Phone Etiquette

Why is it that some people are not aware of how to use phones in public situations? They don't put their phones on silent at the cinema, they talk loudly on public transport or prefer to communicate on their phone rather than with the person in front of them?

I often see the panic on people's faces to respond to their phone during a lesson even when I am waiting for an answer to a question I have just asked. It seems that we sometimes pay more attention to this little devices than to the people around us as if this type of 'human' contact is more important.

Another things that irritates the hell out of me is when people decide to share their taste in music in public spaces. Headphones? No? If the music was good I wouldn't mind so much but it's always the same type of Euro disco crap. I have often thought about counteracting this by blaring some Neil Young or some Simon and Garfunkle on a bus or train just to see the reaction.

The interesting thing is that mobile phones are still a relatively new piece of technology but can we spend time without them? How did we contact each other in the past? I guess it was more about planning in advance. Perhaps we were more punctual as we had no way to inform someone we were going to be late.

Of course, there are some people who don't use them. Once I heard about a manager of a language school who doesn't have a phone yet somehow she manages. Try going out without one for a day. It's a very liberating experience.

Three Christmases

This is the first time I have experienced three Christmases. One is usually enough but this season consisted of even more eating and drinking for me than in previous years.

On the 24th of December I celebrated a traditional Polish Christmas with dumplings ("pierogi"), vegetarian "bigos" (sour cabbage and mushrooms) and some wine. Perhaps the latter is not traditional but the cheesecake we had for dessert was.

On the 25th of December I had my Irish traditional Christmas meal minus the turkey and ham. This meant lots of potatoes (baked, mashed and also disguised in the form of croquettes), broccoli, carrots, roasted parsnips and best of all, stuffing. This was followed by pudding and other sweet treats.

After that, on January 6th it was time for the Ukrainian Christmas. This time I was more involved in the preparation of the food. I made dumplings stuffed with sour cabbage and potatoes ("varenyki"), cabbage leafs with buckwheat and mushroom filling ("holubtsi"), doughnuts with rose and poppy seed filling ("pampuszky") and a dessert called "kutia" which consists of poppy seeds, nuts and raisins. There was also beetroot soup ("borsch") and sour cabbage salad with beans all washed down with cognac and vodka. Fish is eaten on the 6th while meat is eaten on the 7th of January.

There are many differences between these different traditional meals. In Ireland we have a candle at the window to welcome in strangers while in Poland there is an empty space at the table reserved for a possible guest. In Ukraine bread is placed on the table as well as a candle which is a reminder of the star of Bethlehem. There were also four cloves of garlic placed at the corners of the table. In Ireland we pull crackers which doesn't happen in Poland or Ukraine. However, in these countries carol singing at dinner is common while in Ireland, it is not.

There are many more differences depending on the region of each country but this year has certainly been full of interesting opportunities to compare and contrast different traditions as well as eating and drinking more than my fair share.

Nanowrimo Winner

It's all over. I have finally managed to reach the target of 50,000 words. I am writing about this not to bask in the glory of this achievement (well perhaps a little) but to highlight what a good idea having a target is for a writer. Feeling a part of an online community is something that does help to motivate. It's also amazing how many words can accumulate when you work steadily on an idea.

It wasn't easy. There were many days when I sat in front of my computer and started falling asleep but had to wake myself up in order to complete the daily target which was around 1,600 words. For most of this month I played catch up as there were two days when I wrote nothing. Last night I felt a little possessed by some sort of writing demon and wrote ferociously until I finished it.

Now, I feel like more hours have been added to my day. A big weight has been taken off me and I no longer have to write to keep guilty thoughts at bay. The editing is next and the ironic thing is that this will involve reducing what I have written. Redundant sections will be chopped, language will be strictly scrutinised and deleted if deemed unnecessary.

The hardest part is then knowing what to do with this finished work. Do I send it to publishers, self-publish, post it here or do nothing? Writers have it harder than musicians in many ways as they have to find a way to share their work and of course it takes more effort and willingness on behalf of potential readers than listeners. If anyone has any ideas on this matter, please comment or write to me. I am thinking of taking a DIY approach but am not sure yet just how that will look.

Nanowrimo - Nearing The End

My head is sore today from writing or perhaps the change in weather which is slowly breaking down my immune system. The good news is that I have fulfilled my quota of words but the bad news is that if I keep going at this rate, I will finish on December 2nd.

I'm at 32,2116 words which I think is not bad at all and I still have some ideas to help me stretch out my story. That's the funny thing about my current writing. When I finish the 50,000 quote required to be a Nanowrimo winner, my first task will be to go back over my story again and begin the editing process where I will probably delete a good chunk of the work which took a great deal of effort to create.

