Hansi and His Party

 

One day, Hansi Seiler, a good friend of mine, decided to move. He'd had enough of the view and fancied a change. And, then, after some looking, Hansi Seiler found a nice flat in a nice part of town, Vienna's 3^rd district.

And so, Hansi Seiler moved flat. And, 3 months later decided to have a house-warming party. A select dinner for close drinking friends and his mother. And, the invitations went out.

Now, dinner parties involve organization. Hansi made lists, borrowed chairs from his brother, and the Gasthaus where he went everyday lent him the glasses and plates. And, then the great day arrived.

Hansi got up and went shopping, and his afternoon was spent making salads, peeling potatoes, putting beer and wine in the bath tub to cool, and generally doing what had to be done. And, then at 8 on the dot, we arrived.

But, there was no smell of cooking and no drink to say welcome. Hansi told us to keep our coats on. We were all going out! Why, we all wanted to know!

The reason was simple. The time had arrived for Hansi to put the meat in the oven and the rice on to cook. So far – so good. But, then came the surprise. It was then, 3 months after moving in, that Hansi discovered his stove didn't work. A tragedy?

Not really. Hansi gave the food to his mother to freeze and off we all went to the Gasthaus. And there we stayed and had fun for the rest of the evening. Full circle again! There are places one can't get away from.

But, of course, Hansi bought a new stove and was happy. But, Hansi still hasn't used it. Cooking was never for Him. But, who knows? Celebrations can sometimes come out of the blue, and, maybe, one day, Hansi will need his new stove. But, there will be a difference. Hansi's stove definitely works! But, will he know how? Which knob for this and which knob for that? And, the oven?

The Gasthaus will always be better. We are, after all, creatures of habit!

Hansi Seiler, a man of good heart who moved flat and tried to cook a nice meal. But, never again. The Gasthaus will always be better!

Hansi and his party - An evening that was never meant to be!

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Andrew J. Roberts

 

Andrew J Roberts was a man I knew well. He was very successful. A one man show. Self employed with an obsession for money. The more money the better. And, Andrew had plenty of money. He was a very rich man.

Now, Andrew and family lived in a very small village in the middle of England. The village of Beehigh. Jane, his wife was a teacher, and Emma their daughter went to the primary school in the village. And, Beehigh had an event that everyone went to. Its annual sale. A flea market. And, one year, in a moment of great inspiration, Andrew had an idea. Toys! He would rent out a table and sell beautiful toys at the Beehigh annual sale. And, it worked.

Andrew was busy selling toys on his stand. Business was great. Far better than expected. Then, just before 12, Sally, one of Andrew's assistants, took over and Andrew went over the road to the pub. The Queen's Head. A great place for meals. Shortly afterwards, Jane and Emma arrived. A family lunch. But, Emma wasn't hungry. The solution was simple. Pocket money. Enough to spend on one or two things at the annual Beehigh sale. While Andrew and Jane were enjoying their lunch, Emma was having fun spending money. And, it was Andrew's toys that Emma found first.

A toy soldier in his very smart red and blue uniform caught Emma's eye. It would look perfect standing guard on her father's very full desk. A wonderful present. This little toy soldier wasn't very cheap, but, nevertheless, Emma bought it. She could afford it, her father had given her plenty of money. Then, just to be fair, a plastic flower for her mother. Then, hiding her secret, Emma went back to the pub. Jane and Andrew were finishing lunch. A little later, Jane and Emma went home and Andrew went back to selling his toys.

Andrew was tired. He'd had a very good day. He'd made a nice little pile. Emma was happy as well. She told Andrew to close his eyes and hold out his hands. Andrew opened his eyes. There was the little toy soldier. An irony! Andrew had bought the little toy soldier, had sold it, and, got it back as present – and – in a very funny way, had got back his money in a round about way!

But, Andrew was happy. Little Emma was thinking of him when she purchsed the little toy soldier. She had known what he liked. And now, all these years later, the little toy soldier is still there and still smiling where Emma had put him. Money well spent that came back as a soldier.

Andrew J. Roberts. He not only made very much money, he made luck as well.

Jan De Cock - A Life Behind Bars

Listen to this interesting discussion.  Jan De Cock of Belgium.  His prison work and his efforts at helping people across the world.  And, very often, from the inside out.

Alexandra Lainz

 

Please click here to listen on YouTube - with full text

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This story goes back a very long way. It's all about Alexandra Lanz.  This is her story.

Alexandra was fourteen. She was, as usual, at school. About mid-morning she began feeling unwell. She got worse, and all of a sudden  collapsed. Her liver had completely stopped working. Her condition was critical. She was taken to hospital. She was to stay there for 5 very long years.

Alexandra's stay in hospital was pain, suffering and despair. And, worst of all, time that never moved forward. Her youth was draining away; there was nothing she could do. She was stuck where she was. But, where there is life there is hope. And, where there is hope there is faith. And, Alexandra had both in great plenty. She knew she'd recover one day.

Then, one day, a light came on at the end of the tunnel. A liver transplant was agreed. The first ever in Vienna. The operation was a total success. And, from that moment on, Alexandra's life began coming back. But, it was during her operation that Alexandra Lanz experienced something not only unique, but very special, too. An out-of-body experience.

