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Polish Pride

Thursday 15 August 1996 | 0 Comments

Today is a huge holiday in Poland. In 1920 Polish forces turned back a larger Russian army, thus saving Europe from the Bolshiviks. Obviously this is a matter of great national pride. In addition to the national secular importance of the day it’s also the day of assumption.

In Warszawa at the arched memorial with the eternal flame in front of the fountain (Kristine and I visited this place. In front of it is a great square.), there is a great military ceremony. Representatives of all armed forces are there as well as high ranking statesmen including President KwaÅ›nieski. It is a moving sight – much national pride. I hope I can be in Warszawa this time next year so I can see it for myself.

Wraclaw

Sunday 11 August 1996 | 0 Comments

This morning I went for a quick walk before we left and I went into a couple of churches. One was an enormously tall and thin building that was blackened with age on the outside and completely white on the inside. As I entered I noticed a small elderly woman muttering a prayer, rosary in hand, back hunched over as she knelt. She looked at me and yet continued to mumble her prayer. As I left a few minutes later she was still there. She took a moment to look at her watch but never stopped praying. I wonder how much of her motivation came simply from a sense of duty, how much of it came from sheer habit.

At another church a woman sat in rags with a small child in her arms and another in ragged, filthy clothes nearby. I gave her a zloty and some change. I really didn’t care whether it was a scam (as so many people think of such situations) – I doubt it. And it made me wonder what forces led her to that destitution. Where is she now? Where will she stay tonight? I wanted to take her picture, but I felt it would be inappropriate. She wasn’t a tourist attraction. Yet I wanted to remember her face.

I bought an antique postcard from 1911. There is a note on the back in meticulous Polish handwriting – something about a sick grandmother, Magda told me. It is so strange to hold something so personal. That person obviously never intended someone to be reading it eighty-five years later. Part of me wants to track the person down, find out all I can about this individual. it’s virtually impossible – and only a mild passing fancy. It’s a bizarre link to the past which is at best minimal. I don’t even know the individual’s name . . .

In two weeks I will be at my site. As I looked out the windows of the bus I found myself imagining that each small town was my site. It’s as unreal to me now as Poland was to me twelve weeks ago . . .

Practicum

Monday 05 August 1996 | 0 Comments

This is the last week of practicum – I am in a way glad. It’s so difficult, especially with all this class splitting and teaching of other classes. Just when we got used to our own classes we were teaching them half as often. It worries me though: I’ll be teaching more each week (eighteen hours versus six). Yet I will not have tech and language sessions every day. I’ll have more domestic work to do, as well. I know I’ll survive – somehow. I’m just a little worried about coming up with lessons every day. I have such a hard time with that for some reason.

Training Day

Tuesday 30 July 1996 | 0 Comments

Language

Monday 22 July 1996 | 0 Comments

There is something about the process of becoming bilingual that has made me examine language all the more. More than ever before I realized the truth of “The word is not the thing.” Dom and home are two words that mean the same thing, but they are not the same things. They simply prompt in speakers of other languages the same images. Of course the associations will be totally different – for some it means comfort while for others it’s nothing short of pain. It’s just a beautiful thing, language.

My inability to communicate is so very frustrating. I wonder (wander) what gets lost in the translation. I’ve often thought that so much gets lost simply by trying to communicate. Words are so very limiting even when all the words are comprehensible. It’s a wonder that we are able to communicate with anyone – linguistic problems make it a small miracle.

What I Am in Polish

Sunday 21 July 1996 | 0 Comments

Yet another day in Poland – I’ve been here almost two full months. How quickly it has gone, too. Will two years go so quickly?

The weather was [filled with] its usual strangeness. This morning it was beautiful with rich blue skies and warm sun. The clouds overtook everything and the dull grey to which we all have grown accustomed returned only to be shattered by a fierce wind storm with a bit of rain. So now it’s cold yet again, as one might expect.
(I love the way wet ink glistens in the light. It lends a feeling of authenticity that is lacking on the computer screen.)

I learned today that my name means in every-day Polish “dishes.” So (co?) I will bring to everyone’s minds thoughts of place settings and flatware.

Television and Such

Saturday 20 July 1996 | 0 Comments

This morning we watched a replay of the opening [ceremony] of the Olympics. It's so strange that they are happening six hours from where I live and here I am in Poland. The ceremony was good but there was one bit which was spectacular. They put up a circular screen that enclosed dancers and an enormous light. The result was a shadow dance which was at least fifty feet high.

On a sad note, the flag bearer for Poland died during the opening ceremony. Piotr seems somewhat amused by the whole thing but it seems rather terrible to me.

There is some good news coming from Bosnia. Radovan Karadžić retired as leader of his political party and promised not to run for any political office. Of course I don't think is word is worth all that much. He has proven before that he has no qualms against lying – after all, he has done much worse.

We were supposed to go to the country but the weather was/is so wretched that the whole thing got called off. This whole week the weather has been incredibly [awful]. It's been cold and windy with lots of rain. I guess I'd rather be cold that sweating. In the land of no air conditioning, this really is a blessing. Besides, complaining about this weather will do nothing. It is a waste of time.

Training Woes

Wednesday 17 July 1996 | 0 Comments

Another tech session, another endurance test. I cannot understand why we do such things. It is such an incredible waste of time – it could be used in so much more effective ways. But of course I really shouldn’t complain. Still, time spent working on lesson plans and/or our syllabi would be much better. This is especially true now that we’re both teacher and learner – we have so much stuff to do that ends up being done at home. So we end up being at school nine hours a day and then we go home and do homework and lesson planning.

One interesting thing about Polish students of English and the future tense: One way to form the future tense is “will” (future tense of by ) plus past tense. So a literal translation will produce “I will went.” They are simply applying a Polish grammatical structure on English, just as we must often do the same in reverse.

An obvious observation: There is not an action which cannot be described in words. The writer’s job is to find those elusive words.

I must teach two lessons tomorrow and though I am hesitant to do it, I am doing a final lesson on past progressive and simple past. I will be using a modified textbook activity which I think will really help to clear up any lingering misunderstandings. I’ll also be doing a lesson on modals.

We had TEFL session today on teaching with music and the final two pieces were Carmina Burana and the second movement to Górecki’s Symphony No. 3. The presenter seemed somewhat impressed that I recognized the pieces and floored when I mentioned that I have four Górecki CDs (I have five but I forgot about one). It was a triumphal moment to name those tunes in class . . .