Monday 6 September 2010

Campaign Against Media Bias

It is impossible to know what real life is like in another country unless you live there. Even then, you only really know your own life. The problem quite simply is that there is nothing interesting for the writer or reader in describing uneventful, non-stimulating, routine parts of your life. Hence, automatic media bias. So, if anyone asks what I do in Poland, my general response starts 'well, nothing much ..." while I try to think what they might like to know. However, what does nothing mean?

My school day morning routine varies little. Today the highlights were:
1. Woke up when Basia's alarm went off at 6:00am. I am usually up before this to prepare for No. 3.
2. Given my morning instructions and got up.
3. Made tea for Basia and myself. This is normally followed by massaging Basia's feet, but I was late - see 1.
4. Prepared Basia's lunch. This was cottage cheese mixed with yoghurt, adding thyme and basil from the garden plus a few other things.
5. Collected cakes from the garage fridge - it is Basia's Name Day on Wednesday and she is celebrating today at the main school where she works.
6. Made Basia coffee for the journey.
7. Put lunch, cakes, coffee and other things she wanted to take to school in her car.
8. Waved goodbye about 7:00.
9. Made Basia's mum tea and coffee for myself.
10. Woke up Misia 7:20 and then soon after made sure she had actually got up.
11. Made Misia's breakfast/mid-morning snack: ham roll.
12. Took Basia's phonecall and reassured her that Misia was awake.
13. Drove Misia to school, 7:45 and then returned.
14. Since it was raining, decided to turn on the computer and check email, news and various Polish English language blogs, sometimes making minor comments.
15. Part way through this took Mika the dog for her walk - normally timed about 10:00.
16. Writing this, half thinking what to write to my cousin Pam in Australia, with whom I haven't communicated for years, but who sent me a nice reply email this morning.

Scintillating stuff - and that's just the highlights.

Here ends the campaign.

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