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September 29, 2005
We're Playing Basketball
Wednesday night is one of my basketball nights. Its a good mix of guys and gals from a different range of ages as well. This night I only captured three of my basketball mates.
Posted by Victor at 09:59 PM | Comments (1)
Matias aka the Dr. J of Austria
Matias with his sky hook shot is nearly unstoppable!
Posted by Victor at 12:17 PM | Comments (1)
Mystical Max
With his ability to shoot from out deep and to come in down low Max always keeps his opponenets guessing, just out of college he is a rising star to watch!
Posted by Victor at 12:11 PM | Comments (0)
Victor ( aka Victor no.1)
He is deadly with his long range shots as well as his explosive runs down the court.
Posted by Victor at 12:10 PM | Comments (3)
September 28, 2005
The Bar
If you build it they will come. I started building a bar for our Piano room. I've always wanted to build a bar and I'm really happy with the progress and sucess that I'm having with it. I drew up a plan and went with Monika to buy the wood and I just started building. I hit a few snags, like for instance in my plan wich was scaled 10:1, I measured the big pieces but I didnt take in to account that the wood would be 28mm thick. or that the frame pieces were 8cm thick. I should be done in a couple of days so stay tuned for the finished product.
Posted by Victor at 10:35 PM | Comments (2)
The Bar
Posted by Victor at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)
September 27, 2005
HC Strache
On the way home from Registering for german courses I almost signed up for the Freedom Party. There was this charasmatic man, who was dressed in a sports jacket and shirt with jeans, i couldnt understand what he was saying but he sounded good and I had seen his ads through out the neighborhood. Hmmm... I thought let me look in to this first. Turns out the " Freedom Party, is Austria's Neo Nazi Party.
Read more about the Freedom Party here.
Check out his website too. http://www.hcstrache.at
Posted by Victor at 11:23 PM | Comments (2)
HC Strache
Posted by Victor at 11:15 PM | Comments (0)
Registration for German courses at the University
So I waited on line for about 3 hours to register and pay for german courses. I met a girl named Cristeen, she is from Hawaii, went to college in Texas ? then went to NYU. Her father is Austrian so after all her school years she decided to take a year off and come to Austria to learn german. It was nice to meet someone that had spent some time in NYC and have a nice long conversation to pass the time on this horrible hall way that was very hot. then after making it to the front they told us that they only accepted cash payments. We walked down the block to the atm. Poor Cristeen, she could only withdraw 400$, but she needed $640 because she is taking the full semester course. She had to go back the next day. I am taking smaller trimester courses for $345 so I was able to go back and pay. I start on October 10th.
Posted by Victor at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
Registration for German courses at the University
Overjoyed expression of student who after waiting for 3 hours on a long line in a long hot hallway!
Posted by Victor at 08:49 PM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2005
Chess in Linz
This Past week I went to Linz with Robert and Brigitte Wunderer, Monika's parents on a day trip here are just a couple of shots I took. I have been working on my website and just yesterday I started building the bar for the Piano room. I haven't been posting much, sometimes I get discouraged because of lack of feedback.
If you click on the comment link just under the photos or under the posting ie. comments(0) then you can leave a comment so i know that you were looking at my photoblog. If anyone is reading send me a hello?
Any how, I will keep up with my postings and writing what I am up just incase someone is reading. Today I am going to the University to register for german courses there that start in October. I can't believe September is almost gone and fall is upon us. Saturday Monika and I went to see a dance performance the other night at Tanzquartier and then went to a cool little lounge called Danube (yes like the river.)
Posted by Victor at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)
Linz and Chess
Posted by Victor at 10:05 AM | Comments (0)
September 18, 2005
Sunday Brunch
Posted by Victor at 08:24 PM | Comments (0)
My new girlfriend Sandy
Posted by Victor at 08:23 PM | Comments (2)
Georg and Tini
Today we went to Georg's apartment to have brunch with him and his girlfriend Tini. Georg is Monika's best friend and he and tini are very good friends of ours. We had a nice time with food, talk, laughter and champagne. It was a perfect Sunday.
Posted by Victor at 08:13 PM | Comments (1)
September 11, 2005
Relaxing
We stayed home and just things around the house, spent time talking and just being together. A very peaceful day. Its a good thing when you can spend a full day indoors with someone and not go crazy. Yes?
