The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet

I would like to tell you about an American television interview series called „The Conversation“, which started airing in 2012. You probably haven’t heard about it before, which is why I would really like to recommend you (especially or maybe even exclusively you girls) to check out the website. 

Amanda de Cadenet, a British photographer and former actress, is the host of the website. Demi Moore is the co-executive producer. On the show, Amanda de Cadenet has interviewed celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jane Fonda Last, Alicia Keys, Eva Longoria, Christina Applegate, Olivia Wilde, Eva Mendes, and many many more. 

What I find so special about this show is the topics they talk about and above all, how they talk about it. As the guests staring the show are all very famous, not only in the US, but also on the rest of the world, one would expect them to use this show in order to push their careers by saying whatever they think people might want to hear from them. All the more I was surprised when I first watched the show. They talk about love, sexuality, parenting, career, etc. All in all - about life and the difficulties everyone has to face and overcome, but also the positive sides of our existence. What makes the show really successful and fascinating, is, according to me, the honesty and wisdom the guests are sharing. Every single story of these famous women is extremely inspiring. One quickly realizes, that although they are rich and famous, they go through just the same stuff as women like us (who didn’t (YET ;)) make such an astounding career).

If you are a bit of a philosopher like I am, if you like talking about the “important” things of life – about what life is really about - every now and then, if you have a problem you are unsure how to solve, or if you just feel like you need some inspiration – take a look through some of the videos and see for yourself how moving, inspiring and touching these videos are. You can even watch the full episodes online. 

In case you prefer reading, there’s also plenty of selected articles on a great variety of subjects by people from all over the world – mostly writers, life coaches, psychotherapists or Amanda de Cadenet herself. 

Here’s a link to the videos: http://www.theconversation.tv/videos/
 
ENJOY! :)

Villacher Fasching - LEI LEI!

 

 

I guess all of you have at least heard something about the Villacher Fasching before. It is a carnival that takes place every year in February in my hometown, Villach, in Carinthia. This year we are celebrating it on February 9 and as the date is coming closer and closer I am starting to think about a costume. You should know that the Villacher Fasching is very popular in Villach and that it is one of the main events throughout the year besides the Villacher Kirchtag and the European Bike Week. You should also know that we really love to get dressed up. We usually invest either quite a lot of money in our costumes or a great deal of creativity, which is what I am usually going for. Of course there are always some people who are not that into putting on a disguise, but the majority of children as well as adults definitely loves it. For us “Villacher” it is that special time of the year, when we are officially allowed to make a fool of ourselves, to make fun of others, to joke around and above all, to amuse ourselves and have a great time with our family and friends.

The Villacher Fasching always takes place on a Saturday and in the afternoon there is a huge parade that lasts about one and a half hours. Hundreds of groups participate in it. I guess what makes it so attractive is that basically anybody can found a group. All you need is at least five other persons that accompany you. Once you have found your allies you just have find a theme and decide whether you want to walk or drive. Finally you have to fill in a registration form, send it in and you are good to go. Normally plenty of schools and kindergartens take part in it as well as fire brigades, politicians, advertising agencies, sports clubs, dance groups, bands and other fellow citizens. The parade is a spectacular event. Loud music is being played by live bands or coming from loudspeakers fixed on the cars or tractors that are passing by, confetti and candy thrown off the cars or distributed by the groups are constantly flying through the air, everybody is shouting “LEI LEI!”, and the mostly amazing and original costumes are a pleasure to look at. Also, more and more international groups are participating, especially Italinas and Slovenes. 

The highlight of the parade is the adult as well as the children “Prinzenpaar”, a selected adult and children’s couple that is crowned every year on November 11, the official beginning of the carnival. The tradition of crowning two couples goes back to 1956. The prince and the princess form a fictive couple (they usually don’t know each other beforehand) and are supposed to take care that everyone behaves correctly during the period of carnival. In reality though, they mostly party a lot themselves and appear in the media several times. Furthermore the “Villacher Faschingsgarde” is an essential part of the parade. It describes a group of girls dressed in black and yellow uniforms that performs a typical dance during the parade.

