Family Occasions Research Articles

Shelley’s Despairing Lyrics: Unfolding the Layers of Affliction and Resilient Forces

This article investigates how Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) embodies the diverse aspects of his internal crisis in despairing lyrics based on severe physical illness and tragic family occasions of 1817-8. It argues that the interlinking poems and prose written over these periods reveal the author’s agonizing response to the inevitable facets of the world and his life, which involves the recurrent motifs of mortality, ruination, and despondency. The paper furthers how he confronts this transitory necessity with an awareness of hope and love. The writer intertwines these positive reactions with the speaker’s paradoxical experiences of irony and dilemma when facing the ongoing affliction imposed by uncertainly and instability regarding the anticipation for a liberation from such afflictive moments. Shelley’s poems to depict despondency, however, embed the dynamic progress of the speaker’s mind, which associates with his resilient quest for spiritual freedom unyielding to the physical and internal trapment. This adherence of liberty prefigures the works of his final year 1822, especially A Defence of Poetry where he epitomizes the nature of imagination as a substantial power to bring ultimate freedom and mutual love to the gloom of the present life.

قرآنیات سے متعلق رچرڈ بیل کے افکار: "انٹرو ڈکشن ٹو قرآن" کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

The Quran has deep and wide influence upon the spirit of man. It is recited in Muslim’s Festivals and family occasions. It is used by Muslims to their private and public devotions. It moulds their thoughts. In lslamic context the Orientalists can be described as a group of non muslim authors, particularly from the west using traditional western Ideology to study Islam. Orientalists targeted Islam from all sides according to their own goals and their own mental levels who possessed certain moral values. The Orientalists largely allege the authorship of the Quran and try to prove that it was written by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Western Scholars have been interested in Quranic studies the growing group of orientalists is publishing books, conducting conferences and presenting research papers to prove the Quran is a purely human book. According to the Richard Bell who is one of the orientalists who translated the Quran and wrote a famous book introduction to Quran the prophet field to present Quran in compiled form he objects on formation compilation collection Preservation and incompletion of Quran. He criticizes on the different aspects of Quran. The main purpose of this paper is to critically review Richard Bell’s objections and to clarify the purpose and back ground of the objections. There is no doubt Quran is completely safe without any changing. This article highlights the thoughts of Richard Bell (Orientalist) who spent his life to study the Quran. This paper though an analytical study of Richard Bell to provide the readers with a basic framework for further ventures.

Meeting under the Plane Tree: Violation or Upholding of Tradition? The Ritual Year among the Himara Greeks

This study is dedicated to analysing the Himariot tradition of villagers meeting for coffee in the main square for the celebration of important feasts or family occasions. The cultural code of the population of Himara, which consists mostly of Orthodox Greeks and Orthodox and Muslim Albanians, has undergone major transformation in the twentieth century due to social and political reasons, including the persecution of religious institutions which reached its peak in the 1960s. Churches, formerly the main place for celebrating main feasts and family ceremonies as well as exchanging local news, were closed or destroyed. Instead, the café/kafenio/lokal in the center of the village (usually near the closed-down church) became the sacred meeting place for the villagers, while the barman/waiter/cook became the gatekeeper (according to the gatekeeping theory supported by the author), who allowed or refused to grant community members entrance to the inner circle (those who make the decision for the entire community). The transformations in the 1990s and 2000s gave a start to new or forgotten ritual practices and pastimes, as well as an entirely new organization of community life. The change of ritual practices was considerably influenced by: 1) the factor of prestige of the sacred locus in the people’s mind; 2) the revitalization of tradition starting in case of an intrusion in the people’s ritual sphere; 3) a conscious or unconscious wish of many of the communities to museify the past, in spite of the challenges of the present.

The Effect of Self-concept on the Academic Achievement of Children with Dyslexia

A student’s success depends on their ability to read. A child who cannot read well will likely lag behind their peers in academic achievement. It may negatively affect their self-concept, and since reading is the main problem for people with dyslexia, it may adversely affect their academic achievement and other educational tasks. That will impact their self-esteem. Several studies and psychological and educational research have focused on self-concept within a theoretical, philosophical, or methodological framework for different categories of the educational community, whether ordinary or special needs, but only a few have focused on people with dyslexia. The researcher analysed systematic reviews on the research of self-concept in the academic achievement of children with dyslexia. The study found an effect on the satisfaction and happiness of family relations and occasions in families, sports play and entertainment, emotional personality features, and behavioural and social features in school in children with dyslexia.

