25 February, 2001
19 February – I got up at 8h30 today. Or at least what I thought was that time. I went to the kitchen and put my tea on, after passing through the living room and turning on the computer. After the computer had booted up, I saw the time and realized it was only 7h30.
I had to tell my FCE class that they need to study a lot more in order to pass their exam. Lucja received word from the British Council that the written part of the FCE exam is on 16 June and the oral part will be sometime between 4 – 10 June. Last year the oral was on the Saturday before the written, so I assume it will be on the 10th. Actually, the 16th is day after my current contract expires.
The BBC World "Holiday" show had an interesting thing on..They had a disabled British gentleman exploring Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). He showed a lot of sights of the city, but also emphasized things such as disable controls on cars, disabled access to buildings, etc. It was the first time I’ve seen ever seen a travel show on the tellie do anything like this. Good for them!
20 February – I caught one of my students in my B class cheating on the Unit 21 – 25 test today. She had made a cheat sheet with the Past Participles of Irregular Verbs, which was a big part of the test. The thing I don’t understand is that I know that she knows the material. I frequently drill the students on that and when one of them doesn’t know the answer, I ask her, and she always knows. I showed it to Lucja and Zdzislaw and they will speak to her tomorrow.
Also, one of my students was asking another, in Polish, if a certain verb is regular or irregular. I told him to be quiet and stop asking other students for answers. He lied and said that he wasn’t. I said, "Yes you were. You just asked her if "live" is regular or irregular." He looked shocked.
The movie D.O.A. was on this evening. It’s the first time I’ve seen it. It was okay, but a bit dumb.
21 February – We’re having heavy rain, hail and strong wind today.
I’ve been doing some translating this morning. One of my students, Iza (M Group) gave me the lyrics to some songs that are in Spanish and asked me (last Wednesday) to translate them. This is the first I’ve had a chance. It’s fun as it’s helping me brush up on my Spanish. I’ve only had time to do two, but will do more this weekend. I should be grading tests from my Group N and correcting essays for my FCE class, but oh well.
Larry King Live has been abbreviated to ˝ hour as of a couple weeks ago. It used to be one hour, from 10h – 11h, and now it’s from 10h30 – 11h. Bummer.
I went to the supermarket after work, as I do every Wednesday and looked in their bargain aisle. They had Mars candy bars on sale for 75gz, so I bought one. I’ve never had one before and thought that for the price, I would try it. I bit into it and it’s what is called a Milky War in the USA. The Milky Ways here are called 3 Musketeers in the USA. I was pleasantly surprised, as Milky Ways are my favorite
My student who cheated yesterday didn’t come to class today. I didn’t think she would. She probably felt ashamed as the rest of the class looked up to her English abilities. To have this happen to her must have been very embarrassing. I think she’ll be back next week.
My M class wouldn’t be quiet again today, so I’m going to make the test that I’ve prepared for Friday longer. It’s already a 60-minute test, so I’ll put a few more things on it as well as increase the number of words for their essay. After they finish, I’ll tell them what I did due to their talking.
It’s cold in my flat. As I’ve mentioned before, my windows aren’t well insulated. When it’s windy, I get a breeze in my living room (when it’s really windy, it can feel like a wind tunnel). So, I have my fleece on. Usually at this time of the night the flat is warm enough that I just have a T-shirt on.
There was a wonderful special on Iran on the Travel Channel this evening. What a great place it appears to be. I know travelers who have been there and have said that they loved it.
22 February – We had a dusting of snow overnight. It’s –5C right now. Go away winter, go away!
I guess there’s controversy about rapper Eminem (possibly nicknamed Slim Shady?). I don’t know his music so I can’t comment on it, however CNN World said that people are protesting the Grammys because his lyrics talk about killing women and homosexuals, fighting on Saturday nights, etc. He was up for several Grammys and won at least one. If those descriptions of the lyrics are true, he probably did it just to be controversial, as controversial people become big stars in the USA. He might claim to be fighting for his "right to freedom of speech," but he may really only want publicity, fame and money, all of which controversy brings. Once again, this is only speculation. Personally, if his lyrics really do portray the above, they would appall me.
8h48 – It’s snowing.
9h – It stopped snowing
9h52 – it’s snowing horizontally
again.
10h06 – The snow has stopped and
it’s sunny now.
11h – The snow has started again.
21h – It’s been snowing all day. I like snow a lot better than rain.
It will be a busy weekend for me. I have one set of quizzes to grade and two sets of tests. Also, I am working on report cards that Lucja wants done by the end of Feb. I told her that it would be better if we could have them done my 5 March, as that would give two weekends. I’m too busy to do them during the week. I spend my mornings grading papers and preparing lessons, and my evenings to tired to do anything.
