Aug 2007
Day 029: The beautiful parks of Vienna
08/31/07 07:42 PM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 29 — The beautiful parks of Vienna
31-August-1971 (Tue.)
Last day
of German class exams. Studying in the beautiful
parks of Vienna. Travel the world virtually
with Google
Earth.
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31-August-1971 (Tue.)
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Day 028: German class examinations
08/30/07 09:33 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 28 — German class examinations
30-August-1971 (Mon.)
Examinations in German class and my usual advice for young people. Read More...
30-August-1971 (Mon.)
Examinations in German class and my usual advice for young people. Read More...
Day 027: My first song; Rick Steve’s Europe on PBS
08/29/07 09:26 PM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 27 — My first song; Rick Steve’s Europe on PBS
29-August-1971 (Sun.)
A two-line entry today. I’ve written my first young-love pop-folk song ever—“One Summer Day”—for Anjali. It may be corny but it was from my heart. (all girls swoon)
In the contemporary world (today), I happen to see a Rick Steve’s Europe video tour of Vienna. Wonderful video and commentary.
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29-August-1971 (Sun.)
A two-line entry today. I’ve written my first young-love pop-folk song ever—“One Summer Day”—for Anjali. It may be corny but it was from my heart. (all girls swoon)
In the contemporary world (today), I happen to see a Rick Steve’s Europe video tour of Vienna. Wonderful video and commentary.
Read More...
Day 026: Mahler’s 8th Symphony; Schönbrunn Palace
Day 26 — Mahler’s 8th Symphony; Schönbrunn Palace
28-August-1971 (Sat.)
What a
day. A visit to the incredible Schönbrunn Palace and
gardens with Anjali, and an incredible performance of
Mahler’s 8th Symphony. Shivers…shivers…shivers up and
down my spine.
Practice on my new horn and sad to see Achille leave for Italy.
And a little rant on why the RIAA should change their policies and fees on licensing music for Internet-radio and podcasts.
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28-August-1971 (Sat.)
Practice on my new horn and sad to see Achille leave for Italy.
And a little rant on why the RIAA should change their policies and fees on licensing music for Internet-radio and podcasts.
Read More...
Day 025: Coffee with Mozart, Hadyn, and Beethoven
08/27/07 10:40 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 25 — Coffee with Mozart, Hadyn, and Beethoven
27-August-1971 (Fri.)
A short but historic day. Dining with Schubert, and drinking coffee with Mozart, Hadyn, and Beethoven. I meet my new horn teacher. It looks like the music’s about to begin. Maestro!
And the first historical documentation of my career as a songwriter. It began in Vienna? Who would have thought?
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27-August-1971 (Fri.)
A short but historic day. Dining with Schubert, and drinking coffee with Mozart, Hadyn, and Beethoven. I meet my new horn teacher. It looks like the music’s about to begin. Maestro!
And the first historical documentation of my career as a songwriter. It began in Vienna? Who would have thought?
Read More...
Day 024: Burgemeister’s Reception at the Rathaus
08/26/07 08:07 PM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 24 — Burgemeister’s reception at the Rathaus
26-August-1971 (Thur.)
Back in
Vienna, I return very tired and head off to German
class. I’m not tired enough to miss the Mayor’s
Reception that evening, however. A formal ball with
everyone dressed up. Especially Anjali, in her
soiree. Dancing and enjoyable company. Life is good.
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26-August-1971 (Thur.)
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Day 023: My new Alexander French horn
08/25/07 08:50 PM Filed in: Germany
| sightseeing
Day 23 — My new Alexander French horn
25-August-1971 (Wed.)
I’m in
Mainz, Germany. I buy my first new French horn today
at the Alexander horn shop. I’m so happy. I meet Mr.
Alexander himself.
Nixon devalued the U.S. dollar a few days ago. He cost me money. Read More...
25-August-1971 (Wed.)
Nixon devalued the U.S. dollar a few days ago. He cost me money. Read More...
