Today was a lot of fun. Woke up early to start a big project at work, got a lot done. Spent all day analyzing and categorizing records... my weird idea of a good time ;) Had a pleasant lunch at a new cafe, avoiding a huge trade union protest that was marching through town. Poor guys... they helped make the new changes here and are now losing their jobs.
Went to Polish class and had a rather strenuous speaking exam- speaking is not my forte in Polish. But my teacher gave me a gorgeous pinkish-orange rose, which was very sweet of her. It really brightens my apartment! Came home afterward, watched Supernatural and ate dinner, then put on my flowy black velvet pants and gorgeous red top with the gold sparklies and took myself out to see "The Merchants of Bollywood".
I'd seen this advertised a few weeks ago and had no idea what it was, but the name sounded great, so how could I resist? Besides, it was playing in the Sala Congresowa, a huge concert hall in the Palace of Culture and Science. I'd never been in there, but had always wanted to go.
It was great! Turned out to be a musical about the evolution of Bollywood over the years. The main characters were a grandfather and his granddaughter. The grandfather had made classic films in the early years, then disgusted with the corruption of the industry, moved home and taught classical dance in a temple of Shiva. He wanted his granddaughter to follow in his footsteps and continue the classic dances, but of course, she wanted to go to Bombay and make her fortune as a choreographer. The grandfather totally opposed this, but she went anyway and made it big. She came home, but had a really hard time convincing him that she'd achieved a lot and to forgive her. He finally did, but it was a kind of bittersweet ending.
The show was full of great music, gorgeous sparkling costumes and of course, fun dance numbers. It was completely packed, and the had fun things to look at out in the hallway. I had some chai and samosas from my favorite Indian restaurant, who had a table there, and picked up the soundtrack. Really glad I went- it's fun to see new things!
Today has been really good.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Prague
Had a fun adventure last week- took the train down to Prague to see hockey. Had a good trip there and back, saw a great game, got lots of exercise, enjoyed a full moon and a day of sunshine, and found myself really wishing I lived there!
Got to the station a bit early on Monday night, wanted to make sure I didn't miss the train. Picked up a gingerbread latte, talked to Mom for a bit, then waited for the 9pm train to Prague. It ended up being about an hour late. >_< But eventually it arrived, and I found that I had a compartment all to myself. I put my stuff away, curled up on the top bunk, and read a book about hockey coaches for about an hour before going to sleep. I love sleeping on trains- there's something really comforting about the noises and rhythm of it.
When I got off the train at Hlavni Nadrazi, the main train station, it was almost 8am. Cold and gray, I desperately needed coffee. The train station is really cool, though- very large and open, reminds me of Gare du Nord in Paris. I picked up a map and Czech koruna, then wandered around for a bit in search of my hotel. Successfully located it, dropped off my bag, then headed back out to explore.
After about 20 minutes of walking around, I realized that apparently, the inhabitants of Prague subsist on books, not food. Every third shop was a bookstore of some sort, and I found a *very* dangerous place called the Palace of Books- huge book mall. I resisted going in and kept walking.
The city is artistic and cozy, with attractive buildings and pretty holiday decorations. After a coffee and pastry in a little paneria, I took one of the trams out to the Malostranska area and walked around there. Looked at antiques, discovered the museum of music, and decided *not* to visit the museum of medieval torture instruments- ick!
Took another tram out to the hockey arena, just so I'd know how to get there later. It was really easy to find, and huge, called the Tesla Arena. They weren't selling tickets, so I just walked around a bit. There's a hockey shop next door, one across the street, and several scattered through town, selling equipment, skates, fan stuff, etc. I found myself *really* wishing I lived here!
Looked at some pretty buildings next to the arena that were part of a world expo at one point. They weren't open, but they were pretty to look at anyway. I think that's the one word that generally describes Prague- beautiful. Everything has an elegant, artistic sense here.
It was starting to get a bit cold and rainy, so I took the tram and metro back to my hotel area and had a late lunch at an Italian place. Then went to the hotel, checked in, and just crashed for a couple hours. Got ready to go out, then took the tram to the game.
They'd turned on the holiday lights by then, so all of Prague was decorated with these pretty teal and white snowflakes. I also found myself a new teal pashmina on the way, so I'll have something nice to wear to games when I'm back home. Several people got on the tram with Sparta jerseys, so I knew I was heading in the right direction.
I had a good seat, lower level, about halfway back on the away goal... for about $11. ^___^ Big arena, very open inside. The fans are very boisterous- Pardubice had a pretty big section of them behind their goal. It was a good game- ended up going to overtime and shootouts. Pardubice eventually won, 3-2, but it was still fun to watch. The goalie I'd hoped to see was still out injured, so he didn't play last night, but I realized that the train goes right through Pardubice, so I can try to see him there sometime when he's recovered. Sparta was a bit chaotic through most of the first period, but they got it together by the start of the third and came back to tie the game. They *really* need to practice shots on goal more, though- it looked more like they were playing golf- *very* high shots. Pardubice did a good job of passing and shooting, and both teams have a couple of pretty fast forwards. Altogether, it was a great game and evening, and made me realize how much I really miss hockey. Gotta do more research about the possibility of being a sports archivist somewhere.
Took the tram back to the hotel, grabbed some late night snacks, then ate in my room and read the yearbook I'd picked up. Some of these guys ended up being drafted by or playing in the NHL and other leagues, and they all seemed to have good experience here.
Woke up early on Wed, had a nice breakfast in the sunny attic upstairs, then headed out to explore the city some more- train didn't leave until 9pm. Went into the main post office for stamps, and WOW! I think that's the prettiest post office I've been in in ages! High glass ceilings, and beautiful Art Nouveau/Arts & Crafts paintings on the walls. It was restored in 1999. Just lovely. I admired the paintings for a while, got my stamps, then went out for coffee and to enjoy the sunshine.
Found a cute little cafe, had a yummy Americano and wrote for a bit, then walked around some more before heading back to the center of the square. Visited the Alfons Mucha museum- such a nice exhibit of his drawings, lithographs, posters, other graphics. He's one of my favorite artists and I think every house I've lived in has always had some of his work in it. Years ago, I went to Dover with a couple friends after college and spotted a fantastic print of Music, 1898- it's such a "me" piece, and I really identify with it. In this exhibit, it hung with the other three muses in the group just as you walked in the door, the first thing I saw! Spent a couple hours just looking at everything and watching an interesting video on Mucha's life.
After that, I just took various trams all over the city, discovering more about the layout. I ended up in the north part, above the historical square, and had a yummy dinner at a chinese restaurant. Just relaxed, drank tea, read my book... then walked out the door and found a Christmas festival in progress! Right by the huge church, they had a little fair going on, with stalls and lights and decorations. It smelled so yummy, like spices and cookies and the holidays in general, and reminded me of a little outdoor Dickens Fair/Xmas in the Park. Made me feel like I was back home. I happily wandered around and looked at everything, did a little shopping, just generally enjoyed myself. Headed back downtown and wandered through one of the shopping centers for a bit, enjoying all the christmas music. Found a nice little bookstore and picked up a Czech dictionary so that next time I come back, I'll recognize some of the words. Then headed back to the hotel, picked up my bags, and caught the train back to Warsaw.
Train was about two hours late getting back, which was inconvenient, but oh, well. I woke up at about 7am and looked out the window. It was a light dawn sky, but there was the biggest, brightest cream full moon hanging in the sky. Just absolutely gorgeous.
I had a great time and will definitely go back for more games at some point! Now if only my office would decide to relocate.... ;)
Got to the station a bit early on Monday night, wanted to make sure I didn't miss the train. Picked up a gingerbread latte, talked to Mom for a bit, then waited for the 9pm train to Prague. It ended up being about an hour late. >_< But eventually it arrived, and I found that I had a compartment all to myself. I put my stuff away, curled up on the top bunk, and read a book about hockey coaches for about an hour before going to sleep. I love sleeping on trains- there's something really comforting about the noises and rhythm of it.
When I got off the train at Hlavni Nadrazi, the main train station, it was almost 8am. Cold and gray, I desperately needed coffee. The train station is really cool, though- very large and open, reminds me of Gare du Nord in Paris. I picked up a map and Czech koruna, then wandered around for a bit in search of my hotel. Successfully located it, dropped off my bag, then headed back out to explore.
After about 20 minutes of walking around, I realized that apparently, the inhabitants of Prague subsist on books, not food. Every third shop was a bookstore of some sort, and I found a *very* dangerous place called the Palace of Books- huge book mall. I resisted going in and kept walking.
The city is artistic and cozy, with attractive buildings and pretty holiday decorations. After a coffee and pastry in a little paneria, I took one of the trams out to the Malostranska area and walked around there. Looked at antiques, discovered the museum of music, and decided *not* to visit the museum of medieval torture instruments- ick!
Took another tram out to the hockey arena, just so I'd know how to get there later. It was really easy to find, and huge, called the Tesla Arena. They weren't selling tickets, so I just walked around a bit. There's a hockey shop next door, one across the street, and several scattered through town, selling equipment, skates, fan stuff, etc. I found myself *really* wishing I lived here!
Looked at some pretty buildings next to the arena that were part of a world expo at one point. They weren't open, but they were pretty to look at anyway. I think that's the one word that generally describes Prague- beautiful. Everything has an elegant, artistic sense here.
It was starting to get a bit cold and rainy, so I took the tram and metro back to my hotel area and had a late lunch at an Italian place. Then went to the hotel, checked in, and just crashed for a couple hours. Got ready to go out, then took the tram to the game.
They'd turned on the holiday lights by then, so all of Prague was decorated with these pretty teal and white snowflakes. I also found myself a new teal pashmina on the way, so I'll have something nice to wear to games when I'm back home. Several people got on the tram with Sparta jerseys, so I knew I was heading in the right direction.
I had a good seat, lower level, about halfway back on the away goal... for about $11. ^___^ Big arena, very open inside. The fans are very boisterous- Pardubice had a pretty big section of them behind their goal. It was a good game- ended up going to overtime and shootouts. Pardubice eventually won, 3-2, but it was still fun to watch. The goalie I'd hoped to see was still out injured, so he didn't play last night, but I realized that the train goes right through Pardubice, so I can try to see him there sometime when he's recovered. Sparta was a bit chaotic through most of the first period, but they got it together by the start of the third and came back to tie the game. They *really* need to practice shots on goal more, though- it looked more like they were playing golf- *very* high shots. Pardubice did a good job of passing and shooting, and both teams have a couple of pretty fast forwards. Altogether, it was a great game and evening, and made me realize how much I really miss hockey. Gotta do more research about the possibility of being a sports archivist somewhere.
Took the tram back to the hotel, grabbed some late night snacks, then ate in my room and read the yearbook I'd picked up. Some of these guys ended up being drafted by or playing in the NHL and other leagues, and they all seemed to have good experience here.
Woke up early on Wed, had a nice breakfast in the sunny attic upstairs, then headed out to explore the city some more- train didn't leave until 9pm. Went into the main post office for stamps, and WOW! I think that's the prettiest post office I've been in in ages! High glass ceilings, and beautiful Art Nouveau/Arts & Crafts paintings on the walls. It was restored in 1999. Just lovely. I admired the paintings for a while, got my stamps, then went out for coffee and to enjoy the sunshine.
Found a cute little cafe, had a yummy Americano and wrote for a bit, then walked around some more before heading back to the center of the square. Visited the Alfons Mucha museum- such a nice exhibit of his drawings, lithographs, posters, other graphics. He's one of my favorite artists and I think every house I've lived in has always had some of his work in it. Years ago, I went to Dover with a couple friends after college and spotted a fantastic print of Music, 1898- it's such a "me" piece, and I really identify with it. In this exhibit, it hung with the other three muses in the group just as you walked in the door, the first thing I saw! Spent a couple hours just looking at everything and watching an interesting video on Mucha's life.
After that, I just took various trams all over the city, discovering more about the layout. I ended up in the north part, above the historical square, and had a yummy dinner at a chinese restaurant. Just relaxed, drank tea, read my book... then walked out the door and found a Christmas festival in progress! Right by the huge church, they had a little fair going on, with stalls and lights and decorations. It smelled so yummy, like spices and cookies and the holidays in general, and reminded me of a little outdoor Dickens Fair/Xmas in the Park. Made me feel like I was back home. I happily wandered around and looked at everything, did a little shopping, just generally enjoyed myself. Headed back downtown and wandered through one of the shopping centers for a bit, enjoying all the christmas music. Found a nice little bookstore and picked up a Czech dictionary so that next time I come back, I'll recognize some of the words. Then headed back to the hotel, picked up my bags, and caught the train back to Warsaw.
Train was about two hours late getting back, which was inconvenient, but oh, well. I woke up at about 7am and looked out the window. It was a light dawn sky, but there was the biggest, brightest cream full moon hanging in the sky. Just absolutely gorgeous.
I had a great time and will definitely go back for more games at some point! Now if only my office would decide to relocate.... ;)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Had a fun day today. Woke up early and met a friend for coffee. We chatted a bit, then took the tram over to Praga in search of a Vietnamese temple my language teacher had told me about. It was a bit hard to find, but very cool. Small little temple down by the river with a cultural center attached. The temple was closed, but we walked around inside the courtyard of the center and looked at cool pictures of Vietnam. They had little statues set up, nifty paintings on the walls. I couldn't read any of it, but it was still pretty to see.
After that, we just walked around the area for a bit, then found a cool pub to drink beer in. Kind of dark inside, but neat paintings on the walls and very comfy armchairs. I had a yummy porter, and we just stayed there and talked for a while before heading home.
Came home, ate dinner, watched a movie, put away laundry, did more laundry, then worked on photos in W Biegu for a bit. Nice day.
After that, we just walked around the area for a bit, then found a cool pub to drink beer in. Kind of dark inside, but neat paintings on the walls and very comfy armchairs. I had a yummy porter, and we just stayed there and talked for a while before heading home.
Came home, ate dinner, watched a movie, put away laundry, did more laundry, then worked on photos in W Biegu for a bit. Nice day.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Had a really good weekend. On Friday, I took the tram out to Arkadia. There are several large malls in Warsaw, and this one is by far the biggest and most impressive. Wandered around there all evening, picked up some new books and things, discovered a great world food store that has many of the Japanese snacks I've seen in Mitsuwa. Wandered around downtown for a bit after that, then ate dinner and read the new Anne Tyler novel I'd picked up. I love her writing- next to Steinbeck, I think she's probably my favorite author. Slept well.
Slept in a bit on Saturday, but didn't spend much time inside because the sun came out for a while. Walked around my neighborhood, then headed out to Krakowskie Przedmiescie for a late lunch at a sandwich shop I like. Enjoyed tomato soup, panini, orange juice and espresso, read my book, and listened to this fascinatingly perky Polish music on the stereo. There was one song that sounded particularly catchy, and it ended up sticking in my head all weekend. The cafe guy said the artist was a man named Marek Grechuta. After lunch, I took the bus down to the University Library for an evening of studying Japanese.
It's such an odd feeling to walk into a place that's not a house and feel like you're *home*. That's how walking up the steps to the main floor of the library felt. I really miss university libraries, their resources, departments, rhythm, environment. I just walked around for a while, exploring and figuring out where things were. They have a very small Asian history section, but some interesting books. And a rather *random* literature selection. They had quite a collection of sci-fi and fantasy books, and a lone copy of Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can't check anything out, unfortunately, but they have comfy chairs for reading, so I'll have to return again sometime.
Worked on Japanese for a while, then went out for coffee. The Gentle Barbarian was completely packed, so I ended up at Coffee Heaven. Had THE most delicious gingerbread latte ever, read some more, just relaxed. Then came home, picked up milk, talked for absolutely ages with a dear friend back home. Conversations with him always put me at ease, so I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep after that. Had blurry, watercolor-like dreams.
Woke up early-ish on Sunday, picked up coffee, then got a ride with friends out to Praga, the area of Warsaw on the non-center side of the river. A friend of ours was giving a walking tour of the area that afternoon. It was really interesting! We saw churches, old vodka factories-turned-mint, cafes, Jewish cultural centers and bath houses, old bazars, and some really old architecture. 90% of Praga survived the war, so many of the buildings there are original. It was a big group, and we had a lot of fun walking around. After the tour, some of us went to dinner at a local restaurant, then out for vodka and herring downtown. It was a really fun day, and educational!
Came home, talked to another wonderful friend for quite a while, which was nice- we hadn't had a proper chat since before I left. Put away some laundry after that and watched Supernatural, then headed to sleep. What a weekend!
Today, I had a nice dinner in a patisserie on Nowy Swiat that I love, finished the Anne Tyler book. Went to Empik and found a CD of the Polish music- the addicting song turns out to be called Dni, Których Nie Znamy. Very cute!
Hope everyone is having a good week!
Slept in a bit on Saturday, but didn't spend much time inside because the sun came out for a while. Walked around my neighborhood, then headed out to Krakowskie Przedmiescie for a late lunch at a sandwich shop I like. Enjoyed tomato soup, panini, orange juice and espresso, read my book, and listened to this fascinatingly perky Polish music on the stereo. There was one song that sounded particularly catchy, and it ended up sticking in my head all weekend. The cafe guy said the artist was a man named Marek Grechuta. After lunch, I took the bus down to the University Library for an evening of studying Japanese.
It's such an odd feeling to walk into a place that's not a house and feel like you're *home*. That's how walking up the steps to the main floor of the library felt. I really miss university libraries, their resources, departments, rhythm, environment. I just walked around for a while, exploring and figuring out where things were. They have a very small Asian history section, but some interesting books. And a rather *random* literature selection. They had quite a collection of sci-fi and fantasy books, and a lone copy of Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can't check anything out, unfortunately, but they have comfy chairs for reading, so I'll have to return again sometime.
Worked on Japanese for a while, then went out for coffee. The Gentle Barbarian was completely packed, so I ended up at Coffee Heaven. Had THE most delicious gingerbread latte ever, read some more, just relaxed. Then came home, picked up milk, talked for absolutely ages with a dear friend back home. Conversations with him always put me at ease, so I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep after that. Had blurry, watercolor-like dreams.
