A Chapter Ends

An Aussie in Poland is coming to an end. After three years and nine months I am leaving Poland. It’s been an interesting three and three quarter years to say the least. The cold winters with white salty patches on my shoes have been frustrating. Although after I had decided to leave Poland, I discovered Górka Szczęśliwicka (Szczęśliwica Hill) located on the west side of Warsaw. If I had known of its existence and the fact that I could learn how to ski and snowboard there the winters would have been much more enjoyable. I have managed to head for the slope three times in the last month which have made me a tad more comfortable on skis. If the snow returns I might make a fourth attempt and hopefully plan a skiing holiday once a year or so to practice my new found skills.

I’ve met some interesting people who have enriched my life and I hope that we will stay in contact once I return to Australia. I’m not saying goodbye to Poland forever. I plan to return for annual holidays or at least every eighteen months or so to visit family. I’m not leaving on my own. I’m taking with me another person. My partner. He’s going to want to visit his family on a regular basis too. It’s going to be hard leaving and starting all over again. I love fresh starts but I’m worried about my partner who’s first goal will be to learn as much English as possible. Shocking I know that after three years together we’ve communicated in Polish ninety eight percent of the time and only sometimes thrown in a few English terms.

Poland has had its ups and downs as I have had mine over the past three years. I do like Poland, I could even go as far as saying I love Poland (at times anyway). Summer is fantastic especially when the sun is shining and its scorching – something that the locals don’t like. I love riding my bicycle along the streets and see poppies popping up in the fields or on the side of the streets. I like how the mood automatically changes from sombre to relaxed, and everyone shifts from wearing dull grey and black to clean whites and bright shades of green, blue, pink and yellow. It’s not just the flowers that start blooming but the people do to.

This blog will be changing too. I won’t be writing about my frustrations and experiences with Poland but about my journey through life, struggles and successes with language learning, travel encounters, studies and life in general regardless of my location. The name will be changing. The layout too. Once chapter ends, and another begins. Feel free to comment and tell me what you think.

I have four weeks remaining in this developing and growing city that has become an important city in the European Union. It’s future can be bright as long as the church and state start behaving like adults and putting its citizens first rather than their greedy pockets. But that’s another story. In the next few weeks I’ll try to post a few ramblings about Warsaw and what it has to offer. And if you’re interested you can check out my running journey at www.runningcandid.blogspot.com

Local Elections & Some Issues

Local government election time is here again. Honestly, I haven’t been paying much attention to the candidates. The only one I know is the current Mayor of Warsaw whom I have mixed feelings about.

The current candidates from what I have overheard on the news are all making promises which they probably won’t be able to keep. It’s easy to say ‘we’re going to build new pre-schools’ or ‘vote for us and we’ll fix the crowded public transport problem’ – they’ll say anything to get people to vote for them but when push comes to shove they won’t be putting their money where their mouths are.

I’ve been living in Warsaw for the past three and a half years and there are a number of evident problems facing the city;

*litter – there’s aren’t enough rubbish bins on platforms or on the streets. Recycling bins have been placed in the city center but when the garbage collectors come they place the segregated rubbish into one pile anyway – the same thing happens to the rubbish segregated in many Polish homes. Fining people for littering could be a good option to clean up the city (and keep it clean) and raise some money to fix the budget deficit. The problem is even worse for chucking rubbish in the forest; people get fined for taking rubbish from home and putting it in a public bin but no one seems to notice when they pollute the beautiful forests.

*homelessness – it breaks my heart when I see people who should be enjoying their retirement begging on the streets, trying to make ends meet by handing out brochures or selling flowers to anyone who passes. It is sickening to see drunken men (and occasionally women) sprawled at a bus stop next to Centralna Station. Sure, the Straz Miejska gets them to move but they simply go to another bus stop or public place and the cycle repeats.

*road condition – shocking, shocking and once again shocking. A road gets fixed this week and will need repairs by next year. There are holes everywhere. I’m surprised that people haven’t tried to sue their local councils for the costs of repair due to the disgusting road conditions in some areas. Not surprising, now that election time has started road works are under way in many suburbs.

