Whoa.

I’m a bit iffy on life-changing experiences. Or maybe, it’s more the Hollywood version of them that bugs me.

A homeless man in Los Angeles finds his solace in a cello, overcoming his poverty and calming his mental instability: The Soloist.  A Roman warrior loses his family, wealth, and freedom due to the hate of a tyrant: the Gladiator. A teacher, surrounded by underprivileged high school students, faces hate crimes and still has undying dedication to her students: Dangerous Minds.

These Hollywood clips are the first life-changing experiences that come to mind: an artist’s struggle, a warrior’s vengeance, a teacher’s dedication. But the plotlines always make me think, “What have I accomplished in my life?” Or is Hollywood really just full of clichés?

The Munchies

Food is not only a necessity to survive, but a comfort in times of need, an alternative to nasty habits, and sometimes it’s just pure deliciousness. In my first year in Austria, I dedicated all my efforts in German towards learning the names of foods, dishes, and sweets. But let’s jump back years before my move to Austria.

Coffee 'n' Cats

 Image: originalcoffeecat

Whenever I think of cats, I get a warm and fuzzy feeling that floods through my body, similar to coffee that percolates through the moka pot. As soon as contact with coffee or cat is established, everything lights up, no matter how excruciating life may seem at that moment. Soaking my body’s every fibre, both transform bad thoughts into no thoughts at all, leaving only but a bittersweet aftertaste. Whereas the thought of cats and their actual presence usually calms me down, coffee has quite the opposite effect: it resurrects me. 

Learning with the WESTbahn, Lesson One: Beware of the wirleass LAN

In the introduction of my first post I mentioned that I don’t only take OeBB trains but also WESTbahn trains. I get lots of questions about the differences and which one I would recommend. The majority of Austrians seems to think that the WESTbahn is cheaper, more comfortable, always on time and in possession of friendlier staff. Well, I have been able to make my mind up since the beginning of January and I can tell you a few things about the WESTbahn trains themselves, its staff and punctuality; both positive and negative.

Why you shouldn't walk through the Getreidegasse in a hurry

Photo by Yoshio Sato – © 2003 Focus Features. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335266/

Ever wanted to be like Bill Murray? A walk through Salzburg's main pedestrian zone, the Getreidegasse, will make you feel a little Lost in Translation, too. 
 

Jesus...I'm really sorry.

Don’t get me wrong, I love God and His prophets as much as the next guy- and you’d think the dozens of churches around Salzburg would cover the whole “eternal damnation is your final destination” subject, but apparently not.  Is a lifelike Jesus-on-a-cross on every corner really necessary? Maybe Austrians are religious freaks, maybe I’m too quick to judge, maybe I’m exaggerating —What do I know, I grew up with a Starbucks on every other corner.