Partly Cloudy, Chance of Sun

While the Husker Nation was digging out from an October snow storm,I spent my 50 degree afternoon reveling in Obama's Nobel Prize victory and roaming Poznan's parks with my bicycle. (Just kidding about the reveling daddy; it's hard to celebrate when you're a mute in the Polish language. And when you're on foreign soil. Plus, I think half the world is still asking what the f*&% just happened--I'm 75% with them.) Here's a wonderful picture of me and my reveling. The nice thing about this picture is that there is space to photo shop in an Obama of my very own (see the free space on my left?).Politics (and annoying my father) aside, it was a rather nice day today. In this city during this time of the year, if you're waiting for a Brady Bunch "Sunshine Day," you're going to be waiting for a long time. Mostly, it's been semi-cloudy; the sun peaks out once in a great while. Oh well--it could be snowing.

Today, I took my bike down to the cemetery near my dorm. I know this sounds morbid, but I really like it there. It's a well-kept, secluded, and quiet area. So, I often go for bike rides, jogs, or walks through the paths. Plus, the leaves are really pretty.
I found a military cemetary in one corner. It was cool...in a history geek sort of way.
The cemetary in my part of town (I'm not sure if it's like this everywhere; I haven't really done enough exploring to make an informed general statement [and that sounds like an oxymoron that would never fly in the Cooper Center]) is like a big park in itself. I've been out there several times, riding paths for an hour or so, and I have yet to see it all. For the most part, the place is really well-kept. One reason I really enjoy venturing out there is the people-watching opportunities it provides. On the weekends there are Poles of every age--from families to little old men with canes--bringing flowers and cleaning graves. It's a ritual to wash the stones and keep the gave neat and presentable. There are even flower stands at the entrance to the cemetary.
After my little trip to the grave yard, I rode my bike across ul. Warszwska (the main street in my area) and over to the Malta complex to watch the start of the Poznan Marathon. I also watched a little kayak water polo in the rowing complex.
And then, there was a little adventure through the park behind the Malta Complex, which is my favorite park in the city. Here are some photos of the park, as requested by Alicia Dallman, Fulbrighter extraoirdinare.
There's even a small lake tucked away in the corner of the park--I like it there.
And so ends another day in Poznan, where I can climb a tree while the Nebraska people are shuvling snow. Alright, to be fair, the majority of Nebraskans wheren't even awake when I took this, let alone altert enough to be clearing the driveway.Coming soon:
A summary of my first week as a ETA.
A rant about the library's refusal to allow Pinker's The Stuff of Thought to leave the building.
A summary of the e-mail my father will send me after he sees how many presidential shout-outs I put in this post (If he would just drink the Obama kool-aid, life would be much more pleasant.)

Love you daddy--and I even got you a sunset. : )