We finally made it into the United States Saturday, but not without drama.
The Cat had gotten us a great flight. It left at around 2pm. No early morning dashes to the airport for us unlike all our other expat friends leaving that morning. We leisurely got up around 7:30, at breakfast, ransacked the house to make sure we were not forgetting anything, threw away every leftover anything we had - just the regular morning routine when you are moving to another country.
We were picked up the Embassy van at 11am. When I say we, I mean my two children, myself, my dog, 6 suitcases packed to the max, a stroller and a car seat. There was barely any room in the van for anything else.
We get to airport around 11:30 with plenty of time to spare. I get in line at the Lufthansa ticket counter and when they see I have kids, they wave us over to check in at Business Class, which was empty. When the agent saw the two carts of stuff and the dog, she rolled her eyes in disdain and began complaining in German. She said I would be holding up the Business Class line. Now, the Cat had gotten us bumped up to Business Class for the long flight from Frankfurt, but not Warsaw to Frankfurt, which I mentioned to her. I also mentioned that there was no one in the Business Class line at this time. So, she did her job and checked us in. I was overweight for every bag, but they didn't charge me for anything accept the dog, which I expected. She told me that while she was able to check in the kids for the next leg of the flight, I had to go to the ticket counter to get my ticket in Frankfurt. Did I mention I only had a one hour layover in Frankfurt?
We got through security without much brouhaha, grabbed some water and went to sit at our gate and eat sandwiches I packed. While there, we ran into Thing 1 now former school principal who was on the way to Madrid with his wife. We always run into our fellow expats at the airport.
The flight to Frankfurt was effortless with the exception of Thing 1 insisting on taking things out of his backpack which I kindly (biting my lip and mentally counting to 10) told him that he could hold out for another two hours. I was not repacking that thing for him!
We deplaned at Frankfurt around 15:55. Our next flight left at 17:00. So I popped Thing 2 into the stroller, hung backpacks on it, gave Thing 1 the coats and told him to run. Luckily I know this airport and found the United Airlines counter without problem. I kindly (in hysterics) asked her for my boarding pass. Which she printed for someone else without so much as checking my passport? Thankfully I noticed and she then asked me for my passport. I got my pass, but it had me seated separately from the kids and I was told I still needed to go to the gate counter for my business class bump. All that and I still had to go through security.
I have always felt this double security check to be pointless. Those of us in the terminal have likely already gone through security somewhere else or we would not be in the terminal. The line was like a mile long. Frantic passengers kept trying to cut in saying their flight to Dulles was leaving and they had to cut in. I told one guy to take a number because I was on the same flight.
We finally get to security. The kids know the routine and took off their shoes. Still they set off the alarm and they along with me were patted down by the German officers. One of the things that I can't stand about Germany is that their collective consciousness makes them a bunch of rule following goody two shoes. Everything has to be by the book which is very annoying under extreme circumstances like being late for a flight.
So, it was no surpise when one of the officers tells me to open my backpack. This thing had to weigh 25 pounds and it was packed with way too much stuff. This woman rummaged through it trying to get to the bottom where she pulls out my jewelry pouch and manages to throw almost all my jewelry on the counter. I was livid and bitched her out asking her if they considered jewelry a weapon in their country. She seemed to be taken aback by all the jewelry and I told her I was moving back to the States and was not about to pack valuables for shipping. She did her best to pick it up, but in the end the pouch I had with Thing 2's jewelry which had all the sentimental value (there were some things in there that my dad had given me that I wanted to pass on to her as well as her baby ID bracelet and her birthstone rosary) went missing. Ironically, I posted something earlier this month about not being attached to many things unless they were of sentimental value and in a sense the loss became a self fulfilling prophecy. I am quite upset about this and will be placing a call to United Airlines to find this pouch at gate C2 in Frankfurt. I would sue if it were possible! If you think I have a case, please let me know.
After that fiasco, I ran to the counter and got my BC bump which more than made up for security. However, again they set us up in three separate rows. So, I went into BC and I made an announcement explaining the seating arrangement I had been given and asking for volunteers unless they wanted two hyperactive and one sick kid sitting next to them on the flight (I actually did say this!). Immediately two passengers gave up their seats. I got everyone settled with some snacks and we set off on a rather uneventful flight back to America.
When we finally got there, I had to get through passport control. I felt herded like cattle until I saw the glorious sign saying "Diplomats only." Kaching! I skipped about 100 people and went right to the counter. I think I'll hold on to that passport! After finding someone to help me gather my multitude of belongings and lying to the custom official that I was not bring any food of any kind into the country (my bag was stuffed with Kinder Egg Chocolates). I was finally on my way to a reunion with my husband.
Despite the jet lag, I had to unpack and then repack for the drive to FL the following day. So, while the kids spent time with dad, I managed to do it all and went to bed at 1am, over 24 hours after waking.
