Austin – Nov 02 2015

GlobalAustin, The Foreign Service Group of Texas, UT’s Center for International Business Education and Research, UT’s International Relations and Global Studies Program, UT’s Center for European Studies, UT’s Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, UT’s International Affairs Society and EuroCircle will co-host a presentation by  Professor Dr. Julian Lindley- French, who will speak on the subject, “Why NATO Still Matters to the United States.”

Professor Dr Julian Lindley-French is a leading strategic analyst, author and commentator with several books to his name. He is Senior Fellow at the Institute of Statecraft, Director of Europa Analytica, Honorary Fellow of the Strategy and Security Institute at the University of Exeter and a member of the Strategic Advisory Panel of General Sir Nick Houghton, Chief of the British Defence Staff.  He was formerly a member of the Strategic Advisory Group of the Atlantic Council of the United States and has been appointed to three professorial chairs at the University of Leiden and the Netherlands Defence Academy.

His blog, Lindley-French’s Blog Blast (www.lindleyfrench.blogspot.com), has a world-wide readership and is on the websites of several leading think-tanks.  He is also a regular columnist for several leading newspapers and author of several books. The Oxford Handbook of War is regarded as a definitive anthology on war.  In 2014, he published a new book entitled “Little Britain? Twenty-First Century Strategic Challenges for a Middling European Power” and Oxford University Press published the paperback edition of his Oxford Handbook.  In 2015, Professor Lindley-French will publish a second edition of NATO: The Enduring Alliance for Routledge Press and is currently writing a book on Europe and strategy.

 Click here for parking possibilities and a map for the location of the Texas Union Theatre on the UT campus.  http://www.utexas.edu/universityunions/sites/default/files/txu_parking_map.pdf

 

Atlanta – Oct 07 2015

Our October Get-together will take place on Wednesday, October 7th @ TAPA TAPA located in Midtown (directly across from Café Diem).

We will have exclusive access to the venue along with complimentary appetizers and drink specials.
Please mark your calendars for the party and don’t forget to invite your international and like-minded friends.

Salutations,
David
EuroCircle Atlanta

Tapa Tapa offers a unique blend of Atlanta trends and authentic Spain. Enjoy a variety of authentic Spanish tapas, a handpicked international wine list, and craft cocktails all with in-house made ingredients.

New York – Oct 27 2015

Join us at this great rooftop for our Masquerade Rooftop Party!

DJ Chris Bachman will be spinning tunes for us throughout the night!

Dress Code: Masquerade Mask or Costume, Optional and Not Required

There will be $ 10 absolut drinks on special as well as $10 champagne by the glass (make sure you get a stamp at the door to get these specials).

Featured Hosts:

Harriet Kulmala, Finland
Mina Deutsch, Russia, Mina D Jewelry
Henry Picado, Italy and Costa Rica, JS Collections
Mariana Palacios Vega, Argentina, Mariana Online

Look forward to seeing you all on October 27th!

Best,
Alexandra and the EuroCircle NY Team

EuroCircle New York Facebook Group

About Empire Rooftop
“A rooftop haven with stunning views.”
Located on the 12th floor of our distinctive New York City luxury hotel, Empire Rooftop & Lounge offers magnificent views of Lincoln Center as well as the Broadway & Columbus Avenue gateway to Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

 

Philadelphia – Nov 18 2015

*****THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED*****

Join EuroCircle as we kick off the fall season with two things we like best, wine and art.

Tonight, we will meet local artist Lorraine Glessner for a private reception. The evening starts with drinks and light hors d’oeuvres, and as the crowd gathers, Glessner will talk to us about her work, which encompasses sewn collages, sculptures and encaustic paintings.

Artist biography:

Lorraine Glessner’s love of surface, pattern, markmaking, image and landscape has led her to combine disparate materials and processes such as silk, wood, branding, rust, paper and more in her work. Lorraine is an Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a BS from Philadelphia University, and an AAS in Computer Graphics from Moore College of Art & Design. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, textile design, photography, digital imaging and much more. Among her most recent professional achievements is a Second Place award in Sculpture from Art of the State at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA, a recently completed artist residency at Jentel Foundation and an acquisition by Kelsey-Seybold Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Lorraine’s work has been exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, craft centers, schools, libraries, universities, and more. Like her work, Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, history, experimentation, problem solving and discovery.

About Jed Williams Gallery: Recently named one of the top art galleries in Bella Vista and Queen Village by Philadelphia Magazine, Jed Williams Gallery is a unique art space owned and operated since 2010 by artist Jed Williams. JWG showcases up-and- coming and inspiring artists from the Philadelphia area. Artists featured are from all backgrounds including classically trained as well as self-taught outsider artists. The gallery shows a variety of thoughtful, cutting edge high quality works ranging from 2D, mixed media and painting, to video, installation and sculpture. 615 Bainbridge St. Philadelphia, PA. 