Alexandra was floating gently above and watching the surgeons below. And, this out-of-body experience was the most wonderful thing Alexandra had ever experienced. It was powerful and soft. She knew the worst was behind her. Her hope had not been in vain.

And, coming back to life meant other challenges, too. Alexandra had lost 5 years of school. There was much to catch up on. But, her hard work paid off. Alexandra finished her schooling and went on to medicine. And, then she met Harry and married.

But, another miracle was waiting for her.

After her liver transplant, Alexandra was told that becoming a mother would never be possible. Again, Alexandra never lost hope. Then the impossible happened. Alexandra became the first ever liver transplantee to give birth. A wonderful son.

In her darkest of times, Alexandra discovered there was a life after life, and, now she knew, too, there was a life before death. And now, with husband and two healthy sons, she's living every minute to its full. Life is the sweetest of all.

Alexandra Lanz. She lost a few years, but never lost hope. Stronger then ever, she came back again. Dreams can sometimes come true, but faith can even move mountains. Alexandra Lanz – a woman of faith and great courage. A woman who never gave up.

Alexandra Lanz - Life is the sweetest of all.

The Church in Retz

Simply translate into English and scroll down for suggested solutions.

 Gestern war ein toller Tag.   

Wir hatten sehr viel Spaß.  

Es war Michis Geburtstagsfeier. 

Michi wohnt in Retz.  

Sie hat ihr Fest in einem Heurigen gefeiert.  

Die Windmühle in Retz. 

Die Windmühle ist 20 Minuten zu Fuß von Michi's Haus entfernt.  

Michi hat 80 Gäste eingeladen.  

Viele sind mit dem Auto und viele mit dem Zug gekommen. 

Wir haben den 10.15 Uhr Zug vom Wiener Hauptbahnhof genommen.  

Wir hatten eine sehr angenehme Reise.  

Wir wurden mit dem Bus vom Bahnhof abgeholt.  

Das Essen auf der Party war fantastisch.  

Der Wein war auch sehr gut.  

Michi hat eine sehr schöne Rede gehalten.   

Sie hat sogar mich erwähnt.  

Nach dem Fest haben wir einen Spaziergang durch Retz gemacht.  

Wir sind kurz nach 19 Uhr wieder in Wien angekommen.

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Very Hard Quiz

Do Italians come from Spain or Canada?

Is New Zealand to the north or the east of America?

Which country is known as Le Grand Nation?

Was Walt Disney a teacher or a film producer?

Who is the head of state of Canada?   The Pope or the Queen?

Does Radio Vatican come from England or Australia?

Who is the bishop of London?

Which special day was celebrated on March the 8th?  World Dog Day or World Goldfish Day?

Is the capital of Egypt Cairo or Beirut?

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Suggested Solutions   -  Yesterday was a brilliant day.   We had very much fun.  It was Michi's birthday party. Michi lives in Retz.  She held her party in a Heuriger.  The Windmill in Retz. The windmill is 20 minutes walk from Michi's.  Michi had invited 80 guests.  Many drove and many came by train.  we took the 10.15 from Vienna's Hauptbahnhof.  We had a very pleasant journey.  We were  picked up by bus from the station.  The food at the party was fantastic.  The wine was very good, too.  Michi held a very nice speech.   She even mentioned me.  After the party we took a walk through Retz.  We got back to Vienna just after 7. 

The NYMR - The Train That Comes In From The Sea

In the north of England is a train that comes in from the coast. It's the NYMR and it runs from Whitby to Pickering. And, its first whistle blew a long time ago!

In 1836, the NYMR's first horse drawn train left Whitby for Pickering. A journey of beauty. There were the rises and falls of the dales, the pastel shades of the moors, rivers on their ways to the sea. villages sitting in hollows, and farms that dotted the horizon. And, all at horse drawn speed. But, 10 years later came change. Steam.

The NYMR was modernized and its one single track became two. And, the NYMR thrived.   For the next 100 years, It provided the villages and towns along its route with all that was needed for life.

But, then came the 1950s. The roads took-over. Lorries and cars were convenient and cheaper. The LYMR slid into decline. And, in 1965, its last whistle blew. The line fell asleep.

But, it didn't stay sleeping for ever! In 1973, the line reopened as a fully working museum. Once again, one could travel through beauty. And all thanks to the army of hard working enthusiasts who gave up their time to achieve this. But, the NYMR isn't only a museum. It has, once again, become an essential part of every day northern English life.

And, just like then, the NYMR is still being driven by the magic of steam.

The line that comes in from the coast is still there - and under full steam - and waiting for you! The North Yorkshire Moor's Railway. The NYMR.

For more details, www.nymr.co.uk

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Vocabulary

age – Zeitalter

blew – (blow/blew/blown) – blasen

dale – Tal

dotted – punktet

fall - Hang

hollows – die Tiefen

lorries (lorry) – LKW

moor – Heide

motion – Bewegung

rises – Erhebungen

savagely – mit Gewalt

slid – (slide/slid/slid) rutschen

steam - Dampf

thrived – (thrive/thrived/thrived) – blühen

whistle - Pfeife