Hans Shmidheiser
Tennis Player
Hans Shmidheiser: Learning from New Orleans
Hans Shmidheiser is a proud resident of New Orleans, the city of his upbringing. After a life of travel for work reasons, he decided to settle back in the city. He was present through the city’s worst time in history (Hurricane Katrina) and is impressed by how well the city has rebuilt since then. Of course, a lot remains a work in progress, but the fact that the city can host events like the Super Bowl and Wrestlemania is testament to the healing and development that has taken place.
There are a few things that Hans Shmidheiser, a longtime member of the New Orleans community, has noticed about the city’s culture that stand out to him.
It’s okay to be a little late
Tardiness is a bad habit. While most of the people he interacts with keep time, Hans Shmidheiser also knows that it’s okay to be a little late. “New Orleans time,” as some people say, allows you to be slightly relaxed on a number of things, punctuality among them.
“Being late once a while is fine. Doing it consistently is not,” says Hans.
Try the local restaurants
Many of the renowned New Orleans restaurants get the attention and spotlight when it comes to eating out in the city, and they’ll always be the first places newcomers to the city will flock. As Hans Shmidheiser has come to realize, some of the best culinary experiences will be at local joints in some of the city's less-known neighborhoods and advises visitors to keep an open mind.
Hans Shmidheiser: Talented Violinist
Many are privy to Hans Shmidheiser’s considerable skill, and accomplishment, as both novelist and foreign affairs correspondent. For much of the last decade, Shmidheiser has been inspiring, educating and empowering through enthralling, elegantly-written feature-length news articles, self-help books and full-length fictional novels, and has become a well-respected, even revered name in the fields of journalism and literature.
Many are not aware, however, of Shmidheiser’s considerable musical prowess, a skill he has developed over many years of professional training, practice and love of the art. A classically trained violinist, Hans Shmidheiser maintains the same high level of passion and commitment to classic music, and to the instrument, that he has had since childhood, and can commonly be found playing one of his favorite pieces during his time away from the computer or typewriter. Hans Shmidheiser, whose father himself was a well-known musician, worked to instill a love of both music, and the violin, into Shmidheiser at a very early age; a love that continues to be an undeniable and inseparable part of his soul and his being.
Shmidheiser has earned much respect and admiration for his skills as a writer, and continues to receive praise for many of the pieces he has written as an overseas journalist, composed at various points over much of the last ten years. Now with a focus on fiction, particularly absurdist literature, he continues to show the same passion and dedication to the Johnny Normal book series as he did towards the late-breaking news story.
Hans Shmidheiser: Best Things to During a New Orleans Vacation
New Orleans is perhaps best known for its annual Mardi Gras celebration, which continues to attract millions of party-goers and tourists from around the globe each and every year. A long time professional and resident of the New Orleans area, Hans Shmidheiser understands the many amazing things to see and do both before and after the weeklong Mardi Gras festivities, as his hometown offers an abundance of historical and mysterious value to vacationers the entire year round.
Below, Hans Shmidheiser shares some of his favorite places to visit, and to experience, in the New Orleans area.
The French Quarter
Any tour or trip to New Orleans would be remiss without beginning in the French Quarter, the heart and soul of the city as well as a National Historic Landmark. Established by the French as the original New Orleans colony in 1718, the French Quarter offers the visitor the opportunity to stroll up and down historic and narrow cobblestone streets, and to come face-to-face with such beautiful and significant attractions as the Faulkner House, the Cabildo and Jackson Square. Bourbon Street is, of course, the Quarter’s primary draw.
St. Louis Cemeteries
Believe it or not, says Hans Shmidheiser, some of New Orleans’ most popular and enduring attractions are the St. Louis Cemeteries. Numerous cemetery tours are available to anyone brazen enough to experience the hauntingly beautiful, historic and often ornate “cities of the dead” found throughout various areas of New Orleans.
The National World War II Museum
Visitors of the National World War II Museum have the opportunity to peruse an amazing collection of wartime artifacts, and to get up close and personal with one of the biggest and most important conflicts in both American and World history.
