Finally!

Yeaaa... so now I can pay back ESN and people I borrowed money from. It comes out to about 800 PLN, and it ALL FOR YOU! So I can keep bring you this super interesting content on first-hand experience throughout Europe!

At least I can eat something other than plain pasta now ;)
25/3/2014

^^^ Yet another blog post I organized and didn't completely fill out.
On 25/3 I got my debit card from Mama Poland (Owczarczyk reference) and proceeded to spend lots of money. I lived for 3 weeks on about 80 zloty, this included going out 2 nights. If you want to live cheap in Poland it's very possible, but it'll get old really quickly.

By the way, all of the milk here tastes/smells like corn. You get used to it but @#^$#% I couldn't handle it the first time.
4/6/2014

It was inevitable...

So I had outlined this post back when I was writing my first post, and it's just been sitting waiting to be finished. The story isn't finished, but I might as well get something out of the way as an update for not posting for a week or so (post on Ukraine is coming soon (I'm just a tad lazy on downloading photos from iPhone (never buying an iPhone again))).
So the first full week of classes ESN has this get together of all of the study abroad students and we go out and do many things which I will list here when I find out what exactly they were here:
(There will be an update, for sure)

Anyway that Monday we go to a club (first club I've ever gone to) and I lose my wallet... It was inevitable. It'd be fine if I lost a wallet, because I needed a new one, as long as it had nothing in it.
It had a credit card, 2 debit cards, 300 zloty that I had withdrawn that day, My DM class NY State driving license, my dorm key card, and my passport photos. Of course now it's obvious the lesson learned that I continued to follow: leave the dorm with only your room key, your dorm key card and 20 zloty (it's more than enough for a good time for a night).
My cousin is telling me to go to the police to see if they found it, but after almost 3 months I'm not sure they have it, but I'll go there and ask if they have something like this and come back to update. If they do then I'll sign up for a European license :)
I'm also in the process of acquiring dual citizenship to Poland.
Will update soon (by this weekend) I hope
4/6/2014

Weather :D

So Juwenalia saw bad weather, but this week it's around 25 and sunny all week. I'm going out after classes to BBQs, walk, and skate.
Speaking of skating, if I had a dollar for every person who I've amazed with my Freeline skates, I would at least pay for my flight home ($950). Oh, and I also did that today, booked my flight home, for 16/7/2013.
Just going to enjoy this week, because it's rare for Krakow to have sun clear skies as it does now.
1230
21/5/2014

Juwenalia? Nahh

 So now it's the famous time of Juwenalia at AGH in Krakow. As told to me by all of the people here in Krakow it's the week when you don't go to class and drink all day, everyday, for one week. It lasts from Monday this week to Sunday. Every day there are concerts, and parades in Rynek, the city center.

BUT I have classes, and when I didn't have classes I was with my cousin. Now today on Wednesday, when I write this, I have classes all day again and realize again that I have my cousin's birthday in Hanover, Germany called Project P (yes it's a Project X reference). I had to make a choice, enjoy Juwenalia in Krakow, or enjoy a Project X themed party (except I won't know anybody) or stay in Krakow for Juwenalia. I decided to take the choice that would make for a better story: Hanover. So the Wednesday morning I am with my cousin at her flat and I get a call from my cousin Robert to come as soon as possible. So I booked a Polski Bus (get bus service) and headed out to Opole to my cousin Robert, because he fortunately was going to Hanover too, but for a different reason. I booked it at 2215, because my last class ends at 2130... So this involved me missing a concert of Donatan & Cleo on a man-made beach on my campus... but that's okay. May I'll come next year, or some other year. It's always around this time :D

At the moment we are driving from Opole to Hanover, and we are passing by some road... I've seen five.. now six prostitutes at corners, it's sad. But this morning I had this type of food or meal called, nalesznik francuski, and it's a type of pancake that inside has mushrooms, ham, cheese and on top it has some type of sauce. It' was a very nice surprise compare to what I'm used to having here. So anyway we passes this road of prostitutes and now we are on the highway in the Fiat Panda which we are transporting. It's a shame that the company that owns Lamborghini makes a car that has only 60 horsepower.... Will check back later.

15/5/2014

1400

Now I'm on the bus back to Krakow from Hannover for an amazing 56 Euro... Even though it's cheaper than driving it's way more expensive than a polish bus would have been. This feel like my flight situation. Leaving home is cheap, but coming back has its extraordinary cost: $950 for the flight back home. This leaves me with only enough money to live pretty much for the next 2 months, no additional plans. Ukraine next weekend, Budapest the second weekend of June, Opole for the last 1-2 weeks that I'm in Poland with my family. That's pretty much it.