My kids were up and ready to go at 4am. Such is life. So I now sit here writing this opus at 5am as I wait for my tired husband to wake so we can get on the road. And somewhere in this great country of ours, my friends who traveled out Saturday are probably all up right along with me and their kids as our bodies try to figure out that we are not in Poland anymore.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Through the sands of time
I have been reminiscing a lot this week. Time here has passed ever so quickly. When I look at Thing 2, I can see how quickly. She arrived her at 7 months, drooling, teething and barely sitting up. She is leaving with a full set of teeth, running, and jumping. I can hardly get her to sit still. She has gone from babbling to being a non stop chatterbox and speaking PolSpanGlish, her own made up language. She can dress herself, put her shoes on and loves to role play with other children. Mini me in the making. She has no clue what is happening right now and if she is anything like me, it will hit her later when she realizes that she is going to a different preschool without her beloved Pani Kinga or Pani Ula. To them, I thank for making Thing 2's first preschool experience so rewarding.
Thing 1 arrived here 2 days after his 4th birthday. While he had learned basic writing, he was still trying to work out a deal where he would not have to write anything. Today, he writes sentences on his own, journals, and he can read most Dr. Seuss books to his eagerly listening sister. He has also learned to swim, speak a little Polish. He knows about many different cultures, languages and the boy can identify more flags and capital cities than I can. His simple awareness and acceptance of differences has made this entire journey worthwhile. Socially, he learned how to be a friend and found one of the best joys in life, a best friend who complements him very well. While he understands what is going on, he is a sensitive boy who intensely feels the loss of his friends. His friends gave him a book today with pictures of the past few months where they wrote all the things they liked about Thing 1 and wished him well. It was very sweet and I am sure he will treasure it when he looks back at his early school years in Warsaw.
As for for me, I am reminded of a verse in Rent's Seasons of Love - "how do you measure a year in the life? Or two and half years for that matter! In the short time I have been here, I have hopefully targeted every neuron and created so many new synapses that Alzheimer's better beware.
I learned a new culture, new language, new way of life. I learned to make triple U-turns with perfect strangers, ride up on sidewalks just because, and jump medians when I didn't feel like waiting. I mean seriously! I would sit there waiting to turn and then it would hit me - I can just jump this median and make my u-turn because no one cares! I also became a parallel parking queen. I have managed to squeeze my SUV into the tightest spots imaginable without even making a dent. Wish I could say the same about the stupidly placed columns in certain parking garages I will not mention and random untrimmed tree branches that have placed my car in need of a major paint job.
I recently learned that driving through Nowy Swiat is not allowed. The street is closed to buses and taxis only. Not that this stopped me as recently as this week from driving up that way to get into the Old Town. And probably, the most illegal thing I have done in this country is drive for the past two years without a license. When the Cat finally realized that our international driving permit just would not do, we applied. This was back in October. I am still waiting for my license. Lucky for us, we didn't get into any accidents with actual people. Just inanimate objects!
I learned to survive on a constant coffee drip and nothing more until after noon thanks to the Mums and Tots and AFW. I learned to perform mathematical somersaults for everything from currency to kilometers, pounds to kilograms and even decagrams. I learned the Metric System people! And this, folks, I must say makes us the odd man out. Why the heck aren't we on the metric system? It would make things so much easier.
I learned Polish. Sure, I have always had a knack for languages, but Polish is no easy feat. The other day, I was finally able to watch Borat and when he broke into Polish, it didn't even sound foreign to me. I did not know they spoke Polish in Kazakhstan. Who knew? I especially notice how much I learned when i listen to children speaking and can understand what they are saying. They are the best people to practice Polish with because their Polish isn't any better than mine.
Probably what I learned the most was from my international group of friends. We all live in our little worlds focused on everyones apparent differences. We fight wars over differences of religion and politics. But, the reality is that we are all more similar than we are different. I really believe that everyone should afford themselves such an experience if only for that reason. I can no longer look at an immigrant or foreigner in my own country without understanding the difficulty they may be going through and offering assistance. It has made me far more compassionate.
I have enjoyed my time here and it will take a while to readjust to my own country. Life went on there when we left too and I now need to try and catch up with it.
Thing 1 arrived here 2 days after his 4th birthday. While he had learned basic writing, he was still trying to work out a deal where he would not have to write anything. Today, he writes sentences on his own, journals, and he can read most Dr. Seuss books to his eagerly listening sister. He has also learned to swim, speak a little Polish. He knows about many different cultures, languages and the boy can identify more flags and capital cities than I can. His simple awareness and acceptance of differences has made this entire journey worthwhile. Socially, he learned how to be a friend and found one of the best joys in life, a best friend who complements him very well. While he understands what is going on, he is a sensitive boy who intensely feels the loss of his friends. His friends gave him a book today with pictures of the past few months where they wrote all the things they liked about Thing 1 and wished him well. It was very sweet and I am sure he will treasure it when he looks back at his early school years in Warsaw.
As for for me, I am reminded of a verse in Rent's Seasons of Love - "how do you measure a year in the life? Or two and half years for that matter! In the short time I have been here, I have hopefully targeted every neuron and created so many new synapses that Alzheimer's better beware.
