5 November, 2000
31 October – Happy Halloween! Today is also the first anniversary of the first time I saw the musical Rent. Last year at this time, I was in NYC celebrating Halloween and seeing a musical. That wont happen this year. Also, Halloween is not celebrated in Poland.
Yesterday, I gave an end of level five test to my upper intermediate class. All but one passed. He should have passed, as he knew the material, but he didn’t. It appears that he didn’t want to, as he didn’t do most of the test and he didn’t even write an essay! He will take it again.
A rocket was launched into space today from Bakonur Kazakhstan. There are two Russian cosmonauts and one USA astronaut on board. They will be in preparing the new space station that has been a joint project between those two countries and many other nations. I remember seeing a story on the television a few year ago that said that before a launch is made in Kazakhstan (which is where all Russian space launches are made from), the shepherds have to clear the launch area of sheep.
I received a package in the mail from some relatives who have just returned from the Tampa area of Florida. I have never been to that part of Florida, so I will read it with great interest. When I’ve been to Florida, I’ve only been to the Southeast (Ft Lauderdale, Miami and the Keys).
1 November – Today is a holiday! Yippee! No school to teach! I love extra days off.
Today is All Souls Day. It is a holiday to remember people who have passed away. It is celebrated in most of Europe. Even our supermarket was closed! Many people go to church today (the church bell outside my window rang at 7h30, 9h, 10h30, and 12h.the same schedule as Sundays) then take flowers to the cemetery for their loved ones who have passed away.
15h - It’s been a gray day and it began raining at 13h. It’s been about 8C all day. I should be grading papers and planning lessons right now but decided to goof off instead.
This evening I met Mary at her flat at 18h and we went to the cemetery. I know that that sounds a bit odd, but on All Soul’s Day, as I previously mentioned, people go to church then go to the cemetery with flowers for their loved ones. The also light candles, which is why we went. The cemetery looked beautiful. Every grave had at least one candle on it, most had four or five. There was also a big cross in the middle where people could light a candle for a loved one who is buried far away.
Also this evening Yugoslavia was readmitted to the United Nations eight years after it was kicked out. Gotta love it.
3 November – It was revealed that 24 years ago George W Bush was arrested for drunk driving in Kennebunkport, Maine (home of the summer vacation house). He wasn’t involved in an accident, no one was injured and he was let off with only a $150 fine. Interesting, considering how he is the one preaching about putting the morality and dignity back in the White House and he never was honest about this. It’s also interesting how it was one of the top three stories on BBC World, but a very minor, barely mentioned story (after the weather) on CNN World.
4 November – The $#^%$#% bells of the church across from my flat went off at 8h! That never happens on Saturdays! They usually ring at 12h and 17h30 on this day, allowing me to sleep in, as Sundays they begin ringing at 7h30.
George W Bush was on the Jay Leno show tonight (it was from 30 October). One of the questions he was asked (by an audience member) was, "Other than your father, who was your favorite President?" He answered Ronald Reagan.
5 November – I found a Christian show on MSNBC at 8h30 this morning. It’s even in English (with German subtitles)! The preacher’s name is Pastor B. Conley and his ministry is out of Los Alamitos, California (www.cottonwood.org). His interpretation of the bible and preaching in general is quite good. I was very surprised to see it on MSNBC! The only reason that the tellie was even on that channel was because I went to bed after watching Jay Leno last night and that just happened to be the channel it was on. Christianity was something that I had listed on the journal of 17 September that I missed. His sermon today was on trust. Here’s a bit of what was talked about:
Foundations of Trust:
T = truths of God’s word.
- When you
pray, believe that you will get what you pray for. Don’t
wait until it happens to believe you will get it.
R = release
- Almost all
spiritual transactions require a release of some kind.
U = utterance
- You must
agree with what you say. Your heart and your mouth must agree.
S = stand on the promises of God.
- Believe in
what he says. Believe that he will do what he says.
