my conversation station

SARcasm included

2012-01-23T11:02:00.002+08:00

With the Chinese New Year craze happening right outside on the street, I sat down to report about the last couple of days, which at the same time were the first of my road trip. The two places I've visited so far, namely Hong Kong and Macau, are termed SAR (Special Administrative Region). Although they have their own language, currency, administration and immigration laws, China still tries to hold on to them in some way. This is said without any intent of encouraging a political discussion though. It should just be said.

Macau, the Vegas of the East, is a city full of contrasts. Having been under Portuguese administration, all the street signs feature the Portuguese version before the Chinese or English one. Although nobody really speaks the language any more, it creates an interesting feeling that reminded me a lot about Brazil. While the old town of Macau is really nice and European-like, the outer parts divide into poor living districts and big-ass Casino resorts. Some of them feature a luxury that could easily make the city a nice place when being distributed equally. Instead, it is mainly used to attract rich Chinese people and gamblers from all over the world. All in all though, it's hard to find anything more to do in Macau than gambling and having a stroll through the old town.

Not so in Hong Kong. This second SAR is a true world city, and an amazing one for that matter! Full of Westerners (both expats and tourists), Hong Kong features endless opportunities of sightseeing and going out. Over 70 percent of the islands that comprise Hong Kong are green, making weekend trips fairly easy. In downtown, however, green is a colour that is hard to find. Skyscrapers are crowded to an extent that I sometimes wondered how construction work was even possible. This fact makes the skyline the best I have ever seen, both from across Victoria Harbour and down Victoria Peak. But not only the different mix of skyscrapers makes Hong Kong so unique - it is also the mix of people. As mentioned earlier, there are a lot of Westerners to be found in this city. This might be due to the fact that Hong Kong is a lot like other world class cities (say New York, London, Seoul) and a convenient place to live if you fancy a metropolis. Actually, I am strongly considering of coming back here for a longer time, maybe for an internship or so. I could definitely see myself living in Hong Kong for a couple of months or a year. Since it's more a light version of Asia (an introduction to this continent, as to say), you can easily get around without knowing Mandarin or Cantonese. The English level is fairly high, owing to the fact that Hong Kong used to be a British colony. This also makes cars drive on the wrong side. Or the correct one, depending on whoever you ask.

To sum up, these two cities have provided an excellent start into my winter travels. As always, so many amazing people crossed my way, some of them being on the road for a year or so and gaining more personal experience that some 50 year-old doing 9-to-5 will ever have. I feel that travelling is not only about getting to know places. It's also about getting to know yourself, to an extent I have never thought possible. The world is just too big to think small!

Yours,
Martin

I dare. I risk. I go.

2012-01-05T20:03:00.000+08:00

Those are the closing words of a very special letter I received tonight. It not only made my day, but my life. It altered my vision of what real friendship means, shifting my mind to an unblurred moment of all-enclosing peace. Of all the swift encounters I've made so far, the close bond with the author of said letter stays forever. It's a feeling hardly felt and similarly hard to find. People strive for it their whole life. The purpose of this first blog post of 2012 is to utter my heartfelt and deepest gratitude for your incredible words, dear author. My humble writing can never be enough as a reply. Please accept this heavenly tune instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdN5GyTl8K0

After having read the words in the letter (which traveled all the way from Europe), I took a moment of deliberation to think about relations between people. And people in general. And life. Upon returning from this journey into the vast realms of my mind, I found the following issues to address: many people are cooler than me or more fun. I get jealous when I have to deal with them. Questions such as "why can't I be like them" pop up in my mind. The same goes for situations created by others: when said situation is better than those I could have created, jealously quickly shows its ugly face. Instead of enjoying the heck out of standing on a friend's rooftop last night, I questioned the non-existence of a such flat on my own. An explanation of why I am just living in a dorm room was requested by my mind soon after. The soundtrack for this dilemma might as well be entitled "Self vs. Self".

Moreover, I also envy people's endeavors, especially if those endeavors are on a "wish to do" list of my own. For instance, I was dreaming about a world trip for a long time, and when I saw several friends of mine embarking on wonderful journeys for several months, I found myself enviously staring at their pictures and reading their stories.
I also talked to a Canadian friend recently who, after having met him in Portugal two years ago, went on a trip through Europe and now resides in Australia. I was congratulating him on his endeavors, saying that I admired his courage to just go anywhere and travel for months on end. He answered that he admired what I did as well. Following his reply, it dawned on me that, after all, I am not too different from the people I admire. Of course I'd like to forget that and only think the others are having the best time while I'm doing nothing. Some people do more, some do less. But nobody does what I do. Therefore, my actions are unique and can only be performed by me. Mimicking others gets nothing done. It's better to express than to expect.

Happy New You,
Martin

Thought Production

2011-12-27T11:32:00.002+08:00

There are so many thoughts in my head that I can't process them all at the same time. I have to write them down, share them, let them nourish within other people's minds. They help me transcend boundaries imposed by myself and society. Transition and change, after all, keep us up and running.

All too often, I pose myself questions to the likes of "why are the others having a better time than me" or "why do they have more social interaction". The latter just recently applied when I realized that I don't know as many Taiwanese people as I'd like to. Everyone who knows more Taiwanese people than me suddenly becomes a potential figure to look up to and be imitated. Which, in turn, makes me feel bad about myself. Furthermore - and this is the first time I'm actually taking the courage to admit this - I frequently get the feeling that my life is not that great when I believe I've missed out on something (like a party or a concert). This might be one of the reasons why I'm always on the move - I just can't stand not having done something that any of my friends already have. Sometimes, I do things just to get them ticked off on an imaginary list, which doesn't do any good and is no fun either. I know that I seriously need to go back to doing things because I enjoy them, not because I have to prove something to someone. My life won't be diminished by not having done something. It's diminished by worrying about just that.

I also have troubles letting go. I feel that I carry around a pile of worries and troubles with me all the time. Deliberately forgetting those vicious thoughts has an amazingly liberating effect to it. Life is more enjoyable without useless burdens. Not everything has to be perfect. For many things, just their imperfection makes them enjoyable. Accepting little flaws as part of life makes life flawless. Adopting this kind of thinking in the course of the last couple of years made me less anxious, less stressed. Previously, I liked things because they were perfect. Nowadays, I like them just because.

Another issue I wouldn't mind getting rid of is biased anticipation. Don't get me wrong, it's absolutely acceptable to be looking forward to something. In the end, this anticipation is sometimes even better than the anticipated event. The problem I am facing, however, is the time between the announcement of an event and the event itself (which could be a concert, a flight or basically anything). The strong anticipation I have renders my current situation little more than time to be bypassed until said occasion, making those moments boring and not worthy of experience. This notion couldn't be further from what should be: the current moment also has a right of being lived to the fullest. The future and the past are just mind concepts - the only thing happening now is this moment.

Since you are reading this year's last blog entry, I'd like to include some closing words. Although the 42 previous blog posts thoroughly tell the story of 2011 from the beginning to the end, none of them can grasp the sheer incredibility that has been this best of years. Not even the sum of all the words written, all the pictures taken and all the sentences spoken can live up to the plain awesomeness of these past 360 days. I was frequently rendered speechless. Many dreams came true. And, most importantly, I feel that 2011 served as the biggest step into the right direction so far. I have a plan for life, and won't let anything stand between me and happiness. In the end, there's only one thing left to say: make it twelve.

Yours,
Martin

the future is analogue

2011-12-20T13:59:00.000+08:00

For years, I have been fascinated with analogue photography. Having grown up mainly in the digital age, I first couldn't understand why my parents and grandparents kept thousands of photos in clumsy books which only occupied space when you could also buy a digital camera and conveniently store your photos in one folder on your computer, taking up only a couple of megabytes. Moreover, I believed that nobody would ever be interested in my behaviour during Christmas 1995 or my cousin's birth. Well, my whole outlook on life has changed immensely since then, and so have my thoughts on this topic. Nowadays, I find the analogue way of taking photos more intriguing than ever. I don't exactly know why. Maybe because it's like a fortress in the digital world, maybe because it's more adventurous and daring than digital photography - you never quite know what you get as a result.

The first analogue camera I used was a Polaroid. Although the production of films has been discontinued in 2008 because of Polaroid's bankruptcy during the financial crisis, the ambitious Vienna-based "Impossible Project" (http://www.the-impossible-project.com) bought an old photo factory in 2009 and re-started the production on a private basis. It's gotten quite big and somewhat famous by now, and I support their mission. I also like the films that they produce, but unfortunately they are really expensive. Hence, I've been looking out for a new way to express my analogue desire lately.
The answer came in form of another Vienna-based company called "Lomography" (http://www.lomography.com). Founded by students in the 90s, the aim was to revive old analogue cameras like the Lomo LC-A from Russia or the Diana from Hong Kong. The latter was produced as an all-plastic toy camera in the 60s and sold for merely $1. It quickly vanished in the 70s after no initial success, but had its great return in 2007 when the Lomography Society started reproducing and distributing it all over the world. It has a loyal fan community which is growing day by day, and since a couple of weeks I am also a part of it.

The Diana F+ which I'm using is more than just a camera. It's a friend to visualize your mind. Of course the camera itself is not as good as its DSLR equivalent. Before, during and after the shot, you have no idea what the camera did, let alone how your pictures will turn out. One wrong move, one wrong shutter could mess up the whole picture. However, you shouldn't see these characteristics as flaws. Consider the following statement by expert Mark Sink: "Diana works because it lets you have happy accidents. Accidents are the key to success. One has to learn to let go and fail. We live too much in a failsafe world."

It is such a pleasure for a perfection-orientated person like me to just let go. Instead of bothering about the wrong lens setting of last night's wonderful shot, I just replace my anxiety for excitement about this happy accident.

In general, I believe that taking photos with an analogue camera can change your view of the world. You develop a sense for the little things, the details, the beauty in everything. Running through the streets shooting thousands of digital pictures is easy. Producing amazing shots of people and situations with analogue means is not. Don't get me wrong - I am not trying to condemn digital photography; I also shoot pictures in a touristy way with my digital camera. Analogue photography, however, is more like an upgrade to my photo experience. Although it is obvious that a digital picture costs far less than an analogue one, a Diana shot tells a hundredfold of the classic "thousand words" that a normal shot does. There's so much more in a Diana image than meets the eye. Every picture has a store like no other; every picture is unique. It's less of a photo and more of an artwork.

However, one last issue remains: skimming through the user galleries on the Lomography website, I feel intimidated. They are already so many incredible shots out there - how should my pictures ever live up to that myriad of breathtaking pieces of art? That's also a general life question I pose myself from time to time: of all the 7 billion people in the world, will there ever be a chance for me to be of any significance? Humans create so many amazing things; how should I leave my footprint? In both cases, the answer seems to be like this: just try your best. Your actions are definitely of significance. You are of significance. Anything and everything you do will affect the world in some way. Keep on trying.

I will leave you with the following Lomographic credo: "be fast be open-minded, be communicative". If you are interested, the digital environment hosting my analogue work is found at http://www.lomography.com/homes/SmartMart - it's still in the works, but will be filled with hundreds and hundreds of pictures to come.

So long,
Martin

Asia. Explored. Explained.

2011-12-11T14:45:00.001+08:00

After a highly inspiring talk with an American about this very blog, I feel it's time for yet another entry. Since I haven't really talked much about my environment here in Taipei, I'd like to catch up on that a bit.

The first topic of interest is traffic: like in every big city, it is naturally a pretty horrible matter. What's more, however, is the carelessness with which some people drive their vehicle. Especially scooter drivers can't be bothered to risk a glance or two to the side. Their reactions are excellent, but often this doesn't help to prevent accidents. Paradoxically, the rule for success in the Taipei traffic seems to be "don't fear, don't hesitate, just drive". This trial-and-error principle, of course, calls for courage, strong nerves and excellent control over your vehicle. Although me and my bike have learned pretty well how to cope with the traffic, I still take a double-prudent look on the street while driving. Even if you decide to go on the rightmost lane, you'll find yourself avoiding obstacles in form of vehicles which are just parked on the street without consideration. All in all, it seems that the general shyness and reservation of Taiwanese people quickly fades when they step on a vehicle.

The exact opposite, however, is the public transport. The Taipei Metro System, generally known as MRT, provides excellent service - it may be the cleanest and most organized metro I have ever seen. Only the subway systems of Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. can keep up to that standard. Moreover, it is ridiculously cheap: your journey to wherever won't cost you more than 1,60 Euros. The bus system, although not that easy to figure out, provides even cheaper service at about 0,30 Euros per ride.

A little detail on the traffic lights here in Taiwan: they are conveniently equipped with a countdown which tells you the time you have to wait before you can go nuts again or, conversely, the time still left before you have to stop going nuts. The pedestrian version of the traffic lights has a little figure which is walking casually during the green phase. When the countdown reaches 10 seconds, however, the little figure suddenly gets stressed out and starts to run. It is amusing every time.

Also, there is the garbage disposal truck. Although not very obvious itself, a catchy melody draws attention to it pretty quickly when driving around in the streets. During the day, this melody has the feel of an ice-cream truck to it; in the evening, however, the truck goes classy with Beethoven's "Für Elise" coming out of its speakers. Not the whole original version, of course, but a high-pitched children's tune consisting of only the opening theme of the piano bagatelle. Needless to say, being a garbage disposal truck driver must be one of the best-paid jobs in Taiwan. Insanity included.

The Taiwanese people are not only crazy in traffic, they are also crazy about shopping. Stores and boutiques are open until 10pm, and there is so much variety of clothes you often don't know where to start shopping. The recent opening of Zara in the most prestigious shopping street of Taipei attracted massive crowds. Although the Japanese brand Uniqlo is really big in Taiwan, it seems that Western brands like Zara or Mango get the most attention. The opening of the first H&M in Taiwan hasn't been announced yet, but I'm sure it will create a huge fuzz. Taiwanese people only know about H&M if they've been to South Korea, Japan or Hong Kong.

In a consumption city like Taipei, you expect to find some trash cans to get rid of your waste. Strangely, there are none, or only very few. The reason is not the fear of bombs like in London's financial district; it's just that the people used to put all their household garbage in public trash cans in order to avoid garbage disposal fees. Not really amused by that was apparently the Taipei City Government, so they removed practically all of the trash cans on the streets.

Furthermore, I experienced that Asian people can be dead serious about things about which Europeans can only shake their head in sheer bewilderment. The recent launch of three "Hello Kitty" aircraft by the Taiwanese airline EVA had nothing ridiculous to it. Neither have the two mascots "Open" and "Lock" of 7-Eleven - since this convenience store chain never closes down, the adorable "Open" wins the fight against the evil "Lock" every time. The story is backed by countless merchandise goods of these two characters and massive statues outside the stores. The same seriousness applies to certain rules: although it should be self-evident that sexual harassment and sneaky photography are not a wise thing to do on the Taipei Metro, certain hilarious posters warn you about this matter. Also, it's not allowed to "wash your shoes in the washing machine" and to "burn paper money in the area of the memorial". How boring.

A word on the locals themselves: they are incredibly friendly and helpful, but unfortunately also really shy and distant. It is often difficult to have a normal conversation or to start a friendship with them. Having been to South America this summer, I can draw a direct comparison between the mentalities of the people. Sometimes I wish that Asian people would be a bit more like people in South America. I miss the lust for life and the general happiness which is openly shown. The behaviour of the people here, although expected, sometimes gets on my nerves. I have no doubt that Asia will one day economically overrun Europe and the United States, but they still have to catch up socially.

Along with every new environment I am living in, I pose myself the question "could I live here for a longer time"? For Taiwan, the answer is "I don't think so". Don't get me wrong: this conclusion shouldn't at all be seen as a limiter to the good time I'm having here, nor do I want to express that I should have gone somewhere else. I really don't want to leave Asia at the moment, but in the long run, I'm not sure if I could handle the Asian mentality. Somehow I feel that my heart belongs to Europe. Of all the three continents I've lived in so far, the European lifestyle appeals to me the most. I believe it's only partly because I grew up in Europe. I highly respect and admire people who have found a new home far from where their origins are. It is actually my secret wish to go and live somewhere else for a long time (not only for a year). However, I haven't found a place except Europe where I instantly knew that I could stay there for good without second thoughts. This bugs me a lot and I'm often blaming it on my non-existent internationality and courage. I know I shouldn't put pressure on myself only because I really want to do or have something. When it's the right time, things automatically fall into place.

All the best,
Martin
-Asia

Have you found your S[e]oulmate yet?

2011-11-28T23:35:00.001+08:00

Dear readers, the intention of this post is to give you a small update concerning our recent trip to Seoul, which involved 5 days, 5 people and a lot of pleasant memories.

Since Taipei is such a wonderful base for exploring Asia, going to South Korea quickly turned from a notion into a plan this November (and not a bad one as such). Actually, the only annoying feature about South Korea was the cold. As a matter of fact, flying little over 2 hours to the North can have a tremendous effect on the climate! While Taiwan still enjoys 20-30 degrees, South Korea was greeting us with 0-10 degrees and a mean wind, making it feel like proper autumn (or even winter). I'm pretty sure that, should we have come to South Korea from Europe, it would have felt like a warm summer evening, but for us spoiled Taiwan residents, the temperatures were not nice at all! I have certainly gotten weaker concerning the cold, but I still don't know how I ever survived a European winter. What's more, I'm not looking forward to the January temperatures in China either. Good thing I'm recovering in the Philippines for one week in February.

Back to the actual topic of the post: Seoul itself quickly got me hooked and had no problems convincing me of its many different faces. I would go as far as to say that it became my most favourite city in Asia in those couple of days. The opportunities (be it sightseeing, shopping, dining or going out) seem endless and never render you bored. Another pleasant side effect was the price level. From what I experienced in Japan, I thought of South Korea as being much more expensive than it actually was. Just as I overestimated Korea, I underestimated Taiwan. In both countries, the things I bought cost roughly the same. Who would have thought that?

Public transport, of course, is excellent. I suppose it can't be anything else, for a huge crowd has to be brought to work and back every single day. The metro system is clean, cheap (going to anywhere in the city won't cost you more than a Euro) and efficient. Glass walls in every station keep people from falling (or deliberately jumping) on the tracks and make the incoming train hardly audible.

In particular, I enjoyed the contrasts of this metropolis. Looking down from the old city wall and the TV tower (both viewtiful sights), you could see a lot of green between the skyscrapers. Not as impressive, but certainly reminiscent of Rio de Janeiro. Many temples, shrines and palaces are just across the street of modern office buildings. The mountain on which the tower stands and the main shopping district are not separated more than a 10 minutes' walk. Keyword shopping: Koreans, just like the Taiwanese and the Japanese, are crazy about it! While the wide selection of international brands is slowly starting to flock to Taipei (the opening of the first Zara in Taiwan last month was a huge event), Korea already has it all - sometimes even twice. To my luck, I saw the first H&M since months and stocked up on pants. Interesting enough, the selection of 24/7 convenience stores like 7-Eleven or Family Mart is at times quite different. While I haven't found a single Peach Ice Tea in Taiwan (only Lemon and Honey-Pear), I encountered nothing but Peach flavour in Korea. Which was pleasant for me again, because that's my most favourite one.

After those more than useless last few lines, let's get back to something more meaningful: naturally, we've met a lot of interesting people again. Not only old acquaintances like Sae-Hee (who I first met in Toronto way back in 2009), but also new people from our hostel. This time, however, I somehow felt that the meetings had more like a "been there, done that" touch to them. Instead of being thrilled about international encounters, it seemed that I have gotten used to them. I don't approve of this development at all, and I will try to appreciate and treasure them like I did before. The beginning will be made by quoting an Irish girl from our hostel, who, as a reaction to our international group, joyfully uttered: "This is actually amazing!" It really was, and I will do my best to hold on to the elation I normally take from internationality.

For the conclusion of this entry, I want to share a little anecdote about travel coincidences. I know that I write a lot about those lately, but there are just too many of them who have to be told. This one involves a Saturday evening, one of the many bar/club venues in Seoul's Hongdae district and a beer. Not just some beer, mind you, but the local Austrian brew "Zipfer". I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a commercial for said beer brand on the club's wall! I instantly headed over to the bar to check if they sold it as well, but unfortunately they didn't. Still, I was proud of such a small beer going a long way. The world should not be deprived of Austrian brews.

Yours,
Martin
-back from South Korea

View As...

2011-11-14T20:03:00.001+08:00

Life is a funny thing. Once in a while and especially in times of transition, I start reflecting on my life and everything it is shaped by. During these sessions of thought, I can get a bit melancholic and sad, with many things popping up in my head. It gives me ease to share them with others, and this blog post intends to do so.