Woke up early-ish on Sunday, picked up coffee, then got a ride with friends out to Praga, the area of Warsaw on the non-center side of the river. A friend of ours was giving a walking tour of the area that afternoon. It was really interesting! We saw churches, old vodka factories-turned-mint, cafes, Jewish cultural centers and bath houses, old bazars, and some really old architecture. 90% of Praga survived the war, so many of the buildings there are original. It was a big group, and we had a lot of fun walking around. After the tour, some of us went to dinner at a local restaurant, then out for vodka and herring downtown. It was a really fun day, and educational!
Came home, talked to another wonderful friend for quite a while, which was nice- we hadn't had a proper chat since before I left. Put away some laundry after that and watched Supernatural, then headed to sleep. What a weekend!
Today, I had a nice dinner in a patisserie on Nowy Swiat that I love, finished the Anne Tyler book. Went to Empik and found a CD of the Polish music- the addicting song turns out to be called Dni, Których Nie Znamy. Very cute!
Hope everyone is having a good week!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Been a fun week. Spent all last weekend watching sports and relaxing with kitties. Decided to go out last Sat. for an hour, get a beer, get out of the house a bit. Walking up Nowy Swiat, I saw a lot of pumpkins and candles- very pretty. In the entryway of an art school, they had the door open, and it was all dark. Candles and pumpkins lined this long, curvy staircase, and there were dried, crunchy leaves all over the place. It was gorgeous, looked kind of like the cover of the second-to-latest Kelly Clarkson album, without the beautiful girl in red.
On Sunday, I went to a huge, famous cemetery in the city with some friends. 11/1 is a day where people visit graves and leave candles and flowers in memory. It was just beautiful- cold, tranquil, very solemn but with a good, warm energy. It think it's a very nice tradition. The cemetery looked so gorgeous, all lit up with candles flickering here and there.
Took a training course in Adobe Acrobat this week, learned a lot. I like learning new things.
Went to a fun party last night, it was good to get out and be social. Got to talk to lots of new people and ones that I haven't seen in ages.
On Sunday, I went to a huge, famous cemetery in the city with some friends. 11/1 is a day where people visit graves and leave candles and flowers in memory. It was just beautiful- cold, tranquil, very solemn but with a good, warm energy. It think it's a very nice tradition. The cemetery looked so gorgeous, all lit up with candles flickering here and there.
Took a training course in Adobe Acrobat this week, learned a lot. I like learning new things.
Went to a fun party last night, it was good to get out and be social. Got to talk to lots of new people and ones that I haven't seen in ages.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Today has been good. Got lots done at work, the cd with the conference documents arrived and is on its way to be distributed, so I feel like I'm *finally* done with this project! I felt so relieved! A co-worker told me that I looked a lot thinner, as well, which was a nice surprise. I've felt good this week so far.
Went to Polish, had a good class, then went to a new spa and wellness store and found some lavender bath stuff. I plan to do some cleaning at the end of the week and reward myself with a long, relaxing bath. The woman rubbed some really yummy balsam into the back of my hand- it smelled lovely, like grapefruit and something else. I love stores like that!
After that, I picked up Indian food for dinner, then headed home to the furballs. Fed and played with them, set the timer for some games, then settled down to dinner and a video, something fun and silly with Michelle Pfeiffer in it. Now I'm watching the tail end of USC/Oregon St. and some college football recaps. Everyone's chilling out on a chair or couch, and the weather is clear.
I've enjoyed today.
Went to Polish, had a good class, then went to a new spa and wellness store and found some lavender bath stuff. I plan to do some cleaning at the end of the week and reward myself with a long, relaxing bath. The woman rubbed some really yummy balsam into the back of my hand- it smelled lovely, like grapefruit and something else. I love stores like that!
After that, I picked up Indian food for dinner, then headed home to the furballs. Fed and played with them, set the timer for some games, then settled down to dinner and a video, something fun and silly with Michelle Pfeiffer in it. Now I'm watching the tail end of USC/Oregon St. and some college football recaps. Everyone's chilling out on a chair or couch, and the weather is clear.
I've enjoyed today.
Monday, October 26, 2009
It's been one *long* month. Two intense weeks of conference, followed by a visit from parents and about two more weeks of conference follow-up work. Add in some stress about other things in life, and I'm soooooooo ready for October to end! Haven't been online much this month because I've done nothing but type for work, so the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was do more of that. My tendons are dead, I think. So I've been trying to take things easy, not overdo it.
Hope everyone has been well.
Things are going better now. I've got a pretty sweet setup for the next two weeks. A couple friends went on vacation and asked me to cat-sit. So not only do I get kitty therapy from three wonderful felines, but I get a nice place to just relax for a while and all the free ESPN I can watch. Let me tell ya, after 8 months without, it's been *heavenly* to be able to watch hockey and baseball and NFL and college football! I think that's one of the things I miss most about being here- not having my sports. So I'm making the most of my "mini vacation" and enjoying everything to the fullest.
Polish is getting better- managed to have an entire conversation with my landlord on Saturday morning and actually understood what he said. He told me my Polish was very good, "super". And today, the cleaning lady and I chatted a bit and she said that I speak beautiful Polish. I still think there's lots of room for improvement, but the classes must be doing something!
Somehow, Japanese is coming to me a lot more easily, too. I find myself watching anime or listening to J-rock and understanding a lot more without picking apart the lyrics or latching onto one or two words I know. Maybe Polish and Japanese are complementary languages for better learning? It'll be interesting to see how it goes next March!
I'm excited for December to arrive- a friend of mine is going to get me a ticket to watch HC Sparta play Pardubice, so I'll get to see Hašek play! Sadly, I never managed to see him in a live NHL game, so this will be a nice experience. And I'll get to spend some more time exploring Prague. I'm considering this my birthday gift to myself.
I guess that's about it for now....
Hope everyone has been well.
Things are going better now. I've got a pretty sweet setup for the next two weeks. A couple friends went on vacation and asked me to cat-sit. So not only do I get kitty therapy from three wonderful felines, but I get a nice place to just relax for a while and all the free ESPN I can watch. Let me tell ya, after 8 months without, it's been *heavenly* to be able to watch hockey and baseball and NFL and college football! I think that's one of the things I miss most about being here- not having my sports. So I'm making the most of my "mini vacation" and enjoying everything to the fullest.
Polish is getting better- managed to have an entire conversation with my landlord on Saturday morning and actually understood what he said. He told me my Polish was very good, "super". And today, the cleaning lady and I chatted a bit and she said that I speak beautiful Polish. I still think there's lots of room for improvement, but the classes must be doing something!
Somehow, Japanese is coming to me a lot more easily, too. I find myself watching anime or listening to J-rock and understanding a lot more without picking apart the lyrics or latching onto one or two words I know. Maybe Polish and Japanese are complementary languages for better learning? It'll be interesting to see how it goes next March!
I'm excited for December to arrive- a friend of mine is going to get me a ticket to watch HC Sparta play Pardubice, so I'll get to see Hašek play! Sadly, I never managed to see him in a live NHL game, so this will be a nice experience. And I'll get to spend some more time exploring Prague. I'm considering this my birthday gift to myself.
I guess that's about it for now....
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Today was a really good day. Slept in, watched an episode of Ouran, then talked to a friend on Skype for a couple of hours. Went to the coffeeshop after that, did some Japanese homework, then headed out to the old city for dinner. Discovered that Namaste, my favorite Indian place, had moved down the road and expanded to a new, larger space, enjoyed a very yummy dinner of chicken tikka masala. Went to a little pub in the square for a beer afterward, watched women's basketball on the TV there. It was tiny, only 8 tables, but really cute and cozy, a perfect place for beer and chilling out.
I need more days like this!
I need more days like this!
Exploring
I need to get out and randomly explore a bit more- I find interesting things that way!
A week ago, I had an appointment in a kind of new section of town- the office was between Marszałkowska and Jana Pawla II, but it was an area I'd never really been in before. I discovered that the fence along the street was covered with posters for upcoming concerts and learned that both Mudhoney and Alice in Chains will be playing soon- grunge revival? I discovered a couple neat new restaurants, as well as the Jewish quarter, which was *really* interesting, because the buildings that were left were all original- crumbling, run down, but the original buildings.
I walked through the quarter, then out to Świętokrzyska and turned right, heading toward the Palace of Culture and Science. As I came to the corner of Świętokrzyska and Emilii Plater, I was hit with a sense of deja-vu. On the corner was a sushi restaurant. But it hadn't always been there. Six months ago, after just landing and exploring through the city in search of a grocery store, Phil and I discovered this cute, warm cozy-looking restaurant called Carpe Diem. We were cold, tired and hungry, and figured this would be a good place for lunch. I don't remember what he had, but I ate the *best* duck I've ever had in Poland- perfectly baked with apples and peaches, and perfect, golden roast potatoes. And they had good dark beer. Altogether, that had been one of the best lunches I've ever had, and I've been looking for that restaurant ever since, so I could have another. No wonder I couldn't find it! In its place is now a new-ish sushi restaurant, an "omise club" offering "body sushi". I'm glad we discovered it when we did and seized the day!
Last night, I went out in search of dinner. I didn't know what I wanted, but I randomly got off downtown and headed up Nowy Świat, up Krakowskie Przedmieście. After about 10 minutes, I heard some fairly loud music. Ducking under the archway of Krakowskie Przedmieście 24, I followed the music and accidentally discovered... the local rockabilly hangout! There was a small stage, with a pretty good band playing, a good-sized area with tables, and a small beer stand. Everyone was totally decked out- slicked-back hair, pegged jeans, sneakers, leather jackets, leopard-print coats, bleached blonde hair, huge sideburns. It was great! A bunch of guys had leather jackets with "Warsaw Cool Cats" on the back- not sure what that is, but it looked good. I stayed for about 15 minutes and listened, then went back to my search for dinner. Will have to go back sometime!
A week ago, I had an appointment in a kind of new section of town- the office was between Marszałkowska and Jana Pawla II, but it was an area I'd never really been in before. I discovered that the fence along the street was covered with posters for upcoming concerts and learned that both Mudhoney and Alice in Chains will be playing soon- grunge revival? I discovered a couple neat new restaurants, as well as the Jewish quarter, which was *really* interesting, because the buildings that were left were all original- crumbling, run down, but the original buildings.
I walked through the quarter, then out to Świętokrzyska and turned right, heading toward the Palace of Culture and Science. As I came to the corner of Świętokrzyska and Emilii Plater, I was hit with a sense of deja-vu. On the corner was a sushi restaurant. But it hadn't always been there. Six months ago, after just landing and exploring through the city in search of a grocery store, Phil and I discovered this cute, warm cozy-looking restaurant called Carpe Diem. We were cold, tired and hungry, and figured this would be a good place for lunch. I don't remember what he had, but I ate the *best* duck I've ever had in Poland- perfectly baked with apples and peaches, and perfect, golden roast potatoes. And they had good dark beer. Altogether, that had been one of the best lunches I've ever had, and I've been looking for that restaurant ever since, so I could have another. No wonder I couldn't find it! In its place is now a new-ish sushi restaurant, an "omise club" offering "body sushi". I'm glad we discovered it when we did and seized the day!
Last night, I went out in search of dinner. I didn't know what I wanted, but I randomly got off downtown and headed up Nowy Świat, up Krakowskie Przedmieście. After about 10 minutes, I heard some fairly loud music. Ducking under the archway of Krakowskie Przedmieście 24, I followed the music and accidentally discovered... the local rockabilly hangout! There was a small stage, with a pretty good band playing, a good-sized area with tables, and a small beer stand. Everyone was totally decked out- slicked-back hair, pegged jeans, sneakers, leather jackets, leopard-print coats, bleached blonde hair, huge sideburns. It was great! A bunch of guys had leather jackets with "Warsaw Cool Cats" on the back- not sure what that is, but it looked good. I stayed for about 15 minutes and listened, then went back to my search for dinner. Will have to go back sometime!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Had a really fun weekend! Went away for a couple days to Torun, a medieval city about 3 hours from Warsaw by train. The weather's been really nice, so I wanted to enjoy it while it lasts. Plus, October is going to be really busy for me with work, so I figured I should get away now.
Got up early on Saturday morning, picked up some coffee and breakfast, then found a spot on the train. The other guys in the compartment were pretty quiet, so it was a fairly uneventful ride there. Enjoyed music, the pretty scenery, and one guy offered me his newspaper to read when he had finished.
Got off at the main train station, found a bus to the old town, and had some lunch at a nice Italian place. The old town is just gorgeous! Fortunately, it was NOT destroyed in WWII, so all of the buildings are original. The town itself is one of the oldest- it received its city charter in 1233. The buildings are beautiful, a lot of pretty bricks. I walked past a nice park area with a great pond and fountains, up through the center of the town, past the Town Hall and post office, and found my hotel. I'd managed to reserve a room ahead of time, the night before, all in Polish, so I felt happy about that. The hotel was great, too- one of the oldest in the city, and in a great location. The interior had lovely dark wood furnishings and beautiful framed photos and postcards of Torun in older times. I dropped things off in my room, then came back down the stairs and noticed a fantastic panoramic photo of San Francisco hanging just above the stairs- the only photo of a non-Torun city in the hotel. What are the odds? ^_^
Spent the day walking around, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, happy people. Torun smells good- like waffles, ice cream, coffee, pastries, maple trees. After lunch, I went to The Living Museum of Gingerbreads. Besides being the birthplace of Nicolas Copernicus, Torun is also famous for producing delicious gingerbread. It was a fun tour- two of the staff dressed up in 16th-century costumes and told us all about the history, ingredients, and process of making gingerbread. It was all in Polish, but I picked up a bit of it here and there, and learned the Polish names for cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. They had an interactive demonstration of preparing gingerbread dough, then each of us got a small ball of dough to roll out on the table and stamp with a mold. They baked these in the oven, and we each got to take ours home, as a souvenir! You can't eat them, they're just for decoration, but according to the docent, they'll last years and years in a dry place. Very cool! There were about 20 people on the tour, so it was a fun afternoon. And *man*, did that place smell heavenly!
After that, I headed back to the hotel for a little nap, then went out to find dinner. I had pear crepes at a cute restaurant on the old town square, admiring the beauty of the square. They had draped little white lights through the trees, giving it a peaceful, sparkly atmosphere. After dinner, I just sat on a bench for a bit and relaxed, feeling very happy and peaceful.
I dropped my book off in the hotel room, then headed back out to Pod Aniołem, a bar in the cellar of the town hall. I figured that sounded like a cool place to have a beer- the name means Under the Angels. There are a lot of "Pod" places in Poland. ^_^
It was a *great* place! All dark and brick, low arched ceilings, random furniture, comfy couches and big wooden tables, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, lots of little nooks to hide out in, old accordions on a bookshelf, really nifty. I got a beer and found a spot at an empty table and listened to the DJ- good mix of interesting club and electro stuff. I felt really happy and relaxed, glad to find a good place like this.
After a while, a really drunk guy came over and sat down and we had a little chat. He had very limited English, so we didn't say much, but he exchanged names, told me what music he liked, and I told him what I liked, and he said he liked to dance and drink vodka. This essentially repeated itself about five times, so after a while, I told him it had been nice to meet him, and went off for another beer. He went back to the dance floor, and I returned to my table, enjoying the current mix of R&B and club music.
After about 10 minutes, a couple of girls asked if the other seats were free, and I said, sure, go ahead. They sat down, and we instantly fell into a great conversation. They were from the area and taught middle school- this was their fun night out for the weekend. They were really nice and fun to talk to- one was tall, blonde, very outgoing; the other was more petite, brunette, kind of quiet and shy. After names, professions and where we were from, their first question was, "are you here alone?" I said yes, and they immediately said "Oh! Do you have a husband back home?" I said no, and they looked worried. "Boyfriend?" "Did have, but we split up when I moved here." They looked more relieved then, to think that I wasn't *always* unattached, and we talked more about school, dancing, music, etc. I guess this really is a culture of pairs, couples, attachments... interesting!
After a while, a larger group joined ours, and soon, our table had about 10 people at it. It was nice, just being included in with a bunch of locals, not feeling like the isolated tourist. We talked, drank, danced, had a great time. Then one of the teachers suggested going to a different club- sounded good to me! So we went to Club Monaco, a more trendy kind of place, with a cover charge. Not my usual thing, and I was kinda under-dressed (having worn more practical travel clothes), but we had a great time. Also a good mix of club music, a bit more smooth and modern. We stayed there until the *wee* hours of the morning, just dancing, relaxing, having a great time. By the time I got back to the hotel, my feet hurt and my ears were ringing from about 6 hours of solid techno, but I was really happy- I'd made some new friends, learned more about the town (the cellar used to be a prison!), and basically spent the night hanging out with beautiful, friendly people. Life is good!
Slept in a bit on Sunday, then checked out and had some lunch. Listened to a family chat at the next table over and picked up quite a bit of the conversation. Admittedly, they *were* talking mostly to their two little kids, but still...
Went to the Regional Museum after lunch, in the Town Hall. Lots of great paintings, artifacts, church items, jewelry from the area. After looking at the galleries, I climbed a VERY tall and narrow set of stairs (reminding me a bit of the Tor House) to the top of the Town Hall's belfry. WOW! Totally worth all the exercise. The view was just marvelous- you could see the entire city, the Vistula River, absolutely everything. I stayed up there for a while, just *being*. After taking a picture for a nice couple, I headed back down, then walked out to the river banks.
The river has a nice path alongside where people can walk, and cement stairs for sitting and enjoying the area. I walked down to the end of the path, then came back and just sat for a while, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the breeze from the river. I watched a couple guys fish with their kids, baiting the hooks, casting the lines, then reeling them back in- repeat. I'd never thought much about fishing, figuring it'd be kind of boring, but this just seemed nice- pleasant, relaxing, something you could do with your family, low-maintenance. One of the kids caught a couple of medium-sized fish.
