Exposition: Klank van de Stad

Past sunday Noshi and me went to one of the many museums in Antwerp, het Vleeshuis, where all sorts of musical instruments are currently on display.

This exposition, Klank van de Stad, details the history of music and sound in Antwerp, going as far back as the middle ages.

Now, tho be honest this used to be a museum where a lot of old armours and weapons where on display, so the exposition caught us a bit by suprise... but it was great stuff to see.  And we`ll look around where the weapons exposition moved to in due time.

The museum itself is based in the old guildhall of the butcher's guild of Antwerp, build in the first years of the 16th century, 1501 to 1504.  It`s interior has the lovely huge hallways, and there is a picture in the museum as well as to how it looked decades ago, before it was restored to it's current state.

Inside, you are taken first through a tour of very old intruments, including a sort of one string harp.  Using your smarthphone, you can make use of a site that plays actual soundfragments of the said intruments to get an idea.

A large portion of the exposition is also dedicated to the Antwerp Opera House, a gorgeous piece of architecture.

As well as various other instruments, including a "water table", an instrument in which glasses are placed and either filled or empty being played.

Of course, the golden age of Antwerp, which happened during the Renaissance, has the most gorgeous collection, including a whole series of beautiful decorated piano's.

You could also play the large clocks like there are in the Antwerp kathedral, and see how you fair as a "beiaardier".

Talking about clocks, the basement floor actually features a full "how clocks where cast" exposition, including the stone moulds used for it.

There is also a recreation of a workshop of Antwerp musical family company, that ended in 1983 after a long, long dynasty of casting copperblowers.

And there is a whole section of how balls and concerts where organised from the 1800 to 1950s period in Antwerp...

This was a lovely exposition for sure, and a great way to spend a sunday afternoon while picking up some bits of knowledge left and right.

But of course, we ended with a nice belgian draught, in my case a "Steenuilke" in Billie's Beer Cafetaria...

OS Miniatures Alpine Gnomes

So this is it, my full Kickstarter of OS (Old School) Miniatures has been painted for use in the AHPC.

While the figures are full of character, they do have some unfortunate hick-ups as well in my opinion.

But they are so full of character, and look so cute on the table, that the con's might not outweigh the pro's...

Neo Angelique Abyss

The latest anime series I benched while spending a whole night glueing models, this was one of my "random picks" of series.

Based on the Neo Angelique game, this is a spin-off of the Angelique series and numbers 13 episodes, released in 2008.

The world of Arcadia is plagued by Thanatos, a demon race that attacks villages and hamlets alike.  Angelique is one of the few, if not the last, Purifiers in the world.  Her powers allow her to banish the Thanatos back, but one against many aren't good odds.
Slowly, other adventurers here of her story and start to flock to her side, in an effort to help the world.  Opposing her though is the Foundation, who wants to militarise her powers and battle the Thanatos that way, under the guidance of the scientist Erenfried...

Now, I didn`t like this series to be honest, thinking it was off pace and rather boring truth to be told.  I can`t draw a parallel with the fluidity of the video game, as I haven`t play them.  But the series of an naive heroine surrounded by her helper heroes isn`t a new genre.

And that is perhaps why I didn`t appeal to me.  I can`t say where, but I have seen this story somewhere in exactly the same build-up, including even the evil robot clone character...

There is a second season, and overtime, I will watch it, but it`s not something high on the list to be honest...

Star Trek Discovery

Star Trek is back on television since Enterprise, and even though the opinions are divided... I liked it.

Discovery is the newest series in the franchise, and it is set against the onslaught that was the Klingon - Federation war, 10 years prior to the Kirk years.

A human woman, Michael Burnham, was raised on Vulcan by Sarek, making her the halfsister of Spock.  She has joined Starfleet, and indirectly she instigates the war.  Her ship and captain perish together with a fleet against the Klingon war machine, and she is stripped of rank and accused of mutiny.
A year later, she is picked up by captain Lorca (a fantastic Jason Isaacs) and the top secret vessel the USS Discovery (hello Section 31?).  The target of the Discovery is to develop the Spore Drive engine, which should give an advantage over the Klingons, even with their cloaking devices. 
The results of the engine tests toss the Discovery to the Mirror Universe, the arc of the second season, including some great revelations that not everyone appears who he seems to be...

As I said, I liked the series.  While it goes in the more political and double crossing typical of current day series, it retains that Star Trek cleaness and the higher morality of Starfleet, even set against a war that might wipe this very institution from the face of the galaxy.

Granted, a lot will need to change in the coming seasons to tie it in to the look and technology levels of TOS, but it feels like a nice bridge between Archer and Kirk.

Only those Klingons...

The Haul Report 120

Hello everyone to another week of hauling stuff...

While this episode might not be the grand haul, it is something I "needed" for my force.

Through a belgian Facebook group, I could lay my hand at three more Noise Marines, and as such I can now, with the oldies I have (those that where in the AHPC last week), these guys and the plastic marines with Spellcrow sonic blasters, field a full 10 man squad at last.

Sure, it only has one Blastmaster at the moment, but that is something I`ll be resolving in the not so far future, to bring "more noise" to the table.

Until next week!