normally would. Unfortunately, the other day I received a 'D' for one of my assignments. Although the end product looked good, the process of how I got there using Photoshop was what I was truly being graded on. However, in another one of my classes that deals with Strategic Marketing, I'm flying by with straight "A"s in the class. So, things are balancing themselves out, and it's hard to know what each particular teachers expect from you, since they all have different teaching styles.
I am working on several assignments/projects at the moment, and I will post the final product of my work on this website once I've completed it. As of right now, I am working on a number of print advertisements for the following brands; Peet's Coffee, IKEA, Neutrogena, Crayons, and Ford's Biofuel project. Of course, they are all 'mock' advertisements, but I'm going through a similar process that would be found in an advertising agency. I can't believe how many conceptual drawings I have to create, which can be dozens at a time. And to make it more complex, they each need to be completely different viewpoints or angles. My creative brain is getting a major rehaul, as well as being dusted of cobwebs.
Overall, things are feeling alittle more like normal (outside of the fact that I'm living in Austria). It's nice to have a 'project' of some sorts, and feel as though I am being productive.
But, I have school to deal with, and it's getting increasingly more intensified.
Although I'm not working while attending school, this graduate progam still takes up all my day. I think I'm alittle too detailed oriented, and where someone would take 20 minutes to complete an assignment I might take 2 hours. I just want to "nail it" each time, so I'm trying alittle harder than I normally would. Unfortunately, the other day I received a 'D' for one of my assignments. Although the end product looked good, the process of how I got there using Photoshop was what I was truly being graded on. However, in another one of my classes that deals with Strategic Marketing, I'm flying by with straight "A"s in the class. So, things are balancing themselves out, and it's hard to know what each particular teachers expect from you, since they all have different teaching styles.
I am working on several assignments/projects at the moment, and I will post the final product of my work on this website once I've completed it. As of right now, I am working on a number of print advertisements for the following brands; Peet's Coffee, IKEA, Neutrogena, Crayons, and Ford's Biofuel project. Of course, they are all 'mock' advertisements, but I'm going through a similar process that would be found in an advertising agency. I can't believe how many conceptual drawings I have to create, which can be dozens at a time. And to make it more complex, they each need to be completely different viewpoints or angles. My creative brain is getting a major rehaul, as well as being dusted of cobwebs.
Overall, things are feeling alittle more like normal (outside of the fact that I'm living in Austria). It's nice to have a 'project' of some sorts, and feel as though I am being productive.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Just a few words...
I gotta say, it was damned nice being back in California for an extended period of time again, and realizing just how nice it is to understand 100% of what is going on around you. Life became so simple, and uncomplicated, like I had imagined it years ago.
But, because I can't be in America for too long, I again decided to jump back on Lufthansa and head for central Europe. The tough part about flying back to Europe was simply....the weather. The day before I left for Austria, I was in Santa Cruz enjoying the beach and the 73 degree weather. Now, as I write this, I look outside and it is snowing, at about 32 degrees.
Other than that, I really look forward to enjoying this upcoming weekend. Nothing too interesting, just the fact that it will be the ''weekend''. When I was living in Morocco, the days just seemed to melt together, and everyday for that matter seemed like a weekend. Now that I've begun my studies, it's quite the opposite. I'm so heads down all week long, handing in advertising concepts and attempting to rejuvenate my creativity, that when the weekend comes, I'm surprised.
So yeah, this week has gone by like a blur. What's nice about my current arrangement is that I wake up each morning, take the bus like everyone else, and head over to the University of Graz. I actually spend most of my time over at the University of Graz, using their computer lab. It's a nice setting, and makes me feel more like a student rather than someone who is just logging onto their computer each day. Later, I ride back to the apartment, whilst I listen to my German Language CD that I loaded onto my iPod before leaving the states. I wish I could afford to have a more formal training in the language, but I don't really have time or money right now. And with all that is going on with my new graduate program, I have yet to find that rhythm.
Tomorrow I will go to the gym, which is oddly located within the train station. I hear it is nice, but you never know until you can see it for yourself. I'll actually be going to the gym with a Moroccan friend of mine that I met will living close to Marrakech. He is studying here in Austria also at the University of Graz, studying International Human Rights Law. It's weird how you meet people from all over the world, and then meet them again in the most obscure regions. In this case, the old saying, "Small World, huh?", really does apply.
So, I'll be here in Austria for alittle while longer. I think I'm alittle addicted to living in Europe, because I feel as though I'm challenged each day. Yesterday night I went to a dinner party and ended up listening and trying to translate over four languages. And the dinner party was only 4 people. My brian was fried when I left. But again, it's good for me, even if it is hard to understand.
Life is good.
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