Ballad for Georg Henih
The mid-september was already near and with it - the new season of the Musical Theatre. At this time my Dad used to blow the trumpet all day long, orchestrate pianos in the break, sign scores and transcribe violin concertos for the trumpet under the compassionate look of my mother and the monotonous accompaniment of the sewing machine.
She didn't believe in the world career of the concerting actor. She wasn't sharing his illusions and doubted his genius, which he was taking calmly, dignified.
This fall the trumpet was covered with dust. The notes were resting in the folders and my father was throwing all his talent and strength on the sideboard.
He was so mad about his work, that at one moment he began to look like a buffet himself: he was just as silent, imposing, distant and alien. Not from this world. It seemed to me, that he had forgotten the final goal: what's the point of what he's doing, in fact why is he doing it, what will come out in the end? He was making a buffet because of the buffet itself, with pathological dedication.
My mother sensed this moment too, but she misinterpreted it. The neighbours, who were burning with desire to witness the failure of my father, undertook counter-blow. They started to drop hints - like what's he doing, they would've done hundred buffets by now, looks like he wasn't making any buffet, who knows where he goes, all of a sudden he might have found some rich mistress, as handsome as he was!
The wives summoned their men again and began to throw sympathizing looks at my mother when waiting in the queues. When she opened a word about buffet they were silent, looking at her eyes with no expression, and when she turned her back, they muttered, covering their mouths with palms of their hands.
My mother began to drop plates. The remainders she sweeped with stone face. With her very eagerness she dropped the plates when my father was coming home from the basement of Georg Henih, tired and exhausted.
"Why don't you throw them straight through the window" - he suggested. "Why do you bother sweeping?
She didn't believe in the world career of the concerting actor. She wasn't sharing his illusions and doubted his genius, which he was taking calmly, dignified.
This fall the trumpet was covered with dust. The notes were resting in the folders and my father was throwing all his talent and strength on the sideboard.
He was so mad about his work, that at one moment he began to look like a buffet himself: he was just as silent, imposing, distant and alien. Not from this world. It seemed to me, that he had forgotten the final goal: what's the point of what he's doing, in fact why is he doing it, what will come out in the end? He was making a buffet because of the buffet itself, with pathological dedication.
My mother sensed this moment too, but she misinterpreted it. The neighbours, who were burning with desire to witness the failure of my father, undertook counter-blow. They started to drop hints - like what's he doing, they would've done hundred buffets by now, looks like he wasn't making any buffet, who knows where he goes, all of a sudden he might have found some rich mistress, as handsome as he was!
The wives summoned their men again and began to throw sympathizing looks at my mother when waiting in the queues. When she opened a word about buffet they were silent, looking at her eyes with no expression, and when she turned her back, they muttered, covering their mouths with palms of their hands.
My mother began to drop plates. The remainders she sweeped with stone face. With her very eagerness she dropped the plates when my father was coming home from the basement of Georg Henih, tired and exhausted.
"Why don't you throw them straight through the window" - he suggested. "Why do you bother sweeping?
The peach thief (part1)
At that night once again I passed through the narrow twisted streets which were lost in dusk and deafness, barely lightened by several glimmering electrical bulbs. The houses were casting dark shadows, windows were shining here and there in the darkness, a cat would suddenly jump out of some cellar, from where a smell of vinegar, mould and antiquity would approach. I had sold the site, without seeing it, in order not to feel the sorrow stronger that I separate with something cherished. As a child I had spent there those hot, dry summers, when the fountains were drying up and some epidemic disease was bursting out in town. But on the next day I couldn't keep myself and went to take final leave of it, seized with curiosity to see how these one-time vineyards look now.
I went on the old, known way very early, on sunrise. The streets were almost deserted. The large quartz stones on the cobblestone pavement were shining nacreous, reflecting the dawn of the day. Half an hour later I was at the end of the town. And then surprised I noticed that the area had changed beyond recognition. A whole hood had grown on the place, where earlier there were only two or three cottages and one rocky road, chopped by the resilient roots of acacias from which we once gathered dark-brown follicles and ate the sweet cores of it.
