Diarikom : December 2020

Monday 28 December 2020

Diarikom Week 52/53 - 2020 - Annamarie Venus Frequency

Welcome to Talk 49. Talk 49 is online talk with an aim. The story of life. People. Our programme is very diverse and growing all the time. Stories, anecdotes, interviews, and more. Talk 49 can be accessed directly on talk49.blogspot.com – Our blog with full index, etc. You can also google tram 49 world - or go directly to YouTube – tram 49 world. Tram 49 is written and produced by Nigel A. JAMES.

Annamarie Venus Frequency

Annamarie was young and in love. In love with New York. New York was magic. It was Annamarie's town. And, this young lady from Graz was on her way up in a very big way. She had a very big job, big money and was living each second. And,late at night, she had time for TV. Sex in the City was her favourite. And, because the girls in Sex in the City did yoga, Annamarie did yoga as well. The perfect way to slow down and stay sane in New York.

And, Annamarie's fun carried on at weekends. Her weekends were was fast, thrillling and up in the sky. Adrenaline pure. Jumping from planes. Falling to earth at high speed in formation, landing, then going up for more. Nothing was better. Then, one Sunday as usual, came the last jump of the day. The group flew back up to the clouds. Annamarie jumped.

But, she didn't wake up for a very long time.

Annamarie had been seriously injured. Her landing had gone horribly wrong. She shouldn't have survived. Then, after 5 operations came the bad news. Walking normally was over her her. A thing of the past. Support would always be needed. A bone in her leg was beyond any help. The blood just couldn't get through. Her left foot was dead. No chance. Then, into her mind came the girls from Sex in the City.

Annamarie went into herself. Meditation, concentration, and visualisation. And slowly she started responding. The blood started flowing again.

Three months later, she left hospital without any help. Walking alone with no sticks. Annamarie had done the impossible. She was fine. She never looked back.

And, now, all these years later, Annamarie is back in Vienna and passing on the message of yoga and how one can use it. Annamarie is a yogic practitioner and teacher.

And, her message is easy to get.

Annamarie has a yogic radio show. She calls it Venus Frequency. Every Friday morning at 7 on Radio Orange 94 from Vienna. And, Radio Orange streams all its programmes. Venus Frequency goes out to the world. Google Radio Orange for more. And, Annamarie doesn't only sound great on the radio, she also looks great on TV.

Just recently, Annamarie gave a TED talk. It was her story. It was remarkable. Enjoy it. Check it out on TED X Vienna.

Annamarie was young and in love with New York. Life only comes once. Live and enjoy every second but watch how you go.

Venus Frequency is Annamarie.

Click here to listen on YouTube

Click here for Annamarie's TEDX Talk

Sunday 20 December 2020

Diarikom - Week 51/2020 - Christine Harecker - From Her Viennese Childhood

Click here for YouTube Christine Harecker - Tales From Her Viennese Childhood

Christine Harecker grew up in Vienna and her summers were spent with her aunty and uncle. They had a small wooden house. And, this small wooden house, with its very small garden, was surrounded by many other small houses and gardens. It was the 60s and 70s. Summers were fun and summers were long.

And, Christine had many good summer time friends. There were many other children to play with, and everyone's home was everyone else's as well. Fun every day. Fun from morning till night. But, it's a monkey Christine remembers the most.

Just a few houses away stayed a young couple and they had a pet monkey. And, this little monkey named Rico was free. He used to run from garden to garden and everyone loved him. Rico was never too much. He was everyone's friend. But then, something changed.

Rico discovered the taste of good flowers and gave up having time for his friends. Rico started jumping from flower to flower; eating each one as he went. Rico was no longer welcome. People were angry. Something had to be done.

