June 2018 Highlights

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ROSES IN VOLKSGARTEN COPYRIG HT

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JUNE / HIGHLIGHTS / 2018

EDITORIAL I must begin by thanking the Highlights Design Team for all the ideas and efforts that went into this edition. Rosemarie Gatscha, Barbara Wolff, Danaë April, Susan Mikes, Erin Silangil and I met to dissect the April edition and, in doing so, came up with brilliant ideas which Susan has been able to put into practice. She works at her family Pharmacy during the day and spends long evenings working on the inputting of the text and the photos for the events and articles. We all hope that you enjoy this edition and approve of the changes.

US Ambassador Traina arrived on May 18th and spent time getting to know the Viennese Diplomatic routines.

Optimistically, he may have settled in sufficiently for us to have an Ambassador's Coffee in the autumn. In the meantime, we will hold the Annual General Meeting on June 6th when Hannes Miklautsch, our Honorary Auditor, will present a summary of the 2017 Finances, and we will show the graphs of the recent survey. For those of you who do not normally come to Weekly Coffee, it will be an opportunity to see the new venue.

June is shaping up to be a busy month. Laurie Richardson has arranged a tour of the UN and Susan Mikes has arranged a tour of the Hungarian Embassy, the former Palais Strattmann, on Bankgasse. There is the customary range of events and activities organised by our wonderful team of volunteers although the last week in June is rather thin as members tend to go on holiday then. We reopen on September 3rd but we expect the usual huge influx of new members over the summer. Weekly Coffee and MAWA Weekly Coffee continues throughout the summer The AWA Board has accepted the resignation of Stephanie Jepsen as Secretary from September. She has been at my side for nearly three years and we are indebted to her for her secretarial support for the Board meetings. We have a volunteer who may replace her but who wants to see what we are like first! The Board also approved the appointment of Danaë April as acting Vice President, Charity Fundraising, pending the Slate of Officers’ process in November.

We now have air conditioning in the Clubhouse after years of sweltering heat in May and June, so the rooms will be cool for the Bring 'n' Bite Summer Pop-Up on June 8th.

There will be food, friends, fun and an opportunity to shop for charity! I have been told I must parade in my best summer outfit! That may be worth seeing!

Sheila Hargreaves HIGHLIGHTS TEAM EDITOR: Sheila Hargreaves / 0676 755 9804/ sheilahargreaves@a1.net GRAPHIC DESIGN EDITOR: Susan Mikes/ 069914025299/awahighlights@gmail.com ADVERTISING MANAGER: Nadia Di Paola/ 0678 125 2229/ awahighlightsads@gmail.com ASSISTANT ADVERTISING MANAGER: Ivy Melchor /01 966 2925 / awa@awavienna.com ADVERTISING DESIGN: Erin Silangil /01 966 2925 / spindler.silangil@gmail.com PROOF READERS: Rosemarie Gatscha / Jane Webster / Mary Donohue DESIGN TEAM MEMBERS: Danaë April / danae.april@gmail.com and Rosemarie Gatscha /rgatscha@mac.com and, Erin Silangil, Barbara Woolf / wolff1234@yahoo.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Editorial / President's Message

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AWA Board

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Membership & Charity Fundraising

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Meet AWA members & Weekly Coffee Hosts

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AGM & Classifieds

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Summer in the Salzkammergut

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General Meeting

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Clubhouse Activities

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Offsite Activities

12-13 Calendar 14-15 Tours, Trips & Social Events 16

FAWCO

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Classifieds

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Make the Most of Vienna

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Meet Ivy Melchor

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Cruising the Mekong River

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From Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta

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Monday Afternoon Toddler Group

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Becoming more Eco-Friendly

HIGHLIGHTS JUNE 2018

Deadline for September Highlights submission: 1 June 2018.

Highlights is a publication of the AWA of Vienna.

Highlights is published monthly from September to June and is sent to all members of the AWA. All inquiries should be addressed to: AWA Vienna Attn: Highlights Editor, Singerstrasse 4/11 1010 Vienna All rights to the printed material in Highlights, including advertising and the cover painting/photo, revert to the contributors following publication.

Highlights is printed on chlorine-free paper.

ZVR-Zahl 327744193 Eigentümer, Herausgeber und Verleger: AWA Vienna, Singerstrasse 4/11, 1010 Wien.

Für den Inhalt verantwortlich: Offenlegung/Herausgeber: Sheila Hargreaves, Krautgartengasse 3A/2/3, Himberg bei Wien Diese Zeitschrift dient dem Zweck, Freunde der American Women’s Association über Aktivitäten der Organisation zu informieren.

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A JUNE/ W AHIGHLIGHTS B O A/ 2018 RD

Photo by Ida Vickers Sheila, Danaë, Gerda, Erin, Susan, Sara, Jillianne, Ivy, Nadia, Stephanie, Board members not pictured: Laurie, Helene, Marina, Rocelyn, Christine & Teddie

PRESIDENT: Sheila Hargreaves 0676 755 9804/ sheilahargreaves@a1.net VICE PRESIDENT / PROGRAMS: Helene Gressenbauer-Rösner 0664 920 9807/ helene@gressenbauer.org VICE PRESIDENT / CHARITY FUNDRAISING: Danaë April 0664 4222826/ awavpfundraising@gmail.com TREASURER: Jillanne Gabler 01 966 2925 / awa.vienna.treasurergmail.com SECRETARY: Stephanie Jepsen

01 966 2925 / awa@awavienna.com FAWCO REPRESENTATIVE: Laurie Richardson 01 966 2925/ lrichardsonvienna@gmail.com MEMBERSHIP CHAIR: Sara 01 966 2925/ AWAViennaMembership@gmail.com PUBLIC RELATION CHAIR: Rocelyn Kielnhofer 0664 4586 685/ AWAVienna.PublicRelations@gmail.com WEBMANAGER: Christine Dierickx 01 966 2925 / awa@awavienna.com LIVING IN VIENNA EDITOR: Teddie Weyr 01 966 2925 / awa@awavienna.com HIGHLIGHTS ADVERTISING MANAGER: Nadia Di Paola 0678 1252229 / awahighlightsads@gmail.com

AWA BOARD REPORT FOR APRIL RESULTS OF THE MEMBER SURVEY The results of the member survey conducted by Christine Dierickx were discussed as reported in the May Highlights. (The graphs will be shown at the Annual General Meeting on the 6th June.)

TREASURER’S REPORT AWA is doing better as a whole, comparing this year’s income (Jan-March) to the total income for 2017. Dues income is amazing, with 21,000 compared with 18,000 last year.

