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May 18, 2006
Colored Glass
Posted by Victor at 10:22 PM | Comments (3)
May 16, 2006
DP Challenge
I entered a photo on this site called DP Challenge. I don't think I even submitted a good photo but I thought it would be a good practice to start submitting photos here. It would make me want to improve on my photos and on my editing. Any how here is my first submition to one of these things. I guess if you wanted you could sign up at the website and vote for me. But that would be a bias vote just because you know me or like me. So I wouldnt like that. Here is the link, its an interesting site anyhow. DP Challenge
Posted by Victor at 11:05 PM | Comments (1)
May 15, 2006
Barbque @ Krampusburg
Welcome to Krampusburg
Monika and her brother Alex
Monika and Sabine, Robert's partner
Heinz partner of Babsi
Babsi partner of Heinz
Ramona, Alex's wife
Robert, Monika's brother His tee-shirt say: I've just kidnapped myself. Give me 1,000,000 dollars or you'll never see me again. :-)
A beautiful evening having beer and eating barbqued food, compliments of the grill man Heinz and our host Krampus ( monika's brother Robert ) and Sabine. I love days like this with friends and family. It doesnt get any better than this.
Posted by Victor at 03:37 PM | Comments (2)
May 13, 2006
Benches
Walking yesterday I came upon these benches, they were all rearranged but no one sat on them. So I just found them interesting, I think they were having a bench party. I like that they werent bolted down and yet no one steals them. I think once in awhile a bench must go missing... I find that in my time here there are little things about Vienna that feels like I'm back in time. Like its an old fashion town but yet modern... I can't really explain it. I think you feel it when you live here and are not from here.
Posted by Victor at 01:02 PM | Comments (1)
May 12, 2006
People
This was a guy that saw me taking pictures was just saying " hey take my picture, take my picture! " He was with two other guys and some girls and they were showing off for their girls. Its funny when people just say hey take my picture and they are happy to have their photo taken. Many times they dont even ask where they can see this photo or if I can email it to them. I always get a kick out of that.
This girl saw me taking pictures in front of WestBahnhof and then she stopped at a traffic light. I took about three or four pictures of her and she didn't mind at all she remained very relaxed as if i werernt even there. I like when people do that.
this was a funny picture for me because I was trying to catch this boy sitting on the steps of the Library on the Gurtel next to Burggasse. This girl walks into my picture and then was making faces as if I wanted her in my picture. So just because she didnt want to be photographed I feel the need to post her picture.
This last photo I like. A neighbor of mine that I ran into. He didnt realize it was me until after I took a few photos of him, must be a good book!
I really like taking photos fo people. I'm alway delighted with the diversity of the people I encounter here in Vienna. Its now tourist season so I think even more there is a mix but the main difference I find is more english in the streets!
Posted by Victor at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2006
More Basketballturnier Geblergasse and the NBA Finals
Just some more photos from last Saturday's tournament. The first picture has my friend Geor and his team that finished in first place, Second place team is in the second picture, then is my team (the few that made it to the game) and then is another team who I talked with one of them quite alot he runs the alumni program of this school where the game took place. It was alot of fun and good playing!
In other news the Detroit Pistons have gone up 2 - 0 in their series against the Clevland Caviliers. The NJ Nets ( soon to be the NY ) are tied at 1 game a piece with Miami and Shak, as are the Clippers and the Suns and the Mavericks. Ok, thats it for now. Stay tuned tomorrow's post will prove to be interesting atleast.
Today I purchased a magazine here in vienna it's called profil. My friend Martin Fuchs has some photos of his in there. I'm so happy for him! You can see his website if you --> click here <--
Posted by Victor at 10:21 PM | Comments (2)
May 08, 2006
Basketballturnier Geblergasse and the NBA Finals
While the playoffs are going on in the USA I have my own substitute for that. Because of the time difference I usually don't catch many sports that I used to watch. Football and Basketball mostly. So this Saturday I was telling a teammate of mine, Max that LA was going to have two teams in the conference finals. I hadn't looked in a few days to see that Pheonix had forced a game 7. So anyway this Saturday I had been invited to play with only a few of my teammates from my wednesday basketball group. There was an alumni basketball tournament. So it was a lot of fun and because most of my team was absent we didnt do so well but considering we were only four and missing our strongest players we managed to win 2 games and lose 2. I always have fun just playing anyway. I was proud on how we played. So here are just a few photos from that day. I will try to put a link on my other webpage with the complete set of photos in a few days. Although there were a couple of lopsided matches overall there was some good ball playing. It was really nice to see this.
"I love this game ! "
Back to the NBA finals, I'm glad to see that Koby isn't anything but a big mouth and that Shak is going on to the next round with his new team. Although I will be routing for the Nets, I like Detroit because of Rasheed Wallace. They have a strong team. One of my favorites of all time though plays with Pheonix, Sam Cassel. They seem like this might be there year. We shall see how it unfolds. Its weird for me to read about all the sports and not see a game often.
