Today I woke up and really surprised myself. As I descended the staircase to meet my family for breakfast, I thought what a wonderful day it was to be alive. The morning weather was so pleasant that I could put a stick in my eye (sorry KT). I knew breakfast would be delicious and I had a good lesson for the day. It probably helped that my outfit was cute and was having one of those accidentally great hair days.
Can you believe I actually had that thought? That it was a wonderful day to be alive? A year ago today I never would have thought that. I probably would have laughed at myself. It felt a little out of character for me to be so happy. I ran with it, though, and it’s been smooth sailing so far.
It made me think of this popular song. Can you guess where it’s from? 10 points to the first correct guess in the comments!
It's such a good feeling to know you're alive.
It's such a happy feeling - you're growing inside.
And when you wake up ready to say:
I think I'll make a snappy new day
It's such a good feeling, a very good feeling,
The feeling you know that we're friends.
Did anyone glance at the title of my last post and read it as lap dancer? I definitely did as I was proofreading it later on. I went back to edit it but then thought that I could disguise it as intentional. Now you know my secret. Lap dander just sounds gross.
Maybe 25% of my normal students showed up today. The group of older girls that adore me were there, as well as some of my younger pets, and a two boys who I’m sure had parents that made them come. My translator was absent today. She’s getting married soon and has a lot of work to do for her wedding, so I bet she was working on stuff for that. The younger kids, my second group, didn’t even come.
When my first class was over, I told them it was time to go home and said goodbye. None of them moved. I thought they didn’t understand me, so I told them class was over, told them to go outside and enjoy the weather, maybe go swimming. I did some pantomiming so they would understand, and opened the door and motioned them out, exaggeratedly waving goodbye. No reaction. They all wanted to stay! This made me nervous because I really had nothing prepared for them, only a lesson for the 5 – 8 year old kids who would normally show up at that time. That wasn’t going to fly because it involved learning left and right, the hokey pokey, and playing some simple and energetic games.
I decided to ask what they really really wanted to do for the rest of class. Turns out they really really wanted to play shark tag outside in the sweltering heat. They always want me to be the shark, and since there were so few kids today I really had no way out. Of course I’m wearing a pencil skirt and dressy shoes – perfect outfit for running around and getting sweaty. We made it work, though, and had fun. When that became boring, we played hide and seek and I did a photo shoot. I think I’ll have them give me 5-minute Polish lessons every day now. I can already count to five! They found it rather entertaining to hear my awful pronunciation and enjoyed correcting me. Success!
I’m pretty sure there was just a big misunderstanding with the advertisement of the class to the community. Initially I was told it’d be a four-week period. Then two two-week periods. Then they said the same kids would probably show up for all four weeks. I noticed on the school website that the dates for the class advertised only a two week period. So now I think that the second half of the class was never really advertised, and the kids who showed up today were just taking a chance or had ignorant parents. Either way, I’m really frustrated with all of this especially because of the amount of work I put in already and will have to put in over the remaining class time. My long-term project ideas are fluff now. All the supplies that I divvied out for the classes will probably remain unused because I’ve already done the lessons that require them. I know this isn’t supposed to be a vacation, and it’s certainly not, but hopefully next year it will be a little more organized. I’m thinking about applying for a leadership position with the organization, so maybe I can really make it happen!
On my drive to school every morning, we make a quick stop to pick up Magda. On the corner of her street is a man selling fire extinguishers. He has his little tent and lawn chair, and a display rack lined with bright red fire extinguishers of varying sizes. The little baby canisters are mixed up with the mammoths, and the bright red color is strange there on the side of the road. The handle and spigot parts look like broken limbs that were badly bandaged or awkward elephant trunks. In a way the color feels refreshing against the brown sand, dirty road and dingy faded buildings. But it also seems to be an invasion of industrial harshness into the lovely rolling green hills of Zawada. (If you're pronouncing that in your head, it sounds like Zavada.) Let me tell you, the view from the playground at school is absolutely breathtaking. Every time we go outside to play and round the corner of the building, I get soaked with brilliant vistas in all directions. It’s almost too much to take in at once, and I secretly face each direction for a few minutes to absorb everything when the kids are really into a game of shark tag.
I was in Warsaw over the weekend. It was exhausting. Over half the time was consumed by travel. Trains. Hot. Sticky. Dirty. Awful. So many hours. On the trip there, we couldn’t find seats and had to split up and stand the entire way. A few other volunteers and I were in the car with the toilet. Imagine being inside a handicapped sized Port-a-Potty during an 85 degree day. The refuse runs directly on to the train tracks below, and although I didn’t see it for myself, my friend who braved the bathroom said that if you look down into the toilet you can see the rail passing by beneath you.
In my opinion, Warsaw wasn’t worth the train rides there and back. Krakow is so much better! Everything in Warsaw was bombed in the war and rebuilt during 1945 – 1955. So nothing is spectacular and new, really. The old town district is made to look older than it is, and instead of using real stone blocks on building facades, they are just painted with a stone pattern. The architecture is purposely jagged and uneven so it has that old authentic feel, but the colors are too bright and crisp and do not align with the building structures. It made me feel irritated that they tried to copy a popular style in order to capitalize on it. I feel like Warsaw is an impostor city.
I should talk about the good things too. It wasn’t awful. The tallest building in Poland (don’t hold me to this claim) was there, called the Palace of Culture and Science. It was initially constructed by Josef Stalin and was previously known by his name. The people of Warsaw changed the name as soon as they possibly could, which was actually fairly recently if you’d believe it. We went up to the very top and enjoyed a great panoramic view. They also had a photo showcase of this display that I’ve seen before and really love: four different families photographed with all the food they consume in one week. Really a thought provoking display!
While we were at the top of the tower, someone made a comment about how well the city was planned out and arranged. I thought about this for a while, and then realized they had a second chance to create the city since everything was destroyed in a grim tale only six decades ago! A do-over, if you will.
It was, however, so amazing to see my group again. We shared teaching ideas with one another and had a great time partying in the evenings. We found a club called Tomba Tomba and bargained the cover charge down to half price to get in. We even met some girls from Chicago! It had maybe 6 floors and a basement, and different rooms designated for certain, ahem, activities. In order to find the entrance to the club, we circled the building about seven times before realizing we had to climb up a spiral staircase and weave through some castle ruins to get to the main entrance. A few of us decided to wear our sunglasses while dancing and it made me feel really cool, although my face was so sweaty that they kept sliding down my nose so I'd have to shove them back up with my index finger every five seconds like a librarian.
After the club we walked home together through the main part of the city. It was late but the downtown rynek was still busy. As we walked through the town square we noticed some people laying a man down on the ground and stopped to snoop, or rather investigate. He was inebriated in some fashion or another, and was making strange breathing noises. It seemed like he was unconscious. Then he started seizing on the ground and produced noises that were stranger yet. I thought we were going to have to perform an exorcism. That stopped after a minute, and he awoke and still wasn’t fully aware, but realized that there was a group of people staring at him and became angry. We left at that point but some people were really worried and felt the need to pray. I think it was a good excuse to draw attention and occupy the good Samaritan position. I’m probably just cynical though. The ambulance eventually came for him – we watched as it sped down the sidewalk and a group of people were forced to scatter and didn’t know which way to run. It was like that experiment when you take a bowl of water and put pepper on top and then insert a soapy finger and the pepper runs away.
We also took a bus tour that ended up lasting about 4 hours. I was tired from sitting by the end of the tour. We did get to do some walking for about an hour through a nice park. Warsaw has 86 parks including one called Bathroom Park, in Polski of course. Chopin was French and Polish and Warsaw was all about him. This year is the 200th anniversary of something related to him, but there are permanent parks in his name that have his music playing, his favorite flowers, a sculpture of him covered by a willow tree that is shaped like a hand resting on a piano, and more. The most interesting part of the tour, though, was when I met some nice people named Timbak and Piotr. They noticed our tour was speaking in English, and asked me what we were doing in Poland (I happened to have fallen to the back of the group and was strolling at a slow pace, making it more feasible for them to approach me.) We started talking about LE and Timbak shared some of his background. He was also an English teacher there, giving private lessons. He was raised in Canada, but spent many years living in Israel and even served in the military there. Of course the service is mandatory in Israel and he willingly moved there for the experience. After he decided he didn’t want to hold a gun, he was placed in military jail for a few weeks and then became a cook to finish his time. He said he ended up deserting the service, though.
We talked more and I hung back from my tour group, but stayed close enough so I could still hear parts of what the tour guide had to say and keep comfortably close to the group. Timbak was really excited about the LE program and shared some NGO ideas of his own, including a syndicated journalism project for Polish schools. We talked about my job at CMD and he said he had heard of us! We had some videos online that were pretty popular and of course some fame chalked up to W. Potter when he testified before the Supreme Court. It was a rather refreshing conversation for me!
The program director Katie and I found a neat map at the hostel that had various points of interest within walking distance, including a Riot Grrrl Club. If you don’t know what Riot Grrrl is, you should probably look it up, but if you’re too lazy it’s a feminist group with a punky feel. We really had no idea what the Riot Grrrl Club would hold for us: is it a dance club? is it a store? but the description made it sound like an infocenter. We walked a good two kilometers (metric, folks! I know that a 5K run is like 3.3 miles or something, so use that for a reference point) to the listed address, and found some type of warehouse with broken windows and tons of graffiti. To be fair, graffiti was everywhere so it’s not that unique to mention. The address system is so strange here and I still don’t get it – like six buildings can have the same address – so it took us a rather long time of running up each flight of stairs in each building and then down each dark hallway to try to find this place. We really kept looking and exhausting every possible building and strange hallway for a good hour. We even asked several different groups of people and no one had heard of it. Hearing native Polish speakers pronounce Riot Grrrl was awfully hilarious and we had a good laugh about it on the way home. It came out sounding like reee-oat garl club. Later we gave up and decided to find the vegetarian restaurant that was listed on the same map, but was nearer to our hostel in familiar territory. We walked all the way back and circled around the block with the vegetarian place’s address, and it was also nonexistent. We concluded that the map was outdated and gave up on it. Starving, we searched for a veg-friendly restaurant, passing about a dozen before finding a hip café with writing on the windows that specialized in fresh juice and smoothies. So worth it.
Oh, boy, I have so much more to write but I’m losing my will rather quickly. I didn’t bring my laptop to Warsaw so in order to salvage my thoughts I jotted them down on scraps of paper, and am marking them off one by one as they are transformed from bits and fragments into paragraphs. I suppose I will save the rest for tomorrow. Get ready for some exciting things, including a silverware challenge and descriptions of odors that I’ve never encountered before and are impossible to have been made by a human.
Goodnight.
Page
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Lap dander
Tomorrow is Friday! That means a fresh episode of Mel and Floyd. I could definitely catch up with the last few episodes I've missed, but I think I will really enjoy killing an entire afternoon relaxing and listening to that show. Is it weird to call it a show when there is nothing to watch?