I love celebrating Villacher Fasching. I mean, who wouldn’t? How great is it being granted permission to do whatever you want for an entire day? Usually I either throw a party myself or attend a friend’s party. After our little get-together we go out and celebrate in the city with all the other dressed up “Faschingsnarren”. We also have a few food traditions. Herring salad, fritters (=Krapfen) and a Carinthian specialty called “Fleischnudeln” (a dough made of potatoes filled with smoked meat) accompanied by sauerkraut and crackling (=Grammeln) are my personal favorites. 

So, if you haven’t had the chance to be a part of the Villacher Fasching yet, I highly recommend you to try it out at some point. With this in mind, LEI LEI!!!

My name is Luka - Suzanne Vega

I would like to tell you about yet another famous song with an interesting background story. This time I chose “My name is Luka” by Suzanne Vega, a catchy tune that seems to spread joy and happiness, but by taking a closer look at the lyrics you realize that it is actually a very sad song about a big issue.

Suzanne Vega released her highest-charting hit “Luka” in 1987. It was one of the earliest songs that dealt with child abuse and domestic violence. Contrary to the sad topic, the music is quite lively and joyful and revokes feelings of happiness. This was made on purpose and is supposed to be a metaphor for all the victims of child abuse and domestic violence, who often tend to deny their abuse.

Suzanne Vega once said about her song: “A few years ago, I used to see this group of children playing in front of my building, and there was one of them, whose name was Luka, who seemed a little bit distinctive from the other children. I always remembered his name, and I always remembered his face, and I didn't know much about him, but he just seemed set apart from these other children that I would see playing. And his character is what I based the song Luka on. In the song, the boy Luka is an abused child—in real life I don't think he was. I think he was just different.”

My favorite line of the lyrics is “I think it’s because I’m clumsy”. Not only do these words describe how too many victims of child abuse and domestic violence handle their situation (namely by lying about it or even worse - denying it), but they also emphasize how the victims feel about their mistreatment. They often think that it is their fault that they are being mistreated and they come up with various reasons for justifying the actions of their abusers. In fact, it is not at all their fault though. All in all, child abuse and domestic violence is a very complex topic that preoccupies an uncountable number of people all over the world and unfortunately many people are still afflicted by it. Susanne Vega surely succeeded in touching hundreds and thousands of people with her song, which is (according to me) the most powerful tool of a song.

My name is Luka
I live on the second floor
I live upstairs from you
Yes I think you've seen me before
If you hear something late at night
Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight
Just don't ask me what it was
Just don't ask me what it was
Just don't ask me what it was 

I think it's because I'm clumsy
I try not to talk too loud
Maybe it's because I'm crazy
I try not to act too proud
They only hit until you cry
And after that you don't ask why
You just don't argue anymore
You just don't argue anymore
You just don't argue anymore 

Yes I think I'm okay
I walked into the door again
Well, if you ask that's what I'll say
And it's not your business anyway
I guess I'd like to be alone
With nothing broken, nothing thrown
Just don't ask me how I am
Just don't ask me how I am
Just don't ask me how I am

My name is Luka
I live on the second floor
I live upstairs from you
Yes I think you've seen me before
If you hear something late at night
Some kind of trouble, some kind of fight
Just don't ask me what it was
Just don't ask me what it was
Just don't ask me what it was 

I think it's because I'm clumsy
I try not to talk too loud
Maybe it's because I'm crazy
I try not to act too proud
They only hit until you cry
And after that you don't ask why
You just don't argue anymore
You just don't argue anymore
You just don't argue anymore

Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton

I love finding out more about the background of songs, especially if I can relate to the lyrics in any kind of way or if the lyrics move me personally.

In an earlier post I have already revealed some facts about the Boomtown Rats' song I Don't Like Mondays. In this post I would like to tell you about Eric Clapton and what kind of tragic event inspired him to compose one of his most successful songs - Tears in Heaven.

