go tell your friends I'm still a feminist

It's easy to forget that not everyone defines him-/herself as a feminist. Since moving back to Austria I've had to explain repeatedly why I consider feminism to be so important. On occasion I've had to explain this to female friends, a fact that baffles me more than anything. Austria is a country where sexual harassment (as in, touching someone inappropriately) is not considered a crime, a fact that has only recently become the subject of debate; it is a country where the (female) minister of justice opposes the push for a women's quota in the EU (and, presumably, at home); it is a country where 70% of MPs are male. The other day a ten-year old girl told me that she 'liked robots - even though I am a girl and I'm not supposed to be that interested in robots'. It makes me pretty fucking sad to be living in a society which is so slow to change, not just on women's rights, but also on other issues close to my heart, especially LGBT rights.

But for now, here are a few links for your consideration: the Bechdel test on women in fiction; a thoughtful post on Beyonce and feminism; Euke Frank on sexism in Austria.

The Hour

 

I don't really watch TV shows. I like films, I like stories, I like books, I don't have the patience for TV shows. There are exceptions (I'm looking at you, Sherlock!), but I prefer the excitement of a really good novel. So I don't know why I decided that I should watch The Hour. It must have been the combination of strong female characters (!), journalism and politics. Well, I loved all of that, loved the fact that they casually mentioned the Wolfenden Report - but here's what I liked best: that the relationships, and especially the friendships, seemed real. When was the last time you saw a realistic boy-girl friendship on screen? When was the last time you read about one? It doesn't happen all that often, perhaps because of that myth that men and women can't be friends. I love a really good portrayal of friendship: all the silliness, the nicknames, the history, the bickering, the weird jokes. I find it fascinating that close friendships are often still a great mystery to us, something that we expect to turn into something else, a pre-stage to a romantic relationship. The Hour doesn't depart from this premise entirely, but it's still more vivid - and wonderfully free of women as manic pixie dream girls - than any of the numerous indie films I've watched in the past year.

beginnings

I spent part of the weekend in Edinburgh, hung out with lovely friends and walked from one café to the next to read Middlemarch. It was great. I like it when I'm so familiar with a place that I don't feel like I have to go off and do exciting things. It's perfectly fine for me to seek out all the places that I know I like.

Here are two interesting things that you should check out:
1. I was wondering why there were drought warnings in England even though it has rained a lot recently. Today I came across this story: "(...) only a fraction of the rain which fell over the weekend is collected – and the rest runs out to sea." Whoah!
2. Upon reading the latest post on Miss Moss, I was pleased and a little surprised when I realised that my friend Caitlin is the model in this lookbook. So strange to suddenly discover a familiar face that you haven't seen in years on the internet.

spaces

"On a deep level, the preservation of the virgin bodies of Catholic women and the studied continence of Catholic clergymen echoed the cool, enclosed spaces of the Catholic basilicas. Along with the translucent marble surfaces and the shimmering golden vaults of Catholic shrines, the Catholic notion of virginity spoke of boundaries that no outsider, no heretical barbarian, would dare to breach."

Peter Brown's The Body and Society: Men, Women and Sexual Renunciation in Early Christianity is probably my favourite academic monograph.

away

Next year. I move to Durham in October.
When my friend Q looked it up on Google Maps, he found this. Glorious.

fragmentation

My life, March - October.

I have real news to talk about, but for now let me just say this: I spent a lot of time on British trains last week, reading
a) this book which I strongly recommend to anyone who reads German - it's your neighbourhood, it had an impact on all of our lives, we should know about it and it's one of the best books that I've read on South Eastern Europe,
and b) the review section of the Guardian where I came upon this article about a new sort-of-biography of the Mann dynasty. If ever there was a book that was designed to appeal to me, this is it.