Day 022: I need a French horn—off to Mainz, Germany
08/24/07 10:05 PM Filed in: Germany
| sightseeing
Day 22 — I need a French horn—off to Mainz, Germany.
24-August-1971 (Tue.)
After a
day at school, it’s off to Mainz, Germany to buy my
French Horn. I also provide a chronological timeline
of how I got started in music—ending with an amazing
secret.
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24-August-1971 (Tue.)
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Day 021: Busy, busy. Why am I writing this blog?
08/23/07 10:14 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 21 — Busy, busy. Why am I writing this blog?
23-August-1971 (Mon.)
• “I’m busy, dude.” For myself, it’s busy in both 1971 and 2007 and in between.
• I revisit the reasons as to why I am writing this blog…
Mostly, to
• Encourage the "young" and the "graduated."
• Encourage the “middies” and “oldsters.”
• Be creative.
• Never give up.
• Follow those dreams.
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23-August-1971 (Mon.)
• “I’m busy, dude.” For myself, it’s busy in both 1971 and 2007 and in between.
• I revisit the reasons as to why I am writing this blog…
Mostly, to
• Encourage the "young" and the "graduated."
• Encourage the “middies” and “oldsters.”
• Be creative.
• Never give up.
• Follow those dreams.
Read More...
Day 020: Salzburg finale; Festung Hohensalzburg and the Schubert B-minor Mass
Day 20 — Day 020: Salzburg finale; Festung
Hohensalzburg and the Schubert B-minor Mass
22-August-1971 (Sun.)
I close
out my last day in Salzburg with a full day of
sightseeing (Mozart museum, Domplatz, and the
medieval fortress, Festung Hohensalzburg.
The highlight of the day was my attending a real Mass in a cathedral. 1st row. Oh, it happened to be a full performance of Schubert’s B-minor Mass. Heavenly.
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22-August-1971 (Sun.)
The highlight of the day was my attending a real Mass in a cathedral. 1st row. Oh, it happened to be a full performance of Schubert’s B-minor Mass. Heavenly.
Read More...
Day 019: Oom-pah-pah bands, yodelers, and folk dancers
Day 19 — Oom-pah-pah bands, yodelers, and folk
dancers
21-August-1971 (Sat.)
My 2nd day
in Salzburg, Austria is a day of
sightseeing—Hellbrunn Palace, Mirabell Gardens, a
concert, and a beer garden—with oom-pah-pah bands,
yodelers, and those “guys who hop and slap
themselves.” No, not Chevy Chase, "those guys."
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21-August-1971 (Sat.)
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Day 018: Salzburg, Austria; first train trip
08/20/07 10:49 PM Filed in: Austria
| sightseeing
Day 18 — Salzburg, Austria; first train trip
20-August-1971 (Fri.)
Mozart’s
birth city — Salzburg, Austria. I take my first train
ride, totally standing up, to this wonderful city.
Salzburg welcomes me with a hail storm and no student
service to help me. What to do? Find a room, walk
around, listen to music, and enjoy. Which I do.
Photography is my hobby and Salzburg is a great place to take photographs. (Photos coming soon.) If you aren’t already taking digital pictures, you should be. Come on. Pictures are memories!
[Kodak, soon to advertise.] Read More...
20-August-1971 (Fri.)
Photography is my hobby and Salzburg is a great place to take photographs. (Photos coming soon.) If you aren’t already taking digital pictures, you should be. Come on. Pictures are memories!
[Kodak, soon to advertise.] Read More...
Day 017: I'm trying
08/19/07 09:00 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 17 — I’m trying
17-August-1971 (Thur.)
No news today. Just working on German language. I did invent a new literary language device that can be used in any language. Later today—2007—I bought the Berlitz German Premiere CD course. Will I use it?
Sending out over 600 slides to be scanned for this journal. Can’t wait to get them back.
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17-August-1971 (Thur.)
No news today. Just working on German language. I did invent a new literary language device that can be used in any language. Later today—2007—I bought the Berlitz German Premiere CD course. Will I use it?
