Tree cracked after thunderstorm

After the severe thunderstorms of last week we found our patio looking like this. The storm had just blown away this big tree here. Fortunately the strong winds didn't damage our warehouse on the right side, as the tree crashed straight forward onto the ground. However, I was pretty amazed when I saw what the thunderstorm had done. To me it seems as if the storms are really getting worse each year, all over the world. Until now we were quiet safe here in Vienna but who knows what the future will bring. I only hope that we're not getting any tornados or hurricans within the next decades.

Moving our audio-studio

Me struggling with tons of cables. As we're moving our audio-studio to another place, there's no way of avoiding this kind of work. But I usually try to see it as a form of meditation. Eventually I even started talking to the cables like, "where do you come from" or "where are you leading to". Before I got into this uncomfortable position I coded the cables, writing down where they were plugged in, in order to get them into the right inserts afterwards. So, I guess, plugging out all cables and devices was the easier task. Plugging them in again (so that everything works) will be a much harder thing to do.

Nationalpark Donau-Auen

Isn't it beautiful and breathtaking? Today I've been in the Nationalpark "Donau-Auen", just one hour from the center of Vienna. We drove there with the so called "Nationalparkboot", which is actually a boat taxi on the Danube channel. By the way, it's been a quiet ancient boat, dating back to Soviet times, as you still can see some russian writings and instructions on the walls and the panels. Nevertheless we've really enjoyed the trip into the national park. There we went

through forests and along coast sides. Our guide showed us some idyllic places and I took some nice pictures. If you wanna see "running pictures" (video), then you'll have to watch my next German Lesson, which will be about this beautiful National Park. Guess, I'll have to go there again for additional video material. So, it may take some time.

Lesson 6 / Lección 6 / Leçon 6 / Урок 6

So, here is something new. It's about the Vienna City Hall and I've also added a short video clip of the Life Ball 2010.

English:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfZWCHwltk0

French:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-qjWHVqTpc

Spanish:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjdzAi-Uaoo

Russian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0akuykPvFWk

Go-Kart Racing in Teesdorf

I just came back from a little go-kart race in Teesdorf, Lower Austria. Though we were only four pilots (Horsti, me, Norbert and Alexandra), we've really enjoyed the speed. What I didn't enjoy so much was the bad weather - cold, windy, light rain. We had fun, anyway. Especially me! I drove a very passionate race with full energy, but somehow the car didn't do what I wanted it to do. In it's former life my car must have been a lawn mower, rather than a racing go-kart. It's been about three times that I involuntarily slipped off the track, two times I rattled across the meadow and in the last round I nearly bumped into a crash barrier. Still I must say that my lap times weren't that bad. My fastest lap lay by 34.654 seconds. Horsti's and Norbert's top speed were about 34.34 seconds and even Alex made it to 35.344 seconds in her very first kart-race. What I've learned from this experience is: Little less passion, more brains!

Life Ball 2010 - Video Short Cut

As I don't wanna let you wait any longer, here is the video short cut from the red carpet (before the thunderstorm).
Just finished post-production and in case you wonder, who's singing the song "Coole Schwule", well - it's me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR3mDz0WRdw

Enjoy the costumes!!! They are really great!!!

Life Ball 2010 blown away by thunderstorm

Everything started so well, preparation, decoration, organisation and then ...
Well, let's start from the beginning. Yesterday I wanted to film some impressions of the famous Life Ball that takes place every year on Rathausplatz in Vienna. (My next German Lesson will contain a short feature on the Rathaus). I was quiet happy that I've found a good position right beside the official camera teams from all over the world. So I was able to capture some fantastic scenes on the red carpet (costumes, stars, a.s.o., which you'll hopefully see in my next language video).
Due to the thunderstorm warning, the organizers had decided to start the opening ceremony one hour earlier, but in vain. Nature said "no" after about one hour of broadcasting this major event and sent millions of raindrops from heaven. By the way, we really needed the rain after about three consecutive weeks of a tropical heatwave, only the moment wasn't that brilliant. Two hours later and everything would have turned out fine for the Life Ball, but there's nothing that one can do against nature. So, maybe the event will have better luck next year!