I am enjoying being under pressure to write and sometimes I wonder if I could maintain this every day. The most satisfying thing is how quickly words build up when you maintain a regular writing practice. Doing this would be tough but think of all I would write. I guess this is what full-time writers do. They have their times for writing every day and their times for resting like any other job.

First things first, only another ten days to go and a little less than 18,000 words to write.

From Bratislava to Vienna

It's been a while since I have taken my steel horse and gone on a journey of any considerable distance which is why last weekend's trip to Vienna was particularly enjoyable but a bit painful. It was a very foggy day, but at least it was calm with no rain.
The logic behind just wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt and a fleece was that I would sweat less. It kind of worked but it meant that when I stopped, I really felt the cold. I'm not used to cycling in such low temperatures and perhaps I was wishfully thinking that it's still summer.

 The hardest part was getting out of Bratislava but once I found the bike route, it was pretty easy to follow. Crossing the border which is so close to Bratislava was a thrill as I imagined how difficult it once used to be to enter into either country. Some of the small towns in Austria along the route are really quite nice and it would have been easy to stop there for a while if I'd had a bit more time.

Hainburg an der Donau is particulary interesting mainly because of the castle perched on a hill. You can't really see it in the picture below because of the thick fog but it's a destination I would like to return to when I have more time.

I think the hardest part mentally was the road through the Donau-Auen National Park. There was a bike path all the way but the fact that it was straight with no interesting curves or turns made it challenging. This is the reason why I ditched this path and went back onto main roads. I was in need of changes in scenery and some twists and turns. Of course I got a bit lost but with the help of some locals I soon got back on track.

My sugar levels dropped radically just before reaching Vienna and I had to binge on some chocolate to get me the rest of the way there. As expected, it took a long time to get from the edge of the city into the centre but it was a pleasant ride with bike paths most of the way. Vienna has an impressive biking infrastructure which I really enjoyed using. Unfortunately Bratislava has a far inferior system but here's hoping that this will change.

To come back I took the train as I was exhausted at the end, satisfied but tired. It's definitely possible to do a return trip in one day but it really would take a lot more energy and a higher fitness level than I currently have to do it.

Next up, (perhaps in the spring) is Budapest once again.

A Novel in One Month

November 1st. Today is the first day of Nanowrimo, an online writing project I have signed up to do for the second time. It means that every day of this month I have to write in order to reach the target of 50,000 words. It's a massive amount to write and I feel daunted by it to say the least but my plan is to take it one day at a time.

On the website they advise you to tell everyone you know that you are taking part in this which is why I am writing here. I want to exclaim loud and clear that in one month's time I will have a collection of 50,000 words. The logic behind this is that the more people you tell, the greater the feeling of failure if you don't complete the word count. The last time around I told students, friends and felt like walking up to strangers to tell them,  'Yes, I am taking part in Nanowrimo and I will write a novel / a large collection of words in one month.'

Right now, I have no idea if these words will form something coherent and interesting or not. That is the beauty of the project. Participants are encouraged to simply write and write without editing. This comes later. Now it's all about writing and filling blank pages with words.

Who Needs a Map?

The stereotype regarding men not using maps is unfortunately true for me. I don't like maps and prefer to get lost and then find my way again (not only in a spiritual sense).

Yesterday is a perfect example. I had a lesson on a street I'd never been to before which was the first warning. Before leaving home I did check the address online and made a mental note of a street beginning with the letter 's' that I had to cross before taking a right at a street name ending with 'eho'.

To my mind I was well-prepared so out I went.

Of course you can imagine what happened. I found one street beginning with the 's' I was looking for but it didn't lead me to the street name ending in 'eho'.

I don't have a smart phone and of course I hadn't taken my map with me. Time was ticking and the last thing I needed was to be late for the first lesson with this student. Thankfully people are quite helpful in Bratislava but unfortunately the street I was looking for didn't seem to be popular. After asking many people, including one who even checked on her smart phone while nervously looking up in anticipation of her bus (mental note -  don't ask people for directions at bus stops), I decided to walk in the direction I instinctively guessed it was.

The problem now is that I may not learn my lesson because I found the street without a map and was even early for the lesson. All the stress soon faded once I spotted the street name which matched to the one on the student's business card. All the anxiety was forgotten replaced by manly pride.

Baring All

After coming back from a fantastic run I feel I have banished my demons for a while at least. By 'fantastic' I don't mean that this word applies to my performance but rather to the feeling gained from it. There really is no better way to clear the mind and to get the endorphins working.

I can see why Christopher McDougall in his book Born To Run advocates it so much. He believes that, like the title suggests, we are indeed made / born to run. This is how we humans hunted in the past. We were able to tire animals but by running them into submission before killing them. Before reading about this I always thought that we were not made to run at all but running was simply something I enjoyed despite the fear of injuries from doing it too much.

