Text Project Part 4

Joining the EU would be disadvantageous for Switzerland in many ways.

by Birgit Spalt, Bianca Stadler, Christine Hartinger

FINAL VERSION:

Experts from various fields argue that joining the EU would be disadvantageous for Switzerland in many ways. This issue has been discussed frequently within the country and throughout Europe. Considering all the problems the European Union has to face at the moment, it seems obvious that an economy as strong as Switzerland’s would only suffer from a membership. Switzerland would have to share its capital, it would have to support the weak economies in Europe financially and it would have less capital for its own needs. Thus most specialists agree that Switzerland would lose a considerable proportion of its wealth and its international status as a safe haven for investors should it ever join the EU. In addition to this, Switzerland would lose its system of direct democracy. Of course the EU would be pleased if Switzerland became a member as the Union would benefit from the country’s membership in many ways. The Swiss are aware of the many different ways in which Switzerland would suffer from this membership and therefore have repeatedly voted against joining the EU.

Despite the fact that Switzerland is such a small country surrounded by countries much richer in resources such as Italy, France and Germany, it is the wealthiest state in the world. According to the findings of a new study by Credit Suisse, the average per capita income amounts to $513,000. This “Swiss miracle” has mostly historical and political origins. Switzerland’s much-praised neutrality spared its citizens the suffering and costs of World War I and World War II. Instead of feeling threatened by its larger neighboring countries, Switzerland has always known how to take advantage of their economic powers. While Germany is its most important trading partner, the Swiss also maintain successful trade relations with the EU. Among their economic achievements are the Free Trade Agreement of 1972 and two Bilateral Agreements, one in 1999 and the other in 2004. One reason for Switzerland’s staggering wealth also lies in the number of highly qualified immigrants drawn to the country’s stable economy ever since the Reformation.

By virtue of the positive relations between Switzerland and the EU, the former already benefits from the latter without being a member. An example of these benefits is the free movement of people, goods, services and capital due to the Schengen treaty. Despite all these treaties, Switzerland is able to guard its sovereignty and liberty, which it would lose if it joined the EU. The act of becoming an EU member is almost impossible to revoke, whereas contracts and treaties can be terminated more easily. One major argument against a membership is that, as a member state, Switzerland would have to implement the laws, regulations and decisions made in Brussels. This would eventually lead to the end of the Swiss’ system of direct democracy that currently ensures that citizens are involved in the decision-making process. Politicians cannot make any major decision without citizens’ approval via referendum. This is a crucial factor which establishes and secures solidarity within the various cultures, religions and languages existing in Switzerland. If the Swiss were deprived of this direct democracy, it would only be a matter of time before frustration would be expressed. This system, combined with financial federalism, also has an impact on the country’s economy, since the decisions concerning taxes and public expenditure are under the citizens’ control. Therefore, membership would lead to a weaker economy. Another issue that would harm the wealth of the country is that it would have to help to rescue countries facing an economic crisis, such as Greece and Italy. As long as Switzerland can benefit from the EU without participating in the Union, there is no need for the country to seek membership.

It is clear, considering all these arguments, that joining the EU would have mostly negative effects on Switzerland. The country itself would lose its independence and its high esteem on an international basis, while its citizens would lose their rights in the decision-making process. This would lead to their wishes being ignored by the government just as in many other countries. To aggravate the situation, a considerable amount of Swiss capital would be allocated to bankrupt countries such as Greece, Italy or Spain. This money could no longer be used to meet Switzerland’s own needs and would be lacking in the social system. Clearly, it is more profitable for the economy, as well as for the citizens, if Switzerland remains an independent trading partner of the EU instead of becoming a member state.


[751 words]

Second Version:

Experts from various fields argue that joining the EU would be disadvantageous for Switzerland in many ways. This issue has continually been discussed within the country and all over Europe. Considering all the problems the European Union has to face at the moment it seems obvious that an economy as strong as Switzerland’s would only suffer from a membership. Switzerland would have to share its capital, it would have to support all the weak economies in Europe financially and it would have less capital for its own needs. Thus most specialists agree that Switzerland would lose its wealth and its international status as a safe haven for investors should it ever join the EU. In addition to this, Switzerland would lose its system of direct democracy. Of course the EU itself would appreciate it if Switzerland became a member as the Union would benefit from the country’s participation in many ways. The Swiss are well aware of the many different ways in which Switzerland would detract from this membership and therefore repeatedly voted against joining the EU.

