Lara without K

Hello y’all!

Because I’ve never really read any blogs or actually “followed” someone on one, the answer is pretty clear why I never  thought  about starting a blog to let people know me better - but OK, let’s give it a try …

The name for my post is Lara without K because most of the people who I introduced myself to didn’t quite get my name right. I could definitely count on the 3^rd try to clear things up – that I was Lara and not Klara, finally. I didn’t found out yet where the problem is; maybe I have a weird accent, perhaps I don’t sound that clear in my English, German or B/K/S language, should I speak louder or with my mouth wider open? Nah. I’ll just say: “Lara, you know, like in Tomb Raider”.  Things mustn’t get boring, right ;).

My mother and I in summer of 95'

I’m a Slovenian 22-year-old Aquarius with her mind maybe a little bit off but with her heart in the right place. I was born and still live in Maribor, the second biggest city in Slovenia. In my country, I was a part of the first generation (93’) of children, who went into 1^st class with 6 instead of 7 years of age. So, I went to primary school for straight 9 years, but I think I turned out just fine. I'm still very close to my family and doubt that that will ever change (even after they send me to a 9-year-lasting primary school ^^).

In high school things got a bit complicated. I failed my first year at “Prva Gimnazija Maribor” (First Gymnasium in Maribor) because of so many doctor/specialist appointments and not being able to attend my classes regularly. For months I was transferred from Maribor Hospital to Ljubljana Hospital and back. Only one doctor seem to know what has been going on with me … I got the diagnose Lupus or SLE. After almost 8 years of taking meds, countless doctor appointments my disease is in “remission” so I can study at UNI Graz in peace and hope for the best. They say: “The disease isn’t curable …”, I say: ”… for now!”

Taken in Koper 08', Slovenia

My passion was photography, drawing and writing poetry. I’ve inadvertently put these things aside (boyfriends and stuff) but I’m definitely going back on that train. I love group sports, not so much with kicking sth. (my legs get all bruisy so fast) than playing with hands (such as volleyball, tennis, basketball, badminton etc.). I feel very nature-near, so that I would rather spend the vacation outside in a tent than a fancy-trillion-star-hotel. I Like making handcrafted things, I think I may be a bit OCD-like :D, or I’m just a really neat girl who likes her things in their place and who gives you, a stranger on the bus, a tissue because your nose is running and it’s getting her nerves J.

My cousin Mateo

That’s about it. I consider myself as an uncomplicated, friendly, open-minded person who likes to enjoy life and everyone else should too.  Hang onto your hobbies, people you care about and enjoy yourselves in the most way possible!

Thanks for reading!

Who am I?

Uki ja Mummi - grandpa and grandma

As a young man my grandfather, former skidoo champion of Finland, used to work at a car-rent that only rent luxury cars to celebrities and politicians. When he went on the first date with my grandmother, who was quite a diva, a real mannequin, he wanted to impress her and told his brother to dress up like his chauffeur and drive him in one of the most expensive cars to pick her up. Indeed she was quite impressed and started getting interested in this young, supposedly wealthy man. The next date another car, his brother in drivers uniform, my grandmother in her red, satin vintage dress. It continued that way for some time and I don't know at which point my grandfather admitted that he was only a poor sales clerk, and I think only at their wedding she realized that the chauffeur for real was her brother in law.

Papa und Äiti - mum and dad

My father used to be a paratrooper in the military. After his military service he started studying architecture and that was when he met my mother, who had come from Finland to study architecture too, returning to the city she had spent parts of her childhood in. Anyway, after finishing her studies she returned to Finland and my father went to Japan, where he shared a room with an internationally wanted IS terrorist and modeled at a fashion show, representing an ancient darter. Years later he was getting wasted in a hotel room in Denmark with a friend, when he decided to call my mother. They met, got engaged, but when he followed her to Finland he had to find out that she still had a boyfriend there.

Me

To learn something about me it helps to know a little bit about my family. They are all my inspiration and with their stories have aroused the curiosity to travel and get to know places and people. They have all travelled a lot, lived in many different countries and cultures, learned several languages and risen me with the attitude, that the world is wide and worth exploring it. And it's the results of this mental education that I'm going to talk about in this blog post. Here's a little bit about me...

Since I was a child I've spent most of my summers and parts of my winters in Finland. I've always loved it and in my eyes it was the most beautiful country in the world. With 15 I moved there for a year, found my first love, drank my first beer and started thinking that Austria might be the country I've born in, but needn't be my home country. When I came back to Austria I fell into a one summer long teenage-depression, thinking that everything was better in Finland.
After graduating I left home again, this time to Bolivia. I fell in love again, had adventures and grew up. When I returned to Austria, I had become another person. I had seen poverty and suffering and the European life style seemed ridiculous to me. Rules and order, that's what it all seemed to be about. Closed minds and high standards. I started working and studying, trained a lot and missed Bolivia. My aunt once told me that all her life she has spent with one foot in Austria and another one in Finland, what was beautiful but exhausting. I realized that I was about to do the same-again. My thoughts were constantly jumping from one country to another which made it hard to concentrate. I spent way too much time on my phone, trying to stay in touch with my second life 10 thousand kilometers away while I missed too many things right here.

