One More Chance

No classes today, so I took it easy a bit. I decided to finally leave my room after seeing how nice the weather was (60s, sunny, ahh spring). :) I headed for a walk near my dorm (even listening to music on my iPod) and eventually went to the center of the city. I checked out some stores, including TKMAXX, which is basically the same as TJMAXX (but maybe a bit nicer looking). I felt awkward because of my "snake" body: I change temperature easily (especially becoming cold easily and quickly). I was dressed in longer capris/shorter jeans (to the ankle) and a t-shirt and my winter coat (opened) and began to become warm and a little sweaty. Then I took off my coat and my arms were a little cold when the wind blew. Then I put my coat on when I was outside and I was both moist from the sweat and cold from the sweat trying to cool me in addition to the wind blowing on this moistness. :-/ I headed back to my dorm around the time that the sun began to go down and it became chillier with the wind and less direct sunlight. Now I am going back to working on catching up with TV shows (caught up with "How I Met Your Mother" and now I am almost done with "Modern Family" before moving on to another show - I think the only other show I am caught up on might be "The Office.") Also, as I was on the phone earlier, I heard gunshot/bang sounds outside my window that turned out to be fireworks. If I didn't have a camera battery charging, I may have thought to try for a picture. They were so low and close! It was crazy to just move the curtains of my window a bit and there they were, not sure what the occasion would be for their presence. :-P I was glad to see them even if there was no reason in particular. :)

Lesson of the Day: I am not a fan of "you had to be there" moments. :-/

The Rain Will Pass

Aaa, kotki dwa,
szarobure obydwa,
jeden duży, drugi mały
oba mi się spodobały.

Aaa, kotki dwa,
szarobure obydwa,
nic nie będą robiły,
tylko ciebie bawiły.


http://czasdzieci.pl/czytanki/id,149bed-aaa_kotki_dwa.html
This is actually from a website for small children/babies; this is a "song" or poem I actually remember my Mom and Babcia/grandma saying to me. I tried looking quickly for other familiar ones, but this one I know for sure.

The ballet last night was very good. Ballet does wonders to a man's body, but just makes women thin. The guys all seemed to have every bone and bit of lean muscle visible... I was a bit sleepy before the performance, so when the music was slow and the stage was darker, I became a bit sleepy and thought I could easily nod off to sleep. :-P There were some scenes our group labeled "homo-erotic" and even one where a guy danced in falling water. There were many, many dancers (several groups, costumes, dances, "story-lines among the dancers), choir-persons, and orchestra members in the performance. But, the ending was very bright, loud, and lively, which was good because it woke me up a bit before having to leave. Whenever I see ballet (such as after watching "Black Swan," I feel in the mood to replicate the moves, to stretch, to do yoga or Pilates, and to move about. Some people in my group even began to pretend to dance in the lobby. ;)

After the performance, I finished watching "Watchmen," which turned out to be very different than what I expected and I liked it a lot (how could I NOT like a film with an owl super hero? ;) )

No classes today, so I am relaxing and catching up on "How I Met Your Mother" right now. I may head out in a bit since the weather is so nice (low 60s with some sunshine).

And there is a new toilet paper rule being instated tomorrow; I guess each resident is allowed one roll per month; my sister asked if Communism is starting again when I told her about it. :-P

Quote of the Day

“Heartsick, heartbroken—
To know love is to know pain.
What could be more common?
Even so, each broken heart is so singular
That with it we probe the divine.”
-Rumi

The Scientist

"Nic o nas bez nas."
["Nothing about us without us."]


Two days (the "tougher"/longer ones) of classes complete. :-P I had Polish history in the morning and then a break since this is the first of two weeks without my politics course. During my break, I watched one of the recent "How I Met Your Mother" episodes I had yet to watch ("Desperation Day") and it was really good. I later discussed "Promised Land" in literature class and received some reading for our next class (which will be in a week because our Thursday class is cancelled, which means my weekend starts tomorrow. :-D Maybe we will push the idea on this teacher that we do not need to make up this missed class... one can hope.) I then had my Jews in Poland course before heading back to the dorm for the night. It was there that I noticed how I am receiving more and more emails about registration for fall courses at Fairfield. It is weird to think that housing and course registration is being done already since it seems so soon. :-P I looked over what I have completed and what I have remaining and I think if I do some work over the summer and then have a regular schedule in the fall, I might be able to complete my requirements for graduation in December. This is tempting since then maybe I would take the spring off to work and apply for graduate schools. It seems both far and close. Gee. I emailed my advisor about some of my thoughts and questions, so we will see where it all goes! I even received my pin for online registration already and will be picking classes on April 12th (2:30pm my time, 8:30am Fairfield's).

Tomorrow I have Polish in the morning followed by a break and then a CIEE program-paid lunch in the afternoon (it relates to an assignment involving directions that the Beginning group has to complete). In the evening we are going to a ballet: http://www.teatrwielki.pl/repertuar/balet/kalendarium/nowy_balet.html?kid=528

Some thoughts I have had recently are that, when thinking about or planning or preparing to go abroad, I rarely thought about emotions. The only well-known ideas that are discussed during pre-orientation are culture shock and homesickness when away. Well, lately, I am wondering more about the end of my time here in Europe (Poland specifically) and thinking about how hard it will be to leave, to go back to "reality." There is a lot I am missing right now, but I have already come to terms with the fact that no matter where I am or what I am doing, I will ALWAYS be missing someone or something; there is no way to have everyone and everything I love together with me all of the time. I discussed it with my friends this weekend, how difficult it is for me to settle because of my indecisiveness, dispersed loved ones, and all of the great places I have lived or visited or want to visit. It will not be easy to pick one place or one profession, but now that I know there is no way to make everyone happy, then I can at least think about making decisions based on greater good instead of being stifled by innumerable choices. It is tough to be in a world where I may be able to communicate with people all over the globe, but if I want to see them, I cannot simply "fold a map" as if the world were flat and see them in person whenever I wished.

Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I've set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start

Running in circles
Coming up tails
Heads on the science apart

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard

Oh take me back to the start

I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart

Questions of science
Science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart

Oh tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start



Adjective of the Day for Me: Nieśmiała (timid)
Website of the Day: http://polish.typeit.org/ [helps with typing Polish letters with accents.]

Podoba mi się...

"I like..."