What he argues is that our methods are all wrong and that we should run naturally without trainers. This whole concept of barefoot running is very interesting and makes sense. If we wear thick padding under the soles of our feet, our feet don't react naturally to the different contours of the ground beneath us so we are blocking our muscles from working naturally. The problem is that how do you change your methods of running or indeed walking after wearing modern footwear for so long?

Recently I spent a small fortune on trainers called 'Vivobarefoot' which are designed to let our feet do most of the work. Needless to say, after one run I was in agony. Descending stairs was particularly gruelling for my calf muscles. I gave it a week and tried again with slightly better results. The biggest problem was trying to change my technique and land on the top of my foot in order to put less pressure on my back and spring forwards. It's difficult to change habits that are deeply ingrained into the body and mind and it does take the fun out of just running without thinking.

I haven't used this trainers for a while but that's not to say I am giving up on this method. For now I am happy to be able to run without injuries but little by little I will try out these barefoot trainers. I don't expect them to elevate me to superfitdom status but hopefully gain the benefits that the author has gained from using this barefoot technique.

For more about the barefoot debate -

Christopher McDougall's Website

Missing Something(s)

I don't like being materialistic and I try not to own too many things but fail miserably when it comes to music. I don't regret this or feel ashamed about this but when I am away from my vinyl collection and guitar, I feel like I am not quite the same.

Listening to music on tinny laptop speakers is horrible really but I guess it's a small comfort. As for headphones, the advantage is that I can appreciate the nuances you don't always hear when listening to music but (sob, sob) my head usually hurts after using them for a short time. On top of this there is always the fear that I am damaging my hearing by exposing my ears to such a concentration of sound which is being channelled directly at my ear drums.

Playing vinyls or CDs on something other than a laptop is so much more of an enjoyable experience and makes me appreciate the album format for what it is.

Now when it comes to the guitar it's a different matter altogether. This is the tool I use to express what goes on in my head or what is made up from the imagination. It is the instrument that holds options that writing just doesn't have. I do love writing stories or these snippets I post here for that matter, but the combination of words and music is something special. I love the spark, the new idea and also the thought that the next song will be better than anything that I've done before. The latter is the driving force. First of all I need to prove to myself that I can create a new song that I feel is god and only then does it come to the point of possible performance. There are many songs that I have never shared and never will. They are like diary entries that have been recorded to remember them but that's all.

So I guess all this does make me materialistic but I feel I can justify it by saying it's also very much a spiritual thing.

On The Move / Initial Observations

Moving is always tough for me. It amazes me that people can move once a year or even more and not lose their minds. I guess I have mixed feelings about it. I admire and am confused by these people.

It's funny how often people look at me and think I'm one of these travellers who can't stay put in one place for too long. When I tell them it's not true, I usually get the feeling that they are not convinced.

Ireland 22 or so years and Poland for nearly 8 years and that's it. Okay so I have spent at least one month a year in Oxford for the last four years but that has been for work purposes and usually out of necessity.

Now it's Bratislava. It's not so different from Kraków in some ways but very different in others. Initial observations are that there are less small shops and markets to buy fruit and veg than in Kraków. This is a bit disappointing as I feel I am being forced to use Tesco a little too often. The architecture here has more remnants from the communist / socialist past whereas in Kraków, there have been many attempts to remove these traces of history. People are generally friendlier here and are willing to help if they can. In Kraków I often found people to be a mixed bag, sometimes friendly and sometimes they looked and behave as if they hated every human on Earth including themselves.

I'm digressing here though, although my heading has allowed for this. It's strange to move again. I'm starting from the bottom again but this time with experience of what it means to live in a totally different place and know no one. It's still weird and fitting in seems like a big task. I do have to remind myself that I haven't even been here one week and yet in some ways it feels like I've been here much longer.

Selfies - Everyone Is At It

What is the big fascination with 'selfies'? It is hardly a new idea yet for some reason it has become very popular since the widespread use of the smart phone. In the past taking a photo of yourself would have been deemed an act of vanity or necessity if there was no one else to take your photo at an interesting sight. Recently it seems that it doesn't matter if someone else can take your photo or not. What's important is the ability to capture yourself and perhaps others in a photo taken by yourself. What is fascinating is that this is considered cool. Why is this the case? How can something so self-absorbing not be frowned upon and ridiculed?

It seems that even animals are getting in on the act. Recently I even heard of a story of a black macaque monkey who took selfies of himself.This cheeky monkey began snapping away after snatching the camera from photographer David Slater. The website Wikimedia has since published some of these photos stating that they belong in the public domain as the monkey took these photos and not the photographer. These photos have since gone viral making this particular monkey more famous than he realises.


If even monkeys are at it, what hope is left to end this vain act of self-photography?