Sending out over 600 slides to be scanned for this journal. Can’t wait to get them back.
Read More...
Day 016: Innocence, first kiss
08/18/07 09:53 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 16 — Innocence, first kiss
18-August-1971 (Wed.)
I explain that I typically don’t write about my daily routines in the journal.
This night is special for Anjali and myself. It is a great memory of youth and innocence. Read More...
18-August-1971 (Wed.)
I explain that I typically don’t write about my daily routines in the journal.
This night is special for Anjali and myself. It is a great memory of youth and innocence. Read More...
Day 015: 1971—What’s an Austrian schilling worth?
08/17/07 10:52 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 15 — 1971—What’s an Austrian schilling worth?
17-August-1971 (Tue.)
No journal entry today.
So, I explore my financial ledger to figure out the value of the Austrian schilling. We get the approximate value, then go into a price diatribe comparing today to yesteryear, confusing you, me, and the Federal Reserve.
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17-August-1971 (Tue.)
No journal entry today.
So, I explore my financial ledger to figure out the value of the Austrian schilling. We get the approximate value, then go into a price diatribe comparing today to yesteryear, confusing you, me, and the Federal Reserve.
Read More...
Day 014: My first concert—Washington State Choir
Day 14 — Day 014: My first concert—Washington State
Choir
16-August-1971 (Mon.)
• Uh, oh! I’m complaining about learning German again.
• Saw my first concert, a university choir from the United States. Yes!
• And a brief flashback to my student concert-going days at Lincoln Center.
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16-August-1971 (Mon.)
• Uh, oh! I’m complaining about learning German again.
• Saw my first concert, a university choir from the United States. Yes!
• And a brief flashback to my student concert-going days at Lincoln Center.
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Day 013: Vienna Woods, Kahlenburg
08/15/07 08:17 PM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 13 — Vienna Woods, Kahlenburg
15-August-1971 (Sun.)
A quiet
day of walking in the Vienna Woods, and then up the
winding path to see a view of Vienna and outlying
vineyards from the heights of Kahlenburg. An
enjoyable day.
A little bit of an aside on my interest in photography and the Kodak slides that are from 36 years ago, and Austrians.
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15-August-1971 (Sun.)
A little bit of an aside on my interest in photography and the Kodak slides that are from 36 years ago, and Austrians.
Read More...
Day 012: Let’s go to the summer cottage, dear—Belvedere Palace
08/14/07 06:54 PM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 12 — Let’s go to the summer cottage,
dear—Belvedere Palace
14-August-1971 (Sat.)
“Hello,
yes it’s me, Prince Eugene of Savoy. Yes, the guy who
defeated the Turks in 1683. Well, thanks. We want to
take the kids and go to the summer cottage this
weekend at Belvedere. Can you round up the
1,000-person staff and have them get the place ready?
Chow.”
That was the owner of Belvedere Palace. This was the first palace that I saw up close. Palaces are huge. The gardens are incredible. The interiors are ornate and magnificent. This was only the summer residence. Wow. I'm ready to move in.
Oh, and Anjali also plays folk guitar, sings, and writes songs. And I’m supposed to be the musician?
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14-August-1971 (Sat.)
That was the owner of Belvedere Palace. This was the first palace that I saw up close. Palaces are huge. The gardens are incredible. The interiors are ornate and magnificent. This was only the summer residence. Wow. I'm ready to move in.
Oh, and Anjali also plays folk guitar, sings, and writes songs. And I’m supposed to be the musician?
Read More...
Day 011: Danube boat party, the Iron Curtain
08/13/07 07:38 AM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 11 — Danube boat party, the Iron Curtain
13-August-1971 (Fri.)
No short
posts here. Live on-the-spot journaling, documenting
an exciting full-day excursion on the Blue, err
Green, Danube River that flows by Vienna
(Wein).
Sightseeing, plenty of photos, and more.
I’m up to the task and only briefly let the armed patrol boat, barbed-razor-wire security fence (the Iron Curtain), and the armed machine-gun guards in the towers “shock” me. Welcome to Czechoslovakia and communism in the 60’s and 70’s.
