Once again, time has flown by and I haven't written in about 4 months. It's really hard to believe, but my excuse is that I've been incredibly busy with work, a second job, an online graduate degree program, and being pregnant. But I think it's important that I make time for this post, since it's my last one from Poland.
The past few years have been filled with goodbyes, and I'm still not really good at them. As always, I don't think it's really hit me that I'm leaving for good. I'm excited to be seeing friends and family in the U.S., but I think it will just feel like a nice vacation before returning to work in Poland. That was actually the original plan, but life has its way of making other plans.
Poland has been a really unique experience. After living in Jakarta for a year, we had an awesome honeymoon period here. We had the opportunity to build up a school from the beginning. We were able to "learn" a new language (I'm not sure if we'll ever truly learn Polish as it's probably the most complicated language with a Roman alphabet). Most of all, we met some amazing people. Since Alexander and I have been together, Poland has been our home for a longer period than anywhere else that we've lived, so it will always be special to us.
Every time I leave a country, I say it's not "goodbye", but I'll "see you later". This year, I was able to return to Germany, just as I knew I would eventually. One day, Alexander and I will make the trek back to Jakarta to embrace our friends who we dearly miss. And sometime in the not so distant future we'll bring our little one to see our Polish home.
Dziękujemy, Polska. Na razie!
Showing posts with label Polish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Polish. Show all posts
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Willkommen in Polska: A Trip to Krakow and Auschwitz, and Exploring Polish Pride
Today is our 7-monthiversary here in Poland. Part of me feels like it has gone so quickly, but another part of me has felt the drag of time. It's more like some days fly by, while others never seem to end. However, this past week seems to have gone so quickly that I can hardly believe it's over.
Last week, we had a four-day weekend, so we decided to visit the cultural capital of Poland: Krakow. Krakow is an immensely beautiful city and home to a vast history. There is a wide array of different cultures and nationalities represented and it's easy to see why Poles are so proud of it. We were there Thursday and Friday, and we saw the Old Town, had lunch on the Old Market Square, toured the former Jewish Ghetto, saw Tadeusz Pankiewicz's Apteka pod Orlem (Under the Eagle Pharmacy), went to Schindler's Factory (notable from the film Schindler's List), and walked around the Wawel Castle. It was enriching for our minds and good for our health (with all the walking). The weather also helped us enjoy the city. Thursday and Friday were gorgeous, sunny days, with temperatures in the mid to upper 20's C (upper 70's/low 80's F).
During our tour of the former Jewish Ghetto, we were talking to our guide. He asked where we were from and was shocked that we wanted to live in Poland. He had previously traveled the world working on a cruise ship, but he was originally from Krakow. It was hard for him to believe that an American and an Englishman would want to live in Poland. In his head, we must be crazy. Perhaps we are, but I don't think it's because we want to live in Poland. Poland really is a beautiful country. It has forests, mountains, a coast, large cities, small towns. Between natural beauty and an emerging economy, Poland does have a lot to offer.
On the Saturday, we went to Auschwitz.
I never imagined I would go to Auschwitz. I didn't personally feel strong enough to face such horror. However, I felt a moral obligation to go. Since I was able to go, I felt it was my duty as a human being to see the history of the terror. It wasn't easy, but I'm glad I went.
By the time we got to Auschwitz, the weather had changed drastically. It was now cold and dangerously cloudy. Since it was a holiday weekend, we were standing in line for about an hour and a half to get into the museum. Once inside, we were shown a short video to give some background about Auschwitz 1, Auschwitz 2-Birkenau, and Auschwitz 3-Monowitz. After the film, we went outside to start the tour. It had started raining, so we had to buy some ponchos from the gift shop. The temperature had also dropped to 6 C (43 F). It was a sobering experience to go through Auschwitz it such miserable weather, knowing that the prisoners would have experienced the same weather in little more than pajamas and a thin pair of shoes, all the while starving and being forced into labor.
