I've realised that I don't have the energy or inclination to run 2 separate blogs about different things, mainly because my life and the choices I make are determined by the person I am, and that person is what has made Modal Corpus a small success for me.
So although I wanted to run The Third Woman as a completely separate project, I don't think it is going to work for me. I want to spend the time and energy on Modal Corpus and making that the best blog it can be. So I won't be posting here any longer. I will leave the posts up, but there won't be any new ones.
However, I will start posting more about Vienna on my other blog, which can be found at www.modalcorpus.blogspot.com - please do go and join me there if you haven't already!
Monday 2 July 2012
Friday 25 May 2012
Roses in Volksgarten
Yesterday morning I read an article on the BBC app about Vienna which mentioned the roses in the Volksgarten. So, seeing as the weather was nice, we thought we'd take a little wander and have a look.
The roses are in bloom in May and June, and the array of varieties and colours is spectacular.
The roses are in bloom in May and June, and the array of varieties and colours is spectacular.
All pictures copyright Swedish Pete
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Life Ball 2012
I was very priviledged on Saturday night to be able to attend the 20th Life Ball in Vienna. The Life Ball is a huge event held in the Rathaus (Town Hall) in the city, and is one of the largest AIDS charity balls in the world.
Combining fashion, style, costumes and great entertainment, the Life Ball is a riot of colour and exuberace. With an impressive guest list and even more impressive surroundings, this is THE event to be at every year!
Vienna has a long tradition of balls, with the majority occuring between November and February. The Life Ball has some of the elements of a traditional Viennese ball, but with its own particular style and flair.
I made our oufits, which worked out really well and reignited my passion for sewing (more on that over on Modal Corpus!). The theme was Fight The Flames of Ignorance, with most people opting for outfits in flame colours of reds and oranges. I decided that I wanted to be a bit different and go with purple... just because!
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| Outfits designed and made by m4dswine, using fabrics from Komolka. Make up by m4dswine using products from MAC and Chanel. Photography by Swedish. |
The first event of the evening is the Magenta Carpet, the walkway in for people holding Style Tickets (half price tickets that come with the condition of looking absolutely fabulous) and the celebrity guests (this year's events included Milla Jovovich, Antonio Banderas, Brigitte Neilson and Naomi Campbell as well as prominent Austrians). Outfits and costumes ranged from the more traditional dresses and tuxs to body painting, clever use of wire and lighting and some of the most amazing hair ever! Pictures of some of the best costumes can be seen here: Life Ball Costumes 2012
During that time, the ticket holders and other guests assemble in Rathausplatz to watch the opening ceremony. Outside the Rathausplatz the general public gather to watch the festivities on giant screens, and the whole thing is broadcast on national television.
The opening includes singers, bands, speeches and a fashion show. This year, the guest speakers were Antonio Banderas and Naomi Campbell, who were presenting the Crystal of Hope award to Bobbi Bear, a charity in South Africa that helps young children to speak out about rape and abuse; Bill Clinton, speaking about his charity, the William J Clinton Foundation, and Milla Jovovich speaking in her role as an ambassador for AMFAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research); she also sang in the fashion show (and was surprisingly good!).
This year's fashion show was put together by Franca Sozzani, the editor in chief of Vogue Italia (you may know her from such programmes as America's Next Top Model) and featured many of the designers who have presented the fashion show over the last 20 years: Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Heatherette, Philip Treacy, Vivienne Westwood, Missoni, Diesel and many others.
Unfortunately, my camera did not perform to the task at hand, and I don't have any decent photos of the fashion show, but a slideshow can be seen here: Life Ball Fashion Show 2012
I did manage to get a reasonable picture of the final model, with wings of fire - the theme of this year's ball being "Fight The Flames of Ignorance".
Once the ball was declared open, the party really began. The Rathaus is a fabulous Neo Gothic building in Vienna, and the inside is just as amazing as the outside. Transformed for the evening, the juxtaposition of the party lighting and outrageous costumes against the grand and formal interior made for an hedonistic atmosphere reminiscent of the days of the Empire (or what I might imagine it would be like, with all the dancing and wigs!).
There were many rooms with different types of music in, so there was something to please everyone really. A heavier emphasis was placed on the electronic and techno beats found in some of the larger nightclubs, but there was also a 70s disco room, some more generic house infused pop and live music, including the wonderful Judith Hill, whose guitar based soul band was a welcome relief from the beeps and repetitive rhythms of the other rooms. And you should totally check her out, she has a fabulous voice!
The outdoor courtyard hosted a variety of bars and entertainment in the form of cabaret and burlesque, but we stayed upstairs mainly where there was also some New York cabaret/burlesque, including Yozmit, who is a little out there for my taste, but entertaining nonetheless!
After many hours of dancing and enjoying ourselves, we left for our homes at around 4.15am. One really really great thing about Vienna is the underground - at weekends it runs all night and when you live as centrally as I do, it is a hop skip and a jump home - I was in the flat by 4.30!
My friend and I decided that we both really really want to go again next year, with more time to prepare our outfits, especially as we now have a much better idea of what to wear!
All photography by m4dswine unless otherwise stated.
Friday 18 May 2012
One month in...
It is almost a month since I arrived here in Vienna with a van full of stuff and my cat. The last 4 weeks have flown by but other than getting the flat straight and sorting a few things out, I don't feel like I've achieved very much.
