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Post by hollister on Nov 19, 2006 14:34:05 GMT -7
Scatts, Thanks for sharing these! I found the Nov. offering to be a thought provoking meditation. How are you? How is the family? H
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Nov 20, 2006 12:54:46 GMT -7
We're generally fine, thanks. Marta is suffering a little with her SAD (seasonal affective disorder) which has not been officially diagnosed but the depression at this time of year when the days get shorter is pretty damned obvious to me. Zosia has been really quite sick with colds and coughs, quite bad ones, but that's no different to the rest of Warsaw's population including myself. Apart from that though we are just fine and dandy! How about the Hollisters?
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Post by bescheid on Nov 20, 2006 13:22:19 GMT -7
SAD is a real thing, my wife Anna suffers this with our seasonal rainy season {now}. I am not effected by it probably because I am dim to start with, so any light how ever low, is blinding.
But being realistic, I here, turn up our lights inside the flat to make it brighter, and it seems to help her disposition. I was wondering of this if perhaps it might for Marta?
Charles
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Post by hollister on Nov 21, 2006 11:33:44 GMT -7
The Hollisters are fine and dandy! Mr is quite busy at the moment with all the stuff going on and the aftermath of the elections is causing some late night candle burning - but in a good way. Wayne was just extended for another year here at CENTCOM. The good thing about these orders are that he can not be deployed overseas - interesting huh? I am working on holiday stuff. It looks as if my Mom may have surgery in late Dec/early Jan so I am trying to keep the schedule open in case I need to go help her after wards. I have reverse SAD! The days of sun and warm weather are getting to me! At this time of year I long for cold and the possibility of snow - I know if I was home and we had the cold and snow I would be wishing for sun and warm. I guess I am just never satisfied!
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Nov 22, 2006 13:35:24 GMT -7
Glad to hear all is okay. Does "deployed" mean travel to or move to? I'm hoping the latter, otherwise you won't be visiting again except for vacation time.
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Nov 29, 2006 14:06:29 GMT -7
Seems like I've only just finished December issue but today was the deadline (well, yesterday actually!) for the January column. So here it is -
Let it snow!
If you ask people who have never been close to central Europe what they imagine Poland is like, it is very likely that "lots of snow" and "freezing temperatures" are going to be up there alongside all the usual nonsense. But these two for at least a couple of months each year are accurate observations. The snow and cold generally give a "shot across the bows" in early November (leaving the entire population suffering with colds and other bugs) and then go off to gather reinforcements before coming back at full strength late December through to March. In the mountains, of course, the period is extended but this is the Warsaw Insider, not the Zakopane Yodeller.
What always amazes me is how easily the country handles this weather. It amazes me because I'm British and I'm used to the country falling apart whenever any weather that is not "15 degrees and drizzle" arrives. Leaves fall, the transport network grinds to a halt, "wrong kind of leaves" is the excuse. Snow falls, roads are jammed with accidents, transport system fails , nobody can get to work, "unseasonably extreme weather conditions" is the excuse. Poland, on the other hand, takes heaps of snow and minus 20 degrees like a man! It positively laughs in the face of extreme weather, and so do it's citizens. None of this grinding to a halt nonsense over here. Okay, sudden and extreme falls of snow may catch us out occasionally but even then the problem is fixed in a matter of hours, one day max, before the roads are clear and everyone is back to normal but this is weather that would close England for a month!
I love the way everyone is prepared for it. The snow ploughs are ready to plough, the salt-spreaders are ready to spread, the guys with the big plastic spades are ready to dig out pathways. The summer wardrobe is packed away, the warm winter coats, gloves, scarves, hats are in evidence. The heating is turned up, the chap-stick is sold out. We've all spent hours in the big queue to change the tyres on our cars, we've filled the windscreen spray reservoir with stuff that's good down to minus 700. Outside pipes have been lagged (wrapped) and the supply turned off. The people in charge of rail services and everything else, have done whatever it is they do to keep things running. The mountain bikes are in the basement and the skis and sleighs are in the hall. The summer cocktails have been replaced by hot wine and beer. The fatty food, especially smalec, seems to be a good idea after all. It's like the whole country says "Okay big guy, give it your best shot!".