THE SOCIAL LIFE OF THE MARINE MAMLUKS IN THE LEVANT(648 – 784 AH / 1250 – 1382 AD)

Our research explores the various social aspects of the Mamluks، specifically the marine ones، in the Levant, and the paths they took to take them to the Islamic world and the goal or purpose of bringing them and using them, and what the Islamic world has been exposedto in terms of external and even internal dangers, which increased the necessity to bring them, and then training them in martial arts, so that the caliphs and princes formed strong armies from them، to repel various attacks, whether internal or external and then how they control the government, and then the formation of a strong state that ruled for nearly three centuries، which appeared in the form of two states. The first Mamluk state, which was called the Turkish (Maritime) state, which we are going to talk about, and the second Mamluk state، which was called the Circassian (Burjia) which ruled during the period (784 – 923 AH). The research cheds light on the Levantine society and its divisions and the researchers differed in the way it was divided, it was a diverse society of classes and degrees, and on the basis of this diversity the way of life differed in its various aspects. The research sheds light on holidays, official and family occasions, then the status of Mamluk women and the accompanying contributions to different social life. Also, the study did not overlook the urban aspect,and the interest of the Mamluk sultans in building various institutions of places of worship such as Mosques, SUFI RBT and KHANQAH، and other important facilities of the state, we hope that we have presented an integrated study of a diverse and brief social life.

Remembering Aunt Sally

First an admission. It is a not-so-well-kept secret among many of my friends and colleagues in legal anthropology that Sally Engle Merry and I are related by marriage. She is my wife Lindsey's aunt. I bring this up only because I think it has impacted my effort to write this memorial essay. It has been very hard to write, and in fact, I am only now getting to it on the deadline for its submission, September 25, 2020, just over two weeks since her passing. I think the challenge has to do with whether I should be writing about the obvious impact her tremendous scholarship has had on my own—that is write as a colleague whom she mentored, and who was lucky to call her his friend — or if I should be writing about the indelible experiences I shared with her in various family occasions, including camping trips, weddings, summer vacations, when we also talked at length about our work, the profession, and our thoughts on what anthropology is and where it was heading. Both are appropriate at this time, but of course each comes with a different kind of narrative arc, starting from one place and taking it where it goes.

Assessment of Cognitive Impairment among Elderly in the Selected Rural Community, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu

A study was conducted to assess the cognitive impairment among elderly. The objectives were 1. To assesscognitive impairment among elderly in the selected rural community and 2.To associate cognitive impairmentwith selected demographic variables. Majority of the clients who scored positive for cognitive impairmentwere between 60 - 70 year of age, were female, living in nuclear families, were supported by family membersfinancially, watching television was their leisure time activity, remembered family occasions had alteredvision and/or hearing and were using denture.

Jacqueline Brenda Ketley

Jacqueline Brenda Ketley (“Jackie”) was an exceptional GP who was passionate about the care of patients and supporting the profession. She was highly respected not just in her practice but...

Prosthetic Soul Mates: Sex Robots as Media for Companionship

Prosthetic Soul Mates: Sex Robots as Media for Companionship

Treatment in AML and MDS Patients Who Are Ineligible for Intensive Chemotherapy: Using Social Media Intelligence to Capture What Really Matters to Patients

