IronMike's 2023 log: Fewer means better, right? (EO & RUS)

[IronMike]

Спасибо, MamaPata!

I guess I should have made it official: Language goal number one (1/1 or higher in Italian DLPT) è completo!*


*assuming l'obiettivo for goal or task

[IronMike]

Was traveling, but got to the airport early this morning, so spent an hour at the USO and did lesson one in Complete Esperanto. Very easy, but again, I'm doing this as a review for the upcoming US-Canadian Esperanto Congress in June.

And the program is shaping up for the Congress, and it includes an Esperanto-language guided walk along the Freedom Trail! I loved this use of Esperanto while I was in Moscow: the walk through an art gallery and a visiting Esperantist from Italy. Real life use of Esperanto. The way it's supposed to be!

[IronMike]

Polyglot Fitness Challenge continues. I've had several open water swims this week. Crazy water temps, from a high of 65F to today's 50F. Holy crap was that cold! Only managed 34 minutes in that. But I consider that a win, because last Halloween I swam with some other crazies. Well, they swam. I stood in 51F for about 10 minutes, then swam almost 10 strokes, stopped, got out. 51F was too cold. But not today!

Also, lots of language study. Reading Dek Tagoj de Kapitano Postnikov and going through Complete Esperanto. I want to be ready for the Congress in mid-June. More has been added to the program. There's also a guided tour of the Grand Lodge of the Freemasons. That's another tour I'll be attending. Also, did I mention the role-playing game? Yep, an Esperantist will lead us in an RPG, in Esperanto! How fun will that be?! There will also be several talks, to include one on Pre-Columbian Central American food or, Did Jesus ever eat peppers or did Montezumo I ever eat rice? (Antaŭ-Kolumbaj Mez-Amerikaj Nutraĵoj aŭ Ĉu Jesuo Iam Ajn Manĝis Kapsikon aŭ Ĉu Moctekzumo I Iam Ajn Manĝis Rizon?)

[IronMike]

Holy crap what a great week of swimming. Did a total of 4:20 in open water and another 1:20 in the pool. 8.2 miles. Most important for my upcoming swims was the cold water experience. 50F to 65F. Today was 1:10 in 55F. Wonderfully beautiful day.



Right?! I mean really, so damn pretty.

Tons of Esperanto reading and lessons, as well. On lesson 4 now in Complete Esperanto.

[IronMike]

Here's what I love about books by Mikaelo Bronsxtejn:



No worries if you're not a Russian speaker. The author includes translations into Esperanto whenever he uses Russian in the text.

[IronMike]

Great week for the Polyglot Fitness Challenge. Did another couple of open water swims, totaling 3 miles in 60-61F water. Great acclimatization. I also lifted Tuesday and Friday. So far so good.

Complete Esperanto is going great. Since I've started, I've finished 6 units and the unit 1-6 review. Tomorrow I will do unit 7. Also plenty of reading in Dek Tagoj de Kapitano Postnikov. Unfortunately, nowhere near finished and it is now June, so I've got to start La Ponto super Drino (The Bridge on the Drina) for the Forum Book Club. I read the book in English a couple decades ago and it was obvious why Ivo Andric won the Nobel for Literature. I'm looking forward to reading it in the Esperanto translation. (And maybe later in the original!)

Also, more excitement for the upcoming US-Canada Esperanto Congress. More people I've been wanting to meet are coming, to include Duncan Charters, candidate for UEA president this year. Ne povas atendi la Kongreson!

[IronMike]

Still alive. Been traveling.

Just started the Bridge on the Drina today, despite proclaiming I'd start it sooner. Had another book to finish first. (The Honourable Schoolboy by le Carre...so good!) Also keeping up with Complete Esperanto, at unit 9 now. And just finished a podcast from the Kern.Punkto folks about wine. Very well done, as usual with those folks.

I'm kinda missing Italian!

[IronMike]

Last weekend before the Esperanto Congress. Lots of work to do!

Swam after work yesterday. Water was so warm and rough, quite fun.

Esperanto going well. Have 8 more lessons in Complete Esperanto, so gonna try to knock at least 4 of them out this weekend. Also about 30 pages into The Bridge on the Drina, so gonna read a bunch more over the next two days. I'm also reading Hamlet (in English) for our family book club, and will finish that this weekend. So many good lines and I'm only on the second act! Keeping up with my favorite podcast, Pola Retradio.

The Congress's schedule is firming up. Looks like Friday will be sign-in, dinner, and getting to know each other. Saturday morning will be the opening ceremony and then there'll be a few talks I want to catch, including two from the guy who runs an Esperanto music production company and one by the current UEA president. Saturday will end with a Banquet whose guest speaker will be the author of Being Colloquial in Esperanto.

Sunday, God willing, will be sunny, because that afternoon there will be an excursion on Boston's Freedom Trail, all in Esperanto. I'm looking forward to that. The morning will have plenty of talks that I probably won't want to miss. And that evening will end with a variety show. This is where I believe Zhou-Mack will perform. Monday morning will be the closing ceremony.

This will be my first major Esperanto event, so people watching will be integral for me. Know what I mean, @Radioclare?

[Radioclare]

This will be my first major Esperanto event, so people watching will be integral for me. Know what I mean, @Radioclare?

I hope you've got your congress outfits packed

Looks like a good programme and really cool that Mara Rockliff is giving a talk about publishing children's books. If you haven't already seen it, her children's book about Zamenhof is very impressive.

Hope you have a great time and will look forward to hearing about it

[IronMike]

This will be my first major Esperanto event, so people watching will be integral for me. Know what I mean, @Radioclare?

I hope you've got your congress outfits packed

I'll have to go looking through my wife's halloween boxes for green outfits...