For me, a great tragedy of Auschwitz is the silence about the Polish prisoners. I remember learning in my history classes about the Jews, the Gypsies, and even the Soviet POW's, but I was never told that the first victims of Auschwitz were the Poles. The second largest group of people in Auschwitz were the Poles, and they were actually forced to build Auschwitz in the beginning. And it wasn't only in Auschwitz that the Poles were terrorized.
Under Nazi occupation, Polish was banned. Speaking Polish was punishable by prison, or even death. The greatest minds of Poland were sent to camps. The intention of the Nazis was to completely crush the Polish culture, Polish traditions, and Polish people. By the end of World War 2, the United Kingdom had lost 1% of its population to the war, Germany had lost 7-10%, and Poland had lost 16-20%. Poland had the greatest impact on its population due to the war. And after the occupation of the Nazis ended, the occupation of the Soviets began.
Poland had declared its independence November 11, 1918 and just over 20 years later it was occupied by the Nazis. From 1939-1945 the Nazis were in charge and then the Soviets took control starting in 1945. In 1989, the Soviets began their fall, and Poland had its first democratically elected leader, Lech Wałęsa, in 1990. In the past 90 years, Poland has spent 50 of them under occupation, and this is reflected in the mindset.
Most Poles that I talk to seem to have no pride in their country. They think because their economy is weaker than the U.K.'s or the U.S.' that their country isn't as good. They don't understand why anyone would want to move here and they're fighting to move out. But I think the Poles have so much to be proud of.
History has proved that the Poles are a strong, resilient people. They have fought for their freedom and have retained their culture in the face of adversity. In just the past century, there was the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, the Cursed Soldiers who resisted both the Nazis and the Soviets, and the Solidarity movement which helped bring down the Soviet rule in Poland. Against all odds, the Poles have rose up and taken charge of their fate. Even when they lost, they got up again and kept on fighting. This is a tradition that every Pole should take pride in. And I hope someday soon they will.
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| St. Mary's Basilica |
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| Gate at Schindler's Factory |
During our tour of the former Jewish Ghetto, we were talking to our guide. He asked where we were from and was shocked that we wanted to live in Poland. He had previously traveled the world working on a cruise ship, but he was originally from Krakow. It was hard for him to believe that an American and an Englishman would want to live in Poland. In his head, we must be crazy. Perhaps we are, but I don't think it's because we want to live in Poland. Poland really is a beautiful country. It has forests, mountains, a coast, large cities, small towns. Between natural beauty and an emerging economy, Poland does have a lot to offer.
On the Saturday, we went to Auschwitz.
I never imagined I would go to Auschwitz. I didn't personally feel strong enough to face such horror. However, I felt a moral obligation to go. Since I was able to go, I felt it was my duty as a human being to see the history of the terror. It wasn't easy, but I'm glad I went.
By the time we got to Auschwitz, the weather had changed drastically. It was now cold and dangerously cloudy. Since it was a holiday weekend, we were standing in line for about an hour and a half to get into the museum. Once inside, we were shown a short video to give some background about Auschwitz 1, Auschwitz 2-Birkenau, and Auschwitz 3-Monowitz. After the film, we went outside to start the tour. It had started raining, so we had to buy some ponchos from the gift shop. The temperature had also dropped to 6 C (43 F). It was a sobering experience to go through Auschwitz it such miserable weather, knowing that the prisoners would have experienced the same weather in little more than pajamas and a thin pair of shoes, all the while starving and being forced into labor.
For me, a great tragedy of Auschwitz is the silence about the Polish prisoners. I remember learning in my history classes about the Jews, the Gypsies, and even the Soviet POW's, but I was never told that the first victims of Auschwitz were the Poles. The second largest group of people in Auschwitz were the Poles, and they were actually forced to build Auschwitz in the beginning. And it wasn't only in Auschwitz that the Poles were terrorized.
