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Things that creep me out.

April 13, 2013

I love technology as much as any other person. I am one of those people who cannot live without her smart phone and spends most of her waking life looking at a computer screen. After all, it’s because of this technology that I can keep in touch with my husband in America and my friends back in Portugal every day, not to mention writing this blog and reading all the other fab blogs out there. Saying this, I discovered I can be equally be creeped out by some technology.

A few months ago my friend Sebastian and I visited a Post War bunker in Scotland, which has now been deactivated and turned into a museum – Scotland’s Secret Bunker. I’ve been trying to put my finger on what was it that bothered us so much about it but spending time in a tunnel under 10 feet of tungsten reinforced concrete with no sunlight may have been one of the reasons.

Apparently there was a Russian incursion in British airspace in the 80’s (in the heat of the Cold War, if that’s possible) and it was detected with this equipment.

The mismatched mannequins in ill fitting uniforms also helped create that creepy atmosphere. Nothing more disturbing than walking around a tunnel, being stared at by empty plastic eyes.

In the several rooms you can see the War Rooms, throughout the decades – the rooms where the enemy was monitored and decisions were made. As this place would be hermetically closed to avoid fallout contamination in case of a nuclear war, there were also sleeping quarters, canteens and offices. No windows, obviously.

As we progressed through the museum and the eras, the whole idea of why that bunker was built really sank in and it really bothered me. The rooms, the objects, everything was ugly and disturbing. This was a place where function is everything and there is no beauty to be seen. That also made me uneasy.

They had some giant Bic pens there as well.

Mostly what felt particularly creepy was the obsolete technology present in this place, that seemed somewhat crude to my modern sensibilities, even though some of it wasn’t that old. It is something I had never felt before regarding old stuff – I love old clothes, old decorative objects… but this place? Brrrrr.

That was old technology and the Cold War and all that paranoia… The future can be equally disconcerting, if you’ve been watching some post apocalyptic, revolt of the machine Sci Fi in the last few years. In the advent of Artificial Intelligence (apparently the Singularity will happen sooner than expected) there is nothing that creeps me out more than seeing videos like this, starring Big Dog, Cheetah Robot and PetMan. It does makes me wonder about the future.

What about you? What gives you the creeps?

 

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5 Comments

  • Reply Connie* April 13, 2013 at 16:21

    That IS creepy. Several years ago we toured a WWII submarine and it was equally creepy and claustrophobic. Yoiks! So Miss Sara. I hope you feel better soon and I hope you enjoy your time off. Really just relax and give in to it. Love you!
    Connie*

    • Reply Mrs. D April 13, 2013 at 16:23

      Thank you Connie! I hope you feel better soon as well. Our bodies may act a little defective sometimes but our spirits are indomitable.
      Love you too!

  • Reply SACRAMENTO April 14, 2013 at 06:57

    What an amazing and creepy place Sara, wowwwwwwwwwwwww.
    So you have friends in Portugal?
    Do you speak Spanish?
    your husband lives in America???
    Sorry for the questionaire, LOL
    Have a fabulous Sunday.
    We have the summer up on us, and I don´t like it.
    We go straight from winter ( mild and pleasant) to summer, ahhhhhhhhhh
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

  • Reply Señora Allnut April 15, 2013 at 07:29

    that bunker would creep me out!, it’s creeping me just now indeed!, that claustrophobic and paranoid cold war atmosphere is really disturbing!, and all that ugly mannequins!, I agree with you, because I usually love obsolete machinery, but that’s not lovely anyway!
    besos

  • Reply Clare April 15, 2013 at 18:37

    I find these bunkers really creepy too but I’d love to visit!! xx

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