May 14-16, 2010

Thought for the Day:

"We build the ladder by which we climb."

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Rain drums on rooftops announcing that the May festival will not be spared. Nor will Georgianna be deterred from the thrill of a horseback ride. She rode in the rain. Now that is passion!

Through late morning hours stalwart Poles gather and under the sophisticated white tent, “the show must go on” as a talented and discipline dance troupe, composed of university students, delights the audience with folk songs and dances representing various regions of historical Poland. Zygmunt Wielogorski, equivalent to a U.S. County Commissioner for this region, attends, distributing certificates to mark the official closing of wood carvers’ workshop.

Local folk groups perform traditional songs. Stalwart. Vibrant. These senior citizens portray how one can continue to be actively engaged with Life despite the inroads age may take on one’s physic. I, Mary Martin, study their faces with wrinkles or creases that map out stories unknown to us. But, given their generation, they have surely witnesses sufficient harshness and suffering since that fateful day, September 1, 1939. I never heard my Croatian baba sing, nor her friends among Mrs. Starcevic, Mrs. Papic, Mrs. Miletich, girls who immigrated from the poverty stricken region of Like in northeastern mountains of Croatia. They always had sad eyes. Yes, the faces of Polish grandmothers, along with a sprinkling of grandfathers – for singers tend to be female – more than entertain us. They inspire us with the vivacity of Poland whose cardinal virture appears to be that of “endure, and celebrate Life.”

Jim remains in the audience. Georgianna is happily chatting with Polish friends, when Audrey and MM steal away toward the food court. Yuk yuk. Like everyone else, we find ourselves perilously slipping and sliding and balancing ourselves through trails turned into muddy quagmires. They begin to laugh, yet they are determined to reach that kielbasa stand! Photos testify to their near misses for firm footing. As a table of Polish folks begin to sing traditional songs, they creep over to listen. A Polish woman waves to them, “Come join us,” she gestures, making room on the bench. They join these warm-hearted hosts and soon are humming and swaying to the melancholic, soulful or romantic tunes. Dorota and her husband . . . come by and wave to us. Food is passed. Dancing begins. But 6:30 P.M. arrives, and lest they turn into pumpkins, Audrey and Mary Martin bid Thanks and Farewell, slipping and sliding their way back to the bright and dry shelter of their residence. It’s great fun to reunite with Jim and Georgianna for a recap of the day.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Jim and Georgianna team up to do their laundry and later, Jim “cleans up” by efficiently writing a play for his middle students to perform, entitled Breakfast Skit.

Georgianna enjoys excursion with a friend.

Audrey & MM bravely take the morning train into Warsaw where they join a tour for part of the day and explore Old Towne on their own for their final three hours. Audrey is fortunate in finding a water color print to accompany her home to Canada.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Georgianna spent a day with 2 classes of 4th graders, so she had a good time. She knows them well, meeting with them 2 hours a day for 3 weeks. “We moved through introductions by reading the day, date, and weather -- our standard for each day.”

Topics included families and the sound of th. Georgianna returned home, planning to ride a horse, but it was going to rain so she cancelled that and worked with Gosia (Margaret) in one-on-one tutoring.

Jim, despite a rearranged teaching schedule and some absent students, some of them now 2 days behind class work, believes that today all 4 groups handled word searches very well, and word chains exceptionally well. “We began the business of being interpreters of a city map for a group of Germans or Japanese or Peruvians who were asking about drugstores, hardware stores, and the like. I feel that the old American teacher is no longer a novelty. We finished the work, on idioms and slang expressions and conversed about fathers’ and mothers’ occupations.”

“Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to a new school I go,” chants Mary Martin as she joins Jim for the ride to his middle school site named Spoleczna. On Fridays and Mondays she is scheduled to meet with four classes. Today, three of those classes explored the question, “What is the difference between communication and language?” “I introduced myself and a brief family history in Croatian, writing supportive, visual information on the board – such as proper nouns or significant dates – and by using my USA and Iowa maps. We then determined how much information they gained about me, although I was not speaking English or any language familiar to them.

“Next, I role played the “slouching student” in contrast to the “alert student,” the “unhappy teacher” compared to the “happy teacher.” We used a T-square to compare Communication and Language – both involved in the transfer of information. However, communication includes non-verbal language (facial expression, tone of voice, body posture) while Language is a tool by which we share specific information through speech. (They arrived at the “tool” concept after examples of fork and spoon for lunch, pen for writing notes, axe for chopping wood to make a camp fire.)

Forty-five minute class periods were broken by fifteen minute pauses. In the faculty room Jim and MM were served hot tea, sliced fruit and some chocolates. “My final class of eight students sat in an informal circle and talked about what was important or special about each of them. Conrad played a short classical tune on his violin as an example of something he wanted us to know about him. A lad of Chinese origin, born in Spain but living in Poland, seem to huddle within his large self. One tiny lad appeared to be about six years old. The agonizing contrasts of emerging adolescence was obvious in this lively group whom I will revisit on Monday. They asked for our topic to be United States history. How’s that for being specific?!”

Before their van left Siedlce, their driver, Roman, paused at a kiosk so MM could fulfill her craving for green onions and fresh apples. Upon arrival at Reymontowka, Jim and MM found the dining room packed with a group employed by the prosecutor’s office. Georgianna followed on our heels, to round out our homey group of five. Hot mushroom soup brightened the gloomy, gray day, an appetizer to our plates overflowing with a pork cutlet, boiled potatoes and two kinds of salads, not to forget the bread basket – and fresh green onions!

TGIF it may be, but duties still await Audrey, who meets with a small group of children for conversation and a picnic lunch on the veranda, and Georgianna, who has a tutorial session. Dorota generously escorts MM to get train tickets for tomorrow’s excursion with Audrey to Warsaw, and for MM to get a haircut, a real treat with these accomplished Polish beauticians

Audrey spent the morning at Cisie School with Margaret/Gosia and she assisted her teaching Grades 4, 5, and 2. They all went well but the last is so much fun; it was my third time with Grade 2 who love to sing and all of them are so attentive and enthusiastic. Home for lunch and the usual, wonderful, “over the top” lunches. It is so nice to meet the rest of the team over our meals. I really like that time together.

After a short rest I went downstairs to meet a small group from Skorzec, seven of ten who arrived with two teachers. They are working on an EU project. They came with written questions about Canada. We sat informally around the table and had a lively discussion. At the end of our indoor time we posed for a picture with everyone wearing stick-on Canadian flags!!!! The heavy rains had arrived but did not deter us from the planned picnic on the beautiful grounds of Reymontowka. The cook took care of the sausages while we ate them under the picnic shelter. The children sang some Polish songs at my request …what enthusiasm!! The teachers and I had a little time to talk together. One little lad circled the group, amid much giggling, asking “Would you like a sweet? We took some photos and about four of the students asked me to sign their work books. The happy visit ended with thank yous and hugs all round!!!!

Rain, again, this time a persistent downpour that dims the afternoon, sends cobblestone workers home hours early, and drums with steady persistence on the roofs of Reymontowka