Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Christmas Play

Today we were invited to come to the Christmas play that young cousin R贸zia was part of. We left home at 1:30, took the bus to the Rondo and then Tram 8 Mi艂ostowo. Actually, we got at at the Pusta stop and then walked the four blocks to R贸zia's house. We had some tea and cookies, R贸zia reveiwed the words she had taught us the last time we met, and then Marek, Luka, R贸zia, Joan and I got into their car and went to the church in Antoninek where the play was to be. We got there early so R贸zia could dress in her costume so we had seats right up front. It was a good thing because by the time the play was to start the was a large crowd of parents and grandparents. The church was cold with very little heat and everyone had coats and hats on to stay warm.
The story was the birth of Christ and at the end the children sang traditional Polish Christmas carols. There's something magical about seeing young children sing these carols. I don't know how to explain it except that maybe they are so innocent of the world and sing these carols with so much enthusiasm. Not everyone remembered their lines, not unusual, and some of the kids were so amusing when they just stood their and looked at the audience. Marek's father and mother also came to the play and it was good to see them again.
Cousin Rozia in her costume.

After the play we returned to Luka's house for more tea and R贸zia was invited to spend some time with a friend of hers so Marek took her there. It gave the "adults" time to talk with each other and we told them of our Christmas Holiday visiting plans. We confirmed with Luka that we would be at their house for Wigilia and Luka will email us what time to arrive, either 4 or 5PM.
Here is our visiting plan....................
24th
Wigilia with Luka's Family
25th...
10AM Kazia's Family
2PM Szumanski, Kazus and Nawrocki Families(Kazia's sister and her childrens families in one house )
6PM Ambrozy Mejer and family
10PM Drive back to Pozna艅 to sleep
26th
12 NOON Kupinski family
6PM Helena Kubisiak Family in Konin(Kazia's other sister)
10PM Drive back to Pozna艅 to sleep
27th
11 AM arrive at Kupi艅ski house, drive to S艂upca to meet Bekalarek family
After meeting, drive back to Pozna艅.
It will require a lot of driving but it is the only way we can visit so many relatives.

I heard tonight the Vladimir Putin was named Man of the Year. I don't know quite how to view this Award. I understand that he has brought Russia back into a world power, that life is better for many Russian citizens since he took the reigns of Russia but there are also the loss of some freedoms in Russia, like the freedom of the press. In Poland he is viewed with a careful eye. Not all is well in the Polish/Russia relationships and many view him with concern about the future.


Dzisiaj byli艣my zaproszeni by przyj艣膰 do gry Bo偶ego Narodzenia, kt贸r膮 m艂ody kuzyna R贸zia by艂 cz臋艣膰 z. Opu艣cili艣my dom o 1:30, wzi臋li autobus do Ronda i wtedy Tramwaj 8 Mi艂ostowo. Faktycznie, dostali艣my si臋 przy przy Pusta zatrzymaniu i wtedy chodzili艣my cztery bloki do domu R贸zia. Mieli艣my troch臋 herbaty i herbatniki, R贸zia reveiwed s艂owa ona nauczy艂a nas ostatnim razem spotkali艣my si臋, i wtedy Marek, Luka, R贸zia, Joan i ja dosta艂em si臋 do ich samochodu i poszed艂em do ko艣cio艂a w Antoninek gdzie gra mia艂a by膰. Dostali艣my tam wcze艣nie tak R贸zia m贸g艂by ubra膰 si臋 w jej kostiumie tak mieli艣my siedzenia w prawo w g贸rze przednie. To by艂a dobra rzecz poniewa偶 przez czas gra mia艂a zacz膮膰 by艂 wielkim t艂umem rodzic贸w i dziadk贸w. Ko艣ci贸艂 by艂 zimny wobec bardzo ma艂o ciep艂a i ka偶dy mia艂 p艂aszcze i kapelusze dalej by pozosta膰 ciep艂y.

Historia by艂a urodzenie Chrystusa i przy ko艅cu dzieci za艣piewa艂y tradycyjne polskie kol臋dy. Tam jest co艣 magiczne o widzeniu, 偶e m艂ode dzieci 艣piewaj膮 te kol臋dy. Nie robi臋 do艣wiadczenie by wyja艣ni膰 tego opr贸cz tego 偶e by膰 mo偶e oni s膮 tak niewinni 艣wiata i 艣piewaj膮 te kol臋dy z tyloma entuzjazmem. Nie ka偶dy zapami臋ta艂 ich linie, nie niezwyk艂y, i kilka dzieci tak bawi艂y kiedy oni w艂a艣nie wytrzymali ich i popatrzeli na widowni臋. Ojciec Marek i matka te偶 przysz艂a do gra i to by艂o dobre by zobaczy膰 ich znowu.


Po grze wr贸cili艣my do domu Luka dla wi臋cej herbaty i R贸zia by艂 zaproszony by sp臋dzi膰 jaki艣 czas z przyjacielem jej tak Marek wzi膮艂 j膮 tam. To da艂o, 偶eby "doros艂ych" czas powiedzia艂 z sob膮 nawzajem i powiedzieli艣my im z naszego Bo偶ego Narodzenia Urlopu odwiedzaj膮cego plany. Potwierdzili艣my z Luka, 偶e byliby艣my przy ich domu dla Wigilia i Luka b臋dzie email nas jaki czas by przyby膰, albo 4 albo 5PM.
Tutaj jest nasz bywaj膮cy plan....................
24.
Wigilia z Rodzin膮 Luka
25....
10AM Rodzina Kazia
2PM Szumanski, Kazus i Nawrocki Rodziny (siostra Kazia i jej childrens rodziny w jednym domu )
6PM Ambrozy Mejer i rodzina
10PM Jad膮 z powrotem do Pozna艅 by spa膰
26.
12 PO艁UDNIA Kupinski rodziny
6PM Helena Kubisiak Rodzina w Konin (Kazia inna siostra)
10PM Jad膮 z powrotem do Pozna艅 by spa膰
27.
11 JESTEM przybywaj膮 do domu Kupi艅ski , p臋dz膮 do S艂upca by spotka膰 rodzin臋 Bekalarek
Po spotkaniu, pojed藕 z powrotem do Pozna艅.
To b臋dzie wymaga膰 du偶o p臋dzenia ale to jest jedyna droga mo偶emy odwiedzi膰 tak du偶o krewnych.
Us艂ysza艂em dzisiaj wieczorem W艂odzimierz Putin by艂 nazwany Cz艂owieka o Roku. Nie wiem ca艂kiem jak obejrze膰 tej Nagrody. Rozumiem, 偶e on przywr贸ci艂 Rosj臋 do mocarstwo 艣wiatowe, 偶e 偶ycie jest lepsze dla wielu rosyjskich obywateli odk膮d on wzi膮艂 panowania Rosji ale tam s膮 te偶 strata kilku wolno艣ci w Rosji, jak wolno艣膰 prasy. W Polsce on jest obejrzany z troskliwym okiem. Nie wszystko czuje si臋 dobrze w polskich/Rosji stosunkach i wiele ogl膮daj膮 go z niepokojem o przysz艂o艣膰.