It's been much too long since I've spoken in cyberworld. I've had numerous distractions to go along with my general laxity in journaling, but the computer problems we've had are worth the story.
On Friday, 30 October, our computer crashed. Computer problems are never convenient, but we've been especially stressed because our computer is our only link to the world! The problem primarily involved the screen, which kept going black. First, I visited a nearby media market, similar to Best Buy in the USA. Their computer person wasn't there, but another person thought that I would need to reload Windows. [Yeah, I'm not liking the sound of that.]
Then I learned from a student that Kielce has a 24 hr. computer repair store less than a mile from our dorm. So I visited. We went through the same routine--turn on computer, Windows begins to load, screen goes black--and the guy told me that I would probably need to reload Windows.
But he also reminded me that F8 is the button which interrupts the computer's process of starting and loading Windows. (I'm sure there's a more technical name.) So I went back home with my new F8 knowledge, tinkered a bit, and got the computer to start correctly with no blackout! My first order of business was to purchase Norton Antivirus software. (Whatever WIU had on this computer was wholly inadequate. I knew it and always thought about doing something about it...) I'm ashamed to say how many viruses were on this thing, but I suspect that surfthechannel.com is the culprit.
Anyway, I thought all was well again, and for a few days, it was. Then the same thing started happening again. Nothing I tried worked. So I took it to our department's computer technician on Wednesday, 4 November. He promised to take a look at it, but when I returned yesterday, he had failed to discover the problem. But he thought that the screen was the problem, not Windows, and he recommended a local computer specialist who might be able to help.
Meanwhile, I recall that my shepherd has an extra monitor, so I brought it home and hooked it up to the laptop. I know to press Fn and F8 (there's that button again) to rotate between displays, so when I turned on the computer (and it went to black), I pressed Fn and F8. Nothing happened with the monitor that I brought home, but my laptop screen started working! We had previously tinkered with the display when we were trying to make it work with the projectors here. I'm not sure if that had something to do with the problem. It seems more likely that we inadvertently pressed these buttons or a virus did something funky. But whatever happened to create the problem, I (we!) repaired it last night! The saga has ended...for now.
I've actually been intending to blog about All Saints' Day, November 1. I've never seen anything like it. Of course I knew about the holiday. I knew that Poland was overwhelming Catholic. But I had no idea how seriously the day was taken here.
We walked downtown to meet our shepherd at the cemetery (2 miles away), and we left early enough to get some supper on the way. All stores and restaurants were closed except two: "the Frog" (or Zabka, a chain of convenience stores) and Pizza Hut. We were never more grateful for Pizza Hut! After dinner, we proceeded to the cemetery and discovered a traffic jam! Hundreds (if not thousands) of people were at the cemetery to honor deceased loved ones, victims of war, etc. Candles were lit and placed on tombstones, commemorative markers, etc. (Candles have been available for purchase EVERYWHERE for several weeks.)
The sight of thousands of candles placed among tombstones in an enormous cemetery was astounding. The mood was relatively somber, too. No drunken revelry or screaming kids (except for Zora after 30 minutes). We also visited the 9/11 monument (Yes, that 9/11!), and it was surrounded by candles, too. This evening was certainly one that I'll always remember from this trip. I'll try to share some pictures some time soon, but they didn't turn out very well.
Another memory of this night will be carrying Zora and walking about 2.5 miles (strolling around cemetery + return home). I'm developing some nice biceps. :-)
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
a day in the life of
With all due respect to the Beatles and Ivan Denisovich, I thought some folks might like to know about our daily life in Poland. (I'll blog about orientation in Poznan some other day...)
Sunday: We seem to have found a church home, so to speak, with a nearby Methodist church, so we've spent the last two Sunday mornings with them. (The kids and I cut out early yesterday because Zora was so fussy.) The folks are friendly, the atmosphere relaxed. Several people speak English, and at least two people have translated the service for us. And we recognize the tunes of several "contemporary" songs, though our singing along in English isn't the most melodic sound I've heard. :-) (We actually have trouble recalling the lyrics because we're hearing one language and trying to think/sing in another.) Poland is predominantly Catholic, and I'm sure we'll get to a mass or two. (Sunday is All Saints' Day, so I'm looking forward to visiting cemeteries.) COC readers will appreciate the fact that yesterday's service was a cappella, although they typically have a few guitarists and someone on the keyboard. One member is a doctor from Ghana. He has a story that I'm sure I would like to hear because he's been practicing medicine in Poland for about 30 years. He also went out of his way to help us with a rash that Zora developed where the sun don't shine.
Monday/Tuesday: After a family breakfast each morning, I typically work in the leisure room of our dormitory which we now jokingly refer to as my office because I seem to be the only person who ever uses the room. Sonya takes care of the kids. Today they strolled a lot and found a few playgrounds. (The temperature was in the mid-50s. :-) Afternoons are usually flexible, although I often use Tuesdays to finish preparing for Wednesday. Sonya and I catch an occasional television show courtesy of www.surfthechannel.com, while the kids nap. Langston and I also finished our second puzzle. We purchased some UNO cards for him on Saturday; my head is dizzy from playing so much. And we read a lot. I'm reading a Hardy Boys book to him. Sonya has read Charlotte's Web (among others) to him. Zora has her share of books, too.
Wednesday: It's hard to beat a Wednesday teaching schedule. :-) I teach a US history survey (European colonization to the present) to a class of 40+ English students from 8.15 to 9.45. I teach another US survey (European colonization to 1945 because it ends in December) to a class of 15 or so history students from 3 to 4.30. Then I have a "departmental lecture" (a series of lectures in which attendance and attention are the only requirements) on southern history from 4.45 to 6.15 with students from across the humanities. We've had at least 75 people at each of these, including some interested professors. I usually come home between classes and eat lunch with the family before returning for office hours (1-3).