TICKETS:  http://eurocircle.ticketleap.com/eurocircles-wine-reception-and-gallery-talk-with-artist-lorrain/

EuroCircle Philadelphia Group @ Facebook

Meet Ben Rosenfeld – Russian Comedian and Author

Meet Ben Rosenfeld a New York City Based Stand Up Comedian and Book Author who performs all over Manhattan. His next show is this week!

Please introduce yourself (name, country, where are you from and what do you do, where do you live, what did you study and why, family etc – the usual stuff)? 

My name is Ben Rosenfeld. I was born in Leningrad, USSR (aka St. Petersburg, Russia). I’m a stand up comedian and book author based out of New York City. In college (Rutgers University) I double majored in Economics and Philosophy, so I know how to make money, I just don’t see the point. Then in grad school (Caltech) I took a class in decision theory, which made me decide to quit grad school. I’m an only child of Russian-Jewish immigrants. I grew up in a frozen tundra, untouched by human kindness… Connecticut.

How did you end up in New York of all places?

I wound up in New York because I hate driving cars and most of my life has been spent within 100 miles of NYC. It also happens to be the best place to do comedy.

What is the best and worst about New York for you…what is a typical day and weekend?
Best part of NYC is not driving all the time and worrying about parking, and that the city feels alive and energetic at all hours. Worst part is the city feels alive and energetic at all hours so it’s hard to relax. And waiting for subways at 2am is annoying. And NYC is super expensive. Typical day – wake up at 9 or 10am, do emails, review my performances from last night, write, edit videos. Around 5pm go and do comedy shows and network. Home around 1am. Sleep by 2am. This is pretty much the same on a weekday and a weekend, only difference being there’s more shows to do on weekends and they go a little later.

How do you find the lifestyle in New York compared to your hometown in Leningrad (housing, food, health care, education, nature, weather?

I grew up in Stamford, CT, which is less than an hour away from NYC, so it’s pretty similar. You just pay more in rent for a smaller space, and there’s way more pedestrian traffic. Compared to Russia, NYC is warmer weather and you’re more likely to get mugged than get your organs stolen 🙂

How do you make your living now – and how would you like to develop that career? 

I make my living performing comedy and doing comedy related activities like acting, voice overs, video editing, directing, writing and designing websites for other performers. I want more writing and performing, and less of everything else. TV work would be nice.

Do you see the differences between nationalities  easily – yours vs. Americans vs. other Europeans?

Yes. Russians are more pessimistic / realistic and straight forward. Americans are more cheery and obsessed about happiness. Europeans – from when I’ve traveled – people in southern Europe (Italy, Greece, etc.) are very warm and friendly to strangers and each other, northern Europe (UK / Ireland) not as much.

What is the essence of New York to you?

NYC = energy + achievement.

What do you absolutely miss from your country/elsewhere heritage (food, culture, movies etc) … or elsewhere?

Banyas and cheap caviar.

Workwise – how do you see you’re being different from your countrymen– also culturally, what stands out in your chosen profession? 

There’s way more people in America trying to be comedians than there are in Russia.

When you think about what did you think about life in New York before you moved there – did you misconceptions that turned out to be wrong?

I’ve been around NYC since I was ten years old, so this doesn’t really apply.

Knowing more about life and having lived with your decisions for a while (like work) – would you still choose to be there and why? Why not.?

Yes – unless Los Angeles offers me a pile of money to work on a show there.

What should everyone know and understand about your country and its culture?

New Yorkers are callus and indifferent on the outside, but really nice and kindhearted once we’re certain you’re not trying to screw us somehow.

What cafes or restaurants do you recommend to tourists to go to in New York  and why? Or to do something else.

Shake shack, Rice To Riches, any good Thai and Indian restaurant.

What would be your ideal life – with no monetary issues to make it happen?

If monetary issues weren’t a thing, I’m already living my ideal life style.

Would you move back to your country full time – yes or no (why and why not)?

 No – while I speak fluent Russian, I have a terrible accent that natives notice right away, and my reading/writing skills leave a lot to be desired. Plus I barely tolerate NYC winters, I have no chance in Russia!

What has been the worst social/cultural issue to deal with in New York  for you?

When you first move to NYC and don’t know many people, you feel much lonelier than anywhere else, just because there’s this sea of humanity everywhere, and it’s all anonymous.

Anything else you would like sharing with us?