Link to video about the monkey selfie.

An Unedited Entry

I am not going to go very deep into certain matters but simply give an overview of what I think. This may perhaps be very simple and not very well thought out but it's what I am feeling at this current moment in time having briefly read through some of the events going on in the world today, mainly the Israeli invasion of Gaza and the shooting down of the MH17 plane in Ukraine by pro-Russian separatists.

You might argue that I have not used my words correctly in describing the above and have a lot to argue against this but this but the main point of this blog entry is to express sadness that these things are happening and have happened. I can also count myself very fortunate to be in a position that is very far removed from such events and cannot imagine how it must be to directly be involved or affected by them.

Of course there are a lot of tragic things going on in the world that are not highlighted in the media that I often turn to such as the BBC, The Guardian and other social media. Often I am desensitised to news reports of the loss of life but sometimes it is too hard to ignore the darkness of human nature and the horrific actions this can lead to.

Right now, I appreciate where I am and consider my problems petty in comparison to others. I also contemplate if it is worthwhile to be informed at times. I know it is important to know what is going on in the world even if it makes me feel that my own existence is quite unimportant in the grander scheme of things. However, I do still believe that little gestures count for something and have to hold on to the idea that we all do make a difference.

To Bus or to Train It

There's something romantic about travelling by train, the sound of click, clack as old trains rattle along tracks through villages, towns and countryside that is sometimes not accessible any other way. In Poland recently there has been a surge of new bus companies springing up with really low prices and attractive routes that is putting a struggling train network under more pressure and rightly so.
Despite this, I still opted for the train on a recent trip from Przemysl to Kraków.

An old train took us as far as Rzeszów before it broke down. It was bad news for everyone but particularly for those who had their journey abruptly cut short only half a kilometre or so from the station. We had to wait while the burly driver and conductors ran up and down the train until it was towed back to the station. At least another train was arranged which was more than what happened on an Austrian train I travelled partly on not so long ago. After the train had broken down in the middle of nowhere, we had to wait for about an hour for a bus to come and take us to the nearest u-bahn stop and not the destination on our ticket, the main train station in Vienna.

So, back to the Polish journey. The train I was on was due to terminate in Tarnów but I found out from some Ukrainian travellers that there was a connecting train from there to Kraków. I was even able to buy a ticket from the conductor for the corresponding train and was told that this train would wait for us but we had to be fast.

When the train reached Tarnów, we quickly got out but our train was nowhere to be seen. Had it gone already? No. It arrived fifteen minutes later. This gleaming, modern, smooth train was quite a contrast to the previous two trains of the day. There was even information about the name day of saints on that particular day (very useful to know) and a speedometer which was quite erratic to say the least and turned off possibly due to the embarrassment of the driver as the journey was incredibly slow. At one point the conductor suggested to smokers that they go for a cigarette as we had to wait for three trains to pass by before we could go. The Ukrainians looked as bemused as I felt with the whole train experience and I am sure they were thinking how much better things are in their country regarding train travel.

The train stopped at every stop and the only thing that kept me interested was comparing the numerous modernised stations with the old discarded ones that had been abandoned to the past. Despite the modernisations, it all seemed a false as it would have been a lot faster to take a bus. I hope that PKP (the national train association) will sort it out and stop using the excuse of renovations causing delays as this can only be the case for so long. People tell me that trains used to be better in the past so perhaps all these modernisations are only for show but have no real purpose or perhaps we need to remain patient for better things to come. The fact that PKP provides bus services on some lines suggests otherwise.

The Language of Music

In Poland, it seems that the majority of songs played on the radio are in the English language, but by law radio stations have to broadcast at least thirty-three per cent of songs in the Polish language. What I often find strange is the high number of Poles who choose to sing in English rather than in their mother tongue. Does the amount of airtime given to English-based music cause this? Does it really matter what language the songs are sung in? Is music universal and can linguistic barriers be crossed because of the catchiness of the melody? Do the majority of people even focus on the lyrics? A lot of different questions regularly come to mind when thinking about the debate between language and music and to get some other perspectives on this, I have asked the opinions of musicians, Jan Řepka (the Czech Republic), Peter 'Petiar' Lachký (Slovakia) and Jakub Bugała (Poland).

            
What struck me is that, unlike in Poland where Jakub estimates only about ‘ten per cent or less use only Polish’, both Jan and Peter claim, that in their opinions, a very small percentage of people sing in the English language in their respective countries. Jan claims that only about one-fifth of Czech musicians do so while Peter says that only about five per cent of his musician friends perform in the English language. Obviously the Czech, Slovak and Polish languages have their differences despite being part of the same language group. Rhyming seems to be more of a challenge in Polish and perhaps the Czech and Slovakian languages are easier to manipulate and mould to the songwriter’s needs.

