This blog is intended to be a series of random anecdotes, videos, and other media about my daily life as a curious foreigner in in foreign countries. From my misadventures, endearing cultural experiences, friendships, and strange encounters, to the coffee shops and language pitfalls, I promise to share it all!
Last week during an NGO lecutre, the topic of Greenpeace protesting Nestle because of their choice of location for procuring palm oil to add to their chocolate came up. If there is anyone who is an avid fan of devouring both white and dark chocolate forms of kitkat, it would be me. Nevertheless, a thought dawned on me that day that I had never formally boycotted any product. So with a gusto, I officially withdrew myself from consuming thier chocolate products. I conveniently switched to non-nestle brands in Poland*
Luckilly, I came across an article today that the monkeys' will be given a break in the amazon, while Nestle conducts palm oil purchases elsewhere! Say what you will about Greenpeace, I'll be enjoying my KittKat's again!
*Another decadent, gooey chocolate found in Poland is the famous Lion Bar..it's Nestle
The first link is a one hour presenation from 2008, the second is a two minute news boradcast. The third link is the link to the link website-that's three links for link!
April was a difficult time in Poland. A plane carrying 96 Polish citizens crashed in Russia. On the plane were; their president, top generals, the head of the central bank, key politicians, advisors, religious leaders, cultural figures, pilots, and flight attendants. They were on a plane to commemorate a sad moment in Polish history. Sadly, in a way, it seemed like a cruel joke, but there is no punch-line it really happened.
The crash initiated a spontaneous outpouring of grief. Polish citizens came out in the tens of thousands of all ages with flowers and candles to lay at the presidential palace. This marked off a weeklong period of mourning, which sparked a flood of citizens to lay tribute to the victims. An ensuing media circus circulated around Warsaw day and night, flags hung over buildings at half mast (two black flags blew in front of the gates of the University,) and the world gave its condolences as the international arena was respectively at a loss for words.
Poland is a nation that has had a lot of misfortune historically. In recent times things had been going well here. Yet, there was an unusually long cold winter this year, and this event happened just as it was getting into spring. It was like the gods were not over with handing down to Poland unwanted and unfortunate news.
Despite this, looking over the past month, I must admit I am impressed to see how well this nation has dealt with this tragedy. So much has already been reported, analyzed, updated, and cited. Yet, as visitor to Poland living through this, I would like to humbly add how impressed I am at how a relatively large European nation has been able to get back on its feet and show amazing resilience.
On a human level, it’s unfathomable to lose so many people in such a sudden manner. The memory of the victims will always be enshrined in Polish history. Yet Poland has always been regarded as a strong nation, and the strength comes from its people. After this catastrophe, the nation is as strong as ever.
A short while ago I popped outside to pick up a couple of bottles of water from the shop on the corner. I took the necessary February precautions one would take in Warsaw by putting on my thick jacket, scarf,gloves, punctuated by a woolly hat. Even for me, it has almost become a reflex before opening the front door. If you have been living here like me for the last two months you would understand. You see, this winter has brought an incredible amount of snow.
There has been so much of it falling from the sky, that it has been regarded by many as one of the heaviest snowfalls in Warsaw in a generation. I can attest to it as well. Garbage cans have been buried in single evenings, park benches have gone missing, cars have been fishtailing in a manner not unsimilar to automobiles climbing steep mountain passes in the winter, the floors of buses have ceased to be cleaned and are all covered by muddy slop left over from our snow absorbed boots. Despite this unprecedented level of sloshiness, it came as a huge shock to me that when I ventured outside today, I didn't feel snow on my neck, but something at the same time familiar, but completely different-rain. Can you believe it? It seems that the temperature has done something that hasn't happened in a few months around here; gone above zero centigrade. Anyway, it seems like spring is a possibility-even in these parts. Now I just have to find my raincoat.
Are you out there? Have you wandered off down another corridor in the blogosphre? Shame, shame, shame! Anyway, I'm still kicking around, and am grateful and indebted to anyone with the patience and curiosity to tune in and see what I have been up to these days.
Instead of giving you the typical paragraph,anecdotal style run-down of my life over the last two or three months, I am going give you a chronological list of things that have been thrown at me that I have been trying to manage more or less mildly successfully since October or so. 1.) Started School-M.A. program in International Relations. 2.)Became so busy all of a sudden with work. Ironically when I became a student, everyone in Warsaw decided during the same week to learn English from me. 3.)received a legal form saying the police would come interview me for my residence status. 4.)cops came and were nice. 5.)Came to a realization that studying International Relations wasn't easy while teaching English. 6.)after a misunderstanding regarding my paperwork in order to live in Poland as a legal resident, i was told at the last minute to leave Poland and the Schengen area to get a new stamp in my passport. 7.)after being told that The Ukraine wasn't a good place to go to because of swine flu, I was advised it would be wiser to go to England(a non-schengen country.) 8.) Was detained by the UK authorities because they said I was violating EU law and working in the EU illegally, and promptly sent back to Poland after spending the night in a detention room* 9.)after being told that I was a 'polite bloke,' by the UK authorities, they escorted me to my plane back to Poland and informed the pilot to tell the Polish customs officers to go easy on me when they detain me. 10.)taken off the Ryan-Air plane in Poland and interrogated as to why I was detained in the UK, but after everyone(including myself,) that no one had any idea why I was detained, I was set free. 11.)Despite the fact that I was a free man, I only had one legal day left to stay in Poland, so two days of little to no sleep, I jumped on a bus to the Ukraine-a non-Schengen country to try again to get a visa stamp. 12.)went to the Ukraine for two days. Had a nice time, drank cheap beer, stayed in a cheap run down hotel, and had a nice meal. 13.)Came back to Poland and got a new visa stamp for 90 days. 14.)got really sick-probably swine flu 15.)tons of homework/presentations/mid-terms etc. 16.)received decision on Residence Card-Approved! 17.)Became totally burnt out. 18.) Went to Opole for Christmas, had a relaxing time, and wrote one of 3 term papers. 19.)Picked up residence card and had a happy new year. 20.)enjoying last days of vacation before I go back to Work on Tuesday and begin exams next month!!
So that's all for now. I have been one busy creature, but it's better to be busy than bored. I'm definitely got a lot to do. I'm even technically wasting time writing here. Anyway, I'm not bored, so I'm better off than most!
*I still wouldn't recommend being detained by the UK Immigration officials at Stansted Airport.
Something happened last week that I had thought would totally never happen. Nevertheless it did. Keep in mind last week was only the second week of October. Also keep in mind that October is the fall. As it is fall, leaves turn color, people bundle up(a bit,)and we use adjectives like; fresh, brisk, and cool. We normally stagger out of bed and peer at the frosty air greeting us before you journey out into the post summer rain on the way to work. Despite this, last week these things we all expect didn't happen. Watch the video and find out what really happened!
Well, I've been in the business of keeping a positive attitude, whilst saying nice things about people and places for just over a year now. I have also tried to make the most of my paltry photography skills to show some of what I have seen around the the globe to show you that the world is truly a friendly place, and deserves to be enjoyed more. Recently, I have noticed that I have had about 5000 visitors. So to those people, thanks and keep coming back. Interestingly, this will also be my 50th post. So if you're a numbers person, that makes it a tidy 100 people per posting. Not a bad gig.
Regardless in the spirit of hopping the proverbial fence and escaping out into the great mysterious, I have chosen a few of my favorite pictures to share with you of my own experiences over the last year and a piece. I have included people I have met, places I have seen, and food that was consumed in dangerous portions. Thanks for tuning in, Dan
