Gerry Kowalenko:
CLASS OF 1970
Perdue High SchoolClass of 1970
Perdue, SK
Gerry's Story
Once upon a time on the planet Earth. I was born. A frightfully long time ago. On a farm. Farm animals. My parents and sister. I went to school for 12 years, graduated from Perdue High School. I then went to university in Sasktoon, Regina Ottawa and Vancouver. Ive worked and lived in Ottawa, Saskatoon, Regina, and Vancouver, Ive now spent over half my life out here. So I guess I can call myself at British Columbian or Vancouerite. Or is it Vancourverist. I have worked with both the provincial and federal governments, mostly with various federally funded training and education programs, since 2000 with aboriginal training agencies in BC, the high point for me. Ive worked for 35 years. Filling Out Forms and Answering Phones and Going to meetings and taking counselling and negotiation courses. . Kafka-esque at times. And the saga continues. But soon Ill be able to say..."you know what you creep...in fact all you boring creeps...you know who you are.....I cant stand this any more..and walk out.. I moved to Vancouver for school and adventure 31 years ago. I got some of both. Which I think is a good thing. I wish Id moved to Montreal, but its only a flight away .Im thinking of retiring to Montreal.Where a pension would be worth more. But the weather in Montreal can be bitterly cold or hot and humid. I have lots of nice friends, mostly lady lawyers, which is great. They all inspire confidence. And provide excellent advice. What to say......"I dont recall"....repeat as required. And of course its because you cant rememgber. That and "always plead complete ignorance". which was a piece of graffiti on a wall the day I finished university. I hate exams and studying. Other than dragging myself to the office every day, and travelling for work to small towns throughout BC, which is great......other than that....I I go to lots of films....I saw "Poutiche" (trophy wife) from France..... tonight....with Catherine Deneuve. She overcomes all odds.....gets elected to the French parliament....and sings a song "Life is beautiful"....en francais....at the end. Very good. Happy Ending. Films that I like: "In the Mood for Love "(Wong Kar Wai), "La Strada" and "Satirycon" (Fellini), "Cries and Whispers" and "Fanny and Alexander" by Bergmann, "Cinema Paradiso".... "Russian Ark"......most any film by Hitchcock or Truffaut. The greatest film director on earth...now.....for me...is Zhang Yimou (Olympic Opening/Closing Ceremonies Bejing, "Raise the Red Lantern"....."Shanghai Triad"....and everything else. Woody Allen may not be as famous as he was decades ago...but its very rare...for me....I always enjoy something in every one of his films. I also go to lots of theatre and music concerts from classical to jazz. No heavy metal. Though I have a few friends who listen to it in their cars. To each their own.. And when not at a concert, a film, or some theatre, I hang out with all my good friends....mostly lady lawyers....their friends...and usually their pet dogs. Many standard poodles, which are very congenial and very smart. Ive seen the attic window behind which Kurt Cobain offed himself. Or was it Courtenay Love. Questions like this occupy my mind alot. That and `why are we here`...`what hapens afterwards`......will it finally be dementia. I go to the beach a lot. I live only 4 blocks from the Beach,and the salt air keeps mosquitoes and bugs away. And Im only 2 city blocks from Stanley Park and Lost Lagoon. Where skunks, racoons, ducks, and squirrels gather round hoping to get some human food. Isnt that heartwarming. Inter-animal cooperation. Very beautiful. Ive not had a walk along our justifiably terrific Sea Wall for over a year. What a fool. Ill do it tommorrow. I do some theatre and film criticism. In return for which I get free film passes and theatre tickets for me and another lucky person. Or unlucky on a rare occasion. I am mostly physically fit, spent years swimming and going to the gymn. Not so great lately. But tommorrow. It all begins anew tommorrow. Little did I know, but I inherited a bad heart from both grandmothers. Not their fault. Its just DNA. Or Genes. Or something. You can see a thin white line down the middle of my chest in one photo with mys profile. And I ring the alarm at airports on occasion. One of the many lovely surgeons