I can't believe it's almost over...
Like, seriously Warsaw? Serio? Cereal?
Today we took a study trip with our Sociology professor up to Olsztyn, the capital of the region of Poland with the highest unemployment rate, to get a better idea of the social problems that are being faced, and how the Polish governmental and nongovernmental organizations are coping with them.
It's actually ridiculously ironic. Because if that region existed in America, there is NO WAY IN HELL it would be so poor. The reason: it is the lake district of Poland. It's GORGEOUS. Forests and streams give way to hills and rivers and fields and lakes. But, even though it attracts tourists, it isn't ridiculously touristy in the least. There is so much lake front property just chilling with no houses or anything. It's so nice that it's being left that way. But it stinks that because of it, the region suffers financially (if it were built up like the way the lakes in NH are, it would boom with money and job opportunities, but the simplistic beauty would be wiped away: and that's one thing the Polish really love).
We traveled by bus, leaving at 6:30 this morning (ouch). Three hour drive until we got to stop one: the dom dziecka or children's house. This is where kids whose families can't take care of them send them. Only one of the children out of 29 was actually an orphan and he's 17. We brought the little kids candy and they were absolutely adorable. One of them was a real ham, but with the rest of them there was a classic shyness and they had to be prompted to say dzienkuje.
We were led around by a professor, her son, and three star students (who have been doing this for a few years actually) from the university of the region (Warminsko-Mazuria). They were very nice and told us all about the region and were also very well dressed.
We realized why we might have wanted to dress better than our typical jeans, polos and flip flops/sneakers when we arrived at a conference with different social initiative groups from the region AT THE TOWN HALL, WHERE WE WERE THE GUESTS OF HONOR, AND WERE ON TV. I would have at least made more of an effort with my make-up than eye liner only to give me the appearance of awake.
The Polish people really understate things sometimes. "Study trip to Olsztyn to hear presentation by students and visit kids and old people" my foot. We were put on display at the town hall and again at the university and given presents by both the town and the political science faculty at the uni. A really nice hardcover book of photos of Olsztyn by the town and then a glossy softcover book of photos of the university and a mug by the polisci crew. Not to mention the special coin minted by the Polish National Bank in honor of SGH's (my home school here) 100th anniversary given to everyone by our professor to commemorate the trip. Then we had a three course meal and our professor paid for all of our snacks all day long.
To lighten the mood, as we all know I am wont to do, I scammed on guys all day long. And everyone got to be a part of it as I commented. Out the bus window. Looking into restaurant doors. Passing shirtless men running.
Two random firsts today:
1- In the middle of the Polish countryside with relatively nothing around it, is plopped a mid size plane that serves as a unique roadside restaurant.
2- I licked a lollipp all the way to the end. No biting involved.
On the descent back into Warsaw...[haha]...it was strange how much of a microcosm of the trip the route we took was and it really made me realize how much I think I've come to love this place, associate it with DC, and appreciate it's rather unique place in Europe at this moment in time, not matter how frustrating the service can get.
Ironic that Polish people are some of the most hospitable, traditional kind that you will find, but when it comes to the service industry they just can't manage to get it up. It's really awkward because Poland is very old and very young at the same time. They've been destroyed and started over so many more times than any other country in Europe while managing to maintain a constant national identity over such a large area often ruled by various empires. But they're very new at this modern capitalist game. It's naive, uncertain. Kind of like a grandparent when faced with the grandkids. It really doesn't help I don't think that they don't trust government. But they do trust each other which is why nongovernmental organizations are doing a really good job up by Olsztyn.
We came in through Bielany to the north and it reminded me SO MUCH of the northern Adams Morgan/Dupont region. It was crazy. We passed hella lots of construction on the metro line. It will so not be done by the end of this year. But it's cute they think it will.
People might think I'm crazy, but I think Warsaw was the right choice for me not only because it's a fairly safe place and filled with history, but it was very easy to get used to with widely laid out streets and rather square buildings mixed with smaller more interesting ones. Much closer to DC than any other city I've visited over here with maybe the exception of central Munich. It's just safer, more religions and more graffitti-ed. It's even got a central phallic symbol! Gots to have one of those.
We came back past the Nove Miasto and Stare Miasto (New Town/Old Town) which was gorgeous and actually quite high up compared to where we were down by the river. While the Royal Zamek is cute, none of us has ever thought a whole lot of it compared to other palaces/Castles in Europe, but the facade facing the river is drop dead fantastic.
Over on Swietokrzyska across from its iconic, modern bridge.