As the previous post notes, I had an amazing time in Wroclaw. Podoba mi się tego miasta. It was my meetup with the sons of my mother's childhood friend in Poland. I left Warsaw on Friday morning for a train trip that was about 6 hours long. I had a very nice ticket clerk fellow who told me that I paid too much for a ticket because it was only reduced by age group and could be even cheaper for student price. He also told me to sit in the pregnant/child/baby cabin again. :-P Because of this, I had an interesting experience with a strange family that spoke Polish and some other weird language. There were two parents and one baby, which called me "Ga" more than once. She even said some "words" that were almost English-sounding words, but only through baby gibberish. She was not so well-behaved and had a bad habit of kicking bags, people, and other objects; she (well, could have been a he...) nearly broke her father's phone more than once. At one point the girl (?) dropped part of the phone under the seat and the father seemed a bit short tempered. It was a strange family to be with during the trip, but it could be worse. I had a seat. There was one man with us for a little while and later two militaristic-looking fellows came in for the remainder of the trip. I received a text from one of the people I was meeting and did not have enough money on my cell phone to reply. I used my "witch powers" to summon my mother to call me, even though I had spoken to her the day before and she said she would not call again until Sunday, and she did! Because of that, she was able to be a conduit of sorts between me and the people I was meeting. I made it to Wroclaw Glowny around 715 (I was supposed to be there at maybe almost 7 :-/). I was called shortly before making it there to hear that my "princes" (my word, not theirs) were waiting for me at the station. This station, similar to the main one in Warsaw from which I had come, is under a lot of construction. This makes finding the right platform difficult. I found my friends waiting for me on the platform and we headed to their apartment. There, I was given a bed to sleep in and gave gifts before we headed to the movie theatre at the nearby mall for "Sucker Punch" (it was OK) and then we walked around Wroclaw some (saw some neat sites: the rynek, some of the university buildings, etc.) before stopping at a little pub/cafe for mulled beer: warm, spiced with cinnamon. When we finished the drinks and chatting, we headed back to their apartment around 2am. The next day we had breakfast and decided to go to the National Museum there since it was raining (original plan was to see the zoo). Most of the museum's exhibits are free on Saturday, so we walked around and saw some great art and treasures. We took some pictures outside the museum and around the city; there were interesting churches, buildings, monuments, and even a bridge that has a romantic tradition: people in relationships can put locks on the bridge as a sign of importance to their relationship. It was cute and very original. We went out to lunch at a cute little cafe/restaurant that one of the guys recommended. I had a salad with chicken, hard-boiled egg, dressing, potato wedges, and assorted salad vegetables (lettuce, tomato, etc.) It was good. The guys had barszcz soup with dumplings and meals that included fried fish for one, fried chicken for the other that came with fries and coleslaw, sliced carrots, and beets. After that, we headed back to their apartment to chat while two of us had coffee. Later on, we went to see "The King's Speech" (it was very good and we agreed Colin Firth deserved his Oscar) and then stopped at a grocery store for some items. We then went off to our rooms for some computer time and then bed. Sunday we pretty much had breakfast and talked until we had to go to the train station around 3:30pm for my 4pm train. It was nice how one of them handled my pulling suitcase (packing with my backpack failed, sadly) on both occasions of going to and from the station and then they both wanted to come on the train to bring my luggage on and find me a seat. It was rushed at the end because the train was about to leave and they both had to hurry off so that they did not end up riding the train for a bit. They waved to me from the window and I was off for a long train ride. I was SO sad to go and I did not expect this strong reaction. Maybe it was lady hormones, who knows. I did not do much on the train other than look out the window and listen to music. I made it back at almost 11pm and took a tram and walk back to my dorm before telling my mother and the guys I made it back to Warsaw okay. Unfortunately, I also came home to an email for a reading assignment. :-/ I also felt the effects of "train lag" (what form of travel does not have it? I have had it from planes, cars, boats...)

Today (weather being sunny and only a bit chilly and windy) I had three classes (stopped by the vegetarian quick service restaurant VEGA for some tomato soup (with other vegetables) and salads (one cabbage with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, one with green beans, red peppers (blah), tofu, peas, chickpeas, and sauce, and a third with red cabbage and raisins) in between Polish and history) and then did some laundry (only had one machine open, so I still have dirty clothes leftover... but as long as I did some I can always do more another day this week). I skyped with my sister and now I have some reading before bed. Ballet on Wednesday! Our Jewish class may take a trip to tour the Jewish cemetery next Tuesday.

Best Week(end) Ever

Favorite weekend in Poland so far. Some details soon.

The Legend of the Golden Duck

In English:
http://www.folk-tales-comenius-project.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=115:the-legend-of-the-golden-duck&catid=64:polen&Itemid=82

Todd Packer

Today, I went on a bit of a duck hunt... only this duck is gold, wears a crown, and is a monument. :-P Part of my homework for Polish class was to find this monument and to take its picture. I researched online to find its location and headed there before my afternoon class. It took a while since the weather was not the best (pretty windy, gray sky, a bit chilly, no sunshine) and I decided to just jump on one of the first buses to come in front of my dorm. I took it to a stop close to the Wisla River and used a map to make my way in a somewhat zig-zag fashion to the monument. It took some street crossing and step retracing, but I finally found my ducky and took some photos, before heading back to my dorm for a bit. I emailed the shots to my teacher before watching the end of "Promised Land." The film was not bad, but I wish the ending gave a bit more detail about what happened to the three friends or even a couple of the other characters; there was a progression in time shortly before the conclusion and I was hoping we would hear more about the lives of Karol, Max, and Mauryc (we only really saw that Karol married and had a son, but not much more than that; it seems the other two men are still involved with Karol in business and in friendship, but it is unsaid whether they marry or have children or do anything else). It was not a film that seemed to be enjoyed by the other students, but I would say there were points I liked and points that I did not like, as with any film. All-in-all, I am more neutral than being someone who completely disliked it. Now I am catching up on "The Office" (I guess I only missed one episode when it seems to have been some time since the last time I watched it; I guess it was on vacation, too). Then, I have to pack for my trip tomorrow.

Be sure to check out http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221 for up-to-date photos, even my golden duck.

Miłego Dnia! :D

“People who keep journals have life twice.”

― Jessamyn West

[Title = Have a nice day!]

The Promised Land

"Stara miłość nie rdzewieje." [Slight translation: Old love does not die.]

So, two longer days of classes completed, which means two days and two classes left before another weekend. Polish class on Monday morning included learning about some Polish history and monuments. After that, I had my history and politics classes. During the politics class, we discussed the current Constitution in Poland. My final class did not happen because we students waited thirty minutes before giving up, only to receive an email a few hours later that the professor was never going to show up because he had been undergoing medical tests at the hospital for having fainted earlier in the day. Today I had my history class followed by politics, where I learned that my professor is leaving for a trip tomorrow and will not return until the 11th of April. I had a break (picked up my Beethoven Festival ticket and enjoyed a few minutes of the nice Spring weather we had today - sunny and only slightly chilly) and then, during literature class, watched the first half of another Andrzej Wajda film based on a novel by Wladyslaw Reymont called "Promised Land." It is about three friends - a Pole, a Jew, and a German - who are entrepreneurs in Lodz in the 19th century during the Industrial Revolution. It reminds me of "The Jungle" and other either fictionalized or true stories about the negatives of industrial, urban life in the US and Great Britain. I spoke to another student later that I hear more about the problems that this revolution caused other places; I did not know that it affected Poland in a similar manner, with many poor working in the terrible, dangerous conditions of factories while greedy businessmen make money off of them. There is a lot more gore in the film than any of us were expecting, but I guess we saw the worst of it already. It is neat watching a movie that is more current in the time period being portrayed, but made longer ago than the last film. At least one actor is in both and it is interesting seeing him in the "future" while looking younger (since he is younger when this film was made). I am a bit curious what happens next and I suppose I will wait and see on Thursday. My Jews in Poland class was interesting as well since the teacher wanted more discussion today -he must still be a bit tired (especially after fainting and hospital testing yesterday). Tomorrow I have Polish in the morning, where we will continue talking about monuments and history and who knows what else. :-P I hope the weather continues to be nice because it is mainly Mondays and Tuesdays that I do not have as much time to enjoy the weather with the four classes I have throughout the day.

