Back to School

'Back to School'

The words that mean the end of the summer and the end of the holidays. These are the words that prophesize the oncoming doom which awaits children and teenagers throughout the country. As a child signs similar to those above annually sank my spirits and the search for new pens, copybooks and the bland grey uniform was always an affair of bribery for my mother.

'After we get try on those trousers, we'll go for an ice-cream' or 'Just one more shop and then we can go home' are some examples of the tactics used in my case.
Even the thought of meeting all my school buddies didn't raise my spirits for two reasons;

1. Those friends I liked from school I saw outside of school and
2. There were so many things you had to beware of from so called 'friends.

Stealing pencil cases was one and while you were hopelessly trying to retrieve this essential by running around the classroom, your bag and everything in it was soon going in another direction. The worst thing of all is that your efforts to get back your belongings were often scorned by the teacher.
'Sit down and stop disrupting the class' shouted the teacher while smug grins were discerned on the faces of your 'friends'.
Checking the seat before you sat on it was always a good way to provide landing on a piece of chewing gum or something sharper and it was always necessary to be on the lookout for flying objects such as paper ball, sandwiches and metal pointed compasses. So you can see why returning to this environment was not a pleasing prospect.

Nowadays I'm on the other side of the desk and the prospect is still not as pleasing. Okay, the groups I have are smaller than 30, I haven't been attacked or bullied by students (yet). I also have the power of language over my students which can be a powerful weapon, but my nerves still tingle before stepping up in front of a group for the first time trying to convince them that I mean business before 'Mr Soanes' is soon replaced by 'Phil' and the routine kicks in like before.

The words 'Back to School' still unnerve me but at least I still have a month to prepare for this return.

Water, kayaking and Kielbasa

Kayaking was something I have never tried before and something I wasn't sure I would be able to handle without capsizing but throughout the whole trip to Mazury, it didn't happen once. I spent a total of seven days cruising through beautiful canals and lakes with a group consisting of 3 Latvians, an American, an Irishman, 7 Poles and 'Homer' the Labrador, who loved teasing us with sticks which he held with a vice-like grip in his teeth.
The dangers we faced in the wild came from hissing swans who threatened us by arching their wings and swimming close by with their young ones. The other threat was the torrential rain which unfortunately made life difficult over the last three days. Glimmers of sunshine soon morphed into apocalyptic clouds which burst upon us at regular intervals. Sometimes we were able to find shelter under nearby trees but on a couple of occasions I remember feeling so wet that I lost the will to care about sheltering.
Mosquito's were plenty in this part of Poland and despite using 'OFF', I think we all struggled a little with bites and itches.
Despite being far from towns and cities, we weren't totally away from civilisation as there were many bars on the camping sites and many locals who sold cakes and other locally produced goods along the banks of the canals.
There was also a sense of normality by having a daily routine. The first most important thing upon arrival was to set up our tents and then to find firewood for the cooking of sausages or potatoes, toast and cheese for the vegetarians, of which there were surprisingly a high number.
When I came home from this trip, Asia insisted I have two showers to wash away the stench of the accumulation of sausage and smoke which covered my clothes. It was something I had become so used to that I couldn't smell it at all. So now it is back to civilisation and daily showers.

Home in a Foreign Land

What makes one city different from another and why does one place have more than another?
Is it due to man's influence alone or is there something else involved. In Krakow there is a rumour which could be tourist influenced that at Wawel Castle there is one of the seven chakra points in the world. I have often observed people standing there at the assigned spot looking like they are waiting for something miraculous to happen.
I have never tried to tap into Krakow's power in this way but I do know that when I stepped off the train from Brno I felt something stir within me.
I didn't feel the same thing in Prague or in Brno despite their beauty and numerous attractions. Prague especially is like a fairytale city which lacks realism in many ways.
I enjoyed Brno as it is smaller and less tourist infested than the Czech Republic's most famous city, so famous in fact, that I have met many travellers who believe it is a country.
Despite being in these places and the city I was born and lived most of my life in, I only felt at home when I arrived in Krakow so perhaps there is some chakra connection after all.

Exploring Tunnels

Today, under the guidance of my brother, I explored a tunnel on the Irish coast in the town of Dalkey. Earlier we explored the island but today we went underground for the sake of some photos. This tunnel is connected to a castle 75 metres away from the entrance and was so dark inside that it was easy for the mind to conjure up strange and unnerving images in what seemed like an endless distance ahead. The entrance was quite small and we were a little afraid that the tide would rise trapping us inside the narrow tunnel. I was happy to get out of it alive. Earlier that day I took some much more pleasant photos of the town I work in - Bray.

