Thoughts about Halloween

       1. Reformation Day vs Halloween

      October 31^st – since 1667 this day has been celebrated by Lutherans as Reformation Day. On October 31^st 1517 the German monch Martin Luther published his 95 Theses; in fact, he is said to have pinned them on a church door in Wittenberg. This document is widely regarded as the initial catalyst for the Protestant Reformation, in the course of which the Protestant church developed.  

However, in recent years on October 31^st another holiday has been becoming more and more popular in Austria. You all know what I am talking about – HALLOWEEN. Halloween originates from Celtic harvest festivals. The Celts believed that the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next year's crops would be plentiful. 

      

       2. Scary vs. Sexy

  

      Even though Halloween originated in Europe, it has become extremely popular in the United States. There, it actually is the second largest commercial holiday after Christmas. Basically, celebrating Halloween involves dressing up in a scary outfit and kids knocking at their neighbor’s doors, asking for sweets (“trick or treating”) – At least that's how I viewed Halloween when I was a kid. As I am growing older, Halloween seems to be much more about having parties, drinking and dressing up in any kind of outfit, preferably in a sexy one. However, what does this development actually imply about our society? Well, I found a video in which four quite talented girls make an interesting point about the change in women’s Halloween costumes.

  

      Above all, I agree with their last point: no matter whether you want to dress up in a sexy outfit or as a monster, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable. 

       Happy October 31st :) 

What’s in a word?

In our past few English lessons I became aware of the fact that there is much more to a word than just its obvious meaning. That means that especially when learning a word you cannot simply be satisfied with knowing its translation. In order to really KNOW a word, you have to know several aspects of it, like the following:

• Pronunciation

It is important to know how to pronounce a word correctly in order to be able to use it in spoken conversation or to recognize it when it is used by somebody else.

• Spelling

Obviously you have to know how to spell a word in order to produce it correctly.

• Collocations

Knowing how a word combines with other words or which phrases the word is commonly used in helps you to use it properly.

• Register

Also, you have to know in which situation or context the word can be used. A register that is too formal or informal might lead to misunderstandings or awkward situations.

But where can you find all these aspects of a word? - Ideally in a good dictionary. We compared some monolingual online dictionaries in class and I would like to present my personal top three online dictionaries to you:

-       Thesaurus
      This dictionary is particularly useful if you are looking for synonyms and try to make your text more varied. It also has some really cool extra features, for example you can order the results by complexity or by how common they are.

-       Merriam Webster
      Even though the MW dictionary for native speakers provides a lot of information about a word, like for instance various definitions, example sentences and even facts about the word's origin, some definitions are rather difficult. However, for those who prefer simpler definitions, the MW learner’s dictionary is great. On this site you can also find beneficial pronunciation exercises.

-       Vocabulary.com
      This dictionary provides great definitions and a variety of example sentences. Also, you can listen to the pronunciation of every word. From my point of view, this dictionary can help to get to know a word from many different angles. In addition, you can sign up on this website and create your personal vocabulary lists, take quizzes, etc... Personally, I find this dictionary's layout as well as its content the most attractive. 

RUSH

Last week I went to see RUSH at the movie theater. For those who have not heard of it yet, I will give a short summary of the plot. The film is based on a real story, more precisely on the beginning of Niki Lauda’s career as a racecar driver. The plot mainly focuses on the rivalry between Niki Lauda and the British driver James Hunt. While Lauda is portrayed as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist, Hunt was more of a charismatic playboy. Both were exceptionally skilled and determined to win the Formula One world championship in 1976.  This was also the year when Niki Lauda’s horrific car accident took place…

I will not give any more details, but I absolutely recommend the movie to all of you. Even though I am really not into Formula One and I have to admit I have not even seen an entire race in my life, the movie completely captivated me. Furthermore,  even if you are Austrian and therefore are partly familiar with Niki Lauda’s story, the movie is still very exciting and thrilling.

Here are some more reasons why it is a good idea to watch the movie:

1. Considering how rare it is that an international film about an Austrian person is shot, I think we ought to watch it and be familiar with the person’s story.

Brühl and Hemsworth

2. It is a really catchy and entertaining movie. In addition, there are some aspects which make the movie extremely interesting from a psychological point of view, for example: the differences between Hunt and Lauda, their rivalry, but also their respect for each other, as well as Lauda’s willpower after his accident.

Hunt and Lauda

3. Personally, I was impressed by how accurately the actors Daniel Brühl and Chris Hemsworth impersonated Lauda and Hunt. Especially after having seen a documentary on the making of the film, which featured some real video material, I realized how well they acted. Apart from looking very similar, also their behavior and even speech was very well adapted. I know that impersonating a person is an actor’s job, but the direct comparison still impressed me.




Here is a short clip that shows interviews with Brühl, Hemsworth, director Ron Howard and Niki Lauda. The interviews were conducted at the film's premiere in London. Try to pay attention to Niki Lauda's accent and the way Brühl tries to imitate it. It is even more evident in the movie and I can only agree with most critics who say that Brühl did an incredible job in terms of speech adaption.

Malala

The 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan was nominated for the Nobel peace prize. Although she didn’t win the prize in the end, I think she really would have deserved it.

Malala grew up in the Swat valley in Pakistan and already at the age of 11 she blogged about her life and raised awareness about terrorist actions performed by the Taliban. Also, she has been an activist for women’s rights for a few years now. She has especially been fighting for girl’s education and their right to go to school. Because of these “crimes” the Taliban attempted to assassinate her in October 2012. They stopped her school bus and shot her in the head! However, Malala survived and was taken to a British hospital for treatment. Malala is still living in Great Britain, but she’s never stopped fighting for women’s rights and against terrorism in Pakistan.

From my point of view Malala’s strength and courage are simply incredible. I am in awe of her because she made me realize how a single person – a teenager – can have an impact on the world.

In Austria people fortunately are in a position where they don’t have to fight for anything or are threatened by terrifying conditions. I mean let’s face it - compared to war, hunger, open violence or a terrorist group controlling your country, the Austrian dissatisfaction with our politicians or our outrage about financial dealings can rarely be taken into account.

What’s more, Austrian people tend to complain about many things, but how many people really do something crucial to change the world or the current situation?

In the interview I posted below Malala makes a really interesting statement – she says that human beings usually don’t really appreciate anything until it is snatched from their hands. Considering this, I guess we Austrians should be thankful we don't have to protest for basic rights that should be available to every human being – but does that mean we can just sit back and let wrong things happen in the world without doing something about it?

I am convinced Malala’s story should be shared, because she should be a role model for everybody. What is keeping us from taking action and making the world a better place? I guess similar thoughts sometimes pop op in many people’s minds. Like for example “I’m only one person - how am I supposed to change the world on my own?” or “I’m so young. I’ll focus on my studies and later, when I’m older and have a good job, I’ll use it to change the world.” Sometimes one can be overwhelmed by the feeling that “the system” and society are not going to change because of one person. However, despite all these points Malala proved that it is possible to have an impact. And she didn’t stop, although her life was threatened. Her courage simply amazes me.

So why not us? Why not now?

I’m not saying we have to go and risk our lives, but I think it would already be a good start to make the world a little better by being kinder to one another and by standing up when we see injustice done to somebody. 

In the video below Malala states some inspiring things about education, courage, speaking up for one’s rights and fighting terrorism by using peace and education.