Thursday/Friday/Saturday: I work on some mornings and take excursions with the family on others. This past Thursday, for example, we went to the local puppet theater. (Babies aren't admitted, so only Sonya and Langston got to see the performance.) Then we strolled around a nice park (complete with peacocks, swans, etc.), visited a huge bazaar near my university's administration building, and headed home. This past Saturday, we took a trip to the mall. On the previous Saturday, Sonya and Langston watched Up in 3D (with Polish dubbing, of course). Our American neighbor and fellow-Fulbrighter often joins us on these excursions, too. And on Saturday nights, I cannot resist listening to college football. This past weekend, I listened to part of the Alabama-Tennessee game, dozed a while, and set my alarm for 1.30 a.m. so I could listen to Florida and Mississippi State. You can take the boy out of Alabama...
the daily grind: Of course, there are a lot of adjustments that we've made, as living in a dorm with two kids in Poland ain't like living in our house in the USA. First, we don't have a car, so we walk everywhere. Buses are an option, but most of the places that we go are within a mile or so. By the time a person waits on a bus and rides for a few stops, s/he could have already arrived on foot. Plus we have this gargantuan stroller that doesn't transport easily.
Second, we don't have a dishwasher, so we must wash dishes after every meal. We have to wash them in a bathroom sink and dry them in the next room. Not quick. Not convenient.
[ASIDE: In the "It's Difficult to Travel with Kids" category, Zora just dropped a deuce in the plastic bathtub. Sonya called a CODE BROWN for "an adult-sized log." Ah, dorm life...]
Third, we purchased a clothes washer, but that dude holds about a third (maybe a fourth) of what our washer at home holds. And as we've previously lamented, we don't have a clothes dryer (although the radiators are helping the cause). Insert kids into the equation, and we wash almost every single day (even though my jeans are good for at least four days/wear :-).
Fourth, we have a community kitchen and only a mini-fridge in our room. So we have to go to the grocery store almost every day. I've quickly learned that five-liter jugs of water ain't fun to tote, especially if you've got two in one hand and three-four bags full of groceries in the other. My backpack has carried far more groceries than books on this trip!
if the Lord wills: We have some other prospects for activities, travel, etc. Sonya has discovered an English-speaking kindergarten, so we plan to see if Langston can participate some. We also discovered a program that teaches English to tots, so Sonya plans to visit the facility soon to check on playmates for the kids. (Langston's imaginary friend has been making more appearances lately. :-)
I plan to visit a fellow-Fulbrighter in Lublin next Monday, and we're planning to visit Majdanek together. I'll return to Kielce on Tuesday.
Wednesday, November 11, is a national holiday in Poland. (See point 13 of the Fourteen Points.) Therefore, I will have two weeks between classes, so we plan to take a trip, probably to Budapest. :-)
My parents will be here for the last full week of November, and we're taking them to Krakow for a few nights. At that time, we also intend to visit Auschwitz and Bierkenau.
And in a completely unrelated matter, here's an interesting article about higher education in eastern Europe, pre- and post-1989.
Sunday: We seem to have found a church home, so to speak, with a nearby Methodist church, so we've spent the last two Sunday mornings with them. (The kids and I cut out early yesterday because Zora was so fussy.) The folks are friendly, the atmosphere relaxed. Several people speak English, and at least two people have translated the service for us. And we recognize the tunes of several "contemporary" songs, though our singing along in English isn't the most melodic sound I've heard. :-) (We actually have trouble recalling the lyrics because we're hearing one language and trying to think/sing in another.) Poland is predominantly Catholic, and I'm sure we'll get to a mass or two. (Sunday is All Saints' Day, so I'm looking forward to visiting cemeteries.) COC readers will appreciate the fact that yesterday's service was a cappella, although they typically have a few guitarists and someone on the keyboard. One member is a doctor from Ghana. He has a story that I'm sure I would like to hear because he's been practicing medicine in Poland for about 30 years. He also went out of his way to help us with a rash that Zora developed where the sun don't shine.
Monday/Tuesday: After a family breakfast each morning, I typically work in the leisure room of our dormitory which we now jokingly refer to as my office because I seem to be the only person who ever uses the room. Sonya takes care of the kids. Today they strolled a lot and found a few playgrounds. (The temperature was in the mid-50s. :-) Afternoons are usually flexible, although I often use Tuesdays to finish preparing for Wednesday. Sonya and I catch an occasional television show courtesy of www.surfthechannel.com, while the kids nap. Langston and I also finished our second puzzle. We purchased some UNO cards for him on Saturday; my head is dizzy from playing so much. And we read a lot. I'm reading a Hardy Boys book to him. Sonya has read Charlotte's Web (among others) to him. Zora has her share of books, too.
Wednesday: It's hard to beat a Wednesday teaching schedule. :-) I teach a US history survey (European colonization to the present) to a class of 40+ English students from 8.15 to 9.45. I teach another US survey (European colonization to 1945 because it ends in December) to a class of 15 or so history students from 3 to 4.30. Then I have a "departmental lecture" (a series of lectures in which attendance and attention are the only requirements) on southern history from 4.45 to 6.15 with students from across the humanities. We've had at least 75 people at each of these, including some interested professors. I usually come home between classes and eat lunch with the family before returning for office hours (1-3).
Thursday/Friday/Saturday: I work on some mornings and take excursions with the family on others. This past Thursday, for example, we went to the local puppet theater. (Babies aren't admitted, so only Sonya and Langston got to see the performance.) Then we strolled around a nice park (complete with peacocks, swans, etc.), visited a huge bazaar near my university's administration building, and headed home. This past Saturday, we took a trip to the mall. On the previous Saturday, Sonya and Langston watched Up in 3D (with Polish dubbing, of course). Our American neighbor and fellow-Fulbrighter often joins us on these excursions, too. And on Saturday nights, I cannot resist listening to college football. This past weekend, I listened to part of the Alabama-Tennessee game, dozed a while, and set my alarm for 1.30 a.m. so I could listen to Florida and Mississippi State. You can take the boy out of Alabama...
the daily grind: Of course, there are a lot of adjustments that we've made, as living in a dorm with two kids in Poland ain't like living in our house in the USA. First, we don't have a car, so we walk everywhere. Buses are an option, but most of the places that we go are within a mile or so. By the time a person waits on a bus and rides for a few stops, s/he could have already arrived on foot. Plus we have this gargantuan stroller that doesn't transport easily.
