Kokoschka seems puzzled

Today is St. Knut's Day. Over the past weeks, scenes like the one pictured below populated the streets – well, more likely the pavements - in Vienna:

The Austrian painter Oskar Kokoschka seems somehow puzzled! 

Are you familiar with this sight in your streets?

Every other day the garbage trucks collect the abandoned Christmas trees on the "Knut-spots".
Chopped trees, transported in plastic bags is a new trend, I have not seem them before. The trees probably got so dry, that they did not make it outside without losing too many needles.

EDIT 1 day later:

More trees, spotted not far from the first spot. You need some artistic skills, to be able to throw your tree on this batch.

Riding my bicycle behind one of those garbage trucks has never been as pleasent as while during the Knut-days. The trucks actually smell good! ... thanks to the pressed trees inside the truck and the evaporating essential oils from the trees. These days will be over soon. Until then:

have a good time!
Paula

PS: Mr Kokoschka is there, because there is a poster, advertising the exhibition you can visit at the Leopold Museum, it runs until March.

Opposites Attract

Before:

After:

 So who is who? Is Mr Paula the rectangular guy or is it me?

Paula Abdul was probably right. Opposites attract. :-)

Positive Bias

Is it ok to like some people more than others, just beause they come from a region/area/city you love?

I noticed I see people through filters. One of the filter is called country/city of provenance.

Usually prejudices work the other way round, in the negative way. No? Over the last years I've met people from other countries and cities and I have the strong feeling that I  like them for where they come from. Japanese - I love them. People from Paris, Hamburg, Scotland ... I like you all!

I know the love of many women in the US for the cities of Florence and Paris. But people? Do you know "the love for people from certain cities"? Do you feel the same or are you immune against positive bias?

 

 

Lately my father has been busy digitizing our photo archives. I love his views. Quite late - he is in his 70's - I am finally recognizing his creative vein. Better late than never. 

I was born in NYC. Besides early childhood memories not much is left to connect me with this city. Today I am deeply connected with Vienna. Over the past years I've noticed some positive bias towards Vienna and probably the Viennese, too in the comments. Which means I am not alone with my positive bias. You have to trust me, you are so right to love anyone living in Vienna! :)  

photo credit: all by Papa Paula

With a Silver Spoon

I might have to revise some of my beliefs. To begin with I might acknowledge I actually did grow up with a silver spoon in my mouth. Really? Me?

 

Not any silver spoon but Hansel and Gretel. 

Yesterday I brought the tinged spoon to my parent's place, knowing I would find silver-polish in their household. While I happily polished the tinged spoon, I kept on repeating those lyrics in my mind, the one where the woman did grow up with no silver spoon in her mouth. It was a ballade on a rap/funk/soul-album*  Oh yes, the story of a female upper middle class student, growing up in the cottage, listening to ghetto-rap in the early 90's. That's another story. Probably not worth being told.

*I  browsed through my music collection - I was sure it was Lauryn Hill, but I could not find the song. Any idea?

From Russia ... with Nascha's

A few weeks ago, Anna aka Mangoblüte posted on Russian Style. What is it, that makes Russian women so recognisable? Every culture has its distinctive embodiment of style. (WARNING. Generalisations ahead!) Like Japanese women's faces never shine, US women wear foundation, Austrian neglect their hair and Russians behave in a "loud" manner. Ok, so far, so shallow. This is very, very thin ice. English is not my first language, I really do hope, you can sense the genuine curiosity in this posting, not to be mistaken with ill will.

Tonight, during a shop opening event, there was a lot of Russian Style around. I am not sure, if Style does the appearance justice. Because in my eyes, the typical Russian style would be just "all too much". You buy a phantastic mascara but you would apply one layer after the other and in the end, you got a cakey cheap looking make up. And then there is the love for long, blond hair as seen in the picture above. Showing cleavage where the pants already show the pantyline all to well. In the end, it's all too much. They are friendly, behaving well, but their over-done-styling .... I am curious, what drives them?
In case you have some shallow views on us Austrians, I would love to hear what it is that distinguishes the appearance of Austrian woman from other women.

I wonder if some of the older women tonight had their nip and tuck done in Vienna? (not seen in the photos) If so, I do NOT recommend plastic surgery 'Made in Vienna', under NO circumstances, because it looks bad. Do you ever find yourself staring at an incredible trout-pout when you see one in real life? Ever since my mother told me, those mouths are not meant to look good, but simply to stimulate men's phantasies. The shape is the perfect shape to lick and suck a ... YiKES!

The event proved how small Vienna is. Or should I say the Russian community? Anna (mentioned above) is from Russia. Not long ago she had posted a portrait photo of a friend of her's. He is a LV sales assistant. Where ever luxury is on the plan, Russian sales assistants are a must when it comes to luxury goods. This can make feel not at home in Vienna, when you enter a store and everyone around you speaks Russian and people greet each other in Russian. Guess who visited the Party tonight. Yes, it was that guy. Not that I know he is Russian of course. Phew, today I am proving profound shallowness.

Time to calm down. In case you did not flee this arrogant blog by now.

Many call the design kitsch, I call it irony.

Denis, the interior designer, not Russian and content with the result.

I am sure, these bottles of Champagne will not make it til dawn.

I guess the food on sale is not exactly in the price range of students (the place is close to the main university). Too bad, they were not on the guest list tonight.

Please, don't take my words badly. As the label says ... tonight is time for shallowness.

Good night!

PS:

Those, who don't care too much about other people's reception, quite often have all the fun!