A Short Analysis of Where I Am

Living in another country has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it feels like a magical dream surrounded in a misty haze where everything seems to intrigue and fascinate the senses as the adventure continues with each step. On the other hand, on those grey miserable and wet days, the thought of lifting off the covers, and exposing my skin to the biting cold as I nervously place one foot on the cold uncovered wooden floor and make my way to the bathroom fills me with fear and dread as my finger presses the snooze button for the last possible time resulting in another five short and delicate precious minutes in bliss.
Nobody expected me to end up here and there was no great master plan which stated in large bold letters that ‘I WILL LIVE IN POLAND’. Like most things, it just happened and is the only answer I can give each time I am asked. I often feel that this answer doesn’t quite satisfy the curious, a lot of whom have friends or colleagues in my country, who are planning to go there or indeed have been there themselves. Some people frown in puzzlement and look at me as if I am missing something vital to a logical functioning brain and never seem to accept that I am not working for the tourist board in Krakow. Others accept my answer more easily and get down to the task of comparing and contrasting everything from the best way to prepare tea to the prices of renting a flat. I am well prepared for the latter type of people with detailed answers that have been fine-tuned to perfection but the former group is always a challenge which requires an enormous amount of energy and determination.
There are many differences between this country and the one I come from and certainly most of them are have taken time to discover and analyze in microscopic detail. One of the first ones is the obsession with change in Polish retail. This constant asking for the exact change and the vicious looks I receive whenever I timidly hand over a hundred zloty note in return for my purchases ensured that ‘drobny’ was one of the first words etched into my Polish vocabulary tablet. Queuing can be a testing business at times and especially on those days when you are lacking patience or a good mood. A short dip in concentration can rapidly be taken advantage of in lightning quick style by a conniving and well-practiced individual. In Poland the strong emphasis on the family is clear on those numerous occasions which draw willing or perhaps unwilling family members together to partake in various forms of celebration and ritual. I have witnessed many such so-called ‘long weekends’, the longest of which defied reason and continued for one whole week, which have sometimes left me feeling quite homesick especially when students gasp when I tell them that I will not be going home to visit my family on each of these occasions. These moments of homesickness are quite rare though and that is why I am still here. Will I go to another country and grapple again with more new customs and nationality traits? The answer to that is unknown but as long as Krakow continues to interest to entertain and sometimes to completely confuse me, I will be here.

Wexford Again

Back at the beach where I spent many childhood days swimming, making sandcastles and holes to fall into.

The Irish weather continued and now Asia knows why we Irish are so obssessed with weather. The reason is because it is so bad most of the time and on those rare glorious occasions when it is good, we have to take full advantage of it.
It si funny because since I have been back I have spent more time shopping for clothes then I thought possible. The amazing fact that clothes are cheaper in Ireland when you have the likes of 'Penny's' and 'Heaton's' (two clothes shops) makes it worthwhile.

The Electric Picnic

The Electric Picnic was as I was promised from the many previews I read just before it, an 'eclectic' mix of culture and mayhem. The highlight for me was seeing Stephen Malkmus and the silent disco was a lot of fun. There was a nice crowd of friendly and open-minded people allt he way through the weekend except for the last day when the mood seemed to change. Personally, I blame the Sex Pistols for the change in atmosphere as scumbags appeared from their tents.
The rain also started and Asia and my worry about the ability of our tent to stand up to the rain became irrelevent when we returned to find our tent had completely disappeared. Eventually we got out of there on the six o'clock bus. A sorry wet end to a great weekend the scum will not triumph over the good people who I met.

Homeward Bound

Back to Ireland. 'Zielona Wyspa' - The Green Island. Full of fields and tales from years of 'ore. A magical country with a magical past and a roaring tiger leading it into the future as well as a 'millenium spire...

Pleeeeeease Read!!!

Pleeease Read!!! It was on the news! ASAP

It's Worth A GO!!!!

This was the email I received from two people who I will not incriminate. Possible, they didn't even know that they actually did this. According to the rest of the email, if I forward it to anyone else I will receive $245. For every person afterwards the fee will be reduced to $243 and to $241 for every third person afterwards.
According to the email Bill Gates is sharing his fortune and Microsoft is running an e-mail beta test. I have been warned that if I don't partake in this venture, I will repent. The person who sent the email has already received a massive present from Mr. Gates and his brother's girlfriend a similar reward. Don't waste any time my friends. This is the chance of a lifetime!!!!!!

Living With Spirits

I have just been talking my friends Marcin and Olga about spirits. The fact that I am living in an old flat which has obviously had many other inhabitants in the past make me think about the type pf people who lived here before. Has anyone ever died here? Is there some sort of tragic story that took place here, perhaps in my very room...
Even the large old-fashioned heater in my room, what has it seen and who has it kept warm.
It would be fascinating to know a little about this tenement house but unfortunately searches on the Internet (in English) have so far proved to be fruitless. Has anyone got any tips?

Two photos - one is a photo of me and my girl (the metal one) on Sunday and the other a photo of where she took me to. We hit the road to Tyniec which is not too far away from where I live. It was nice to escape from the city for a short time and to enjoy the lush greenery whch was literally only a bike ride away.

One for the feminists...

What is your reaction to this comment?

Timothy Leary - "Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition."

Dark Days and a Little Sarcasm

Sometimes it is great to have those days when you know that there is not need to go outside and you have an extra excuse because of bad weather. It leaves you with the options that you have been longing for; writing, reading a book, or just doing nothing.
Today I added cleaning the windows to that list so I can have a better view of my neighbours and if my very kind neighbour considerately decides to wake me up at 6 in the morning, I will have no streak marks to block my sight of him therefore allowing me to thank him for the wonderful influence his pop music has on my days.

Private lessons with the Queen

I have begun my search again for private students. Currently I have two messages posted on Gumtree, one in English and one in Polish. I also have another ad somewhere out there which I get responses to from time to time.
I received one yesterday signed 'Pozdrawiam serdecznie(yours sincerely), Queen Lubanguka'.
It is an impressive name. Maybe I will be teaching a queen. Let's see if I get a response to my reply.

The Gay Parade in Krakow. Colourful people, violent, close-minded people and the police in between.

Thoughts on alcohol

Travelling through the Ukraine made me think about how much the Irish obsess about alcohol an dthe obvious problems associated with it. Personally, i tired of the endless debate about the so called 'binge' drinking culture. Here i have seen people walking around with bottles of beer all through the day and at night, the locals gather together and play music and drink without any ugliness or violence. Surely there is a great lesson to be learned form this and i think it is a farce to blame so many problems on alcohol. It is the problems underneath that must be addressed because the high suicidal rate in the country is a more worrying problem. Mayeb if we spent more time and effort on more positive and spiritual studies then this would improve the mood and the balance in many disillusioned people's lives. Alcohol abuse will never end but if we have the appropriate resources and facilities to help those who are spiritually diseased, then this will lead to an improvement in the mental health of the country.
I also think that children should be allowed to consume a small amount of alcohol at a young age therefore rendering it harmless and not the treasured liquid that it seems to be. Imagining the same situation in Ireland last night seemed impossible to do but hopefully, this can change.