Second, we don't have a dishwasher, so we must wash dishes after every meal. We have to wash them in a bathroom sink and dry them in the next room. Not quick. Not convenient.
[ASIDE: In the "It's Difficult to Travel with Kids" category, Zora just dropped a deuce in the plastic bathtub. Sonya called a CODE BROWN for "an adult-sized log." Ah, dorm life...]
Third, we purchased a clothes washer, but that dude holds about a third (maybe a fourth) of what our washer at home holds. And as we've previously lamented, we don't have a clothes dryer (although the radiators are helping the cause). Insert kids into the equation, and we wash almost every single day (even though my jeans are good for at least four days/wear :-).
Fourth, we have a community kitchen and only a mini-fridge in our room. So we have to go to the grocery store almost every day. I've quickly learned that five-liter jugs of water ain't fun to tote, especially if you've got two in one hand and three-four bags full of groceries in the other. My backpack has carried far more groceries than books on this trip!
if the Lord wills: We have some other prospects for activities, travel, etc. Sonya has discovered an English-speaking kindergarten, so we plan to see if Langston can participate some. We also discovered a program that teaches English to tots, so Sonya plans to visit the facility soon to check on playmates for the kids. (Langston's imaginary friend has been making more appearances lately. :-)
I plan to visit a fellow-Fulbrighter in Lublin next Monday, and we're planning to visit Majdanek together. I'll return to Kielce on Tuesday.
Wednesday, November 11, is a national holiday in Poland. (See point 13 of the Fourteen Points.) Therefore, I will have two weeks between classes, so we plan to take a trip, probably to Budapest. :-)
My parents will be here for the last full week of November, and we're taking them to Krakow for a few nights. At that time, we also intend to visit Auschwitz and Bierkenau.
And in a completely unrelated matter, here's an interesting article about higher education in eastern Europe, pre- and post-1989.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Polish health care
As health care reform makes headlines in the States, we had our first experiences with Polish health care today. JKU requires its employees (or maybe just professors) to pass a physical exam. My shepherd and I had hoped that the exam which was required by the Fulbright program would suffice. We were wrong.
[Aside #1: I will continue to complain about various bureaucracies (university, government, etc.) that occasionally steal time away from my life in the States, but the university bureaucracy here generates enough paperwork to keep International Paper afloat. And they have offices here, fwiw.]
So today was the big day when I got my physical. I was just hoping to God and anyone else who would listen that this exam would not involve checking for hernias or touching my prostate. My shepherd took me to a medical facility with numerous specialists and one registration desk. We waited in line for about 30 minutes just to explain what we needed, and then we had to visit the lab for blood work, an ear/nose/throat specialist, and finally, "the doctor." Despite waiting a bit at each stop, we were finished with the entire ordeal in two hours, and that includes the EKG that my shepherd had because his blood pressure was high. Not bad, at all, considering the number of people who were there and the fact that we just showed up. We did have a receptionist/nurse who arranged for us to see the doctor with the shorter line, but we didn't receive any cutsies. (I wonder what the Polish word for "cutsies" is.)
[Aside #2: As "the American" who didn't speak Polish, I was a bit of a curiosity. So I made myself chuckle when the nurse inserted the needle in my vein and I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if my blood were bright orange?"]
My time with the ear/nose/throat specialist was amusing. She looked in my ears, then my mouth. (Saying "aahhh" is clearly universal. :-) But then she took some device and looked in my nose. I can't say that I've ever had a doctor examine the insides of my nose. Then she wanted to do a hearing test, but her version of the test is a few thousand years old. She put cotton in one ear and had me walk to the other side of the room which wasn't too big in the first place. Then she whispered some numbers for me to identify. (There was a bit of a dilemma at first because she didn't speak English, but I suggested she use Polish numbers because I know them well enough for a hearing test.) I got them all correct, but I'm still not sure how good my hearing is. And I don't think that I've had my hearing tested since 3rd grade...or maybe 2nd.
My time with the GP presented a few challenges. She wanted to know my weight and height, and without a metric converter, I had no idea. She also had me unbuckle my pants belt [insert that "uh-oh" feeling here], but she only wanted to press around on my stomach. My blood pressure was fine, and she listened to me breath a bit. Then I was finished.
Total cost: 95PLN, which today was about $34. You can barely get a tongue depressor for that much in the USA. Actually, we have a $10 copay with our insurance in Macomb, but I would imagine that an office visit would be at least $40 nowadays, probably $50, and I wouldn't be surprised at $100. Plus, we saw a specialist and a GP, which doesn't typically happen in the USA. Our lab results were also available before we left the building, and Wlodzimierz had an unplanned EKG during an exam for which he had no appointment. There are no shortage of anecdotes in current reform debates, and I'm not sure any one of them proves anything. But I had a positive experience today.
In the afternoon, Sonya took Zora to a doctor for her nasty cough, but he was well-acquainted with Wlodzimierz and didn't charge anything. We paid a bit for some medicine, maybe 50 PLN, or about $18. I think our copay back in the States is $15. So based on our experience so far, health care in Poland is A LOT cheaper, considering the fact that we aren't paying for insurance (at least none to speak of) here.
[ASIDE #3: Last night, I met an American and former Fulbrighter in Kielce who just had a routine sinus surgery back in the USA. For some reason, and without his understanding, the surgery was performed at a facility OUTSIDE of the BCBS network (can't be many of those). And then he got a bill for $16,000. He's still negotiating...]
[Aside #1: I will continue to complain about various bureaucracies (university, government, etc.) that occasionally steal time away from my life in the States, but the university bureaucracy here generates enough paperwork to keep International Paper afloat. And they have offices here, fwiw.]