I love this place in the winter. I love that fact that there is a winter and that even though it is often extreme, nobody gives a darn, they get out there and enjoy themselves!
Make no mistake though, the secret is preparation, not bravado. This weather is brutal especially for the old, the poor and the homeless. So, while you're out there throwing snowballs, spare a thought for those who are hoping to make it through to spring.
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Post by jimpres on Nov 30, 2006 1:49:04 GMT -7
Scatts,
We have colds up here in the north as well. I am the only one that does not have a cold. Today the sun is out and we will have a nice day. The fog we had for two days is now gone. So winter has not hit yet be we are prepared for it. Wood is stacked and the coal is in.
Jim
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Post by rdywenur on Nov 30, 2006 4:22:48 GMT -7
Scatts they say it will be in the 70's today. (I will make sure I am outside as much as I can be and relish this day) Tomorrow it is supposed to drop to the 30's and we might get snow. I will be one of those white knuckle drivers anticipating Spring. Right now it is currently 623AM and my weather bug says it is 60F outside. Yahooo!!!
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Post by justjohn on Nov 30, 2006 5:38:57 GMT -7
Scatts,
What you are describing is 'New Hampshire weather'.
Sounds like shades of New England.
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scatts
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Post by scatts on Jan 14, 2007 14:12:05 GMT -7
Here's the February article. A tough one to write and apart from the ending I don't really like it. Love is obviously not my strong point, writing wise.
Interpersonal chemistry
With apologies to Lord Tennyson, it is in February when a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. It is estimated that, worldwide, one billion Valentines cards will be sent this February 14th. Surprisingly, around 85 percent of those are expected to be purchased by women. So clearly if there is any "fancy turning" to be done this month it is the women who will taking the bull by the horns. So to speak!
But what is love anyway? Can a simple greeting card be the catalyst for lifelong love and happiness? Or are there other forces at work? Are people brought together uncontrollably like a chemist brings chemical substances together as suggested by Goethe in his 1809 publication "Elective Affinities"? Perhaps Stendhal had it right in his 1822 French classic "On Love" where he compared the birth of love to a trip from Bologna to Rome with a four step transformative process: 1. Admiration – one marvels at the qualities of the loved one. 2. Acknowledgement – one notices the return affection of the charming person. 3. Hope – one envisions gaining the love of the loved one. 4. Delight – one exults in overrating the beauty and merit of the person he or she loves.
It all got bit weird in 1995 when Claus Wedekind did his "smelly T-shirt study". This showed that women are most attracted by the smell of men with a more dissimilar "major histocompatibility complex" (MHC), which during reproduction leads to offspring with healthier immune systems. As it is almost impossible to check a target female's MHC smell, my suggestion is just to make sure you smell powerfully of whatever you choose and keep them guessing. Only last year a group of researchers led by Jennifer Bosson published an article which explained that discovering a shared negative attitude towards another, third, person was a strong predictor of liking each other. Much more so than sharing positive attitudes. This was put down to the suggestion that sharing negative attitudes is alluring because it establishes boundaries, boosts self-esteem, and conveys highly diagnostic information about attitude holders. Personally, I think it's just that everyone enjoys a little bitchiness from time to time. Next time you think you fancy someone, start slagging-off her friends. Guaranteed to get results!
But enough of this scientific twaddle! We're all experts on matters of the heart, we don't need a bunch of people in white coats to tell us how to get down and boogie. So come on Polish guys! Make a serious effort in 2007. Take a long look around you, this is a country over-blessed with the most adorable, beautiful, intelligent and feminine yet strong women known to man and you're only going to send 15% of the Valentines cards! Gimmee a break. Get out there and buy an armful of cards, sod the expense. Then go around handing them out and telling all the ladies you meet just how adorable they are!
Given this months theme, you're going to have to forgive me for signing off with the words - Marta, I love you! XX
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Post by scatts on Jan 14, 2007 14:13:21 GMT -7
March article. Theme of communism.
Communist behaviour?
This month I shall attempt to prove the equation 2 + 2 = 5 by combining what little I know of living under communist rule with some observations of behaviour and wondering if the two things are connected.
