Having ordered this exclusive San Francisco neighborhood map way back in February, I finally had a great idea to place it above my desk in my Vienna apartment. Finally, it’s on my wall. Also I found a picture that used to belong to my uncle. A Black and White coffee shop setting. Very nice. It now leans against the wall on my Ikea rack weighed down with my poker set.

My desktop. Always tidied as can seen in this picture above. Below you can find a link to see a close up of the poster itself.

I kept telling myself to go and get a nice frame. This week however I came up with a brilliant and somewhat unique idea. Here is what you need to hang up the poster the way I did:

• 4 pins (even fixing pins should  be fine – my wall is plaster board)
• 1 hammer
• 1 ruler
• 2 min on your hand

Corner close up.

That’s it. First, mark where the pins are supposed to go through your poster. I used a padding of 1 cm x 1 cm from each corner. Then, drive the pins into the wall through the poster (Duh!). Start with one of the upper corner, so you can align the poster nicely*. Do not have the pin go into the wall all the way.

The fixing pins stick 1.5 cm. Proceed with the residual corners. When you are done, push the poster to the head of the pin, so that it looks like the poster is floating (See the close up to your right, click to enlarge). This should cast a nice shadow, especially on colored walls (See a close up of the poster itself). Love the effect.

*I wish more people where Monkish in that specific matter. There’s nothing more disturbing than crooked pictures on somebody’s wall. 

What do you think? Any other “unconventional” ideas for how to hang up a poster?

Vienna came in at #18.

Vie We always knew that Vienna (Airport VIE) was quite a great place to live at. And now it’s official with quite a great result for the city in the Askmen 2009’s Top 29 Best Cities to Live ranking. Ranked number 18, Vienna can be proud being compared to several international cities. Check out the ranking at askmen.com/specials/top_29_cities.

1. Chicago
2. Barcelona
3. San Francisco
18. Vienna

So what is it that makes Vienna so special and one of the 29 “most inhabitable cities for the everyday man.” Although Viennese really like to complain (locally known as “sudern”) and moan about the bad weather we get (especially around this time of the year), we need to realize that it’s actually a nice spot situated along the blue Danube where an amazing thing called Schnitzel (Tourists’ pronounciation likely to sound like Snitzzel) and Schweinsbraten (roast pork) is served. Maybe the sudern part had us come in as #18.

Vienna at dusk. -- If you start to take Vienna - take Vienna. -- by Napoleon Bonaparte. He was damn right...

As you know I have recently moved to Vienna and therefore I am trying to make my new place feel homy. I’ve been looking for a neat poster that matches the green in my room and found it online over at orkposters.com. Have a look, it’s a city map of San Francisco. Doesn’t it look awesome? (It comes in all kinds of US American cities.)

Once it is shipped to my apartment I’ll have to figure out how to hang it up. Here are some ideas. Love the binder clip hanging method. Or should I just go for a plain frame?

San Francisco City Map Poster (in green)

For all Vienna gourmets – and probably gourmands as well – there is very good and tasty news. A second Vapiano store is about to open its doors to visitors. January 28. Looks like the location is supersekrit. Keepin’ ya posted.

On the one hand I am still praying it’s going to be somewhere in the 7th district (close to my apartment), but one other hand a Vapiano-proximity might have a bad impact on my monthly (limited!) budget. Yet, dining at Vapiano is affordable and most definitely part of my life as a student in Vienna.

This got you all hungry? Looking for ideas where to go in Vienna? Check out tupalo.com!

Woopsydaisy (the made-my-day-random-shout-out of the day), I am afraid I gave away where I want to go this summer with this chicken Schnitzelburger... Yet, I will keep watching out for hints · photo by Vanessa Pike-Russell

As we are currently not just freezing but also approaching early booker season for the summer months, I’m holding out for teeny weeny subtle hints of what journey will take me to what place. So, open your eyes and you’ll see where destiny or a puddle of mud wants you to go.

I guess I’ll order Schnitzel for my birthday meal this weekend. I am one of those weird people that follow one strict set of rules in life that include “My Schnitzel’s Wish Is My Demand!”

Also it looks like food can give away more than just the perfect place to spend the summer but is amazingly accurate with your current position. Forget GPS on that crazy thing called iPhone, eat Schnitzel, people. Schnitzel. Schnitzel for everyone! Yaay.

Having had the best time before, during and after the movie I can’t but recommend going to the movies to check out Madagascar 2. Love the penguins and that crazy little dude that has people pray and sacrifice to the Water gods. Freak, it’s solid science.

Can’t follow? Don’t worry, just promise to go see it (preferably at the Haydnkino at Mariahilferstraße -- the only English theater that plays the flick this holiday season -- Burgkino, tisk, tisk, I thought you knew better than this -- at least I can reckon on you in most urgent Wanna See English Original Movie cases). Here’s a teaser for ya,…

If for some reason, animated movies are not THE thing to do with joy during your sacred holidays, then you might also enjoy Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Two American ladies headed to spend the summer in Barcelona somehow… Oh, you know how this goes on, don’t cha?

Saw it. Loved it. And I guess I can file it in the Austrian Ad Landschaft series…

Superfly, based in Vienna only, caused a lot of fuzz with their campaigns  lately. “This shit is fly” and “Don’t stay at home, baby!” were quite nifty. With the latter they tried to get back at FM4 whose slogan among others is “You’re at home, baby!” FM4 must have been was ranting about that… A little birdie told me.

Also they had nice ways of establishing their brands. For instance, street branding, which I think is pretty genious.

Ad campaign by Superfly. A new radio station based in Vienna only. Received on a radio near you: 98.3 FM.

Here a fine assorted collection of memos directed to myself and those who might have interest in making subtle approaches to the oppposite sex…