Am Elften Elften Elften um Elf Uhr Elf!

Craving some rogale świętomarcińskie right now. Happy Dni Świętomarcińskie (Poznań), Veteran's Day (U.S.), Remembrance Day (Canada), Karneval (Germany- Koelle Alaaf!), Super Singles Day (China), Narodowe Święto Niepodległości (Poland), and 11/11/11. What a day.

Poland released this interesting video last year to mark their Independence Day and show an animated history of the nation. It would be interesting to analyze this video in terms of what historical events are depicted and how they are portrayed, thus given insights into the national psyche (or at least, the PR that the Polish government wants to present to the world). Note the stress on the glorious medieval and Renaissance years, the darkness of the 200 years of occupation, and the glorious EU banner to mark a happy ending. Still, a great summary of the national story, and with accurate depictions of many of the great Polish cities.

Link Dump!

Hodgepodge of links for Halloween:

Breaking news: UNESCO has voted to give Palestine full membership, and the U.S. cuts funding, which consists of about 20% of UNESCO's budget. Here's how the voting panned out.

Eco-friendly: The House of Plastic Bottles in Argentina, giving new life to reduce, reuse, recycle

Current events: Devastating floods in Thailand, called PM Yingluck's Katrina, and the calamity of certain administrations when dealing with natural disasters

Economy: Poland is still holding strong and is turning more to shale gas for increased energy independence

Immigration: 50 years of Multikulti in Germany

Trade: Discontent between U.S. and China, trade relations, and China's devalued currency so that a weaker currency leading to a stronger economy

Divided State: Kosovo's future? But where does the sub-division stop, and how to avoid a Pandora's Box of ethnic tensions? And in a state that has defined itself by the current borders?

Language tools: Linguae Live.ca

Fun: Pie and Prosperity (1902 NYT article)

On a Lighter Note...

Congrats to my favorite Kiwi All-Blacks who triumphed over Australia in the rugby semi-finals. The All-Blacks will face France on October 23 for the Rugby World Cup.

Aspiring astronomers should look toward the Big Dipper soon to get a glimpse of a one of the brightest supernovas in the last century. Soon the light will fade so that it will only be visible to professional astronomical equipment.

A bit of humor for my Dutch friends and for any ex-pats living in the Netherlands: You Know You've Been in the Netherlands for Too Long When...

And finally... a product of the iAge, this one-year-old knows how to use an iPad but can't comprehend traditional magazines. They must be broken!

Hemingway's New City

This summer, NYT launched a debate on Europe's most vibrant city as a cultural hub and center of culture. Many of the critics seem stuck in a debate over London vs. Berlin. Others have considered Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, and more.

While London is definitely an economic center and global city and Berlin is certainly a vibrant city for young Germans and ex-pats seeking alternative culture, I would argue that this list should include more cities in Central Europe such as Budapest and Prague, and perhaps in Southeastern Europe Belgrade and Sarajevo. Too many Western Europeans and Americans seem to forget that the nations of Central and Eastern Europe when thinking of the European continent, and these cities have become bustling cultural hubs and havens for young people seeking cheap(er) rent, culture, and intellect in the center of Europe.

Hemingway and the other writers of the 1920s would probably be among them.

Where Would Hemingway Go?

Cross-posted to Transitions 21

Friday Oddities

A collection of amusing videos for you today from around the world.

Knut, the famous polar bear of the Berlin zoo, died suddenly about a month ago. A controversy is still going on about his fate after death, but here's his famous, ridiculously sweet song once more:


Japan explains the nuclear crisis to kids using Nuclear Boy's stomachache.


"How I Met Your Mother" Russian remake... watch for very blond, tall Lily.



Finally, in honor of Passover, what if Moses had facebook?

A Glimpse of Erasmus in 30 Seconds

So many languages from all over the world, same message. Because washing machines live longer with Calgon.



Calgon jingle sung by native speakers in: Romanian, German, Italian, Polish, French, Portuguese, and Croatian.