I learned a new culture, new language, new way of life. I learned to make triple U-turns with perfect strangers, ride up on sidewalks just because, and jump medians when I didn't feel like waiting. I mean seriously! I would sit there waiting to turn and then it would hit me - I can just jump this median and make my u-turn because no one cares! I also became a parallel parking queen. I have managed to squeeze my SUV into the tightest spots imaginable without even making a dent. Wish I could say the same about the stupidly placed columns in certain parking garages I will not mention and random untrimmed tree branches that have placed my car in need of a major paint job.
I recently learned that driving through Nowy Swiat is not allowed. The street is closed to buses and taxis only. Not that this stopped me as recently as this week from driving up that way to get into the Old Town. And probably, the most illegal thing I have done in this country is drive for the past two years without a license. When the Cat finally realized that our international driving permit just would not do, we applied. This was back in October. I am still waiting for my license. Lucky for us, we didn't get into any accidents with actual people. Just inanimate objects!
I learned to survive on a constant coffee drip and nothing more until after noon thanks to the Mums and Tots and AFW. I learned to perform mathematical somersaults for everything from currency to kilometers, pounds to kilograms and even decagrams. I learned the Metric System people! And this, folks, I must say makes us the odd man out. Why the heck aren't we on the metric system? It would make things so much easier.
I learned Polish. Sure, I have always had a knack for languages, but Polish is no easy feat. The other day, I was finally able to watch Borat and when he broke into Polish, it didn't even sound foreign to me. I did not know they spoke Polish in Kazakhstan. Who knew? I especially notice how much I learned when i listen to children speaking and can understand what they are saying. They are the best people to practice Polish with because their Polish isn't any better than mine.
Probably what I learned the most was from my international group of friends. We all live in our little worlds focused on everyones apparent differences. We fight wars over differences of religion and politics. But, the reality is that we are all more similar than we are different. I really believe that everyone should afford themselves such an experience if only for that reason. I can no longer look at an immigrant or foreigner in my own country without understanding the difficulty they may be going through and offering assistance. It has made me far more compassionate.
I have enjoyed my time here and it will take a while to readjust to my own country. Life went on there when we left too and I now need to try and catch up with it.
Saying Good-bye
Saying goodbye is never easy, whether it comes when you expect it or when you least expect it. I have spent the last few weeks going through the moving motions and now all that is left to focus on is what I wish I didn't have to do so soon.
I have made wonderful friends here in Warsaw. Some through our Embassy, some native Poles and many from almost every continent in the world. My only regret is that I did not get to know them sooner. There is a grief process to be had here and I am still somewhere in the first three stages. I am a bit hesitant to move in the 4th because it is depression and I don't do well with that. I think that all of this will hit me in January when the holiday buzz is gone, Thing 1 starts a new school and I go back to work. So until I have my breakdown and eventually accept all this, I will keep in touch through my virtual world and pretend that all of them are just a few kilometers away. And hope that there are some great drugs to help me get through it!
Today was especially hard. Saying good bye to my friends from Mums and Tots was difficult because the group itself offered so much support to me during those early days in cold, dark Warsaw. Some of these special people have moved on. But, I still remember my first meeting where I met Marjolein from the Netherlands. Little did I know then that we would be literally taking over the group within months as postmaster and webmaster for 2 years. Both of our kids were babies then. I met a very pregnant Ambra from Canada when I was selling Thing 2's baby furniture last summer. She bought Thing 2's bedroom/crib set, but we had so much in common that we became friends right away. Now Zoe is almost 5 months old and delights in hearing us talk. I met Marisa quite by accident. I noticed on the membership list that her son and Thing 2 shared a birthday. She was also from California so we started emailing, calling and started setting up play dates with our kids. While I didn't get to see her too much once she started her business, when I got together with her recently, it was as if I had seen her yesterday. Through it all these friends from all over helped with all the WTF moments that came with living in Poland. How else would I have known to make sure that my kids wear hats even in the spring to avoid dirty looks or reprimands from older Polish, well meaning women!
Agnieszka, Alicja, and Joanna are my Polish friends who were more eager to practice their English than I was in learning Polish. While our hectic schedules made it hard for us to see each other often, we did share in some nice playdates, meals and outings with and without our children. They have also been very supportive and helpful to this foreigner trying to figure things out in Poland. Without them, I would have never found sand for Thing 2's sand table last summer (all of which I just threw out yesterday, by the way), or learned to make pierogies with Aga, or I would have been stuck in traffic for hours near Wroclaw on the way to Prague had I not listened to Joanna who told me to avoid Piotr Trybunalski at all cost! Little things that make a big difference. There are many more friends like this, but these are the ones I spent the most time with. All of you have made my experience in Warsaw that much more pleasant.