Objectives: Treatment options for patients with AML/MDS who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy are limited. Due to rapid progression of the condition it is difficult to capture what is most important to patients when making treatment decisions. Social media data is a rich source of information, and the FDA recently encouraged stakeholders to explore the use of social media to capture the patient perspective.[i] This study aimed to capture factors most important to patients ineligible for intensive chemotherapy through using disease-specific social media posts by patients and/or their caregivers. Identifying these factors will give clinicians a better understanding of what is important to their patients when considering their treatment.Methods: AML and MDS patient/caregiver posts were extracted from publicly available discussions on three large AML/MDS-specific sites. Posts were manually reviewed to only include the experience of patients ineligible for intensive chemotherapy. 1,443 posts from 220 AML patients/caregivers and 2,733 posts from 127 MDS patients/caregivers were included. A targeted search for terms relating to end of life treatment decisions was conducted within the included posts, yielding 83 posts from 40 AML users and 70 posts from 39 MDS users. These posts were manually reviewed, and relevant text segments (discussing why patients wish to live longer and reasons/motives for treatment decisions) were highlighted using a qualitative analysis approach.Results: Of the reviewed data, 40 posts from 27 AML users and 20 posts from 18 MDS users contained relevant information. A theme important to patients and caregivers was spending time with family and making memories (in 20% of relevant posts). Often reported was the desire to reach family occasions including birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, and weddings. Quality of life was also an important consideration (in 33% of relevant posts). Many patients expressed a wish to have better quality of life over quantity of life, and did not want the risk of suffering from side effects. Tied into this was the clear preference to be at home rather than in a hospital or care home (in over 22% of relevant posts). To some patients, it was important to try all possible treatment options, and some reported their doctors were supportive of this. However a lack of available treatments was also perceived by some patients as if their doctors give up on treating them too soon.Discussion: Treatment decisions in patients with AML/MDS are complex and unique to each patient. From this analysis, it is clear being home and spending time with family was associated with a perceived higher level of quality of life for patients and caregivers. Patients and caregivers place high importance on treatment options that provide better perceived QoL over treatments that provide a moderate extension to life expectancy and require hospitalisation. This study highlights the need to consider patient perceptions of QoL and the importance of understanding patient and caregiver goals and opinions to best determine personalised treatment options.[i] United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). June 2018. Patient-Focused Drug Development: CollectingComprehensive and Representative Input Guidance for Industry, Food and Drug Administration Staff, and Other Stakeholders. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidances/UCM610442.pdf [accessed July 24, 2018]. DisclosuresBooth:Evidera: Employment. Bell:Pfizer: Employment, Equity Ownership. Halhol:Evidera: Employment. Pan:Evidera: Employment. Welch:Pfizer: Employment, Equity Ownership. Merinopoulou:Evidera: Employment. Lambrelli:Evidera: Employment. Cox:Evidera: Employment.

A Patient-Centred Approach to Understanding the Trade-Offs Associated with Treatment Decision Making in Hematological Cancers with Short Life Expectancy

INTRODUCTION: Patient experience data provides an opportunity to explore patient's perspectives on current and potential treatments. Gaining patient narratives on the expectation, tolerance and attitudes towards treatments can enhance clinical management and inform discussions with payers and regulatory agencies. Patient experience data is particularly beneficial in conditions where there is no clear, prescribed treatment pathway as it can contextualize joint treatment decisions made by patients and their treating physicians. Life expectancy among elderly patients with hematogical cancers such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is short. Patients with these conditions may be eligible for intensive chemotherapy (IC) or may face a decision between non-intensive chemotherapy (NIC) or palliative care. Further, eligible patients may not wish to undergo the taxing treatment regimens associated with IC. A targeted literature review was conducted to understand the trade-offs associated with treatment decision making and to gain patient perspectives on the value of extended overall survival (OS) in hematological cancers.METHODS: Searches of computerized bibliographic databases including PubMed (Medline), EMBASE and PsycINFO were conducted using the OVID platform. Searches were conducted using a combination of keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms. To be selected for review, articles must have contained keywords in the title and/or abstract and include information regarding patient experience or perspectives. Articles focussed on children (<18 years) and those not available in English were not included.RESULTS: A total of 26 articles were selected for full text review (12 AML-specific, 13 other hematological cancers and one article with findings relevant to both populations). Most articles selected for inclusion were qualitative research studies (n=23), providing rich detail regarding the patient perspective.AML patients discussed the lack of a clear, defined treatment pathway, unlike other cancers where there is a prescribed course of action. These patients described feeling trapped between two undesirable treatment options (IC versus palliative care) and described this treatment decision as “do or die”. Similarly, in other hematological cancers patients reported choosing IC to extend their life, while acknowledging that the treatment itself can be distressing. It appeared that the idea of living longer dominated this trade-off. Some patients expressed regret in choosing IC after experiencing the associated side effects. These findings suggest that patients may not fully understand the treatment options available to them, which highlights the importance of the patient-clinician relationship.Findings from studies also highlighted quality of life as an important consideration for patients in addition to the quantity or length of life. Specifically, patients emphasized their need to maintain a ‘normal life’ following their diagnosis and to be able to engage in their hobbies and daily activities. There is a paucity of research into important life milestones for AML patients. However, patients and caregivers with other hematological cancers described their desire to be alive for family occasions, such as births or weddings, as well as a sense of appreciation and gratitude for the time remaining with their loved one. This was particularly evident for those patients who were parents of younger children, who felt unprepared for the untimely passing of their kin.CONCLUSIONS: Heterogeneity in the presentation, functional status and presence of comorbidities among patients with AML and other hematological cancers presents unique challenges for treatment. Nevertheless, understanding of aetiology and epidemiology of these conditions continues to evolve. In response, medical product development/evaluation, policy and treatment decisions in clinical practice need to reflect patient perspectives of treatment in terms of expectations, goals, experiences and preferences to ensure selection of the most appropriate treatment for a given individual. Existing evidence provides some insight as to factors that are important to patients and may influence treatment decisions. However, further research to understand patient perspectives, particularly among those who may not be eligible or willing to receive IC, is required. DisclosuresJohnson:Adelphi Values Ltd: Consultancy. Bell:Pfizer: Employment, Equity Ownership. Sully:Adelphi Values Ltd: Employment; Amgen: Consultancy. Welch:Pfizer: Employment, Equity Ownership. Peloquin:Pfizer: Employment, Equity Ownership. Gater:Adelphi Values Ltd: Consultancy.

