Austrian Circuit: Vienna > Stuhleck > Graz.

So, Iron & Wine played a show in Vienna this weekend. It's been on my radar for a while and earlier this week, I finally looked into tickets (and saw they were available online). Not willing to make the commitment (at three days out, it was still too far in advance for me), I sat on it... and, well, apparently I waited a bit too long, because it sold out. But when Thursday rolled around I decided I was going to go for it anyway...

I just recently locked in a long-term rental car, so I'm stoked to have wheels for the spontaneous travel urges! This little car is just what I need... nothing fancy, just something to get me to new places: a two-door hatchback 1989 Honda Civic... I call him Zsolt. Zsolt, the lightning bolt (I'll post a photo soon).









So, not really knowing what was in store, I packed my sleeping bag, longboard, snowboard and gear, some clothes, camera, a big bag of fruit... made a pot of tea, and hit the road. It wasn't the first time I drove such a distance without a ticket, and I'm sure it won't be the last.









I was incredibly lucky to meet Katrin (through CouchSurfing), a local Viennese girl, who helped me get a ticket to the show and let me crash at her place for the night in Vienna. She has a sweet flat right in the fifth district... a rad neighborhood and an easy metro ride from the venue. By the time I rolled into town, it was about showtime, so we hustled to the venue and arrived just as Sam Beam and company were taking the stage. The WUK is an art and culture center with dance studios, rehearsal spaces, workshops, and a sweet little concert hall. The venue only holds five-hundred people and Iron & Wine filled it to the brim.

The show was brilliant. Sam has an incredibly keen understanding of production... where art meets execution. He put together an awfully big band for such a simple sound, but every player has the right space and the balance is right on. I had never seen I&W before, and I'm glad I was in Vienna to experience it there for the first time. They played an array of tunes from all of their releases, including several from my favouite (The Shepherd's Dog) and some from the new disc too (Kiss Each Other Clean)... which I dig even more live.

Friday: I woke up early and decided to go snowboarding... I was out the door, dodging the rain, trying to make it to my car before the meter maids came 'round. I made it with a few minutes to spare and hit the road for Stuhleck, a recommended ski resort in the Alps, west of Vienna. I arrived just as the lifts opened and hit the hill. It was a peaceful day of riding... I can really get used to no lift lines and wide open terrain... but, still, it was no Vail or Beaver Creek. Semmering (mountain pass in the Northern Limestone Alps) is definitely a step up from Rogla, but I think I need to go a bit further west (to Innsbruck or even into Switzerland / France) before I can experience the gnar that I know from home...

In the afternoon, I drove to Graz, just for fun. Wow, I love it. The 2003 Culture Capital sits on the Mur River in Southeast Austria. It's a super rad city (my favourite Austrian city since Innsbruck)... plenty of green and a different feel than Vienna all around. I like Vienna, but Graz is more my speed... it reminds me of Ljubljana... somewhere around 300,000 people and just a cool feel. Loads of people are out on bikes, many more are walking dogs through the old town, making art near the river, or reading in the park... I really dig cities like this; I feel the Denver / Boulder scene in a European landscape... pretty much unbeatable.

I skated around town, spending a while in the park, and crossed the Mur to check out the Kunsthaus before it closed. The contemporary art museum is called the 'friendly alien' for obvious reasons. It's wild structure has definitely become a local icon (much like the Denver Art Museum, but even more bazaar). There will always be opposition to modern architecture like this, but I personally, appreciate the beauty of the beast!

Rogla: Slovenian Shredding.

I finally got a chance to hit the European slopes, and it felt great to be back on the gnarstick for two days of riding at Rogla! It doesn't matter that the peak (Pohorje Mountain) is only 5,000 feet or that there is only thirteen trails, there's still something about visiting Slovenia that makes me feel good...

Rogla is about four hours from Kaposvár. And... though it's (more than) twice the drive for (less than) one-tenth the terrain that I'm used to in Summit (County, Colorado), it was totally worth the trip. On the heels of the Szalagavató after-party (lasting until almost four am), 'morning' came awfully quick. Matyi's father picked me up in the nine-person cargo van, packed and ready to roll out to Rogla at five:thirty... Needless to say, I was happy that I didn't have to drive on less than one hour of sleep.

Arriving at the hill bright and early, we hit it right away. We were greeted by plenty of sun, but unfortunately not much snow. Still, it was a trip to be rolling with a new crew in a new place... and finally be snowboarding in another part of the world.













There aren't too many lifts (mostly t-bars) and limited free rides, so Matyi, Isti, and I spent most of our time in the Fun Park. Dig Matyi catching some big air off one of the park kickers...

We stayed in rad little mountain villa in town... not quite ski-in / ski-out, but still close enough to easily catch fresh tracks each morning. Our accommodations were just right... By day, we rode from the first chair to the last. And, by night, we hung out at the thermal spa and drank fine Hungarian wine. Pretty rad introduction to the European snow culture...

The Offbeat: Set One.

There's no doubt about it... life is different in Kaposvár. Neither better nor worse, simply not the same. I have been keeping journals of the contrast and I thought some of these incidental themes may be enlightening (or at least entertaining) if they surfaced on my blog. So, I may post a few differences from time to time. I suppose I'll start now... presenting The Offbeat: authentic stories of cultural difference...

Before I even begin, it's important to understand that these are simply observations and musings I've deduced from my experiences... my real experiences... I understand and accept that this is not 'the way' all Kaposvárians, Hungarians, or even Europeans see things... but this is just a glimpse from my perspective, approaching all diversity with an open mind and curious intuition...

Six different ways...

