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Published: February 14th 2005
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This evening there was a Valentine party for everyone here at the seminary. For the last weeks people have opened their door to find a small package lying on the floor, or a note, a postcard, or a short letter taped to their door ... or ... someone has knocked on the door and when it is opened have handed a present or card saying, “This is from your secret neighbor.” Everyone was given a secret neighbor to whom to give small presents and/or encouraging messages. It was lots of fun. At the Valentine party each person was introduced to their secret neighbor. Before the secret neighbor was revealed each person was asked, “Who do you think your secret neighbor is?” Surprisingly several people guessed correctly and several people knew. I found it interesting how many guessed it was a woman or a man, or that it was a European or an American by the gifts or sentiments given to the other. For instance one young woman said ---
“My secret neighbor has to be an American woman. No European woman would express feelings the way my neighbor did.”
Nancy was pretty sure she knew who her secret neighbor
Doreen and Yanna
Doreen is from Israel and Yanna is from the Ukraine. Both are students here. Today was Doreen's birthday. was ... and she was right. The first encouraging message gave her a clue. Bill said he was sure his secret neighbor was a European woman and he was right. He was sure his neighbor was a European because of a poem the neighbor gave him, and that it was a woman when on the last day we found a small box of delicious strawberries outside our door.
The party was a lot of fun and we got to know some people we had not had the opportunity to meet before. The students arranged the whole party themselves and the refreshments they baked were absolutely delicious. Our supervisor at the library is a very popular young woman who helps all the students and all the faculty in the library with a beautiful smile each day. She lives downtown since she is a Prague native and was feeling unwell when her work shift was over. So she went home to rest and be sure she did’t become ill. Everyone was looking for her at the party and it was obvious people were disappointed not to see her. Yesterday morning Nancy’s ‘secret neighbor’ came into the library with a whole plate
Tina and Marko
Tina and Marko are students from Macedonia. full of the refreshments from last night. The students had decided to send them so she could at least enjoy that part of the party. It is this kind of thoughtfulness and kindness that quickly endears these students to Bill and me.
One thing I enjoyed about the party was the chance to do some ballroom dancing. Bill and I have never learned to dance. One of the very outgoing students named Dejan Adam from Serbia is a very good ballroom dancer. On Sunday evening he and Lina had dance lessons for the ones of us who were ‘dance challenged’. We tried to learn to foxtrot and waltz. Of course the two of us were pretty wooden but we certainly had fun trying out our new (developing) skill along with the others at the party. We hope there will be more lessons in the future. This could be fun if we can loosen up a little and flow with the music. Bill could hear the beat and move to it. Nancy had to say slow slow quick quick or one two three four and try to follow without stepping on anyone. There is a lot of room for improvement
so there is hope. It reminds me of my first photographs in a graduate level photography class. We were doing black and white photography and developing and printing our own pictures. I had to do three at different f stops. After the teacher evaluated my finished prints, he informed me that with spots and hairs and fuzzy parts, etc. on my photos, I had no where to go but up. Since my first effort definitely was around 2 on a 100 scale, I ended up the course with an A. I had only to go up a little bit to have a vast improvement in my product. My dancing is certainly in the same category. When I don’t have to talk
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