I've found that the culture change is bigger than I expected, particularly the language. I'd really hoped that a switch would just flick in my head and I'd pick things up really quickly, but, while I can formulate sentences in my head quite easily, actually speaking them out loud has proved more difficult than I feel it should. I can understand a fair amount of German when I am listening to others, but being able to speak it back... it is all a matter of shyness/nerves, but I'm struggling to get over that.
I must persevere though - I shouldn't be too hard on myself, and I still intend to keep to my self imposed deadline of 6 months to get a reasonable grasp of the language. I just need to figure out the best way to learn!
I'm also no closer to finding a job - I have applied for a few but because of the language thing I'm still very limited as to what I can apply for. Hopefully something will come of the applications I've already made, but in all honesty I haven't really looked that hard! I'm quite enjoying the time off at the moment.
One thing I am doing is broadening my skills. I've decided to take an online course in pattern drafting and sewing techniques, mainly just for me, because I have discovered an amazing shop which has all the fabric under the sun ever, and partly because sewing is something I love, and if I was better at translating what I want to make into an actual garment, I'd be able to start up as a proper designer. So figuring a few things out will be really helpful!
I've spent a lot of time this week sewing, for an event that I am going to with a friend tomorrow night, which I will of course blog about.
Tomorrow night, we are going to the Life Ball, which is a massive massive AIDS charity event that attracts attention from all over the world (apart from the UK it seems). It takes place in Vienna's Rathaus and involves celebrities galore. It is outrageous, amazing and so so cool. Keep an eye out for my write up of the event, but for now, have a look at the website: www.lifeball.org
I've found that the culture change is bigger than I expected, particularly the language. I'd really hoped that a switch would just flick in my head and I'd pick things up really quickly, but, while I can formulate sentences in my head quite easily, actually speaking them out loud has proved more difficult than I feel it should. I can understand a fair amount of German when I am listening to others, but being able to speak it back... it is all a matter of shyness/nerves, but I'm struggling to get over that.
I must persevere though - I shouldn't be too hard on myself, and I still intend to keep to my self imposed deadline of 6 months to get a reasonable grasp of the language. I just need to figure out the best way to learn!
I'm also no closer to finding a job - I have applied for a few but because of the language thing I'm still very limited as to what I can apply for. Hopefully something will come of the applications I've already made, but in all honesty I haven't really looked that hard! I'm quite enjoying the time off at the moment.
One thing I am doing is broadening my skills. I've decided to take an online course in pattern drafting and sewing techniques, mainly just for me, because I have discovered an amazing shop which has all the fabric under the sun ever, and partly because sewing is something I love, and if I was better at translating what I want to make into an actual garment, I'd be able to start up as a proper designer. So figuring a few things out will be really helpful!
I've spent a lot of time this week sewing, for an event that I am going to with a friend tomorrow night, which I will of course blog about.
Tomorrow night, we are going to the Life Ball, which is a massive massive AIDS charity event that attracts attention from all over the world (apart from the UK it seems). It takes place in Vienna's Rathaus and involves celebrities galore. It is outrageous, amazing and so so cool. Keep an eye out for my write up of the event, but for now, have a look at the website: www.lifeball.org
Thursday 10 May 2012
The Move Part 1: Chaos reigns
So, moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do, or so they say. Our move was no exception. My poor parents, it was a disaster.
The bottom line was: too much stuff, too small van. The combination of the 2 problems meant that I was somewhere close to having a nervous breakdown at various points of the day.
Packing up day was supposed to be a breeze. Parents arrive, we deliver furniture, take some to the tip/recycling centre, then load up the rest. Which we did. Except it became clear at a certain point that the van wasn't big enough. Cue a mass cull of stuff. And me going through mild panic.
Ultimately, a decision was made: we needed a bigger van. Luckily we were able to arrange that, even though it did mean my dad, myself and The Beard driving an hour back into Cornwall to swap vans over, a process which surprisingly only took 10 minutes (given we had to swap about half a van's worth of stuff into the new one). Once we'd got back the van loading process was surprisingly quick - we managed it in about 45 minutes in all, with 4 of us doing the loading.
It was quite possibly the most stressful day I've had in a long time - the last time I was that stressed was when I moved into the last house from my first flat. That was stressful for different reasons though, and I have to give massive props to my parents, The Beard and our dear friend Gray for being champs and helping me retain some level of sanity! Especially my mother, who had expressly told me that she didn't want to do masses of cleaning, and I'd kinda promised her that she wouldn't have to... and then she had to. Also massive thanks must go to JP, my parents' friend who helped with the van rental, and the replacement bigger van - an absolute star.
So, by the end of the long day, we'd packed up the van, cleaned the house and were ready to set off for the ferry port, leaving The Beard behind to finish up the last bits, head to a friend's house and then get a plane a couple of days later.
The thing is, you never realise just how much stuff you have until you start packing it up into boxes. Even though I was trying to be ruthless and we did get rid of a fair bit of stuff, the amount of things we had stashed in that little house with the limited storage is nothing short of amazing.
My top tip for moving? Don't underestimate how much stuff you have. I have no idea how you measure how many boxes you will need, but it will more than likely be more than you think.
Next up: Ferries, cats and vans
The bottom line was: too much stuff, too small van. The combination of the 2 problems meant that I was somewhere close to having a nervous breakdown at various points of the day.
Packing up day was supposed to be a breeze. Parents arrive, we deliver furniture, take some to the tip/recycling centre, then load up the rest. Which we did. Except it became clear at a certain point that the van wasn't big enough. Cue a mass cull of stuff. And me going through mild panic.
