Ground-breaking

One of the many things I really enjoy is coming upon things which take me back in time. Time seems to lose all meaning when, for that one split second, I find myself in a moment which happened weeks or even years ago. People forget things in their own history too quickly. Last week, I was in the home of my teacher in Vienna. I was browsing through his music library when I came upon something time-stoppingly familiar: the video cassette I sent him along with the application for this exchange year. Seeing it, I couldn't help but give myself a huge smile and think how bizarre it actually felt to be where I was right at that moment. If only we could be transported to future moments just as easily!

Welcome to our baptism archives - exactly who were you looking for?

Moving on to other subjects: One of the great things about having internet at home is browsing the online encyclopedia Wikipedia. Did you know there is even a site called Wikitravel, with practical information on virtually every place in the world? Are Lonely Planet's days over? Surely not, for they keep publishing more and more wonderful travel literature. One of their most mouth-watering new books is a pictorial called "A guide to the middle of nowhere", featuring remote places all over the world. Special chapters on Helsinki!*

A reminder of a faraway place (in time and in geography) in a Viennese home.

Listening to rehearsals of the Brahms Requiem in Vienna reminded me that this truly is the most wonderful piece of music ever composed for choir and orchestra (you'll just have to forget I said this when I switch back to the B minor mass). It's not every day you get to hear a performance of such a work with such fantastic performers. It would be wonderful to work on this piece, maybe for my diploma exam (don't make any other plans for autumn 2054 - you heard it here first). I wouldn't mind working with the Berliner Philharmoniker, nor Wiener Singverein. And come to think of it, maybe I'll just invite Simon Rattle to conduct it.

This is pure marketing. I'm expecting reader rates to go through the roof with this - my first ever official release of a picture with two of my comrades, published with their graceful permission :)

By the way, I think the management of Austrian Airlines reads my blog - I might be wrong but my theory goes that they got a huge boost in self-confidence from my praise about their Middle East destinations. Flights from Vienna to Erbil, Iraq will commence in March - book your seat now!

*I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist that :) Please apologise my mean joke.