Eric Clapton, born 30 March 1945, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. On 20 March 1991, Eric Clapton's four-year-old son, Conor, died after falling from the 53rd-floor window of his mother's friend's apartment in New York City. Shortly afterwards Eric Clapton wrote the song Tears in Heaven, which was co-written by Will Jennings. By means of this song, Eric Clapton expressed his grief and mourned over the sudden loss of his son.

The song was initially featured on the soundtrack to the film Rush (a movie about two cops who go after an elusive drug dealer and eventually become drug addicts themselves) and it won three Grammy Awards.
In 2004 Eric Clapton stopped playing the song due to personal reasons. He explained to the press that he could not perform it anymore because his emotions had changed over the years. He did not feel the same kind of loss anymore as he did right after the mortal accident of his four-year-old son, which is such an essential part of performing the song according to him. In an interview Eric Clapton stated: " I almost subconsciously used music for myself as a healing agent, and lo and behold, it worked...I have got a great deal of happiness and a great deal of healing from music."

I think the number of people all over the world who know this song is completely amazing, even though the majority probably does not even know about the meaning of the song and what Eric Clapton tried to express with it. All in all, it is a song written about the pain and loss Eric Clapton felt following the death of his little boy who died at a terribly young age.

I added the video for you to listen to it once more - if you feel like it.

New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro

 

 

Unfortunately I am not talking about myself. I was not the lucky one to spend New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro - my brother was. He is currently on a two-week holiday in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro. His trip with four of his friends started on December 25th. As I already mentioned, they had the unique chance to spend New Year's Eve on Copacabana beach. I am a very adventurous person myself and love travelling more than anything else, which makes me really really jealous of my brother. Ever since he told me about his New Year's Eve in Brazil I am dreaming about spending New Year's Eve there as well some day in the near future.

I did some research on how the inhabtitants of Rio de Janeiro usually spend their New Year's Eve and here's what I found out. (I did not find out too many details about it from my brother yet, because he is busy going sightseeing and lying on the beach, tanning in the searing sun of Brazil - average temperature: 38 degreees) Anyway, Copacabane Beach is famous for its amazing celebration and fireworks display. New Year's Eve takes place in the middle of the summer, right when the temperature is at its highest and when the kids are off school. Many people traditionally wear white clothes and throw flowers and/or small mementos into the surf believing that if they do not come back, their wish or prayer will be granted. The fireworks display at midnight is famous all over the world and is watched by several million people on the beach. So, I can only imagine that you do not have a lot of personal space and that pickpockets make a fortune on December 31st. The fireworks are launched from various barges in the ocean. According to me it is completely overwhelming and one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in my life. I spent my New Year's Eve at the Schlossberg in Graz and thought the fireworks were stunning, but take a look at the video I posted below and see for yourself that the fireworks in Rio de Janeiro are not that famous all over the world for no reason.
One day, I am certain of that, I will spend New Year's Eve in Rio de Janeiro and enjoy the amazing fireworks. It must be even more beautiful to experience it live than it already is on the video.

Happy New Year and All the Best for 2013!!!!

Much needed inspiration

The last few weeks have been quite stressful. We had to study and revise for hours, take plenty of exams, hand in loads of homework and profit from the little free time left at the same time. As we are now finally getting closer to three weeks of relaxation and mostly study-free time, I thought we could all need some inspiration in order to keep up our enthusiasm and motivation for the last week at university and for the last few exams before Christmas break.

So, here is a video I have recently come across that really inspires me. Will Smith shares his wisdom talking about the purpose of life, how to live a meaningful life and above all how to enjoy life. I filtered out the most important phrases for you:

• Greatness exists in all of us. 
• I know who I am, I know what I believe and that is all I need to know. 
• There are no shortcuts to success. 
• Lay one brick at a time. 
• Focus on making a difference. 
• He, who says he can and he, who says he can't are both usually right. 
• Make a choice. Decide what it's going be, who you're going be, how you're going do it. Just decide. From that point the universe is going to get out of your way.  
• You really have to focus with all of your fibre, all of your heart and all of your creativity. 
• The truth is the only thing that is ever going to be constant. 
• Don't ever let somebody tell you you can't do something. 
• If you want something, go get it. Period. 

