I love the ball culture here. And being masked made it much more mysterious. Waltz, jazz, Sicilian folk music. Fantastic hor d’oevres. Only thing missing was a good dose of salsa.

Lately, I have been watching Deutschland superstar in the hopes of improving my German. No, really. That’s only reason why I watch that excreble show, I swear.

Anyway, I really like the skinny, gay dude who teases Dieter–Dieter, who is about the biggest sexist asshole I have seen on TV and whose claim to fame is some vapid pop group that was –emphasis on ‘was’–famous years ago.

So, I got to thinking, the music on the show is crap, the contestants are, for the most part, pretty boys and girls, the judges’ criteria for winning is which contestant can best appeal to the lowest common denominator (you can never underestimate the intelligence of the German public). It is like they took the worst music, placed it in a shiny package, and convinced everybody that it is the best thing since Sacher Torte.

Kind of like Austrian radio.

Why does such a cool country have such awful radio? Can anyone tell me?

I have tried to find a station that’s decent, but to no avail. Mostly I hear covers of older American pop songs, sung by American artists no one in America has ever heard of. The only classical station in Slovenian. Can’t find Alternative or Jazz. Don’t really hear music from other European countries except, ocassionally, you can hear some Italian pop crap.

What is going on? Can anyone help?

Thanks to everyone who expressed their condolences and concern when I posted, OMG, What did I get myeslf into?!?

I have to eat my words because a vacum cleaner (A Stuttgart Progress with Hepa Filter) really helped me turn things around. There’s nothing more satisfying than zapping around the floors of an empty house with a vacum. But… why stop there? I was able to vacum the walls, the cobwebs, the little dead insects between the windows, the heat thingymagics, electrical plugs and my personal favorite: the kitchen counter-tops and coubards. I started eyeing the fridge, shrugged, and said.. why not?!? It sure made disinfecting everything alot easier and the house looks much better!

So to my dear vacum…. you really suck!

Prague

1476 kilometers in 4 days and 5 nights. We took a whirlwind trip through Salzburg to Munich and then up to Regensburg and over to Prague and then back through Vienna to Graz.

It made me appreciate was an extrodinarily beautiful old town we have here in Graz. Certainly one of the best-preserved and historic city centers in all of Europe.

Prague is amazing too. It is the #1 tourist destination in Europe now, surpassing Paris and Rome. And for good reason. It is just perfect. You really feel like you are experiencing a part of Europe that is 150-200 years old or older. There are no new buildings and all of the streets are cobbled. Kind of like Disneyland.

My wife says she prefers her hometown, Graz, with its interesting juxtaposition of old and new. After all, people live here–it ain’t just for the tourists. It is alive.

But, I suggest not missing Prague. But, if you can, don’t go in February–it is too damn cold.

The view from Mozart’s house in Salzburg.

I have discovered that most Austrians I know are not particularly eager to discuss their country’s favorite son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They are bored to death. Sort of how I imagine the elves feel when visitors to the North Pole squeal, “Oh, I just love Santa! What is he really like?”

But Mozart is cooler than Santa; he didn’t need any elves to help him make the gifts he gave us. And no matter how many times you’ve heard it, his music rocks. Remember the first time you heard Eine Kleine… or the overture to Don Giovanni or Die Zauberfloete? Now, shut up and smile when visitors go nuts over the little man and his music.

Went on a road trip that included Salzburg, a good 3 hours from Graz, right through the Alps. Beautiful drive through the awesome mountains, even with the spitting sleet and obnoxious German drivers in their oversized cars.

Wilde Mann for lunch with great zwiebel rost braten, goulash and spaetzle with cheese; cheap, too. Narrow, curvy streets, lots of Japanese tourists, an Austrian parking garage carved in –where else?– a mountain, fantastical Dom–old stuff everywhere. And Mozart’s ghost shivering in the cold, overcast February afternoon.

Something I’m organizing…

Date: Saturday, March 24th, 2007
Time: 19:00
Location: the office pub
Cost: €5 (proceeds go to the Styrian Children’s Cancer Society)
Description:
Speed-Friending is a fun variation on the “speed dating” model with the intentions of simply meeting new friends in Graz!

We’re just looking to support the International community of Graz – Austrians and others alike. Find a pal to play tennis with, a mate to go for movies with, or just widen your network of friends!

With support from the Anglo-Austrian Circle
(more…)

before you enter this dark passage you have to follow some orders…

[bicycles have to be moved by hand!!! For your own safety!]

it´s always good to have some advice at such dangerous situations,
which is the building site of the new Haus der Architektur
on the Südtirolerplatz

Bharati is definately worth it if you can get tickets for Tuesday night. Really fun, uplifting for your heart and musically astonishing! If only Austrians could enjoy dancing more!

It really made me miss India, what a country!

I didn’t get to go inside because the three steps and the door are prohibitive for a stroller with a 12kilo kid and groceries onboard… However, I did peek in the windows and it looks like the terms “cafe” is probably for the feel and not the service. I didn’t see a real “coffee bar” when I peeked in the window, though they did have a nice diplay of ceramics and stuff. For those interested in stitching and bitching it’s on Reitsschulgasse, not far from Jakomini Platz.

We just bought a house in Graz, and I went to take a look at if for the first time since the owner moved out. When she lived there, it looked like we could move-in no problem but, yesterday, I got a little reality slap. She had mentioned she was moving to an apartment and may be leaving some things behind. At the last minute during price negotiations, they asked for 20,000E for “all” of her furniture – some pieces where nice mind you but we have our own we didn’t need all her stuff – we said no. So now, the first time that I get a look at the house they stripped everything. I mean, EVERYTHING. I was expecting the light fixures to go but she took all the carpeting off the stairs along with all the bars to hold it there – what the heck will she need that for in her new apartment?!? She also removed all the hardware to hold up curtains (wow, what a conicidence her new windows are the same number and size of our house, that’s a lot of windows for an apartment) and the walls are filled with holes and hundreds, hundreds of nails. Am I over-reacting in thinking that taking the carpet and curtain hardware is a bit extreme and petty or is this standard fare in Austria? Also, the place is a dirty, dusty, dump. Without all her paintings and carpets covering everything it needs more work than we thought.

We’re moving in next week.

The relocation specialist asked me, “Do you have a vacum cleaner?” I had to laugh…. I don’t need a vacum, I need a miracle!

Uuuuugh.