Good morning everyone! I’m a bit past due for an update, so I wanted to write a post before I leave for work today
Typical work day attire. Cardigans always seem so “teacher-like”
This past weekend was a four day holiday for me, which was awesome! Here is a little background on the significance of Halloween (All Saints’ Day) in Poland:
All Saints’ Day is a national holiday in Poland. Given the widespread Catholic tradition that characterizes the country, it’s a particularly special day for Poles. People visit the graves of loved ones and place candles & flowers on the graves that look barren, or as if no one has visited them for a long time. The candles, which can burn for many hours, are placed there so that departed souls can find their way through the darkness. Cemeteries are lit by many hundreds of these candles and at night the cemeteries can often be seen glowing from long distances.
- (Click to enlarge) This is an example of what a cemetery looks like on All Saints’ Day. Pretty awesome!
Unfortunately, I didn’t go with family I live with to the cemetery to witness first hand this cultural experience because they went to Wolbrom. Since I’m there most of the week teaching, I didn’t really want to stay there any longer during my time off. However, on my bus ride to Krakow that day, I could see the lights from a cemetery close to the highway, and it was teeming with people! I think it’s unfortunate that in the United States our holidays have become so incredibly commercialized, and have lost their original meaning and significance as a cultural or religious day.
Needless to say, I was a bit bored on Wednesday evening after work as well as on Thursday. Most people were with their families and out of town, plus everything is closed on Thursday. I admit, I was feeling a bit home sick and nostalgic about my own family gatherings. However on Friday, I hung out at my friends’ house and watched some movies (i.e. two Hannibal movies). I had never seen the Hannibal movies before…they are freaky! Perfect for the Halloween vibe though!
This past Saturday, I went with Magda and Michał to a couple of clubs. Our first attempt to go to a club called Frantic was a fail because we didn’t know we had to sign up on some online guest list. Actually, first we accidentally went to the club directly next to it, thinking it was club Frantic. This club was called Shakers, and it wasn’t very impressive that night. Since we paid a cover charge, we decided to order one drink and then leave. Magda suggested we go to U Louisa, a popular club on the rynek (square), which was pretty fun, although after some combinations of various types of vodka my stomach started to bother me and we left at around 3am (which is actually “early” here). However, we decided that Cien (the club I mentioned in a previous post), was the best in terms of the crowd, so we’ll probably go there this Saturday.
Now, fast-forward to Tuesday, November 7th. Yesterday was my day off! I was so thrilled to sleep in. I had to go to the Galeria Krakowska to take another passport picture for my work permit. Apparently, I needed 5 photos, but they only give you 4 in a package. Whatever, Polish guidelines…I must comply! I also did a little shopping at H&M and picked up a few items (there goes my paycheck, ha!) After shopping for a couple of hours, I met up with a new friend named Piotr (a really cool guy I met while I was out) at the mall, and he offered to give me a short tour around the city. The first stop was Wawel, an impressive castle nestled along the Vistula river. There’s also a famous dragon sculpture that sits outside of the castle, which happens to spout fire from the mouth every so often. Piotr did not warn me of this fact, so when it breathed fire right after I snapped a picture, I jumped about three feet into the air, and was subsequently teased for it. He also took me to Pope John Paul II’s old residence, which was really cool. His portrait now hangs from the window from which he spoke to towns people–pretty awesome! Overall, it was a really pleasant walk with great company!
View of the Vistula river from Wawel.
Oh, hello Pope.
Blackboards and Borscht 