            
How important is it to perform in your own native language and what type of audience do musicians aim for? Jan says ‘Primarily, I think it is important to master the language you want to use, especially when it is supposed to be used in an artistic way.‘ Perhaps being judged by people in your own language makes some musicians shy away from singing in their first language. Jan suggests that the songwriter may try to ‘mask the weaknesses of the lyrics by using another (usually) English.’ Peter, on the other hand, likes to play with words which obviously requires a great understanding of the ‘hidden nooks of the language.’ To do so requires skill in any language and especially in one that is not your native one. For Jakub using a ‘non-native language creates a mask that makes you somehow less vulnerable’, which echoes Jan’s thoughts.

            
When choosing to write and perform in another language, there is the opportunity of having a wider audience to reach out to. Jakub chooses to write in English as ‘English is a language of international communication.’ He makes the point that a lot of artists use the Internet as a means of sharing their music and thinks that the majority of Internet users are ‘English native speakers or people who commonly use English as their second language.’ ‘I’m more into translating my songs into Polish or maybe German as I’m more likely to play in those countries than English-Speaking ones,’ says Jan. In Peter’s case the difficulty of translating into English proved to be the stumbling point and has led to him continuing to sing in the Slovakian language. He describes a time when he did try to translate his lyrics into English but states that while doing so, he ‘couldn’t find a proper word, expression or we couldn’t fit it into the rhythm of the song.’ Of course, it’s not always so easy to transfer ideas from one language to another and there is frequently the fear of what is lost in the process.

           
Rather unsurprisingly, all agree that the lyrics of the songs are key to the integrity of their work, although Jakub believes that lyrics and music can be separated ‘by treating lyrics as a pure rhythmical and sonic form.’ Out of the three, only Jakub writes most of his songs in the English language, however, Peter says that when comparing the English language to Slovakian, the former ‘has much shorter words than in Slovakian and is easier to rhyme.’ Finding more ways of expressing yourself is certainly a valid reason for using another language other than your own and it can be another argument on the board for those who do so.

            
Do people pay attention to lyrics? Peter believes that they do and says that the type of people he performs to, ‘know that the music is based on lyrics.’ Jan says, ‘Of course you pay more attention when someone sings in your native language.’ This suggests that singing in a foreign language in front of people from your own country can potentially alienate them. Jakub plays predominantly in front of Polish audiences and he is not so sure if people listen carefully to his lyrics. He says, ‘I have received only a few comments about my lyrics.’ He has only recently released his first album (The Spin, November 2013), so perhaps this will generate feedback on the lyrical side of his songs.

            
Summing up, it seems that the musical genre, the audience the musician is aiming his/her music at and the ability of the artist to use language are the key points here and these will ultimately determine the language used and probably the quality of it. Perhaps using your native language makes you more exposed in front of your home audience but the possibility of making a connection with them is arguably easier. The choice of language is a subjective one based on the individual’s language abilities but it is obvious that all three musicians and musicians in general would like to be understood and appreciated by their audiences whatever language they perform in.

Jakub Bugała - http://inqbator.bandcamp.com/

Peter ‘Petiar’ Lachký - http://petiar.sk/v-krajine

Jan Řepka - http://www.janrepka.cz/

How To Get Lost.

Trying to be clever, I have entitled this post 'Get Lost'. Why? Well, this is a rant about my bank called Getin Bank. Very clever, eh?

After listening to people for far too long expressing their fears that we will basically all be screwed when we retire because of the predicted pitiful pension funds, I decided to set up my own pension fund. My plan was to open a savings bank account and set up a monthly direct transfer of an affordable sum of money from one account to another, the second of which, I planned to not touch until retirement or in the case of a really, really, extreme, extreme situation, which does not include holidays, music gear or anything like that.

So, I went to the bank, where I was well assisted and returned home ready to begin this sensible operation, but when I logged in, I could not see this new account.

The next day, I went back to the bank and was informed that perhaps my online banking system needed to be updated. The guy told me he had done something to make it work but that I should go home and check it and return the next day if nothing had changed.

Guess what? I had to return the next day. This time I had to sign some forms in order to change my account to a more modern version that I was informed was much easier to use than the old one. It all sounded great so I returned home once again and logged into my new account ready to set up my pension savings scheme. When I logged in, I now saw that my account had become an empty corpse. My balance had been erased and there was no information that this account was alive and well except that which told me where it is I live.

Since then I have been in correspondance with my bank by email and have been informed on a daily basis that everything will be fixed soon. It has been over one week since I began, what I believed would be a very easy, straightforward process but instead of beginning a very mature and sensible scheme, I now have no money in my online account, no account number, no record of any transactions but at least I know where I live.

