Thursday, 24th April 2008
Yes, the building project is still in progress. I should imagine that you’re getting as sick of it as I am. At least the new rooms have now been plastered thanks to Barry and Justin’s efforts.
It’s been quite an education watching the skills of the plasterers and I’ve also learnt a lot of new words.
“Come on Justin, I want this room completed by the end of the day”
“Right on Governor, any chance of another cup of tea?”
As for the other two, to be honest I’ll be happy to see the back of them.
It’s enough to make you want to open up the ground and crawl in.
Posted by Isaac @ 10:01 AM
Wednesday, 9th April 2008
The Berlin Wall: I’ve just spent a few days visiting Berlin with my brother Jonathan. We stayed with Jonathan’s friend Andreas who he lived with in Seville. His apartment is in East Berlin, which, as Andreas was at pains to point out, is much more interesting than the Western side. In fact he wouldn’t allow us to cross the border line between East and West despite the fact that it has been opened for nearly 20 years now.
Jonathan and Andreas at the Reichstag
Loving history as I do, I’ve always wanted to visit this amazing city. However, last year you may recall that I wrote my Open University course project on The Warsaw Uprising Memorial and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. So the trip gave me the opportunity to visit the memorial.
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The memorial takes the form of a carpet of 2711 stelae covering a significant area of land in close proximity to the Brandenburg Tor.
The ground undulates as you walk through the memorial creating a sense of unease and isolation. The sounds of the city are drowned out as you walk deeper into the centre where the stelae reach towering heights.
As we were just about to leave we looked across the memorial and to our astonishment our friend Marta from Poland stood looking at us. Marta lived with Jonathan and Andreas in Seville and Andreas had kept this little secret to himself since we arrived.
The following morning we returned to the memorial to visit the museum beneath the stelae. It was raining lightly and the effect on the stelae was particularly interesting. It was as if the stones were crying in memory of the Jews that were killed during the Holocaust.
Here are a few more highlights of Berlin
The Brandenburg Gate (yes, a very serious place)
Checkpoint Charlie: You are now entering the American Zone. On the reverse side a Soviet soldier indicates that you are entering the Russian Zone.
The East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall. About 1.5km still exists as a monument to the Cold War.
Techeles: A typical East Berlin building. Only this one is slightly exceptional. It has been taken over by artists to use as studios.Â
Stumbling Stones: Occasionally these plaques can be seen in the street marking the place where Jewish families lived before they were deported for imminent death.Â
The SS did not spare their own. This stumbling stone commentorates James Deutsch – James German.
The missing house: This apartment block was destroyed during the war. On either side of the surviving buildings plaques indicate the names of the families that were living in the apartments when it was bombed. German families. The irony is that the German families would not have been living here had it not been for the fact that the Jews were turned out of their own homes. Little consolation but controversial because the plaques make no reference to the Jewish families who lived their initially.
The Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind. It is said that if the zig zags are all taken apart and reordered then they form the Star of David.Â
It was a fabulous few days but I was desperate to get home to see that wonderful little smile once again.
Posted by Daddy @ 12:29 PM
Wednesday, 26th March 2008
Ah Easter, what a lovely time of year. Daffodils, rabbits, chocolate eggs, the smell of Spring in the air, snow. Snow? Since when did it snow at Easter? Still I can’t complain, after all we didn’t get any of the white stuff over Christmas.
Once again Daddy got carried away. As soon as he opened the curtains and saw the snow he dragged me out of bed, pulled on my clothes and told me to go to the kitchen and get a carrot. What kind of a breakfast is that? It soon transpired however that Daddy had something else in mind.
We had great fun making the Easter Snowman and throwing snow balls at each other. As you can see we modelled the snowman on Kate Moss and Tommy Cooper. “Just like that”!
Sadly the snowman’s head lasted about as long as that of Henry VIII’s wives.
The snowman was dead. Que Triste! Now finally I understand why Raymond Briggs ended his book on such a sad note.
It reminded me of that occasion when Grandad worked for the United Nations in Kosovo. He said that one day his team stumbled across a field where they unearthed over a hundred snowmen that had been buried there. Fortunately, it turned out to be a field of carrots.
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Posted by Isaac @ 11:31 AM
Tuesday, 18th March 2008
When we cut through our study wall to make a new doorway we discovered to our delight a hidden fireplace and inglenook behind the plaster. Daddy chipped away further at the plaster and uncovered a rustic wooden beam and indications of a large open fire place. Naturally the opening was bricked up and so it was time for Daddy to get dirty.Â
At first he started chipping away at the brick work with hammer and chisel but it was wasn’t long before he realised he would need to call in the cavalry, what is known in the business as a Kango. If you’ve ever seen Aliens you’ll know the kind of weaponry I’m talking about.Â
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Daddy expected to knock through the first layer of bricks to unearth a dark space behind to find hidden treasure that would buy me more toys than I would know what to do with. I was not looking forward to discovering any bones though.Â
Unfortunately, it transpired that the first layer of bricks was just that – the first layer of bricks. The entire space was bricked up. Nevertheless, Daddy began to make steady progress and Kangoed through the concrete blocking the top of the inglenook. To my horror a cascade of thermaculite thundered down from the chimney space and within seconds had risen up to his knees.  He blocked up the hole to get some rubble bags and when he was ready allowed the thermaculite to poor out again. Very quickly he found himself surrounded by 12 full rubble bags and another layer gathering around his ankles.Â
I think Daddy was beginning to wish that he’d never started.
He’s still got lots of work to do and a lot of dust to clear but I’m sure it will be a worthwhile venture in the end. Mummy is yet to be convinced though. Watch this space.
Posted by Daddy @ 9:16 AM
Friday, 14th March 2008
I popped up to my bedroom to get something today and to my horror discovered not 1, but 2 large gaping holes in the walls. Apparently, in order for mummy and daddy to get to their new bedroom they have to walk through my room. The cheek of it.  Â
If I remember rightly there was a wall here and presumably the mess on the floor is the remains of it.
One is not amused!
The plan is to create a corridor through my bedroom and then to knock out part of another wall to create a gallery. Rather ambitious I’d say. We shall have to wait and see.
Posted by Isaac @ 4:14 PM
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