This has really been a great weekend. On Thursday, I went out for beer with P. I wanted a bit of a change, so we went to Praga, the other side of the river. Met at the Poczta at Dw. Wileński, near the zoo, then wandered down to Ząbkowska street. Had a couple of beers at a pub whose name means The Other Side of the Mirror (like Alice in wonderland). Nice- just relaxed outside, talked, mellowed. Definitely needed after a long week! Then headed across the street to Operach Absurda, a very cool place- really eclectic. Had one more beer there, then I had to head back to meet a friend from out of town. It was really a great evening, and we made plans to have Sunday brunch at Karma when I'm back.
Missed the Centrum stop (spacing out) and hurried home from Politechnika. Old habits die hard, I suppose. Met A in the courtyard and we talked in the apt. for several hours, until 3am. I was really glad she was visiting again- had been so long since I'd seen her.
Got a few hours sleep, headed in to the office, got some work done. Japanese was canceled, so I took a cab out to the computer repair store to pick up the computer. GODS! The traffic out to Racławicka was *awful*. Took almost a full hour to get out there- without traffic, I'd say 20 min. tops. But I got there just in time, and the computer was all fixed and ready to go, so that was good.
Took the bus back to the center, headed to K's place. We went to this nifty restaurant called Bezgraniczna (Without End). It was a travel-themed place, postcards, maps, passports, etc. all over the wall, souvenirs and art and things from all over the world. The menu had general categories- salads, soups, starters, entrees, etc. But everything was from a different place- really diverse! I had this delicious spiced shrimp in coconut sauce from a Jamaican recipe, with sweet potato fries. And for dessert, we had corn ice cream! Really, really good!
After dinner, we headed back to her place for an evening of catching up- we hadn't really gotten together for over a month, so it was nice to just relax and chat. Headed back home around 1.
Met her the next morning at Karma at 10:30 and we talked about cafes. She writes entries for a Russian travel blog and wanted to write about all the good cafes we've gone to here. So we made a list and talked about the merits of each- it was a gorgeous day, perfect start to the morning. And the iced Americano was very tasty!
Headed off for a hair appt. at noon. Had planned to just get a little trim and the regular color, but she convinced me to try something new, so of course that took longer. 3.5 hours for hair.... sheesh! But it looked nice when it was done, so it's all good.
Headed up to Świętokrzyska and waited to hear from A- she was out shopping and had mentioned something about maybe going to Zachęta, so I didn't want to be too far away. Got a coffee in W Biegu and chatted with D for a bit before heading back home- she'd changed her mind about the museum. We hung out at home a bit, got ready for the evening, then took the tram down to Puławska to Kuchnia Tbilisi. It had been closed for a long time for remodeling, and then we learned that unfortunately, the older woman who had started the restaurant had passed away. Very sad! But it was now open again, so we enjoyed a lovely, huge dinner of Georgian food and midori-green tarragon lemonade. Wonderful stuff!
Took the tram back to Pl. Zbawiciela and decided to try out the new bakery/wine place, Good Charlotte. It's pretty recent- only open a couple months, right below Plan B. There used to be a grocery store there, but I suspect that the Opera Delikatesy's renovation rendered it sort of obsolete. Charlotte is great! Always packed, day and night, and we could see why. Open, spacious interior, nice patio. Great homemade breads, delicious pastries and coffee. Reminded me of Bread & Cie back home. We sat there and talked some more, about all sorts of things- she's a very insightful, objective, inspiring friend!
After dessert, we took the bus to Pl. Piłsudskiego, then walked down to the new town to try to see this new fountain and light show that everyone had been talking about. They've created nifty fountains down by the river and coordinate the streams of water with lights and music, but since it's a new attraction, everyone is going there, so it was absolutely mobbed. We decided to try again in August, when the novelty had worn off.
Instead, we wandered back the way we came, in search of a suitable place for cocktails. After investigating several possibilities, we eventually ended up at the place on the terrace of Zachęta. It was just a lovely evening, and we sat there and took in everything. A's current city lacks many of the pleasant amenities in Warsaw, so she was quite delighted to be visiting again. For my part, it was just perfect altogether- good friends to talk to, absolutely gorgeous weather, fun outings.... I was really happy.
Closer to midnight, we parted ways for a bit- she wandered around a bit more (and eventually found a farewell party for one of our friends!) and I headed home to talk to D. Really was looking forward to that- we'd been off-line and out of touch for months- a really long time! We managed to get Skype all connected and everything and had a really nice chat. It was a real pleasure to catch up with him again, and I hope we don't have too much of a lapse again. ^_^ A came home in the wee hours of the am, and we talked for a bit before crashing. Altogether a fun day!
Woke up around 9, took the metro out to Marymont, walked around a bit and took some pictures, then decided I had to have coffee. Called Dj, asked if he wanted to come along. He said he'd love to have coffee and we met at Karma a little after 11. Just relaxed and chatted over cappuccinos and Americanos, talked about travels, family, work, a variety of things. Really nice to just have a bit of conversation in the mornings with my coffee!
At 12:30, he went off to an appointment and I headed home. Ate some fruit, watched a video, then took a little nap until A came back at 3. We had tasty Indian food for lunch, then she left for the airport, and I came home. Did a little cleaning, studying and practicing, but otherwise relaxed and just enjoyed the rest of my sunny Sunday.
I think this weekend has really included a little bit of almost everything I truly enjoy about life these days. ^___^
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
random updates
Weather is brisk and rainy again, so I've been enjoying my favorite indoor places with yummy food. Tonight I went to Cafe Balgere, had yummy lasagne and wine, read Hana Kimi. That cafe is kind of what I imagine my own bakery looking like- two levels, a loft, warm lighting, colorful walls, cute tables with tiles, very warm and inviting.
Last night I went to Kiku, a nice Japanese restaurant near the opera house. I love the name- it means "to listen" in Japanese. When you walk in, you immediately feel a sense of peace and tranquility. Life slows down at once and all you can hear from inside is soft music, quiet conversations and the muted sounds of cars driving through the rain outside. The furniture is black lacquer tables with deep red streaks throughout, and they have wonderful lamps covered in handmade paper with leaves in it. The food is absolutely wonderful, and for once, I just *ate*. No reading, no worrying, no thinking about anything else.... just perfect miso soup, spinach with sesame seeds, sashimi, plum wine, rice with black sesame seeds. And jasmine tea. I felt so *relaxed* after that! I came home, got ready for bed, put in the new CD of Bach cello suites and just fell asleep to that. Very peaceful night. AND I discovered that Kiku has a traditional Japanese dining room, so I think I now know what I'm doing for my birthday!
Now planning the rest of this year's travels. I'm going to Budapest for several days in late October, then taking a week off in early November to see hockey in the Czech R. It'll be good to see a bunch of new towns there in the west and south. And for Xmas this year, I've decided to go to London!! I haven't figured out if I want to spend the entire 9 days in just London, just Britain, or also see a bit of Scotland. I definitely want to be in London for Xmas eve and day, though. I haven't been to the UK for a long trip for about 15 years now- will be exciting!
Work is starting its tense period again. Sept and Oct are the worst months ever. But November is good. Gotta look forward to that.
I've sort of formed a little "cinema club" with a couple friends from work. First we saw "Robin Hood", then "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". It's nice going out and discussing films with people!
Also been exploring Warsaw more with another work friend. We check out new districts I've never been to and he explains the street names, points out historic buildings, shows me cool cafes and things. It's a lot of fun! First we explored Powiśle, then Wola, and a couple weeks ago, Żoliborz. This is quite a city!
I guess that's about it for now. Hope everyone is doing well. For my academic friends, Happy New School Year!
Last night I went to Kiku, a nice Japanese restaurant near the opera house. I love the name- it means "to listen" in Japanese. When you walk in, you immediately feel a sense of peace and tranquility. Life slows down at once and all you can hear from inside is soft music, quiet conversations and the muted sounds of cars driving through the rain outside. The furniture is black lacquer tables with deep red streaks throughout, and they have wonderful lamps covered in handmade paper with leaves in it. The food is absolutely wonderful, and for once, I just *ate*. No reading, no worrying, no thinking about anything else.... just perfect miso soup, spinach with sesame seeds, sashimi, plum wine, rice with black sesame seeds. And jasmine tea. I felt so *relaxed* after that! I came home, got ready for bed, put in the new CD of Bach cello suites and just fell asleep to that. Very peaceful night. AND I discovered that Kiku has a traditional Japanese dining room, so I think I now know what I'm doing for my birthday!
Now planning the rest of this year's travels. I'm going to Budapest for several days in late October, then taking a week off in early November to see hockey in the Czech R. It'll be good to see a bunch of new towns there in the west and south. And for Xmas this year, I've decided to go to London!! I haven't figured out if I want to spend the entire 9 days in just London, just Britain, or also see a bit of Scotland. I definitely want to be in London for Xmas eve and day, though. I haven't been to the UK for a long trip for about 15 years now- will be exciting!
Work is starting its tense period again. Sept and Oct are the worst months ever. But November is good. Gotta look forward to that.
I've sort of formed a little "cinema club" with a couple friends from work. First we saw "Robin Hood", then "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". It's nice going out and discussing films with people!
Also been exploring Warsaw more with another work friend. We check out new districts I've never been to and he explains the street names, points out historic buildings, shows me cool cafes and things. It's a lot of fun! First we explored Powiśle, then Wola, and a couple weeks ago, Żoliborz. This is quite a city!
I guess that's about it for now. Hope everyone is doing well. For my academic friends, Happy New School Year!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Życie jest dobrze!
Wow, been a while since I've posted! Lots going on these days- mostly work, music, hanging out with friends, Japanese homework, cleaning house, etc. Hope everyone is doing well!
Today was really good, one of those days where I just felt good about everything, happy to be here in Poland, delighted with life. Haven't had one of them for a while.
Decided to wear a skirt that my best friend made for me a couple years ago. It's a slinky taffeta sort of fabric, black with red roses, sparkly gold glitter, and cute Russian nesting dolls on it. I love it and always get compliments on it. If I add another chiffon skirt I have underneath, I get a wonderfully full, swishy, rustly outfit that makes me feel happy and energetic. I guess it did the trick today!
Accomplished a lot at work- two successful meetings, a big binder-shifting project completed, some work on a recruitment for my unit, things hauled away to storage. Met a nice new colleague who's returning to Poland after a long time in the Caucasus, and heard some interesting stories. Another colleague showed me two interesting film trailers and said he'll track down the films for me. Ended up staying late and working on stuff- every once in a while, I just feel very productive and go with it.
Took the bus to Empik to find wedding cards for two friends, and found some other cute cards as well. Got back on the bus, enjoying the nice weather, and got off at Plac Zamkowy, in search of Georgian food. It had been a long week and I figured I deserved a yummy dinner. And several colleagues had told me of an excellent new Georgian place in the Old Town, so I figured today would be a good time to find it.
