Wednesday July 25, 2007

Thought of the Day (Tom): “To Know is nothing at all; to imagine is everything.” – Anatole France

Wednesday??? It is really only Wednesday!? As we pass over the hump of the week, the day began early in the morning watching one of my students and another camper take a late night jog with his friend. The boys have lots of energy and needed a stroll around the scenic grounds of Reymontowka to be ready for bed.

Breakfast begins with a baked egg dish that is a mix between an omelet and a quiche. We all eagerly finish eating and prepare for the lessons of the day. We made accommodations for the gloomy weather and chillier summer temperature as many of our classrooms are outdoors for the most part. Everyone is feeling more and more comfortable as the days pass. Today we only need to prepare for three sessions as the fourth session will be dancing. The students have been practicing their dance moves every day after lunch and bust a move to YMCA, the Electric slide and Cotton-Eyed Joe several times. Cotton-Eyed Joe is the crowd favorite and some campers were not satisfied with hearing it three. Several campers needed to borrow the CD with the songs for listening in their free time.

Lunch conversation is lively despite the rainy weather. We discuss the pluses and minuses of brussel sprouts as a few volunteers consume the food of many childhood nightmares. We are told that our host Marek has arranged a horse and carriage ride for the volunteers to see Poland at a relaxed pace. Eric opted for a nap and I opted to decompress and catch up with what is happening with friends at home.

Our group has truly bonded with the counselors. After a short break in the action for Erik and me, we join the counselors on the back patio for a game of cards. It was probably the slowest game I have ever played but easily the most enjoyable. The game needed to be explained in English to Erik and to several of the counselors.

Marek treats the other volunteers to a bumpy horse and carriage ride through the nearby countryside. They came back with a renewed energy that crossed over in to a lively dinner conversation about the following night’s America (U.S.A.) night. Various activities were proposed and we opted to plan a night of events including a wheel barrow race and 3-legged race. A break was taken during dinner for the celebration of the name day of one of the campers named Chris. In Poland, they celebrate both the day of one’s birth as well as celebrating the day of their namesake. We attempted to sing the Polish version of happy birthday and then shared our version. The Polish song was a song in the hope that he lives another 100 years. The excitement of the kids singing and celebrating their newly made friends was yet another sign of the impact this camp setting has on the campers. I have watched both my students and other campers come together to learn and have fun as a group despite their different preferences of activities.

The night activities kicked off with a lip sync presentation that three brave volunteers lent their unique talents. The campers and counselors did rousing lip sync routines that included streamers, outfits and dance moves. The camp counselors joined in on the fun in a song that was a mix of modern dance beats and polka for a unique and enjoyable hybrid. This was followed by a disco in main tent. The camp counselors watch on in hopes that the evening’s activities ensure a relaxing night.

The rest of the night was spent by volunteers enjoying the brisk weather amongst the camp counselors. The campers appear to be tiring out a little bit and they are able to enjoy a rousing conversation in a variety of languages.

In the spirit of full disclosure, this journal was finished on Thursday after teaching. My roommate and I got an extra hour of sleep due to an alarm clock malfunction. I was prepared to wake up early and finish my entry but much like the rest of the week, time seemed to escape us. It will be very hard for everyone to leave. In a very short time, we have made friends and shared experiences with the campers that will stay with us forever.