Eventually got up again, picked up a coffee from Green Way, then headed back to the train station to catch the 6:30 train home. Ended up in a compartment again with about 5 guys, and we all enjoyed a nice, peaceful train ride, reading magazines, sleeping, etc... until the hooligans started in. There was a group of guys in the hallway that started out just drinking beer and chatting, then got louder and louder, opening cupboards, taking pictures, yelling chants together. I didn't understand most of it, but the few words I did pick out were bad ones. At each stop, they'd get off and run around, being rowdy, until the conductor herded them back on. The eventually moved on from beer to juice, and then finally to vodka. By the time they got off at Warsaw, they were pretty loud. I could see the other guys in my compartment looking very relieved to be off the train at last!
Altogether, it was a really nice weekend- gorgeous town that I'll definitely need to visit again! Hope everyone else had a good weekend as well!
Got up early on Saturday morning, picked up some coffee and breakfast, then found a spot on the train. The other guys in the compartment were pretty quiet, so it was a fairly uneventful ride there. Enjoyed music, the pretty scenery, and one guy offered me his newspaper to read when he had finished.
Got off at the main train station, found a bus to the old town, and had some lunch at a nice Italian place. The old town is just gorgeous! Fortunately, it was NOT destroyed in WWII, so all of the buildings are original. The town itself is one of the oldest- it received its city charter in 1233. The buildings are beautiful, a lot of pretty bricks. I walked past a nice park area with a great pond and fountains, up through the center of the town, past the Town Hall and post office, and found my hotel. I'd managed to reserve a room ahead of time, the night before, all in Polish, so I felt happy about that. The hotel was great, too- one of the oldest in the city, and in a great location. The interior had lovely dark wood furnishings and beautiful framed photos and postcards of Torun in older times. I dropped things off in my room, then came back down the stairs and noticed a fantastic panoramic photo of San Francisco hanging just above the stairs- the only photo of a non-Torun city in the hotel. What are the odds? ^_^
Spent the day walking around, enjoying the sunshine, fresh air, happy people. Torun smells good- like waffles, ice cream, coffee, pastries, maple trees. After lunch, I went to The Living Museum of Gingerbreads. Besides being the birthplace of Nicolas Copernicus, Torun is also famous for producing delicious gingerbread. It was a fun tour- two of the staff dressed up in 16th-century costumes and told us all about the history, ingredients, and process of making gingerbread. It was all in Polish, but I picked up a bit of it here and there, and learned the Polish names for cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. They had an interactive demonstration of preparing gingerbread dough, then each of us got a small ball of dough to roll out on the table and stamp with a mold. They baked these in the oven, and we each got to take ours home, as a souvenir! You can't eat them, they're just for decoration, but according to the docent, they'll last years and years in a dry place. Very cool! There were about 20 people on the tour, so it was a fun afternoon. And *man*, did that place smell heavenly!
After that, I headed back to the hotel for a little nap, then went out to find dinner. I had pear crepes at a cute restaurant on the old town square, admiring the beauty of the square. They had draped little white lights through the trees, giving it a peaceful, sparkly atmosphere. After dinner, I just sat on a bench for a bit and relaxed, feeling very happy and peaceful.
I dropped my book off in the hotel room, then headed back out to Pod Aniołem, a bar in the cellar of the town hall. I figured that sounded like a cool place to have a beer- the name means Under the Angels. There are a lot of "Pod" places in Poland. ^_^
It was a *great* place! All dark and brick, low arched ceilings, random furniture, comfy couches and big wooden tables, birdcages hanging from the ceiling, lots of little nooks to hide out in, old accordions on a bookshelf, really nifty. I got a beer and found a spot at an empty table and listened to the DJ- good mix of interesting club and electro stuff. I felt really happy and relaxed, glad to find a good place like this.
After a while, a really drunk guy came over and sat down and we had a little chat. He had very limited English, so we didn't say much, but he exchanged names, told me what music he liked, and I told him what I liked, and he said he liked to dance and drink vodka. This essentially repeated itself about five times, so after a while, I told him it had been nice to meet him, and went off for another beer. He went back to the dance floor, and I returned to my table, enjoying the current mix of R&B and club music.
After about 10 minutes, a couple of girls asked if the other seats were free, and I said, sure, go ahead. They sat down, and we instantly fell into a great conversation. They were from the area and taught middle school- this was their fun night out for the weekend. They were really nice and fun to talk to- one was tall, blonde, very outgoing; the other was more petite, brunette, kind of quiet and shy. After names, professions and where we were from, their first question was, "are you here alone?" I said yes, and they immediately said "Oh! Do you have a husband back home?" I said no, and they looked worried. "Boyfriend?" "Did have, but we split up when I moved here." They looked more relieved then, to think that I wasn't *always* unattached, and we talked more about school, dancing, music, etc. I guess this really is a culture of pairs, couples, attachments... interesting!
After a while, a larger group joined ours, and soon, our table had about 10 people at it. It was nice, just being included in with a bunch of locals, not feeling like the isolated tourist. We talked, drank, danced, had a great time. Then one of the teachers suggested going to a different club- sounded good to me! So we went to Club Monaco, a more trendy kind of place, with a cover charge. Not my usual thing, and I was kinda under-dressed (having worn more practical travel clothes), but we had a great time. Also a good mix of club music, a bit more smooth and modern. We stayed there until the *wee* hours of the morning, just dancing, relaxing, having a great time. By the time I got back to the hotel, my feet hurt and my ears were ringing from about 6 hours of solid techno, but I was really happy- I'd made some new friends, learned more about the town (the cellar used to be a prison!), and basically spent the night hanging out with beautiful, friendly people. Life is good!
Slept in a bit on Sunday, then checked out and had some lunch. Listened to a family chat at the next table over and picked up quite a bit of the conversation. Admittedly, they *were* talking mostly to their two little kids, but still...
Went to the Regional Museum after lunch, in the Town Hall. Lots of great paintings, artifacts, church items, jewelry from the area. After looking at the galleries, I climbed a VERY tall and narrow set of stairs (reminding me a bit of the Tor House) to the top of the Town Hall's belfry. WOW! Totally worth all the exercise. The view was just marvelous- you could see the entire city, the Vistula River, absolutely everything. I stayed up there for a while, just *being*. After taking a picture for a nice couple, I headed back down, then walked out to the river banks.
The river has a nice path alongside where people can walk, and cement stairs for sitting and enjoying the area. I walked down to the end of the path, then came back and just sat for a while, basking in the sunshine and enjoying the breeze from the river. I watched a couple guys fish with their kids, baiting the hooks, casting the lines, then reeling them back in- repeat. I'd never thought much about fishing, figuring it'd be kind of boring, but this just seemed nice- pleasant, relaxing, something you could do with your family, low-maintenance. One of the kids caught a couple of medium-sized fish.
Eventually got up again, picked up a coffee from Green Way, then headed back to the train station to catch the 6:30 train home. Ended up in a compartment again with about 5 guys, and we all enjoyed a nice, peaceful train ride, reading magazines, sleeping, etc... until the hooligans started in. There was a group of guys in the hallway that started out just drinking beer and chatting, then got louder and louder, opening cupboards, taking pictures, yelling chants together. I didn't understand most of it, but the few words I did pick out were bad ones. At each stop, they'd get off and run around, being rowdy, until the conductor herded them back on. The eventually moved on from beer to juice, and then finally to vodka. By the time they got off at Warsaw, they were pretty loud. I could see the other guys in my compartment looking very relieved to be off the train at last!
Altogether, it was a really nice weekend- gorgeous town that I'll definitely need to visit again! Hope everyone else had a good weekend as well!
Monday, September 14, 2009
So, a friend of mine went down to Prague over the weekend to visit his family. He went to one of the local hockey games (season just started), and who should be in goal for the visiting team but DOMINIK HASEK! I guess he wanted to keep playing hockey even after retirement, so he's on the Pardubice team in the Czech league. I was *so* envious! Needless to say, I *will* be going down there for Sparta's one other home game against Pardubice this season, in hopes that I can see him play. It's days like this that I wish I lived in Prague...
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Today was just great. Woke up semi-early, got directions from my friend, picked up some pastries at the bakery, then headed over to his house to watch the Notre Dame-Michigan game. He'd taped it off ESPN America last night so we could both watch it. He has a great apartment, perfect for watching sports, and we had a great time watching the game. His very sweet wife made delicious blueberry pancakes and coffee for us, so it was a nice way to start the day.
The game was great. Notre Dame lost, but it was still a fantastic game- great plays from both teams. ND kept the ball moving for the first half and managed to get past Michigan's defense in the 2nd, but Michigan had a great spread offense and this *amazing* quarterback named Tate Forcier. Not only could he make amazingly accurate passes while running with the ball, but he had a calm sense of purpose and poise, and thought quickly on his feet. We were both seriously impressed with him. It was a really close game, 38-34, and I had a fun time watching it with a friend. I also got to meet their three adorable cats- such soft kitties with fun personalities!
After the game, I took the bus up to Stare Miasto and met another friend to see an exhibit of contemporary Chinese art in the old castle. Interesting pieces, though not necessarily my thing. Afterward, we walked through a new part of the old town I'd never seen and had crepes and soup at a really cute little pierogi place. She knows all the best places to eat and hang out here!
Now I'm home, about to do some tidying up, then go to bed early. Been a long weekend! Hope everyone is doing well.
The game was great. Notre Dame lost, but it was still a fantastic game- great plays from both teams. ND kept the ball moving for the first half and managed to get past Michigan's defense in the 2nd, but Michigan had a great spread offense and this *amazing* quarterback named Tate Forcier. Not only could he make amazingly accurate passes while running with the ball, but he had a calm sense of purpose and poise, and thought quickly on his feet. We were both seriously impressed with him. It was a really close game, 38-34, and I had a fun time watching it with a friend. I also got to meet their three adorable cats- such soft kitties with fun personalities!
After the game, I took the bus up to Stare Miasto and met another friend to see an exhibit of contemporary Chinese art in the old castle. Interesting pieces, though not necessarily my thing. Afterward, we walked through a new part of the old town I'd never seen and had crepes and soup at a really cute little pierogi place. She knows all the best places to eat and hang out here!
Now I'm home, about to do some tidying up, then go to bed early. Been a long weekend! Hope everyone is doing well.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Uggh... discovered tonight that apparently, I can't just go watch sports and drink beer here in peace.
I don't get any of the American games on TV at home, so I headed down to the huge sports bar downtown to watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game. I ate some dinner and had a pint of Murphy's while watching the end of Fresno State-Wisconsin (34-31, Wisc.!) About 5 minutes into the first quarter of the ND-Mich game, some guy came over from the table next to mine and gestured at a chair and said something. I assumed he wanted to borrow the chair, so I said "sure" and turned back to the game. Instead, he sat down and faced me, staring intently. I looked at him quizzically, and he drunkenly launched into all these questions- how was I, what was I doing here, how long was I in Poland, etc. I tried to evade them and gave vague answers, trying to watch the game, but he hung on. He asked what I though of Poland. I said, "I like it; it's a nice country. "Oh, no, no....". No? Okay... He asked what I thought of Polish people. I thought, "Well, you're kind of a jerk, but otherwise..." I said, "They're very nice and welcoming." "No, no, no..." By this point, I was peeved- Notre Dame had apparently lost control of the ball and Michigan had scored a 94-yard touchdown, and I'd missed all the action leading up to that. He then told me I looked sad. "No, I'm not. I'm fine, really." "No, you look very sad." "Umm, if I did, it's because my team is losing. I'm fine, honestly- I have beer and football; I'm NOT sad."
He kept repeating these questions several times and finally I said, "Look- I'm fine, I like Poland and its people, I'm not sad, I just want to watch my game in peace okay??" and pointedly ignored him and went back to the game. He finally gave up and went back to his table.
Sheesh! Life here is hard enough, and watching college football makes me happy, which is a small thing. I hope this doesn't continue. I hate being rude to people, but I *really* hate it when they interrupt sports. And I noticed that he didn't go pester two guys who were sitting alone at tables watching soccer. *sigh*
Fortunately, I'll get to watch the rest of the game tomorrow at a friend's house, in good company, something to look forward to. I really should investigate the possibility of switching TV companies so I can get ESPN America at home.
I don't get any of the American games on TV at home, so I headed down to the huge sports bar downtown to watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game. I ate some dinner and had a pint of Murphy's while watching the end of Fresno State-Wisconsin (34-31, Wisc.!) About 5 minutes into the first quarter of the ND-Mich game, some guy came over from the table next to mine and gestured at a chair and said something. I assumed he wanted to borrow the chair, so I said "sure" and turned back to the game. Instead, he sat down and faced me, staring intently. I looked at him quizzically, and he drunkenly launched into all these questions- how was I, what was I doing here, how long was I in Poland, etc. I tried to evade them and gave vague answers, trying to watch the game, but he hung on. He asked what I though of Poland. I said, "I like it; it's a nice country. "Oh, no, no....". No? Okay... He asked what I thought of Polish people. I thought, "Well, you're kind of a jerk, but otherwise..." I said, "They're very nice and welcoming." "No, no, no..." By this point, I was peeved- Notre Dame had apparently lost control of the ball and Michigan had scored a 94-yard touchdown, and I'd missed all the action leading up to that. He then told me I looked sad. "No, I'm not. I'm fine, really." "No, you look very sad." "Umm, if I did, it's because my team is losing. I'm fine, honestly- I have beer and football; I'm NOT sad."
He kept repeating these questions several times and finally I said, "Look- I'm fine, I like Poland and its people, I'm not sad, I just want to watch my game in peace okay??" and pointedly ignored him and went back to the game. He finally gave up and went back to his table.
Sheesh! Life here is hard enough, and watching college football makes me happy, which is a small thing. I hope this doesn't continue. I hate being rude to people, but I *really* hate it when they interrupt sports. And I noticed that he didn't go pester two guys who were sitting alone at tables watching soccer. *sigh*
Fortunately, I'll get to watch the rest of the game tomorrow at a friend's house, in good company, something to look forward to. I really should investigate the possibility of switching TV companies so I can get ESPN America at home.
Friday, September 11, 2009
It's been a good week so far. Spent all afternoon last Sunday reading a book in a comfy armchair in a local coffeeshop. Been a while since I did that, so it felt nice and relaxing. Have had a productive time at work. The NFL started yesterday, so I'll have that and college games to watch on TV. Hockey season has also started here, so I'm making plans to head to Prague for a couple games in mid-December.
Wednesday afternoon, a friend and I went down to one of the local hangouts and watched a few of the World Cup qualifiers. Sadly, Poland lost to Slovenia, 3-0. But Germany beat Azerbaijan 4-0, which put them in first. We ended up running into a friend of mine and his group, so we had a fun time watching soccer, drinking beer, eating nachos and chatting. Afterward, there was a pretty good live band that ended their set with a couple of songs by U2- singer had a great voice!
Last night, I heard the most amazing concert. The Chinese Radio-Film Symphonic Orchestra performed at the opera house, a mixture of Chinese traditional songs, pieces from films, and some Polish compositions. The sounds were just beautiful- there's something so evocative about this style of music, how it slides lazily from one note to another, but still manages to end up squarely on the pitch it was going for. As I listened to the flute, I could hear dawn breaking somewhere, birds waking up in the trees, a new day starting. The violins had a strong fragility to them, like a sturdy wooden porch that's existed on the mountaintop for hundreds of years but always looks like it'll crack any second. The slower sections of the pieces just felt so relaxing, like a nice summer day wandering through fields of grasses, playing, having fun, enjoying the world. The faster sections had a very rhythmic intensity- you could hear the warnings in the air, see the troops of horsemen in the distance, proudly carrying banners into battle. I've always admired scores like this that complement their films, but listening to them on their own is almost like *hearing* the film. The musicians were very talented, especially a young violin soloist, Li Chuanyun. His performance ranged from sweet and tender, to quirky and light, to frenzied, manic, insane. He returned for several encore pieces and concluded with Frederick Pope's solo from "The Red Violin". Preceded by a most delicious sushi dinner at Kiku, last night was simply fantastic.
Tonight has been mellow. Polish class, two loads of laundry, ate dinner, finished watching a video, chatted with friends. Not much on the agenda for the weekend. Going to try to watch the Notre Dame/Michigan game tomorrow night, then off to see art on Sunday with a friend.
Wednesday afternoon, a friend and I went down to one of the local hangouts and watched a few of the World Cup qualifiers. Sadly, Poland lost to Slovenia, 3-0. But Germany beat Azerbaijan 4-0, which put them in first. We ended up running into a friend of mine and his group, so we had a fun time watching soccer, drinking beer, eating nachos and chatting. Afterward, there was a pretty good live band that ended their set with a couple of songs by U2- singer had a great voice!
Last night, I heard the most amazing concert. The Chinese Radio-Film Symphonic Orchestra performed at the opera house, a mixture of Chinese traditional songs, pieces from films, and some Polish compositions. The sounds were just beautiful- there's something so evocative about this style of music, how it slides lazily from one note to another, but still manages to end up squarely on the pitch it was going for. As I listened to the flute, I could hear dawn breaking somewhere, birds waking up in the trees, a new day starting. The violins had a strong fragility to them, like a sturdy wooden porch that's existed on the mountaintop for hundreds of years but always looks like it'll crack any second. The slower sections of the pieces just felt so relaxing, like a nice summer day wandering through fields of grasses, playing, having fun, enjoying the world. The faster sections had a very rhythmic intensity- you could hear the warnings in the air, see the troops of horsemen in the distance, proudly carrying banners into battle. I've always admired scores like this that complement their films, but listening to them on their own is almost like *hearing* the film. The musicians were very talented, especially a young violin soloist, Li Chuanyun. His performance ranged from sweet and tender, to quirky and light, to frenzied, manic, insane. He returned for several encore pieces and concluded with Frederick Pope's solo from "The Red Violin". Preceded by a most delicious sushi dinner at Kiku, last night was simply fantastic.