Hans Shmidheiser: Contemporary Literature Enthusiast
Hans Shmidheiser’s affinity for contemporary literature is well-known, and has afforded him the opportunity to amass one of the more impressive and considerable literature collections in the New Orleans community. A fan of such authors as Chuck Palahniuk, Tom Robbins, Hunter Thompson, Douglas Adams and more, Shmidheiser continues to find inspiration in the contemporary works that he credits for much of his own authorial success.
The popular author of the Johnny Normal series, Hans Shmidheiser often finds himself turning to his quite extensive library of mid to late 20th century novels in search of ideas, of inspiration and even of information. Such novels as The Great Shark Hunt, Slaughterhouse Five, and even Christopher Moore’s Biff have been the catalyst for some of his greatest work, and have truly inspired him to continually hone and improve his craft, and to test the perceived boundaries and limitations of his talent.
Hans Shmidheiser has collected over 2000 books over the last decade, each one written by an author who has had a considerable impact, and has been a significant influence, on his writing career. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, in fact, was one of Shmidheiser’s first forays into the possibilities of the absurd, opening doors and creating opportunities for his writing that he never before thought imaginable or possible.
Shmidheiser, however, doesn’t keep his library to himself, and has made an important priority out of sharing his collection with the people of his community as much, and as often, as he can. He has recently named his library open to the public, and encourages reading and writing enthusiasts from miles around to peruse, borrow and share his collection whenever possible.
Hans Shmidheiser: The Importance of Learning a New Language
As a former professional journalist, Hans Shmidheiser understands the importance of communication, particularly when it comes to effectively reporting on a people, culture or country an audience may not be so familiar with. As a talented foreign affairs correspondent, Shmidheiser soon found it advantageous, if not essential, to pursue instruction in numerous other languages; something that allowed him to better pursue and obtain the information and insight he needed to deeper into the people, events and cultures he was covering.
Fluent in English, Mandarin and Spanish, Hans Shmidheiser has been the recipient of numerous personal and professional benefits of multilingual proficiency. Not only did his language skills provide him the opportunity to produce some of the most in-depth reporting and new stories of his day, it also afforded him the chance to obtain and develop a stronger understanding and knowledge of cultures throughout the globe, and provided him a profound level of insight into events and cultures that may not have been possible without it.
Hans Shmidheiser understands the many experiences that were made possible through his ability to communicate in different languages. His insight into international politics, conflict and personalities resulted, in large part, from his ability to converse with people directly. Knowing how to speak on a one on one basis with people central to the development of story, says Shmidheiser, gave him the opportunity to write truly in-depth and insightful feature length articles; news pieces that not only solidified his career, but that also set him above and beyond many of his colleagues.
Hans Shmidheiser - Serving as Inspiration to Local Youth
Hans Shmidheiser has never shied away from a challenge, one reason why he has become known as a considerable tour de force in the fields of literature and print journalism, respectively. From a childhood that posed a significant level of adversity, including not only the threat of a life-threatening illness, but also the constant scourge of debilitating poverty, Shmidheiser took on everything the world presented him with an optimistic, enthusiastic and determined attitude, facing down anything that came his way and overcoming hurdles without hesitation.
Now the well-known author of the Johnny Normal book series, as well as the organizer and founder of numerous literature-based workshops throughout the New Orleans community, Hans Shmidheiser seeks to show others what is possible through perseverance, diligence and the commitment to never give up on one’s dreams. Shmidheiser’s workshops, which first took shape just two years ago, seek to provide aspiring writers from disadvantaged neighborhoods the opportunity to find their creative outlet, and to express themselves in safe and encouraging venues that allow them to reach for their fullest potential.
Each Hans Shmidheiser workshop provides youth not only a powerful venue for creative expression, but also the opportunity to receive quality mentorship, advice and supplementary writing instruction from compassionate volunteers who have considerable expertise and experience in the fields of journalism, literature and more. These workshops are designed to provide help, support and the opportunity for discussion, giving young people the chance to actively participate and grow in something truly unique and special.