Lessons at a Polish University

Though university classes started at the beginning of this month, this past week marked the first time that I was teaching lessons by myself. Overall, though I was initially anxious about how I would get a group of Polish students to talk about the Elgin Marbles for over an hour, everything went surprisingly well. I worked on how to structure the content of a letter, and with my older students I discussed the strict format for a formal letter, especially cover letters. If you're rusty on how to use the block format, I discovered the following resources:
Letter Writing Guide.com
Using English: Letters

I'm also learning more and more about Polish Universities. For example, after being spoiled by my American University, I assumed that all universities issued their class schedules well in advance. (We typically received ours in early April for classes that started in September). However, I did not receive a finalized course schedule here until 3 days before the classes started -- and I'm told that we were lucky! Some unis only issue it the day before. (The bureaucracy sometimes reminds me of Bruno Bozzetto's comic interpretation of Italy).

However, there is some sense to this. Whereas many American Universities follow the liberal arts structure and encourage students to take classes in all different disciplines, regardless of major, most Polish universities (and perhaps the majority of European universities in general) require students to join a specific department and degree program when they begin their studies. Thus, there are specific classes that all the students in that degree program must take every year and very few (if any) electives. Many students in the same degree program have identical schedules and move from class to class together as a group.

However, it is becoming increasingly popular with Polish students to study with two separate departments -- or even at two separate universities! (Polish unis are free). This is where the problem comes in. Because these departments have no communication with each other, it is possible, and sometimes likely, that courses will conflict. Thus, a Polish dual-degree or double-major student may spend the entire year missing a class every other week in order to attend the conflicting class, or leaving one early and arriving at the other late. There seems to be no easy solution to this, and it requires a lot of hard work and dedication to be successful! This may explain why many of the dual-degree students that I've met wait to start the second program until the 3rd or 4th year of the first program; thus they only have a few years of these frustrating conflicts and double work, but their university experience may be extended from the usual 5-year program (for a Master's) to 8 or 9 years of study!

Packages from Home

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for the box. There's something special about receiving a package; it feels like it's Christmas or your birthday even when it's the middle of October. Even though 99% of it was things that I had set aside to be included, it was still a joy to open it up and see the contents. Contact solution! Warm clothes! Winter boots! PEANUT BUTTER! (which, contrary to popular belief, is not impossible to find, but it's not popular. And I haven't seen Peter Pan anywhere, so thanks!)

However, the shipment was much bigger than expected. A lot bigger. I thought I'd have no trouble carrying this box by myself, but luckily the nice lady in the office arranged for one of her colleagues to drive me back. So now the box is opened and the contents are scattered around my room, and I've realized again that, though I needed a lot of those things, I have SO MUCH STUFF.

So dear friends and family, please do visit me in Poland. But when you arrive, please bring an extra suitcase. I'll show you around Poznań and Poland in exchange for you bringing some of my stuff back to the States. Great deal, huh? You might also want to bring one of those luggage scale-hangers. And while you're at it, perhaps bring some American candy or non-perishable foods (cranberry sauce!) that you can leave here. ;)

Otherwise, I'm not sure how I will get a lot of this back. I'm already planning on leaving a great deal behind next summer, but even still. We'll tackle that when we get to it.

Love,
L

P.S. To my Polish students-- this is an example of an informal letter!

XKCD on Social Networking

XKCD cartoonist Randall Munroe has created a brilliant map of the current activity, number of users, and popularity of just about every social media, online community, or other web 2.0 site that you can think of. Definitely click the image to view it in detail: http://xkcd.com/802/

Pa Pamericano

One of the most popular club songs in Europe right now, and an amazing hand-tapping/dancing video to go with it:



"Pa Pamericano", Yolanda Be Cool

It Gets Better

Columnist Dan Savage has launched the It Gets Better Project in response to the disturbing numbers of recent teen suicides related to sexuality and bullying. GLBT individuals from across the world are sharing their stories through YouTube in an attempt to encourage young people to hold on.

The tragic story of Tyler Clementi, musician and Rutgers freshman, has probably received the most international media attention, but he is only one of many. These are only the names that we know about, and from September alone, and four within the last week.