I had the Gaga-girl's birthday party tonight. Before the party, I offered to do her hair and she wanted it curled. It was kind of gross but it made her really happy and she looked nice. When I was finished, I looked down at my thighs and they were speckled with her dander. Did I just gross you out? Because I definitely was.
The party was a pretty typical birthday party, except that they ate the birthday cake immediately when the party started. Then there were hors d'oeuvres (man, SO close with the spelling on that one - just had the e and u mixed up) that were cute enough to take a picture, but I didn't. Then cupcakes. Then some toasted baguettes with mushrooms and peppers and onions and some other stuff. Then tea. Then jelly in a cup, aka jello.
The cake was worth a picture. I'll show you later. It was fondant-covered and had an edible photo that the birthday girl created. It was Gaga's face from the Telephone video, and then her own head wearing the same telephone hat. The cake was white layers with cream in between. And the cream was fluffy but also had coconut inside, and chunks of blue jello. It was...interesting for me. I've noticed a trend of putting jello in with odd things. Before the cake was cut and served, she kept putting her hands all over it and touching the picture on top. When she leaned over to blow out her candles, her long hair was resting atop the cake, covering the surface. THEN, the cupcakes. They were heart-shaped and had blue cherries resting on top. Randomly during the meal she would reach over and fondle them. She might press a cherry into the cake or turn one around in its place several times. What?!? Really?!? Why??? And the loud chewing...mouth open...teeth... I was severely sickened by the combination of all these things. I kept close watch on which items had been fondled and made sure to steer myself away.
Is it wrong for me to chastise others for doing something in a manner different from my own? Or is it the nature of our being? Perhaps only my being? It would probably be best for you to leave that question unanswered. I wouldn't want to create a wormhole or anything here. Because if you answered it, you may be criticizing me for criticizing others. It's like having a discussion about colors and realizing that what I consider to be blue may not be the same blue that you see. Amiright?
I'm a little delirious because of this throbbing in my face area and also ears. And my poor body is sleep deprived. The castle tour yesterday did not help that situation and it was cold and wet, and my feet were damp for a good several hours.
Ah! I forgot to tell you the best part about the castle. Maybe not the best part, but definitely worth noting here. We had to wear these awesome boot things over our shoes during the tour. There were two sizes available - child and giant. They were awful looking and awfully slippery. It was rather difficult to maneuver around the uneven floors and especially stairs while wearing these things. Stairs were a weird shape from that era. They force you to take awkwardly sized steps and move your legs in an unnatural manner. So instead of actually walking, we skied everywhere. It was fun to do the run-and-slide move that we did when we were kids on the hardwood floor right after it had been oiled. You had to have the right socks though. But by the end of the day my back was aching from all the standing, walking, and makeshift skiing. It felt good to sit down and have some lumbar support on the long train home.
Okay, pals. It's late here. I'm overtired and am thinking that this post is disorganized and might be a little silly. I'm not proofreading it either. I have to get up and pack for Warsaw in the morning and then take a train from Tarnow. I'll be there until Sunday afternoon. Ugh...then when I return I have to plan a lesson. Boo!
I miss you all! A little over two weeks from now I'll be back on American ground. God bless. Wait...what?
PEM
I had the Gaga-girl's birthday party tonight. Before the party, I offered to do her hair and she wanted it curled. It was kind of gross but it made her really happy and she looked nice. When I was finished, I looked down at my thighs and they were speckled with her dander. Did I just gross you out? Because I definitely was.
The party was a pretty typical birthday party, except that they ate the birthday cake immediately when the party started. Then there were hors d'oeuvres (man, SO close with the spelling on that one - just had the e and u mixed up) that were cute enough to take a picture, but I didn't. Then cupcakes. Then some toasted baguettes with mushrooms and peppers and onions and some other stuff. Then tea. Then jelly in a cup, aka jello.
The cake was worth a picture. I'll show you later. It was fondant-covered and had an edible photo that the birthday girl created. It was Gaga's face from the Telephone video, and then her own head wearing the same telephone hat. The cake was white layers with cream in between. And the cream was fluffy but also had coconut inside, and chunks of blue jello. It was...interesting for me. I've noticed a trend of putting jello in with odd things. Before the cake was cut and served, she kept putting her hands all over it and touching the picture on top. When she leaned over to blow out her candles, her long hair was resting atop the cake, covering the surface. THEN, the cupcakes. They were heart-shaped and had blue cherries resting on top. Randomly during the meal she would reach over and fondle them. She might press a cherry into the cake or turn one around in its place several times. What?!? Really?!? Why??? And the loud chewing...mouth open...teeth... I was severely sickened by the combination of all these things. I kept close watch on which items had been fondled and made sure to steer myself away.
Is it wrong for me to chastise others for doing something in a manner different from my own? Or is it the nature of our being? Perhaps only my being? It would probably be best for you to leave that question unanswered. I wouldn't want to create a wormhole or anything here. Because if you answered it, you may be criticizing me for criticizing others. It's like having a discussion about colors and realizing that what I consider to be blue may not be the same blue that you see. Amiright?
I'm a little delirious because of this throbbing in my face area and also ears. And my poor body is sleep deprived. The castle tour yesterday did not help that situation and it was cold and wet, and my feet were damp for a good several hours.
Ah! I forgot to tell you the best part about the castle. Maybe not the best part, but definitely worth noting here. We had to wear these awesome boot things over our shoes during the tour. There were two sizes available - child and giant. They were awful looking and awfully slippery. It was rather difficult to maneuver around the uneven floors and especially stairs while wearing these things. Stairs were a weird shape from that era. They force you to take awkwardly sized steps and move your legs in an unnatural manner. So instead of actually walking, we skied everywhere. It was fun to do the run-and-slide move that we did when we were kids on the hardwood floor right after it had been oiled. You had to have the right socks though. But by the end of the day my back was aching from all the standing, walking, and makeshift skiing. It felt good to sit down and have some lumbar support on the long train home.
Okay, pals. It's late here. I'm overtired and am thinking that this post is disorganized and might be a little silly. I'm not proofreading it either. I have to get up and pack for Warsaw in the morning and then take a train from Tarnow. I'll be there until Sunday afternoon. Ugh...then when I return I have to plan a lesson. Boo!
I miss you all! A little over two weeks from now I'll be back on American ground. God bless. Wait...what?
PEM
Three down, tutu go
Dominika and her friend Magda are the cutest little ballet dancers. They made up a silly routine and keep doing the opening leap whenever anyone is looking their way. As they were dancing around the house one night before dinner, I shared that I had been in ballet classes when I was younger, and that I had also taken a course in ballet in college. They got really excited and started showing off their moves. Then they got out the DVD player.
Just last year the two of them were in a rather large ballet recital together. And I got to see the whole thing! Even the interludes and segues between scenes. Which were completely in Polish. Every time they were on stage they'd point and say "it is me" and leave a greasy little fingerprint on the screen. I was really surprised that these young girls are already en pointe and doing pretty well at it! I couldn't even manage that. Then again they probably had months of professional training while I only had one college semester and a fairly casual ballet class over ten years ago. I was impressed!
Did you like that title? Aren't I clever? I can't believe I only have two weeks left here in Tarnow, and then just a few more days in Krakow. I'm gonna miss you, Poland!
I'm sitting outside in the garden right now and it's so lovely. The bench I'm on is shaded by some curly vines, and there are wonderful colorful blooms surrounding me. The only ones that I recognize are a bleeding heart basket and a white orchid. Other plants have hot pink flowers which, if not for the color, blend right in to the rest of the foliage. They have the same shape and texture. There is another plant that I recognize but can't think of the name...I feel like it starts with an H though. Its leaves are low, wide, and lined with lighter green than the rest, and the flower shoots up tall over the leaves and has delicate purple blooms. 10 points to whoever can guess it! My mom has these next to the driveway in the fairy garden.
I love the smell and feel of the air right now. The sprinkler is running near me and I can smell the grass. When the wind blows I feel a little mist from the water and it feels good on my skin. Agnieszka keeps bringing me little treats and delicious coffee. Really amazing coffee. Will I be a coffee snob when I get back home?
I can't wait to be back at my Mom and Dad's house and wake up early when it's foggy and wet from dew. I'm going to take a long walk in the garden and eat some vegetables right from the earth, and then pick a flower to wear in my hair. I'm sure the dogs will come along to keep me company.
Yesterday I toured another palace. It was originally from the 13th century but had since been rebuilt many times by its many different owners. It was forbidden to take photos but I have a nice guidebook to show you. There was an orchid house which was the most memorable, in my opinion. After the tour, we visited a restaurant within the castle. It was very elegant and equally delicious. What I really want to tell you about, though, was the dessert. It's supposedly famous and was a favorite of the princess. We have to figure out how to make it.
It consisted of a small apple, peeled, and either baked or boiled. The core was removed and the remaining space was filled with some sort of fruity jam and a single walnut. Then it was turned upside down and covered with a white vanilla sauce, and garnished with some fruity thing and a mint leaf. This is now my new favorite dessert.
After the castle tour, I was tired. It had rained all day and was cold, and I wasn't prepared for the weather. The train ride to get home took about two hours, but luckily we had a car that had closed off seating so we had our own little section and I took a nap. It was not fun planning the lesson late at night once I got home.
I think my lesson today sucked. Some girls yesterday asked about learning animals, so that's what our lesson was. Turns out they all already knew all the animals I had pictures of, so I tried to teach them about the food chain and animal habitats. I think it failed because my translator wasn't there today and they didn't understand, or were excited for their three day weekend. I tried doing an activity like hot potato and even brought in my laptop to play some music. We had three balls going around the circle and it ended with the boys throwing them at one another as hard as they could. I told them to sit down because they obviously couldn't handle it, and then realized I was running out of material with at least half the class period left.
I felt myself waning today. This is partly chalked up to me being a little sick, but mostly I'm losing my patience with these kids. I don't know how I'm going to make up stuff for another two weeks of class and keep them interested. I only have so many ideas for lessons! It's a real test on my endurance and my patience. I don't like to yell at them and have only had to do it two or three times, but only because they were having fun and forgot to pay attention to me. I yelled at them twice today, and the boys really were rough on me. They kept throwing things at each other and just would not listen when I was talking. I took away some of their bean bags and football, and singled them out when I saw who was misbehaving. Why is it that the boys are always the awful ones!? The girls are so pleasant and kind, and always attentive. But the goddamn boys... This is a message to any boys reading this to be nice to your teachers!
With that said, I am so glad there is no class tomorrow. I could technically still have class and be able to make it to Warsaw on time, but I seized the opportunity to sleep in and not have to plan a lesson. I'm SO glad I don't have to make a lesson tonight, you have no idea! Hopefully this weekend in Warsaw I will be able to garner some successful ideas from other volunteers.
We're taking a three hour bus tour of Warsaw on Saturday. That's a long time! Hopefully there is a break scheduled in there somewhere. After that, we'll have free time to explore the city on our own and see what interesting things we can discover. I guess there is a real tension between people from Warsaw and people from Krakow, so I'll see how it measures up. I guess I'm on Team Krakow right now, but how can I choose when I haven't explored Warsaw as well?
