Winter Fun…Coming to a Close

Our last winter weekend….(at least we think)

The last weekend in February was cold and white…but we read our temperatures were going to be above freezing all next week. We would have huge puddles of water everywhere once again!

We decided our date for the weekend would be winter outdoor activities...

Mark said he needed to go sledding one more time…and wanted me to come along. As I waited at the bottom of the hill…it looked as if an American flag was on the top of the hill next to Mark…I then realized it was actually the flag flying from the US Ambassador's home !

Mark…sledding down once again on our backyard hill. 

I think he had fun?

We later decided to make a snowman in our backyard….though we had created a snowman last year…we couldn't let the season go by without making another one…especially with so much snow in our backyard!

The snow rolled up rather easily….almost as if it was a roll of white sod.

As we rolled the snow, the snow easily came up and we saw green grass below!

Step 1 …. check!

Those snowballs were actually quite heavy….so I let Mark lift each snowball up...

and I filled in the gaps….step 2 check!

Our snowman is coming alive! I scavenged around our home … looking for items to use on our snowman  I wish we had a big black top hat…but our little one will do.

I decided to bring out some Texas bluebonnets and place in front of our winter friend…it's the Houston Texas Rodeo season at this time of year…so adding a little Texas seemed appropriate!

Step 3….check!

All done...

Yea for inexpensive dates….sledding and snowman building...

We had these great icicles hanging outside our bedroom window…

They were quite amazing to see up close…picture below taken from our bedroom window.

Mark took a little break from snowman building and decided to throw a snowball at these icicles…to see if he could knock any of them down . Do all boys/men like to throw things? 

Good bye to our winter days in 2013…we have survived quite well our 2nd winter in Warsaw

We had a good day and have had a good winter…yea for spring days, warmth, sunshine and blue skies…just around the corner!

Visiting my Polish Teacher…Ula in Pruszków

My Polish teacher Ula has become a special friend to me.  I have enjoyed our twice-weekly conversational lessons that have challenged me as I have learned to read, write and speak in Polish.

I am a slow learner when it comes to understanding and speaking the Polish language.  I practice, do my homework, and work on a variety of Polish activities….but I still don't always remember what I have learned.  But I am grateful for these lessons and can say that I know so much more than last year.

Ula was going to be on a medical leave for at least 6 weeks and I would be having a new Polish teacher during that time.  In one of the lessons before her leave, Ula proposed that I visit her at her home.  It would be an adventure because she lives in the little town of Pruszków outside Warsaw, and I would need to travel on a regional train to get there.

Ula was clever….she incorporated this invitation into our lessons as she drew maps, showed me where she lived, and told me how to buy a train ticket….all in Polish.  I practiced asking questions, and retelling her how I would travel to her home….all in Polish!

I thought I would enjoy visiting my teacher…my friend….but to travel outside of Warsaw?  On a regional train that I was not familiar with.…to buy tickets only speaking Polish…all by myself? 

I wasn't so sure I could do this.

A few weeks after her leave began I received an e-mail from Ula, saying she was ready for visitors, and  inviting me to her home.  I readily responded "tak" (yes)!  I was amazed at my quick response…and then just moved forward with planning the visit.

The day before my trip to Pruszków I walked through the train station tunnel to the ticket window…to purchase 2 one-way tickets….while speaking only Polish!  When the clerk gave me the tickets she said something else…I'm not sure what she said but I smiled and said "dziękuje"...thank you.  I was so HAPPY…I had made a purchase in Polish, and it was a success!

On the day of my visit I walked past the ticket window to the train stop.  This is a regional train…there are no electronic schedule boards showing departures or arrivals.  I had to refer to a painted sign above the ticket window to know the departure times.  Not wanting to miss the train, I arrived 10 minutes before departure.

After 17 stops in less than 30 minutes….I was in Pruszków!  The first thing I noticed in Pruszków was the blue, blue sky….something I had not seen in Warsaw for a few weeks!