Behaviour #1 - Aggressive queue tactics. I've noticed that being behind someone in a queue but getting served before them is something to be proud of. There are many different tactics. Most annoying is "Oh! Is this not the queue?". This occurs often when there is one queue for multiple sales points, often found in the apteka. Some bright spark always waltzes behind someone being served and stands there like they thought 46 people were queuing for the first window but the other three only had one person queues. The surprised looks they muster would win Oscars, that's if they don't just start arguing about it, which they normally do! Most common is the "overtaking maneuver". This involves standing extremely close to the person in front and just slightly to one side, preferably right by their side. It's a kind of psychological warfare aimed at making the front runner surrender and let you go first because you 'obviously' are in much greater need to be served first. This tactic also works well should another sales window suddenly open, you can slide straight past the front runner and grab the new window without a second thought. Last, and most fresh in my mind is "The question". In my mind, queues are for questions just as much as they are for purchases but not everyone agrees. Walk past the whole queue up to the window and ask a question that leads to another, that leads to a whole lot of messing around followed by being served. Leave with a big grin on your face. Is all this queue busting related to the times when the rewards were far greater?
Behaviour # 2 - I saw it first. If two women are examining the same article in a shop there develops a competition over who is going to buy it first, even if neither really want it. This has an unfortunate side-effect of requiring attending husbands to get the "other woman" in a head-lock if that's what it takes to enable the wife to make the purchase. This behaviour is indifferent to the fact that there might be more than one of the same article in stock, or more arriving next week. No. It is this article, right here, right now. Nothing else will do. Like behaviour #1, does this hark back to times when they was only one pair of shoes and nobody knew when there would be others?
Behavior #3 - I've got the right. Predominantly exhibited by pedestrians and car drivers. Pedestrians will cross the road without even looking at oncoming traffic because they have the right to cross. Drivers will not slow down at potentially dangerous junctions if they have the right of way. I think the theory is that if something bad happens it won't be a problem because it will be the other person's fault. Right! Does this relate to days when people had so few individual rights that they now enjoy exercising every single one they have? If so, it's a pity more people don't vote.
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Post by scatts on Apr 2, 2007 19:39:51 GMT -7
The April Column. The one where I get naked!! Rude healthI am to healthy spa-type places what a hybrid car is to gas stations - not designed to go there very often. My darling wife, on the other hand, is the kind of V12 that can't go long without having to pit-stop at the spa. And so it was, during one of her pit-stops, that she was struck with the idea of purchasing some treatments for me as an anniversary present in the hope of transforming this amoeba into Brad Pitt. Our anniversary is in October. Come January, the expiry date on the gift was looming large and threats of divorce if I didn't book myself in were becoming more frequent. I therefore took the plunge and booked myself in for an afternoon of pampering. I stood awkwardly in reception like a sacrificial lamb in a business suit. After much thrashing around I managed to undress, as in completely naked, in a cubicle into which only half of me fitted. I put on the robe that was provided and found that the two parts that would usually overlap at the front, didn't exactly do that. They sort of met in the middle and the belt just about made it around my waist. Having stretched things as much as possible, I ventured out to ask for a larger robe. This was the largest size they had! Ooookay, the choice was simple, leave now or put a brave face on things and see how it……unfolds. I decided on the latter. It quickly got worse. First up was the hydro massage, a flashy-looking Jacuzzi bath. The assistant told me to disrobe and get in the bath. On the way out she pointed to a pair of underpants they had provided. I disrobed and picked up the pants. Well, I assume they were the pants but frankly it could just as easily have been a miniature kite kit for midgets. Lots of string and a very small triangle of fabric that was roughly the size of my left testicle. I made my second bold decision to forego the pants and jumped naked into the bath as if I did this sort of thing every week. The nurse came back and discretely poured a jug of cocoa into the bath and fifteen minutes later we were done. I was ushered down to the massage room where to the sounds of tweeting birds and flowing streams I was covered with the equivalent of about 3,000 Mars bars and gradually pummeled into submission. This lady at least had towels available so although there was a fair amount of complicated turning over to be done we managed not to get too embarrassed about it all. I'd been wandering around flashing for over two hours by now but we were not done yet. There was one last embarrassment left, the pedicurist. Her room was dominated by a huge armchair device that obviously was going to take some getting into, not to mention the fact that she was going to be sitting staring at my groin whilst applying the industrial grinder to my heels. This is where I need a genie to arrive and grant three wishes - better feet, bigger robe, underpants. No genie arrived so I sat through the whole pedicure doing my best to keep some fabric between my parts and the pedicurist's face. All in all, a pleasurable experience spoiled only by not being able to stop worrying about indecent exposure charges but I'll know better next time. If there is one.