Posted by Victor at 01:06 PM | Comments (1)
September 10, 2005
Wanderung in den Ötschergräben
This Saturday we rode up with Suzanna, a co-worker of Monika's up to Ötschergräben to go hiking with a group of people from Festspielhaus where Monika works. The forecast had called for rain but we had a beautiful day and only at the end we had a little rain. We hiked for about 3 hours and in the middle had a nice rest at this restaurant/farm. There were beautiful, trees, rivers, and scenic views throughout the hike. Everyone was in great spirits and had lots of fun and laughs. Its nice to see people who usually spend time in the office outside of that environment and getting along so well.
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Wanderung in den Ötschergräben
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Wanderung in den Ötschergräben
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Wanderung in den Ötschergräben (Two Cows)
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Wanderung in den Ötschergräben
Lunch Time!
Posted by Victor at 12:07 AM | Comments (1)
Wanderung in den Ötschergräben
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September 09, 2005
Beautiful Family
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Big Boy Sebastian
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Birgit and Sebastian
This Birgit and her son Sebastian who is 20 months. Monika and I rode our bikes to visit our friends Josef, Birgit and Sebastian. They live in a beautiful duplex co-op in a modern part of Vienna just on the other side of the Danube. It was great to spend an evening with this family. I was happy to learn in our conversations that they are taking the time to give Sebastian lots of love but also give him structure and routines. We had a delicious pumkin soup and then one of my favorite foods of Vienna, palatschincken (pancake type food eaten with various jams. Can also be made with meats inside.)
Posted by Victor at 12:43 AM | Comments (0)
September 08, 2005
Mama and Papa in Tullnerbach
This was break time.
Posted by Victor at 07:51 AM | Comments (0)
Mama and Papa in Tullnerbach
Today I biked up to Tullenerbach a small town about an hour away via bike to visit Robert and Brigitte Wunderer, parents of Monika, Robert and Alex. They invited me over for lunch to be followed with the building of their new winter garden house. I was supposed to arrive to help the unloading of it but the delivery man was a half hour early so i missed that. Brigitte had a delicsious lunch that I have the recipe for now but can't remember the name. Its pasta mixed with eggs and ham with the cheese of your liking baked over. Then Robert came home and we got started on our project. It was fun building this "green house" and we had some challenging moments but worked around them. A common problem when building things or putting things up is the moment when you realize that you aren't working with right angles. At on point we were having a hard time fastening one part of the green house to the outside wall of the house and Robert measured a triangle formed by the house and two sides of the green house to formulate using an equation that reminded me of geometry class in highschool that we didn't have a right angle. Well we figured it out. I had a nice time in Robert and Brigitte's nice country home. They have a nice natural swimming pool in the back too!
Posted by Victor at 07:39 AM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2005
This is Erin, the owner of Yellow
I went back to Yellow tonight. I wanted to take some photos of the place and hopefully meet the owner to find out how someone decides to open up a Thai food restaurant in Vienna. So I walked over and took some shots. I noticed the bartender noticing me so I walked over and explained that I had eaten there a couple of nights ago. I asked how long they had been open and then if the owner was around. She pointed behind me to a gentleman sitting with his laptop and eating some of the yummy shrimp rolls that I tried a few nights ago. So I introduced myself and we started talking.
Erin is of Chinese heritage but was born in Vienna, Austrian. After leaving Vienna with his parents to places like Germany, Switzerland and Sweden he decided to come back to his home, Vienna. When I asked him why he chose Thai food if he wasn't from Thailand Erin said, the people of Vienna know Chinese food, but they don't really know Thai food. There are few Thai food choices and he wanted to offer that to Vienna. The design of the place was done by architect friends of his. Erin informed me that in about a month he will be opening his other restaurant in the 19th district. It will be and Asian fusion cuisine restaurant. I look forward to trying that place in a month.
Click here for Yellow's website.
Posted by Victor at 09:20 AM | Comments (1)
Yellow Restaurant and Lounge
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Yellow Restaurant and Lounge
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September 06, 2005
Countryside Scenes
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Countryside Scenes
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Countryside Scenes
Biking through these farmlands is just amazing. I'm not sure what is more satisfying, the biking or the beautiful background.
Posted by Victor at 12:53 AM | Comments (0)
Countryside Scenes
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September 05, 2005
Yellow Restaurant and Lounge
So today when Monika came home from work i suggested that we visit a place that I had my eye on for while. Back in May when I visited I noticed this hidden place that looked stylish and a bit out of place in Vienna. So a few weeks ago I walked over and glanced a peek at the menus that are posted outside. So we walked over just down the block. Upon entering we noticed two separated areas, one for dining and a bar/lounge area. The food was delicous and the prices weren't too expensive. The atmsophere was really hip and cool. I haven't been to a place in Vienna yet that made me feel like just out side I could hail a cab or jump on the number 4 train.