Rico was locked in his cage. He became very unhappy. He was missing his freedom. Rico was sad. His owners had an idea. A glass of wine at the end of each day. Ricoo tasted wine for the very first time. He was happy, but not for too long. Rico started wanting more than one glass. One glass of wine had stopped being enough. And, when he didn't get what he wanted, Rico became very aggressive. His screaming was terrible. It was bad. It was heard all around. This once happy monkey was now alcoholic in a very bad way and everyone knew it.

The next summer, Christine came back again. Her aunty and uncle and her summer time friends were waiting for her. Rico was gone. He had gone far away and was happy. Maybe heaven? But, one thing was clear. Rico had not gone to hell. Hell had come out of a bottle. An idea to cheer Rico up. But, sadly, an idea that had killed him.

The years moved on and Christine moved on as well. But, her summer time fun is still there where it was in a time that has gone. And, Rico the monkey was part of this time. He made people happy but sadly loved flowers. The flowers came back. Rico stayed gone. Rico was never forgotten.

Christine Harecker – Tales from Her Viennese Childhood.

Listen to this article on YouTube with full text.

Listen to Christine Harecker telling her story on Talk49

Monday 7 December 2020

Diarikom - Week 50 2020 - The Alabama

Click here to listen and read on Youtube

SEE English Warm-ups - Phrases to turn on your English. Mini translations. *** 49 fun - This Week's Easy English Lesson *** Tram 49 - Our Radio Show - People of interest, super old music, and more! ** * Talk 49 - Online Talk *** Online English with Nigel A.JAMES ***

The Alabama

It was the American Civil War. British companies were legally delivering arms to both sides. The North and the South, It was very good business. But, shipping had different rules. There were two kinds of ships. Armed and unarmed. And, British companies were allowed to deliver both armed and unarmed ships to the North, but, only unarmed ships to the south. And, the rules were rigoursly applied and controlled. However, where there's a will there's a way. And, some people were expert at bending the rules.

Put simply, most British shipping for the south left Britain unarmed. Then, as if by magic, the same ships arrived at their destinations in the south fully armed. It was all very easy. After leaving Great Britain, the unarmed ships put into foreign ports where they were armed.

But, of course, the North didn't like this. These fully armed ships were a threat. And, one in particular was a very dangerous ship. The Alabama. And, she had a story.

Whilst nearing completion in a Birkenhead ship yard in Great Britain, the Alabama caught the eye of the US authorities. The US authorities claimed the Alabama had been more fitted out than allowed and petitioned the British government to impound the ship. However, it was Friday and the government was closed until Monday. But, no one had reckoned with the confederate's shipping agent in Britain. A man with friends in high places. A certain Mr. James Bulloch. And, Mr. James Bulloch got wind of events and went into action.

The Alabama left port the very next day for her sea trials. On board were the mayor and mayores of Birkenhead, members of the Birkenhead council, and a small group of VIPs. Everyone was dressed in their best for this festive occasion. But, the sea trials were shorter than expexted. The Alabama soon put into Holyhead, a port in North Wales not far from Birkenhead. There was no time to lose. The guests were hurriedly put ashore and the Alabama sped back out to sea. Then, after evading the USS Tuscarra which had been sent to intercept her, set course for mid Atlantic. The Alabama was fitted out with heavy guns on the Azores.

And, into war she sailed.

In the course of her action packed life, The Alabama captured and destroyed 10 union ships in Mid-Atlantic. She sank the USS Hatteras in an amazingly brief 13 minute encounter. And, on a round the world jaunt, captured 84 merchant ships. The Alabama then met her match.

In a spectacular sea fight, the Alabama was defeated and sunk just off the French coast near Cherbourg. And, the captain and crew were rescued by cheering spectators. But, this story had a very expensive end.

The damages caused by the Alabama were enormous. In the end, the British had to pay more than 15 million dollars in compensation. An enormous price for weekend closing. But, the Alabama was not the only British built ship to cause damage. Maybe,15 million dollars was not such a high price to pay. It's short term and long term. It's all how you see it. Ship building then made very much money.

The Alabama. A ship built in Britain. A ship with a story.