Tonight has been mellow. Polish class, two loads of laundry, ate dinner, finished watching a video, chatted with friends. Not much on the agenda for the weekend. Going to try to watch the Notre Dame/Michigan game tomorrow night, then off to see art on Sunday with a friend.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
This has been quite a week! Last weekend, I went to the Tatra mountains with some friends for a relaxing mini-vacation. M & took the night train to Zakopane- it's surreal to be in the train station at 1am and sleeping all night the way there! Pretty good rest, though- very relaxing and rhythmic. Though, we almost missed the train- when we arrived, a sign on the departures thing said it was delayed 20 minutes, so we waited in the waiting area. Around 1, we heard something about a train and Zakopane, so we decided to go check it out... and got on the train about 2 minutes before it left! Apparently the train got on schedule sometime along the way and we didn't know that they'd taken off the "delay" notice.
A group of us shared a nice apartment in the heart of town for the weekend. Zakopane is a fun resort town in the mountains, pretty crowded year-round. In the spring and summer, people come to go hiking; in the winter, they ski and snowboard. I chose not to go on an epic hike up to the top of the mountain and instead, spent a very nice day wandering around the town, enjoying the people-watching, ice cream, good local cuisine and beautiful architecture. In preparation for heavy snows, all the buildings have high, peaked roofs, like chalets. Many have gorgeous designs carved into the wood. It's a very beautiful and restful area, and the hills and mountains are so green and pretty!
I left on Saturday afternoon, took an express train back to Warsaw. Got a good night's rest, then left for Vienna Sunday afternoon. I was going there for a business meeting for three days. We accomplished a lot, I think. It was nice to have more time in Vienna, though, especially in better weather. I mainly wandered around a lot, just exploring and admiring the buildings. On Monday, I went to a lovely concert of Mozart's music at the Staatsoper. Gorgeous opera house, nice acoustics. The musicians all wore kind of fun period costumes, adding a unique element to it. Afterward, I went to the Anna Sacher cafe in the hotel Sacher and ate a piece of the world-famous Sacher-Torte, a legendary dessert that's 175 years old. Everyone told me it was so sweet it'd make your teeth hurt, and they were a bit right- there is definitely a tangy sweetness to it. Though, I can't quite put my finger on what it is... a mystery!
On Tuesday night, I found an English cinema and watched Harry Potter 6. I did this because I really want to see it on the big screen and it's only dubbed over here, with no subtitles. So I counted that as a worthwhile thing to do. Had a *very* yummy steak dinner and salad afterward.
On Wednesday, I almost missed my flight back! I somehow mis-read the departure time on the itinerary as 17:45 instead of 17:25. Looking back, I think I had first seen the 16:45 boarding time and mixed that up in my brain. Needless to say, I somehow raced off of the CAT train, ran up the stairs, checked myself and my luggage in, made it through security and onto the bus that goes to the airplane in under 15 minutes. The luck of the Tiger must have been with me then!
Had a pretty uneventful flight back, caught a taxi home, dropped off my bags, then caught a bus out to the Old Town for a good-bye dinner with some friends. It was M's last night in Poland, and A is leaving at the end of the weekend. So we all ate tons of delicious Indian food and chatted. One of the girls had bought a bottle of wonderful raspberry liqueur made by monks, so we enjoyed that after dinner, then headed next door for a couple more drinks. More good conversation, plus a lot of Doors on the stereo- good times. It was a wonderful night, and I'll miss them, but I also wish them a good future as they head off to new endeavors.
On Thursday night, I joined a couple of friends at Ujazdowskie Castle for a really rad concert by a Polish singer named Katarzyna Nosowska. When we arrived, there was a huge crowd and we were told that tickets were all sold out. So we went to the nice restaurant behind the castle and chatted over some beer instead. The music was still going when we finished beer, so we asked if we could just hear the last couple of songs. We had a welcome surprise, though- the lady said the concert was only about 20 min. into the set and that we could get in for half price! So we ended up seeing most of it.
VERY cool music- reminded me of Dead Can Dance, punk, blues, country, hard rock, a lot of things all mixed together. The band was really great, and she has a strong but ethereal voice. And it was awesome to see this out in the open-air courtyard of a castle under a dark blue sky dotted with stars. Had a fabulous night and made a nifty musical discovery!
I guess that's about all for now. Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
A group of us shared a nice apartment in the heart of town for the weekend. Zakopane is a fun resort town in the mountains, pretty crowded year-round. In the spring and summer, people come to go hiking; in the winter, they ski and snowboard. I chose not to go on an epic hike up to the top of the mountain and instead, spent a very nice day wandering around the town, enjoying the people-watching, ice cream, good local cuisine and beautiful architecture. In preparation for heavy snows, all the buildings have high, peaked roofs, like chalets. Many have gorgeous designs carved into the wood. It's a very beautiful and restful area, and the hills and mountains are so green and pretty!
I left on Saturday afternoon, took an express train back to Warsaw. Got a good night's rest, then left for Vienna Sunday afternoon. I was going there for a business meeting for three days. We accomplished a lot, I think. It was nice to have more time in Vienna, though, especially in better weather. I mainly wandered around a lot, just exploring and admiring the buildings. On Monday, I went to a lovely concert of Mozart's music at the Staatsoper. Gorgeous opera house, nice acoustics. The musicians all wore kind of fun period costumes, adding a unique element to it. Afterward, I went to the Anna Sacher cafe in the hotel Sacher and ate a piece of the world-famous Sacher-Torte, a legendary dessert that's 175 years old. Everyone told me it was so sweet it'd make your teeth hurt, and they were a bit right- there is definitely a tangy sweetness to it. Though, I can't quite put my finger on what it is... a mystery!
On Tuesday night, I found an English cinema and watched Harry Potter 6. I did this because I really want to see it on the big screen and it's only dubbed over here, with no subtitles. So I counted that as a worthwhile thing to do. Had a *very* yummy steak dinner and salad afterward.
On Wednesday, I almost missed my flight back! I somehow mis-read the departure time on the itinerary as 17:45 instead of 17:25. Looking back, I think I had first seen the 16:45 boarding time and mixed that up in my brain. Needless to say, I somehow raced off of the CAT train, ran up the stairs, checked myself and my luggage in, made it through security and onto the bus that goes to the airplane in under 15 minutes. The luck of the Tiger must have been with me then!
Had a pretty uneventful flight back, caught a taxi home, dropped off my bags, then caught a bus out to the Old Town for a good-bye dinner with some friends. It was M's last night in Poland, and A is leaving at the end of the weekend. So we all ate tons of delicious Indian food and chatted. One of the girls had bought a bottle of wonderful raspberry liqueur made by monks, so we enjoyed that after dinner, then headed next door for a couple more drinks. More good conversation, plus a lot of Doors on the stereo- good times. It was a wonderful night, and I'll miss them, but I also wish them a good future as they head off to new endeavors.
On Thursday night, I joined a couple of friends at Ujazdowskie Castle for a really rad concert by a Polish singer named Katarzyna Nosowska. When we arrived, there was a huge crowd and we were told that tickets were all sold out. So we went to the nice restaurant behind the castle and chatted over some beer instead. The music was still going when we finished beer, so we asked if we could just hear the last couple of songs. We had a welcome surprise, though- the lady said the concert was only about 20 min. into the set and that we could get in for half price! So we ended up seeing most of it.
VERY cool music- reminded me of Dead Can Dance, punk, blues, country, hard rock, a lot of things all mixed together. The band was really great, and she has a strong but ethereal voice. And it was awesome to see this out in the open-air courtyard of a castle under a dark blue sky dotted with stars. Had a fabulous night and made a nifty musical discovery!
I guess that's about all for now. Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Gah, Facebook is really driving me nuts now! I thought it was a problem with Firefox, but maybe not. It only happens on the little computer, not the big one, so I wonder if I have a bug of some sort? I ran AVG but it didn't find a virus or anything.
When I click on Profile or Friends, it takes *forever* to load, then just says Home on the tab and shows a blank, empty page. Any ideas on what's happening? *sigh* I really wish I understood computers more.
On a lighter note, today was pretty darned awesome. Got a lot done at work, read Pet Shop of Horrors at lunch (I *so* miss my manga collection now!), then went to a yummy Chinese restaurant for dinner (finally found a good one here!), had soft ice cream afterward, picked up some groceries and snacks for the trip this weekend, mailed a card to a friend, came home and took a little walk. Nice, balmy night, no rain or wind, and someone was playing Pink Floyd. Also found a pretty great used CD shop and picked up Asia and Lou Reed cds. Must go back there!
Thinking about travel plans for next summer- may try to combine trips to the US and UK so I can visit family, attend a friend's wedding and go to an anime con. Must investigate flight possibilities closer to the dates.
When I click on Profile or Friends, it takes *forever* to load, then just says Home on the tab and shows a blank, empty page. Any ideas on what's happening? *sigh* I really wish I understood computers more.
On a lighter note, today was pretty darned awesome. Got a lot done at work, read Pet Shop of Horrors at lunch (I *so* miss my manga collection now!), then went to a yummy Chinese restaurant for dinner (finally found a good one here!), had soft ice cream afterward, picked up some groceries and snacks for the trip this weekend, mailed a card to a friend, came home and took a little walk. Nice, balmy night, no rain or wind, and someone was playing Pink Floyd. Also found a pretty great used CD shop and picked up Asia and Lou Reed cds. Must go back there!
Thinking about travel plans for next summer- may try to combine trips to the US and UK so I can visit family, attend a friend's wedding and go to an anime con. Must investigate flight possibilities closer to the dates.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
8/13/09
Well, still haven't been able to update online- neither Warsaw or Munich airports had wireless, and I didn't feel like paying 7 GBP just to post something last night. But I had a fun three hours wandering about the Munich airport. Wonderful place! Lufthansa has what they call "Service Centers", little points throughout the airport where you can get free coffee, tea and newspapers. It's a long, spacious airport, full of gorgeous luxury shops. I spent quite a bit of time in the Fabriano stationery store, then found a good magazine on Prague- in German, but great pictures, and I can pick up a few of the words here and there. After going through the passport control, I had a yummy grilled cheese sandwich and fresh orange juice, then found a
couple books in the airport store- one of them was written by the author of The Kite Runner, so that should be good.
Had an uneventful flight from Munich to Birmingham, read a polish anime magazine. I'm constantly amazed by how much Polish seems natural these days. Listening to the announcers as the plane took off from Warsaw, I realized I understood more of the safety instructions from the Polish announcer than the German one. And reading an article about a series by Kazuya Minekura, I was able to pick up quite a bit. Maybe I *will* be able to read the newspaper by the end of all this!
Picked up some milk and fruit at BHX for a late night snack, then took a taxi to the hotel. Had a VERY restful night in a real bed with a down comforter. Ah, how living abroad makes you appreciate the little luxuries in life!
It's quite surreal to realize that today, in the space of 6 hours, I've spent time in three different countries; heard 7 different languages announced over loudspeakers, and have four types of currency with me. And that this is as do-able for me now as going to New York or Miami would have been six months ago. Life is pretty darned awesome right now!
Slept in on Thursday morning, then took a taxi to another hotel in Coventry. Drove past fields of cute little sheep, hay bales and signs that said I was entering Shakespeare's Country. Such a nice, sunny day! Spent the early afternoon in Costa Coffee, ate lunch and had coffee, read a crime novel for a while. Later that afternoon, my roommate S showed up- she was really nice and it was a pleasure to finally meet her. We checked in, then chatted for a bit before meeting up with some other people going to the con. We ended up being a group of about 10 altogether.
Eventually, we all decided that food sounded good, so we drove over to one of the nearby centers and ate at a place called Frankie & Benny's. Had a great dinner, lively conversation, good food. One of the waiters looked the spitting image of the main star of "The Namesake", *exactly* like him! After dinner, we picked up snacks and supplies from the grocery store, then came back to the hotel and had beer, chatted some more, watched a silly vampire movie on TV. Went to bed in the wee hours, but had a great day.
8/14/09
Woke up early-ish for breakfast, then half of the group decided to have a little nap before going to register for the con, and the other half went swimming. I opted for the nap. It's so pretty and restful here... almost don't want to go back!
Went out to the university in Coventry for the convention around 3, registered, had a snack in the Arts Center. Pretty campus! Lots of brick buildings and wisteria. Went to panels on Japanese Tea Ceremony and cosplay, tried to watch episodes of FMA but the computer file kept looping after about 30 seconds. Just sort of wandered around and enjoyed all the cosplay outfits- lots of good ones! Saw a very good Hughes, Lust, Jin, Gojyo, and fun Goth-Loli.
Wandered through the artists' alley and manga reading room, then joined people for dinner. Half of us went to the campus pub; the other half ended up in the Asian fusion restaurant. Had a nice red Thai curry and just enjoyed soaking up all the energy and watching the cosplayers. After dinner, we all headed back to the hotel for some beer and more chatting. It's fun to have a huge group to hang out with!
8/15/0
Steampunk Day! Today was a day full of fun cosplay. Most of our group had outfits for the steampunk genre, so they all dressed up and looked fabulous! We had a mad scientist, an anthropologist-gone-native, the captain of the ship and his pirate lady, among others. The hotel's bar was called Hemingway and had cool stairs and glass cabinets with little artifacts in them (letters, binoculars, old typewriters, a pith helmet, old writing sets, books, boots, etc.), so we took pictures on the stairs- good atmosphere for it! Everyone looked utterly fabulous- I was very impressed! Will see what I can do about being the ship's steampunk
librarian for next year ;)
There were a lot more cosplayers today, mainly because the Masquerade was happening later, a sort of cosplay showcase. Later in the day, two members of our group changed outfits and entered the Masquerade as Squall and Edea from Final Fantasy VIII. They looked *great*. I was highly impressed with the quality of costumes at this con- so much effort and attention to detail!
Spent some time in the dealer's room, though not a lot of money. Picked up a couple volumes of manga to take home and read- I miss my collection! Had some lunch, talked to a random guy from Oxford, then joined up with the group again to watch the cosplay event. After that, everyone was pretty hungry, so we drove out to a chips shop and picked up dinner. Wonderful fish and chips, full of salt and vinegar, all wrapped up in paper... tasty! We took them back to the hotel and ate them at the picnic tables outside. Lots of talk about Red Dwarf, and lots of singing- must familiarize myself more with British TV. Went inside, drank beer, played a fun game that involved writing a conversation by passing around papers and adding one's own lines to it. We ended up with some pretty random conversations! Happily went to sleep around 2. Good day!
8/16/09
Skipped breakfast this morning and opted to sleep a bit longer. We had a nice picnic later out on the grass, enjoyed the sunshine and fun costumes, then went to a panel on the history and construction of kanzashi (traditional Japanese hair ornaments worn by maiko) and watched some fun AMVs. The closing ceremonies and comedy skits started around 6. Lots of fun! There were some pretty good ones, especially the last one which was a spoof on Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil.
The hosts of the event were great- really funny banter, much more entertaining than panel hosts I've seen at cons in the US. One of the con's guest stars was an American voice actor called Matt Mercer- he was great! Looked a lot like Luke Wilson, had a fantastic sense of humor.
They also had a charity auction and raised a LOT of money for the British Heart Foundation, which was super cool.
Altogether, I had a fantastic weekend, really enjoyed myself. Yes, this con had fewer people than American ones, but that didn't detract from the fun at all- rather, it gave it cozier, friendlier feel. Everyone was so nice and polite, the entire weekend felt just wonderful and warm and welcoming. I'll definitely come back next year for it, and maybe a couple others!
8/17/09
Time to go home.... we all had an early breakfast, then speedily packed our bags and took off for respective destinations. I took the train to the airport, then just hung out for a while until my plane boarded. I had *such* a fun time, am really glad I went. Made a bunch of new friends and now have great places to visit in the UK if I want a little vacation! Friends and weekends of squeee really are the best! Now time to go home, make sure everything's cool, finish some homework, and go to sleep!
Ugggh.... the flight from Frankfurt to Warsaw was *less* than fun. There was a screaming infant sitting right in front of me, crying the whole time. Thank goodness I've got an iPod full of loud death metal!
Got home ok, aired the place out a bit, talked to my mom, crashed... and woke up again at 4am to THE loudest thunderstorm ever! Guess at least I know I'm back in Poland >_< The sky was flashing with lightning, and there were even lightning bolts this time. Huge rounds of thunder
erupted every few seconds, and it started raining really hard, too. I imagine that this is a bit what being in a combat zone sounds and looks like, minus the weapons. Quite eerie and percussive.
8/18/09
Today was pretty cool- busy at work, got a very sudden trip to Vienna- I leave on Sunday. So this means my weekend in Zakopane with friends will be a bit shorter, but Vienna's a good place to go. Looking forward to more "exquisite dreams"! And it'll be nice to see it in the summertime.
Had a Polish class after work, then sushi and a concert of organ music with M after that. Wonderful evening all around!
Life rocks. ^__^
Well, still haven't been able to update online- neither Warsaw or Munich airports had wireless, and I didn't feel like paying 7 GBP just to post something last night. But I had a fun three hours wandering about the Munich airport. Wonderful place! Lufthansa has what they call "Service Centers", little points throughout the airport where you can get free coffee, tea and newspapers. It's a long, spacious airport, full of gorgeous luxury shops. I spent quite a bit of time in the Fabriano stationery store, then found a good magazine on Prague- in German, but great pictures, and I can pick up a few of the words here and there. After going through the passport control, I had a yummy grilled cheese sandwich and fresh orange juice, then found a
couple books in the airport store- one of them was written by the author of The Kite Runner, so that should be good.
Had an uneventful flight from Munich to Birmingham, read a polish anime magazine. I'm constantly amazed by how much Polish seems natural these days. Listening to the announcers as the plane took off from Warsaw, I realized I understood more of the safety instructions from the Polish announcer than the German one. And reading an article about a series by Kazuya Minekura, I was able to pick up quite a bit. Maybe I *will* be able to read the newspaper by the end of all this!