was named Doctor Able. What a great name for a doctor. His brother is the accountant for the Toronto Film Festival. Dr. Able did a great job, and so nice with the scalpel and whatever else they use...saw?.....that the scar is symmetrical and very slight. I like to travel, but dont do it enough. Ive been to Mexico a lot, to Cuba a lot, I have great friends in Cuba. I spent not enough time in the orient, and loved the city and people of Hanoi. Vietnam is green, green, a thousand shades of vibrant green. Macao and Thailand were great too. Also we took our Mom to Europe last summer. My first time. Her first time. I loved it. Especially Strasbourg, Berlin, Danzig, Crakow, Prague, Salzburg and Amsterdam. I even got to Luxembourg. Well off. I think the wealthiest per capita in the EEC.Everyone...even the French...were very nice.....but the best to me...the people in Poland. Kind, helpful, genuine, not snobby at all. They suffered so much in the War. And if you ever go to Poland....put your hand over your heart.....and say "Nasha Polska". Which means "Our Poland" or `Long Live Poland`. Even the washroom attendant at Auchwitz smiled. We met some german relatives including Uncle Hermann the German. Who was on the Russian Front in World War Two. He is my mother's cousin. He now lives in Frankfort am Main. Still hanging in at 96. It was strange to visit my mothers family...which is much larger in Germany than in Canada. All very nice. SDP...social democratic party.... Green. Pacifists. Educated. We visited my mom's parents home towns..Zlotow Poland formerly Flatow West Prussia....and Gdansk Poland...which used to be Danzig, which was part of Poland and mostly, Prussia and Germany, and then was a Free city under the League of Nations,. Danzig/Gdansk sits on the Baltic...at the mouth of the Vistula River...the main transportation route in Poland. Danzig-Gdansk is also the city in the Polish Corrridor...that Hitler wanted back...and when Poland and the Allies refused....well World War Two started. My granny was from Danzig. My mothers mother. The only grandparent I really remember. She was very sweet. Was a nurse on the Russian Front in World War One. Which made her a paci...Expand for more
fist. I read a lot. I love Emile Zola, russian novels, history, and much else. Im single. Which is good. I like to live alone. I like to be alone. You can do most things married people do without having to be married. And no messy divorce. I have lots of plants. Im a terrible housekeeper but a good cook. I have lots of books and think the Library is a good thing. Im a good social democrat. Though I voted Liberal in the last two federal elections, cause our MP Hedy Fry is terrific,its not true she is a flake. And besides flakes are fun. And Hedy....was the strategic choice for informed.... progressive minded voters.....to help make sure no Harper-ist or Oda-ite gets elected in Vancouver Centre. Ive alsways been active in the unions. Solidarity Forever Brothers and Sisters.. Im involved with lots of charitable organizations. And I feel that giving a bit of money to the homeless and needy is good luck. Im a devoted Scandinavophile. And I would like to live there. And Im a Quaker. Theyre the nicest. No minister telling one how to think. The Quakers even got kicked out of the Vancouver Council of Christian Churches...why.....because they refused to provide a Statement of Doctrine.Capital S. Capital D. The Quakers said it should be ever evolving. And they're pacifists. Which is good too. In my mind.For us all. I wished I could afford to keep a pet cow in my home.Ive babysat finches for a friend. They didnt to it for me. I had a lot of goldfish. At various times. One or two jumped out of their little water home....luckily I was sitting nearby when one of them flew out. Not so lucky the other one. One of my fish....was named Al Pacino and he was a little orange shark and he used to dart from behind the aquarium rocks and attack Paul McCartney the Silver Dollar fish, and eat poor Paul's little fins. Munch Munch Munch. Attack. Attack. Attack. The result....Paul McCartney couldnt swim to the surface, which was tough cause he was a surface feeder. I tried to set up a pet fish detention centre. But Al Pacino never learned. It was in his nature. He'd hide behind some aquarium edifice. And go after Paul and the other fish, mostly named for Oscar