staring at the sky

Because I don't live in a vacuum of neighbourhood fun and games, here's something that happened in the museum today: I explained why aeroplanes stay up in the air to a group of teenagers and then went on to discuss the impact air traffic is having on the environment/the climate due to the massive amount of emission. Then one boy said, "But even if we don't take the plane, it won't have any impact because that plane will still be flying."
And I thought, Fuck this. How can it be that it is necessary to explain market-based economies and the principle of supply and demand to children as soon as you talk about the environment? It felt as if I was suggesting that the only power they really have is through being a consumer. How utterly depressing is that?
Not as depressing as when children think that all the garbage that they throw into the bin will be turned into shiny new things by a mysterious recycling animal, or that all electricity we use is renewable energy (I have yet to meet a child that isn't convinced that we only use water/wind/solar power) but still...

certainly

"Paradoxically, it was the "conformists", who appeared, in form at least, to accept the values of the school (the hegemonic instrument par excellence in modern society), who posed the threat. Because they operated as if they accepted the implicit promise of the dominant ideology (If you work hard, obey authority, do well in school, and keep your nose clean you will advance by merit and have satisfying work) they made sacrifices of self-discipline and control and developed expectations that were usually betrayed. (...)
The system may have most to fear from those subordinates among whom the institutions of hegemony have been most successful. The disillusioned mission boy is always a graver threat to an established religion than the pagans who were never taken in by its promises. The anger born of a sense of betrayal implies an earlier faith."

James C. Scott, "Domination and the Arts of Resistance. Hidden Transcripts."

seize the day

This was one of the best days of 2010. We decided to do things we'd always wanted to do but somehow never got around to doing. So we went to the museum where all the imperial furniture is shown. It was lovely and interesting.
Today I remembered once again that life is short. There are so many museums that I've yet to visit and I still spend so much of my time staring into space and worrying.

Here are my top 11 songs of 2010, according to my last.fm. I hope you like them as much as I do.
Enjoy.

hello Brian

Today I ...
...thought I was dressed like a boiled egg
...would like everyone to listen to "What Happened to the Sisterhood?"
...am less than pleased with the Viennese elections

you thought it was meant to be fun?

Do watch this video about gender equality in British politics.

Q: "How long do you think before women are in their rightful position in politics?"
A: "Oof...well.." "A very long time." "God knows." "God, let me think..." "Not in my lifetime." "I think we've come quite a long way." "Should have happened already, quite frankly."

(What I find especially interesting is the short interview with Rachel Reeves from 6:50 on.)

Two days in Budapest

My father once told me that Budapest reminds him of what Vienna used to be like when he was young. Not as polished as it is today. I can't say I agree completely, mostly because Budapest's centre seemed far more polished than any part of Vienna, the buildings grand and not as old. This is of course silly, because both cities were reconstructed in the 19th century and historicism has made a visual impact on both. Most of the time it felt like walking through a part of Vienna I hadn't know before. A strange feeling, really. The one thing that was completely different was the amount of sculptures. So many of them! At every corner, looming over the city on the hills, celebrating artists, writers, political activists. Turul, the bird in the first picture, was everywhere. I'd like to go back when the city isn't on holidays, when people are heading to work and the streets are busy not with tourists, but with regular people. Walking empty streets, only meeting the occasional German or American family is too much like being in a museum.
On the train back to Vienna we sat next to an American family. The wife read aloud from a tourist guide about Eastern Europe which was strange enough. (One guide for all of Eastern Europe? How is that even possible?) She told her family bits about Vienna which was the moment I swore to myself that I'd never, EVER write a travel guide. (Interesting that Vienna is a part of Eastern Europe, too. I do like discussions about geography vs history.) "Have you ever heard of Adolf Loos? He was Vienna's answer to Frank Lloyd Wright." Yeah, right.

Proust questionaire

I'm 23 today.

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Eating cake and drinking Assam tea with people I love.

What is your greatest fear? 
Losing these people.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Disliking change.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Lack of compassion.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Travel.

What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Youth. It's almost a virtue nowadays, isn't it?

What is the quality you most like in a man?
Self-confidence.

What is the quality you most like in a woman?
Tact.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
"Chillax!", "I don't know", "Alright!"