So let me tell you about my weekend... I haven't written about the trip to Zakopane that I went on, which was the first trip I went on with ESN which is a big group for exchange students here. So **SPOILER ALERT** this is what happened in Zakopane too:

I got sick, but here I could actually measure how sick I was: 38.8 was my highest, and I got sick somehow the night I got to Hannover. I felt completely fine then BAM it came out of nowhere. It feels like strep, so I'll go to the doctor after my two final exams on Monday and Tuesday. I didn't visit Hannover like I wanted to, because I was laying in bed sick the entire two full days I was there. It's a good thing that I have another chance to go back when I am in Opole.

I will say I did go to a few parties: a “Project P” party (yes Project X reference, but it wasn't nearly as crazy) which we spent the next two days cleaning the place he rented, that same cousin's 18^th birthday party (small, 20 people, too many young people), and a first communion. It was fun, but because I was sick I didn't enjoy myself as much as I would have. I also didn't drink more than 6 drinks while I was there, which going to these parties I would expect a lot more. Compared to everyone else I was an angel :D

I don't regret not doing Juwenalia, I'd rather see something different completely than something different in a place that reminds me of the semi-dull day to day routine that I have. By the way to all those reading this who is trying to see how classes may be here,study in the beginning and don't let anyone fool you. If you don't try you may pass, but if you want a perfect score it's very difficult, and that is what you need to strive for otherwise you may lose sight of what your base reason for coming here is.

I can update with a full post on Hannover the next time I go, which will happen one way or another.

And mom if you are reading this, could you send me one of my prowojazdes? Nie chciem jade bez prowojazde dwa razy xD

Autobahn I will drive on you while I am here. Autobahn means “freedom” in English.

18/5/2014

2140

Wesołych Świąt i Śmigus-Dyngus

This weekend beats any other I've had in Poland by such a far stretch that it'd be an insult to even compare. I'm sorry for all of the other experiences, but this experience was something priceless. Easter weekend with family you have never met before, experiencing things you have never witnessed before, feeling completely comfortable for the first time in a very long time; all of these and more are what I felt this weekend. I will remember this weekend and cherish it's memory. So I will take you through what my weekend was like outside of Krakow with family, and outside of ESN.

I get picked up and taken to my Ciocia's (aunt's) house somewhere 2 hours away from Krakow. On the drive there I notice something: we are going 150 KPH? How is this possible... Oh wait I'm not in America where they have to keep the speed limit low, because people can't drive properly and the law needs to make money. On the autostradzie (highway) the speed limit is 140 KPH, and for all you Americans that's 87 MPH... On this one highway, that has nothing special about it, we are breaking every single speed limit in America. I even saw many people going 200+ KPH like this was the Autobahn. There are these small cars maxing out on these highways and in the states I can't open up my cars that will double what those small cars can do. Everything in America is bigger and more powerful, so why can't the speed limit reflect the cars we drive. Here the cars are limited by how much power they have and not the speed limit. In the States it's the other way around.  I don't even know what to say anymore. Obey the law because? Give me a good reason America, and because I'll get arrested isn't a good one; why is the law there to begin with, and why to such extent is something worth more of my time.
Off of that rant, we get to my ciocia's house and it something from a dream. You cannot even fathom the peace that you feel there and the environment, but I will do my best to describe it: a small town where everyone knows each other, houses are small but very nice and the space is used very well, the church and friends are within 5 minutes walking distance, and the view of everything, and the smell of everything is like nothing I've ever experienced in my life. I get there and already I am being fed and introduced to everybody and everything is happening so quickly. Only one person in the family really could communicate with me in English so I spoke mostly Polish the entire weekend. We hacked away at bread and ciasto all night long, while I talked about why I was here and showed everyone how I lived in the states. It's weird how it works, if you live one way and experience another or want to experience another you may like it and want to live that way for the rest of your life. I feel this way, at least for the time being, about the town my Ciocia lives in. It gives me a satisfaction to finally be in touch with family, family that I've never had outside my sister and some family in VA and Ontario.
Before nightfall on that Friday, I had one of the most exhilarating/scary/fun experiences in my life. I drove a Ford Mondeo. But I didn't drive it in the normal way you drive a Mondeo, oh no. This Mondeo had NO doors, NO windows, NO body panels. It only had a frame, and engine, a transmission, seats, and tires. Think going ATVing with a quad is fun? You've never experienced this shit. I only wish I took the advice and went on the roof of the car while we were hauling ass through the forest. Trees, bushes, bottoming out on huge dips, nothing mattered, we went through them. One of my cousins was smart, he brought a full face helmet. That was such an exciting hour and a half. If I every have a beat up car, and an area to do this... Bad things will happen :D
The next day I got up early, and we had to go to some other family North of us somewhere.