Oh, and I guess Obama will also be joining me in Poland before I depart: ;-)
http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,9280595,Obama_przyjedzie_do_Polski.html

I Know Places

Serce w Sercu - heart in heart (the gingerbread cookie in keepsake tin I bought)

Today I had lunch at one of the Green Way bars here. Sadly, this is the third I have seen and no stuffed cabbage. I have one more I have yet to see in Warsaw, so maybe there will be some there or I will maybe have some at a place that serves both regular and meatless. I also have yet to have my fruit-filled pierogi. My meal today included lentil soup (with other such vegetables as carrots and potato pieces), vegetables and small bits of tofu in tomato sauce on top of kasza (kasha = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasha) with the side salatki (salads, mostly three different coleslaw-like sides). I liked the food, except when it comes to vegetables there is one variety that I tend to forget that I do not care for (since I tend to think I like all vegetables): peppers. Not a fan. I had some peppers in my food and I am not so into them.

After lunch, I went to the Independence Museum [http://www.muzeumniepodleglosci.art.pl/] (free on Sundays). It was neat since I saw an exhibit on Polish children in exile who went to school in countries other than Poland, such as Israel, Italy, and Mexico. It was neat to see school IDs, report cards, notebooks, and other school materials. There also were political posters, paintings, and cartoons. I read a lot of information about different times in Polish history where Poles fought against various threats for freedom and independence. The museum is also at a location I had walked by several times without even knowing it and the place is a palace. It was very pretty inside. I had some confusion communicating with the people at the door and coat check since the coat check guy asked something about help and I said no and then both of them kept talking to me, so I had to say I do not speak Polish that well and the woman at the door was silenced since she struggled to speak English. She tried to find the word "coat" in her mind and then motioned and I said it. Then we switched to Polish (me making some sense out of her words and me speaking in simple Polish) as I gave my coat and bag to the coat check guy.

After the museum, I headed to a couple stores for some groceries for the next few days before heading back to the dorm for some reading homework.

Pictures are updated on my twitpic! :)

Conversation 16

New photos from Torun added! :)
http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221

Self Machine

In the words of OutKast, "you can plan a pretty picnic, but you can't predict the weather."

That is how I feel about my nice few hours in Torun. It was my first time using the main train station here in Warsaw. It was not too difficult since I had been in the station and platform areas before. I also figured out the schedules to determine what platform I needed to be on. The station is not so nice right now because of mega-construction and the crowdedness of the underground tunnels of the Central/Centrum Warsaw area. It is easy to walk right onto a platform since the ticket is not checked until right after boarding, so then a ticketless rider would be in trouble since the comptroller guys did not seem especially friendly (except one I saw on my train back). I made sure to be at the station earlier, but this does not really help with finding seats since this was not the first station the train was at and there were many others wanting to board with me. I was in the second class, which basically was in a cabin resembling the one straight out of "Euro Trip." It was hard finding a cabin without sleeping people or where it did not feel weird with a bunch of others inside without much room. I helped one older woman board and she kept telling me not to be shy when she opened a carriage, claiming to be full and was not, and she yelled at the patrons saying it had seats and told me to join. I kept going and ended jumping into a compartment with room, only to be the one deemed for families (mothers/fathers/parents with children under 4 and pregnant women) and this family had both a pregnant mother and a child under 4 (maybe close to 2) with a father. I snuck in and did not take up much space, so I don't think it was a big, big deal that I was there and quiet (I only noticed the sign about babies when I was already sitting down a few minutes since it was on the door (open, so not quite visible) when I saw room inside the compartment and went in, right before the Dad brought in a big stroller in addition to their bags). They had enough room (only exception being maybe if the father wanted to stretch out more on the seat...) When the man came around to check tickets, he was a bit grumpy and said "DOKUMENT" to me. I was confused at first ("Co?" = "What?") and then he repeated and explained that I had a reduced fare, so I then understood and handed my student ID, which appeased him.

The trip went by pretty quickly. One woman joined us (the father had called out to one person that it was for families, but she only glanced in the way others had and kept walking, but allowed one woman in who actually opened the door and asked if there was room (the mom was not so happy about that). We all dozed off some and I was the first to exit. The station in Torun is really old-fashioned. It also requires crossing a bridge to the other side of the Wisla River to make it to the main sites of Torun. I mixed myself up, but made it to the other side. I also had to pay to use a restroom at the station (which also has some kiosks, a restaurant, vending machines, and a waiting room), which I would have minded less if that meant a nicer, cleaner experience.

I wanted lunch by then, so I headed directly to a place I had in mind, a vegetarian Polish chain called Green way: http://greenway.pl/ I had in mind to try the vegetarian golabki (stuffed cabbage), but it was unlisted. :( I will have to check if any in Warsaw make them. So, I had some tasty soup (this soup, but with the recipe tweaked to leave out the meat: http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/polishsoups/r/splitpeasoup.htm) and a "vegetable tart" (basically vegetarian lasagna with wheat-y thin pancakes [nalesniki/crepes] instead of pasta and with cheese, tomato sauce, spinach, and onions as the main vegetables) that came with some "salatki" = shredded carrots, a coleslaw-like shredded cabbage with creamy dressing and raisins, and another that was similar to coleslaw but not with any real dressing or sauce - more just shredded cabbage and carrot. The food was great and I am glad that I can try out the ones in other Polish cities, such as the three in the area here (yes, I am actually supporting a chain that is somewhat "fast food," but it is Polish-only, healthy, and vegetarian). The place was inexpensive and pretty (in Old Town and it had a beautiful ceiling with chandeliers).