Hans Shmidheiser - Effective Marathon Training
As an experienced marathoner, Hans Shmidheiser has been fortunate to participate in many events to gain unique insights into what it takes to run a full marathon. For him, competitive running helps to keep his body physically and mentally fit, essential requirements for his often-tasking work as a professional writer. While many know him as the author of the Johnny Normal book series and several other novels, Shmidheiser also takes pride in his ability to compete in long distance racing, and below he offers tips that can help first-time runners train and compete successfully.
Build your base mileage
Most marathon participants opt to begin training for an event 12 to 20 weeks out. In this period, you will want to build up your endurance slowly through consistent running. Aim to run at least three to five times a week, with a target of 30-plus weekly miles. The higher the weekly mileage you are able to rack up, the more comfortable your body will be on race day.
Don’t forget to rest
Do not underestimate the importance of rest and recovery. Incorporate rest days every week of your training program to allow your muscles to heal. The greatest enemy to a runner is injury, and the best way to avoid injury is through rest. If you feel the need to be active on your rest days, find another activity that isn’t as taxing as running, like swimming, cycling or hiking.
Work on speed
While not a requirement, working a little speed work into your training increases your aerobic capacity and can be beneficial if you have a time goal you aim to achieve.
Hans Shmidheiser - An Avid Reader
In addition to being a renowned and successful professional writer, Hans Shmidheiser is also an avid reader. He credits his love for reading contemporary literature as having enabled him find the inspiration to write and grow in his authorial aspirations. Thanks to his love of books, Shmidheiser has one of the more impressive collection of literature in the New Orleans area, a collection that features authors such as Tom Robbins and Douglas Adams, to name a few.
Hans Shmidheiser’s collection features more than 2000 books, most of which he has collected over the last decade. Each book has played a significant role in his writing career, and thus he is unable to specifically pin down an all-time favorite. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, one of the titles in his collection for example, is one that opened his mind to the world of absurdist fiction, which he now portrays in his Johnny Normal series.
According to Shmidheiser, one of the secrets to growing as a writer is to read extensively. To this effect, he opens up his library to the public, more specifically aspiring writers in the New Orleans area. By doing so, he is availing to them the opportunities to expand the boundaries of their writing talent, much as his collection did for him in his earlier years. Through the library and by conducting writing workshops, Hans Shmidheiser is doing his part in helping groom a new generation of writers that will explore and test the boundaries of writing.
Hans Shmidheiser - Tips to Better Reading
As the author of the increasingly popular Johnny Normal series, Hans Shmidheiser finds himself turning to his collection of over 2000 books for ideas and inspiration. Over the past year, he has been hard at work on the next book in the Johnny Normal series, and d this time he has gone back to the basics of reading that he knows are crucial to his success as a writer. In an era where mobile devices and social media have fractured attention spans, finding persons willing to read a book for hours on end is becoming increasingly difficult.
Reading brings numerous benefits, including improved concentration levels, analytical thinking, and reduced stress levels. Hans Shmidheiser, loves to read in his free time, offers the following tips to help individuals become better readers.
Make time
Much like you would make time for a dancing class or an aerobic session at the gym, set time for reading. By doing so, you have an increased of sitting down and picking up a book.
No distractions
Switch off your phone and computer, and find a place with no distractions, be it your room or a shady area in the park. The fewer distractions you encounter the better it is for your reading efforts.
Go for a printed book
While you might want to advance with the times and opt for an ebook, seeing a printed book lying around will give you more impetus to read it than an ebook would.
Hans Shmidheiser - Molding Young Minds
With a busy lifestyle, it can often be hard to find the time to volunteer to help those in need. However, volunteering has its benefits to you and your community. By donating your time, talent, skills and resources to helping individuals with various needs, you are helping someone else live a better life, accomplish a goal or live a fulfilling life. That is rewarding in itself, not to mention the sense of satisfaction you get that goes towards improving your sense of self-worth.
