Great Blog

Quick note to talk about a blog I just heard about that is written by some English students in Poland, there to check out the country before the EURO Cup in 2012:
http://misja21.blox.pl

Blog Description:
"Gazeta Wyborcza", the country's leading daily, has invited journalism students from City University London to visit 21 biggest cities in Poland and determine whether they are ready to host the UEFA EURO 2012 championships. What is it like for foreigners to meet Polish people? Are any of the common stereotypes actually true? Here is our editorial project, Mission 21.

I think this is a fantastic resource because of how expansive it is; I did not have a chance to visit many of the cities that these bloggers have gone to, such as Opole and Szczecin. And there is a lot of great information on food, activities, and sites to see around the country.

Quick...

-Ate a simple breakfast at our hotel
-Visited family members at their houses in Buczyna, Sieniawa, and Lubrza. Chatted, visited a corner store, tried foods (a coleslaw-like dish at one house,  'Ruskie' (Russian, cheese and potato) pierogi, 'kluski' (similar to pierogi, but round and potato rather than dough on the outside and meat on the inside), slices of bread, and rolls at another), enjoyed the weather outside, and saw a little lake
-Stopped at a TESCO supermarket for some food and ate it on the hotel's outside deck, so now we are relaxing since we drive to Prague tomorrow (5 hours after breakfast)

After Party: Part II

Went and met some family at a restaurant (Graffit: http://www.graffit.com.pl/#) near the Jesus statue and one of their homes. I had a salad with grilled small shrimp. After dinner, we spent some time having drinks (coffee, tea, etc.) and chatting at the house nearby. Tomorrow we go to visit more family...

After Party

Left Warsaw almost for "good" (until a possible future visit) other than the day-long stay before flights to the USA later. Today, we had breakfast at the hotel before checking out and our car ride from more central Poland near Warsaw to western Poland to visit family. We are now at a hotel in Swiebodzin, the town of my mother's birth and the current location of some family members (and famous Jesus statue...). The hotel is not bad (at least free Internet :-P) and the ride here was pretty smooth. We stopped midday in Poznan to site-see a bit and have lunch in the Stare Miasto/Old Town rynek. The Old Town area is really nice. I liked the small pieces of Poznan that we saw. We walked by a cool mall/centre with restaurants and shops and such that was converted from an old brewery (and is even called 'Old Brewery' [Stare Browar], reminding me of Manufaktura in Lodz, a converted factory) and the rynek was neat, especially the church and colorful buildings. We ate at Brovaria [http://www.brovaria.pl/EN-H28.html] (I had a pretty good seasonal salad with grilled tuna, grapefruit slices, peppers, tomato slices, lettuces, and such). The weather has been pretty good and we will soon be meeting with family members at a cafe... Had some nice chats in the car - even learning a law about always needing lights on when driving in Poland.

On To The Next One

Feeling a bit of travel/train lag today. :-P I need to finishing preparing for my program's trip to Krakow tomorrow midday.

The few days I had in western Poland went by quickly: visiting "Jesus," seeing around Swiebodzin or Lagow or Sieniawa or Legnica or Wroclaw, Easter family visit/meals/gifts, music video channels, bus rides, train rides, watching movies ("Chloe" and "Limitless"), first time at Pizza Hut in Poland (it's fancy here :-P) and first gofry (with strawberry jam), shopping, listening to organ music, learning Polish, and being able to see people who had not seen in a while.

Backyard Garden in Legnica :-D

Now I am resting and preparing for a few days in the Krakow area. :-D I am also looking more at where I will be going in about a year when I finish up in Fairfield. Right now I think I might be interested in pursuing a Masters in International Management/Business. Since I am thinking Europe might be less expensive and more sensical than the US, I am researching schools mainly on this side of the Atlantic... particularly because I am in the process of earning a Polish Passport. This would mean probably going to Warsaw again or to Krakow or to Poznan [I am thinking using English and being able to continue learning more Polish while being close to friends and family again]. Some prospects include:
http://www.kozminski.edu.pl/index.php/en/graduate_ma/abe_international_master_in_mana [mostly in Warsaw, but also time in other parts of the European Union]
-maybe back to the school I am at now (SGH/Warsaw School of Economics)
-maybe the school of economics in Poznan or Wroclaw or Krakow

Easter/Spring Break Part II: Legnica

From the town of my mother's birth to her hometown in Poland. I took a bus from Swiebodzin to Legnica this afternoon. Today was a more chill day since I had breakfast, watched music videos, went on the computer, and had a Polish tomato soup lunch (had noodles, chicken, carrots, and tomato-cream broth) before my journey. I had a pretty long bus ride since there were a few stops along the way (left a little after 3pm and arrived at about 6pm; it would be about 2 hours-long if direct). Now I am in Legnica until Thursday afternoon.

