Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Woodsey]

McDonald's must be a bloody big concern, there's one everywhere, how did one clown manage all that?

Also, they're not all the same. French McDonald's do ham & egg rolls and little button size pancakes which they sell by the half-dozen. German Maccy-D's have spicy sausage burgers with scrambled egg, cheese and sauerkraut.

In GB we never go into Burger King but the German ones do a massive Brekfast Koben which fills you up until tea time (Or until 11:30 if you're me) They also do the nicest cafe-latte, with free refills, all for about three quid.

Just in case you think we've been missing out, we've had loads of local delicacies, like lox mit kartoffen unt salad, wild duck with asparagus and rice, and today in Krackow we had goulash with pickled cabbage and some chips spelled with a backward z.

In the Indian ones you don't even get beef, WTF!

[RED-DOG]

Polish drivers park on the pavement. I mean, completely on the pavement, and there re no drop kerbs, someone must be making a fortune selling replacement shock absorbers.

[RED-DOG]

Polish horses have a piece of car tyre bolted on to thee bottom the their shoes. I asked one of the landau drivers about it and he said it was to stop them slipping on the cobbles.

PS- I have pics, but can't upload them until I get home.

[RED-DOG]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

[The Camel]

McDonald's must be a bloody big concern, there's one everywhere, how did one clown manage all that?

Also, they're not all the same. French McDonald's do ham & egg rolls and little button size pancakes which they sell by the half-dozen. German Maccy-D's have spicy sausage burgers with scrambled egg, cheese and sauerkraut.

In GB we never go into Burger King but the German ones do a massive Brekfast Koben which fills you up until tea time (Or until 11:30 if you're me) They also do the nicest cafe-latte, with free refills, all for about three quid.

Just in case you think we've been missing out, we've had loads of local delicacies, like lox mit kartoffen unt salad, wild duck with asparagus and rice, and today in Krackow we had goulash with pickled cabbage and some chips spelled with a backward z.

I absolutely love goulash.

Haven't had for years.

Need goulash now!

[Laxie]

Next to impossible to get the Hungarian paprika for it too, so if ye've any interest in making it at home...but the spice before you leave!!!

[TightEnd]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

What a post.

[tikay]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

In the day & age in which we live, it's hardly possible to imagine such tragedy, & such dignity.

[themisery]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

In the day & age in which we live, it's hardly possible to imagine such tragedy, & such dignity.

Or such eloquent and seemingly effortless writing. Please post more Tom.

[tikay]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

In the day & age in which we live, it's hardly possible to imagine such tragedy, & such dignity.

Or such eloquent and seemingly effortless writing. Please post more Tom.

Thats the clever bit - he makes it look like it's effortless. In fact, he tweaks, hones, fiffs & fattles endlessly on every Post. Then spellchecks it, reads it again, more faffing, & only then, he presses the button.

Its a quite extraordinary skill - and gift.

Post more? Just a bit.

I've been sending a few good friends of mine from "next door" over to Tom's Diary, & they are all stunned & amazed by the stuff.

[TightPaulFolds]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

""In 1998, German novelist Martin Walser cited the Holocaust Memorial in his public condemnation of Germany's "Holocaust industry."[8]  In the speech Walser decried the "exploitation of our disgrace for present purposes." He criticized the "monumentalization", and "ceaseless presentation of our shame." "Take all the towns in the world", said Walser. "Check whether in any of these towns there is a memorial of national ignominy. I have never seen such. The Holocaust is not an appropriate subject of a memorial and such memorials should not be constructed..."""

Kind of must get annoying as a german to be reminded of your 'national disgrace' but on the other hand I guess the best way of 'redeeming the national guilt' is by refusing to let the memory of the victims be swept away and to be seen to be confronting it.

[themisery]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

In the day & age in which we live, it's hardly possible to imagine such tragedy, & such dignity.

Or such eloquent and seemingly effortless writing. Please post more Tom.

Thats the clever bit - he makes it look like it's effortless. In fact, he tweaks, hones, fiffs & fattles endlessly on every Post. Then spellchecks it, reads it again, more faffing, & only then, he presses the button.

Its a quite extraordinary skill - and gift.

Post more? Just a bit.

I've been sending a few good friends of mine from "next door" over to Tom's Diary, & they are all stunned & amazed by the stuff.

Trigg pointed me towards blonde in an effort to improve my understanding of the game. That was an epic fail. But I remember coming across this late one evening. It took me 3 nights to read every page, most more than once, and I am still prone to revisiting parts. I've said it before, but if you never have something published Tom,  it would be a monumental injustice to both your talent and those of us who treasure the written word.

[ForthThistle]

krakow is always like that tom, it's where the country's young artists all go so it creates a vibrant atmosphere. and aren't the women great?

have you done auschwitz yet? please don't miss out on visiting the nearby salt mines afterwards

Simply This....

Going to Auschwitz tomorrow gats, we are taking a paper flower, the kind that the Gypsy women of my generation used to hawk.

