Polska!!!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Poland here is freezing but surprisingly no snow, just a lot of
rain. In Poland we celebrated Christmas. It's a lot different than American
so let me explain. We start on the 24th (Christmas eve) which is called
Wigilia (Vee-gil-ya) and it is celebrated more than Christmas Day. On
Wigilia, we fasted which was kind of easy but around 4pm I started getting
light-headed. Anyways, my host brother's wife Aganiszka taught me how to
make home made perogis which were really easy to do. The family came over
and we were all dressed up. It was a beautiful scene. So I walked out into
the dining room and I have never seen so much dead fish in my entire
life...(not including the aquarium). No meat so it was all fish. I sat next
to the guest of honor: A dead trout at the end of the table. He was a big
sucker too and while I was staring at him my host brother goes and chops it
head off. I lost my appetite after that. But seriosuly that night I gained
> about 20 pounds no lie. After dinner, we did presents. Usually presents are
given on Christmas morning but here they are done during Wigilia. I got a
scarf, bubble bath and lotion, slippers, 2 shirts and 4 boxes of chocolate
(like I needed that). The next day Christmas aka resting day, my host mom
and dad and brother and I went for a walk with the dogs in the forrest. It
was great, but too bad there was no snow. We ate left overs for dinner. Then
we go onto the 26th where we celebrate again but I am not sure what this is
called in Polish. This isn't as big as Wigilia but we had some kind of meat
and potato's and vegetables. Some family came over too. It was really nice.
2 days after the whole feast, I got a call that I had to switch host
families. Now I am in family with 3 kids, a 20 year old daughter named Agata
an 18 year old brother named Marcin and an 8 year old sister named Magda.
The fmaily owns a hotel/resturant. I live in my own apartment (the family
lives across the hall) which is neat because it gives me a responsabilty to
live on my own. The whole switch was so sudden and I literally had to pack
up everything and move. Now I live in the center of Czestochowa instead of
the country so it is a big change. But now I know the city like the back of
my hand. I can get from point A to point B in no time and I learned how to
take the subway and bus so I am in good shape.
New Years Eve which is called Sylvester.. I went to my friends house. She is
an exchange student too. She is from Florida and lives in Czestochowa like
me. Her host sister and friends were having a party so I went and had a good
time. It was nice. So that was my whole Holiday experance.
I don't know what the future holds for me right now. I take things as they
come. School is great, I have wonderful polish friends there and couldn't
ask for anything better. They are making this exchange the best.
My 8 year old host sister is teaching me polish out of her books. She is the
cutest thing ever and it's funny because I can understand and communicate
with her in simple polish but it's sad too because as most of you know I
have a real 8 year old sister named McKenna back in NJ and it makes me miss
her even more.
I didn't know growing up could be this hard but I am getting there. I don't
have a set date on when I return to the States but I think I am coming back
the 2nd week in July. It's so far away, but I am not trying to think about
it now. I am having the time of my life and I wish everyone could experance
what I am doing.
Happy 2007
Poland here is freezing but surprisingly no snow, just a lot of
rain. In Poland we celebrated Christmas. It's a lot different than American
so let me explain. We start on the 24th (Christmas eve) which is called
Wigilia (Vee-gil-ya) and it is celebrated more than Christmas Day. On
Wigilia, we fasted which was kind of easy but around 4pm I started getting
light-headed. Anyways, my host brother's wife Aganiszka taught me how to
make home made perogis which were really easy to do. The family came over
and we were all dressed up. It was a beautiful scene. So I walked out into
the dining room and I have never seen so much dead fish in my entire
life...(not including the aquarium). No meat so it was all fish. I sat next
to the guest of honor: A dead trout at the end of the table. He was a big
sucker too and while I was staring at him my host brother goes and chops it
head off. I lost my appetite after that. But seriosuly that night I gained
> about 20 pounds no lie. After dinner, we did presents. Usually presents are
given on Christmas morning but here they are done during Wigilia. I got a
scarf, bubble bath and lotion, slippers, 2 shirts and 4 boxes of chocolate
(like I needed that). The next day Christmas aka resting day, my host mom
and dad and brother and I went for a walk with the dogs in the forrest. It
was great, but too bad there was no snow. We ate left overs for dinner. Then
we go onto the 26th where we celebrate again but I am not sure what this is
called in Polish. This isn't as big as Wigilia but we had some kind of meat
and potato's and vegetables. Some family came over too. It was really nice.
2 days after the whole feast, I got a call that I had to switch host
families. Now I am in family with 3 kids, a 20 year old daughter named Agata
an 18 year old brother named Marcin and an 8 year old sister named Magda.
The fmaily owns a hotel/resturant. I live in my own apartment (the family
lives across the hall) which is neat because it gives me a responsabilty to
live on my own. The whole switch was so sudden and I literally had to pack
up everything and move. Now I live in the center of Czestochowa instead of
the country so it is a big change. But now I know the city like the back of
my hand. I can get from point A to point B in no time and I learned how to
take the subway and bus so I am in good shape.
New Years Eve which is called Sylvester.. I went to my friends house. She is
an exchange student too. She is from Florida and lives in Czestochowa like
me. Her host sister and friends were having a party so I went and had a good
time. It was nice. So that was my whole Holiday experance.
I don't know what the future holds for me right now. I take things as they
come. School is great, I have wonderful polish friends there and couldn't
ask for anything better. They are making this exchange the best.
My 8 year old host sister is teaching me polish out of her books. She is the
cutest thing ever and it's funny because I can understand and communicate
with her in simple polish but it's sad too because as most of you know I
have a real 8 year old sister named McKenna back in NJ and it makes me miss
her even more.
I didn't know growing up could be this hard but I am getting there. I don't
have a set date on when I return to the States but I think I am coming back
the 2nd week in July. It's so far away, but I am not trying to think about
it now. I am having the time of my life and I wish everyone could experance
what I am doing.
Happy 2007