Despite the fact that Switzerland is such a small country surrounded by countries much richer in resources such as Italy, France and Germany, Switzerland is the wealthiest state in the world. According to the findings of a new study by Credit Suisse, the average per capita income amounts to $513,000. The “Swiss miracle” has mostly historical and political reasons. Switzerland’s much-praised neutrality has spared its citizens the suffering from World War I and World War II. Therefore, they were also exempt from reconstruction costs and huge reparation payments. Instead of feeling threatened by its larger neighboring countries, Switzerland has always known how to take advantage of their economic powers. Although Germany is its most important trading partner, the Swiss also maintain successful trade relations with the EU. They are able to count the Free Trade Agreement of 1972 and two Bilateral Agreements, one in 1999 and the other in 2004, to their economic achievements. Another reason for Switzerland’s staggering wealth lies in the number of highly qualified immigrants feeling drawn to the country’s stable economy ever since the Reformation.

By virtue of the numerous treaties with the EU and the advantages deriving from these agreements, Switzerland is not in need of becoming a member state of the European Union. An example of these benefits is the free movement of people, goods, services and capital due to the Schengen treaty. Additionally, despite all these treaties, the Alpine country is able to guard its sovereignty and liberty which it would lose in case of an EU membership. It is evident that the act of becoming an EU member is almost impossible to revoke, whereas contracts and treaties can be terminated more easily. One major argument against a membership is that, as a member state, Switzerland would have to implement the laws, regulations and decisions made in Brussels. This would eventually lead to the end of the Swiss’ system of direct democracy that currently ensures involving the citizens in the decision-making process. The politicians can not make any major decision without the citizens’ approval via referendum. This is a crucial factor which establishes and secures solidarity within the various cultures, religions and languages existing in Switzerland. If the Swiss were deprived of this direct democracy due to an EU membership, it would only be a matter of time before frustration and anger would occur. Further, this system combined with the financial federalism also has an impact on the country’s economy. Since the Swiss voted in favor of high taxes, an internal tax competition is generated that keeps all taxes under the citizens’ control and limits public expenditure. Therefore, a membership would lead to a weaker economy. Another issue that would harm the wealth of the country is that it would have to participate in rescuing countries that face an economic crisis such as Greece and Italy. As long as the Switzerland can benefit from the EU without participating in the Union, there is no need for the Alpine country to seek membership.

It is clear, considering all these arguments, that joining the EU would have merely negative effects on the Alpine country. The country itself would lose its independency and its high esteem on an international basis, while its citizens would be deprived of their competences in the decision-making process. This would lead to their wishes being ignored by the government just as in many other countries. To aggravate things, a considerable amount of Swiss capital would be allocated to bankrupt countries such as Greece, Italy or Spain. This money could no longer be used to meet Switzerland’s own needs and would be missing in the social system. Clearly, it is more profitable for the economy, just as for the citizens, if Switzerland remains an independent trading partner of the EU instead of becoming a member state.

[811 words]

First Version:

The issue of whether or not Switzerland should join the EU has been discussed all over Europe for a very long time. This essay will discuss why joining the EU would be disadvantageous for Switzerland. Considering all the problems the European Union has to face at the moment it seems obvious that an economy as strong as Switzerland would only suffer from a membership. Switzerland would have to share its wealth, it would have to support all the weak economies in Europe financially and it would have less for its own needs. Thus most specialists agree that Switzerland would lose its wealth and its global status should it ever join the EU. In addition to this, Switzerland would also lose its system of direct democracy. Of course the EU itself would be delighted if Switzerland became a member as it would benefit from Switzerland’s participation in many ways. This paper will present the many different ways in which Switzerland would detract from this membership.

Despite the fact that Switzerland is such a small country surrounded by countries much richer in resources such as Italy, France and Germany, Switzerland is once again the wealthiest state in the world. According to the findings of a new study by Credit Suisse, the average per capita income amounts to $513,000. The “Swiss miracle” has mostly historical and political reasons. Switzerland’s much-praised neutrality has spared its citizens the suffering of World War I and World War II. Therefore, they were also exempt from reconstruction costs and huge reparation payments, in the way for example Austria had to. Instead of feeling threatened by its big neighbor countries, Switzerland has always known how to take advantage of their economic powers. While Germany for instance is not only its most important trading partner, the Swiss also maintain successful trade relations with the EU, being able to cite the Free Trade Agreement of 1972 and two Bilateral Agreements, one in 1999 and the other in 2004, to their economic achievements. Another reason for Switzerland’s staggering wealth lies in the number of highly qualified immigrants feeling drawn to the country’s stable economy ever since the Reformation.