One of my students, (Michal, FCE Group) wanted to borrow one of my Blues Traveler CD’s last week. He wasn’t sure if he’d like it or not, but he told me today that after listening to it, he loves it. Interestingly enough, when we did a "gap fill" for one of the Blues Traveler songs last year, he didn’t care for it. He’s going to tape it and also wants to borrow the other one I have. I love Blues Traveler.
23 February – My Polish is getting better. I was giving a test in my M group and a lady knocked on the door and came in. She said (in Polish) that she wanted information on the school. One of my students was about to translate it, but I cut her off and told her that I understood (which shocked them). I had her tell the lady how to get to the office. Also, during the same test, one of the students was asking another (in Polish) if the answers to a few questions were all the same. I asked him what he said and he replied, "Nothing." I told him that I understood what he had said and then repeated it back to him. The class, once again, looked shocked.
After the test, I explained to them that this test was very hard and long due to their behavior. I also told them that I was writing reports this weekend and many of them will get low scores on their behavior. One of them, who talks frequently, asked if I would give him a good score, as on the last report, I gave him a 6 (out of 10) and his parents were mad at him. I told him that he can change that by behaving better, but he chooses not to. His behavior has gotten worse, so I gave him a 5 this time (I did that before class).
Mary & I went out for pizza again this evening and our friend Joanna joined us. It’s always good to see her. As we were walking home, we noticed that it was much colder than usual. I got home and the thermometer read –15C.
24 February – 7h the thermometer now reads –22C.
As I’ve previously mentioned, I have a lot to do this weekend. Added on top of what I wrote on 22 February, I also have to prepare a lesson for my FCE class that encompasses punctuation and prefixes & suffixes as well as preparing a unit 6 test, finish a vocabulary test, start on a grammar test and sort out a mock FCE exam I’m giving them on 3 March. It’ll be a working weekend. Fun Fun Fun.
12h – I’m back from grocery shopping. It’s now –5C and partly sunny.
Adam Malysz is Poland’s latest hero. He’s a 23-year-old ski jumper who is doing very well. I’m watching EuroSport right now and he just made a 98metre jump, which gave him the gold medal in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championship Ski Jumping M 90 Individual. He’s Poland’s first World Champion. See? Polish people are just as good as anyone else!
This was a good coincidence, as I don’t care to watch winter sports, I was just seeing what was on the tellie and stopped there. I wasn’t going to stay on EuroSport, but the announcer said that the top five were coning up next, and I knew he was one of them, so I did. It was great to see him win the gold. Interestingly enough, this is taking place somewhere in Finland (it’s now 12h14 (CEST)) and it’s dark. They must be very far north.
13h11 – BBC World’s music series was about Motown today! I love Motown! They featured Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Marvelettes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Martha Reeves, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, James Brown, etc. They started in Detroit, went down to Memphis and then went to Mussel Shoals, Alabama.
At 15h10 the sun now shines right into my living room window, so I have to pull part of the drapes to shade my view. This is great, compared to two months ago when it was dark by now. Come on summer!
16h37 – It’s now cloudy, -8C and snowing.
16h45 – The film "Secrets" is on. It’s from a Danielle Steele book, is and is quite good.
17h – The snow has stopped.
I’ve decided that I want to try to save enough money to fly to Barcelona this summer. It would cost $500 from Warsaw or Kraków. That’s more than a month’s salary for me, but for a 3-hour flight, instead of 48-hour bus ride, it would be worth it.
17h56 – I bought three candles last month, but only totally burned one, the orange one. I began burning the green one (apple) and still have it in the candleholder. I’ll probably finish burning it tonight and start the red one tomorrow. I still don’t know why, but I like candles.
19h45 – I just got out of a 1-hour bath. I usually do that on Sundays, but did it today because I was cold. I’ll do it tomorrow also.
21h05 – The green candle has gone out. I’ve lit the red (strawberry) one.
The people in charge of awarding the 2008 Summer Olympics are in Beijing, looking at it as a possible host for the Olympics for that year. They are up against Osaka, Istanbul, Paris, and Toronto. They are talking about having beach volleyball in Tinammen Square. After all that has gone on there (attacks on civilians, protests, etc), that doesn’t sound right to me.
The first Jay Leno show was from 16 February. The second was from the day before the Grammy Awards. On "Hollywood Survivor," the challenge was to dig through a big box filled with mud, which also contained three tupperware containers, each with a match, and 2nd person lights the match and hand it the he third person of the team, who walks it over an lights the "aroma therapy candle." The Topenga Tribe won supposedly won, until, after they were exposed for cheating (the first person opened the container) they and, from the other team, Danny Bonaducci was voted off the set and had to take public transportation home.
Jay also had Arsenio Hall on the show. He is back on the comedy circuit. However, he was playing up the "I’m a black man" (direct quotes from him) role a bit too much. I don’t understand why he did that. It doesn’t help the racial divides that still exist in the USA.
