This picture was taken inside Musikverein, in Bezirk 1 of Vienna. I was there with a friend of mine, to see inside, to visit the fantastic Musikverein.

We started our tour normally, being impressed by the beauties around us, saw the halls, the hallways, the mirrors, everything. However, on our way back, when we wanted to exit, the tourists stopped and watched this… weird… piece of rock. „What does THIS represent?! ” asked an impressed Chinese tourist.  The friendly guide explained us that this is… sorry! was.. the little statue of a wife of one composer–I forgot which one. I think Beethoven.

What happened exatly with it? This little statue was perfectly intact before the inside restaurantion of Musikverein started. However during it, a worker was not paying attention  and when he moved a ledder from one floor to another, he hit the woman’s rocky head and… you can see the result for yourselves!

😀 I laughed so much!! I am looking forward to going back to Musikverein to check if they solved the issue or not. 😀

Ich schreibe noch einmal über Schönbrunn. 😀 Etwas neues? Nein, oder nicht neu von mir. 😀

Dieses Bild ist vom Sommernachtskonzert Schönbrunn 2011. Zuerst war daa Konzert und dann müssten alle 100.000 Leute nach Hause gehen. Wenn wir uns umgedreht haben, sahen wir dieses enorm große Rolex Marke auf diesem enormen Schloss. Am meistens, waren die Leute überrascht: „Was ist das?” aber wir sahen sofort, dass es eine Werbung war. Sehr schön und sehr groβ!!

Ist diese Model besser als das normal Schloss? Nein, sicher nicht! Ich mag dieses Schloss. Die anderen Gebilde sind provisoriche. Sie sind lustige oder komische, klein oder groβ, bunt oder nur Weiss, etc., aber immer provisorisch. Schönbrunn muss Schönbrunn bleiben!

Ich glaube, du hast die gleiche Meinung. Oder?

With this level I have graduated the beginners’ level in German language. I am not a beginner anymore! 😀 Soon enough I’ll know it better than Spanish.

Anyway, this June I have finished the beginners’ level in German language, as said, and I am very proud of that! 😀 It is such a hard language!!

With each new word I learn, with each new grammar rule I learn, I cannot wait until I use it in practice. Talking to people on the street, in the shops or wherever I might need it, is an extra motivation for me to learn this language. + for working here, of course!

Deutsch Akademie proved me again that I made a great decision by chosing them to teach me German. 🙂  Kind teachers, approachable books, flexible timing and efficient classes at a reasonable price! Let’s do not forget the discount for blogging! 😉

All in all, I want to say that I am still happy with my choice and that I’ll go on with Deutsch Akademie until the end. And who knows?… Maybe you can read me in German as well! 😉

Pe langa muzica buna, dansuri si VIPuri, festivalul South Africa in Colours de la Viena (23-26 iunie 2011) ne-a pregatit si o intalnire cu accesoriile africane. Bratari, cercei, etc., dar si statuete, scrumiere, etc.

Tot ce vedeti aici m-a lasat si pe mine fara cuvinte. Sunt accesorii africane. Initial am crezut ca sunt bratari, cercei si lanturi acolo in stanga, dar nu. Sunt boluri si statuete—in dreapta. Observati ca sunt de diferite dimensiuni, da? Pe raftul de sus, statuetele sunt mai mari asa, apoi mai jos sunt mici de tot. Cred ca erau degetare.

Toate modelele acestea sunt din zona Pretoriei, capitala Africii de Sud, aflata aproximativ in mijlocul tarii.

Cand te uiti asa la ele, ce iti sugereaza? Ce iti transmit? Observi munca depusa sa se ajunga la acest obiect? Observi modul in care vin oamenii la lucru, traversand atatia km pe jos?

Se observa doar partea colorata, ceea ce este bine—doar suntem la Marketing aici. 🙂

Imi doresc ca prin acest eveniment, Africa de Sud sa fi adunat foarte multi fani si turisti, care sa mearga acolo sa viziteze tara.

60 years ago someone could have taken the same picture. From this angle, from this position, having the same idea in his / her head. What do I mean? OK, first, actually we should tell the readers  that this picture is taken at Musikverein in Vienna. Inside the main hall, where each year, the New Year concert is taking place. More precisely, here: https://www.musikverein.at/

Ack to our picture now. The guide told us that this happy event:  changing of the organ takes place each 60 years! 🙂 How cool is that? We were so lucky!

In the beginning we did not like it that much, because it was very, very noisy and not such a good place to listen to a very talkative guide. However, we realised how lucky we were to have been there it that point and to be a part of the history of the Musikverein in Wien.

You should all visit it! It’s right in the center of Vienna, in Karlsplatz. 🙂

What exactly do you feel when you go abroad and see in that country some parts of your homeland? Like an Austrian would go to New Zealand and see there some Mozart chocolate, for example. Or some Sacher Torte.  Pride? Happiness? Or have you got marketing feelings?

