"Biedny, kto gwiazd nie widzi bez uderzenia w zęby"- Stanisław J. Lec

On Tuesday (18.02) I had to explain to one of guys in my class why telling a girl that she "has a nice ass and tits" is offensive. After good seven minutes of my monologue when I saw that he still has no idea what I am talking about I decided to snap my fingers on it and end the conversation with "Never mind, I'm a feminist". What I thought he would do, was to assume that I'm the crazy one who doesn't like his "compliments". I would never expect that he will eye me and ask "sooo... That means that you like girls, right?".

On Thursday (20.02) I was so happy to donate my blood and for entire day I couldn't think about anything else. My hopes was soon crashed, because polish people are not allowed to donate blood (I mean "if you lived in any of following countries more than 5 years, blah blah blah"). Funnily, we're on a list with Italians and French people, however they forgot to mention Germans. Or maybe Germans don't have the same European Germs we do. Fine guys, I just wanted to save some of your lives, but if you don't want me to, I'M OK WITH THAT (not really).

On Friday (21.02) I left school around 11 to travel to Pennsylvania to spend an awesome weekend with all inbounds and outbounds. It's nothing interesting to talk about- for Friday, Saturday and half of Sunday we have been taking part in outbounds' training which basically means sitting on our butts.
I was a little bit anxious about outbounds, because I hadn't really known them before, but exchange students always stick together and after first two sessions on Friday we were comfortable with each other.

Saturday (22.02) was really fun. I was answering all sorts of Ian's questions (Ian comes to Poland for an exchange next year, and I'm at least as excited as he is. WOO HOO!), getting to know Rotex (especially the girl who had been on exchange to Romania, as I have a great deal of positive feelings toward this country), smiling a lot (I can't help that every time I see those kids my face brightens up) and touching people (so I can't survive without cuddling until the next overnight).

On the evening everyone had to take part in talent show, but I don't have a talent. Luckily I don't have shame either, so I can present you Bartek, Teddy-who-you-don't-really-see-in-a-video (France), Isaac (Brasil) and me in the wonderful song we prepared (I really hope nobody but my mom will actually watch it):

And here is a fragment of Nate's "talent" :

It was the last time I saw Andrea (Ecuador) for a while, because he comes back home soon. It upset me, but I also promised her to visit her one day. I'm definitely going to do it.

Andrea gave us special bracelets to make sure we will remember her.
(Me, Andrea, Justus-Germany, my second host dad/exchange officer w/o bracelet, Bartek)

Justus (Germany), Gabe (Argentina), Bartek + me (Poland)

Other than that, I'm busy making human-sized tortillas:

"To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing."- Elbert Hubbard

Note to myself #1

Before I arrived I thought that American high school schools teach students to think. Now I know that it’s just bunch of gibberish. Even if school here is not based on memorizing, it is NOT invented to create independent minds. It’s not a purpose of any school, anywhere in the world and I suppose I should learn to deal with it, but... It just doesn't feel right.
Now excuse me, I need to answer billion questions about chapters 9-12, which makes me incapable of focusing on the content of the book, but only on searching for answers.

Note to myself #2

Why does American Idol divide participants basing on their gender? What if they’ve divided them basing on the color of the skin? Huh? What would happen then? That’s not that different, guys.

If I were in charge, I would divide them basing on something completely irrelevant. Group of people who prefer coffee and group who prefers tea. Cat-lovers and dog-lovers. People who would rather hike in mountains than sunbath on the beach. Or just make them count to two. 

“I was worried about my own vagina. It needed a context of other vaginas- a community, a culture of vaginas. There's so much darkness and secrecy surrounding them- like the Bermunda Triangle.” -Eve Ensler "The Vagina Monologues"

And here it came, the half-year-abroad crisis, nothing’s new, nothing’s extraordinarily interesting, I don’t really have anything to write about.

There’s not that much I could write about. Nate (my brother) and Brianna (Nate’s best friend) took me to St. Mary’s college for a Chinese New Year Dumpling Party, we ate a lot and enjoyed ourselves. A day later we made a perfume, scattered oatmeal in a pantry, laughed our heads off and didn’t get enough sleep during the night. Somewhere around that time my host family taught Lily (little, almost 5 year old, sister) that she had never been in mommy’s ‘belly’ but she was in her uterus. And then they asked her to repeat the word uterus. Firstly it seemed funny to me, but after few minutes I realized that it’s actually the best way to do it. I remember how hard it was for me to imagine how a baby can get out of the ‘belly’ when I was little. Moreover I truly believe that educating kids to say words like UTERUS without embracement, talking about our bodies on regular basis and treating the subject totally naturally (as it is natural) may lead only to good things.

