Majowka

Majowka is an annual celebration held at Reymontowka. We volunteers spent the morning at leisure -- reading, doing laundry, or getting ready for our classes during the coming week. Meanwhile the staff from Reymontowka was transforming the area for the celebration. After obiad the first guests and performers began to arrive. Many came by bus, a fairly common way to travel, at least in this part of Poland.

A few minutes after 2:00, the welcoming speeches began. 

On the right is Marek, the director of Reymontowka. On the left is Miss Siedlce, received here with great pride because her home is Kotun, the town just up the road from Reymontowka. Part of the speeches were recognizing we Americans. I learned the next day that the County Governor referred to us, jokingly of course, as repeat criminals, because we keep coming back to Poland. All of us on this team are repeat volunteers for the Global Volunteers' May program.

Part of this time too included the presentation of some awards. I was thrilled to see Pani Ula receive an award for her work as director of summer language camps for 20 years. I have worked with her on numerous occasions and she is truly an excellent camp director.

 What joy, too, to have relationships here for so long that in May 2011 I can see appreciation for the work of a person I've known since 2007during summer language camps!

Then we were treated to an amazing dance performance by a group from Siedlce. They performed for nearly 90 minutes. All the pictures and video below are from this group.

This dance group performed various dances over a 90 minute period. They are simply terrific. 

Two other dance groups followed. And there was not a polka to be seen. Many Americans, including Polish-Americans, somehow believe the polka is a Polish dance, but it is not danced at all in Poland. 

I enjoyed a musical group that followed. These people looked like they have a good time singing. 

I tried to add a video of this group, but blogger kept refusing it. Sorry you all can't hear this group.

At this point I began to wander around the grounds, greeting people I knew and just generally seeing what all was happening. 

Activities for children had a good crowd.

Performances continued until nearly 8 PM. 

I wandered back to the tent and saw two women dressed as if they were a doctor and a nurse. I sat down to see what would happen. A woman came from back stage, bent over and walking as if she was 90 years old. The doctor and nurse seated her and began to take off her clothing -- first her coat, then her sweater, then her blouse and then her skirt. There she was in her underwear -- a fine pair of pantaloons which I didn't even know any one could purchase these days. When they pulled down her underwear, there was another skirt. This went on for at least six sets of clothing. Finally the woman complained she was cold and grabbed a bottle of vodka from the table. We were really laughing!

One thing that really surprised me was target shooting.

This morning all was quiet at Reymontowka, one would never know a big celebration happened here yesterday.