And, I cannot end my ode to friends with out mentioning Kylie aka Slightly Cracked, my fellow blogger in crime/real life friend, who has to be as neurotic as me. I remember meeting her and her family while ice skating last year. Thing 2 confused her husband Thrifty Expat for Josh on the rink and hugged his leg and thus a connection was made. It wasn't until months later that we saw each other again at Thing 2's new preschool and learned that all our children were now in school together. This year, we were the guardian of the zloty for the PTO store every Monday morning. I actually looked forward to Mondays not just for the fact that my children were alas off to school, but because I really enjoyed our conversations. We have so much in common and my only regret is that we didn't get to know each other sooner. I haven't said goodbye to her yet, but I know I will see you again someday. You can count on that!
Are you crying yet? It doesn't end there. This afternoon, after learning that I owe no more than a few bucks to the property people in the housing department, I paid a visit to my "atelier urody" or aesthetician. Ania has kept my hands, feet and face in top condition for almost 2 years. She gave me a lovely picture of Warsaw along with my last manicure and pedicure in Warsaw. I have enjoyed talking with her about our cultures, life's ups and downs, and everything else you can imagine. I can only hope to find someone as good as you back in the States.
Not in tears? Read on...this evening, I said goodbye to my Polish babcia and dziadek, my housekeeper, Grazyna and her husband, Josef, who have become as much a part of our family as they can be. That was especially hard because while she was my employee, she also became a surrogate grandmother to the kids and in a way they were both like surrogate parents to us. We were guests in their home and they in ours. It broke my heart tonight to see Thing 2 struggling to say good bye to her "nina". And it was sweet to watch Thing 1 speak the little Polish he knows to them as he said good bye. I will miss her (really both of them) terribly and not just for being a phenomenal housekeeper, but for making my Polish experience so much more personal. It is especially hard knowing that unless I am able to make it back to Poland someday, I may never see her again except for pictures and emails. So with my fairly decent Polish and my dictionary, I will write.
Everyone says that coming home is harder than leaving. I don't know the logistics of all that yet although I am sure there is no learning curve there. But, emotionally, coming home is harder. When you move overseas, you know you will come back home. But, when you have friends from all over, it is hard to know when and if you will ever see them again. At the same time, the world doesn't seem as large a place as it one was.
Warsaw is a place that you either love or hate. I find that it is the people you meet along the way that help you make that decision. So, for me, Warsaw and the people I met here will always hold a special place in my heart. I truly hope our paths cross again.
Do widzenia Warszawa! Dzien Dobry Ameryka!
I have made wonderful friends here in Warsaw. Some through our Embassy, some native Poles and many from almost every continent in the world. My only regret is that I did not get to know them sooner. There is a grief process to be had here and I am still somewhere in the first three stages. I am a bit hesitant to move in the 4th because it is depression and I don't do well with that. I think that all of this will hit me in January when the holiday buzz is gone, Thing 1 starts a new school and I go back to work. So until I have my breakdown and eventually accept all this, I will keep in touch through my virtual world and pretend that all of them are just a few kilometers away. And hope that there are some great drugs to help me get through it!
Today was especially hard. Saying good bye to my friends from Mums and Tots was difficult because the group itself offered so much support to me during those early days in cold, dark Warsaw. Some of these special people have moved on. But, I still remember my first meeting where I met Marjolein from the Netherlands. Little did I know then that we would be literally taking over the group within months as postmaster and webmaster for 2 years. Both of our kids were babies then. I met a very pregnant Ambra from Canada when I was selling Thing 2's baby furniture last summer. She bought Thing 2's bedroom/crib set, but we had so much in common that we became friends right away. Now Zoe is almost 5 months old and delights in hearing us talk. I met Marisa quite by accident. I noticed on the membership list that her son and Thing 2 shared a birthday. She was also from California so we started emailing, calling and started setting up play dates with our kids. While I didn't get to see her too much once she started her business, when I got together with her recently, it was as if I had seen her yesterday. Through it all these friends from all over helped with all the WTF moments that came with living in Poland. How else would I have known to make sure that my kids wear hats even in the spring to avoid dirty looks or reprimands from older Polish, well meaning women!
Agnieszka, Alicja, and Joanna are my Polish friends who were more eager to practice their English than I was in learning Polish. While our hectic schedules made it hard for us to see each other often, we did share in some nice playdates, meals and outings with and without our children. They have also been very supportive and helpful to this foreigner trying to figure things out in Poland. Without them, I would have never found sand for Thing 2's sand table last summer (all of which I just threw out yesterday, by the way), or learned to make pierogies with Aga, or I would have been stuck in traffic for hours near Wroclaw on the way to Prague had I not listened to Joanna who told me to avoid Piotr Trybunalski at all cost! Little things that make a big difference. There are many more friends like this, but these are the ones I spent the most time with. All of you have made my experience in Warsaw that much more pleasant.
And, I cannot end my ode to friends with out mentioning Kylie aka Slightly Cracked, my fellow blogger in crime/real life friend, who has to be as neurotic as me. I remember meeting her and her family while ice skating last year. Thing 2 confused her husband Thrifty Expat for Josh on the rink and hugged his leg and thus a connection was made. It wasn't until months later that we saw each other again at Thing 2's new preschool and learned that all our children were now in school together. This year, we were the guardian of the zloty for the PTO store every Monday morning. I actually looked forward to Mondays not just for the fact that my children were alas off to school, but because I really enjoyed our conversations. We have so much in common and my only regret is that we didn't get to know each other sooner. I haven't said goodbye to her yet, but I know I will see you again someday. You can count on that!