As a family on Easter Sunday we traveled to Lodz in order to visit to other art of the family that I was to see that weekend. It was always tradition to go to this art of the family on Sundays since they are a bigger immediate family and their house can fit more people. After we get to our family in Lodz, I become amazed with the amount of creativity you can pack into such a space. They had a beautiful house, inside and out and I was glad I could see them. We took a small Sunday drive and we were shown around the town they lived in.

Onto the things that really mattered when I was there. I. Ate. So. Much. Food. It was literally eat, walk around for a half hour eat again, do something for another hour and eat again, a half hour and eat... We had two courses of appetizers, 3 entrees, and at least 4 courses of deserts... I am convinced I gained at least 2-3 kilos in just that day. But all of the food was delicious. And too was the vodka, which we did not drink until after Easter came. After half a day at their house we came back and went to bed.

The next morning I was woken up by the sound of the church bell at 0800. And then by screams of a girl in the house. I run out to find my cousin dragging my other cousin into the shower and spraying her with water. I was confused for a couple of seconds, then realized that it was Smigus-Dyngus, or Wet Monday. Normal breakfast with soup and other good
Polish food. We were given a small flick of water by our fingers from everyone in the family to one another. Then I got confused again when I saw two of my cousins taking a bunch of plastic bottles to the car filled with water. Then I'm told, for Smigus-Dyngus here, the girls are literally soaked with water. I knew it was going to be a fun day.

Starting the day we went to few girls houses that my cousins knew and the parents told us that they were in church or going to church or something of the sort and to come back later. WE struck gold at one girl's house named Olya. She came running out and we just dumped these bottles of water on her. I was quite reluctant to do so since to me this was very abnormal. But then they all told me it was okay. So then I joined. Afterward we were resented with chocolate and eggs from the girl who we got wet. I know this is different from Smigus-Dyngus of other laces, but this is how it is in the town. This happened again and again from house to house that we went to, some of the girls we did not know, some of the girls we drove past and just happened to be in the path of water that we didn't want in the car anymore xD and some didn't bother to open the door after 20 minutes...

What I like about this is that it's a tradition that everyone here welcomes, no matter if you're the guys, the girls getting wet, or parents of the girls about to get wet. That day you knew you were getting wet regardless if you were boy or girl, but you knew for sure you would get wet if you were a girl. Even so we carried a change of clothes in the car which would become useful at the last house we went to, which was around 1300 where we used a hose and every single bottle of water we had, and there was also retaliation where the girls there got us wet as well.

The Smigus-Dyngus tradition happens for this reason, from what I'm told: on the Monday morning after Easter, Mary Magdalene could not believe that Jesus was not in his tomb and was in shock. She remained in this state of shock until a few men doused her with water, waking her up from her disbelief. So today, on Monday mornings after Easter, we splash water on unmarried girls (14-24), before noon.

I had a great lunch and met a cousin of mine who is doppelganger of Wladimir Klitchko. I went home and I wished I had stayed another day. I will know in the future to not make the same mistake again and take advantage of the time that I can s*end with my family.

I cannot thank them for such an unforgettable weekend, it makes me want to come back again next year. I think I will take a trip to Poland next Easter, just for this  

Drunken Blog : 001

"U Szwagra" Kebab: 1

Me: 0

#IMissMyCamaro

#IMissDriving

#AmericanBeerCan'tCompare

#Don'tCareAboutHashtags

#don'tcareaboutgrammar

#MetricSystemFTW

That moment when you can have a fantastic night for less than $10 USD in Poland, and would have to pay 3x more in the States.

There is no need to drink to get drunk. It's a casual gathering with talks of life and different experiences.

Imagine the hardest language you could ever try to learn. What do you think it is? You're wrong, it's Polish.

Should I keep this "Drunken Blog" up?

Comment, I'd like to hear your input. 

These are basically my thoughts after walking back from the city center to my dorm. It takes about 30 minutes, and it give you time to think/reflect. It won't be often, just when thoughts are running through my mind.

My Flight... from Canada?

Along with the paperwork I had to take care of with the school for my classes to transfer, I also had to actually get to Poland. Getting home and buying and packing wasn't so difficult, but actually getting to the plane and my experiences within the airport were quite funny.