CHARITY FUNDRAISING The Fashion show is to be postponed to the Fall and instead, an event in June is planned. A possible tour of the Volkskundemuseum 40th Anniversary of the First Women’s Shelter in Wien Exhibition was discussed, with the idea of it being followed by a fundraising lunch. Danaë was thanked by the team for enthusiastically stepping into role with very short notice.

GENERAL MEETINGS REPORT The UK Embassy may be available for a tour in the autumn tied in with a celebration of the Suffragette movement succeeding in the UK in 1918. Owing to the delayed arrival of incoming U.S. Ambassador Traina, it was unlikely the Annual General Meeting will be held at the Ambassador’s residence..

PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT: Johannes Fleischmann, world famous violinist, has agreed to perform for one of our events, perhaps a gala in the fall plus a potential Oktoberfest event with Austrian Trachten.

FACEBOOK AWA Friday Marketplace will be introduced on Fridays, allowing members to advertise their services and wares.

NEXT MEETING WEDNESDAY, 13 JUNE, 2018 AT 12:30

/ HIGHLIGHTS W E L CJUNE OM E T O/ 2018 AWA

CHARITY FUNDRAISING Over the last three months, I've had the pleasure getting to know a wonderful group of women, both new and existing members, who volunteer on the charity fundraising committee. Together we've sorted the clothing donations given by club members, enjoyed being the subject of many a photoshoot for Sheila and more importantly discussed new activities, partnerships and events that we could incorporate into the fundraising program to support Wiener Frauenhäuser. The Bring 'n' Bite Summer Pop-Up is the first of a new event series we'll be introducing. We're also finalizing plans to partner with the world-renowned Viennese violinist, Johannes Fleischmann for a fall concert and fundraiser. You can preview his talent at the upcoming performance at MUTH, see page 9. for details. As acting Vice President for Charity Fundraising I am energized by what the committee has done so far and I'm looking forward to what we will do together this year! DanaÍ April

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M E E TJUNE/ AHIGHLIGHTS W A M/ 2018 EMBERS WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

Barbara Gorden

Michelle Mock

Joan PaddonNow Overseas Member

Mary Sucquet

Susan Cole

BAHAR AKIN Bahar is from Turkey and has been in Vienna for only five months. Before coming here she worked in a private bank as a portfolio manager for ten years, having studied for a Bachelor degree in Public Administration and Political Science. However, having recently had certified training on subconscious coding, consciousness cleaning and methods of purification plus how people can survive failures in their lives and how they deal with obstacles to success, she wants to follow an academic course here in Vienna. Meanwhile, she is taking a German course at Vienna University.

She enjoys living in Vienna and getting involved in arts. She also loves music, both opera and classical, singing, reading books on psychology and drinking traditional wines. For exercise, she practises Pilates and Yoga.

W E E K LY C O F F E E CO-CHAIR: Gerda Moes

Helena SchaschĂŠ 0676 331 8626

CO-CHAIR: Marina Hornasek

Hyacinth Krippner 0650 554 7156

Lini Stangl 0664 179 7031

Heike Little 01 789 0199

Marina, Heike, Hyacinth, Lini, Helena, Gerda

JUNE ANNUAL G E/ HIGHLIGHTS N E R A/ 2018 L MEETING

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CLASSIFIEDS Dr. Gabriele Springer

AESTHETIC DENTISTRY | VENEERS TEETH WHITENING | PERIODONTOLOGY In our practice you will find the quality you are used to from the U.S. Our team, including a dental hygienist, is at your service. Special rates apply for AIS and VIS students.

For appointments contact: t: 01 804 33 83 or 0676 453 05 35 e: zahn@springerdent.at | www.springerdent.at JagdschloÃ&#x;gasse 9/11, A-1130 Vienna

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SUMMER FESTIVALS IN THE/ 2018 SALZKAMMERGUT JUNE/ HIGHLIGHTS CONTRIBUTED BY HELENE GRESSENBAUER-RÖSNER

Nowadays every village, even the smallest, seems to present its own festival – there is so much to choose from, so many cultural events offered besides the famous Salzburg Festivals! It all started when Wolfgang Schuster, then a member of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, established the Attersee Klassik festival and transformed a superb historic farmhouse the “Narzbergergut” into a place for exquisite performances. He took advantage of his close ties to the best musicians and his good connections to well known singers and, by adapting the former hayloft as stage and auditorium, he created an intimate setting for an evening with stars like Thomas Hampson, the famous lyric baritone.

Around the Attersee every summer, the “Nikolaus Harnoncourt Tage” (after the famous conductor who owned a wonderful estate on the lake), Attergauer Kulturtage and the Gustav Mahler festival (he was residing and composing in Steinbach) are competing for guests. In Mondsee, St. Gilgen on the Wolfgangsee, Bad Ischl or around the Traunsee, numerous cultural events are offered, like local performances such as the Mondseer Jedermann.

Not the original version played every year as a highlight of the Salzburg Festivals but laymen performing in front of the church, speaking in the local dialect with the local music band and members of the folklore dancing group taking part, children included – the event serves as a truly social function within the village.

And yes, we would occasionally wear a “Dirndl”.

By doing so we can simply avoid the nagging question what should I wear? It might be a pure act of laziness! Men choose linen or wool, locally styled jacket depending on the temperature – normally that’s it. Dressing up from head to toe is a no-go. So called Dirndl, as seen occasionally at the Oktoberfest in Munich, are a no-go as well. Don’t expect to be pardoned for polyester laces, seams ending above the knee or glitter! The best place there to buy a Dirndl is “Tostmann” in Seewalchen.

The owner, Gexi Tostman is deemed the “patron” of original costume. Holding a university degree, she has published books on the origin and distinctive features of the different regional costumes. You can find a branch of “Tostmann” in the Schottengasse in Vienna – check it out!

That’s one of the advantages of the Dirndl: they will never become unfashionable. As long as you keep your figure you can wear them forever. As we Viennese dress in our Dirndl mainly in the summertime, there is the saying of the Dirndl “shrinking over the winter” rather than admitting to have gained one or more pounds.

On arrival, the audience was treated to drinks on the meadows surrounding the farmhouse, the trees serving either as umbrella or sunshield, depending on the weather. Afterwards the “inner circle” was invited to a local style buffet dinner in the main room of the farmhouse to meet the performing artists personally. It was rather challenging to jiggle your full plate over the old cobblestone entrance area taking care not to bump your head on low wooden beams or stumble over the uneven doorsills.

Wolf, Tertsching, Singer, Helene Gressenbauer-Rösner

/ HIGHLIGHTS G E N EJUNE RA L M /E2018E T I N G

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HOUSE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Wipplingerstraße 35, 1010 – opposite the Alte Börse Wednesday June 20 at 17:00 “Where does the European Union stand today?”