I returned to Bolivia this february and well, everything was like I had left it and that tranquilized me. My chico was still waiting, my kids growing and my room still smelled the same. I think what I feared the most was getting forgotten. I hate to see time passing and friendships ending. I hate to leave a country and see friends leaving and if there's one thing in this world I wish existed, it's teleportation. I spent five weeks there and lived like on another planet, in another universe. I'm a different person there, I dress differently, I speak differently, I have another kind of friends and love latin music. But it's already getting easier for me to return. I don't get culture shocks anymore and adapt in just a second. Anyway, that doesn't alleviate the separation and does not make the distance shorter. The only thing that helps is to know, that things don't change that fast, that people wait and cities don't change- at least not too fast. 

I find it hard to write about myself, I don't like to list my hobbies and analyze my personality. More interesting and helpful I find it to talk about my passion and the forces that drive me. I hope that text gave you a little impression about my personality, my thoughts and desires, and wasn't too boring to read. 

Who am I?

Hi everyone!

My name is Marlene, I am 18 years old and I'm originally from Linz in Upper Austria. I moved to Graz last September to study Transcultural Communication at the Department of Translation. The languages I'm studying are English and Russian. I chose English because I've been learning English since I was three and while I feel somewhat familiar with the language by now, I think there's still a lot that I can improve on. Russian has always kind of interested me because it's just so different from every other languages I've learned before. Also, my dad knows a little bit of Russian and he taught me a couple of words when I was little, so I guess he's essentially the one to blame for my choice of language...

The three most important things in my life are probably my family, my friends and chewing gum. When I'm in Graz I usually call and/or text at least one member of my family every day, I take the bus home about every second weekend and when I'm home I make sure to see as many of my friends as I possibly can. I don't tend to get homesick per se, but I do miss all the people from home. And now for the third essential part of my life: Chewing gum! If you empty any pocket, purse or bag of mine, there's a rather good chance you'll find at least one packet of gum inside. I'm not entirely sure why, it's not like I have bad breath or whatever, but for some reason I chew gum all. The. Time. To the point where I get really, really annoyed when, once in a blue moon, I happen to run out. God, that makes me sound like an addict now, doesn't it? It's not THAT bad... I just really like me some chewing gum.

I've always found it quite hard to describe myself character wise, because I feel like a lot of the time the way I act depends on the situation I'm in and the people I'm with. Around strangers or people who I'm not yet comfortable with I'm usually rather quiet, sometimes downright awkward, but I regularly talk my friends' ears off and I can be quite quick-witted from time to time. I tend to be a bit lazy and chaotic and I procrastinate a lot, but I can also be organised and (more or less) disciplined if the situation calls for it. Well, I guess that kind of just makes me lazy all the time, because I just don't do things unless there's absolutely no way around them anymore... Sorry?

What else can I tell you about myself... I like to read, but I often lack the time and patience to read actual books, so I resort to short stories. I love music. Unfortunately I don't play any instruments or sing, but I do listen to music a LOT. Mostly with my headphones in, which has earned me more than one lecture on how severely headphones can damage your ears. I enjoy the odd day of skiing, swimming or hiking, but overall I'm not a very sporty person. I'm definitely not a morning person either, getting up early just isn't my forte. I can get really grumpy and/or whiny when I'm hungry or tired. I often doodle on things while I'm on the phone or in lectures (not necessarily because I'm bored!). I have a penchant for overanalysing any- and everything and I usually find it a lot easier to express myself in writing than verbally. I tend to be quite sarcastic and I've been told I have a rather dry sense of humour. I really like travelling and I've been to quite a few places already. I'm fascinated with different cultures and I love languages (well, obviously! I wouldn't be studying Transcultural Communication if I didn't...), I really like puns, especially the bad ones, and I have a weird obsession with fancy words and expressions.

One more thing about me: You might not have noticed, but whenever I write something, say a blog post, it tends to turn out really lengthy...

I hope I could tell you a few somewhat interesting things about myself. If there is anything else you would like to know about me, don't hesitate to ask and I will gladly answer your questions! :)

Who am I?

Hi to all :)

My name is Azra, I just turned 21 about a week ago and was born and raised in Graz. My parents are from Bosnia, which explains my non-Austrian name. Growing up bilingual, I discovered my love to foreign languages. That is why I study English and Turkish at the ITAT. 

If I would ask my mum to introduce me, the first thing she would say that I am very stubborn like my father. That might be true, but only concerning family matters :D Usually I am a calm, understandable and happy person. On the other hand, I sometimes go nuts, make jokes and laugh. When meeting new people, I normally hit it off immediately with them.  They consider me a happy and friendly person.

I love to make good use of fine weather and going out for long walks, where I usually put my earphones on and let my thoughts flow. If time permits, I occasionally watch TV.  I watch nearly everything that TV offers - from Horror movies, documentaries and Turkish soaps through to Bollywood stuff, where I usually tend to cry because of their touching plot.  