Are you crying yet? It doesn't end there. This afternoon, after learning that I owe no more than a few bucks to the property people in the housing department, I paid a visit to my "atelier urody" or aesthetician. Ania has kept my hands, feet and face in top condition for almost 2 years. She gave me a lovely picture of Warsaw along with my last manicure and pedicure in Warsaw. I have enjoyed talking with her about our cultures, life's ups and downs, and everything else you can imagine. I can only hope to find someone as good as you back in the States.
Not in tears? Read on...this evening, I said goodbye to my Polish babcia and dziadek, my housekeeper, Grazyna and her husband, Josef, who have become as much a part of our family as they can be. That was especially hard because while she was my employee, she also became a surrogate grandmother to the kids and in a way they were both like surrogate parents to us. We were guests in their home and they in ours. It broke my heart tonight to see Thing 2 struggling to say good bye to her "nina". And it was sweet to watch Thing 1 speak the little Polish he knows to them as he said good bye. I will miss her (really both of them) terribly and not just for being a phenomenal housekeeper, but for making my Polish experience so much more personal. It is especially hard knowing that unless I am able to make it back to Poland someday, I may never see her again except for pictures and emails. So with my fairly decent Polish and my dictionary, I will write.
Everyone says that coming home is harder than leaving. I don't know the logistics of all that yet although I am sure there is no learning curve there. But, emotionally, coming home is harder. When you move overseas, you know you will come back home. But, when you have friends from all over, it is hard to know when and if you will ever see them again. At the same time, the world doesn't seem as large a place as it one was.
Warsaw is a place that you either love or hate. I find that it is the people you meet along the way that help you make that decision. So, for me, Warsaw and the people I met here will always hold a special place in my heart. I truly hope our paths cross again.
Do widzenia Warszawa! Dzien Dobry Ameryka!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The Exhaustion Junction
There are freezing points and melting points and somewhere in between there must be an exhaustion junction - a place where stress meets an immune system on overload and just becomes enmeshed with each other. If there is, I think I have arrived there and I do not like it.
For the past 2 weeks, I have run around my house throwing stuff out, donating useful items, organizing our stuff into three parts - stuff for the plane, air freight and household effects (HHE). While I don't necessarily enjoy moving, there is one very positive thing that happens with every move. You get to get rid of stuff!
When i was in college and graduate school, I moved so much that I realized one thing: stuff is just stuff. It isn't that important. Certainly I have my own things that I value (mostly stuff my dad gave me), but I have little attachment to all this stuff in general. In other words, if the house was burning, I would leave those heirlooms behind. I would probably take my photo albums and hard drive that holds my pictures. That's probably what I would cry about if I lost it and thanks to Snapfish all my pics for the last 8 years can be recouped.
While I love this part of moving, my dear husband, while not quite the packrat, hates giving away stuff or losing stuff to a break. When things break as they often do in moves, I don't tend to get upset with it. I glue it back is it is possible or I move on. Not so with my husband who depending on what broke goes through the grief process. He still won't let me live down the green bachelor couch I encouraged him to give away to a cousin who (being a bachelor himself) trashed it within a year (or so I hear). So, isn't great that I am handling this pack out by myself?
The whole moving process is stressful, but luckily, the giving away stuff is quite easy. My kids can now visit Slightly Cracked and feel quite at home with the toys they so generously (I snuck them into the garage while they were at school and, if no one asked, it went) donated.
Having my children out of the house has been a blessing during this time. Thing 2's wonderful Happy Montessori school allowed me to let her go full time without charging me the other half of the tuition. She is happy and I got a lot done. Thing 1's friends (or should I say their parents) let Thing 1 come over on play dates after school to help maximize my time. All of you have been great and I really appreciate the help.
And so, yesterday, the movers showed up. And I was pleasantly surprised that they spoke more English than the Hispanic guys who packed us up in Miami. Miami Latinos - get with the program! It would not have mattered since with my wonderful Polish teachers who taught me for 2 years, I know the names of everything they were writing on the boxes.
Things went well and they were able to the whole house in 8 hours. Quite an accomplishment! Today they did the furniture and now they are loading. I am hoping to have them all out of my house by tomorrow morning at the latest. And through it all I discovered that my stress response is quite interesting. I rock under stress! It is when you leave me idle that I crash and burn.
I was so exhausted last night (from doing nothing but supervising) that when Thing 2 asked me to lie with her in bed, I didn't just lie there and then leave when she fell asleep. I passed out. I was so exhausted that when the Cat called an hour later and the phone was ringing, I started hitting the snooze button determined to break my alarm clock that would not stop "ringing." I was so exhausted that when I went to get clothing for the next day (mover pack everything that isn't bolted down or clearly marked as "nie pakowac", so I packed all my clothes before their arrival), I could barely walk back up the stairs and ended up falling and huring my knee and elbow. It wasn't pretty, but at least I didn't break anything.