Blurry Soup (I enlarged the picture)

After lunch, I walked around the Old Town; I saw Mikolaj Kopernik's house (Nicholaus Copernicus) and went on a tour inside; I saw the Old Town Square, medieval gates and walls, the Leaning Tower, Copernicus University, tons of modern shops (sadly even a fancy McDonalds with carnation bouquets on the tables and leather seats or sofas - rarely are they so nice in the US), cafes, and the famous "piernik" shops (piernik from Torun is famous; it is basically similar to gingerbread, but I think softer and better). At one of the shops (there were several) with mainly piernik (I went to the famous Kopernik chain), I bought this heart-shaped cookie that came in a red heart tin (haha, my memento). At another shop (not a Kopernik one, but selling Kopernik and loose gingerbread), I bought two filled ones (similar to the other two in the picture - which is off the Internet - but mine were covered in maybe sugar coating - one was very light and the other was a bit whiter - instead of chocolate. One had black currant (so Polish) filling and the other was apple (obvious)). It was all quite good, a bit sweet so I am not sure about if there will be a next time for eating it anytime soon, but the apple one had a strange taste to the outside, so the other two were a bit better (but I did like both fillings).

In relation to my first quote, the main issue of the day was the weather. Last time I checked the weather a few days ago, it was the same not-too-cold temperatures, but only when I checked on Thursday did it mention the rain. That and the gray sky made it not so fun, especially when it rained more intensely (luckily no downpour at least). It made me miss Warsaw, where I have places to hide out from the rain (my dorm, school, familiar public spots or a map to find new ones). I would not mind returning to Torun, but I am very glad I went and would understand if I did not have the time to make another trip and instead use the time for another destination. Torun is very cute and I am glad to have gone, especially for the train and train station experiences. I think it is a lovely little city. :) I enjoyed going a lot, it was only the weather and growing darkness that made me end my sightseeing early for the waiting room at the train station. While waiting, I had two cups of tasty (and warming!) red borscht soup from a hot drink machine and my first little bar of Prince Polo (chocolate covered wafer bar). I hid from the rain (which was even coming down a bit when I waited and boarded the train back to Warsaw). I did not have to compete with as many others to board at this station and the train itself even had few people! I had to use the restroom on-board, so I actually ended up being in first class for a few minutes and the ticket comptroller saw me in the hallway and let me stay in a cabin there while I looked for my ticket. After he checked it, I went back to the second class and found an empty cabin, where I read (homework reading includes the modern Polish Constitution - post-Solidarity - when I have yet to read the full US one I believe :-P), looked out the window, and took a nap before returning to "home base" in Warsaw; I took a bus from the station back to the dorm, where I could warm up. Today was a relax day and tomorrow might include grocery shopping and museum visit(s) and ...?

I will put pictures on twitpic soon! :-D

Oprah Quote of the Day

But little by little
As you left their voices behind
The stars began to burn
Through the sheets of clouds
And there was a new voice
Which you slowly 
Recognized as your own
That kept you company
As you strode deeper and deeper
Into the world
Determined to do
The only thing you could do— 
Determined to save
The only life you could save


Full poem: http://static.oprah.com/images/201104/omag/the-journey.pdf

Mushaboom

Today I decided to spend some of my time before class at 3 going to that Copernicus Science Center. So, I liked it a lot EXCEPT there were a ton of children and many of them were not well-behaved. But, there was no line today and the inside was not too bad otherwise.

Should be a super hero with that cape. He is my poet/book hero

Tomorrow I go to Torun. Next weekend I have tickets and lodging already for Wroclaw. Other than that, I bought tickets to a classical concert for a Beethoven Festival:
http://www.beethoven.org.pl/en/festiwalewielkanocne/xvwielkanocnyfestiwallvb/program

I am going on Sunday, April 10th (since I was told make sure to try and go to the Royal Castle as the venue and this one is on a free day with MOZART as one of the composers played. Yay, Amadeus.) Tickets for students are half-off, so I was able to go for the higher price of the two. :-P I think I will just attend this show, even though there are several others. I also think the performance will be in my favorite room of the castle (great ceiling that is now my desktop image).
http://www.zamek-krolewski.pl/?page=1480

We Used To Wait

Not much specific happened today other than the fact that it was colder than it has been the last few days. :-/ I had Polish class, where I learned more about cooking/preparation verbs and nouns (quantities, cookingware, foods). So far, I do not have too much homework for this weekend, which is better for me since it leaves more time for going places and having some cultural activities. This afternoon, the CIEE group had a meeting. We discussed the city tours and talked about other traveling in the next couple of months. I need to decide what to do during my Easter/Spring Break. I also have some weekends when I need to choose other activities in and out of Warsaw: museums, maybe stop by Lodz, Bialystock, Malbork, Zamosc... I will look into travel options and prices soon. Right now I have been planning the next two weekends with at least a few hours in Torun on Friday and next weekend in Wroclaw (reserved a hotel room in Wroclaw and bought two-way train tickets for both cities).

After the meeting, I stopped by the Main Warsaw train station to pick up my tickets for the Torun trip; it was interesting because the station is currently undergoing construction. So, it was not as easy to find the post office, but I managed. :-P I also had a script made that was provided by the English-language provider of the tickets. The post office woman seemed confused that I was picking up a package - maybe it does not happen so often that an outsider picks one up - and I had to wait for her to fill out papers and her and I signed some slips. She asked for my passport and luckily settled for my student ID card when I said either that or a driver's license from the States since my passport was not with me. It took a bit (I made good timing because there was no line until one formed after me). Woo, tickets. The ones for my next trip are being sent to my program assistant instead, haha.

Tomorrow I think I may make it to the Copernicus Science Center and then I have one class in the afternoon before the weekend begins. :) Need to decide what I will do on Saturday and Sunday.

Dworzec Centralny: Warszawa - nice white sheet to block the work

Pan Tadeusz

... was interesting. The movie was both very good and a bit awkward. I liked it except for a nephew and an aunt (although I guess more of distant relation connected them than direct by immediate blood or marriage? So she was not a sister of his mother or father nor was she married to a brother of his mother or father...) had a lustful, secret, brief relationship - I would barely call it that since it was more physical and I never could figure out Tad's true feelings; she said that he had mentioned loving her, but I am not so sure since it could be that she was throwing herself at him - a bit too much cleavage, but I guess not for the men around, including Tad - and he was a young guy; the use of "aunt" made me wonder about this fact and I looked it up later, hoping maybe the title was simply a sign of respect so that the "romance" (used lightly) would be less awkward (more May-December than both that and incest being involved). However, she is actually related by family... making it distant was still a bit strange for my modern head. Also, of course, this was "old school" in that a girl marries before 18 (she was 14 at the beginning, but the wedding was being planned during the film's conclusion, so maybe she was 15 as a bride when the wedding would eventually take place... :-P). Most of the characters were okay and at first I thought I might enjoy the story and want to read the book someday, but the aunt-nephew bit creeped me out. I also prefer to have romance develop more in the story instead of, what I guess was, "love at first sight." I think the story was reminiscent of "The Pillars of the Earth" (want to read that one) mini-series, but I prefer Pillars a bit more. The actor who played Tadeusz was very good-looking and a couple of the actors in the film were pretty skilled. I also liked the way the film looked: colors, costumes, scenery, etc. Also, I liked the themes, particularly those of freedom and of nationalism, that were shown.

Good News! Cigarette Juice!