The Lost Weekend - From Krakow to ... Wrocław

The plan was simple - go from Kraków to Berlin to see two friends, one studying there and the other who was doing an album launch.

In the past there was a direct train from Kraków to Berlin but this has been replaced by a bus, which is better as it takes two hours less than the train used to take. An eight-hour journey still seemed to long, so my friend and I decided to get to Wrocław early in the morning and then hitch a ride into Germany. We thought that by getting there so early, we would have plenty of time to make it, and even if hitch-hiking proved to be ineffective, there would still be enough time to catch a train or a bus and make it to Berlin in the evening.

Everything started out fine. We took the bus at 7:40 in the morning and arrived in Wrocław at 9:20. Since my friend had never seen the city, we took a walk into the centre with the aim of taking a quick stroll around, take in the impressive Market Square and then get out of town and onto a road leading towards Germany.

We had a coffee, walked around a bit and then set about finding a way to get to the edge of town. Two girls at tourist information helped us out. It seemed unfortunate that a friend of one of the girls was actually driving to Berlin that day and could have given us a lift but it just wasn't to be. A little bit of bad luck but we didn't think too much of it.

Getting to the edge of town can be difficult but we managed to do it after a few setbacks. Then we had to find a suitable place to stand in the typical hitch-hiking pose with our sign and hope that a good soul would help us out. Despite waiting for three hours in pretty cold temperatures, breathing in car fumes, hoping that one of the hundreds if not thousands of cars that went past us, only one person stopped but she was going in the opposite direction.

With cold feet and hands and deflated hopes, we retreated into a shopping centre to think about another course of action. With the help of my friend's fiancee, we got the number of a guy from a car sharing website (www.blablacar.pl) who was going to Berlin. We called him and he said he was leaving at 5pm and was going to arrive in Berlin at 10pm. It was a bit late for us but seemed like the only option, so we agreed to go with him. A Thirty-minute delay became one hour. Add another half an hour onto that and our patience was running low. This guy was driving a bus but was not registered and was using a car pooling website to basically run an illegal service so we decided to scrap that plan and go back into the centre and check the train connections. We knew there was an early morning train thanks once again to my friend's fiancee but we had no idea how complicated it would be to buy a ticket for it. We could buy a ticket to the town across the border to Gorlitz but not from Kottbus to Berlin. We couldn't understand why. Surely in the European Union there is communication between train companies to allow for the smooth movement of people from country to country. Evidently not, judging by the problems we had at the train station. The cashier was very helpful and even phoned a colleague to try to get us a ticket. The major problem was that there was so little time between connections that there was no way we would have had time to buy the ticket and make the train. She did manage to work something out for us despite the overly-complicated system but it all seemed too complicate and expensive so we decided to get a hostel for the night and review our options.

The first hostel we went to had no free beds.  The people working there almost seemed surprised by this fact and it seemed that normally it was not a problem to book a bed for the night. For us, it was just another slap in the face. They did help us to find another hostel, which had two free beds, was wonderful and located above a nice bar in an interesting area in Wrocław.

Having checked in, I went online and found another guy from the car pooling agency who was leaving the next day and could take us. With this in mind, we went out and enjoyed a few drinks in Wrocław before going to bed knowing that the next day we would finally make it to Berlin.

At 5am, my alarm went off for some strange reason. I had set it for that time the previous day but not that night. I turned it off and got a text that our driver cancelled his trip and was not going to Berlin. I responded by writing 'szkoda' and he responded back. According to him, the reasons were beyond his control and he was really sorry but I was wondering what he was doing awake at 5am and found it hard to believe the reason was out of his control.

The next day, I got up early and did some more research but there was nothing affordable going to Berlin so we decided just to give up and accept that fate was against us. It was nice to spend time in Wrocław but we both felt defeated. We were having coffee when the driver called again and said he had changed his mind. Perhaps he was sober then and this had influenced his decision. I don't know but by then we had already booked a ticket back to Krakow and had given up on Berlin.

What came out of this whole trip are three main things:

1. that hitch-hiking is not so easy in Poland
2. car sharing has many flaws especially when people are so unreliable
3. sometimes it is better just to buy a ticket with the assurance that you will get to your destination

A New Idea - A Travel Community Blog

I have had this blog for some time now. In fact, the first post was way back in 2005.  A lot has happened since then and I guess I have recorded some of this in songs, some in stories and some here.

The point of this entry is to let you know that I have set up another blog that has nothing to do with my life, but the lives of others and especially the experiences that other people have had living in a different country.

It's called 'Home Is Where I Write'. I chose the name because I think we have have a number of different homes. Writing is also something that grounds me and gives me a sense of having a home. I can find a home in the words I use or the thoughts I would like to share.