Coastal Trip

The sea is something that is strange to see having been living in the south of Poland for so long. In Dublin the vast blue Irish sea is not too far away and Dalkey island is a place I had never been to. The coastal areas of Dublin are very different from anything in the city. Places like Dalkey and Blackrock are like small villages with their own unique atmospheres. Dalkey especially is a place I had never been to before but only heard about as it is famous for being where Bono lives or at least has a house. My brother and I took the train (DART) out there and a boat to the island which contains the ruins of a tower built in preparation of an attack by Napoleon which never materialised. It is also the home to the ruins of a 7 - 10 th century church and another fortress. Goats live there as well as many squawking seagulls. I didn't venture too close as they were well armed.
The weather was also amazing. It's amazing that I get sunbrnt here and not in Europe. Fortunately I used suncream beforehand and only suffered from a small strip of sunburn near my wrist.

Driving to Ruin

I spent the weekend in Wexford in the 'sunny southeast' as they call it. Between my brother and my dad, we managed to explore some of the forgotten treasures in this part of the country. There were so many crumbling abbeys and castles and some of the houses appeared looked like they were abandoned after the famine of 1847. We were discussing this and wondering when we actually found some evidence of this.
Other highlights were walking along the beach and visiting a fort which had a lot of history connected to it from the rebellious Irish past right up to it being prepared in case Hitler attempted to invade Ireland. It was nice to get out of the big smoke and into the sticks for a bit of adventure.

Back with the Leprechauns

It has been a while since I wrote anything here and I suppose it needed a change of surroundings to inspire new thoughts which I feel like sharing with the world out there. My brothers obsession has moved on from abandoned factories to abandoned castles and other such ruins. It has also taken hold of my parents so my first day back involved tracking down such old bricked ruins some of which are amazingly right next to housing estates.
Of course there were the usual 'Private Property' signs but how can people own such places which are part of our cultural heritage?
Walls and fences were scaled enabling us to snap away at such of these eerie buildings which have long since fallen into neglect. The best preserved is a lead mine which was only missing a few steps and this was perhaps to deter stupidity.
We probably traipsed on numerous graves in the process of adding to our photographic archives but at least these people will be remembered in more ways than one.

Captured in Flight

http://www.krakowcyclechic.com/2009/04/kwietniowi-rowerzysci.html

I unsuspectingly found out that I was captured on a website for bikes. I knew nothing about it but I like the photo. It was the day I saw a bike rally in the Market Square but I was going the other way having work commitments to attend to. It was strange to hear about it but I suppose it is hard to ride a bike in private these days. The comments I have received on it have been nice though.

Easter Ireland

Just back from the land of green and ginger people. It was a nice but brief visit to my homeland where weather takes priority above all else and surprisingly, it was pretty good. We took advantage of this and went to visit Glendalough which is a very picturesque place - for proof look above this. I only went into the city a couple of times and spent most of the time at home or out on drives which turned into long walks. Asia enjoyed herself and into the Easter spirit by sinking her teeth into a bunny. I ate a little too much and felt a bit sick from too much chocolate.

Here comes the summer

Tired of writing my assignment and wasting the first decent weekend of good weather for what seems like a long, long time, I took my bike and hit the road trying not to get myself killed or be sucked into the depths of one of the craters at the sides of the road. I went in the direction of Nowa Huta and kept going not knowing what to expect but determined to burn off some restless energy.
I certainly did so but the thing I enjoyed was the small village I came upon which is not far from the end of one of the tram lines but still hasn't been sucked into the city's suburbs. It lacked all the things that a village lacks such as people, and buildings of interest but it was still nice to do something different. I even came across an abandoned building (don't read this Dave) but I was too scared to venture very far inside. It's too scary when alone.

Rusty - RIP

It is sad when you have to say goodbye to your pet who has become more than a part of the family. Rusty had his evil moments especially when he threatened to sink his teeth into anyone attempting to remove him from various areas in the house and also when he became a little too 'excited' and tried to physically show these strong feelings that he needed to express, but he will be sorely missed. At least he was given the best life humanly possible to give and his life was well documented from his first feature film to the thousands of photographs which captured his many moments.