Which talent would you most like to have?
To be a writer.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? 
I care. I used to be fairly indifferent about other people, so it feeks like an achievement.

If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
A sentimental short story.

Where would you most like to live?
An old flat in an old city.

What is your most treasured possession?
The photographs on my wall and my grandmother's old clothes.

What is your most marked characteristic?
You'd have to ask other people. Everyone would probably think of completely different things.

What do you most value in your friends?
Love and loyalty.

Who are your favourite writers?
E.M. Forster, W.G. Sebald, Ali Smith, Alan Hollinghurst, F. Scott Fitzgerald

Who is your hero of fiction?
J.K. Rowling's Remus Lupin and Ali Smith's Amy.

Which historical figure do you most identify with?
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

What is it that you most dislike?
Fear

What is your greatest regret?
Not enjoying myself more when I should have. Happiness is fleeting.

How would you like to die?
Not of cancer.

What is your motto?
"A woman does not live by the printed word, forgive yourself and eat"

ruins

"Ruinen erwecken in mir erhabene Ideen. Alles wird zunichte, alles verfällt, alles vergeht. Nur die Welt bleibt bestehen. Nur die Zeit dauert fort. Wie alt ist doch unsere Welt! Ich wandle zwischen zwei Ewigkeiten. Wohin ich auch blicke, überall weisen mich die Gegenstände, die mich umgeben, auf das Ende aller Dinge hin, und so finde ich mich mit dem Ende ab, das mich erwartet."

Denis Diderot, Der Salon von 1767

Like most students in Austrian schools I had to choose subjects I was especially interested in when I was 16. It means attending extra lessons and learning things that aren't part of the regular curriculum. I chose several subjects, but my favourite was History. Of course it was - four hours of History per week instead of two, the French revolution instead of the Austrian constitution and a memorable trip to an exhibition about Afghanistan where Diderot's quote was painted on a wall. I must have been about 17 back then and I thought that French history would always be my greatest interest. I was wrong, but that quote, scribbled down on a scrap of paper, has been on display in my room ever since.
Whereas most people in my year didn't quite know or couldn't decide what to do with themselves after school, I always wanted to do just this one thing, I was only really interested in the past, it was the only thing that seemed right and important and it still is. Why am I writing about this now? Well, I watched a program on TV about Eastern Prussia in the 40s yesterday, and the day before I read a document about rich people stealing a shepherd's goat on a small Dalmatian island in the 15th century. And people don't really change all that much. When I was 17, I said I'd never want to work with people because I couldn't stand it, couldnt's stand them and now that I'm 22 I've come to realise how wrong I was.
I suppose you could be a historian because you'd want to escape into another world or because you're interested in theory, but to me that's a bit cynical. To me, it's about trying to grasp every last bit of information about humanity there is. The cleverest people I know have all used their knowledge to do something, to help others in one way or another. One day, I hope to do the same. It would be a nightmare to become like Faust, to study endlessly and yet achieve nothing worthwhile.

places to keep things in

Working in one myself, it's probably not surprising that I love museums. It's not picture galleries that fascinate me - I feel that I should know more about art to really appreciate those. My favourite kind of museum are the slightly random ones where there are many different things to be found, where you can walk in with a friend and you both leave feeling satisfied even though you don't have much in common. The best part of travelling are the museums as well - you never know what treasures you'll find abroad. Vienna is pretty great as long as you're interested in paintings, but if you care about history, or photography, or fashion, then it's kinda bleak. So here are three of my favourite museums I visited last summer.

Deutsche Börse, Berlin - the photograph on the poster is actually one of my favourites, I once cut it out from a newspaper and put it on my wall, seeing the original was priceless

Victoria & Albert, London - quite possibly the best museum on earth? I spent ages in there.

Geffrye Museum, London - Kevin's and his brother's recommendation, I want to work there, this is what I'd love to have in Vienna, a museum about living throughout the centuries

il corpo delle donne

On Saturday I was an hour early for work because... well, actually I have no idea why it happened. The museum was still closed and I was almost the only one there.

