Quick Update

Hello again.

I am about the do some Polish homework since I am done unpacking for now. Today was the final hostel day! It was quite interesting taking eleven students and all of their luggage to the dorms. :-P It took a few cars and a lot of help, but we did it! Once we made it to the dorm we had to sign some paperwork to be given a resident card, room key, and bed linens. I started unpacking and then some of us went to a small grocery store; I picked up some waters, sodas, rice cakes/waffles, snack bars, soy milk, apples, yogurt, lettuce, sprouts, gum, jam, vinegar, and some kind of cereal (I think that was all of it...) It was in interesting experience walking back with all that I had purchased; Poles (and even many Europeans) tend to do more light shopping every couple of days at smaller stores. I had to lug a lot since I was uncertain about when I would want to go out to pick up more; us Americans earned a few stares from this behavior and I had to buy a bigger plastic sack to bring all of my goods back (reminds me of yesterday when I forgot to grab a basket at a store and dropped some items on the ground; I think I heard the cashier laugh at me).

The dorm is big and nice. I am rooming with someone I know and a lot of us are close to each other (about four others in adjacent rooms on this floor, while others are on the next two higher floors). The common kitchen and bathroom are big and everything that I have seen so far seems good (maybe even better than most I have had in CT/USA? Other than the townhouse facilities maybe - not including using the laundry room there - or avoided using in my case, haha). It is especially nice being closer to academic buildings compared to the distance they are from the hostel. Unfortunately, shortly after putting away groceries, Gosia called me to say I was late for a Polish class. Ugh. I did not know that I had to do Intermediate today... so I pretty much ran out the door again and went to class. I went to the wrong building at first (phone calls to Gosia helped enlighten me to the fact that I was at the main building and not in building A - when at least I did not go to the C building we had used last week...) and eventually I made it; I said sorry for the delay and luckily the teacher understood the misunderstanding (boy she is nice and a great language teacher. I feel lucky). The lesson was fun and I have some work to do for tomorrow. I also begin two other classes tomorrow (a politics class and a history of Jews in Poland one). I think that is about all for now since I haven't done much other than moving, shopping, unpacking, etc. I heard some people mention that it felt of Freshman year all over again when we were in line for keys. And how. I am looking forward to exploring more soon - from the dorm to the area to the city and beyond. I heard there is a gym and common areas in this building, but we need to ask the receptionist for a key... I will just have to become accustom to asking for keys to different rooms. :-P There is a lot of security here: we have to show our residence cards and there are strict rules in addition to many places being locked or having to ask for keys or other materials from personnel. It feels MUCH safer than the hostel where I heard about all kinds of people wandering in... One Polish-American girl on the program had her aunt and uncle help her move in (they live nearby) and the aunt had a chat with the Director Bogdan about not being so happy about the hostel. I completely agree since she was saying how it gave a terrible first impression of the country, area, and continent to us students, especially to those who have never been to Poland and/or Europe. That meant only a few of us understood (such as me and other Polish-heritage students and other travelers) and could see beyond it.

I still feel pretty tired from moving luggage around (even the Polish teacher noticed I looked when she would ask if I was sticking around for Beginner's as well and then said I was sleepy-looking - and hungry I would add), so I will take a break to do work now since I think that is all that has happened of interest recently. :-P