Being cheap, I noticed that if I flew from Toronto, Canada my ticket would be $150 than if I flew from my hometown Rochester. We have family there, so why not? It'll be an excuse for my mother to visit some family that we don't see to often. Cool, so driving to Toronto wasn't too bad, except for the fact that the thruway was going 50 mph (speed limit 65 mph) because of freezing rain. Already we were worried because we only got 2 hours of leeway, apparently that's what you need for an international flight. Turns out it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

We get to the airport about an hour later than expected, check our bags with LOT Airlines and rush into the security check so we can make our flight. It was only a 10 minute wait, which was fantastic. For sure we will make it! Except... I had to bring a DJ controller with me, because I refused to put it in my luggage, because I thought they would then look through it. Well, I was pulled aside and  "randomly searched" and the controller was taken in for testing for explosives. This is eating into my time mind you. After 15 minutes I'm cleared and proceed to run to the terminal, only to notice my flight is delayed by and hour. I was not even mad, it gave me time to relax. Toronto also has the best International flight terminals ever, iPads, bars, comfortable chairs, and cafes everywhere. I definitely recommend Toronto airport if you're going International, but only the part after the security check, so go early.

Next hour rolled around and I go the terminal... It's delayed another hour. Fast forward the next hour: delayed another hour... so what gives LOT? "There is a mechanical issue, it'll be done within the next hour." Okay sweet, and they brought us food, because they are obligated to on an international flight delayed longer than 2 hours. I have 2 servings of food because 'Murica and there was extra, and then comes the next hour, this will be around 12:30 AM or 0030, the flight is "actually" delayed because of weather.... Meanwhile we see a plethora of jets taking off without hesitation. Even though the weather was kind of bad, to their credit, this was BS. One guy was so mad that he kept pressuring the people at the terminal to explain why he was going to miss the connection to miss his mother's funeral in Poland. No body was happy at this point. It got so bad that police were actually called into the terminal; police not security. We were the only people left in that entire terminal, only our flight, and the Duty Free girl who had to stay until we left, I felt bad for her.
Finally after delaying 2 more hours they cancel the flight... I am convinced the world is against me.
We had to go back and pick up our luggage, get new itinerary, and hotel vouchers (after some arguments) all from one teller, who had to answer to 200+ angry to-be flight passengers. I got a couple people  who could speak Polish a lot better than I could and made this plan: I would get their luggage from the carousel downstairs, one would be able to reschedule our flights, and the third person could get our hotel vouchers. We were done so quickly that we ended up helping many other people. We were among the first to leave the airport to the hotel... at 0500.
Wake up, have breakfast, blah blah blah, take a charter back at 1300, and hang out with people from the previous day until my flight at 1800, or 2000. Stopped again at security for bombs and a "random search" because of DJ controller. Not even mad, better than yesterday.No delay (thank you Air Canada), and I fly a Boeing 737-200 LR towards Munich, Germany. The flight was amazing, especially since the plane was only half full, and there were no crying babies. I had the whole middle row to myself, which would be amazing in normal circumstances, but this was the middle row in the very front of a section and therefore the hand rest wouldn't raise. It was the most awkward sleep I have ever gotten, but otherwise, food was great, and I was very satisfied!
Meanwhile I'm scared that I didn't put on my Polish VISA that I'd be arriving in Germany, because how would I have known. No problem, wasn't an issue. Arrive in Germany, go through another security checkpoint (no idea why), and again get searched for bombs and get my controller tested for bombs; I'm used to it at this point.
Go to Lufthansa terminal and they take you via bus to the plane, neat. Sit in plane, blah blah, guy snoring a storming behind me on this hour long flight to Krakow. I had a picture too, because me and the group around him just couldn't stop laughing! But that picture is on my unactivated Verizon iPhone that is now useless since I tried putting in a different SIM card. I'll never buy from Verizon again. Anyway, get to Krakow with no contact with anyone, and under the impression that I would be getting picked up and taken by AGH by a son of my mother's friend's sister. Didn't happen. Took a cab to the wrong building, walked 2 kilometers with luggage to where I was staying and got to a room reserved for me, only to find someone else in my bed. It's fine, it can't really get worse. It got figured out really quickly.  I will probably expand to this post later and add pictures, but for now it's just a small update.My first few days in Krakow and my first impressions will be talked about in the next blog post. It's about time you stop hearing about me and start hearing about what a travel blog is really about: the placed traveled to, and the experiences.