1. The popular Hungarian outlook is rather, well, negative*. It's not my criticism, it's just the way it is... don't take it from me, ask someone from Hungary; I think they'll tell you the same. Of course, not everyone has this attitude, but there is certainly some truth to the label.
   
   I find it interesting to see how this notion emerges... how it affects daily operations, and how it even crops up in the language... not the diction, but the actual breakdown of lexica. For example, the word for hospital is kórház. Ház means house, but what does kór mean? Not health or recovery or wellness (as one might assume or, at least, hope)... kór means disease. It was explained to me that this is the place one goes to die when they get ill, and thus, how it boils down to 'disease house.' I have heard loads of colloquial metaphors representing this same bitter stance. There's a Hungarian expression that translates roughly to: if a Hungarian man's cow dies, he doesn't want a new cow... he wants his neighbor's cow to die.
   
   However, truth be known, I'm fortunate to have met some really great people at the school and in my travels that 'get it.' There are plenty of Hungarian people that realize the stigma that aligns with this cultural attitude, and make a conscious effort to escape the popular mindset.
   
   *I have learned a lot about the reasons / excuses for this attitude and will share more of my findings and reflections later.
   
   
2. In the States it's widely considered feminine for men to go tanning, to straighten their hair, spend time at the spa, drink a bottle of soda from a straw, or wear fanny packs. In Hungary, these things are normal for men... but the kicker is this... In Kaposvár, I get strange looks when I tell people that I practice yoga (as to suggest that it is only for women). When I tell them that lots of dudes in the States do yoga, they are shocked. I try to explain to them that it's conditioning for the heart and mind, and to build core strength... but they (by and large) seem to think it is a joke... I just find it funny that people think it's girly for men to exercise via yoga, but totally normal for men to go to a tanning salon.
   
   Of course, this doesn't stop me from being the only man in my local yoga class... the more intimidating part is that my instructor, Ibolya, doesn't speak a word of English (and rarely are there any women there that do). However, she is the sweetest lady and is a fantastic yogi (said to be one of the best in Somogy County), so it's worth the challenge; it's actually pretty fun to learn the poses and breathe cues, not in Sanscrit or English, but Hungarian. I've been practicing yoga now for over three years, but it's always a new adventure... especially now.
   
   
3. Sidewalk etiquette. I suppose I've always taken it for granted, but it's pretty strange to be in a place where people act like they don't see others approach them on the sidewalk. I've experienced this tough-guy approach where people feel entitled to walk down the sidewalk (as if it's only made for them) and everyone else should step out of the way. They will actually put their shoulder out to let you know they're there when you pass them too (instead of easing the brush-by).
   
   And, when I'm on my skateboard... I'm not allowed (or at least welcome) on the street and I'm not allowed on the sidewalk either. I've tried both, and have gotten reprimanded in each situation. Coming with the American standard (where skateboarding is banned on the sidewalks), I mainly try to ride on the roads. To me, it makes sense... sidewalks are for walkers, pedestrians... not bikes, not skateboards, and definitely not rollerbladers. Though, I constantly get strange looks, mean looks, honks, and I have had two cops pull me over to yell at me. Okay, so, maybe the sidewalk is the place in Hungary? Nope. People act like they don't see me and expect me to get off my board and walk around them before hopping back on. Or, even worse yet, they give me an attitude like I should be on the street and not the sidewalk (ha)... I guess it will take some time for some things to change... and developing a Hungarian skateboard culture probably isn't the first thing that will advance.
   
   
4. Szalagavató: the Hungarian Prom? I don't know if it's the equivalent of the annual spring gala in the States, but it is a grand ball complete with opulent garb and even a choreographed waltz for the entire senior class. Like the prom, this is an elite affair for only the upperclassmen (the school-leavers, grade twelve and thirteen). And, also, much like the American Prom, there is entertainment (here it's a live band, it's too bad most of the prom entertainment has shifted to talentless DJs), a myriad of camera flashes going off all night, and plenty of making out.
   
   However, unlike most proms, the Szalagavató is held in the school... right in the open space in between the classrooms. The evening begins with a proper ribbon ceremony, acknowledging the school-leavers for their years at the school (four, five, or six). This is followed by some formal speeches (much like graduation), and then there are class presentations in the classrooms. The students invite their teachers and parents to the classrooms, where they perform skits / songs and enjoy food and drink... and yes, you can even find the students drinking alcohol (champagne, etc.) with the teachers in the school! It truly is a different culture. After the reception, the students have a costume change and prepare for the formal dance performance. They come back out to the aulla in their poofy dresses, etc. and perform the well-rehearsed dance procession (the students have been meeting to learn and rehearse the dance one or two evenings a week for months). The parents join the students on the floor for a 'father-daughter' dance kind-of-thing for a few songs and then, finally the ball begins... the lights turn down lower and the 'prom' (as I know it) sets in... and culminates with the crowning of the beauty of the ball (sorry fellas, no king, just a queen here... after all, how many dudes really want to be the prom king anyway?)...
   
   
5. Things I miss: Luna, First Friday Art Walk, healthy food choices, clothes dryer, almond butter, Target, Sunflower Market, smiles from strangers, mountains, a whole house with a backyard and the freedom to make noise whenever I want, and Buffalo wings (although I did get the urge and guts to take a crack at making some tonight, my once a year Super Bowl fix... definitely not the same, but I can make up a pretty decent modified sauce with the local Hungarian hots: páprika)...
   
   
6. Things I don't miss: working five days every week, long queues for the lift lines and terrible weekend warrior traffic, professional development trainings, driving a car everyday, and talking / texting on my iPhone everyday (though I did just open up another outlet of communication, finally joining the world's third largest nation: FaceBook... we'll see how long it lasts)...