In Berlin, we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe

Below it, there is a subterranean exhibition which consists of darkened rooms rooms with light boxes set in the floors. The light boxes show letters and diaries written by Jewish people as they travelled towards their death.

There must have been 3 or 4 hundred people viewing the exhibition, but you could have heard a pin drop, everyone was shocked into silence.

One letter will live with me forever. it was from a Jewish woman to her husband, and their 12 year old daughter had added a post script.

Dear Papa, I am writing to say goodbye because tomorrow I will be dead. I do so wish that we could be allowed to live, but they won't let us.

I will always love you, your J.

In the day & age in which we live, it's hardly possible to imagine such tragedy, & such dignity.

Or such eloquent and seemingly effortless writing. Please post more Tom.

Thats the clever bit - he makes it look like it's effortless. In fact, he tweaks, hones, fiffs & fattles endlessly on every Post. Then spellchecks it, reads it again, more faffing, & only then, he presses the button.

Its a quite extraordinary skill - and gift.

Post more? Just a bit.

I've been sending a few good friends of mine from "next door" over to Tom's Diary, & they are all stunned & amazed by the stuff.

Trigg pointed me towards blonde in an effort to improve my understanding of the game. That was an epic fail. But I remember coming across this late one evening. It took me 3 nights to read every page, most more than once, and I am still prone to revisiting parts. I've said it before, but if you never have something published Tom,  it would be a monumental injustice to both your talent and those of us who treasure the written word.

Simply This...

[doubleup]

I'm a bit drunk and was going to post in another thread (I think you can guess the one) about ppl being generally scumbags etc but your travels reminded me of this picture. 

The trees are a memorial in Vilnius to a japanese ambassador Chiune Sugihara.  From wikipedia: 

Sugihara dutifully contacted the Japanese Foreign Ministry  three times for instructions. Each time, the Ministry responded that anybody granted a visa should have a visa to a third destination to exit Japan, with no exceptions.[4]

From July 31 to August 28, 1940, aware that applicants were in danger if they stayed behind, Sugihara began to grant visas on his own initiative, after consulting with his family. He ignored the requirements and arranged the Jews with a ten-day visa to transit through Japan, in direct violation of his orders. Given his inferior post and the culture of the Japanese Foreign Service bureaucracy, this was an extraordinary act of disobedience. He spoke to Soviet officials who agreed to let the Jews travel through the country via the Trans-Siberian railway at five times the standard ticket price.

Sugihara continued to hand-write visas, reportedly spending 18–20 hours a day on them, producing a normal month's worth of visas each day, until September 4, when he had to leave his post before the consulate was closed. By that time he had granted thousands of visas to Jews, many whom were heads of household and thus permitted to take their families with them. On the night before their scheduled departure, Sugihara and his wife stayed awake writing out visa approvals. According to witnesses, he was still writing visas while in transit from his hotel and after boarding the train, throwing visas into the crowd of desperate refugees out the train's window even as the train pulled out. In final desperation, blank sheets of paper with only the consulate seal and his signature (that could be later written over into a visa) were hurriedly prepared and flung out from the train.



There are people throughout history that somehow do the right thing irrespective of social pressures and personal consequences.  While these people still exist there is hope for humanity.

[RED-DOG]

I'm a bit drunk and was going to post in another thread (I think you can guess the one) about ppl being generally scumbags etc but your travels reminded me of this picture. 

The trees are a memorial in Vilnius to a japanese ambassador Chiune Sugihara.  From wikipedia: 

Sugihara dutifully contacted the Japanese Foreign Ministry  three times for instructions. Each time, the Ministry responded that anybody granted a visa should have a visa to a third destination to exit Japan, with no exceptions.[4]

From July 31 to August 28, 1940, aware that applicants were in danger if they stayed behind, Sugihara began to grant visas on his own initiative, after consulting with his family. He ignored the requirements and arranged the Jews with a ten-day visa to transit through Japan, in direct violation of his orders. Given his inferior post and the culture of the Japanese Foreign Service bureaucracy, this was an extraordinary act of disobedience. He spoke to Soviet officials who agreed to let the Jews travel through the country via the Trans-Siberian railway at five times the standard ticket price.

Sugihara continued to hand-write visas, reportedly spending 18–20 hours a day on them, producing a normal month's worth of visas each day, until September 4, when he had to leave his post before the consulate was closed. By that time he had granted thousands of visas to Jews, many whom were heads of household and thus permitted to take their families with them. On the night before their scheduled departure, Sugihara and his wife stayed awake writing out visa approvals. According to witnesses, he was still writing visas while in transit from his hotel and after boarding the train, throwing visas into the crowd of desperate refugees out the train's window even as the train pulled out. In final desperation, blank sheets of paper with only the consulate seal and his signature (that could be later written over into a visa) were hurriedly prepared and flung out from the train.



There are people throughout history that somehow do the right thing irrespective of social pressures and personal consequences.  While these people still exist there is hope for humanity.

I'm glad you posted this here instead of that there.

What a humbling and inspiring story.