As I happily walked down Krakowskie Przedmieście toward the Old Town, I just took in all the familiar sights around me- the old-fashioned European apartments and storefronts; gofry and lody all over the place, wafting heavenly scents over the street; summer tables still out on the sidewalks; the big white church with the Pope's picture on it, next to the awesome taras widokowy with the most spectacular view; breakdancers and teenagers hanging out at the base of the statue of a famous Polish king, high on his pedestal, brandishing his staff and sword at the invading Swedes; the Royal Castle, the river, the bridges, the nice summer sky; the familiar blue and red street signs with white lettering, street name on blue, neighborhood on red; Coffee Heaven and Sari on the corner of Pl. Zamkowy as it turns into Miodowa. I felt happy and content, right there and now, and especially where I was, in this underestimated and often misunderstood city of surprises.
Turned down Ulica Piwna and immediately found myself drawn in by a local Polish arts and crafts gallery. I had wanted to find a gift for one of the friends getting married anyway, so I took a look. The gallery owner was a nice woman who told me about all the pieces and gave me some recommendations. After a great chat, I narrowed it down to two- I'll give it some thought and return for then next week. Also found the perfect Xmas gift for my mom- random shopping for the win! It was really nice to meet the gallery owner and learn more about Polish art.
Ambled around the Old Town where I thought the restaurant would be, but to no avail. Rounded the corner for a second attempt and heard the low, drawn tones of a cello. Discovered a young teen sitting by the Barbican bridge, playing some lovely Baroque and early Classical pieces. Listened to him play for a good while- such a deep, rich tone in this instrument! Definitely worth the years of practice it'll take to master it. I'm glad I'll get more practice time this weekend.
Walked up the street and spotted a tourist info office that was still open, decided to ask if they might know the address of the restaurant. The guy there knew it was on Piwna, but not the name. That helped enough, though- Piwna is not a long street. I found the restaurant pretty quickly and as soon as I saw where it was, I felt a warm happiness, like good karma. Back when I first moved here, in my uncertainty about the whole thing, I had a strong craving for Indian food, something warm and familiar from home before embarking on a strange new adventure. P had looked up Indian places in the guide book and found one in the Old Town (near where we stayed) called Namaste that got good reviews. On our last night in that neighborhood, we found Namaste and had dinner there- excellent food and wonderful atmosphere, despite being a tiny space with four tables.
Eventually, Namaste's business grew because of their wonderful food, and they expanded their premises, moving up the road to a new location on Ulica Piwna. Their old location? Now the site of the Kuchnia Gruzyńska and Galeria Rosyjska. I spent a long, leisurely dinner there, eating very tasty Georgian food and reading. I had khachapuri, of course, and spinach with spices and pomegranates, as well as chashliki with bread ( a kind of beef stew) and pear-flavored lemonade. All utterly wonderful, of course. Just my good fortune to find two of my favorite cuisines on the same street!
Also found a little something for my best friend in the gallery- the gallery lady was wonderful and packed it in a pretty box with a bow! Such a nice conclusion to the evening!
Got on the 180 to Wilanów and headed home. At the Hotel Bristol stop, a group of about 20 guys got on, rowdy but not totally drunk. One of them started singing something, then the rest joined in. Eventually, they got to the chorus which mostly consists of "sto lat, sto lat..". This means "one hundred years", and is the title of the Polish version of "Happy Birthday", so it must have been someone's birthday. Eventually, they all joined in, and the bus was full of deep, energetic voices singing all the way down Nowy Świat. They branched out after that into some other drinking songs that I didn't know, but others on the bus sang along, too, and everyone was happy and grinning. Fun ride home, all right!
Now I've gotta do a little tidying before heading to bed. Wedding tomorrow morning, then music, gym, studying and cleaning. Full two days!
Happy summer wishes to all!
Today was really good, one of those days where I just felt good about everything, happy to be here in Poland, delighted with life. Haven't had one of them for a while.
Decided to wear a skirt that my best friend made for me a couple years ago. It's a slinky taffeta sort of fabric, black with red roses, sparkly gold glitter, and cute Russian nesting dolls on it. I love it and always get compliments on it. If I add another chiffon skirt I have underneath, I get a wonderfully full, swishy, rustly outfit that makes me feel happy and energetic. I guess it did the trick today!
Accomplished a lot at work- two successful meetings, a big binder-shifting project completed, some work on a recruitment for my unit, things hauled away to storage. Met a nice new colleague who's returning to Poland after a long time in the Caucasus, and heard some interesting stories. Another colleague showed me two interesting film trailers and said he'll track down the films for me. Ended up staying late and working on stuff- every once in a while, I just feel very productive and go with it.
Took the bus to Empik to find wedding cards for two friends, and found some other cute cards as well. Got back on the bus, enjoying the nice weather, and got off at Plac Zamkowy, in search of Georgian food. It had been a long week and I figured I deserved a yummy dinner. And several colleagues had told me of an excellent new Georgian place in the Old Town, so I figured today would be a good time to find it.
As I happily walked down Krakowskie Przedmieście toward the Old Town, I just took in all the familiar sights around me- the old-fashioned European apartments and storefronts; gofry and lody all over the place, wafting heavenly scents over the street; summer tables still out on the sidewalks; the big white church with the Pope's picture on it, next to the awesome taras widokowy with the most spectacular view; breakdancers and teenagers hanging out at the base of the statue of a famous Polish king, high on his pedestal, brandishing his staff and sword at the invading Swedes; the Royal Castle, the river, the bridges, the nice summer sky; the familiar blue and red street signs with white lettering, street name on blue, neighborhood on red; Coffee Heaven and Sari on the corner of Pl. Zamkowy as it turns into Miodowa. I felt happy and content, right there and now, and especially where I was, in this underestimated and often misunderstood city of surprises.
Turned down Ulica Piwna and immediately found myself drawn in by a local Polish arts and crafts gallery. I had wanted to find a gift for one of the friends getting married anyway, so I took a look. The gallery owner was a nice woman who told me about all the pieces and gave me some recommendations. After a great chat, I narrowed it down to two- I'll give it some thought and return for then next week. Also found the perfect Xmas gift for my mom- random shopping for the win! It was really nice to meet the gallery owner and learn more about Polish art.
Ambled around the Old Town where I thought the restaurant would be, but to no avail. Rounded the corner for a second attempt and heard the low, drawn tones of a cello. Discovered a young teen sitting by the Barbican bridge, playing some lovely Baroque and early Classical pieces. Listened to him play for a good while- such a deep, rich tone in this instrument! Definitely worth the years of practice it'll take to master it. I'm glad I'll get more practice time this weekend.
Walked up the street and spotted a tourist info office that was still open, decided to ask if they might know the address of the restaurant. The guy there knew it was on Piwna, but not the name. That helped enough, though- Piwna is not a long street. I found the restaurant pretty quickly and as soon as I saw where it was, I felt a warm happiness, like good karma. Back when I first moved here, in my uncertainty about the whole thing, I had a strong craving for Indian food, something warm and familiar from home before embarking on a strange new adventure. P had looked up Indian places in the guide book and found one in the Old Town (near where we stayed) called Namaste that got good reviews. On our last night in that neighborhood, we found Namaste and had dinner there- excellent food and wonderful atmosphere, despite being a tiny space with four tables.
Eventually, Namaste's business grew because of their wonderful food, and they expanded their premises, moving up the road to a new location on Ulica Piwna. Their old location? Now the site of the Kuchnia Gruzyńska and Galeria Rosyjska. I spent a long, leisurely dinner there, eating very tasty Georgian food and reading. I had khachapuri, of course, and spinach with spices and pomegranates, as well as chashliki with bread ( a kind of beef stew) and pear-flavored lemonade. All utterly wonderful, of course. Just my good fortune to find two of my favorite cuisines on the same street!
Also found a little something for my best friend in the gallery- the gallery lady was wonderful and packed it in a pretty box with a bow! Such a nice conclusion to the evening!
Got on the 180 to Wilanów and headed home. At the Hotel Bristol stop, a group of about 20 guys got on, rowdy but not totally drunk. One of them started singing something, then the rest joined in. Eventually, they got to the chorus which mostly consists of "sto lat, sto lat..". This means "one hundred years", and is the title of the Polish version of "Happy Birthday", so it must have been someone's birthday. Eventually, they all joined in, and the bus was full of deep, energetic voices singing all the way down Nowy Świat. They branched out after that into some other drinking songs that I didn't know, but others on the bus sang along, too, and everyone was happy and grinning. Fun ride home, all right!
Now I've gotta do a little tidying before heading to bed. Wedding tomorrow morning, then music, gym, studying and cleaning. Full two days!
Happy summer wishes to all!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Prague
6/11
Gaaahh. Today is NOT my day- I feel totally disoriented. Yesterday, I *specifically* asked the driver what time we were leaving the hotel- he said 4:30. I said, “So I should be downstairs and ready to go at 4:30am?” He said yes. I set my alarm for 4am (it’s actually about 10 min. ahead, too) but at 3:30, the phone rang and the desk clerk said “Ma’am, your driver’s here”. I thought, “Oh, crap!!” and proceeded to get ready as fast as I could. Thank goodness I’d packed everything before I went to bed and just needed to bathe and throw clothes on. I rushed out of the room, making sure I had everything, then looked at the clock and realized it was an hour earlier than I had written down. I double checked the note I’d written to myself *right* after the conversation about departure yesterday, and sure enough, it said 4:30. So I apologized to the driver for making him wait half an hour, but told him I remembered him saying that 4:30 was the departure time. He sort of shrugged and said “You have to be at the airport exactly two hours before your flight. But it’s ok- we’re not late”. >_< I just really hate feeling rushed and unprepared like this- this is exactly how things get left behind accidentally. And of course, when we arrived at the airport in *plenty of time*, there were only about 10 people there and they weren’t even checking people in yet. So we *totally* could have left at 4:30 and been just fine.
Panicked over the time a couple more times during the day, due to not updating my phone and computer each time I landed, but I ended up getting where I needed to go, so I guess it all worked out. Crashed on the plane from Tbilisi to Riga, then had a muffin and some coffee in the Riga airport and talked to a nice guy from Australia who now lives in Oxford and had gone to Tallinn on business. I seem to meet so many well-traveled people!!