The above title relates to "Tim & Eric." ;-) :-P

The above photo comes from a blog I read; more reason to love my favorites, SWEET POTATOES. ;-)

Today I had two classes (woo, Polish history and politics!) with two more to go. I am watching a movie in my literature course ("Pan Tadeusz") and then I have my Jews in Poland class. Today was one of the days to pick up new bed linens, which is good because I spilled yogurt on both sides of my comforter. :-P Now I am enjoying some tea time since, sadly, it is not as nice weather-wise as yesterday. It is gray and chilly. Tomorrow I have Polish class and a CIEE group meeting. After those, I think I might make it INSIDE of the Copernicus Science Center. I also need to pick up my train tickets to and from Torun (I go on Friday for the day). The following weekend (25-27 of March) I head to Wroclaw (buying train tickets soon). I also think I may plan times to go to such places as Bialystok and Lodz for day trips. Other places may wait for Spring/Easter Break if they require more time to both travel and sightsee.

"I've never understood why people consider youth a time of freedom and joy. It's probably because they have forgotten their own."

-Margaret Atwood

Dla Studenta

Websites for students in Poland:

http://www.dlastudenta.pl/

http://miejsca.students.pl/

http://studentnews.pl/

The weather is great: 60s and sunny (too bad I have three more classes until sundown, so I will not enjoy it much today). Some of my Polish homework includes making Zurek soup with others in my class and researching a Lwow cuisine restaurant here in Warsaw: http://www.kamandalwowska.pl/ or http://www.facebook.com/Kamanda.Lwowska

We also talked about milk bars in class today and learned kitchen supply words.

Lines

I would rather wait a few days than a few minutes in a line. For example, instead of waiting in line on Fat Thursday, I decided to return a few days later when there was no line for paczki. Today I went to the Copernicus Science Center (why I chose mid-day Saturday, now I know was not the best idea) and decided to return another day since not only was the line a bit long (also indicating the inside is probably busy as well), but the weather was amazing and I decided to stay outdoors instead. Thus, I walked near the center along the Wisla River (seeing some bridges and another mermaid statue) near a few parks. I then went to the Warsaw University Library (to the inside where only stores and cafes are, but not into the actual  library since you go through "airport security" and need to stop at a coat check before entering) and its grounds (observation on the roof not open until the end of the month). There is a great park right next to it. After seeing how pretty the library's exteriors (and some interior) are, I went to Old and New Towns. I saw how it is to walk to the Ibis Hotel and then headed back to my dorm. It was a nice walk and I enjoyed the warmer temperatures and sunshine. Since it is the weekend and nice weather, a lot of people were out (especially at tourist sites, such as the science center and Old Town). I think tomorrow I will go to the Independence Museum and maybe the Jewish Historical Institute (both free admission on Sundays) and save Copernicus for Wednesday afternoon or Thursday before class.

Picture reminder, go here: :)
http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221

I also have been fiddling with my foursquare a bit. :-P
http://foursquare.com/kab1221

Now, yoga, reading, bed.

UPDATE: Torun day-trip on Friday. :) Next to plan include maybe a day-trip to Lodz then... not sure.

The Best Of Polish Movies

http://en.fn.org.pl/page/?str=53&id=575

Gosia told us about Polish film screenings with English subtitles, but the theatre is in Old Town and screenings start on certain Mondays right after I would be leaving class, so that may not work. :(

BUT, I just found that the National Library will be playing Polish movies with English subtitles every Wednesday all year. Wednesdays work better and the location does as well. :)

Act Like A Vegetarian Day ;)

... or vegan/pescaterian depending on what is consumed (dairy/no dairy/fish as only animal, etc.). ;) I tend to be pescaterian or vegetarian most of the time, so today I made sure not to have any poultry (since I don't go into red meat, pork, or anything else other than occasional chicken and turkey and seafood in terms of animals; animal-related products that are a bit more difficult to give up include yogurt/fro yo and honey and eggs/egg whites or anything else that happens to have some milk or any aforementioned items in it). But, it is a Friday during Lent (Wielki Post), so that means no consumption of animals who lived with Jesus (or, simply put, you can have seafood/fish and dairy, but lay off other meat and poultry on Fridays, please).

The Browns are now on THREE continents! I am here in Europe, my Dad's over in Asia, I have a lot of family on the East coast of the US, while Jenn is reppin' West Side over in sunny LA. ;)

Today, some people on my program had to be up VERY early to ride a train or bus to Zakopane. Others are in Lublin and Prague. I, instead, went out to lunch at VEGA, a vegatarian place on my foodie hitlist:
http://www.vega-warszawa.pl/
I had some vegan soup (called red lentil flavour, but also called dhal soup, so curry/Indian-like ;) ) and some different salads - one was boiled shredded carrots with coconut flakes and raisins, another was shredded beets (not sure what other flavors), and the last had chickpeas, kidney/dark beans, peas, and green beans in some kind of brown sauce. I especially liked the chickpea salad. There were a couple of other salads I thought of trying, but the plate looked fine with those three (as the server placed them). I would go back again since the price was not bad at all and the place is cute (plus there are more foods to sample). The food is healthy, Polish-meets-Indian-meets-typical-Vegetarian. I liked it. :)

I choose BEET over MEAT ;)

After lunch, I went to the Jewish Historical Institute, but for some reason I was told it was closed? (The sign said 4 PM...) and I was even encouraged to come on Sunday, when it is free. :-P I then explained that I was mainly interested in genealogy. I was told that I had to go to an adjacent building for this office (which is also at the site of the former Great Synagogue and now is maybe an office building or bank). I had to wait a bit and then, unfortunately, I experienced some fierce genealogists. :-P I gave them the info I had, but I was told it was not enough and I could contact them when I had more. Maybe next time. :-/

Then I considered going to the Copernicus Science Center, but when I looked at nearby buses from where I was I recognized one of the bus numbers and later realized I had recalled it because... it goes to a mall I wanted to check out sometime. :-P So that is where I went!
http://www.wolapark.pl/index,2.dhtml

I bought some leggings and a new cotton dress at C&A: http://www.c-and-a.com/uk/en/corporate/fashion/

and then I checked out Auchan.

I had not been to one since 2005 in Legnica. It was similar to the other big hiper/supermarkets I have seen here so far (TESCO, Carrefour). Each place has postives and negatives. Not sure why I am going on a search to find the "best" or "perfect" grocery store [will always be Wegmans to me, and not all of those are even created equal! Whole Foods is also quite nice and Trader Joe's has its moments. :-P] since I don't mind the European way of shopping - going to separate stores such as the meat deli and the bakery and then the fruit and vegetable store, etc. But, I still keep trying out several. :-P This place is probably one of the better places I have been to, but not good enough to become my exclusive grocer. It had free bags (! just in case I need them. ;) ) and self-checkout (TESCO has the former, while some Carrefours have the latter). Also, there was a large selection of just about everything, but I did not see sweet potatoes (did not look too hard) or my new faves - EKO apple chipsy (basically crunchy organic apple slices that were dried with nothing added, except sunshine and Magic). As nice as this mall is, I think going to an easier to access one is fine as well since most of the other places are available closer, except this grocery store (there are H&Ms, Zaras, Camaeius, C&As, Sephoras, Empiks, Green Ways, etc.). It was a good mall. I think it is easier by tram versus bus next time. I enjoyed just walking around since only the grocery store was busy. The travel back took so long that I did not have a chance to go to see the science center today since I would not have enough time to make it there (I made it back to the dorm at almost 5 PM and the center closes at 6 today). So, I will do that tomorrow or Sunday. Now, I am waiting on laundry. I think that's all for now. :) I thought it was supposed to rain today, but I am glad it did not. I enjoyed the teeny bit of sunshine, but not the crazy wind.