Then, to top it all off, my body had no idea what to do with itself after two weeks of situationally induced stress, so it decided to attack me to bring back the stress. I woke at 4am feeling nauseated and proceeded to vomit intermittently for three hours (more weight loss for me - goody) while trying to shower, get ready, get kids ready for school and make breakfast, multi tasker that I am. What is it about a toilet that induces a gag reflex other than it's overall germs? I swear that every time I even came close to one, I would have the need to vomit. Don't feel bad though - throwing up was a great relief to me. I was actually feeling better when it was all over. Note to self: Haagen Daz from Warsaw should not be considered "dinner."
Later, I found out I had a fever. Tip off: the house is heated and I was freezing. Those who know me know that I am rarely cold. So, I searched for a thermometer, praying that I had placed it in a "nie pakowac" drawer and ever so grateful that I did. 101 F! So, a few pain relievers later, the flu seems to be gone and I think my fever is breaking. I am still exhausted and have to pick up Thing 2 soon. Tonight, Thing 2 will have mommy in bed with her at 8pm. No need to beg me to lie down. They may need to beg me to get up!
For the past 2 weeks, I have run around my house throwing stuff out, donating useful items, organizing our stuff into three parts - stuff for the plane, air freight and household effects (HHE). While I don't necessarily enjoy moving, there is one very positive thing that happens with every move. You get to get rid of stuff!
When i was in college and graduate school, I moved so much that I realized one thing: stuff is just stuff. It isn't that important. Certainly I have my own things that I value (mostly stuff my dad gave me), but I have little attachment to all this stuff in general. In other words, if the house was burning, I would leave those heirlooms behind. I would probably take my photo albums and hard drive that holds my pictures. That's probably what I would cry about if I lost it and thanks to Snapfish all my pics for the last 8 years can be recouped.
While I love this part of moving, my dear husband, while not quite the packrat, hates giving away stuff or losing stuff to a break. When things break as they often do in moves, I don't tend to get upset with it. I glue it back is it is possible or I move on. Not so with my husband who depending on what broke goes through the grief process. He still won't let me live down the green bachelor couch I encouraged him to give away to a cousin who (being a bachelor himself) trashed it within a year (or so I hear). So, isn't great that I am handling this pack out by myself?
The whole moving process is stressful, but luckily, the giving away stuff is quite easy. My kids can now visit Slightly Cracked and feel quite at home with the toys they so generously (I snuck them into the garage while they were at school and, if no one asked, it went) donated.
Having my children out of the house has been a blessing during this time. Thing 2's wonderful Happy Montessori school allowed me to let her go full time without charging me the other half of the tuition. She is happy and I got a lot done. Thing 1's friends (or should I say their parents) let Thing 1 come over on play dates after school to help maximize my time. All of you have been great and I really appreciate the help.
And so, yesterday, the movers showed up. And I was pleasantly surprised that they spoke more English than the Hispanic guys who packed us up in Miami. Miami Latinos - get with the program! It would not have mattered since with my wonderful Polish teachers who taught me for 2 years, I know the names of everything they were writing on the boxes.
Things went well and they were able to the whole house in 8 hours. Quite an accomplishment! Today they did the furniture and now they are loading. I am hoping to have them all out of my house by tomorrow morning at the latest. And through it all I discovered that my stress response is quite interesting. I rock under stress! It is when you leave me idle that I crash and burn.
I was so exhausted last night (from doing nothing but supervising) that when Thing 2 asked me to lie with her in bed, I didn't just lie there and then leave when she fell asleep. I passed out. I was so exhausted that when the Cat called an hour later and the phone was ringing, I started hitting the snooze button determined to break my alarm clock that would not stop "ringing." I was so exhausted that when I went to get clothing for the next day (mover pack everything that isn't bolted down or clearly marked as "nie pakowac", so I packed all my clothes before their arrival), I could barely walk back up the stairs and ended up falling and huring my knee and elbow. It wasn't pretty, but at least I didn't break anything.
Then, to top it all off, my body had no idea what to do with itself after two weeks of situationally induced stress, so it decided to attack me to bring back the stress. I woke at 4am feeling nauseated and proceeded to vomit intermittently for three hours (more weight loss for me - goody) while trying to shower, get ready, get kids ready for school and make breakfast, multi tasker that I am. What is it about a toilet that induces a gag reflex other than it's overall germs? I swear that every time I even came close to one, I would have the need to vomit. Don't feel bad though - throwing up was a great relief to me. I was actually feeling better when it was all over. Note to self: Haagen Daz from Warsaw should not be considered "dinner."
