I Remember a Soldier Sleeping Next to Me...

"I Wish We Could Open Our Eyes
To See In All Directions At The Same Time
Oh, What A Beautiful View
If You Were Never Aware Of What Was Around You
And It Is True What You Say
That I Live Like A Hermit In My Own Head
But When The Sun Shines Again
I'll Pull The Curtains And Blinds To Let The Light In"
Marching Bands of Manhattan by Death Cab for Cutie

Today the sun was shining and the sky was blue... even when I made it outside! :-D Before I left, I watched a soccer (football, if prefered) game outside my window. I can even sit in my window. :-P The guys playing looked to be middle-aged friends from the area (I would assume), playing for fun and maybe for exercise. As can be seen in my previous post, this weather made it a great day for taking pictures. It was a bit chilly out, so I tried to stick to the sunny-side of streets when outside and did use public transport (hooray for student ID with 90-days!). I rode on the Metro and saw tons of fur coats (some could be faux, of course ;) ). A lot of people were leaving church and the nice weather (plus weekend) meant a lot of people were out on the street. I saw everyone's favorite Panda Bear/Chinese restaurant mascot on Nowy Swiat (one of the best streets ever - so many cool places to visit). I checked out another Empik (this one led to its cafe and a SEPHORA, nice. I had to stay away from the books in English... still have a couple more here to finish plus learning more Polish to do) and saw more gorgeous clothes in store windows while window-shopping (saving money for essentials kept me from further browsing and going inside stores to look at prices. Maybe when better weather comes along I will actual buy something(s)). There is a street food that involves Belgian waffles with toppings (gofry) that might be of interest to some people I know. ;) I could both smell it and see people in line for it. I even saw the fake palm tree here (thought it would be a good day to see it with the blue skies and sunshine - better for pictures than the gray sky I am more used to now).

I think it was yesterday, but there was a guy on the Metro who looked odd; a lot of people were looking at him as he awkwardly tried to sleep on his seat... with blood and Frakenstein-like stitches all over his head... hooligan post-hospital visit maybe? He had on dirty (maybe even blood-stained) clothes. It was a weird sight.

I also found it to be a good day to check out some places I had been meaning to see, such as John Krasinski's possibly ancestral palace/garden grounds (Krasinski Palace & Gardens). I went by the National Opera again. I went back to Golden Terraces Mall; there is a cute cupcake stand there (they are not cheap at 6 PLN each) and I looked at the shirts at Hard Rock Cafe (I have a soft-spot for the local/specific tees they make at each establishment; I did not see any at the Warsaw one. :-( ).

Self-check out - such as at certain grocers - and big bills also make me avoid speaking Polish. :-P I probably should try more sometimes... Once I wanted to make it back to the dorm, of course, the bus I wanted had issues and I had to wait for the next one to come about 20 minutes later (by then it was a bit cold and darkening out). But it is nice seeing the city when the lights come on, especially the rainbow of colors reflecting on the Palace of Culture and Science. :-D I bought more minutes on my phone (provider Heyah! always puts the OutKast song in my head) and I am starting to somewhat understand public transport and the lay-of-the-land... not well, but improving at least. Not becoming worse. ;-) That is where maps come into good usage. I will begin figuring out postage and Skype soon!

I can't wait for Spring! The sunshine and Valentine's Day flowers are making me want the cold wind to go away. I just watched a great "Castle" episode. Last night I finished that "How I Met Your Mother" episode before doing yoga/Pilates/stretching and going to sleep after some noisy neighbors quieted down (or I was just tired enough to fall asleep anyway). Laundry and two classes tomorrow. :-/

"The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you"
Dear Prudence by The Beatles