Ultimately, a decision was made: we needed a bigger van. Luckily we were able to arrange that, even though it did mean my dad, myself and The Beard driving an hour back into Cornwall to swap vans over, a process which surprisingly only took 10 minutes (given we had to swap about half a van's worth of stuff into the new one). Once we'd got back the van loading process was surprisingly quick - we managed it in about 45 minutes in all, with 4 of us doing the loading.
It was quite possibly the most stressful day I've had in a long time - the last time I was that stressed was when I moved into the last house from my first flat. That was stressful for different reasons though, and I have to give massive props to my parents, The Beard and our dear friend Gray for being champs and helping me retain some level of sanity! Especially my mother, who had expressly told me that she didn't want to do masses of cleaning, and I'd kinda promised her that she wouldn't have to... and then she had to. Also massive thanks must go to JP, my parents' friend who helped with the van rental, and the replacement bigger van - an absolute star.
So, by the end of the long day, we'd packed up the van, cleaned the house and were ready to set off for the ferry port, leaving The Beard behind to finish up the last bits, head to a friend's house and then get a plane a couple of days later.
The thing is, you never realise just how much stuff you have until you start packing it up into boxes. Even though I was trying to be ruthless and we did get rid of a fair bit of stuff, the amount of things we had stashed in that little house with the limited storage is nothing short of amazing.
My top tip for moving? Don't underestimate how much stuff you have. I have no idea how you measure how many boxes you will need, but it will more than likely be more than you think.
Next up: Ferries, cats and vans
Wednesday 9 May 2012
The internet has finally arrived!
I apologise for my massive lack of posting but it has taken much longer to get sorted than we could have imagined, and although I've had the internet on my phone, writing blog posts on there, even with the Blogger app, isn't the easiest thing in the world!!
Also, we've been focussing a lot on getting things straight here - organising insurance, unpacking boxes, sorting out bank accounts, mobile phones etc. All the really boring things that take time. And the weather has been so lovely we've been hanging out by a friend's pool quite a bit as well!
But now that the internet is installed we can relax a little, and I can start to update you all with the journey so far.
And then get onto the really important things, like finding all the good places to hang out and do stuff!
Also, we've been focussing a lot on getting things straight here - organising insurance, unpacking boxes, sorting out bank accounts, mobile phones etc. All the really boring things that take time. And the weather has been so lovely we've been hanging out by a friend's pool quite a bit as well!
But now that the internet is installed we can relax a little, and I can start to update you all with the journey so far.
And then get onto the really important things, like finding all the good places to hang out and do stuff!
Thursday 3 May 2012
Is this the real life?
I'm still waking up in the morning sometimes not quite believing that we upped and left for a new city, a new country. I suppose at the moment it still feels a bit like an extended holiday, especially as it is so sunny and warm here at the moment!
But I love our new flat, and the view at night of Prater is lovely.
We're slowly getting sorted. The internet should hopefully be installed today, then I can crack on with the tales of the journey and our first couple of weeks.
Today is a sorting day: I am still trying to master the washing machine, I need to finish sorting the boxes in our bedroom so I can get that sorted and the kitchen cupboards need rearranging!
Friday 27 April 2012
Challenge 1: Mastering the washing machine
Our building has a laundry (and drying space, which is awesome) but it seems that not all washing machines are equal.
The washküche has a machine that makes my old fancy one in the UK look like something a caveman would sneer at! And of course it doesn't help that the instructions are in German. Still, never one to shy away from a challenge, I've spent this evening trying to master it. I'm not sure I'm there yet, I need to have another go tomorrow but for now I have 2 loads of washing drying in the attic space.
I am determined that this will not beat me... sneaky washing machine, I'm watching you.
Wednesday 25 April 2012
We're still alive!
We are still alive! We've been slowly working our way through all the admin involved in moving abroad and we should have the internet next week. I'm drafting the journey at the moment so will have that up soon :)
Bye for now x
Wednesday 11 April 2012
V-6: The stress of packing is starting to get to me
I haven't moved for nearly 9 years. I am rapidly remembering why that is - I hate packing. At the moment our house feels like a junk shop, full of stuff on every available surface and boxes. Many boxes.
To be fair, we are making fairly good progress - we tackled the shed yesterday, which was full of junk and cleared that out, discovery that the chests of drawers in the shed were actually is good condition (I had feared that the shed would have destroyed them) and therefore can be added to the car boot bounty to sell.
We're down to a couple of plates and mugs for use in the kitchen, as I've packed all the crockery that is coming with us. I've decided that all the cutlery and utensils will be placed (read emptied) into a box of their own, so that will be an easy last minute job.
Most of the office/sewing room has been done, all of the living room has been packed bar a few things still being used (and that I missed!), and the bedroom is only filled with the clothes and stuff that we are still wearing.
I have today and Thursday to complete these epic tasks, to allow time over the weekend to clean and prep the house for handing back. Curtains need to be washed, holes need to be filled and painted etc. And then comes the car boot sale on Sunday morning - an early start will hopefully make us a load of money and get rid of the dregs of furniture we haven't been able to sell through Gumtree or various noticeboards.
Right, I better get back to the packing - if you know anyone in the South West area of the UK who wants a gas cooker let me know right?
To be fair, we are making fairly good progress - we tackled the shed yesterday, which was full of junk and cleared that out, discovery that the chests of drawers in the shed were actually is good condition (I had feared that the shed would have destroyed them) and therefore can be added to the car boot bounty to sell.
We're down to a couple of plates and mugs for use in the kitchen, as I've packed all the crockery that is coming with us. I've decided that all the cutlery and utensils will be placed (read emptied) into a box of their own, so that will be an easy last minute job.