Later, I found out I had a fever. Tip off: the house is heated and I was freezing. Those who know me know that I am rarely cold. So, I searched for a thermometer, praying that I had placed it in a "nie pakowac" drawer and ever so grateful that I did. 101 F! So, a few pain relievers later, the flu seems to be gone and I think my fever is breaking. I am still exhausted and have to pick up Thing 2 soon. Tonight, Thing 2 will have mommy in bed with her at 8pm. No need to beg me to lie down. They may need to beg me to get up!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Pre-Moving Shopping Sprees
No matter where you live, if you are moving to another state or country, you always feel pressed for time to do (and in my case buy) all those things we put off to the last minute. And I do have regrets. While I have seen most European capitals thoroughly, I can't say I did the same in Warsaw. Everyday life (and small children who don't give a hoot about castles and museums) prevented me from fully exploring Warsaw. And now that both kids are in school, I have all this packing to do.
Donating and throwing out stuff has another pleasant side effect: losing weight. Not necessarily personally, although I have lost about 6 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks simply doing all of this. I mean losing packout weight which increases our overall weight limit leaving room for more stuff. We had planned to buy lots of stuff native to Poland before leaving in June.
So what to do when you need stuff and the Polish zloty is back to 2006 rates against the dollar? Gather a group of friends with money to burn (or not) and hit the hole in the wall ghetto warehouses that hold such lovely items, like Jablonski (who were moving to the Krosno factory - another lovely place in the middle of nowhere near Warsaw 5 days later - heads up shoppers), Boleslawiec pottery (courtesy of ANKO), amber jewelry, roses and decorative trees, Russian nesting dolls all while enjoying great company and Coffee Heaven coffee (even with Starbucks, I will miss thee Coffee Heaven).
Want to know a secret? Traveling to Poland at this time of year, if you can deal with the cold, is a great. Old Town is pretty much dead with the exception of their mini Christmas market set up in the square. If you go during the week, there is not a soul there. Slightly Cracked and I drove right up to ul Dluga right next to the Barbakan, met out friends shortly after and spent the morning shopping. I made it back to my the minute the ticket (parking meter ticket) ran out. Not that I care about getting a ticket at this point!
I really think that my friends and I help Poland increase it's GDP over the past week and had a great time doing so.
Donating and throwing out stuff has another pleasant side effect: losing weight. Not necessarily personally, although I have lost about 6 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks simply doing all of this. I mean losing packout weight which increases our overall weight limit leaving room for more stuff. We had planned to buy lots of stuff native to Poland before leaving in June.
So what to do when you need stuff and the Polish zloty is back to 2006 rates against the dollar? Gather a group of friends with money to burn (or not) and hit the hole in the wall ghetto warehouses that hold such lovely items, like Jablonski (who were moving to the Krosno factory - another lovely place in the middle of nowhere near Warsaw 5 days later - heads up shoppers), Boleslawiec pottery (courtesy of ANKO), amber jewelry, roses and decorative trees, Russian nesting dolls all while enjoying great company and Coffee Heaven coffee (even with Starbucks, I will miss thee Coffee Heaven).
Want to know a secret? Traveling to Poland at this time of year, if you can deal with the cold, is a great. Old Town is pretty much dead with the exception of their mini Christmas market set up in the square. If you go during the week, there is not a soul there. Slightly Cracked and I drove right up to ul Dluga right next to the Barbakan, met out friends shortly after and spent the morning shopping. I made it back to my the minute the ticket (parking meter ticket) ran out. Not that I care about getting a ticket at this point!
I really think that my friends and I help Poland increase it's GDP over the past week and had a great time doing so.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Christmas has gone wild!
After a day of much deserved pampering by my aesthetician and physical therapist, it dawned on me that tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day and St. Nicholas (that would be me) had not bought a single surprise for the kids.
St. Nicholas is a big day in Europe, even more important than Christmas Day itself. Here there are really skinny Santas giving out candy at the malls, but no pictures with Santa at the mall (that will come soon enough when someone wises up to the profitability of it all). I would be a really bad mommy if I ignored this altogether and I have a feeling that for the rest of their lives my children will be expecting something in their stocking on December 6.
I was pressed for time since I had to pick the kids up from school at 4:30. So I raced to the nearest mall, the Sadyba "Best" Mall, which really does not deserve that name. That was my second mistake, the first being waiting until today to get this together. But, can you blame me? I mean amid all this packing it's a miracle that I even remembered.
Sadyba Mall is the worst mall in all of Warsaw in addition to being the smallest. I knew I was in for it when I went into the underground parking garage to find it nearly full. That's always a bad sign here.
I headed to Smyk and I felt like I had been transported to another universe. In the 2 years I have been here, I have never seen the mountains of toys at exorbitant prices that I saw today. Our first Christmas here, I could barely find any selection. Today, it was overwhelming. And let's not forget all the people doing exactly what I was doing. The lines were ridiculously long and they only had 2 cashiers who were taking their sweet time ringing up customers.
It was not like this 2 years ago. Two years ago I got the impression that Christmas here took on a more sacred meaning. I'm sure that for some this still holds true. But consumerism in Poland appears to be at an all time high. People don't pay their bills (I don't know if they quite understand that this is part of the agreement). I have heard stories of people being put in jail for not paying their bills. It is sad to think of it.