Pretty uneventful flight to Warsaw. Got off the plane, collected my baggage.... and decided to take the rest of the day off. Last Thursday had been a holiday, so everyone in the office had taken that Friday off, but I had worked. So I decided to use some leave time and instead of going back to town, I got on a Czech Airlines flight to Prague. Besides, there was something happening in Prague that night that I really wanted to do. ;)
Had a snack, walked around a bit, then got on a tiny commuter plane and flew to Prague. Kind of warm flight, air conditioners weren’t working, but we got there just fine. I collected my bag again, got a map and some transit advice from the tourist counter, picked up water and an iced Americano, and waited for the Airport Express. The only other time I’ve flown here, we ended up taking a taxi to town, which was about 700 CzK. This bus took you right from the airport to Hlavni Nadrazi in about 30 min, for only 50 CzK. Much better deal. I bought a 24-hour transit pass then took the metro to the stop I *thought* I was supposed to go to. After about 20 minutes of wandering around, I realized I wasn’t where I needed to be, so a nice hotel concierge called me a taxi which took me to the Hotel Sunflower. Delightful little hotel in Praha 2, close to the trams but away from the busy noise of the city center. The owner, Lukas, was an adorable man with a very pleasant personality- we had a great little chat about pretty much everything. He checked me in and took my luggage upstairs. I dumped everything off, did a little grooming , changed clothes (almost 20 hours of traveling kind of feels gross after a while!), then took a taxi out to the O2 Arena.
See, the main reason I had really wanted to be in Prague tonight was to see Bob Dylan. He had, of course, toured the US many times, but I’d missed all those concerts somehow. I really wanted to see him at least once, so I decided to seize the moment and see him tonight. Besides, his tour this year included mainly Japan, Europe (not Warsaw), and one lone US date in Seattle. And honestly, I thought Prague would be a perfect city for a Dylan concert- artsy, intellectual, cultural, fun, and a place that makes me really happy in general.
Taxi dropped me off at the arena, I bought a ticket (12th row on the floor!) and found my seat just in time for the concert. It was awesome! Just a plain black backdrop, nothing fancy, instruments, musicians. Dylan wore a black suit with a bright green shirt and a wide-brimmed white hat. He had a lot of energy and really moved the concert. He played a mixture of his older songs and newer material, played the keyboard and guitar and harmonica, walked around and sang, really seemed youthful and like an old coot at the same time. His voice was deeper, of course, more gravelly and hoarse, but on certain songs, you could really hear elements of his younger folk days. It really felt like he’s moved in a more blues direction- his music has a really driving, edgy spirit to it, and he just dug into the songs with abandon. The band was really great, complimented his singing and style, and they worked well together. The audience was really into it, the arena’s acoustics were great, and the concert was just fantastic overall. Even though I’d been up and traveling for almost 24 hours straight, it was all worth it. I just wish my mom could have been there- Dylan’s her favorite singer and she would have really enjoyed the concert.
Took the metro and tram back to the hotel, then just crashed. So nice to get a long night of sleep after a wonderful day!
6/12
Today has been just awesome so far! It’s Saturday, sunny and hot, summer, and I’m in Prague- what’s not to like? ^_^ Woke up after a good 8 hours of sleep, feeling totally rested. Packed up everything, had a nice bath (lovely feeling after so much traveling!) Chatted with the wonderful hotel owner for a bit, then had a delicious breakfast in an adorable basement nook. I just love the buildings here- so stylish, cozy, charismatic! Stored my luggage with the desk clerk, then set off to enjoy the day. Randomly got on the next tram that came along and decided to get off at a stop called Botanická zahrada. There, I discovered a fantastic botanical garden! Huge grounds, full of winding paths, beautiful flower, bushes and trees from all over the world. One section had sprinklers running, so I walked through a nice mist for a bit, then walked up the path, just enjoying this quiet morning outdoors. Just my type of day! Their special exhibit for this time of year was succulents and cacti. I absolutely love those, so I had a great time looking at everything. There were *so* many varieties from all over the world!! And so many types I’d never seen before, ones that looked more like delicate paper sculptures, metal scraps or small internal organs instead of plants. They had quite a few for sale, and I still have an empty pot at home, so I decided to pick up a couple. I’m usually terrible with plants, but these are two types I don’t seem to kill. I picked out a succulent with small, spiky leaves, and a tiny cactus with a white and purple bloom. I think they’ll enjoy the summer on my window sill!
Had a couple bottles of water, a crepe with fruit, and a cappuccino at Cafe Bottanica, relaxed a bit, then walked up the hill and got on the metro to Namesti Republiky. Walked through the mall a bit, ended up leaving with a new sewing project and some satin ribbon for my fancy purse and a few new books. After that, I boarded a tram heading toward Malostranska. Was daydreaming and didn’t get off at that stop, so instead, I ended up on the top of the hill at Prague Castle. I’d never been up there before, so it was a nice detour. Admired the view for a while, then walked down the hill through windy side streets, past yummy cafes and ice cream shops and souvenirs. Found a new pashmina (Prague has the greatest selection of colors!) then had some lunch at a cafe. Kept walking, resisting shopping, and came to a church where a guy handed me a flyer and announced that they were having a concert in an hour. I didn’t have to be on the train until 9:30, so I thought an hour of organ music sounded wonderful. I *love* that they promote music so much here- if people weren’t walking around telling you about these things, I might never have known about them. This is what happened last time, when I heard Mozart and Vivaldi in the Municipal House. I wish they’d do this more in Warsaw!
Exchanged a bit more money, then poked around a rare books store for a while. Looked at a tiny photo book of Warsaw that was printed before WWII, and the owner showed me an amazing book of Warsaw photos taken between 1945-1948. Really marvelous photos, very difficult item to find. I didn’t have enough money for a book *and* a concert, so I decided I’d have to return another day for the book.
Walked back up the hill to St. Kajetan’s Church, and listened to fabulous organ music for an hour. Marvelous selection of pieces from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras. Amazing acoustics! I felt happy, relaxed, at peace, at home. There’s just something about this city that brings out the best in my disposition- I really don’t know what it is. I felt much the same in Japan, though a bit differently. I think certain places in the world just have the right energy and they interact with my own personal energy in a harmonious way.
On the way out, I heard the ticket guy say “Sayonara!” to the girl ahead of me, so I asked if she was from Japan. She was, from Tokyo, and we chatted all the way down the hill. She asked me where I’d been in Japan, advised me to go to Nagano (most beautiful place!!), and told me my Japanese was very good. Talk about incentives to keep studying hard! I promised her I’d visit Nagano sometime and we chatted a bit about Prague until the tram came along. It’s so nice to randomly meet cool people!
Took the tram back to the hotel, collected my bags, then went to the train station. Had a snack, wandered around a bit, then got on the 9:32 train back to Warsaw. Such a fun, short visit to Prague!
Gaaahh. Today is NOT my day- I feel totally disoriented. Yesterday, I *specifically* asked the driver what time we were leaving the hotel- he said 4:30. I said, “So I should be downstairs and ready to go at 4:30am?” He said yes. I set my alarm for 4am (it’s actually about 10 min. ahead, too) but at 3:30, the phone rang and the desk clerk said “Ma’am, your driver’s here”. I thought, “Oh, crap!!” and proceeded to get ready as fast as I could. Thank goodness I’d packed everything before I went to bed and just needed to bathe and throw clothes on. I rushed out of the room, making sure I had everything, then looked at the clock and realized it was an hour earlier than I had written down. I double checked the note I’d written to myself *right* after the conversation about departure yesterday, and sure enough, it said 4:30. So I apologized to the driver for making him wait half an hour, but told him I remembered him saying that 4:30 was the departure time. He sort of shrugged and said “You have to be at the airport exactly two hours before your flight. But it’s ok- we’re not late”. >_< I just really hate feeling rushed and unprepared like this- this is exactly how things get left behind accidentally. And of course, when we arrived at the airport in *plenty of time*, there were only about 10 people there and they weren’t even checking people in yet. So we *totally* could have left at 4:30 and been just fine.
Panicked over the time a couple more times during the day, due to not updating my phone and computer each time I landed, but I ended up getting where I needed to go, so I guess it all worked out. Crashed on the plane from Tbilisi to Riga, then had a muffin and some coffee in the Riga airport and talked to a nice guy from Australia who now lives in Oxford and had gone to Tallinn on business. I seem to meet so many well-traveled people!!
Pretty uneventful flight to Warsaw. Got off the plane, collected my baggage.... and decided to take the rest of the day off. Last Thursday had been a holiday, so everyone in the office had taken that Friday off, but I had worked. So I decided to use some leave time and instead of going back to town, I got on a Czech Airlines flight to Prague. Besides, there was something happening in Prague that night that I really wanted to do. ;)
Had a snack, walked around a bit, then got on a tiny commuter plane and flew to Prague. Kind of warm flight, air conditioners weren’t working, but we got there just fine. I collected my bag again, got a map and some transit advice from the tourist counter, picked up water and an iced Americano, and waited for the Airport Express. The only other time I’ve flown here, we ended up taking a taxi to town, which was about 700 CzK. This bus took you right from the airport to Hlavni Nadrazi in about 30 min, for only 50 CzK. Much better deal. I bought a 24-hour transit pass then took the metro to the stop I *thought* I was supposed to go to. After about 20 minutes of wandering around, I realized I wasn’t where I needed to be, so a nice hotel concierge called me a taxi which took me to the Hotel Sunflower. Delightful little hotel in Praha 2, close to the trams but away from the busy noise of the city center. The owner, Lukas, was an adorable man with a very pleasant personality- we had a great little chat about pretty much everything. He checked me in and took my luggage upstairs. I dumped everything off, did a little grooming , changed clothes (almost 20 hours of traveling kind of feels gross after a while!), then took a taxi out to the O2 Arena.
See, the main reason I had really wanted to be in Prague tonight was to see Bob Dylan. He had, of course, toured the US many times, but I’d missed all those concerts somehow. I really wanted to see him at least once, so I decided to seize the moment and see him tonight. Besides, his tour this year included mainly Japan, Europe (not Warsaw), and one lone US date in Seattle. And honestly, I thought Prague would be a perfect city for a Dylan concert- artsy, intellectual, cultural, fun, and a place that makes me really happy in general.
Taxi dropped me off at the arena, I bought a ticket (12th row on the floor!) and found my seat just in time for the concert. It was awesome! Just a plain black backdrop, nothing fancy, instruments, musicians. Dylan wore a black suit with a bright green shirt and a wide-brimmed white hat. He had a lot of energy and really moved the concert. He played a mixture of his older songs and newer material, played the keyboard and guitar and harmonica, walked around and sang, really seemed youthful and like an old coot at the same time. His voice was deeper, of course, more gravelly and hoarse, but on certain songs, you could really hear elements of his younger folk days. It really felt like he’s moved in a more blues direction- his music has a really driving, edgy spirit to it, and he just dug into the songs with abandon. The band was really great, complimented his singing and style, and they worked well together. The audience was really into it, the arena’s acoustics were great, and the concert was just fantastic overall. Even though I’d been up and traveling for almost 24 hours straight, it was all worth it. I just wish my mom could have been there- Dylan’s her favorite singer and she would have really enjoyed the concert.
Took the metro and tram back to the hotel, then just crashed. So nice to get a long night of sleep after a wonderful day!