Tonight there is a birthday party for Kinga. It will be Gaga-themed. I got her a pretty birthday card and a gift card for a store at the mall. I really hope I can take a nap before the party, otherwise I'll surely die. This sinus problem I'm having has really got me dragging today.
Send me your love! And comments! Who is reading this thing, anyway? Anybody?
Page
Just last year the two of them were in a rather large ballet recital together. And I got to see the whole thing! Even the interludes and segues between scenes. Which were completely in Polish. Every time they were on stage they'd point and say "it is me" and leave a greasy little fingerprint on the screen. I was really surprised that these young girls are already en pointe and doing pretty well at it! I couldn't even manage that. Then again they probably had months of professional training while I only had one college semester and a fairly casual ballet class over ten years ago. I was impressed!
Did you like that title? Aren't I clever? I can't believe I only have two weeks left here in Tarnow, and then just a few more days in Krakow. I'm gonna miss you, Poland!
I'm sitting outside in the garden right now and it's so lovely. The bench I'm on is shaded by some curly vines, and there are wonderful colorful blooms surrounding me. The only ones that I recognize are a bleeding heart basket and a white orchid. Other plants have hot pink flowers which, if not for the color, blend right in to the rest of the foliage. They have the same shape and texture. There is another plant that I recognize but can't think of the name...I feel like it starts with an H though. Its leaves are low, wide, and lined with lighter green than the rest, and the flower shoots up tall over the leaves and has delicate purple blooms. 10 points to whoever can guess it! My mom has these next to the driveway in the fairy garden.
I love the smell and feel of the air right now. The sprinkler is running near me and I can smell the grass. When the wind blows I feel a little mist from the water and it feels good on my skin. Agnieszka keeps bringing me little treats and delicious coffee. Really amazing coffee. Will I be a coffee snob when I get back home?
I can't wait to be back at my Mom and Dad's house and wake up early when it's foggy and wet from dew. I'm going to take a long walk in the garden and eat some vegetables right from the earth, and then pick a flower to wear in my hair. I'm sure the dogs will come along to keep me company.
Yesterday I toured another palace. It was originally from the 13th century but had since been rebuilt many times by its many different owners. It was forbidden to take photos but I have a nice guidebook to show you. There was an orchid house which was the most memorable, in my opinion. After the tour, we visited a restaurant within the castle. It was very elegant and equally delicious. What I really want to tell you about, though, was the dessert. It's supposedly famous and was a favorite of the princess. We have to figure out how to make it.
It consisted of a small apple, peeled, and either baked or boiled. The core was removed and the remaining space was filled with some sort of fruity jam and a single walnut. Then it was turned upside down and covered with a white vanilla sauce, and garnished with some fruity thing and a mint leaf. This is now my new favorite dessert.
After the castle tour, I was tired. It had rained all day and was cold, and I wasn't prepared for the weather. The train ride to get home took about two hours, but luckily we had a car that had closed off seating so we had our own little section and I took a nap. It was not fun planning the lesson late at night once I got home.
I think my lesson today sucked. Some girls yesterday asked about learning animals, so that's what our lesson was. Turns out they all already knew all the animals I had pictures of, so I tried to teach them about the food chain and animal habitats. I think it failed because my translator wasn't there today and they didn't understand, or were excited for their three day weekend. I tried doing an activity like hot potato and even brought in my laptop to play some music. We had three balls going around the circle and it ended with the boys throwing them at one another as hard as they could. I told them to sit down because they obviously couldn't handle it, and then realized I was running out of material with at least half the class period left.
I felt myself waning today. This is partly chalked up to me being a little sick, but mostly I'm losing my patience with these kids. I don't know how I'm going to make up stuff for another two weeks of class and keep them interested. I only have so many ideas for lessons! It's a real test on my endurance and my patience. I don't like to yell at them and have only had to do it two or three times, but only because they were having fun and forgot to pay attention to me. I yelled at them twice today, and the boys really were rough on me. They kept throwing things at each other and just would not listen when I was talking. I took away some of their bean bags and football, and singled them out when I saw who was misbehaving. Why is it that the boys are always the awful ones!? The girls are so pleasant and kind, and always attentive. But the goddamn boys... This is a message to any boys reading this to be nice to your teachers!
With that said, I am so glad there is no class tomorrow. I could technically still have class and be able to make it to Warsaw on time, but I seized the opportunity to sleep in and not have to plan a lesson. I'm SO glad I don't have to make a lesson tonight, you have no idea! Hopefully this weekend in Warsaw I will be able to garner some successful ideas from other volunteers.
We're taking a three hour bus tour of Warsaw on Saturday. That's a long time! Hopefully there is a break scheduled in there somewhere. After that, we'll have free time to explore the city on our own and see what interesting things we can discover. I guess there is a real tension between people from Warsaw and people from Krakow, so I'll see how it measures up. I guess I'm on Team Krakow right now, but how can I choose when I haven't explored Warsaw as well?
Tonight there is a birthday party for Kinga. It will be Gaga-themed. I got her a pretty birthday card and a gift card for a store at the mall. I really hope I can take a nap before the party, otherwise I'll surely die. This sinus problem I'm having has really got me dragging today.
Send me your love! And comments! Who is reading this thing, anyway? Anybody?
Page
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Admission
This may be a little embarrassing for me, but I'm going to share with you some of the things I've learned about packing for a long trip like this one. I hope you find amusement at my discomposure.
I must first state that before arriving here, I had no idea whether I'd be staying in the back corner of a barn or put up in a European hotel (which one guy from my group is). I had no idea if certain things would be accessible or if the brands would be weird or what I'd be eating. Here I go.
I'll start with things I brought but totally don't need:
40 million hair ties. I left about half of them at home stuffed in a drawer and brought seriously a good year's worth of them. I don't think I've used more than two since I've been here.
An entire thing full of bobby pins. Really? I only use four at a time, at most. Why did I need to bring all the bobby pins I own?
About 50 band-aids, scattered in different places throughout my various luggage. Granted I have this one pair of shoes that can give me blisters, but I made sure to wear them in before I left. I knew I'd be doing a lot of walking in the airport so I made sure to pack some band-aids in my carry on, and in my toiletries, and another bundle in my regular luggage. Luckily they don't take up much space.
Enough fiber supplements for most of the five weeks here. Some of you who know me better know that my digestion is really not in good shape, and I was worried that the strange food would exacerbate the problem. I was wrong and things seem to be working properly now. I guess a little extra fiber never hurt anyone, right?
Not one but two curling irons. I had to leave my flat iron at home because it wasn't rated for the electricity here. I was reading up about the electrical differences between Europe and the States online, and heard horror stories of heating implements just giving out halfway through, or not supplying full power. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring two, apparently? I ended up buying a flat iron last week anyway but am a little shy to admit how much I spent on it - something that I'll only be able to use for a few more weeks. My host sister really wants it though, so it will make her happy to have when I leave. I can chalk it up to generosity, right?
Like seven black skirts. Granted they are varying lengths and some have embellishments, pockets, etc. But really? Is anyone going to notice if I wear the same black skirt every day or if I switch to a different one? I think not, especially a bunch of kids. Do they really care?
Enough razor blade replacements for twice as long as I'll be here. They're so expensive, so I try to stretch their life as is. I'm not sure if I thought I would be extra concerned about having smooth legs while in Poland, but it doesn't matter because they're generally half-covered by one of the black skirts anyway.
Sunscreen. Come on, who really uses sunscreen? I'm going to leave it here when I go. I only use sunscreen on my face, and my make-up has SPF already so I was good from the start.
Enough jewelry to fill a curio cabinet. I like colorful things, and packing for this was fun because I got to pick all my favorites and stuff them into a bag. It wasn't fun to open my special jewelry thing to see all my necklaces knotted up and everything jumbled together in one heap. I spent a good amount of time last week undoing that mess. I always end up wearing the same four things anyway, so what's the point? AND I'm buying even more at the markets here. Gifts, right? ...
A million too many post-its and highlighters. Sometimes they do come in handy for certain activities, but I have a feeling the school will be getting a big donation of yellow highlighters and sticky notes when I leave.
About 352893 granola bars. They came in handy on the plane when I realized I had forgotten to request vegetarian meals, but now they're sitting in my suitcase getting all melty. I also kept some spearmint gum in the same bag so now everything tastes and smells like mint.
My two dictionaries and phrase books. I only used one of them once. My host family has a pretty hefty English-Polish dictionary, plus the majority of people I've encountered speak English anyway, and there were a handful of people in the group who speak Polish as well. So it's pretty unnecessary, but it's nice to know I have them just in case. I suppose they could come in handy when one of you comes to meet me here at the end of July...
Things I really wish I brought:
Different clothing. Tank tops and dresses and at least one fancy outfit for special events. I guess I'll just have to buy some here.
Bronzer powder. I used it every day! Why didn't I think I'd use it here? Silly.
Stuff to make my hair shiny. Also used daily. Universal miracle product. Now absent from my life.
Better markers, pens, and pencils. The school has one sad little pencil box with broken crayons and markers that barely write. Luckily I was able to pick up a fresh box of markers and colored pencils and it has made life so much easier.
Organizational boxes. You know how I am about organizing things. I have these canvas containers that you can collapse to be flat and they'd take up barely any space in my luggage. A bunch of stuff is scattered on the floor of my bedroom and I would really like to have it contained in some way, but I can get by without it for now.
Some little portable iPod speakers. This would be so great for my class. I can always bring my computer to class with me, but it's kinda risky and the speakers really aren't that great.
Perhaps a DVD or more books or magazines. Sometimes at night I just want to relax and watch a movie or do something other than have labored conversations and surf the internet. I only have one book and I'm trying to stretch it out so I can read it when I'm desperate or without electricity or internet. Magazines would be useful for mindless reading, but I don't really care for them too much. They'd be really great for salvaging for classroom projects, though. I actually had a bunch to bring with me but decided to leave them out last minute because they're pretty heavy and took up too much suitcase room.
More body lotion or oil. I prefer the oil but was worried about it being too messy. Now I have to ration my lotion and I think I'll only be able to use it in desperate times.
A better loofah. I need to exfoliate! I can get by with what I have, but am really looking forward to getting home and purchasing a nice one that will make my skin glow. I don't know why I didn't just do that in the first place - it's not like it would take up so much more room in the suitcase that it's not feasible.
Things I'm really glad I brought:
My laptop!
My camera and all the cords for it.
Extra paper and pens for myself - really handy for lesson planning.
Sandals, Chucks, and wedges.
A case for toiletries. Really handy in the hostel.
A prize box full of mega-cool prizes to use as incentive in the classroom. I put some of my old jewelry in there, and it was the first to go!
Bathing suits - although I haven't had a chance to wear them yet. I hope they still fit...
