Christmas traditions all over the world

I read an article the other day in "share-christmas.com" and it talks about christmas traditions all over the world.

I thought you might be interested because it's christmas time and in my opinion it's very interesting to know how other people celebrate christmas.

Basically it talks about the christmas traditions in Scotland,.... and. ... . I have also prepared a quiz about the traditions about Scotland.

In Scotland you shouldn't let the fire go out, because if this happens elves will come down the chimney to perform all types of mischief. In some parts of Scotland they call Christmas Eve "Sowan Nicht". All in all the Scots celebrate Christmas in much the same way like in England.

In Sweden december 13 is believed to be the longest and darkest night in Sweden. St. Lucia brings light on this dark day.

Press Review: Maradona takes the cake

I read an article the other day in "www.austriantimes.at" and it talks about Maradona, who was on a charity visit to India.

I thought you might be interested because Maradona was one of the best football players in the world and he is also very famous nowadays.

Basically what it talks about is that football legend Diego Maradona was on a charity visit to India. In Calcutta a lot of penniless children rubbish collectors spent all their money to make him a huge cake in the colours of his country Argentinia to celebrate his 49th birthday.

Maradona didn't even try one piece of the cake, because he was supposed to be on a diet, but the children were happy, because they had seen Diego Maradona, one of the best football players ever.

I think it was very impolite of Maradona not do eat anything of the cake, because these poor children spent all their money for him and treated him like a god, so he should have eaten one piece of the cake.


Vocabulary:
penniless children rubbish collectors (mittellose Kinder die Müll sammeln) = poor children which collect rubbish to earn some money

Link

Press review: Arnautovic move to Inter approaching

I have just read an article on www.austriantimes.at Arnautovic's move to Inter which is approaching.

I thought you might be interested, because Arnautovic is one of the best Austrian football players.

Basically what it says is that Marko Arnautovic is going to move from Twente Enschede to Inter. There he has got got chances to make the starting eleven, because Inter wants to sell star-striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Unfortunately Arnautovic has got a stress fracture in his leg at the moment so a loan deal with a full aquisition seems more likely than an immediate transfer.

It also says that Arnautovic plays for Twente Enschede since 2006 and he scored 12 goals in 42 appearances.


Follow this link to read the original article.

Flora

Flora was in Austria and she told us how it was.

Flora said that there were a lot of things she learned about her own culture in Austria. She said as well that there a lot of missunderstandings about the clichées and she corrected them fractional. She also told us that she thinks that we Austrians are very nice people. What she shocked most is the fact that the Austrians could smoke in public places. She told us that it would take her a long time to get used to this because in Irealand you are not allow to smoke where ever you want. But all in all she like Austria very much.

Book report: The hound of the baskervilles

Sir Charles Baskerville dies in mysterious circumstances, apparently run to death by a ghost hound from the foggy moors of England. Baskerville´s face bore an expression of terror and his body showed signs of exhaustion. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are called in by Sir Henry, the brother of Sir Charles, to solve the difficult case. Holmes is afraid, that when Sir Henry moves into Baskerville Hall, he could also be attacked by the hound. So he sends his friend Watson with Sir Henry to protect him and to find out more clues for the case.

Holmes stays at first in London and gets letters from Watson: descriptions of neighbors, of the servants and of anything that might be of relevance there. Meanwhile in Devon, strange things happen to Watson: The servant of the Baskervilles behaves strange and in the night he often hears strange noises.

Some days later Watson discovers Holmes in an old hut near the moor, who secretly came to Devon, because he thought it would be better in order to solve the case and to find out more about the hound.

Holmes and Watson go to the Baskerville Hall and while looking at family portraits, they realize that Stapleton, who lived near the Hall, was also a Baskerville. Now Holmes thinks that he could have been involved in the murder of Sir Charles.

One day when Sir Henry is on a visit at the Stapleton’s, Holmes and Watson follow him and hide in front of the house. When Sir Henry walks home, they see that Stapleton opens a door, where a giant hound comes out, and follows Sir Henry. Holmes shoots the hound in the last second. Then Holmes and Watson chase Stapleton, who flees from them. In his hurry Stapleton doesn’t watch the path, sinks into the moor and dies.

Press Review: Fressnapf

I have just read an article on www.austriantimes.at and it talks about Fressnapf which announces more store openings.

I thought you might be interested because "Fressnapf" is a company which you all know.

Basically it says that "Fressnapf" plans to open six new stores in Austria as part of an 8,6-million-Euro expansion for 2009. The company will open them in the second half of the year. After that "Fressnapf" will have 92 outlets in Austria, where 540 people are employed.