On my way home today I read an article about "How Silvio Berlusconi Uses Women on TV"

and I think you should read it too. Everyone knows that Berlusconi is in control of virtually all the Italian TV stations. 80 % of Italians get their news from watching television - apparently because Italian newspapers are too highbrow. Knowing that is bad enough, but reading about how a woman's main tasks on TV seems to be to smile dumbly or show her breasts was simply disgusting. It's as if a 50s stereotype has come back to life. Just watch this video, it's a part of the documentary "Il corpo delle donne" in which clips from various Italian talkshows are spliced together. You don't really need to know Italian to get the message. Be sure to at least watch the very last minute. It made me feel sick. And the worst thing is that, according to the article, many young girls aspire to be a showgirl one day. How sad is that?

"La presenza di donne in TV è una presenza di quantità, raramente di qualità."
The worst thing is that, according to the article, many young girls aspire to be a showgirl one day. How sad is that??

brb

Hello. I'm a little distracted by
a) uni, i.e. all those transcriptions/translations/essays I've mentioned before
b) uni, i.e. the massive protests by students and professors; seven days of squatting, demonstrations and discussions so far, still going strong. And about time!
unsereuni! Let's go!
Here are some pictures taken by Kevin at the Technical University (merci cheri):

"this tabletop football table is occupied"

"assembly here in lecture room 1. please don't enter any earlier than 16:00! there's a lecture going on!"
This was taken right before the students of the TU came together and decided to start squatting as well. Quite friendly and organised, contrary to what Austrian TV and newspapers might say.

my life is average/okay

Life is funny! Here's an example:

Last night I couldn’t find the light switch in the dark so I yelled ‘Lumos!’ at the wall. Then my dad comes down the hall, yells ‘Petrificus Totalus’ at me, and turns the switch that was on the other wall. He calls me an idiot and goes back to bed. I love my dad. MLIA.
(my life is average)

I read a fascinating article about cruising in late-Victorian London today. Apart from trying to write about male encounters in general, the author shows how difficult it is to actually know anything about the past - it was post-modernism done really well, in my humble opinion. His attitude is summed up in the last sentence: "Like cruising itself, bringing together urban traces requires us to interpret those stories that may only wink at us, but tempt us nonetheless to linger." I love it.

(PS: Alex Kapranos' moustache makes me want to cry.)

once again!

My brother looks so tall compared to me! I swear I'm not that tiny! He also isn't able to use my camera properly, or maybe his hands are just really shaky. We're on our own right now as my mother is somewhere in a hut in the mountains and my brother is doing work experience in a hospital as part of his study. This means that there are random parties and everything is extremely laid-back.

Anyway, I got tagged by Diane!

1. What is your current obsession?
Well, my upcoming trip to Berlin/Scotland/various festivals/London is all I can think about right now as I still can't quite believe that it all worked out. I keep writing down things I want to do, things I have to take with me etc.

2. What is your weirdest obsession?
My boyfriend's hair? Honestly, I have no clue, all of my obsessions seem perfectly normal to me, even though they might seem strange to others. For example, I get really excited about the Ottomans and only yesterday I was in a museum, giggling hysterically about drawings an Austrian made of "the Turks" in the 18th century, murmuring "Orientalism ftw!" to myself. But that's not weird, that's actually quite normal. Okay, I found something weird. There's a facebook group called "The "GOLD MAN" Ruined My Life" which is about the gold person in Franz Ferdinand's "No You Girls" video. I'm a member of that group. You see, Franz Ferdinand fans are simply weird. And obsessed.
Oh, and right now I'm obsessed with making fun of Twilight. But everyone should do that, so I consider that normal as well.

3. What do you see outside your window?
Trees, cars, a locksmith, houses. When I was little, we watched the big, newish one being built. I actually know all of the people in the flats directly opposite which is lucky because otherwise, strangers would get a pretty good glimpse at my life. I keep forgetting to pull the curtains.

