Saw a performance of "Slask" last night, a Polish dancing group that dances traditional folk dances from Southern Poland. It was so beautiful--if you ever have a chance to see a performance, you should! The costumes were beautiful--so colorful. I just want to be a dancer with this group so I could have a pretty dress to twirl around in. It was so great to see the different styles of dances and to recognize the places that I visited! Made me proud of my Polish heritage, and I want to learn more about it!

(Plus, I got a chance to practice some Polish as well. Saw the head of the Polish school where I take Polish lessons there with her nephew. Plus, I just love the Polish spirit! Yelling "cicho" to others (be quiet)--reminds me so much of the same spirit when I went to a football game in Stalowa Wola. Can't say that you can find that spirit anywhere else!)

Weather in Cleveland never ceases to amaze me. One day, it's sunny, the next day it's raining, and the next day it's snowing. For the past few days, it has been snowing non-stop. Just when I accepted the fact that winter is finally here, here comes 68 degree weather right now! Times like this always makes me go sick, which I have to watch because I have so many things that need to be accomplished before going to Poland in 3 weeks.

It feels so nice to start my grad. school essays. They are not perfect, but at least I started them...

Just got refused by another job interview. Person got picked has a hell of a lot more experience than me...Now I am overqualified in Cleveland, but underqualified everywhere else. Make up your mind people! What do you want from recent college graduates?

While I really love this time of the year because of the chance to be thankful for everything, especially for my family, I always dread this time of the year. So many projects, so many things to do, and so little time. I always feel more depressed and tired around this time as well. It doesn't help when the weather is never sunny and it is always cold...Oh well, that's what you get for living in snowy Cleveland!

Things are only becoming more interesting by the minute. I guess that's the story of life, isn't it?

Yesterday, I went shopping with my sister and her friends. We went to a pet store and I have never seen something so depressing my whole life! Caged puppies and kittens looking so despondent, depressed, and almost dead. (I swear, the kitten that was placed in the front of the store looked dead to me, but later, I saw it moving around. ) We tried placing our fingers in front of the cages, moving it around to see if the animals would react. Most of them just looked like they have given up on life. One puppy, a Cocker Spaniel, was so despondent that s/he started to scratch the walls of the cage, desperate to get him/herself out. The dog must have been going crazy.

I am totally against the idea of circuses. I don't think animals were made to be displayed and do stupid stunts. However, this incident has made me question if zoos are morally acceptable. On the one hand, they save animals from extinction and they give us a chance to learn about animals that we may never see in real life. However, I don't think animals, or people for that matter, should be forced to live in cages, devoid of movement.

BOO to my local congressional representative for, at the last minute, voting for the budget cuts! He even thought that it was silly to vote for it, but I guess he was persuaded by the powers to be...

New Polish Dialogue: Czy Pan Nowak tu mieszka? (At last, we are progressing ahead!) Plus, a letter from one of my host mothers from Poland with pictures of mushrooms and the time that we visited Lublin!

(Where are my references? Why are they not answering my e-mails?)

And, just 20 minutes ago, a former family friend came knocking on our door. Left a note saying that she just happened to be in town, would it be convenient for us to get together? Why all of a sudden she showed up when we haven't heard from her in years?

I wish I wasn't so weak and such a people pleaser. i wish that I could just speak my mind and not care what other people think. I wish i could be forgiving towards others, as well as to myself. Why can't I just be happy with what I have? Why do I always feel that I have to prove myself to others? I know that I will never please everybody and that I will never be perfect. But, I guess, old habits die hard. :)

Why am I so worried about my life? I just worry that I will never find a job or get into graduate school. What can I do about it? I just have problems trying to track people down to write silly letters of recommendation. It's just so frustrating, but there is nothing I can do about it. I just have to remain calm and relaxed through the whole thing, I guess.