Billy Lucas (15) September 9, 2010. Indiana
Cody J. Barker (17) September 13, 2010. Wisconsin
Seth Walsh (13) September 19, 2010. California
Tyler Clementi (18) September 22, 2010. New Jersey
Asher Brown (13) September 23, 2010. Texas
Harrison Chase Brown (15) September, 25 2010. Colorado
Raymond Chase (19) September 29, 2010. Rhode Island
Felix Sacco (17) September 29, 2010. Massachusetts
Caleb Nolt (14) September 30, 2010. Indiana

A number of projects are being launched across the US. Celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres are speaking out (here's the resources she mentions), the Chalk Messages project has declared that Monday 4 Oct will be the next nationwide event to write these public messages of love and support, and The Trevor Project continues to offer help via a professional and anonymous hotline for GLBT who may be contemplating suicide.

Regardless of what you may think of the gay, lesbian, bi, or trans lifestyle, no one can argue that teen suicide is a tragedy and an epidemic to which thousands of young people lose their lives every year, often triggered by bullying. And while the projects listed above are specifically geared toward GLBT youth, as they are often the most at risk, many of the messages of hope, such as the stories from It Gets Better, are universal for anyone who has experienced bullying.

Blackcurrant Juice

Dear Blackcurrant juice, how have I missed you all of these years? How on earth do you not exist in the US?

Well, according to Wikipedia, because of an out-dated ban on growing blackcurrants thanks to the logging industry that states are only just beginning to repeal (NY state repealed it only in 2003). So I suppose it's not surprising that no one in the States realizes the liquid joy and health that they are missing out on.

What is this, you say, it's delicious AND healthy? According again to the all-knowing Wikipedia, blackcurrant juice if STUFFED with essential vitamins and nutrients. 100g of this water of life is packed with 6 vitamins, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and more! Also, this baby includes not just 100% but 302% of the daily value of Vitamin C! Eat your heart out, OJ. It's very possible that blackcurrant juice was the key medicine in helping several members of our group stave off the Fulbright Flu during orientation, or so claimed AB. (Either that, or it was prior extended exposure to Poland, according to MP's hypothesis).

Also, it mixes very well with banana nectar, which is also widely available here. In an average food store, you can expect to find *at least* one whole wall devoted to simply juices--everything from the traditional apple, orange, and tomato juices to the exotic kiwi, apple mint, and multivitamin (ok, not exotic for Europe) juices. It's rather amazing.

In a nutshell, I'm not sure what I will do when I return to the States and no longer can enjoy this juice regularly. Perhaps I will make my millions by making blackcurrant juice popular in the US, as it well deserves.

Bookmark Dump

1000 Awesome Things: For when you're feeling down and want reminded of the amazing little things of life.

What English sounds like to foreigners: An Italian's imitation of American English prosody through rock music; I can't help trying to understand the words, even though it's all gibberish.

Paris in 26 gigapixels: Enjoy a detailed, zoom-able panorama of the city of love as if you were there.

Kodak's blog: Filled with beautiful pictures. Also see National Geographic's Daily Dozen Your Shot submissions. Beautiful images of the world!

Antique Photo Generator: Have your photos instantly turned into antique-style prints! This is quite fun to play with.

Turning to a New Chapter

Transitions can be a very difficult time. They bring excitement, but also terror. Anticipation, but also nostalgia.

And so, friends, as I find myself standing on this latest threshold, at this metaphorical bend in the road, hovering on the brink of the abyss before attempting flight, I cannot help eagerly craning forward, while simultaneously dragging my heels and looking back.

Change is in the air, and it is a good thing, but change is a fickle beast. It comes when it is unlooked for or unwelcomed and creates endings while also bringing freshness and new beginnings. You are never ready for change, but you never have a choice but to continue moving with the shifting winds.

Thus, apologies for my rather sporadic postings for the past few months; I'm afraid that this trend may continue for a few months more. So as a quick recap, here's a few things that have been happening in the world:

• We're in a new decade.
  
• Obama has been in office for a year and a half (wow, already?).
  
• Many of the "flower" revolutions seem to have reversed, as many former-Soviet countries seem to be leaning toward Moscow.
  
• But Washington is friendly with Moscow now.
  
• Many of Poland's top leaders died in a tragic plane crash (on Russian soil, on their way to commemorate the Katyn massacre of Polish officers by Russian soldiers).
  