I've been thinking quite a lot about my view on life lately, mainly because right now, I see it changing every day. However, whichever perception of life I got this year, I bet it will be outdated the next. It always is. My last year's view on life also greatly differs from what I think and believe in at the moment. Especially when I try to label my current perception as the final one, I can't be more wrong. New features are added and removed all the time, and this movement doesn't stop at a specific point. The personality of humans grows with their age. Although it may be everyone's dream to stay forever young, nobody will fancy the idea of having the mind of a 20-year-old when your real age is actually double (you certainly won't have their drinking capabilities anymore). The most important thing is just staying yourself. Honesty and truthfulness are the only things that matter when choosing your life perspective. If you don't feel comfortable the way you live your life, you do something wrong. Do you want too much out of life? Do you want more? Can you have more? Answer these questions in an honest way, and choosing your life perspective will be an easier task.

It took a while for me to adapt a view on life that I was comfortable with. I didn't know what I wanted out of life, let alone how to get it. I had no idea which opportunities to grasp, where to find and how to seize them. The reason for this may have been the social struggle which I found myself in only a couple of years back. I didn't really have many true friends, didn't really fit in, didn't really know how to behave among people. It became better over the years, but it was a long and painful process. However, the first time I was really content with my social performance was last year, and now, I try to hard to continue the run. That's the reason why I was hurt a bit by a recent comment of a fellow exchange student mentioning that I seem a bit like a loner. I thought I was doing a pretty good job socially, finally being open-minded enough to talk to everybody without reservations. Granted, I might be looking at my smartphone too often when it's socially inappropriate and it is true that I like to be alone at times and can't stand to be with people 24/7. However, none of these things should give the slightest hint of me not wanting to be with people. Enjoying your own company once in a while is not to be confused with unsocial behaviour. I know the difference in feelings of not caring to be with people and simply wanting to have some quiet moments by yourself. It's just as necessary to have the silent moments as it is to have the crazy ones. The right balance is important. People who know themselves well will come across as much more confident. That's why that comment came as surprising and puzzling, leaving me searching and browsing for its meaning ever since. It seems that because of my history, remarks like this one act as my Achilles' heel.

Today, still, I am sometimes unsure where I am staying in life. I am torn by different opinions and easily influenced by other people. Often, I see other people do something and expect the same, done by me, to live up to a certain standard. Most times when I do so, it turns out to be not quite as good. Sometimes, I tend to turn to people who seem to enjoy the same activities I like for a sort of guidance and, subsequently, I try to imitate their schedules. That, my dear friends, is a horrible strategy. How in the world should this ever make you content with your own performance? There will always be people who have more social connections, be more active or study more. Mirroring them is a sign of giving up your own personality. Only when you do it in an unspoiled way, you'll be able to create your personal and therefore the best experience.

This, of course, doesn't imply that you should ignore your social environment. If you define your personality entirely on your own, you will miss out on other people's input. It's not too bad to pick raisins and add the frosting by yourself. There's nothing wrong with adding a character trait you like in others to your personality. Diverse inputs keep life happy, interesting and - most important - running. Spending time with the same never-changing group of people can result in a monotonously shaped personality. Believe me; the "been there, done that" principle applies for me on that.

I have also been giving some thought to the topic of happiness. When can you say that you are really content? Maybe you can't, for it's just a snapshot of your mind. Maybe it's those moments where your thoughts don't focus on what to change in your life or don't sweep back to the "good old days". My personal happiness in different chapters of life becomes an issue especially when a major change occurs (usually a change of place). It is a comparison of social situations that takes place soon after the move itself - first Toronto, then Linz, now Taipei. Whenever I enter a new environment, I automatically start comparing it to the previous one, considering social connections, overall experience and the like in my judgement. The new environment always loses this comparison, making me feel unhappy and in an urge to move away. In a normal progress of thoughts, rational thinking should appear at this point and dismiss those vicious thoughts. Which doesn't always happen, of course. It didn't happen for Toronto, the reason being that I haven't been quite ready for that adventure abroad. It took a long time to happen for Linz. Also for Taipei, one side of my thoughts still rests on Austria. Unfortunately, I can't help having these notions, but at least I don't let them interfere with my overall perception.

Said overall perception, by the way, is still a positive one. After more than 2 months, initial excitement was suppressed by work though, but also everyday life in Taipei isn't particularly bad. Nevertheless, new thoughts are making their way in my head again: had I chosen a semester rather than a year, would I prolong my stay? I honestly couldn't tell, mostly because I am here for a year. On the one hand, I enjoy being here; on the other hand, I have been here and seen quite a few things, why not go back? These thoughts - frequently uninvited guests - make my life sometimes arduous and wearisome to live. Letting go of them is hard. Music helps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KId5R_f-YI. My first thought after this divine tune: It doesn't matter where you live, you can have a good time everywhere.

Let the closing words be of positive nature: The best has already happened. The best is yet to happen. The best is happening right now. I'm eager to meet everything and everyone awesome out there that I haven't met. There is no tomorrow and no yesterday, just today. Instead of wasting your precious energy on desperately trying to answer "what if" questions, better concentrate it on "how awesome" exclamations. Instead of not acknowledging what you got and always comparing it against a better thing, just think of how blessed you are. As long as you don't stop dreaming, you have something to believe in.

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me
that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school,
they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.
I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand
the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life."

(John Lennon)

Left without words,

Martin

-where I belong

To believe in wonders is a wonderful belief.

2011-11-04T21:15:00.001+08:00

Today, I want to share a story that is hard to be exceeded in terms of wonders. It involves the same character as my July blog post "Happiness Overdose". To that day, she is still one of the most caring and helpful persons I know. I don't believe in God himself, but whichever higher being there might be - she should be blessed by it.

A couple of weeks ago, an Austrian student who goes by the name of Elmar disappeared to South America, more precisely La Paz. His parents were unable to contact him by any given communication channel, and he wasn't on board of his return flight either. Naturally, they started worrying and reported him as missing. A website was set up, which featured the appeal of finding him in German, English, Spanish and Portuguese. Since I have just been in South America this summer and basically travelled the same places as Elmar, I immediately spread the word to all the people I knew who live in the area of question. Again, this woman who was so incredibly nice to us in Brazil helped where she could: she forwarded the message to journalists and TV stations as well as to her friends. Gradually, the case caught public attention, both in Austria and in Bolivia, and a plea for help was even aired on Bolivian television.

Several days ago, more and more hints surfaced which determined Elmar's location to be in Brazil's Rio Branco, the city we used as a gateway for entering Bolivia. Soon after, I got a message of said woman who reported that one of her friends has apparently spotted Elmar in this area. Then, a day later, the relief: Elmar has been found! He was travelling in the rain forest without any communication and got stuck in a demonstration for 10 days, unable to inform anyone of his whereabouts. Now he is back in Austria, safe and sound.

I don't know about you, but for me, this is one of the greatest encounters of human goodwill and partnership I've stumbled upon in a long time. Different people, regardless of race and religion, join forces to help a fellow human in need. In my opinion, it is a remarkable example of the wonderful spirit that connects us all. Greatly facilitated by the Internet, the word spread from two worried parents via several people who don't even know Elmar (including me) all the way to Bolivian media. Since everyone is scientifically connected to everyone else by a maximum of 6 connections, people who made use of those connections greatly aided in locating Elmar. I am infinitely grateful for this human courtesy and the power it creates. Thanks to everyone involved, in particular to this woman I previously mentioned. If you read this, you can be proud of your contribution to community!

Should Elmar happen to stumble upon these lines, here is my message to you: welcome home! It's good to have you back. Hope you enjoyed your stay in South America after all.

Peace, Love & Music,
Martin
-Taipei

Live. Love. Laugh.

2011-11-02T00:21:00.003+08:00

Dear friends, I have just returned from my journey to the Philippines. It was just a short trip, but the impression it made on me will last for a lifetime. I am pretty sure that these next couple of paragraphs are the most inspired I will write for a long time.

First of all, I have to say that in these few days, the Philippines became my most favourite country so far. The beauty of this country is unrivalled and the friendliness of the people exceeds everything I have ever experienced. Needless to say, I felt at home in an instant. I would even go so far as to say that the Philippines are one of the few countries (alongside the UK and my home country) where I could see myself settling for a longer time. The exciting mix of South American joy and Asian correctness makes the character of the Filipino people so unique. Since the English level is generally high and the signs easily readable (not like in other parts of Asia), it is very pleasant to travel around this country.

The place I went to first was called "Boracay", and you won't be wrong referring to it as a heavenly paradise. Although already on the way of suffering the Italian or Thai fate of mass tourism (with no comparison to be made between those places), its beauty is still unspoiled and preserved. Especially in the low season, Westerners are rarely seen - instead, a lot of Filipinos from all around the country take advantage of traveling at this time of the year. If the main area of "White Beach" is still too crowded, there's always the possibility of escaping to the northern "Puka Beach", where at times you will be the only person to be seen. It's not as beautiful (although still excels everything I have seen so far), but far better than the main strip of sand with all the hotels and resorts lined up.

When I arrived in Boracay Thursday morning, I was happy in two ways: happy to be there and happy that I caught my flight to Manila the night before. The problem consisted of me leaving downtown Taipei far too late on Wednesday - my attempt to take a bus was crushed since I could not have made it in time by public transport. I ended up taking a taxi, which cost me 30€ more than the bus. But to be honest, I didn't really care - I was just happy to have caught the plane. There are some things in life you can't put a price tag on.

Once I was in my hostel, I was delighted by what I saw: about 10 bamboo cottages, equipped with 2-6 beds each, run by an Austrian and his Filipino wife. During my talk with Reinhard, the owner, I discovered again that people who leave their home country to explore the world have wonderful stories to share. He told me that he was working in Hong Kong before, living a corporate life all along. When he decided to settle down in Boracay, however, his work made a big U-turn, which he described as follows: "before I had serious meetings with coffee and stuff, now I have real meetings with real people". Nothing to add here. Reinhard is dividing his time between Austria and the Philippines, and I think he is living the dream of countless people.

Apart from the owner of the hostel, I witnessed quite some Austrianness going on in Boracay. A karaoke bar called "Innsbruck" is found on the island as well as a hospital named after "Ciriaco S. Tirol". Two restaurants with an Austrian flag as their logo will satisfy your taste buds with food from my home country.

All in all, I had a great time on the island, walking through the warm water in bright sunshine and enjoying the most amazing sunsets I have ever had the chance to witness in my life. All the earthly sorrow faded and made place for deep contentment and satisfaction. Also my countless encounters, from a guy offering me a little short board wave riding lesson while walking by to people of diverse character and nationality dining together, are treasured and will never be forgotten.

An episode which may not have been as great happened to me on Sunday, the day my flight was leaving from paradise to Manila. I overslept by three hours, causing me to rush to the airport as fast as I possibly could. At times, I thought it was not humanly possible to catch this flight, but luck was on my side: only 20 minutes before take-off I managed to board the plane. I don't know whom to thank for that, but please accept my heartfelt gratitude.

Let me open the paragraph describing my Manila adventures with a little story: 6 years ago, I was training for a computer certificate. During my studies, I named the virtual server that I set up "Manila", just because I liked the sound of it. I had no idea what it was, where it was, and that it is actually the capital of the Philippines. However, it all became clear to me when I went there. I stayed at the place of my friend Arbie, who was surfing my couch in Linz this May. Manila, as to say, is a big city and certainly not the most wonderful place of the Philippines. In my opinion, it suffers the same fate as Lima, the capital of Peru: in a country stuffed with so much awesomeness, it is hard to excel and shine bright as a big city.

One of the reasons I went there, apart from visiting Arbie, was the guy who my previous blog entry was dedicated to: Jason Mraz. Being fortunate enough to currently live in the area where he is giving four concerts this fall, I couldn't help but catch his show in Manila on Sunday. And let me tell you what: I didn't regret going there! Although he was performing in a big venue, he knew exactly how to give a show full of love, joy and passion. The vibe was excellent and we were dancing the whole two hours! Out of all the concerts I have been to so far (which is way over 200), this ranks number one. The show was amazing and seemed just too unreal to be true. There was one particular moment of the show, during the intro of "The World As I See It", where I was in complete and absolute trance. I was connected with another world, a higher form of being, while the earthly me was completely sober. Music became my drug, I was looking into a different universe, shifted there by a higher power. I know I have used a lot of superlatives to describe the amazing year of 2011, but in this moment during the concert, I was running out of words. No superlative was super enough to capture the beauty of said instant, no word in the world could describe what happened. When words don't suffice any more, experience kicks in. This year just kept getting better and better, with every day being more amazing than the one before, with every "best thing ever" swiftly followed by the next. The experience during the concert, however, was the climax! It was pure magic, resting in spheres I haven't previously known of. If you think that my description sounds out of this world: this was just a careful try to give you a subtle hint of what was happening. Like I said, the whole story is impossible to be put in words.

After the concert, we waited outside the gate in the hopes of being able to talk a few words to the artists. While waiting, we started bonding with the people there and began to intone some of Jason's songs, backed up by a guy with a ukulele. Unfortunately, their vehicle went by pretty quickly in the end and we couldn't catch a look, but this parking lot session had one of the truest and most intense energies I have ever witnessed. It was one big family singing one song in solidarity with the universe. Later on in the car with a couple of fellow fans, we continued talking. It felt just so honest, so real. No hidden agenda, just human beings with the same interest. The deep appreciation and love shared among us during this car ride was so fascinating that it went beyond my imagination. It was more powerful than humanly possible, stronger than every other feeling. I have only felt this kind of connection on rare occasions, but during these minutes, there was more of it in the air than ever before. Again, no words can describe thoroughly how outstanding this was! I just fear that now, that the peak is reached, nothing will live up to those memories any more.

In the end, we really managed to briefly catch Jason and Toca before they headed to the airport. Other people, however, caught them for a longer time just 5 minutes before Arbie and me arrived. Also in Taipei, it was not possible for me to talk to the artists. I feel a bit sad about that and, frankly, was hoping for more, but how am I to complain? After two wonderful concerts and a quick encounter with my idol, I shouldn't be upset. Be grateful for what you have, not resentful for what you don't.

Thank you for reading,
Martin
-back from the Philippines

Amrazing

2011-10-26T17:05:00.001+08:00

Before I embark on the Philippines for a nice beach getaway, I'd like to tell you a little story. It's the best I got so far on the matter of the wonderfully insane ways life is treating us in.

Way back in 2008, I went to a concert of an artist previously unknown to me. His name was (and is) Jason Mraz, and to this day, he hasn't stopped to amaze and baffle me with his music, personality and written words. He has become a great source of inspiration for me and a person to look up to. That's why, in the beginning of 2009, I decided to purchase a poster of said artist to decorate my room with. The only thing I found on eBay was a poster of his concert in Taipei, which I bought in lack of other options.

Last spring, I knew I wanted to go on student exchange. What I didn't know was the place to go to. Naturally, I was in great indecision concerning my options. However, during one of these moments in which I was deciding about my whole future, my gaze went across the room and fell on said poster hanging on my door. Right there and then, it became clear to me that I had to go to Taipei.

Little did I know that now, in the fall of 2011, I am really writing these words from the city on the poster. But not only the city was "predicted", also the university. The venue Jason Mraz was performing in two years ago was the sports center of the National Taiwan University where I am studying right now. I see that building every day when I go to class, and it reminds me of how all the strings were tied together in this complicated work of awesomeness.

On Sunday, I am going to see Jason Mraz again in concert, this time in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. However, I also attend his performance in Taipei on Tuesday, closing the circle once and for all. But who knows, maybe the next tour poster I buy will lead me to write the exact same words from the other side of the world in two years? That's the beauty of life: it surprises you in ways you wouldn't have ever dreamed of. And sometimes, when it's finally happening, you still feel like being in this dream. You don't have to wake up because you are already awake. Believe it. It is really happening!

Have a wonderful time,
Martin
-on Earth

No need for a title.

2011-10-13T17:37:00.001+08:00

It's a weird feeling watching the rain drops fall down outside your window with 25 degrees outside temperature. However, it's not a bad feeling, it's just different. In fact, my whole exchange experience is more like an experiment of a different life, including a lot of self reflection on my part. As I get to know Taipei better from week to week, I get to know myself better. As the acclimatisation rises, the love for my new life rises as well.

I'm under the impression that these days, the awesome doesn't stop. In fact, I am even getting used to a certain standard of awesomeness. What I would have referred to as a wonderfully insane evening just a year ago, I can now pretty much call a standard night out. It seems as if the whole level of greatness in my life has risen one step, and I don't intend to interfere in the process.

For example, last weekend, me and some other exchange students went to the South of Taiwan. Monday, October 10, saw the Republic of China turning 100 years old, so everyone had a day off, and we used ours to go surfing. I have already talked briefly about this sport and my deep appreciation for it, but I guess I wasn't too clear on the fact that I actually adore it so much! I've never taken up a sport that is so much fun, not to mention the excitement it gives me. The feeling when you are on a good wave (which traveled thousands of kilometers just for you to ride it) is incredible! It is definitely one of the greatest wastes of time I know so far. Although first, the waves at Jialeshui beach in the Kenting area of Taiwan were too big to be handled by an inexperienced surfer like me, later on we found a sandbank with gorgeous brakes! You couldn't have wished for more. The only thing you ought to do in such a situation is be thankful to whoever you think deserves it.

The same thoughts traversed my mind the evening before, when I was sitting on Kenting beach, watching the magnificent sunset you see a picture of in this entry. Waves were gently breaking around my feet, sand surrounded my body and Jason Mraz provided the right tunes for my ears. Right then and there, I couldn't believe what incomparable greatness I was receiving. Sometimes we humans tend to forget what a great gift life actually is, and moments like these give us subtle reminder.

In humble gratitude,
Martin
-Kenting, Taiwan

Can't Beat the Eat

2011-10-06T19:19:00.000+08:00

Everyone who has lived in my environment for a while knows that I don't like cooking. If I do so on rare occasions, the food should be prepared quickly and without trouble. The sound of the oven when my frozen pizza is ready to go always delights me. However, I have found an answer to the balance between a terribly unhealthy diet and my idleness: Taipei. I already mentioned the extraordinary food scene in this city, but the more places I discover, the better I like it. Thus, the only cooking utilities I own are a pair of chopsticks and a spoon.

In my opinion, the best of many ways how food is made here is called "hot pot". The simple procedure involves a bowl of water, stuffed with meat, vegetables and basically everything you like. The cooking plate on your table is used to get the water boiling, upon which you can start eating all the delights you find in your bowl. Unlimited rice and tea is of course included in the price. If you start wondering about the high costs of this eating adventure, you couldn't be more wrong: due to the fierce competition of "hot pots" around town, most of them are priced a moderate two to three Euros. No kidding.

Since Asia is somewhat notorious for its strange eating habits, I want to clear up something: most meat you get in Taiwan is either chicken or beef. On one occasion, I purposely tried snail in a Thai restaurant. It was not bad, but there is a reason why it is not the most famous meat in the world, and this reason is not the small size of a snail. Insects are rarely found here - in fact, I have not tried it once (or so I think). I will be able to tell you more about it in January when I visit Mainland China.

Should I not have time to go to a restaurant, the 7-Eleven convenience store around the corner is the place to go. They have all sorts of pre-cooked meals which are warmed up in the microwave, ready to go in a minute. Don't give me a speech on diabetes or obesity here - I know this is not the best food you can have, but it is actually quite tasty. Generally, the 7-Eleven is the meeting place and social centre of all the exchange students. Be it a morning coffee or an evening beer, the chairs outside the store and the cheap drinks inside make it the ideal place to hang out when you don't want to go out. Already used to the 24h service, I will be sure to miss it upon returning home, although the constant little treats I'm shoveling down my throat are bad for both my health and my wallet.

There's one thing though which I haven't been able to get used to in terms of eating: warm salad. Instead of serving cold salad on the side, Taiwanese restaurants include the boiled salad leaves in your meal. That is - forgive my cultural insensibility - just wrong.

To conclude, there's one blog which I found really useful for picking a good spot to eat: http://hungryintaipei.blogspot.com. Should you have any questions about the what, where, why or how of eating out in Taipei, you can be sure to find the answer on this website.

Thanks for reading once again,
Martin
-out eating

Momentary Commentary

2011-09-30T12:07:00.000+08:00

Dear community, I'd like to end the blogging month of September with a short story that happened yesterday.

Being in Taipei for nearly 3 weeks now, I have managed to settle in and acclimatise a fair bit. I know quite some people, I know the area, I know the campus. When I was cruising the latter with my bike, drinking Oolong tea for a mere 60 Euro cents, listening to the tunes of the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album coming out of my earphones, I hit me: this was the perfect moment! It was a instant where everything was in an ideal place, every arrow of life pointed to infinite bliss. Such moments happen seldom to me, and I treasure each and every one of them. There are the fuel that enables us to continue a meaningful and blessed life.

See you again in October,
Martin
-on earth

Taiwonderful

2011-09-27T13:23:00.003+08:00

Almost three weeks into my exchange year, I guess it's time for yet another update. Since university hasn't properly started until yesterday, I had a lot of free time on my hands, which I mainly used for travelling. Last weekend, three German friends and me rented a car and embarked on a road trip to the South-East of Taiwan. For many, this is the most beautiful part of the island, and I couldn't disagree with them. If you drive down Highway 11, enjoying the lush green mountain scenery on your right and the blue Pacific Ocean on your left, you know why Taiwan was called "Ilha Formosa" by the Portuguese. One of the scenic wonders of Asia, Taroko Gorge, invites you to hike for days next to the steep walls formed by the river underneath.

