(no subject)
Hello all,
Just thought I'd do a short update to let you all know I'm doing ok. My days here don't really contain all that much variety, so I'll just sum up the daily routine. In the mornings I get up around 7 to get ready in time for breakfast before Polish class at 8:30 in an elementary school a few minutes away. Class is conducted mostly in Polish, which was intimdating (to say the least) at first, but isn't so bad now, esp. since our first teacher seems to know when it's time to break out the English. We have a 25 minute break in the middle of the four hour stretch, and then the second part of class, which is conducted by a second teacher. At this point, I can write short essays describing my friends and family, what they study or do for work, and what they like to do. Today we learned the past tense.
After class, it's back to the room to drop off the backpack and then back down to cash in a meal block for lunch. Lunch consists of some sort of soup, usually a very odd salad or cabbage or beet or something, mashed potatoes or french fries, meat, and a vegetable or two, usually identifiable. The food is available in large quantities, though, and compared to UR really isn't all that bad.
After lunch, I used to go back to the room to do work, but the last few days I've been so tired that I've allowed myself the luxury of a 45 minute nap before getting up at 2 to check my e-mail and chatting on IM with a few people before legging it over to history class. History has gotten more interesting, though I really do need to do a bit more reading for that class. I have a hard time sitting still long enough to focus on the book though, since I pretty much spend most of the day sitting down. Life here is definitely a lot more sedentary than in Berlin, where I was constantly on the move.
When History ends, I usually talk to my room mate for a bit, then walk back to the dorm, sometimes with Ania and co., but usually alone. It's nice to have some thinking time though, since I'm around people all the time here.
I guess I should prolly describe the housing here a bit. Piast is a huge dorm, with a capacity comparable to Sue B. There are seven floors of housing, a ground floor, and a small eighth floor library. The rooms are paired into suites, with two people in each room, unless someone paid more for a single. Each suite has its own bathroom complete with sink, shower, and toilet. There is however, only one tiny trashcan. A cleaning lady comes through everyday to empty our trash and mop our (somehow always muddy) bathroom floor, which is very much appreciated. We also get our bedding and towels changed once a week. Each room has two small tables that serve as desks, several shelves, and a reasonably sized closet for a four week stay, though I'd have issues if I were here for a whole semester. Each suite also has a balcony, which is fantastic, though it would be even more so if the pigeons didn't use it as an open air restroom. These same pigeons also woke me up at 4 am for the first few days.
Anyhow, I usually do hw until dinnertime, which happens whenever Erika gets back. Sometimes it's just the two of us, sometimes we're joined by Mike and/or Ania and her friends. Dinner consists of fruit, bread, veggies, side dish, and main course. Since I've been here I've tried and liked stuffed cabbage, goulasz, pierogi, and more. The only complaint I can really make about the food is that some of the waiters are a bit on the prickly side, and the desserts could really stand a bit of improvement. After dinner I (surprise) do more work, try to get in a few minutes of practicing, and take a shower and go to bed. I unfortunately don't have a lot of time to explore Krakow, since I have to spend so much time learning my first Slavic language and the history connected to its country. It's also more less convenient to go into town than it was in Berlin, as there I had to commute to class everyday, so I was already in the city. Here, I live in a bubble encompassing no more than a square mile. The public transportation is also less convenient than in Berlin. We have a rafting trip this weekend though, so I will get out of my box for at least a little while. Well, gotta go cram some more before the midterm, so I'll update later to let you all know how it went! PLEASE e-mail me! And thanks to those who remembered my birthday!
Just thought I'd do a short update to let you all know I'm doing ok. My days here don't really contain all that much variety, so I'll just sum up the daily routine. In the mornings I get up around 7 to get ready in time for breakfast before Polish class at 8:30 in an elementary school a few minutes away. Class is conducted mostly in Polish, which was intimdating (to say the least) at first, but isn't so bad now, esp. since our first teacher seems to know when it's time to break out the English. We have a 25 minute break in the middle of the four hour stretch, and then the second part of class, which is conducted by a second teacher. At this point, I can write short essays describing my friends and family, what they study or do for work, and what they like to do. Today we learned the past tense.
After class, it's back to the room to drop off the backpack and then back down to cash in a meal block for lunch. Lunch consists of some sort of soup, usually a very odd salad or cabbage or beet or something, mashed potatoes or french fries, meat, and a vegetable or two, usually identifiable. The food is available in large quantities, though, and compared to UR really isn't all that bad.
After lunch, I used to go back to the room to do work, but the last few days I've been so tired that I've allowed myself the luxury of a 45 minute nap before getting up at 2 to check my e-mail and chatting on IM with a few people before legging it over to history class. History has gotten more interesting, though I really do need to do a bit more reading for that class. I have a hard time sitting still long enough to focus on the book though, since I pretty much spend most of the day sitting down. Life here is definitely a lot more sedentary than in Berlin, where I was constantly on the move.
When History ends, I usually talk to my room mate for a bit, then walk back to the dorm, sometimes with Ania and co., but usually alone. It's nice to have some thinking time though, since I'm around people all the time here.
I guess I should prolly describe the housing here a bit. Piast is a huge dorm, with a capacity comparable to Sue B. There are seven floors of housing, a ground floor, and a small eighth floor library. The rooms are paired into suites, with two people in each room, unless someone paid more for a single. Each suite has its own bathroom complete with sink, shower, and toilet. There is however, only one tiny trashcan. A cleaning lady comes through everyday to empty our trash and mop our (somehow always muddy) bathroom floor, which is very much appreciated. We also get our bedding and towels changed once a week. Each room has two small tables that serve as desks, several shelves, and a reasonably sized closet for a four week stay, though I'd have issues if I were here for a whole semester. Each suite also has a balcony, which is fantastic, though it would be even more so if the pigeons didn't use it as an open air restroom. These same pigeons also woke me up at 4 am for the first few days.
Anyhow, I usually do hw until dinnertime, which happens whenever Erika gets back. Sometimes it's just the two of us, sometimes we're joined by Mike and/or Ania and her friends. Dinner consists of fruit, bread, veggies, side dish, and main course. Since I've been here I've tried and liked stuffed cabbage, goulasz, pierogi, and more. The only complaint I can really make about the food is that some of the waiters are a bit on the prickly side, and the desserts could really stand a bit of improvement. After dinner I (surprise) do more work, try to get in a few minutes of practicing, and take a shower and go to bed. I unfortunately don't have a lot of time to explore Krakow, since I have to spend so much time learning my first Slavic language and the history connected to its country. It's also more less convenient to go into town than it was in Berlin, as there I had to commute to class everyday, so I was already in the city. Here, I live in a bubble encompassing no more than a square mile. The public transportation is also less convenient than in Berlin. We have a rafting trip this weekend though, so I will get out of my box for at least a little while. Well, gotta go cram some more before the midterm, so I'll update later to let you all know how it went! PLEASE e-mail me! And thanks to those who remembered my birthday!