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.
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
Oh rodzinka! :-D
ReplyDelete