Most of the office/sewing room has been done, all of the living room has been packed bar a few things still being used (and that I missed!), and the bedroom is only filled with the clothes and stuff that we are still wearing.
I have today and Thursday to complete these epic tasks, to allow time over the weekend to clean and prep the house for handing back. Curtains need to be washed, holes need to be filled and painted etc. And then comes the car boot sale on Sunday morning - an early start will hopefully make us a load of money and get rid of the dregs of furniture we haven't been able to sell through Gumtree or various noticeboards.
Right, I better get back to the packing - if you know anyone in the South West area of the UK who wants a gas cooker let me know right?
Sunday 8 April 2012
V-9: Getting rid of stuff
Currently in the midst of selling all our stuff - we've shifted the bedroom furniture, 3 bookcases, a desk and the dishwasher, but still have a cooker, washing machine, fridge/freezer, some more shelves, a coffee table and another desk to go.
We're also steadily building the pile for the car boot sale we're going to next weekend. The house is slowly becoming full of boxes!!
I have worked my way through most of my to do list, but I keep thinking of things that I need to do, which means the list doesn't seem to be getting any shorter!
We're also steadily building the pile for the car boot sale we're going to next weekend. The house is slowly becoming full of boxes!!
I have worked my way through most of my to do list, but I keep thinking of things that I need to do, which means the list doesn't seem to be getting any shorter!
Friday 23 March 2012
So the time has come, the walrus said...
To speak of other things...
Like tidying. I hate tidying. And cleaning. No actually I don't hate cleaning. I like clean things. But I have better things to be doing than spending my life cleaning.
But today I must clean. Our house is going on the market next week, and the letting agents need to come round on Monday and take some photographs. So today I have to make the place look ship shape and Bristol fashion.
Its such a beautiful sunny day today and I hope that the sunshine pouring into the house will fill me with the inspiration to make the house look pretty.
I might be slightly delusional about that though.
To the hoover!
And a little bit of this to get the rhythm going...
Like tidying. I hate tidying. And cleaning. No actually I don't hate cleaning. I like clean things. But I have better things to be doing than spending my life cleaning.
But today I must clean. Our house is going on the market next week, and the letting agents need to come round on Monday and take some photographs. So today I have to make the place look ship shape and Bristol fashion.
Its such a beautiful sunny day today and I hope that the sunshine pouring into the house will fill me with the inspiration to make the house look pretty.
I might be slightly delusional about that though.
To the hoover!
And a little bit of this to get the rhythm going...
Thursday 22 March 2012
V-26: Playing with bedroom decoration
Some more Pinterest boards from me again today, this time for the bedroom.
As I mentioned yesterday, our current bedroom is purple themed. We have white furniture, a metal bedhead and purple everything else. I love it, I love the purple, but I'm not sure I want to have a purple living room AND a purple bedroom. I might look a little obsessed or something.
One of the problems with the bedroom is that The Beard and I don't seem to be able to find bed covers that we both like. This may not seem like a particularly important thing, we're only talking about bed covers right? Well yes and no. I think bedroom decoration is incredibly important. You sleep in the bedroom. Which means that what you put in there is the first thing you see in the morning, and the last thing you see at night. So it should be comfortable and put you at ease. And noone wants to be angsty in their bed, you don't want to kill your mojo!!
So again, we like dark furniture. I think we're both a bit of a sucker for it. Clean lines though, nothing too fancy (ok, I'd ideally love a gothic vault of a bedroom with fancy finials on everything and curly bits and stuff, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon, certainly not in this flat!). Because we have built in wardrobes that are a very neutral colour we can put anything with them, and there isn't a need for much furniture.
So, bearing all that in mind...
Bedroom Option 1: The Red Option
Back to trusty red... The duvet covers have a fine detail red pattern on. Nothing too in your face, but just enough to lift the covers I think. I quite like the traditional feel to them. I'm not entirely sure about the red accents - I do like the idea of red in the bedroom, but I'd have to see all the elements together to make sure they were the same shades of red. If they're not, then it will be off and it will irritate me!! This could be made more neutral by the removal of the bedspread, changing the curtains to beige and/or changing the under pillows to white.
Bedroom Option 2: The Beige Option
I really quite like this option. I wasn't sure at first, but every time I look at it I warm to it. I think it is because again, it provides a neutral base for some of my existing knick knacks and artwork. It feels quite calm and soothing as well. And, I can dress it up with cushions and some form of throw.
Bedroom Option 3: The More Gothic Option
I think I like this one most. It is very simple, very black, but oh so me. Whether it is oh so The Beard is another matter, and the bed is a bit of a tricky one. The room is wide enough to accommodate it but will the footboard make it feel more closed in? And will having a bigger bed mean that a footboard won't cause the very tall Beard a problem? Again, this option is quite a neutral one, just not as light as Option 2.
Bedroom Option 4: More Purple
What can I say, I like purple. I'm not sure I'm convinced by this option, for a variety of reasons, not least that part of the whole moving country thing is to do with new starts, and this feels like a replica of what we have at the moment.
I can't really decide if I'm honest. The bedroom may be one room which I need to leave to evolve organically. Either that or I'll just go back to purple again!
Any thoughts?
As I mentioned yesterday, our current bedroom is purple themed. We have white furniture, a metal bedhead and purple everything else. I love it, I love the purple, but I'm not sure I want to have a purple living room AND a purple bedroom. I might look a little obsessed or something.
