Montag, 31. August 2009

Freedom Party Austria: More Feedback

Two posts down this blog, you see a message by a reader that thought I was too harsh about Carinthia's xenophobia and the Freedom Party of Austria. So I sent him a link to my article on Jörg Haider and the Freedom Party and received the following friendly reply:

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Dear Benedikt,

I am forced me to recant my statement ; "too complicated and political to explain", since you do a very good job and do explain it very well, especially the corrupt political system. The summary of the Freedom party history is quite interesting, thorough without boredom. I always found it amazing, the tricks Haider would use to bolster his popularity, such as elaborate state visits to Sadam Hussein to tweak the nose of Uncle Sam and his critics.

Many Carinthians found this immensely entertaining as they understood full well, what he was up to. I'm not sure I would describe the party as xenophobic, though. Weren't they just trying to protect Austria from illegal immigration, people who came to milk the system. If you look at the Danish and Dutch experience, they learned the hard way.

I remember vividly my youthful summers spent in Spittal, comming home annualy to our family residence over the summers in the 60s and 70s and my parents engaging curious friends, neighbors and family, who would anxiously cross-examine us over everything in America. It was always fun and interesting discussions as they had a chance to get the real story from "die Amerikaner" as we were respectfully refered to. All knew, our family had found the "American Dream" and wanted to rub shoulders. Back then, Austrians had a hard time understanding, and did not want to accept, that yes, indeed, corruption existed in Austria through the stifelling control of the parties and was not exclusive to the US.

You describe that very well and I congatulate you and thank you for the link to the thorough, articulate description of the disgraceful party control over all aspects of Austrian commerce. May it be relegated to the dustbin sooner rather than later!

You are welcome to post my comments, anonymously, if you feel it would be of interest. In retrospect however, I feel that I was a little too harsh on you.


My best regards to you,

xxx

Sonntag, 30. August 2009

E-Mail from Rudolfsplatz, Vienna

Here is another friendly e-mail that I received yesterday - please don't think that I publish only positive feedback, I usually post all longer, substantial e-mails that I get through TourMyCountry.com regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative.

"Dear Benedikt,

I am sitting in my flat next to Rudolfsplatz in Vienna's First District, and just came across your website. I'm getting ready to spend my second night in the city, since I arrived just yesterday, but I will be living in Vienna for at least two years.

Since I was a contributor to a blog, I know how much work goes into one, and, although I'm not in the habit of writing fan mail, I wanted to thank you for putting together a very informative and entertaining information resource. I've lived in a number of other countries, but I've never come across a website that provided such a down-to-earth and honest portrayal of a country. I think your website would be better, however, if you provided some background on yourself.

I think the personal information would help your readers to better evaluate your views and put it into perspective. For example, you must not be from Vienna, since you're so critical of the city, but knowing where you're from can perhaps also provide an insight on how Austrians from other parts of your country see Vienna. In addition, I wondered where you live now, and what took you away from Austria and whether you still live abroad. Information about your age and present occupation would also be of interest. As I read your website, I even wondered whether you were a man or a woman, until I saw the reference to your name. And judging from your family name, you might be Jewish, which, if true, would give your judgments regarding Austrian xenophobism greater credibility. In short, your personal story, posted on the website's home page, can provide another insight into Austria.

By the way, I had an interesting conversation with a colleague of mine, an American like myself who is married to an Austrian and has lived here since graduating from college. As we passed the Votiv Kirche, my colleague commented on the billboard in front of the church, mentioning that he knew the pastor very well, a long-time resident who is Maltese. I was personally shocked to see how the billboard obstructed the view of the church, but my colleague related how it happened. He said the pastor obtains a good income from the billboard's revenue, which is essential to the renovation, which cleaned the building's limestone and returned it from black to the original white color. The pastor said Austrians go through three stages when confronted by a new idea -- first they claim it is impossible to do, then they criticize it, and then finally they imitate it. (Evidently the other major Viennese churches have started to do the same thing.)

And thank you for letting me know that "Edelweiss" is not actually an Austrian song!