*customer service – okay it’s improving but at snail’s pace. Local council and many government offices lack in customer service skills. This may seem like a small issue in comparison to the others but when you’re trying to get something done you want to communicate with humans who are kind rather than mean spirited. A smile won’t kill them; it might even improve their day. Oh and I’m so sorry that my urgent need for documentation disturbed the gossip session you were having with your colleague.

*truancy – being a TEFL teacher I have very flexible working hours; it’s not uncommon for me to visit a café in one of the shopping centers in between lessons. I’m amazed at the amount of middle and high school students that are very likely ditching school. Uniforms would help solve this problem especially if police and straz miejska had some control and could transport these pupils back to their schools (and give them some sort of punishment – maybe a bit of community service like helping out at a homeless shelter would do the trick)

Some minor and some major issues, and that’s just a start. I know that it’s impossible to solve all the problems in society. A utopia is impossible where humans are involved, there’s always going to be someone against the system.

So, we’ll see what affects these local elections will bring. I’d like to steer towards optimism and hope that they will leave what works alone, and change what doesn’t so that it does. Simple. Isn’t it?

II Bieg Zoo, Warsaw

Yesterday at 10am, 1000 people from all over Poland joined together to participate in the second 10km Bieg Zoo in Praga, Warsaw. While the weather was in our favour, the morning was filled with sweaty smiles, laughter and exhaustion. A combination enjoyed by many runners.
Running is one of those sports where everyone is equal. No one is judged by their occupation, income levels, age or likes and dislikes. Everyone on this day is a runner and there for the same thing, to give it their best and have a good time. Some people beat records, others are happy to finish the race. The atmosphere was great regardless of the rain.

While I had fun, this was one of my lousiest runs. My body somehow failed me but I managed to finish with a time of 52:17 minutes. At one point I had nausea, stomach ache and a stitch at the same time which slowed me down incredibly. Why? I'm guessing it was the large breakfast I had on the morning of the race. Next time, I'll remember to eat less before the race. Jarek finished with a great time of 46:32.

Your Home Town

Most of us don't consider our home town as a place for inspiration or story ideas. Who would want to read about the boring places we live in? Well, someone lives in all those places written about in the most glamorous travel magazines, in newspapers and in-flight magazines that the locals might find dull but to you it's paradise.

The same goes for your home town. A lot of professional writers suggest to write what you know. This may seem rather limited but the advice is good. Who is a better expert on your home town than the local who's lived their most of their life. You. If you mention this fact to an editor they may be more willing to offer you a story about your local town. Of course it's not enough to just offer a story about your town, you need to find a good angle to capture the attention of your editor and your readers. Even a general story about the Himalayas or Bora Bora won't sell if it doesn't have an interesting slant.

'Write what you know' is something I have heard and read about a lot. But it's not something I wanted to believe or do. I wanted to write about interesting things, fun things, about stories that weren't necessary a part of my life just yet. But than I realised writing about what you know isn't just writing about your interests, experiences and location. It's also being able to do the right research to expand your knowledge base and write about anything and everything that is of interest to you.

I've been living in Warsaw for two years now. The city is a blend of contradictions. Combined with the new and old, it's come a long way but it still has a long way to go. There are many stories here. Travel stories. Human interest stories. And much more. I'm going to try to focus on my local area and see what happens. Well, I'm off to look for some interesting story slants.

Warsaw's KDT Hall

Warsaw just doesn't know how to get it right. Today Marszałkowska Street, in Centrum, was saturated with protesters, onlookers, police in armour and rowdy security guards. KDT (a hall with discount shopping) was being shut down and all the sellers were asked, maybe demanded, to take their stock and disappear.

Disappear where?

Had they not been given an alternative venue to run their business?

According to the President of Warsaw, they had, but they had failed to respond to the options given to them. Were these alternatives adequate or were these innocent people whose jobs were secured in the KDT hall.