Mag. Thomas Weber, liaison office of the European Parliament, will share some firsthand insights of the pending and challenging issues of the EU. The attractive modern venue hosts the information bureau of the European Parliament and the representation office of the European Commission in Austria. It serves as local contact point for inquiries and assistance regarding the EU and provides a competent information service.

The monthly program comprises lectures, panel discussions and a variety of other events.

Friends and Partners welcome JOIN US FOR DRINKS AFTERWARDS! SIGN UP BY>> Monday 18, AWA Contact awa@awavienna.com helene@gressenbauer.org / 0664 920 9807

CLASSIFIEDS

Competent, friendly staff will welcome you to our office. We strive for excellence in everything we do, and as a patient you should accept nothing less. Our primary goal is to give you both a great smile and a healthy, longlasting bite. We are committed to providing the best possible treatment using state-of-the art orthodontics in a caring, friendly environment.

Billrothstrasse 58 1190 - Vienna +43 1 36 77 222 smile@claudia-aichinger.com www.claudia-aichinger.com

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JUNE/ / 2018 CLUBHO U HIGHLIGHTS SE AC TIVITIES

/ LANGUAGES / ITALIAN CONVERSATION/ monthly Monday, 11 June at 13:30 Nadia Di Paola / 0678 1252229 FLUENT SPANISH CONVERSATION/WEEKLY Monday, 4 and 25 June at 12:30 Teresa Benet / ftmirella@yahoo.com BEGINNERS’ SPANISH CONVERSATION /WEEKLY Monday 4 and 25 June at 13:30 Teresa Benet / ftmirella@yahoo.com BEGINNERS’ GERMAN GRAMMAR / WEEKLY Tuesdays at 10:30 Monika Sautner leads this grammar session

Rocelyn, Lona, Vera, Hyacinth, Urte, Danaë, Lisa, Deb

BOARD GAMES / WEEKLY Words or Numbers for fun. Thursdays at 10:00 Lee Goodell / 0650 548 9596 / leegoodellusa@yahoo.com

GERMAN CONVERSATION A1+/WEEKLY Tuesdays at 12:00 Andrea Melchiore/ 01 876 2041/ andrea.s.melchiorre@t-online.de

Hermin, Lee, Choon ai, Nayiri, Vera

/ HEALTH / EXERCISE/ Ursula, Caroline, Andrea, Danaë, Bridget, Sara

ADVANCED BEGINNERS’ GERMAN CONVERSATION / WEEKLY Tuesdays at 10:30 With Mona Angel or Sonja Reiterer/ reiterer_sonja@hotmail.com FLUENT FRENCH CONVERSATION / WEEKLY Wednesdays at 12:00 with Françoise Delannoy or Antonia Zane

Sonja Reiterer

ENGLISH CONVERSATION FOR LEARNERS/ WEEKLY Thursdays at 13:00 With Leslie Hoff

Ingrid, Choon ai, Helen, Lesley, Bahar, Youngsin

YOGA WITH IVY/ WEEKLY Wednesdays from 09:30 to 10:30 Maximum of four members with Yoga mats. awa@awavienna.com

Sara, Lini, Ivy, Choon ai, Maria, Urte

FALUN GONG/ WEEKLY Wednesdays from 15:00 to 16:00 or 18:00 to 19:00in the Clubhouse.

Nayiri Asvazadurian/ 0650 610 4545 / n.asvazadurian@gmail.com

/ OTHER / BIBLE STUDY / WEEKLY Thursdays from 10:00-12:00 Using the Letters of the Apostle John, the study is called Putting Love in Action.

Sandy Shaffer / 02243 287 01 / sshaffer@entrust4.org

/HOBBIES / AMERICAN MAHJONG / WEEKLY Tuesdays at 13:00 for experienced players MAHJONG FOR BEGINNERS / WEEKLY Fridays at 13:00 /0664 4586685/ Rocelyn Kielnhofer awavienna.publicrelations@gmail.com CANASTA/ WEEKLY Wednesdays at 13:00 Rocelyn Kielnhofer /0664 4586685/ awavienna.publicrelations@gmail.com

Souwanit, Mary Ellen, Laura, Amy, Sandy, Anneliese, Barbara, Lizzie

BABY AND TODDLER GROUP/ WEEKLY Mondays from 15:00 until 16:30 with Stephanie Barrett

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O F F S JUNE I T E/ HIGHLIGHTS A C T /I2018 VITIES

NEW- SOCIAL GOLF/ TIMES TO BE ARRANGED FLUENT GERMAN CONVERSATION//WEEKLY Wednesdays, after Weekly Coffee, lunch in different Rocelyn Kielnhofer / 0664 458 6685 / awavienna.publicrelations@gmail.com local restaurants.

BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP/MONTHLY Tuesday, 12 June at 13:00 We will discuss British writer, Jane Gardam's novel, Old Filth. F-I-L-T-H stands for "Failed In London Try Hong Kong" which describes the career turn of Sir Edward Feathers, London lawyer who goes out to Hong Kong for work, marries an expatriate Scotswoman there and returns decades later to retire in Dorset with his wife Betty of whom he is not quite sure . . . This book is both humorous and heart-rending. In September we will read Amor Towles Gentleman in Moscow, another life story of a mannered man, Count Alexander Rostov, confined to house arrest in Moscow's Metropol hotel after the Russian Revolution. Making the best of it, he shares life stories with the many guests, employees and Soviet functionaries.

Upcoming books may include: Julian Barnes's The Noise of Time, Mohsin Hamid's Exit West and Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking.

Mary Wagener / mary.l.wagener@gmail.com SINGING GROUP / WEEKLY

Mary Wagener

/ WEEKLY COFFEE / AWA WEEKLY COFFEE Wednesdays from 10:00 until 12:00 at Café Sluka,.

Rocelyn Kielnhofer

Gerda, Marina, Lini, 0664 179 7031 and Helena, 0676 331 8626 / Hyacinth 0650 554 7156 and Heike 01 789 0199. Continues through the summer except Wednesday 22 August MAWA WEEKLY COFFEE in Kaffee Alt Wien, Bäckerstrasse 9, 1010 Wednesdays from 10:30 to 12:00

Fridays, 8 June, 11:30-13:00 Sing with the AWA choir led and accompanied by Sandra Schweighofer on her piano; the more the merrier! legoblet.wine@gmail.com

Aiko, Sandra, Donna, Eden

Continues through the summer Robert Blaukopf robert.blaukopf@gmail.com

/ HEALTH & SPORT / NEW-SOCIAL TENNIS / WEEKLY Thursday mornings, time by arrangement.

Reservation required to guarantee the time and court.

HANDYMAN, REMOVALS...

