However, this past weekend changed my Warszawa perspective...at least a little. The Fulbright mid-year meeting was scheduled for Friday morning/early afternoon, so my friend Fulbrighter Leanne and I decided to turn the mandatory gathering into a weekend excursion. After all, we are ETAs with responsibilities and classes--we don't get out enough.I took the 7:00am express from Poznań (which resulted in Maggie running for the train with Junior Business Boy who was also running a little late--it seems I do quite a lot of sprinting lately). Our meeting was from 11:30 - 1:00. We discussed everything from the deportation of spouses to EU travel regulations to babysitting dogs--nothing a long e-mail wouldn't have covered. The random rambling was followed by a lunch at some Bavarian restaurant. It was really great to see everyone and to talk about our experiences. There are a few Fulbrighters that I really click with, and any excuse we have to get together, we try to take advantage of it. So, I will not whine (anymore) about random meetings. Especially, when the commission feeds us after the fact.
After lunch, everyone dispersed. I spent the afternoon bopping around Warszawa with Elizabeth and Mike, both of whom actually live there. I ventured with Mike to the edge of the city where he lives in Institute of Physics guest hotel (the man is roughing it--he cooks on a hot plate in his bathroom). Later, we went down to the Old Town and explored the Christmas market. Unfortunately, the Christmas lights were turned on. But there was the "80s disco-tech fountain." So, we asked a nice Polish man to photograph the moment: us with the overzealous Polish decorations. Please don't look directly at the fountain.
Leanne had to teach until 6:00pm in Kielce (as previously mentioned, her schedule blows), so she didn't join us until around 11:00pm. Mike and Elizabeth ventured back to their respective suburbs while Leanne and I took advantage of the Subway across the street from our hostel. We traded stories until about 2:00am...at which point we were both rather loopy. So, we climbed the three flights of stairs to our hostel and crashed for the night.The next morning there were reindeer in the streets, in honor of the Christmas tree lighting festivities.
We engaged in the standard Warszawa exploring. At the main University, we got a little friendly with the locals.
And then we wandered down to the main market square (aka tourist central).
More of the main University.
Leanne in her natural habitat: in the midst of anything photographable. Chewing on lens caps is how many ETAs restrain themselves from actually eating their students.
I really enjoyed this fence.
The unlit Christmas tree in the main market square. It's very...cone shaped.
We decided to find the Uprising Museum (Which turned out to be rather disappointing--I don't even have any descent photos from it. The museum may have been more entertaining if it had not been crowded with high school children on a field trip.), so we asked the geeky-cute Polish boy in the tourist office. Though adorable, he gave crappy directions. Thank goodness Leanne can deal with maps, because as we all know, Maggie is rather inept when it comes to this skill.After leaving the museum, we decided to wander back in the direction of our hostel and Old Town. We were supposed to meet Fulbrighter Myles and his family for hot chocolate (in Poland "hot chocolate" is literally melted chocolate in a cup). On the way, we encountered true Warszawa gross-ness.
This is my favorite: the new runs right into the old. Literally.
No Warszawa post would be complete with out the Stalin symbol of ubber-masculine power: The Palace of Culture. Ironically, it now houses a movie theatre. Eat that communist bastards!
After our wandering (which turned into a much longer adventure than originally expected), we were hungry, loopy, and lost. Mike called to ask where we were, and we told him we were lost in the Warsaw Time Warp. It didn't help that Myles kept calling us and spelling the names of the streets we needed to find in order to meet him (Myles cannot pronounce in Polish). We laughed hysterically for about 20 minutes. Upon finding food, we once again became coherent people.
After meeting the Gartland crew, we spent a few hours at our hostel playing Polish Monopoly. Mike majored in Math (along with BioChem and Chemistry), so we made him be the banker. English majors do not do well with numbers. This may be one of my favorite photos of my time here--the Warsaw scene in the background, the Polish-English dictionary, and the Monopoly board make an interesting combo. Plus there's coffee and both Leanne and Mike look unsure about what should happen next. Basically, this image is the life of a Fulbrighter.
My esteemed colleague Mr. Reppert and I coordinated an epic event which shall forever be known as "The Junior Fulbrighters Go Ice Skating." It was entertaining, to say the least.Elizabeth had not skated since high school, but was brave enough to join us.
Micajah brought too many layers of clothing.
Leanne won the contest for "best wipe out,"; she has an epic bruise on her elbow to prove it.
Mike and I represent the Midwest well--though I did remind him several time who won the Husker/Kansas games this year.
Woijtech used to roller dance. Not sure why he divulged that information...he's never going to live that down.
I didn't face plant!
And Mr. Reppert shows off his skill.
After ice skating and pizza, we wandered down to the Old Town to check out the Christmas lights.
There may have also been some vodka during this excursion...you never know.The Warszawa Christmas tree is a sight. It's really bright and the lights flash really quickly. It could easily be used to subdue alien invaders or entertain stoners for hours.
And so ended a weekend in Warszawa. New conclusion: you can put Christmas lights on the Polish metropolis, but come January when all the pretty lights are gone, it'll still be gross. However, after this weekend, I do like it a little better. Warszawa does grow on you...but then again, so does foot fungus.
No comments:
Post a Comment