Celebration Day 1

This weekend marks the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the partnership between the County of Siedlce and Global Volunteers. After breakfast all the volunteers but me boarded a bus for a day in Warsaw. I stayed behind because I knew my gimpy leg couldn't take that much walking. I was sorry to miss the chance to go to the new museum, The History of the Jews in Poland, but this will not be my last trip to Poland. I'll get there another time when walking is not a difficult and painful enterprise.

I enjoyed a mid-day nap and had a nice obiad. I found out the soup I was eating, now for the third time, was in fact broccoli soup, not asparagus soup. Anyway, it is good.

During the afternoon I sorted through the teaching materials I have carried to my room and made a decision about what I will do for classes next week, at least for Monday.

At about 5 PM another event began here at Reymontowka. If I understand correctly a company proposed dumping hazardous waste into a local landfill. The people who live here are opposed to this. They have set up a blockade at the landfill. The event here was a rally for continued support of those who are out in all kinds of weather mounting the blockade.

There was a 90 minute concert by a noted Polish singer -- but not noted to me. Sorry I can't do a name. I enjoyed the concert very much. Polish popular music has a different rhythm than music from the United States because Polish words are generally longer with more syllables. After the concert this group moved to the bonfire area while we move to a formal dinner.

This dinner marked the start of the 25th anniver sary celebration of the partnership between the County of Siedlce and Global Volunteers. The food was lovely, and the fellowship between representatives of the County government and our team members was very nice.

We then had a lovely musical performance. One is trained in classical vocal performance and the other in piano performance.

As one team member said, "It has been a long day, but one we will never forget."