One of the problems with the bedroom is that The Beard and I don't seem to be able to find bed covers that we both like. This may not seem like a particularly important thing, we're only talking about bed covers right? Well yes and no. I think bedroom decoration is incredibly important. You sleep in the bedroom. Which means that what you put in there is the first thing you see in the morning, and the last thing you see at night. So it should be comfortable and put you at ease. And noone wants to be angsty in their bed, you don't want to kill your mojo!!
So again, we like dark furniture. I think we're both a bit of a sucker for it. Clean lines though, nothing too fancy (ok, I'd ideally love a gothic vault of a bedroom with fancy finials on everything and curly bits and stuff, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon, certainly not in this flat!). Because we have built in wardrobes that are a very neutral colour we can put anything with them, and there isn't a need for much furniture.
So, bearing all that in mind...
Bedroom Option 1: The Red Option
Back to trusty red... The duvet covers have a fine detail red pattern on. Nothing too in your face, but just enough to lift the covers I think. I quite like the traditional feel to them. I'm not entirely sure about the red accents - I do like the idea of red in the bedroom, but I'd have to see all the elements together to make sure they were the same shades of red. If they're not, then it will be off and it will irritate me!! This could be made more neutral by the removal of the bedspread, changing the curtains to beige and/or changing the under pillows to white.
Bedroom Option 2: The Beige Option
I really quite like this option. I wasn't sure at first, but every time I look at it I warm to it. I think it is because again, it provides a neutral base for some of my existing knick knacks and artwork. It feels quite calm and soothing as well. And, I can dress it up with cushions and some form of throw.
Bedroom Option 3: The More Gothic Option
I think I like this one most. It is very simple, very black, but oh so me. Whether it is oh so The Beard is another matter, and the bed is a bit of a tricky one. The room is wide enough to accommodate it but will the footboard make it feel more closed in? And will having a bigger bed mean that a footboard won't cause the very tall Beard a problem? Again, this option is quite a neutral one, just not as light as Option 2.
Bedroom Option 4: More Purple
What can I say, I like purple. I'm not sure I'm convinced by this option, for a variety of reasons, not least that part of the whole moving country thing is to do with new starts, and this feels like a replica of what we have at the moment.
I can't really decide if I'm honest. The bedroom may be one room which I need to leave to evolve organically. Either that or I'll just go back to purple again!
Any thoughts?
Wednesday 21 March 2012
V-27: Playing with living room decoration
Virtually that is anyway!!
I have a massive list of all the furniture and things I want to buy when we go to Ikea for our massive spending spree. So I thought I'd create some boards on Pinterest so I could see how they would go together, and give me a better idea about how I might like to decorate our bedroom with furniture and fittings, because I've been completely stumped.
The great thing about the flat is that it is a completely neutral space, so we could do pretty much anything we wanted. We sort of decided that in the living room at least we'd like dark wood furniture, mainly because the piano is dark wood and we want something that goes with it.
The brown rug and silver lamp stand that feature in all three boards are things we already have.
Living Room Option 1: The Purple Option
I love purple. Our bedroom at the moment is purple, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a purple sofa!! We have a large yellow painting and some John Miller prints in our living room, which oddly work well together, and I think would work really well in the living room in this mood board. The Beard's mother just gave us some paintings including one she painted herself, which would also look amazing in this context.
Living Room Option 2: The Red Option
I'm not sure I'm feeling this as much, although it would be nice and homely. I'm not sure how we'd decorate around it, if that makes sense. But I do like the bold colour of the sofa, and how it plays off the dark furniture. The sofa that is featured is not the only red one, but red is the only colour I really like that sofa in. As the sofa we get is determined by comfort not colour, this could well be what we go for!
Living Room Option 3: The Neutral Option
Keeping again with the dark furniture, because I think we both like that quite a bit, this mood board takes a more monochrome and minimalist approach. This is reflected in the sofa in grey, again, if this is the sofa determined to be most comfortable, then this is really the only colour I really like it in. I think I like this more than the red option as a second choice, simply because it is a more neutral space that would work with some of our existing things, like the teal lamp shade we have, and the artwork we have.
Option 1 is by far and away my favourite. The Beard keeps telling me that his ass doesn't know what colour the sofa is, only how comfy it is, so I have to wait until we actually get to Ikea to try them all and make a decision. But it's good to have something in mind beforehand I think, otherwise you end up coming home with everything and anything.
What do you think?
I have a massive list of all the furniture and things I want to buy when we go to Ikea for our massive spending spree. So I thought I'd create some boards on Pinterest so I could see how they would go together, and give me a better idea about how I might like to decorate our bedroom with furniture and fittings, because I've been completely stumped.
The great thing about the flat is that it is a completely neutral space, so we could do pretty much anything we wanted. We sort of decided that in the living room at least we'd like dark wood furniture, mainly because the piano is dark wood and we want something that goes with it.
The brown rug and silver lamp stand that feature in all three boards are things we already have.
Living Room Option 1: The Purple Option
I love purple. Our bedroom at the moment is purple, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a purple sofa!! We have a large yellow painting and some John Miller prints in our living room, which oddly work well together, and I think would work really well in the living room in this mood board. The Beard's mother just gave us some paintings including one she painted herself, which would also look amazing in this context.
Living Room Option 2: The Red Option
I'm not sure I'm feeling this as much, although it would be nice and homely. I'm not sure how we'd decorate around it, if that makes sense. But I do like the bold colour of the sofa, and how it plays off the dark furniture. The sofa that is featured is not the only red one, but red is the only colour I really like that sofa in. As the sofa we get is determined by comfort not colour, this could well be what we go for!