T = testify.
- Let people
know how god has blessed your life.
At 9h55 on Sundays, Ulica Sezamkowa is on channel TVP2. Translated, it means Sesame Street. This was the first week I watched it (Mary told me about it last Sunday). Yes I know it sounds strange for someone my age to watch it, however, I will probably continue to watch it, as it is a good way to learn Polish. I being told by Hispanic adults (in the USA) they had watched a lot of shows like that to learn English. Today we learned about the letter K and the number 16.
I had planned on staying home all day today, but I might have to go out. I may have a "tea emergency" as I only had eight tea bags left when I woke up. I’m down to five now (10h).
It’s 14h and I now have more tea. I didn’t finish all of the previously mentioned tea (I still have 3 bags left), but realized that I have a lot more time today than tomorrow to get tea (I would have run out tomorrow).
There have been bad floods in Britain lately (mainly around York). On a show (on BBC World) called Dateline London, a Dutch reporter said that in Holland, before they build houses, they make sure that there will be decent drainage to prevent floods. She said that the British build houses first then consider flood prevention, but it is usually voted down because it wouldn’t look good. I could say that that also applies to the USA.
It rained quite heavily from 13h yesterday until 15h today. We need it, I guess. We haven’t had a lot of rain in the past few months. It’s dismally gray and has been 5C all day. However, my flat is still nice and warm. I’m in shorts and a T-shirt. This must be the rain that reeked havoc on Britain. It’s also dark. Cloudy, overcast dark that is. If I was reading right now, I would have to turn the light on.
Speaking of darkness, it is now pitch black outside by 16h15. I really dislike the long periods of darkness at this time of the year (it’s inappropriate to say "nights", as darkness begins in mid-afternoon and goes until the morning). It’s now 16h42 and feels like it should be around 22h.
I borrowed the tape player I use at the school for the weekend. I don’t have one (I came here with my Walkman, but the cassette player died. I had had it for many years, so it probably died of overuse. The radio still works). It was good to be able to listen to my favorite cassettes again. Also, one of my students had recorded some Metallica for me, so I was able to listen to that as well.
One of my favorite cassettes is a Christian one. I had a copy for many years, but it broke. I bought a new one a couple years ago in the USA. I mainly bought it for something I had heard on a radio station in 1992, by Carolyn Koons, called "Navigating the Rapids of Life." It likens life to white water rafting. It’s both funny and inspirational. Included on the tape was a second program, this one by Luci Swindoll, called "A Positive Look at Life." I ended up liking that just as much as, if not more than, the first program. I’ve been through some rough times in the past and this tape has always made me think more positively and smile, even when I was very depressed. It also encouraged me to learn to enjoy life, no matter what comes at you.
There was some controversy this week about an English footballer who played for an Irish football team. He retired from football and then claimed, in his autobiography, that he really hasn’t any Irish blood in him. His mother, who was English, was adopted by Irish parents (her last name was O’Malley). He now thinks that he shouldn’t have been able to obtain the Irish passport he used to be eligible to play for an Irish team, and had had for many years, as his real grandparents aren’t Irish. However, Irish law states that if someone’s parent or grandparent is Irish they are entitled to have an Irish passport, including adoptees.
I guess that the Democrats are now getting worried about Nader taking votes away from them and losing the Presidency. For more of my political views about the upcoming USA elections, click here.
The Jay Leno show this evening was from 31 October and Al Gore was on. He did a great job. Leno refuses to say who he will vote for, but it appears that he is in favor of Gore. At the end of the show, Jay also paid tribute to Steve Allen, who died on 31 October. Steve was one of the original hosts of the Tonight Show, so it was only fitting.
Today, Iraqi Airlines resumed domestic flights, some of which go through the "no fly zone". The USA and Britain have said that that is fine, as the "caretakers" of the no fly zone only target military airplanes. For more on this, follow the link to the "My Soapbox" page.