6/12
Today has been just awesome so far! It’s Saturday, sunny and hot, summer, and I’m in Prague- what’s not to like? ^_^ Woke up after a good 8 hours of sleep, feeling totally rested. Packed up everything, had a nice bath (lovely feeling after so much traveling!) Chatted with the wonderful hotel owner for a bit, then had a delicious breakfast in an adorable basement nook. I just love the buildings here- so stylish, cozy, charismatic! Stored my luggage with the desk clerk, then set off to enjoy the day. Randomly got on the next tram that came along and decided to get off at a stop called Botanická zahrada. There, I discovered a fantastic botanical garden! Huge grounds, full of winding paths, beautiful flower, bushes and trees from all over the world. One section had sprinklers running, so I walked through a nice mist for a bit, then walked up the path, just enjoying this quiet morning outdoors. Just my type of day! Their special exhibit for this time of year was succulents and cacti. I absolutely love those, so I had a great time looking at everything. There were *so* many varieties from all over the world!! And so many types I’d never seen before, ones that looked more like delicate paper sculptures, metal scraps or small internal organs instead of plants. They had quite a few for sale, and I still have an empty pot at home, so I decided to pick up a couple. I’m usually terrible with plants, but these are two types I don’t seem to kill. I picked out a succulent with small, spiky leaves, and a tiny cactus with a white and purple bloom. I think they’ll enjoy the summer on my window sill!
Had a couple bottles of water, a crepe with fruit, and a cappuccino at Cafe Bottanica, relaxed a bit, then walked up the hill and got on the metro to Namesti Republiky. Walked through the mall a bit, ended up leaving with a new sewing project and some satin ribbon for my fancy purse and a few new books. After that, I boarded a tram heading toward Malostranska. Was daydreaming and didn’t get off at that stop, so instead, I ended up on the top of the hill at Prague Castle. I’d never been up there before, so it was a nice detour. Admired the view for a while, then walked down the hill through windy side streets, past yummy cafes and ice cream shops and souvenirs. Found a new pashmina (Prague has the greatest selection of colors!) then had some lunch at a cafe. Kept walking, resisting shopping, and came to a church where a guy handed me a flyer and announced that they were having a concert in an hour. I didn’t have to be on the train until 9:30, so I thought an hour of organ music sounded wonderful. I *love* that they promote music so much here- if people weren’t walking around telling you about these things, I might never have known about them. This is what happened last time, when I heard Mozart and Vivaldi in the Municipal House. I wish they’d do this more in Warsaw!
Exchanged a bit more money, then poked around a rare books store for a while. Looked at a tiny photo book of Warsaw that was printed before WWII, and the owner showed me an amazing book of Warsaw photos taken between 1945-1948. Really marvelous photos, very difficult item to find. I didn’t have enough money for a book *and* a concert, so I decided I’d have to return another day for the book.
Walked back up the hill to St. Kajetan’s Church, and listened to fabulous organ music for an hour. Marvelous selection of pieces from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras. Amazing acoustics! I felt happy, relaxed, at peace, at home. There’s just something about this city that brings out the best in my disposition- I really don’t know what it is. I felt much the same in Japan, though a bit differently. I think certain places in the world just have the right energy and they interact with my own personal energy in a harmonious way.
On the way out, I heard the ticket guy say “Sayonara!” to the girl ahead of me, so I asked if she was from Japan. She was, from Tokyo, and we chatted all the way down the hill. She asked me where I’d been in Japan, advised me to go to Nagano (most beautiful place!!), and told me my Japanese was very good. Talk about incentives to keep studying hard! I promised her I’d visit Nagano sometime and we chatted a bit about Prague until the tram came along. It’s so nice to randomly meet cool people!
Took the tram back to the hotel, collected my bags, then went to the train station. Had a snack, wandered around a bit, then got on the 9:32 train back to Warsaw. Such a fun, short visit to Prague!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Georgia
Wow. Well, *that* was a wild and exciting little trip! I’m really glad work sent me to Tbilisi for a couple days- amazing place. Georgia is officially going on my list of awesome places to visit later.
6/8
Left for the airport around noon on Tuesday, had an uneventful flight to Riga. They didn’t really have any solid food places, just mainly cafes and things, so I had some good coffee and some other snacks, and cruised around for internet. Wasn’t really finding anything in the main terminal, so I kept watching for them to announce the gate to Tbilisi. Once they did, I went through the passport control, thinking that terminal might have some options.... nope. So I decided to try to watch a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory, ep. 2- the friend that got me into it in the first place had put the second season on my memory stick. So I attached the stick to the USB port and was trying to get at least *one* of my media programs to play it.... when some big oaf with a ton of bags walked by and swept the computer right off my lap. The computer seemed okay, thankfully, but the memory stick was totally destroyed into little pieces. *sigh*. So I’ve got to wait until Monday to give him another one.
By that point I was kind of tired and didn’t really want to have the computer out anymore in case it suffered further damage. So I got more snacks and people-watched instead. Pretty soon, a tiny, energetic woman with many bags and a small son came along and asked in Russian if she could sit in the empty seat next to me. I said sure. She busied herself with getting the kid and bags arranged- the kid just looked at me quietly and grinned. He was a nice kid, very well-behaved and had a fun personality. She and I chatted a bit, about travels, him, etc. We watched as a huge group of 20-something guys instantly lined up for a Wizz Air flight to London- they were all wearing the same bright blue t-shirts that said “Joe’s Stag Riga 2010”. I’m guessing they were having some sort of travelling stag party...? She shared some cookies with me and offered me a banana or a pear. They were very nice, and I wished them safe travels to Minsk.
Waited for about half an hour after that until they called my flight. The Riga airport is LOUD. There’s always a lot of noise, somehow, and they seem to have turned the announcement speaker up to its maximum volume. And they make announcements like, every 5 seconds, in three different languages. Somehow, when you say it about 20 times in 10 minutes, I don’t think “This is the last and final boarding call for Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Cordoba to Barcelona” is really accurate. Right then, I was wising heartily for the tranquil peace and quiet of Well Within- it kind of felt like auditory claustrophobia. Hard to even hear yourself think when there’s constant noise.
No peace and quiet for me yet, though- flight to Tbilisi was quite full, and about a quarter of the passengers were kids, mostly babies. So there was a bunch of crying and screaming, esp. during takeoff and landing. I was seated next to a pretty good one- she went to sleep for most of the flight. Long flight, though- people constantly walked up and down the aisles and bumped into me and the guy in front of me put his seat all the way back, so I couldn’t really concentrate on any work. One kid made several trips to the bathroom with a barf bag, and at some point we all smelled smoke- some guy decided he just *had* to have a cigarette in the bathroom mid-flight. >_< Needless to say, I was *very* happy when we landed. Got off the plane, got some money, went through passport control, and that was it. The driver who was there to pick me up was really nice- we had a good chat all the way to the hotel, he told me a bit about the city, pointed out the ultra-modern police station, etc. It was a good ride from the airport. And such nice weather- still really warm even at 1am! I checked in to the hotel, then crashed for about 7 hours. What a day...
6/9
Woke up, got dressed, then took the elevator up to breakfast on the hotel’s top floor. I walked in, looked out the windows at the view.... and almost gasped. So beautiful! Rolling green and brown hills and rocky mountains surround the city of Tbilisi, covered in all sorts of buildings- modern highrises downtown, delicate wooden houses, old castles, forts and churches..... A fairly large river winds through the city, and there are many bridges. I’d never seen a city quite like it. Needless, to say, I enjoyed breakfast and the view!
Went to the office, spent the day working- nice to see some colleagues I’d met before, nice to meet new ones. Went to lunch with a few people in the Old City, we went to a restaurant called KGB. Actually really good food! I had pumpkin soup, this Georgian cornbread called mchadi, and this awesome homemade Georgian lemonade. Unlike western lemonade, this one is bright Midori green! It’s very minty and refreshing. Turns out that the distinct colour and flavour come from tarragon. Who would have thought? Great stuff!
Finished working for the day, dropped my stuff off at the hotel, then set out to explore. Walked down the hill and followed my instincts in the direction of the old city. Tbilisi is a bit difficult to navigate because not everything is on every map, and most of the signs are only in Georgian, which I can’t read (yet). I found one of the metro stations, though, and walked down the hill toward the river, over old cobblestone streets and stairs, past crumbling doorways and empty hallways, past a little waterfall over a small cliff, to the Metekhi bridge, where there was also a small church and a statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali. Just stood there on the bridge for a while, watched the river, admired the fancy new bridge called From Past to Future. It looked like something ultra-modern, all blue-ish glass and metal, with small moving lights on its walkway. Interesting contrast to the ancient stone structures that have been there since the 9th century!
Found my way to the old town, to Sharden and Bambis Rigi streets, walked around there for a bit, then kept heading along the right bank of the river. Walked through interesting neighbourhoods with older churches, tall wooden houses that looked like a combination of things you’d see in the Deep South and a 1920s Chinatown... and some houses that tipped at a *dangerously* precarious angle. Near Baratashvili Bridge, I found the Tbilisi Museum of Dolls. On the hillside above the Left Bank sit the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The right bank is full of wonderful restaurants, pubs, places to just hang out and enjoy the evening. And it gets dark here at a normal hour, because it’s not so far north, so by about 8:30 it was properly dark! Somehow, this makes me feel more settled and regulates my day more. The city is busy, many people and cars out, and there are fruit sellers and small stalls out even late at night. This city has a good energy, and despite the older buildings, it feels safe and welcoming. People are friendly and helpful when you ask them for directions and advice.
I walked kind of in a loop a few blocks past Aprilis Park, then headed back to Sionis street where I finally decided to eat something. I saw gentle lights and a lovely wooden porch and ended up at a great little cafe, Konka Station, that had apparently only been open 10 days! The building was gorgeous, a little wooden structure with pretty carvings in the doorposts. The wood had a bright, golden glow and the interior had a comfortable, artsy feel to it. I tasted a varitety of things from the menu- chicken shashlik with ajiki sauce; mini cheese khachapuri in *very* fluffy pastry, a small meat pie, special sweets called godziki which are normally served only at New Year’s; Georgian beer; a tasty coconut ball with crushed walnuts inside; and a Turkish coffee. I spent a very pleasant couple hours there, chatting with the nice waitress whose mom owns the place and people-watching. This is such a relaxed city, perfect for summer living! After I finished eating , I looked at the gorgeous handcrafts displayed in the gallery section and met the artist herself. We talked about art for a while, and I selected a few gifts to take home. Decided not to hike back up the hill so late at night, so a taxi took me back to the hotel. Altogether, this was a fantastic evening!