Photos are updated at: http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221

Multi-Purpose Castle

Today, I decided to head to the Center for Contemporary Art in Ujazdowski Castle [on Thursdays admission is free]. I saw some of the nice park that surrounds it and the center itself is a great space; the bookstore was really neat and the art was... interesting. Some pieces I liked and there were other times when I felt as if I was walking through a Halloween Haunted House - there was one artist who had several rooms with pieces of imagery or film projected onto screens on the wall, floor, or ceiling with the lights off, even one room had mainly a sound  machine with a recording that was creepy. There was a room dedicated to the history of the castle since it had been a royal home then a medical hospital and now a place for modern art. Strange combination I'd say. :-P There were even medical instruments and photos from its days as a hospital around the time of the two world wars (the castle was given to the city by Poland's last king). Some art I liked included a room dedicated to a big concept piece done by Yoko Ono. Also, there were some cool lights and these neat benches outside that had cool quotes on them (one bench would be all-English and the next all-Polish). The crowds I've seen at museums and galleries are always interesting, depending on where I am: long-haired men or young couples at art museums, families at the historical or national ones.

I walked the area near the museum and saw the Parliament area buildings, some more embassies, and a neat small-Finnish-wooden house neighborhood.

After some wandering - it was wet and muddy and somewhat gray, but the sun came out here-and-there and it was not too chilly - I had to go to my literature class (Mickiewicz, Romanticism, and vampires. :-P Movie day next class - "Pan Tadeusz"!)

Woo, weekend. ;)
I am thinking Copernicus Science Center, Jewish Institute, ? Friday and tourin' Torun Saturday for now. Those are the ideas so far!

More Photos: http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221

Pictures of You

The rest of today's photos!
http://twitpic.com/photos/kab1221

Another useful travel website:
http://www.poland.travel/en

Pączek i Praga

Some of today's photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60142466@N03/sets/72157626106465663/

Today the weather was Spring-like, so I had to spend time outside from the time my class ended until the sun began to set. Once I finished my informative Polish lesson, I headed towards downtown to have lunch at Salad House, where I had planned to go after passing it on a walk a few days ago. I had a "Green Kiss" salad with smoked chicken, lettuce, red and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, and balsamic dressing. It was good. :)




Some of the inside of Salad House

After Salad House, I decided to have my belated pączek - Polish donut filled with some kind of jam/marmalade/filling. There was no line today. :-P I asked for apple - of course - and was told there weren't any, so I decided to do the one of the more "standard" fillings, rosehip jam (I guess that is what it translates to). The paczek was a bit warm - which I hoped for - and super soft. The donut tasted identical to Krispy Kreme and was glazed, not powdered, with a hint of the red-colored jam. Not sure what the flavor could be compared to... but that was a good donut from someone who is no longer into donuts. I am glad I didn't wait in a long line or settle for just anything on Pączki Day -  Fat Thursday (which was the Thursday a few days ago). Instead, I chose this place and celebrated belatedly (both Fat Thursday and yesterday's Fat Tuesday). :-P I also know of two other places in the area who are known to make good pączki, but I am not really a donut-person, so I am not sure I will go on a taste test myself.

Paczek with random sprinkles (only a couple)

I walked around a bit (saw a 4-door Mini Cooper!) and decided to head to the other side of the Wisla/Vistula River into the Praga area. I walked through a nice park and saw the E. Wedel chocolate factory - it actually DOES smell of chocolate in the air right nearby - and its special chocolate store. I used my local's guide map to see some interesting sites around Praga - a weird cultural area with pagodas and dragons and other Asian-themed architecture - for people from Vietnam I guess it is said, a statue to Mary [Mother of Jesus], a mural, the longest building in Warsaw, a vodka factory - and even saw a mall in the area (nothing special compared to ones I've seen before that are a bit easier to access from my dorm).

Tomorrow includes one class in the afternoon with some laundry and Skyping beforehand. I also will try and make it to the Jewish Historical Institute, Copernicus Science Center, and Warsaw History Museum on Thursday, Friday, or Sunday (leaving Saturday as the main day-trip day). I am planning on having a somewhat Copernicus-themed weekend with going to Torun and his science center being the main points. I have some researching and a bit of homework ahead of me.

From a great one:

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." —Steve Martin

:-D

Upcoming Plans

-Check out the Copernicus Science Center:
http://www.kopernik.org.pl/en/

-Go to the Jewish Historical Institute to look around and do some genealogy

-Maybe day trip to Torun or Lodz... might do Torun first...

-...laundry... :( and homework :-P

-Warsaw History Museum

-Go to Praga district (maybe the zoo) and other malls or museums or parks...
(I will look at my book, guides, and maps on Warsaw for more ideas, I just hope to have at least some nice weather to walk outside)

Not much happened lately other than I quickly looked into the cafe in the school building A and thought it looked similar to IKEA food and was not in the mood for that sort. :-P Today was International Women's Day, which turns into a one-sided Valentine's Day where many guys buy (a) flower(s) for the women/woman in their lives. I saw some girls walking around with a tulip. I only heard it discussed during my politics class; I don't really see having a special day for women as helpful for equality and the professor said his wife and daughters do not care for this day. There were different opinions, but most of us do not see the day as doing very much for women's rights. Maybe one da.

Some Polish tourism ideas! :-D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Poland
(I've been to Warsaw, Krakow, and Auschwitz; will see the salt mine during our trip to Krakow region; planning to check out Torun soon - and maybe Malbork [since we will not stop on the way to or from Gdansk] and Zamosc)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Wonders_of_Poland
(similar to previous list and my notes)

Some Mazowsze Pictures

From another's camera:

Theatre (not from my seat area)

Strawberry Swing/Kim in Kabaty

Today was a sad return back to winter weather. :-/ It was also quite fickle outside: sun, gray, cold, SNOW (?) - brief blizzards are no fun, "warm," cold wind. I went back to my activity mantra of: "museums and malls."

On my way to Old Town, I had some interesting sights: a parade of people in Centrum (I think it related to Women's Day - Dzien Kobiet - on Tuesday) and more police officers than I have ever seen before by the hotel my parents and grandmother may stay at in May - I think it might be related to football/soccer since there is a field near the hotel... and the officers looked calm (maybe waiting for possible hooligan shenanigans from booze and sports and emotions).