In two weeks, I will use the National Holiday (October 10) to travel to Kenting, the southernmost tip of Taiwan. There you can swim, surf or just lie on the beach all year (even in January). Although Taiwan is maybe half the size of Austria (thus really small!), transport takes significantly longer if you take the cheaper train. Should you have a lot of money to spend, you can treat yourself to the HSR (High Speed Rail), which brings you the 400 kilometers down to Kaohsiung in only one and a half hours.

However, I guess it's time to stop everyone from creating a wrong picture about me on my exchange year: I actually do go to university on a regular basis. The 10 hour Chinese course, which I am taking in order not to be completely helpless when it comes to communicating, runs Monday to Friday. Wednesdays are packed with an additional two courses which can be fully transferred to my home university. Needless to say, there is a minimum of credits I have to take here in Taiwan, and I am hitting the middle between must-do (20 ECTS credits) and should-do (30 ECTS credits) exactly. As much as I don't want to study infinitely longer because of my exchange, I have no intention whatsoever to be stuck behind my desk all day.

Some more information about university: if you think you study on a big campus, come to NTU. The campus of this university can easily be called a city and is - I'm not exaggerating - 10 times as big as the campus of JKU. The only decent way of getting from A to B is buying a bike, which I recently did. It's not the best version, but it runs smoothly. However, even with a bike, it takes like 10 minutes to get from one end of the campus to the other. Let alone walking.

The university rooms themselves are really modern, sometimes equipped with even two or three LCD projectors. The level of my lectures is continuously high and most professors speak decent English. It's interesting though that a normal lecture runs for 3 hours straight (real hours, not university hours). The assignments are presented in the lecture itself, not in an extra a homework course. All in all, it seems as if the amount of homework will roughly be the same as at my home university. I can't say anything of the Chinese course as of now, due to the fact that I just had one lesson. But I will keep you informed about that as well.

Before I close, I want to quickly talk about going on exchange or living in a foreign country for quite a while. It's definitely a way of getting to know yourself better and discovering sides of yourself you haven't been aware of before. Adapting yourself to a different living environment may seem like an unacceptable task at first, but in reality it's the best way for becoming the person you secretly want to be. Expanding your horizon and opening your mind go hand in hand if you are willing engage in the experience.

Of course, in reality it's often not that easy as described in the last paragraph. I myself had huge troubles getting used to my new environment when I first moved to Linz. It wasn't the first time I was living away from home, but it was the first time I moved out for good. My stay in Toronto was just temporary, and I knew that. But when I went to Linz to start my studies, I knew that from then on, I was returning home as a guest. And that scared the hell out of me at first. The problem in Linz was not that I didn't want to find company. It was that I was too afraid to go out of my room at first. It took quite a while to acknowledge me not living at home any more. I respect and envy others who had the greatest time in their first and second semester. For me, this time only came in the third and fourth. I wouldn't say I have wasted a year. It was inevitable and I couldn't have done it differently. But I have learned a lesson: if you want to have a good semester, go out of your room. It's the secret to a better time. I did that in Taiwan, and it worked out great!

The last thing I wanted to say is something that was bothering me for quite a while also: I have a tendency to regret that I can't have something instead of enjoying what I have. It's awful and I hate this notion, but I can't help. That must be the reason I stopped travelling with guidebooks: if there's a "top pick" list, I have the feeling I have missed out if I don't visit them all. What I am really missing out on is a good time I could have had if I hadn't worried too much. Now that I took up travelling with Lonely Planet guidebooks, I feel the urge coming back again. This time, however, I try to resist. It's hard fighting a battle against yourself. Your enemy is usually as strong as you.

After these more or less depressing lines, let's end on a happy note: I am doing excellent here and I am looking forward to everything that awaits me on my way. If you are willing to have a good time, you will!

Thanks for listening,
Martin
-Taipei

Status Update

2011-09-17T18:04:00.031+08:00

After one and a half weeks, I finally found some quiet time to write a couple of lines concerning my current status. The first question, however, pops up right away: where to begin? My jet lag is finally gone. Nope, bad start. Try again.

So much happened during those couple of days that I really have troubles putting it all in a post that doesn't screw up your 27'' LCD screen. It all started with a short stopover at Dubai International Airport and a rather long one at Hong Kong International Airport. The latter actually included spending a cozy night convoluted at a bench next to Gate 4, trying to get some sleep. The reason for this was my connecting flight the morning after to a place which will be playing a special role in my life this year: Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.

I always thought that especially the first few days in a new environment were particularly hard, and indeed they were. The other exchange students and me went out the first evening until 4am, the second until 5am and the one after that until 5am as well, making it pretty difficult for me to lose my jet lag as I was going to bed at GMT 10pm every day. All in all, I met so many people so fast that I had a hard time remembering names and faces. Often I introduced myself twice or thrice, but the others didn't care; they as well were sure that we have never met before. There was so much to do and see that I had no control over my life any more. The first week, I didn't manage to unpack my suitcases, get a Taiwanese phone number or even enough sleep. It didn't feel wrong though. It just felt insane.

For the most part, the group of exchange students I am hanging out with is comprised of Germans, followed by American and French people. It is still a nice diversity mix, making the cultural exchange outstanding. People are interacting and organizing so many activities that it's difficult to decide whether you want to go surfing, climbing, roadtripping, partying or just chilling on the weekends. Concerning the first option, surfing: I have not tried this at all until last Sunday. And believe me, I got hooked. If I learn nothing this year, at least I will learn how to surf. Tomorrow I am going to the East Coast of Taiwan again to hit the waves. I really can't wait!

Other activities I participated in included a trip to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a really impressive building bordered by the National Theater and the National Concert Hall, as well as a visit to the truly famous Taipei 101 tower. After just 39 seconds in the elevator you are on the top, enjoying the gigantic outlook over the metropolis.

For the daily eat, the night markets are pretty handy. For many, Taiwan is the country of Asia with the best street food, and the countless food stalls seem to prove that point. Anything you can imagine is to be found on the street, for the price of just one or two Euros. Concerning food in Asia, there is one golden rule however: don't ask what is in it or how it is made.
Just eat it.

Besides the feeling of awe you have just walking through the streets, trying not to get hit by one of the millions of scooters while looking up the neon-lit signs with strange-looking Chinese symbols (seriously, how should I ever learn this language?), the friendliness of the people baffles me each and every time. The level of English on the street is generally not the best, but folks try to help you so much once they see you are kind of completely lost. Sometimes, they bring stuff for you to point at, sometimes, they ask young people to translate your blabbering. Yesterday it happened to me that, while trying to enquire something in a mobile phone shop, a young girl not only helped but stopped me on the street later on to offer me her full support concerning my problem. We ended up shopping some necessary items for my room like a carpet or a guitar (I found one for only 12 Euros), and later on I invited her for coffee to show her my great appreciation.

Before closing with an anecdote, I cordially want to invite everyone who considered visiting me in Taiwan. You won't regret having spent a lot of money for the flight! You'll be amazed and delighted by Taipei and the wonderful landscapes that present themselves to you just an hour outside the big city. Unfortunately, I can't host you in my room due to the strict no-guests-overnight-policy of the dorm, but I will do my best to organize you cheap or even free accommodation. What's more, visiting Taiwan is a good way to flee from the Austrian winter. Should you join me here during New Year's Eve, I promise you 15-20 degrees. Plus, of course.

Well, thank you all for tuning in again and...wait, didn't I promise an anecdote? Indeed I did. So here it goes: when I was walking home from a club last Wednesday, I stumbled upon a place I only knew from reports so far. The venue was called "Revolver", and due to its excellent reputation, I decided to give it a try. I was really glad to find a kind of Stadtwerkstatt where normal people just want to dance, not a fancy club thing which is way overpriced and plays bad music. A DJ from South Africa presented a flyer to me for a big party on Friday and invited me to come. Which I did yesterday evening/today morning, explaining the situation that I only woke up 2 hours ago. For your information, it is already 6pm here in Taipei.

Let me conclude with a memorable sentence one exchange student from Germany said: "Life is treating us well here in Taiwan". It really does.

再見,
Martin
-fantastic Formosa

Taipei Time

2011-09-06T04:48:00.009+08:00

Sitting here on Vienna International Airport, I am sipping my Chai Latte. The ritual of this pre-departure and post-arrival drink dates back to my first long stay abroad in Toronto in 2009. Now will be the second time I am leaving Austria for more than just a couple of weeks. I am nervous and excited. It's always hard to bid farewell to those who you grew fond of. Especially right now, I am having such a blast in Linz that leaving is not the easiest thing to do.

But, and that I know for sure, it's important and necessary to go on this exchange year. The personal education you get while staying abroad can't be compared to anything else. The argument of "losing" one year of studying knows only one reaction from me: who cares? Especially in this globalized world, the job market considers your experience abroad to be more important than the age you got your degree with. Plus, being open for something new is not at all a sign of denying your roots. I do like my home country a lot, but it's simply too small not to risk a glance outside. After all, I haven't found a single person who considered their stay abroad not successful. It takes quite some courage and is not always easy - especially during the first and last few days. But in the end, it pays off. Guaranteed.

This last paragraph I'd like to use to vocalize my infinite appreciation to my friends, my family and all people around me. I am deeply thankful for every moment, every laugh and every experience we shared. I will close the door of Austria for a while now, have a fresh start. Next summer, I will open it up again. And I am sure, dear friend, that we will continue where we left of. Many more magnificent moments may materialize mutually. This is not a good-bye, it's a see-you-again.

"Nobody said it was easy, it's such a shame for us to part,

nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard,

aww take me back to the start."

(The Scientist by Coldplay)

Yours truly,

Martin

-on the way to Taipei

Are You Reading?

2011-09-02T16:00:00.000+08:00

My arrival in Europe saw me going to England instantly to make it in time for Reading Festival. Already pretty exhausted from 6 weeks of travelling, I was nevertheless looking forward to see a performance of a very special kind: my most favourite group performing my most favourite album! But more on that later.

As some of you may know, the British are crazy about music. Not only "oh my gosh I love this band" crazy, more like an eager curiosity to explore new cool Indie bands and stick to them. The British youth has the finest taste in music, and judging from the what amazing tunes come from the UK, it's no wonder. Most of my favourite groups have their origin on the island.

Anyways, this small lecture on music should lead to one observation I made: because of exactly that reason, the music festivals in Great Britain don't have this loveable lawless freakshow image to it like our festivals back home. People in Austria and Germany go insane during those couple of days, whereas the people in England play it cool and sleep by 2am in order to be fit for the next day. To be honest, I was not entirely happy with that - I like the atmosphere on our festivals more. On the other hand, the British dedication to music is shown during concerts as well: you hear people singing along not only to groups, but also to playback music in between concerts. Many people know every word ever uttered by the Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and others. Impressive indeed.

Another group which could enjoy up to 50.000 supporting voices during their show was the one I didn't mention the name of before: MUSE. Headlining the first day of Leeds and the last day of Reading, they had in store a special treat for all their fans: as announced in March this year, they were playing their second album "Origin of Symmetry" (which for me is the best album ever made) in their entity. I was looking forward to hearing so many songs of this album, some of which haven't been played since the release in 2001. They indeed did exactly what I was hoping for: putting on an unbelievable show, playing the songs even better than on CD, all led by the insane guitar skills and incredible voice of Matthew Bellamy. Especially "Dark Shines" was a highlight for me: Matt's face during the solo (an expression full of pure joy and concentration) as well as the blasting beginning of the outro, backed by Dominic Howard's razor-sharp snare drum, was more than an eargasm. It was a feeling not be compared to any other, the feeling of one crowd joined together as one in music.

To conclude, I'd like to mention another small detail which goes hand in hand with my post "Coincidence Compilation" a couple of weeks ago: as I saw an Austrian flag waving in the crowd (please refer to 1:57-1:59 in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE40EP7RIJg), I went there and started talking to the people who it belonged to. After a couple of minutes, one of them turned out to be the cousin of my colleague and another one to be studying the same major as me on the same university. In addition, they took the same Ryanair flight as us to Linz the next day. Again, what an amazing coincidence!

So long,
Martin
-Klagenfurt (for the first time since forever)

I'm a traveller, not a tourist.

2011-08-24T09:18:00.008+08:00

Well, I guess this it it. After 6 weeks of collecting unforgettable experiences, our trip comes to an end. With mixed feelings I go home. On the one hand, I am glad to come to Europe again. On the other hand, I will miss the amicable chaos and the slight lack of efficiency and organisation that makes South America so interesting. Our journey through this continent ranged into some extremes: we had freezing -10 as well as boiling 35 degrees, we had altitudes of 0m up until 4700m. And, of course, we were travelling in winter and summer, sometimes even on the same day. ;-)

What I can't confirm are the horror stories heard in the news. All the fear about a ruthless ghetto of violence was wiped away once we came here. I am particularly happy to say that everything you have heard about Colombia (the most "dangerous" country on our trip) is only half the truth nowadays. It might have been worse when the previous generation was young, but it's not as bad as everybody was telling me. Be aware that with the news cast, a small brainwash is included for free - don't belierve everything the media tells you. Of course I don't want to negate the fact that South America is more dangerous than Europe - this is not to be denied. I just ask you to be careful, not paranoid. If you go there, you soon realize that not every South American wants to rob/rape/kill but rather help you in their incredibly friendly and loveable ways. Jump over your shadow and see for yourself. You won't regret it.

Another thought that I developed while travelling: in Europe, we should be so happy for what we have! Not every country is as prosperous as the regions in Middle Europe. Still, people are not really content back home. Please take it exactly as I say when I give you this advice: just stop complaining and enjoy your life! It's as simple as that.

Furthermore, I have crafted two lists. The first includes, but is not limited to the things which were lost on the way:

cap
towel
two bottles of water
hygiene
many stereotypes
strictly European ways of thinking
disinterest in books

The second contains all my personal highlights of the trip:

watching sunset over Rio de Janeiro from the Sugar Loaf
sitting on the beach on Ilha Grande, warming at the bonfire, listening to music
making a weird bet on my birthday
partying in Brasília in the most awesome Couchsurfing location ever (a big house just for ourselves)
crossing the Brazilian-Bolivian border in the middle of nowhere in a truly adventurous way
biking on the Bolivian "death road"
staying overnight on the island "Taquile" of Lake Titicaca
enjoying the vibrant city life of Cusco
seeing the sunrise over Machu Picchu
visiting a salt cathedral just outside of Bogotá

And, to conclude this post once and for all, I present to you yet another quote (this time by Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher and politician):

"Travel, in the younger sort, is part of education; in the elder, part of experience."

So much for now,
Martin
-going back to Europe

So Medellinice.

2011-08-23T04:33:00.040+08:00

It is indeed time for an update concerning our whereabouts in Locombia, don't you think? Well, here it goes: after having arrived to Bogotá yesterday, we took this first day to go to a nearby town and check out a cathedral located inside a salt mine, called "Catedral de Sal". The tour through the premises also featured a visit to the smaller salt mines off the beaten track. We experienced walking in absolute darkness, using only our hands to "see", as well as working the stone with authentic tools and simulating a dynamite explosion. These experiences and the cool LED technology used to light the cathedral impressed me in particular.

Please allow me a couple of words on our previous stop, the town of Medellín: it was wonderful! Already in the bus from the airport to the city, we were helped by an incredibly friendly couple who showed us the way to our Couchsurfers. In return, we dined in their vegetarian restaurant the other night. Our Couchsurfing hosts themselves were just unbelievably nice people! I am once again impressed how much the idea of Couchsurfing can change the way you travel and interact with others. Whenever you welcome somebody in your home with open arms, you give to the community what you don't really have to. Doing it nevertheless shows a lot of good faith in humanity. I officially and inofficially take this oppertunity to virtually transmit a big "thank you" to José and Marissa! You are very welcome to stay with us in Austria anytime you like.

Just another minor detail I found absolutely unnecessary to tell you (but which I will do anyways): Chicago and Medellín are the only cities I know where the subway is actually going above ground. An up-way, as to say. After this wonderfully useless fact, I try to raise standard of writing and quote Mark Twain, a pretty successful writer from the United States:

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out

whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."

Enjoy,
Martin
-in the Colombian capital

Restaurancing

2011-08-17T10:49:00.000+08:00

Have you ever danced in a restaurant? No? Me neither, until a couple of days ago. For lunch, we decided to check out a really cool place called "Nuna Raymi" in the very center of Cusco. When we entered the restaurant, live music was playing: guitar, saxophone and percussion. It was a group from Colombia singing Spanish songs which I enjoyed very much. For the last song, they asked the people to start dancing. From one moment to another, half the people jumped up from their tables and did as they were told. The amazing atmosphere of the place became even more amazing, and I was sure in this moment to write an anecdote about it. Duty fulfilled.

Peace, love & music,
Martin
-changing Peru for Colombia

Seven

2011-08-15T09:40:00.003+08:00

Yesterday was Saturday. That meant we wanted to go out. After a couple of effortless tries to find a decent club playing Drum'n'Bass or other good electronic music, we nearly wanted to give up. Just in that moment, a flyer was presenting itself to us. "Radiohead and Nirvana cover group" it said, as well as "Alternative Rock Night". We were stoked and on the way to this club in no time.

The place, called "7 Angelitos" and recommended by Lonely Planet (oh, how I love these guidebooks!), was located a short walk away from the main square, and the door was seemingly locked. Disappointed, we wanted to go home, but somehow there were noises coming from within. Suddenly the door opened and we could enter. The first impression was of pure joy: the live group was still playing at 1am, and they were playing some good stuff! Minutes after we entered, I had to join the mosh the first time for Franz Ferdinand. Two songs later, they played Jet. Then AC/DC. Then Rage Against the Machine. Then Nirvana. The good music just didn't stop! Although the club was not much bigger than your living room, people were going insane in the moshpit. I had a hard time breathing because of the altitude (3400m) and was so exhausted after a couple of songs, but I didn't want to give up - it was just too good for that! Despite my appreciation for other types of music and my deep resentment of mainstream pop music, I just feel that (Alternative and Indie) Rock is for me. There's no other kind of music I can go insane to without being seriously drunk. One advice from my side though: don't organise a music festival in this high altitude. People will faint.

After the cover group, the DJ launched into cool Reggae music with dancing character. The highlight of the evening was definitely the moment when he started playing "Dickes B" by Seeed. Being in a club in Peru and dancing to Seeed has a touch of unique to it!

The night couldn't have gone any better, but there was one small detail that annoyed me. It has actually annoyed me since a couple of years, and I am pretty sure I have already discussed it in this blog once. Anyways, it is still a current issue for me. I don't really like it when guys, drawn by their male instincts, try to dance girls in, taking only seconds to put the hands around their waists and waiting just for the right moment to wisper some cheesy compliments in their ears. As I maybe mentioned, some guys in South America can be really (too?) persistent when it comes to this, but also in Europe, I can't really approve of it. Apart from striking me as a bit ridiculous and desperate when seeing it in others, I feel really weird doing it myself. It doesn't give the girls the respect they deserve, although it seems with some that they care more for superficial attention than respect. When it doesn't come naturally, it's not worth it. Think of me whatever you want (weird, shy, strange), it's just the way I feel about those kinds of mating behaviour. It's far too depressing getting no bait all evening than just letting go once in a while.

Knowledge dropped,
Martin
-Lima

There's so machu can do.

2011-08-14T02:28:00.016+08:00

Dear friends, this post is something very special: it is the 100th entry of my humble blog. Entering triple digits, what better topic could there be as our journey to the magical Machu Picchu, which has just turned 100 years a couple of weeks ago (hello, coincidence). I promise I will try my best to keep writing about things that inspire me and, hopefully, have the same effect on you for at least the next 100 blog entries.

The day before yesterday, we once again woke up pretty early in order to catch the train to Aguas Calientes ("warm waters"), the town at the foot of Machu Picchu mountain. Being the only operator for this trip, Peru Rail trains are normally booked out very soon. However, we were lucky enough to have booked our tickets in advance. Our plan was to get up to Machu Picchu by sunrise, which included spending a night in said Aguas Calientes. The village itself is nothing special, but - nomen est omen - has some nice sulfur hot springs. Lying in the warm water, enjoying a Mojito and watching the wonderful tropical forest scenery, I thought to myself: that's the stuff!

The next morning, we got up even earlier. Well, you can't really speak of "morning" when you set your alarm clock for 3:30am - at this time on a normal evening, you have not even gone to bed yet! This was no normal evening/morning however, so we really managed to stand up at this ungodly hour and started the hike. The impressive mountains and star firmament made it worth in the first couple of minutes. When we came to the bridge where they controlled our tickets at 5am, our anticipation was crushed. The only thing we held in our hands was just the reservation, not the tickets! And - praise Peruvian organisation - nobody found it necessary to write this small detail on the sheet of paper we helplessly presented to the security guards. We had no choice but to head back to Aguas Calientes (about half an hour walking), look desperately for the ticket office, wait in line, exchange the reservation for the tickets, head back and start again. In these moments, we had our doubts that we will make it up to Machu Picchu for sunrise at 7am.