Picked up some milk and fruit at BHX for a late night snack, then took a taxi to the hotel. Had a VERY restful night in a real bed with a down comforter. Ah, how living abroad makes you appreciate the little luxuries in life!
It's quite surreal to realize that today, in the space of 6 hours, I've spent time in three different countries; heard 7 different languages announced over loudspeakers, and have four types of currency with me. And that this is as do-able for me now as going to New York or Miami would have been six months ago. Life is pretty darned awesome right now!
Slept in on Thursday morning, then took a taxi to another hotel in Coventry. Drove past fields of cute little sheep, hay bales and signs that said I was entering Shakespeare's Country. Such a nice, sunny day! Spent the early afternoon in Costa Coffee, ate lunch and had coffee, read a crime novel for a while. Later that afternoon, my roommate S showed up- she was really nice and it was a pleasure to finally meet her. We checked in, then chatted for a bit before meeting up with some other people going to the con. We ended up being a group of about 10 altogether.
Eventually, we all decided that food sounded good, so we drove over to one of the nearby centers and ate at a place called Frankie & Benny's. Had a great dinner, lively conversation, good food. One of the waiters looked the spitting image of the main star of "The Namesake", *exactly* like him! After dinner, we picked up snacks and supplies from the grocery store, then came back to the hotel and had beer, chatted some more, watched a silly vampire movie on TV. Went to bed in the wee hours, but had a great day.
8/14/09
Woke up early-ish for breakfast, then half of the group decided to have a little nap before going to register for the con, and the other half went swimming. I opted for the nap. It's so pretty and restful here... almost don't want to go back!
Went out to the university in Coventry for the convention around 3, registered, had a snack in the Arts Center. Pretty campus! Lots of brick buildings and wisteria. Went to panels on Japanese Tea Ceremony and cosplay, tried to watch episodes of FMA but the computer file kept looping after about 30 seconds. Just sort of wandered around and enjoyed all the cosplay outfits- lots of good ones! Saw a very good Hughes, Lust, Jin, Gojyo, and fun Goth-Loli.
Wandered through the artists' alley and manga reading room, then joined people for dinner. Half of us went to the campus pub; the other half ended up in the Asian fusion restaurant. Had a nice red Thai curry and just enjoyed soaking up all the energy and watching the cosplayers. After dinner, we all headed back to the hotel for some beer and more chatting. It's fun to have a huge group to hang out with!
8/15/0
Steampunk Day! Today was a day full of fun cosplay. Most of our group had outfits for the steampunk genre, so they all dressed up and looked fabulous! We had a mad scientist, an anthropologist-gone-native, the captain of the ship and his pirate lady, among others. The hotel's bar was called Hemingway and had cool stairs and glass cabinets with little artifacts in them (letters, binoculars, old typewriters, a pith helmet, old writing sets, books, boots, etc.), so we took pictures on the stairs- good atmosphere for it! Everyone looked utterly fabulous- I was very impressed! Will see what I can do about being the ship's steampunk
librarian for next year ;)
There were a lot more cosplayers today, mainly because the Masquerade was happening later, a sort of cosplay showcase. Later in the day, two members of our group changed outfits and entered the Masquerade as Squall and Edea from Final Fantasy VIII. They looked *great*. I was highly impressed with the quality of costumes at this con- so much effort and attention to detail!
Spent some time in the dealer's room, though not a lot of money. Picked up a couple volumes of manga to take home and read- I miss my collection! Had some lunch, talked to a random guy from Oxford, then joined up with the group again to watch the cosplay event. After that, everyone was pretty hungry, so we drove out to a chips shop and picked up dinner. Wonderful fish and chips, full of salt and vinegar, all wrapped up in paper... tasty! We took them back to the hotel and ate them at the picnic tables outside. Lots of talk about Red Dwarf, and lots of singing- must familiarize myself more with British TV. Went inside, drank beer, played a fun game that involved writing a conversation by passing around papers and adding one's own lines to it. We ended up with some pretty random conversations! Happily went to sleep around 2. Good day!
8/16/09
Skipped breakfast this morning and opted to sleep a bit longer. We had a nice picnic later out on the grass, enjoyed the sunshine and fun costumes, then went to a panel on the history and construction of kanzashi (traditional Japanese hair ornaments worn by maiko) and watched some fun AMVs. The closing ceremonies and comedy skits started around 6. Lots of fun! There were some pretty good ones, especially the last one which was a spoof on Final Fantasy VII and Resident Evil.
The hosts of the event were great- really funny banter, much more entertaining than panel hosts I've seen at cons in the US. One of the con's guest stars was an American voice actor called Matt Mercer- he was great! Looked a lot like Luke Wilson, had a fantastic sense of humor.
They also had a charity auction and raised a LOT of money for the British Heart Foundation, which was super cool.
Altogether, I had a fantastic weekend, really enjoyed myself. Yes, this con had fewer people than American ones, but that didn't detract from the fun at all- rather, it gave it cozier, friendlier feel. Everyone was so nice and polite, the entire weekend felt just wonderful and warm and welcoming. I'll definitely come back next year for it, and maybe a couple others!
8/17/09
Time to go home.... we all had an early breakfast, then speedily packed our bags and took off for respective destinations. I took the train to the airport, then just hung out for a while until my plane boarded. I had *such* a fun time, am really glad I went. Made a bunch of new friends and now have great places to visit in the UK if I want a little vacation! Friends and weekends of squeee really are the best! Now time to go home, make sure everything's cool, finish some homework, and go to sleep!
Ugggh.... the flight from Frankfurt to Warsaw was *less* than fun. There was a screaming infant sitting right in front of me, crying the whole time. Thank goodness I've got an iPod full of loud death metal!
Got home ok, aired the place out a bit, talked to my mom, crashed... and woke up again at 4am to THE loudest thunderstorm ever! Guess at least I know I'm back in Poland >_< The sky was flashing with lightning, and there were even lightning bolts this time. Huge rounds of thunder
erupted every few seconds, and it started raining really hard, too. I imagine that this is a bit what being in a combat zone sounds and looks like, minus the weapons. Quite eerie and percussive.
8/18/09
Today was pretty cool- busy at work, got a very sudden trip to Vienna- I leave on Sunday. So this means my weekend in Zakopane with friends will be a bit shorter, but Vienna's a good place to go. Looking forward to more "exquisite dreams"! And it'll be nice to see it in the summertime.
Had a Polish class after work, then sushi and a concert of organ music with M after that. Wonderful evening all around!
Life rocks. ^__^
Wow, been quite a while since I updated. I think it's been mostly a combination of being busy and wanting to stay away from typing for a bit- wrists have been crampy lately. But it's been a fun couple of weeks.
Friday a couple weeks ago (7/31), I went to a farewell party off Nowy Świat for a friend who's leaving at the end of this month. Nice place- lots of different beers to try, good conversation, had a great time. Met some new people, talked a lot about Japan and California, then went home and crashed.
That Saturday night(8/1), met the Australian boy for beer and conversation. We ended up at a really cool bar in the Palace of Science and Culture. It was kind of dark, but in a cool `30s sort of way, a bit Deco inside. We sat outside, enjoyed the moon, drank good wine and beer, just relaxed. He had hours of wild tales about Australia, so it was a very entertaining night for me. What a fantastic country!
Had a day off on Monday the 3rd- explored a few new Metro stations, checked out the bookstore by Ratusz Arsenał that I'd spotted a while back. They didn't have quite what I was looking for in a Japanese textbook, but the owner showed me a great site where I could order one. Came home, talked to a friend and my mom for a bit, went to bed.
There was a lot to do at work that week, a good thing. Keeps me out of trouble ;) The next weekend was pretty cool, though. Re-colored my hair and got it trimmed on Friday, then met the Australian and some friends for one last beer- he was taking off to go home the next day. Great night- 09-08-07, full moon, new hair, nice friends, lots of beer. We stayed out drinking until the wee hours of the morning, just talking and talking. He really wants me to come visit him in Australia. I very well may, after Japan. Gotta save time and money for that first. It was nice to see him one last time- I'll miss him!
Spent Saturday sleeping in and recovering, not doing much of anything. Watched "High Fidelity", did a little cleaning.
Sunday the 9th of August was just perfect. Great weather, slept in, wandered around out in the sun, had ice cream and coffee at two new places, got groceries (including Norwegian salmon), chatted with M & S a bit, read a good book by one of my favorite Irish authors, watched "Sliding Doors". It's nice when your life feels a little more settled.
Tried a new Thai food restaurant on Monday night near my house- absolutely delicious! Finished the good book, packed my suitcase, did laundry and more cleaning. Had a wonderful dinner on Tuesday night with some friends. They invited me and M over to their lovely house and we ate homemade curry, drank wine, played with their adorable dog and just talked forever. It was a really fun night- I hope we can do it again soon!
Today (8/12), I worked half a day, then went home, ate some lunch, watched the Kasanoda episode of Ouran and caught a taxi to the airport. Found some coffee and wrote more of an update in the airport. And now I have to go- they're boarding my flight. I'm off to England for a few days for AyaRevolution!
Friday a couple weeks ago (7/31), I went to a farewell party off Nowy Świat for a friend who's leaving at the end of this month. Nice place- lots of different beers to try, good conversation, had a great time. Met some new people, talked a lot about Japan and California, then went home and crashed.
That Saturday night(8/1), met the Australian boy for beer and conversation. We ended up at a really cool bar in the Palace of Science and Culture. It was kind of dark, but in a cool `30s sort of way, a bit Deco inside. We sat outside, enjoyed the moon, drank good wine and beer, just relaxed. He had hours of wild tales about Australia, so it was a very entertaining night for me. What a fantastic country!
Had a day off on Monday the 3rd- explored a few new Metro stations, checked out the bookstore by Ratusz Arsenał that I'd spotted a while back. They didn't have quite what I was looking for in a Japanese textbook, but the owner showed me a great site where I could order one. Came home, talked to a friend and my mom for a bit, went to bed.
There was a lot to do at work that week, a good thing. Keeps me out of trouble ;) The next weekend was pretty cool, though. Re-colored my hair and got it trimmed on Friday, then met the Australian and some friends for one last beer- he was taking off to go home the next day. Great night- 09-08-07, full moon, new hair, nice friends, lots of beer. We stayed out drinking until the wee hours of the morning, just talking and talking. He really wants me to come visit him in Australia. I very well may, after Japan. Gotta save time and money for that first. It was nice to see him one last time- I'll miss him!
Spent Saturday sleeping in and recovering, not doing much of anything. Watched "High Fidelity", did a little cleaning.
Sunday the 9th of August was just perfect. Great weather, slept in, wandered around out in the sun, had ice cream and coffee at two new places, got groceries (including Norwegian salmon), chatted with M & S a bit, read a good book by one of my favorite Irish authors, watched "Sliding Doors". It's nice when your life feels a little more settled.
Tried a new Thai food restaurant on Monday night near my house- absolutely delicious! Finished the good book, packed my suitcase, did laundry and more cleaning. Had a wonderful dinner on Tuesday night with some friends. They invited me and M over to their lovely house and we ate homemade curry, drank wine, played with their adorable dog and just talked forever. It was a really fun night- I hope we can do it again soon!
Today (8/12), I worked half a day, then went home, ate some lunch, watched the Kasanoda episode of Ouran and caught a taxi to the airport. Found some coffee and wrote more of an update in the airport. And now I have to go- they're boarding my flight. I'm off to England for a few days for AyaRevolution!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Saturday was fantastic. Slept in a bit (after talking to a couple friends online for a while Friday night), then headed over to a friend's house for late breakfast. She could really run a successful bistro or something one day! I arrived and found wonderful food all artfully arranged on a large, gorgeous worn-wood table. Italian prosciutto, delicious cheeses, tomatoes and cucumbers with a bit of black pepper and fresh basil, soft brown artisan bread, salad with toasted pumpkin seeds. We also had orange juice, berry smoothies, raspberries and blueberries, pancakes with honey and gooseberry jam, and champagne! It felt very upscale and relaxed at the same time.
We had a nice day- just ate, chatted, ate some more, looked up things on the internet, talked about books and films and travels and everything. Perfect way to start the day, and *boy* was I full after all that delicious food!
I left around 3:30 to run home for a bit, then met an interesting Australian bloke later in the afternoon. We had a *long* night of constant chatting and catching up, and lots of good beer and snacks. I love people who can tell me wild tales of the Australian outback for hours on end!
Today, I've just slept in so far (needed it!), eaten some breakfast, am catching up a bit. Might do cleaning, laundry, see a movie... lazy Sunday for once.
We had a nice day- just ate, chatted, ate some more, looked up things on the internet, talked about books and films and travels and everything. Perfect way to start the day, and *boy* was I full after all that delicious food!
I left around 3:30 to run home for a bit, then met an interesting Australian bloke later in the afternoon. We had a *long* night of constant chatting and catching up, and lots of good beer and snacks. I love people who can tell me wild tales of the Australian outback for hours on end!
Today, I've just slept in so far (needed it!), eaten some breakfast, am catching up a bit. Might do cleaning, laundry, see a movie... lazy Sunday for once.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Had another nice day.... this makes two in a row! Let's see how long the luck lasts....
Got a lot done at work, making more progress on these files. The cafe I regularly frequent for lunch closed today, so I had a nice last lunch there with some friends. Did some dishes after I came home, chatted w/S a while, then prepared things to mail and went out. Spent a couple hours in Traffic.... and discovered their HUGE basement full of CDs and videos! Must go back there. Had a nice, relaxing dinner in a new Italian restaurant. The entire conversation with the waitress was in Polish.. only realized that after I left. Listened to a large group of computer and gamer geeks talking at the next table over. One of them went on for a while about how he was developing some game for the Wii. Made me a little nostalgic for home. ^_^
Took a bunch of stuff to the post office, and again, had a very successful transaction all in Polish. I love the post office late at night, when no one's around and the staff are a lot less irritable. The two women I talked to this evening were very nice and helpful, actually!
Managed to update my bus pass, then took the metro home. Felt genuinely happy to be here. I like Warsaw, and my neighborhood, and the post office, and little things, and all the parks and dogs and funny cars and the fact that the pharmacies are open 7 days a week for decent hours.
Life is good.
Miłego weekendu!
Got a lot done at work, making more progress on these files. The cafe I regularly frequent for lunch closed today, so I had a nice last lunch there with some friends. Did some dishes after I came home, chatted w/S a while, then prepared things to mail and went out. Spent a couple hours in Traffic.... and discovered their HUGE basement full of CDs and videos! Must go back there. Had a nice, relaxing dinner in a new Italian restaurant. The entire conversation with the waitress was in Polish.. only realized that after I left. Listened to a large group of computer and gamer geeks talking at the next table over. One of them went on for a while about how he was developing some game for the Wii. Made me a little nostalgic for home. ^_^
Took a bunch of stuff to the post office, and again, had a very successful transaction all in Polish. I love the post office late at night, when no one's around and the staff are a lot less irritable. The two women I talked to this evening were very nice and helpful, actually!
Managed to update my bus pass, then took the metro home. Felt genuinely happy to be here. I like Warsaw, and my neighborhood, and the post office, and little things, and all the parks and dogs and funny cars and the fact that the pharmacies are open 7 days a week for decent hours.
Life is good.
Miłego weekendu!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Had a really nice day today. Got a good night's rest. Had a nice lunch with a short walk in the sun afterward. A friend who had gone to Provence brought me a small bottle of concentrated lavender oil- soooo yummy! Another friend gave me a stack of new books to read and a bouquet of flowers that she'd received. But since she's going out of town in the next day for about a week, she didn't want them to just wither away in her apartment, so I got them- sunflowers, chrysanthemums and Queen Anne's lace. Met with a colleague for about an hour, got lots of good feedback on file organization- I may be able to get a couple units organized by early next week! Polish class went well and it's my mom's birthday, so I had a nice, short chat w/her. Found out that the NHL is playing a few games in Europe this October, might try to go to one. Went out to dinner at a tapas restaurant with several friends, had a good time just relaxing and chatting. And made it home about 15 minutes before another huge storm started. Talked to S about life in general and a book project and school... and now it's time for bed.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The weekend was nice. I randomly took a train to Białystok, a small-ish city in the northeast, by the Belarussian border. Nice town- most everything was in the center, so it was easy to get around. I had a good breakfast both mornings in the hotel. There was a film event going on, so the hotel was full of artsy types and guys that looked like they could be roadies for Lynyrd Skynyrd. Saturday morning, I wandered around and looked at the shops and at a large WWII monument. Then I wandered down one of the main roads and found myself in front of the university library (of course!) Bought some cherries at a stand near there, crossed the road, walked down a shady path with more war statues, past the Odeon Jazz club, and arrived at a little park. These parks are great for walking, and peaceful places to read.
Wandered through the Branicki Palace for a while. Amazing gardens, complete with a forest area, pruned decorative gardens, a small river, and grassy banks. The house itself was a pretty Baroque mansion with a nice interior- mostly sage green with white accents, not as much gold as I've seen in other Baroque houses. It was nice to just walk around through the gardens for a bit.
After that, I walked out the front gates and through another park, where the film group was setting up for some event later that night. I tried to sit on a bench and enjoy the cherries, but there were huge ants and other bugs all over the place, so I gave up.
Walked back to the center of town, stopping in a bookstore, and found a bench in the town square to eat and read for a bit. Watched kids play in the large fountain there for a while, then walked up the main street to the town hall, which is now an art museum. Enjoyed looking at the paintings, then took a bus out to another part of town to explore a bit more. It's kind of industrial on the outskirts, but there are some HUGE Orthodox churches! Must visit them next time.
Stopped at the train station to check return times for the next day and managed to successfully give someone directions to the palace.
Dropped things off at the hotel, wandered around a bit more in search of dinner, finally ended up at an ODD restaurant called Hokus Pokus. Turquoise walls with mirrors and chrome on them and fur-covered seats.... yeah. But the apple crepe was good.