Hans Shmidheiser has overcome various challenges in his life to become the successful writer he is today. From suffering from a life-threatening disease in his young age to facing hostile communities and weather elements in war-torn locations to cover good stories, he is well versed with facing adversity. While his optimistic outlook and determined demeanor have often enabled him get the toughest of situations, he acknowledges that having people to help him was important. At the conclusion of his travels around the world, he chose to go back to New Orleans to help the at-risk youth in the community live better lives.
Thanks to the success of the Johnny Normal book series, Hans Shmidheiser is now in a position to organize writer workshops for aspiring writers in the community. More to equipping these writers with the skills to succeed in the difficult profession that writing is, Shmidheiser also uses the opportunity to instill in these young minds the values of integrity, hard work, perseverance and patience – values that are essential to helping them accomplish their ambitions.
Hans Shmidheiser - Benefits of Volunteering
Hans Shmidheiser has never been one to shy away from adversity. His childhood was a tough one and required him to stay strong in the face of health problems or poor finances. Through it all, he kept a strong and optimistic attitude, always looking forward to the good times ahead. He knows that every individual has their personal experiences that help mold their personalities. However, even with unique backgrounds, he sees it as every person’s obligations to try to make life easier for the people around them. In whatever way, volunteer work and helping the needy goes a long way in improving the lives of the community as a whole.
By organizing literature-based workshops in his local New Orleans community, Hans Shmidheiser has had the opportunity to interact with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Those who intrigue him though are those that come from disadvantaged neighborhoods: the young people who often face adversity due to circumstances not of their doing. Like himself years earlier, Shmidheiser knows that a constant encouragement is key to keeping these young minds focused on their dreams, not to mention keep them away from trouble. By interacting with them, he shows them that they too, like himself, can make it in a tough world.
What Hans Shmidheiser hopes to instill in the young people's mindsets is that giving back to the community makes a difference. The writing workshops have helped to mold creative writers who can articulate their experiences in positive ways, thus keeping the hope that their futures will be bright.
Hans Shmidheiser - Learn a Foreign Language
For a while, many people were of the view that learning a foreign language was strictly to enable one have a better travel experience. If you knew the language of the country you were visiting, it would be much easier to ask for directions, communicate with the people, and avoid embarrassing situations that a language barrier might bring. However, in a period of globalization, learning foreign languages is no longer the preserve of tourists.
Hans Shmidheiser, in his former career as an investigative journalist, was often required to travel to foreign nations to cover stories of national importance. Knowing the local languages of the nations he visited served as a huge benefit to him, mostly because it allowed him to better understand the situations being faced and thus capture these insights in his captivating, feature-long news stories. As a result, Shmidheiser ended up learning and becoming well versed in three languages: English, Mandarin, and Spanish.
Thanks to his visits to other countries around the world, Hans Shmidheiser has a greater appreciation for the need for individuals to learn foreign languages. For starters, learning a different language allows one to understand the underlying cultural values of the people. In the instance of travel, such an understanding is important if one is to enjoy the literature, music and cultural norms of the host nation.
To a businessperson, the need for learning foreign languages is a great advantage in an age of increasing globalization. Transacting business with foreign business partners will often necessitate the need for common understanding and what better way for a businessperson to demonstrate that than by being familiar with the language.
Hans Shmidheiser - Enjoying the Australian Open
As an established author and writer of the renowned Johnny Normal book series, Hans Shmidheiser knows the hard work and dedication it takes for someone to reach the peak of their professional career. When he’s not hard at work writing the next release in the book series, Hans likes to play tennis. He has become quite skilled at the sport, which is a credit to the time he spends at the local tennis court. Also, he appreciates watching local tennis tournaments and the Australian Open, in particular.
The 2015 edition of the Australian Open is an event that will linger in Hans Shmidheiser’s memory for a long time. The women’s number one seeded player, Serena Williams, proved to the world that she is certainly the best female player of her generation, and is in the conversation for the title of Best of All Time. Her quick work of seeded opponents ensured that her accomplishments would be spoken of for years to come.
On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic won his fifth Australian Open title, defeating the always-dangerous Andy Murray. With more tournaments to come in the year, Hans Shmidheiser is counting on the two players meeting again, with the Scotsman looking to post an impressive upset of his highly touted peer.