Just go ahead and watch the video. I really hope you like it. I know it is quite long, but it is absolutely worth it plus it is a good listening exercise for everyone.

Will Smith Inspiration:

See Jane Run - Book Review

I would like to tell you about "See Jane Run", a novel in the thriller genre written by Joy Fielding in 1991. I have read it about a year ago and as it is completely captivating I can only recommend you to read it as well. (In case you don't know it already. ;) )

The book centers on a young woman called Jane Whittaker who finds herself at the grocery store in Boston one day and although she remembers why she went to the grocery store (namely in order to buy some milk and some eggs), she has no memory whatsoever about herself. She can't remember her name, her age or even what she looks like. She wanders the street of Boston for a while not knowing what to do until she discovers that she is wearing a blood-stained blue dress and carrying 10.000 dollars in her pocket. At this point she decides to head to the local police station, where a doctor claiming to be her husband picks her up. Reunited with her husband they return back home. Little by little Jane begins to uncover her past only to find out the horrific truth about what had happened and why her mind had forgotten all of it.  

This book hooked me from the very first line and I finished reading it in no time. I was eager to know what would happen next. Joy Fielding really has a talent for keeping the reader in suspense until the very last page. I was absolutely amazed and above all surprised by the ending, which was not at all what I had expected. You know how sometimes, when you watch a movie or you read a book you can already tell after a few minutes how it's going to end. Well, in this case the author really holds your attention through the entire book and shocks you in the end with the final revelations.

Just to reassure you, the book belongs to the category of thrillers but except for the blood-stained blue dress there is not really that much blood involved. Instead, you will be dealing with attempted murder, hostage-taking and plenty of secrets and lies. 

If you are interested in the book, go get it and I promise you will have a good read. It was also made into a movie in 1995 but I didn't get a chance to watch it yet. Anyway, I don't think the movie can outdo the book.

Welcome to my blog! :)

Hey guys! :)

As you probably already know - my name is Claudia, I am 20 years old and I am from Carinthia, Villach. 
Although I already graduated in 2010 I only started my studies "Transcultural Communication" (French and Russian) in 2011. That's because I decided to take a gap year and spend some time in France after my graduation and before starting to go to university. I worked as an au-pair in Marseille and Montpellier for eight months which really helped me to improve my language skills and to decide what I really wanted to do in my future. It was a great and very enriching experience and I would definitely do it again.
Beginning to study "Transcultural Communication" was one of the best choices I have ever made. And because I like it so much I decided to add a third language last year - English. As you can see I am just really into languages and very ambitious at the same time. 
What I like most about languages in general is just the idea that they allow us to connect with people from all over the world, to share experiences and to travel anywhere without (at least almost without) any communication problems. 
My biggest passion besides languages is travelling. I have already been to many many countries in Europe, so now I would like to venture out of Europe. If everything goes according to plan I will be going to Canada, Tasmania and Russia next year. I am already suuuuper excited :)
I am also very much into sports of any kind - running, handball, tennis, volleyball, swimming, skiing...I just like to be active and spend a lot of time outside.
So, that's all you need to know about me I guess. I am looking forward to reading your blogs!!! :)


Have a nice day! :)


 

Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays

You probably all know the song "I Don't Like Mondays" by the Boomtown Rats. But do you also know the story behind it? No? Well, don't worry, I'll solve that mystery for you right now.