So today was the big day when I got my physical. I was just hoping to God and anyone else who would listen that this exam would not involve checking for hernias or touching my prostate. My shepherd took me to a medical facility with numerous specialists and one registration desk. We waited in line for about 30 minutes just to explain what we needed, and then we had to visit the lab for blood work, an ear/nose/throat specialist, and finally, "the doctor." Despite waiting a bit at each stop, we were finished with the entire ordeal in two hours, and that includes the EKG that my shepherd had because his blood pressure was high. Not bad, at all, considering the number of people who were there and the fact that we just showed up. We did have a receptionist/nurse who arranged for us to see the doctor with the shorter line, but we didn't receive any cutsies. (I wonder what the Polish word for "cutsies" is.)
[Aside #2: As "the American" who didn't speak Polish, I was a bit of a curiosity. So I made myself chuckle when the nurse inserted the needle in my vein and I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if my blood were bright orange?"]
My time with the ear/nose/throat specialist was amusing. She looked in my ears, then my mouth. (Saying "aahhh" is clearly universal. :-) But then she took some device and looked in my nose. I can't say that I've ever had a doctor examine the insides of my nose. Then she wanted to do a hearing test, but her version of the test is a few thousand years old. She put cotton in one ear and had me walk to the other side of the room which wasn't too big in the first place. Then she whispered some numbers for me to identify. (There was a bit of a dilemma at first because she didn't speak English, but I suggested she use Polish numbers because I know them well enough for a hearing test.) I got them all correct, but I'm still not sure how good my hearing is. And I don't think that I've had my hearing tested since 3rd grade...or maybe 2nd.
My time with the GP presented a few challenges. She wanted to know my weight and height, and without a metric converter, I had no idea. She also had me unbuckle my pants belt [insert that "uh-oh" feeling here], but she only wanted to press around on my stomach. My blood pressure was fine, and she listened to me breath a bit. Then I was finished.
Total cost: 95PLN, which today was about $34. You can barely get a tongue depressor for that much in the USA. Actually, we have a $10 copay with our insurance in Macomb, but I would imagine that an office visit would be at least $40 nowadays, probably $50, and I wouldn't be surprised at $100. Plus, we saw a specialist and a GP, which doesn't typically happen in the USA. Our lab results were also available before we left the building, and Wlodzimierz had an unplanned EKG during an exam for which he had no appointment. There are no shortage of anecdotes in current reform debates, and I'm not sure any one of them proves anything. But I had a positive experience today.
In the afternoon, Sonya took Zora to a doctor for her nasty cough, but he was well-acquainted with Wlodzimierz and didn't charge anything. We paid a bit for some medicine, maybe 50 PLN, or about $18. I think our copay back in the States is $15. So based on our experience so far, health care in Poland is A LOT cheaper, considering the fact that we aren't paying for insurance (at least none to speak of) here.
[ASIDE #3: Last night, I met an American and former Fulbrighter in Kielce who just had a routine sinus surgery back in the USA. For some reason, and without his understanding, the surgery was performed at a facility OUTSIDE of the BCBS network (can't be many of those). And then he got a bill for $16,000. He's still negotiating...]
Friday, October 16, 2009
remembering Warsaw
I'm taking a moment to resume the saga of our first few days in Poland. Let's begin with a quick review: land in Krakow and spend one night; train to Kielce and spend three nights; and then train to Warsaw which involved these adventures.
That brings us to Wednesday, September 16, the day my Fulbright experience officially began. The day wasn't so bad for me, but Sonya was miserable. Maybe she'll have an opportunity to tell about that day from her angle. My day began in the morning with a trip to the U.S. embassy, my first such trip. Security was pretty tight. A front gate guards the building, but I don't recall if it was locked. Then everyone had to find themselves on the official invitation list, pass through a metal detector, etc. I got wanded, too. And I believe that backpacks and laptops might have been confiscated while we were inside.
The building itself was not particularly impressive, although we were largely confined to a small meeting room near the front door. The schedule called for the ambassador, Victor Ashe, to meet with us first, but he was a few minutes late. I hope that I always remember his first comment to an aid when he walked into the room: "Now which group is this?" At some point, I wanted to ask how much one has to contribute to a campaign to land one of these ambassador gigs, but I held my tongue. Ashe was longtime mayor of Knoxville and a UT grad, among other things, so I did divulge the fact that I was a Gator. (It was the week of the UF-UT game.)
Anyway, he was a gracious host in the sense that he had us introduce ourselves, and he made small talk with several Fulbrighters about connections to various cities or people at our respective institutions or home cities. He also recited a few details about Poland and briefly described his extensive travels within the country. Then he excused himself, and the embassy regulars resumed our various briefings. (Obama's appointee has just replaced Ashe.)
These briefings were somewhat interesting. My notes are difficult to read now, but we learned a bit about US consular services, should we face an emergency of some kind. (I did finally register with the US Department of State today.) Another person gave a presentation about potential security threats--mostly common sense stuff. Then we had someone give medical advice. "Don't drink the water," how to deal with insurance, etc.
I was a bit more interested in the person who shared some remarks on the current political situation in Poland, which included some commentary about US-Polish relations. (Perhaps you have followed the news about US missile defense and Poland.) One of my Fulbright colleagues did make this presenter squirm a bit when he asked about the locations of secret CIA prisons in Poland. The last speaker described the current state of the Polish economy, one of the few (or perhaps the only one) in the EU which has not experienced "negative growth" during the current recession.
This concluded our time at the embassy, so we were then taken by bus to the ambassador's residence for lunch. I have used "lunch" too loosely here. There was no meal, only hors d'oeuvres. Yeah, I would have preferred to learn this information before Sonya and the kids arrived, especially since we went to the trouble of asking if the kids would be welcome. (You'll recall Zora's general behavior up to this point. :-/)
Anyway, the ambassador's residence is quite a pad. Those ambassador positions are good work, if you can get them. :-) We nosed around the ground floor a bit, ate snacks, wrestled kids, wandered around the back lawn, listened to a few "welcome" speeches from various dignitaries and the ambassador, wrestled the kids some more...well, you get the idea. It was a neat experience, despite the kids, and we wish we had a little more time and opportunity to chat with some of the regular staff at the embassy.