Anjali, a young, pretty girl, comes to the rescue. We sightsee, eat, and then learn to dance. I’m her first dance partner.
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13-August-1971 (Fri.)
I’m up to the task and only briefly let the armed patrol boat, barbed-razor-wire security fence (the Iron Curtain), and the armed machine-gun guards in the towers “shock” me. Welcome to Czechoslovakia and communism in the 60’s and 70’s.
Anjali, a young, pretty girl, comes to the rescue. We sightsee, eat, and then learn to dance. I’m her first dance partner.
Read More...
Day 010: German is hard, yes it is
08/12/07 09:31 AM Filed in: Vienna
Day 10 — German is hard, yes it is
12-August-1971 (Thur.)
Today is a slow news day. All I do is complain about the difficulty of the German class.
I wax philosophical and give my non-professional advice on learning theory. Disclaimer: use at your own risk. Learning may be dangerous and contagious. Read More...
12-August-1971 (Thur.)
Today is a slow news day. All I do is complain about the difficulty of the German class.
I wax philosophical and give my non-professional advice on learning theory. Disclaimer: use at your own risk. Learning may be dangerous and contagious. Read More...
Day 009: Grinzing wine tasting
08/11/07 09:48 PM Filed in: Vienna | sightseeing
Day 9 — Grinzing wine tasting
11-August-1971 (Wed.)
After German class in the morning, where I make a non-funny German joke, we go to wine country—Grinzing—for some, eatin’, talkin’, drinkin’, singin’, and tastin’ some of that mighty-fine Austrian wine.
Read More...
11-August-1971 (Wed.)
After German class in the morning, where I make a non-funny German joke, we go to wine country—Grinzing—for some, eatin’, talkin’, drinkin’, singin’, and tastin’ some of that mighty-fine Austrian wine.
Read More...
Day 008: German language class starts
08/10/07 06:30 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 8 — German language class starts
10-August-1971 (Tue.)
My German
language class started today. Busy with school and
enjoying the class and my professor. The photo is
that of a streetcleaner on the Ringstrasse, close to
where the University of Vienna German classes were
being held.
And being that it’s a slow journal day, I make a plea for the young people of the world to save us.
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10-August-1971 (Tue.)
And being that it’s a slow journal day, I make a plea for the young people of the world to save us.
Read More...
Day 007: Dr. H.—Roommate 2 from Japan
08/09/07 06:30 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 7 — Dr. H.—Roomate 2 from Japan
09-August-1971 (Mon.)
Roomate 2
arrives from Japan. It's Dr. H.
Today is a short day with not much entered. It was probably a busy day registering for the language course and taking some tests. I like Dr. H. We can only communicate in German. Ya! Das ist richtig!
P.S. Any German in this journal, especially in these reflections, is strictly off the top of my head from my tired-old memory, and may be totally incorrect. Read (“lesen” ?) at your own risk.
Read More...
09-August-1971 (Mon.)
Today is a short day with not much entered. It was probably a busy day registering for the language course and taking some tests. I like Dr. H. We can only communicate in German. Ya! Das ist richtig!
P.S. Any German in this journal, especially in these reflections, is strictly off the top of my head from my tired-old memory, and may be totally incorrect. Read (“lesen” ?) at your own risk.
Read More...
Day 006: Achille from Italy
08/08/07 09:16 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 6 — A new roommate, Achille
08-August-1971 (Sun.)
Today
is a day of rest, and of meeting many people. First
and foremost, I have a new roommate, Achille, who is
from Milan, Italy. Together, we meet friendly people
over lunch and dinner from South Africa and France,
and attend Mass at St. Stephan’s Cathedral.
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08-August-1971 (Sun.)
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Day 005: Coffee and call girls
08/07/07 09:15 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 5 — Coffee and call girls
07-August-1971 (Sat.)
Ok, ok!
