Winter has arrived!! I seem to be the only person who is remotely excited about horrendously cold weather. But I have learnt to keep me mouth shut on topics such as this as it's easy to feel like an outsider at the best of times. I just have an inward delight at the thought of oncoming snow.
Spare a thought for me here in Poland when you are getting pestered by kids trick or treating, and the phrase 'it's all so darn commercial' springs into your mind as you hand over that 50p to a child/beggar whose idea of a costume is to hide one hand up their sleeve – here in the more central realms of Europe away from the glare of the big smoke and (almost) untouched by global consumerism we celebrate Halloween in a different kind of way. That's right we celebrate it properly by visiting cemeteries and lighting a candle for our dearly departed and getting REALLY spooked out. They've even got a name for it, it's called All Saints. I don't think it'll catch on. And, just to make it even better it's a national holiday, so no school or work for 2 days!! In fact, some people even make it a whole week of holiday.
I've become tired of Italian music channels and so have resorted to reading, and reading and, well...reading. There isn't a lot of lessons this week owing to above mentioned holiday, so I have even decided that being bored is an option. Yesterday I managed to play at least 60 games of Hearts.
I think the boredom threshold in places like this is high or if not then it is numbed by vodka and beer abuse.
I have actually seen another town though. Three mornings a week I go and teach people who work in a bank. So at least I get out and about. But not enough..... expect me to go crazy before Christmas. It's different here than in Russia – in Russia people were so proud of their heritage and their country that they revelled in showing foreigners (that's me) the customs and even if sometimes they didn't actually take you there themselves they would talk about it until you couldn't bear it any longer. Here nobody seems to have any suggestions as to what a foreigner can do to pass the time. They're a lot more laid back.
You know how I mentioned stale bread? Well I made a sandwich last night and after taking two mouthfuls realised that it was actually stale - with mould and everything. I like preservatives and additives and things that keep your bread from going green. They should have them here, it would make sense.
Spare a thought for me here in Poland when you are getting pestered by kids trick or treating, and the phrase 'it's all so darn commercial' springs into your mind as you hand over that 50p to a child/beggar whose idea of a costume is to hide one hand up their sleeve – here in the more central realms of Europe away from the glare of the big smoke and (almost) untouched by global consumerism we celebrate Halloween in a different kind of way. That's right we celebrate it properly by visiting cemeteries and lighting a candle for our dearly departed and getting REALLY spooked out. They've even got a name for it, it's called All Saints. I don't think it'll catch on. And, just to make it even better it's a national holiday, so no school or work for 2 days!! In fact, some people even make it a whole week of holiday.
I've become tired of Italian music channels and so have resorted to reading, and reading and, well...reading. There isn't a lot of lessons this week owing to above mentioned holiday, so I have even decided that being bored is an option. Yesterday I managed to play at least 60 games of Hearts.
I think the boredom threshold in places like this is high or if not then it is numbed by vodka and beer abuse.
I have actually seen another town though. Three mornings a week I go and teach people who work in a bank. So at least I get out and about. But not enough..... expect me to go crazy before Christmas. It's different here than in Russia – in Russia people were so proud of their heritage and their country that they revelled in showing foreigners (that's me) the customs and even if sometimes they didn't actually take you there themselves they would talk about it until you couldn't bear it any longer. Here nobody seems to have any suggestions as to what a foreigner can do to pass the time. They're a lot more laid back.
You know how I mentioned stale bread? Well I made a sandwich last night and after taking two mouthfuls realised that it was actually stale - with mould and everything. I like preservatives and additives and things that keep your bread from going green. They should have them here, it would make sense.
posted by Girl Least Likely To at 8:38 am
1 Comments:
"They've even got a name for it, it's called All Saints. I don't think it'll catch on"
Halloween and All Saints are different things. Halloween is a Pagan festival popular in Celtic countries, especially Ireland and is on October 1st. All Saints day is a Christian festival and has been going on since at least the 4th Century. It has been on November 1st since the 8th Century - Hence the term Halloween which is a shortened version of All Hallows Evening - the evening before All Hallows Day.
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