Emotional Memory Forever: The Cinematography of Paul Ewing

Emotional Memory Forever: The Cinematography of Paul Ewing

남성의 패션관여상황에 따라 추구하는 자기이미지와 선호 패션스타일

The purpose of this study is to investigate the self-image of men and the characteristics of their fashion styles, as they are fast becoming an influential consumer group. Men in the thirties and forties who had a higher-than-average interest in fashion were surveyed online and the results from this study are as follows. In terms of variations of self-image connected to situations, we found that there were strong relationships between the preference of the "charming & romantic" image to private meet-ups with acquaintances, "intelligent & classy" to official events, "rational & realistic" to everyday work in an official setting, and "modest & ordinary" to complex situations including family occasions and customary events. Those who aimed for "urban refinement - sensitive" appeal also preferred a "charming & romantic" self-image, while pursuing a "classic & modern" fashion style for official settings and a "gentle & charming" style in private settings. Those who aimed for "stable elegance - intelligent" youth" image preferred the "intelligent & classy" image, while pursuing a "stable & intelligent" fashion style in official settings, and an "intelligent yet active & young" style in private settings. Those who aimed for "rational practicality - comfortable activity" image preferred a "rational & realistic" self-image, while pursuing a "rational & practical" fashion style in official settings, and a "comfortable & active" style in private settings. Those who aimed for "ordinary modesty - plain simplicity"preferred a modest and ordinary self-image, while pursuing an ordinary fashion style, and a simple style in private settings. The various situational assessments used in this study to analyze the fashion-related circumstances for male consumers can be utilized in upcoming studies, and can be an effective indicator of situational consumer preferences in terms of men's fashion marketing and product planning strategies.

YouTube: fragments of a video‐tropic atlas

In this article I make a plea for human geographers to make use of the rapidly growing collection of video materials that can be found on YouTube and other online collections. My tiny atlas of YouTube picks out three videos in order to exhibit the richness of audio‐visual materials that can be found and to offer one potential form of video analysis. The three videos are common amateur genres on YouTube: home movies of family occasions, a video‐blog and the counter‐surveillance of the police. Against understanding these videos as ‘personal’, I argue that they are open to their ‘any‐misation’ for the purposes of studying shared practices. In turning toward video, human geography gains a source of data on the temporal, embodied, bodily, material and mobile aspects of spatial practices. Brief analyses of the three videos are provided in order to show how we can investigate video practices as both documenting and reflexively constituting practices of gift‐giving, caring for others and surveilling the police. Finally, I present a case for selecting ‘badly produced’ videos for good analytic reasons.

Fish Cultivation as a Livelihood Option for Small Scale Farmers - Study in Southwestern Region of Bangladesh

Present study explores the importance of fish farming in the livelihood of small scale fish farmers of Batiaghata upazila in the Southwestern region of Bangladesh. This is an exploratory type study, which selects three villages of Batiaghata upazila. It collects primary data from 30 fish cultivators through questionnaire survey and key informant interview method. The study findings show that fish cultivation is the main occupation for 56.67 percent of the farmers. It has an important implication for ensuring emergency cash flow in terms of urgent medical expenses, financing children’s education and supporting household economy in times of maintaining social and family occasions. It also alters households’ protein consumption level and income, expenditure and savings pattern of the households. Recognizing the importance of small scale fish farming in the region, present study suggest government and non government organizations ensuring efficient marketing, expanding training program and ensuring supply of quality fish fry and fingerlings.