I'm focusing on bra-less girls. I'm young, I'm 22,
I'm male. And I still am not sure on how to spell
bra-less. [Repeating theme.] Certainly, I'm trying to
build up readership for this blog by shamelessly
suggesting sexual innuendoes. All of these
reflections are probably in my contemporary mind and
of less importance those many years ago. Hmmm, I am
writing about it a lot. So, I take it back.
Sex sells, they say. Oh boy, does it! [towards the end of the post]
Watch me sit on a bench next to a pretty girl and practice my knock-em-dead-pick-up-German-language skills. As Mastercard says, "priceless."
Did I tell you that I am really enjoying this project? I am. As I type and read the transcript, I'm smiling and going back to those days. It really is a blast. I'm not certain if it's that interesting to the rest of the world. But, heck...I'm going on.
Enjoy. Read More...
07-August-1971 (Sat.)
Sex sells, they say. Oh boy, does it! [towards the end of the post]
Watch me sit on a bench next to a pretty girl and practice my knock-em-dead-pick-up-German-language skills. As Mastercard says, "priceless."
Did I tell you that I am really enjoying this project? I am. As I type and read the transcript, I'm smiling and going back to those days. It really is a blast. I'm not certain if it's that interesting to the rest of the world. But, heck...I'm going on.
Enjoy. Read More...
Day 004: To the dorms, to the discotek
08/06/07 10:27 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 4 — To the dorms, to the discotek
06-August-1971 (Fri.)
As a young male, I am becoming infatuated with the beauty of Vienna and the bra-less girls in the Voom-Voom discotek. I finally leave the hotel and enter the student hostel (dorms) where I will spend the summer while attending a German language course.
Voom-Voom! Read More...
06-August-1971 (Fri.)
As a young male, I am becoming infatuated with the beauty of Vienna and the bra-less girls in the Voom-Voom discotek. I finally leave the hotel and enter the student hostel (dorms) where I will spend the summer while attending a German language course.
Voom-Voom! Read More...
Day 003: New people, new languages
08/05/07 09:40 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 3 — New people, new languages
05-Aug-1971 (Thur.)
Meeting
new and interesting people is fun. I’m enjoying my
newfound exposure to people that speak foreign
languages. Wait a second, in their country I'm the
foreigner with the foreign language.
Read
More...
05-Aug-1971 (Thur.)
Day 002: Arrival in Vienna
08/04/07 09:49 PM Filed in: Vienna
Day 2 — Arrival in Vienna
04-Aug-1971 (Wed.)
Finally, arrival in
Vienna. I learn that Vienna is a big city and has
actual people. They wear business suits and go to
work. Just like us. Helped by the Austrian National
Student Service, I get a hotel room, try to make
contacts, and mostly sleep.
Jet lag. Read More...
04-Aug-1971 (Wed.)
Jet lag. Read More...
Day 001: The journey begins
08/03/07 09:30 AM Filed in: Vienna
Day 1 — The journey begins
03-Aug-1971 (Tue.)
Pan Am,
Flight 72, 6:00 pm, 747
The journey begins. My first time on a plane. Heck, I had never been outside of NJ, NY, VT, and PA.
I'm on the way to Vienna, Austria for a year's graduate study. Perhaps one of the best years of my life.
For each day that I have a journal entry, I transcribe the entry and then give my retrospective commentary looking back from today, 36 years later. I have posted a few pages of the original journal in the Pictures/Photo section of this website. They are on the small size but give you the general idea of the original.
I hope that you join me. Enjoy.
John Read More...
03-Aug-1971 (Tue.)
The journey begins. My first time on a plane. Heck, I had never been outside of NJ, NY, VT, and PA.
I'm on the way to Vienna, Austria for a year's graduate study. Perhaps one of the best years of my life.
For each day that I have a journal entry, I transcribe the entry and then give my retrospective commentary looking back from today, 36 years later. I have posted a few pages of the original journal in the Pictures/Photo section of this website. They are on the small size but give you the general idea of the original.
I hope that you join me. Enjoy.
John Read More...
