Polka

Loituma Levans Polkka
and here are the lyrics

3-tägiges Konfliktmanagementseminar beim Retter in Pöllauberg.

Gewaltfreie Kommunikation nach Marshall B. Rosenberg

I discovered Quadriga Consort by chance when browsing YouTube for puirt a beul aka Scottish mouthmusic.

... und es geht weiter mit den Abschieden - diesmal in der Arbeit ... Nicht auszudenken, ich würd mal auswanderen.

Mein Kolleg_innen haben mich mit einem großen Überlebenspaket bedacht - man weiß ja nie, wie die Versorgung in der Fremde so ist ;-) - inklusive einer eigens aufgenommen CD! Die großen Teile werd' ich wohl nicht mitnehmen können, aber die kommt jedenfalls mit - kiva!

* Sinngemäße Übersetzung: "Der Spatz auf der Hand ist besser als die Taube am Dach."
Wörtl. Übersetzung: "Besser ein Haselhuhn in der Hand als 10 auf dem Ast."

...und es geht munter weiter mit den Abschieden: mittwochs St. Veit, donnerstags in Fünfhaus...

Aber dafür hat meine Vermieterin heute - weniger als eine Woche vor dem geplanten Touch-Down - tatsächlich ein Lebenszeichen von sich gegeben: Koordinaten geklärt und Dach über dem Kopf gesichert!

Der Count-Down läuft, Zeit der Abschiede ebenso: Sonntags beim Wohnzimmerpicknick, dienstags beim allwöchentlichen Yoga ...

BarCampGraz So back in May I attended my first 5-in-1 Camp (design, politics, knowledge, geo and i). Unfortunately I could only attend one day - the camp lasted from Friday to Sunday - but it was still worth the day trip. Interessting people, interesting subjects, lovely vegan food and and organic, sustainably produced tee.

So, I'm not even there yet but there's already an intercultural Austro-Finish hiccup.

After having browsed for ages and ages on quite a few platforms for temporary accommodation, I'd finally made out a tiny studio which seemed to just suit my needs.

The prospective landlady's response was promising. My hopes high. That was in early June. It was quite busy at work so I didn't really have the time to follow up. Yet, come end of June it came to me that I was to head north in barely 1.5 months ... and that I hadn't got any sort of confirmed flat yet. So, I got a wee bit nervous. Then a mail from the lady: Would I like to take the studio? Like? Yes, of course! Please let me know how to proceed!

The next 2 weeks silence.

Ok, I'd already read in my first book on Finland that they're usually cut anything superfluous out of their communication. I can live with that. But she'd actually asked me a question and I had replied but hadn't received any sort of confirmation...

So I got even more nervous. With work and all the preparation that still needed to be done I didn't want to start from scratch with my flat search. So, I sent another mail.

Silence.

So I grew more and more tense. Started to approach everybody I knew who had the slightest connection with saunaland whether they could help me on that matter.

Still nothing. I got almost a bit scared.

Either she had received a better offer, i.e. someone wanting to stay for much longer. Or - and that was my secret hope - it was merely a question of the Finish summer frenzy.

Last week I couldn't bare the suspension anymore and called. I got hold of her - guess where - right, in the middle of her summer holiday.

Everything was fine. Next day I got a mail including the memorable words "one should always confirm" ;-)

I'd have loved to see "Posh" - but I will very likely miss this one. It's currently on at the Duke of York's, London. Apparently the reviews are not that thrilling, but I'd still have liked to see it. Well, maybe the next time again. At least a friend got me programme!

And "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" helped a bit to soothe the above "pain". Another supporting role but still ...

Suche Waschmaschine! Vielmehr eine Miniwohnung mit allem Drum und Dran und eben auch einer Waschmaschine. Und das ganze wenn möglich leistbar und zentral in Helsinki, Finnland. Das sollte schon langsam unter Dach und Fach kommen - immerhin ist schon Mitte Juni vorbei.

Unlängst in im Kosmoscafe Gaga:rin, einem netten, unprätentiösen, vegetarischen, aber leider verrauchtem Lokal unweit der Uni, stieß ich auf die Leiberlkollektion Outlaw Legend, die den sogenannten Gesetzlosen Tribut zollt. Auf 16 Modellen werden die Gesetzlosen mit ihrem Portrait, ihren Lebensdaten und Motto in unterschiedlichen Farben und Größen verewigt, darunter sogar 5 Frauen, die als Piratinnen, Banditenköniginnen oder Brigantinnen gegen Ungerechtigkeiten kämpften. Nachzulesen gibt's dazu dann noch - soweit bekannt - die historischen Daten.

After all those years Duran Duran came back to Vienna for a concert. Though the location was not my favourite one (Bank Austria Halle at Gasometer - far out and far from brillian acoustics), last time I'd seen them in the Stadthalle near the city centre, I so much enjoyed the show: a proper life concert, old and new songs, great involvement of the band, interaction with fans had me and the other fans singing, dancing, shaking like a mad house. As proper kids of the 80ies everybody seemed to totally ignore the invite to tweet during the concert! The set list included many of the old favs and quite a couple of new songs. The only thing I really missed was Save a Prayer. Two hours later I knew for sure that time travel works & is so rejuvenating. Duran Duran took us back to the 80ies, and left all their fans happy feeling two decades younger (at least!).
To read on: Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man's Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut by Rob Sheffield

Jan. 2, 2012: Me at the chocolate factory. What was usually scheduled for an hours or so, lasted for 2.5hrs. A visit at the organic bean-to-bar chocolate factory of Zotter based in the South of Styria, Austria, Europe. 2.5 hrs of mere pleasure of tasting and indulging in lovely chocolate beans, cream and bars. While our friends had already taken the shop by storm, we're still making our way through the bowels of the factory tasting all different sorts of solid and liquid chocolates. It was like in paradise! Check out for yourselves: Zotter
Didn't know that tonka beans had such an amazing smell!

I've always been interested in sharing knowledge with otheres. That's why I've done a 2 day project work on knowledge work in 2009 and a seminar on the subject matter the last two days. It's a bit disappointing tought to realise that although you might have fabulous ideas in this field, you know you won't be able to realize them due to lack of support by your superiors. Any suggestions on how to deal with this problem?

I've just discoverd a sub-site of the Learning and Teaching Scotland website dedicated to Scotland's songs. This sub-site gives quite a nice overview over and some background information about Caledonian songs and tunes, including sound bites. I could even find samples of Puirt-a-beul, i.e. mouthmusic, reminding me so much of last years mini workshop on Puirt-a-beul with Darren MacLean, offered as part of the Celtic Connections music festival