I first decided to go to the Literature Museum since I went yesterday and it was closed. Today, however, I did not have to pay (but admission is only a couple of dollars anyway - that would be reimbursed by Gosia/the program). One floor had a lot of interesting artwork and photography - most of them fairly recent works. The second floor was mainly about the famous Polish Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz. There was a lot of history not only about his life, but also about Poland and other parts of Europe during his lifetime. I saw a lot of portraits of Adam and his friends/acquaintances and his family and other important figures. Plus, there were some of his personal belongings and other pieces (furniture, books, etc.) that would have been present in the period during which he lived. I walked around Old Town a bit - where I saw a lot of tourists (it is now interesting going places and trying to compare people who live here and people who are "just visiting" since I am somewhere in-between the two) and was even approached by a guy outside a church, who handed me a little paper (the same one I took from the Church where Chopin's heart is located) and started giving me some spiel (I remember something about "heart-to-heart") while walking along with me (still in front of the church). Once I said I don't speak Polish very well (after a couple moments of awkward silence), he had had enough of me and took the Jesus pamphlet back so her could move on to others (I think his goal was money). The Old Town area was very busy today (lots of people with cameras). I remember going into one shop - it said it was a "Magic House" shop and seemed mystical from the outside (even having a bilingual sign about being a good shop to stop by in Old Town according to some guide), but was more "antique-y" inside - where someone who works there mentioned a lot of people coming by today. I saw some pins from different Polish cities, but not really of any places I was especially drawn to buying (I had visited only maybe Krakow among them).

After Old Town, I decided to see another "mall." On my way to the Metro, I walked around a few streets and saw more of downtown. I looked for one place recommended by a "local's guide" map, but did not find it at the address... I will have to research that. I also walked by a cafe from that map and a Burberry store and briefly saw another restaurant that I had read about in a Warsaw Insider magazine. I had to ride a bus with a SHRIEKING and CRYING little girl. Every time I have an internal monologue complaining about kids who act this way I begin to wonder if my children will be the types to make scenes in public. It would be a punishment for complaining about it, but I do tend to keep it inside until the family is out of earshot if I say anything aloud at all... I could still hear the kid from the sidewalk when I left the bus.

I saw on a map that one "mall" is very close to one of the Metro stops. It was a strange mall with not that much to it and was almost an updated Hala Mirowska. :-P It had a Vietnamese restaurant that could be good and a Rossman (Walgreens/Rite-Aid - almost said Eckerd...) among its small selection (seemed mostly personally-owned shops and a couple cafes). So, since I was closer to Kabaty (the last Metro stop south), I decided to check out TESCO (right next to this stop) because I had probably been the only one in my group who had not already seen it. It was similar to Wal-Mart and Tops or Stop-N-Shop and the Auchan I went to in Legnica, Poland (not as good as Whole Foods or Wegmans). It had a grocery store similar to any in the US and also had some extra shops in the front - an Empik store, an Empik Outlet (which looked interesting with many marked-down goods), the market/food court area that is present in a lot of grocery stores, and some other small services and shops. I seem to have become a store/mall/grocery critic lately. :-P I guess some positives about this store include free carts, free plastic bags, and decent selection of items. Negatives include not having anything special that would make me come to this specific store since a lot of items I could find at small stores and Carrefour closer to me and the lack of self-checkout (I'm an addict). Oh, and there's the fact that some creepy, dirty, bloody guy came up to me and said something about bread (from what I could understand of his Polish mumbling). I looked at him, saw the blood and his face in genral, and eased away without saying a word. I see blood, I go. There were a lot of people around me and also the liquor section nearby, which this fellow headed into and then began talking to some guy inside (maybe this time wanting something else...). Not sure I would go back here, even for free carts and bags. :-P

Also, just had my first Skype session since coming to Poland. :-D Too bad the Internet has been strange lately... it goes in and out sometimes and can be tricky with reloading or restarting or putting in passwords several times. :-/ We had to switch to phone more than once. I also have a recent knack for losing mittens, the same as the three little kittens except they found theirs and I am not sure I will have such luck. :-P Back to the weird pair for a couple of days.

Today's pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60142466@N03/sets/72157626210981580/

In A Big Country

Sadly, the weather today was not of the same quality as yesterday's. :( It was gray and cold and a bit wet outside. I decided it was another indoor activity kind of day. First, I headed to a museum in Stare Miasto (Old Town) and found out it is closed on Saturdays. :-/ Maybe tomorrow I will see it. :-P After that, the weather was so gross that I decided to just go to the movies. This meant going to the Multikino at Zlote Tarasy (yuck) since I did not see the main movie I was interested in seeing available at another cinema; the mall was busy as usual (maybe even more since it is Saturday and a bad weather-day). The movie theatre prices are probably close to prices of some American ones, except maybe a bit less than in big city multiplexes (so actually cheaper and there are not just child, but student, discounts). There are different prices depending on day/time and age; I tried to ask for a student price, but the girl at the box office gave me some issues about my student card's date (I think? I had told her I don't speak Polish well and ordered in Polish and then she said something about my card was bad that I did not understand) - which I think was just her not reading it correctly, but I don't know how to argue in Polish well enough, so I just paid normal price since I understood that part of what she said. I saw "The Adjustment Bureau," which was pretty good. The movie theatre is big and nice with a large screen and comfy seats with cup holders. The place is multi-level and even has bars and clubs inside, so it is very large. At this cinema, you are actually assigned seats - which I don't think ever happens in the US for films... - which remided me of seating being done on an airplane. Because of this, I actually was surrounded by people rather than using the "one stall" rule in America that always has people giving each other space in terms of seating in bathrooms or theaters - we Americans like our space and tend to give each other courtesy room. ;) My thoughts on the movie include: good chemistry between Damon and Blunt (she is lucky with all of her Boston Boys); YAY JOHN SLATTERY (wish he were used as much toward the end as in the beginning); and interesting characters (especially the agent who "watches" Damon's character). It was interesting just watching the movie and glancing at the subtitles to see words I knew or to try and learn new ones. The previews were better when showing English-language films because they were not dubbed, whereas everything from Poland did not have English sub-titles, of course. ;) :-P I headed back after the movie to a slippery, moist-aired city with light rain. I saw some dumb tween/teen girls on a tram who had beer and seemed drunk or just stupid; one fell down stairs by a Metro stop and another kept swearing before leaving the tram. Plans for tomorrow include museum visits and not sure what else.