Next, we proceeded to the Fulbright office. (Sonya and the kids caught a cab back to the hotel, where I later found them packed and ready to return to Kielce instead of continuing on to Poznan!) The Fulbright administrators gave us more orientation details, although much of it was irrelevant to me. For example, other Fulbrighters are having a helluva time getting visas for their family members, but for some reason, the Chicago office gave each of us visas with no questions asked. Perhaps it's because we're not planning to stay for the entire academic year.
Anyway, that was orientation. It was a bit formal and stiff for my taste, although I did avoid wearing a tie. (I don't currently own one. :-) Still, it was an interesting experience to mingle with and observe the powers-that-be. Now if I can just amass a small fortune, begin to forge a successful political career, and bank said fortune on whichever political party occupies the White House, I'll start submitting applications for US ambassador to [just pick a country].
In my next post, I'll try to summarize our week-long orientation in Poznan, then I can describe life in Kielce, which is treating us pretty well so far...
That brings us to Wednesday, September 16, the day my Fulbright experience officially began. The day wasn't so bad for me, but Sonya was miserable. Maybe she'll have an opportunity to tell about that day from her angle. My day began in the morning with a trip to the U.S. embassy, my first such trip. Security was pretty tight. A front gate guards the building, but I don't recall if it was locked. Then everyone had to find themselves on the official invitation list, pass through a metal detector, etc. I got wanded, too. And I believe that backpacks and laptops might have been confiscated while we were inside.
The building itself was not particularly impressive, although we were largely confined to a small meeting room near the front door. The schedule called for the ambassador, Victor Ashe, to meet with us first, but he was a few minutes late. I hope that I always remember his first comment to an aid when he walked into the room: "Now which group is this?" At some point, I wanted to ask how much one has to contribute to a campaign to land one of these ambassador gigs, but I held my tongue. Ashe was longtime mayor of Knoxville and a UT grad, among other things, so I did divulge the fact that I was a Gator. (It was the week of the UF-UT game.)
Anyway, he was a gracious host in the sense that he had us introduce ourselves, and he made small talk with several Fulbrighters about connections to various cities or people at our respective institutions or home cities. He also recited a few details about Poland and briefly described his extensive travels within the country. Then he excused himself, and the embassy regulars resumed our various briefings. (Obama's appointee has just replaced Ashe.)
These briefings were somewhat interesting. My notes are difficult to read now, but we learned a bit about US consular services, should we face an emergency of some kind. (I did finally register with the US Department of State today.) Another person gave a presentation about potential security threats--mostly common sense stuff. Then we had someone give medical advice. "Don't drink the water," how to deal with insurance, etc.
I was a bit more interested in the person who shared some remarks on the current political situation in Poland, which included some commentary about US-Polish relations. (Perhaps you have followed the news about US missile defense and Poland.) One of my Fulbright colleagues did make this presenter squirm a bit when he asked about the locations of secret CIA prisons in Poland. The last speaker described the current state of the Polish economy, one of the few (or perhaps the only one) in the EU which has not experienced "negative growth" during the current recession.
This concluded our time at the embassy, so we were then taken by bus to the ambassador's residence for lunch. I have used "lunch" too loosely here. There was no meal, only hors d'oeuvres. Yeah, I would have preferred to learn this information before Sonya and the kids arrived, especially since we went to the trouble of asking if the kids would be welcome. (You'll recall Zora's general behavior up to this point. :-/)
Anyway, the ambassador's residence is quite a pad. Those ambassador positions are good work, if you can get them. :-) We nosed around the ground floor a bit, ate snacks, wrestled kids, wandered around the back lawn, listened to a few "welcome" speeches from various dignitaries and the ambassador, wrestled the kids some more...well, you get the idea. It was a neat experience, despite the kids, and we wish we had a little more time and opportunity to chat with some of the regular staff at the embassy.
Next, we proceeded to the Fulbright office. (Sonya and the kids caught a cab back to the hotel, where I later found them packed and ready to return to Kielce instead of continuing on to Poznan!) The Fulbright administrators gave us more orientation details, although much of it was irrelevant to me. For example, other Fulbrighters are having a helluva time getting visas for their family members, but for some reason, the Chicago office gave each of us visas with no questions asked. Perhaps it's because we're not planning to stay for the entire academic year.
Anyway, that was orientation. It was a bit formal and stiff for my taste, although I did avoid wearing a tie. (I don't currently own one. :-) Still, it was an interesting experience to mingle with and observe the powers-that-be. Now if I can just amass a small fortune, begin to forge a successful political career, and bank said fortune on whichever political party occupies the White House, I'll start submitting applications for US ambassador to [just pick a country].
In my next post, I'll try to summarize our week-long orientation in Poznan, then I can describe life in Kielce, which is treating us pretty well so far...
Monday, October 12, 2009
(re)visiting Krakow
Okay, so I'm well behind on providing accounts of our various travels to Warsaw and Poznan, but I'll get to them some day, for posterity's sake if nothing else. For now, I'll briefly describe our weekend trip to Krakow.
We planned to leave on the 10.25 train on Thursday, but circumstances dictated otherwise. First, I learned on Wednesday night that I was expected to attend a department meeting on Thursday at 11. It was brief (the highest compliment we can pay to a meeting) and somewhat interesting, if largely unnecessary. But I went and returned to the dorm around 12.15. We hoped to catch the next train which left at 1.45ish, but we (Sonya :-) just took too long getting ready. We've learned that the new stroller simply will not fit in a taxi, so walking is the only option for us. Anyway, we finally departed on the 3 p.m. train and arrived shortly before 5.
We walked the mile or so from Krakow Glowny to our apartment on the northern edge of the Kazimierz district. Since Apartments Apart worked so well in Warsaw, we gave them another shot in Krakow and were not disappointed. Since we only made reservations a week in advance, we paid more than I would have liked. (Come to think of it, paying anything is more than I like, but you get the idea.) But our apartment was very comfortable and spacious (which makes for less whining since I would be okay sleeping under a bridge :-). We even hosted several friends for a pizza party one evening, the Gartlands (family of 6!) and another Fulbrighter who is living in Krakow. Leanne, our Fulbright friend who lives on the floor below us in Kielce, also spent a few nights with us.