Although the economic crisis also affected Switzerland, the country suffered less than most of the EU countries. The Swiss are not in need of becoming an EU member state since there are many advantages deriving from the numerous treaties and contracts between Switzerland and the EU such as the free movement of people, goods, services and capital. Additionally, despite all these treaties, the Alpine country is able to guard its sovereignty and liberty which it would lose in case of an EU membership. It is evident that the act of becoming an EU member is hard to revoke, whereas contracts and treaties can be more easily terminated. One major argument against a membership is that it would lead to a weaker economy, as Switzerland would have to participate in rescuing countries that face an economic crisis such as Greece and Italy. As a member state it would also have to implement the regulations and decisions of the EU as well as accept most of the decisions made in Brussels. It is evident that this would eventually lead to the end of the Swiss’ system of direct democracy. This system currently ensures democracy by involving the Swiss in the decision making concerning laws, constitutional proposals and international treaties. The Alpine country’s politicians have also always valued the public opinion, something the Swiss really appreciate. They are even in favor of high taxes: Direct democracy and financial federalism lead to internal tax competition – which, in turn, keeps all taxes under the citizens’ control and consequently limits public expenditure.Almost no major decision can be made by any politician without the citizens deciding via referendum. This is one essential factor that is needed to establish solidarity within the different cultures, religions and languages existing in Switzerland. If the Swiss were deprived of this direct democracy due to an EU membership, it would only be a matter of time before frustration and anger within the citizens would occur.

It is clear, considering all these arguments, that joining the EU would have merely negative effects on the Alpine country. In addition to losing its independency and its high esteem on an international basis, its inhabitants would soon grow unhappy as they would lose a great deal of their competences in the decision-making process. This would lead to their wishes being ignored by the government just as in many other countries. To make things worse, a considerable amount of Swiss capital would be awarded to bankrupt countries such as Greece, Italy or Spain. This money could no longer be used to meet Switzerland’s own needs and would be missing in the social system. As you can see, there are barely any advantages for Switzerland if it was to join the EU. The economy, just as the citizens, is more fortunate on its own.

[822 words]

Feedback:

1. too much information in the introduction
   We actually thought that all the information is relevant and therefore did not make many changes. 
2. very good register
   Thank you! :)
3. sometimes redundand (word repition,...)
   We realised that ourselves and tried to avoid repetition.
4. 3rd paragraph -> topic sentence didn't fit
   We totally agreed and changed it.
5. not enough arguments in the 3rd paragraph
6. 2nd paragraph too long and detailed
   We transferred one part of the 2nd paragraph to the third one.

Topic/Concluding sentence:

We tried to focus on good topic and concluding sentences and made sure that they are well-linked. 

European Commission

ORIGINAL VERSION:


The European Commission is one of the main institutions of the European Union and therefore plays a major role in its internal affairs. In addition to representing the EU as a whole, it has to meet various responsibilities such as managing the budget, setting priorities for actions and enforcing the European law. On top of that, the EC can propose new legislations to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union and negotiate international agreements for the EU. The European Commission consists of 27 Commissioners, each representing one Member State, and its President, currently José Manuel Barroso from Portugal. The Commissioners have to focus on the EU’s needs rather than those of their home country and each of them is responsible for a specific field of policy. Additional work forces keep the Commission running smoothly. These administrators, lawyers, economists, translators, interpreters, secretarial staff and others are organized in departments. All in all, the European Commission plays without doubt a vital role in the EU as it operates in a great number of political, economic and social areas.


[180 words]



REVISED VERSION:


The European Commission (EC) is one of the main institutions of the European Union and plays a major role in its internal affairs. In addition to these internal duties, it represents the EU as a whole and has to fulfill various responsibilities such as managing the budget, setting priorities for actions and enforcing European law. Moreover, the EC can propose new legislation to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union and negotiates international agreements for the EU. The European Commission consists of 27 Commissioners, each representing one Member State, and its President. The Commissioners have to focus on the EU’s needs rather than those of their home country and each of them is responsible for a specific field of policy. Additional work forces such as administrators, lawyers, economists, translators, interpreters and secretarial staff keep the Commission running smoothly. The European Commission, which operates in a great number of political, economic and social areas, clearly plays a vital role in the EU.


[164 words]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XSsA_bJvA7rNnY32xap9A9M1XriLsLYQlZKP_yTvk6c/edit

EU individual paragraph: Travelling in the EU!

