Warsaw

I finally downloaded my pictures from my trip to Warsaw a few weeks ago. Poor Warsaw has a reputation for being grey, and unfortunately the weather was the weekend I was there. I only saw the sun for a few hours in 3 days.

However, the grey skies and the chilly weather didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the Polish capitol. The architecture is extremely diverse - from the old town, which was totally destroyed in WW2 and then rebuilt in the 50s based on 17th century paintings, to the social realist/brutalist style, to modern skyscrapers. The art and design magazine Wallpaper was so impressed with Warsaw that it dedicated an entire travel guide to the city.

Here's a pic of the iconic, yet locally hated, Palace of Science and Culture.



The Palace is a pretty impressive building and can be seen for miles. However, Stalin built it as a gift for the people of Poland, which doesn't make it popular with the locals.

More pics to follow in upcoming posts.

Too good to be true

For the last several months, I've felt like I've been on a roller coaster.

During the first several weeks of 2009 I was focused on trying to stay in Krakow. After I received the final answer that I would be moving back to Canada this spring, I needed to concentrate on the logistics of my move, finding a new position at home, figuring out who would replace me here, and many many other details.

On top of all of that I decided to renovate my home before I return to Toronto, and I turn 40 next weekend.

Frankly, it all is a bit too much for me.

So, imagine my glee when I checked my Canadian bank account last weekend and noticed that I had received a very substantial tax refund.

The euphoria didn't last, as lately I've learned to wait before celebrating any seemingly good news.

Sure enough I got an email yesterday telling me that this wasn't my 2008 tax refund, but some repayment from the government for my dual tax payments in Canada and Poland in 2007. The email stipulated that this money is not for me, and I must promptly send a cheque off to my employer.

Back to that roller coaster . . .