On Thursday, we really only had enough time to check into our apartment and join the Gartlands for dinner. We found a nice little restaurant (there is no shortage of them in Krakow) and got to eat outside, as the high temp that day was about 78 F. This was the first opportunity for our families to meet, and everyone seemed to have a nice time. Langston was especially excited about meeting the Gartlands' youngest, Trey, who is just a few years older. Since we met the family for dinner each night that we were there, Langston and Trey got to play together a lot. The Gartlands are diehard KU fans, so maybe we can take a trip to Lawrence some time after we return to the States.
We got a bit of a late start on Friday (Sonya and Zora both like to sleep late; Langston is more like me and ready to go when the sun comes up.) but spent much of the morning at Wawel Castle. Having learned a bit from the Gartlands' experiences the day before, we decided to just purchase tickets for the Armory and Treasury Room. One must purchase a ticket for each room on the castle grounds, so we opted for the one that we thought would interest Langston the most. It is ironic, of course, that we take Langston to Europe to show him numerous instruments of death. We've generally kept him away from violent television shows, toy guns, etc. But he still has the stereotypical little boy's fascination with swords, suits of armor, and such. (We have Despereaux to thank, in part.) I am just as fascinated (if not more) than he, so we spent several hours gawking at swords, pikes, canons, body armor (for humans and horses!), crossbows, etc. Many of these items were centuries old, which fascinates me more than Langston. He barely understands the concepts of weeks and months, much less centuries. In this same "room" (actually a collection of rooms), there were numerous items used at coronations or by Polish royalty: gold chalices, items of clothing, jewelry, scepters, various dishes, etc. Langston laughed when I asked if he thought people would collect our plates and bowls and place them in a museum after we died.
Lunch time was fast approaching after we visited the armory and treasury (remember the LATE start), so Sonya and Langston descended the castle via the "dragon's den" which takes visitors through a cave beneath the castle hill. The stroller wouldn't fit, so Zora and I took the old-fashioned route down a long flight of stairs that made for a bumpy ride, I'm sure. We began walking toward the huge helium balloon which takes passengers about 180m up for aerial views of the city. Unfortunately, a person had to be four years old to ride, so Sonya and Langston rode up in the balloon while Zora and I watched and waited. Sonya took some pics and footage, so we'll try to post it soon. After the balloon, we walked back toward our apartment and rediscovered a little restaurant that we had noticed the night before. Upon entering, we discovered that it was a vegan restaurant. The food was wonderful and something of a welcome reprieve from the endless meat dishes that we have been eating.
After lunch, Langston and I left Sonya and Zora at the apartment for naptime and proceeded back to Wawel Castle. We both wanted to tour the cathedral. Okay, I wanted to tour the cathedral, but Langston has really become enamored with sightseeing, too. For an extra fee (of course), one can get a guided audio tour (in English and probably countless other languages) of the facility. The salesperson was gracious enough to charge us for only one audio tour, as he affixed a piece to our device that permitted two sets of headphones. So I admit that I was a bit skeptical at how long Langston would last with the audio tour, but he absolutely loved it. Part of his interest derived from following the walking directions and being asked to look for various objects or dynamics of the architecture. His attention never waned during the entire tour, which lasted about an hour.
The bell tower is open to visitors, too, so we ascended the steep stairs to discover several bells, including the one at the top which weighs in at 10+ tons. The views of the city were also spectacular. In addition to some amazing art and architecture, the cathedral holds the remains of numerous figures from Polish history, including Adam Mickiewicz and Tadeusz Kościuszko. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside the cathedral or armory/treasury, so we don't have many pictures from these sites. We did buy some postcards.
The next day, Saturday, was rainy, but we had discovered an aquarium just a few blocks from our apartment. It was relatively small but the main attractions were impressive. They had one of the largest collections of poisonous snakes that I had ever seen. That might not be saying much--we haven't been to any of the Chicago zoos, for example--but Langston and I were impressed. We saw a cobra, puff adders, various types of vipers and rattlesnakes, etc. They also had numerous pythons and many different types of lizards, large and small. So we liked the reptile rooms more than the fish rooms, but we stayed there for several hours. They also had several rooms dedicated to rocks and fossils, topics Langston has read about recently in one of his books. So he was impressed by these holdings, especially the volcanic rocks and fossils.
I think that all of us napped on Saturday afternoon. (I had to prepare myself for the 2 a.m. alarm in order to listen to the Florida-LSU game! I'm such an idiot...but I enjoyed listening to the game.) That night, we found a Polish restaurant nearby (near the end of a dead-end street) courtesy of a guidebook that served "authentic" Polish dishes, played Polish music over the speakers, and contained old-school decorations. Several of the booths were old sleighs, for example. I cannot recall the name of the dish that I tried, but it was excellent!
We returned to Kielce yesterday, arriving at 2 p.m. DeWayne and Donna are planning to visit in November, so we'll probably return to Krakow then, at which time we'll likely travel to Auschwitz and Birkenau, too.
We planned to leave on the 10.25 train on Thursday, but circumstances dictated otherwise. First, I learned on Wednesday night that I was expected to attend a department meeting on Thursday at 11. It was brief (the highest compliment we can pay to a meeting) and somewhat interesting, if largely unnecessary. But I went and returned to the dorm around 12.15. We hoped to catch the next train which left at 1.45ish, but we (Sonya :-) just took too long getting ready. We've learned that the new stroller simply will not fit in a taxi, so walking is the only option for us. Anyway, we finally departed on the 3 p.m. train and arrived shortly before 5.