It is undeniable that the EU facilitates our international lives by far thanks to the open boarders. First of all, you do not need your passport with you all the time anymore. When crossing boarders nobody controls you, you can simply enter the new country without any inconvenience. A small drawback about this is, however, that you do not get those cool stamps anymore. Secondly, the import of goods became really simple and cheap as the EU repealed the laws concerning duty. Many people make use of this by going shopping in the neighbouring country if they live close to the boarder, because often it is cheaper than in their home country. On top of that, EU-citizens now have the possibility to work and live in any of the EU-countries without much difficulty. They do not need to get a visa, for example, or a working permit. To sum it up, we really do benefit from our EU-membership, especially in terms of travelling and working abroad.

-166 words


FEEDBACK:
by far -> much
with you all the time anymore -> when you are travelling anymore
the new country -> another EU-member state
get those cool stamps -> can not add the individual stamps of the countries to your passport anymore
possibility -> opportunity

It is undeniable that the EU facilitates our international lives much thanks to the open boarders. First of all, you do not need your passport when you are travelling anymore. When crossing boarders nobody controls you, you can simply enter another EU-member state without any inconvenience. A small drawback about this is, however, that you can not add the individual stamps of the countries you visited to your passport anymore. Secondly, the import of goods became really simple and cheap as the EU repealed the laws concerning duty. Many people make use of this by shopping in the neighbouring country if they live close to the boarder, because often it is cheaper than in their home country. On top of that, EU-citizens now have the opportunity to work and live in any of the EU-countries without much difficulty. They do not need to get a visa, for example, or a working permit. To sum it up, we really do benefit from our EU-membership, especially in terms of travelling and working abroad.

-171 words


FEEDBACK II:

try to avoid using "you" all the time
EU-member state/citizen/membership... -> no hyphen
passport synonym -> could not really find one
try to use more high-register words

FINAL PARAGRAPH:

It is undeniable that the European Union facilitates the international lives of the EU citizens much thanks to the open boarders. First of all, the formerly indespensable passports are no longer required for travelling in most European countries. The entry into another EU member state usually proceeds without the inconvenience of having your passport or luggage controlled. A small drawback about this is, however, that you can not enclose the individual stamps of the countries you visited to your passport anymore. Secondly, the import of goods, which may be cheaper in a neighbouring country, became really simple and inexpensive as the EU repealed the individual laws concerning duty. Many people make use of this by shopping abroad if they live close to the boarder. On top of that, EU citizens now have the opportunity to work and live in any of the EU countries without much difficulty. A visa, for example, or a working permit is not necessary any more. To sum it up, the inhibitants of the European countries really profit from the European Union, especially in terms of travelling and working abroad.

-187 words


FINAL, FINAL VERSION:

It is undeniable that the European Union facilitates our international lives much thanks to the open borders. First of all, passports used to be indispensable, but nowadays they are no longer required for travelling throughout the European continent. The inconvenience of having your passport or luggage inspected is no longer existent when travelling in the EU. A minor drawback of this is, however, that  you can no longer add the individual stamps of the countries you visited to your passport anymore. Secondly, goods which might be cheaper in a neighbouring country can be imported easily nowadays as the national laws concerning duty became invalid when the countries joined the EU. Many people take advantage of this by buying products in other member states if they live close to the border. On top of that, EU citizens now have the opportunity to work and live in any of the EU countries without much difficulty. A visa, for example, or a work permit is not necessary anymore. To sum up, the inhabitants of the European countries undoubtedly profit from the European Union, especially in terms of travelling and working. 

-184 words

Psychosomatic Illnesses!

Hi guys!

Today I decided to blog about psychosomatic illnesses. I am interested in this topic because I myself am affected by psychosomatic illnesses. Well, not exactly the real illnesses, but if I have a headache for more than a day, for example, I know that it's psychosomatic and that I rather have to think about what's going on in my personal life than just taking a pill and hoping it'll wear off.

Psychosomatic describes the relation between the medical condition and the psychic, emotional or mental state of a patient. Often a simple headache is caused by some personal problems or stress, but the symptoms can also go much further. Some personal issues can lead to cancer, stomach ulcer or other dangerous or even fatal diseases.
In today's medicine it continually gets harder for a doctor to really determine a health problem and cure it because they are often pyschosomatic. In that case only the symptom is cured by the orthodox medicine and never the real illness/problem. That's why sometimes people keep on going to a doctor with the same reoccuring problem over years when all they would need to do is change something in their personal life, or maybe rather seek psychological help than medical.

