Wednesday Window #8 – Flower Window

Posted by Vienna on Apr 4, 2012 in Wednesday Windows | 5 comments

Pelargonia and other flowers grow freely on this window.

Nuremberg again

—

When life gives you lemons…..paint them gold! It’s inspiring when someone or something stands so strong amidst  unfavorable winds and what other oddities life may bring. One can never be too sure how to react in any given situation but take inspiration from these flowering plants, given a small space to grow they just climbed their way up the rails or let themselves freely fall thus creating this beautiful ensemble.

 —

To join us, simply post a photo of a door or window and let us know where it was taken. Link up to this blog or put a badge which you can get here.

We’ll be having a Staycation

Posted by Vienna on Mar 31, 2012 in Travel Plans | 0 comments

Every year before summer vacation starts we plan a trip to either a city near Vienna or endure more hours of flight to a farther country. It takes careful thinking and budget consideration when one chooses international travel for a vacation. For a family of five with kids under 10, insurance for each of us is a must. This is why staycations is also a good choice, we’re insured here even if we stay in a hotel to enjoy their pool along with bed and breakfast.

Vienna offers a lot of fun things for the kids to do. Once in a while I bring the kids to a painting class. In the summers, that could be 2 days in a week. On other days that follow we go visit one of the palaces and take photos and eat Apfelstrüdel, doughnuts at the nearest cafe for snacks.  The kids are also given discount/free passes for museums, sports clinic and other activities like horseback-riding, baking, tennis, mini-concerts and theater shows.

View Albertina's collection and have the kids participate in a painting session.

There are also many different cuisines in Vienna, different restaurants that serve local food that we’ve yet to try. We’ve been mostly to Japanese and Thai restaurants, we’d surely like to try Vietnamese that I’ve seen sprouting in the city too. Greek, albeit not the kids’ choice is also a must for me. Since it’s summer, we’d be hopping from one ice cream shop to the other, taste gelato here and there, discover the different flavors of bubble teas and find the yummiest frozen yoghurt. ^_^

It would be really nice to visit another city but staying in Vienna to know the city it more is also a wonderful choice. Unless hubby buys our ticket soon, we’ll be having a staycation.

Think hard about where to go on vacation or which palace to visit next.

Do and See more in Las Vegas

Posted by Vienna on Mar 26, 2012 in Las Vegas | 10 comments

Las Vegas, nicknamed the Gambling Capital of the World, Sin City, the Entertainment Capital of the World, Capital of Second Chances, the Marriage Capital of the World is also a city that never sleeps – literally. It’s not a city for everyone though, certainly not for children despite the efforts of bringing in entertainment suited for them, the nickname Sin City is too strong to wipe all that.

Consider Las Vegas as the Disneyland for adults. It’s an artificial environment that spells fun and takes away the inhibition to be free to do something you think you wouldn’t while being there. For kids in Disneyland, that’s to become a child. For adults in Las Vegas, well, I won’t spell that out. Anyway if you’re still one who thinks ill of Las Vegas, here are some of the things you could do there.

Venetian, Las Vegas

Ride a Gondola at the Venetian. Indoor or outdoor, you will have a feel of Venice albeit cleaner at this top hotel/resort.   Enjoy the ride with a loved one in an authentic Venetian gondola down the Grand Canal — though smaller than the original, experience going about beneath bridges, beside cafes, under balconies and through the vibrant Venetian streetscape.  Your singing gondolier (who also wears the same striped shirts of gondoliers in Venice) will serenade you along.

Las Vegas' Venetian is cleaner of course.

Go Buffeting

 Buffets. Fancy eating sushi, pasta, pizza, barbecue, burgers, steaks, cakes and ice cream or panna cotta and macarons? How about all of them? The Las Vegas strip has them all day long. Pick from a plethora of choices and you won’t be disappointed whichever you get. If you’re a shrimphead consider having Shrimp cocktail at the Golden Gate’s San Francisco Shrimp Bar & Deli @ 1 Fremont Street for only $1.99! Still at the same price at it was in 1959. Be wary though, Sin city makes it literal because you can turn out to be a glutton while here. ^_^

Paradise Garden buffet

Hubby trying not to get addicted.