I’m recording my second comedy album this Thursday, September 24th LIVE in New York City during 2 shows. 7pm and 9:15pm.  BUY 7:00 PM SHOW Tix   OR    BUY 9:15 PM SHOW Tix  (discount gets applied after you hit proceed to checkout).

Connect with Ben

Check out Big Ben Comedy
Connect with Ben on YouTube
Ben Rosenfeld on Facebook
Big Ben Comedy on Twitter
Get Ben’s Book on Amazon Here

 

The StroopClub – Chantal & Tako Followed Their Dream via Green Card Lottery from The Netherlands to Austin

This story is written by Chantal and Tako in their own words. You will meet them on Saturday, Sep 26  at the Roosevelt Room – and have a chance to sample the famous StroopWafels.

You know this quote of a guy named Robert Fulghum?

“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—”

This quote has probably been used on countless wedding invitations, but for us… This is (even without the wedding invitation) just so true!

Here’s our story.

We’re Tako and Chantal and we’re originally from the Netherlands. (For y’all who don’t know where that is, it’s western Europe, with our beautiful, but cold, beaches at the North-Sea. Amsterdam will probably ring a bell.)

Tako is a senior economist specialized in anti trust. With the wish he had for years to once come to the States to experience life here, he entered the Green Card Lottery. As a miracle  – and a chance of once in 200 years – he actually won this thing! Happy and excited, he started the process to change his life and live his dream. Unexpectedly, right in the middle of that process, he met Chantal, an experienced corporate technical recruiter. Her dream was to once build her own restaurant and live in any other country to experience the rest of the world.

You see the match here? We certainly did!

We both love cooking, we love baking, we love good, real, fresh, honest food. We love to experiment, to go out for dinner, to try new joints. Some even might call us foodies.. We often get disappointed though, because our own cooking often beats the restaurant quality. So if you’re that arrogant.. Yeah, one must start his own food business! So that’s what we did. Fully indulging in Austin culture, but still cherishing our own traditions, we first took workshops at home to make these lovely Stroopwafels ourselves.

The Stroopwafel, the one and only traditional cookie of our home country. We invested in the professional baking iron and appliances and here we are. Baking and selling our delicious, home-made, hand-pressed traditional Stroopwafels! The fun part? We’re actually still in an AirBNB… 🙂

Our dream? Our very own Stroopwafel empire. Numerous coffee shops, a couple of bakery production plants, lots of national and international locations, the whole nation wearing t-shirts and caps with our logo and drinking out of our StroopClub mugs. You gotta have a vision, right 😉

Step-by-Step overcoming obstacles

BUT.. Let’s start off small.. And somewhat realistic…  Because we literally don’t know a thing about American or Texas laws and regulations and oh my… That’s not something you learn overnight. We’re guessing that foreigners in Holland might experience the same as we do here: Not knowing where to find information, the bureaucracy, the one rule that contradicts the others and an American system in which we just don’t tick the boxes.

We don’t have an address yet, but for applying for an apartment you’d need one. We don’t have an apartment yet, because you need proof of employment and income to apply for it, obviously with starting our business, we can’t proof income… We don’t have or get a credit card, because we don’t have credit history… To get your basic needs arranged, housing, transport, money…. is such a hassle! You get the point? We don’t fit in (yet) and people don’t seem to be able to work around it (yet). These are definitely things slowing us down and getting us utterly frustrated now and then…

The fantastic part about being in Austin though, is the friendliness of the people. Everyone you meet is trying to help you out, on the spot. We’re renting a room though AirBNB and the hosts, they’re our heroes at the moment. Everyone just seems nice and although we’re warned and have experienced this kindness is not permanent, it’s getting us a jump start.

The other thing.. The weather.. Oh my, how lovely it is to be walking around in your t-shirt at 1 am at night, not even feeling chilly, that’s luxury to us! And as for starting off a business, the taxes are heaven compared to those in Holland!

Delicious regards,

Tako & Chantal

Connect with Us

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

How does Anoja – a South Indian Software Engineer – like living in Helsinki, Finland?


You will not find many countries that are more different than India and Finland. For starters India is huge, they speak multiple languages, multiple dialects, religions, customs, food, climate – everything is so different. So I was curious to find out how an Indian female engineer finds life in Helsinki.

Please introduce yourself. How did you end up in Helsinki of all places?

My name is Anoja – I am from South India. I am a Software Engineer living in Helsinki with my family consisting of my husband and one daughter.
I came to Helsinki for my Master’s degree.

What is the best and worst about Helsinki for you…what is a typical day and weekend??

The night life is awesome here compared to India.