PAUL MOCKO DOES IT ALL! Electrical Work / Telephone & Internet Support / Satellite dishes & SKY TV Installation / Wooden Deck Construction Furniture Assembly & Disassembly Painting / Patching / Hanging Curtains & Pictures / Removals Appliance Installation & Repair Works Days & Evenings / Speaks English, German & Polish I highly recommend Paul. He moved my house contents three times, with all the disassembling and reassembling of furniture plus all the tasks that removals require. He is utterly reliable and trustworthy.

Sheila Hargreaves, AWA President ________________________________________

Mavic, Claudia, Andrea, Eden

Rocelyn Kielnhofer / 0664 458 6685/ awavienna. publicrelations@gmail.com

0676 950 5789 / s.mocko@gmx.at / www.homeservice.prv.pl

- Helping AWA members for over a decade -

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J U NJUNE/ E C A L E /N DAR HIGHLIGHTS 2018

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY 10:00 Beginners+ German Grammar 10:30 Advanced Beginners’ German Conversation 12:30 Fluent Spanish

12:00 German A1+ Conversation

09:30 Yoga with Ivy 10:00-12:00 Weekly Coffee at Café Sluka 10:30 MAWA Coffee at Kaffee Alt Wien

13:30 Beginners’ Spanish Conversation 13:00 American Mahjong

12:00 Fluent German Conversation 12:00 Fluent French Conversation

15:00-16:30 Baby & Toddler Group

13:00 Canasta

15:30 Seniors’ Afternoon Tea Party at the Grand Hotel

15:00 Falun Gong 17:00 Falun Gong

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10:30 Behind the Scenes Tour of the Hungarian Embassy 12:30 Fluent Spanish

10:00 Beginners+ German Grammar 10:30 Advanced

13:30 Beginners’ Spanish Conversation Beginners’ German Conversation 15:00-16:30 Baby & Toddler Group 17:00 Happy Hour Cocktails at the Marriott 18:00 Film Night with Prosecco and Popcorn showing Calendar Girls

12:00 German A1+ Conversation 13:00 American Mahjong

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5 10:00 Beginners+ German Grammar 10:30 Advanced Beginners’ German Conversation 12:00 Behind the Scenes Tour of the Staatsoper

12:30 Fluent Spanish 13:30 Italian Conversation 13:30 Beginners’ Spanish Conversation 13:00 Book Discussion Group - Old Filth by Jane Gardam 15:00-16:30 Baby & Toddler Group 12:00 German A1+ Conversation 13:00 American Mahjong

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10:00 Beginners+ German Grammar 10:30 Advanced Beginners’ German Conversation

12:30 Fluent Spanish 13:30 Beginners’ Spanish Conversation

12:00 German A1+ Conversation 13:00 American Mahjong

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19 10:00 Beginners+ German Grammar 10:30 Advanced Beginners’ German Conversation

12:30 Fluent Spanish

13:30 Beginners’ Spanish Conversation 13:00 American Mahjong

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09:30 Yoga with Ivy 10:00-12:00 AGM at Café Sluka 10:30 MAWA Coffee at Kaffee Alt Wien 12:00 Fluent German Conversation 12:00 Fluent French Conversation 13:00 Canasta 15:00 Falun Gong 17:00 Falun Gong

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09:30 Yoga with Ivy 10:00-12:00 Weekly Coffee at Café Sluka 10:30 MAWA Coffee at Kaffee Alt Wien 12:00 Fluent German Conversation 12:00 Fluent French Conversation 12:30 AWA Board Meeting 13:00 Canasta 15:00 Falun Gong 17:00 Falun Gong 19:00 Ladies’ Dining Experience at Porzellan 09:30 Yoga with Ivy

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10:00-12:00 Weekly Coffee at Café Sluka 10:30 MAWA Coffee at Kaffee Alt Wien 12:00 Fluent German Conversation 12:00 Fluent French Conversation 13:00 Canasta 17:00 GM at EU Haus

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09:30 Yoga with Ivy 10:00-12:00 Weekly Coffee at Café Sluka 10:30 MAWA Coffee at Kaffee Alt Wien 11:00 NEW Thai Massage: Health & Benefits 12:00 Fluent German Conversation 12:00 Fluent French Conversation 13:00 Canasta 15:00 Falun Gong 17:00 Falun Gong 18:00 MAWA Dinner Night

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J U NJUNE E /C ALEN DAR HIGHLIGHTS / 2018

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SWAROVSKI TOUR

JUNE 1

PUBLIC HOLIDAY Office and Shops closed

13:00 Mahjong for Beginners

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10:30 Tour of the UN with Teddie Weyr and Laurie Richardson. Meet after the security check area but allow plenty of time for screeining bags and yourselves. No knives etc.

10:00 Board Games 10:00 Bible Study 13:00 English Conversation for Learners 12:30 Monthly Luncheon at Ella’s 18:00 Ladies’ Wine Evening at the Heuriger Schübel-Auer in Nussdorf

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GENERAL MEETING AT THE MAK

TOUR OF THE HOFBURG

11:30 Singing Group

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17:00-20:00 Bring ‘n’ Bite Summer Pop-up

10:00 Board Games 10:00 Bible Study

On the Roof 13:00 Mahjong for Beginners

13:00 English Conversation for Learners

18:00 TBC Let’s Go to the Movies

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13:00 Mahjong for Beginners

10:00 Board Games 10:00 Bible Study 13:00 Senior’s Luncheon 13:00 English Conversation for Learners

18:00 Art in the Evening at the Bank Austria Kunstforum, Man Ray

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10:00 Board Games 10:00 Bible Study

13:00 English Conversation for Learners

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The Tour Group

18:00 Summer Picnic at the Park with Hats and Sunglasses at the Stadtpark in front of the statue of Johann Strauss

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CLUBHOUSE and OFFICE closed until September 3rd Senior’s Afternoon Tea Party Monday July 30 at 15:30 at the Grand Hotel Summer Luncheon Wednesday, 22 August at 13:00 at Café Landtmann Weekly Coffee at Café Sluka, continues weekly except on 22August MAWA Coffee also continues through July and August MAWA Dinner Night 18:00 25 July and 29 August

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Tour of of the Hohe Warte

Newcomers' Event

14 T O U R S / T RJUNE/ I PHIGHLIGHTS S/ SO CIAL EVENTS / 2018 SENIORS´ AFTERNOON TEA PARTY

Vera, Cheryl, Mary, Gill, Eleonore, Oana, Yolanda, Lisa, Krisztina

Monday, 28 May and Monday, 30 July at 15:30 GRAND HOTEL Kärntner Ring 9, 1010 (1st floor) Lively Ladies meet monthly to chat and exchange views on a variety of topics.