Anyway, here's a link to the blog http://homeiswhereiwrite.wordpress.com/author/homeiswhereiwrite/

The idea is to share the experiences of others who have lived in another country. You can write a song, a poem, a rant, an article, share an anecdote ... the format is up to you.

There's not too much up there now but if you are interested, get in touch.

Brown Bread

Above you can see my first solo attempt to bake bread. It was a very proud moment for me to slowly take the bread tray out of the oven and inhale the wonderful aroma signifying the completion of my efforts. Baking bread has been something that I have felt I should do for such a long time and I don't know what has stopped me from doing so.

What surprised me was how long it took to prepare but the satisfaction of slicing it and eating it for breakfast (it wasn't savoured unfortunately as I slept in and was nearly late for work) the following day was worth it. In the recipe, it said 20 minutes preparation time, and this was true but I missed the information giving the whole time needed. It was so long that my private lessons had to be interrupted slightly while I moved onto the next stage of the process much to the interest of my private students.

Why was it such a proud moment? Well, for me bread is a staple part of my diet. It is literally the foundation for so many of the things I eat - mainly toast and sandwiches and the different combinations that I put on top of them

So as for the preparation; getting the ingredients was pretty easy, kneading the bread for about 10 minutes was not so smooth on the wrists or on my patience especially given the limited space in my kitchen. As a whole the major requirement was patience, patience to do it correctly and to regularly check the recipe I found online. It is not a great virtue of mine but given the fact that I didn't literally have to wait and watch it slowly rise, it was not a problem.

So now that I have broken my baking bread virginity, I have promised myself not to go back to buying cheap, poor quality bread in the shop. That would be far too easy. This will involve a lot of planning in advance but if forced to have the option of bread or no bread, I know which one I will choose.

For those who are interested - Brown Bread Recipe

Biking in Poland from Kraków to Toruń (Summary of experiences from last year's adventure)

On 25th of September last year I finally set out to do something I had been scheming to do all summer while I was cooped up working at a summer school, go biking from Kraków to … Well, the initial aim was to follow the Amber Trail (Bursztynowe Szlak) all the way to Gdańsk but this proved difficult from the outset due to the lack of physical maps available and the shortage of information online. There was a website which promised much at first glance but failed to deliver. When I wrote an email to the contact address asking if there was a map available or more information, I didn’t receive a reply. With the aid of a road map of Poland, I traced out my own version of the route by circling each place of significance on it with the hope that everything would be clearer once I was actually there. I was hoping that there would be signs on the route as there was information on the website that this was the case. Another worry was that I also wasn’t sure if my borrowed bicycle was suitable for such a long trip. It had previously been ridden from Berlin to Kraków by its real owner so this reassured me a little.

Off The Beaten Track

In the past I have visited some Polish cities as well as countryside areas but this trip gave me the chance to really feel the country and in particular explore remote villages that are inaccessible for someone like me who can’t drive a car. What I found interesting is that it was hard to not be around any signs of civilization. Polish villages are usually quite spread out with houses not so close together. It is often hard to see the division between villages as there is often no clear border between them. This is unlike in Ireland where you can travel for a long time without seeing any sign of human activity. Many villages were not very prosperous in appearance with rather grey buildings lining narrow roads. This was not true all the time and some villages were quite well maintained but in general there was not much to make me want to stay in these places. Dogs regularly barked as I passed by with a heavy load, some threatened to add a bite to their bark. There were lots of chickens spread out on both sides of the road or frequently wandering around in drainage ditches. In some villages, there were no roads only dirt tracks but this wasn’t the case very often with some roads perfect for riding on. Seeing cabbage, onions and other food growing in the fields was interesting and gave me one reason to feel tempted to stay and work on the land. The most amazing memory I have of the trip was the route to Kazimerz Dolny through apple paradise with trees heavily laden with apples wherever I went. Further on I took a bike path up a steep hill and saw raspberries and other fruit being harvested in one of the most picturesque places I have seen. There was a strong temptation in me to stay there and ask for a job in return for a place to sleep for the night but I stuck to my cycling plan.

 Locals seemed surprised to see me passing through despite the fact that many lampposts had bike route signs on them but I never felt a sense of danger. One man joined me on a part of my trip. He was full of questions about me and told me he had lived in the U.S. for some time. He was keen to talk but cycled dangerously close to passing cars at times. Despite his age, he was faster than me and eventually continued on his own to the next town. The only places I saw signs for the Amber Trail was when I was leaving Nowa Huta in Kraków and in Bałtów, a resort by the Vistula River which was well set up for tourists with a dinosaur theme park one of its main attractions. The help of local people was invaluable. Without their directions, I would have wasted a lot of time going the wrong way. Another thing I must mention is the fact that as I was on my own, I often had to leave my bike unattended while I was shopping for food. Removing the panniers and carrying them and the tent with me was too much so this risk was necessary but not once did I have any problems or have anything stolen.

