(B) Erika Berger and the End of the World - or - So She Believed! But - it was only a very big bang!

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Erika Berger and A Very Short End of The World

A few weeks ago, Erika Berger told me the following story. It happened on a cold Thursday November afternoon in 1968, and Erika Berger thought the end of the world had arrived.

Erika Berger's little hairdresser's shop in the 10^th district of Vienna had only been open for just a few weeks. Erika Berger was still very young and new in the business and she was good. Business was going amazingly well. And then, just after 2 on that long ago freezing cold November Thursday afternoon, one of Erika Berger' customers noticed something unusual. Outside in the street there was movement - and it was moving at speed.

First came the kindergarten. And, there was none of the usual childish giggling and laughter. Then came the school; and they were more running than walking and all looking concerned. And, there were many other people as well. All going the same way.

And then, all of a sudden, there was no one outside. Outside, the street was deserted.

And, as Erika Berger carried on working, she thought nothing of the nothing that was happening outside. But, not for too long.

The explosion was enormous. The whole building shook. Combs and scissors and cups and saucers were thrown around, and even a mirror crashed down to the ground. And, Erika Berger, her girls, and her customers - some still with very wet hair - ran out of the shop and into the cold afternoon. And, there stood a policeman. And he was very surprised. Where had they come from?

Earlier that afternoon, an unexploded Second World War bomb had been found. It was on a building site just round the corner. And, the only thing possible was a controlled explosion. And, of course, evacuation. But, for whatever reason -Erika Berger's little shop had been completely forgotten. And then, with a very big smile, the policemen announced that the danger was past and they could all go back to the shop.

And, there was much clearing up to be done. And, that night, with friends and family all helping, the little shop was put back together again. And, even a new mirror and new coffee cups had been found. And, when they had finished, Erika Berger's little hairdresser's shop looked better than ever. Better than new. And, at 9 on the dot the next morning, Erika Berger opened as usual.

Erika Berger's hairdresser's shop had only been open for just a few weeks. Then came the end of the world with a very big bang. But, it wasn't to be. After a night clearing up it was business as usual.

Erika Berger and A Very Short End of The World

Vocabulary

amazingly – erstaunlicherweise

concerned – besorgt

evacuation – evakuieren

even - sogar

giggling – kichern

on the dot - pünktlich

plenty to do – viel zu tun

(B) - Diarikom Archive - Traveler's Return - All Boxed Up for the Night!

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 Evelyn Dawid

 Traveler's Return

Travelling is full of surprises! Some big and some small. And, the box which Evelyn Dawid discovered at the castle of Taso in South Tirol was very, very interesting. It was big and down in the cellar!

And, it was there for the servants. It was their bed for the night and it must have been awful.

At the end of each day, with all 30 servants inside, the box was closed and wasn't opened till morning. But, how did the servants sleep? What was it like in the box? What about the air that they breathed and the smells and the unpleasant sounds? And, the getting up the night? Unanswerable questions! But, one thing is clear, upstairs it was life as was normal!

The duke and his family enjoyed nothing but the best of the best of normal aristocratic everyday luxury life. Beds and no boxes for them!

But, why the box for the servants? Was it to stop them from escaping? Or, could it have been that the duke was afraid of being murdered in his sleep? Or, was he simply a very nice generous man. After all, what better than a cosy warm box on a cold winter's night in an unheated cellar?

Of course, we will never find out! But, one thing is clear. The more we see, the more we discover! And, I wonder what Evelyn Dawid will be bringing back from her next journey. Something of interest, I'm sure!

P.S. South Tirol has a history! It used to be part of Austria, but is now part of Italy. Castel Taso is the Italian name for Burg Reifenstein.

Vocabulary

aristocratic – adliger

awful – furchtbar

cosy – behaglich

generous – großzügig

unheated – nicht geheizt

Burg Riefenstein

(B) Brigitte Nene - Being Social in Socialist Times! A story of patience and care!

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Brigitte Nene - Being Social in Socialist Times!  

Living in socialist Hungary was not always easy. Things were sometimes hard to get hold of. And, the weekend meat was always a question of queuing. And, this always took time.

And, it was then that Brigitte Nene worked as head nurse in a hospital in Veszprem. And, Brigitte Nene always made sure that her nurses went home every Friday with their weekend provisions. It was all very simple.

From each ward, one of the nurses would go with money and lists to the market. And, this always took time. Sometimes 4 or 5 hours. Waiting, waiting and waiting.