Ula said she would meet me at the train stop…and as the train pulled away I did not see her.  So I pulled out my hand drawn map, took a look, and decided to text her to let her know I had arrived. Ula was at the train stop after all…and when she didn't see me she worried that I had missed the stop and was still on the train….but within seconds we saw each other.  Happy day!

We walked a short distance to a block of apartments. She and her husband live in the farthest building back in the picture below.

We had a wonderful visit for the next 2 hours….listening, talking and reconnecting after a good month of not having lessons. It was a treat for me to be in her home and visit. I thought we would be speaking mostly in Polish…but our conversations were mostly in English!

I felt as if I were one of Ula's "visiting teachers", which is something we do in our church…visit and spend time with other ladies each month.  We had no agenda…we just ate and talked.  It was fun to visit Ula in a different setting and see her beginning to feel stronger. 

I had made some chicken tortilla soup for Ula and her husband, and was glad when she later e-mailed to say that they enjoyed it.

We posed in Ula's home…letting the camera capture our little visit.

 

Near the end of our visit we walked through a lovely park in wintry white…and bypassed the Pruszków station until we came to the next train station. Ula stayed with me until the train back to Warsaw arrived.  As I boarded the train, I knew I could do this again.

Ten days after my first visit, I visited Ula again.  She is feeling better and stronger.  We visited, ate some snacks and after a fast few hours it was time for me to go home.

As I said good bye to Ula…my teacher…my friend…I had a happy heart. I was glad I could have these new experiences, doing something challenging…but especially being able to help someone by visiting her.  I was blessed on both visits and had a very grateful heart as I journeyed back to Warsaw.

2nd Anniversary in Warsaw…2013

With the arrival of Luty (February), a week of celebrating began….2 years of living and working in Warszawa!

Our theme song could have been "Celebration" as we spent a good week having "good times"….whether it was walking Warsaw streets, going to movies, eating at great restaurants, or staying in a 100-year-old hotel….we celebrated!

Anniversaries are times of reflection and celebration…and that's what this anniversary weekend was for us.

The first weekend of February marked two years since Mark and I flew here together for the first time.  That weekend in 2011 we came to look for a home….then I went back to Houston and Mark stayed here to work.   So in truth, it is Mark's 2-year anniversary, as I did not move here until June 2011. 

Two years ago I was nervous, excited, scared…and still in a state of "I can't believe we are really in Europe and are going to be living here!" 

Today…I am so happy, grateful and feel very blessed to be living here in Warsaw, Poland!

A Few of My Favorite Things….

• I love our home!
• I love our warm, heated floors…they feel so good in stocking feet after being out in cold snowy 20F weather!
• I like the beautiful winter snow…our back yard is magical looking!
• I love the people I have met…whether from church, Mark's work, my Polish teachers or women in the International Women's Group…I have met wonderful people here in Warsaw!
• I like the changing seasons…I think spring and fall are my favorites.
• I love using public transportation…the subway, buses, trams.
• I love walking everyday.
• I like walking in so many parks which are in abundance here in Warsaw.
• I love learning the Polish language.  It is very difficult, but my brain gets a good workout…and there is a wonderful feeling when I finally can understand someone speaking!
• I like when I can say or ask for something in Polish.
• I love traveling to other Polish or European cities with Mark. 
• I love blue sky and sunshine…especially on winter days….which are mostly gray and white.
• I  LOVE living here with Mark!

Celebrating with a movie night...

We went to see the movie "Les Miserables".  It came to Warsaw a month after it opened in the U.S.  I had seen the play twice in Houston, but Mark had not….so I was looking forward to sharing this story with Mark.  Though I think I liked the movie more than Mark, we both enjoyed the movie and our date.

The movie was in English with Polish subtitles…which is how we see most movies here.  I enjoy watching the movie with the subtitles….it shows the Polish words that I am constantly trying to learn, and it shows how the English language uses so many more words than Polish.