It was my case as well when I came to Vienna for the first time, last July. In 2010. I came to Vienna and when I went to my hostel room one night, I passed this „little shop” called TAROM. I was so suprised! Oh, I must tell you: TAROM comes from Transporturile Aeriene ROMane. So, as said, I was so impressed with its position, first. In the middle of Vienna, next to the Parliament, right on the Ring.

I wonder if the employees from TAROM Vienna speak Romanian, as well. What would happen if I enter there and I speak Romanian directly?

Anyway, I am happy to see TAROM so well represented in Vienna. Hope they have good offers too!

This is a little story about my a thought of mine, while spending some time in Stephans Platz.

I was walking around and  I have seen this shop. Shop for girls, of course. I cannot tell you exactly its location, because I am not a GPS. 😛 However, I can tell you that if you walk from Stephans Dome to Donau chanel, you can find it on the left hand side.

Many shoe shops have their shoes nicely arranged on shelves with the prices on. This is a special shoe shop! I am saying that, because… who has this idea? To arrange shoes on a giant shoe!? I looooooove it!  To be honest with you, I would also welcome such a thing in my hall way.

A giant shoe with shoes! How cool is that?

As for the other articles in the window,… I am sorry. :-< No one notices you anymore, because of the fantastic giant shoe with shoes.

Ah, I love it so much! I think I shall go again next week to see it at least. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Fotografia aceasta este facuta pe Kaertner Strasse. Evident, nu? Unde altundeva ar putea fi atatea bling-blinguri? Ar mai putea fi si pe Maria Hilfe Strasse, dar … nu. Aceasta poza este facuta in Viena, pe  Kaertner Strasse.

Am trecut zilele trecute pe acolo si ma gandeam la urmatorul lucru: oare cine isi mai pune in casa asa ceva? Ce fel de design trebuie sa ai in casa, pentru a pune bibelouri pe acolo? Trebuie sa recunosc ca si mie imi plac, dar parca nu as sterge de praf fiecare manuta de acolo si fiecare rochie. Ia uitati, sunt acolo balerinele acelea si domnisoarele cu rochie mare, asa. Vai de mine!

Oricum, daca magazinul acesta isi permite sa platesca lunara chirie si sa aiba si profit din portelanuri, atunc eu ce mai pot sa zic?

Chiar sunt curioasa daca si cat va mai rezista magazinul acesta aici, la km 0 al capitalei. Am impresia ca sunt mai mult decat unul, de fapt. Parca sunt vreo 3 magazine de portelanuri pe toata strada.

Vanzare buna! 🙂

I heard many stories about strawberries in Austria. I heard that they are not good, that they don’t have any taste, that they are just big and empty inside, etc. etc.

Who is saying these things?!… And why?! Can I try them too?

The first thing to mention here is that the better strawberries are the ones that you pick yourself, not the one that you find in Billa, Merkur, Hofer, Zielpunkt, etc. etc. Second thing to mention here, is that here in Austria is something that I have not met in other places, the so called „Strawberry land”, where you go and pick up your strawberries, how many do you want and then come back and pay. Cool, right? There is also one in Vienna, but most of them are outside of the city. I know a few in Neuer Oesterreich.

Anyway, with this occasion, I had the chance to taste the strawberries the Vienna „creats”. Conclusion? Good, but you can do it better.

Caitlin is a violonist whose shows are not ordinary, she does not play safe, as her website likes to remind us.  She „takes” a laser and plays the violin with it or she hangs from the ceiling, playing the violin upside down. Dangerous, I know! 😉

Caitlin is a Zambian violonist, that plays and lives in South Africa now.  She flew (not on her own; with South African Airlines 😛 ) and visited us a little during „South Africa in Colours” festival.   She played there at the festival, almost each evening. You can see her in the picture during her first performance, in the first evening, on the 23rd June.  In the first night, there were the VIPs watching her, at the opening gala, and then more then 4 000 people wanted to see the show. That’s what statistics say!

She is fantastic! She plays so good, and her show is a real entertaining moment, not just a boring gathering.

If you want to find out more about her, visit her homepage: https://www.caitlin.co.za/

How many people were waiting for this night? For sure more then 100,000 people. The Sommer Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic 2011 brought together more the enourmous number I wrote above.

It was held in Schönbrunn’s gardens in the beginning of the Summer, on the 2nd June, more precisely.

The weather was beautiful enough, no rain, but a little wind. This was not a problem, because the audience was anyway staying there like penguins. Couldn’t feel anything!

The concert itself was fantastic! It was conducted by Valery Gergiev. He had a guest, Benjamin Schmid,  that played the violine increbibly. No one was breathing anymore, no one was caughing, no one was moving,… Everyone was amazed!

An absolutely impressive performance given by the Vienna Philharmonic made more than 100,000 people dream about the next concert, in 2012. About the music, about the dance and the choreography. As I have seen , there are already CDs and DVDs to be bought with this concert.  If I had a job, I would buy them both for my Mom and Grandma. 🙂