Firm-chief Heidi Obermeier said that they will have 120 stores in Austria in 2012. Her firm's turnover had risen by 12 per cent to 90 million Euros in 2008 and would maybe reach 95 million Euros this year. She also added that she wants to raise the firm's market share from 22 per cent to 25 per cent in 2009.

On the one hand I think it is good that "Fressnapf" opens more stores because they employ a lot of people but on the other hand I worry that the big firm "Fressnapf" suppresses smaller companys.

http://www.austriantimes.at/article/14153/Fressnapf%20announces%20more%20store%20openings

Press Review: Inflation lowest since 1999

I have just read an article on www.austriantimes.at and it talks about lowest inflation since 1999.

Basically what it says is that inflation in may was just 0,3 per cent higher than in april this year. The reason for this is that prices of fuel and heating oil had fallen during the past year. If they hadn't fallen so much the inflation increase would have been 1,8 per cent said the state statistics agency.
The agency also said that the biggest price rises this year were in home maintenance and the biggest falls were in transport.

As for me I am glad that inflation doesn't increase so much anymore, but I am afraid that inflation will rise more next months.

original article:

http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=14003

Press Review: European Parliament Election

I have just read an article on www.austriantimes.at and it talks about the European Parliament Election.

Basically what it says are the numbers of the mandates and the per cent which the different parities got.

The People's Party (ÖVP) won the election with 29,7 per cent and six mandates. The Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) was the biggest loser of the election. They only won 23,8 per cent and four mandates. List HP Martin was a big winner of the election and won 17,7 per cent and three mandates. Right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ) won 12,7 per cent and two mandates. The Greens (G) won 9,9 per cent and two mandates. The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ), the Austrian Communist Party (KPÖ) and the Young Liberals (JuLis) failed entering parliament.

As for me I was interested in the election because I was allowed to vote for the first time and I think it is important to vote for everybody, because it is your decision who gets the mandates. All in all I am happy with the result of the election.

Press Review: Fly Niki

I have just read an article on www.austriantimes.at and it talks about Niki Lauda's discount airline "Fly Niki" which became very succesful in the last five years.

The article interested me, because "Fly Niki" is an Austrian flying company.

Basically what it says is that Niki Lauda's discount airline will have six charter flights a week this summer from Graz to Palma de Mallorca, which is a rise of 200 per cent in te past two years.

The plain for this route which lasts two hours is an Airbus 320 seating 180 passengers.

As for me I admire Niki Lauda because he managed to form a succesful flying company out of the bankrupt German carrier Aero Lloyd when he founded "Fly Niki" in 2003.

Press Review: Red Bull Cola

I have just read an article on http://www.austriantimes.at/index.php?id=13617 and it talks about traces of cocaine in "Red Bull Cola" and that it's banned in five provinces in German.

Basically what it says is that Red Bull Cola was banned after finding traces of cocaine in it and sales figures of the drink have quadrupled since German authorities took the drink off the shelves.

It also says that more drinkers are asking for Red Bull in mixed drinks.

What surprised me most was the fact that in Austria the drink isn't banned.

In my opinion Red Bull Cola is very disgusting and I wouldn't mind if the drink is banned in Austria too, but as for me I don't think that Red Bull Cola is dangerous for anybody.

Press Review: St. Patrick's Day

I have just read an article on Christian Peböck's blog at "www.myblogpeboeck.blogspot.com" and it talks about dress codes.

Basically what it says is that dress codes have advantages and disadvantages. What interested me most was the fact that there are no differences between rich and poor people.

I agree with the author on what he says about this, but as far as I am concerned I don't think that you can save so much money with dress codes, because you also need some other clothes in your free time.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick was one of the patron saints of Ireland and he lived from 385 until 461. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March the 17th and it is one of the most important feast days in Ireland. These days there is bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Montserrat. In Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the United States and New Zealand it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday. It became a feast day in the Roman Catholic Church in the early part of the 17th century and it's a holy day for Roman Catholics in Ireland.
On St. Patrick's day a lot of parades & festivals take place. The biggest are in New York, Dublin, Chicago, London, Boston, New Orleans, Manchester & Savannah. On this day everybody is dressed green and everything is green even some rivers like this river in Chicago on the picture and the beer.

Dress codes - Yes or No?!

In my opinion dress codes are the biggest nonsense I have ever heard about. I think pupils should wear what they want, because it would be very boring if everybody wears the same clothes & if the pupils always wear the same clothes, some of them maybe wash them every 3 weeks. That would be very ugly & I don't think you can save a lot of money with school uniforms, because the pupils won't wear them at home so they have to buy other clothes anyway. Besides most school uniforms look very fucking like these one on the picture. xD