Travel /
Poland - never again [593]
My trips to Poland confirmed again that foreign trips are not fun at all without being able to meet local people. I can spend only so much time talking to myself. Hence, during my first trip, I made every effort to engage anyone I could to find out how Poland is half a century later. At 76, my parents are both gone, and so are many of my classmates. According to the Polish tables, I passed away three years ago.
When I was refused the graduation list at Liceum 37, I was left with no choice but to take the initiative and approach strangers. To my great relief, it was a lot easier than I expected. As I strongly believe in creating my own events, I went to the two schools I mentioned before to amuse their students and myself for a couple of hours. Those of you who flat out didn't believe me never tried it or you just don't know me. Shyness is not in my DNA.
I went to the church in Radom where I received my first communion. The mass was in progress and a woman with a devine voice was singing. She was so good, I asked a priest where she was and how I can see her. They called her so when she came out, she walked up to me and shook my hand. She was in a hurry so we met again at 9 in the evening for a cup of tea. I walked her home when we were finished. I was hoping to see her again on my second trip but I didn't make to Radom.
I invited a student I met at Politechnika to dinner after he gave me a tour of the department where I graduated. He told me how much engineers make and about job prospects. No, I wasn't planning to restart my career. I was just curious and I liked seeing how fluent in English he was. No, we never spoke Polish.
My low point happened in Jedlnia-Letnisko. The owner of the Hotel pod Rozami, Ryszard, invited me to dinner that included tartar, smoked fish and his own home made booze. As I said earlier I don't drink. Drinking that stuff turned out to be a very big mistake. I didn't throw up. I tripped and fell down when I walked into my room hitting a night stand with my head. Things went dark and stayed that way until 6 a.m. With my face all bloody and my left eye purple, I would be not be able to recognize myself in a police lineup. I was stupid to drink too much and the message was clear.
I also went to see Instytut Electrotechniki w Miedzylesiu where I worked after graduation. It was Saturday so it was closed except where the guard was. We spoke for exactly an hour after my usual opening: so how is life here? I found out that they will be closing the place as a relic from the past.
Now, why the hell did I write all of that. Two reasons: because I can and to show you that most people are in the center of the curve. I am an outlier. I do things most people don't because they are too timid, lazy, or afraid of being rejected. I am not any of that so I am not surprised to be greeted her with "you are a liar".
The contrast between Poland on my first trip and what I saw here is astounding. Those I approached there, including the teachers who never met me and who risked that the gray guy who just walked in may say something wrong, had a reason not to trust me. That is why, to put them at ease, in each case, I asked them to watch me from the back of the class and alert me immediately if the subject was not acceptable. They never did because I am not stupid.
