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.