The song was written in the summer of 1979 by Bob Geldorf in response to the shooting spree of the 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer, who who killed two adults (including the principal) and injured eight children and a police officer with her father's gun. The shooting took place in a school playground at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California, on Monday, the 29th of January in 1979. Brenda Ann Spencer showed absolutely no remorse about her killing and injuring of several people. In her confession she offered the following explanation for her actions: "I just started shooting, that's it. I just did it for the fun of it. I just don't like Mondays. I just did it because it's a way to cheer the day up. Nobody likes Mondays."

These words really got to Bob Geldorf, who performed his number one hit song only a few weeks later. He couldn't stop thinking about Brenda Ann Spencer's statement and reason for killing people, which is why he finally put pen to paper to let go of his emotions. The words "silicon chip inside her head had switched to overload" popped into his head and as he couldn't get rid of them they finally became an essential part of his lyrics. Hearing the phrase "Tell me why?" over and over again during the numerous interviews of the shooter, made him inlcude these words in his lyrics as well.

Ever since I heard the story behind this song, I see Mondays in a different way. I have stopped whining about the end of the weekend and the beginning of a new stressful week and started accepting Mondays just the way they are. Maybe the same thing will happen to you. So, just listen to the song once more and take a closer look at the lyrics. Afterwards, you may even be cured of the "Mondayphobia".

The Marriage Counselor - Norman Rockwell

Norman Rockwell was born in New York City in 1894. Already at the age of only 14 he wanted to become an artist. Taking classes at art schools got him closer to the realization of his dream. His passion and talent led to early success. Still in his teens, Norman Rockwell found immediate work as an illustrator for Boys’ Life magazine. This was only the beginning, of a blossoming career, which made him popular all over the world.

As a freelance painter he covered plenty of different topics in his works of art, they all have something in common though. In his illustrations he aimed to show the America he knew by everyday scenes taking place especially in a small-town person’s life. Also, his paintings were often depicted in a humorous way or with a certain simple charm. Norman Rockwell’s pictures make particular use of the aspects of simplification and moral perspective. His drawings turn random or even disconnected events into stories by simplifying, connecting dots and creating story lines. To sum up, they allow us to find useful meaning in everyday events. Anyway, he has often been criticized for moderating lives too sweet and too narrow. 

To create his scenes, Rockwell used to hire models, which he placed carefully for charcoal sketches and even for photographs later on. “Freedom of Speech”, “Freedom to Worship”, “Freedom from Want” and “Freedom from Fear”, which turned out to be enormously popular, earned Norman Rockwell huge success. Over the years he worked for several magazines, such as “Life” or “Literary Digest”. All in all, he is supposed to have created more than three hundred paintings, some of which are nowadays exhibited in the Norman Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts. 

One of his probably not so popular paintings called “The Marriage Counselor”, which has not even been published, is of particular interest to me. I found it by chance whilst admiring some of Norman Rockwell’s works of art. As soon as I saw it, it made me laugh out loud. The picture shows a couple seated in the waiting room of a marriage counselor. The husband sports a black eye and folds his arms across his chest, while the wife sits beside him, holding his hat in her lap and shooting him a stern look. There is nothing to laugh about the scene itself as it concerns domestic violence, but according to me the presentation is absolutely hilarious. I just love the expressions on the couple’s faces, especially the wife’s one. She is depicted with raised eyebrows, a cockeyed glance and the slightest hint of a sideways grin, almost as if she were proud of herself for giving her husband a shiner and as if she enjoyed the situation. The sulking husband also has raised his eyebrows, but more in a way of expressing his discontent with the situation instead of being smug like his wife, and gazes towards the office of the counselor. That’s what I call a real work of art - capturing an expression so precisely that a whole story is created in one’s mind simply by glancing at the picture.  

Hurricane Preparedness

As the hurricane "Sandy" is just about to hit the east coast of the United States of America, I was wondering how the population prepares for a natural disaster like this one and which precautions are taken. That's why I did some research and here's what I found out.