Our will was strong, however, and so we managed to climb the mountains in 45 minutes instead of 1 hour. After that, we got in line at the entrance immediately. It was 6:55am when we sat down and enjoyed the famous view you know from postcards. Minutes after, the sun presented itself over the mountain peaks. At exactly 7am on August 12, we knew that it was worth all the troubles: sunrise over Machu Picchu is something very special!

We stayed a couple of hours more on the site and discovered the area. Unfortunately, we had to learn that capitalism and mass tourism is a combination which is hard to bear. The European "don't do this, don't do that" attitude of the guards got on our nerves pretty soon. It was also rather annoying that it was made so hard for us to enter the ancient Inka city (booking the online ticket one week in advance, exchanging the reservation for tickets and so on). Seriously, booking an overseas flight is easier than getting into the site! However, I do appreciate the effort of the Peruvian government to limit the number of people per day to 2500. The city, recently declared as one of the "New Seven World Wonders", should not be spoiled by mass tourism.

To continue with the story: before the rush of tourists came, we climbed down again. In the afternoon, we took the train to a small village because we were unable to get train tickets all the way to Cusco. Being still one and a half hours away from our destination, we looked for a way to go back. In lack of decent public transportation, we took a cab. And paid 5 Euros per person for one and a half hours of driving. That's the stuff!

See you soon,
Martin
-around

The Island, Parts 1 & 2

2011-08-11T01:03:00.015+08:00

Sitting in a wonderful hostel in Cusco, I dedicate these minutes to writing about one of the most special moments of our trip. Two days ago, we decided to visit the island "Taquile" (alternatively, you can refer to it as "Tequila") in Lake Titicaca. About three hours away by boat from Puno, it is for the most part a wonderfully unspoiled area. The typical tourist enters the island with the morning boat around 11am and leaves after a quick lunch around 2pm. We, however, decided to spend a night there, without any idea about potential hostels or other sleeping places. Lucky for us, immediately after having stepped on the island, a guy started talking about a homestay with his family for around €2,50. We accepted, and what followed is hard to put in words.

The difficulty of description results from the fact that we experienced by ourselves what you normally only see in documentaries about far-away islands and nearly unknown tribes. Our room was simple, with comfortable places to sleep for us three. Electricity was provided old-school, namely by a candle. There was no shower and the only water closet had no possibility of flushing. What sounds disgusting is just the traditional way of living chosen by the people on the island - they decided not to be spoiled by capitalism and the evil which follows. Most families have basic stuff like television and electricity (only in their own houses, not in the guesthouses), the latter being provided solely by solar panels. Running water would pose too much of an intervention in the island's infrastructure and is expensive as well, that's why it does not exist. Being for the most part farmers and fishers, tourism just recently enabled the people to build a school. Interesting fact: the mother tongue of the island's population is Quechua (yes, this is not only the name of your festival tent). Only in school, they learn Spanish. English, of course, is spoken by hardly noone.

Furthermore, the people are dressed in a traditional, something funny-looking way. Single men have one type of hat, married men have another. Wide pants and a colourful thing around their waist which looks a bit like a belt are also included in their outfit. Women wear colourful skirts and a big, black veil. Marriage is a thing handled with great care on the island: before you can get married, you have to live together for at least two years. The process of marriage involves a lot of costs, including 45 sheep you have to own before you can even tie the knot. Should one the spouses be unfaithful, there is not going to be a divorse: the first time, a warning will be spoken; the second time, however, the whip will be presented to them. You see, the way of living on the island differs so much from what we are used to. Not only for the bad, I'd say.

All this information was given to us by our host father, who prepared an excellent dinner this evening. We talked to him a bit about Europe and our impressions of the island, which we explored earlier this day. Because of the lack of an evening plan, we decided to go to bed pretty soon. Just as we laid down, however, we heard something odd: Techno music. It just didn't fit into the concept of the traditional ways of living. Out of curiosity, I decided to check it out. A party presented itself to me: around 20 young people, all dressed in the typical way, were drinking beer as a side activity to the big celebration which was going on these days. I joined them and started a conversation with the one guy who knew a few words of English. He turned out to be the most drunk on the party, so he was pretty easy-going about the fact that I was a "gringo" (somebody who is not a local). They shared their beer with me - in a most unusual way, I have to add. While in Austria, everyone gets their bottle and starts drinking it right away, this culture has something I call a "beer circle" in lack of an official term. First, you get the bottle in your hand. Second, you cheer with the person on your left who holds a cup filled with beer. Third, said person drinks the beer in one sip and hands the cup to you. Your job is now to refill the cup and hand the bottle to the person on your right. Then, the whole thing starts over again. It was really interesting to see such a form of collective drinking. If you think that it takes ages to get drunk like this, you are mistaken: the high altitude (between 3800m and 4000m) helps a lot to get drunk pretty fast. Although I didn't really intend to, I found myself walking home well-oiled. Inebriated I was, but equally happy. I have never had the possibility to attend a true indigenous party, and this one was a worthy first.

Hope you enjoyed the stories,
Martin
-in Cusco right now

The Coincidence Compliation

2011-08-07T19:35:00.001+08:00

On every journey far from home, you encounter a lot of new and unknown things. What baffles me even more, though, is stumbling upon references of already familiar things, namely things connected to Austria. Here are some curiousities we found on this trip:

a beer called "Austria", inspired by the local brew "Grieskirchner" (a rather unknown Upper Austrian beer)
a Festival of Electronic Language in São Paulo, sponsered by Kunstuni Linz (!)
meeting a guy from East Tyrol in a hostel in La Paz (for the first time) who happens to know one of Johanna colleagues from university
meeting someone in front of a petrol station in Salvador who has been to Graz with the same organisation Johanna has been to Brazil a couple of years ago
finding a book in Peru called "The Salzburg Connection" which contains an awful lot of references to Salzburg, Vienna and Bad Aussee
stumbling upon a Colombian guy in a hostel in Puno whose girlfriend lived in Graz

Yours ironically,
Martin
-Puno, Peru

Unboliviable

2011-08-05T09:25:00.003+08:00

It is called "Death Road". It is one of the most extreme mounting biking tracks in the world, stretching all the way down from 4700m to 1200m above sea level. It was done by us today. And it was amazing!

This morning, we went up by bus to the start of the drive, being situated nearly as high as the highest mountain of Europe, Mont Blanc. After having prepared our equipment, we started the biking. First, the street had a good asphalt surface, but after a while, the climate and scenery changed from high mountains to tropical rain forest, making the street dirty and muddy. Continuing the road, an amazing view presented itself wherever we went. At times, the 300m cliff on our left and the narrow surface (2m to 5m wide) were quite intimitating. Nevertheless, the setting was just too wonderful to leave place for fear. After a 4 hour ride, we reached the finishing point and had a shower and a meal.

Just a few words to calm the conscience of our parents and of those who think of us as complete lunatics: the trip was done, of course, with professional mountain bikes, full security equipment, licensed guide and support vehicle.

Everything said and done,
Martin
-Tiwanaku tomorrow

Exotic Experiences

2011-08-02T09:22:00.010+08:00

It's not that easy prowling in the middle of the Brazilian and Bolivian nowhere, knowing that the only weekly flight to real civilisation (in our case: La Paz) will leave from an airstrip 300km away in just about 40 hours. Still, for the sake of our wallets and the ultimate adrenaline kick (okay, the latter is not true), we chose this courageous option. Are you up for the story? Then please ignore the blank line just underneath (it's just there to increasing the tension) and continue at the next paragraph.

Two days ago, we arrived in the mysterious province of Acre. Every country has this area which is been made fun of by everyone - in the case of Brazil, this is said Acre. Everywhere we encountered people who had serious doubts about the sheer existence of this area. Defying death, we nevertheless went to Rio Branco (the capital) to check it out. To our big surprise, we found out that it really existed. What we found out as well was the prices of a taxi from the airport to the city: €40. To travel light, we decided to check into the free hostel called "airport floor", which was quite comfortable indeed, and take the bus in the morning.

The next day, our journey took us to the border. The 4 hour bus ride was - to put it delicately - extremely bumpy. The small town where the bus dropped us off was - so we hoped - next to the Bolivian border. It really was, so we began our entry procedure. Although the Brazilian-Bolivian border was as guarded as an Austrian local train station around 3am (several chickens and just a few people), we had no interest in being chased by Interpol, so we fulfilled our duty and the entry forms. The Bolivian equivalent city welcomed us with nice prices. Having paid around €1,50 for fine dining and about €2,50 for a decent night's sleep, we added several bonus points to our first impression of Bolivia.

The tricky thing was the flight to La Paz the next morning. We had a) no idea if there was an airport, b) no clue if there really was a flight, c) no imagination of what the airplane should look like. The "Cobija International Airport" was found in form of a small shack (not kidding here) and a palm tree next to it. The flight (in a normal aircraft) went to La Paz eventually, bringing much relief to us all. The only thing we're struggling with now is the extreme altitude of the city. Being one of the highest big cities in the world, La Paz ranges from an eye-popping 3600m to 4100m above sea level. It's weird that my first stay above 4000m is not on a mountain per se, but on La Paz El Alto International Airport. Drinking Coca Tea helps against the altitude and the freezing temperatures - at night, the thermometer drops beneath 0°C.

So much for that. I hereby close this blog entry, written from a computer in a hostel in La Paz, before this ancient monitor causes me eye problems.

Stay inspired,
Martin
-at an extreme height

Happiness Overdose

2011-07-29T08:32:00.007+08:00

Many people have done many nice things for me over the years. But the most incredible and generous gesture came from a woman at Salvador airport yesterday. To understand the story, you first have to learn a thing about air travel in Brazil: it is complicated. Sudden gate changes, huge delays, unexpected cancellations - all those things can happen at any time. Already sitting in the plane from Brasília to Salvador for one and a half hours without moving an inch, the flight was suddenly marked as cancelled. Us, speaking hardly no Portuguese, were quite lost in the jungle of strange-sounding announcements. After having borrowed a couple of iPhones to inform our guy in Salvador about the delay, a woman suddenly approached and started saving us. She first translated what the whole mess was all about, then she arranged a meal and in the end she basically guided us to the plane. Blown away by such friendliness, the chef d'oeuvre happened when we arrived in Salvador: she arranged and paid (!) the taxi to the city for us. Sitting in the cab, heading downtown, I couldn't believe what I just experienced. Such a selfless gesture, performed completely without spoiled intentions, deeply affected me. That moment, I vowed I will be more friendly and helpful myself, even without having been asked to do so. It's that little step that the people here take more (like picking you up at the airport instead of just giving you the bus number) that makes me love South America so much.

So much about that. Now let me tell you a few short lines about Brasília. We found such a friendly Couchsurfing host with the most awesome location ever: a big house just outside the city, being only at our disposal. Noone lived there except a drumset and two mannequins. And yes, you guessed correctly: it's the best party location you can ever wish for. Of course we made use of that, throwing a nice bash on a Monday evening. Although we couldn't commiunicate with 80 % of the people (again, our knowledge of Portuguese is not the best), we still enjoyed ourselves. The city itself is not the most beautiful, but maybe the most unique of Brazil. Planned and for the most part built by Oscar Niemeyer, the buildings feature modern architecture at its best.

So much about that as well. On Sunday, we will leave Brazil and cross the border to Bolivia. I will let you know what is going on over there.

So long,
Martin
-Salvador da Bahia

Capital Time

2011-07-25T00:38:00.003+08:00

Roadtrips have a dynamic of their own. Travelling together with the same people for a couple of weeks, just carrying one backpack with 10-15 kg (seriously, don't take more!) have a nice touch. Furthermore, I feel that I am much more connected to the real world than to the virtual and digital one. An old Nokia phone with polyphonic ringtones and two-colour-display instead of the can-do-it-all smartphone device, books instead of a laptop - those things take the focus off the online world. Which is ironic, of course, because I am online right now writing this stuff. Ironically as well, the book I am reading at the moment is by a German author who undergoes the experiment of staying offline and without cellphone for a month. But I guess that's just life: ironic and beautiful.

I also experienced myself getting calmer and more relaxed. I don't know if it's because of the fact that we have vacations right now or if the South American lifestyle is infiltrating my personality, but whatever the reason is, I quite enjoy it. Sometimes it seems you have to get some distance to certain things in order to get close to them. Going away far from home makes you come close to your home values. Getting away from a problem often makes you find its answer easier. And for us, it's getting away from solely European ways of thinking. Cultural mix reloaded, that is to say.

See you soon,
Martin
-on the way to Brasília

Grande Beauty. Grande Pleasure.

2011-07-21T11:35:00.002+08:00

Arriving from the chaotic car chaos of Rio de Janeiro, we embarked on the wonderful Ilha Grande ("big island") a couple of days ago. To be perfectly frank, I have never seen such a marvellous experiment of nature in my entire life. Beaches go side-by-side with rain forests and palm trees, the sea joins lovely villages. With no cars allowed on the island, it is a peaceful area for international backpackers. Hiking and bathing in waterfalls in the middle of the forest, that's how we spent the perfect day. In the evening, we enjoyed beer and music on the beach.

As I sat there, warming at the bonfire, listening to Brazilien guitar music and all the voices of the surrounding people joined together in perfect harmony, I felt complete and uttermost happiness. All earthly troubles faded away and made place for the eternal love of the universe. In this moment of delight, I was reminded of what the Nada Surf singer once said:

"This must be close to paradise."

In peace, at ease,

Martin

-Ilha Grande, RJ

BraziLOVE

2011-07-18T06:57:00.003+08:00

The first few days of our South America tour have been dedicated to the vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro (spoken "Hio"). Set in an extraordinary urban scenery, this town has everything: beaches, mountains, rain forest, and many houses stuck just in between. The views from the Corcovado (the mountain with the massive Jesus statue) and the Sugar Loaf are scenic. Unbelievable sunsets over the metropolis make it seem unreal at times what you are experiencing. The sheer beauty of this city is hard to put in words - it's like a perfect meeting point between mankind and nature. Framing all of this is the nice weather. The winter is quite bearable, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 degrees. Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are frequented by the young and sexy...and us.

Not to be forgotten are the people. Helpful, cordial, lively, happy. Those are just a few adjectives describing the Brazilians. I can see why everyone seems to love South America after having travelled there. One feels so welcome and accepted. It is certainly a good input for me as I am more of a mind-controlled person. Living day by day, enjoying the crap out of every little detail - those are character traits that I like to have more. It got better in the last few years, but the way is still long. Acting only out of affections and emotions is of course not the answer either, but remember: don't ever let your mind stop you from having a good time!

I'd like to take the opportunity of those last lines to thank our host of the last couple of days. Honestly, I have never met such a generous person. A big "obrigado" to Rodrigo at this point! You are most welcome to Austria and Slovenia any time.

Never lose yourself when trying to find yourself,
Martin
-in the southern hempishere

And so it begins...

2011-07-12T18:48:00.004+08:00

Dear friends, it's time. A long time we have waited, organized, gotten vaccines, all in anticipation of the journey of our lives. Today we will embark on a 6-week-trip to the magical continent of South America. First flying off to Rio de Janeiro, our trip continues throughout Brazil in July. The beginning of August sees us enter Bolivia and Peru, going different ways with one of our companions who is staying in Brazil as well as switching from plane to bus as the primary source of transportation. It will be around the middle of August when we reach my personal highlight of the trip: the ancient city of Machu Picchu, located high up in the Peruvian mountains. Continuing via Cuzco, our ways part in Lima once again. Another friend is going to NYC to meet his family whereas the last survivors (notably me with one other friend) visit Colombia to meet my host brother from Toronto who I haven't seen in 2 years.

I will be updating this blog wherever I get the chance to, supplying you with the best stories from the other side of the world. Should you be interested, I invite you to tune in once in a while. There will be a lot to talk about.

Stay tuned,
Martin
-on seat 15D

Life in a Day

2011-07-08T16:27:00.000+08:00

Should you feel the strong urge to stay in on one of these wonderful summer days, I have a film tip for you, dear reader. The piece, initiated by YouTube and directed by Ridley Scott, is called "Life in a Day". Comprised solely of footage shot by various people all around the globe on the single day of July 24, 2010, this documentary is equallydi breathtaking, inspiring and shocking. It feels as if someone packed the whole population into one and a half hours of film, offering a profound insight into the very essence of the human soul.

Should you be interested in more, you may want to consult the trailer on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8S4gGI4nRo) or catch the movie in a cinema near you.

Stay present,
Martin
-at home

The All-and-Ever-Changing Time

2011-07-06T23:45:00.016+08:00

Leaving Linz in an overcrowded train, I am posting these lines. This is not a post of goodbye though, this is a post of see you later. To put it simple: this last one has been the best semester I've ever had! I've enjoyed the crap out of those 4 months. I am ultimately glad to have been awarded with so many wonderful experiences. Due to my work for the Department of International Affairs at my university, I got to know a bunch of exchange students. At times, I even felt like an Erasmus student myself, being surrounded by people from a vast array of nations.

Especially with students joining us for a semester or year, you see that opening yourself up to new experiences can be so rewarding. Nobody I talked to regretted coming to Linz for exchange. Opening up and freeing your mind is certainly scary and frightening at first, but what comes next is worth every initial fear.
In general, I am very fond of people who show some kind of excitement for something. For example, one dear friend of mine is super-excited about soon sharing a flat with people she doesn't really know yet. Another dear friend is very excited about maybe flying to San Fransisco for her Bachelor's thesis. Me, I am insanely excited about the special performance of Muse on Reading Festival in August. If you're euphoric, you approve of life. People who only live in a mediocre way are missing a crucial part. Ups and downs may produce the same average as a medium life, but it's much more fun living high than half-hearted.

Last but not least, I have to thank my city for taking good care of me the last two years. After a time of uncertainty, this last year Linz has proven to be exactly what I was looking for. Going over Eisenbahnbrücke, holding my hat tightly in order for it not to get blown away, looking at the freeway bridge to my left and at Lentos/Ars Electronica Center to my right, both glowing in the warm summer night - during these moments, I was completely and absolutely sure that I was where I belonged to. The Kaiser Chiefs sing "I know my place is here" on their latest record, and that's essentially how I feel about Linz.

This next year will be quite interesting and a fresh start for me. I will stay present and open. I will try to connect as much as possible. I invite everybody to join in to the dance of life and joy. Come as a stranger, go as a friend. That's how it's supposed to be.

Sorry for the rather long post. Your microwave dinner should be ready by now.

Love and peace,
Martin
-on the way to an exciting future

In music we trust, with music we unite.

2011-06-29T23:17:00.003+08:00

This photo of last week's Glastonbury as well as many festivals I've been to this June remind me once again how much I love music. Music is the one language in the world that everyone speaks, that everyone understands. It's uniting in its very core. I've seen random people hugging because their favourite group played a song they liked. I've seen people dancing next to each other, pure happiness bedecking their faces. I've been one of those people. Just two weeks ago, I went to a festival without really knowing any of the people I went with. I basically just met them there. Needless to say, it turned out to be a great festival with excellent company.

Music doesn't only manifest itself in being played, being listened to or being given to someone else. Wearing band shirts shows your support for great music and is an excellent conversation starter. Wearing your festival bands (even for a couple of years after the festival - or forever, as this will be the case with the Glastonbury band) is even better than facebook for guessing which music someone enjoys. Reading about music can by times also be quite interesting (consider http://www.nme.com for example). Music is everywhere in our lives, and many people - including me - have no idea what to do without it. Here's a quote from the fantastic British movie "The Boat That Rocked" which is worth considering:

"I live for music. And if I got nothing else to live for, I'm willing to die for it as well."

Yours,
Martin
-wherever there's good music, I'll be too

Great great great Britain!

2011-06-13T02:59:00.004+08:00

Every time I go to London, my wish to actually settle down and live there - even just for a couple of years - gets stronger. Everything feels at home instantly. Well, everything except the driving thing - it is the wrong side, for heaven's sake! ;-) My 6th visit to London has brought me again the wonderful diversity of the capital mixed with the lovely way people talk and dress, and left me right in awe. Although I love living in Austria, I'm under the impression I belong more to the United Kingdom. In case nobody noticed, this is a digital love letter to the UK.

This time too, we decided to go to concerts like I already did in November. Chase & Status, Skrillex and Deadmau5 gave us the full insane dose of Drum'n'Bass and Dubstep music this weekend. In between we enjoyed what seems to be the most favourite pastime of the British people: shopping. All in all, I can rightfully say I went home for a couple of days. I am already looking forward to August and Reading festival.

Cheers,
Martin
-in thoughts still in the UK

Couch me if you can!