Posted by Victor at 10:05 PM | Comments (3)
May 06, 2006
To doo or not to doo...
There is a lot of talk in Vienna these days having to do with dog doo aka dog poop, dog shit or fucking dog shit! I first took notice of the liberation that European dogs enjoy over here when I made my first trip over the Alantic to go to Amsterdam back in March 2004. I have to say that so far they take the cake. I almost couldnt enjoy the sites for fear of triping on or walking into a dog doo tower. Not only was there an abundance of the doo but it was the biggest dog doo I have ever encountered. It left me wondering damn, what are they feeding these dogs here, obviously too many space cakes. Other European cities that I have visited since don't come close but is obvious to me that dogs can do as they please, well at least where they please. So after hearing all this talk on FM4 ( FM vier )on how people were trying to get laws passed or raise the penalty on fines( currently there is a fee for not picking up your dog doo. Its about €7 )I decided to hit the streets to see how dogs felt about doing their doo and all the buzz around Vienna these days.
My first encounter was with Tony, my friend Jo walks him. She is just one of his many walkers. His owners hire dog walkers to talk him for strolls through the Vienna streets. Tony told me that he is tired of what he called the Americanization of Europe. Growling loudly Tony said "It's bad enough we need to speak English everywhere, but now they want our owners to pick up our doo. Next there will be no smoking in the bars in restaurants or even no drinking in the streets, and no nudity on tv. I tell you I think it stinks!"
After Tony heard I was going around to get dog's opinions on this topic he decided to join me. Next we ran in to a couple of dogs, and thats when the debate got really heated. One dog, Jan (Yan) said " I think the humans have a point, I mean if they don't want dog doo on the sidewalks or on city streets I can understand that. My master takes me to the park where I can go in the bushes or by trees like its supposed to be anyway." Then the next dog Hanz, contested Jan's remark by saying " thats how it starts, first they will have us not dooing on the sidewalks and city streets and next they'll have us going in litter boxes or something! Thats how it is with the humans, its bad enough we have to use leashes and some of us even have muzzles on." Before I knew it the dogs were barking up a storm and I decided to get out of there in a hurry.
Next I ran in to this dog named Sinclair and on his back was his friend Stu the rat. Sinclair said " I dont know what's the big idea, I've always been of the doo and let doo school of thought. You know who has time to think about where I'm going to drop my doo, when the time comes I just doo it. when you gotta doo you gotta doo." Stu seemed to be squeeking in agreement but I have to say I dont talk rat yet.
So next I decided to ask a resident of Vienna and I found a guy who also had a rat on him after talking with him for a bit I asked him his name and he said it was Matrix. Anyway I've seen Matrix around the neighborhood asking people for money or hanging out drinking beers with his other homeless friends. He is part of this group of people I call the homeless goth punks. He is the first one of these Homeless Goth Punks that allowed me to take his photo. So any way when I asked him about dogs dooing where ever they pleased he responded, " I don't see what's the big deal. When I have to doo I just doo in the closest convient place. I mean I have to say that in Vienna there are plenty of public bathrooms so most times thats where I doo, but there has been the occasion that I doo just like the dogs doo."
So, any way we'll see how Vienna tries to fix its doo problem. I'll keep you posted on any breaking news.
Posted by Victor at 01:34 AM | Comments (3)
May 05, 2006
Love Saves The Day
In the end LOVE saves the day. enough said?
My friend Martin thought this would look better in color, what do you think?
Posted by Victor at 06:11 PM | Comments (4)
May 02, 2006
Prater in the early evening with friends...
In just about two months I will return to NYC with Monika. It will have been about a year already when I set out on this journey. At times I didn't think I would return to live in the USA. I really like it here. The quality of life is amazing, the people are nice, the city is beautiful, and I've been really happy here. I will miss Vienna. I will miss the people I've met, the friends I've made, and most of all I will miss my family here. Monika's family is now my family and they have really made my stay here beautiful. They have shown me every aspect of their country, they have shown me the sites to see and the places to go. Most of all they have shown me love. These past weeks since I returned from my visit from the USA alot has happened. This decision to go back, and lots of wedding planning. Add now that we have to pack up things to take back with us. We have a honeymoon to plan and then a move back. Its been quite alot for both of us. For Monika especially because she will be leaving her home again. Well I just wanted to write this because its been on my mind. I'm not sure if most people think about all that is involved in these kind of situations. I never did until now. In the end I'm fond of saying to Monika that we are so lucky so blessed to have the choices that we have. To have friends and family in both countries there to support us in any of our decisions. I'll leave you with these thoughts. See you soon. ;-)
Posted by Victor at 10:51 PM | Comments (0)