In The Sun

Today's Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60142466@N03/sets/72157626070086061/

Today I caught up on some sleep a bit. :-P I did have enough energy to eventually make it outside! This was great because the weather was the best yet; "warm" and sunny. I was not sure where to go, so I ended up using a map Gosia gave us again, which was made by locals of "hot spots" in the city. First, I went to check out the hotel my parents and Babcia/grandma are staying at in May called Ibis:
http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-3714-ibis-warszawa-stare-miasto-old-town/location.shtml
I had actually walked across from the place before. :-P I looked quickly around the area immediately surrounding it and went inside. I tried to look in a room a woman was cleaning, but she had the bathroom door open and I could not see anything. :-/ So, I just walked around one floor and the ground floor. I saw around the lobby and into the restaurant. It seems nice and I even scored some visitor and Warsaw travel booklets. :)

After that, I headed to a few spots off the map. These included some walls of the Warsaw Ghetto that are being preserved. It was so crazy to see that I had to touch the walls. Something in me really wanted to make it more than about looking and picture-taking. Some people had left rocks and candles. I also saw that there is a small museum there open on Sundays, so maybe I will head back sometime. I ended up going quickly to the mall to pick up a couple of items (sweet potatoes at Zlote Tarasy are probably the best and almost cheapest) - too bad this mall is super busy since it is downtown and near the train station, which makes it crowded, even by people with luggage. :-/ I went by the Contemporary Art Museum, but I think I will just go back another time.

Weekend plans include maybe seeing a movie ("The Adjustment Bureau" or "The Figher" are a couple of options), hitting more museums (choices include Warsaw History Museum and Literature Museum among others), and seeing more hot-spots out of the guidebook and maps I have collected. I might even make it to the other side of the river eventually! :-P Or even check out more malls and other shopping places - IKEA might be a bit far, but we'll see. ;) I also have a bit of homework, but luckily not too much. Maybe I will look into theatre productions - I saw an ad for "Rocky Horror" coming. :-P

Dancing On My Own

Today I was a bit tired when I woke up, but the shining sun was enough for me to take a shower and head outdoors. The weather was fantastic. :) Spring really is coming.

I went to Zacheta (http://www.zacheta.art.pl/en/), which is an art museum here that is free to go to on Thursdays. The art depends on the exhibit of the moment; the one I saw was "3 Women" about three different female Polish artists; the artwork was mainly from the 1960s and 1970s. All of it was... interesting with a lot of naked and sexual imagery for some reason. :-P On the way to the museum, saw a bit more begging/homelessness/gypsies than I had before. The trams are the places people tend to go on and play music for money or just beg - using instruments and children are common.

After the museum visit, I ended up walking around outside since the weather was reminiscent of spring - fairly "warm" and sunny. I went to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier again and to the park near it; I walked around some of Centrum and Nowy Swiat Street areas (more exploration!). I walked by a couple of recommended places for paczki - since it is Paczki Day/Tlusty Czwartek/Fat Thursday here in Poland. The lines were crazy-long at both, especially since there were none when I went by these places the day before. My adventure to find a good place for a paczek did not work out - I want the best to offer in this country if I have one at all. ;) I gave up when I had to go to class near 3PM. I may try one on Fat Tuesday, when Americans celebrate Paczki Day. :-P Other than seeing a lot of paczki action, I also saw some cute GQ mofos. ;) I guess downtown is good for that.

Today's pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60142466@N03/sets/72157626188943562/

:)

My Babcia is coming to Poland again! This makes me SO happy. :) Especially since I have felt a bit weird, tired, and sad sometimes.

Last night was a celebration for a belated birthday of one of the people in my group. It included cake (the one eaten by some of us was a small, pretty one that the Polish buddies brought - I saw chocolate and cherries, thought I smelled rum, but one girl on the program brought one that was saved for later since the buddy cake looked more "birthday" and the buddies had proper birthday candles) and alcholol (different beers - one being a hemp beer - and vodka and tequila) sometimes with juice (apple or grapefruit). We began in one of the common kitchens in the dorm and afterwards most of the group (not me) went to the student club PARK. Today the sun is shining and I may head out soon and see what I can accomplish before class at 3:20.

Weekend begins soon. :)

Lost In The World

Not sure if I should say much about the last post. Bad news is never easy.

Yesterday my final two classes were pretty interesting - Literature class included neat discussions and pictures, while Jews in Poland class involved a nice documentary film about people who had lived with several Jews before so many of them were exterminated during WWII. After that class, our CIEE group had dinner at this colorful Mexican restaurant nearby our dorm, Blue Cactus (http://www.bluecactus.pl/cactus-menu1.php). We all shared appetizers - I tried some salsa on chips and had a couple quesadilla slices - and I had a salad with grilled chicken, arugula, cherry tomatoes, onions, pumpkin seeds, and dressing. It was pretty good, except we had to wait a while since we were a large group. I am not big into Tex-Mex and margaritas, so it was all just okay to me.

So, today the weather was actually almost "nice." :-P It was sunny and probably the warmest it has been since I arrived. This morning I went outside and was pleasantly surprised by the temperature. :) After an informative Polish lesson, I picked up a package (yay, new magazines from home!) and had lunch in my room before heading out for a few hours to enjoy the good weather. I went to Hala Mirowska (http://www.spottedbylocals.com/warsaw/hala-mirowska/) first. Hmm, not sure how to explain this indoor/outdoor market. :-P I guess it is a combination of a farmer's market, a street market, a mall/grocery store, and the Windmill in Upstate NY. There is a bit Pike Place Market of Seattle in it and other places I have been and I am uncertain where they were - maybe Italy or Florida or ..., but more European. It is an experience to see. ;) I am not sure this would exist exactly the same in the US. If it did, the place would be different in terms of meat displays and meat handling in particular. I saw buckets of mostly bones with some raw meat and people handling meat with their bare hands as it was sitting out without a fridge or anything. However, there was a lot of fish and NONE of it smelled (good sign) and there were a lot of nice baked goods and commercial products and pretty flowers. I am not too comfortable yet with my Polish speaking - and not sure I needed or wanted anything being sold right now - to buy anything, so maybe another time. I also heard haggling is done there; I can somewhat try to converse in Polish, but I assume that younger people and tourist-y areas would give me more luck with people being able to talk to me if I had to use some English. :-P This place seems to be more used by locals. The fruits and vegetables and flowers might be the items I would hessitantly check out to buy.

After HM, I went by tram around the city. I walked around near Nowy Swiat Street, including checking out a highly recommended bakery for paczki (in case I want one for Fat Thursday/Tlusty Czwartek/Paczki Day tomorrow). I walked around some since the weather was nice. When the sun started to head down in the sky, I decided to go pick up some quick groceries at the Carrefour in Galeria Mokotow before heading to the dorm. Now I have some reading and homework to complete. Just one class tomorrow afternoon and it's the weekend. :) Some plans for the next few days include more museums (Zacheta Art Museum free tomorrow) and going to the genealogy department at the Jewish Historical Institute. Maybe even do more outdoors-oriented activities if the weather stays nice.

Today's photos (last time I tried adding directly to the blog I was told I have too many photos, so I began a Flickr account):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/60142466@N03/sets/72157626182153368/

All Dogs Go To Heaven :)