another competition at school!

*The bird and the burger* (meant to be recited aloud with the theme music of Disney's beauty and the beast in the background) ...

A mission from the very able Group troi - this one fly in space and makes us money, we watch the bird and eat a burger! simple! who said its gotta be rocket science all the time,ey?

anywhoo, although none of us believed we were proposing this as a real mission to be carried on a microgravity space flight - we still won for the proposal that would make most profit (or rip off mc donald's the most! hee hee)

got to meet one of the russian astronauts who stayed in the Salyut space station for 8 months! I have to say this: although I think all astronauts are absolutely great - and infact equally great! cultural differences definitely show and reflect individual personalities- someone should really do a post-flight/flight + xxx years study on people who have flown in space

you meet any US astronaut - they are much more to talk to you as an astronaut. same stands for european astronauts - but this comes to the european astronauts from the reflection of the even smaller chance of being selected successfully fly in space. On the other hand.... Dr Atkov, forgot to mention to us in 3 whole days that he was one of the russians to have spent the longest time in space! so modest, its unreal.

Also, every russian I seem to meet through him has at some point spent a significant 'vacation' in space! and every time = each of them FORGETS to mention that they stand almost like the 'chosen' few who have seen earth in all its grandeur, without those borders and have been outside this cradle of ours in order to learn more about why and how we are dependent on Earth and how we can make it better - even if its just via radio broadcasting good will messages to troubled nations as you fly over them: some child of 3/5/15 in those countries is going to grow up, hoping for a better future for him/herself and their people and realize it.

One day when they look back after having found that cure to cancer, or to aids, or to have the 3rd world countries come out of their debt - they are going to remember how inspiring some totally foreign person's message - their smile on a television screen gave them the courage to stand against all odds and follow the message of peace and progress given by these envoys of mankind!

and I look at the Russian astronauts and the simplicity, their friendliness and their modesty moves me. I do have to say that this can be a 'regional' thing too (within Russia) or an individual things- as most of these astronauts were what we call 'civilian' astronauts and have taken to serve their countries for humanitarian tasks in their post-space flight careers. The american and european astronauts are just as cool and interesting, but Dr Atkov and his astronaut colleagues moved me I have to say.