• But Russian-Polish relations seem to have improved, in part because of this tragedy.
  
• There's an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
  
• Antigovernment protests are spreading in Thailand.
  
• The Brits elected a hung parliament! panicked! and then formed a coalition government.
  
• The Euro is imploding.

Additionally, this blog passed it's two year anniversary with absolutely no fanfare. Instead, it's two and a half year anniversary approaches. So a very happy belated birthday, dear WM. Thank you to everyone who has read, everyone who continues to follow regularly, and everyone who will find this blog in the future. New adventures coming soon!

The Opposite of Lucid Dreaming

Maybe it simply stems from my having seen Waking Life at a young age, but I am fascinated by the study of sleep. REM sleep and lucid dreams are fairly common topics these days, but what about dreams that seem so realistic that the dreamer confuses them for a memory of reality? (Or is that just me...)

Where is this line between dream and reality? And in the end, what is sleep?

From Paris with Love

Google continues to not only create innovative services and products, but clever and adorable ads. This one aired during the Super Bowl 2010, and it strikes the heart of anyone who has studied abroad, anyone who has traveled, and anyone who has been in love.

The End of a Decade

As 2009 draws to a close, bloggers, artists, and journalists everywhere are scrambling to reflect upon the past ten years. Naturally, in this decade of the Blog, of Google, of YouTube, and of Facebook (it's hard to believe that none of these concepts existed ten years ago), this reflection is taking many diverse forms.

First, there's the usual collection of different lists of favorites (videos, music, theater, etc.) from the year. As usual JibJab released a comical video immortalizing 2009 in song and dance. Dave Barry wrote his annual year in review.

My favorite 2009 tribute goes to DJ Earworm, who created this clever mash-up of the top 25 pop songs of the year:

However, reflections on the decade as a whole present additional challenges. To start with, what should we call these past ten years? We've had ten years to decide how to pronounce the '00s, and with perfect procrastination, we failed to reach any consensus. Personally, I'm a fan of reviving the term "aught", which was used to describe the years of 1900-1909. (For example, '05 was pronounced "aught five"). Paul Krugman argues reflects on all the negative trends between 2000-2009 and thus suggests that the decade should be remembered as the "Big Zero".

The past decade certainly did bring a lot of challenges, and it bears careful remembrance and reflection. For those with only a few minutes to spare, Newsweek released a comical fast-talking review of the decade in seven minutes through headlines and old news reels. For those with a bit more time to spare, the Daily Show released a fantastic year-by-year review of the decade through old Daily Show clips to sum up the main events.

NYT is again seeking photographs from readers, this time in order to document the images of the decade. (EDIT: Here's the collection of a decade of photos). Paste considered fashion and examined the evolution of the hipster in this past decade through images.

However, my favorite tribute so far is the You Aught to Remember blog. This blog has been posting an entry a day for the past hundred days in order to reminisce about various events and (pop) cultural phenomenon that were quintessential parts of 2000-2009. Though this blog will be completed in the next few days (only 4 more entries to go!), the archives provide a comprehensive look back over the past years.

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne!

Happy 2010.

Unfriend

Facebook has truly permeated our culture. The OED announced today its Word of the Year for 2009: "Unfriend" (or "defriend"), that is, a new verb to describe the act of breaking off Facebook connections with someone and de-linking profiles.

Antonym: to friend (someone), i.e. "Sue friended the girl she met yesterday." Also see: to facebook (someone), which is sometimes used as a synonym for friended but also implies facebook-stalking.

In other Facebook news, the social networking site now offers language options that include English (upside down) and English (Pirate).

A (Musical) Step in the Right Direction

Can we duplicate this in the US, please?

Simple Instructions

For the wanderers, the children-at-heart, and those who simply desire straightforward instructions to a complicated world: "Instructions" by Neil Gaiman, which will be published with illustrations in the near future. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures to share of his book signing yesterday, as the auditorium was so full that the security guards would not allow me to enter. Ah, the curse of always running late.

So instead, an image of a word for all those restless wanderers and linguistic geeks out there (courtesy of C):