Under Nazi occupation, Polish was banned. Speaking Polish was punishable by prison, or even death. The greatest minds of Poland were sent to camps. The intention of the Nazis was to completely crush the Polish culture, Polish traditions, and Polish people. By the end of World War 2, the United Kingdom had lost 1% of its population to the war, Germany had lost 7-10%, and Poland had lost 16-20%. Poland had the greatest impact on its population due to the war. And after the occupation of the Nazis ended, the occupation of the Soviets began.
Poland had declared its independence November 11, 1918 and just over 20 years later it was occupied by the Nazis. From 1939-1945 the Nazis were in charge and then the Soviets took control starting in 1945. In 1989, the Soviets began their fall, and Poland had its first democratically elected leader, Lech Wałęsa, in 1990. In the past 90 years, Poland has spent 50 of them under occupation, and this is reflected in the mindset.
Most Poles that I talk to seem to have no pride in their country. They think because their economy is weaker than the U.K.'s or the U.S.' that their country isn't as good. They don't understand why anyone would want to move here and they're fighting to move out. But I think the Poles have so much to be proud of.
History has proved that the Poles are a strong, resilient people. They have fought for their freedom and have retained their culture in the face of adversity. In just the past century, there was the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943, the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, the Cursed Soldiers who resisted both the Nazis and the Soviets, and the Solidarity movement which helped bring down the Soviet rule in Poland. Against all odds, the Poles have rose up and taken charge of their fate. Even when they lost, they got up again and kept on fighting. This is a tradition that every Pole should take pride in. And I hope someday soon they will.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Willkommen in Polska: Doctors, and Bloodwork, and Pills, Oh My!
About a month ago, I started getting horrible pains in my stomach and other discomforts in that area, so I decided to go to the doctor. This is not as simple as calling for an appointment, seeing as my Polish is still incredibly limited. Thus, I had to have my boss call around and find a doctor that could communicate in English, or German, or Spanish, or French. He managed to find a doctor who claimed he had a decent knowledge of English and an appointment was made.
I arrived at the doctor's office and told reception, "Jestem Jacquelynn Ayton. Mam 'termin'." They responded in fast Polish that I could barely decipher, so I added "Przepraszam, jestem z Ameryki", to which they used some hand motions for translation. I went through to the waiting room and expected to hear my name.
As I sat waiting, I noticed people were just going into the doctor's office one after another. The time of my appointment had come and gone, and I realized that, apparently, people were in line and the appointment was superfluous. Unable to communicate in order to find out the order, my husband assured me that he knew who I was supposed to follow.
When I entered the doctor's room I greeted him with a polite "Dzien dobry" and then "Jestem z Ameryki", to which he responded, "Ah, USA, very good" through and incredibly thick accent. He motioned for me to sit down and then waited for me to start talking. I explained my problems using slow English and small words, and then he asked me a few things such as, "Drugs?", "Pregnancy?". I deduced his meanings of 'Are you on any medication?' and 'Are you pregnant?' and responded with a "No... I don't think so?" (isn't HE supposed to tell ME if I'm pregnant? But I'm not, so it's okay, and I digress) After the broken English questions, he asked me to stand up.
He said "prendre votre chemise", which confused me, but my husband quickly translated the French and I raised my shirt. Then he said "tief atmen" and I was again startled by the change in language, but understood the German command to breath deeply. He then had me lay on the bed. "Where hurt?" and I directed him to the general location. At that moment, his cell phone rang. I thought he would ignore it. He didn't. I thought he would quickly say he was with a patient. He didn't. While I was laying on the bed with my shirt up and pants unzipped, the doctor had a good 5-10 minute conversation before informing the person on the other end he was with a patient.
After some very painful poking and prodding, the doctor had me get dressed again and sit down. He suspected something called gastritis, prescribed me three different medications, and gave me referrals for blood work, urine analysis, and a gastroscopy.
The first thing to deal with was going to the Apteka to get my medication. I easily handed over the prescription and paid with little incident...until I looked in the bag. I had three different medications and no clue as to how much or how often I was supposed to take each one. We hurried back into the pharmacy, only to discover the person I had dealt with had disappeared, and so I had to try to communicate my situation to a different person. I started with "Przepraszam, jestem z Ameryki" and then attempted to continue with "Mam trzy i nie wiem...uh...nie wiem..." before I gave up and explained the problem auf deutsch. Luckily, one of Alexander's students works there and she came over to assist us.