Best regards, xxx"

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Here is my reply:

Hi xxx,

Thank you very much for your kind words! I appreciate feedback, since the website is a one-man-show, user feedback is the only measure by which I can improve the site. Regarding your suggestions to include more information about myself: I have to balance information because of the reasons you pointed out quite correctly (to underline the subjective character, to allow readers to evaluate my approach better, etc) with my drive not to make it too personal and blog-like (I hate websites that are done only for the sake of promoting oneself).

To accomplish this balance, I have a only short statement on the purpose of TourMyCountry.com with a brief biography of mine at http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/about.htm (don't know if you have noticed that, but it is linked from the bottom of every page). For those that are interested in me in more detail, I think that a google search for my name will take them directly to my "professional" CV website at benediktmandl.com, where further information can be found.

As for your friend's analysis on Austrian behaviour regarding novelties: I perfectly agree with it. For this topic, see also http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/lifestyle-culture.htm and
http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/like-dislike.htm and http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/badhabits.htm and http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/features-austrian-people.htm (with the latter one I just noticed that it needs to be layouted and linked properly - as I said: Feedback helps me improving the site).

If you happen to have a website, blog or facebook profile - I would appreciate links to TourMyCountry.com! Thanks a lot and have a great time in Vienna (I am in Luxemburg for the summer and will return to Vienna in late September)!

Benedikt

Freitag, 28. August 2009

Friendly mail for TMC

"I had first visited Austria in Wien in 1991, fell in love with my "clean NewYork" (born and raised there). Then later I traveled throughout Austria and now am a permanent resident with so much more to see and do.

I just happened onto your site and think it is great. You have given me moreideas. It is interesting that your home province includes my absolute favoriteplace - Bad Hofgastein. Keep up the great work"

Relaunch: Slightly new layout for Visit-Salzburg.net

Last night, TourMyCountry.com's sister-website www.Visit-Salzburg.net was re-launched with a slightly altered layout. For returning visitors, the online Salzburg travel guide might appear essentially the same as before, but subtle changes ensure improved usability, a tidier look and - most importantly - a more concise HTML code in the background. This means that loading times are shorter. The new layout makes the website more similar to TourMyCountry.com and will make it easier for the two websites to present themselves as two pillars of one strategy - presenting Austria as a holiday destination from behind the scenes.

Dienstag, 25. August 2009

Toni Sailer dies at 73

Sad news from Tyrol: The Austrian skiing-legend Toni Sailer died at the age of 73. For more on the skiing champion from Kitzbühel, see my article on "Toni Sailer" in the skiing section of TourMyCountry.com.

Montag, 24. August 2009

Supplementary Info on Carinthia & Austrian Culture

I got a message this morning that I think makes a good supplement to the information that I provide on TourMyCountry.com. As I state in the "about" section, the website draws my personal, subjective view on Austria - here you can read on an alternative approach from one of my readers:

"Darf Ich mich vorstellen, Ich heisse xxx, geb Spittal a.d. Drau und lebe seit xxx in NYC wo Ich meine Firma besitze. (May I introduce myself, my name is xxx, I was born in Spittal an der Drau and live in NYC, where I run a company - translation included by BM)

Since I don't have umlauts on my keyboard, and its simpler and less formal, I'm going to continue in English. I just stumbled accross your web site and felt the urge to write you and compliment you on a good job. If you will please endulge me,however, there are some things I take exception to, like the harsh and trivial way you deal with Carinthia for one. Don't get me wrong, I'm no big fan of many of my narrowminded provincial-landsmen, but because some Europeans didn't like Haider, it's hardly fair to describe them as xenophobes or right-wing nazis.

They are certainly not. You conveniently left out the fact that for almost 50 years, the Kaerntners, being good socialists, elected SPO for their Landeshauptman (governor - comment added by BM) and Klagenfurt, Villach and Spittal Mayors. That is until FPO's Hfrt. Leopold Guggenberger, former Mayor of Klagenfurt upset the applecart! Shame on you?