Well, there you have it. Did you learn anything? I sure did. Hopefully you can laugh at this but also take some tips away for when you come to gallivant the rest of Europe with me!
Page
I must first state that before arriving here, I had no idea whether I'd be staying in the back corner of a barn or put up in a European hotel (which one guy from my group is). I had no idea if certain things would be accessible or if the brands would be weird or what I'd be eating. Here I go.
I'll start with things I brought but totally don't need:
40 million hair ties. I left about half of them at home stuffed in a drawer and brought seriously a good year's worth of them. I don't think I've used more than two since I've been here.
An entire thing full of bobby pins. Really? I only use four at a time, at most. Why did I need to bring all the bobby pins I own?
About 50 band-aids, scattered in different places throughout my various luggage. Granted I have this one pair of shoes that can give me blisters, but I made sure to wear them in before I left. I knew I'd be doing a lot of walking in the airport so I made sure to pack some band-aids in my carry on, and in my toiletries, and another bundle in my regular luggage. Luckily they don't take up much space.
Enough fiber supplements for most of the five weeks here. Some of you who know me better know that my digestion is really not in good shape, and I was worried that the strange food would exacerbate the problem. I was wrong and things seem to be working properly now. I guess a little extra fiber never hurt anyone, right?
Not one but two curling irons. I had to leave my flat iron at home because it wasn't rated for the electricity here. I was reading up about the electrical differences between Europe and the States online, and heard horror stories of heating implements just giving out halfway through, or not supplying full power. So I thought it would be a good idea to bring two, apparently? I ended up buying a flat iron last week anyway but am a little shy to admit how much I spent on it - something that I'll only be able to use for a few more weeks. My host sister really wants it though, so it will make her happy to have when I leave. I can chalk it up to generosity, right?
Like seven black skirts. Granted they are varying lengths and some have embellishments, pockets, etc. But really? Is anyone going to notice if I wear the same black skirt every day or if I switch to a different one? I think not, especially a bunch of kids. Do they really care?
Enough razor blade replacements for twice as long as I'll be here. They're so expensive, so I try to stretch their life as is. I'm not sure if I thought I would be extra concerned about having smooth legs while in Poland, but it doesn't matter because they're generally half-covered by one of the black skirts anyway.
Sunscreen. Come on, who really uses sunscreen? I'm going to leave it here when I go. I only use sunscreen on my face, and my make-up has SPF already so I was good from the start.
Enough jewelry to fill a curio cabinet. I like colorful things, and packing for this was fun because I got to pick all my favorites and stuff them into a bag. It wasn't fun to open my special jewelry thing to see all my necklaces knotted up and everything jumbled together in one heap. I spent a good amount of time last week undoing that mess. I always end up wearing the same four things anyway, so what's the point? AND I'm buying even more at the markets here. Gifts, right? ...
A million too many post-its and highlighters. Sometimes they do come in handy for certain activities, but I have a feeling the school will be getting a big donation of yellow highlighters and sticky notes when I leave.
About 352893 granola bars. They came in handy on the plane when I realized I had forgotten to request vegetarian meals, but now they're sitting in my suitcase getting all melty. I also kept some spearmint gum in the same bag so now everything tastes and smells like mint.
My two dictionaries and phrase books. I only used one of them once. My host family has a pretty hefty English-Polish dictionary, plus the majority of people I've encountered speak English anyway, and there were a handful of people in the group who speak Polish as well. So it's pretty unnecessary, but it's nice to know I have them just in case. I suppose they could come in handy when one of you comes to meet me here at the end of July...
Things I really wish I brought:
Different clothing. Tank tops and dresses and at least one fancy outfit for special events. I guess I'll just have to buy some here.
Bronzer powder. I used it every day! Why didn't I think I'd use it here? Silly.
Stuff to make my hair shiny. Also used daily. Universal miracle product. Now absent from my life.
Better markers, pens, and pencils. The school has one sad little pencil box with broken crayons and markers that barely write. Luckily I was able to pick up a fresh box of markers and colored pencils and it has made life so much easier.
Organizational boxes. You know how I am about organizing things. I have these canvas containers that you can collapse to be flat and they'd take up barely any space in my luggage. A bunch of stuff is scattered on the floor of my bedroom and I would really like to have it contained in some way, but I can get by without it for now.
Some little portable iPod speakers. This would be so great for my class. I can always bring my computer to class with me, but it's kinda risky and the speakers really aren't that great.
Perhaps a DVD or more books or magazines. Sometimes at night I just want to relax and watch a movie or do something other than have labored conversations and surf the internet. I only have one book and I'm trying to stretch it out so I can read it when I'm desperate or without electricity or internet. Magazines would be useful for mindless reading, but I don't really care for them too much. They'd be really great for salvaging for classroom projects, though. I actually had a bunch to bring with me but decided to leave them out last minute because they're pretty heavy and took up too much suitcase room.
More body lotion or oil. I prefer the oil but was worried about it being too messy. Now I have to ration my lotion and I think I'll only be able to use it in desperate times.
A better loofah. I need to exfoliate! I can get by with what I have, but am really looking forward to getting home and purchasing a nice one that will make my skin glow. I don't know why I didn't just do that in the first place - it's not like it would take up so much more room in the suitcase that it's not feasible.
Things I'm really glad I brought:
My laptop!
My camera and all the cords for it.
Extra paper and pens for myself - really handy for lesson planning.
Sandals, Chucks, and wedges.
A case for toiletries. Really handy in the hostel.
A prize box full of mega-cool prizes to use as incentive in the classroom. I put some of my old jewelry in there, and it was the first to go!
Bathing suits - although I haven't had a chance to wear them yet. I hope they still fit...
Well, there you have it. Did you learn anything? I sure did. Hopefully you can laugh at this but also take some tips away for when you come to gallivant the rest of Europe with me!
Page
Interesting Day
I had a great class with my kids today. It’s weird for me to call them my kids. Should I call them the kids instead of my kids? I remind myself of my third grade teacher for some reason. I can still remember all my teachers’ names and what they looked like. Can you?
K-1 Mrs. Blackburn
2 Mrs. Freitag
3 Mrs. Johnson-Roidt
4 Mrs. Boesler
5 Mrs. Crawford
6 Mr. Hanson.
Mrs. Freitag’s class was awesome. I remember it was my first day at public school after going to the private school and it was so scary. I had already learned everything that we would learn that year, because private school kids are naturally smarter, and I really resent the public school system for not letting me go into the grade ahead. I still feel that way. That class is where the clique formed that remained for the next ten years! Except for Kelci, she was in Mrs. Welch’s class. Mrs. Welch always yelled and looked scary. But Mrs. Freitag was like a combination of your grandmother and some divine being. She was awesome because she used colored chalk on the blackboard! We played some hardcore heads-up 7-up in that class. I totally cheated by looking at the reflection on my desk of whoever was walking by, or looking at their shoes but that was a little more obvious. In Mrs. Freitag’s class was Sara, Noah, Andy, Megan A., Doug, Siah and who else? Wasn’t Neil in Mrs. Welch’s class?
Megan Sanders came in 3rd grade but I knew her before then from an art class we took together. Then she dated Doug for.ev.er and Sara and Siah did too. Kelci and Megan Arndt had awesome haircuts. Once in 3rd grade I had awful allergies and I sneezed and a big string of snot shot out and connected from the desk to my nose. And who was that kid… Jess knows… Tim Robinson? He had a round head and was red-faced and had round glasses to match his round head. He laughed at me the loudest and Brittany Bugles or Biggles or Baggles went and grabbed some tissue for me. Later on she became stepsisters with Kayla Hensley. We had to do those standardized reading tests and I got 100% on mine. Later on Mrs. Johnson-Roidt was talking about the grade results and said that one student did so well that she and another teacher had thought that they (I) cheated! I can’t help it that I went to a private school and had an advantage. I remember feeling ashamed at being smart and even tried to appear dumber than I was after that!
In 4th grade the class was divided into reading group A on the right side and reading group B on the left side. Group A consisted of myself, Jess, Andy, Alix, Doug, Neil and who else? We had to write stories about the geographical features of the United States, and Doug’s stories were always the best. He had one story with some characters named Justin Time and Maiden China. How clever! He said that the Grand Canyon was made because of a giant sad toddler dragging his teddy bear, and his tears flowed to the east and filled in the Great Lakes. Did I just blow your mind or what?
Anyway, I think my lesson today was rather successful. First, I need to say that most of this lesson was stolen and modified from the Indonesian Teacher’s Handbook from Heather Akin. What a wonderful resource!
We talked about culture and stereotypes. First I told them to think about culture and what things comprise culture. We came up with a list of food, music, clothing, language, religion, and traditions. I told them to rank those items according to what was most important to them, and many put religion first. Language and tradition were always near the top, and music, clothing, and food were near the bottom. We tallied the results for the entire class, and then I had them make another list of how their grandparents might answer. Many of them put religion first, always followed by language. We tallied these results and compared them, which led to a wonderful discussion about cultural change over time. We talked about how language has changed in importance because their grandparents and their parents were forced to learn Russian in schools. Now people are learning English instead of Russian.
Next we talked about stereotypes. To get them started, I showed a map of the United States and pointed to different areas and imitated different regional dialects, which was funny and made them laugh. I showed them which areas are thought to be lazy, fat, rich, and black. When I talked about black people I think they were a little shocked and taken off guard, because it’s more offensive for them to use that term than to say Negro. I was glad that last night after dinner Marek and I had had a conversation about the different terms so I was a little prepared for their reactions.
We made a list on the board with two columns labeled group and judgment. I started them off with the groups boys and girls, and the judgments that boys like sports and girls like pink. They picked up on it pretty quickly from there and ran with this activity. This was probably the most successful classroom activity I’ve done so far.
I wanted to see what kind of stereotypes they had about Americans and if they knew what stereotypes they themselves had placed upon them. I told them to draw or write some stereotypes for Poles and for Americans, and the results were so interesting that I saved their work and would love to show it off when I get home.
Without giving any prompts, many of the results turned out to be quite similar. Many polish stereotypes revolved around alcohol and work ethic, and the American ones were fast food and fat people. I was really impressed!
I told them that in the States, kids their age are only educated about Poland in the context of the holocaust. I had them make a list of five things: where they are from, something they like, something they don’t like, something they love, and something they believe. Then I said if they could have their voices heard around the world, what would they say about being Polish? How could they tell people that Polish life isn't all about the holocaust? They used their prompts from the list I had them make and each wrote a letter to the world that said “Dear World, I am Polish and…”. I went around to each student and corrected their sentences and told them to write a final draft on a nice piece of crisp paper. I had each of them hold up their letters and I photographed their smiling faces. The younger kids did a similar activity, except I had them write I AM POLISH! And draw a picture of some feature of Polish life. They will be sent to the printer and I’ll post them around the classroom hopefully next week!
That's all for now. I need to take a nap! Leave me comments or send me an e-mail, please!