SIGN UP BY: Friday, 25 May. Vera Saunders/ (01) 990 6492 evenings / verasaunders@gmx.net

traditional Heuriger restaurants. Depending on the weather, we hopefully will be able to sit outside and enjoy incredible Viennese wine and food and great company!

SIGN UP BY Monday, 4 June / awa@awavienna.com BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE HUNGARIAN EMBASSY Monday, 4 June at 10:30 Bankgasse 4-6, 1010

FILMNIGHT WITH PROSECCO AND POPCORN IN THE CLUBHOUSE/ MONTHLY Monday, 4 June at 18:00, Calendar Girls Irene Schlegelmilch / 0660 6404410/ ireneschlegelmilch@gmx.net MONTHLY LUNCHEON Thursday, 7 June at 12:30 ELLA’S FOOD & DRINK Judenplatz 9-10, 1010 Vienna

Ella’s beautiful, quiet location is one of the best Mediterranean restaurants in Vienna,with modern and light cuisine with lots of fish and vegetables.

Tasteful, high quality dishes are served at fair prices.

SIGN UP BY Wednesday, 6 June. awa@awavienna.com AWA contact is Nadia Di Paola / 0678 1252229

This historic Embassy was found in the 17th Century. Number 6 was built between 1676 and 1694 as Palais Strattmann, housing the Court Chancellor Strattmann. In 1747 it was turned into the Hungarian Court Chancellery and today the Hungarian Embassy occupies the whole building. Ambassador, Dr. Perényi János, has granted us the privilege of a tour, thanks to AWA member, Susan Mikes.

Tünde Zsuffa will be our tour guide SIGN UP BY Wednesday, 30 May awa@awavienna.com BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE UNITED NATIONS AT VIENNA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE Friday, June 8 at 10:30

LADIES’WINE EVENING Thursday, 7 June at 19:00 HEURIGER SCHÜBEL-AUER, Kahlenbergstrasse 22, Nussdorf

Celebrating that we live in one of the only cities in the world where wine is produced within the city limits, our last official wine night before the summer break will take place at one of the

This tour will be led by AWA member Teddie Weyr who will tailor it to our interests.

The VIC is home to the 19 UN agencies working on peace and security, human rights and development.

Join the tour of this remarkable building and learn what UNOV, CTBTO, IOM, UNHCR and UNOOSA, amongst others, do to achieve the overall aims of the UN. FAWCO UN Liaison and AWA member Laurie Richardson will also tell us about FAWCO's work as an NGO with consultative status at the UN. There will be a small charge for the tour, depending on the number of members.

Meet after the security check area but allow plenty of time for screening bags and yourselves.

No knives etc.

SIGN UP BY Tuesday, 5 June awa@awavienna.com

T O U R S / T R I JUNE P S/ HIGHLIGHTS / S O C/ 2018 I A L E V E N T S 15 HAPPY HOUR COCKTAILS AT THE MARRIOTT Monday, 11 June from 17:00 to 19:00 CASCADE BAR, Parkring 12a, 1010 www.marriott.de/hotel-restaurants/vieat-viennamarriott-hotel/cascade-bar

Sanna, Rocelyn, Danae, Stephanie, Teresa, Minoo, Sam, Yolanda, Lisa, Urte, Marianne

Cocktails at ‘two for the price of one’ with the buffet costing only €5 for as much as you can eat!

Friends welcome.

SIGN UP BY noon on Monday, 11 June Samantha Day / 0676 3344837 / awa@awavienna.com BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR OF THE STAATSOPER Tuesday, 12 June at 12:00 This magnificent Opera House is the world’s largest repertoire theatre. We will tour parts of the theatre not normally seen by the audience. Meet at 11:45. Cost will be €12 depending on the number of sign-ups. Spouses and friends welcome.

SIGN UP BY Thursday, 7 June Sheila Hargreaves/ 0676 755 9804/ awa@awavienna.com LADIES’DINING EXPERIENCE Wednesday, 13 June at 19:00 PORZELLAN, Servitengasse 2, 1090 www.porzellan-lounge.at

SUMMER PICNIC AT THE PARK: Hats and Sunglasses Friday, 22 June at 18:00 Meet at the Stadtpark in front of the statue of Johann Strauss for fun, conversation and wine!

SIGN UP by Wednesday 20 June. awa@awavienna.com THAI MASSAGE- HEALTH AND BENEFITS Wednesday 27 June at 11:00 AWA Clubhouse Come an learn the health and benefits of Thai massage from an experienced practitioner.

SIGN UP BY Monday, 25 June awa@awavienna.com MAWA (MEN OFAWA) DINNER NIGHTS Wednesday, 27 June at 18:00 Wednesday 25 July at 18:00

Wednesday 29 August at 18:00 MAWA (Men of AWA) is the group for spouses of AWA members. New members are especially encouraged!

Robert Blaukopf at robert.blaukopf@gmail.com FAMILY HIKE/ Please read Weekly News for the next Family Hike with Heike Little / 01 789 0199/ heikesav@aol.com

An international menu with an opportunity to sit outdoors. Friends welcome.

Please contact Annick directly by Friday, 8 June Annick Gauthier/ 0699 1968 8173/ europolitan@chello.at LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES/ Thursday, 14 June. Please see the Weekly News and Facebook for details of the film.

Renee Lichtenstein /0664 868 6186/ reneelichtenstein@hotmail ART IN THE EVENING AT THE KUNSTFORUM Friday, 15 June at 18:00, Freyung 8, 1010 The MAN RAY collection will be guided by Ida. The cost is €11 or €8.50 for seniors. Spouses and friends welcome. www.leopoldmuseum.org SIGN UP BY Tuesday12 June Ida Vickers /0699 1700 5573/ mail@idavickers.com

BRISK WALK / Please read Weekly News for the next Brisk Walk Lini Stangl/ 0664 179 7031 / linilondon@yahoo.com SUMMER LUNCHEON Wednesday, 22 August at 13:00 CAFE LANDTMANN, Universitätsring 4, 1010 Marina Hornasek will welcome us to her annual luncheon in the air conditioned conservatory area of the café. A special menu will be available and new members are very welcome!

SIGN UP BY Monday, 20 August awa@awavienna.com

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FA W C O

JUNE/ HIGHLIGHTS / 2018 CONTRIBUTED BY LAURIE RICHARDSON

US Citizens, ACT NOW to vote in US elections from abroad!

Overseas Americans must vote if they wish US policymakers to listen to their concerns, and yet only around 4% of eligible overseas voters voted between 2012 and 2014 (source: www.fvap.gov).

What can you do?

Register now to vote in the November 2018 elections!

Go to one of these websites to find out how and when the forms for your home state need to be submitted: FAWCO, Overseas Vote Foundation, or Federal Voting Assistance Program.

