On October 28th, we had a get to know dinner for the international relations master’s students and their families at a nice pizza joint in Mokotów. Here we are:
Halloween isn’t really celebrated at all in Poland, but we got ourselves a pumpkin anyway.
Paul had fun making a jack-o-lantern. This pumpkin has already been turned into pumpkin bread and we have lots left over to make other treats.
This past week, on November 1st, was The Day of the Dead, one of the most important Polish holidays where families get together and clean the gravestones of those that have already passed. It meant a long holiday weekend for me. I was hoping to use it to catch up on school, but I ended up getting sick and spending most of it in bed so I didn’t get to see much of any of it. If you’d like to read more about it and see some pictures, you can go to the LDS mission president’s blog here.
November 2nd is the day where people pray for the souls of those that have died. I was still feeling pretty lousy but I went to class anyway. On my way home I walked past the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
They were just finishing a memorial service there, with a band and everything.
Hopefully next year I will get to be more involved and see the holiday events for myself. This coming Saturday I will be taking the Scouts out hiking at a national park nearby, so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully it won’t get too cold.
Hiking as in mountains ( I thought Poland was flat) or as in walking outdoors? (Or are we talking about hiking in a Lost Mountain kind of way? *grin-wink-laugh*)
Get better and my sympathies with language cases. I've kindled Hobbes and taken a quick peek. Try reading it with a British accent a la Sir Percy and see if that doesn't make the read a little easier and more fun. I've decided that's how I'm going to tackle it. Enjoy the precious, blissful days above freezing while you can (in this, I do not envy you!). Love you!