6/10
Enjoyed another lovely breakfast and view, then headed off the office for one more day of work. I got a lot done in two days, I must say. This was a very productive trip! I decided not to go too far away for lunch this time, so I actually just ate at the hotel, out on the patio, basking in the sunshine. It was SO nice and hot out, and dry, just my kind of weather! I ended up getting a bit sunburned, but not badly- one that will eventually turn into tan. This is such a great feeling, especially after pretty much a year of nothing but cold, wind, rain and snow. ^_^
Returned from lunch to find a Georgian-English phrasebook on my desk, a very nice surprise! Back in Tajikistan, one of the people I met turned out to be from Tbilisi, and I told him at the farewell dinner that I was interested in learning more about the Georgian language and script. And he remembered, and found me a book! So now I’ll be prepared when I return ;)
Worked a bit later tonight, since it was my last day, then refreshed a bit at the hotel before heading out to dinner. The friend from Tajikistan had recommended several places for Georgian food, so I took a taxi to one of them. Turned out to be sort of far from the hotel, so I’m glad I hadn’t decided to walk. It was great, though! A huge hall full of wooden tables, tons of local people eating delicious food, mainly khachapuris and kinkhalais. I had khachapuri, quail, soft Georgian bread and more lemonade. Halfway through dinner, a band played a few songs- they sounded great! Deep, resonant voices, strong drums, really energetic guitar and accordion sounds.... reminded me of some of the groups I’ve seen at Celtic festivals or Scottish games. I had a great dinner, and felt totally full.
Got out from the hall and saw that V had called. He invited me out for some beer and to hang out a bit, and we arranged to meet by the Sionis Cathedral. Thanks to my explorations last night, I actually knew where that was! ^__^ So 10 minutes later, we met up by this gorgeous cathedral and went to KGB for some beer. Georgian beer is *very* tasty- dark golden color, no carbonation, a very nice flavor, hard to place but enjoyable. We chatted for a good couple of hours, about pretty much everything- family, friends, brothers, work. He told me some really funny stories from his field experiences, and I told him about adventures in the library. After beer and pistachios, we drove around the city a bit, admiring the city at night. He pointed out interesting buildings that I certainly would like to visit on another trip, then took me back to the hotel. It was nice to see the city with a local and great to see a good friend again. Happily went to bed after packing up my stuff. What a great couple days in Georgia!
6/8
Left for the airport around noon on Tuesday, had an uneventful flight to Riga. They didn’t really have any solid food places, just mainly cafes and things, so I had some good coffee and some other snacks, and cruised around for internet. Wasn’t really finding anything in the main terminal, so I kept watching for them to announce the gate to Tbilisi. Once they did, I went through the passport control, thinking that terminal might have some options.... nope. So I decided to try to watch a few episodes of The Big Bang Theory, ep. 2- the friend that got me into it in the first place had put the second season on my memory stick. So I attached the stick to the USB port and was trying to get at least *one* of my media programs to play it.... when some big oaf with a ton of bags walked by and swept the computer right off my lap. The computer seemed okay, thankfully, but the memory stick was totally destroyed into little pieces. *sigh*. So I’ve got to wait until Monday to give him another one.
By that point I was kind of tired and didn’t really want to have the computer out anymore in case it suffered further damage. So I got more snacks and people-watched instead. Pretty soon, a tiny, energetic woman with many bags and a small son came along and asked in Russian if she could sit in the empty seat next to me. I said sure. She busied herself with getting the kid and bags arranged- the kid just looked at me quietly and grinned. He was a nice kid, very well-behaved and had a fun personality. She and I chatted a bit, about travels, him, etc. We watched as a huge group of 20-something guys instantly lined up for a Wizz Air flight to London- they were all wearing the same bright blue t-shirts that said “Joe’s Stag Riga 2010”. I’m guessing they were having some sort of travelling stag party...? She shared some cookies with me and offered me a banana or a pear. They were very nice, and I wished them safe travels to Minsk.
Waited for about half an hour after that until they called my flight. The Riga airport is LOUD. There’s always a lot of noise, somehow, and they seem to have turned the announcement speaker up to its maximum volume. And they make announcements like, every 5 seconds, in three different languages. Somehow, when you say it about 20 times in 10 minutes, I don’t think “This is the last and final boarding call for Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Cordoba to Barcelona” is really accurate. Right then, I was wising heartily for the tranquil peace and quiet of Well Within- it kind of felt like auditory claustrophobia. Hard to even hear yourself think when there’s constant noise.
No peace and quiet for me yet, though- flight to Tbilisi was quite full, and about a quarter of the passengers were kids, mostly babies. So there was a bunch of crying and screaming, esp. during takeoff and landing. I was seated next to a pretty good one- she went to sleep for most of the flight. Long flight, though- people constantly walked up and down the aisles and bumped into me and the guy in front of me put his seat all the way back, so I couldn’t really concentrate on any work. One kid made several trips to the bathroom with a barf bag, and at some point we all smelled smoke- some guy decided he just *had* to have a cigarette in the bathroom mid-flight. >_< Needless to say, I was *very* happy when we landed. Got off the plane, got some money, went through passport control, and that was it. The driver who was there to pick me up was really nice- we had a good chat all the way to the hotel, he told me a bit about the city, pointed out the ultra-modern police station, etc. It was a good ride from the airport. And such nice weather- still really warm even at 1am! I checked in to the hotel, then crashed for about 7 hours. What a day...
6/9
Woke up, got dressed, then took the elevator up to breakfast on the hotel’s top floor. I walked in, looked out the windows at the view.... and almost gasped. So beautiful! Rolling green and brown hills and rocky mountains surround the city of Tbilisi, covered in all sorts of buildings- modern highrises downtown, delicate wooden houses, old castles, forts and churches..... A fairly large river winds through the city, and there are many bridges. I’d never seen a city quite like it. Needless, to say, I enjoyed breakfast and the view!
Went to the office, spent the day working- nice to see some colleagues I’d met before, nice to meet new ones. Went to lunch with a few people in the Old City, we went to a restaurant called KGB. Actually really good food! I had pumpkin soup, this Georgian cornbread called mchadi, and this awesome homemade Georgian lemonade. Unlike western lemonade, this one is bright Midori green! It’s very minty and refreshing. Turns out that the distinct colour and flavour come from tarragon. Who would have thought? Great stuff!
Finished working for the day, dropped my stuff off at the hotel, then set out to explore. Walked down the hill and followed my instincts in the direction of the old city. Tbilisi is a bit difficult to navigate because not everything is on every map, and most of the signs are only in Georgian, which I can’t read (yet). I found one of the metro stations, though, and walked down the hill toward the river, over old cobblestone streets and stairs, past crumbling doorways and empty hallways, past a little waterfall over a small cliff, to the Metekhi bridge, where there was also a small church and a statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali. Just stood there on the bridge for a while, watched the river, admired the fancy new bridge called From Past to Future. It looked like something ultra-modern, all blue-ish glass and metal, with small moving lights on its walkway. Interesting contrast to the ancient stone structures that have been there since the 9th century!
Found my way to the old town, to Sharden and Bambis Rigi streets, walked around there for a bit, then kept heading along the right bank of the river. Walked through interesting neighbourhoods with older churches, tall wooden houses that looked like a combination of things you’d see in the Deep South and a 1920s Chinatown... and some houses that tipped at a *dangerously* precarious angle. Near Baratashvili Bridge, I found the Tbilisi Museum of Dolls. On the hillside above the Left Bank sit the Presidential Palace and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. The right bank is full of wonderful restaurants, pubs, places to just hang out and enjoy the evening. And it gets dark here at a normal hour, because it’s not so far north, so by about 8:30 it was properly dark! Somehow, this makes me feel more settled and regulates my day more. The city is busy, many people and cars out, and there are fruit sellers and small stalls out even late at night. This city has a good energy, and despite the older buildings, it feels safe and welcoming. People are friendly and helpful when you ask them for directions and advice.
I walked kind of in a loop a few blocks past Aprilis Park, then headed back to Sionis street where I finally decided to eat something. I saw gentle lights and a lovely wooden porch and ended up at a great little cafe, Konka Station, that had apparently only been open 10 days! The building was gorgeous, a little wooden structure with pretty carvings in the doorposts. The wood had a bright, golden glow and the interior had a comfortable, artsy feel to it. I tasted a varitety of things from the menu- chicken shashlik with ajiki sauce; mini cheese khachapuri in *very* fluffy pastry, a small meat pie, special sweets called godziki which are normally served only at New Year’s; Georgian beer; a tasty coconut ball with crushed walnuts inside; and a Turkish coffee. I spent a very pleasant couple hours there, chatting with the nice waitress whose mom owns the place and people-watching. This is such a relaxed city, perfect for summer living! After I finished eating , I looked at the gorgeous handcrafts displayed in the gallery section and met the artist herself. We talked about art for a while, and I selected a few gifts to take home. Decided not to hike back up the hill so late at night, so a taxi took me back to the hotel. Altogether, this was a fantastic evening!
6/10
Enjoyed another lovely breakfast and view, then headed off the office for one more day of work. I got a lot done in two days, I must say. This was a very productive trip! I decided not to go too far away for lunch this time, so I actually just ate at the hotel, out on the patio, basking in the sunshine. It was SO nice and hot out, and dry, just my kind of weather! I ended up getting a bit sunburned, but not badly- one that will eventually turn into tan. This is such a great feeling, especially after pretty much a year of nothing but cold, wind, rain and snow. ^_^
Returned from lunch to find a Georgian-English phrasebook on my desk, a very nice surprise! Back in Tajikistan, one of the people I met turned out to be from Tbilisi, and I told him at the farewell dinner that I was interested in learning more about the Georgian language and script. And he remembered, and found me a book! So now I’ll be prepared when I return ;)
Worked a bit later tonight, since it was my last day, then refreshed a bit at the hotel before heading out to dinner. The friend from Tajikistan had recommended several places for Georgian food, so I took a taxi to one of them. Turned out to be sort of far from the hotel, so I’m glad I hadn’t decided to walk. It was great, though! A huge hall full of wooden tables, tons of local people eating delicious food, mainly khachapuris and kinkhalais. I had khachapuri, quail, soft Georgian bread and more lemonade. Halfway through dinner, a band played a few songs- they sounded great! Deep, resonant voices, strong drums, really energetic guitar and accordion sounds.... reminded me of some of the groups I’ve seen at Celtic festivals or Scottish games. I had a great dinner, and felt totally full.
Got out from the hall and saw that V had called. He invited me out for some beer and to hang out a bit, and we arranged to meet by the Sionis Cathedral. Thanks to my explorations last night, I actually knew where that was! ^__^ So 10 minutes later, we met up by this gorgeous cathedral and went to KGB for some beer. Georgian beer is *very* tasty- dark golden color, no carbonation, a very nice flavor, hard to place but enjoyable. We chatted for a good couple of hours, about pretty much everything- family, friends, brothers, work. He told me some really funny stories from his field experiences, and I told him about adventures in the library. After beer and pistachios, we drove around the city a bit, admiring the city at night. He pointed out interesting buildings that I certainly would like to visit on another trip, then took me back to the hotel. It was nice to see the city with a local and great to see a good friend again. Happily went to bed after packing up my stuff. What a great couple days in Georgia!