FAWCO's Region 5 Meeting in beautiful Heidelberg, Germany, November from 9 to 11, 2018! Mark your calendars! More information about the meeting will come in September from hosts, Heidelberg IWC.

Education Awards As Members of AWA Vienna, you are automatically members of FAWCO and so are eligible to apply for yourself or your children after you have been a member of AWA for at least one year. Applications are due in January 2019. Now is a good time to start thinking about the possibility, so you won't be caught short when the deadline approaches. Learn about the EAs on the website of the FAWCO Foundation (www.fawcofoundation. org), or contact FAWCO Rep Laurie Richardson (lrichardsonvienna@gmail.com).

/ HIGHLIGHTS / 2018 C LJUNE AS SIFIE DS

Sunday Service: 11:15 Rev. Matthew A. Laferty Sechshauser StraĂ&#x;e 56, 1150 Vienna tel: +43 1 895 8175 office@esumc.at I www.esumc.at U4/U6 Längenfeldgasse or 57A Grimmgasse A friendly, caring community with many different nations, cultures, and traditions.

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors We offer: - a place for worship, study, growth - an opportunity to find your own ministry - a chance to feel at home - toddler care - a wonderful and fun Sunday School - five choirs and special music - active groups for families, men, women, young adults, prayer and others.

The English-Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna

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M A K E T HJUNE/ E M O S T/ 2018 OF VIENNA HIGHLIGHTS C O N T R I B U T E D B Y B E V E R LY B A C H M E Y E R

The full programme of events in Vienna in June can be found at this secure site. https://www.wien.info/ media/files/programm-juni-Or in the English speaking website: http://www.viennawurstelstand.com2018.pdf styles takes place at multiple venues, the Arsenal is the LIFE BALL AND VIENNA PRIDE biggest. If you love dancing, this is one for you. http:// The Life Ball at the Rathaus is one of the most www.impulstanz.com/ curious of events in Vienna with costumes ranging from the bizarre to the extraordinary. It is possible, and indeed AWA members have done this in the past, to take chairs and some wine to sit in front of the Rathaus to see the costumes as guests enter. This year’s motto is The Sound of Music, the classic film so do expect the costumes with this theme to be outrageous!

SAND IN THE CITY along the Donaukanal KLYO www.klyo.at/ Strandbar Herrmann www.strandbar-herrmann.at/ Badeschiff www.badeschiff.at/ Tel Aviv Beach www.neni.at/ Vienna Pride runs from 2 to 17 June, with the motto Love, Respect and Solidarity, expanding into a two-week festival even more colourful - from the Prater to Schönbrunn. Numerous parties, art and information events, live performances and, of course, the crowning glory of the Rainbow Parade around the Ring on 16 June, starting at 2pm. Everyone seems to dress up for this from toddlers to grannies with a great sense of pride, literally, in Vienna’s open mindedness. The first Pride Run is on June 9 at 10:30, with the Pride Village opening in front of the Rathaus on 12 June. https://viennapride.at/

EUROPE’S LARGEST OPENAIR PARTY DONAUINSELFEST

Summerstage in the 9th www.summerstage.at/

NEW Die Blumenwiese www.dieblumenwiese.at with director-style chairs and champagne WIR SIND WIEN. FESTIVAL DER BEZIRKE www.wirsindwien.com DONAUKANALTREIBEN www.donaukanaltreiben.at/ VIEVINUM INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL www.vievinum.at OPERA LIVE ON THE SQUARE ***** www.staatsoper.at RÖMERFEST IM STIFT KLOSTERNEUBURG www.stift-klosterneuburg.at/ HANDICRAFT MARKET AT SPITTELBERG www.spittelberg-markt.at JAZZ FEST WIEN Opening with Kris Kristofferson on 15.6 www.jazzfest.wien WIENER FESTWOCHEN www.festwochen.at

Friday 22 June to 24 June on the Donauinsel Around 2,000 artists on about a dozen stages, each sponsored by different firms, play concerts with music of all genres. It is awash with young and old and the enjoyment is palpable. A tribute to Falco, the Austrian popstar, is one of the Highlights, with, of course, Vienna Calling and Amadeus, featuring. https://donauinselfest.at/

IMPULSTANZ

Jul 12 - Aug 12, 2018 In the Arsenal, to very loud music in the huge workshops where the stage settings for the Vienna Opera Houses and Theatres are usually created, hundreds of dancers of all ages stream in every day. A varied program of musical

28TH MUSIC FILM FESTIVAL www.filmfestivalrathausplatz.at/ SUMMER AT MQ 7, www.mqw.at FESTIVAL OF JEWISH CULTURE www.ikg-kultur.at GREEK GARDEN FESTIVAL http://www.wiener-metropol.at/ 2018 WORLD FIFA CUP www.wien.info/en/vienna-for/sports/public-viewing VIENNA POPFEST Karlsplatz www.popfest.at/ 14TH AFRICA DAYS VIENNA 2018 www.afrika-tage.at

M E E T JUNE I V/ HIGHLIGHTS Y MEL CHOR / 2018

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It was a great experience in my 20’s, but that all changed when a family member became ill. I had thought New York was going to be my forever home and that I had achieved my dreams. It was all I wanted at that point in my life although I knew it was not perfect. At times, I cried myself to sleep as it was hard to live alone in an expensive city.

I followed my heart to leave the City that Never Sleeps, and it changed my life for good. Back home, I was given a book to read called You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay. It became my guide for healing the mind and, at the same time, I discovered yoga and became a yoga teacher, meeting new friends and opening Urban Ashram Yoga in Manila.

I became fascinated with health and wellness and at one point became vegetarian.

Ivy Melchor AWA Office and Clubhouse Manager Like many AWA members, I came to Vienna for love. My husband is a second generation FilipinoAustrian; his parents came here in the late 70’s when Germany and Austria needed nurses and medical workers from Asia.

I had never thought of living in Austria when growing up in the Philippines, as I was always fascinated with metropolitan cities like London and New York. My dream took me to New York for seven wonderful years. I was lucky to work at the British Consulate General in New York from 2002 in an organization that valued diversity and with people who believed in my abilities. I met people that I thought I would only see on television and lived in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, taking the Subway packed with sweaty people in summer, walking on the sidewalk next to piles of snow taller than me in winter, sitting on a bench eating hotdogs, and watching people in Central Park. I walked around museums, walked the streets at night without fear because there were always people around and became star struck sometimes from seeing Hollywood stars.