I guess there’s some kind of controversy about an official in California saying the word "Nigger." I don’t know much about it, except that after, he said that he had meant to say "Negro." in my opinion, regardless of what was said, neither word should have been said.
Reported on the Jay Leno show was that Roger Clinton, Bill Clinton’s half brother, was arrested for drunk driving.
25 February – It’s brilliantly sunny outside, but –15C.
8h30 – Ahh, yes..my normal Sunday routine..a cup of tea and the religious show.
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There are many questions in James the book
of James. The Pastor is starting a series that answers some of
them. The first question is from James 2:1-4
James 2:1,9, 1 Tim 5:21, Leviticus 19:15, Proverbs 28:21
2 Cor 3:2, Job 34:19, Acts 10:34-35
He briefly went though two more questions, with the second question being was from James 2:5 and the third from James 2:6-7 (with the answer being in James 2:8)
It was a wonderful sermon.
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Colin Powell is in Israel. He was talking about peace in the Middle East and said, "Israel has the right to live peacefully with its neighbors." I agree with that, however I also feel that the Palestinians are entitled to the same right! Powell made it sound like Israel is the victim in all that’s going on in that region. That’s a load of crap.
12h21 – I now have two sets of tests corrected and recorded on the students’ report cards. I’m making progress.
12h35 – I’ve started making my chicken soup for the week. This is becoming a regular Sunday activity in the winter for me. I don’t mind, as it’s easy to prepare, makes enough for a few days and tastes good.
15h11 – Lazy, lazy, lazy. I haven’t done any work since I wrote the 12h21 comment. Oh well. I need some time to myself. I cut up veggies and potatoes for my soup, as well as taking the left over meat off of the bones of the chicken after I removed it from the soup (I purposely left more on to make a better broth). It’s simmering now and will be done in about 60 minutes.
There’s been absolutely nothing good on the tellie so far today. Sundays are like that. Sometimes we get really good movies all afternoon, sometimes we get crap. We have the latter today.
16h43 – I’ve just put a load of laundry in. That means I can’t wear my fleece jumper right now. Bummer. I love that thing.
17h – I’m listening to the soundtrack from the movie "Grease" now. Laugh if you want, but I love it. I remember when Grease first came out in 1978. I saw it in the cinema and it has been, and always will be, one of my all time favorites. My favorite songs from it are "Summer Nights," "Those Magic Changes" and "We Go Together." In case you’re wondering, which you’re probably not, when I’m listening to the CD and the song "Born To Hand Jive" comes on, I get up and do the "Hand Jive." It’s times like that I’m glad that I don’t have neighbors who can see in my living room window.
I’m watching an auto show on VOX, a German channel. Emphasis on watching as I have the volume down since I don’t understand German (nor do I like the sound of that language). They’ve highlighted the Audi A4, Mercedes 220, Fiat Stilo and Lancia Thesis and are now showing the Opel Astra Convertible (coincidentally I saw one of those on Friday in my town). It’s a good show. I love car shows.
17h30 – Now that I think of it, doing the "Hand Jive" in Poland in Feb when it’s – 8C after just having eaten a bowl of homemade chicken soups sounds a bit strange. Oh well. That’s me. A bit strange. But then, aren’t we all?
I consider myself to be a very non-materialistic person. I don’t need to have the latest of everything. I have never really had a lot of money in my life, so I guess that has attributed to it. I don’t save up to buy a materialistic thing that I can’t afford, I find ways to live without it. I’ve only ever had car payments once in my life, for a three year period (the payment was $219.87/month)..it was supposed to be a five year period, however I was in an accident (someone hit me) which totaled the car. The insurance company paid it off and after that, I bought used cars (before the term "pre-owned" was coined) that I paid cash for. For the past three years, I’ve lived a car free life, which I plan on doing forever.
20h – It’s now –11C.
20h35 – The Jay Leno show was from 21 February. They had "Hollywood Survivor" again. Since there are only five survivors left, they’ve combined both teams into one. The game was "A Race To Get Water" where they had to run to a jungle set, find (and smash open) a piggy bank that had a bottle opener in it (there are 15 total, only 5 have bottle openers), run back to the main set, open Hollywood’s version of water, a bottle of Perrier, and drink it. Jerry Mathers won. Alison Arngram was voted off the island and had to walk out the door into a 1996 Hyundai Excel, which would then drop her off a block from her home.
After the first guest, they had a second round of "Hollywood Survivor." This was called Celebrity Musical Chairs." There were three people left and they had the band play a tune, the theme from the Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island and The Theme from Leave it To Beaver." The last person seated, Florence Henderson, won the immunity idol and they voted Dawn Wells off of the game.
