Thursday, October 25, 2012

Last Day Before the Winter (on the Rax)


On top of the Rax

The last week of September we drove an hour outside of Wien to the Rax. In Wien everything was foggy and chilly. When we got to the Rax the sun was shining! On top of the mountain the weather was perfect, a slow warm breeze, under a perfect a blue sky.

Given everyone in Austria is talking about Austia's latest greatest international hero, Baumgartner who base jumped from space, we decided to recreate the stunning feat with Monstro, Pascal's latest favorite stuffed animal. Monstro didn't break the sound barrier, but he tumbled through the air like crazy and he landed (unhurt) with NO parachute!





Landing

Take OFF!!!
Next time Monstro will base jumped from here

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Meeting Erin Hunter

Anika's self-made book cover

This year I started reading a series called Warrior Cats. I am already done with the third season (one season has 6 books) and am reading the second book of fourth season. I'm really proud that I'm so far. I was talking with one of my friends and he brought up that Erin Hunter, the author of Warrior Cats, was coming to Vienna!!! I knew that I would want to go there right away. So finally the day of the reading came and I went there with my mom. And what do you know the place was crammed with chairs and all the seats were reserved. But we went on the side and I was sitting on the ground right next to the platform!!! Good thing we came early. After what felt like 1 hour everyone was there and the whole room packed with kids from 8-16 years old and a few parents. I was sitting next to 2 teenagers on the floor. I saw that one of them was reading the books in English.  I wanted to know how far she was. But because I am always shy at first it took me 10 minutes to even ask her. She spoke German and was born in Vienna but she read the books in English. It looked like the second one liked America: Scarf and shoes with the American flag!!! Then at last Erin Hunter came. I was really excited and because I was never in a reading I wondered what she would start with. Of course everyone was there because they wanted to listen to the first chapter in german (boring). I had already read it in English. So I was sitting there rotting and sweating in the room cause there was so many people. After they were done with that it was time for questions. Already way more interesting. After 30 minutes she gave out autographs. I think I was the only one that really talked with her!!! It was pretty cool to do that. It sounds like Erin Hunter comes every year so let's see if it will be the same next year!!!

Here are some of the questions Erin Hunter answered:

Question 1: Why did you start writing Warrior Cats?

Answer: Harper Collins is my publisher and I had already wrote horse novels. They asked me to write a book about cats. I don't really like cats and I am allergic to them so I wrote about some things that interested me like war, death, politics and religion. So I wrote the book and gave it to Harper Collins but they said the dense content was not one book but enough for six.

Question 2: Which is your favorite cat?

Answer: I really like Cinderpelt she is so energetic and wise. She is the only dead cat that I feel sorry for.

Question 3: What will happen in the 5th season?

Answer: In the 5th season it will be about the clans (a group of cats) before there was Bluestar and Firestar and all the other cats. So basically about when the Clans were first made and what happened.

Of course these are not all the questions but I don't remember all of them. I didn't tell you that Erin Hunter is actually a team of 5 women and that Vicky Holmes (her real name) is the boss. She basically makes a balloon (the story frame, scenes etc.) and the other 4 writers blow the balloon up for her with details.

-Written by Anika