If you are one who play free bingo online and online fruit/slot machines then you’d certainly enjoy the real ones. A lot of casinos in Las Vegas offer a wide range of slots and VP machines numbering in hundreds. Of course, you play not just for fun but with the hope to win too. Just always remember that this is a game of chance…no one particular person can win a million overnight. ^_^

Bellagio

Art Enthusiast? Visit the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. At 15$, you can view world-class exhibitions of art and objects drawn from internationally known museums and private collections. Yes 15$, you can view more at a bigger gallery but it’s the Bellagio honey, so stay longer and watch the choreographed water feature of your favorite song. So here’s one, the water fountain dancing to “Time to Say Goodbye” by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman..

There are a lot more fun things to do in Las Vegas like visiting the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at Mirage, the Aquarium at Silverton (which is free) and has fish feeding hours too. There are circuses to watch, flamingos and exotic birds to see and of course shopping…whoever goes to Las Vegas without shopping? Grab a souvenir too to bring home to your mom when you’re there!

Wednesday Window # 7 – Window to The World

Posted by Vienna on Mar 20, 2012 in Wednesday Windows, Windows of the World | 1 comment

Fenster zur Welt, a shop of whatnots in Nuremberg

I was not able to get in this shop but the text reads Fenster zur Welt or Window to the World. It is perhaps a store of things that represent the countries of the world.

—

To join us, simply post a photo of a door or window and let us know where it was taken. Link up to this blog or put a badge which you can get here.

Travel back in Time (When I was a Tutor)

Posted by Vienna on Mar 18, 2012 in Time Travel | 22 comments

This blog is supposedly a travel blog but not limited to articles about the places we’ve seen or cities we plan to visit. So today let me tell you my story, looking back to six years ago – at that time when I was still working as an English-speaker/tutor at an after-school care center or Hort. That was also when my German was so poor, I had to ask a colleague to translate for me. My work was to help kids in English, I prepare English activities and I can speak comfortably with them.

I worked in the afternoons as the name of the care center suggests, like private tutors normally would, only I am in a group of around 20 kids. Parents of those kids work at the United Nations Vienna Office. We were a multicultural and multilingual institution as the kids themselves come from parents of different backgrounds while we as pedagogues and tutors are as diverse. The school is just beside the Hort and is only until 12 noon or 1 P.M. but everyone gets to eat at 1 o’clock (or a few minutes after) at the Hort.

So I would come in at 12:30 and leave around 4:30 or 5 o’clock. When I come I’d prepare the rolling food tray, I put food in serving dishes then I arrange plates, utensils, glasses corresponding to the number of kids in attendance. I put a pitcher of water and a pitcher of tea too and below the tray would be a rag, an empty wash-hand basin and a pail of water with soap and sponge. Kids are to take their food by themselves, they eat and when finished they’d place leftovers in the basin, sponge away their table and dry it up with a rag…yes, that’s an effective way of teaching kids “home work.”

Baking is one of the girls' favorite activity.

After eating, I’d take the rolling tray back to the kitchen and the kids would then start doing their book assignments. It’s because most of these kids do not have someone at home waiting for them and they’re not supposed to go home alone. So until the time that a nanny or one of the parents pick them up, they stay with us. I would look around their English books and make a note that they’ve finished and point to them mistakes if there are any. I don’t usually give the answer away but I ask them a question for them to see the point. I would also go over their Math books but I leave the German books to the pedagogue because how can I check them when my knowledge of the language is below the A1 level.

When home works are done there will be a short break, more like our recess. I’d serve some food, mostly apple slices and fruits in season and we’d talk and talk over just about anything. Then there’s the Freizeitaktivitäten - hobby/leisure activities which are supervised by different pedagogues and tutors. There’d be painting, baking, football and garden play or just indoor games like chess, memory cards and the likes. Kids have to register for these activities in their group so that it will be easier to know where they are during pick-up time.

(Outdoor activities that the kids love, football and the climbing net.) (Thank goodness I always have my camera even then and now the photos come in handy. Teehee!)

Some of the kids also attend afternoon classes like Music courses; piano, violin and  guitar, others have martial arts: judo, taekwondo and kido while others have dance classes. Some of the courses were held at the school’s gym while others are outside – imagine how versatile these kids are now! I still remember the names of the kids in my group so I looked up some of them (thanks to Facebook) and saw that one  is now a cheerleader…well, she was one of those very enthusiastic dancers back then.

Working as a tutor was fun and though I am not a teacher, who I have really deep respect for, I knew the influence I have over the kids. That was why it was with a heavy heart that I left this job. The kids were crying during our last day together and so was I. The kids and I have had our odd days but we were mostly friends, we had a lot of fun. And it’s not just the camarederie and work experience that I’m grateful for..at the end of it all I was able to speak German because the kids were so happy teaching me words and even sentences. Though I do not understood grammar rules then I could fare well in speaking the language. When I took an assessment exam, I was put in B1 class instead of A1 or A2.