4. What is your favorite color?
Yellow

5. What is your weakness?
People. And black tea.

6. What animal would you be?
Eh, I don't know, I hate questions like these. I'm not a big fan of animals anyway. I like sheep, but I'd hate to be one.

7. What would you like to learn how to do?
I'd like to play the melodica. And I'd like to learn how to deal with primary sources correctly. It's tough. Oh, and baking cake. Simply can't do it.

8. What do you want to never happen in life?
My brothers' and parents' premature death.

9. What is on your bedside table?
I don't have a bedside table! I do have a wooden oven which I used to play with as a child. There's a lamp, a mirror, a small lighthouse, "Sound Bites" by Alex Kapranos and glue on it.

10. What's the last thing you bought?
The latest Cats on Fire album, "Our Temperance Movement", and the God Help The Girl album. Both are incredibly good. And some face cream.

11. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
That would be Diane whose blog is one of my top five favourites because... um, I don't know! There's good music and great clothes and it's quite real and not as empty as most blogs. I still owe you that mix! Ugh I'm so bad at socialising on the internet. (And in real life, no worries.)

12. What was your favorite children's book?
Astrid Lindgren's books, and Tonke Dragt's "De brief voor de koning":


I read that one and the sequel at least ten times, it's about a boy who is about to be knighted when he suddenly finds himself on a mission to deliver a letter to the king of another country. I had found that book at the library where I used to spend a lot of time as a child. It's one of those books which, eventually, my brothers and even my mother read as well. A couple of years ago I told my friend Quinten about it because it was the only Dutch book I had ever read and he found an old copy at his parents' place. It had been given to his brother when he was little I think. That copy is wonderful, the drawings are so pretty and it's great to try and read it in Dutch, understanding a little, but not everything. It makes me want to learn the language. (As if I didn't want to do that already.)

13. Who do you want to meet in person?
Alex Kapranos obviously, the only popstar who I imagine would be interesting to talk to. I imagine his Greek is on a par with mine which would be fun. Apart from that, I'd like to meet a lot of dead people, Homer most of all because then the silly debate about his person (was he a man? a woman? a eunuch?) would finally be over and done with. I'd also really like to meet Maria Todorova, simply because she wrote an incredibly influental book about how the Balkans are perceived in the "Western" world and I'd like to ask her some questions.

14. What did you want to be as a child?
I wanted to be an author. Always.

15. What did you dream about last night?
I can't remember.

16. Which do you prefer, day or night?
Day. I need light. Mornings, breakfast, sunshine, people who are awake and sober. Night activities are scary. Why talk all night if you can talk all day?

17. What's your favorite piece of clothing in your closet?
My blue dress. It's comfortable and feels like home. I almost didn't buy it, but Kevin convinced me. Other than that, I need to wear a stripey shirt at least once a week.

18. What's your plan for tomorrow?
I need to run some errands as it's the last day before going on that epic trip. Need to buy wine as a present for the people we're staying with. Need to buy food. Find that tent. Stuff all my clothes into a huge backpack. Talk to one of my professors about an essay.

Have a farewell-tea in my favourite café. Watch Brideshead Revisited with a friend from uni. That's about it.

19. What would you like to get your hands on right now?
That new Arctic Monkeys album to be honest. The concert really got me hooked.
(If I'm honest/cheesy, the first thing I wanted to write was "my boyfriend". Long-distance relationships suck, glad it's over soon.)

20. What is your must-have at the moment?
A bike. Preferably in combination with good music. Cycling downhill really fast and listening to God Help The Girl is exhilarating.

21. What's your favorite tea flavor?
Assam. I'm working hard at becoming a tea expert. (Pretentious old lady y/y??)

22. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
Oslo. Always. I had such a craving to go there today, I would have booked a flight if only I had had a credit card. It's not reasonable, it's not cheap, but I just have to go to Norway this summer, no matter what. Even if it's just for a weekend.