Your Story : How We Play the Game of Life

 

 Your Story Addendum Ep 16 [4:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome To Episode 10 of Your Story Addendum.

My training post school was as an apprentice Pattern Maker. A beautiful craft of making patterns from primarily timber, to be used to produce the moulds that metal castings are made in. As I learnt the skills I developed an interest in how things are made and the manufacturing processes. So just before leaving on this trip I heard about the Whitechapel Bell Foundry from listening to This Week In London Podcast I knew that I needed to come and see it while I’m in London.

The Foundry is a modest but profound affair to me. There is a small museum and shop along with offices in the front of the old building on Whitechapel Road. Then out the back is the foundry where the bells are made, which isn’t large by foundry standards and seems to employ a dozen or so people.

But the history is staggering. They have made the two most famous bells that I know of. The Liberty Bell in the US and Big Ben here in London. They have recently made the new bell for the finally completed St Johns Anglican Cathedral in my home town of Brisbane. They are the oldest manufacturing organisation in the UK making bells for over 500 years and the history goes on and on. If you want more history here is the link to it.

For me to smell the grit and burnt sand of my trade, to see men still making things in an age old tradition and to consider the long and continuous history of a relatively modest concern was a wonderful experence  and if your into making things and manufacture I would strongly suggest that you drop in if your n the neighbourhood.

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 Your Story Addendum Ep 15 [7:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome To Episode 10 of Your Story Addendum.

For a reason that I don’t understand I have an affinity towards the sacrifices made by the Australian troops particularly in World War One. So while here in London I went on a mission to see the Australian War Memorial at Hyde Park Corner.

On the way I was surprised to discovered the Canadian memorial in Green Park and the New Zealand war memorial near the Australian Memorial. Around these old British colonies war memorials is the grandiose memorials of old empire and militarism. The comparison for me was profound and I thought it was worth a comment.

Later in the day I had an opportunity to attend a performance at Shakespeare’s Globe of The Merry Wives of Windsor. I had a wonderful time laughing at a classic play performed in period Elizabethan costume in the worlds only open air Elizabethan play house . The costumes were impeccable in construction and function. The acting was the best in the world. The building that is the theatre is awesome in its style, function and construction.

The entire night was truly a wonderful experence in every way and I would strongly suggest that it’s a must see if visiting London.

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 Your Story Ep 25 [74:10m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome To Episode 25 of Your Story.

Today we talk with Adam Daniel Mezei who for three years as a Canadian has been living in Prauge, Czech Republic. Working as a Journalist and a Podcaster mixing with the movers and shakers of Czech society and visiting international government individuals.

Adam is one of the unique individuals in a position in Czech society as a Czech speaking outsider who has a full understanding of the culture, history, challenges. He appreciates the differences between other cultures and Czech psyche including the conflicts that are inherent in that difference sharing some of these and the historical reasons for them.

Adam take us on an audio tour of Czech culture and history giving us a grounding in where the attitudes came from that are the personality traits of this society, helping us to understand the conflicts in the culture and why they exist.

As mentioned I recorded this episode within a couple of hours of arriving in order to have a fresh conversation with Adam. Over the next three days Adam spent a huge amount of time with me during the day showing me around Prague and long into the night in cafes and bars. We spent long hours talking about the histories and cultures of our home countries and reflecting on the histories of Europe and the cultural personalities that develop from that.

I could have recorded triple the information heard here in the many conversations that we shared while exploring the culture, social and language challengers of being a foreigner in the Czech Republic.

What we have here in this podcast episode is a quick overview that lead onto those conversations and I am personally  grateful for those continuing conversations.

Adam is a published author of two books the first being We are the New Bohemians followed by We are the New Auroras in 2006.

His website is adamdanielmezei.eu
email is adam@adamdanielmezei.eu

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Music is from iodaPROMONET

Wade Robson
“It Was All In Your Mind” (mp3)
from “Wade Robson’s Project: Dance Beats Vol. 1″
(Wajero Entertainment, Inc.)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
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Stream from Rhapsody
More On This Album

 

 Your Story Addendum Ep 13 [5:58m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome To Episode 13 of Your Story Addendum.

I’ve been insanely busy but for me in a wonderful way as the people that have been looking after me have been filing my days with wonder, good food and drink along with entertaining conversation long into the night.

Vannes was a wonderful experience to see an old city centre that is still maintained and used for commercial and private residences with the modern community around it. There are photos on my flickr feed if you want to see more of it. The two market days I saw impressed me with the quality of produce, particularly the seafood, cheese and smoked meats. I’ve never seen such a range in my life.

Alas with so many things to say, do and see it seems a bit rude at times to get away to work. Fortunately I’m now in London and I may be

able to get a little time to get a few things sorted.

So here is a wrap up of my time in Vannes and a quick trip to Paris to see that culture with a dear friend.

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 Your Story Addendum Ep 12 [4:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I arrived in Prague on the invitation of Adam Daniel Mezei and spent three splendid days in his company being shown around the city and having the history and culture explained to me. Adam like many ex-pats and migrants seems to have the unique perspective that only someone who has taken the time to learn by fully immerse themselves into the culture and embrace it can obtain. However he still has the  perspective that is lost if it is the only culture that they have. So the locals are unaware of the issues that Adam was able to share with me.

Adam introduced me to both the sights and also the issues that he feels confront the modern Czech Republic. These are the things that I took away with me as I continue my travels.

On reflection I can’t help but see some similarities when I reflect on Berlin and the issues created by two world wars, Nazism and Communism and the effects on Prague of multiple occupations over centuries and Communism.

These few things I reflect on now that I’ve left the Czech Republic.

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