The Day of the Week Effect in Consumer Behavior: Analyzing Utilitarian and Hedonistic Consumer Modes

Marketing research has long acknowledged that consumers act differently around traditional holidays and family occasions. Further, the seasonal nature of consumption is well documented. Retailing and other fields of research have acknowledged that the day of the week impacts the behaviors of individuals. The finance literature, for example, has long noted the presence of a day of the week effect within the investment sector. Using daily U.S. website activity by 10 million internet users per day over a two year period, this study finds evidence of a day of the week effect in consumer behavior over 16 of 18 industries studied using Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. Ten of the industries were found to be weekend dominant. Six industries experienced weekday spikes in activity. Using qualitative analysis methods, a model of utilitarian and hedonistic consumer behavior, based on the day of the week effect, is presented.

Functional Impairment in Elderly Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Alzheimer Disease&lt;alt-title&gt;Impairment in MCI and AD Patients&lt;/alt-title&gt;

The original mild cognitive impairment (MCI) criteria exclude substantial functional deficits, but recent reports suggest otherwise. Identifying the extent, severity, type, and correlates of functional deficits that occur in MCI and mild Alzheimer disease (AD) can aid in early detection of incipient dementia and can identify potential mechanistic pathways to disrupted instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). To examine the number, type, and severity of functional impairments and to identify the clinical characteristics associated with functional impairment across patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) and those with mild AD. Study using baseline data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Multiple research sites in the United States and Canada. Patients Samples included 229 control individuals, 394 patients with aMCI, and 193 patients with AD. The 10-item Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (FAQ) assessed function. Informant-reported FAQ deficits were common in patients with aMCI (72.3%) and AD (97.4%) but were rarely self-reported by controls (7.9%). The average severity per FAQ deficit did not differ between patients with aMCI and controls; both were less impaired than patients with AD (P < .001). Two FAQ items (remembering appointments, family occasions, holidays, and medications and assembling tax records, business affairs, or other papers) were specific (specificity estimate, 0.95) in differentiating the control group from the combined aMCI and AD groups (only 34.0% of patients with aMCI and 3.6% of patients with AD had no difficulty with these 2 items). The severity of FAQ deficits in the combined aMCI and AD group was associated with worse Trail Making Test, part A scores and smaller hippocampal volumes (P < .001 for both). Within the aMCI group, functionally intact individuals had greater hippocampal volumes and better Auditory Verbal Learning Test 30-minute delay and Trail Making Test, part A (P < .001 for each) scores compared with individuals with moderate or severe FAQ deficits. Patients with a high number of deficits were more likely to express the apolipoprotein ε4 allele (63.8%) compared with patients with no (46.8%) or few (48.4%) functional deficits. Mild IADL deficits are common in individuals with aMCI and should be incorporated into MCI criteria. Two IADLs--remembering appointments, family occasions, holidays, and medications and assembling tax records, business affairs, or other papers--appear to be characteristic of clinically significant cognitive impairment. In patients with aMCI, impairment in memory and processing speed and greater medial temporal atrophy were associated with greater IADL deficits.

Migrant Farmworker Mothers Talk About the Meaning of Food

To describe the meaning of food in the family life of migrant farmworker mothers; specifically to describe their understanding of the relationship of dietary intake to health, the environmental contributors to their families' dietary intake, and the use of foods in the commemoration of family occasions. The PRECEDE-PROCEED self-management model guided the qualitative research study, which used short, guided interviews conducted at Midwest migrant camps. A sample of 43 Mexican mothers answered three interview questions, the answers to which were transcribed verbatim, read, sorted, and arranged into categories and then themes. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The themes identified from the interviews were a) meal cost, b) lack of preparation time, c) distance to store locations, d) the importance of traditional ethnic foods, and e) limited knowledge of healthy food choices. Pediatric nurses should remember that before they dispense nutritional anticipatory guidance, situational and cultural assessments are needed. Because vulnerable populations such as migrant farmworkers have limited resources to follow nurses' teachings, nurses need to become knowledgeable about what is available in the community to support these families. In addition, facility appointment times may need to be expanded to accommodate their long work hours, and modes of transportation need to be evaluated. Recommendations for anticipatory guidance, prescriptions, treatments, and over-the-counter items need to consider cost and ease in purchase, and cultural acceptability.