Travels in the East

Three days in the east of Poland brought me a lot of interesting pleasures. In total I visited four places - Zamosc, Lublin, Nalecow and Kazimerz Dolny, and finally fulfilled an obsession I had had for about three years since I first read about Zamosc.
For the second time in my life, I got to sleep in a football stadium but this time, the sports hall was fully functional and I got to observe the young talent in Zamosc (no perversion intended). The city is a charming place and the people are very hospitable. Despite this, it was enough to spend one day there and admire the aesthetic beauty of the main square.
Following this, I went by minibus to Lublin. Reading a book by one of Poland's and at the moment also my celebrated authors, Ryszard Kapuscinski, was a good idea on the road and was an inspiration despite the poor snowy conditions.
Lublin's old town is a strange place and why so many buildings are neglected is a mystery to me. At least they are renovating some of them. If you suffer from claustrophobia, I wouldn't recommend this city as some of its narrow streets threaten to squeeze you into oblivion and conceal the fact that you or the street ever existed.
Nalecow gave me a chance to drink some foul smelling water and Kazimierz is a charming small town surrounded by nature alongside the Wisla. All in all a good trip and a nice venture into a part of Poland where I didn't hear anyone speaking English despite seeing menus and other information in my native tongue.

Snapping

I am delighted with my new camera and take it out far more often than I expected and when I don't have it with me, I curse myself for missing out on such great opportunities which I can see but cannot capture .
Flat problems are the highlight or should I say lowlight of things at the moment. Power cuts have been followed by a non - spinning washing machine which has somehow become the responsibility for me and my flatmate. On top of this there is the smell from the bathroom. That's the thing about living in the centre - great location but appalling standards and the former is the excuse used by landlords and ladies.

Winter Blues

Winter has not been kind so far as temperatures are reported to have dipped to as low as -24 degrees which is not the type of thing which makes you want to leave your home. In my case problems with heating and electrical breakdowns made moving in anyway the most important means for surviving these tough frost biting times.
Still, the brightness of the snow does brighten up the place and I ventured out to take some snaps with my new camera. On the first day, there was too much snow and the cold started gnawing at my exposed hands which were screaming at me to be covered. The second attempt brought about a more extreme situation. I had to go into a music shop to try to ease the pain which was rushing through my hands having been exposed for too long while trying to get some photos. There was only one problem though, I couldn't see a thing as my glasses were fogged up. It took a long time but eventually a hot coffee in a nearby cafe brought the blood back into my hands.

Thankfully the temperatures have increased a little and my fuseboard has been replaced with a modern one. The heating is now on full blast with no let up. The absence of insulation doesn't help matters much though and summer seems so far away...

Technological Difficulty Solved

Everyone has now been given the chance to comment on anything I have written to date and what will come in the future thanks to the help of someone who knows more than I do about Blogs and computers in general (this is not very hard, really!). I would like to thank Asia for her help and her encouragement in making this Blog what it really is.

Out With The Old, In With The New

2009 is upon us and like most people I am wondering where 2008 went to. It is a sign of increasing years I suppose when you start sounding like your parents.

My trip to Ireland was an enjoyable one and a relaxing one. One of the highlights was 'squirrel feeding' - the new hobby among my family. A quick tap on the ground was enough to encourage these cute but deceivingly sharp-clawed creatures towards our outstretched nut-bearing hands.
The aim of the whole exercise was to take as many photos as each of us could and I think we did okay.
One of the other highlights was encouraging my dog to take part in the festive spirit.

New Edition

Bound In Tune

My new book Bound In Tune is now available to purchase. It is a collection of short stories in which the common theme is music. I have been writing this for quite a long time and am glad to be able to present it to those who are interested.

Yesterday I went to Tarnow which is not too far from Krakow. It was a big Sunday out. It is quite a ncie city and like a miniature version of Krakow. I was with two friends. We didn't explore too much of the town but got involved in the local culture by going to a death metal show. Despite wearing ear plugs, my ears are still full of throat-ripping roars. 'Hell United' was the headline act but the heroes of the show was the band in the photo whose name escapes me. Next Saturday they are coming to Krakow. See you there!

It's been a while since anything has been entered into this space. A trip out to the infamous Nowa Huta is the reason for this return. I was warned before going not to speak English and to be very careful as the area is reknowned as being the most dangerous in Krakow. Rejected by people from Krakow and even seen as another city despite it being included within the city border, this was an area of rich agricultural land which was developed in the fifties 'Communist Style' as a means of breaking the intellectual spirit of Krakow by installing a massive steelworks factory not far from the historical centre of the city. It seems not too much has changed in this area although tourist trips are becoming more and more popular, a clear sign of what we can expect to see in the future. The atmosphere is different and I felt myself in Berlin again - the East for obvious reasons. What amazed me is that, a short walk away from Plac Centralny (Central Square) are fields of unused land (photo 2). The centre of this 'city' exists so close to the countryside. I have only really touched on this area and expect to investigate it further in the near future.