If given the chance, I’d work as a tutor for kids who need help with English. Either I do it freelance with me going to a kid’s home or register online like most private tutors do. Online tutoring, so to speak, is where a teacher tutors a student via online programs. There are many types of online tutoring. Some of them are many-to-one tutoring and peer tutoring. Many-to-one is when a tutor has a group of learners given with the same instruction. Peer tutoring is when peers tutor each other.

There are pros and cons to both traditional tutoring as it is with online tutoring. Traditional tutoring is a face-to-face, in person instruction and is often held at a certain location chosen by the student, most often than not; at home. Online tutoring instruction is held on the computer, often involving multi-media devices like webcams, audio and interactive programs. The latter also makes it more flexible for both students and tutors to work on activities on their chosen time whereas the former limits them to certain hours. Traditional or online, tutoring has a big impact in a student’s life….like I said above a tutor like teachers can influence a child’s development…I’m glad I was part of those kids’.

Wednesday Windows #6 – Bookstore in Fuerth

Posted by Vienna on Mar 7, 2012 in Wednesday Windows, Windows of the World | 1 comment

A bookstore in Fuerth, Germany

To join us, simply post a photo of a door or window and let us know where it was taken. Link up to this blog or put a badge which you can get here.

Historical Viking Cities throughout Europe

Posted by Vienna on Mar 4, 2012 in Europe | 0 comments

Viking Moot - Denmark's - maybe even the Worlds - oldest Viking market.. photo courtesy of http://www.visitdenmark.com

If the Vikings and their history is a subject of interest to you, you will be glad to hear that many places exist throughout Europe where you can enjoy some great Viking discoveries. Whilst the various countries of Scandinavia are those that are most generally associated with the Vikings, the Viking invasion had a huge impact on Britain and there are places here where Viking history can be seen and enjoyed.

Britain
The Vikings certainly left their mark on Britain. In Scotland, a Norwegian Viking Earldom was created in the regions of Caithness, Orkney and Shetland. Meanwhile at Lindisfarne, a tidal island off the northeast coast of England, a Viking raid carried out in 978 caused much alarm throughout the whole of the Christian West. Indeed, this raid is now generally regarded as the official beginning of the Viking age.

Another region that has been marked by Viking invasion is the region surrounding the city of York. Nearby Jorvik, where an incredible reconstruction of a 1,000-year old Viking city can be found, should not be missed. This is where you can truly experience an ‘authentic Viking encounter’. The remains of a Viking city were discovered in the 1970s by archaeologists digging in Coppergate. This is right in the middle of the city and if you are staying in York hotels this year, you can take in this genuine journey that leads you through a splendid reconstruction of the Viking age. Throughout the year, Jorvik has a packed programme of special exhibitions, educational lectures and other special events.

Denmark
Often regarded as the original ‘Home of the Vikings’ and the heartland of the great Viking society throughout the famous Viking era (800 to about 1050 AC), Denmark’s Viking history is still a vital part of their culture.

Ribe Viking Center. photo courtesy of http://www.virtualtourist.com

The oldest city in the country and one that is closely associated with the Viking era is the city of Ribe. The city is actually built on the ruins of an old Viking market and is peppered with fascinating museums full of Viking history. Ribe’s Viking Centre in particular should not be missed. Here you will find a reconstruction of a farm, town and marketplace from the Viking period.

Further Viking treasures in Denmark include Trelleborg. This city, estimated to have been built in around 980AD, features a magnificent preserved fortress the construction of which is particularly noteworthy for its mathematical precision.

Sweden
Fortunately, there remain numerous places of interest for Viking enthusiasts throughout Sweden. There are many historical sites and museums throughout the country and the major cities such as Stockholm, Malmo and Goteborg offer the best of them.

However, for a natural Viking setting, Gotland is unmissable. Not only is this a region of splendid natural beauty but Gotland is also the place for Viking history and is therefore the place to find numerous historic ruins and fascinating churches. Best of all is the medieval town of Visby, with its magnificent old wall fortifications and the impressive powder tower (Kruttornet), which is the most historic monument in the area.

Norway
Whilst Norway is also full of Viking history, the one place not to miss is the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo (the Vikingskiphuset). Located just outside the city on the peninsula of Bygdoy, the museum includes three Viking funeral ships (found in the late 19th century) in addition to numerous other fascinating recovered and restored items.