Had some espresso after that, then went to sleep.
Sunday after breakfast, I went back to the town hall to hear a free piano concert. The young pianist was excellent and played a nice selection of Romantic and Mondern pieces. After the concert, I had some iced espresso and a chocolate milkshake at a cute cafe. The waiter asked where I was from, and we chatted a bit about where we'd lived and traveled. He seemed surprised that I'd just *visit* Białystok without having family or work here. He gave me two books about the city to look at, and time just flew by. Several hours later.... I finished the books, thanked him for bringing them out, collected my luggage from the hotel, then caught a 4pm train back to Warsaw.
It was a nice weekend and a cute town- definitely worth another visit sometime.
Wandered through the Branicki Palace for a while. Amazing gardens, complete with a forest area, pruned decorative gardens, a small river, and grassy banks. The house itself was a pretty Baroque mansion with a nice interior- mostly sage green with white accents, not as much gold as I've seen in other Baroque houses. It was nice to just walk around through the gardens for a bit.
After that, I walked out the front gates and through another park, where the film group was setting up for some event later that night. I tried to sit on a bench and enjoy the cherries, but there were huge ants and other bugs all over the place, so I gave up.
Walked back to the center of town, stopping in a bookstore, and found a bench in the town square to eat and read for a bit. Watched kids play in the large fountain there for a while, then walked up the main street to the town hall, which is now an art museum. Enjoyed looking at the paintings, then took a bus out to another part of town to explore a bit more. It's kind of industrial on the outskirts, but there are some HUGE Orthodox churches! Must visit them next time.
Stopped at the train station to check return times for the next day and managed to successfully give someone directions to the palace.
Dropped things off at the hotel, wandered around a bit more in search of dinner, finally ended up at an ODD restaurant called Hokus Pokus. Turquoise walls with mirrors and chrome on them and fur-covered seats.... yeah. But the apple crepe was good.
Had some espresso after that, then went to sleep.
Sunday after breakfast, I went back to the town hall to hear a free piano concert. The young pianist was excellent and played a nice selection of Romantic and Mondern pieces. After the concert, I had some iced espresso and a chocolate milkshake at a cute cafe. The waiter asked where I was from, and we chatted a bit about where we'd lived and traveled. He seemed surprised that I'd just *visit* Białystok without having family or work here. He gave me two books about the city to look at, and time just flew by. Several hours later.... I finished the books, thanked him for bringing them out, collected my luggage from the hotel, then caught a 4pm train back to Warsaw.
It was a nice weekend and a cute town- definitely worth another visit sometime.
So for some reason this morning, my alarm clock decided to have an Amelie moment and set itself a couple hours ahead. It said 8:55 when I left the house, but when I got to work, everything was dark and the lights were all off. Wondering why, I glanced at the clock there.... which said 7:10. *sigh*. So it's been a long, sleepy day and I'm desperately in need of a nap. Was going to go out tonight, but I think I'm going to stay home instead. I have laundry and cleaning to do, Polish homework, and I'm just too tired to be social right now.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Been a pretty good week. Went out on Sunday with a bunch of friends to see the Dropkick Murphys. Great show, and long! Two bands opened- a Polish band called The Black Tapes (really good, actually) and an all-girl band from L.A. called Civet. They were having audio problems so it was hard to hear the lyrics. I had a great time, though, and met a few new people, always a good thing.
Went out on Tuesday night for sushi and wine w/ M. Such a relaxing time, just sitting on Nowy Swiat for hours, chatting, people-watching...
There have been lots of thunderstorms this week. One of them kept me up all night with constantly flashing lightning- felt like I was in a techno club for three hours. Not fun.
Also... I *hate* mosquitoes. They've been after me all week. Ugggh. Must find good insect repellent.
I felt like not being in Warsaw this weekend, so after work, I threw stuff into a bag and went to the train station. Looked at the departures, thought about it, and randomly decided to go to a town called Białystok. It's in the northeast, right on the border of Poland and Belarus. Gorgeous scenery on the train ride there, lots of open fields with HUGE houses. They're all several stories tall and they look absolutely sprawling. Shared a quiet compartment with 6 other people who didn't smoke and who all read books or listened to music. Pretty uneventful.
Arrived around 10pm, managed to find the center of town, and looked around for lodgings. I found a nifty-looking center run by the Orthodox Church that wasn't too expensive, but its doors closed at 8pm. Oh, well- next time. After a bit of looking around, I settled on the normal but convenient Best Western. Not my usual eccentric little hotel, but close to everything with free breakfast and internet, and they'll hold onto my luggage after checkout on Sunday so I can explore some more. I figured it was worth it.
Now to relax a bit, have a snack, and get a good night's rest!
Went out on Tuesday night for sushi and wine w/ M. Such a relaxing time, just sitting on Nowy Swiat for hours, chatting, people-watching...
There have been lots of thunderstorms this week. One of them kept me up all night with constantly flashing lightning- felt like I was in a techno club for three hours. Not fun.
Also... I *hate* mosquitoes. They've been after me all week. Ugggh. Must find good insect repellent.
I felt like not being in Warsaw this weekend, so after work, I threw stuff into a bag and went to the train station. Looked at the departures, thought about it, and randomly decided to go to a town called Białystok. It's in the northeast, right on the border of Poland and Belarus. Gorgeous scenery on the train ride there, lots of open fields with HUGE houses. They're all several stories tall and they look absolutely sprawling. Shared a quiet compartment with 6 other people who didn't smoke and who all read books or listened to music. Pretty uneventful.
Arrived around 10pm, managed to find the center of town, and looked around for lodgings. I found a nifty-looking center run by the Orthodox Church that wasn't too expensive, but its doors closed at 8pm. Oh, well- next time. After a bit of looking around, I settled on the normal but convenient Best Western. Not my usual eccentric little hotel, but close to everything with free breakfast and internet, and they'll hold onto my luggage after checkout on Sunday so I can explore some more. I figured it was worth it.
Now to relax a bit, have a snack, and get a good night's rest!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Been a pretty good week. Had a great time catching up with a friend at a book cafe in the university area called The Gentle Barbarian. Great little spot, full of interesting books and comfy chairs. And they make *the* best mocha I've ever had, very melty, with a hint of hazelnut. We just chatted for several hours, and when we left, I picked up a Bibliography of Gdańsk in Literature, 1945-1979. It looked like a good book, and it gives me an idea for a project of my own.
Had beer with a group of friends on Tuesday, nice evening. Talked a lot about languages and linguistics.
Polish class on Thursday, followed by a soccer game. One of my friends is leaving here soon, so I wanted to take her to a game before she left. Unfortunately, Polonia was NOT playing well- no strategy, position, enthusiasm... I think they ended up winning, but it was not one of their best matches, to say the least. We had fun, though.
Warsaw is having a film festival this week, showing nifty films from all over the world at several of their art theaters. Last night, I went with another friend and her family to see "Brick Lane". Good film- raised some interesting questions about women, migration, national identity. The cinematography was gorgeous, and the soundtrack was exquisite. I had a great night and really enjoyed the film.
Today has started with sleeping in and doing some laundry. But I think it's time to get outside and do something- no more wasting the days inside on the computer.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Had beer with a group of friends on Tuesday, nice evening. Talked a lot about languages and linguistics.
Polish class on Thursday, followed by a soccer game. One of my friends is leaving here soon, so I wanted to take her to a game before she left. Unfortunately, Polonia was NOT playing well- no strategy, position, enthusiasm... I think they ended up winning, but it was not one of their best matches, to say the least. We had fun, though.
Warsaw is having a film festival this week, showing nifty films from all over the world at several of their art theaters. Last night, I went with another friend and her family to see "Brick Lane". Good film- raised some interesting questions about women, migration, national identity. The cinematography was gorgeous, and the soundtrack was exquisite. I had a great night and really enjoyed the film.
Today has started with sleeping in and doing some laundry. But I think it's time to get outside and do something- no more wasting the days inside on the computer.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
I guess writing about the good weather jinxed it... woke up today to rain, and it's been steadily storming ever since, thunder and lightning as well. *sigh* I guess I'll just have to wait until I go home to have a real summer.
In other news, I finalized all the details for a trip to the UK in August. I'm going to a fun Japanese anime convention with some friends over there- really looking forward to it! It'll be nice to have a weekend of fangirl squeee!
In other news, I finalized all the details for a trip to the UK in August. I'm going to a fun Japanese anime convention with some friends over there- really looking forward to it! It'll be nice to have a weekend of fangirl squeee!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
A long week of icky weather has finally come to an end, I think. Last night was wonderful- nice and warm, no rain, nice moon. I just stayed home and vegged, enjoyed quiet time. Stayed up late, enjoying the warm weather, and woke up at 10 to hear the phone ringing. Had an *epic* conversation with a friend back home, our longest in one stretch, I think. But it was really nice to chat again, and I learned some new things about bases and math and computers.
Ate breakfast after that, got dressed, and went to the mall to return a fan. I'd purchased it last Wed, but after bringing it home, I discovered that it required assembly. Since I lack the skills and tools to do this, I took it back and asked if they had one that was pre-assembled. They didn't, but the nice guy at the service desk put it together for me. I now have a small household fan, which will really improve air circulation in here!
So it's now early evening, and still sunny and warm. What to do? I think I'll finish some dishes, then just head out for coffee and a walk or something. Don't want to waste any sunshine!
Ate breakfast after that, got dressed, and went to the mall to return a fan. I'd purchased it last Wed, but after bringing it home, I discovered that it required assembly. Since I lack the skills and tools to do this, I took it back and asked if they had one that was pre-assembled. They didn't, but the nice guy at the service desk put it together for me. I now have a small household fan, which will really improve air circulation in here!
So it's now early evening, and still sunny and warm. What to do? I think I'll finish some dishes, then just head out for coffee and a walk or something. Don't want to waste any sunshine!
Monday, June 29, 2009
The weather today *was* looking better. Woke up to sunshine and blue skies, and it was hot (if a bit humid) all day. I was really enjoying that. Until about 10 minutes ago. Then, all of a sudden, there's the most torrential downpour, lightning and the loudest thunder I've ever heard. One clap just set off a couple car alarms. This place officially has crazy weather. >_<
Good grief! So, now there's massive hail... and the really odd thing is that I think there are pipes that run from the outside of the house through my walls, because I can hear the hail and rain trickling through the walls, and several hailstones just came out of a vent into my living room, and a couple more came out of a vent into the bathroom! *sigh* As if I didn't have enough to worry about already...!
Good grief! So, now there's massive hail... and the really odd thing is that I think there are pipes that run from the outside of the house through my walls, because I can hear the hail and rain trickling through the walls, and several hailstones just came out of a vent into my living room, and a couple more came out of a vent into the bathroom! *sigh* As if I didn't have enough to worry about already...!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
I think one of the main causes of recent mood swings is the weather. When I arrived, it was February- cold, windy, snowing. Okay, that's winter. Everyone said Spring would arrive soon and be beautiful. Well, there were about 3 weeks of decent, sort of sunny weather in April... and that was it. From May on, every day has been cold, windy, wet, rainy, thunderstorming and gray. It's like winter all over again. But it's June, *summer*. Everyone told me that Polish winters were brutal but that the summers were really hot. I was looking forward to that! I know everyone else in the world hates heat and bright sun, but I love it, thrive on it- back home, a good friend and I would go out and sort of "bask" at lunchtime. I have full appreciation for lizards and snakes who enjoy sunning themselves. But there's really been no sunshine since April. It's literally depressing, especially when I have this "brutal winter" to look forward to, as well.
In weather like this, I'm disinclined to go outside for anything- socializing, walking, exercise, fresh air, etc. So I have to stay at work, then race home to my apartment and stay there the rest of the night, making me feel trapped and cooped up. I'm starting to understand how friends in the Pacific Northwest might feel. And next time I select a job, it *will* be somewhere with reliable sunshine! This is just too much to deal with.
In weather like this, I'm disinclined to go outside for anything- socializing, walking, exercise, fresh air, etc. So I have to stay at work, then race home to my apartment and stay there the rest of the night, making me feel trapped and cooped up. I'm starting to understand how friends in the Pacific Northwest might feel. And next time I select a job, it *will* be somewhere with reliable sunshine! This is just too much to deal with.
Been a while since I've had a chance to update! But the last two weeks have been non-stop traveling and a lot of work. I finally have a weekend at *home* where I don't have to do *anything*
So the Thursday before last was a holiday here- Corpus Christi. I figured things would be closed, so taking a long train ride wouldn't be a bad idea. I'd planned to be on a 10am train north, but I'd spent the night before staying out late at a trendy nightclub, drinking beer with a couple of cool guys, so I decided to sleep in a bit. Good call, because the 2:30 train I got on was an express train, which meant more comfort and fewer stops. The cars were *nice*! They had outlets for the computer, nice seats, and a guy coming by every hour to see if you wanted tea, coffee, snacks, etc. I spent the ride doing some homework and putting together a playlist I'd been thinking of for ages, and just watched the nice scenery go by.
Arrived in Szczecin around 8pm. It was still really light out. This is a kind of gritty harbor town WAY up north, pretty much on the border between Poland and Germany, right on the Baltic Sea. Boy, was it windy and cold! Glad I took my good coat and umbrella. It also rained most of the time I was there, alternating between a light mist and cats and dogs. But I was prepared, so it was all good.
I took a tram to the center of town and found a place to stay, the Hotelik Slowianski. Very cute little red brick building with liquid amber and maple trees outside. It used to be an old police dorm, so the rooms have little kitchen facilities and things. Very high ceilings, nice interior, and my room had a balcony facing St. Adalbert's Church. Not too posh or anything, but fine for a weekend trip- besides, I often prefer these little places that have character over perfect mainstream varieties. I opened the cupboards and in one, found a bottle of bison grass vodka! ^__^
Dropped off my stuff, then went in search of dinner. Not much was open, but I found a 24-kebab place across the street and happily ate there. Made it there just in time, because about 2 minutes later, the rain poured down in fierce torrents. I took my time eating and waited until the rain lessened, then went next door to the Dublin Irish Pub. *Great* place!! Totally reminded me of the pub back home, all dark wood, comfy interior, good decorations, dart boards, a few tables of regulars, good beer. Had a couple pints of Guinness and just enjoyed being there, thought of good friends back home.
After that, I wandered around the block a bit, discovered the main post office. It took up about 2 blocks just by itself- huge!! Looked a bit like the one in Olsztyn, all red, yellow and green brick, very pretty. Again, Warsaw could take some architectural tips from these towns....
On Friday, I spent most of the day just exploring the city. Concert wasn't until 10pm, so I had time. I took trams and walked, and saw the Harbor Gate, the Royal Gate, the Old Town, the Castle of the Dukes of Pomerania, the area down by the docks, a huge park, the mall, all sorts of good stuff. I like Szczecin, but.... the only downside is that they don't seem to believe in street signs. NONE of the buildings had signs, or the roundabouts, or anything. I had to use my "eshu" powers quite a bit ;)
Stopped on a quiet street for a relaxing lunch, had pizza and salad. Then discovered a nifty coffee shop next door- sampled a number of yummy varieties. Discovered a yoga place that listed free yoga sessions in parks across Poland- there's one in Warsaw, in Pole Mokotowskie! I'll have to try that. Passed by a store that sold nothing but angels- little statues, stained glass, pictures, etc. Thought of my best friend's grandma, who adores them. Saw LOTS of very adorable dogs!
Later that afternoon, I had a delicious mocha and some vanilla bean tea in the Brama Jazz Cafe- it was actually inside the royal gate! Very cool little spot. Around 7:30, headed back toward the hotel for dinner at an Indian place called Bombay- very good food, I needed some warmth and spice after a long rainy day. Finished dinner and caught the tram out to the Central Cemetery.
The Cemetery was huge, with a large brick entrance house. We presented our tickets at the gate, then walked down through the paths to a large field with a lake in the middle. The choir was on the opposite side of the lake from the audience. Naval officers stood on platforms in the lake, since the piece was dedicated to those who had not returned from sea. During parts of the performance, they shone blue, white and red lights on the trees surrounding the field. It rained pretty much most of the concert, but we didn't care- we had umbrellas and plastic to sit on.
The concert was lovely. This piece, "Requiem For My Friend" was composed by Zbiegniew Preisner for the director, Krzysztof Kieslowski. I'd first heard it about 10 years ago- a friend sent me a recording. It was a nice opportunity to hear it performed live, and in such a nice setting.
Saturday morning, I woke up, took a few last pictures, enjoyed some bread and espresso in a cafe, then got on the train back to Warsaw. Big mistake- I somehow found myself on one of the local trains, meaning that it stopped in every little town along the way. It took 5.5 hours to get up here, but over 8 to get back. And it was dark, rainy and cold. I finished a Robert Ludlum book, then just listened to music for a while- nothing much else to do. Had some dinner when I got back into town, then went home and crashed.
Woke up Sunday morning, packed my bags again, then met my colleague at the airport for a work trip to Prague. We spent most of Monday and Tuesday meeting with colleagues about work topics, but in the evenings, we explored Prague. Very pretty city, and *big*. A nice mixture of classic and Baroque buildings, statues all over the place (there were 30 on the St. Charles Bridge alone!), interesting clocks and decorations. We saw a royal castle, an enormous cathedral, the "Alchemist's Alley" (I recognized the Chinese character for "gold" on the sign next to that one), Franz Kafka's house, some really pretty houses in a residential area. A lot of the houses have Art Nouveau painting on the outside, birds, motifs, Mucha girls. Really cool.
We walked through the old town, across several bridges, watched the little figures come out from the top of the astronomical clock, had espresso in a cafe with live jazz music, and explored the temples in the old Jewish quarter. Altogether, it was a very nice visit. I can see why so many artists and writers want to live in Prague. And of course, I immediately located the soccer stadium and hockey arena, so I'm all set for Czech sports.
Returned early Wed. morning and went straight back to work. Long trip!