Another really interesting aspect about psychosomatics is the healing-thing. I know, that's not the right way of saying it, but I'm tired and can't think of a better way right now. So, what I'm talking about is the following: When a patient loses his will to live he does recover much worse or not at all from an illness or an operation. Apparently the process of healing does not only take place in the body, but also in our minds - to a large extend I'd guess.
As my father's a doctor himself I know quite a few stories about people who didn't recover simply because they lost their will to fight off their disease. Or this one man who was terminally ill, but just did not die for almost a year, even though he was suffering and suffering. His wife finally told him that he can go now and he died two days later.
^^ If not stories like that, what else does prove how important the relation between body and mind is?

I guess there is a grain of truth - more than only a grain, actually - in the saying that a healthy mind leads to a healthy body.

Culture Projects!

I have to admit, I was not all too eager to listen to the Culture Presentations. I was just not motivated to sit in uni on a beautiful day like that - probably in a room that's hot like an oven - and listen to the Presentations. Instead I could have been swimming and studying French somewhere. Anyway, when the Presentations started I was disabused quickly. All of those I attended were really interesting and pretty well presented.

From the American Culture Presentations I watched:
* Danger of Society Threat Groups in American Prisons by Livia Perschy
Wow, I really didn't know that something like that even existed. Especially the Blood In Blood Out Oath shocked me.

* Southern Hospitality - the Southern Way of Life by Julia Rauch
Loved the Presentation. It was really cool because of all the personal stories she added to illustrate Southern Hospitality.

* Monty Roberts - an Extraordinary Communicator by Melanie Wimmer
I knew about Monty Roberts before - even though I didn't really know that he also worked with people, not only with horses. The presentation was really interesting.

*America as a nation of narcissism Maria Dorner
I particularly liked this Presentation because it really matched my opinion about the American (and of course also other countries) society of egocentricity and self-exhibition. Especially young people are overdoing that and I think this is a worrisome trend.

* Does Race Still Matter in the US? by Lisa Ziermann
I totally agree with the thesis Lisa presented. Thank God things are getting better in the US and in most other parts of the world.

* Ellen DeGeneres - a Modern Woman and her Influence on America by Johanna Schreilechner
Ellen DeGeneres is a great woman. I sometimes watch her show online when I'm bored because she's really funny and witty. It was interesting to learn a little more about her.

From the Irish Culture Presentations I watched:
* Newgrange - a Treasure of Art by Anita Bhatti
Seeing Newgrange from the artistic point of view was a new experience for me. Anita told many facts I didn't know, and even though I wasn't really into the topic in the beginning it turned out to be interesting.

* Psychiatry in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s by Diana Skof
This topic fascinated me. What Diana told us about the treatments was really shocking, and especially Hannah Greally's story is terrible. Thank God those treatments don't exist any longer.

* Beyond Riverdance - A Glimpse inside the World of Irish Dance by Katharina Luttenberger
I acutally did not really like that topic and merely listened to the Presentation to fill the time until the next ones I wanted to see were on. Even though the Presentation wasn't bad I did not get caught up in the topic, maybe also because so much was mentioned.

* The Impact of Global Warming on Ireland's Agriculture by Christian Waldmann
I actually was surprised by the possible impacts Christian told us. I would have expected them to be negative, but most of them seemed to be positive.

* Appreciating Life - Donal Walsh's Fight Against Suicide in Ireland by Bianca Brandtner
This was a really touching Presentation. Donal Walsh's story is incredible and I guess he must have been an unusually strong person as he had to go through so many difficulties and still managed to maintain his positiveness and even found the strength to help others.

* Transition Year - working towards Maturity by Carmen Loderer
I loved that Presentation and think the Transition Year is an amazing thing. It would be an improvement to our school system and I think a Transition Year is something every student all over the world would benefit from.

* Animal Symbolism in Irish Mythology by Katya Wallner
Animal Symbolism in Irish Mythology was especially interesting for me because I generally like topics like that. It was interesting to learn the similarities and differences between Irish and Austrian symbolism.

* Ireland vs. Austria - Whiskey Distilleries - Challenge accepted! by Verena Prasch
As I like Whiskey I was excited about this Presentation. Both Whiskey Distilleries were presented in a clear way and we really got a good overview. What I liked was that Verena did not go into details which are boring for people other than distillers but explained only the necessary ones and focused on other things instead.