Living Room Option 3: The Neutral Option
Keeping again with the dark furniture, because I think we both like that quite a bit, this mood board takes a more monochrome and minimalist approach. This is reflected in the sofa in grey, again, if this is the sofa determined to be most comfortable, then this is really the only colour I really like it in. I think I like this more than the red option as a second choice, simply because it is a more neutral space that would work with some of our existing things, like the teal lamp shade we have, and the artwork we have.
Option 1 is by far and away my favourite. The Beard keeps telling me that his ass doesn't know what colour the sofa is, only how comfy it is, so I have to wait until we actually get to Ikea to try them all and make a decision. But it's good to have something in mind beforehand I think, otherwise you end up coming home with everything and anything.
What do you think?
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Four weeks to go!
We have just 4 weeks to go before we ship out! The excitement is really starting to build now!
Monday 19 March 2012
Why Vienna?
When I tell people our plans I am usually met with two reactions. The first is a mix of envy and excitement, then that is quickly followed by puzzlement as they try to work out why we would pick Vienna out of all the places in the world.
The simple answer is that The Beard grew up there, I fell in love with the city the first time I went and there are plenty of potential career options for me out there.
The slightly longer version of the story is inevitably more complicated!
It all started when we went to Vienna in September 2008 to see The Beard's best friend, who was about to move to the UK for a year to do an MBA. I flew in a week after The Beard and they picked me up from the airport, whisked me to Vienna and within about 3 hours (and after a few cocktails) I was proclaiming my love for the city. These feelings only deepened when we went for a walk around the city the following morning.
At first The Beard wasn't sure. I could completely understand - as much as I love Cornwall and think it is an amazing place, moving back there would feel in some respects like a backward step. We talked more about moving abroad generally. He'd pretty much decided he didn't want to stay in the UK, and I was rapidly warming up to the idea of trying a life in another country. But whereas The Beard is more free spirited than me, I have a reserve and caution that can only be described as British, and felt like I needed something a bit more concrete that we could build a new life upon. Add to that my lack of languages - inevitably moving abroad would involve using something other than English.
So I applied for the Civil Service Fast Track to join the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the idea being that if I got in I'd be posted somewhere, but would get the language tuition etc to go with it. That didn't work out (I didn't make it past the personality test), so we started thinking about alternatives. We looked at a variety of options, including Bermuda!
Ultimately I felt some apprehension at moving halfway across the world without any form of support network. Despite being incredibly independent, I only live 100 miles away from where I grew up and although I don't see my parents that often, I know that they are nearby. Moving out of the country is scary for someone who hasn't ever really lived further than the next county on... So Vienna became a real thought that grew in our minds. Because The Beard spent most of his teen years there, he has a good support network in his best friend's family, plus a couple of others.
I appreciate how lucky this makes us. Plenty of people move abroad without such support networks. It will make life a bit easier for us, especially when we don't have jobs, but I don't intend to rely on them solely, but it'll be a nice start!
Once I started looking into further education opportunities and possibilities, I soon realised that in the field that I am interested in academically, there are career opportunities in Vienna. Suddenly it became a properly viable option.
Now we're almost there, I am absolutely sure this is 100% the right step for us to be making. I don't even know whether I will end up with a job in the field I want, but at least I'll be in the right place to figure it all out. And even if I end up working in a bar for the next year learning German and completing my Masters, I'll have still achieved something.
The simple answer is that The Beard grew up there, I fell in love with the city the first time I went and there are plenty of potential career options for me out there.
The slightly longer version of the story is inevitably more complicated!
It all started when we went to Vienna in September 2008 to see The Beard's best friend, who was about to move to the UK for a year to do an MBA. I flew in a week after The Beard and they picked me up from the airport, whisked me to Vienna and within about 3 hours (and after a few cocktails) I was proclaiming my love for the city. These feelings only deepened when we went for a walk around the city the following morning.
At first The Beard wasn't sure. I could completely understand - as much as I love Cornwall and think it is an amazing place, moving back there would feel in some respects like a backward step. We talked more about moving abroad generally. He'd pretty much decided he didn't want to stay in the UK, and I was rapidly warming up to the idea of trying a life in another country. But whereas The Beard is more free spirited than me, I have a reserve and caution that can only be described as British, and felt like I needed something a bit more concrete that we could build a new life upon. Add to that my lack of languages - inevitably moving abroad would involve using something other than English.
So I applied for the Civil Service Fast Track to join the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the idea being that if I got in I'd be posted somewhere, but would get the language tuition etc to go with it. That didn't work out (I didn't make it past the personality test), so we started thinking about alternatives. We looked at a variety of options, including Bermuda!
Ultimately I felt some apprehension at moving halfway across the world without any form of support network. Despite being incredibly independent, I only live 100 miles away from where I grew up and although I don't see my parents that often, I know that they are nearby. Moving out of the country is scary for someone who hasn't ever really lived further than the next county on... So Vienna became a real thought that grew in our minds. Because The Beard spent most of his teen years there, he has a good support network in his best friend's family, plus a couple of others.
I appreciate how lucky this makes us. Plenty of people move abroad without such support networks. It will make life a bit easier for us, especially when we don't have jobs, but I don't intend to rely on them solely, but it'll be a nice start!
Once I started looking into further education opportunities and possibilities, I soon realised that in the field that I am interested in academically, there are career opportunities in Vienna. Suddenly it became a properly viable option.
