Dear Timothy …

Ewa from T5 wrote:

Dear Timothy …

I’m in the middle of an ocean now … It’s 21st day of my voyage … well … about 21st … maybe 22nd.
I don’t really know what to write about …
Are you surprised?
I eat noodles all the time. I’m in a ‘Noodle Paradise’!
The weather is nice … I mean: I like it. It’s cold and foggy. Captain Purov says that if it continues we’ll never get to our destination.
However …
I should say that your hat really keeps me warm. I wear it all the time.
Um … I borrowed it … did I tell you?
… So …
How are you doing? Is Caleb still with his aunt? Can you tell him … if you meet him … that I’m really sorry about his sunglasses … they are broken …
I borrowed them too …
And can you ask Dragonfly … if she’s going to make her cream-cake-with-everything? Please!
And one more thing … Can you please tell Uncle that the mast is broken? Two, actually …
Hm … That’s all I think …
Just kidding …
Did I tell you that I love you very, very, very much and that I really, really, really miss you?
Well, I do.
Oh, and that I have some Belgian marmalade, marionettes for Kurt and a marinade for Dragonfly?
… and a gas mask for Uncle …
… well … he really wanted to have one …
The crew send you their greetings …
… and me too of course …
Hm … now it really is the end.
Love you …

Ewa XOXOXO

P.S. I don’t really care but Captain and the others are really sorry for the masts and that silver mermaid from the prow (we lost her somewhere in the South Pacific) … um … and we lost … I lost Santino’s rifle … and telescope … he won’t forgive me … will he?

My favourite book

When I was asked about my favourite book, I used to answer ‘I don’t know’.
Key words: used to.

I finished a great book a few days ago. First page was intriguing, so I read the second one… The third… The sixth chapter… Just a few pages more… I couldn’t stop reading. It felt as if every word was on the right place. I’d say it was perfect.
Oh. The title is ‘The Book Thief’, by the way. It’s written by Marcus Zusak.
STORYLINE: Death tells us a story of a girl called Liesel, who lives in Nazi Germany. Her adventure begins when she steals her first book on her brother’s furneral – and later she becomes real book thief. Later we get to know another characters – Liesel’s foster parents – a accordionist and a cursing, wardrobe-like woman; Max, a Jewish fist-fighter who can battle even Hitler; lemon-haired Rudy.
Book also includes:
1) German cursing,
2) a bit of history,
3) Death describing the beauty of sky,
4) and the best ending I’ve ever read.
Today I found the polish translation on Kolpolter’s shelf. I was really surprised; I didn’t expect that I can read ‘The Book Thief’ in my native language. I read a few pages just to check how it’s translated, and…
I totally misunderstood the last sentence. It didn’t have anything to do with the storyline, but I liked its meaning. But, ka-BOOM! – there’s a translation which differs with my interpretation so much (DIE, MULTIPLY MEANINGS, DIE).
However, I strongly recommend it. In Polish or in English, read it.

… scream*

7.25 cold Friday evening mad rash around house spread evenly improvised dress improvised meal without dressing running from bright cold into dark cold cold war between my time and bus times speeding up short steps passing old lady barking dog breaking the cold of the evening slowing down steps getting longer getting on the bus stop bus stop step into the bus relief gallery refilled flyer on entry artists reveal themselves after short time white walls minimal décor two tables tons of toys two minds mind the gap gathering go ahead …

The impression I got after the 30-minute noise concert was that I had attended a modern guerilla meeting, or listened to a new kind of punk music. The ideas behind the latter seem to be the same – rawness, unpredictability, rebelliousness. There is no compromise nor surety. It was the first minute of the set that was its essence for me. Pain Jerk started with a sound that broke into me in the most violent and abrupt way. A war-like (in its every measurable aspect) sound shook the walls, crushed the ears, rocked the body with every change he made. The experience of the sound was dualistic – it encapsulated both the beauty and monstrosity of human nature. The sonic waves flowed through the body like water or wind. Or they crushed like rock, pierced like bullets. The first sound like a bungee jump, or the first kiss. The first sound like murdering someone, or running naked into a church. I wanted to scream, driven both by primordial pleasure and terror.

*Zbigniew Karkowski/Pain Jerk in concert, 24th October 8pm, Arsenal Gallery

From an observer

The ielts_7 group lesson last Thursday evening was quite a new experience because it helped us discover how much we still have to get to know. I can risk a guess none of us had done anything like that before. To describe how the two–wheeled bicycle works might be considered as a trivial and simple task. Unexpectedly, however, some of us found it problematic, even though the lesson was to prepare and provide us with necessary structures and vocabulary.
We began with writing three different sentences about a bike from different points of view: a child, an elderly person and a salesman, plus one sad sentence and one optimistic. It required creativity and a great deal of imagination, as we had to identify with those people. By that small task we were introduced to the topic of the lesson.
The next step was a grammar exercise which was supposed to make us aware of some structures which, as we later found out, were very crucial to the task. The teacher divided us into two groups: the leaders and the observers. The leaders after some problems finally managed to produce four general statements with these subjects: “we”, “you”, “one” and “the user”. While the watchers were writing down their remarks, the leaders tried to transform each single sentence they came up with into sentences with three other subjects.
Then there was time to learn some new vocabulary. Each of us received three cards, each with the name of a different part of a bike. We matched them with the adequate devices in a real bike in the classroom. In case of any problems, we asked other students or teachers for help. The most difficult task was describing functions, connections and dependencies between the parts we each represented.
With the new knowledge and abilities, we were ready to write a paragraph about how the bicycle works, emphasizing its environmentally-friendly features. We started from the middle part, as the one which might cause most problems, as it actually did. For many of us, it had been the first time we struggled with this kind of very technical description.
The lesson had been planned in detail to provide us with anything we would need. The exercises we did smoothly changed from one into another, keeping the main idea and connections. As a result the lesson was cohesive and let us make the most of it.