* Willie Daly - Matchmaker by Natalie Riedl
I actually only watched this Presentation because it was the one right before my own, but now I'm really glad I did. I didn't know what to expect but it was a really cool topic and I learned a lot. I'd love to meet Willie Daly - I'd reckon he's a really nice guy.

All of the topics were really interesting and - surprisingly for me - I  enjoyed watching them. I learned a lot and time passed by quickly that day.

The topics I particularly liked and therefore chose to be tested on in the KGP are the following:
* Psychiatry in Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s by Diana Skof
* Transition Year - working towards Maturity by Carmen Loderer
* Animal Symbolism in Irish Mythology by Katya Wallner
* Ireland vs. Austria - Whiskey Distilleries - Challenge accepted! by Verena Prasch
* Willie Daly - Matchmaker by Natalie Riedl

Cutest animated movie I've seen in ages!!! :)

Helloooo!!! :)

I don't know if anybody of you guys has seen Rise of the Guardians, but I'm gonna tell you something about it now. I decided to blog about it because I watched it with a friend a few days ago and was truly impressed.

Rise of the Guardians is a 2012 animated movie, produced by DreamWorks Animations and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It features stars like Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin and Jude Law.
The touching story is based on a child book series by William Joyce.

The plot is all about children and their beliefs in characters like Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy or the Sandman. As long as the children believe in the characters they are strong and can fulfill all their duties. But then Pitch arises and strives to destroy the childrens' beliefs and with them the power of the Guardians. He wants to spread fear because it makes him stronger. The Man in the Moon tells the Guardians that they need help if they want to defeat Pitch - help from Jack Frost. They call him and ask for his help, but he refuses. Then Pitch attacks the Tooth Fairies palace and when the others rush to help her and Jack sees all the evil, he decides to help the other Guardians.
Their attempt to fight Pitch is complicated by the fact that less and less children believe in them because they're no longer able to fulfill their duties and that's why Pitchs' influence grows quickly.
If you want to know if the Guardians succeed, you have to watch the movie yourselves.

Besides the fact that I absolutely loved the plot of the movie, it was also really nicely made. You can see that the producers put a lot of love for details into the film and that makes it so likeable. Not only are the main characters funny and cool and those not so important are the icing on the cake.  The animations are absolutely beautiful and the dialogs are amazing. It's all funny and full of jokes, but it's never too much. Rise of the Guardians is one of those movies that leave you smiling and filled with happiness.
I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of films, it's really cute and definitely worth watching.

"Live feels like a music box, I'm spinning round slowly and I can't get off..."

Alright guys, once again I decided to blog about music - which is pretty funny as I'm actually not all too interested in music. I belong to those people who don't listen to one genre/band exclusively, but to a wide range of genres and bands. And even if a band only has one song I like, I don't care. I'm happy that I found it and listen to it as long as I want to. No big deal.
I actually hate being asked what music I like because there's a great variety of songs and artists I like, so I don't like to label it. Also, I hate people who're talking about music ALL THE TIME and just don't shut up; or people who are like "OMG how can you listen to that crap?" ^^guys, wake up, it's music! It's all about taste and nothing but taste! Accept that other people don't necessarily share your opinion about it.

Anyway, that was not what I intended to tell you guys about, so let's get back to the topic. Have you listened to the song at the top already? It's "Write It On Your Skin" by Newton Faulkner, and it's been one of my favourite songs for quite a while now! :)
So, besides the fact that Newton Faulkner looks really funny - just look at him, I always have to smile when I see a picture of him - he's also an absolutely amazing musician. I don't know what it is that fascinates me so much about his music, but it somehow touches me whenever I listen to it. Maybe it's the simplicity in addition to his mellifluous voice (means pleasant to hear - nice word, right?). Or the way his songs are all easy-going and transport a simple happiness...I don't know, but I really love his songs. All of them - which doesn't happen often with me! ;)

So, I actually wanted to tell you guys the story of how I first learned about this guy. It was pretty funny - at least when you've been there. It was during my time in Norhtern Ireland that a friend of mine, Jade, invited me to come to the Peace One Festival in Derry. I didn't have any other plans so of course I joined her - especially because her dad is a professional photographer and we got our tickets for free. :)
When we got there it was raining - as usual in Ireland, but we still had an amazing evening. Jude Law delivered a really touching speech and after that the music started. I didn't know any of the artists, so when Newton Faulkner came in, all by himself, with nothing but his guitar I didn't know what to expect. I actually didn't think that weird-looking guy would be any good. But when he then pulled in a beautiful wooden globe, put it next to his guitar, sat down, opened it and poured himself some tea, I almost died from laughter!!! I just couldn't take him seriously. And then he started playing. Within a few minutes I loved him! :) Since then I downloaded all his albums and am a big fan of him.
Give it a try, maybe it's your taste in music as well?