Now we're almost there, I am absolutely sure this is 100% the right step for us to be making. I don't even know whether I will end up with a job in the field I want, but at least I'll be in the right place to figure it all out. And even if I end up working in a bar for the next year learning German and completing my Masters, I'll have still achieved something.
V-29: Its really happening....
We've handed the notice in on our house. It has been accepted. I have begun sorting out the bills. I intend to spend today tidying and starting the packing process in preparation for potential viewings at the weekend (property moves so fast in this city that I'm anticipating people wanting to have a viewing on Saturday if not Friday).
The van is booked, the ferry is booked. My to do list is getting smaller. It looks something like this:
Pick up Pet Passport
Cancel the water, gas and electricity
Cancel cable and mobile phone contracts
Get boxes
Sell furniture and kitchen goods
Sell small stuff at car boot sale (that involves a very early start)
Pack!
I better get cracking!
The van is booked, the ferry is booked. My to do list is getting smaller. It looks something like this:
Pick up Pet Passport
Cancel the water, gas and electricity
Cancel cable and mobile phone contracts
Get boxes
Sell furniture and kitchen goods
Sell small stuff at car boot sale (that involves a very early start)
Pack!
I better get cracking!
Friday 9 March 2012
V-39: The problem with being monolingual
Is that it considerably narrows your employment options.
Today a couple of adverts for jobs I'd really enjoy have been sent my way. One in particular was really up my street, was part time but paid well enough for that to be ok, which would leave me time to do the research I want to do and finish my MSc easily. But there is a problem.
They want someone who is fluent in German as well as English. Which I am not at this precise moment in time.
Looking at the job I completely understand why, it involves gathering information from the Austrian media, and there wouldn't be the time to have to look up 3 words a sentence. I just wish I hadn't given up German after my GCSEs.
Ridiculously both my parents are multilingual (even if that includes dead languages) but my sister and I aren't. I can survive in German and French but no more than that. Next to The Beard (who is a polyglot) I feel woefully inadequate and I am downright embarrassed at how difficult I am finding it to overcome the mental barrier when trying to speak German.
Part of the reason I feel like this relates to my current status in our house as main breadwinner, something which I am unlikely to retain in the short term, because jobs at international organisations are difficult to get.
I have given myself a deadline of 3-6 months to achieve a level of German that is perhaps not quite fluent but is better than average, which would at least broaden my employment prospects considerably. My biggest challenge is just remembering the words - hopefully when I don't have a million and one other things going on I'll have more capacity for that!
For now I have to keep telling myself that this is only a temporary situation, this monolinguistic limbo. At a time when I am feeling slightly overwhelmed by the field I want to move into, adding a language barrier isn't really helping. I just hope that it isn't too late to learn again - once I've got German down I intend to learn French and then possibly Spanish, and of course at some point I will finally learn Swedish properly.
I'm told immersion helps immensely. I really hope that is true!
Wednesday 7 March 2012
V-41: Things I'll miss from the UK
The sea
Fresh fish and seafood
The landscape
The language
The sense of humour
Builder's Tea
Cadbury's
Fish and chips
Irn Bru
Scones
Clotted cream
Pasties!
Pints
Fresh fish and seafood
The landscape
The language
The sense of humour
Builder's Tea
Cadbury's
Fish and chips
Irn Bru
Scones
Clotted cream
Pasties!
Pints
Monday 5 March 2012
V-43: The logisitics of moving
Moving house is an expensive business. Even when you aren't taking much of your stuff. When you move across a continent without a car and with a pet it is not only expensive but also somewhat of a logistical nightmare.
Luckily for us, I have extremely wonderful parents who are going to help us. We spent yesterday afternoon working out what size vehicle we'd need, which route to take and where to stay. We settled on a van of some description (preferably under 2.4m high so that it doesn't cost extra on the ferry), going through Germany, stopping at Aachen and Linz on the way. Unfortunately there will only be enough space for 3 people in the van, so because I am the third driver, the Beard gets to fly out on his lonesome. To Bratislava.
The good things about this plan are a) we can take everything we want out there, without having to leave anything behind in storage and b) we can leave earlier than planned to get to the ferry port in the UK because we can leave the Beard to sort out the handing over of keys etc. Not forgetting of course that having a good sized van in Vienna will mean we can save on the Ikea delivery fee and have our furniture faster!
There aren't really any downsides other than the cost being more than we'd hoped, but it isn't as expensive as paying someone else to do it!
It s quite a relief to have it all planned out - it was becoming the biggest headache of the whole thing! And now we don't have to worry too much about selling stuff - if we don't manage to sell it then we could possibly take it with us!
Friday 2 March 2012
V-46: A new life needs a new flat....
So obviously the most important thing for us to sort out was a new flat. Last week we headed out to Vienna to flat hunt, with a fair amount of trepidation. I'm not the sort of person who can chance things this big, so for me finding somewhere while we were there was quite important.
Having spent literally months pouring over Viennese real estate websites, obsessively checking prices and options, The Beard and I finally narrowed it down to 15 and set about trying to arrange appointments. Which I have to say was harder than I expected. Or than The Beard expected, as it was him that did the majority of the organising. Given that real estate agents work on commission, I'd kinda expected them to be a bit more willing to book appointments, but a good few didn't even bother to reply to emails or messages. Somewhat disappointing really.
The week didn't start that well, owing to our first viewing being cancelled that morning. Thankfully fortune favours the brave, or something like that, and a quick check of the listings page revealed that there was another, larger flat available in the same building we were going to for our next viewing. The real estate agent was only too happy to show us that one as well, and as it turned out, they were next door to each other!