Do widzenia,
Page
K-1 Mrs. Blackburn
2 Mrs. Freitag
3 Mrs. Johnson-Roidt
4 Mrs. Boesler
5 Mrs. Crawford
6 Mr. Hanson.
Mrs. Freitag’s class was awesome. I remember it was my first day at public school after going to the private school and it was so scary. I had already learned everything that we would learn that year, because private school kids are naturally smarter, and I really resent the public school system for not letting me go into the grade ahead. I still feel that way. That class is where the clique formed that remained for the next ten years! Except for Kelci, she was in Mrs. Welch’s class. Mrs. Welch always yelled and looked scary. But Mrs. Freitag was like a combination of your grandmother and some divine being. She was awesome because she used colored chalk on the blackboard! We played some hardcore heads-up 7-up in that class. I totally cheated by looking at the reflection on my desk of whoever was walking by, or looking at their shoes but that was a little more obvious. In Mrs. Freitag’s class was Sara, Noah, Andy, Megan A., Doug, Siah and who else? Wasn’t Neil in Mrs. Welch’s class?
Megan Sanders came in 3rd grade but I knew her before then from an art class we took together. Then she dated Doug for.ev.er and Sara and Siah did too. Kelci and Megan Arndt had awesome haircuts. Once in 3rd grade I had awful allergies and I sneezed and a big string of snot shot out and connected from the desk to my nose. And who was that kid… Jess knows… Tim Robinson? He had a round head and was red-faced and had round glasses to match his round head. He laughed at me the loudest and Brittany Bugles or Biggles or Baggles went and grabbed some tissue for me. Later on she became stepsisters with Kayla Hensley. We had to do those standardized reading tests and I got 100% on mine. Later on Mrs. Johnson-Roidt was talking about the grade results and said that one student did so well that she and another teacher had thought that they (I) cheated! I can’t help it that I went to a private school and had an advantage. I remember feeling ashamed at being smart and even tried to appear dumber than I was after that!
In 4th grade the class was divided into reading group A on the right side and reading group B on the left side. Group A consisted of myself, Jess, Andy, Alix, Doug, Neil and who else? We had to write stories about the geographical features of the United States, and Doug’s stories were always the best. He had one story with some characters named Justin Time and Maiden China. How clever! He said that the Grand Canyon was made because of a giant sad toddler dragging his teddy bear, and his tears flowed to the east and filled in the Great Lakes. Did I just blow your mind or what?
Anyway, I think my lesson today was rather successful. First, I need to say that most of this lesson was stolen and modified from the Indonesian Teacher’s Handbook from Heather Akin. What a wonderful resource!
We talked about culture and stereotypes. First I told them to think about culture and what things comprise culture. We came up with a list of food, music, clothing, language, religion, and traditions. I told them to rank those items according to what was most important to them, and many put religion first. Language and tradition were always near the top, and music, clothing, and food were near the bottom. We tallied the results for the entire class, and then I had them make another list of how their grandparents might answer. Many of them put religion first, always followed by language. We tallied these results and compared them, which led to a wonderful discussion about cultural change over time. We talked about how language has changed in importance because their grandparents and their parents were forced to learn Russian in schools. Now people are learning English instead of Russian.
Next we talked about stereotypes. To get them started, I showed a map of the United States and pointed to different areas and imitated different regional dialects, which was funny and made them laugh. I showed them which areas are thought to be lazy, fat, rich, and black. When I talked about black people I think they were a little shocked and taken off guard, because it’s more offensive for them to use that term than to say Negro. I was glad that last night after dinner Marek and I had had a conversation about the different terms so I was a little prepared for their reactions.
We made a list on the board with two columns labeled group and judgment. I started them off with the groups boys and girls, and the judgments that boys like sports and girls like pink. They picked up on it pretty quickly from there and ran with this activity. This was probably the most successful classroom activity I’ve done so far.
I wanted to see what kind of stereotypes they had about Americans and if they knew what stereotypes they themselves had placed upon them. I told them to draw or write some stereotypes for Poles and for Americans, and the results were so interesting that I saved their work and would love to show it off when I get home.
Without giving any prompts, many of the results turned out to be quite similar. Many polish stereotypes revolved around alcohol and work ethic, and the American ones were fast food and fat people. I was really impressed!
I told them that in the States, kids their age are only educated about Poland in the context of the holocaust. I had them make a list of five things: where they are from, something they like, something they don’t like, something they love, and something they believe. Then I said if they could have their voices heard around the world, what would they say about being Polish? How could they tell people that Polish life isn't all about the holocaust? They used their prompts from the list I had them make and each wrote a letter to the world that said “Dear World, I am Polish and…”. I went around to each student and corrected their sentences and told them to write a final draft on a nice piece of crisp paper. I had each of them hold up their letters and I photographed their smiling faces. The younger kids did a similar activity, except I had them write I AM POLISH! And draw a picture of some feature of Polish life. They will be sent to the printer and I’ll post them around the classroom hopefully next week!
That's all for now. I need to take a nap! Leave me comments or send me an e-mail, please!
Do widzenia,
Page
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Bettie Page Elizabeth
Punny, right? I kind of want to be Bettie Page. I mean look like her, not be her (don't worry Mom!). Maybe I'll have Val give me her haircut when I get back. In 23 days! What what!
I had a busy day today! I saw two castles. Tropsztyn was first. There is only one road to get there and it winds around a lake. Remember when there was really bad flooding in Poland about a month ago? Probably not. The rains were torrential and destroyed part of a hillside near the castle along with many other things, causing some rocks and debris to spill onto the road. Much of the drive was closed and a one-way pass only, so it took us about twice as long to travel there. On the way, Marzhina and I talked about Poland's changing borders and how it affected the culture and those surrounding it. The river initially marked the divide between Hungary and Poland, and many castles dotted along the banks of the water. Too many to count or maintain. On the drive there, the scenery became very hilly and wild. You'd see a tower mounted with a flag jutting up from some trees to the left, and an old decrepit mansion foundation on the right, peeking from behind some hills. It continued in this manner for the duration of the ride.
The entire castle is restored so nothing is original, which isn't as cool, but it was still pretty awesome. The souvenir shop had Inca-themed trinkets because one of its last Hungarian princes had fallen in love with an Inca princess. It has a tall tower and Marzhina and I climbed up to the top. We were both out of breath. I got some really nice pictures there of the wonderful view over the water. After we left the castle, we walked around a winding path that contains the castle grounds. It was built up on a hill, of course, and the shady path was bound only by a wobbly wooden fence. It really was gorgeous.
Some of the big rocks surrounding the castle had wide vertical cracks in them, with a handprint painted on the side motioning toward the crack. Supposedly you are to insert your hand into the crevice and you'll feel a draft from within the rock. Now it's roped off so you can't really get that close, but I'm sure if you were adventurous enough it would be pretty cool to experience.
The second castle Debno was much more astonishing. The tour was only in Polski but Marzhina and I stood at the back and she whispered the important parts to me in English. The castle was small, for a castle anyway, and was filled with wonderful things. The rooms were decorated as they would have been when it was in use centuries ago. My favorite rooms were the pantry and the kitchen, although everything was extraordinary.
The floor of the courtyard was composed of uneven stones that had been rounded and smoothed on the tops from years, no - centuries of feet stepping over them. The doorways were big and heavy, and steps leading up to them were worn from a thousand footprints, with a trough in the same spot on each stone level. (Okay, I realize they have probably been stepped on way more than 1,000 times but it sounded very poetic in my head.) Around the inner edge of the courtyard was a wooden veranda with an elegant iron railing. This was for the servants to use because they were not allowed to enter from the normal front doors.
Each room was unique, but they were all tied together with similar features including exaggerated archways, oversize vaults, and two sets of doors. Everything was intricate, yet I didn't feel overwhelmed as I had at Wawel. The wooden floors would creak and groan with every step. In some areas, the staircases were awkwardly positioned, forcing the tourists to sidestep and duck their heads while hopping from one place to another. The large stained glass windows opened up like french doors and had big heavy stone benches in their nooks - a great place for gazing into the forest and daydreaming. I'll admit that I totally fantasized about being a princess with porcelain cheeks, sighing with boredom while I sat gazing from the window wearing some magnificent heavy gown.
In the pantry, real herbs were hanging to dry and it smelled rather amazing. It reminded me of being at my Mom's house in the evening when the chamomile that grows in our driveway smells the strongest. They had a cabinet with different concoctions and remedies and tonics, and a pharmacy table with an old prescription. The drawers were labeled with things like menthus and hyssopus. Eggs were kept in bowls of sand to keep them fresh. There was a candle burning in its sconce on the wall, and it served to foretell whether a person's illness would be cured or not. They held the burning candle next to the body, and if the smoke was smooth and straight they would live. If the smoke curled and scattered, they would not. At that point, the sick person was generally executed - they were going to die anyway, right? It's no wonder why the life expectancy was so short.
In the kitchen, the fire was kept burning 24 hours per day. They actually had most of the original copper pots and pans and other utensils from when the castle was in use. I can't imagine those items surviving from the 13th and 14th centuries, so they must have been from the 18th century. It really was quite the operation though.
In one of the salons was a table made from wood and ivory. It was really breathtakingly beautiful and had taken over ten years to restore! All the armoires and wardrobes were huge and bulky, yet delicate and so very pretty. There was a huge safe that was unable to be opened, and a traveling case with exotic animals carved on the surface. Shelves lined the perimeter of a room and were filled with delicate teapots and dishes with birds painted on them. There was an entire room shelved with shallow pans made of silver, which supposedly holds a temperature rather consistently. The pans were filled with oil so the oil would maintain its temperature throughout the night. I think something was lost in translation there - does anyone reading know why they did this or what the oil was used for? Why was it important that the temperature of the oil be maintained? I'm curious to find out. Leave a comment!
It was quite hot out today, but down in the cellar of the castle it was pretty cold and gave me goosebumps. Prisoners from insurgent groups were kept there and probably tortured. A gangly iron hook hung from the ceiling, and there was a chair of nails as well as Spanish boots. The tour guide joked that the schoolchildren say the nail chair is a good place for the teacher. And do you know what a Spanish boot is? It's an iron contraption that is placed into a fire for a while, and then when it is taken out, the foot belonging to the incarcerated is placed inside. I think it has pokey things on the inside as well, but can't be sure.
Of course, every castle has a ghost. There was a young princess there who was forced to marry a man she did not love. The King, or whoever had power over her, told her she had three options for her life: She must marry him, be killed, or a mysterious third option. She chose the third option and was placed in the corner of the hall. A tower was built up around her and she died there from hunger, thirst, and loneliness. Of course they had a mannequin of a bride with flowing white gowns in the corner of the room, hidden behind a screen. It actually did creep me out a little at first. She walks the halls at night looking for her love or to take revenge on the man who ruined her life, one of the two. I'm just guessing here. The mannequin had long blonde hair, and it is said that the prize for winning this woman would be her lengthy golden locks.
I didn't take any pictures of the inside of Debno because I'm pretty sure it wasn't allowed. No one else in the group was taking photographs, anyway. You can probably see pictures online if you search it.