Short trip to Croatia! :)

I also used the long weekend wisely, as a lot of people did, by going on a short trip. And by saying short I mean short. Because my little cousin had her confirmation on Sunday I wasn't able to leave Salzburg until Monday morning. Anyway, Monday came by pretty quickly and my best friends Anna and Caro and me left Salzburg. We decided to go to Croatia because I desperately wanted to see the ocean and I don't particularly like Italy. Plus, there were those floods so we probably would have altered our plans anyway, had we decided to go to Italy in the first place.

As I'm a little confused sometimes I forgot my passport in Graz, so we had to extend our journey to get it from my flat. The girls were a little angry with me because of that, but I was the only driver, so the detour was the most exhausting for me anway. 

Soon after we started, however, their anger vanished, we turned up the volume and simply enjoyed good music, a quick pace, good company and the sunshine! 

We were in such a good mood, laughed and sang a lot and just had fun. 

THE JOURNEY IS THE DESTINATION! ;)

Luckily there weren't any traffic jams and we were able to drive at a good pace all the time and at 4 p.m. we finally reached our destination: Kanegra, right next to Umag. 

We had a lovely little apartment in an apartment-village next to the ocean. The best thing about it: we were practically alone. Besides us there were around 10 people in the whole apartement village!

When we arrived the first thing we did was getting rid of our clothes and jumping into the ocean. Which was pretty cold...

But we didn't care! It was the ocean and we were in Croatia and life was beautiful! 

It was one of those moments of pure happiness, when you just don't care and are happy to be alive. 

After we had the feeling that we were almost frozen to death we went back to the apartment, took a quick shower and drove to Umag for dinner. We had some really good seafood, and even though it was pretty windy and cold we enjoyed a walk around town and a beautiful sunset. 

When we came back to Kanegra we actually wanted to drink some wine, but we were all so exhausted from the long journey that we just talked and listened to music before going to bed at around midnight. 

The next morning we planned to get up early to see the sunrise, but when the alarm clock rang we were still so exhausted, we just turned it off. We spent the day at the beach and left for Ljubljana around noon, because a friend had said that it's such a lovely little town-and she was right! :) We had our absolutely delicious lunch there and then wandered around the city for about an hour or so, until we had to leave so that Anna and Caro wouldn't miss their train back to Salzburg.

I arrived in Graz at around 9 p.m. totally exhausted, but happy. That little holiday - if you can call it that - was just what I needed. :)

the Onion!

So, I was just browsing StumbleUpon a little bit when I came across something really disturbing:

Teen Pregnancy Rate Prompting More High Schools To Eliminate ‘Fuck Your Brains Out’ Program

The article basically just tells about an initiative called "Fuck Your Brains Out". This initiative  supposedly takes place in American high schools and encourages young students to have as much sex as possible. Whenever they want, with whoever they want and without protection. I read through the article thinking "that can't be true, even Americans can't be THAT stupid" over and over again. 

But then I decided to see if I could find anything about that on the internet. As it was an governmental intiative I thought you just have to find something. But I couldn't. Until, after almost 20 minutes I finally thought that the site it appeared on probably is not a reliable source. 

Turns out that the onion is a satirical newspaper. Usually they either make fun of real or fictional events or portray something abosolutely normal as incredibly extraordinary or remarkable. 

So of course, the "Fuck Your Brains Out" initiative does not exist in reality - thank god for that. But it's weird how easily I would have believed something like that if only you tell me it's taking place in the USA. 

However, when I was flicking through the onion a little bit I a really had some good laughs. 

It's actually pointless to read those articles as they're not the truth anyway, but it's fun, so if you like stuff like that, go on ahead and try it. 

Here are some of those I liked:

New Study Finds Nothing That Will Actually Convince You To Change Your Lifestyle So Just Forget It

Proud Boston Market CEO Announces Food Hasn't Been This Gross In Years

Rescue Chip Sent In To Save Broken Tostito Submerged In 7-Layer Dip

Self-awareness week on Tenerife!

Hello hello!