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Life has been crazy busy yet again... I really wish the world would just *pause* for a month and let me catch up with everything.
Week before last, I went to Geneva with a colleague for a short conference on digital archiving. Good times- we learned a lot, heard about European initiatives, and mapped out strategies for dealing with projects here at home. In the evenings, we did some sightseeing- pretty city! They have this amazing clock built into a flower garden, and a huge fountain that's more like a jet stream. A couple evenings, we just sat out on the balcony, talked, listened to music, looked at the huge, cream-colored full moon, chatted with the nice guys in the corner store below. I found great new shoes that make me about 5 inches taller and are surprisingly comfy, and we picked up tons of yummy Swiss chocolate. On the last day of the conference, we visited the Special Collections dept. of the University Library and the Swiss State Archives. I felt a strong pang of longing as I looked at rooms where I'd worked, boxes I'd packed, listened to talks I'd given a million times, viewed ancient books and documents nestled into foam cradles and held down with velvet beanbags.... except it was in Switzerland. This was exactly what I'd been doing for the last decade, and ultimately what I want to do with the rest of my life- it was a nice reaffirmation of my passion, drive and ambitions.
Had a flight back that can only be described as rowdy and turbulent, at best. The weather was a bit touchy, and we had somehow been seated in the back of the plane, surrounded by about 10 members of a musical group. They were flying to Poland to perform and spent the whole flight loudly and boisterously chatting, throwing newspapers and books back and forth, laughing, making jokes. It was kind of nice- they had a good energy!
Took a cab ride home, dumped my bag out, re-packed it for the next trip, then crashed.
Woke up the next morning, went back to the airport and took a flight to Oslo to visit a friend for the weekend. That was a LOT of fun! Gorgeous city, right on the sea, fresh air, wonderful people, delicious food.... we went to a Viking museum where I saw the remains of three ships excavated in the early 20th century, a folk museum where I saw original and replica examples of houses from all areas and periods in Norway- stave churches are absolutely gorgeous! Wandered around, visited a pub with her friends, picked up some great Norwegian music, had coffee at the opera house, a huge white building built all on angles- you can walk all over it, even on the roof! Just amazing. Visited Viedland park and saw beautiful (and some consider them) scandalous sculptures created by the artist Gustav Viedland- truly marvelous creations. Then just hung out and chatted a lot. It was a perfect weekend.
Hung out with K & T last Sunday, ate Norwegian salmon, ham, reindeer sausage, cheese, watched the San Jose/Detroit game. San Jose won, putting them into the conference finals for the 2nd time ever (first was vs. Calgary in 2004). We just hung out afterward and chatted, looked at photos, etc. Nice time!
Today has felt productive- a day of doing things. I accomplished a lot at work, then realized my brain was just NOT in the mood to quietly learn anything. So I rescheduled Polish for tomorrow and did errands. Went with a friend to a nifty garden store and picked up a lavender plant. Came home and re-potted it on my balcony, then cleaned the windows and shelf out there. Did dishes and laundry. Got my nails done, a nice treat after hauling boxes and sorting papers for a month. Picked up some new eyeliner. Took out some recycling. Ate dinner and watched Rounders. Got info on ordering ESPN here. It's nice to get things done, sometimes. Helps un-clutter life a bit.
The next few weeks will be just as busy, I suspect- more to do a work, need to work on a database, train staff and prepare for a conference, process documents at said conference, deal with ongoing recruitments, figure out my taxes, etc. But this Saturday is the Night of Museums again, which should be lots of fun- looking forward to it!
Hope everyone is doing well! Hugs to all.
Week before last, I went to Geneva with a colleague for a short conference on digital archiving. Good times- we learned a lot, heard about European initiatives, and mapped out strategies for dealing with projects here at home. In the evenings, we did some sightseeing- pretty city! They have this amazing clock built into a flower garden, and a huge fountain that's more like a jet stream. A couple evenings, we just sat out on the balcony, talked, listened to music, looked at the huge, cream-colored full moon, chatted with the nice guys in the corner store below. I found great new shoes that make me about 5 inches taller and are surprisingly comfy, and we picked up tons of yummy Swiss chocolate. On the last day of the conference, we visited the Special Collections dept. of the University Library and the Swiss State Archives. I felt a strong pang of longing as I looked at rooms where I'd worked, boxes I'd packed, listened to talks I'd given a million times, viewed ancient books and documents nestled into foam cradles and held down with velvet beanbags.... except it was in Switzerland. This was exactly what I'd been doing for the last decade, and ultimately what I want to do with the rest of my life- it was a nice reaffirmation of my passion, drive and ambitions.
Had a flight back that can only be described as rowdy and turbulent, at best. The weather was a bit touchy, and we had somehow been seated in the back of the plane, surrounded by about 10 members of a musical group. They were flying to Poland to perform and spent the whole flight loudly and boisterously chatting, throwing newspapers and books back and forth, laughing, making jokes. It was kind of nice- they had a good energy!
Took a cab ride home, dumped my bag out, re-packed it for the next trip, then crashed.
Woke up the next morning, went back to the airport and took a flight to Oslo to visit a friend for the weekend. That was a LOT of fun! Gorgeous city, right on the sea, fresh air, wonderful people, delicious food.... we went to a Viking museum where I saw the remains of three ships excavated in the early 20th century, a folk museum where I saw original and replica examples of houses from all areas and periods in Norway- stave churches are absolutely gorgeous! Wandered around, visited a pub with her friends, picked up some great Norwegian music, had coffee at the opera house, a huge white building built all on angles- you can walk all over it, even on the roof! Just amazing. Visited Viedland park and saw beautiful (and some consider them) scandalous sculptures created by the artist Gustav Viedland- truly marvelous creations. Then just hung out and chatted a lot. It was a perfect weekend.
Hung out with K & T last Sunday, ate Norwegian salmon, ham, reindeer sausage, cheese, watched the San Jose/Detroit game. San Jose won, putting them into the conference finals for the 2nd time ever (first was vs. Calgary in 2004). We just hung out afterward and chatted, looked at photos, etc. Nice time!
Today has felt productive- a day of doing things. I accomplished a lot at work, then realized my brain was just NOT in the mood to quietly learn anything. So I rescheduled Polish for tomorrow and did errands. Went with a friend to a nifty garden store and picked up a lavender plant. Came home and re-potted it on my balcony, then cleaned the windows and shelf out there. Did dishes and laundry. Got my nails done, a nice treat after hauling boxes and sorting papers for a month. Picked up some new eyeliner. Took out some recycling. Ate dinner and watched Rounders. Got info on ordering ESPN here. It's nice to get things done, sometimes. Helps un-clutter life a bit.
The next few weeks will be just as busy, I suspect- more to do a work, need to work on a database, train staff and prepare for a conference, process documents at said conference, deal with ongoing recruitments, figure out my taxes, etc. But this Saturday is the Night of Museums again, which should be lots of fun- looking forward to it!
Hope everyone is doing well! Hugs to all.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Polska w żałobie
Five days ago, the Polish President and First Lady, along with many members of the cabinet and top administration, were killed in a plane crash in Smolensk. Sadly enough, they were on their way to Katyn to pay tribute to Polish officers massacred there in WWII. I’ve observed a city and nation in mourning all week, but oddly enough, it’s just sunk in tonight.
I left home a little after 19:30 on the way to a class. I noticed a huge group of people on the bridge at Plac Na Rozdrożu. Curious, I walked over to see what was going on. I noticed several police cars on the road below, a TV crew at each side of the bridge, and more people standing at the bus stop below. Over the next 15 minutes, even more people arrived until all the bridges, the sidewalks leading to Zamek Ujazdowskie, the hillsides, and the sidewalks were packed.
It had been a crazy day full of errands and meetings, so I hadn’t had a chance to check the news today. I had no idea what I’d see, I only knew it was something huge. I saw several priests and nuns, gave directions to one, and saw a TV Religia car.
Around 19:45, all traffic ceased and a group of police cars drove down the road, lights flashing, followed by a couple other cars and motorcycles. Then it began.
The long, seemingly neverending stream of hearses. One after another. Wide, sleek black cars lined inside with white satin, each carrying a single white coffin. Polish flags with narrow black strips of cloth attached flew from the cars. The crowd watched intently, sadly, in disbelief; I saw camera flashes and heard sniffles all around. There were so many hearses, heading toward the river in a single line which ended with more police vehicles.
The atmosphere in Warsaw this week has felt thick and muted, a tangible gloom tainted with uncertainty. The white and red national flag and the yellow and red Warsaw flag hang everywhere, small but constant symbols of solidarity. But even after five days of walking through a town weighed down with a funereal air, seeing throngs of mourners in the streets, candles in jars, piles of flowers, newspapers with dire headlines and black ribbons... I still hadn’t quite internalized it all, until tonight. A nation should *not* have to bury its entire leadership all at once. It’s just too much.
I really don’t know what to say; I’m not Polish by heritage, so I have no personal connection to the tragedy. But I’ve lived here for over a year now, and despite frequent arguments with the washer and the challenges presented by the language, I’ve grown attached to this country and the people I’ve met here. I can only express to them my deepest and sincerest condolences in this unbelievable time of upheaval. I know things like this happen all across the world, all the time. But this year, what I wish for most, is for Poland to know peace and comfort- it has more than earned it.
I left home a little after 19:30 on the way to a class. I noticed a huge group of people on the bridge at Plac Na Rozdrożu. Curious, I walked over to see what was going on. I noticed several police cars on the road below, a TV crew at each side of the bridge, and more people standing at the bus stop below. Over the next 15 minutes, even more people arrived until all the bridges, the sidewalks leading to Zamek Ujazdowskie, the hillsides, and the sidewalks were packed.
It had been a crazy day full of errands and meetings, so I hadn’t had a chance to check the news today. I had no idea what I’d see, I only knew it was something huge. I saw several priests and nuns, gave directions to one, and saw a TV Religia car.
Around 19:45, all traffic ceased and a group of police cars drove down the road, lights flashing, followed by a couple other cars and motorcycles. Then it began.
The long, seemingly neverending stream of hearses. One after another. Wide, sleek black cars lined inside with white satin, each carrying a single white coffin. Polish flags with narrow black strips of cloth attached flew from the cars. The crowd watched intently, sadly, in disbelief; I saw camera flashes and heard sniffles all around. There were so many hearses, heading toward the river in a single line which ended with more police vehicles.
The atmosphere in Warsaw this week has felt thick and muted, a tangible gloom tainted with uncertainty. The white and red national flag and the yellow and red Warsaw flag hang everywhere, small but constant symbols of solidarity. But even after five days of walking through a town weighed down with a funereal air, seeing throngs of mourners in the streets, candles in jars, piles of flowers, newspapers with dire headlines and black ribbons... I still hadn’t quite internalized it all, until tonight. A nation should *not* have to bury its entire leadership all at once. It’s just too much.