Spending time with children makes me happy and feel better. I have two adorable nephews and one charming niece whom I spend a lot of time with. One sincere hug and kiss from them raises my mood immediately. Doesn’t matter if it is drawing, playing outside or just hanging around with them – that permits me to switch off my thoughts for at least one hour and enjoy the time. 

Travelling is also something I like. Meeting other people, learning about foreign cultures and experiencing other parts of the world is fascinating. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to travel a lot yet but I promised myself to make a trip around the world as soon as I finish my studies.

So, I will stop right here, otherwise it will be too long. If there are any questions, feel free to ask me.
 

Cheers! :)

Who am I?

Hi you all! I am really looking forward to read through the posts and find out interesting things about your personality. But, who am I? Good question! My name is Laura Beatrice Theuermann, I’m nineteen years old. My friends often call me “walking quotation” because I love to read and often short passages of a text simply get stuck in my head. Of course, they are not staying there; every time I write a letter, postcard, small note for my roommate or similar there is going to be a quotation found on it. Therefor I decided to describe myself by using the following one:

The sky gave us three things against the troubles of life: the hope, the sleep and the laughter! (Immanuel Kant)

I hope to soon find time to play theatre again. I used to play in a theatre group since the age of twelve until I left high-school but haven’t had any time to find a new one yet.

I sleep well at night because I know my family and friends love me. I grew up with two siblings, one of my grandmothers living next door and my uncle and aunt living two houses next to ours. As you can imagine family is an important part of my life. I’m a very social person, who likes being around others, so my friends could be seen as my second family. Spending time with them in Austria is as important to me as travelling with them.

 

I laugh a lot. I’m a positive person who thinks the best of people rather than the worst, so I believe in the idea of a world that smiles back at you if you walk through it with a smile on your face. Anyway, I’m a realist. I know my life isn’t a walk on sunshine every day, but there is something Sam says to Frodo in The Lord of the Rings (three of my favourite books) that is absolutely true to me:

 

There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.                                                                              

(The Two Towers; The Lord of the Rings)

--> my siblings and me (I am the oldest, but, as you can see, the smallest one)

 

I’d also like to know a little bit more of you guys. I’m sure I won’t make it through all the posts, but I’m always open for coffee. J (Note for you: If you meet me the first time I may appear a little quiet to you, but this is because I like to listen to people first, to try to figure out what kind of person they are and then start telling them stories about me.)

Who am I?

Hello everyone,

I’d like to introduce myself J

My name is Suzana and I come from Medjimurje, a small county in the northernmost part of Croatia. Medjimurje borders Slovenia and Hungary and that’s probably the reason why we have our own “language”. It’s actually a dialect, that is a mixture between German, Slovenian, Croatian and Hungarian and that makes it difficult for the people from other parts of Croatia to understand us.

I’m really close with my family and they are the most important people in the world to me. Although I have a lot of friends and I enjoy spending time with them, I still consider my sister to be my best friend in the whole world. She is person who understands me the most and who is always there for me, no matter how silly, childish or selfish can I get from time to time.

                

One thing that everyone knows me for is my desire towards Red Bull. I can say I’m really addicted. The first thing that I do in the morning when I wake up (besides getting out of my bed) is to drink some Red Bull. I consider us partners in good times and in bad times, in sickness and health, until death do us apart (I see now that I sound crazy and I have to stop with that awful and unhealthy habit).

I can be really annoying and complicated sometimes and despite all my flaws (and I have a lot of them :P ) I know I am a really good friend, who will never let you down.

If you still want to know something else about me, all you have to do is ask. I would rather talk in person over a cup of coffee or a beer (just not Red Bull, I had enough of those in my life :D).

Wish you all great semester and a lot of fun. J

Who am I?

The first answer that comes to my mind when I hear that tricky question is - “I am ME“. A 19 year old student living in Graz, loving her family and having a passion for ballet dancing. 

Yes, I love my family. You might say that’s not interesting because everybody does, but it’s not just usual love, it’s more than that. I have such a good relationship with my two-years younger sister that we cry every time one of us goes on a trip with school and we don’t see each other for one week :D When I moved to Graz last October it was really hard for us and we just managed to get through it because I still go home at least once a week and we talk almost every day. If you want to know more about me and my sister, check out this blogpost :)

Another important thing you should know about me is that I am really into ballet dancing. I started when I was five, so 14 years ago, and I still go to class once a week. The funny thing is that no one knows how little five year old me got the idea of starting ballet. Not even my parents do :D But I still love it. Even if I never want to become a professional, I really like our students’ performances we do every second year. Not because I like people watching me dancing, just because rehearsing dances is so much more fun than just training :D

Cinderella, 2011

Of course I also have other hobbies, but none of them are interesting enough to mention them here, so this has to be enough for now :D  If you still want to know something else about me, all you have to do is ask :)

Wish you a nice weekend,

Lena