So the Thursday before last was a holiday here- Corpus Christi. I figured things would be closed, so taking a long train ride wouldn't be a bad idea. I'd planned to be on a 10am train north, but I'd spent the night before staying out late at a trendy nightclub, drinking beer with a couple of cool guys, so I decided to sleep in a bit. Good call, because the 2:30 train I got on was an express train, which meant more comfort and fewer stops. The cars were *nice*! They had outlets for the computer, nice seats, and a guy coming by every hour to see if you wanted tea, coffee, snacks, etc. I spent the ride doing some homework and putting together a playlist I'd been thinking of for ages, and just watched the nice scenery go by.
Arrived in Szczecin around 8pm. It was still really light out. This is a kind of gritty harbor town WAY up north, pretty much on the border between Poland and Germany, right on the Baltic Sea. Boy, was it windy and cold! Glad I took my good coat and umbrella. It also rained most of the time I was there, alternating between a light mist and cats and dogs. But I was prepared, so it was all good.
I took a tram to the center of town and found a place to stay, the Hotelik Slowianski. Very cute little red brick building with liquid amber and maple trees outside. It used to be an old police dorm, so the rooms have little kitchen facilities and things. Very high ceilings, nice interior, and my room had a balcony facing St. Adalbert's Church. Not too posh or anything, but fine for a weekend trip- besides, I often prefer these little places that have character over perfect mainstream varieties. I opened the cupboards and in one, found a bottle of bison grass vodka! ^__^
Dropped off my stuff, then went in search of dinner. Not much was open, but I found a 24-kebab place across the street and happily ate there. Made it there just in time, because about 2 minutes later, the rain poured down in fierce torrents. I took my time eating and waited until the rain lessened, then went next door to the Dublin Irish Pub. *Great* place!! Totally reminded me of the pub back home, all dark wood, comfy interior, good decorations, dart boards, a few tables of regulars, good beer. Had a couple pints of Guinness and just enjoyed being there, thought of good friends back home.
After that, I wandered around the block a bit, discovered the main post office. It took up about 2 blocks just by itself- huge!! Looked a bit like the one in Olsztyn, all red, yellow and green brick, very pretty. Again, Warsaw could take some architectural tips from these towns....
On Friday, I spent most of the day just exploring the city. Concert wasn't until 10pm, so I had time. I took trams and walked, and saw the Harbor Gate, the Royal Gate, the Old Town, the Castle of the Dukes of Pomerania, the area down by the docks, a huge park, the mall, all sorts of good stuff. I like Szczecin, but.... the only downside is that they don't seem to believe in street signs. NONE of the buildings had signs, or the roundabouts, or anything. I had to use my "eshu" powers quite a bit ;)
Stopped on a quiet street for a relaxing lunch, had pizza and salad. Then discovered a nifty coffee shop next door- sampled a number of yummy varieties. Discovered a yoga place that listed free yoga sessions in parks across Poland- there's one in Warsaw, in Pole Mokotowskie! I'll have to try that. Passed by a store that sold nothing but angels- little statues, stained glass, pictures, etc. Thought of my best friend's grandma, who adores them. Saw LOTS of very adorable dogs!
Later that afternoon, I had a delicious mocha and some vanilla bean tea in the Brama Jazz Cafe- it was actually inside the royal gate! Very cool little spot. Around 7:30, headed back toward the hotel for dinner at an Indian place called Bombay- very good food, I needed some warmth and spice after a long rainy day. Finished dinner and caught the tram out to the Central Cemetery.
The Cemetery was huge, with a large brick entrance house. We presented our tickets at the gate, then walked down through the paths to a large field with a lake in the middle. The choir was on the opposite side of the lake from the audience. Naval officers stood on platforms in the lake, since the piece was dedicated to those who had not returned from sea. During parts of the performance, they shone blue, white and red lights on the trees surrounding the field. It rained pretty much most of the concert, but we didn't care- we had umbrellas and plastic to sit on.
The concert was lovely. This piece, "Requiem For My Friend" was composed by Zbiegniew Preisner for the director, Krzysztof Kieslowski. I'd first heard it about 10 years ago- a friend sent me a recording. It was a nice opportunity to hear it performed live, and in such a nice setting.
Saturday morning, I woke up, took a few last pictures, enjoyed some bread and espresso in a cafe, then got on the train back to Warsaw. Big mistake- I somehow found myself on one of the local trains, meaning that it stopped in every little town along the way. It took 5.5 hours to get up here, but over 8 to get back. And it was dark, rainy and cold. I finished a Robert Ludlum book, then just listened to music for a while- nothing much else to do. Had some dinner when I got back into town, then went home and crashed.
Woke up Sunday morning, packed my bags again, then met my colleague at the airport for a work trip to Prague. We spent most of Monday and Tuesday meeting with colleagues about work topics, but in the evenings, we explored Prague. Very pretty city, and *big*. A nice mixture of classic and Baroque buildings, statues all over the place (there were 30 on the St. Charles Bridge alone!), interesting clocks and decorations. We saw a royal castle, an enormous cathedral, the "Alchemist's Alley" (I recognized the Chinese character for "gold" on the sign next to that one), Franz Kafka's house, some really pretty houses in a residential area. A lot of the houses have Art Nouveau painting on the outside, birds, motifs, Mucha girls. Really cool.
We walked through the old town, across several bridges, watched the little figures come out from the top of the astronomical clock, had espresso in a cafe with live jazz music, and explored the temples in the old Jewish quarter. Altogether, it was a very nice visit. I can see why so many artists and writers want to live in Prague. And of course, I immediately located the soccer stadium and hockey arena, so I'm all set for Czech sports.
Returned early Wed. morning and went straight back to work. Long trip!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Today is like, the best day ever! I got a lot done at work this morning. Had a fun lunchtime chat with a co-worker; talked about where we're going this weekend. He's going to Torun, I'm going to Szczecin- both fun trips.
After that, I went to a new doctor recommended by a friend. He was really nice, easy to talk to, and filled my prescriptions with no problems. I also discovered a new post office, a new pub and a new entrance to the park. It's so good to be able to go back to the same doctor for all your problems!
After that, I picked up my coat from the dry cleaners'- I had worn it into a *very* smoky pub the night of the Barcelona/Manchester game and it came out pretty bad. Somehow, it still smelled like cigarettes even after I picked it up today, so I don't know how to fix that- they don't seem to have Febreeze over here. Will have to think of something. Ideas?
Took that home, chatted briefly with another friend, then went off to a Polish class- did pretty well! I like the teacher and the lessons- very useful for real life, actually. Today's class was about dealing with taxis and directions. After class, we looked at the map and talked about good places to visit in Poland.
After class, I went up to the post office and successfully mailed a package off to a friend! I managed to get the right form, fill it out correctly, and send the package priority mail. I'm getting better at this, I think! And the guy at the counter was really nice and understanding, and didn't glare at me at all. ^_^
Had some dinner after that, read a couple more stories from "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman". Interesting collection of Murakami's work, I must say... enjoyed dinner thoroughly, and almost the minute my plate was clear, the waiter asked if he could take it away! He asked if I wanted anything else, and when I said "no, thank you", he immediately brought the check- without me saying anything! This *never* happens in Poland. *Never*. I gave him a very nice tip. ^__^
After dinner, I went into the shopping center nearby and picked up needles and thread- the washer has managed to tear apart several pairs of pajamas. I managed to ask for needles and black and blue thread, and the woman asked me what I was doing here, how long I'd be here, and a couple more things.... then she told me that I had beautiful Polish, very well done, and just beamed at me. I was astounded. No one has ever said that to me before! I felt pretty happy- maybe I should go shopping after class more often!
I went downstairs to the grocery store... and discovered that they have every type of meat and cheese created, including yellow cheddar, for not unreasonable prices... soy milk... the nice Irish butter I like... tons of organic food, tons of Asian food... and Rice Dream!! Real Rice Dream! This store truly IS a wonderful place! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to explore it further before they closed, but I managed to get a few things. Will definitely have to go back!
And on the metro ride home, a cute guy sat across from me, smiled, and said hi. Life is good!
After that, I went to a new doctor recommended by a friend. He was really nice, easy to talk to, and filled my prescriptions with no problems. I also discovered a new post office, a new pub and a new entrance to the park. It's so good to be able to go back to the same doctor for all your problems!
After that, I picked up my coat from the dry cleaners'- I had worn it into a *very* smoky pub the night of the Barcelona/Manchester game and it came out pretty bad. Somehow, it still smelled like cigarettes even after I picked it up today, so I don't know how to fix that- they don't seem to have Febreeze over here. Will have to think of something. Ideas?
Took that home, chatted briefly with another friend, then went off to a Polish class- did pretty well! I like the teacher and the lessons- very useful for real life, actually. Today's class was about dealing with taxis and directions. After class, we looked at the map and talked about good places to visit in Poland.
After class, I went up to the post office and successfully mailed a package off to a friend! I managed to get the right form, fill it out correctly, and send the package priority mail. I'm getting better at this, I think! And the guy at the counter was really nice and understanding, and didn't glare at me at all. ^_^
Had some dinner after that, read a couple more stories from "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman". Interesting collection of Murakami's work, I must say... enjoyed dinner thoroughly, and almost the minute my plate was clear, the waiter asked if he could take it away! He asked if I wanted anything else, and when I said "no, thank you", he immediately brought the check- without me saying anything! This *never* happens in Poland. *Never*. I gave him a very nice tip. ^__^
After dinner, I went into the shopping center nearby and picked up needles and thread- the washer has managed to tear apart several pairs of pajamas. I managed to ask for needles and black and blue thread, and the woman asked me what I was doing here, how long I'd be here, and a couple more things.... then she told me that I had beautiful Polish, very well done, and just beamed at me. I was astounded. No one has ever said that to me before! I felt pretty happy- maybe I should go shopping after class more often!
I went downstairs to the grocery store... and discovered that they have every type of meat and cheese created, including yellow cheddar, for not unreasonable prices... soy milk... the nice Irish butter I like... tons of organic food, tons of Asian food... and Rice Dream!! Real Rice Dream! This store truly IS a wonderful place! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to explore it further before they closed, but I managed to get a few things. Will definitely have to go back!
And on the metro ride home, a cute guy sat across from me, smiled, and said hi. Life is good!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Things are perking up, I think. The last three days have been really good. Though, the weather still bites- really cold; extremely windy; and it can be sunny one moment but instantly pouring rain the next. I feel like it's winter already. Like, an hour ago, it was sunny- now it's cloudy and overcast.
Anyway.... the yukky weekend sort of carried over into the week- just more icky, poisoned feelings the first half of the week. I hate feeling like that, so I tried to work through it as quickly as I could. Had a good chat w/my mom on Tuesday, which really helped, then just sort of got over everything on Wed. evening. Best friends are awesome for that. Decided to go out and have fun that night, so I met up with a group of ex-pats here for some beer and conversation. Nice night- ended up meeting and talking to a couple fun girls and three promising guys- one of them works for a Polish brewing company! I got free beer from him. ^_^ Altogether, it was a really nice night, and I went home feeling a lot better, like I hadn't quite "lost my groove", and slept well for the first time in about a week.
Wed. and Thu. were spent at a management training session for work. Usually I hate these things, but this one was truly outstanding. The instructor was fantastic, and I learned *so* much. I think I can apply everything I learned there to both work and life situations. So I'm very glad I went to that. On Thursday, there was an exercise that involved showing groups of people how to do something and getting feedback, that sort of thing. So I taught about 5 people how to introduce themselves in Japanese. They all told me later that they really loved the mini-lesson, and that I was a very good teacher. Maybe this is a hidden talent that I don't know about? I'll have to think about that. It was a lot of fun, though, and at the same time, got me even more excited about going next year with S. I *will* get to Japan soon, darn it! ^_^
Had a very good Polish class on Thursday evening after the training- things seem to be sinking in to this dense brain of mine. I really like the teacher, too- she's very patient and clear in her instruction.
After class, I went home, realized I was hungry, but it was about 8pm and all the shops were closed. So I decided to head out for dinner- pizza at the Catholic place sounded good- they really do have the best pizza in Warsaw! The bus took a strange detour, though, so I got off near Plac Bankowy and looked around. There were throngs of people walking toward the old town area, tons of people out in general. I suddenly realized that it was June 4, Poland's Independence Day. So there were a lot of celebratory events happening. I just sort of wandered around a bit, followed the crowd, got a book about the Independence movement, then finally ended up at pizza. Had a yummy dinner, good ginger tea, read "A Shinagawa Monkey" by Murakami.
The sky this time of year is *odd*. I waited for the bus, and my clock said 8:30pm... but the sky didn't look any darker than maybe 5:00. It says light *really* late these days- until about 9 or so. Then it gets darker. It's kind of disconcerting and cool at the same time. Then it also gets light really early- it was bright and sunny at 5am today.
Took the bus home around 11 and crawled in under my warm down comforter. I should NOT need that in JUNE, but.... I'm glad I have it.
Friday was one of the best days I've ever had. Woke up early, went in for a meeting, then started a true day of vacation. Trekked out to pick up the computer- it was all ready and fixed! Had thought I'd have time to go back home and drop it off first, but I didn't. So I'm glad I grabbed a sweater before I left the house.
Met a friend downtown around noon and together, we took the bus out to the National Library near Pole Mokotowskie. That's a huge park here with pubs, dogs, kids, families- really nifty place to just hang out and people-watch. We wanted to see an exhibit of lithographs in the Japanese style at the library. I'd seen an advertisement for it a while back and I love printing and Japan, so I thought I'd check it out. It was a very small exhibit, but really cool. A professor of printing at Tama Art University sort of discovered a new technique for lithography. Instead of creating the design on stone as usual, he did it on wood- this is called "mukelito". It ended up lending a unique depth and tone to the pieces- they had qualities of both woodcuts and lithographs. And a few looked like photographic collages. We looked at everything and really enjoyed it.
We then checked out the Iluzja film theater- they show older films from all over the world and have very low prices. I'll have to go see one sometime!
We walked through the rest of the library and looked at everything. I looked at the huge card catalogs, the reading rooms, the call number systems, the forms you fill out to request books, the online catalog. Very nice library. My friend speaks Polish, so she talked to the woman at the information desk and I got some very detailed information about how to use the library, how to look up and request books, etc. We then went to the registration desk where I got a library card valid for 2 years- perfect! So I'll be able to come back anytime and enjoy the nice books and films.
We then decided that lunch would be good, so we took the bus out to a fun book-cafe called Kafka, out near the University Library. There are several of these throughout the city- they serve good food and coffee, have events and readings, and here, you can take in books you no longer want and buy new ones for 10zl/kilo! We had a very nice lunch- I had delicious cream of tomato soup and a crepe with ham and bell peppers. It was such a neat, cozy place! I really must go back there.
We walked around the neighborhood and looked at two other similar cafes- Tarabuk and the Gentle Barbarian. I found myself wishing I lived in this part of the city- I guess I can't help being attracted to the university life and culture. I'll just have to return often. We just walked around and chatted, talked about life, books, all sorts of things- such a nice day!
Around 5, she went off to run an errand, and I went to the University Library. SUCH a gorgeous building!!! I soooooooo want to work there. They have a cloakroom, several cafes and restaurants, a little general store, a couple bookstores, and a travel agency. I dumped my stuff off in the cloakroom, went in to the library proper... and managed, in Polish, to get a 2-year university library card all by myself. I felt pretty happy- small steps, right?
This library is indescribably beautiful. Stone walls, metal staircases, all-glass ceiling. This is the place with the garden on top, so people wandering through the garden can look down and see students studying. It is THE most open, spacious, warm, elegant and welcoming place I've been in for ages. I really need to go back and see if they could use any sort of free weekend intern or something. The use the LC system, so that makes things easier- the Nat. Lib. used some sort of accession number system.
After that, we hiked up a hill back to the center of town (I found a shortcut!) and went to Empik for a while. I picked up a couple of new books, then we met another friend for sushi. We just had a delicious dinner and a fun conversation for a few hours- very relaxing! Then we all parted ways, and I came home and went to bed- it had been a long day!
But I'd had a perfect vacation day, just getting out, seeing the city, hanging with friends, being a book nerd. I need more of those days.
I thought about trying to get my hair done today, but that takes a while, and I don't want to be rushed right now. So I think I'll do it after I return from Prague. I've just done a load of laundry, so I think that now, it's time for lunch and a video on my newly-fixed computer!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Anyway.... the yukky weekend sort of carried over into the week- just more icky, poisoned feelings the first half of the week. I hate feeling like that, so I tried to work through it as quickly as I could. Had a good chat w/my mom on Tuesday, which really helped, then just sort of got over everything on Wed. evening. Best friends are awesome for that. Decided to go out and have fun that night, so I met up with a group of ex-pats here for some beer and conversation. Nice night- ended up meeting and talking to a couple fun girls and three promising guys- one of them works for a Polish brewing company! I got free beer from him. ^_^ Altogether, it was a really nice night, and I went home feeling a lot better, like I hadn't quite "lost my groove", and slept well for the first time in about a week.
Wed. and Thu. were spent at a management training session for work. Usually I hate these things, but this one was truly outstanding. The instructor was fantastic, and I learned *so* much. I think I can apply everything I learned there to both work and life situations. So I'm very glad I went to that. On Thursday, there was an exercise that involved showing groups of people how to do something and getting feedback, that sort of thing. So I taught about 5 people how to introduce themselves in Japanese. They all told me later that they really loved the mini-lesson, and that I was a very good teacher. Maybe this is a hidden talent that I don't know about? I'll have to think about that. It was a lot of fun, though, and at the same time, got me even more excited about going next year with S. I *will* get to Japan soon, darn it! ^_^
Had a very good Polish class on Thursday evening after the training- things seem to be sinking in to this dense brain of mine. I really like the teacher, too- she's very patient and clear in her instruction.
