Christmas traditions

I read some articles the other day on the website share-christmas.com and it talks about different Christmas traditions in every country.
I thought you might be interested because it's interested to know how other people celebrate Christmas.

Basically what it talks about is that the Dutch children believe in Sinerklaas who lives in Spain. The evening before Christmas the children put hay and sugar into their shoes, for Sinterklaas' horse.
It also says that in Hungary Santa Clause is called Mikulas. Christmas dinner is a special Hungarian holiday meal which usually consists of fish, lentils and poppy seed strudel.
In Thailand, people don't believe in Jesus but they like decorating Christmas trees and putting up other decorations.

In my opinion it's very interesting to know about other traditions because they are sometimes very different from ours.

Christmas shoppers out in force for national holiday

I've just read an article in today's online edition of "austriantimes.at" and it talks about the busiest shopping day of the year.
I thought you might be interested because you may also go shopping on the 8 December.

Basically what it says is that lots of shoppers poured into Austrian shopping centres and that stores in the textile and toy had done especially good business. It is also said that this is the only holiday in the year on which all stores are allowed to open for business.
Also the catholic churches were open and the leaders invited people to visit them to get closer to the real meaning of Advent.

"Billa" and the chain "Möbel Ludwig" Closed its branches on the 8 December.

What surprised me most was the fact that lots of people go shopping on a holiday.

In my opinion, there shouldn't be any shopping centres and stores open on the 8 December.



Original text:
http://austriantimes.at/news/Business/2009-12-09/18698/Christmas_shoppers_out_in_force_for_national_holiday

New 140-metre long suspensin bridge in Salzburg

I read an article the other day in today's online editoin of "austriantimes.at" and it talks about a suspension bridge for walkers at the mountain station of the new Subnerkogelbahn.

I thought you might be interested because Badgastein is a popular ski-region and I think it's interested that Austria has the highest suspension bridge.

Basically what it says is that this bridge will be the highest bridge in Europe and that it will open at December.
It is also said that the bridge will reach out from the terrace of the mountain restaurant to the other side of a small valley. The suspension bridge will be 28 metres above the ground and people who are afraid of height will be able to cross the valley by the bridge on the ground.

What surprised me most was the fact that this bridge will be the highest in Europe.

In my opinion it's great that Badgastein will have the highest suspension bridge becaus this will boom many tourists.


Original text:
http://www.austriantimes.at/news/Panorama/2009-10-23/17482/New_140-metre_long_suspension_bridge_in_Salzburg




suspension bridge (Hängebrücke): This is a bridge, which is a few metres away from the ground.

boom (anziehen): If a shop is very cheap, it will boom lots of customers.

PRESS REVIEW

I have just heard Flora's, a lanugage assistent from Ireland, experiences about Austria and she talked about the law and what she learned in Austria.
I thought you might be interested because, it's interesting what other people think about Austria.

Basically what she said is that she had learned a lot about her own culture in Austria and that she had met a lot of interesting people.
She also mentioned that she hat thought lots about the clichés and that she had been very shocked about the smoking law in Austria.

I agree with Flora on what she said about the smoking law. I also often see very young people smoking and I think that the law shoulb be stricter.

Cultural Capital Linz gets more tourists

I have just read an article in today's online edition of "austriantimes.at" and it talks about the tourism in Linz.

I thought you might be interested because Linz is named as one of two "European Cultural Capitals" 2009. (The other is Vilnius, which is in Lithuania.)


Basically what it says is that the tourism in Linz had risen and that it was a "strong" August.
It also says that the increase had been 8.9 per cent year on year.
There had been August increases in the countries: Italy, Switzerland, Belgian ...

What surprised me is the fact that the number of overnights by people from India, China, USA etc., who visited Linz mainly on business, had decreased.


In my opinion it's great that Linz is one of two "European Cultural Capitals" because so there are more tourists in Austria.

EP elections

I have just read an article in today's online edition of "austriantimes.at" and it talks about the EP elections.
I thought you might be interested because our election was on last Sunday and this elections regards Europa.

Basically what it says is that the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and the People's Party (ÖVP) lose lots of votes.
The Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Greens had a strong icrease to the last vote in 2004. The Alliance for the Future of Austria (BZÖ) took part in an EP election for the first time.
It also says that the Social Democratic Party was the biggest loser and that the People's Party will win six mandates.

What surprised me is the fact that the Social Democrats and the People's Party were expected to suffer losses in the election.
What interested me is the fact that the People's Party always made clear that there would be no new taxes in the near future.

In my opinion, the rest of the text isn't very interesting because there are only the statements of the different Party members.

British Airways

I have just read an article in today's online edition of "austriantimes.at" and it talks about British Airways.
I thought you might be interested because lots of people are going on summer holiday by plane.

Basically what it says is that BA wants to open a new route to Austria. It is also said that it would begin a service between London and Innsbruck.

What surprised me is the fact that BA thinks the Austrian market is positive and it has an increase of 10-to-20 per cent in pre-summer bookings.
What shocked me the most is the fact that AUA (Austrian Airlines) continues to see its passenger numbers fall.

In my opinion it's good that the BA makes a new route to Austria.

PRESS REVIEW FRAMEWORK

I have just read the latest article in Bianca Danninger's blog at myblogdanninger.blogspot.com and it talks about St. Patrick's Day.

I thought you might be interested because we talked about that day at school and it's interesting to knwo more about other countries.

Basically what it says is that it is celebrated on the 17th of March in memory of St. Patrick. It also says that people celebrate the day with parades, wearing of the green and drinking beer.

What surprised me was the fact that it's celebrated in all English-speaking countries and not only in Ireland. It was very interesting to read, that one reason St. Patrick's Day have become so popular is that it takes place a few days befor the first day of spring.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day, or Paddy's Day, is celebrated on the 17th march in Ireland. It's a religious day because it's the day St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland died.

St. Patrick:
He is one of Christianity's most known figures. St. Patrick was born to rich parents in Britain near the end of the fourth century. When Patrick was 16 he was captured by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before he escaped and returned to his family. After entering the church he later returned to Ireland as a missionary.

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated worldwide.
(Actually the Chicago River is dyed green each year for the Paddy's Day.)
On this day Irish families traditionally attend chruch in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. They march in parades, dance the Irish jig and sing Irish songs. People wear green in memory of Ireland. It is associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. It is a traditional day for spiritual reformation and offering prayers.

Irish people say:
There ar only
two kinds of people
in the world,
The Irish
and those
who wish they were!

SCHOOL UNIFORMS

On the one hand I think that school uniforms are good, because so you know what to wear and waste no time on looking for the best clothes every day.

At each school there are students, who think they must prove themselves by wearing expensive clothes. Students often laugh at colleagues who can't afford these clothes. If everyone wore school uniforms there would be no difference between the students and nobody would think or say bad things about the others just because they don't wear the latest fashion.

But on the other hand I'm glad that we don't have school uniforms at our school because I like putting on what I want. I also think that wearing every day the same clothes will get boring by the time.
Everyone has an other taste and so you can show yours.

All in all I'm glad not to have school uniforms because I like to be dressed in a modern way and to show my style.