Tłusty Czwartek

Fat Thursday

Thursday, February 7, 2013

pączki = donuts

My Polish lessons are on Mondays and Thursdays…so after my Polish lesson on Tłusty Czwarek, Mark said to stop by the office for pączki….a Polish donut with a sweet jam inside, similar to a jelly donut in the U.S.  I ate one…but we heard of some young men eating 20-30, and more….that is just crazy!

Fat Thursday in Poland is the equivalent to Fat Tuesday in the U.S.  It is said that Fat Thursday is not a religious day….but a day to indulge before the Easter season begins.

I walk a new route after leaving my Polish lessons, and on this route is this "graffiti"….but I actually like it.  After hearing of people who ate an excessive number of pączki on Fat Thursday, I wondered if they felt like these bears?  The thought made me smile!

Fat Thursday was a snowy, snowy day…I love being outdoors…but I also LOVE coming home….and feeling warm inside.

Our stay at….Hotel Pałac Polonia

Polonia Palace Hotel

Friday, February 8, 2013

8 Lutego 2013

Have you ever wanted to spend the night at a nice hotel, but thought it a little crazy because the hotel is in your own city?  That was us….but we did it for one Friday night!

I wanted to do something "Polish" for our anniversary week….and we decided that staying in a nice Polish hotel would be fun.

The day started out like most others….with Mark heading off to work.  This was our front porch on Friday morning after it had snowed and snowed on Thursday.

I leaned out our front windows and snapped these pictures of Mark leaving for work.  It amazes me each time, but before sunrise on snowy mornings….there is a blue tint all around.

Since the hotel we would be staying at was near Mark's office, he had the great idea of packing the night before, and taking our suitcase with him on his way to work….and dropped it off at the hotel so it would be there for us when we checked in that afternoon.

He carefully goes down our steps as there is so much snow!  Just as he gets to the bottom he sees our gardener Piotr (Peter) who does a great job in clearing our walkways.

We stayed at the Hotel Pałac Polonia….Polonia Palace Hotel….which this year celebrates its 100th anniversary.  The hotel is across the street from the Cultural Palace…and Mark can even see the hotel from his office window!

The picture below is taken from Mark's office.  The tallest building is the Novotel Hotel, and directly to the right, in the center of the photo, is the Polonia Palace Hotel.  It is located in an area that is very familiar to both Mark and me….it is where we transfer trams and buses, and walk to and from work, Polish lessons and other destinations.

The earliest we could check into the hotel was 2 p.m…and so I did!  Mark didn't come over until nearly 6 p.m…but I spent a few hours in this hotel just reading and relaxing.  It was great!

This hotel has a wonderful history….besides being 100 years old this year, it is one of the few structures that did not suffer damage during World War II.  In the picture below you can see the hotel in the background, again in the center of the picture.

We have walked by the Polonial Palace Hotel numerous times….and once we decided to stay there we very much looked forward to it.

Views from our hotel window….
We ride these trams and buses daily.  Looking at them pass by from inside a comfortable hotel room is a very different experience than riding on one!

Across the street is the Centrum subway stop, a bus stop that we sometimes wait at,  and the Cultural Palace grounds that we cross to get to Mark's office.

The view from our hotel window on Saturday morning….it was cold and foggy…but we enjoyed a great breakfast at the restaurant, working out in the gym…and relaxing in our room.


Friday evening we walked 3 or 4 blocks from the hotel to eat dinner at "Butchery and Wine"….a small steakhouse that several people had recommended to Mark.  We don't eat steaks very often, but being this close we took advantage of it for our "anniversary weekend".

 Mark and I shared a salad, filet mignon, green beans and thick-cut chips (fries)….all fabulous. We shared a dessert of chocolate fondant and vanilla ice cream that was "smasznego"….delicious!

I love learning about Abraham Lincoln and had heard of the new movie "Lincoln", but did not think it would be showing in Warsaw….so I was pleasantly surprised to see it listed here after all.  After checking out of the hotel on Saturday we went to the theater in the Złote Tarasy mall….and enjoyed the movie immensely!