2011-05-28T19:21:00.005+08:00

In this blog post, I will tell you a story about Couchsurfing: as Linz isn't the biggest of cities and certainly not the most touristy one, I hardly get any Couchsurfing requests for my place. Last Tuesday, however, a guy from Denmark virtually knocked on my door, asking if I could offer him a place. Needless to say, I was glad someone had found me in the depths of the Couchsurfing website and invited him to my flat. Just two days after he arrived in Linz, another Couchsurfing request was suddenly flying into my inbox. This time it was a guy from the Philippines who was doing an internship in Salzburg. Needless to say again, he too was very welcome. With these two events perfectly overlapping, I added even more people to be my companionship for this weekend: two friends from Salzburg as well as a friend from Vienna joined our group. In the end, we ended up having a wonderful weekend, meeting even more people from different countries. There has been a point where we stood together as a group of 8 people with 8 different nationalities. Words can't express how much I dig such encounters. The least I can say is: thank you, dear friends and soon-to-be-friends, for enriching my life with your pure presence! I treasure each encounter we have.

Love and peace,
Martin
-on the train to Graz

It all happened before.

2011-05-17T05:38:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, I just wanted to check in to present to you this nice picture I found in the depths of the Internet and to drop some piece of knowledge.
I realized that when events happen, it's best to let them happen as they are. This way, they will be remembered as pleasant and nice. What is bad, however, is trying to repeat these events in the future because you want to

Piece of knowledge dropped,
Martin
-in Linz

The Fish Market Experience

2011-05-03T03:37:00.006+08:00

This blog post will solely cover the topic of my best night ever. It was not like one of those nights which were good but were made the best in people's minds in order to justify the money they spent or stuff like that. No, is was THE best night of my life!

It all began and ended in Hamburg, our destination for those last few days. We were starting the night out at Reeperbahn with a couple of beers. Having found a nice tavern with virtually no people and even less music (there was just a Jukebox which you had to pay for), we still stayed there because, despite all, it was actually quite cozy. After some time, there even came some people and one of them put an awful lot of Hans Albers music on. Around midnight, we decided to hit the road and go to a club which I found in an off-tourist magazine of Hamburg. It turned out to be really worth it. Especially the light effects impressed me - simple, yet effective.

When we went out of there at 4.30 am, it could have ended like any other night - but this one did not! Recommended by the staff of our youth hostel, we headed to the fish market which is to be found at the Hamburg harbour every Sunday morning at 5am. What we didn't know were two things: first, the fish market is amazingly huge and second, there was live music! At a time where other people are still sound asleep, motivated and drunk folks (the latter referring to us) are heading to the fish market meeting hall to enjoy some beers and live music really early in the morning. The songs that the group played were mostly Oldies, but nevertheless perfect for dancing.

After a good hour and a half of 60's and 70's music, we headed out of the hall and into the wonderful rising sun to check out the full length of the fish market. There, the mini-cherry on top of the regular cherry on the cake manifested itself in form of the venue "Hafenklang". Having heard sounds from in there at 6.30 am, curiosity drove us into this location. And, suddenly, there was Drum'n'Bass! However, not the nice and chill-out kind they normally play at the end of an all-night session. No, this one was brutal in-your-face Drum'n'Bass! And, moreover, it didn't look at all like the end of the session. Still packed, the DJs continued until we were done (which was around 8 am). They were not done of course, I'm pretty sure they went on for another hour or so.

After having succeeded in finding our way home in the bright morning sun, we fell into our beds at 8.30 am with just one thought: this was one hell of a night! Sober and well-rested again, I now say: yes, indeed it was!

Love and happiness,
Martin
-back from Hamburg

Viva Love Revolución!

2011-04-28T02:23:00.003+08:00

Just having come back from Prague on Monday, I have a lot of positive memories to share: the perfect weather, the even more perfect tourguide (special thanks to my friend Jirka for impersonating that role at this point) and the lovely people. A slight detail which bugged me though was something bugging me for years now: mainstream club music. I've become a lot more open-minded concerning electronic music over the years and now I appreciate Drum'n'Bass and Dubstep a lot. What I still don't like is mainstream of whichever kind. Without judging or pointing the finger, I am not sure if anyone who listens to mainstream music really enjoys it. What seems more likely to me is that people are listening to it in lack of a specific kind of music they are into. Music is about passion, about emotion, about life. It's not just there to avoid an awkward silence.

Enough with the negative energy. I want to share another story about an art of meeting people which is nearly lost in today's times and which is looked upon with great suspicion: hitchhiking. It's not only a good way of getting to your destination, it's also a good way of getting to know people. You catch fragments of so many different life stories in the time you spend in the car, each and every story making you think about your life in a different way. One week ago, I thought it wouldn't be possible in Austria, but then the amazing story of how Jirka has hitchhiked from Czech Republic all the way to Sweden and back in summer made me want to try it. And let me tell you what, it worked perfectly!

Try one step into unknown territory each day,
Martin
-on the verge of going to Hamburg

the perfect week

2011-04-22T17:56:00.011+08:00

Some people have one perfect day in their lives, and for many it is (hello, cliché) their wedding day. For me, this last week could be referred to as perfect. The reason? Crossing Europe film festival of Linz. This exquisite event (http://www.crossingeurope.at) was discovered by me last year, and I already began to like it back then. This year, however, I injected the full dose: two weeks before the event, I somehow became an official blogger for the film festival (http://crossingeurope.twoday.net), helping out with the posts in English. And let me tell you what: it could not have gone better! I stayed at the festival (which lasted for 6 days, from Tuesday to Sunday) for around 64 hours, having watched a total of 16 movies and having attended 4 of 5 parties. The atmosphere, created by cineasts and cinephiles, was extraordinarily chilled and I met several really cool people. I was really quite sad on Sunday when I walked out of my last movie, knowing that I will not have my Crossing Europe for 2 years now (this time next year, I will be in Taiwan).

However, one thought remains: it is so wonderful to do something you love (in my case the blogging) and see people appreciate your work - in that case, it doesn't even feel like work. May be Crossing Europe film festival prosper and have a good 2012 edition! In 2013, I will be happy to help out again.

Enjoy everything you do and have,
Martin
-on the verge of going to Prague

Reality Insanity

2011-04-03T20:34:00.007+08:00

As I didn't want this blog entry to be a 1st of April prank, I waited two more days to write it. Anyways, this post is about a radical but amazing shift I encountered in my life recently.

I've always been an active and lively person. Nothing bores me more than being bored. That's the reason why I choose many concerts, parties and fun to be part of my life. The only thing was, up until now people only sporadically joined me in my endeavors. Many times I only enjoyed my own company.
This changed two and a half weeks ago, when I met someone who shares my way of life to an extend that baffles and enchants me since Day 1. Suddenly I felt that I found what I was looking for: someone who joins me at everything, whom I can join at anything and who makes many boring evenings more fun by getting wasted or just by talking.
Good company is what you need to make you happy. And by God, did I find company! Now, a steady feeling of contentment, enriched by the wonderful sunshine which accompanies the beginning of spring these days, lights up my existence. Every step I took to get there was perfect and necessary. Every decision which made it possible for me to enjoy this place and time was the best ever. Although I have asked myself why this hasn't happened earlier, why I had to wait so long, the only true answer to that question is: don't worry about the past, it's already gone - instead, be happy that it actually happened for real. What would you do if it hadn't happened?

There's no chance in feeling sad about the past or the future. If you want to feel sad in the present, go ahead and do that (it's good and necessary sometimes), but always remember: every minute you spend feeling sad is a minute you lose being happy. You waste happiness. And happiness is what makes you happy. In the end, we all deserve to be loved. We are supposed to love. We should take advantage of the fact that we humans are able to feel. And let me tell you what, feeling alive feels pretty darn good.

Let me conclude with a quota by Radiohead's genius singer, Thom Yorke.

"Everything in its right place."

Make the most of this wonderful sunny day,

Martin

-in my right place

An amazing encounter.

2011-03-12T19:11:00.002+08:00

There is the saying that the most interesting people you meet on the train. This temporary captivity in the same vehicle forces people to interact more closely than they normally do, which includes actually talking to each other.

Last week I experienced such an encounter myself: an elderly woman (about the age of my grandmother) and me started talking about travelling. While old people usually love to listen to where you want to go or where you are going, this time is was the other way around. This woman has been everywhere in the world: mostly by self-organization, she has visited every continent and - it seemed - nearly every country. The whole hour of the train ride from Salzburg to Linz, she was talking about her adventures, and I listened closely. Such a passion for life and having a good time is - sadly - not easy to find with senior citizens. That's the goal I am aiming for in life: never to lose my sense of wonder.

Hope you have a great time,
Martin
-used to be on the train last week

...und das ist erst der Taiwanfang!

2011-03-07T20:59:00.008+08:00

Since a few years, I've been a person who wants and needs change in life and who is keen on experiencing new things. The greatest challenge of all will come in form of a year abroad, starting this fall. In January, I've applied to go to Taipei (capital of Taiwan) to study at the university there. About 2 weeks ago, I received the confirmation, which means that I am really going! The most difficult step of all is having the heart to do it. Once you're there, everything is amazing. The tricky part is getting there, and I don't mean booking a flight.

I had other options of where to go on my hands as well - some European destionations like Budapest or Tampere. First I wanted to stay in Europe, but a voice inside of me advised me not to let this amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away. As I was staring across my room thinking of where to go a couple of months back, my view suddenly fell on a poster in my room (see picture). I bought it on eBay about a year ago to pay tribute to one of the greatest artists of all time: Jason Mraz. I really wanted to have this motive and the only copy sold on eBay was the tour poster from, well, Taipei. Jason even played the N.T.U. Stadium, which seems to be the stadium of the uni I will go to (the National Taiwan University). In this moment, I felt like the universe was trying to give me a sign. I followed this sign, and now I show gratitude for this decision. It's going to be a good year.

"Only if you are thankful for what you are given you will enjoy yourself."

See you soon,

Martin

-soon to be in Taiwan

Social Network 1.0

2011-02-11T01:15:00.003+08:00

After a lazy blogging month (which was filled with exams instead), I want to share with you, gentle reader, a story about social networking. Don't worry, it's not going to be another MySpace or Facebook story. This time, it's about the first (and still best) version of social networking: version 1.0, the interaction with real people in real life.

Last week, a little something happened to my MacBook: after two and a half years of loyal service, the hinge of its display suffered a crack. First I tried to repair it by myself in order to avoid horrendous costs. The only problem was: I had no screwdriver small enough for the tiny screws of the cover. Good thing I am living in a dorm: I started my quest for the tool I needed right away. Each person I asked contributed to finishing the puzzle. Be it handing me a screwdriver that nearly fitted or knowing another person themselves who may have one, each door I knocked on brought me closer to finding the perfect tool, which I did in the end.

Although I didn't manage to repair the crack myself, I still happened to appreciate how much people helped me. Despite all the advantages of version 2.0 of a social network, the most important interaction humans have should still be personal. Humans are gregarious animals, they need fellow humans, not just bits and bytes representing somebody in a virtual world.

By the way: in the end - thanks to the goodwill of Steve Jobs' company - I got my MacBook repaired without paying for it anyways. And a friend of mine even lent me his old notebook for the week. Another example of version 1.0's great potential.

Take care,
Martin
-in a real world

me-time

2011-01-23T05:49:00.004+08:00

To whom it may concern: welcome to the new year! Hope your first few days of 2011 have been some good ones.
Let this year begin with a blog about yourself: be reminded that yourself is the most interesting, most complicated, most amazing and most loyal person you will ever meet. This person must be treated with a certain respect and given the tribute (s)he deserves. That's why you have to grant this person a little "me-time" once in a while. It helps reorganizing your energies and thoughts and seeing the world in another, a different, a better light.

For me, my "me-time" is mostly going to a café and reading a book alone. I normally don't read a lot at home, I have to go to a certain place for that. If you're saying that going to a café on your own is boring and kind of sad - well, it's not. You're going there with this special person I was describing above - yourself.
Unfortunately, over the last year and a half, I have quite forgotton about treating myself to a little "me-time". I used to go somewhere on my own all the time because I wanted to, and sometimes also because nobody cared to go there with me. At first it felt weird, but then I began to quite enjoy it. Somehow I lost this. I became more dependent on company than I liked it. (Don't get me wrong, I am not a loner, but I don't want to be someone who only functions as part of a group either.) There's so many cafés and bars I have never been to in Linz - why not go there on your own if noone's up for going? Who knows, maybe you meet someone new to share your "me-time" with at one of these places?

"May the eternal light of peace guide the world to a better future."

(quota from the Peace Museum of Hiroshima, Japan)

Be true you,

Martin

-on my own for now

e11even

2010-12-27T01:36:00.003+08:00

Dear friends, the year 2010 comes to an end. Before that happens, I'd like to write one last post. This year, in all its ups and downs, has been one of the most amazing in my life. I'm especially referring to the summer, where I had so much fun in Budapest, Venice and Portugal and - for the first time - realized that I can't exist without meeting other people. That's one of the reasons why I'm going to Japan tomorrow - you just have to get as much out of life as possible. I don't want to look back on these years and see a black hole. I want to look back and see colours, joy, people and relationships.
I'd even go as far as to say that 2010 has been the year of me getting truly enlightened and stopping being immature and childish. I feel a peace I have never felt before. I have found a second home in Linz. I have found a lot of people I care about. I am happy.

Nevertheless, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try harder next year. Collecting good memories, being thankful for the people you know and meet, trying something new every day. Many possibilities are here and everything waits for you to take action. Do it! Be active and enlightened, and true happiness will come to you.

So, whoever reads these lines right now and whoever has read an entry of my blog this year: thank you, dear reader, for supporting me. Maybe I don't know you, maybe I don't know that you read my blog, but I thank you anyway. It's nice to know someone cares. I hope that you and yours have a wonderful next year. May everything you ever dream of come true, for dreams are just the things we haven't tried yet.

So long,
Martin
-on the verge of going to Tokyo

Life, as it should be. Episode 7.

2010-12-13T20:11:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, this December entry closes the series of "Life, as it should be". Of course I'm not suggesting that I haven't found any more things worth writing about that make life so interesting. The only aim of that series was to give a few examples of how life should be and maybe move the reader to look for more themselves.

Anyhow, here comes the last one: about two weeks ago, I was on my way home from going out. It was basically in the middle of the night, so the people you see on the streets (if you see any) are generally not the friendliest or most obliging ones. This night however, as I passed a man on his bike, he wished my a good evening in the most polite way. I was blown away by his friendliness, because no Austrian normally greets you like that, especially when you're a young person. Of course I responded and wished him a wonderful evening as well. Needless to say, this guy was no Austrian. He was what the right-wing idiots normally call an illegal immigrant and want to send away. But guess what: these human beings, whatever race and colour, are needed and wanted here. Without them and the few Austrians supporting them, this country wouldn't be a multicultural community with friendly people. It would just be inhabited by racists, and I don't wanna be around for that.

"All I wish for is a stranger's smile on my way home."

(Clara Luzia, Austrian singer/songwriter)

See you soon,

Martin

-on Earth

Life, as it should be. Episode 6.

2010-11-29T23:29:00.002+08:00

This months episode covers a nice encounter I had at a concert a few days ago. It happened during my sixth gig of Russkaja, a great Austrian group playing Russian ska music. During the concert, I noticed a girl having a great time like me. As the gig was advancing, we had the most fun dancing next to each other without thinking about hooking up or anything to that kind. At the end, however, even before we could exchange some words, she hugged me without a specific reason.
It was just another of those moments where music brings people together and connects the world. I can't stress enough how important this is to me. For more information on that topic, you may wanna consider my last post.

Have a great day,
Martin

Music. Connecting people.

2010-11-23T22:52:00.005+08:00

November has been a month filled with concerts so far. This is why I chose this post to be exclusively about music, the greatest language on Earth.

At the beginning of this month, I had the possibility to be part of one of the greatest concerts ever. Charlie Winston, a brilliant singer-songwriter from the UK, happened to be in Graz. It was an amazing gig in an intimate venue with such a great atmosphere. You really felt the energy coming from the stage, filling everybody in the room, making the people dance and sing. Just the way music is supposed to be. I even go so far as to declare this concert the second best I've ever witnessed. What was the best? Well, check out this list for the answer:

Russkaja (Hilmteich, Graz)
Charlie Winston (Orpheum, Graz)
Franz Ferdinand (Arena, Vienna)
Radiohead (Frequency festival, St. Pölten)
Muse (Sziget festival, Budapest)

Graz seems to be a hotspot for concerts, does it not?

Shortly after that gig, Attwenger (a great Austrian duo using only accordion and drums) gave a concert at the University of Linz. And just a week later, the best concert weekend ever finally arrived: Slut (an awesome Germany group) played the smallest venue I've ever seen, the B72 of Vienna, on Friday. It was a great concert as well, partly because I still got tickets after the event was sold out - lucky me! Then, on Saturday, I flew to London just to see one group play the amazing O2 venue: Paramore. I missed them so many times in Amsterdam, Munich and even Detroit that I just had to see them this time. And let me say this: it was worth the effort! I also had my first couchsurfing experience in London. But that's not important now, for this post is only about music. Last but not least, Sum 41 played in Vienna on Sunday, and to make my concert weekend perfect, I also attended this gig.

Summing up, my greatest pleasure apart from travelling is going to concerts. And as you see, I went to a lot of them this November. It's just so nice to see people being connected by music. It's the best thing ever.

Cheers,
Martin

Life, as it should be. Episode 5.

2010-11-01T06:59:00.000+08:00

Nr. 5 of the "Life, as it should be" series is about, well, how life should be. It should be joyful, full of sun and fun, love and happiness. All these feelings overcame me when I was riding my bike on a wonderful sunny day this week. Just as I was crossing the Danube which shone all blue underneath me, with the impressive Freeway bridge to my left and the even more impressive city of Linz to my right, I felt I belonged here, in this life.

Look with how few words you can describe happiness.

Just be happy now,
Martin
-where I belong

The Environmentalist

2010-10-26T18:56:00.000+08:00

First of all, this post is not about preserving nature and stop using the car, at least not specifically. Although this topic is of uttermost importance, I wanted to discuss my living environment today.

For me, it's really important where to live. Not only the city and the part of the city is crucial, but also the room/flat/house I'm living in. After travelling the world, this may be the single most valuable thing to me - having my own cosy little area in which to stay. Needless to say, it takes time to get used to certain living environments. At home, I got used to it over the years and I really enjoy being in my room at home. In Toronto, despite there was not as much comfort as at home, I truly liked it as well. In all these environments, I was living in a family, be it my own or a host family.

Then I started studying, and along came a total rethinking of how I'm gonna live. I found a perfect students' residence and got my own single room, but something bothered me. These last two semesters, I felt I was missing something: social interaction. Although there was a big common kitchen, you didn't really feel you're living with someone; rather along someone. This changed when I was moving to a flat in the residence. Now the gap is filled. I feel I am living with someone.
Still, the dream about sharing a "real" flat with someone persists. It's such a student-like stereotype, but I know I want to live that stereotype one day. The flat in the students' residence is a big step in the right direction, but certainly not the whole way. I just hope it's possible either here in Linz or after that in London (where I wanna do my Masters) to share a proper flat (one outside the residence) with friends or colleagues. Strangely, it's even more important to me than having my own car. I had my own car (and still have it), but due to financial issues - it costed so much I didn't want to afford it - I put it out of service for now.

We'll see what the future has in store for me. But having gotten a glimpse of how cool it is to live with other people your age, I want the full dose. I want a flat share.

Yours,
Martin
-enjoying a form of living perfect for every student

20|10|2010

2010-10-21T02:10:00.000+08:00

Recently, Jason Mraz asked the following question on his blog: "When are you sacrificing personal comfort for a larger awakening?" In an instant, I had the answer: in taking a trip to the amazing continent of South America next summer in order to volunteer with school children. Nothing is booked yet, but I'm already ready to go. First Colombia, then Peru, and after that, Chile, Argentina and Brazil. I am truly looking forward to that!

Have a perfect day of 20|10|2010,
Martin
-in my room

Mine is much bigger than yours...

2010-10-07T20:08:00.000+08:00

No need to put a "Parental Advisory" sign on this blog right now. I won't be talking about anything dirty. What I will be talking about is comparison and happiness in life.

Due to the new semester starting, many people from home have settled at different places and found new homes. The places they are living in - student residence, own flat - were inspected by me the last few days. I've been jealous many times, but I was glad I'm not living where they do as well. This got me thinking about comparison. At home, I was not really comparing my situation to others, because it was just the way it was and I couldn't help anyways. But now, everything was our choice for the first time: city, field of studies, university, place to live - all these things were chosen by us and noone else. So I think we can now compare what we got for the first time.