Past Nowy Swiat: the second day here sightseeing in the snow, shopping with Jess, showing Katie around, looking for a place to eat.
Over to Marszalkowska: Daily Cafe with Rich, coffeeheaven studying and griping, the Metro stop--starting point of our failed Thursday night adventure that first week and also the hellish lit field trip, Galeria Centrum shopping with Tori and Sylvia, the Palace of Culture and Science--observation deck, technical museum, Gaelforce Dance, past Carpe Diem the restaurant we ended up at our third night here after traipsing across half the city, another coffeeheaven where we stopped for frostito pre-Torun train ride.
Turning at Rondo Onz, whose tram stop Mom and I used for our hotel next door.
ALEJA JANA PAWLA. Straight out of WARSZAWA CENTRALNA. Hand motions. Past Siena where Bradley's of the infamous Superbowl and special girly halftime entertainment viewing went down. Zlote Tarasy, the Mecca (shopping mall). Dworzec Centralny--departure and arrival place of all our Polish excursions but this one. The infamous first PLAY ad ca. our return from Torun. The "Era nadaje rytm" ad on the building to the right of the Plus GSM building that has never changed, not since the beginning.
Continuing onto Niepodleglosci, just like we've done millions of times before: on trams back from Arkadia, Kino Femina, the Mercure, the Dworzec, connecting ones from Al. Jerozolimskie for the Uprising Museum or Nowy Swiat, in cabs from Ground Zero, Hybrydy.
Pole Mokotowskie. Almost there. Park: home to many a free beer Wednesday, not that I made use of it. Nowy Bolek: best pizza in Warsaw until it started coming out like cardboard the other week and home of our first night out. Now we're in walking territory. I can finish The Bad Touch between here and there. Zielona Ges: Metro Rich and back when we hadn't finalized cliques and international Carlina could be caught chilling with us. Our Metro stop. Dominium pizza. The 2 atms. Cell phone store, wiecej minuty! Aro sklep, home of Lambi papier toaletowy.
DOM SABINKI. And the crazy, smoky, techno-ed up to the ears even on Mondays at 2 am crew that goes along with it.
And here I am, lamp on, sitting in bed, Jessica asleep across from me. On the computer. Where else?
Erg. Little flying bugs are getting in through the window and are attracted to my computer screen. Damn warm weather and lack of window screen.
T-4 days till Krakow. Heh.
Today we took a study trip with our Sociology professor up to Olsztyn, the capital of the region of Poland with the highest unemployment rate, to get a better idea of the social problems that are being faced, and how the Polish governmental and nongovernmental organizations are coping with them.
It's actually ridiculously ironic. Because if that region existed in America, there is NO WAY IN HELL it would be so poor. The reason: it is the lake district of Poland. It's GORGEOUS. Forests and streams give way to hills and rivers and fields and lakes. But, even though it attracts tourists, it isn't ridiculously touristy in the least. There is so much lake front property just chilling with no houses or anything. It's so nice that it's being left that way. But it stinks that because of it, the region suffers financially (if it were built up like the way the lakes in NH are, it would boom with money and job opportunities, but the simplistic beauty would be wiped away: and that's one thing the Polish really love).
We traveled by bus, leaving at 6:30 this morning (ouch). Three hour drive until we got to stop one: the dom dziecka or children's house. This is where kids whose families can't take care of them send them. Only one of the children out of 29 was actually an orphan and he's 17. We brought the little kids candy and they were absolutely adorable. One of them was a real ham, but with the rest of them there was a classic shyness and they had to be prompted to say dzienkuje.
We were led around by a professor, her son, and three star students (who have been doing this for a few years actually) from the university of the region (Warminsko-Mazuria). They were very nice and told us all about the region and were also very well dressed.
We realized why we might have wanted to dress better than our typical jeans, polos and flip flops/sneakers when we arrived at a conference with different social initiative groups from the region AT THE TOWN HALL, WHERE WE WERE THE GUESTS OF HONOR, AND WERE ON TV. I would have at least made more of an effort with my make-up than eye liner only to give me the appearance of awake.
The Polish people really understate things sometimes. "Study trip to Olsztyn to hear presentation by students and visit kids and old people" my foot. We were put on display at the town hall and again at the university and given presents by both the town and the political science faculty at the uni. A really nice hardcover book of photos of Olsztyn by the town and then a glossy softcover book of photos of the university and a mug by the polisci crew. Not to mention the special coin minted by the Polish National Bank in honor of SGH's (my home school here) 100th anniversary given to everyone by our professor to commemorate the trip. Then we had a three course meal and our professor paid for all of our snacks all day long.