I really liked spending time with Marzhina today. I know I'm not spelling her name correctly, pity. Her English is probably better than mine and we had great conversations. She has seen upwards of 30 countries and told me that Prague is her absolute favorite, followed closely by Spain. Hence the previous plea for someone to come gallivant Europe with me. We talked about how different people have different priorities in life, and she said that she doesn't care about updating her furniture every five years or having the best jewelry and newest car; what's important for her is to travel and enjoy the earth. I like that philosophy!
After the castles, she took me to a restaurant called Soprano. Yes, it is Italian. I had a Greek salad there and it was pretty delicious. The feta cheese is different here I think. Normally I don't care for it and will leave it on the side, but I suppose it's done differently here in Poland. There is also this tasty beer called Redd's and it has sweet flavors like lemon and raspberry, so everyone calls it the woman's beer. Great - now I'm patronizing sexist beer. Perhaps I'll have to teach my kids about gender roles to compensate.
So who's been watching the World Cup? Eh?
I had a busy day today! I saw two castles. Tropsztyn was first. There is only one road to get there and it winds around a lake. Remember when there was really bad flooding in Poland about a month ago? Probably not. The rains were torrential and destroyed part of a hillside near the castle along with many other things, causing some rocks and debris to spill onto the road. Much of the drive was closed and a one-way pass only, so it took us about twice as long to travel there. On the way, Marzhina and I talked about Poland's changing borders and how it affected the culture and those surrounding it. The river initially marked the divide between Hungary and Poland, and many castles dotted along the banks of the water. Too many to count or maintain. On the drive there, the scenery became very hilly and wild. You'd see a tower mounted with a flag jutting up from some trees to the left, and an old decrepit mansion foundation on the right, peeking from behind some hills. It continued in this manner for the duration of the ride.
The entire castle is restored so nothing is original, which isn't as cool, but it was still pretty awesome. The souvenir shop had Inca-themed trinkets because one of its last Hungarian princes had fallen in love with an Inca princess. It has a tall tower and Marzhina and I climbed up to the top. We were both out of breath. I got some really nice pictures there of the wonderful view over the water. After we left the castle, we walked around a winding path that contains the castle grounds. It was built up on a hill, of course, and the shady path was bound only by a wobbly wooden fence. It really was gorgeous.
Some of the big rocks surrounding the castle had wide vertical cracks in them, with a handprint painted on the side motioning toward the crack. Supposedly you are to insert your hand into the crevice and you'll feel a draft from within the rock. Now it's roped off so you can't really get that close, but I'm sure if you were adventurous enough it would be pretty cool to experience.
The second castle Debno was much more astonishing. The tour was only in Polski but Marzhina and I stood at the back and she whispered the important parts to me in English. The castle was small, for a castle anyway, and was filled with wonderful things. The rooms were decorated as they would have been when it was in use centuries ago. My favorite rooms were the pantry and the kitchen, although everything was extraordinary.
The floor of the courtyard was composed of uneven stones that had been rounded and smoothed on the tops from years, no - centuries of feet stepping over them. The doorways were big and heavy, and steps leading up to them were worn from a thousand footprints, with a trough in the same spot on each stone level. (Okay, I realize they have probably been stepped on way more than 1,000 times but it sounded very poetic in my head.) Around the inner edge of the courtyard was a wooden veranda with an elegant iron railing. This was for the servants to use because they were not allowed to enter from the normal front doors.
Each room was unique, but they were all tied together with similar features including exaggerated archways, oversize vaults, and two sets of doors. Everything was intricate, yet I didn't feel overwhelmed as I had at Wawel. The wooden floors would creak and groan with every step. In some areas, the staircases were awkwardly positioned, forcing the tourists to sidestep and duck their heads while hopping from one place to another. The large stained glass windows opened up like french doors and had big heavy stone benches in their nooks - a great place for gazing into the forest and daydreaming. I'll admit that I totally fantasized about being a princess with porcelain cheeks, sighing with boredom while I sat gazing from the window wearing some magnificent heavy gown.
In the pantry, real herbs were hanging to dry and it smelled rather amazing. It reminded me of being at my Mom's house in the evening when the chamomile that grows in our driveway smells the strongest. They had a cabinet with different concoctions and remedies and tonics, and a pharmacy table with an old prescription. The drawers were labeled with things like menthus and hyssopus. Eggs were kept in bowls of sand to keep them fresh. There was a candle burning in its sconce on the wall, and it served to foretell whether a person's illness would be cured or not. They held the burning candle next to the body, and if the smoke was smooth and straight they would live. If the smoke curled and scattered, they would not. At that point, the sick person was generally executed - they were going to die anyway, right? It's no wonder why the life expectancy was so short.
In the kitchen, the fire was kept burning 24 hours per day. They actually had most of the original copper pots and pans and other utensils from when the castle was in use. I can't imagine those items surviving from the 13th and 14th centuries, so they must have been from the 18th century. It really was quite the operation though.
In one of the salons was a table made from wood and ivory. It was really breathtakingly beautiful and had taken over ten years to restore! All the armoires and wardrobes were huge and bulky, yet delicate and so very pretty. There was a huge safe that was unable to be opened, and a traveling case with exotic animals carved on the surface. Shelves lined the perimeter of a room and were filled with delicate teapots and dishes with birds painted on them. There was an entire room shelved with shallow pans made of silver, which supposedly holds a temperature rather consistently. The pans were filled with oil so the oil would maintain its temperature throughout the night. I think something was lost in translation there - does anyone reading know why they did this or what the oil was used for? Why was it important that the temperature of the oil be maintained? I'm curious to find out. Leave a comment!
It was quite hot out today, but down in the cellar of the castle it was pretty cold and gave me goosebumps. Prisoners from insurgent groups were kept there and probably tortured. A gangly iron hook hung from the ceiling, and there was a chair of nails as well as Spanish boots. The tour guide joked that the schoolchildren say the nail chair is a good place for the teacher. And do you know what a Spanish boot is? It's an iron contraption that is placed into a fire for a while, and then when it is taken out, the foot belonging to the incarcerated is placed inside. I think it has pokey things on the inside as well, but can't be sure.
Of course, every castle has a ghost. There was a young princess there who was forced to marry a man she did not love. The King, or whoever had power over her, told her she had three options for her life: She must marry him, be killed, or a mysterious third option. She chose the third option and was placed in the corner of the hall. A tower was built up around her and she died there from hunger, thirst, and loneliness. Of course they had a mannequin of a bride with flowing white gowns in the corner of the room, hidden behind a screen. It actually did creep me out a little at first. She walks the halls at night looking for her love or to take revenge on the man who ruined her life, one of the two. I'm just guessing here. The mannequin had long blonde hair, and it is said that the prize for winning this woman would be her lengthy golden locks.
I didn't take any pictures of the inside of Debno because I'm pretty sure it wasn't allowed. No one else in the group was taking photographs, anyway. You can probably see pictures online if you search it.
I really liked spending time with Marzhina today. I know I'm not spelling her name correctly, pity. Her English is probably better than mine and we had great conversations. She has seen upwards of 30 countries and told me that Prague is her absolute favorite, followed closely by Spain. Hence the previous plea for someone to come gallivant Europe with me. We talked about how different people have different priorities in life, and she said that she doesn't care about updating her furniture every five years or having the best jewelry and newest car; what's important for her is to travel and enjoy the earth. I like that philosophy!
After the castles, she took me to a restaurant called Soprano. Yes, it is Italian. I had a Greek salad there and it was pretty delicious. The feta cheese is different here I think. Normally I don't care for it and will leave it on the side, but I suppose it's done differently here in Poland. There is also this tasty beer called Redd's and it has sweet flavors like lemon and raspberry, so everyone calls it the woman's beer. Great - now I'm patronizing sexist beer. Perhaps I'll have to teach my kids about gender roles to compensate.
So who's been watching the World Cup? Eh?
Please come meet me in Europe
This is a plea. A cry for help. Perhaps wishful thinking? Here's my plan:
I will meet you at the airport in Poland on July 26 or 27, whichever works best for you. You can fly in to Krakow or Warsaw; check the prices because one might be a little more affordable than the other. We'll stay at a hostel in Krakow for a night or two and then take a train to Prague. We can hostel there for a few more nights. Then we can take a train or a really cheap flight ($30) to Amsterdam and stay there for a few days. The whole trip could take less than a week, really. I'd have you home by midnight.
The hostels are dirt cheap. Getting around in Europe by train is also super affordable and how awesome would it be to spend a few hours on a train with me? Getting there is half the fun. Several airlines offer disgustingly cheap flights throughout Europe. I wasn't exaggerating with the $30 figure I threw out before. And we can eat like kings for $5. No lie! I just got back from a wonderful restaurant and my meal plus a beer was really no more than $5.
I know a few of you adventurous folks have a couple hundred to spare in your bank accounts. This is the chance of a lifetime. I'm not kidding! I've already been checking out airlines and watching prices. Sometimes if you check them a day or two before the flight is scheduled to leave, the price drops by several hundred dollars.
I want you to seriously consider this. Everyone I've talked to says Prague is a must-see place. But if you don't want to go there we can talk about other destinations. This trip can be tailored to your needs, wants, and desires. Maybe we can just stay in Krakow and then head up to Amsterdam or Portugal or Spain. Haven't you heard how marvelous the lifestyle is in Spain? Come on, who wants to travel Europe? Rick Steves style? If you are really wiling to do this I would even subsidize your plane ticket. For rizzle!
Please please please come meet me in Europe. Act now! Take a leap! We're young and life won't wait for us!
I will meet you at the airport in Poland on July 26 or 27, whichever works best for you. You can fly in to Krakow or Warsaw; check the prices because one might be a little more affordable than the other. We'll stay at a hostel in Krakow for a night or two and then take a train to Prague. We can hostel there for a few more nights. Then we can take a train or a really cheap flight ($30) to Amsterdam and stay there for a few days. The whole trip could take less than a week, really. I'd have you home by midnight.
The hostels are dirt cheap. Getting around in Europe by train is also super affordable and how awesome would it be to spend a few hours on a train with me? Getting there is half the fun. Several airlines offer disgustingly cheap flights throughout Europe. I wasn't exaggerating with the $30 figure I threw out before. And we can eat like kings for $5. No lie! I just got back from a wonderful restaurant and my meal plus a beer was really no more than $5.
I know a few of you adventurous folks have a couple hundred to spare in your bank accounts. This is the chance of a lifetime. I'm not kidding! I've already been checking out airlines and watching prices. Sometimes if you check them a day or two before the flight is scheduled to leave, the price drops by several hundred dollars.
I want you to seriously consider this. Everyone I've talked to says Prague is a must-see place. But if you don't want to go there we can talk about other destinations. This trip can be tailored to your needs, wants, and desires. Maybe we can just stay in Krakow and then head up to Amsterdam or Portugal or Spain. Haven't you heard how marvelous the lifestyle is in Spain? Come on, who wants to travel Europe? Rick Steves style? If you are really wiling to do this I would even subsidize your plane ticket. For rizzle!