nominees. And then one by one...they went to fish heaven (Paul McCartney and Helen Mirren). Or fish hell. (Al Pacino Im sure). Maybe fish purgatory. Thats it for pets. Though when I see a little bug or a spider. I think...gosh...its living with me...part of my own personal ecosystem. I draw the line on bugs and stuff that eat my plants. Of course you can guess Im a vegetarian. Id like to be Vegan. I cant think of a thing more. Im on a roll. As it were. Oh yes, never join the Pet Policy Committee of any condo or apartment or coop housing society. Ive learned the hard way. I said, in my campaign speech....that my own view was "that if it could fit into the door, and didnt cause any racket or hygeine problems, it was fine to me". Or noble accepting words to the same eefect. The anti-pet lobby never forgot what I said. There was an older lady...retired public health nurse...and she kept screeching....."think of the excretia. Think of the excretia". Music. I love jazz vocals, Omara Portunondo from Cuba, Idan Raichal from Isreal, Luis Miguel from Mexico. Leonard Cohen and Jennifer Warnes, Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin. I wish I could like classical music and opera more. I like Maria Callas and agree with many that Mel Torme might be the greatest male jazz singer. Whom I admire? Well my Mom is one. Bertrand Russell. Albert Camus. Andrez Wajda. Truffaut. Emile Zola. George Fox. Ghandi. And every feminist and free thinker and pacifist.Most pacifists. Also Ghandi, Gorbachev, Mandela, La Pasionara, Rosa Luxembourg...a pacifist...and we cant forget Rene Levesque, Al Gore, Vanessa Redgrave, Jane Fonda, Obama, the Roosevelt.s, and Queen Elizabeth 2. So dutiful. Et....J'adore....or ...me gusta...Isabelle Huppert,.And I believe the greatest thing in the world....is the emancipation of women. Most societies that have equalitty for women....have good economies.......freedom of the press and conscience......believe in education....and are better off than the opposite. Girl Power! Im trying to learn spanish these days, can get by in very bad french, can say please and thankyou in quite a few European languages. Im very deaf, which doesnt help learning or understanding languages. Whom do I dislike? Not nearly so many. Its better to be positive and think about things that you enjoy and are fun. Then dwell on the negative. Though I would have to say,.....I dislike a well known Canadian... his name starts with H and ends with R and is 6 letters long. Also the Bushes...each and every one of them....Fidel Castro isnt too impressive either. Or Che Guevara. In spite of the laudatory films and poems. I always remember Thumpers Mothers words....ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂf you cant say anything nice...dont say anything at all``. Our mother repeated that line ad nauseum and said....`remember that`.. I try to follow that advice. And....``nothing is often the best thing to do...and always a clever thing to say`. Another great quote. I love great quotes. And the Marx Brothers and Mae West. Marlene Dietrich. Very brave. Opposed Hitler. Helped German refugees. Apparently she used to be found in her swank New York apartment...in an evening gown and jewels...with elbow high rubber gloves....scrubbing the floor....or cleaning the oven.....or making potato soup.....schnitzel......or Koningsberg Klopsa. And I love Gunter Grass. The Tin Drum. Another favourite Quote....from the novel and film....`Woman of the Dunes`......``Are we living to shovel sand, or shoveling sand to live`.. Thats it. Thats enough. More than enough. Except. An even more lovely quote. By the writer and poet Chava Rosenfarb....from the yiddish...."a kind word costs nothing...and is worth so much".
Oh yes. None of the above is true. Just kidding.Or am I. And I like to write. And my typing speed is amazing. And low error rate. What a skill. I wish I could play the piano like my sister. Instead....I can type a zillion words a minute.
Okay. I have to stop. Right Now. Thats it. It was fun to compose this.
Have fun. I have fond memories of High School...somewhere distant...in the back of my mind....its getting dim actually...so many years ago. I cant believe Im as old as I am. And still resisting the surgeons knife. As Patsy always said on "Absolutely Fabulous".
GerryKowalenko
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