If the Austrian television station ORF wants me live and in person on their show, in Vienna, then the Austrian television station ORF only had to fly me over from Paignton to Vienna. That simple. And that’s what happened!
How about a story about having lunch and dinner at an altitude of 35.000 feet today?
My mobile phone alarm woke me up at 6 o’clock this morning. The 2-persons bed was feeling really comfy, but I just had to wake up and take a shower.
Below in the dining room of the Cherwood Hotel I got another real English Breakfast with sausages, bacon, beans, toast and coffee. Oh my got, that all tastes so good! I packed the most necessary things in a little shoulder bag and left my backpack behind.
After breakfast I walked to the Paignton train station and got on the (prepaid) train to the city of Bristol. The train station there is really cute and historic, and the nature around this city is just astonishing!
But I had a coach (bus) to catch that then brought me to the Bristol International Airport where I got my prepaid tickets at the British Airways desk.
I was on my way to Vienna in Austria today!
At the airport I had to wait a little hour to board onto this little jet. After the plane had departed I noticed I was sitting in the First Class area of the plane and that meant a very special treatment!
“Hello Mr. Stoppelenburg, would you like to have a glass of champagne?” the stewardess asked me. Stuttering and not believing my ears I said “Oh, yes”.
A few minutes later I also got a hot Club Meal as you can see it on the picture (please know I love plane food!).
After three hours of flying over England, the North Sea and Belgium the plane soon arrived at Munich Airport in Germany, where I had to connect to a next flight which would take me to Vienna.
But when I got out into the terminal around 3pm, I got lost and when I finally found the correct gate of my connecting flight, the technical stewards had already closed the gate!
Oops, I just missed my plane!
But I had nothing to worry, at the check-in desk of the missed plane connection (Lufthansa) I got a boarding pass for the next flight heading to Vienna, but that departed only at 6.35pm…
I already knew I would be picked up by somebody in Vienna, so I had to phone her and tell her I would come some -ahum- three hours later than planned – which wasn’t that big of a problem.
So I wandered around at the München Flughafen for a while and waited at the right gate.
Question to the Austrians: Where do you hide all the women? There were so many passengers ready to board, but I saw not a single lady.
At 6.20pm it was boarding time which created a long cue at the gate. I walked through it with my First Class ticket and everybody got into a bus which took us all to the Austrian Airlines Fokker70-plane.
Once inside I got the same Business Class treatment as earlier today (I really have to thank my tickets providers for that!), but refused the champagne bottle this time. Just a coffee would do well.
And unexpected; they even offered a little plate with salmon, salad and some sandwiches!
Just as I had finished this all, the plane already started its landing procedure and the stewardesses had to hurry to get all the empty plates back and themselves into position for the landing.
I just followed the mass of people walking to the exit of the arriving flights when I saw this lady standing with a sign and my name on it. This was Cathi, who was supposed to pick me up.
This is the story: Cathi is an assistant-producer of the popular television talk show “VERA” on the Austrian Television, the O.R.F.. The editors of that program just wanted me to come on their show today and were willing to pay all the expenses to get here AND get back again tomorrow!
Cathi got me from the airport to the studio complex and a professional driver straight from a James Bond movie raced through the streets of Vienna! I am absolutely sure some speed limits were broken!
When we got at the big concrete complex of the ORF, we walked up various stairs, walked through hallways, more stairs, more hallways – man! If I would be there alone, I would got lost!
She introduced me to the director of the show, who told me I had exactly 10 minutes to go on, because they were already recording the show in the studio at that moment.
So, as fast as the time would let me I got changed in my personal VIP-room (I changed shirt) and got placed in a chair in a make-up room. Some lady painted my cheeks brown and within a minute I got back to the studio where I got wired with a microphone and an ear piece.
Because it was Austrian television, the spoken language would be German and therefore they arranged me a translator who would translate all the talking by the talk show host Vera into English into my ear. Whatever I would reply in English, would then be translated to Vera and the audience.
Backstage I had to walk up a staircase and wait until Vera announced me and the big stage door would open. There was a British man standing there too, a big Black guy. He congratulated me with my project. I thanked him.
And then the doors open and I walked down onto the stage in bright spotlights and a huge audience was applauding.
I shook hands with Vera who took me to a little stand and she started the conversation with me. She asked her questions in German, I heard the translation in English into my ear, gave the answer in English that was translated into German again for all the viewers. Trust me, that is absolutely not confusing!!
It was actually quite frustrating for a moment. I really had to get used to the fact that every second somebody else was talking at the same time as I did.
But the complete interview took a little ten minutes and it felt pretty good to me. I explained my adventure, answered I was not a crazy man, okay, perhaps I was and how I even got to Austria for a day!
Unfortunately I just wasn’t used to the heat those spotlights produced and at a certain point the sweat was just dripping from my nose… ha!
After the conversation I got another big Austrian applause and was directed off the stage as the host announced her next guest. It was the famous Eddy “Give me hope, Johanna” Grant, who came down through the doors. It was the British guy I had just met there before….
My mouth fell open. Eddy Grant was performing right there with his 2001 version of Electric Avenue. Unbelievable.
Once backstage the woman who did my make-up passed out a bunch of tissues to me to wipe off my wet face.
But what an experience was this! I mean, who am I for real? Vera had just announced me as The King of the New Media and backstage everybody congratulated me with my interview and wished me good luck with my project.
It’s just so strange to be in the spotlights of ‘stardom’ while I am not even such an artist who are known to be real big stars, like singers or actors.
When the show was fully recorded, I stayed hanging around with the complete production team because one of them celebrated her birthday with cake and -again- champagne… You don’t hear me complain!
At 10.30pm Cathi brought me to the fancy Wimberger Hotel where I would stay at for the night and she even offered me to have some dinner.
But I just was too tired after this whole happening today. So she gave me a 100 Austrian Shillings (about 7 Euros) so I could buy myself a breakfast at the airport – as I had to wake up at 5 o’clock the next morning to get into a car that will pick me up again.
At the reception of the hotel I got myself a card as my room key and when I got to my room it turned out to be a first class room with a king-size bed, television, minibar; three couches and an office desk in a lounge and a very luxurious bathroom…
And right now I am typing this report at the first floor of the hotel. The ORF had arranged this computer with Internet especially for me, cause the hotel didn’t offer Internet yet.
I just heard about a sauna and a swimming pool in this hotel… What if I just stayed up all night… – never mind.
Goodnight Vienna!
“I will be back!”