I really don’t know what to say; I’m not Polish by heritage, so I have no personal connection to the tragedy. But I’ve lived here for over a year now, and despite frequent arguments with the washer and the challenges presented by the language, I’ve grown attached to this country and the people I’ve met here. I can only express to them my deepest and sincerest condolences in this unbelievable time of upheaval. I know things like this happen all across the world, all the time. But this year, what I wish for most, is for Poland to know peace and comfort- it has more than earned it.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Kansai 2010- Leaving Europe
*sigh* Japan trip isn't off to a great start so far. Got ready this am, left the house, got to the airport in plenty of time, everything was going well. Sat next to a nice Polish couple on the plane who were also going to Osaka. Then there was a little.... technical problem. Some issue with a probe on the tail that tells the airspeed or something. You'd think they'd get these things solved before they're almost on the runway. So we sat there for over an hour while the engineers looked at it. I'm glad they did, of course- always good to check these things out rather than risk something. But as a result, I missed my connecting flight, as did most of the plane. One hour delay and I get to Osaka an entire *day* later. *sigh*
They re-booked everyone on other flights. Mine now leaves tomorrow morning, going from Amsterdam to Paris, then from there to Osaka. I'll now get to Osaka around 9am on Sunday. But the airline was very nice. They booked hotels for us, paid for them and free dinner and breakfast, and gave us free bus service to/from the airport. I picked up some little necessities in the Amsterdam airport, then took the bus (with the nice Polish couple) to the hotel. Joanna and Michał were very nice- both lawyers, liked traveling, we talked about everything. It was at least nice to make a couple new friends!
Now I've got a night in a rather nice hotel in Amsterdam. I hate delays, but this is a nice place to be delayed. Dinner was delicious, beef, potatoes, carrots, salad... and now I've got some red wine and the new book by Nick Hornby. I've got a comfy bed and good night's rest to look forward to, *then* on to Japan, hopefully.
They re-booked everyone on other flights. Mine now leaves tomorrow morning, going from Amsterdam to Paris, then from there to Osaka. I'll now get to Osaka around 9am on Sunday. But the airline was very nice. They booked hotels for us, paid for them and free dinner and breakfast, and gave us free bus service to/from the airport. I picked up some little necessities in the Amsterdam airport, then took the bus (with the nice Polish couple) to the hotel. Joanna and Michał were very nice- both lawyers, liked traveling, we talked about everything. It was at least nice to make a couple new friends!
Now I've got a night in a rather nice hotel in Amsterdam. I hate delays, but this is a nice place to be delayed. Dinner was delicious, beef, potatoes, carrots, salad... and now I've got some red wine and the new book by Nick Hornby. I've got a comfy bed and good night's rest to look forward to, *then* on to Japan, hopefully.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
This has been a really great weekend. Talked to the landlord and plumber (both in Polish!) on Friday morning, got a bit of extra rest, had a productive afternoon. Then came home, threw some laundry in, caught up with a few people, and headed off to a friend's for some wine and a weekend gathering. Fun conversations about Greek mythology, raves and techno music, nicknames in the Philippines, music and piano technique, favorite places to travel.... I love this group of friends. They're all so diverse!
Woke up early-ish on Saturday and met another friend to go visit a music store. Looked at electric pianos and drums- nice to discover such a place here! Randomly decided to visit a new CD store on the way home, the guy who runs it was really nice. We listened to some good jazz vocals and talked for a while, then I came home with some new music. Took a little nap, did some things around the house, then got my hair re-done and met some friends for dinner. Wonderful night with more good conversation!
Today was pretty mellow. Slept in a bit, had breakfast, did some laundry and housecleaning, then K came over and we compared vacation stories and pictures over some tea and fruit tarts from the Cafe Balengere. I just love that cafe.... Had dinner, did some more laundry, talked to my mom.... and now am done for the day. It's been a great weekend!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Woke up early-ish on Saturday and met another friend to go visit a music store. Looked at electric pianos and drums- nice to discover such a place here! Randomly decided to visit a new CD store on the way home, the guy who runs it was really nice. We listened to some good jazz vocals and talked for a while, then I came home with some new music. Took a little nap, did some things around the house, then got my hair re-done and met some friends for dinner. Wonderful night with more good conversation!
Today was pretty mellow. Slept in a bit, had breakfast, did some laundry and housecleaning, then K came over and we compared vacation stories and pictures over some tea and fruit tarts from the Cafe Balengere. I just love that cafe.... Had dinner, did some more laundry, talked to my mom.... and now am done for the day. It's been a great weekend!
Hope everyone is doing well!
Tajikistan
March 8. Slept very soundly for a few hours, then woke up and headed to the office. Had a rather whirlwind morning, meeting everyone, figuring out what to do, talking to some people about my project. It was nice, though- they gave me a desk where I could work quietly, so I spent the day doing just that. Had a little snack at my desk at lunchtime, then headed back to the hotel.
The hotel was lovely- a quiet, unobtrusive guesthouse in the middle of a residential area. From the outside, it didn't look like much, but inside, it was gorgeous. Very peaceful, tranquil, relaxing- reminded me a lot of the spa I enjoyed back home. There was a little yard inside with grass, tables and chairs for relaxing on the patio and balcony, carpets on all the pathways, a real divan with tons of comfy pillows, and an area where you left your shoes outside. I felt so at home there! Dumped my stuff off, then explored a bit. Looked at the colorful wall hangings, the nice fish tank, the interesting art on the wall... then just sat out on the balcony for a while and unwound.
It was so nice to just sit there and *be*. I'd brought a book to read, but ended up just spacing out, breathing in the fresh Tajikistan air, looking at the snow-covered mountains rising above the sea of aluminum roofs under a salmon-colored sunset. In the background, I could hear cars, children running and laughing, and lots of birds chirping. Eventually, it got dark and the little lights in the courtyard came on. I was pleasantly amazed to realize that I could sit outside at 7pm in just a t-shirt and not be freezing. It really reminded me of California weather!
As I was sitting there, just thinking how nice it was, a guy came out and put his shoes on and said hello. I returned the greeting, and he mentioned that he'd never read the book next to me (Angels & Demons) or seen the film. I said I was enjoying the book much more than the film and recommended that he start there. This led into a long conversation about fiction vs non-fiction, legal studies, languages, travels, work, all sorts of things. We chatted for quite a while, and he turned out to be really nice, and from Scotland. After a bit, he asked if I had dinner plans- he and a friend were going out for Ukrainian food and did I want to join them? I said, sure, and ran back in to get my shoes.
His friend was really nice, too, from England. Turns out that all of us work for different branches of the same place, so it was good to meet new colleagues. The Ukrainian restaurant was great- not far, and very warm and homey inside. We had the most delicious soup, bread, meat, and dessert. Hours of fantastic conversation with these two, plus another colleague from the States. Wild stories of adventure, discussions about politics, funny stories about cultural nuances (I learned that apparently, 'Barf' means 'Snowflake' in Farsi, which is why you see it as a name for cleaning and laundry products here)... it was a perfect night- I could stand more of these! Slept very soundly that night.
March 9. The office was having an internal meeting this morning, so they suggested I do a bit of sightseeing, then meet up with everyone around noon. They'd given me a map that listed the Tajik National Library, home to more than 3 million treasures of Tajik culture and literature, so I thought that sounded good. The hotel driver dropped me off in front of the library. I tried to open the front doors, but they were closed. I saw a sign that had an arrow and 'Входь', ('entrance' in Russian), so I followed it around the side, expecting to see an entrance. Nothing. There was a small door leading down to a basement of offices that appeared to be computer labs. I walked around for quite a while, and tried the front doors again. Nothing. It was frustrating, because I could see lights on inside and really wanted to see what Tajik manuscripts looked like. But eventually, I just gave up and caught a taxi to meet my colleagues.
At least the taxi ride was interesting. We went by a number of interesting buildings and monuments (didn't have a chance for photos, unfortunately), a huge marketplace, and the sun was out, so I could clearly see the mountains.
Had a nice coffee break with everyone, met more new colleagues, had an informative morning. Met a boisterous guy from Georgia who reminded me of a Viking version of Geoffrey Rush, a quiet one from France, and a perky woman from the U.S. Met up again with the guys from the UK, and received an invitation to a group dinner that evening. There's such a fun, happy spirit in this office! Had a productive afternoon, then went with a group of people out to the dinner.
The restaurant was great, featuring cuisine from a group of people native to Northern China. Everything was very tasty- meat, vegetables, bread, noodles, shrimp.... I ended up sitting across from the Georgian and a Russian guy, and they insisted on drinking a lot of vodka, so we had many toasts. And beer. And more great stories of adventure and travel. Met a fun Danish woman, a pleasant man from Spain (it was nice to speak a bit of Spanish!), talked more to the U.S. gal... all in all, a great night. Lots of fun, and a great way to wind down the trip. Walked back to the hotel and happily crashed for the night.
March 10. Slept in a bit, since I think jet lag *just* hit... then had a very productive final day in the office. The sun was out in full force, so I had a bit of lunch outside on the patio and just *basked*. I miss basking at lunchtime with my colleague in the library- there's something so energizing about soaking up the sun! And we really haven't had *warm* sunshine in Poland since.... July, maybe? There have been sunny days here and there since then, but it's also been really cold and windy, difficult to just sit somewhere and enjoy the sun.
Wrapped things up at the office, then went back to the hotel. Dropped off my stuff, then walked around for a bit. Saw gorgeous rugs out drying, huge courtyards in the houses, kids running around playing in the streets. School had just gotten out for the day, so there were groups of kids in black suits and skirts walking home. Women walked down the street in long pants and matching tunics of satin or velvet, their heads wrapped in colorful scarves. This is definitely a country for me in terms of fashion! Picked up some soft bread and a diet coke at a little store, then headed back to the hotel. Sat out on the balcony and just enjoyed one last, warm evening here.
Next door, I could see a young father playing with his kids. He was drumming a rhythm on a plastic tray, singing along in a strong, beautiful voice. The kids, all fairly young, laughed and danced around happily. Their mom took care of some laundry, then started dinner. Boy, did it smell good! It was so nice to see a happy family enjoying time with just *each other*- no TV, internet, Wii, gadgets, stuff.... just good, old-fashioned human company. I think that was one of the reasons I took a long, unexpected hiatus from being online- for several weeks, I just wanted to hang out with kitties and people in real life, to talk to people directly on the phone, to just enjoy life without the overwhelming presence of technology. I miss those days...
This was a perfect evening, a great way to end a fun trip. Finished my snack, packed up everything, settled my bill, then went to bed.