We walked the mile or so from Krakow Glowny to our apartment on the northern edge of the Kazimierz district. Since Apartments Apart worked so well in Warsaw, we gave them another shot in Krakow and were not disappointed. Since we only made reservations a week in advance, we paid more than I would have liked. (Come to think of it, paying anything is more than I like, but you get the idea.) But our apartment was very comfortable and spacious (which makes for less whining since I would be okay sleeping under a bridge :-). We even hosted several friends for a pizza party one evening, the Gartlands (family of 6!) and another Fulbrighter who is living in Krakow. Leanne, our Fulbright friend who lives on the floor below us in Kielce, also spent a few nights with us.
On Thursday, we really only had enough time to check into our apartment and join the Gartlands for dinner. We found a nice little restaurant (there is no shortage of them in Krakow) and got to eat outside, as the high temp that day was about 78 F. This was the first opportunity for our families to meet, and everyone seemed to have a nice time. Langston was especially excited about meeting the Gartlands' youngest, Trey, who is just a few years older. Since we met the family for dinner each night that we were there, Langston and Trey got to play together a lot. The Gartlands are diehard KU fans, so maybe we can take a trip to Lawrence some time after we return to the States.
We got a bit of a late start on Friday (Sonya and Zora both like to sleep late; Langston is more like me and ready to go when the sun comes up.) but spent much of the morning at Wawel Castle. Having learned a bit from the Gartlands' experiences the day before, we decided to just purchase tickets for the Armory and Treasury Room. One must purchase a ticket for each room on the castle grounds, so we opted for the one that we thought would interest Langston the most. It is ironic, of course, that we take Langston to Europe to show him numerous instruments of death. We've generally kept him away from violent television shows, toy guns, etc. But he still has the stereotypical little boy's fascination with swords, suits of armor, and such. (We have Despereaux to thank, in part.) I am just as fascinated (if not more) than he, so we spent several hours gawking at swords, pikes, canons, body armor (for humans and horses!), crossbows, etc. Many of these items were centuries old, which fascinates me more than Langston. He barely understands the concepts of weeks and months, much less centuries. In this same "room" (actually a collection of rooms), there were numerous items used at coronations or by Polish royalty: gold chalices, items of clothing, jewelry, scepters, various dishes, etc. Langston laughed when I asked if he thought people would collect our plates and bowls and place them in a museum after we died.
Lunch time was fast approaching after we visited the armory and treasury (remember the LATE start), so Sonya and Langston descended the castle via the "dragon's den" which takes visitors through a cave beneath the castle hill. The stroller wouldn't fit, so Zora and I took the old-fashioned route down a long flight of stairs that made for a bumpy ride, I'm sure. We began walking toward the huge helium balloon which takes passengers about 180m up for aerial views of the city. Unfortunately, a person had to be four years old to ride, so Sonya and Langston rode up in the balloon while Zora and I watched and waited. Sonya took some pics and footage, so we'll try to post it soon. After the balloon, we walked back toward our apartment and rediscovered a little restaurant that we had noticed the night before. Upon entering, we discovered that it was a vegan restaurant. The food was wonderful and something of a welcome reprieve from the endless meat dishes that we have been eating.
After lunch, Langston and I left Sonya and Zora at the apartment for naptime and proceeded back to Wawel Castle. We both wanted to tour the cathedral. Okay, I wanted to tour the cathedral, but Langston has really become enamored with sightseeing, too. For an extra fee (of course), one can get a guided audio tour (in English and probably countless other languages) of the facility. The salesperson was gracious enough to charge us for only one audio tour, as he affixed a piece to our device that permitted two sets of headphones. So I admit that I was a bit skeptical at how long Langston would last with the audio tour, but he absolutely loved it. Part of his interest derived from following the walking directions and being asked to look for various objects or dynamics of the architecture. His attention never waned during the entire tour, which lasted about an hour.
The bell tower is open to visitors, too, so we ascended the steep stairs to discover several bells, including the one at the top which weighs in at 10+ tons. The views of the city were also spectacular. In addition to some amazing art and architecture, the cathedral holds the remains of numerous figures from Polish history, including Adam Mickiewicz and Tadeusz Kościuszko. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside the cathedral or armory/treasury, so we don't have many pictures from these sites. We did buy some postcards.
The next day, Saturday, was rainy, but we had discovered an aquarium just a few blocks from our apartment. It was relatively small but the main attractions were impressive. They had one of the largest collections of poisonous snakes that I had ever seen. That might not be saying much--we haven't been to any of the Chicago zoos, for example--but Langston and I were impressed. We saw a cobra, puff adders, various types of vipers and rattlesnakes, etc. They also had numerous pythons and many different types of lizards, large and small. So we liked the reptile rooms more than the fish rooms, but we stayed there for several hours. They also had several rooms dedicated to rocks and fossils, topics Langston has read about recently in one of his books. So he was impressed by these holdings, especially the volcanic rocks and fossils.
I think that all of us napped on Saturday afternoon. (I had to prepare myself for the 2 a.m. alarm in order to listen to the Florida-LSU game! I'm such an idiot...but I enjoyed listening to the game.) That night, we found a Polish restaurant nearby (near the end of a dead-end street) courtesy of a guidebook that served "authentic" Polish dishes, played Polish music over the speakers, and contained old-school decorations. Several of the booths were old sleighs, for example. I cannot recall the name of the dish that I tried, but it was excellent!
We returned to Kielce yesterday, arriving at 2 p.m. DeWayne and Donna are planning to visit in November, so we'll probably return to Krakow then, at which time we'll likely travel to Auschwitz and Birkenau, too.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Muzeum Zabawek
We finally visited Kielce's toy museum! Several pictures appear below. There was also a large courtyard with a huge sandbox, but I must not have taken pictures there. Anyway, with two playrooms (including this one), occasional puppet shows (we think), and numerous exhibits, we anticipate several return trips. It was also neat to see several school groups, each with a museum employee serving as a tour guide. Neat place...
This picture reminds me that I won't appear in any photos because an additional ticket had to be purchased in order to take photos. I was the one who wore the sticker giving me permission to snap away, although a few of the rooms didn't allow photography.