To lighten the mood, as we all know I am wont to do, I scammed on guys all day long. And everyone got to be a part of it as I commented. Out the bus window. Looking into restaurant doors. Passing shirtless men running.
Two random firsts today:
1- In the middle of the Polish countryside with relatively nothing around it, is plopped a mid size plane that serves as a unique roadside restaurant.
2- I licked a lollipp all the way to the end. No biting involved.
On the descent back into Warsaw...[haha]...it was strange how much of a microcosm of the trip the route we took was and it really made me realize how much I think I've come to love this place, associate it with DC, and appreciate it's rather unique place in Europe at this moment in time, not matter how frustrating the service can get.
Ironic that Polish people are some of the most hospitable, traditional kind that you will find, but when it comes to the service industry they just can't manage to get it up. It's really awkward because Poland is very old and very young at the same time. They've been destroyed and started over so many more times than any other country in Europe while managing to maintain a constant national identity over such a large area often ruled by various empires. But they're very new at this modern capitalist game. It's naive, uncertain. Kind of like a grandparent when faced with the grandkids. It really doesn't help I don't think that they don't trust government. But they do trust each other which is why nongovernmental organizations are doing a really good job up by Olsztyn.
We came in through Bielany to the north and it reminded me SO MUCH of the northern Adams Morgan/Dupont region. It was crazy. We passed hella lots of construction on the metro line. It will so not be done by the end of this year. But it's cute they think it will.
People might think I'm crazy, but I think Warsaw was the right choice for me not only because it's a fairly safe place and filled with history, but it was very easy to get used to with widely laid out streets and rather square buildings mixed with smaller more interesting ones. Much closer to DC than any other city I've visited over here with maybe the exception of central Munich. It's just safer, more religions and more graffitti-ed. It's even got a central phallic symbol! Gots to have one of those.
We came back past the Nove Miasto and Stare Miasto (New Town/Old Town) which was gorgeous and actually quite high up compared to where we were down by the river. While the Royal Zamek is cute, none of us has ever thought a whole lot of it compared to other palaces/Castles in Europe, but the facade facing the river is drop dead fantastic.
Over on Swietokrzyska across from its iconic, modern bridge.
Past Nowy Swiat: the second day here sightseeing in the snow, shopping with Jess, showing Katie around, looking for a place to eat.
Over to Marszalkowska: Daily Cafe with Rich, coffeeheaven studying and griping, the Metro stop--starting point of our failed Thursday night adventure that first week and also the hellish lit field trip, Galeria Centrum shopping with Tori and Sylvia, the Palace of Culture and Science--observation deck, technical museum, Gaelforce Dance, past Carpe Diem the restaurant we ended up at our third night here after traipsing across half the city, another coffeeheaven where we stopped for frostito pre-Torun train ride.
Turning at Rondo Onz, whose tram stop Mom and I used for our hotel next door.
ALEJA JANA PAWLA. Straight out of WARSZAWA CENTRALNA. Hand motions. Past Siena where Bradley's of the infamous Superbowl and special girly halftime entertainment viewing went down. Zlote Tarasy, the Mecca (shopping mall). Dworzec Centralny--departure and arrival place of all our Polish excursions but this one. The infamous first PLAY ad ca. our return from Torun. The "Era nadaje rytm" ad on the building to the right of the Plus GSM building that has never changed, not since the beginning.
Continuing onto Niepodleglosci, just like we've done millions of times before: on trams back from Arkadia, Kino Femina, the Mercure, the Dworzec, connecting ones from Al. Jerozolimskie for the Uprising Museum or Nowy Swiat, in cabs from Ground Zero, Hybrydy.
Pole Mokotowskie. Almost there. Park: home to many a free beer Wednesday, not that I made use of it. Nowy Bolek: best pizza in Warsaw until it started coming out like cardboard the other week and home of our first night out. Now we're in walking territory. I can finish The Bad Touch between here and there. Zielona Ges: Metro Rich and back when we hadn't finalized cliques and international Carlina could be caught chilling with us. Our Metro stop. Dominium pizza. The 2 atms. Cell phone store, wiecej minuty! Aro sklep, home of Lambi papier toaletowy.
DOM SABINKI. And the crazy, smoky, techno-ed up to the ears even on Mondays at 2 am crew that goes along with it.
And here I am, lamp on, sitting in bed, Jessica asleep across from me. On the computer. Where else?
Erg. Little flying bugs are getting in through the window and are attracted to my computer screen. Damn warm weather and lack of window screen.
T-4 days till Krakow. Heh.