However, winter time is hard. A typical day is waking up early morning close to 4:30 AM and doing some religious rituals. After breakfast work till 3:30 pm and then head home. At home, I spend time with my daughter, have dinner with family, enjoy some family entertainment and then go to bed.

Weekend is also similar but instead of going to work, we spend time shopping or have hobbies with my daughter-  or party with friends.

How do you find the lifestyle in Helsinki compared to your hometown?

The lifestyle in Helsinki is far better than in India. There is such a professional touch with everything and also the quality of service is really good.

How do you make your living now? Do you see the differences between nationalities easily – Indians vs. Finnish vs. other Europeans?

I am working here as Software Engineer.
Culture wise noticeable differences are there and now we too learned those.

What is the essence of Helsinki to you – what do you absolutely want your friends to see or feel in Helsinki?
The weather in Helsinki is awesome. I would love to show my friends and relatives how Finns adjust to these extreme climatic conditions by just wearing the proper clothes.

Is there anything that you really miss/do not miss from your country/elsewhere heritage …or elsewhere? Are Finns different from Indians workwise?

Food is one of the important thing that we miss.
Friends………. Finns are more friendly and helpful.

Finns put more importance to time and their words. (they say what they mean and mean what they say)

When you think about what did you think about life in Helsinki before you moved there – did you have misconceptions that turned out to be wrong?

We were very concerned how to overcome the language barrier. After we arrived I understood Helsinki is more international than I had imagined.

Knowing more about life and having lived with your decisions for a while (like work) – would you still choose to be there and why?

I still would choose to stay here because of its international nature. Life is extra-ordinary because of the quality of service we are receiving.

What cafes or restaurants do you recommend to tourists to go to in Helsinki and why?

It depends what they are looking for. For coffee we recommend Starbucks. If they want some Indian cuisine then Samraat.
If they want to have some burgers then Hesburger or McDonalds.

Would you move back to India fulltime? Nevertheless, I am curious what has been the worst social issue to deal with in Helsinki for you?

No, we would not move back to India. Quality of education is best here. We also feel more connected to Finland now than to India.
In some places the language has been a barrier – especially in shops and hospitals.

I have noticed some very negative discussions against immigration in Finland in press lately – it seemed to be fueled particularly as the 3 Somali youths got a rather light sentence in some people’s opinions and some people felt that was only due to their race? India has had its own very bad rape cases in public very much so. Any opinion?

I would say it all depends on the person and should not be generalized as country or race as a whole.
Rape cases are not rare in India but it is not the only thing that is happening in India. If we just go in front of a Lion it will rip us into pieces. The same applies to any rapist. So better watch out and act accordingly.

Anything else you would like sharing with us?

Finland is a safe country to live with respect to law and order.

Connect with Anoja:

Anoja @ Facebook

Sara Sulander – An Actress and Singer Shares Her Dreams With Us

Sara Sulander, an actress and singer from Finland. Tell us a little more about yourself.

Hello everyone! My name is Sara Sulander, and I’m an actress and singer. So far my bigger roles have mostly been within theater, acting and singing (and dancing) in plays and musicals, and now I am transitioning into film and TV, and hopefully soon to the recording studio. I also do stage managing, and I’m interested in the assistant director’s job, which is almost equivalent to stage managing, but within film and TV. I’m originally from Finland, moved to Australia for a year in 2007, and then moved to Los Angeles, California in 2011. I lived in L.A. for four years, and since then I’ve been in Finland, working on moving back to L.A.

As a singer, what is your plan?

My immediate plan is to find songwriters that we can collaborate with. I have ideas, thoughts and themes, and together with talented songwriters I believe we can make great songs. While I’m looking for songwriters, I will record cover songs to publish on my upcoming website. My ultimate plan is to be recording songs regularly, collaborating with other artists and singers, and performing the songs around the world.

What kind of music do you sing?

I don’t like to categorize myself into one genre. I grew up listening to all sorts of music, and I would like to mix them up. I want my music to be inspired by R’n’B, Samba, Old School Rock n’ Roll, Pop, Salsa and maybe a little bit of Raggae and Reggaeton. I love real instruments and a good beat with a lot of bass. That being said, I do want to throw in the mix some emotional, slower ballads as well.

As an actress, what’s next?

Find an agent! As I mentioned before, I am transitioning into film and TV, and together with good representation, I can get opportunities to audition for roles that are equal to my skill level. I’m also working on my acting reel, which I will publish on my upcoming website.

Which do you prefer; theatre, film, TV-shows, commercials, musicals etc.?

Mainly, I want to act in films, theatre plays and musicals. I’d also like to do commercials. When it comes to TV-shows, I’d be more than happy to guest star in single episodes here and there.