Then I met my husband, fell in love, got married, moved to Vienna, and started a family. My desire to learn Deutsch and to give to charity at Christmas led me to AWA in 2012. When my boys started kindergarten, I had more time to be active again and eventually was appointed as Office Manager. I continued practicing and teaching yoga and enjoyed helping my students learn about their bodies. I took more workshops and trained to expand my knowledge, teaching Vinyasa, prenatal, postnatal, and Well Woman Yoga. As I learned more about women’s bodies, I was inspired to teach women at every stage of their lives, now both at a small studio in the 18th District and at AWA on Wednesday mornings.

AWA members inspire me every day. They are women of the world with big hearts! Many of them speak multiple languages and have lived in many countries. I love that they continue to connect with people wherever they go, volunteering, their time and talents, and making an effort to share their knowledge of this beautiful city with newcomers.

As I live here longer and learn more from the AWA Tours and Trips, I learn to love my new home more.

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C R U I S I N GJUNE/ T HHIGHLIGHTS E M E/ 2018 KONG RIVER CONTRIBUTED BY MARGARET WILLERS

On a cold March morning Ian and I left London with two friends bound for Chang Rai before joining our Mekong cruise boat near the Golden Triangle. There we visited Wat Ron Khan (the White Temple), owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat who devotes his life to funding and developing his temple. From there we visited Wat Phra Kaew which formerly housed the Emerald Buddha, now in a temple with the same name in Bangkok. The nearby market had a lot of interesting foodstuff for sale, not that one would necessarily want to buy it!

After two nights in Chiang Rai, we were picked up by mini bus and set off for the Golden Triangle, the meeting point of three borders, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, an area notorious for opium production.

Wan Ron Khan White Temple

The Hall of Opium was the result of a project supported by the Princess Mother, mother of the late King Bhumibol. She educated people about the perils of opium. The result is an amazing exhibition covering the history of opium, its use in treating illnesses, and how it was used in the economic colonization and control of China. Other exhibits address the impact of drug use and addiction. An extremely interesting but sobering experience!

their wares were on display. At Pak On, we took a smaller boat to visit the Buddha Caves, set in towering limestone cliffs. Thousands of Buddhas of all shapes and sizes were set in niches, on rocks, on shelves throughout the caves – a wonderful sight. Our next stop was Luang Prabang, now a World Heritage Site and former royal capital of Laos until 1975. The Royal Palace is now the National Museum. There are many Buddhist temples, including the gilded 16th century Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Mai, once the residence of the head of Laotian Buddhism. Early in the morning we joined local people to offer alms to hundreds of Buddhist monks walking through the city in their saffron robes.

Later, in Kuang Si, we visited a butterfly park and the Kuang Si Falls to view the beautiful cascades and turquoise pools. This was also home to Moon bears rescued from bile farms where the hideous practice of harvesting bile from live animals was practiced for use in traditional Chinese medicine. The following day we passed through the most controversial place on the river, the Xayaburi hydroelectric dam, the first of eleven planned in Laos. Complaints from Cambodia and Vietnam suspended work that was started in 2012.

After plan modifications, work restarted. Not a lot of international cooperation here!

After our next village visit, the captain set off in his motorized skiff with a couple of crew members and bamboo poles. The news on his return was bad. There was not enough water for the Laos Pandaw to navigate safely to Vientiane. The rest of the journey would be by bus. There are many temples to visit in Vientiane, among them the Wat Sisaket and Wat Pra Keo. The Pha That Luang Stupa consists of several temples and an enormous Sleeping Buddha. One of my personal highlights in Vientiane was the Carol Cassidy cooperative, producing exquisite silk, from spinning, dyeing and weaving.

We planned to meet the Laos Pandaw in Chiang Saen, but because the Chinese were holding back the river further upstream, we were unable to get there. Instead, We look forward to next year’s two week river cruise we went by road to Chiang Kong, many kilometers up the Irrawaddy from Yangon (Rangoon)! downstream. We finally joined the boat late afternoon.

There were 16 passengers and 17 crew, a good ratio! A group of Thai dancers and musicians entertained us on our first evening, beautiful and elegant. Each evening a different cocktail was served, some better than others!

The Thai, Lao and western food was excellent. Our first visit was on foot to Chiang Kong where we stopped at several Buddhist temples. We were then whisked by mini bus to the Friendship bridge to clear Thai immigration and purchase a bus ticket to cross the bridge to Laos.

Now our journey down the Mekong really started. Most days we visited at least one or two villages. One of the most interesting was a Hmong village (a mountain tribe) where the cottage industry was spinning and weaving.

Because they knew the boat was coming, many of

Pha That Luang Stupa Sleeping Buddha

FROM HO CHI MINHJUNE CITY TO THE MEKONG DELTA / HIGHLIGHTS / 2018

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CONTRIBUTED BY IRENE SCHLEGELMILCH

Earlier this year, I spent a wonderful vacation in Vietnam with my husband, Bodo, where we visited vibrant Ho Chi Minh City and the stunningly beautiful Mekong Delta region.

Ho Chi Minh City, named after the revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in 1976, is still referred to as Saigon by many. It is a hectic, eclectic city offering a myriad of lasting impressions. From its French colonial past and its pivotal role in the Vietnam War, Ho Chi Minh City has evolved into an energetic, modern metropolis of some 8.5 million people. On arrival, you can’t fail to notice the huge swarms of motorbikes buzzing along and choking the streets. It’s estimated there are eight million motorbikes in the city. You certainly need to be super brave and very determined, (and offering up a prayer), to weave across a road.

Ho Chi Minh City Hall

The city center is peppered with grand landmark buildings from the French colonial times which grace the city with a majestic flair. Notre Dame Cathedral (the name is no coincidence) and the city hall are the finest examples of colonial grandeur. The stark Reunification Palace serves as a poignant reminder of Vietnam’s turbid history and the ultimate fall of Saigon and reunification of Vietnam in 1975. There is also the imposing War Remnants museum which houses relics from the Vietnam War, including a mighty display of military aircraft and tanks. It’s not a place for the faint-hearted.

Similar to Vienna, there is a strong coffee culture in Vietnam. Dissimilar to Vienna, is the price; you can get a cup of coffee in a local cafe for 10,000 VND, which sounds a lot, but is actually only 40 cents.

French colonists introduced coffee to Vietnam and meantime, Vietnam is the second biggest producer of coffee in the world after Brazil. Robusta is the predominant bean, which has about double the caffeine of Arabica, and is hence more bitter. The coffee is typically prepared in individual French press filters sitting on top of the cup and topped with thick, sweet condensed milk. Further legacies of French rule are the croissant and baguette. Báhn mì, or baguette sandwich, is a staple food of the locals. It was a welcome reprieve from sightseeing to sit and take a break in a local street-side cafe on the tiny, plastic stools and watch the world and the motorbikes go by.

