Cultural Observation: Snow, Nomenclature thereof.
Eskimos have like 3 squillion words for snow (arguably we do to, we just don't push them together into one word). I am guessing the Poles might have some different words for snow and Google has decided to start using them.
We had a forecast of "Snow Grains". I went for a stroll in Snow Grains.
Snow grains suck. You don't get pretty blankets of scenic black and white. You just get slippery ground and stingy things in your eyes.
Rating: 3/10 (even worse if you need beer and have to go for a stroll in it).
Activity Time!
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| I'm skating with Uncle Sam |
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| I'm excited too! |
My new found skiing abilities coupled with my newly acquired pads meant I approached today's ice skating with more confidence than I should have. I was hoping that the feeling of skiing would directly translate. If not I wanted my new found (but sucky) rollerskating skills to directly translate.
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| Uncle Sam can be stupid at times |
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| Yeah he can be, but he is good eye candy (she might not have said or thought this) |
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| Or get a huge version of that penguin. I'm okay with cheating. |
On the bright side I made it around the rink twice in a row without franticly grabbing the railing. I also was very sweaty at the end so I think that counts as a good workout.
Equipment review: Ice Skating Pads
I learn best when I can push things to the point of failure. i.e. I learn by falling over a lot. Unfortunately I have a job which requires the ability to type. I bought more equipment to protect me from my choices. Moto cross elbow, wrist and knee pads. Ice hockey hip pads. The sales assistant was confused at the mix and match approach. Ewa explained that I am a clever (and poetic) man and can re purpose items to suit my requirements. She finished with a rhyme, the last line is all I remember: "Zero talento".
The hip pads are great. They fit better once I realised that it was a coccyx protector and not a codpiece.
Rating 8/10 (just having them meant I didn't need them, next time I'll go with using the hip protectors in massive codpiece mode)
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers:
I have been sick for a few days and my average steps per day have fallen. I need to do 16K per day for the rest of the week to average 10K for the month. Disappointing. I will claim that it is because I don't carry my phone for activities and so it doesn't count them. But I still feel weak and ashamed.
So Instead I Have Bizarre Numbers For You. Remember that computer that won Jeopardy? It has opinions now. http://watson-um-demo.mybluemix.net/ I put in the past few days travelogue.
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| Dynamic! Detailed! No Explanation! |
I guess I agree with some of the ones with extreme values but I don't think I would call it an accurate picture of me. Plus having Authority-Challenging, Fiery but Needing Love (all above 75%) makes me sound like a terrorist mastermind. Or maybe an Alien that has left his home world and wants to learn this Earth thing called Kissing.
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| Tables Add Authority! |
Linguistic Skills: Subtitles & Voiceovers
As previously mentioned there is one Polish guy who does the voice overs for all tele. They have a joke here related to the fact he is the only person in the world that has seen every episode of Dallas. He has a nice clear way of speaking and it does help me learn words and hear stuff. But he always talks half a second after the dialogue starts, by which time I have started listening to the English and then I can't hear it any more. So he teaches me lots of words that are at the beginning of dialogue and he teaches me short statements from action movies "Nooooo, shit!" is "Nie, Cholera".
To actually understand a movie is almost impossible though.
We figured out how to switch the languages and turn on polish subtitles. Being worried we would do this and leave it on I tried to explain this and how to undo it to the father in law.
My polish listening is at a point where I can understand one word in 5 or so. Unfortunately my speaking is at that point or lower as well. I am not sure what he thinks I have just been explaining.
I hope he thinks I want a roast chicken .
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