What other parts of the entertainment industry are you interested in?

I’m interested in stage managing, being an assistant director and maybe one day more producing (I’ve produced couple of projects so far). I’m also interested in writing, but it is very challenging for me. I am in the process of writing a TV-show, and have some ideas for movies. But for now, I want to mainly focus on acting and singing! When those aspects of my carrier are snowballing, I can share my focus on my other interests, as well.

If you had to pick ONE, what would be your piece of advice for someone in this line of work?

Ask for help! No matter what kind of work you are in, you can’t, and you are not expected to, to do it all by yourself. This is a piece of advice that I am still working on myself. Right now, I am going to take my own advice, and ask for help from You. I am looking for songwriters, an agent, a webpage designer, any and all help to get my acting and singing carrier going full speed forward.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In 10 years I see myself having a carrier as a solo performing and recording artist, as well as an actress within film and theatre. Regarding my personal life, I hope to see myself with my own family of six kids.

Email: Email Sara
Sara at Facebook
IMDb
Sara at Backstage
Website: Coming Soon!

San Francisco – Sep 25 2015

Oktoberfest:
PARTY 1: will be Friday Sept. 25 @ 7PMish
PARTY 2: will be Thursday Oct 1 @ 6PM sharp

Does it still need a description?
This will be the Fifth Annual Euro Circle and NLBorrels present: Oktoberfest Part Funf!
German Music, German & Czech beer in Steins
Great Outdoor BBQ on the Street
Great German Decorations
PLUS NO ADMISSION JUST COME AS YOU ARE!

Plus super geil specials all across the board!
We are pleased to announce that EuroCircle will present an Oktoberfest Party. Like last year the party will be hosted by Cafe Prague in a hidden alley downtown in the financial district. There will be plenty of Real Authentic German Beers and German Schlager music will be played. Some German Sausages will be provided to acquire a great taste for this traditional Bavarian Fest. 6:00-9 PM Grilled German Sausages with Sauerkraut, Schnitzel, German potato Salad,Pretzels

BEER CHOICES:

SPATEN OCTOBERFEST
LOWENBRAU
STAROPRAMEN
PILSNER URQUEL
PILSNER URQUEL DUNKEL

Please use public transportation as drinking das Boot and driving your Volkswagen don’t match.

Music wil be for the first hour!
Oompah
Schlager and Volksmuzik
Apres Ski Hut
Then for the remain hours!
DANCE MUSIC
so you can dance like SPROCKETS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT 5PM
TO Hang Decorations and Pass out Everybody’s German Name Tag from Heidi to Wolgang!

As always we can use help setting up a great German atmoshere so please email at sanfrancisco@eurocircle.com if you to meet some great Europeans and create a wonderful ambiance See you there
The Event says it closes at 11 PM however if there are over a 100 people screaming German Songs we will go onto 1AM

GRUSS GOTT!

ADMISSION:
SIGN UP AT EUROCIRCLE WEBSITE: (free)

San Francisco – Oct 1 2015

Does it still need a description?

This will be the Fifth Annual Euro Circle and NLBorrels present: Oktoberfest Part Funf!
German Music, German & Czech beer in Steins
Great Outdoor BBQ on the Street
Great German Decorations
PLUS NO ADMISSION JUST COME AS YOU ARE!

Plus super geil specials all across the board!
We are pleased to announce that EuroCircle will present an Oktoberfest Party. Like last year the party will be hosted by Cafe Prague in a hidden alley downtown in the financial district. There will be plenty of Real Authentic German Beers and German Schlager music will be played. Some German Sausages will be provided to acquire a great taste for this traditional Bavarian Fest. 6:00-9 PM Grilled German Sausages with Sauerkraut, Schnitzel, German potato Salad,Pretzels

BEER CHOICES:

SPATEN OCTOBERFEST
LOWENBRAU
STAROPRAMEN
PILSNER URQUEL
PILSNER URQUEL DUNKEL

Please use public transportation as drinking das Boot and driving your Volkswagen don’t match.

Music wil be for the first hour!
Oompah
Schlager and Volksmuzik
Apres Ski Hut
Then for the remain hours!
DANCE MUSIC
so you can dance like SPROCKETS

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED AT 5PM
TO Hang Decorations and Pass out Everybody’s German Name Tag from Heidi to Wolgang!

As always we can use help setting up a great German atmoshere so please email at sanfrancisco@eurocircle.com if you to meet some great Europeans and create a wonderful ambiance See you there
The Event says it closes at 11 PM however if there are over a 100 people screaming German Songs we will go onto 1AM

GRUSS GOTT!