Diarikom : February 2014

Monday 24 February 2014

Halina Seidl

Halina Seidl - by Nigel A JAMES

Queen of Hearts!

When Halina Seidl set off on her journey through life it wasn't so much a question of going somewhere special, it was more a case of leaving behind times that were no longer hers. Her native socialist Poland had become far too slow for her dreams - and the west to where she was going had moved on - and was flying, and Halina wanted to take off as well.

Upon arriving in Vienna and being prepared to do all that it took, she soon got a job helping out in a kitchen. The small Viennese restaurant was only too happy to give her a job - and they were not to be disappointed. Within just a very short period of time Halina was not only able to prove what a good worker she was, but, something else, too.

The cook had fallen ill, and without stopping to think, Helena put on an apron and took-over the stove. And her meals were every bit as good as the cook's. It seems that luck was more on the side of the restaurant than on Helena's.

But then the cook came back, she had got better! Halina was once again scrubbing the floors and washing the dishes! But, not to worry, she was sure that something much better was coming! And, it came quicker than expected.

Luck was now on Halina's side. A friend told her of a friend who was giving up his sausage stand in Vienna's amusement park, the Prata. And, would she be interested? She needed no time to think, and just three days later it was hers! With just two and a half years to her credit in Vienna she had her own little business. From now on, there would be no going back to the dishes and floors!

And her little sausage stand worked. Halina was just right for the business. Friendly, caring, and listening are the perfect words to describe her. And her guest, no matter what, are always important. And these are the qualities that stayed with her when she took over the small restaurant where she is now!

It's by the side of the railway in Hietzing, a suburb of Vienna. Here Halina has managed to combine a traditional Viennese sausage-stand at the front with a restaurant at the back with its own exclusive simple and functional style. And its atmosphere is great! This little unusual eatery with its excellent Viennese cuisine has become a lunch-time Mecca for people from all walks of life. No matter who you are, no matter what you do, you are welcome! Helena makes everyone feel special. For her guests she is the Queen of their Hearts! And all because, a long time ago, she said goodbye to a time that was no longer hers!

** Helena Seidl's restaurant is in Vienna's 13^thdistrict in the Hietzingerhauptstrasse where the railway crosses the road at the end of the 58 tram! **

Monday 17 February 2014

Robert Streibel

Robert Streibel - by Nigel A JAMES

The Year of the Gherkin

listen to ‘Robert Streibel - Listen to this Article’ on Audioboo

Running a school for adults is not only planning and scheming, it is listening as well. And when Robert Streibel, the director of the Hietzing VHS in Vienna discovered that gherkins were changing hands in one of his classes he was interested. But then, after finding out why he went into action.

Robert found out that Brigitte Böckman, one of the school's students was actively involved in a movement called Direkthilfe Roma, a project for helping hard-up Romany families in neighbouring Slovakia. And it was all to do with the growing of gherkins! Brigitte was helping by selling the Romany gherkins! And, Robert felt he could help, too. And, so the Year of the Gherkin was born.

And now the entire school is involved. Students and teachers are not only including the theme of gherkins in their lessons, they are buying and eating them, too. And not only once, but again and again! And all for the very good price of 2.60 Euros per jar. But, of course, there is a story and it all began in a field near the village of Hostice in 2008.

With just a little encouragement from Direkthilfe:Roma, one or two families started growing gherkins. And, within just three very short months more than 2500 jars had been sold. A tremendous success! And it is hardly surprising! When it comes to gherkins and herbs Romany families simply know best. They have, after-all, been producing them for years with their own traditional recipes. And now, with more and more families involved, the number of jars full of these sensational crispy experiences have risen to more than 12.000 a year! A real sensation! And, thanks to the Year of the Gherkin it's hopefully set to get better!

And finally to quote Robert Streibel, 'We get the best and most delicious gherkins on earth, and the Romany families get our support!' What could be better?

And, Diarikom is helping, too! If you would like to join in with the fun, all you have to do is to draw or paint a gherkin and send it to me. I will be publishing and making a donation to Direkthilfe Roma for every work I receive. And, not only that! Each picture will be printed out and displayed in the VHS in Hietzing, too!