Posted by Victor at 12:27 AM | Comments (0)
Yellow Restaurant and Lounge
This is the Lounge area
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September 04, 2005
Waffeln
So today Ramona and Alex invited us over for waffeln(waffles!) It was late afternoon and little did I know we were going to have what turned out to be dinner. It was quite tasty and there were plenty of toppings. Appricott jam, Nutella, Cherry jam, Nestle Quick chocolate/white chocolate syrup, and a few others. Ramona kept the waffles coming and we all kept eating them! It was a great sunday snack!
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Cherry Jam and Nutella Waffeln
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Another Waffle ?
Posted by Victor at 01:48 PM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2005
Medival Times
I went to a medival festival last weekend at Bad Ischl. It seems the world today has taken a step back and become a bit barbaric. Wonders never cease and just when I think I've seen it all something else happens to shock me. The media is there to sensationalize it all.
Posted by Victor at 11:09 AM | Comments (1)
Medival Times2
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Medival Times3
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September 02, 2005
The Piano Room
So I decided to put a few pictures of things that went on during the days that i didn't post for that last week in August. I can believe that it is September already!! Happy Birthday to my brother Rob. he is 31! wow, I'm getting old. So I never thought about an adjustment period coming here to Vienna because I've vistited three other times but its a diffent story now. I think I am handling it very well. I'm gettin up early in the morning and keeping busy, having productive days. I sent out a mass email just a couple of hours ago and already I am getting responses from that. Its good to hear from peeps in the US. Things have been a little embarassing for them over there in the past couple of days, actually the past few years if you ask me. Its interesting to see things from over here. hmmm. Any way the phots you see below are of our living room that I have to build a bar for( that is my next project ) the second picture is of my work space and computer ( thanks to Alex, Monika's brother )then the third picture is a big tree I encountered in the woods by Myra Falls, the fourth picture is of the "sky walkers". Actually it's Alex and Ramona who took me on a nice day trip to Myra Falle and Hohe Wand for a nice hiking experience. They are, Monika's brother and his wife and our neighbors. The are also great and make me feel very welcome and wanted. So I leave you with that. Today i realized that this is my first Labor Day weekend away from the US. No barbeque's scheduled for my weekend? wow!
Posted by Victor at 11:17 PM | Comments (0)
My Workspace
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If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound ?
Posted by Victor at 11:13 PM | Comments (2)
Myra Falle
Posted by Victor at 11:11 PM | Comments (0)
Sky Walkers
Posted by Victor at 11:00 PM | Comments (1)
September 01, 2005
Biking from St.Polten to Vienna with my love.
I've been thinking frantically about what i will write about ? What can I do to show the fresh side of Vienna ? How can I make it exciting ? Here is what I came up with... Today I took my bike on the railroad, simular to Long Island Road to go about an hours way to a small town outside of Vienna called St. Polten. Monika works at Festspielhaus (Festpielhaus.at), its a performing arts center. We met and rode back home from St. Polten and it was 69 Kilometers. It took us 3hrs and 6 min. Not bad. So ready for the exciting part? I took my bike on the rail way had a seat, saw maybe two people for the whole ride, saw nice empty farms along the way, then I met and biked back with Monika through empty county scenes. Farm after farm. One cool thing is that someone organized these trails with signs and all. Its very impressive when you are on a gravel road that looks like no one has been through there in ages to see a nice little sign letting you know you are headed in the right direction. During the ride we passed two runners, a biker and a man and woman checking on their crops. It was very quiet, eventhough through my pda i was listening to a mix of hip hop, blues, reggae and r&b. I've had a conversation with my friend Martin, who is from Vienna, about Vienna being boring or not exciting but I think I like that I can relax. I can take the train and get a seat, People wait for the traffic light to change before they cross, as we rode through the country side the occasional person we saw either waved or say good day with a nice smile. There was even a hot air ballon floating along and the occupants waved also. Its this kind of easy living that has me very happy right now. Its a welcome change of pace after 33 years in New York.
Posted by Victor at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)
Nothing but Desolate Farmland
Posted by Victor at 11:27 AM | Comments (0)
St. Polten to Vienna
Posted by Victor at 11:25 AM | Comments (0)