A mere two hours drive west from Ho Chi Minh City and you are in a different world, the Mekong Delta region. En route, it’s worth taking a break at one of the many cafes by the road-side. There is the inevitable Vietnamese coffee to be enjoyed and also rows and rows of hammocks for weary travelers to take a snooze. Yes, we sampled both.

Along the way, the rice paddy fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Indeed, the Mekong Delta is known as the ‘Rice bowl of Vietnam’, as about half of Vietnam’s rice is produced here. Now considering Vietnam is amongst the top five rice producing counties in the world, that is a lot of rice!

The Mekong Delta is serene, lush and breathtaking, in terms of both scale and beauty. The region is a vast and complex maze of rivers, islands and swamps stretching over an area of about 40,000 square kilometers. Tourism here is growing. The Mekong Delta welcomed some 22 million visitors in 2017, drawn to this “biological treasure trove” by the biodiversity, tranquility, floating markets and over 100 Khmer pagodas. We chose a Mekong Delta tour which included kayaking along the smaller channels off the main bodies of water and cycling through the colourful villages and lush vegetation on the Delta islands. For the first time, we saw jackfruit trees. It’s a wonder how the trees can support the giant (and delicious) fruit which can weigh up to 15 kg.

Vietnam is a country of gentle and friendly folk, vibrant and bustling cities, tranquil and lush countryside and a dramatic coastline. And of course, then there’s the delicious food and caffeine laden coffee! We certainly hope to get the opportunity to visit this amazing land again.

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T O JUNE/ D DHIGHLIGHTS L E R /G ROUP 2018

Stephanie really makes a difference - her warmth, kindness and wonderful guitar and singing skills and every Monday is so much fun. It really saved my life when I came to Austria. I was so blessed to find a place to introduce beautiful children's songs and chatting with young, international mommies at the same time.

MONDAY AFTERNOON TODDLER GROUP Toddler Playgroup from Stephanie Barrett, the Musical Leader While often noting the many opportunities to fill an opened position in AWA, Stephanie also noted how often she would look at an opportunity and know it was definitely meant for someone else. However, one day she read about the need for someone to lead music for a toddler play group. Her first thought was – wow, that is something she could do and, in fact, would love to do. They are finishing up their second year of mums and toddlers gathering, Elaine Mirca Holly & Sebbie Stephanie & Jordan & Carla Erica & Jack Claudia & Nico and what fun it has been! Some little ones spontaneously move to the music, while others show up seemingly for the delightful purpose of feeding their snacks to their canine mascot, Prinz. There is always plenty of laughter and good conversation amidst the music, and they gladly welcome all interested newcomers!

Claudia and Nico Having lived in Shanghai for 4 ½ years, and having come back to Vienna two months before giving birth to beautiful little son Nico, the hours in AWA have helped Claudia to somehow overcome the reverse culture shock, and to , dive into a cosmopolitan environment being back in her “boring” home country. An American friend living in Vienna, Lynn, mother of Winston, knew that she very much liked to be surrounded by non-Austrians and recommended her to check out AWA baby group. Claudia loves music and last but not least she feels so lucky that Nico, so early in his life, could meet the most wonderful dog in the world, Prinz. Nico loves to feed “baby” Prinz with his corn worms and it appears that Prinz enjoys it too J. Holly and Sebastian British born Holly, moved to Europe in 2014 with her husband who works for OMV. Sebastian, now 20 months, was born in Budapest but the family moved to Vienna in April 2017. Holly joined AWA in September 2017. She and Sebbie enjoy coming to the Clubhouse on a Monday afternoon having met some amazing people that they now call friends. They hope to welcome more friends in the future to join them for music and fun.

Mirca and Carla Mirca Behling is from Germany but has lived in Austria for 7 years after love brought her to Vienna. Her Austrian-German, 1 year old daughter, Carla, will make her stay much longer. She came across AWA when an American friend told her about AWA toddler group. Listening to her words, Mirca signed up the day after. She is very happy that she followed her friend’s advice to join AWA. She enjoys having the chance to meet with this fun group on a weekly basis to sing, exchange, laugh, and watch the toddlers grow!

Emese and Linda Hungarian born, Emese Pal, moved to Vienna in May 2017 with her husband and her daughter, Linda, who was born at the end of June 2017. They joined AWA Baby and Toddler group in January 2018 as Linda enjoys listening to music. Linda was a bit shy for the first time but now she enjoys the Monday afternoons in the Clubhouse as much as her mother. Linda can see other toddlers running, playing, sharing foods and she likes Prinz, the main attraction of the toddler group, and, hopefully, she will become an active member of the group soon rather than just a spectator. The mothers in the group share toddlers’ issues, customs, gossips and recommendation of playgrounds and simply enjoy time spent together which is a relaxing and fun every Monday.

Elaine and Jordan Elaine is an Embassy wife with 2 year old Jordan from Singapore, where the average temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius all year and it rains every day! The family moved to Vienna at the end of 2016 and as Vienna is such a lovely city, especially for families, they feel very thankful that they were assigned here!

They also feel very blessed to be part of the AWA community. Apart from singing and dancing, they also share lots of snacks - no dinner on Mondays!!

BECOMINGJUNE MORE ECO-FRIENDLY / HIGHLIGHTS / 2018

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C O N T R I B U T E D B Y E L I Z A B E T H K O YA M A

PART 1: No more lugging kitty litter and throwing it out in plastic bags.

Find a deep baking pan and a baking sheet with holes in it that fits snuggly into pan. Arrange little feet under the baking sheet so that it stands about an inch above the floor of the pan (I wired on 4 right-angled little iron things onto the sheet - using the holes in the sheet - that I found at a hardware store). Then get some pebbles to lay on the baking sheet. Your cat will have to get used to pebbles instead of litter because the whole idea of this eco Klo is that you will never need to buy litter again. My cat, Pumpkin, caught on right away.

To clean the Klo: wire in handles on each side of the baking sheet so that you can lift it easily out of the pan. Lift the sheet with the pebbles out and empty the cat wee into the toilet. Then, with a little soap and a shower head the pan can be rinsed out in the tub. Clean the pebbles by placing the tray with pebbles in the bath tub and spraying them with hot water from the shower head. When the pan is dry, sprinkle a bit of baking soda in it and place tray with pebbles back into pan. When your cat takes a poo, just pick it out with a pair of chopsticks and drop it in the toilet.

AWA VIENNA OFFICE & CLUBHOUSE: Singerstrasse 4/11, 1010 Wien T: (01) 966 29 25 E-mail: awa@awavienna.com www.awavienna.com

OFFICE HOURS: Monday to Thursday, 10:00-16:00 Friday closed OFFICE MANAGERS: Ivy Melchor & Erin Silangil

ÖSTERREICHISCHE POST AG INFO. MAIL ENTGELT BEZAHLT