As promised in the other blog entry, here is an account of my self-awareness week on Tenerife. In case you didn't read the other entry, I'd recommend you do so, otherwise it'll be harder to understand because you lack background information.
Let's start at the beginning:
My mum works as a receptionist in my father's practice and a few years ago she also graduated in Lebens- und Sozialberatung (I'm sorry, I don't know what that is in English). So she definitely works in the social sector and therefore is qualified to take part in one of the self-awareness weeks Roma and Volker are holding on Tenerife. I don't remember how she happened to know about them, but as soon as she heard what they are doing there she wanted to go to Tenerife and take part in one of those groups. And so she did. When she came back after that week she still was so overwhelmed and amazed by the experience she gained that she decided she wanted us, her children, to go there too.
Usually Volker and Roma would not take on youth groups, especially because none of us is disabled or works in the social sector. Nevertheless, my mum somehow managed to convince the couple to take us as a group.

She gave it to us a present (unfortunately those weeks are really expensive) and in March 2012 we finally went there, dying of curiosity. We, that's my four brothers and sisters and me.

^^us on our last day on Teide (volcano of Tenerife)

We arrived on Tenerife, and on the first day we moved in into our accommodation, a self-catering holiday flat with an amazing view. Afterwards we met Roma and Volker for the first time, and also the two other members of our group, Fabienne and Simone, two Swiss girls. We then sorted out our snorkelling-equipment and had our first experience of snorkelling in the ocean of Tenerife - not in the open sea, of course, but in one of the bays. 

^^view from our balcony

The usual schedule of our days was like this:

- We were divided up in two groups. The first group was going out on the sea before noon, the second group in the afternoon to encounter the whales/dolphins. The other group had some time off in the meantime, but we were asked to stay away from the Internet e.g. or don't talk too much to people who are not part of the group. This was in order to allow the encounter with the animals to develop to the full.

- We met every evening for a Sharing. In these Sharings we told the others about our personal encounter with the whales (unfortunately we never were able to swim with dolphins because they always were too far away) and how we experienced it. With the help of Roma and Volker we managed to go into depth and not cling to the shallow "They were so close.".

This went on for 6 days, on our last day, however, we drove up the volcano Teide instead of going out on the sea and had our Sharing there, with the aim to come back to earth again. When we returned in the evening we met on the beach to hold a fire ritual with a campfire. 

Usually we were not allowed to bring a camera on the boat, because we were supposed to truly experience what was happening around us, and not only to see it through a camera lens. This was really a good thing, even though I didn't like it too much at the beginning. But seriously, if you're at some amazing place, no matter which one, take your ten photos and then put away your camera and just enjoy the magic around you. You get a lot more out of something that way.  

Anyway, on the last drive we were allowed to bring our cameras and take some photos AFTER the encounter, plus Volker took some photos most of the time while we were in the water with the whales.

^^ the beach right next to our apartment

^^ our group, having dinner together

^^ one of the whales

^^ yep, we even met some turtles :)

Well, some of you might think that this was all very spiritual and far from reality, but what you feel when you meet those majestic animals can neither be described nor compared to anything I know. It was absolutely amazing to have the chance to swim with those whales, knowing that they are here with you because they CHOOSE to, not because they can't get away. The whales are understanding and calm, they don't judge you, and if they look you in the eye it feels as if they can see right into your soul. Which they probably can. An encounter with a free animal like that is really terrific and it sets off a lot inside you if you allow it to. The Sharings were really good because it often helps you to understand yourself better if you say out loud what you think/feel.

Besides the fact that this was simply one of the most amazing things I ever had the luck to experience, I also got a lot out of the time on Tenerife. 

First of all, I started to be more self-confident and it became easier for me to speak my mind. I became more aware of my wishes and needs, and I would probably not have managed to decide on studying Translations if it would not have been for my week on Tenerife. For one of the first times in my life I was told to do what I want with my life, and not what others expect me to do or what is financially rewarding. As for Translations, I hope it is both, what I want and financially rewarding-or at least I'd love to be able to make a living. ;)

Also, this week together on Tenerife forged an even stronger bond between my siblings and me. Even though our relationship never was bad or anything it really did change to the better during our holiday there. We are much closer now. In addition to this, it was really important for me personally, because I started to feel as a real part of our group of siblings. This was always a problem for me because all my brothers and sisters are only one year apart from each other, but I'm three years younger than my youngest brother. 

So, as you can see, I had an amazing time on Tenerife and gained a lot from it. If I ever have the money to go there again, I definitely will. :)

^^ one of the photos Volker took from me and a whale :)