The LEGO room was pretty cool, or "awesome" as Langston was about to exclaim. Star Wars junkies might recognize the Millennium Falcon, C3PO, R2D2, etc. over Langston's left shoulder. Before the day was over, we returned to the mall and purchased a few LEGO models (and a 160-piece Scooby-Doo puzzle :-).
Langston was very enthusiastic about this model train (rounding the bend as the photo was taken). The ski lift was also in operation.
When I was in Ukraine in 1996, I bought dolls similar to these, except my stack included Lenin and maybe Khrushchev. Stalin is included with this bunch, reminding me of an article that I recently read about historians' evolving assessments of his reign.
Chęciny Castle
Last week, Wlodzimierz drove us to Chęciny Castle, just a few miles south of Kielce. We had an awesome time! This photo was taken atop one of the towers, which required us to walk up a LONG spiral staircase. The castle is about 700 years old! I 
I took this photo from atop the castle tower. We walked to the church from the town and then hiked to the castle through that trail that appears on the left.
Posing atop the tower at Chęciny Castle. L2R: Zora, Barclay, Langston, and Wlodzimierz Batog, professor of Modern American history at Jan Kochanowski University and our wonderful shepherd. I'll have much more to say about his tireless assistance in the future! He's wearing a Boston College sweatshirt because he spent a year there on a Fulbright not so long ago.
The fam--we're not quite sure what kind of sign that Langston is flashing. We thought he was getting the peace sign confused, but he insisted on holding up three fingers. So we're pretending this is a sign for W for Western Illinois. :-)dorm life
The pictures that follow chronicle our dorm suite. We have four bedrooms, connected by a bathroom. We've flipped, as it were, our rooms into two bedrooms, a dining room, and a computer/laundry room. This photograph shows our bedroom. (Nice little photograph, eh?)
Our original laundry room, before we left for Warsaw. Add a few more lines full of clothes, and you'll understand how the whole arrangement came tumbling down that night. :-/
A view of our bathroom from the kids' room. The door at the opposite end is our room. The door to the immediate right opens to the toilet. The entrance to the shower is on the right, beyond the second sink.
This must be the kids' room, before we unfolded two couches into beds and placed them side by side to form whatever bed size is above king. This arrangement makes for some intense 'rasslin'.
We promised Langston that we would purchase some toys rather than bring many of his, so here we have a little city, I think, made of new blocks.
Our computer/laundry room, where we frequently have to put the chair on the table and the laptop on the chair to get a decent signal!
(shameless) Review of Warsaw Apartment
This post is a shameless attempt to get a discount. If I post a review of Apartments Apart, then I've been promised a discount on our next stay. (I think that I'm actually supposed to post this on a tourism-related website, but maybe my blog will be sufficient. At the moment, it's certainly related to tourism, and the people who read it actually know of/about me.)
But I can also highly recommend Apartments Apart, regardless of any discount or reward. An acquaintance of ours who spent a year in Poland recommended the site to us. When I registered for the Warsaw Marathon, I booked an apartment ("Retro" was its name.) near the old market square for the entire family. As it turned out, they didn't join me, but I actually felt guilty for having such nice accommodations, especially for the price!
There was a fully-equipped kitchen, spacious living room, comfortable beds, etc. It was by far the best accommodations that I've had since we've arrived in Poland. The staff also took care of my bag during the marathon, since the checkout time passed before I could finish. They were very helpful and friendly. I also learned a little bit about how their business operates.
We're planning to spend next weekend in Krakow, and we're definitely booking an apartment through Apartments Apart. The same is true of whatever trip we plan in the future--if AA is there, we'll almost certainly use them. (Right now, we're most seriously considering Prague or Vienna over Christmas break.)
So for all you Yanks who are looking to take a European vacation, I recommend Apartments Apart without equivocation. (And when someone uses a word like equivocation, you know that they're being serious. :-)
But I can also highly recommend Apartments Apart, regardless of any discount or reward. An acquaintance of ours who spent a year in Poland recommended the site to us. When I registered for the Warsaw Marathon, I booked an apartment ("Retro" was its name.) near the old market square for the entire family. As it turned out, they didn't join me, but I actually felt guilty for having such nice accommodations, especially for the price!
There was a fully-equipped kitchen, spacious living room, comfortable beds, etc. It was by far the best accommodations that I've had since we've arrived in Poland. The staff also took care of my bag during the marathon, since the checkout time passed before I could finish. They were very helpful and friendly. I also learned a little bit about how their business operates.
We're planning to spend next weekend in Krakow, and we're definitely booking an apartment through Apartments Apart. The same is true of whatever trip we plan in the future--if AA is there, we'll almost certainly use them. (Right now, we're most seriously considering Prague or Vienna over Christmas break.)
So for all you Yanks who are looking to take a European vacation, I recommend Apartments Apart without equivocation. (And when someone uses a word like equivocation, you know that they're being serious. :-)
Saturday, October 03, 2009
One of the main buildings at Adam Mickiewicz University, which hosted our Fulbright orientation in Poznan.
Zora found a way to climb atop the window sill at our hotel in Poznan, shortly before figuring out how the window opened! We have the same type of windows in our dorm at Kielce...
This statue was at the entrance to the church above a mausoleum (see below photo). What this picture doesn't show is that there is about a 15-foot drop between Langston and the camera, and he almost took the plunge during his theatrics!
Langston and I visited an arboretum near Poznan, where we found a cypress tree with its roots protruding from the ground. He wanted a photograph in which he played the part of a root.
Langston spent much of this little field trip on my shoulders. That arrangement gets painful after a few hours.
Langston and I posed atop some goats, which commemorate a story about Poznan from a few centuries ago.
Langston got to feed the goats at the old zoo in Poznan. That's not exactly a vintage Polish experience, but he was excited about it.
Langston stands beside the shark tank at the old zoo in Poznan, as baby Jaws (upper right) swims past.
Langston works diligently during a train ride. This occasion was on the way to Warsaw, when we mistakenly sat in first class.
This photo was taken inside our mall. Sonya wanted a shot with Big Star in the background because it's also the name of a store in Killen, AL, her hometown (pop. 600).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