The Socialists of couse delivered the goods and votes for the party machine in Vienna, which took them for granted and usually delivered very little in return for Kaernten! But of course, that's to complicated and political to expain and you do have to sell google adds. (socialist co?) Which leads me to your analysis of Vienna, where you do hit the nail on the head. Das ist Wiennerisch - stets arrogant! Myself, like you, I love Salzburg. The Salzburger is open, friendly, productive, elegant, cultured, and business friendly. In short, the cutest little "big city"in Europe, and I've seen them all, while working in Copenhagen for xxx in the mid 70s.

It is my chosen home in Austria although I have cousins all over. Overall, you've done a great job of presenting Austria to the world, but remember one thing, before you bash Sound of Music, for all the corny stuff you correctly point out. Austria was unfairly labbeled a nasty little nazi country where Hitler came from. (promoted by the likes of Lillian Helman and Otto Preminger, who just wouldn't be persuaded otherwise by their good friend Chancellor Bruno Kreisky)

The movie broke that mold, and you should praise Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp family in Vermont for that ! ! ! Thanks to the turn of events from that movie, Austria and its rich culture, recieved renewed interest and a tourist tide from all over the world, which has not receeded to this day. You can thank your wealth and prosperity in many ways to that annoying (to us Austrians) fake movie. Keep up the good work and if your ever in NYC, look me up. Best regards and pfeadi.'"

Further Reading:
http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/freedom-party.htm

Freitag, 14. August 2009

Austria Travel Links: Directory online again

I recently encountered a few problems with my server, which resulted in the loss of the database for the link directory and broken e-mail adresses. Both issues are solved now and you can use the normal e-mail contacts as provided on the webiste again. Additionally, the Austria Travel Link directory went online again - thanks to the help of Manuel Will, who works as a programmer and web designer in Salzburg.

Here are the main navigation points of the directory:
Bars & Entertainment
Websites by Region
Hiking & Summer Sports
Hotels & Accommodation
Music & Culture
Public Institutions
Restaurants & Dining
Sightseeing
Skiing & Wintersports
Transportation & Travel
Travel Practicalities
Vienna
Wellness & Spa

Mittwoch, 12. August 2009

Biofuels in Austria: New Technology from Vienna

Austria has a strong agriucultural lobby, which promotes the use of biofuels to fight climate change. Whilst environmental activists have long recognised most of the arguments for first generation biofuels as highly dubious, second generation biofuels (those made from non-edible organic matter) are a big hope for future energy supplies. Researchers from the Technical University of Vienna have now developed a technique to transfer a funghus into an organism that reproduces sexually, which will make it a lot easier to modify it for the application in bio-chemical engineering. Read more details in English here or the original press release of the TU Vienna in German here.

Montag, 10. August 2009

A parent website for two siblings...

TourMyCountry.com has developed from an idea first tested at a different website - the independent, student-run website www.Visit-Salzburg.net, a travel guide for people who want to experience Salzburg behind the scenes of the usual cliches. This is essentially the idea that I tried to lift to a pan-Austrian level at TourMyCountry.com. Now that the two website's collaboration is still alive after more than two years, we set up a "parent" site that links the two: www.onreda.com will present traffic information and other background for the two Austria travel guides. In fact there is reason to celebrate: TMC went beyond 33,000 visitors last month, Visit-Salzburg beyond the magic 30,000. Together, the "Onreda Travel Guides" cover Austria in pretty good detail - and will continue their development.

Mittwoch, 5. August 2009

Haider Museum in Klagenfurt, Carinthia?

Some might have expected this, to me it is at least not very surprising: Fans of the deceased rightwing-populist leader Jörg Haider plan to build a temporary exhibition on Haider's life and career of their idol which might well turn into a permanent museum. The museum will be in an old tunnel in Klagenfurt, which was used as a bunker by local civilians - and high-ranking Nazi-officials towards the end of WWII, as the German paper "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" reports (in German). For further information on Haider and the Freedom Party of Austria, see the respective article on TourMyCountry.com.

Jorg Haider Museum planned in Klagenfurt

Some might have expected this, to me it is at least not very surprising: Fans of the deceased rightwing-populist leader Jorg Haider plan to build a temporary exhibition on Haider's life and career of their idol which might well turn into a permanent museum. The museum will be in an old tunnel, which was used as a bunker by local civilians - and high-ranking Nazi-officials towards the end of WWII, as the German paper "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" reports.