On The Beaten Track

Arriving into big cities such as Warsaw, Płock and Toruń were highlights especially the former as this really created a sense of achievement. The atmosphere was very different and much more commercial and business-like than in the countryside. Cafes and restaurants were crowded and there was a great sense of wealth and affluence in the capital. There were also a lot of tourists in the city taking photographs and leisurely strolling around especially in Nowy Świat, a busy location not far from the Old Town. It was strange seeing so many people in one place having been in the countryside for long periods. Płock and Toruń were similar with the latter being a place which seemed to be only for tourists. This was easy to understand given the wonderful architecture in the city.

Safety and Accommodation

Safety was an issue on larger roads as it is no place for cyclists. The lanes can be very narrow with the sides of the roads leading into a ditch or loose stones which can’t be cycled upon. I did take some of the main roads at times because they are obviously more direct with less chances of getting lost. This did mean taking more risks with one of the most dangerous parts of the trip, the section of the 757 road to Opatów that I rode on. The wind generated from passing trucks in the other lane nearly knocked me off my bike on multiple occasions. On the other hand, the busy 10 road from Lipno to Toruń was surprisingly comfortable. There was space enough for a cyclist and the road was in very good condition making it one of the easiest parts of the route. On the first night I asked two locals in a small village if I could pitch my tent somewhere and was refused and forced to camp wild.  Finding accommodation was difficult but locals were very helpful when I asked and directed me to places that weren’t well advertised.

To Sum Up

Toruń was the final stop due to the fact that I was planning to meet my parents on a certain date. I mainly travelled on a flat part of the country but passing by villages, towns and cities was a wonderful experience. Seeing food growing on the land was also something that I didn’t take for granted as fresh food is something I value greatly in Poland. I just wish that the route had been better mapped out as it was not so easy to find my way around especially when I was in some rural areas. It’s a shame there are not more campsites around as this would have made things a lot easier. Perhaps there are more campsites than I think but again they are not well signposted. Next on the Amber Trail for me is the route from Kraków to Budapest. At least I have a map for this part of the Amber Trail but I’m thinking about buying a new bike first.

This was written last year and since then I have indeed bought a new bike. More to come on this year's adventure soon.

An Expensive Something To Laugh About

I am questioning the logic of writing this post but there are times when I can't take myself seriously and am glad that I have a good enough sense of humour to laugh at my own expense.

So ... here it goes. I arrived home from England last Monday. Leaving at 2 in the morning to get a flight at 8:30 was not a pleasant journey. By the time I got back to the intense heat in Krakow, all I was fit for, was sleep.

With a flight due the next night, I decided to catch up with some friends in the evening, which was probably not the greatest idea since I was till suffering from a cold, but still it was nice to catch up.

The next day was a day of preparation for my flight to Georgia - a non-event of a day as these days tend to be. It was a case of patiently waiting until it was time to leave. I got out to the airport with plenty of time to spare and contemplated on how best to pass the four hours until the flight was due. Reading, eating, coffee, reading, juice and more reading seemed to work.

I had a look up at the information board just out of curiosity and that's when everything went wrong. I examined it extremely carefully but my flight was not there. I checked the ticket and the date and everything seemed fine - 30th of July but then I realised why it was not on the electronic board, the date was correct but the plane had already left at 00:50 earlier that morning.

This is not the first time something like this has happened to me. I have waited at an airport one day earlier to welcome my cousin, I have confused 6 am with 6 pm while getting a ferry from Dublin to Wales, I once bought 5 train tickets for our group of 4 and I have also booked flights to the wrong airport.

So what did I do? I contemplated getting another flight to anywhere but then decided to retreat back to Krakow. I took a bus to the train station in Katowice and thought again about going somewhere different. The shame of returning to Krakow seemed too great. Wrocław, Warsaw - these were two cities that came to mind but then I decided that it was best to return to the city I had started from and regroup.

All the buses had gone and the queue was enormous. I'm guessing they were in line to get tickets for  a festival as they looked like the type with range of quirky styles from punk to a hippy look that seemed out of place in the modern train station in Katowice. When I finally reached the top of the queue, I bought a ticket for the next train to Krakow, which was due in over 5 hours. Patience was needed once more. I amused myself by reading again and going to an Internet cafe to book another flight for later in the week. There was one option to fly from Warsaw to Georgia the next day but I chose the later one from Krakow, which was half the price.

Patience was the quality, which was once again put to the test on the train journey home. I slept for most of it thankfully.

So I am still going to Georgia but will have to be patient once more. As for these mistakes that prove to be very costly, I feel a bit resigned to the fact that I will make them again but at least they give me a reason to write.