Pictures Added to Photobucket

I like pretty, colorful tulips.

http://s1113.photobucket.com/albums/k510/kab1221/Spring%20Break/

Easter Weekend

Wesołych Świąt Wielkanocnych! Wszystkiego Najlepszego z okazji Wielkanocy i Smacznego Jajka.
[My rough translation: Happy Easter! All the best on the Easter occasion and tasty eggs! - The last part is a Polish phrase for the holiday. :-P]

I am here in Świebodzin (the place of my mother's birth, close to the Polish-German border and the Polish cities Poznan and Zielona Gora) celebrating Easter with family (my first Easter in Poland, of course). Yesterday I packed and took the train; I have a guest room at the house of my mother's cousin (his house with his wife and daughters is very nice and they are all wonderful hosts). Today I visited the famous Jesus statue here and walked around the town a bit (lunch included a seafood soup and Nicoise-like salad at an Italian restaurant; I liked the soup since I quite enjoy anything with tomatoes - broth, sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked tomatoes, raw tomatoes... - and seafood).

The BIG Jesus statue of Swiebodzin, walking distance from where I am staying right now and a good "person" to celebrate the holiday with... since it is HIS death and rebirth ;) [picture from Internet, but I do have a few pictures with it from today with me and others as well - too bad I look funny with the wind blowing my hair around :-/]

I watched the movie "Chloe" at my relatives' house and we chatted a bit; I showed some pictures of friends, family, and other students here. We hung around the house (lots of Polish practice :-D ) and relaxed (now watching "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events" dubbed in Polish on TV) since tomorrow a lot more family members are coming to visit. I think Monday we may go out somewhere if the weather is nice - cannot remember the name of the place - and then I take a bus to Legnica on Tuesday.

I am in the process of earning Polish citizenship (dual with my natural US citizenship) so that I can be part of the European Union, which would mean cheaper tuition in member states in case I decide to go to a graduate school here. It also means easier travel between countries.

I am very excited for certain people in the US to join me here in Europe. ;) I am also the only one on my program who has yet to leave Poland for at least a couple of days (I do not mind this fact), but being taken out of the country (as my family will take me) is a lot easier than doing it myself alone or with other students here. :-P

Spring Break & Tours

Yesterday, after my Polish lesson, our program group had a meeting about our Spring Break plans (since our vacation begins after classes today :-D) and our nearly week-long trip to Kraków that begins right after at the beginning of May. We are leaving midday on Sunday, May 1 and returning (most of us probably) on Friday, May 6. Our hotel is the Royal Hotel: http://www.hotelroyal.com.pl/index_uk.html [which is apparently inexpensive, nice, well-located near downtown, and includes breakfast]. We will arrive in the afternoon to the city and go out to dinner (right now being planned to go to Da Pietro: http://www.dapietro.pl/) before having free time. On Monday, after breakfast at the hotel, we are having a tour guide take us around the city, including Jagiellonian University (particularly the Collegium Maius area: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collegium_Maius), St. Mary's Church, and the SUKIENNICE/Main Square ( <3 love it from last time :) :-D). Later on we head to dinner before having the night free. Tuesday is our trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine: http://www.kopalnia.pl/home.php?urlMain=2,,1,1,,&id_location=1&reloadMenu=true&level=-1&id_site=10000 This is exciting for me because this is one place I have yet to visit. :) Wednesday is the tour of Wawel: http://www.wawel.krakow.pl/en/ the castle, Royal Cathedral, royal rooms, treasury, Sigismundus Bell, and royal tombs. Thursday is our trip to Auschwitz (I have visited and our program directors said we can opt out of any tours we do not want to go on if we have done them already or have personal reasons not to do them, but this is such a significant place; I feel as though going again with my classmates should be an interesting experience). Friday we have a tour of Kazimierz [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimierz] before heading back to Warsaw (unless we decide to remain in Krakow for the weekend, but I may enjoy the weekend in Warsaw since it is easier to travel back with most of the group than to have to worry about accommodations since our train rides back to Warsaw are given to us included in the overall program cost but not additional nights at a hotel or hostel).

Today is laundry and packing and preparing for my trips over Spring Break (Swiebodzin-Legnica-Wroclaw). I have one class in a couple of hours. The weather is nice, but I am stuck inside for a bit since I am in the middle of laundry. :-/ I have some work to do over break as well, but I am here to go to school and should try to think about that. :-P