I'll tell you another story about Poland
Last year, they say it was the coldest winter for something like 20, 30 years? Well, everyone was upset, I remember. It wasn't as cold as perhaps in New York last year, but I remember everyone blaming everything on the cold... And I recall being so frustrated with everyone complaining about the good-for-nothing-coldest-ever winter of 2005/2006. Because you know what was great? Snow. There was tons of it, and it even took over a month for the snow in Warsaw to turn black, unlike the usual time - within a week. The only bad part about it was that it wasn't the kind of snow you could use to make snowmen, really... So basically, everyone decided that last winter was by far the worst. Hell, if I was winter, I'd take it personally too. This year, there is no winter at all. It's almost the end of January and it's still above zero Celsius... and... no snow whatsoever. And guess what people are saying this year? :)
The only snow I had was in November on our National Holiday (1st of Nov.), and when the building next to mine was being covered in packing foam. Only that doesn't melt... what a mess!
Anyone care to join a search party?
The rules are simple
Think of an object that is everywhere... and yet still countable. And... count. Better yet, compete with somebody.
Still not clear? I'll tell you a little about Poland then...
Once upon a time, long ago, so long the newborns shall never know, in the silly year 2004... or was it 2003... (?) ... to see a police officer were there was no trouble was very rare. Not that you'd see them anyway; to see a police officer were there was trouble indeed was even the more spectacular. The only place the sight of a police officer would not shock you was the Warsaw Main Station. No comments. The last place I remember to expect a single officer was the street I lived in. Too much work, you know?
One day, Warsaw had learnt that there would be an important something something, and so it was necessary to have lots and lots of patrols, for some time at least. Well, the view of all the many police officers everywhere was striking enough, he started to count them. But then again, he always liked to count things... he once told me that long before I can remember, there were no satellite dishes, especially in Poland. So one day they appeared, and he himself being an 8-year-old or so felt obliged to count them all. Mind you, I think that was still in the communist times...
The next day, I was off to school for a single lesson of French. Usually, I simply take a bus... but there was so much traffic and confusion I decided to go on foot. I walked for half an hour or so, and with my own index finger of my right hand, I counted 523 police officers, plus an unknown digit of them in 3 vehicles. Now... imagine my brother, the master of counting, learning I beat his previous day's record of about 200. Damn! Next thing I knew we were both walking Al. Jana Pawła II (an important street in Warsaw), competing. He counted whatever he could find on the left side of the street, I counted the right side. I believe I won again...
Last month it was Christmas, right? The only thing in Warsaw that could help you know it was that time of the year were the decorative Christmas trees. I counted those on Christmas Eve... only that feels a little perverse... the best way to count is by looking into other people homes through their windows... hehe...
Just one more tip from me: be careful! If you are counting while on a walk, you may sometimes wonder if a certain position has been counted already or not... don't count too far in advance! And if you happen to count while in a vehicle, you might get dizzy... and if you happen to be the one driving: don't be stupid, for crying out loud! Stop counting!
... my brother is going to kill me once he finds out I'm selling this idea to public...