So we went to see the smaller one first, which was ok, but not fantastic. Then we went next door and WOW. It was perfect. Light, airy, plenty of space, built in wardrobes, lovely kitchen. View of the Riesenrad at Prater. Parquet floors. A yellow bathroom. A cellar! Best of all, the price is good.
We both loved it - it felt right. But the sensible parts of us figured we should probably go and look at some other places in other districts, just to be sure. So we did, and to be honest, they weren't a patch on the flat we saw on Wednesday. We decided that we should just take it, because we kept coming back to "it's not as good as the place on Wednesday".
So we took it. We will be living in the 2nd district, near the Canal, Prater and the 1st district. We have 2 U bahn stations within 5 minutes walk of the flat, a tram outside the door. We're on the top floor, with a good view. Prater is 5 minutes walk out the back. The flat itself is 74m2, and most importantly has a gas cooker and a full size dishwasher! The furry monster aka Suki-puss will be welcome too.
What do you think? Awesome huh? I am really looking forward to kitting this place out with The Beard when we get there!!
Having spent literally months pouring over Viennese real estate websites, obsessively checking prices and options, The Beard and I finally narrowed it down to 15 and set about trying to arrange appointments. Which I have to say was harder than I expected. Or than The Beard expected, as it was him that did the majority of the organising. Given that real estate agents work on commission, I'd kinda expected them to be a bit more willing to book appointments, but a good few didn't even bother to reply to emails or messages. Somewhat disappointing really.
The week didn't start that well, owing to our first viewing being cancelled that morning. Thankfully fortune favours the brave, or something like that, and a quick check of the listings page revealed that there was another, larger flat available in the same building we were going to for our next viewing. The real estate agent was only too happy to show us that one as well, and as it turned out, they were next door to each other!
So we went to see the smaller one first, which was ok, but not fantastic. Then we went next door and WOW. It was perfect. Light, airy, plenty of space, built in wardrobes, lovely kitchen. View of the Riesenrad at Prater. Parquet floors. A yellow bathroom. A cellar! Best of all, the price is good.
We both loved it - it felt right. But the sensible parts of us figured we should probably go and look at some other places in other districts, just to be sure. So we did, and to be honest, they weren't a patch on the flat we saw on Wednesday. We decided that we should just take it, because we kept coming back to "it's not as good as the place on Wednesday".
So we took it. We will be living in the 2nd district, near the Canal, Prater and the 1st district. We have 2 U bahn stations within 5 minutes walk of the flat, a tram outside the door. We're on the top floor, with a good view. Prater is 5 minutes walk out the back. The flat itself is 74m2, and most importantly has a gas cooker and a full size dishwasher! The furry monster aka Suki-puss will be welcome too.
 |
| Living room |
 |
| Rest of living room |
 |
| Kitchen |
 |
| Other view of kitchen |
 |
| Us being smug in the kitchen |
 |
| Bedroom |
 |
| Bedroom |
 |
| Glorious yellow bathroom |
 |
| Walk in cupboard |
What do you think? Awesome huh? I am really looking forward to kitting this place out with The Beard when we get there!!
Thursday 1 March 2012
Welcome to The Third Woman
Let me start from the beginning.
Three and a half years ago my partner and I travelled to Vienna to visit a friend of his. He spent the majority of his teen years in the city, and loves the place. Within 3 hours of being there, I had decided that I wanted to live there. And so a seed was planted. We began looking at the logistics and I decided that before I left the UK I wanted to complete some further studies. We set ourselves a target of 2012 to complete the move by, as we both decided that we wanted to be away from the UK when the Olympics started!
It is now 2012. We have now found a flat. Things are getting real.
On April 17th we will pack up the last of our things and get in a car, heading for a new life in Austria. Having spent the last 3 years looking for helpful information on moving to Austria and failing somewhat, I decided to blog about the move, and my first year in the city. So here we are.
Every day for the next 7 weeks will involve another thing to do, some other process to complete. It will be major upheaval, but completely and utterly worth it. The new city will present challenges - finding a job, learning/remembering the language (the Mr is practically fluent but then he's a polyglot and I have a GCSE in German), getting used to a new way of life. But we're embracing the challenge with open arms, broadening our horizons and generally looking forward to something different.
I hope you will follow us in our journey.
m4dswine
Three and a half years ago my partner and I travelled to Vienna to visit a friend of his. He spent the majority of his teen years in the city, and loves the place. Within 3 hours of being there, I had decided that I wanted to live there. And so a seed was planted. We began looking at the logistics and I decided that before I left the UK I wanted to complete some further studies. We set ourselves a target of 2012 to complete the move by, as we both decided that we wanted to be away from the UK when the Olympics started!
It is now 2012. We have now found a flat. Things are getting real.
On April 17th we will pack up the last of our things and get in a car, heading for a new life in Austria. Having spent the last 3 years looking for helpful information on moving to Austria and failing somewhat, I decided to blog about the move, and my first year in the city. So here we are.
Every day for the next 7 weeks will involve another thing to do, some other process to complete. It will be major upheaval, but completely and utterly worth it. The new city will present challenges - finding a job, learning/remembering the language (the Mr is practically fluent but then he's a polyglot and I have a GCSE in German), getting used to a new way of life. But we're embracing the challenge with open arms, broadening our horizons and generally looking forward to something different.
I hope you will follow us in our journey.
m4dswine
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