MARMOT'S DAY

If a marmot (or a groundhog)came out of his burrow in Kyiv yesterday, he would go back to sleep, as it was sunny, but frosty. We seem to have about six weeks of winter left. I came to this conclusion after reading Vlad Kuzmenko's article in the Hyde Park. You can do the same by clicking HERE .

US History in Brief

Attention 2-course students! Here you can find a VERY abbreviated version of the history of the USA. To see it click HERE . The most difficult thing was to squeeze all that into a four-page format. So, there isn't a single unnecessary fact. Enjoy and learn.

Oh, Obama. O-B-A-M-A...

Quite unusual, though not totally unexpected. I have been studying English for about forty-some years, and I have never come across such an Anglo-Saxon name as "BARACK". The other day one of my 11-grade students while doing a routine excercise composed the following statement:"What's ridiculous is that an Afro-American lives in the White House." Isn't it amazing that a normal UKRAINIAN student cares about the one who sits in the Oval Office across the ocean?

LIVE AND LEARN:

1. That's how stereotypes work. America is NOT a WASP (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) country any more.

2.That's how globalization works. The decisions taken in the White House are REALLY important here, in Kyiv.

If I were a US citizen I would definitely vote for McCaine. You know, somehow I trust a person who has some experience in confrontation with the global plague armed with all sorts of modern weaponry. I trust fighter pilots who have survived: all their decisions had been the right ones. I trust men who know the practical meanings of the words "duty", "dignity" and "responsibility". And who is that Barack Obama?

The answer is very simple: the 44th president of the USA. The nation's choice, God bless them.

I may not trust Obama. I may not trust the voters. But I trust America as a system created more than 200 years ago. It has unique built-in mechanisms of turning all its wrongs into rights. So, CONGRATULATIONS, MR. PRESIDENT!

To read the Hyde Park article created by Ann ATAMAS (Group 23-E) and Vlad KUZMENKO (Group 22-E) click on OBAMA ARTICLE .

To see some funny cartoons from Obama's presidential campaign click HERE .

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, dear visitor, and may your wishes come true!

WHY TWO CHRISTMASES?

Why do Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate Christmas on December 25, and the members of the Russian Orthodox Church observe the holiday on January 7? Why different dates? Why December 25? Why january 7? Was Jesus Christ really born in winter? The answers to these questions are given in the article written by Kate Konstantinova of Group 43-E, which is published in the HYDE PARK, but can also be found HERE .

AMERICAN HOLIDAYS

Left: X-mas tree on the Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.

Thanksgiving Day has already been celebrated... However, it marks the beginning of another holiday season: CHRISTMAS is coming! It is accompanied by the end of the 1st semester and credits. So, the time has come to publish the sixth, and the last topic from Country Studies: USA to be presented by students - 'Holidays and Celebrations in the USA.' It is found HERE .
The essay covers Independence Day, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Patrick's Day and Easter. Such prominent events as Veterans' Day, Columbus Day and New Year are not included. You can do it yourself: search for the information, organize it as a text, add illustrations, bring (or send) it to me, and get your EXCELLENT MARK. Happy holidays and good luck for your credits and tests!

PRIZE WINNERS!

SPEAKER'S CORNER did it again! The Lycee's Team proved to be the best in the traditional Mr. Know-All contest organized by the Kyiv International University. Our guys were really the best. Full information can be found in the Hyde Park bulletin board and by clicking HERE .