Finally I've visited the boss today, which I could and probably should have done already earlier. Anyway, the result is that in all likelihood my contract gets extended another 3 months, until end of August.

Of course I'm not unhappy as I was too unorganised to even send out applications for jobs yet, so I have three more months to do that while having work and getting paid (at this point I should add that since December I've been receiving the additional amount so I'm entirely satisfied in this respect). Additionally I don't mind seeing another summer here after all the snow and maybe having some opportunity to see more of the country.

Despite that, I'm not euphoric either. When I start a project I like to successfully conclude it. But in this case I know already now - and I told him so - that there is way too much material even for this extension. My estimate is, that I'll definitely get all the Voten during Joseph's time done, maybe even the corresponding Circulanden - although I'm not sure that can be finished. Kaunitz's last four years (the reigns of Leopold and Franz) will definitely be missing and so will be the complete literature research I was much looking forward to. In conclusion: I'll do my work, I'll get as far as I get, and then I leave it as it is. Not a very satisfying thought.

Well, maybe it's also that I'm not in the best mood today. I think I need a break..

Austria is obviously a very power-full country. The whole world is already drinking Red Bull which was founded by Austrian Dietrich Mateschitz - although I'm not sure which tiny percentage of the world is aware of this fact. What a disgrace. But one brave man and patriot set out to fight for a change in this deplorable situation. And thus a new star has been born on the powerful sky of energy drinks. Forget about Red Bull! Long live "Frank's"!

"Frank's Energy drink" has just been introduced by Austro-Canadian tycoon Frank Stronach. According to the drink's web-page he "came from Austria to Canada with nothing more than a few hundred dollars and a dream to own his own business. Blessed with tremendous natural energy, Frank built his business from scratch, working seventeen hours a day, seven days a week. That business is today one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world..." (source) The American Dream Made in Canada.

And now Stronach obviously wants to give a bit of "authentic Austrian energy" (as the drink promises) to those Canadians who are unlike himself not blessed with "tremendous natural energy" by virtue of Austrian heritage. Speaking about heritage, "Frank's" marketing philosophy obviously also includes the promotion of knowledge about Austrian history and culture.

I beg you, please check out the webpage:

"Frank's Energy Drink. Authentic Austrian Energy".



My first sentiment?

Ohhhh. Myyyy. Gooood.

Are you kidding me? When I first went to the page I thought it was a satire! This is utterly, entirely ridiculous! If Sunday hadn't passed I'd be convinced this was an April Fool's joke and I'm still not entirely convinced that soon it will be announced everything was just a publicity joke. I mean seriously. This just can not be meant seriously! No. No. No.

I start with the most intrusive element: Sound. Don't forget to turn on speakers before opening the page! The initial yodel. The accordion. The disco beat. In a word: trash! And then this senseless pseudo sexy lyrics with traces of a fake accent "säx siben akt neun ... ausentic Austrian energy". Trash, worst trash (although admittedly not much worse than some things appearing in our charts). Keeps you yodeling all night? I advise you to make a seld-experiment: Open Frank's page and then try to keep on surfing while this song is infinitely repeated in the background. Wow, truly addictive! I can already feel the ausentic Austrian energy in me - which urges me to smash my computer and escape back to my mountain hut where I can live in peaceful harmony with chicken, pigs and goats.

But as much as the page is a questionable pleasure for your ears, as much it is for your eyes. Thanks to the Energy girls, Gretl, Liesl, Heidi, and four others. That idea is so welcoming and personal. Have you noticed, when you move with the curser on their picture they sort of dance for you. How sexy! I must have this drink! But of course it would be superficial and sexist just to stare at these girls. Thank goodness you can also get to know them better, by clicking on their picture. Liesl's favourite Austrian is Arnold Schwarzenegger for example. Heidi's boyfriend calls her little Zwetschgenknoedel (plum dumpling). Sophia loves Apple strudel, "Rock Me Amadeus", and Kitzbühel. Sweet.

But personally I prefer those two girls that are not only good looking but also intelligent and educated. On the one hand Margretta, who is wearing a black dress instead of Lederhosen: Her favourite movie is "Not The Sound of Music! That is so stereotypical." Haha. Thank goodness loving Wiener Schnitzel and playing accordion (girly, it's accordion not accordian) all night long is not stereotypical. And on the other hand Katia who clearly has a vision. What she longs for? "Mostly world peace and the end of climate change. Sometimes, I long for the return of the Hapsburg Dynasty." Katia, Katia. As a true Austrian you should know that the return of the Habsburg Dynasty actually equals world peace. But that's OK. I can give you some private lessons in Austrian ausenticy!

Seriously, I'd die for representing Austria on Frank's page as well. Yet there's a pressing question on my mind: The girls are wearing lederhosen, so if Energy boys are introduced, will they be wearing Dirndl dresses?

Anyway, I stop this rant now.

As a conclusion one thing is undeniable: We Austrians certainly have a sense of humour. Whether this page is the Styrian or Alpine version of the famous Viennese humour ("Wiener Schmäh"), or a superb piece of deliberate self-irony, or a manifestation of the Austrian ability to unconsciously expose ourselves to ridicule - I am not sure.

Go Frank, go!

Yesterday Leaf Rapids in northern Manitoba became the first Canadian town banning plastic bags. That is, the ban of single-use plastic bags such as they are palmed off on you everywhere here. Instead Leaf Rapids will introduce re-usable bags which will be purchasable for 99 cents (article). So they're basically getting the same system we have in Austria. Respect!

I wish, they would introduce it in Edmonton as well. Also it would be funny if a store pretended it had adopted this measure over night and you could watch the face and reaction of local people - who usually leave the supermarket with 4, 5, 6 or more bags - when they suddenly were asked to pay 5 bucks! (Of course as a good tree-hugging central European I go shopping with my spacious backpack, take as little plastic bags as possible and then re-use them at home in the litter bin.)

Anyway, I heard this story yesterday morning on the radio - obviously some people (notably the plastic industry) were not amused and attacked paper bags (although this is sort of off topic) by framing the slogan: "Paper is the new fur - stop the hunt for trees!" Haha. :-)

Der hat sich für's erste bereits wieder erledigt: -8 Grad, alles ist weiß bezuckert und es schneit noch weiter. Tja, da müssen Capris, Shorts und Flip-Flops wohl wieder für ein paar Tage zurück in den Schrank..

Seriously, they are crazy these Canadians. By now the snow is almost completely gone and apparently to them this means it's summer and it's warm. It isn't. Temperatures are between 0 to 3 to 6 degrees. Nevertheless I see people walking to university in shorts or Capri pants and flip flops. Unbelievable! Well I guess they are well trained by constantly wearing fewer clothes than required during the winter. This is my new theory about climate in Canada: Actually the weather is fairly bearable but Canadians just don't know how to dress properly and, therefore, freeze all the time (apart from three to four summer months), which leads them to the conviction that in their country it's frigging freezing cold almost the whole year round..