Journal 71 – Two pillars our life

Our happiness is determinated by two main factors: our personal life and our professional carrier.

If in our personal life everything is okay, we perceive outward things as friendly and optimistic. We have enough power to work with pleasure.

We spend in our work many hours every day. If we like our job, in this case we have motivation to work more efficiently. If we are realizing dreams and plans, we are content and proud of our achievements.

I think that mentioned “two pillars” are related and influence to each other.

Journal 70 – How college students call teachers

In different countries, college students call teachers in another way.
Polish college students use the expression “Mister Professor”.
One time, a student wanted to take an oral quiz, but he didn’t attend this professor’s lectures. In Poland, it is possible because lectures aren’t obligated. This poor student started to call a professor, “Mister Master, Mister Master…..”
The professor was shocked, because he was an outgoing scientist and he wasn’t a young man.
Suddenly, the professor stood up and said, “My friend, give me five and call me Stanislaw, please” (it was professor’s first name). The student was lucky that professor had a good sense of humor.

Journal 69 - Consumption and hedonism as main elements of a set of values

Piotr Sztompka considers that global societies aspire to bigger and bigger consumption. On the other hand, these societies endeavor and prefer hedonistic values. At present, both groups of values begin playing the most important role in human life.
These values aren’t unfamiliar to me, but they aren’t number one and number two in my personal life.
Professor Piotr Sztompka is a remarkable Polish sociologist. He plays an important role in contemporary worldwide sociology, too.

Journal 68 – Fidel Castro’s daughter about situation in Cuba

Alina Fernandez was just three years old when her father started the revolution. It was the year 1959. Castro overthrew the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Castro’s daughter fled and exiled herself from her native country in 1993.
Alina ran away disguised as a Spanish tourist. She was with her daughter; they both moved to Spain. Later, they went to live in Miami. There, she does her “Simplemente Alina”. It is a radio show about Cuban politics and life in exile. Alina also wrote the book entitled “Castro’s Daugher: Ana Exile’s Memoir of Cuba”. This book was published in 1998. Alina strongly criticing father’s political ideas.
Fernandez recently told to the CNN that, “For Cuba, it’s a very critical point right now”. She considers that Cuba is at the crucial point of its history.

Journal 67 – Fidel Castro closer…of God

Alina Fernandez, Castro’s daughter, has lived in Miami. She gave interview to Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” a few weeks ago. Alina said that her father isn’t thinking about Cuba, but she is thinking about God at present.
Lately, Castro greatly has approach to God. Alina stated, that at death’s door her father discovered of Jesus. “It isn’t peculiar, because my father was educated by Jesuits”, Alina added.
The journalist asked Alina, if her father afraid of death. She answered that she doesn’t know if it is fear. She said, “I am convinced that today my father is more interested in fate his own soul than Cuba’s future”.
The journalist asked of Alina about future her native country. She stated that uncle Raul already took power and he intends to initiate the Chinese economic model. It will be openness but only on the economic area. We can not wait democratization in politics. We should remember that Raul was Castro’s sword-arm for decades.

Journal 66 - Who really has changed our world?

In the previous journals, I have written about four people who have changed our contemporary world. I considered Pope John Paul II, President Ronald Reagan, President Mikhail Gorbachev and the electrician-President Lech Walesa.
A few days ago, I borrowed a book from the library at East Meadow. The title of this book is: The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister – three who changed the world, 2006.
John O’Sullivan who has written this book, was a special adviser to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and he has written regularly on Pope John Paul II. O’Sullivan ,during the Reagan presidency ,worked as a Washington columnist. The author wrote in his book, “All three had strong personalities, great abilities, and loyal followings”, and he continued, “Wojtyla was too Catholic, Thatcher too conservative, and Reagan too American”.
Paul Johnson, the author of A History of the American People and Modern Times, has written on the cover of the mentioned book, “Reagan, Thatcher, and John Paul II were the trio who destroyed the Soviet Union, Communism and its Evil Empire”.
I haven't yet read the book. It consists of …360 pages. I looked at it and I observed that author describes how that trio helped to collapse Communism. I am convinced that it will be very interesting reading.

Journal 65 – I am not death…

Lech Walesa won the first democratic election in postwar Poland. He served as a Polish president from 1990 to 1995.
Walesa isn’t a well educated person. He graduated from a vocational school, only.
One time, the Polish president visited Germany. When the presidential plane reached town Baden-Baden the speaker announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are flying over Baden-Baden”. In a moment, Walesa got angry and said, “Please, don’t repeat more of the cities name because I am not death”.

Journal 64 – An electrician defeated communism

Lech Walesa is one of the most famous Poles in the world. He has a charismatic personality. In 1980, he believed that the days of communism were numbered. Walesa marched workers towards a bloodless revolution. In Gdansk, the workers began their protest in the shipyard named after Lenin. Lech Walesa, 37 years old an electrician, became their leader, because he believed in victory.
They hung 21 postulates on the shipyard gate. The “Solidarity” movement was rising in power, and soon it reached 10 million members in Poland.
In 1989, the communists finally accepted the “Solidarity” victory. Exactly, in Poland was established the first, in central and eastern Europe, noncommunist government. Poland freed itself from under the Soviet domination. The other countries in Europe followed in Polish footsteps.

Journal 63 – Raisa Gorbachev – a new generation Russian First Lady


Raisa Maximowna Gorbachev, 67, died on September 20, 1999, because of leukemia in the clinic in Germany. Raisa was slim, fashionable and brilliant women. She dressed up in elegant clothes and talked about literature and arts. She was a professor of philosophy.
Raisa Maximowna was admired abroad and wasn’t liked in her own country. The Russian people didn’t understand a new generation First Lady, who replaced former “babushkas”. They didn’t show up with their husbands. Raisa shocked all. Everybody knew that she had big influence on President Mikhail Gorbachev.
However, when Russians found out about Raisa’s disease, they began to send letters, flowers, money and donated blood. They ensured her that they pray to God for her health.
After Raisa’s death condolences sent many heads of countries from whole the world, inter alias, Pope John Paul II. The president Boris Yeltschin, the strong Gorbachev’s opponent, wrote Mikhail Sergeyevich, “You lost faithful and devoted friend. You missed a great person, a beautiful women, beloved wife and mother”.
President B. Yeltschin sent to Germany special president’s plane. Raisa’s funeral took place in Moscow. She was buried on the Novodivitche cemetery, where are buried notably personages.

Journal 62 – About my next a few journals

In my previous journals I have written about people who have changed face our world in the twentieth century. I have written about Pope John Paul II, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.
In my first journal of this series I mentioned about four people. Right now, I will write one more journal about Gorbachev. Exactly, it will be a journal about his extraordinary spouse. Next, I will characterize the fourth person of that particular team.

Journal 61 – I am again a full time student

I met Christina, my beautiful teacher, first time on September 18,2006. I remember that day with great clarity. I attended to her class until Thanksgiving. After this American national holiday, I couldn’t continue my class for International Students. I was suffering because of sciatica during a few weeks.
Now, I am almost okay. I am glad that I am again in Christina’s and Anita’s classes. Christina, I appreciate your help.