MINIATURE WUNDERLAND

 

A short review…it was started by two brothers as a place to show their hobby began to grow by leaps & bounds. 

Soon they were joined by other ‘Model Railroad Clubs’ and other craftsmen. Some were electricians, model makers, carpenters, computer programmers. Their wives would stop by to see what they were doing and usually bring them a lunch.

One thing led to another.

Three of the ladies had worked at a bakery, several visitors would ask  if they had a snack bar. The idea was planted; some of the carpenters came and built a nice restaurant area for the bakery and a kitchen, too. If the fresh coffee smell didn’t get you, then the bakery definitely would 

Over 400,000 man hours were spent making  this dream come true.

This was about 5 years ago.

One of the breweries came and furnished all the tables and chairs, serving counter etc. Their latest finished area is the airport. Planes look like they are flying and landing.

 

GERMAN WONDERLAND IN HAMBURG!

The video says it all……….

EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT

This incredible machine was built as a collaborative effort between the Robert M. Trammell Music Conservatory and the Sharon Wick School of  Engineering at the University of Iowa. Amazingly, 97% of the machine’s components came from John Deere Industries and Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft, Iowa…Yes, farm equipment.

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment, calibration, and tuning before filming this video. As you can see, it was WELL worth the effort. It’s now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the University and it’s already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

DANCE OF 1000 HANDS

There is an awesome dance, called the Thousand-Hand Guanyin. Considering the tight coordination required, their accomplishment is nothing short of amazingeven if they were not all deaf.

Yesyou read correctly. All 63 of the dancers are complete deaf-mutesRelying only on signals from trainers at the four corners of the stage, these extraordinary dancers deliver a visual spectacle that is at once intricate and stirring. Its first major international debut was in Athens at the closing ceremonies for the 2004 Paralympics.
Imagine finding 63 deaf-mute girls that principally look alike i.e. have the same height and body build…
But it had long been in the repertoire of the Chinese Disabled People’s Performing Art Troupe and had travelled to more than 40 countries.  Its lead dancer is 29-year-old Tai Lihua, who has a BA from the Hubei Fine Arts Institute. The video was recorded in Beijing during the Spring Festival this year.