The city of Warsaw claims that the area will be used for the metro system (there are already two entry & exit points) and they plan to build a future museum – there's enough museums in Warsaw, instead they should focus on restoring and modernising the present ones. Warsaw's Museum of Technology in the Palace of Culture and Science leaves much to be desired, it's at least twenty years behind.

Priorities are not straight in Warsaw. People do not take priority. Instead they are treated worse than animals and when harm is done to them, there's no one to come to the rescue.

Warsaw may be the capital of Poland but it sure isn't the leading or most prosperous one. The decisions made by Parliament and other governing bodies are questionable to say the least. My question is what are they really trying to achieve because it sure doesn't look like they want to help anyone but themselves.

If you don't have money, you don't have a say. Without the right income you can forget about health, education and a normal standard of living.

A love of bookstores

Monday and Wednesday nights are best times to spend in Empik in the city centre. My favourite one is in Galeria Centrum. It's a three level store with books, magazines, cd's, dvd's, school supplies and games. Best of all, on the top level is a café, with power points and a view of the Palace of Culture and Science.

I love to come here and write, among other people, among the books which I can reach out and read. Café's and book stores in one are a weakness of mine.

I always take the escalators to the third floor, browse through the English books, sometimes I make a purchase, but most of the time I read the back covers and move on.

Taking a seat by the window, overlooking Marszalkowska Street and the Palace of Culture and Science, with Central Station and Zlote Tarasy just over in the distance.

Traffic zooms past in both direction, people rushing home to their families, while many others – tourists and locals alike – stroll the streets, browse through shops – Zara, H&M, Reserved and Sephora – a couple buy flowers from the old man selling tulips and forget-me-nots. He's so sweet looking, I wonder how long he's been standing there for, and I remind myself to bring some change next time and buy a bunch from him. He's always smiling.

Warsaw with it's bustling lights, the place has come so far and still has such a long way to go. I reach over and bite into my Byron Bay cookie (I loved them in Australia), and I take a sip of green tea. This alone is proof that Warsaw is emerging from its 20 year post communism era, into the globalised future and may one day soon form its place as a modern state in the EU.

An Aussie in Warsaw

Why would a 20 something year old from the sunny Gold Coast in Australia want to leave her fantastic job, a flat near the beach and great lifestyle for dreary, sad and 20 years behind Poland?

Firstly, let me make one thing clear. I am both an Aussie and a Pole, however I don't like to label myself as either or. I was born in Poland, and raised in Australia. But I feel at home wherever I choose to go or travel to. I still remember bawling my eyes out on the train platform with the news that I was leaving my grandparents behind and everything I'd ever known to go to a place I'd never heard of.

Sixteen years later I'm back. Not intentionally. Back in 2007 I came to Warsaw to visit my grandparents and get some paperwork sorted before moving on to live in London for awhile. Well no one was kind enough to inform me that due to the ridiculous amount of bureaucracy my stay would have to be extended.

Stuck. Unemployed. Low on money and with no ability to work legally and nothing to do but write. I think there was a time where I reached a really low point in my existence. I didn't know what to do.

Cheer myself up of course.

An opportunity arose for me to go on holiday to a popular seaside destination. No thinking needed there. I was off, with people I didn't know and the intention to have a fantastic time in order to leave my worries behind, at least for a week. Needless to say, halfway through my week away, I fell in love, and as they say the rest is history.

Two years later many things still drive me insane.

I'm a freelance writer, TEFL teacher, traveller, friend and a huge optimist. Throughout this blog I will attempt to include travel stories, experiences, jokes, photos, news and views on politics, on people, on just about anything I feel like. But be warned I tend to get opinionated, however I try to have your best interest at heart. A small incident brought me here, a chance encounter, and the a wonderful man who has taught me to love, to enjoy the smaller things in life, and to laugh every chance I get.

This blog has begun in the hopes of gaining an understanding of the Polish culture and coming to terms with the fact that I have decided to stay here indefinitely. I welcome you, and hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Please feel free to comment or debate if you disagree with my opinionated soul.