What better way to remember our 2nd Anniversary…but with a new piece of Polish pottery?  I love this beautiful piece of pottery and know I will enjoy using it!

Happy 2nd anniversary to us…of living and working in Poland! 

We have celebrated a wonderful week together! 

We look forward to new days and months ahead….there truly is "Joy in our Journey". 

Closing Out January

POLISH  FOLK  DANCING

While on a tram with Melissa when she was here in early January, I had seen an advertisement for the  a Polish folk dancing program.  It seemed like something I would like to see, so I investigated and found that the highest priced tickets were less than $20!

So the last Saturday in January we attended the program in the Sala Kongresowa (Congress Hall).  This is one of the event halls in the Palace of Culture and Science (aka Cultural Palace) that was built during communist era. The room, seats, lighting and chandeliers are all quite elegant. 

Because of the inclined floor our view of the stage was quite good.  My only complaint was that there was little legroom in the seats…perhaps people were shorter in the 1950's….or maybe this was the prototype for today's economy seating on airlines!

Apparently, every effort was made to install as many seats as possible….behind Mark can be seen folding seats attached to the wall, that fold down to allow people to sit in the aisle!

At the beginning of the performance the emcee recognized the President of Poland in the audience, who appeared to be accompanied by his grandchildren.  (No picture of them, unfortunately.)

For an hour and a half we were treated to festive Polish singing and dancing.  There was a variety of joyful, serious and fun music.

 We wished we understood more Polish words and phrases.  I could pick out a few…but wished I had known the meaning of the songs they sang.

There were beautiful costumes and fun dancing.

The dancers were not only talented, but strong.

The audience clapped in time to the music….

….and smiled as the performances continued.

The costume changes were numerous….

 ….but the numbers flowed from one to another.

The program lasted an hour-and-a-half, with no intermission….

….and to the very end we were entertained.

So glad we came to see and hear the Polish culture through dancing and singing.

CHRISTMAS  LIGHTS  ON  JANUARY 31

Can you believe beautiful Christmas lights on the very last day of January?  We had not walked the streets of Warsaw much during the Christmas season….but on the last day of January we walked down one of Warsaw's most famous and beautiful street….Nowy Świat….

….and were delighted to see the Christmas lights still up.  
The lights came down the following week….after all, it was February!

Above is the Bristol Hotel, one of Warsaw's most prestigious hotels.  The lights on the trees were so beautiful against the backdrop of the lights of the hotel!

Warsaw puts special effort into making this street quite charming.  The beginning of the street is called Nowy Świat and further down toward the rynek it becomes Krakowskie Przedmieście.  This street was known as the "King's Highway", as it leads from the Royal Palace in the center of town….to the roads leading to Kraków in southern Poland.

Every block or so there were large, lighted "packages" with bows on top. We had seen a few of these in the rynek with Melissa….but did not know they were scattered along Nowy Świat as well.

So many of the Warsaw streets are simply piękny (beautiful)!  At the top of the list are Nowy Świat and Krakowskie Przedmieście….a street name I thought I would never be able to pronounce….but today I can!

Here is the beautiful Presidential Palace.

We ate at a great Polish Restaurant on this street…Delicja Polska…it was fabulous! 

Mark and I have eaten here a few times before…on our own, with some of Mark's co-workers, and with Melissa, Jamie and Caroline when they were here last May. 

Mark was recently at this restaurant with visiting co-workers and remembered how much we liked eating here….especially the Polish apple pie.  He thinks it may be the best apple pie he's ever eaten….so light and tasty. 

It was Mark's idea to come back on January 31 to enjoy both the restaurant and the Christmas lights….good "date" idea, Mark!

We are so glad we came to this area of town…the temperature was in the high 20's-low 30's but we walked the street just like the Polish people who LOVE walking outside…no matter the weather or temperature!

Mark planned a great Thursday night date….

….just in time to start celebrating our 2nd anniversary in Poland!