The HeightsBy Kate Ascher If you’ve already read about what goes across the city in Underground by David Macauley, then The Heights will give you an idea of what goes up into a building. Once you are done reading this book, you’ll never take another office building or apartment block Read more…
In the wee hours of the morning, worshippers, and visitors alike form a long line outside the Schlosskirche in the town of Wittenberg in Germany on a quiet Sunday morning. The occasion? The reopening of the church where Martin Luther posted his ’95 Thesis’ on after its renovation. Among those Read more…
This year, Germany begins twelve months of festive celebrations to mark the 500th year of the Reformation. October 31st of 2017 is also marked as a special national holiday, joining the ranks of the Day of German Unity, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. From Berlin, the ICE will whisk you Read more…
Some call him Peng, others call him boss, but I call him Tee. He’s the kind of friend that would go out of his way to visit me only to convince me to visit him in his country later in the same year. Here’s how it happened… Back in 2014, Read more…
As part of my first train trip in Germany, I explored the northeastern coast of Germany with my bike on board visiting Güstrow and Warnemünde as well along the way. If Baltimore is Charm City, then Rostock is the City of Magical Spells. It’s waterfront area is just as charming Read more…
The quaint renaissance town of Güstrow isn’t just a pretty face, it’s also the political centre of Rostock despite its larger and more famous cousin being more economically dominant in the region. Tourists from all over Germany come to see the well-preserved Güstrow Palace complete with a moat and gardens. Read more…
On what was my first train trip in Germany I went to Güstrow, Rostock, and eventually ended up in Warnemünde at the end of my journey. Although some would say that the charming houses by the tourist zone or the Teepot by the sea are main attractions, I loved seeing Read more…
Underground By David Macauley How do workmen lay utilities cables? Where does your sewage go? What’s underneath the ground floor of the building? These are all questions that you can find answers to in Underground by David Macauley. When I took an introductory course to civil engineering, I was in Read more…
Fact Flash: – Rubber takes 50 years to decompose in the natural environment – Nylon takes 30-40 years to decompose in the natural environment Anyone who needed to attach a pen to a clipboard at work or wanted to make a bracelet in class might have contemplated using a link Read more…
Death and Life of Great American Cities By Jane Jacobs First published in 1961, Jane Jacobs outlines the reasons for the failure of urban core areas in America and attributes it to the unsustainable sprawl of suburban housing, car-dependent culture, and flawed urban design philosophy based on what she calls Read more…