New €20 Banknote

In November the new €20 banknote was released in to circulation.

The new €5 banknote was introduced in May 2013 and the new €10 banknote was released in September 2014.

Front side

Here's a comparison of the new and old banknotes.

The new version is on the top and the old version is on the bottom.

Back side

I guess the new €50 banknote will get released some time in 2016.

Here's a short video I found out on YouTube about the new €20.

©European Central Bank

Vienna Gay Traffic Lights

During this year's Eurovision finals in Vienna the city installed some interesting new traffic lights to demonstrate tolerance and openness.  Specifically some same-sex traffic lights.

Instead of traditional single figure lights, the new lights show hearts and three different couples - a man and a woman, two men, and two women.

The lights were installed at 120 different crosswalks in the city.  The lights cost €63 000 (~$70,000) to install.  They were meant to only be temporary but it looks like they are here to stay. 

2015 Vienna Christmas Market Trip

Yesterday was a day trip to Vienna to enjoy some of the city's Christmas markets.  And there are definitely a few.

The first December Market was held back in 1298.  Today there are more than 20 different Christmas markets held in December.

Most of the markets open in November and close in December.

The main Vienna markets are the ones at the Rathaus (city hall), Maria-Theresien Platz, Belvedere Palace, Schönbrunn Palace, Spittelberg, and the former general hospital.

Aside from visiting six different markets we managed to visit a couple of new sightseeing spots as well.

In District I is the Judenplatz which was the centre of Jewish life in Vienna back in the Middle Ages. The Holocaust Memorial was unveiled in 2000 and commemorates the more than 65,000 Austrian Jews who were killed between 1938 and 1945.

At the end of WWII, Vienna was divided into four occupied zones by the American, British, French and Soviet armies.  At Schwarzenbergplatz is the Soviet War Memorial.

The monument was unveiled in 1945 to honour the 17,000 Soviet soldiers that died in the Battle of Vienna.  The city restored the monument in 2009.

As many times as I've been to Vienna it's nice to know that there are still new sights to see.

Louskáček Time Again

It's Louskáček time again!!  Time to go see The Nutcracker at the Janáček Theatre.


This really has become a Christmas tradition here.  I think I've seen it at least four of the past seven years.



The ballet here in Brno really is world class.  And you can't beat centre seating.

Passport Renewal

Today I requested a new passport from the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava.  My passport was valid until mid-2018 but I only had two blank pages left.  That's even with the extra pages I added a few years ago.  Too much travel I guess.

U.S. Embassy in Bratislava ©Wikipedia

When you apply for a visa, most countries require a minimum of two blank pages.  As an American I can apply for a new passport in any U.S. embassy or consulate.  The closest is the one in Slovakia so I took the train there is morning to apply.

Passport applications are taken by appointment only and they can be made online.  Just take the application, a photo, and cash.  For an adult passport renewal the fee is $110 and you can pay in dollars or local currency.  I paid €105 for mine.

Expedited passport requests are not available to those applying overseas because the passport is printed in the USA.  However, all of the applications from embassies have priority so it only takes five to seven business days.

The photo is the one thing to watch out for.  In Euroland the photo is 35 mm X 45 mm but the USA requires that the photos be 2 X 2 inches (51 X 51 mm).  Apparently many people make the mistake of trying to submit the smaller photo and their application is rejected.  When I went for my photo I told the clerk that I needed the American size and it was no problem.

The application process only took about five minutes.  I spent more time than that just going through security.  They let me keep my current passport but I have to bring it with me in order to collect my new one.  I figure with the Christmas holidays it will take at least two weeks.

Security is strict at all embassies and they don't care for people taking photos outside.  That's why the photo of the Bratislava embassy came from Wikipedia.

Update:  I received an e-mail from the embassy that my new passport is ready.  It only took four days!  Wow!!  I have to go to the Bratislava office in January so I'll pick it up on my way to work then.

The Tree is Up

'Tis the season so my little Czech Charlie Brown Christmas tree is now up.  And thanks to Natalie and her mom I know all about Christmas crackers which helps fill up things under the tree.

It's been the normal busy holiday season.  In addition to Christmas parties and the recent VUT ball, there has been the usual rush to get things done.

My Christmas season actually starts in mid-November.  I always include advent calendars in the care packages that I send to my niece and nephew so I need to make sure that they arrive in the USA prior to 1 December.  I also try to get my holiday cards in the mail no later than the first week of December.  Not only because it usually takes about 10 days for a card to reach California from here but because the lines in the post office here in December go on forever. But at least here the main post office is open on Saturday and Sunday.

2015 Department Christmas Party

On Thursday night we held our IBM project management Christmas party.  The theme of this year's bash was "secondhand extravaganza".  The goal was to spend no more than 100 Kč (around $5).

There are lots and lots of second hand shops here in Brno.  So it was kind of fun trying to put something together.  I was surprised that you could actually find some good stuff but of  course never in my size.

The party was a lot of fun.  Some folks for sure got creative with the outfits.

 

Brno Districts

I've been pouring over flat listings now that I need to move.  I prefer to live near the city centre.  Not too close but a short walking distance away would be great.

Of course Brno is like every other city where prices are more expensive in the centre and become cheaper the further out you go.  Here's a map from foreigners.cz of the Brno districts with the English language equivalent.  Some of the translations are quite funny.

I wouldn't mind staying in Veveří (Squirrelville) but Žabovřesky (Frogscreams) or Stránice (Hillslope) are possible locations too.  

2015 VUT Christmas Ball

Several of my guys at work are attending the Brno University of Technology.  In Czech it is Vysoké učeni technické v Brně - VUT.

One of our interns this term had a project to organise their Christmas Ball with IBM as the primary sponsor.



VUT was founded in Brno, in 1899, as the Imperial Czech Technical University of Franz Joseph.  When the school opened it only offered a single civil engineering course.  This was the first Czech institution of higher education in Moravia.

My guys who helped pull this together.

Between WWI and WWII is when the institution was renamed the Brno University of Technology.

With 24,000 students studying in 8 different faculties, VUT is the largest technical university in Czechland.  For several years in a row it has been ranked among the best universities in the world.  The head of the university is the rector and currently that is prof. RNDr. Ing. Petr Štěpánek, CSc.

The rector and I giving our welcome speeches.

Since I've been supporting the guys they gave me a VIP ticket to the ball.  Sweet!  Especially since all I had to do was show up.  Well...we had a couple of things come up so I found out on Thursday afternoon that I need to represent IBM and give a speech to 1500 people.  Not so sweet.

Let's just say that I wasn't thrilled about having to get up and speak but I managed to get through it.  Then After midnight I participated in a raffle where IBM donated a couple of iPhones and a MacBook Air.

The entire evening was simply outstanding!  I can't wait to see what happens next year.  Here's a video that VUT put together of the ball.

Mikuláš 2015

Every year Mikuláš makes a visit to IBM.

I've been the angel before (which for some reason no one believes) and I've been the devil a few times.

I guess sooner or later I might actually have to play Mikuláš.