First of all, you have to make sure whether you live in an evacuation area and evaluate the risks of vulnerability to your home by storm surge, flooding and wind. There's a local Nation Weather Service and a local Emergency Management Office available for everyone, which can be contacted in order to find out what type of emergencies could occur and how to respond to those. Moreover there are websites to one's disposal, where one can gather information about hazard and flood risks.

Some kind of planning is recommended as well, as there are a few questions coming up for the afflicted inhabitants, once a hurricane is forecast to hit their hometown. How will you find your friends and family in case you are separated? Will you know if your children or parents are safe? What will you do if water, gas, electricity or phone services are shut off? That's why people are encouraged to develop and document plans for their specific risks. For example families need to elaborate a Family Emergency Plan, pet owners should have plans to care for their animals, schools and daycares need School Emergency Plans and business owners should create Workplace Plans.

People should put together a basic disaster supplies kit, composed of various useful items: water (enough for at least three days for drinking an sanitation), food (also at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food), battery-powered radio plus extra batteries, flashlight, first aid kit, whistle to signal for help, dusk mask to help filter contaminated air, cell phone with chargers, local maps, manual can opener for food, wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, moist towelettes, garbage bags, duct tape and plastic sheeting to shelter-in-place (in case you have to stay where you are for a longer period than expected).

The most important thing though is to constantly seek for up-to-date information from the very first announcement of a hurricane up until the final declaration of safety. This allows you to have enough time to pack and inform friends and family in case you need to leave your home and you can think about whether to stay or evacuate your home if you are not ordered to evacuate.

When waiting out a storm people should be careful, because the danger may seem to be over, although actually it might not be over yet. For example tornadoes are often unexpectedly provoked by hurricanes and the calm "eye" of the storm may make you believe the storm is over, but after the eye passes, the winds will change direction and quickly return to hurricane force. All in all, people always need to wait until an area is declared safe before returning home.

To sum up, everyone needs to be prepared for the unexpected, as they may even have to evacuate or be confined to their home. The risks of a hurricane should by no means be underestimated! Unfortunately many lifes have been lost already due to hurricanes. There's a lot more precautions that can be taken, but I guess I won't have enough space to enumerate all of them, which is why I mentioned only the most important ones (according to me). For more information don't hesitate to go to http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes. (Which is only one of the many websites offering information about hurricanes and also other natural disasters!)

Athletics

Sprinting, shot put, javelin throwing, hurdling, relay race...what is athletics really about?  

As I like to work out I deciced to take an Athletics class this winter semester, which is arranged especially for students by the USI, the centre of sports of the University of Graz. By no means did I wake up one day and tell myself I have to try out Athletics. Quite the contrary, I originally wanted to sign up for lacrosse, hockey or some other kind of team sport. Unfortunately I couldn't get into any of these classes, so I figured: Why not try out Athletics?! So, as you can see it was a decision made on the spur of the moment. And in the end, it was a great decision, because I am having a blast every Wednesday night from 17:00 to 18:30. 

Do any of you guys know the main disciplines of athletic sports? No? Well, neither did I up until my first class three weeks ago. First of all, there's a division of three kinds of disciplines: run, jump and throw. That was quite easy, wasn't it? But there's still a lot more to it than that! Those three disciplines are divided in many other categories. The discipline "run" describes sprint, middle-distance, long-distance, hurdles and relays. "Jump" combines long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault. Last but not least, "throw" includes shot put, discus throw, hammer throw and javelin throw. 

The competitions mostly take place in arenas, but there are also other types of venue, such as set courses on grass or woodland, and road-based courses. The category "run" takes place in the track, which is, which is standardly 400m long and has at least eight lanes in 1.22 m width, while jump and throw are held in the field. 

 

 

 

The participating athletes have the choice to compete in one or more disciplines, according to their specialties. Furthermore the competitions between men and women are completely seperated as the conditions for the male and female competitiors differ in certain competitions. For example different kinds of weights are used for the throwing discipline and different heights for the hurdling competition. 

I hope you liked the little insight into Athletics that you just gained and maybe one or another will try it out sometime. I can only recommend it! ;)