the greatest invention of the 20th century

It’s 6.55 on a Wednesday morning. The calf muscles are making the feet push on the pedals. The pedals are making the notched cog turn around, the cog is passing the movement onto the chain, which then is passing it on to the cogs in the rear wheel, making the wheel turn. The turning of the wheel is making the whole machine go. The machine is flesh and metal, bits of rubber and plastic. All perfectly fitted, synchronized, and at its place. It is quite unbelievable how all the parts know their job and perform it swiftly and willingly. In no time the machine gets at its destination. It’s 7.00 – in five minutes I managed to cover the distance of approximately 3 kilometers and not be late for the morning mass.

@ddresses

wertyt
pocahontas
makkipoli
niegosia
velma-18
dymekoi
falseinnocence
paulina_jest_ekstra

Recently I had to do with quite a lagre number of e-mail addresses. My student’s e-mail addresses that is. Quite an impressive picture of people’s inventiveness. Then I went through my e-mail address book and found even more examples of inspiring ingeniousness (griefgiver, pan_balagan, lakebodomslayer, jetem_fajna to mention a few). And there are stories behind those addresses too. Then I thought about my e-mail address: michal_citko@xx.pl. ‘What a bore!’, I thought. What does my e-mail say about me?

Although the practical explanation for the choice of this address was that I thought I might get into professional situations via e-mail, so I though my name and surname would be most suitable for this purpose.
But now after a bit of consideration I realize I am a serious person in general, so probably I didn’t want any crazy inventions like nicknames or wordplays. Also, name and surname is a very common choice when it comes to creating your e-mail address, and sometimes I just like to be like majority, mingle with the crowd, be unoriginal.

‘Young Dumbledore’ series

OK, many of us had a chance to read about the adventures of Harry Potter. Wouldn’t you be interested in learning more about the world of wizards and witches from the perspective of teenage Dumbledore? A young, talented writer, Michał, offers his new series. But before the world sees the books in print, we can give you a taste of it here, on the GV blog:

The next day started with a splitting hangover. Young Dumbledore got out of his bed and went to Snape. As he was opening the door he saw Snape slitting his wrist. Dumbledore kicked the blade out of his hand. The blade crashed a jar and Dumbledore fell down stunned. Snape started crying “Don’t die! Don’t die!”
Albus got up whispering “Snape, do you have an aspirin?”
“No, I don’t”
Dumbledore took out his wand and shouted “Avada…”
He woke up in the hospital. He saw Madam Pomfrey with vodka and he fainted.

More bestsellers …

A fragment from a novel by Marta and Mateusz:

He was thinking about the sense of his life. He was losing his thoughts in a bottle of wine. His pockets were empty and there wouldn’t be enough for more wine. No more wine, no more thoughts or second thoughts. The sky was getting darker and it was getting colder. It was in the middle of autumn. He lay down on a park bench and the leaves covered him for ages.

Another one from a bestseller by Asia and Ewa:

Then he sat down, took a sip of wine and started to think about his life. He remembered his wife, who had left him two years ago. He started to think about things that make life beautiful, and then he realised that he had never tasted them. He took the bottle, crashed it, and slit his wrist. No one in the world cried for him. People didn’t notice his death.

Two bestsellers

An excerpt from a bestselling novel by Marta and Rafał:

SuperGrandma came to the city to fight with the evil Jonathan Rizik. She pulled out her special weapon – a magic bag. It opened itself and clouds of smoke appeared. Jonathan Rizik couldn’t see her. He attacked the smoke with his special air attack called ‘Blow Master.’ But SuperGrandma wasn’t in the smoke. She was faster. She appeared behind him and killed him with a spoon. The city was saved one more time.

An excerpt from another bestselling novel by Ania and Mateusz:

Mohairia was walking along the street with her boombox, listening to Radio Maryja. Suddenly, the black guy with a golden chain to his knees snatched it and ran away. She was extremely annoyed, so she put on her mohair beret and started chasing him. Mohairia was fast and she caught him in no time. She started to beat him with her bag, yelling …

If anyone was interested in reading the whole books, contact the authors at GV :)

Oct 2, 2008

On October 2, 2008 at 5 pm a group of eight people met for the first time at global village, a language school, with the aim of learning English. During two hours they did a couple of things together and then they parted. How did they feel about the meeting?