Kino

It seems that some of my recent Polish education has come in different forms. I do a little work in the textbook and workbook I used in Poland, but I am also using literature and films. Not really a lot of Polish knowledge can be taken away from reading something translated into English, but, being in the middle of Dorota Maslowska's Snow White and Russian Red does give lessons through untranslated graphic comic strips interspersed throughout the novel. There is also cultural information in regards to the Polish characters and setting. Additionally, I have been renting Polish films from the local library. First, I watched The Promised Land (in Polish with English subtitles; I had already seen this in a Polish Literature class while abroad) and now I am in the middle of Dekalog - a film with ten separate one-hour parts, each one's subject related to one of the Ten Commandments (again in Polish with English subtitles) - after watching the first three parts (I had also watched one or two random later parts in Polish class while in Warsaw).

Other forms of Polish cultural education have come from trying Polish foods - usually different variations of surowki or salads or soups - and I will try to try out some recipes soon.

Gifted

Quick note about today. I worked on a paper (now due by the end of Monday) and then had two classes - Polish literature and Jews in Poland. I will soon be packing for our day trip to Lublin. 


The literature class' recent journey into more contemporary or modern writers has inspired me even more to look into Polish literature (mainly modern than classic). Some authors include Andrzej Stasiuk, Dorota Masłowska, Jerzy Pilch, and Paweł Huelle.


Lists:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2404.Best_Polish_Authors
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/feb/15/top10s.polish.books
http://books.guardian.co.uk/worldliteraturetour/page/0,,1720193,00.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_literature

I will keep looking into other authors. Maybe I will ask our assistant director again since she gave me Dorota's name and that book sounds really interesting.

Almost Done & "It's Time to Put the Kettle On"

After the vet visit, it seems my bigger suitcase is about 48.8 lbs. That is under 50, so I am not going to have to freak out about deciding what else to remove either permanently or short-term (for shipping by my Mom later on - woo, care packages). I have some finishing touches to make on my carry-on backpack, but I am more or less complete packing. Yay. THAT WAS ROUGH.

This afternoon my Mom and I attended a fun library event of afternoon tea. I won a door prize that included tea bags, a tea cup, chocolates, and a cookbook from a chain of tea spots I have always wanted to go to (at least one of the three locations) in NYC. The seem even GREATER now. :) I have looked at the menus of the locations so many times, especially right before I have to go to NYC. I wish I had a bit more time to use the recipes! I may be baker-crazy when I return to the US.
http://www.alicesteacup.com/

"The Answer to 'How Much Glitter?' is 'Yes.' ... Glitter makes the young feel magical and the rest feel young. No one is ever too old to sparkle!"

The woman who gave the presentation was a REALLY nice English woman from Yorkshire originally. She made all of the open-faced sandwiches, scones, and little desserts that us attendees ate. The food was a bit meh, but the tea made my cheeks rosy and my whole body warm. Yum. ;) My wool sweater helped with the warmth, too. And I love using proper tea china. Not only did we use it, I won some that was made in England.

WARSAW

I thought I would join the crowd of people who make blogs while abroad. I intend to keep a handwritten journal as well, but I know that typing out what happens will make me more likely to write. I think using the Internet will help increase my productivity somewhat since I think that I end up tiring my hands sooner with writing utensils than with keyboards. I don't embark on my adventure of sorts until the end of the month, but I might as well begin blogging as the process begins. Preparations have already started (appointments, shots, reading, almost packing...) and others have already left!

I usually do not compose strict New Year's Resolutions, but I thought I would give more general ideas of what I wish to do or wish to continue doing:

1. Stay healthy - keep eating quality foods (especially vegetables, clean foods, and proper nutrients) and keep staying active. I want to make sure to walk a lot, do yoga and Pilates, and work on other fun activities - which include swimming, tennis, skating, and whatever else strikes my interest. I really don't want to keep being the quitter that I am, but to continue what I enjoy - especially yoga and wandering about. ;) Exercise makes me feel good. I have felt tired and drained lately, but making my blood pump does give me boosts physically and emotionally.

2. Start cooking more - I need to make use of the cookbooks I own and recipes I've checked out online. Looking at recipes and pictures of dishes/snacks/meals online can be one activity, but actually making what I look at is something different. I received two great cookbooks as Christmas gifts and I want to actually make recipes for them.

I tend to be more about food assembly - what can be done quickly and easily - since I begin meal preparation for myself once I am already feeling hungry. Instead, I hope to explore the recipes in the books that I have rather than eating the same sorts of meals and foods.

3. Write down what happens - I heard that Sharon Osbourne tries to make journaling a resolution each year and I found that to be a good idea. I may be "young," but I tend to forget a lot of what happens day-to-day. So, I will make a point to really write down the important moments and the mundane ones, but particularly the meaningful.

4. Stay connected to family and friends - this includes spending time together in-person or online (Skype, email, Facebook, etc.)

5. READ - I need to make sure that I save time to read everyday. I feel terrible when it takes me so long to finish a book. Committing myself to read more than just quick magazines is important. I am good about keeping my Shelfari account up-to-date, but I actually would like to add completed books rather than just ones that were purchased.

6. Whatever else comes up this year...