After class, I went home, realized I was hungry, but it was about 8pm and all the shops were closed. So I decided to head out for dinner- pizza at the Catholic place sounded good- they really do have the best pizza in Warsaw! The bus took a strange detour, though, so I got off near Plac Bankowy and looked around. There were throngs of people walking toward the old town area, tons of people out in general. I suddenly realized that it was June 4, Poland's Independence Day. So there were a lot of celebratory events happening. I just sort of wandered around a bit, followed the crowd, got a book about the Independence movement, then finally ended up at pizza. Had a yummy dinner, good ginger tea, read "A Shinagawa Monkey" by Murakami.
The sky this time of year is *odd*. I waited for the bus, and my clock said 8:30pm... but the sky didn't look any darker than maybe 5:00. It says light *really* late these days- until about 9 or so. Then it gets darker. It's kind of disconcerting and cool at the same time. Then it also gets light really early- it was bright and sunny at 5am today.
Took the bus home around 11 and crawled in under my warm down comforter. I should NOT need that in JUNE, but.... I'm glad I have it.
Friday was one of the best days I've ever had. Woke up early, went in for a meeting, then started a true day of vacation. Trekked out to pick up the computer- it was all ready and fixed! Had thought I'd have time to go back home and drop it off first, but I didn't. So I'm glad I grabbed a sweater before I left the house.
Met a friend downtown around noon and together, we took the bus out to the National Library near Pole Mokotowskie. That's a huge park here with pubs, dogs, kids, families- really nifty place to just hang out and people-watch. We wanted to see an exhibit of lithographs in the Japanese style at the library. I'd seen an advertisement for it a while back and I love printing and Japan, so I thought I'd check it out. It was a very small exhibit, but really cool. A professor of printing at Tama Art University sort of discovered a new technique for lithography. Instead of creating the design on stone as usual, he did it on wood- this is called "mukelito". It ended up lending a unique depth and tone to the pieces- they had qualities of both woodcuts and lithographs. And a few looked like photographic collages. We looked at everything and really enjoyed it.
We then checked out the Iluzja film theater- they show older films from all over the world and have very low prices. I'll have to go see one sometime!
We walked through the rest of the library and looked at everything. I looked at the huge card catalogs, the reading rooms, the call number systems, the forms you fill out to request books, the online catalog. Very nice library. My friend speaks Polish, so she talked to the woman at the information desk and I got some very detailed information about how to use the library, how to look up and request books, etc. We then went to the registration desk where I got a library card valid for 2 years- perfect! So I'll be able to come back anytime and enjoy the nice books and films.
We then decided that lunch would be good, so we took the bus out to a fun book-cafe called Kafka, out near the University Library. There are several of these throughout the city- they serve good food and coffee, have events and readings, and here, you can take in books you no longer want and buy new ones for 10zl/kilo! We had a very nice lunch- I had delicious cream of tomato soup and a crepe with ham and bell peppers. It was such a neat, cozy place! I really must go back there.
We walked around the neighborhood and looked at two other similar cafes- Tarabuk and the Gentle Barbarian. I found myself wishing I lived in this part of the city- I guess I can't help being attracted to the university life and culture. I'll just have to return often. We just walked around and chatted, talked about life, books, all sorts of things- such a nice day!
Around 5, she went off to run an errand, and I went to the University Library. SUCH a gorgeous building!!! I soooooooo want to work there. They have a cloakroom, several cafes and restaurants, a little general store, a couple bookstores, and a travel agency. I dumped my stuff off in the cloakroom, went in to the library proper... and managed, in Polish, to get a 2-year university library card all by myself. I felt pretty happy- small steps, right?
This library is indescribably beautiful. Stone walls, metal staircases, all-glass ceiling. This is the place with the garden on top, so people wandering through the garden can look down and see students studying. It is THE most open, spacious, warm, elegant and welcoming place I've been in for ages. I really need to go back and see if they could use any sort of free weekend intern or something. The use the LC system, so that makes things easier- the Nat. Lib. used some sort of accession number system.
After that, we hiked up a hill back to the center of town (I found a shortcut!) and went to Empik for a while. I picked up a couple of new books, then we met another friend for sushi. We just had a delicious dinner and a fun conversation for a few hours- very relaxing! Then we all parted ways, and I came home and went to bed- it had been a long day!
But I'd had a perfect vacation day, just getting out, seeing the city, hanging with friends, being a book nerd. I need more of those days.
I thought about trying to get my hair done today, but that takes a while, and I don't want to be rushed right now. So I think I'll do it after I return from Prague. I've just done a load of laundry, so I think that now, it's time for lunch and a video on my newly-fixed computer!
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Still raining... you'd think it was September, not June. Makes me homesick, in a way.
Computer is back at the shop. The guy called yesterday after I sent him an email describing the new problem. He said he'd be happy to look at it again at no extra charge. He was very nice and understanding- said he had lived in the States for a while, so he knew all about living in a new place and figuring things out. Even if it takes 90 minutes to get there, it's good to know about a reliable computer repair place here!
Still getting over the cold, so I don't feel entirely myself yet. And for some reason, I've just been tense, anxious and stressed the last several days. Not sure what it is- work, weather, other stuff? Who knows. Haven't been able to sleep very well the last few nights- went to bed early, but just couldn't get to sleep, or kept waking up every hour or so. Odd dreams, too. Is there a new/full moon I don't know about, or some global icky karma floating around?
Computer is back at the shop. The guy called yesterday after I sent him an email describing the new problem. He said he'd be happy to look at it again at no extra charge. He was very nice and understanding- said he had lived in the States for a while, so he knew all about living in a new place and figuring things out. Even if it takes 90 minutes to get there, it's good to know about a reliable computer repair place here!
Still getting over the cold, so I don't feel entirely myself yet. And for some reason, I've just been tense, anxious and stressed the last several days. Not sure what it is- work, weather, other stuff? Who knows. Haven't been able to sleep very well the last few nights- went to bed early, but just couldn't get to sleep, or kept waking up every hour or so. Odd dreams, too. Is there a new/full moon I don't know about, or some global icky karma floating around?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Boy, today is THE day of bad weather! Around noon, heavy rain started falling. Then I heard huge booms of thunder, saw flashes of lightning, and heard hail against the window. An all-out thunderstorm is in process right now, cancelling any plans I had of leaving the house today. It's really bad out there, so I'm going to stay home yet again (two days of being at home- a record!), rest, maybe watch "L.A. Story" and just stay DRY.
Edit: Well, the weather got a bit better around 2:00, so I've ventured out for a bit. Walked around the plaza- they were having a sort of neighborhood fair, with neat art projects for kids, techno music, strawberries, flowers... pretty cool. I'm now in W Biegu for a bit. Going to drink some lemon tea, eat focaccia and read a Murakami book.
Edit: Well, the weather got a bit better around 2:00, so I've ventured out for a bit. Walked around the plaza- they were having a sort of neighborhood fair, with neat art projects for kids, techno music, strawberries, flowers... pretty cool. I'm now in W Biegu for a bit. Going to drink some lemon tea, eat focaccia and read a Murakami book.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Well... looks like the computer is *still* having issues. It now stays connected to the electric outlet and runs... but there is no sound. I put in a DVD and no sound came out at all. Before I took it in, I managed to watch a 2 minute anime video on the computer and there was *definitely* sound, so it must be something they did. I have NO idea what to do. I've checked the control panel, the VLC controls, everything. It will work if i plug my speakers into the headphones outlet, but that's the only way I get sound now. It's as if the laptop speakers just don't work anymore. They said the main board was broken when they diagnosed it.... I wonder if they accidentally tweaked the sound settings or did something to the inside speakers? This is just driving me NUTS. WHY can nothing go right here??? I guess I'll have to take it *back* in.... *sigh*. Any advice or help??
What a week! There has been soooo much going on. Had a lot to do at work- meetings, ideas to try out, etc. On Monday night, the TV guy came over and gave me his thoughts on that. On Tuesday, I picked up the computer after work, then did some necessary household and grocery shopping. On Wednesday,I had to take something to the embassy to have it notarized (what a process!), and Wednesday evening was mostly cleaning and getting my apt. in order, and on Thursday, I had a polish class, the post office, and more shopping. Friday, I had some friends over for dessert and wine in the evening- that was absolutely wonderful! There were about 7 of us, and we just hung out in my kitchen, chatted, ate tons of delicious, sugary cakes and cookies, and had some lovely Argentinian, Italian and Romanian wine. Couldn't have been a better end to a long, tiring, rather exhausting week!
But I managed to get the paper I needed notarized, and at the post office, I was able to buy envelopes for that and another package, packing tape, stamps AND send them both off registered priority, all in Polish. And I just tested out the repaired computer... and it works! It's running on AC power, no problems so far, looks good! So this means I can keep this one at home and just use the little one for travels. And the party went well and I have leftovers and I got to sleep in today (sooooooooo needed that!) and woke up to pounding rain on the window.
So I'm just going to curl up in my chair, wrapped in a very soft blanket, drinking tea, and I'm going to watch "The Devil Wears Prada". Talk to you later!
But I managed to get the paper I needed notarized, and at the post office, I was able to buy envelopes for that and another package, packing tape, stamps AND send them both off registered priority, all in Polish. And I just tested out the repaired computer... and it works! It's running on AC power, no problems so far, looks good! So this means I can keep this one at home and just use the little one for travels. And the party went well and I have leftovers and I got to sleep in today (sooooooooo needed that!) and woke up to pounding rain on the window.
So I'm just going to curl up in my chair, wrapped in a very soft blanket, drinking tea, and I'm going to watch "The Devil Wears Prada". Talk to you later!
Monday, May 25, 2009
The TV/internet/phone company here, Aster, is driving me *nuts*. I've had TV problems with them a LOT since I arrived. Now it's a problem with the sound. For the past couple weeks, I've had no sound on a film channel I receive when I select "Original Language". I only get sound when I select "Polish", and that's annoying, because it's a Polish man's voice dubbed over the English dialogue- very distracting, and doesn't really help me learn the language any further.
For the first couple of months, I DID get English language on this channel- this problem's only happened in the last couple of weeks. A technician visited today to investigate the problem, but he spoke only Polish, so I really don't know what he said. I *think* he said that there was nothing wrong with my decoder box, that it was just this channel that got no sound in English- figures! This is the one with good movies, Monk, Pushing Daisies, etc. I tried to understand what he was saying, but I only caught a few words here and there- not good enough to get the whole conversation. I really wish this individual language class I'm in would teach me how to understand things like this instead of "My name is..." or "I'm an American". *sigh*
I really am trying to learn more Polish- I pay attention every time my colleagues talk, I look up things I see and hear around the city, I'm taking a class, and I try to pick up as much as I can. But it's really not something I want to throw every ounce of free time into. When I come home from a long, tiring, brain-frying day at work, I don't want to spend my evenings learning a brand new language. What I *want* to do is watch something on TV in English, decompress, then continue learning Spanish or Japanese, two languages I'm already fairly decent at that I don't want to lose. I don't want to come out of here having lost those- I've already spent a ton of time and effort on them.
And of course, all the English-speaking consultants were unavailable when I called their office. I don't know why this is so difficult. I feel deceived by this company- their sheet distinctly *says* this channel is available in both Polish and Original Language, and I got that service for about 2 months. So why is it failing now? I'm irritated about this because I'm paying good money for these channels and the decoder box and I'm not receiving the service they said they'd give me. And I'm frustrated that I can't communicate sufficiently with the company or the service techs.
Thank goodness I get to pick up the big laptop tomorrow. Hopefully, they will have fixed it (though, probably not, considering my luck) and I can watch the DVDs I brought, including ones in Japanese.
I'm just tired of all this crap. I'm primarily here to do a job; I don't want to spend my free time dealing with things like this. THIS is the downside to actually living in a foreign country vs. just visiting there- things people never tell you.
For the first couple of months, I DID get English language on this channel- this problem's only happened in the last couple of weeks. A technician visited today to investigate the problem, but he spoke only Polish, so I really don't know what he said. I *think* he said that there was nothing wrong with my decoder box, that it was just this channel that got no sound in English- figures! This is the one with good movies, Monk, Pushing Daisies, etc. I tried to understand what he was saying, but I only caught a few words here and there- not good enough to get the whole conversation. I really wish this individual language class I'm in would teach me how to understand things like this instead of "My name is..." or "I'm an American". *sigh*
I really am trying to learn more Polish- I pay attention every time my colleagues talk, I look up things I see and hear around the city, I'm taking a class, and I try to pick up as much as I can. But it's really not something I want to throw every ounce of free time into. When I come home from a long, tiring, brain-frying day at work, I don't want to spend my evenings learning a brand new language. What I *want* to do is watch something on TV in English, decompress, then continue learning Spanish or Japanese, two languages I'm already fairly decent at that I don't want to lose. I don't want to come out of here having lost those- I've already spent a ton of time and effort on them.
And of course, all the English-speaking consultants were unavailable when I called their office. I don't know why this is so difficult. I feel deceived by this company- their sheet distinctly *says* this channel is available in both Polish and Original Language, and I got that service for about 2 months. So why is it failing now? I'm irritated about this because I'm paying good money for these channels and the decoder box and I'm not receiving the service they said they'd give me. And I'm frustrated that I can't communicate sufficiently with the company or the service techs.
Thank goodness I get to pick up the big laptop tomorrow. Hopefully, they will have fixed it (though, probably not, considering my luck) and I can watch the DVDs I brought, including ones in Japanese.
I'm just tired of all this crap. I'm primarily here to do a job; I don't want to spend my free time dealing with things like this. THIS is the downside to actually living in a foreign country vs. just visiting there- things people never tell you.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
All things considered, today has been an excellent day. I slept in, then woke up and listened to the rain inconsistently pound against the window. Did a load of laundry, ate some breakfast, watched Polish MTV and British Top 40 videos for a while. Then I got dressed and went to a soccer game- KSP Polonia vs. Lech Poznań.
I was a little late because the traffic getting there was horrendous, and the line for tickets was long. But I stood in it with everyone else and watched bits of the game through the fence. I finally got to the counter, all prepared to pay my 20 złoty, and asked for one ticket. The woman asked if it was for me, I warily said yes, and she said, "Oh! Women get in free today. Just go to the gate." Well! *That* was a nice surprise. Sure enough, the gate attendants just let me in for free. I staked out a good standing spot at the top of the Galeria Kammiena and watched the game from there.
Pretty exciting! No scoring for about 30 minutes in the first half, then all of a sudden, this one Polonia player, Filip Ivanovski (#8), scored a *beautiful* goal. His playing style reminds me a lot of the Sharks's #8, Joe Pavelski- they're both fast, accurate, and *always* seem to be in exactly the right spot to make a great assist or goal. Must be something about that number. In this case, Jarosław Lato brought the ball all the way down the sideline, then passed it over to Mariusz Zasada. He passed it to Ivanovski who put it straight into the goal. Just glorious! Daniel Mąka scored a second goal about 5 minutes later, leaving the score 2-0 before halftime.
They didn't do so well in the second half. Poznań scored a couple of really easy goals that should NOT have gotten through. But toward the end of the half, Ivanovski scored his second goal of the game, from a perfect spot *right* by the left goalpost. Poznań's goaltender never saw it coming. Poznań scored their third goal about 5 minutes before the game ended, and the final score was a 3-3 tie. Pretty good game!
I had a beer in a nice place down the road called Karafka- I think I've *finally* found a comfy, non-trendy and reasonably-priced place to drink beer! Nice interior, good energy- reminded me of the pub back home. After that, I took the bus down to Nowy Świat and picked up more coffee at Starbucks. Before I left, a sweet friend had kindly given me a huge bag of Christmas Blend, my favorite, which I took with me. I've got about one more mug left, then it'll be gone- sad! But I picked up a bag of Sumatra, and they even ground it for my French press.
Bought a strawberry turnover from a little patisserie called Vincent for later, then came home, picked up milk and water, and am now about to put on my Kelly Clarkson and Behemoth cds and do some MAJOR cleaning.
Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
I was a little late because the traffic getting there was horrendous, and the line for tickets was long. But I stood in it with everyone else and watched bits of the game through the fence. I finally got to the counter, all prepared to pay my 20 złoty, and asked for one ticket. The woman asked if it was for me, I warily said yes, and she said, "Oh! Women get in free today. Just go to the gate." Well! *That* was a nice surprise. Sure enough, the gate attendants just let me in for free. I staked out a good standing spot at the top of the Galeria Kammiena and watched the game from there.
Pretty exciting! No scoring for about 30 minutes in the first half, then all of a sudden, this one Polonia player, Filip Ivanovski (#8), scored a *beautiful* goal. His playing style reminds me a lot of the Sharks's #8, Joe Pavelski- they're both fast, accurate, and *always* seem to be in exactly the right spot to make a great assist or goal. Must be something about that number. In this case, Jarosław Lato brought the ball all the way down the sideline, then passed it over to Mariusz Zasada. He passed it to Ivanovski who put it straight into the goal. Just glorious! Daniel Mąka scored a second goal about 5 minutes later, leaving the score 2-0 before halftime.
They didn't do so well in the second half. Poznań scored a couple of really easy goals that should NOT have gotten through. But toward the end of the half, Ivanovski scored his second goal of the game, from a perfect spot *right* by the left goalpost. Poznań's goaltender never saw it coming. Poznań scored their third goal about 5 minutes before the game ended, and the final score was a 3-3 tie. Pretty good game!
I had a beer in a nice place down the road called Karafka- I think I've *finally* found a comfy, non-trendy and reasonably-priced place to drink beer! Nice interior, good energy- reminded me of the pub back home. After that, I took the bus down to Nowy Świat and picked up more coffee at Starbucks. Before I left, a sweet friend had kindly given me a huge bag of Christmas Blend, my favorite, which I took with me. I've got about one more mug left, then it'll be gone- sad! But I picked up a bag of Sumatra, and they even ground it for my French press.
Bought a strawberry turnover from a little patisserie called Vincent for later, then came home, picked up milk and water, and am now about to put on my Kelly Clarkson and Behemoth cds and do some MAJOR cleaning.
Hope everyone's having a good weekend!
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