After my first experience at the doctor's office, I was prepared for a line when I went to get my blood work, and I had learned how to ask about the order. We arrived just before opening time, but there was already a line for the blood work, so I asked "Kto jest ostatni?" and an old lady informed me she was. Shortly thereafter, an old man asked who was last and I said I was. It seemed to work fairly painlessly, until old lady 2 came and got it a little confused. The order was supposed to be old lady, me, old man, and then old lady 2. However, old lady 2 didn't think she needed to wait. So after waiting for nearly an hour, when it was time for old lady to go in, she let old lady 2 go in front of her, even though old man had argued with them about the line order. Regardless, I was able to get in for my blood work, which took no more than two minutes. I'm still fascinated as to why it took them an hour to get through 10 people.
I still have to wait a few weeks before I can have the gastroscopy. I've done a lot of research in an attempt to prepare myself for what to expect, but I'm not sure if research will completely prepare me for what Poland has to offer. I've experienced a doctor's office in the US, the UK, Spain, Indonesia and now Poland, and I must say, Poland is quite unique. But at least they get the job done.....I hope.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Willkommen in Polska: A trip to Warsaw
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| Stop in Krzyż before Warsaw |
Just after the new year, we hopped on a train and headed to Warsaw. Actually, it wasn't that easy. First, we had to buy the tickets. Back in Jakarta, this would have been a fairly simple matter. Although we are nowhere near fluent in Bahasa Indonesia, in the first two months we could communicate well enough to buy tickets at a train station. Yet here in Kostrzyn, buying tickets was truly an event.At first, I apologized and explained I was American. I then asked if the lady could speak English or German. No. What about Spanish or French? Definitely not. I don't think I can properly put into words how infuriating it is for a couple with four fluent/nearly fluent languages to not be able to communicate.We somehow managed. I knew Piątek, the day we wanted to leave, and dwa, the number of days we wanted to go, and of course Warszawa, our destination. The rest of it was done with the calendar on our cell phone, lots of hand motions, and slow speaking on the end of the ticket office lady. About 15 minutes and 470 Złotych later we had our tickets to and from Warsaw.
I have had so many troubling experiences while travelling by train (getting on the wrong train, arriving late, getting locked in a toilet), that I was certain this trip would have complications. Surprisingly, it was incredibly drama-free. We arrived safely in Warsaw at the correct station, and the trip back was just as painless.
Warsaw is a very cosmopolitan city. Everyone from the hotel concierge to the kebab-shop employee could speak English. It was refreshing. We always started with a polite dzień dobry, but were able to transition to English and be understood. That being said, Warsaw still has some work to do in order to fully join the international order.
Although most of the people spoke English, there were signs in major tourist spots that only sported Polish.
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| No Foreign languages here! |
Part of Warsaw's sluggish inclusion into the international community seems to be its historical relationship with the former Soviet Union and its previous inclusion in the Eastern Bloc. This can be witnessed in the case of older sites, where Russian and German are more likely to be found than English. However, with the fall of the U.S.S.R., Poland seemed more than happy to welcome Capitalism. This should come as no surprise seeing as there was much resistance against the U.S.S.R. in Poland.
Warsaw shows an unnatural juxtaposition of East and West. It highlights the Capitalist dilemma within Communism. You can find a Coca-Cola sign (perhaps one of the most encompassing images of Capitalism)
situated directly on top of a building of obvious Communist architecture. As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words, and I think this picture describes Warsaw in a way no words fully can.
Just as the country of which it is the capital, Warsaw is up-and-coming. It has a plethora of hot spots to offer and I think it's one of Europe's best kept secrets. Part of the reason the flood gates of tourists haven't opened into this vibrant city is because it is still struggling with assimilation into Western Europe. Half the battle is beating the stigmatization caused by political mouthpieces *cough* David Cameron *cough* Tory party *cough*cough*, but the other half is creating a city that accommodates non-Polish tourists.
