Cold Europe

It's cold over here. Fortunately, yesterday Ukraine signed an accord with Russia and the European Union to resume European gas supplies after several days of disruption amid freezing temperatures.

There was no problem here in Austria as we have some reserve, but more than 15 countries across central and eastern Europe have been hit by the shutdown of Russian gas supplies. Tens of thousands of homes in central Europe have been left without heating, and schools and businesses had to close.

The arrival of the gas will take some time, three days at least.

I really hope, European politicians will have a reality check due to this crisis and will concentrate more determinedly on renewable energy sources.

Read more:

Ukraine signs accord on transit-gas with EU and Russia.

Gas Supply to EU threatened

Animals, humans suffer from gas cuts in Europe

Some photos from Europe's Winter Fairy Tale"

The Chinese are coming

The Chinese architect and artist Ai Weiwei is going to travel to the Documenta in Kassel, Germanywith 1001 Chinese people, as part of the exhibition's project "Fairytale". 1001 people from all walks of life, farmers, fishermen and -women, policemen and -women, architects, even women belonging to a minority who hadn't their own names, until recently.

When asked in an interview by the German daily "Sueddeutsche" today, if and why this project was a work of art, Ai Weiwei, who is also a blogger, answered: "It's art, if you call it art ... It was my dream to make it possible for people to travel to the Documenta, to put art in a different context .. and it's surreal in that aspect that China is still seen as a different planet in the West and China also hasn't come to terms in what happens in the West. Therefore I thought, why don't I bring the two together?"

Whatever may come of this project, it sure will attract big attention. Isn't the fear of the East, especially the Chinese people, something deeply grounded in our European minds?

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