Hanging out with Nate and Brianna helped me to notice some thoughts I’ve been having, verbalize them and start developing my beliefs. So far I see that we match perfectly with our ideas (f. ex. Nate is vegetarian too) and I’m learning a lot from them. On Friday (14.02) the V-day took place (no, it’s not a valentine’s day), and to dignify it the College theater department prepared a special show. Brianna was a part of it and she invited me (Nate was out of the state for weekend) to see them performing “The Vagina Monologues on Saturday (15.02). When she firstly mentioned it I confused this book with Charlotte Roche’s one, but when I realized the mistake I decided to read a book. Luckily we had Thursday and Friday off (snow, duuuh) and I had time to finish my reading. I shouldn’t have done it, as the play wasn’t as exciting afterwards, even if it was still a pretty good play.

For a few days before I was working really hard to make Edward go with me, but he in his all cuteness didn’t really wanted to say no, even if idea of leaving home doesn’t appeal to him at all. Finally I went only with Brianna and Rebecca, but if you have any tips how to make an Asian dude socialize with me, let me know asap! ;)

We arrived to college an hour before a show, because Brianna needed to prepare to perform. Rebecca and I were walking around chit-chatting about clitoris piercings (because one of the actresses, Brianna’s friend, was introduced to us as ‘the one who got her clit pierced a week ago’, so we needed to discuss it. It’s so unfair that my cartilage is still sore, and her vagina feels normal after only a few days. But don’t worry mom, I’m not planning to get pierced anything else but my nose :)).

We bought a ‘feminist, hand-made pins’ (that’s literally what they told us) and sit just behind two cuddling girls to enjoy 80 minutes of Vagina Monologues!

I spent entire Sunday (16.02) reading two books at once (in two different languages) and discovering, that having hips may be an obstacle while playing hide and seek. 

+I've changed my Personal Living class to English 10, when I'm supposed to learn a little about "world literature" from american point of view. So far, after one class, I was taught that boys write journals and girls write diaries, but I'll try not to judge a teacher after only one joke. 

"Życie jest tak dobre, jak dobrym pozwalasz mu być."-Charles Bukowski

After four snow days (FOUR SNOW DAYS. FOUR DAYS OF NOT GOING TO SCHOOL, BECAUSE OF 5 CENTIMETERS OF SNOW. It’s almost like mid-winter break. It was awesome) on Saturday (25.01) I had a chance to participate in Maryland State Thespian Festival, which is speaking humanly a festival of high school theatre from entire state. Because of enormous amount of snow and ice we weren’t able to go there on Friday and we missed first day (and a one act performed by a private school who, rumor has it, hires a director to direct their plays, when all the public school have to deal with theatre teachers and student-directors), but I’m glad we at least did in on the weekend (even if I enjoy snow days, sitting at home isn’t the best thing for my mental health).

We saw few one acts, and took part in two sessions of workshops. On the way back from festival I had a really interesting conversation with one of the Nicest Girls I’ve met here so far (below as NG). She was asking me a lot of questions about Poland for whole evening, some smart ones, some not that much. Finally she decided to ask about something that apparently has been bothering her for a while.

NG: So… Do you have any prisons in Poland?

Me: WUT?... I mean, uhm, yeah, we do have prisons in Poland.

Off-stage voice: NG, of course they do. Prisons and cemeteries is something that every country needs!

NG: Oh, well, I didn’t know that! Everyone from Poland seems to be sooo nice!

Me: NG, how many people from Poland do you actually know?

NG: Well, uhm, you?

I feel good about representing my country so well :)

Sunday (26.01) was the day I moved to my third (and last) host family. I’ll probably stay with them for the rest of my exchange and I predict that a huge part of my blog is going to be about my new best friend:

"What's that polish sweater all about?"