The acacia wood was gone. Tidy new houses beamed its white walls on the morning sun. Coquette yards in which like pink clouds Japanese roses bloomed, were ranged one by the other. Unknown people were peeping from the opened windows, from which beddings were hung to ventilate. Somewhere a radio was playing and the sounds were coming from the cool interior of the house. And the more I walked ahead, the more unknown the whole area looked to me. Instead of the grey walls with lichens, which were surrounding the old vineyard, new houses were raising, I could see orchards.
I went on the old, known way very early, on sunrise. The streets were almost deserted. The large quartz stones on the cobblestone pavement were shining nacreous, reflecting the dawn of the day. Half an hour later I was at the end of the town. And then surprised I noticed that the area had changed beyond recognition. A whole hood had grown on the place, where earlier there were only two or three cottages and one rocky road, chopped by the resilient roots of acacias from which we once gathered dark-brown follicles and ate the sweet cores of it.
The acacia wood was gone. Tidy new houses beamed its white walls on the morning sun. Coquette yards in which like pink clouds Japanese roses bloomed, were ranged one by the other. Unknown people were peeping from the opened windows, from which beddings were hung to ventilate. Somewhere a radio was playing and the sounds were coming from the cool interior of the house. And the more I walked ahead, the more unknown the whole area looked to me. Instead of the grey walls with lichens, which were surrounding the old vineyard, new houses were raising, I could see orchards.
Proposal for Vancura 2
English Studies, Plovdiv University
Proposal
This proposal is about improving the university’s building and especially about a problem concerning both – smokers and non-smokers; students and teachers. Our suggestions are based on a research made in the university’s internet forum.
The problem is that we have no rooms specialized for smokers inside the building. In the winter, the students who smoke, needs to go out, and smoke in the cold. This way, they might get ill. Some of the smokers are smoking in the toilets, which disturbs the non-smokers and it’s dangerous, because there’s no fire-extinguisher there.
Our research showed that 59% of all students are smokers.
We suggest some rooms to be adapted for the purpose and recommend that there is “room for smokers” on every stage of the building – the rooms can be at the ends of the corridors, as we see that this space is not used yet, and it is enough. We also recommend that the rooms will be well ventilated and they must be equipped with several fire extinguishers and a fire-alarm. Additionally, there might be some posters, which advice to quit cigarettes.
Our research showed also that 73% of the students approve our idea for creating rooms for smokers in the university building. We hope this proposal is well evaluated and will be taken under consideration. We will expect an answer within a month.
This proposal is addressed to the Council of Control – an authority of the university, which can deal with this kind of problems. It will be sent to Violeta Argirova(violeta_az-а-abv(dott)bg) first – she represents the students in the Council of Control.
Proposal
This proposal is about improving the university’s building and especially about a problem concerning both – smokers and non-smokers; students and teachers. Our suggestions are based on a research made in the university’s internet forum.
The problem is that we have no rooms specialized for smokers inside the building. In the winter, the students who smoke, needs to go out, and smoke in the cold. This way, they might get ill. Some of the smokers are smoking in the toilets, which disturbs the non-smokers and it’s dangerous, because there’s no fire-extinguisher there.
Our research showed that 59% of all students are smokers.
We suggest some rooms to be adapted for the purpose and recommend that there is “room for smokers” on every stage of the building – the rooms can be at the ends of the corridors, as we see that this space is not used yet, and it is enough. We also recommend that the rooms will be well ventilated and they must be equipped with several fire extinguishers and a fire-alarm. Additionally, there might be some posters, which advice to quit cigarettes.
Our research showed also that 73% of the students approve our idea for creating rooms for smokers in the university building. We hope this proposal is well evaluated and will be taken under consideration. We will expect an answer within a month.
This proposal is addressed to the Council of Control – an authority of the university, which can deal with this kind of problems. It will be sent to Violeta Argirova(violeta_az-а-abv(dott)bg) first – she represents the students in the Council of Control.