What I've realized is that if someone else's situation seemed better than mine, I suddenly wanted it too. Be it city, place to live, friends, whatever - I thought I needed what they had to make me happy. My motto seemed to be "You Could Have It So Much Better". At the same time, I was belittling my own situation, making it bad in comparison to the others. I couldn't see futher until the next thing I wanted.
However, over the last few days, I started to see things in a different light: my situation can never be good if I only think of something that is bigger, better, more beautiful. Maybe I could have it so much better, but I don't want to. I'm happy with what I got, and for me it's the best and only thing I want. Running after something doesn't make you happy in life. Enjoying what you already have to the fullest does.

Be happy,
Martin
-where I want to be

Life, as it should be. Episode 4.

2010-10-01T04:24:00.001+08:00

In these closing hours of September 2010, I am continuing my blogging series, this time with a story from the beautiful country of Portugal.

I don't like taxis. I don't have anything against taxi drivers as humans - they have my deepest respect. But they do want to make money. A lot of it, if possible. When I was in Vienna some years ago, I didn't really have an idea of where things were located back then. I wanted to go from Stephansplatz to Schwedenplatz in the middle of the night, but I had no idea that these two locations were so close together (maybe a 5-10 mins walk). Had I known, I sure would have done this distance per pedes. But I had no idea, so I took a cab. Well, instead of going straight to my desired point of arrival, the driver took a long way down some random streets, for the only reason to get more money out of my pockets. When I left the cab and saw that we had not really moved a lot, I thought to myself that it would have been really friendly to just inform me that I basically had been where I wanted to go in the first place. But that's not how it goes.

Or so I thought, until the same happened to me in Lisbon. This time, the driver wasn't keen on the money, but was so friendly to tell us that the point we wanted to go to was about 5 mins away from where we wanted to enter the cab. So we walked, and saved quite a lot of money.

What I am trying to say is that it leaves a good impression when people treat you nice and friendly instead of only wanting to make money. Like I said in the August post, human-to-human is better than capitalism-to-human.

See you,
Martin
-NOT in a cab, that's for sure

Tempting indeed...

2010-09-30T04:03:00.002+08:00

Just a short word about the input and influence people have on me: throughout my life, whenever I was unsure about anything, I found myself with 2 options. Option one, easy: just do what the others do. Option two, difficult: find my own way. Call it stupid, call it selfish, call it stubborn - I always took the second option. Not because I don't like other people or thought I was better. No, because I wanted it to feel right for me.

Doing that was especially hard last year, when I had to come to a decision which would put my further life in one certain direction: studying. What? Where? I saw everyone who is my age choose something else than me, both concerning the what and the where. I heard people telling me how great this and that was, how it was the best thing in their lives. This had a strange influence on me: I started asking myself if my decision had been right if I was the only one doing it. The answer I always give: yes, it was right. The fact that it doesn't feel right is only caused by me not letting myself have a good time. I've always hated going mainstream, why should I now? I've always had a good time in my life - the way people tell me about their studies and stuff, it seems they've never been happy before. I'm doing my own thing, and even though it's difficult, it's what option two is all about.

Now stop worrying, and enjoy your life. (The last sentence my inner voice says to me. And yes, I'm a nutcase.)

Well, go ahead and enjoy your life,
Martin
-where I belong, and nowhere else

It's the end of SeptembERA.

2010-09-28T18:28:00.003+08:00

Minds open up,

borders disappear,

people connect,

there is no fear.

Fear of the unknown,

don't fear for your life,

no harm will be done,

no gun, no blade, no knife.

This is the world,

I want to feel,

although I know,

it's not that real.

Cheers,
Martin
-everywhere and nowhere

I want it Portug-all!

2010-09-27T01:51:00.004+08:00

"Before you can set sail, you must make sure to have a safe haven."

This doesn't only apply to your endeavours in life, but also to the ancient brave (wo)men who left their safe haven - Portugal - to discover a new world.

Last week, we payed a visit to this wonderful country at the westernmost point of the European mainland. First going to Lisbon, we stayed there a few days and were overwhelmed by the beauty of this city. Also the nightlife was not bad, starting at midnight and ending in the first hours of morning. Of course I was glad that we met some nice people who were fun to hang out with. It's always good to have some new input.
After that, we continued our journey to the south of Portugal, namely a small town called Lagos. Although having been a bit touristy, we still had a great time lying on the beach or jumping off cliffs (see picture above). Again, we shared our experiences with some newly found friends.

Sorry for the short post. I just didn't feel like discussing everything at length today. But I still hope you got an idea of how cool that week was.

Have a good one,
Martin
-back from Portugal

Showtime

2010-09-12T00:55:00.018+08:00

A few days ago, a friend of mine posted a list of all the music gigs she's ever been to. This got me thinking to which shows I've been to. Finally, I came up with the following list.

shows I've been to:

3 Feet Smaller
30 Seconds to Mars
AC/DC
Arctic Monkeys
Alberta Cross
Bauchklang
Beatsteaks
Billy Talent
Bloc Party
Blowfly
Bonaparte
Broken Social Scene
Chikinki
Christina Stürmer
Clara Luzia
Culcha Candela
Dave Matthews Band
Days in Paradise
Deichkind
Die Ärzte
Die Fantastischen Vier
Dillon
Dropkick Murphys
Dúné
Eagles of Death Metal
Erste Allgemeine Verunsicherung
Excuse Me Moses
Fall Out Boy
Farin Urlaub Racing Team
Fettes Brot
Flogging Molly
Frank Black
Franz Ferdinand
Frittenbude
Gentleman
Guadalajara
H-Blockx
Hockey
Incubus
Ingrid Michaelson
Jah Mason
Jason Mraz
Juliette & The Licks
Kaiser Chiefs
Kasabian
Kate Nash
Less Than Jake
Lily Allen
Linkin Park
Louis XIV
Madsen
Mando Diao
Marit Larsen
Maxïmo Park
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
MIA.
Mono & Nikitaman
Muse
Mystery Jets
Nada Surf
Nine Inch Nails
Parov Stelar
PBH Club
Peter Fox
Placebo
Portugal. The Man
Radiohead
Rammstein
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Reel Big Fish
R.E.M.
Russkaja
Seeed
Serj Tankian
Shantel
Ska-P
Skero
Snow Patrol
Sportfreunde Stiller
Stone Temple Pilots
Sunrise Avenue
The Builders and the Butchers
The Coral
The Hives
The Killers
The Offspring
The Prodigy
The Rakes
The Subways
The Wombats
Thirteen
Tito & Tarantula
Tocotronic
Tomte
Travis
Vanilla Sky
Volbeat
Wir sind Helden

shows I will go to:

Charlie Winston
Slut
Vampire Weekend

shows I wanna go to:

Arcade Fire
Coldplay
The Cooper Temple Clause (not gonna happen)
Death Cab for Cutie
Editors
Foo Fighters
Interpol
Jamiroquai
Jan Delay
Nirvana (not gonna happen)
Paramore
Queens of the Stone Age
Scars on Broadway
Sons and Daughters
Sugarplum Fairy
System of a Down (maybe not gonna happen)
Tenacious D
The Kooks
Them Crooked Vultures
Two Door Cinema Club

I Heart Music,
Martin
-on the dance floor

Klangwolke // soundcloud

2010-09-06T21:26:00.001+08:00

Imagine an open-air theatre. Then add a crane, a helicopter, two trains, three ships, a huge sound installation including a soundtrack only composed for this happening, a lot of lasers, even more lights and a big display of fireworks. Sounds like a product of my imagination? Not at all, sounds more like an open-air project called "Klangwolke", or "soundcloud" in English. This amazing stimulus satiation took place in Linz last Saturday.

It's - like I said - a sort of theatre play, only with much more to see than a few people acting on the stage. The stage - in this case - is a park next to the Danube, and the river itself. All the equipment mentioned above is used to create an audio-visual masterpiece which lasts about one hour and leaves you standing there in awe. Realized by the artist collective Lawine Torrèn, it proved to elate 70,000 people. More to be found at http://www.klangwolke.at (available in German and English).

So long,
Martin
-back from Linz

travellogue, travel-log

2010-09-02T18:17:00.007+08:00

"Why do we travel? This too, so that we encounter people who don't think they know us inside and out; that we once again realize what is possible for us in this life.
It's little enough, anyway."

These words by a Swiss writer really overwhelmed me this fine morning. I just recently - during my journeys to Budapest and Venice - came to understand what it is really about travelling that people see. I'm not talking about tourists here, who are just rushing from one landmark to another, smiling into the camera with said landmarks in the background, buying "souvenirs" they won't even remember and being proud of having two weeks off their rat race which they call "holiday". Travelling doesn't have to be about taking a time off, on the contrary; during your travels you have to be concentrated, soaking everything up, making the most out of your stay.

Furthermore, travelling doesn't have to be during your holidays - you can travel whenever you find time. Don't say "I have no time because of this and that". If you want to travel, then you always find the time. Don't say "I have no money to travel". Why not abandon the idea of buying a 42'' flat screen or a new car which cost a fortune? If you're really up for it, you put all your money into travelling. You may not be able to talk big in front of your friends who all suddenly envy and respect you because of your flat screen or car, but you can impress people with the most amazing stories of things you have encountered during your trips. Still, if you really have to earn some money, why not do it abroad? You don't always have to earn money where you live. And what is your place of residence more than three lines on a sheet of paper? Your place of residence is the earth, everything else depends on your own courage to settle anywhere.

I think I caught the travel bug,

Martin

-on earth

Life, as it should be. Episode 3.

2010-08-26T21:00:00.003+08:00

Without many words of introduction, let's get right into the August episode of the blogging series "Life, as it should be".

Episode 3
A few months ago, I was sitting on the train from Graz back to Linz. I overheard a girl talking on the phone, asking the person at the other end of the line if they had access to a French-German dictionary in order to translate a few words for her homework. As the other person declined, she hung up and looked a bit helpless. So I offered her to look up the words on the Internet, since I had a smartphone with an Internet connection on me. Apparently she misunderstood me, since she looked even more puzzled after my offer. So I went back to reading my book and didn't think much of the incident any more.
About an hour later, she approached me and told me that she was sorry. She explained that she thought I'd asked her for a French-German dictionary instead of wanting to offer her one. In the end, she gladly accepted my offer and looked up the words on the Internet.
What I'm trying to say is that I think it was brave of her to apologize (although there hasn't been much to apologize for) and clear up the misunderstanding. Most people don't walk up to you after they've realized an error in human communication. They just ignore you and never talk about it. But not that girl - and that's what I respect about her behaviour.

So long,
Martin
-back from Venice and on the verge of going to Chiemsee Reggae Summer

Buda-best

2010-08-17T06:58:00.000+08:00

For my 60th entry, I've chosen a special topic: the Buda-best city trip I've ever had the chance to experience. I actually don't know where to start: the city itself, the weather, the hostel and most of all - the people. Due to the most awesome atmosphere in the hostel, everyone got to know each other in no time and we felt so at home. Of course city itself is amazing as well, it seems to offer so much for the younger generation. And finally, there was the best music festival I've ever been to: the Sziget. Although we've only been there one day out of seven, we've got to experience the relaxed atmosphere and had a great time. Furthermore, the headliner of this day was no other than the brilliant Muse, and I can only say that I was really amused by their performance (stupid wordplay, I know).

Don't be scared of other people, they are just like you.
Don't be scared of other cultures, they have so much to offer.
Be sure to stay present, happy and inspired.
Be sure to never lose your smile and your sense of wonder.
Be yourself, for the true you is the most amazing person you can be.

These are the words I wrote for the section "philosophy" on my profile on couchsurfing.com, the official website for the couchsurfing programme, whose members share their couches with each other and participate in creating a better way of travelling. Speaking of travelling, I think I'm getting to the point of my life where I always wanted myself to be: seeing travelling not only as a means of exploring different kinds of cities and people, but also getting to know a whole new side of yourself. I have a certain picture of who I want myself to be, and the only thing I need to get there is travel as much as I can and even stay at places longer than a few days or months.

Thanks to a certain someone I met in Budapest, I got pointed in the right direction, and I can't describe how much I owe her for that. So, from the bottom of my heart, let my gratitude be expressed with a humble "thank you". Thank you for having given me such inspiration; thank you for having been the best travel acquaintance ever; thank you for being yourself. You're awesome!

Life is wonderful,

Martin

-home from Budapest (but can't home just be anywhere?)

Life, as it should be. Episode 2.

2010-08-01T02:19:00.007+08:00

Last month, I've started a series of blog entries entitled "Life, as it should be". Each month, I'll be posting one thing I've experienced that would be part of an ideal life. So let's go for it again, shall we?

Episode 2
A few days ago, I had to get my car checked for the yearly inspection. First, everything was going according to plan, but when the mechanic returned with a negative verdict, I didn't like that one bit, since I knew it would involve spending a lot of money. He told me that there is one small hole to be fixed, and confessed that the price of 400-500€ to fix it at an official Mazda repair center is outrageous. So he gave me the address of a small and sweet car repair not too far away from my former school. I went there (without an official appointment btw) and described the man my problem; he promised to get it fixed in a few hours. When I got back, the hole was fixed and he even got me the positive verdict for the car! Of course I payed a fraction of what I "should" have payed at the official Mazda partner.
Normally, I'm a big fan of organized structures of all kind, but I certainly don't approve of the whole "it's expensive because we're official and you're not" crap. People like the man at the small repair center do honest work without wanting to rip the customer off, without being awfully drawn to making big money for little work. It's just human-to-human interaction, not company-to-human. As much as the world needs regulation and organisation, it needs those off-mainstream people and humanly driven companies. Do you agree?

Sitting in my car,
Martin
-nearly on the way of going anywhere

Lost & Not Yet Found: Inspiration

2010-07-30T01:16:00.001+08:00

The most important thing is to be inspired; everything else derives from it.

My most important source of energy is inspiration. Should I not be inspired, I have no energy to do stuff; should I not feel energized, I won't be inspired. The last few years, everything I did was due to some ideas I had and the inspiration I got right away. However, the last few weeks I feel like my inspiration has somewhat faded. Although I have a number of plans of how to spend my holidays (after I finished working), I feel drained and not ready to put any of them in action. I also feel like I've lost a big part of my self-confidence, probably because - speaking of relationships - I am standing still while all my friends are moving forward. I don't know the why or the how, but I do send out a wake-up call to my inspiration: come back, please, I need you!

Hopes to be inspired again some time soon,
Martin
-still in Klagenfurt, but needs to get away

Zombielicious

2010-07-21T06:10:00.001+08:00

I get terribly bored when there's nothing for me to do. Sometimes it seems that the only way to keep me inspired is having constant challenges and stress. That's why it came handy to me that my friends and me became engaged in making a short film - a Zombie film by the name of "DURST", to be precise.

It will be handed in as a contribution to a movie contest accompanying the release of a major German Zombie movie in September. The contributions are allowed to have a maximum length of 7 min and are mainly created and produced by amateurs like us. So we've been busy writing the script, "casting" some actors and borrowing the necessary equipment to shoot the film these last few days. Now, shooting is nearly finished and I'm looking forward to starting the post production tomorrow, which means getting to know the real potential of my MacBook using iMovie and stuff.

I'll keep you posted as soon as we've finished the trailer or even the whole movie. It will be put on YouTube for everyone to watch, share, download, love, hate and fear.

Yours,
Martin
-on the set

Orientation, Orient-Asian

2010-07-09T20:31:00.002+08:00

All my life I've been searching for something,

something never comes, never leads to nothing,

nothing satisfies, but I'm getting close,

closer to the prize at the end of the rope.

Sometimes I'm feeling that I don't really know which direction to head to. I become easily distracted by things other people are up to and I feel that the things I'm doing are not right for me. That is to say, I sometimes orientate myself too much on what others do than on the things that are good for me. For example, there have been some months this spring when I wasn't sure if I had picked the best city to study in, just because most (nearly all) of my friends went to another city.

Now comes the time that the majority of my friends are getting into serious relationships, sometimes I feel, everyone but me. Once again, I orientate myself on that and letting misery get to me instead of partying and enjoying the life as a single. Strangely, this insecurity becomes noticeable in areas where I haven't quite found my way. For example, noone could ever convince me that I must have their laptop, for I am perfectly content with my own. But if you start with the discussion whether to live in a student's home or having your own flat, it gets me thinking and don't really know which option to choose. There are times that I'm under the impression that everybody in my circle of friends is in a better situation or has more luck in life than I have. That's not true, I know that, but the evil voice inside me fails to see that.

Enough with the moaning. Going positive again, I'd like to stress that this last year of studying has been one of the best (if not the best) in my life! It's so cool being independent, and all the things I've tried to be independent at home were never as successfull as this first (successful) try to live without parents. I certainly understand why everyone lists their college years as the best in life, and I plan on continuing this state for another 4 years! Hopefully with more independence from myself.

Go your own way,

Martin

-on the verge of returning home for summer

Words of the day

2010-06-26T19:32:00.002+08:00

Wenn ich auf die Donau blicke,

rechts die Brücke, links das Licht,

wie es leuchtet, in den Farben,

ich bereu' es nicht.

Dieses Licht schreibt viele Worte,

in das Dunkel jener Nacht,

da fühle ich es deutlich,

diese Stadt, und wie sie lacht.

In Gedanken übers Leben,

und die Welt verlier' ich mich,

doch da ist ein Gedanke,

der seither nie mehr wich:

in Linz, da stimmts.

(created yesterday when having been far away from reality)

Inspirized,
Martin
-in the city referred to in the text above

Life, as it should be. Episode 1.

2010-06-07T06:36:00.003+08:00

I've been awfully lazy at blogging lately. In fact, my last post has been exactly one month prior to this date. I do excuse for that behaviour and promise that I am going to make up for it!

I've thought about an ideal life a lot of times. Some days ago, in the tram in Linz, I witnessed a situation that made me come up with the idea of writing a series of blog entries, starting with this one. Each month, I am going to talk about a situation that would be part of what I call an ideal life.

Episode 1
As I was saying, I was sitting in the tram next to a woman of - I'd say, but I'm not sure - Turkish origin. Next to her an African-American woman was holding on to a stroller. As usual, nobody (by which I mean nobody, not a single passenger) was talking or even making an attempt to look content or friendly. But suddenly, the child of the Turkish woman was starting to address the African-American child with friendliness and - what it most honourable, considering our society - without any prejudice. He was asking the other where he went to school, what his favourite subject was and so on. Some short moments later, the ice melted - the two women starting talking as well, again without preconception.
This episode made it clear to me that everybody could be like these two children: non-biased, friendly, open-hearted, just about ready to start talking to their neighbour without having to fear disapproval. The only thing that stands between us and these attributes is the stupid wall of rules our society builds to "protect" us and to "secure" normal behaviour. Anyone who's acting abnormal is being ignored - except for children. They are acting most abnormal (by which I mean most honest), but noone ever dares to judge them. They're just kids, you say, they don't know how to behave correctly, you say. Well, how do you behave correctly? Sitting isolated on the tram, not uttering a word, looking sad and depressed? I don't wanna behave like that.
Do you?

Back after a long time,
Martin
-back home, again

This May be a poem...

2010-05-08T03:24:00.002+08:00

For everyone who's full of fear,

don't you worry - help is hear.

Just say it, get it off your chest,

it's not a race, it's not a test.

You're here, you're full of power,

the best is now, this is the hour.

Let your consciousness arise,

it's priceless, but without a price.

The good is here, on our Earth,

it's stays with every death and every birth.

Thank you,

Martin

-chillin' at my grandparents' place

Questions

2010-04-25T21:38:00.006+08:00

As I mentioned some months ago, I think. Too much. Whenever I thought I'd finally settled, I'd finally reached a conclusion of any kind, my mind starts pouring out so many thoughts, raises so many questions and doubt. That's a positive thing in some situations, but normally it just sucks and I can't help.

Yesterday, for example, we went to Vienna for a concert and I met a friend from my home town who is studying in Vienna now. That made me think: isn't it better to go to Vienna rather than studying in Linz? What am I doing here if I can go to far bigger cities like the capital or Munich? Am I wasting opportunities? I've never much cared about what will happen in 5 years' time, where I'll be settling, what I'll be doing and so on. Suddenly these thoughts are infiltrating my mind. Damn, why!?

For a person like me who normally makes sure that he is sure before doing something, this comes as a difficult situation. I really like it here in Linz, but I can't help thinking that I'm missing out on something. Had I gone to Vienna, I'd maybe say something like "Maybe I should go to Linz, the city I'm born in, the city I have a personal relationship to, instead of wasting my time in this big town where nobody really bothers to be friendly, where nobody cares". You see my dilemma? My mind works all the time and never lets me have a moment where I can be at Peace and establish a connection with Being and Happiness.

I am full of energy and content, and I get the feeling I'm just one step away from happiness. But it doesn't work like this. You're happy every moment of your life, just like the sun always shines. It's just the question of clouds being in the sky which can stop the sun from shining or not.

Please take a moment to check out this video, being a poem by my friend Stavros. It deals with about the same topic as my entry:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwEEQ5cy_oY&feature=channel

See you,
Martin
-in a city whose beauty I haven't fully appreciated

Nature vs. Mankind

2010-04-16T18:49:00.015+08:00

Each day tens of thousands of people hop on a plane to go anywhere - on a private or a business mission. Then, suddenly, a volcano in Iceland (probably the most isolated of all European countries) erupts and 90% of all the flights in Europe have to be canceled, as the BBC reports.