I hope in the next decade Warsaw, and Poland, will reach its potential.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Willkommen in Polska: Lingua Franca
Our monthiversary in Poland was this past Sunday. We have been able to pick up some basic Polish vocabulary (I'm American/British, numbers 1-10, some food), but, unfortunately, Polish is a very complicated language to learn for native English speakers. On the plus side, our German background tends to give us a lingua franca, since we are less than 5 kilometers to the nearest German town. That being said, I have had a Polish friend get upset about me speaking German when my native language is English, and there have been several people around the town who pretend they can't speak German although they accidentally let a few German words slip when they have tried to communicate with me. So, it isn't always recommended to automatically ask, "Sprechen Sie deutsch".
Why?
Well, it takes some historical explanations. For those who don't know much about Polish history (myself included until about a month ago), here's an incredibly brief breakdown. The first establishment of a Polish state was around 966 AD and the Kingdom of Poland was created in 1025. Over a few hundred centuries, several empires rose and basically demolished what was once Poland, with each empire taking various bits of the metaphorical Polish pie. Then, World War I happened, and Poland claimed it's independence with the end of the war on November 11, 1918 (the Second Polish Republic). After that, things were cool for a few decades until the jerk called Hitler came along and invaded Poland. That was the start of WWII, "The Big One" (as my grandma used to say). After the Allies defeated the Axis, Poland was given over to Communist Russia (even though they didn't like it), and Fawlty Towers was given a punch line. Fast forward to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and Poland was once again independent and established the Third Polish Republic. If this was so fascinating that you want to know more, ask Wikipedia.
So, back to the original question of why we shouldn't jump to German in our daily conversations in Poland, and the answer is, well, Hitler invaded Poland. I am a strong opponent of stereotypes of any sort, but unfortunately for Germany, Hitler claimed to be acting on their behalf. I know some people would say, "That's ancient history. What's done is done. Let's move on." and the sentiment is nice enough. However, the wounds still seem to be quite fresh. Let's not forget that Auschwitz is located in Poland and there are still people alive who can remember the atrocities of the war.
With all that, I'm very happy to have a language with which I can communicate with the people where I'm living, but I also try to be as patient as possible when they lie about speaking or understanding German. It's a very touchy subject and I'd rather not be responsible for opening up old wounds.
Why?
Well, it takes some historical explanations. For those who don't know much about Polish history (myself included until about a month ago), here's an incredibly brief breakdown. The first establishment of a Polish state was around 966 AD and the Kingdom of Poland was created in 1025. Over a few hundred centuries, several empires rose and basically demolished what was once Poland, with each empire taking various bits of the metaphorical Polish pie. Then, World War I happened, and Poland claimed it's independence with the end of the war on November 11, 1918 (the Second Polish Republic). After that, things were cool for a few decades until the jerk called Hitler came along and invaded Poland. That was the start of WWII, "The Big One" (as my grandma used to say). After the Allies defeated the Axis, Poland was given over to Communist Russia (even though they didn't like it), and Fawlty Towers was given a punch line. Fast forward to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and Poland was once again independent and established the Third Polish Republic. If this was so fascinating that you want to know more, ask Wikipedia.
So, back to the original question of why we shouldn't jump to German in our daily conversations in Poland, and the answer is, well, Hitler invaded Poland. I am a strong opponent of stereotypes of any sort, but unfortunately for Germany, Hitler claimed to be acting on their behalf. I know some people would say, "That's ancient history. What's done is done. Let's move on." and the sentiment is nice enough. However, the wounds still seem to be quite fresh. Let's not forget that Auschwitz is located in Poland and there are still people alive who can remember the atrocities of the war.
With all that, I'm very happy to have a language with which I can communicate with the people where I'm living, but I also try to be as patient as possible when they lie about speaking or understanding German. It's a very touchy subject and I'd rather not be responsible for opening up old wounds.
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