Proposal, Vancura
English Studies “B” group
Proposal
This proposal is about the lack of information between the Student Council and the students in our university. Something must to be done with the communication and the easy contacting with this organization, so that the students could be informed of their rights. My suggestion is based on a research I made by asking many students in our university a few questions about this organization.
The problem is that every student knows there is Student Council, but a few of us know how to contact them. They have internet site (www.studenti-pu.org) but you have to search a lot in internet to find it. My research showed that 60% of all students don’t know how to connect with the Student Council.
I recommend Student Council create some brochures in which is explained what they deal with, in what kind of situations we should look for them, how a student may become part of the Student Council and the most important – various and easy ways to contact them. I also suggest the brochures to be distributed among all students. This way it will be much easier for a student to find them in need. It is very important a first-year student to present the interests of all first-year students, and I hope my proposal will help on this point, too.
Students need to be part of the university management, and the Student Council is a decent authority doing this, but the members of it should not forget who they voluntarily serve to and present – the all students of the university. I hope my proposal will be well evaluated and will be approved, so the Student Council works better for us.
This proposal is supposed to be sent to the main office of the Student Council, which is found in room 17, the Main building of the Plovdiv University.
Proposal
This proposal is about the lack of information between the Student Council and the students in our university. Something must to be done with the communication and the easy contacting with this organization, so that the students could be informed of their rights. My suggestion is based on a research I made by asking many students in our university a few questions about this organization.
The problem is that every student knows there is Student Council, but a few of us know how to contact them. They have internet site (www.studenti-pu.org) but you have to search a lot in internet to find it. My research showed that 60% of all students don’t know how to connect with the Student Council.
I recommend Student Council create some brochures in which is explained what they deal with, in what kind of situations we should look for them, how a student may become part of the Student Council and the most important – various and easy ways to contact them. I also suggest the brochures to be distributed among all students. This way it will be much easier for a student to find them in need. It is very important a first-year student to present the interests of all first-year students, and I hope my proposal will help on this point, too.
Students need to be part of the university management, and the Student Council is a decent authority doing this, but the members of it should not forget who they voluntarily serve to and present – the all students of the university. I hope my proposal will be well evaluated and will be approved, so the Student Council works better for us.
This proposal is supposed to be sent to the main office of the Student Council, which is found in room 17, the Main building of the Plovdiv University.
Quotations by Dannie Abse
Quotations by Dannie Abse(1923--)
I know the colour rose, and it is lovely,
But not when it ripens in a tumour;
And healing greens, leaves and grass, so springlike,
In limbs that fester are not springlike.
‘Pathology of Colours’ (1968)
So in the simple blessing of a rainbow,
In the bevelled edge of a sunlit mirror,
I have seen visible, Death’s artifact
Like a soldier’s ribbon on a tunic tacked.
‘Pathology of Colours’ (1968)
I know the colour rose, and it is lovely,
But not when it ripens in a tumour;
And healing greens, leaves and grass, so springlike,
In limbs that fester are not springlike.
‘Pathology of Colours’ (1968)
So in the simple blessing of a rainbow,
In the bevelled edge of a sunlit mirror,
I have seen visible, Death’s artifact
Like a soldier’s ribbon on a tunic tacked.
‘Pathology of Colours’ (1968)
Quotations by Peter Abelard
Quotations by Peter Abelard(1079-1142)
O quanta qualia sunt illa sabbata,
Quae semper celebrat superna curia.
O what their joy and glory must be,
Those endless sabbaths the blessed ones see!
‘Hymnarius Paraclitensis’ bk. 1, pars altera ‘Hymni Diurni’ no. 29 ‘Sabbato. Ad Vesperas’ (translated by J. M. Neale, 1854)
O quanta qualia sunt illa sabbata,
Quae semper celebrat superna curia.
O what their joy and glory must be,
Those endless sabbaths the blessed ones see!
‘Hymnarius Paraclitensis’ bk. 1, pars altera ‘Hymni Diurni’ no. 29 ‘Sabbato. Ad Vesperas’ (translated by J. M. Neale, 1854)
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