Mankind has tried for decades to make nature his slave. Everywhere, green areas are destroyed to make room for houses, shopping malls, cities. The habitat of countless animals was, is and will be damaged. But every time (wo)men think they have won against nature, every time they think it is a victory to have treated Mother Earth like scum, natures "strikes back". Take, for instance the Tsunami of 2004 - hundreds of thousands of people died, millions have lost their homes. Take, for instance, Hurricane Katrina in 2005 - same thing here. The earthquake in Haiti in January of this year. The earthquake in China just two days ago. And now this eruption.
Some people have known for a long time that mankind is preparing their own doom. Slowly but surely, they have managed to convince other people of looking after the Earth instead of trying to destroy it. Now there's all the superficial "going green"-stuff. Although it's total bullshit (just an advertising strategy and not the real deal), more and more people become aware of the significance of saving our planet. And that's a good thing.

This volcano eruption shows us one more time that nature is far more powerful than we will ever be. Our most inspired way to travel - going into the air and flying - is crushed by one single eruption. I truly feel sorry for all the passengers having to spent their days and nights at the airport waiting to come home, but still it's a good sign for us to realize that it was nature who made us, and that it is nature who controls us and that it will be nature who will wipe us out when the time is ripe. Not the other way around.

"When all the trees have been cut down, when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted, when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money."

Peace,
Martin
-at a place not yet affected by the ash cloud

At ease, at peace.

2010-04-13T03:07:00.004+08:00

My life tends to be stressful at times. So when holidays come, I always swear to do some things which I don't normally take time to do, for instance playing guitar, reading books and doing some sports. Of course holidays are then even more stressy and I end up doing none of those things. But that's okay. I don't get my energy from holidays, I get it from listening to music, especially the incredible tunes of Jason Mraz. Although I have said this over and over again, I have to stress it one more time: the man amazes me. Having been what the capitalist and cruel world would probably call a failure (no perspective in life whatsoever), he has finally found the one thing nobody could beat him in - music. Jason Mraz is one of the very few people in the world I give complete respect. Two years back, when I going through a rough time (break-up and stuff), I discovered his music and it helped me through other rough times too. Whenever I feel I'm losing track of my life, he is my guiding light, seeming to have the perfect attitude to life and a mind always filled with positive energy. I know I can get angry and left alone sometimes or simply have a bad day - his words and his music show me the way. Although it doesn't seem like that, I'm sure that Jason is no superhero and that he has his bad days too - I hope that he as well has a guiding light and some rock to hold on. Having missed meeting him last year after a gig in Toulouse, I hope to shake hands with this amazing human being soon. I know that, when looking back on my young years, he will play a big part in it.

“The stress and the need for perfection is a distraction
from the beauty, uncertainty and finality of every moment.”

(Jason Mraz)

Have a great evening,
Martin
-in Linz

Czech it out

2010-04-04T03:08:00.006+08:00

On(e) first day there was Klagenfurt, on the second Český Krumlov and on the third České Budějovice. And I saw that it was good. "It" refers to our short trip to South Bohemia the last few days. When I got a call if I wanted to join in, I thought of it as a good idea. And indeed it was great fun!

We did a lot of Geocaching in the Czech Republic - after all, we found 8 caches. For all people who don't know how this thing works: all around the world, people hide little or big things (you can take basically anything that isn't dangerous) anywhere, in each and every place. Then they post the coordinates online at geocaching.com and the cache is placed. Now that's where you enter: You get yourself a GPS device (an iPhone, some other navigation system or even an old-fashioned atlas, although this might be difficult) and look for the cache using the coordinates given and maybe some descriptions and hints. Once you found the little or big bastard, you put your name or a random combination of letters in the logbook that is in the cache. You can also log your find online at geocaching.com and write some comments. Of course you can also create your own caches if you know a good place. Although there are more than a million caches out there, nature offers plenty of space and you can put your cache wherever you please.

One more thing before I go: no wonder the Czech people drink so much beer! It's really good and it only costs 25 Czech crowns (which is 1 Euro or 90 British pennies or 1.35 American Dollars), about a third of the price at home. We ourselves had quite a few Budweiser Thursday evening!

Sbohem,
Martin
-position: N 048° 26.214, E 013° 26.475

Hug It

2010-03-30T23:05:00.002+08:00

I really like the concept of free hugs. Last year in Toronto, I stumbled upon it for the first time. I think it is quite brave to stand on the streets and hug random strangers (why is it called "strangers" anyway - is everybody you don't know strange?). Not many do it, but more should. It increases love among the people and leads to a more open society. So why don't you give someone special a hug today? For no good reason, but for a better cause!

Cheers,
Martin
-out there hugging

600

2010-03-25T03:35:00.001+08:00

Dear friends, what an awesome day! It's one of the days you'll remember for a very long time. First, after some nice hours at the university (sarcasm!), we took advantage of the most amazing weather and went to a park next to the Danube - music, beer, hookah and Ukulele included (no sarcasm, but great fun!). There I read in the paper that http://www.the-impossible-project.com has finally succeeded in producing new Polaroid films! It all started out as a small project: a team of 20 members (among them 10 former Polaroid employees) had gathered two years back when the company went bankrupt in the aftermath of the financial crisis and had to stop the production of its popular instant films. Now the team has reached their goal: they've began shipping the first "non-Polaroid-made" Polaroid films ever! At the moment their products are "just" for black and white-pictures, they have announced color films in summer, among them the popular 600 films which I need and want.

So, having started out with a Fuji Instax 200 last May as an alternative to a Polaroid (all available 600 films had long expired by then), I am now "returning" to the original, exchanging my Fuji for a Polaroid One 600 Classic! Behold for my very first instant Polaroid image in a few weeks' time!

Go Pola,
Martin

Now our finest hours arrive...

2010-03-21T02:17:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow is the meteorological start of spring, and spring indeed it is outside. After a long and difficult winter, everything seems to open up and life starts to make sense again. This is why spring is my most favorite season and the best time of the year. Sure, summer is nice and stuff, but isn't it anticipation that is most pleasant?
It may be due to the overall positive energy around that there's a kind of peace in me that I've never felt before. It's like I'm satisfied with every little part of my life. When being asked recently how I would rate my life from 1 (best) to 5 (worst), I've answered 1 without hesitation and it felt right. It seems that nothing could minimize the greatness of life for me at the moment.

Similar thoughts like these are being brought up in a book I'm currently engaged in reading. It's called "A New Earth" by spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle and it deals with the topics of spirituality, religion, philosophy and psychology. Tolle discusses the way to enlightenment and talks about waking up to "being" and "living" rather than mere "existing". While reading, I became really amazed of how little every human being knows about their inner self and their ego. Here are some quotes from it I really dig: "Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness" and "In forgiving, you look through the ego to the sanity that is in every human being as his or her essence".

I hope these wise words will give you something to think about. Have a wonderful and sunny time!

Yours,
Martin
-I'm sitting here in this thrilling room, finally a chillin' sunny afternoon

Where did you park your car?

2010-03-15T06:08:00.000+08:00

Dear friends, I've been awfully lazy at blogging lately. To be fair, the last entry is exactly one month away. For this reason, I've decided to present something to you this fine day: my new old car. And as a picture says more than a thousand words, enjoy the picture!
More to be expected on the weekend.

Have a perfect time,
Martin
-studying in Linz

Valen-neins-day

2010-02-14T19:48:00.003+08:00

Two occasions are coming up that I really can't stand: Valentine's Day and Carnival. Both have no historical background - true, Carnival developed out of an old tradition, but what's going on today has nothing to do with ancient festivities any more - and are totally unnecessary. Valentine's Day has only been created by Capitalism to bypass the time between Christmas and Easter in which no social convention dictates the people to buy anything. How about we introduce another lovely "holiday" like that? Let's call it 'Nothing-is-happening-in-August-but-we-still-need-more-money-to-polish-up-our-yearly-balance'-Day. It shall take place on August 1 from now and the target group is, let's say, young families with one child who just recently bought a multivan. Aaahh, it will be the perfect holiday and everybody will (have to) take it seriously!
Concerning Carnival, I already found the right words last year. Consider taking a look at this blog entry for more information.

Do I sound grumpy here? Maybe, but I just reject respecting stupid "traditions" or even spending money in order to justify the existence of Valentine's Day and/or Carnival. I'd rather make my loved ones a surprise present every now and then, but certainly not on the one day Capitalism wants me to.

Btw: Congrats Saints for having won the 44th Super Bowl! I cheered for the Colts, but you can't always win...

Waiting for spring to come,
Martin
-back from a road trip to Germany

Rejection

2010-02-07T01:10:00.004+08:00

I frequently get rejected by girls when dancing in a disco (not that I often go to discos anyway). After having danced near me (with me?), they turn to another fella who apparently is better suited to their needs than I am. Neither am I angry about this rejection, nor am I sad. And it certainly isn't a big deal for my ego. I rather take it with humor: it's perfectly clear to me that I am not the best mating material when it comes to disco dancing. That's because I see through the superficiality of this exercice and for this reason do not take it as seriously as the usual visitor to a club.

Furthermore, I don't go out with an altered personality and an imaginary mask to cloud my real appearance. I am not playing to be someone the girls HAVE to like, I am just me. I am not trying to please someone by giving them only what they want and need. If I have to sacrifice the occasional flirt for these values, then should it be. After all, I have no interest in anyone being temporarily (that is, for 5 minutes) in love with my faked appearance. I know this sounds arrogant, but it's just the way I feel...

Just being me,
Martin
-thank goodness there's a 3G connection here in Bad Gastein, I needed to get these thoughts off my chest

I think too much.

2010-02-04T19:12:00.000+08:00

Sometimes it freaks me out. Everything I do, everything that happens around me, has to be overthought by me. Often I don't want to think it through, but I don't stand any chance against me. From time to time I even start asking myself these annoying "What if?"-questions and play through all different variations of a scene that never happened or never happened this way. My thinking frequently prevents me from just letting it go, as I would really like to do.
To be fair, I managed to get it under control lately. Some years back, when I was brutally insecure and vulnerable, the thinking really haunted me. As I said, it got better, but it still freaks me out even today...

Time to think about what I just wrote and why wrote this and what would've happened if I hadn't.

Peace out,
Martin
-trapped in the fictional world of my thoughts

Life is just a series of naps.

2010-02-03T23:30:00.002+08:00

I love taking naps. It gives me the possibility to dive into another reality, the reality of dreams. I can be every character I please, doing only the things I want. Sometimes it's liberating to leave this reality. Not because I don't like it, but because the possibilities are limited in this "real" world. This seems to be the reason for many people to look out for another reality - many find their second life in, well "Second Life" and other apps on the Internet. It gives you a sense of power to decide who you wanna be without changing a damn thing about your appearance.

When sleeping, time runs by so fast. Einstein was right, it's always like that if you do something you like. Whereas usually the holidays are over so quick, these last few weeks (preparing for exams) dragged on and on. Time does not march lock-step, it seems.

Time, enemy and friend.

Time, bringing destruction and frustration as well as repairing it.

Time, everything bound to happen in a timely manner.

Time, crucial factor of all times, indicator of the money you make.

Time, controlling force of everyone's life.

Time...is up!

Time to close now,

Martin

-Thurday: Linz / Friday: Zell / Saturday: Bad Gastein / Sunday: Göppingen / Monday: Mannheim / Tuesday: Frankfurt

(insert title here)

2010-01-18T01:30:00.001+08:00

There are times when I feel strange. Not particularly sad, but not happy either. These times, a kind of emptiness grows inside of me which lets me start thinking about the world, the meaning of life and everything around. I feel quite lonely then, no matter how many people are around. I write these lines because right now, I am experiencing this feeling. It seems that when something big is coming to an end - a party, an anticipated event or, in my case, an eventful weekend - I have that kind of emotion. That's why I am not a big fan of the daily/weekly routine (week/weekend). It always makes me be cheerful on Friday and depressed on Sunday. Unfortunately, our whole system follows this routine. There's not much I can do about/against it, except wait for next Friday and surrender to my thoughts right now.

Hope you understand me,
Martin
-on his primary source of inspiration, the train

Something Superficial

2010-01-16T04:36:00.008+08:00

To clear things up: not the entry itself will be superficial, but rather the event I'm telling about. You see, last night I was at this students' party. It was quite fun, but there was one thing which bothered me: I couldn't help recognize the superficial social interaction most people had. Guys hopelessly trying to pick up girls by dancing near them and wanting to hit on them with the most stupid means there are. Sure this phenomenon is nothing new to me - I've pitied this behavior many times in my mind before. But I think I owe my readership to present my thoughts on this topic in written form as well.

Why can't we get together through talking? Nothing wrong about having a party, letting yourself go, getting hammered and dancing all night, but combining all this with stupid mating is nothing I can approve of. Maybe it sounds all humpy-dumpy and gay, but I believe everybody should find the perfect partner in a natural way, not in some disco dancing to the latest David Guetta bullshit.

Just a closing word on the picture included: it has nothing to do with the topic of the entry itself, it's just a snapshot by this cool Russian camera called Lomo LC-A. More photos, information and a shop are found at http://www.lomography.com (created by Austrians, btw).

So long,
Martin
-on his primary source of movement, the train

Barcelonawesome

2010-01-05T02:14:00.006+08:00

Hey friends, just got back from Barça the other day. We had a killer time, both walking around the beautiful city and hanging out with friends from all over the planet we met on a walking tour. It surely was the most exciting New Year's Eve I've ever had the possibility to enjoy. Taking a cooking class (which was mostly about eating the food, namely tapas and paella, somebody else cooked for us), drinking Sangria (self-made), hitting the beaches to look at the fireworks and going for a swim in the sea shortly after midnight are not things I usually fill my NYE with. We were really lucky to have met these people, thus having prevented us from sitting at the hotel all lonely and depressed at midnight. A big cheers to all of you, guys!

Of course we honoured the master of architecture of the city of Barcelona, Antoni Gaudí, by visiting all the famous buildings and hotspots designed by him. I was particularly impressed by the Parc Güell, surely one of his masterpieces. But also modern pieces of architecture, like the Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel, got my attention. Barcelona is the perfect destination for an architecture student, I suppose. (Mine should be Silicon Valley, but frankly I think it's just boring and too hot.)

Now I am back in my little hometown of Klagenfurt, slowly going back to the all-day routine I've successfully avoided the last two weeks. I'll positively keep in my mind these last few days and look forward to the next vacation in February, giving me the opportunity to travel to Frankfurt and Budapest. Of course I'll keep you posted if there's something extraordinary crossing my way (I'm sure there will be something).

I will end this entry by posting the facebook status of one of the guys we met in Spain: "I'm sick of hearing, 'Can't wait for a fresh start to a new year.' Every day is a fresh start. Why wait till the end of the year?"

Cheers,
Martin
-back home

Make It Ten

2009-12-29T23:30:00.004+08:00

For the reason I'll be attending a vital business meeting in Barcelona on the subject of New Year's Eve the next few days, I feel obliged to post this blog entry today. It will be the last one of 2009, concluding a wonderful year and an amazing decade. I am grateful for this year of "o'Nine", being one of the most awesome in my short life. I've had the possibility to go to Canada for a few months, I've had the opportunity to travel extensively in the New World and I've had the duty and the honour to open a new chapter in my Book of Education by starting my studies. So much has changed this year - I am grateful for my personality having developed, for not being the same person I was 12 months ago.

So as the old decade fades away, I am eagerly awaiting the new one. What will happen? Where am I gonna be in 10 years' time? Will I be a dad, will I be a mum, will I be married, will I have a car and/or a house, or will I be unemployed and sleeping in the gutter? I don't wanna look ahead too far, but I'd like to point out how much can change in a decade. Hell, one decade ago, my age barely had two digits and I was celebrating New Year's Eve with my family and orange juice. Like I said - so much has changed since then...

I suppose in a way this change of decades is like moving houses - take everything you need and want with you, but leave the old stuff behind. Don't hang on to things that bring you down and make you feel sad. Now is the chance to come to terms with the old decade and welcome the new one by becoming a brand-new you.

Peace and love,
Martin
-on the go to Spain

Religion. Revolution. Rage.

2009-12-23T19:10:00.002+08:00

Hey there, welcome to another bunch of thoughts being posted right now! I've really been enjoying these last few days, mainly because I did nothing, not a damn thing (except socialising, reading and playing guitar). It was nice not to be stressed all the time. The Christmas holidays are like a little island of chilling and sleeping, standing firmly in the froth of work.

Which brings me to the first point: Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you have a good time like me these merry days. Don't overwork, don't overshop, just enjoy. It doesn't matter if you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah or simply the end of the year. It is important that you can identify with what you're celebrating. This holiday is universal.

Which brings me to the second point: Some time ago, I was involved in a discussion about religion. I've considered to change my religion for a long time - maybe become Protestant, Buddhist, agnostic or atheist. But then I realized that it doesn't really matter which religion you "believe" in. I argue that 80% of all the "believers" in the Catholic church don't give a rat's ass about their religion. Church? Prayer? God? Not important. They're just Catholic because it's the social convention and it's needed to get married. Sadly, right now I'm one of them, a Catholic on paper. I don't believe in "God" him-/herself, but I do keep faith with a higher power, whatever their name. And I don't only support the thoughts of one religion. It's a good mixture of all the major religions in the world that works for me. Unfortunately, each religious group sticks firmly to their ideas and completely locks out everything else. Although I'm sure that the Catholic church would love to adopt some ideas of, say, the Protestants, they are not allowed to do so because of their traditions. You can't change something that exists for such a long time. How modern...

Which brings me to the last point, which is just an extension to the second one: If you believe strongly in one religion, then you are a lucky (wo)man. But everyone should believe in what they want - hell, you can even believe in hell! It's wrong to limit somebody to one religion because it's important for society. Furthermore, nobody seems to have a problem with me not going to church on Sunday, but should I leave the Catholic sect (yes, I call it a sect), the people around me would be horrified. Why? Well, because it's the social convention to 1) be Catholic on paper and 2) go to church on Christmas and on Easter. Once again: How modern...

It didn't mean to destroy Christmas for you with these words - I myself love Christmas! But it should stimulate further thought on that topic and maybe help to make society more open-minded about religion. Free choice of religions does exist on paper, but not in our heads.

May be all your Christmas wishes come true (except they're too expensive)!

Until next time,
Martin
-in a Winterwonderland, being my city with snow

Brave New Capitalist World

2009-12-13T05:19:00.003+08:00

Last week, I was confronted with two events that reminded me of how true Michael Moore's new film, "Capitalism: A Love Story", is. First of all, visible for everybody, it is the season of Christmas craze again. As I was walking the streets of Linz a few days ago, a strange vibe of stress lay in the air. People were running around like mad, like it would already be the 24th and they'd completely forgotten to buy anything at all. Shopping here, shopping there, ten bags in every hand. I don't know how, but commerce knows how turn this wonderful holiday of Christmas into something disgusting! More profit instead of the birth of Christ. Sale instead of bliss. The more the better.

Second, and this is an almost perfect example of the modern capitalist world: I ordered a printer for university some weeks back. It arrived on Wednesday and the same day I discovered that it's broken. On Thursday, I called the Canon support for help. They reassured me that I can send it to them for further help. And then the guy on the phone said something that dazzled me, although it's quite a common thing to do these days: "Yeah, it's no problem, you just send us your printer and we're sending you a new one. It's cheaper than reparing it."
Read this sentence again. And again. Now compare it to this sentence Aldous Huxley wrote in Brave New World: "Ending is better than mending" - any similarities found?

Furthermore, think about all the whining everybody does nowadays about going green and shit: "Our earth is dying. We have to do something. People, stop using your car, stop taking airplanes, it's bad. Hell, stop breathing, we need the air!" Well, I am really up to doing all that, but I'd like the corporate world to take some action as well, not just blabber all day long. What possible use is a super-eco-low-energy-saver-style flat TV once it is thrown away the second its remote breaks? What? Oh yeah, sorry! I forgot that it's cheaper to throw it away than to repair it. So, enjoy your profit margin, you people up there! But remember, just remember that you can't eat your precious shit-faced-money once you cut off all trees and hunted down all animals! Never mind, it's more important to watch the earth die on your new 40 inch Plasma TV than to actually help save it...

Thanks for having tuned in again,
Martin
-on an eco-friendly couch working on a super-low-energy laptop

24

2009-12-02T06:04:00.002+08:00

I don't like winter very much. It wouldn't hurt to cut October and, especially, November out of the calendar and move them to the Arctic. But if I do like one thing about the cold season, then it's the time before Christmas, which has started right about now. And I really mean NOW, not sometime at the beginning of November when the dorks in our local shopping mall started decorating the building for Christmas! Good god, are we really supposed to start buying stuff just two days after we fulfilled our shopping duties for Halloween?

