Grrr

Sometimes it sucks not knowing the language of the country you live in.

Yesterday, I called the company that is supposed to provide me with bottled water (no one in Krakow drinks the tap water although apparently it is safe). I haven't had water delivered since sometime in early September, although they keep sending me bills (which I keep paying). So I finally decided to try and call and figure out what was going on. My Polish hasn't progressed much past me being able to say Good day, do you speak English? The person said yes, so on I went.

But her English was not much better than my Polish, so I had to resort to asking one of my colleagues to speak to her.

And then my hair appointment was rescheduled to this afternoon, and the person who was going to come with me and translate can't make it. So once again I had to ask around for someone to accompany me.

Usually I don't mind asking for help, but some days I hate being so dependent.

Then this morning I spent an hour in an aerobics class that was full of dance moves I didn't know. I am more sporty than dancey (as anyone who has ever attended my step class can attest), so I probably would have struggled with this class in English, but I spent a good portion of the class feeling sorry for myself, even though four or five other women were having as many problems as I was.

The Polish language continues to humble me. I struggle with pronunciation and remembering the words, let alone the 5 grammatical cases, which I don't really even understand in English. My head is so full of work when we have our classes that it is hard to switch modes. And I feel inadequate since everyone around me speaks multiple languages.

But some days I have small victories. I can order in Polish in restaurants now, and I love going into shops and ordering fruits and vegetables and making other purchases in Polish. And I can understand a bit more when I listen to people speak, so gradually it will get better.

But some days it still sucks . . .

6 months

I arrived in Krakow for my big adventure 6 months ago today. Thus far, it's been everything I hoped for and more.

Life's good in Krakow. In many ways, my life here is not dissimilar to what it was in Toronto. The essentials are still the same - I go to work (a lot), I do my laundry, I shop for groceries, I work out (or talk myself into thinking I do), I go out for dinner, and so on.

But the difference is in the details. Everything here is still new to me. I go out for walks in the old town, or the surrounding streets and I find shops I haven't noticed before, or I see a detail on a building that makes me smile.

Many of my visitors have not known what to expect of Poland. They've been pleasantly surprised by the city, and I think by its vitality and vibrant nature. Krakow is alive these days, as Poland experiences a economic and I think, cultural, revival. I don't see much evidence of the country with a dour recent past, at least among the young twenty and thirty somethings I work with.

Everyone is eager to work - most of the students also have full-time jobs on top of their studies - I can't get one of my students who is working full time and taking her second master's degree to take a day off. Even the horses that pull the tourist carriages in the main square seem impatient to get going; they toss their heads and paw at the ground while they line up waiting for passengers.

Some days I long for the familiar - my friends, my family, the language, comfort foods, and my country, but most of the time I am too excited about visiting a new place, or trying something different to miss Canada.

I look forward to what the next 6 months will bring.

Dieting

Flannery and Small have gained weight. Apparently "light" cat food in Poland is not as "light" as it is in Canada.

I started looking for veterinary recommended diet cat food and found something referred to as Obese formula. I am assuming that it is supposed to prevent obesity, not contribute to it. I am ordering a case . . .

And I figured if they have to go on a diet, I might as well support them in their quest to lose a few pounds. Sadly there isn't much "light" human food in Poland either.

TV

I've barely watched TV since I moved to Poland. Some weeks I haven't even turned it on. And since I screwed up my satellite reception (or rather since my dad screwed it up) in September, I haven't watched more than a few minutes of the news at any one time.

I didn't miss it.

Then, last week, several very obliging friends sent me copies of episodes I missed when I left Canada in April. I've watched something like 10 hours in the past two days.

Now I want more.

Goodbye Uncle Lou

My family's relationship with cats goes way back. Both my parents had cats as pets when they were kids (my mother's cat Spooky was still alive when I was very young). My own love affair with felines began when I was 6 and we got Tiger. Today, as you know, I have two of my own, and both my brothers have cats.

Sadly, my little brother's cat Uncle Lou lost her battle with diabetes this weekend. Here she is as a kitten 15 years ago - I thought my brother was crazy to call such an adorable little female kitten Uncle Lou, but he told me the name would fit when she was old and fat. And true enough she grew into her name. The last few years she has spent most of her time sleeping, but still loved to cuddle with my brother.

Lou, you'll be missed.

Road trip tips

Three things I learned from my road trip to Prague with my good friends K and DW this past weekend:

1. Remember to bring your passport, preferably before you are more than an hour into the 6 hour trip. Forgetting it at home adds 3 hours to an already long drive.

2. No matter how much you trust your GPS system, do not turn off the highway into a dark forest late at night when you have missed an exit. Driving on unpaved, unlit logging roads in the dark is very scary, particularly when your GPS loses its satellite connection.

3. Bring lots of Kleenex. If one of you has a cold when you start, you all will by the time you finish.

Happy

When I was looking at some pictures a colleague took of my hiking trip last weekend in the Beskid Sadecki mountains, I realized that in in every shot, most of them taken when I wasn't aware I was being photographed, I was smiling or laughing.
Yesterday when I was talking to one of my friends in Toronto and telling her of my plans for the evening, she said that it sounded like my life was really fun. I quickly retorted that I worked a lot, but I had to concede, that, yeah, it is really fun.

And a few times in the last month I have been happy to the point of giddiness, for no particular reason. Last weekend, standing in the dark in a soft rain laughing and talking, made me so happy that I was inspired to do a little impromtu dance for the gang. Much more laughter ensued, particularly when I hit a rock mid dance move and fell over.

Life can't get much better than that.