But, the girls didn't mind. Standing in line was always good fun. Chatting and laughing and catching up on the latest scandal and gossip. And, time passed relatively quickly. And, a day at the market was as good as a day off from work. Nursing was – and still is – a very hard job.

And, Brigitte Nene? She went shopping on Saturdays. She always had time. And, although it was hard, shopping was always good fun. And, that hasn't changed!

Living in socialist Hungary was not always easy. But, being social made living not only more fun, but comfortable, too. Brigitte Nene had a socialist heart, but her socialist heart was probably more social than most.

Brigitte Nene - Being Social in Socialist Times!  

(B) Diarikom Archives - Bruno Hope - Almost home - then - Bang! A true end of war story

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I knew Bruno Hope well. He died recently at the age of 93. And, the following story is a tale of great strength.

It was 1945. Bruno Hope was thankfully walking home across Italy. His war was behind him. Life was fantastic. He was happy and young. He had survived the war and his home in Vienna was getting nearer and nearer.  Things couldn’t be better. Soon he would be drinking his favourite beer, and the schnitzels he loved would be waiting for him.  Everything seemed amazingly sweet.

But, then the partisans struck. There was no warning! The firing was dreadful and final. There was no where to run and no where to hide and Bruno fell to the ground. He had been hit. He was seriously injured! And then, with one of his shoulders completely destroyed he passed out. And there, beneath a Roman moon he lay - waiting to die  in a deepening pool of young crimson blood!

And, the doctors fought hard and did a wonderful job. But, his left shoulder and arm had been too badly hit to repair. There was nothing the medics could do. They told Bruno Hope he would never recover. But Bruno Hope knew better. And, he went to work on himself.

He began by lifting the lightest of weights, and then within eighteen months of hard work and exercise his arm returned once again to full strength. He had fought and succeeded!

And that’s how Bruno’s life was. He always got up from his downs, and always took risks. Italy had been a lesson for him, and that's why he always succeeded in all that he did. Luck doesn't come on its own – it's something you make for yourself!

Bruno Hope and his secret of life!

Vocabulary

amazingly - erstaunlicherweise

crimson – rot

faintly – schwach

fought -(fight/fought/fought) – kämpfen

hide – verstecken

pass out – (to pass out/passed out/passed out) in Ohnmacht fallen

perils – Gefahren

seemed – schien

strength – Stärke

survive – überleben

tale – Geschickte

war – Krieg

within – innerhalb

(A) - Henry - Fish pie - the taste of home long ago!

Henry – Fish Pie to Feel Happy

When Henry thinks back to home, it's the fish pie he thinks of the most. His mother's fish pie was always the best. And, very special days were, of course, fish pie days. When Henry won his first chess competition, it was fish pie that was served. And, when his sister got married, fish pie was the number one dish on the menu. And, of course, every time Henry passes a fish shop, he's reminded of home.

Henry – Fish Pie to Feel Happy

(B) Edith Nene and Salt and Very Hot Water - A secret that will keep you in good health!

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 Edith Nene and bowls of Hot Water

Edith Nene grew up in the depths of an Hungarian forest. And, she knows the secret of getting through freezing cold winters without catching colds. And, this secret is nothing more than bowls of hot water.

Every evening, Edith Nene's mother would prepare the bowls of hot water. One for each family member. And, into each bowl of piping hot water went a touch of bicarb' of soda and a sprinkling of salt.

And, there the family would sit in a circle, each with their feet in a bowl and all having fun. Stories and jokes, and, for those old enough, a cup of hot spicy wine. Wonderful ends of very hard days.

And, these bowls of hat salty water were very important. Edith Nene grew up in a very poor family. Everyone, even the children, had to work very hard. Foot baths in piping hot water kept people in very good health. And, very good health meant money as well.

Edith Nene, who's now 86, grew up in the depths of an Hungarian forest. And, she's never had a cold in her life. Bowls of piping hot water with bicarb' of soda and a small pinch of salt. This could be something for you. You will not only have very clean feet, but good health as well. It's not only cheap, it's easy as well.

Edith Nene and bowls of Hot Water

piping hot – very, very hot

a sprinkling – a small amount

a touch of . . . a small portion ...

a pinch of salt – a small amount

Edith Nene on her 80th birthday

(A) - Sara - Making New Friends - A life to look back on!

Sara

Sara comes from Iran. At home, her life was dancing, family, and teaching English. Things she still very much misses. And, Sara often thinks of her family and friends. Of course, Sara has Skype, but it's different. No familiar smells of her mother's good cooking. But, it's the friendliness of the people she misses the most. People, where she comes from, are all very friendly.