Alcatraz : The Original Naughty Corner

Boys and Girls,

A long time ago in San Francisco if students didn’t do their homework, they were sent to Alcatraz (the most secure prison in the United States)!  I am just kidding, Alcatraz was definitely not a place for naughty children, but it was a place for some of the toughest bad guys in the United States.  These criminals were sent here because it was impossible to escape from Alcatraz, or so the US government thought.  Sitting on a rock (tiny island) a mile away from San Francisco, there was no way a robber could get out of jail and then get to the main land without dying in the cold, fast moving ocean water.  The bay was impossible to swim.

Sitting on "the rock", Alcatraz looks pretty spooky in the distance.

Visiting Alcatraz is an interesting experience.  It shows you that jail isn’t really a fun place, but it was interesting to see how the men who lived in the cells made the best of a really bad situation.  Even though they were forced to live in a tiny cell alone they found ways to pass the time and make life a bit more interesting.  They would sign books out from the library, paint, play instruments and even knit.  Some of them even took courses and learned how to speak different languages.

A typical cell in Alcatraz no bigger than your bedroom.  Can you imagine
NEVER being allowed to leave your room EVER!?

Of course there are the stories of escape attempts.  In 1962 three inmates used spoons to dig through the cement walls of their cells.  They then climbed out of the venting system and made it to the water.  No one knows what happened next.  They were never heard from or seen again.  Some people think they all drown, some people think they are still alive and living in a place like Mexico.  We will never know what the true story is. 

The building is no longer a prison, but is open to the public so we can see what life would have been like in Alcatraz.

Part of "Seedy" Block (C-D), where some of the toughest criminals had their cells.

Keep doing your homework!

Mr. P

The USS Missouri

The last battleship ever built by the US, the USS Missouri is now a museum for visitors to enjoy.

Today I got a chance to explore a real life battleship.  The USS Missouri was the last battleship to be built in the United States and it now sits in Pearl Harbour next to Ford Island in the state of Hawaii.  During World War II, not only was the ship used in battle, but it was also where the signing of the Terms of Surrender by all fighting countries happened.  It stands in the harbour not as a symbol of war, but one of protection and peace.

The USS Missouri was armed with nine powerful 16 inch guns that could fire as far as 20 miles.

During World War II the USS Missouri was attacked several times by Japanese Kamakazi jetfighters (pilots that would fly their planes directly into enemy targets).  As you can imagine some of these attacks left dents in the ship.  You can still see these dents today.

Sleeping quarters of the sailors.  Bunks stacked up 4 beds high.  The USS Missouri was
home to 2700 sailors during World War II.

It was emotional hearing the stories of the young sailors who left home back in 1944 (some as young as 18) to fight for peace aboard the USS Missouri.  For some of these men it was the first time they had ever left their rural communities, and they were always overwhelmed once they found themselves aboard the 209 foot tall battleship.  I can’t even imagine what would have been going through their heads.  I am glad that the ship now acts as a symbol of peace.  Hopefully all the soldiers in the world currently fighting for peace will be able to share their stories one day.

Standing outside the canteen with my empty tray waiting to be fed.

The National Museum in Kuala Lumpur

The National Museum in Kuala Lumpur does a great job at taking you through history and showing you not only how Malaysians once lived, but how they live today.

Getting to the National Museum is tricky, and if you are walking
you have to cross a six lane highway to get there.  I felt like Frogger!

The museum is divided into different time periods, and my favourite was the Prehistoric room.  In this room, many of the tools that humans used thousands of years ago (way before electricity) are on display.  One set of tools are these stones,  can you guess what they were used for?

Do you know what these textured stones were used for?

They were used for beating bark (that had been soaked in sea water for two weeks) to make bark fabric.  This fabric could then be used just like we use woven fabrics today. 

Tree bark that has been beaten into fabric.

How about this black stuff, what do you think humans did with it?

Is it just a pile of rocks?

That's right, they used this charcoal to draw pictures on cave walls.  These pictures are usually scenes about things that were happening in the area at the time, so they help historians piece together a better understanding of what life was like long ago.

A diorama showing how humans would use cave drawings to document their
daily lives before they started using words.

Sharing Ideas Around the Globe

Dear Boys and Girls,

In all my travelling around I have had a chance to see what happens when people from different cultures come together with open minds and share ideas with each other in a positive and friendly way.  The result is beautiful!

 

A European mansion in Phuket Town.

In Old Town Phuket, a good example of this sharing can be seen in historical houses that line the streets.  Built in a Sino-Portuguese style, these houses are a mix of Chinese (the Sino part) and Portuguese architecture.  A long time ago, Chinese citizens worked in Phuket in the tin mining industry and the Portuguese came as visitors interested in the work that they were doing.  During these visits, ideas were exchanged and one of the things the Portuguese showed the Chinese workers was how they liked to build their homes back in Portugal.  The Chinese liked what they were shown and they started to build their houses in Phuket just like them, but still with a Chinese touch.

The buildings along Thalang, Krabi and Debouk Road are all excellent examples of the
sharing that happened between the Chinese and the Portuguese.

These Sino-Portuguese buildings were built so that residents could both work and live in the same structure.  Your shop would be downstairs, and the rest of the building would be your home. 

You can find this kind of fusion (when two cultures come together and share ideas) in cooking, language, music, and just about anything else you can think of.  Can you remember a time when you shared an idea with a friend and worked together to produce some "fusion" of your own?

Can't wait to hear all about your sharing,
Mr. P

Temple of Olympian Zeus

This is how the Temple of Olympian Zeus looks today.

There is not much of the temple standing today.  Out of the original 104 columns there are only 15 still standing tall (so how many are missing?). There is also one column that fell during a storm in 1852, and today it still lies on the ground in pieces like toppled dominoes.

By looking at the fallen one you can see that the columns are actually made out of marble discs.  Building them was probably like making a tower out of building blocks.

The story behind the temple is an interesting one.  Plans to build a limestone temple dedicated to the Greek god Zeus were drawn up in the 6th century BC, and it is believed that building of the temple was started around this time too.  Unfortunately Ancient Greece wasn't really a peaceful place and the building process kept being interrupted by pesky invaders.

Hundreds of years later the plans were changed and instead of using limestone as a building material, Roman Emperor Hadrian decided to use marble for the temple.  It was under his rule that the temple was completed, and in the 2nd century AD, over 600 years after building first started, the temple was officially dedicated.

The Arch of Hadrian, built to honour the Emperor when he came to dedicate the temple.  It sits right next to the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

It wasn't long before the temple was invaded and destroyed again.  After being destroyed the marble was used to build other structures around the city (almost like pieces of LEGO), and that is why there are only 16 columns left on the site today.

The Oldest Restaurant in Toronto

On Saturday morning some friends and I decided to say goodbye to each other by going out for breakfast.  We all sat around a booth at one of my favourite breakfast spots, The Senator.  Now the food isn't gourmet. Breakfast is usually a large serving of bacon and eggs with home fries and toast, but it is the story the restaurant tells that keeps you coming back.  The restaurant claims to be the oldest in Toronto with food being served in the building since 1890 (The Senator actually opened its doors in 1948).  Maybe the street is no longer lined with horsedrawn carriages, but you can still feel history pouring out of the building.  I wonder how The Senator compares to the restaurants I will eat at as I travel around?  Do you think it is the oldest restaurant in the world?  I can't wait to explore!