You can either take your pictures directly to the VHS in Hietzing in Vienna, or you can mail them to me at the following address,- diariworld@gmail.com We, of course will be posting them as soon as they arrive.

The VHS Hietzing – www.vhs.at/13-vhs-hietzing.html

For more information concerning Direkthilfe Roma please visit their homepage,- www.direkthilferoma.at

Sunday 9 February 2014

Karli Freund

Karli Freund by Nigel A JAMES

The Dark Clouds of Hope!

listen to ‘The Dark Clouds of Hope - Listen to this article’ on Audioboo

It was a day just like any other. Karli kissed his wife and son goodbye and set off for work. He was happy; he loved his job and was one of the best carpenters in Vienna! And, with Christmas showing on the horizon he was busy. And that was good so. Christmas always costs money, and Karli needed every cent he could get, and the overtime he had been promised would surely be useful!

But, as it turned out, there was to be no overtime. Within just two very short hours Karli was home once again. He had been put out on the street. His boss had found somebody younger and cheaper. The dark clouds were gathering and Karli was standing right there in the eye of the storm! Would he be able to afford the new train-set he had promised his son? And, what about food? Would Christmas dinner be only stale bread and water?

And then came the searching. Looking for a job wasn't easy. The days went by. The weeks went by, and Christmas was getting closer and closer and closer. And then Karli sat down to think. If he could do it for somebody else, then he could do it for himself. And that was all that was needed.

From that moment on he started being himself once again and things started happening. He found an adequate workshop, and finished and delivered his first complete job just three days before Christmas. He was back, his pride was back, and there was food on his table and a model train for his son! And from that day on, there was only one way to go, and that was forward at speed!

And now? Many years have passed and Karli is getting ready to retire. His son Markus – the little boy of those long ago years – is getting ready to take over the family firm, and Karli's grandson, Markus's son, will surely grow up and carry the flame on. A flourishing family firm that grew out of despair. But, was it really so bad? Looking back, Karli now firmly believes that it was the best Christmas present ever. The day his boss found somebody cheaper! And now, when saying and kissing goodbye to his wife every morning, he knows he will still have a living at the end of each day.

Take a look at Karli's web-site

www.freund-tischlerei.at

Sunday 2 February 2014

Magdalena Pfeifer

Magdalena Pfeifer by Nigel A JAMES

listen to ‘Magdalena Pfeifer - Not Stopping at Red! Listen to this Article’ on Audioboo

In one of her works, The artist Magdalena Pfeifer shows the future as how it is not normally seen. In her picture is a car at the traffic lights. The driver has a choice. He can either go straight ahead or turn left for the future. This is not our conventional way of our thinking! When we think of tomorrow, we see that which is in front of us as where we are going. We have neither right nor left. But, for Magdalena it is different! Her ways are her ways!

And the ways she has taken to where she is now have not only been the paths of pattern, design and textiles, but fine and visual arts, too. And, the one thing that they all have in common is involvement. And, sometimes in ways that both shock and surprise.

In one of her videos, Magdalena very successfully draws the audience into a discussion between a father and son as they are driving over a seemingly never ending bridge, and then, just as everyone is expecting a certain conventional end, the film takes an unexpected turn and ends in tears and disaster! Again, not straight on! But Magdalena's latest project is anything other than disaster. And, in order to join in with the fun, one has to know how to count.

It is Painting by Numbers and it's great. It not only brings many of her talents together, but fully involves guests and good friends as well. After hanging a huge canvass on the wall, she then proceeds to project one of her videos onto it. The audience then calls out a number, and Magdalena then applies the corresponding colour to the ever changing picture on the canvass. What follows is spontaneous creativity and its results can only be described as being unlike anything else that has ever been done before! Again a new direction! And all in her studio which is in the heart of Ottakring which Vienna's up and coming new creative centre. And this, too, is a new direction for a district which was, until fairly recently, industry pure.

And, where is Magdalena going next? This is simple. She will be turning left when it is right to do so; she will be going straight ahead when the going is clear; and, she will be turning right when there's nothing else left! And, of course, there is one thing that's perfectly clear, she will not be stopping at red! Signals are not part of her life!