Anyway, what I mean when I speak about "time before Christmas" is Advent. Building up towards the magical and consume-driven holiday Christ's Birth (yes, that's what the holiday really is/was all about), my Advent calendar is the best thing to have. Not only it provides me with a free chocolate every day, it also is sort of a countdown to the 24th. It helps me get in the mood for snow, Christmas markets and people running hastily through the street on the 23rd because they forgot about going shopping. It it also a countdown to the 21st, the day on which the sun begins to stay longer in the sky every day, meaning that soon it won't be dark at 4pm.

Apart from all the Christmas stuff, I wanted to share a special concert experience with you: one week after Muse made a stop in Munich, we had the chance to see Placebo live in Vienna! Although we nearly missed the beginning, it was a mellow performance with a great song selection and many interesting alterations of their tunes. Only the audience was awfully lame; either they all forgot how to move or they thought they'd be on a Katy Perry gig. Nevertheless, all in all it was totally worth the money.

More to come soon,
Martin
-on earth

Hyper MUSEic

2009-11-23T18:20:00.004+08:00

Dear friends, as I am relaxing on the train, I look back on last week. It has been a pretty stressful and extraordinarily awesome one. I had the pleasure of attending three concerts in a row: first of all, there was the gig by Portugal. The Man in Salzburg on Wednesday. On Saturday, Russkaja made a stop in Klagenfurt and the day before, on Friday, I finally had the chance of seeing Muse live in concert! Since the gig took place in Munich, we organized a mini road trip, which really was great fun!

Having looked forward to this weekend for a long time, I now feel kind of sad that it's over. After something big and exciting is over, I am often confronted with a strange emptiness. I start asking myself about the meaning of life. Not in a bad way, though, just questioning our existence on earth, the impact we make and stuff. You can compare this feeling to a collapsing building which is no longer needed. Normally, this state of mind doesn't last long and I start building up anticipation for another future event.

Something I don't have to anticipate (because it's happening right now) is the large amount of sunshine November is giving us this year. I don't know if it was all the fog blocking the sun in Klagenfurt, or if the weather really is better this month, but I do know that the lack of sun really got me down last year. I hope the weather's keeping up the good work.

Peace,
Martin
-on the way to Linz to fulfill his university duties

Live Your Dream and Dream Your Life

2009-11-14T04:41:00.006+08:00

Last week I read an interesting article in a local periodical which dealt about pursuing your dream as a musician vs. going to university or getting some other form of education. Enclosed were some interviews with local musicians in which they explained which possibility they have chosen and why. This got me thinking, because it has been a dream of mine for quite a long time to become a famous musician. Sure, you can't call me a "failed rock star" for the reason that I've never actually been a rock star, but I have imagined a lot times how it would feel like to be one. I have always respected and liked the people who had the courage to just "go out there and live the dream", no matter if this dream is music or acting or...well, maybe it really has been Jamie Oliver's dream to become a cook.

Sure, you only hear about the people how really had success pursuing their dream - those hundreds and thousand who failed now work as "normal people" in the "normal world". They had no luck climbing Mount Olymp. There is, of course, some talent necessary. You can't just go to L.A. and claim to be way better than, say, John Frusciante (who is great, btw)! The margins for rising and falling are way much bigger in the music business, as it is (to a degree) still a creative business with other rules than the normal job market.

Well, as I said I would have enjoyed to be the new newcomer of 2009, but I believe I am lacking talent (especially in singing) and I don't really want to leave everything behind just for my 15 minutes of fame. You have to be truly committed to music and absolutely sure that you are going to be successful. I, supposedly, am neither. My heart surely wants it, but my mind says I shouldn't. I have given myself the two possibilities - music and university - some years ago, and have chosen in favour of university.

But for many (maybe already famous) young musicians the choice isn't that simple - the life in music business has many advantages (e.g. no nine-to-five) and the sweet taste of "live for the moment" to it. The other possibility - going to college, learning for life - certainly has more of a future outlook. What should you do if you're 35 and your group has just disbanded? You virtually have no education, nobody will offer you a job. Maybe your record label pities you and offers you a job as a "consulting manager" or something, but do you really want to do that?
One example of successfully linking those two areas is Matthew Bellamy of Muse - he got a doctor's degree in 2008 from the University of Plymouth for his works in the field of music (so says Wikipedia). That's probably the way to go, isn't it? Oh no, this plan already fails in me not able to sing. So, Domino Records, what about becoming your consulting manager?

Btw: Happy Friday the 13th! Hope nothing bad happened to you today. Heck, you even gives a rat's ass about this superstitious bullshit?

Keep on playing my favourite song,
Martin
-at his grandparents' place, eating and sleeping a lot

Just a little Bit

2009-11-05T04:36:00.005+08:00

01010100 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100111 01110011 00100000 01101000 01101111 01110111 00100000 01110011 01110100 01110101 01100100 01100101 01101110 01110100 01110011 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01110101 01110100 01100101 01110010 00100000 01110011 01100011 01101001 01100101 01101110 01100011 01100101 00100000 01110111 01110010 01101001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01101001 01110010 00100000 01100010 01101100 01101111 01100111 01110011 00101100 00100000 01100010 01100001 01100010 01111001 00100001

(Btw: Insert these crazy numbers above in the form at http://www.ben-newman.de/com/bin.php to get the real text.)

Cheers,
Martin
-why do you always want to know where I am?

Blog Party

2009-10-30T18:13:00.008+08:00

Nearly one year ago, I wrote my first blog entry. Back then, in the crazy winter of 2008, I suddenly felt the urge to share some thoughts I had. Some really brutal shit was going on with me last year, starting with civil service and ending with the newly acquired personality treats I was discovering and developing. There were a lot of different emotions I was going through, I lot of shit I was thinking. Luckily, I discovered this simple and convenient way to put this things off my mind and pass it on to the infinity of the world wide web. I always enjoyed the time-out from reality, in which I was putting my life and everything surrounding me in words. The more moved I felt about something, the more I was (and am) able to write about it. I suppose that's the motivation for all great arts out there: whether it's music, pictures or novels you put your effort into - you are always driven by emotions you want to communicate. In my opinion, you can't write about anything you don't feel strongly about. Well, technically you can, but I believe the reader feels the difference...

So, here am now, writing my 30th blog entry exactly, reasoning about the last year. As I am not tired of repeating, much has changed since then. In the early days of blogging, I often wrote entries that seem strange if I read them now. I wrote them all with a fake "hippy-happy"-attitude I thought I ought to have back then. This doesn't mean that today I'm sad, depressed and grumpy all the time, but I try to leave all this gibberish behind and concentrate more on a satirical and critical approach. Sometimes it sounds as if I just wanted to complain about everything around, but that's not true. I just want to point out some things that could have been made better in our society.

I do hope that some thoughts I share on this platform make you think a bit about the world. There's many interesting things that could and should be discussed. I'd be happy to see that my words encourage a discussion about the topic I blog about. You know - a conversation on my conversation station.

(To the picture included: I am not on Twitter, for the simple reason that I don't see much sense in always letting the people know what you're up to at every moment. I don't wanna know if and when someone's brushing their teeth and stuff. I believe the real motive of the picture is to show that many tweets don't have any sense in them. Many blogs do neither, but at least you don't write a blog every 10-20 seconds. I you will, think of by blog as an amount of meaningful tweets.)

Thanks for reading this stuff,
Martin
-on the train, again

Back to the future.

2009-10-25T03:55:00.003+08:00

What always puzzled me was why there is a shift from summer to winter time. I don't really see that much of a reason to change the time twice a year just to adapt it to the circle of the sun, and neither do other people. But what puzzled me more is that it's possible, due to this shift, to just "delete" or "invent" one hour from/into our lives. It's the same thing with transcontinental flights - if you go from Vienna to New York by plane, you practically go back in time. This opportunity was especially tempting 9 years ago, where the new millennium began - some people with too much money had a kick-ass party in Paris at exactly midnight, then took the awesome Concorde plane to New York where they joined in on Time Square to have their second millennium party. Although arrogant, it nevertheless is an interesting and up until now the only way to travel back and forth in time.

Whatever is your opinion on that topic, I'm sure you nevertheless like the opportunity to sleep one hour longer this night - I myself do!

See you in winter time,
Martin
-at my grandparents' place

code de la culture

2009-10-17T00:26:00.006+08:00

Last night, I came home again. After 3 weeks of new challenges and tasks, I've returned to my safe haven. It's been an interesting time so far, certainly more rewarding than exhausting. I've experienced the student life as a sort of a tightrope walk where you shouldn't lose your balance. There are always two extremes which you have to handle: one being the long days at university - sometimes you have to be there for like 10 hours - the other being the sweet seduction of alcohol. The choice of opportunities to get hammered with almost no money in your pockets is overwhelming! Many students get trapped in the net of the spider named liquid, others - although not too many - only concentrate on work and neglect all social life around them. None of these extremes is the way I wanna go - I am just taking the middle way (meaning learning while getting drunk)!

Two weeks ago, my pals from Klagenfurt and me took a shot at what Linz, cultural capital of Europe, had to offer. It came handy to us that on this weekend, there was the yearly "long night of the museums", where you could enter any museum of your choice with one cheaply-priced ticket. It was quite interesting, especially the Ars Electronica, nicknamed the "museum of the future", rocked with its interactive programmes. A progressive but also intriguing exhibition called "See this Sound" was hosted at the Lentos Museum of Art which is depicted in the photo above.

As fascinating as was this form of culture, as poor are the appearances of some of today's popstars. Just days ago, I happened to stumble upon a series of posters in the streets with pictures of various female "musicians", being barbies like Pink, Nicole Scherzinger, Fergie and all the hundreds of other girls there are. Again, this reminded me of how fucked-up the whole music business has become! These people are no serious musicians - they don't write their own songs, they don't work hard to pursue their dream (because there's nothing to pursue), they don't even get up and try to make a kick-ass record! They are simply figureheads for some rich-as-hell producers who enjoy their houses in Hollywood Hills and their 15 cars in the garage. Well, the popstars themselves also live in such luxury, and that's even worse and totally unfair to actual musicians!
There are so few really impressive 4-minute-demonstrations of awesome music out there. Most things you hear don't contain new elements - it's just the same tune all over again, a bit altered to create the impression of being the new smash (s)hit. Such things piss me off so much that I have to share this in order not to vomit!

Anyway, I don't wanna bother you any more than I already did. Just listen a bit closer the next time you're listening to the radio. You'll notice that the melody of this one random song is nearly the same as the tune of that random song. Then you may want to read the previous paragraph again - and this time, I believe you really get what I am talking about!

Cheers
Martin
-back in Klagenfurt

University Speaking

2009-10-02T01:43:00.001+08:00

And over are the days of my fun-employment - my days as a university student have officially begun! As I sat in the train from Klagenfurt to Linz last week, it got me thinking: I'm entering a totally new environment here. I am breaking out of my Golden Cage back home, running out in the wild. I have no idea what is awaiting me, what is coming to me. These situations have happened a few times in my life: every time I got in a new class at school, and most recently when I went to Canada. In all these moments, I first felt a bit left outside alone, without an anker, frightened. But nearly all of these adventures turned out to be rewarding experiences. You just have to open up to what life brings you.
(It's sure nice to say that, but damn, it can be so difficult!)

Anyway, over the last few days, I slowly got to know the people in the students home, the university campus, my whole environment. And yes, also this time it was a rewarding first impression! Of course I haven't finished exploring and discovering, but I'm starting to feel more at home. Things have to develop slowly - no good fruit is ripe in a day.

Another thing I find ironic is that I'm quickly fading into stereotypes concerning students. Not the sleep-till-midday cliché, but the eat-your-food-out-of-the-microwave kind of type. But as I went shopping for more, let's say, unfrozen food at the local supermarket, I realized that things aren't as cheap as I always expected them to be! Suddenly, when the unstoppable money source of your parents has run dry and all you got is a limited amount of bills, you start taking a closer look at the price tag. This also reminded me that I - over the last few years - have not enough valued the things I had. Well, it seems we only see the real importance of things when we lose them.
(To be fair, I haven't completely lost the money of my parents - every weekend I spend at home, I will go on a big fat big shopping spree!)

That is, so far, my story to tell. But stay tuned, I'm going to be a university student for a long time, so there's plenty of lines I'll have to write about it!

Stay alive,
Martin
-at (his second) home

Existence; reloaded.

2009-09-24T03:08:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, I happened to have a fascinating experience. When a friend of ours showed us around his home town at night, we also went to a big reservoir next to the village. We parked the car near a long and slightly rounded bridge going all the way to the other side of the artificial lake. Due to the cloudy conditions this evening, it seemed as if the bridge was disappearing into the fog, getting lost in the night. It's hard to describe this scenario with words, but it was a most amazing view. The view got even better when a car was driving over the bridge - the light of the car kept getting bigger and brighter, and suddenly the light cones pierced through the fog and created a marvellous play of light and shadow as the car came rushing over the bridge.

In this moment, I felt that there's a deeper meaning to the existence of men. Having been a topic in the discussion which me and my friends were engaged in earlier this evening, we had come to the conclusion that the existence of mankind doesn't really have a clear reason. Why are we humans on this earth? We only take from our planet, but we hardly ever give anything back. Also for the individual, the meaning of their existence is a kind of mystery. What is everyone of us going to achieve? Does anyone need us?
These were questions we talked about - and not really found a solution to. But in this moment of silence and peace, I realized that my own existence is there for me to see something like that, is there for me to feel alive. I did feel alive...and happy.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

(Oscar Wilde)

Do good things and good things will happen,

Martin

-here and there, and everywhere

think the opposite

2009-09-17T20:00:00.009+08:00

This picture I found on Marisa's facebook photo album reminded me of the importance of free thinking. As I (not voluntarily) watched part of the MTV VMAs yesterday, I thought once more that everything we see on TV, hear on the radio, and even read in newspapers is just things the makers of these mediums want us to believe. Take the so-called "financial crisis" for example: last October, when all the stock markets were breaking in, everyone predicted the end of the world as we know it. Now, nearly a year later, I still hear from all directions that the economy is down, that we have to cut short on everything, that the U.S. is to blame, etc...

Well, if you look at the stock markets now, you'll surely see that they aren't as strong as last year (e.g. the Austrian Leading Stock Index "ATX" counted about 3000 points this day last year, and today it's 2600 points), but there's no sign of the world-changing "financial crisis" any more. Still, it's a nice message to print because it scares the crap out of people. And when the population is frightened, they stick together, work together, and maybe even turn to the only people who they think can help - the government. Got it? To gain support so easily is something the government likes and needs. So there's nothing wrong with keeping the financial crisis "alive" for some more months.

Back to the VMAs - the phenomenon behind these "awards" and behind the whole world empire of MTV is based on the same thing. Kids and adolescents are tricked into thinking that these "stars" (for the integrity of the text, let's call them "B-celebs" from now on) represent the ideal way of dressing and behaving. I'm sure many B-celebs just hate being such ridiculous idol figures full of stereotypes, but hey, everyone does everything for money and they want to make sure to sell as many records as possible, so there's nothing wrong with sticking to your image of a Barbie-like blondie a little longer.

Sadly, too many people fall for things like that. If everybody thought freely, nobody would ever be tricked by these lies again. Just ask how many members of your community really like the music they're listening to on the radio. I myself know a lot of people who say they "just listen to it because they want to listen to something". That's exactly the problem - it's here, so you consume it, without bothering much about the content. It's the same with pop music on the radio as with stupid-as-hell TV shows featuring B-celebs. People don't like it, but they still consume it. They are just too lazy to stand up, to think for themselves, to express their opinion. They go with the flow instead of thinking the opposite.

(For the record, when I speak of "people", I frequently include myself. I'm not perfect - to be honest, I'm far away from being perfect. So if I criticise this or that, I criticise some traits of my behaviour as well. But in criticising, I simultaneously admit that I have a weakness and recognize it as such. It's not the weakness that makes somebody weak, more the fact that they are not able to confess having it.)

Let me close with a quota from the new single by Muse, "Uprising" (great track, check it out):

"They will not force us,

they will stop degrading us,

they will not control us,

we will be victorious!"

You have to fight for your right,

Martin

-out thinking the opposite

25m2

2009-09-17T01:17:00.003+08:00

25 square meters - that's the space I am allowed to call my (second) home for the next year or so. Quite a lot, actually, since the room I've rented in the student home is at my disposition only. I've already started to put some stuff in it - some posters on the wall, some minor redecorations of the way the furniture is placed. Yesterday, I bought a carpet and a small table at IKEA, so the room is going to be pretty nice...

I wasn't always that content with my space - when I first entered it, I felt disappointed. You see, I've visited two student homes so far: the one of Johanna in Graz and the one of Carl here in Klagenfurt. Both had reasonable amount of space and pieces of furniture I enjoyed. In my room, the furniture (the bed and two tables) is seemingly not made of real wood and look a little bit cheaply made. So I didn't really like it at first. But then I considered the perfect location of the student home and the big room where I really have a lot of space. So I came to the conclusion that these things quite make up for the furniture issue.

Since the first term starts in about two weeks, I'm excited about going to University. It is sure going to be a lot of fun - getting to know new people, a new environment, new challenges. But a lot of work and effort will be needed as well. We'll see how it all works out...

You're at home,
Martin
-now at one home, soon at another home

Live. Alive.

2009-09-10T15:33:00.002+08:00

I feel alive this fine day of September 10. And I've chosen this date to be my blogging day, for blogging on 09/09/09 as a joke is kinda lame and stereotypical and blogging about fine days on 9/11 is very insensitive. So I've chosen today to host my blog.

Yesterday, I had some friends over at my party cellar. Normally nothing special - such gatherings happen at a regular basis. The only thing was that we also invited the exchange student from Belgium Johanna had over at her house. This reminded me a lot of spontaneously having been invited to a party in Stockholm nearly one month ago. I felt very welcome there and told myself that I will help feel "strangers" to Austria welcome as well, should I have the chance. Well, I had the chance and I hope the girl felt welcome in our group. It's interesting to be on the other end of the whole "getting-to-know-people-who-don't-speak-your-language"-thing. It would be so easy to just neglect them, talking to our friends in your usual language, leaving them out in the cold. But if you don't, nice conversations might actually happen...

Change of topic: I'm quite into Indie music lately. In Canada, I've discovered Nada Surf and just recently, Death Cab for Cutie had the honour to be added to my playlist. Whenever I listen to these groups, I am reminded of Québec. I don't know why this happens - maybe the Québec area is just suitable to Indie. Of course it's nothing bad, I like Québec and I like Indie...it's just interesting how my brain makes such connections.

A last word on the topics of blogging: many people have one particular topic in their blog. The topics covered include music, technology, nature, politics, whatever. I don't do that. I find it best to just blog about whatever I want. It just gives me the freedom to write about everything that comes to my mind instead of merely commenting on one particular subject, therefore being bound to limit myself. I like to tell stories of my life and the things surrounding me, talking about nothing and everything. Does my blogging make sense? I don't know. However, just the fact that I blog - regardless of topic and content - is fine with me. I somebody else likes it, I'm glad. If not, that's okay as well.

Feeling alive today,
Martin
-on the way to Linz

one click does the trick

2009-08-30T17:16:00.000+08:00

Are you frequently approaching strangers on the street with a big smile and ask them if they want to be your friend? Maybe not quite as often, since this question is usually asked by 4 year-olds in kindergarden. Now think about your social networking habits - how often do you just accept some random guy's friend request? Just like that, with no questions asked. Where do I know you from? Do I know you? Who are you? None of that is important - just click accept and you're good. Collecting friends, that's the one and only goal! So I have to ask you: how is asking a stranger on the street to be your friend different from accepting a friend request from a stranger on the Internet? Many say there's a huge difference, but there isn't! It's the same thing, one in reality, one in virtuality. And still, in virtuality it's fine for nearly everyone.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled by the idea of extending your social life to the web, as long it's not the only social contacts you're having in your life. It's a good idea to connect to people, especially if they're not living in the same town, country or continent. Sharing interests, thoughts, pictures, videos and stuff is a big contribution to the community. So the Web 2.0 initiative is something that has a great deal of my support. But some people clearly overdo it: like I mentioned, it's not a race who can collect the most friends, it's about knowing the people you add and adding the people you know. They're the ones who can see all your information, your pictures, your blogs. What if you add your boss, and write something bad about him/her after a shitty day at work? In this case - and this really happened not too long ago - you're fired before you can spell f-a-c-e-b-o-o-k!

Speaking of facebook, I'm on some interesting book at the moment: "The Accidental Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich decribes the founding of facebook at Harvard in the early days of 2004. Starting with the same idea - to move part, but not the whole of social life, online, it got popular and more valuable as the years went by. Today it's growing and growing and soon it will be bigger than MySpace. The idea has caught on. Not a bad thing, as I said, but you have to be careful, as I said too. You don't want to find youself getting sacked for a drunk photo of you posted when you were 18...

It's nuts what it seems,
Martin
-blogging while checking this facebook page at home