carried away

Millions of women in dozens of countries are screeching in one voice: two more days to go!

red tape

I was about to take the shortcut through Burggarten/Heldenplatz to the office this morning, but ended up having to walk around the park. Why? Because the square is being turned into the so-called Fan Zone for the EURO 2008.

Allegedly, some people are really excited about the EURO.

I recently had an almost-argument with a German friend who has lived in Vienna for years. When myself and two other friends were moaning about all the detours and obstacles we would have to put up with because of the EURO 08, never mind hooligans, she accused us of being narrow-minded and not appreciative of the historical event we were about to host. "Typically Austrian," she said - "On the one occasion to get to host an event of such proportions all you do is complain about changed tram timetables."

She has a point, but I can't help wondering if the city (or in fact any city) would make such a big fuss for a cultural event. Like, the sort of event, I would actually want to attend and take part in.

gate-crashers

Everything was fine when I left for work yesterday morning. When I came home, dozens of ants greeted me in the kitchen, industriously scurrying back and forth between sink and window. I have no idea where they come from and whether they intend to settle here for good, inviting other members of their extended family to abuse my hospitality, I just hope they like potion in the ant trap I bought this morning. Adios amigos, don't outstay your welcome...

yum, yum

The last few days I've been reading an extremely interesting book, called A Hungry Planet. Americans Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio visited families all over the world and asked them to spread out the groceries they need for one week and took photos of the food and the people who eat it. Countries ranged from Australia to Greenland, including a refugee camp in Chad and the Japanese island of Okinawa, where the unusually high number of centenarians is linked to the local food an overall healthy and stress-free life. The authors also asked each family for a special recipe and the reader get an insight in its daily routines and culinary culture. It's fascinating to see the different types of food, homegrown and shop-bought alike, and learn how big the difference in expediture between affluent developed nations and extremely poor Third World countries is.

Rewind

On Tuesday, I had a lunch date with two ex-colleagues and as my new office is a ten-minute walk from Coma HQ, I met them there. It was odd. I hadn't been there since last summer, but unfamiliar new faces apart, very little seemed to have changed. AFOS was still busy throwing out books of the library and transforming her room, my ex-room, into a dump. The wall in front of my desk still hadn't been painted and you could make out the shapes of the cards and posters I had put up.
The Serbian security guard, who used to serve me pastry on a plate every other morning, was dressed in a shiny new uniform, his tie decorated with a pin in the shape of handcuffs.

Rape (the good kind)

This time of the year, rape is in full bloom on the fields, as are daffodills and daisies. I love the vibrant yellow of rape in particular. Not only because I'm currently in my yellow phase.

N.Y. PS

Haven't shown you this one yet:A bag bought in N.Y. at the famous Century 21 which, by the way, didn't live up to my expectations at all. It's by LeSportsac, a brand I always associate with Japanese tourists and which you usually find at airport shopping arcades. They're usually really expensive for fabric bags, but this one was only $ 28. I love the 70s wallpaper design.

Adrenaline

After I survived yesterday's car crash unscathed, I decided a swim in the 15° erm, warm, water of the Wörther See won't kill me either. And it hasn't. Not yet anyway.

I have to say, though, that it was definitely on the very refreshing side, but my skin felt incredibly smooth and warm when I emerged from the water.

close shave

On the occasion of today's Mother's Day I originally wanted to post something about lilac and how it reminds me of this day:

Then, on the way home from my Granny's, the day ended somewhat unexpectedly, with a car crashing into ours (the one on the left): Somehow, lilac is not the thing closest on my mind tonight anymore, but I'm glad to be alive. Sure, it's a bummer if your (parents') car is rendered useless in a matter of seconds, but then, there's much, much worse things.

There's SOME things I'm definitely going to miss

The Firm's Vienna branch is going to move into new premises at what is probably Vienna's hottest and most central address. I'm really looking forward to it, not only because it's closer to my old lunch-break hunting grounds (red alert: lots of shoportunities!!!), but on the other hand, there are some things our current venue is unique for. Such as ducks sunbathing (?) on the roof of the transformer station right across the street (that's a scaffolded tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral in the back, by the way):

I was waiting for Novala

...to reveal the colour of this year's Enzis, but obviously she hasn't been to the MQ since their "summer opening" on April 30. Well, here it is, a somewhat *gay* purple:

genetic

It would have surprised me very much, had Chiquita and my excursion to the Shopping Dorado not yielded at least a handful of bags...

and those are just mine.

I'm proud to report that I solved the yellow-footwear-dilemma for a mere € 14.

I'm not telling you...

I've just finished an incredible book which I didn't read, but devour. It's so good in fact that I've decided to give it to some of my friends on the next occasion. Friends who are reading this blog regularly and who I doubt very much would discover this literary gem on their own. So I'm not telling you here, but trust me...it was SO fucking brilliant!

Oh, but in the meantime, you're very welcome to click on that handy Amazon-Link in the sidebar and feed my literary addiction...