This is why, I sometimes feel that I am reliving the 80's here. In the 80's (and the 70's too) it was all about "me, me, me". It's almost as if they had an 80's do over. Who can blame them when you think about their 80's compared to ours? I ended up getting each child one small European toy and some Kinder Eggs.
St. Nicholas is a big day in Europe, even more important than Christmas Day itself. Here there are really skinny Santas giving out candy at the malls, but no pictures with Santa at the mall (that will come soon enough when someone wises up to the profitability of it all). I would be a really bad mommy if I ignored this altogether and I have a feeling that for the rest of their lives my children will be expecting something in their stocking on December 6.
I was pressed for time since I had to pick the kids up from school at 4:30. So I raced to the nearest mall, the Sadyba "Best" Mall, which really does not deserve that name. That was my second mistake, the first being waiting until today to get this together. But, can you blame me? I mean amid all this packing it's a miracle that I even remembered.
Sadyba Mall is the worst mall in all of Warsaw in addition to being the smallest. I knew I was in for it when I went into the underground parking garage to find it nearly full. That's always a bad sign here.
I headed to Smyk and I felt like I had been transported to another universe. In the 2 years I have been here, I have never seen the mountains of toys at exorbitant prices that I saw today. Our first Christmas here, I could barely find any selection. Today, it was overwhelming. And let's not forget all the people doing exactly what I was doing. The lines were ridiculously long and they only had 2 cashiers who were taking their sweet time ringing up customers.
It was not like this 2 years ago. Two years ago I got the impression that Christmas here took on a more sacred meaning. I'm sure that for some this still holds true. But consumerism in Poland appears to be at an all time high. People don't pay their bills (I don't know if they quite understand that this is part of the agreement). I have heard stories of people being put in jail for not paying their bills. It is sad to think of it.
This is why, I sometimes feel that I am reliving the 80's here. In the 80's (and the 70's too) it was all about "me, me, me". It's almost as if they had an 80's do over. Who can blame them when you think about their 80's compared to ours? I ended up getting each child one small European toy and some Kinder Eggs.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Jedi Mind Tricks
Drinking water is one of the few resources you can't get for free on tap here in Poland. You can brush your teeth with it, but it is not potable. So, most people either buy bottled water at the market or they subscribe to a water service. We have had a water service i.e. water cooler since we arrived and I love it. I may even look into the option stateside.
This week, I requested that my water delivery be suspended because I have enough bottles to last until our departure. I needed the Embassy to cancel my regular delivery and set up a time 2 days before we leave to pick up the water cooler. A simple phone call right? Not in Warsaw! The Embassy made the phone call, but apparently no one at Dar Natury got that memo.
Usually, they deliver on Wednesdays in the evening. Tonight, I expected no delivery and I would not have been here anyway because I had a photography class to attend. So, I came home with the kids around 10pm and got my rugrats off to bed (their teachers are going to hate me tomorrow, but I will have great pictures to show for it) and went downstairs to unwind. My kitchen window was slightly open and it was cold so I went to close it and when I look outside there are two 5 gallon jugs of water at the gate. But here is the kicker: the bottles were inside my courtyard, not outside my gate. How I wish I had a surveillance to see how exactly they managed to get 10 gallons of water over my really tall gate! A Jedi mind trick perhaps?
So, now, I have 10 gallons of water that will in all likelihood be frozen by morning. Why not bring them inside? I have had a severe back spasms for months that started when I tried to change out one of those bottles. I am not about to lug two of them up the stairs to the storage area. So, one of two things will happen: The bottles will crack from the freezing cold or Dar Natury better get their truck back here tomorrow and pick them up. I may have them demonstrate their gate trick for me just for fun!
This week, I requested that my water delivery be suspended because I have enough bottles to last until our departure. I needed the Embassy to cancel my regular delivery and set up a time 2 days before we leave to pick up the water cooler. A simple phone call right? Not in Warsaw! The Embassy made the phone call, but apparently no one at Dar Natury got that memo.
Usually, they deliver on Wednesdays in the evening. Tonight, I expected no delivery and I would not have been here anyway because I had a photography class to attend. So, I came home with the kids around 10pm and got my rugrats off to bed (their teachers are going to hate me tomorrow, but I will have great pictures to show for it) and went downstairs to unwind. My kitchen window was slightly open and it was cold so I went to close it and when I look outside there are two 5 gallon jugs of water at the gate. But here is the kicker: the bottles were inside my courtyard, not outside my gate. How I wish I had a surveillance to see how exactly they managed to get 10 gallons of water over my really tall gate! A Jedi mind trick perhaps?
So, now, I have 10 gallons of water that will in all likelihood be frozen by morning. Why not bring them inside? I have had a severe back spasms for months that started when I tried to change out one of those bottles. I am not about to lug two of them up the stairs to the storage area. So, one of two things will happen: The bottles will crack from the freezing cold or Dar Natury better get their truck back here tomorrow and pick them up. I may have them demonstrate their gate trick for me just for fun!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
