Big Decision

For those of you who don’t yet know me, you’re probably going to think, “Uh, Lis, this isn’t that big of a decision.”  Those of you who do, however, know me are going to probably fall out of your chair when you read about this but it’s true - yes, it was a hard decision but I have decided that I am NOT bringing my laptop with me on the trip. 

I know that this ‘lil pink laptop seems to be an extension of my own natural appendages and parting with it for eight days seems kind of weird but at the same time, right.  In fact, I think I might enjoy the freedom of it.  I made the decision because I wasn’t sure about Internet access, where I’d have it, when I’d have time to use it, if it’d cost extra and it would just be one more thing to have in my carry-on baggage. 

If we get to an Internet cafe at some point, I may pop in and update the blog, but I have decided for this trip I will “kick it old school” – I went out and bought a nice little leather journal with a magnetic clasp.  I will take notes by hand in my little journal as we go and add to them each evening to keep things fresh.  When we get back, I want to carefully take my time to compose my blog posts.  I felt as though if I did it while there, things might’ve gotten rushed and I really want to focus on the trip: where we’re going, what is happening at the time, what we’re learning and not worrying about feeling like I need to get the blog updated.  I’ll also be able to have the pictures up concurrent with the posts doing it this way. 

So, all in all, it just made sense for me to leave ‘lil pink here at home.  I’m sure we may miss each other but I think eight days away may be a nice break to be honest.  Now, back to packing – I’m pleased to announce that Miss Kennedy is all ready for her sojourn at Chez Nana & Papa but I’m only about fifteen percent packed myself.  That’s okay, the family is taken care of and they’re the most important – I can throw my stuff together fairly quickly. 

How’s the Weather?

I’ve been wondering about the weather in Poland and Germany and have just now found a moment to pop over to the Weather Network and check it out.  From initial appearances, I would say their temperatures match pretty closely to ours at the moment…good to know for packing purposes!

If you’re interested in keeping up with the weather over there until we leave, click here for Warsaw, Poland weather, and here for Berlin, Germany weather. 

 

Exams & Packing

 That’s what it’s down to for me pretty much – I cannot believe that in eight short days, I will board a plane for my first trip across the Atlantic in  my life.  I am honestly trying not to think about it too much until Wednesday gets over; I have an exam Wednesday night, so until then I will be neck deep into the books. After that, it’s going over the lists, packing, and trying to finish a couple of the books from RJCO before the trip. It’s not such a big deal to pack for myself (though a bit more thought needed than a trip up the road two hours away). No, the big deal for packing is for Kennedy, my daughter, who will be going to “Camp Nana & Papa” for nine days while Mom is away.  Dad (Graeme) is a farmer and works many long hours not conducive to looking after young Miss while Mom is not here for that length of time.  I also have one son who is living in Moncton and working (Ryan) and my other at-home child, Kyle, is 17 and working full-time so those two are not so much to worry about in terms of preparation.  Thank goodness!!!

Aside from all the usual packing you would do for any child, I have to make all of Kennedy’s meals before she goes and freeze them, which is just a wee bit ‘o’ work.  I can’t complain though, she was fed through a tube in her belly for nine years until last summer when she finally began eating orally.  She’s still on a mostly pureed food diet, (thus the need for me to blend and make all of her meals – it’s too much to expect my parents to do it!) but she is doing it and we are very proud of her.

If you are here, don’t know me outside the March of the Living Tour and are interested, you can click the link above (where “Kennedy” is printed the first time in this post) and read about her. You will quickly understand why I get very upset reading about Hitler’s views on people with disabilities and what atrocities they underwent during the time he was in power. 

Partisans

I wrote an exam last night and to reward myself, I decided I would do no further studying for the rest of the evening.  I thought I would watch at least one of the DVDs that came in my information package from RJCO.  The one I watched was all about the Jewish partisans and it was provided by this organisation, the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation.  I will be adding their link to the Educational links on the sidebar as well.

This is yet another layer of the Holocaust that I do not remember previously hearing about.  These Jewish men and women were guerilla fighters, who fought back against the Germans any way they could; they sabotaged deliveries, bombed trains, stole the Nazis’ food, etc.  There were fighters from Greece, Poland, and Italy interviewed on the DVD.  It was really interesting to hear from actual survivors who were Partisans.

  The DVD was split into sections about different aspects of life as a Partisan.  One of the sections was about how they got food: some took it by force, some by stealing, and others, particularly those in Italy, had an easier time because of sympathetic citizens who were not anti-Semitic.  There was another section on shelter: some of them built underground huts in the woods, some slept in the snow, or in barns.  Many of them had inadequate clothing for the conditions, which sometimes reached 30 or 40 below.  They could only move when it was stormy, or dark, moonless nights, the winter, rain, dark was their friend.  When there was fresh snow, they had to walk in many different directions to hide their tracks and keep themselves hidden from the Nazis.  One gentleman remembers how his hands would freeze to the gun some days. 

They talked about the lack of medicine or medical care, one lady remembered removing a bullet from her own leg with a knife and doing the same for others.  Many of the Partisans died from gangarene because of the conditions and lack of penicillin (until the Russians started bringing them some later in the war).  They had no choice but to treat themselves with rusty instruments, which resulted in many deaths. 

The Russians have actual footage of the Partisans and that was really interesting to see near the end of the DVD.  If you are interested in learning more (or seeing the actual videos that are on the DVD), go to this section of the Jewish Partisan Educational Foundation site.  All of the videos I have discussed are available there.

Photo Credit

Telegraph Journal Story

I’m not sure if you need to be a member to access it or not, but the Telegraph Journal has a story in today’s paper about Holly & I going on the trip.  You can click here to access it; I’m not sure how long it’ll be “online” and you may need to have an account but I thought I’d share the link for those interested.  The TJ found out about us taking the trip and decided to do a story on it - they had hoped to have Holly and I together for a photo but, unfortunately, Holly is in Fort MacMurray, Alberta working at the moment and we won’t be meeting up again until Toronto on the 30th, where we will get on our plane for Poland.  We’ll definitely get some photos of us together on the trip.  I’m glad we were able to both get into the program and do this together.  I just remembered I had a picture of Holly & I together with the other Education students who won Alumni Awards at a reception taken this past October.  I am on the left and Holly is 2nd from the right…

                         

More Information Coming In

As I’m reading War & Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust by Doris L. Bergen, one of the things I’m learning more about is the widespread persecution of different groups of people, including those with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Sinti and Roma (“Gypsies”), and the Polish people.  I had heard about it before but certainly had heard more about the Jewish people so this is yet another aspect of the Holocaust that I am learning about as a result of this program. The breadth and scope of the Holocaust was so much wider than I think a lot of people realize and I think it’s important to remember all of the people who suffered at the hands of the Nazis so I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn more in this area as well.   

Along those lines, another parcel arrived the other day from the Regional Jewish Communities of Ontario (RJCO), this time a little smaller than the large box that had previously arrived.  In this parcel, there were six information books about the very groups I had been reading about in Bergen’s book, so I am looking forward to reading a little more in depth about these other victims of the Nazi regime.  These books, as well as a CD-Rom entitled, “Teaching About the Holocaust” were provided to the RJCO for the members of the March of the Living program by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

Thankfully, the program does not expect us to get through all of the materials they have sent us prior to the trip. This is a good thing, as one of the other big “how” questions that is becoming more prevalent as the days pass is, “How can I find enough time in the day to do all the preparation I want to do for this trip along with my work for the intersession courses I’m taking?”  I know one thing for sure, I’ve got plenty to read and study on the long flight to Poland on the 30th.