Please please please come meet me in Europe. Act now! Take a leap! We're young and life won't wait for us!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Unibrow
I think I will nonchalantly leave a pair of tweezers in a conspicuous place around the house. You get the idea, no?
All in all, not a bad day today. Got to sleep in, bubble bath, wonderful food, good company, and even got to help in the kitchen (sort of - I kind of stood and watched while Kinga did all the work). I spent some time with the neighbors and have started casually helping them learn English, although it's a little scary for them I think. Very gratifying for me though. It wasn't as warm as I had hoped it would be today, but weekends are nice regardless of the weather. I was hoping to get a lesson plan done so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow, but laziness took the front seat today. It's okay because I always have a back-up plan that consists of having everyone in the class do an art project and lots of games. Candy is also a sure-fire life saver.
Tomorrow I am to tour around Tarnow with Marek's former English teacher. I'm not sure how to spell her name but the English equivalent would be Mary Jane. It never made sense to me that a person's name could change depending on the language and culture. I mean, my name is Page, and it's Page in English, and it's Page in Portuguese, and French, and Polski, and any other language. My name is Page and it stays the same regardless of whichever culture I'm visiting. I was talking with the neighbors and Asia was telling me about a scenario at school in which a teacher had trouble pronouncing names, so he began calling the students by their English name equivalent. I would be so offended if I were in that position!
When I was in Krakow, one of the girls in the group who had familial ties to Poland and its culture was showing off some Polish music to me and a few others. There was an artist name Doda and we watched her music video. I was so extremely flabbergasted and offended by the material that I saw that I could not be polite, and had to make a comment in hopes of drawing attention to the serious problems with her music video. It opened with Doda dressed in girlish pajamas, messy pigtails, and thick-rimmed nerdy glasses. She wakes up and eats her cereal but spills it everywhere, walks around her apartment clumsily, and when she goes to her office wearing a frumpy outfit all the attractive secretaries giggle at her. Then her life is transformed when she gets a new style that includes no glasses, blond hair, more makeup and brand new clothes (think thigh-high leather boots, cotton-spandex blends, scant clothing). She gets the job, is longingly stared at by her secretary peers, and exudes general happiness in all other scenes. Now here's the kicker: the theme of the song is that she doesn't care what people think, and the title roughly translates to "it doesn't matter". I told my friend how offended I was at this and she didn't have much to say, nor did anyone else in the group. I was a little relieved when I was talking with the neighbor girls, aged 14 and 15, about Doda and her music. They said they thought it was stupid, but the sad part is that many younger girls in Poland are wild about her music. They had asked me what it meant to call something low brow (Lady Gaga uses the phrase "pop music will never be low brow") and I used Doda as a perfect example. Lesson learned, I hope.
In other news, I am really enjoying this old city; it's a unique experience because everything in the states is so young and new. I do feel a little overwhelmed at times by the sheer amount of glory this city has to offer. There are dozens of castles here and I know I'll see at least a few tomorrow. What I'd really like to do is visit a market square or flea market so I can get trinkets for all you folks (which is code for buying things for myself in the guise of gift-giving). It will be nice to have a solid conversation in English though, and I'm looking forward to discovering new parts of the city and hopefully coming home with good stories for all you lurkers out there.
Here I must interject: I really need ideas for 4th of July lesson plans. Gina, Heahter, Mom, anyone else with ideas... now is time for a call to action! Summon the troops! Sound the alarm! If I can't think of anything cool, these poor Polish kids will be stuck learning about body parts and playing Simon Says. You don't want to be responsible for that, do you?
Today was also a good day because I got to talk with some very important people in my life. Katie, Mom, Megan, Amanda... I love you gals. You make my world go round. Looking forward to a powwow with each of you when I return.
Yesterday I met a cool chick who's around my age. Her name is Gosia and she studied in England, so her English comes out with a really great British accent and it's adorable. She offered to take me to Krakow (yes please! love that city) to do some shopping and perhaps find a cinema. She said the theaters there use the much more preferred subtitles instead of dubbing. She also warned me about going to clubs in Tarnow so I'm glad to have met her and learned that before making any mistakes. Hopefully our friendship will blossom and we'll be able to enjoy the company of one another throughout my stay.
I must report to you readers that I've fallen in love while abroad. Yes, I know it's fast, and yes, I know you probably won't believe me. But here are the facts: Her name is Rusia. She's gorgeous, and her slender body is always soft and warm. She keeps herself clean with frequent baths, and kneads me with her tender palms when she knows I'm sad and need it most. At night she sits at my door and cries for me longingly. She and I could sit for hours together birdwatching from the living room window. No other romance can compare to our tryst. She adores my massages and if I catch her in the right mood, she'll really start purring for me.
I also like to call her Beeping Cat. Her meows are short: quick and punctuated and staccato-like. Sometimes I can get her to give me several quick meows in a row and I wouldn't be surprised if it were confused with some sort of Morse code. Is anyone else imagining ridiculous scenarios involving Schutzstaffel cats right now? And yes, I did have to look that word up because I didn't know how to spell it and didn't want to be a hypocrite per my Blogger profile.
Did you guys read that Blogger has now partnered with Amazon? One can supposedly make money by linking to Amazon items in your blog. I guess I'm not surprised...the new direction of web 2.0. Here's a big Ha Ha! to all you suckers who have Facebook.
And now I bid you all goodnight, my lovlies.
Au revoir! Adieu! Do widzenia!
All in all, not a bad day today. Got to sleep in, bubble bath, wonderful food, good company, and even got to help in the kitchen (sort of - I kind of stood and watched while Kinga did all the work). I spent some time with the neighbors and have started casually helping them learn English, although it's a little scary for them I think. Very gratifying for me though. It wasn't as warm as I had hoped it would be today, but weekends are nice regardless of the weather. I was hoping to get a lesson plan done so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow, but laziness took the front seat today. It's okay because I always have a back-up plan that consists of having everyone in the class do an art project and lots of games. Candy is also a sure-fire life saver.
Tomorrow I am to tour around Tarnow with Marek's former English teacher. I'm not sure how to spell her name but the English equivalent would be Mary Jane. It never made sense to me that a person's name could change depending on the language and culture. I mean, my name is Page, and it's Page in English, and it's Page in Portuguese, and French, and Polski, and any other language. My name is Page and it stays the same regardless of whichever culture I'm visiting. I was talking with the neighbors and Asia was telling me about a scenario at school in which a teacher had trouble pronouncing names, so he began calling the students by their English name equivalent. I would be so offended if I were in that position!
When I was in Krakow, one of the girls in the group who had familial ties to Poland and its culture was showing off some Polish music to me and a few others. There was an artist name Doda and we watched her music video. I was so extremely flabbergasted and offended by the material that I saw that I could not be polite, and had to make a comment in hopes of drawing attention to the serious problems with her music video. It opened with Doda dressed in girlish pajamas, messy pigtails, and thick-rimmed nerdy glasses. She wakes up and eats her cereal but spills it everywhere, walks around her apartment clumsily, and when she goes to her office wearing a frumpy outfit all the attractive secretaries giggle at her. Then her life is transformed when she gets a new style that includes no glasses, blond hair, more makeup and brand new clothes (think thigh-high leather boots, cotton-spandex blends, scant clothing). She gets the job, is longingly stared at by her secretary peers, and exudes general happiness in all other scenes. Now here's the kicker: the theme of the song is that she doesn't care what people think, and the title roughly translates to "it doesn't matter". I told my friend how offended I was at this and she didn't have much to say, nor did anyone else in the group. I was a little relieved when I was talking with the neighbor girls, aged 14 and 15, about Doda and her music. They said they thought it was stupid, but the sad part is that many younger girls in Poland are wild about her music. They had asked me what it meant to call something low brow (Lady Gaga uses the phrase "pop music will never be low brow") and I used Doda as a perfect example. Lesson learned, I hope.
In other news, I am really enjoying this old city; it's a unique experience because everything in the states is so young and new. I do feel a little overwhelmed at times by the sheer amount of glory this city has to offer. There are dozens of castles here and I know I'll see at least a few tomorrow. What I'd really like to do is visit a market square or flea market so I can get trinkets for all you folks (which is code for buying things for myself in the guise of gift-giving). It will be nice to have a solid conversation in English though, and I'm looking forward to discovering new parts of the city and hopefully coming home with good stories for all you lurkers out there.
Here I must interject: I really need ideas for 4th of July lesson plans. Gina, Heahter, Mom, anyone else with ideas... now is time for a call to action! Summon the troops! Sound the alarm! If I can't think of anything cool, these poor Polish kids will be stuck learning about body parts and playing Simon Says. You don't want to be responsible for that, do you?
Today was also a good day because I got to talk with some very important people in my life. Katie, Mom, Megan, Amanda... I love you gals. You make my world go round. Looking forward to a powwow with each of you when I return.
Yesterday I met a cool chick who's around my age. Her name is Gosia and she studied in England, so her English comes out with a really great British accent and it's adorable. She offered to take me to Krakow (yes please! love that city) to do some shopping and perhaps find a cinema. She said the theaters there use the much more preferred subtitles instead of dubbing. She also warned me about going to clubs in Tarnow so I'm glad to have met her and learned that before making any mistakes. Hopefully our friendship will blossom and we'll be able to enjoy the company of one another throughout my stay.
I must report to you readers that I've fallen in love while abroad. Yes, I know it's fast, and yes, I know you probably won't believe me. But here are the facts: Her name is Rusia. She's gorgeous, and her slender body is always soft and warm. She keeps herself clean with frequent baths, and kneads me with her tender palms when she knows I'm sad and need it most. At night she sits at my door and cries for me longingly. She and I could sit for hours together birdwatching from the living room window. No other romance can compare to our tryst. She adores my massages and if I catch her in the right mood, she'll really start purring for me.
I also like to call her Beeping Cat. Her meows are short: quick and punctuated and staccato-like. Sometimes I can get her to give me several quick meows in a row and I wouldn't be surprised if it were confused with some sort of Morse code. Is anyone else imagining ridiculous scenarios involving Schutzstaffel cats right now? And yes, I did have to look that word up because I didn't know how to spell it and didn't want to be a hypocrite per my Blogger profile.
Did you guys read that Blogger has now partnered with Amazon? One can supposedly make money by linking to Amazon items in your blog. I guess I'm not surprised...the new direction of web 2.0. Here's a big Ha Ha! to all you suckers who have Facebook.
And now I bid you all goodnight, my lovlies.
Au revoir! Adieu! Do widzenia!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Gaga Fever
Hello all!
What a wonderful day I'm having today. It started off a bit rocky in that I overslept and don't even remember my alarm going off. I scrambled to get dressed and slammed my coffee (well, it's actually espresso - what we consider to be espresso is coffee for them) and was out the door. Agnes gives me a ride to school every day and my host siblings as well as another girl who lives down the street now join the class.