March 11. Man, *loooonnnng* day so far! Got up at the crack of dawn, around 2:30. Packed up everything, returned the key, met the driver out front at 3:15. The airport was surprisingly busy at 3:30 in the morning, tons of people and cars and kids with luggage carts milling around in the darkness. I found a group of people from the office waiting by the front door, and as soon as everyone had arrived, we went inside to check in.
I'm glad we all went as a group! There were a few questions requiring interpretation.... such as me apparently needing "registration" to get to the counter. Fortunately, the Georgian guy figured out that they just needed to see my travel itinerary, so everything turned out okay. Got to the counter, checked my bag to Istanbul, then went to the lounge to have some water and wait for the flight. Packed place- we ended up sitting in a couple groups. I just relaxed and people watched for a while until they called our flight. Long flight, but not bad- the two guys I sat next to this time had apparently heard of bathing, so that was a good thing. I ended up just dozing off after breakfast, a good thing. I've been having trouble sleeping lately in general, don't know why. Ah, well.
We all trooped off the plane in Istanbul around 8:30 local time and headed into the airport. Those whose luggage had been checked through went straight to the international transfers; those like me, whose luggage had to be collected here, went to get a visa and go through passport control. Yay, more crowded lines....
Eventually got through, found my bag, went outside for some fresh air for a bit, contemplated going into town for a while... but decided against it. Didn't quite know what I wanted to see, and I was tired and grumpy and hadn't had coffee yet and had lots of luggage. So I'll just come back some other time and see the city properly then. Found a little cafe instead, had a muffin and two Americanos, and finished a book.
Unfortunately, my flight didn't leave until 17:25, so I had a *long* wait in the airport. Thank goodness I brought a lot of material to read and Japanese to study. And the Istanbul airport has nice cafes with good coffee. Today was apparently an exercise in the arts of entertaining oneself and having patience.
Well, it's 6:30pm and we're *finally* through security and in the lounge, waiting to board the plane. Flight was delayed an hour- figures! I will be soooooooooooo glad to finally get home! I don't mind long days of travel, but 10 hours in one airport is enough, I think. Looking out at the entrance to the airport, lit up in blue, Turkish Ground Services buses driving around the circle, the hills hazy in the evening. Oddly enough, the houses and buildings right around the Istanbul Airport look kind of like.... Orange County, as you drive up the 5, going from Irvine toward Newport Beach, that same cream/dark white color with an orange-ish tinge, and red tile roofs, surrounded by medium-sized tall, thin trees and bushes.
10:30pm- FINALLY! Home safe and sound in Warsaw. Sooooooo glad to be home in Poland!
The hotel was lovely- a quiet, unobtrusive guesthouse in the middle of a residential area. From the outside, it didn't look like much, but inside, it was gorgeous. Very peaceful, tranquil, relaxing- reminded me a lot of the spa I enjoyed back home. There was a little yard inside with grass, tables and chairs for relaxing on the patio and balcony, carpets on all the pathways, a real divan with tons of comfy pillows, and an area where you left your shoes outside. I felt so at home there! Dumped my stuff off, then explored a bit. Looked at the colorful wall hangings, the nice fish tank, the interesting art on the wall... then just sat out on the balcony for a while and unwound.
It was so nice to just sit there and *be*. I'd brought a book to read, but ended up just spacing out, breathing in the fresh Tajikistan air, looking at the snow-covered mountains rising above the sea of aluminum roofs under a salmon-colored sunset. In the background, I could hear cars, children running and laughing, and lots of birds chirping. Eventually, it got dark and the little lights in the courtyard came on. I was pleasantly amazed to realize that I could sit outside at 7pm in just a t-shirt and not be freezing. It really reminded me of California weather!
As I was sitting there, just thinking how nice it was, a guy came out and put his shoes on and said hello. I returned the greeting, and he mentioned that he'd never read the book next to me (Angels & Demons) or seen the film. I said I was enjoying the book much more than the film and recommended that he start there. This led into a long conversation about fiction vs non-fiction, legal studies, languages, travels, work, all sorts of things. We chatted for quite a while, and he turned out to be really nice, and from Scotland. After a bit, he asked if I had dinner plans- he and a friend were going out for Ukrainian food and did I want to join them? I said, sure, and ran back in to get my shoes.
His friend was really nice, too, from England. Turns out that all of us work for different branches of the same place, so it was good to meet new colleagues. The Ukrainian restaurant was great- not far, and very warm and homey inside. We had the most delicious soup, bread, meat, and dessert. Hours of fantastic conversation with these two, plus another colleague from the States. Wild stories of adventure, discussions about politics, funny stories about cultural nuances (I learned that apparently, 'Barf' means 'Snowflake' in Farsi, which is why you see it as a name for cleaning and laundry products here)... it was a perfect night- I could stand more of these! Slept very soundly that night.
March 9. The office was having an internal meeting this morning, so they suggested I do a bit of sightseeing, then meet up with everyone around noon. They'd given me a map that listed the Tajik National Library, home to more than 3 million treasures of Tajik culture and literature, so I thought that sounded good. The hotel driver dropped me off in front of the library. I tried to open the front doors, but they were closed. I saw a sign that had an arrow and 'Входь', ('entrance' in Russian), so I followed it around the side, expecting to see an entrance. Nothing. There was a small door leading down to a basement of offices that appeared to be computer labs. I walked around for quite a while, and tried the front doors again. Nothing. It was frustrating, because I could see lights on inside and really wanted to see what Tajik manuscripts looked like. But eventually, I just gave up and caught a taxi to meet my colleagues.
At least the taxi ride was interesting. We went by a number of interesting buildings and monuments (didn't have a chance for photos, unfortunately), a huge marketplace, and the sun was out, so I could clearly see the mountains.
Had a nice coffee break with everyone, met more new colleagues, had an informative morning. Met a boisterous guy from Georgia who reminded me of a Viking version of Geoffrey Rush, a quiet one from France, and a perky woman from the U.S. Met up again with the guys from the UK, and received an invitation to a group dinner that evening. There's such a fun, happy spirit in this office! Had a productive afternoon, then went with a group of people out to the dinner.
The restaurant was great, featuring cuisine from a group of people native to Northern China. Everything was very tasty- meat, vegetables, bread, noodles, shrimp.... I ended up sitting across from the Georgian and a Russian guy, and they insisted on drinking a lot of vodka, so we had many toasts. And beer. And more great stories of adventure and travel. Met a fun Danish woman, a pleasant man from Spain (it was nice to speak a bit of Spanish!), talked more to the U.S. gal... all in all, a great night. Lots of fun, and a great way to wind down the trip. Walked back to the hotel and happily crashed for the night.
March 10. Slept in a bit, since I think jet lag *just* hit... then had a very productive final day in the office. The sun was out in full force, so I had a bit of lunch outside on the patio and just *basked*. I miss basking at lunchtime with my colleague in the library- there's something so energizing about soaking up the sun! And we really haven't had *warm* sunshine in Poland since.... July, maybe? There have been sunny days here and there since then, but it's also been really cold and windy, difficult to just sit somewhere and enjoy the sun.
Wrapped things up at the office, then went back to the hotel. Dropped off my stuff, then walked around for a bit. Saw gorgeous rugs out drying, huge courtyards in the houses, kids running around playing in the streets. School had just gotten out for the day, so there were groups of kids in black suits and skirts walking home. Women walked down the street in long pants and matching tunics of satin or velvet, their heads wrapped in colorful scarves. This is definitely a country for me in terms of fashion! Picked up some soft bread and a diet coke at a little store, then headed back to the hotel. Sat out on the balcony and just enjoyed one last, warm evening here.
Next door, I could see a young father playing with his kids. He was drumming a rhythm on a plastic tray, singing along in a strong, beautiful voice. The kids, all fairly young, laughed and danced around happily. Their mom took care of some laundry, then started dinner. Boy, did it smell good! It was so nice to see a happy family enjoying time with just *each other*- no TV, internet, Wii, gadgets, stuff.... just good, old-fashioned human company. I think that was one of the reasons I took a long, unexpected hiatus from being online- for several weeks, I just wanted to hang out with kitties and people in real life, to talk to people directly on the phone, to just enjoy life without the overwhelming presence of technology. I miss those days...
This was a perfect evening, a great way to end a fun trip. Finished my snack, packed up everything, settled my bill, then went to bed.
March 11. Man, *loooonnnng* day so far! Got up at the crack of dawn, around 2:30. Packed up everything, returned the key, met the driver out front at 3:15. The airport was surprisingly busy at 3:30 in the morning, tons of people and cars and kids with luggage carts milling around in the darkness. I found a group of people from the office waiting by the front door, and as soon as everyone had arrived, we went inside to check in.
I'm glad we all went as a group! There were a few questions requiring interpretation.... such as me apparently needing "registration" to get to the counter. Fortunately, the Georgian guy figured out that they just needed to see my travel itinerary, so everything turned out okay. Got to the counter, checked my bag to Istanbul, then went to the lounge to have some water and wait for the flight. Packed place- we ended up sitting in a couple groups. I just relaxed and people watched for a while until they called our flight. Long flight, but not bad- the two guys I sat next to this time had apparently heard of bathing, so that was a good thing. I ended up just dozing off after breakfast, a good thing. I've been having trouble sleeping lately in general, don't know why. Ah, well.
We all trooped off the plane in Istanbul around 8:30 local time and headed into the airport. Those whose luggage had been checked through went straight to the international transfers; those like me, whose luggage had to be collected here, went to get a visa and go through passport control. Yay, more crowded lines....
Eventually got through, found my bag, went outside for some fresh air for a bit, contemplated going into town for a while... but decided against it. Didn't quite know what I wanted to see, and I was tired and grumpy and hadn't had coffee yet and had lots of luggage. So I'll just come back some other time and see the city properly then. Found a little cafe instead, had a muffin and two Americanos, and finished a book.
Unfortunately, my flight didn't leave until 17:25, so I had a *long* wait in the airport. Thank goodness I brought a lot of material to read and Japanese to study. And the Istanbul airport has nice cafes with good coffee. Today was apparently an exercise in the arts of entertaining oneself and having patience.
Well, it's 6:30pm and we're *finally* through security and in the lounge, waiting to board the plane. Flight was delayed an hour- figures! I will be soooooooooooo glad to finally get home! I don't mind long days of travel, but 10 hours in one airport is enough, I think. Looking out at the entrance to the airport, lit up in blue, Turkish Ground Services buses driving around the circle, the hills hazy in the evening. Oddly enough, the houses and buildings right around the Istanbul Airport look kind of like.... Orange County, as you drive up the 5, going from Irvine toward Newport Beach, that same cream/dark white color with an orange-ish tinge, and red tile roofs, surrounded by medium-sized tall, thin trees and bushes.
10:30pm- FINALLY! Home safe and sound in Warsaw. Sooooooo glad to be home in Poland!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)