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Post by scatts on Apr 2, 2007 19:41:01 GMT -7
and most recent, the May article.
Speaking in tongues
My daughter, Zosia, had her fourth birthday recently. One particularly fascinating aspect of fatherhood has been watching her language develop in a household where both Polish & English are used.
We decided from the start that I would speak English to her all the time and mum Polish. Alongside this, mum and I continued to speak English between us whilst rest of the family & world around her continued to speak Polish. This seems a cruel trick to play on a young baby who's got enough to worry about already, but we did it, and she just soaked it all up and stuck to her neutral "Ba ba", "Ooo Ga" and "Eeek!", which we all understood perfectly well as 'feed me', 'take me for a walk' and 'clean up this mess!'.
Of course, babcia will tell you that "ba ba" was the first word spoken because Zosia wanted to 'reach out' to her as a matter of urgency. It probably was the first sound used in any consistent manner but as far as I'm concerned the first word was probably "da da", as in "daddy" (as opposed to "ta ta" from "tata"). All I can remember is how annoyed mummy was that after all the hard work she'd put in carrying the little angel around for 9 months, it wasn't "ma ma"! But this was a common thread of the very early stages, English was playing a bigger part than we imagined it would. Or so we thought.
With the benefit of hindsight, it was everyone else who wanted to categorize her communications as one language or another. I'm convinced that for her Polglish was just one big language (with very confusing grammar!) and she was picking whichever parts she liked best. Her understanding of both languages has always been equally excellent but her speech has, until recently, been a mixture of the two with a leaning towards Polish. This resulted in, well, a bit of mess. I would be speaking English, she would be replying in Polish but a bunch of words would always be English. Sentences like "dai mi sweet!" or "where my parasolka is?" are entirely normal around here. The 'r' sound is very confusing. She can pronounce "read" and "red" perfectly whereas in Polish it is still "lyba" (fish) & "lower" (bicycle). But then again, "plaster" is "plastel" and "rózowy" has a great 'r'. Go figure!
She loves new words and phrases which go in and out of fashion every week. I remember especially my amazement when Zosia said "It's disappeared!" for the first time, perfectly in context. This was not a word I had been teaching her at all, I probably thought it was too advanced for a three year old, but it had obviously been used in conversation, she had learnt it and then decided to try it out.
It is only recently that she seems to have worked out that there are two languages. English works well with daddy (and a few other freaks) and Polish with everyone else. The real test is in the middle of the night, or when she is sick or tired. This was exclusively Polish, but not long ago I went to her in the night and was told "Daddy, I'm cold.". That's when I knew we were making progress!
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Post by scatts on Apr 2, 2007 19:47:47 GMT -7
The grammar must be particularly confusing, especially as Polish seems to be so much more flexible than English. For example, used above, "Gdzie moja parasolka jest?" is okay po polsku although the correct version is probably "Gdzie jest moja parasolka?". I'll bow to Polish experts here. The first version does not work at all in English "Where my umbrella is?" but the second is exactly right "Where is my umbrella?".
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Post by rdywenur on Apr 3, 2007 5:08:19 GMT -7
Great articles Scatts. I can't believe that Zosia turned 4 already. She was just 2 and a half recently. My time flies. Wait till she learns those certain new words like "charge" and "can I borrow the keys to your car"....or even worse...."I have a date". I remember when my two nieces started dating and bringing "boy" friends home. My brother had a way of scaring the living daylight out of them. (not that they had to be afraid) These all make for good memories.
Just recently one of the radio anouncers I listen to went to a spa for his birthday and signed up for a massage where they walk on your back. His cohost was asking him questions about it and he could not answer her. He said most of the time I had my eyes closed because I did not wish to get embarrased if I opened my eyes and she was staring at me eyeball to eyeball. And to hear him tell the story was funny in itself.
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