Monday (27.01) was a first day of school after almost 2 week break, but I was lucky enough not to suffer during classes, but take part in field trip to Capitol. I wanted to see it very badly, however it wasn’t as interesting as I thought it will be. However I’m glad I was informed that Pocahontas didn’t marry John Smith, as the Disney movie would indicate, but some other dude (“the redhead from Pocahontas 2”, according from tour guide. I dunno, I don’t believe in sequels).

Pod kopułą Kapitolu zmieściłaby się Statua Wolności.

Statue of Justice

After Capitol we had a chance to talk to people who work for one of the congressmen (on “the hill”). It could’ve been interesting if I didn’t dislike politics as much as I do. 

We also had a chance to see the House of Representatives, which is much smaller than it looks in TV. Ceiling was really pretty, security was very strict, and that’s why I don’t have any pictures from there.

Tuesday (28.01), the day I had to come back to school, wasn’t as painful as I expected it to be.

In my English class we were going over a midterm, which was basically a huge text from early XX century about right to vote for women. I don’t know if you ever tried to read a speech from nineteen hundreds, but let me tell you that it’s not that easy, especially in foreign language.

One question contained a sentence from a text with bolded one of the words (one of those scary, fifteen-letter ones) and question, what does this word means, and four possible answers. Before explaining particular parts of a word and its roots teacher smiled at me, and said that it’s extremely hard to get this right and see connections like that if you don’t speak English as a first language. So I was sitting on my sit looking at a question waiting to mark it incorrect with my bright green marker and feeling blue. I was trying to figure out which one of a following is the right one, and how I’m even able to exist in English-speaking country if I can’t get the right answer out of context when I’m really focused. I probably shouldn’t have been so harsh with myself, as I knew that almost everybody else in a classroom had the same problem, and I’m the only non-American there, but sometimes you just have a bad day.
When after teacher’s speech someone finally asked “so, what’s the correct answer?” and response was that it’s “D”, I couldn’t believe it. All the gloomy thoughts disappeared and I almost yelled: “AND A FOREIGNER GOT IT RIGHT”. Teacher minced to my desk and with visible gladness gave me a high-five. I need to admit, I was really proud of myself. :)

After school I had to come back home with a new bus. While in a morning my bus stop is almost the last one before final destination, but on the way back it’s one of the last ones. I didn’t know that, so after first twenty minutes I managed to convince myself, that I missed my bus stop and that I have no idea where I am. I was happily stressing out, when I finally saw a familiar neighborhood. I got ready to leave the vehicle, and then this strange voice on a back of my head made me realize that something is wrong- I’m not supposed to leave with ten other kids, my stop has only two students assigned. I decided to do the smartest (and most ridiculous) thing I could do- I faced a driver and asked him ‘excuse me, sir, but is it my bus stop?’. He had to think for a second, got confused himself (those two stops are VERY similar), and finally told me that mine is the next one. And then asked, if I’m from Scotland, which was really nice.

Wednesday (29.01) was another snow day, and I had a chance to visit my host sibling’s school and help with preparation of homecoming decorations (their school does not have a football team, so they organize homecoming during basketball season).

Thursday (30.01) was a day of homecoming game in my brother’s school. My mom picked me up and we hung out in school until the game started. I definitely prefer basketball over football ;)

Connor, Me, Edward and Nate (my brothers)

On Friday (31.01) was a day of celebrating a Chinese New Year. For two (2) lessons my Chinese class were working on the traditional Chinese Fan dance (girls) and Kung Fu demonstration (boys). After school we stayed to help set everything up, and at 6 people started arriving. I decided to invite my Korean host brother, and we were hanging out together. We had so much fun, and even got matching butterflies painted on our faces!

with Charlotte

Saturday (1.02), first day of February, I was taken by my host brother (the American one, this time) and his best friend to Washington. We visited the art museum (Van Gogh’s self-portrait was definitely the painting I enjoyed the most, it was great to see it after years of seeing it in books), hung out and had a lot of fun. 

Take a look on the sweetest candles in the entire world!:

"Ooooh, COWS!"

Sunday (2.02) was a Super Bowl night. Basically a lot of football and even more commercials than usually (and here commercials take about 1/3 time of an entire show). I have heard a lot about how ingenious are commercials during this game, and I need to admit that a few of them were really good, but there's one I'd like to share and encourage you to talk over it.