Kantha: the embroidered quilts of Bengal from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection and the Stella Kramrisch Collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

This first book-length study on kanthas published outside of South Asia focuses on two premier collections, one assembled by the legendary historian of Indian art, Dr. Stella Kramrisch, the other by Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz, leading proponents of self-taught art. Created from worn-out garments imaginatively embroidered by women with motifs and tales drawn from a rich regional repertoire, kanthas traditionally were stitched as gifts for births, weddings, and other family occasions. Innovative essays by leading scholars explore the domestic, ritual, and historical contexts of the fascinating quilts in these collections - made between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries in what is today Bangladesh and West Bengal, India - and trace their reinterpretation as emblems of national identity and works of art.

Depka and Rzepka

3 FICTION Depka and Rzepka Pawel Huelle Translator's note:PawetHuelle isa Polishwriterwho lives inGdansk,formerly the FreeCity of Danzig, wheremany Poles were resettled after WorldWar IIwhen thecountry'sborders were shifted west.Huelle's work isoftenset inand around Gdansk, and oftenreferstothehistoryof thearea.Thefishermenin thisstoryare Kashubians, a distinctethnic group that has inhabitedthesamearea of what is now north-central Polandfor centuries. They speaka dialectofPolish and have a strongcultural identity. InPoland, the main Christmascelebrationis "Wigilia," the ChristmasEve vigil supper,atwhich thetraditional main dish iscarp. "Depka and Rzepka" is froma collectioncalledCold Sea Tales, published inPolish in2008. In those days buying anything, even fish,rose to the status of a problem. There was even a joke about it thatused to do the rounds in our city. Why before thewar was itpossible tobuy fish as far inland as Drohobycz? Because in those days Poland had only justover a hundred miles of coastline.And why since the war is itimpossible tobuy fisheven ina port? Because thesedays Poland has more than threehundred miles of coastline. A second, quite accidental piece of comedy on the same subjectwas provided by an advertis ing cartoon shown on our movie theater screens at some point in the mid-1970s, after the obligatory newsreel and theso-called extra.A fishappeared on thescreen,marked with thesymbol of theCentral Fish Processing Plant, and addressed theaudience, saying: "No fish will tellyou thishimself, but eat ing them's good foryour health. Come and shop at theCFPP?!" The whole audience gathered in the movie theaterused to roarwith laughter at this ad, because the shelves in the stores?including the November-December 2009 135 FICTION fishmonger's?were glaringly empty.Why do I mention this? Because I'm thinking about Christmas Eve. And as I'm thinkingabout Christmas Eve, there's no way of avoiding the subject of fish. In my family, unanimity had reigned in this respect ever since?by decree of Stalin and the rest of theBig Three?we had been resettled inGdansk. So inmy family, as a result of our enforced emigration, a certain basic change in culi nary predilections had takenplace. Itwasn't carp (which stank of silt), or pike (whichwas awfully bony), but cod, huge and fresh, thathad become themain feature of our Christmas Eve menu. My father,who had arrived in the city on thebay in 1946,would speak with a tear in his eye of his expe ditions to Bonsack (in other words Sobiesze wo Island), where in the 1940s and '50s you could buy fresh and smoked fish from the fishermen?outside the structures of the Central Fish Process ing Plant, of course. I remember the large fillets of cod my mother used to fry,and not just for Christmas Eve, and the chunks of smoked eel, whenever Uncle Henryk?hero of the Warsaw Uprising?came to see us on my father's name day. Zander too, delicate and delicious, brought home by bus fromBonsack forall sorts of family occasions. However, we are in the 1970s, when buying fish?even at Bonsack?was harder and harder. In short, days ofwant. And Christmas Eve was approaching. I was delegated tomake the journey like a secret agent: on one piece of paper I had the address of the fishermen fromnear Jastarnia.On another I had the train timetable, thereand back, forthe linebetween Gdynia and Hel. A thirdcon tained a shopping list,eventually crossed out by my mother, who had simply added "getwhatever there is." Mr. Depka lived in a shed. It was a cross between the typicalKashubian cottage and some thing like aworkshop and a storehouse: asmuch a fishmonger's as a boatyard. He wasn't even surprised when I came inside and revealed my references: "From Mr. H. the engineer who fixed your fishing boat motors." But we didn't talk about engines. Alojz Depka was excited, and over a glass or two of vodka he and Mr. Rzepka were discussing something that had happened a few weeks ago,when J?zkKonkel, a skipper from the maszoperia?as the Kashubian fishermen call their association?had sailed out into thebay. So, first of all, it wasn't the time forfishing.Second, some thinghappened on thewater that made Depka as well as Rzepka talk...