My lesson was a big hit today! We talked about foods and restaurants. I was surprised that they knew most of the vocab already, but I taught them a few new words like bakery, deli, lettuce and produce. Last night as I was planning the lesson I realized that what I really needed were some flash cards to drill the vocab. I had very sparse supplies with which to create the flashcards, but I ended up drawing pictures on index cards and coloring them in with whatever pens I could find in the room. I only had red, green, orange, and yellow but it turned out very well. The pineapple was the most difficult for them, so I had them shout it as loud as they could several times in a row, telling them I couldn't hear them and they had to say it louder. They loved that!
I had the older class pretend they owned a restaurant and told them to make menus with at least three meals. The girls went wild for that activity when they saw the glitter and stickers I brought with me. The menus that the boys made were so funny. I saved them all and would love to show them off when I return. Then we turned the classroom into a restaurant and I was their server, running around to take orders. I told them that the magic phrase in a restaurant is to say "I would like a ____", and as I dashed around the room to write down their orders I summoned my server experience and pretended to be overwhelmed. I'd say things like 'Are you ready yet? I have tons of customers here.' although I'm not sure if they understood my shtick. It was fun either way.
More and more of the older kids have started staying for the younger class that follows theirs. The lessons are too easy for them and they often shout out the answers without giving the younger students a chance. It is helpful for me though because I can pair them up and have the more experienced kids help those who aren't. Dominika (my host sister) and her friend Gabi made me a lovely decorated note that said "You are a very nice teacher. We love you!" and handed it to me after class. I definitely saved that too.
They are still wild for a game called hatchi-patchi but I am starting to find it boring, so today we went outside and I taught them shark tag. One of my best ideas yet. The kids love love love having class outside and are really well behaved to my surprise. They desperately wanted me to be the shark and hollered Pani Pani Pani! when I agreed. They wanted to continue playing even after class was over!
Last night for dinner Marek made some grilled cheese sandwiches with red pepper strips and onion. It reminded me of my Mom and being a kid again. I'm pretty sure they're just googling ideas for vegetarian foods. I am definitely absorbing a lot of Polish and European culture in general, but I really was hoping to be able to dig my hands in a little deeper. That's okay though because I have a hunch that traditional Polish food is not very vegetarian-friendly.
Tonight Marek, Jarek and I went to the old town square in Tarnow. We walked around and I had a wonderful conversation with Marek. We talked about prejudice against Jews in Poland, American stereotypes, and the American attitude that they should volunteer in exotic places and fix other peoples' problems. It was really great! The original part of the city was contained within a big thick brick wall and much of it is incorporated into the modern architecture. When I say modern I mean Renaissance. What a beautiful beautiful place it is. He showed me interesting parts of the city including notable buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and something called a great staircase - pretty self-explanatory. There was one small part of a synagogue remaining in the Jewish quarter from several centuries ago: a groin vaulted archway (thank you, Art History 334) that stood stoically under a protective pavilion. There was a plaque resting in front of the arch that read "The "Biwa" is the only remnant of the magnificent "old" synagoge [sic] of Tarnow destroyed by the Germans on the 11-XI-1939"... I bet you can guess what I thought of those quotation marks! I just had to take a picture as soon as I saw that. After that we went to get some dinner at a pizza place. He bought an entire pizza covered in delicious vegetables for me (including corn - anybody had corn on a pizza before?) and a meaty pizza for himself and Jarek. Oh - and a half liter of piwo (that's beer, folks). Delicious! Doesn't it sound like a lot when I say half liter? To be fair, I was feeling kinda toasty after drinking it. :)
I think this weekend there will be a wedding, but I wasn't clear on whether or not I am to attend. I hope we can go to the mall before then because I really don't have anything appropriate to wear. I'd be able to get by without it, but everything is so cheap here so I'd like to do some shopping anyway.
We will probably go to the salt mines this weekend. I was going to go with my group at the end of July but we're not sure if that will happen, and I wouldn't mind going twice anyway. It sounded kinda lame at first but I checked out the website and it actually seems pretty neat. I'll take lots of pictures. Actually, no I won't. You can just look at pictures on the website if you want to see what it looks like.
My homesickness is waning now. My house is really luxurious and I'm treated like royalty here. It helps that the kids think I'm awesome too. 26 more days...
Oh, Gaga! She has quite the presence here. The neighbor Kinga is really obsessed... this girl is nuts. I went in her room and oy! is it ever done up right. She likes to make Gaga paraphernalia: two disco sticks, razor glasses, crystal glasses, orbit hat, that black pointy crown from Bad Romance, and a crystal dress in progress. She also loves Madonna and has 40 of her CDs. That must be nearly everything she's ever released. She made a miniature replica of a Madonna stage from one of her tours and even has paper dolls with many iconic Madonna styles. I could go on about this but you get the idea. Dominika, Kinga, and Kinga's friend Asia (sounds like ah-sha) watched a million of her music videos and learned the dance to Bad Romance together. Being a kid is way fun!
So, does anyone out there have any cool plans for the 4th? I'm sad that I can't celebrate with you all. And by celebrate I mean overeat and get wasted while pretending to like fireworks and telling myself that the mosquitoes aren't that bad. Do any teachers reading this have suggestions or ideas for a 4th of July themed lesson plan?
Until later,
Page
P.S. Hi Mom! I love you so much and miss you even more! Can't wait to get lots of hugs and kisses from you. xoxo
What a wonderful day I'm having today. It started off a bit rocky in that I overslept and don't even remember my alarm going off. I scrambled to get dressed and slammed my coffee (well, it's actually espresso - what we consider to be espresso is coffee for them) and was out the door. Agnes gives me a ride to school every day and my host siblings as well as another girl who lives down the street now join the class.
My lesson was a big hit today! We talked about foods and restaurants. I was surprised that they knew most of the vocab already, but I taught them a few new words like bakery, deli, lettuce and produce. Last night as I was planning the lesson I realized that what I really needed were some flash cards to drill the vocab. I had very sparse supplies with which to create the flashcards, but I ended up drawing pictures on index cards and coloring them in with whatever pens I could find in the room. I only had red, green, orange, and yellow but it turned out very well. The pineapple was the most difficult for them, so I had them shout it as loud as they could several times in a row, telling them I couldn't hear them and they had to say it louder. They loved that!
I had the older class pretend they owned a restaurant and told them to make menus with at least three meals. The girls went wild for that activity when they saw the glitter and stickers I brought with me. The menus that the boys made were so funny. I saved them all and would love to show them off when I return. Then we turned the classroom into a restaurant and I was their server, running around to take orders. I told them that the magic phrase in a restaurant is to say "I would like a ____", and as I dashed around the room to write down their orders I summoned my server experience and pretended to be overwhelmed. I'd say things like 'Are you ready yet? I have tons of customers here.' although I'm not sure if they understood my shtick. It was fun either way.
More and more of the older kids have started staying for the younger class that follows theirs. The lessons are too easy for them and they often shout out the answers without giving the younger students a chance. It is helpful for me though because I can pair them up and have the more experienced kids help those who aren't. Dominika (my host sister) and her friend Gabi made me a lovely decorated note that said "You are a very nice teacher. We love you!" and handed it to me after class. I definitely saved that too.
They are still wild for a game called hatchi-patchi but I am starting to find it boring, so today we went outside and I taught them shark tag. One of my best ideas yet. The kids love love love having class outside and are really well behaved to my surprise. They desperately wanted me to be the shark and hollered Pani Pani Pani! when I agreed. They wanted to continue playing even after class was over!
Last night for dinner Marek made some grilled cheese sandwiches with red pepper strips and onion. It reminded me of my Mom and being a kid again. I'm pretty sure they're just googling ideas for vegetarian foods. I am definitely absorbing a lot of Polish and European culture in general, but I really was hoping to be able to dig my hands in a little deeper. That's okay though because I have a hunch that traditional Polish food is not very vegetarian-friendly.
Tonight Marek, Jarek and I went to the old town square in Tarnow. We walked around and I had a wonderful conversation with Marek. We talked about prejudice against Jews in Poland, American stereotypes, and the American attitude that they should volunteer in exotic places and fix other peoples' problems. It was really great! The original part of the city was contained within a big thick brick wall and much of it is incorporated into the modern architecture. When I say modern I mean Renaissance. What a beautiful beautiful place it is. He showed me interesting parts of the city including notable buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and something called a great staircase - pretty self-explanatory. There was one small part of a synagogue remaining in the Jewish quarter from several centuries ago: a groin vaulted archway (thank you, Art History 334) that stood stoically under a protective pavilion. There was a plaque resting in front of the arch that read "The "Biwa" is the only remnant of the magnificent "old" synagoge [sic] of Tarnow destroyed by the Germans on the 11-XI-1939"... I bet you can guess what I thought of those quotation marks! I just had to take a picture as soon as I saw that. After that we went to get some dinner at a pizza place. He bought an entire pizza covered in delicious vegetables for me (including corn - anybody had corn on a pizza before?) and a meaty pizza for himself and Jarek. Oh - and a half liter of piwo (that's beer, folks). Delicious! Doesn't it sound like a lot when I say half liter? To be fair, I was feeling kinda toasty after drinking it. :)
I think this weekend there will be a wedding, but I wasn't clear on whether or not I am to attend. I hope we can go to the mall before then because I really don't have anything appropriate to wear. I'd be able to get by without it, but everything is so cheap here so I'd like to do some shopping anyway.
We will probably go to the salt mines this weekend. I was going to go with my group at the end of July but we're not sure if that will happen, and I wouldn't mind going twice anyway. It sounded kinda lame at first but I checked out the website and it actually seems pretty neat. I'll take lots of pictures. Actually, no I won't. You can just look at pictures on the website if you want to see what it looks like.
My homesickness is waning now. My house is really luxurious and I'm treated like royalty here. It helps that the kids think I'm awesome too. 26 more days...
Oh, Gaga! She has quite the presence here. The neighbor Kinga is really obsessed... this girl is nuts. I went in her room and oy! is it ever done up right. She likes to make Gaga paraphernalia: two disco sticks, razor glasses, crystal glasses, orbit hat, that black pointy crown from Bad Romance, and a crystal dress in progress. She also loves Madonna and has 40 of her CDs. That must be nearly everything she's ever released. She made a miniature replica of a Madonna stage from one of her tours and even has paper dolls with many iconic Madonna styles. I could go on about this but you get the idea. Dominika, Kinga, and Kinga's friend Asia (sounds like ah-sha) watched a million of her music videos and learned the dance to Bad Romance together. Being a kid is way fun!
So, does anyone out there have any cool plans for the 4th? I'm sad that I can't celebrate with you all. And by celebrate I mean overeat and get wasted while pretending to like fireworks and telling myself that the mosquitoes aren't that bad. Do any teachers reading this have suggestions or ideas for a 4th of July themed lesson plan?
Until later,
Page
P.S. Hi Mom! I love you so much and miss you even more! Can't wait to get lots of hugs and kisses from you. xoxo
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