Is it sad when an animal understands more Polish than I do?

I want this dog. Perhaps it will force me refine my pronunciation of Polish words.

P.S: The people in the video are pronouncing the words incorrectly. So if you were thinking of being cool and attempt to utter some Polish yourself, do not repeat what they say. No pole will understand you... even a dog. ;-)

For your enjoyment.

Coolest dog ever. Click here.

How pigeons make my resume interesting.

After living in Krakow for a couple months, there are several things I've come to realize.

1. You wait, because that's just what you do. Especially in the post office. (This is Poland as a whole, not just specific to Krakow)

2. Sidewalks need not be shoveled after it snows.

3. Always give exact change

4. Pigeons are everywhere.

The list goes on.

However, I realized I can use these bizarre traits to my advantage, especially those relating to pigeons. Yes, pigeons (I prefer the name, rats with wings). The city is full of them. The market square is constantly carpeted by these annoying creatures. They are so plentiful, that I've seen children drowning in pigeons because their parents think its a great photo opt. You see, parents hand there kids some bread to feed the pigeons, and within minutes they are swimming in a sea of feathers, poop and filth.

So, how can I use these creatures to my advantage? Well, another thing one must be wary of while in Krakow, is that pigeons do not feel the need to avoid you. You must avoid the pigeons. On numerous occasions I've seen people nearly taken out by these birds. Whether you duck, jump or just hold your hands to your face for protection, you must be on the look out for those stray birds coming right towards you or for those sudden flocks that just take off from the ground, regardless if you happen to be walking through.

Over these few months I believe I've mastered the art of avoiding pigeons. Everyday is an adventure. By the time I leave, I believe I can add it to my resume, perhaps as a special skill.

Laura Mikulski, Professional Pigeon Dodger.

New Year's Eve!

Being home in the United States for a week at Christmas was wonderful. It was nice to be in a country where I actually understood what was going on and felt comfortable. Seeing my family and friends was amazing.

My flight back to Poland was fine... for the most part. LOT airlines lost my luggage, which I convinced myself it was really stolen. I blame my hazy half-asleep comatose state for my delusions of "seeing" my luggage being loaded on the plane in Warsaw.

However, after a few days, I was back to a semi-normal sleeping schedule and my luggage arrived. Hand delivered.

So why did I feel the need to cut my time at home short? Only stay home for week? Because I wanted to be in crazy Krakow for New Years. It was a great night, cold, but filled with excitement. The Rynek (city square) was packed with people. Admittedly mostly full of tourists, but still fun nonetheless. There was a huge concert, fireworks and crazy lights flashing all over the place. I was with several friends and we danced and celebrated the night away. I'm glad I experienced New Year's Eve in Krakow. What I found most hysterical, was the aftermath of the celebrations. By 1 am the crowd significantly lessened and one could grasp the damage made. There were broken bottles, wrappers, and streamers everywhere. It was quite a site, and I feel sorry for those whose job it is to clean up post celebratory trash. In fact, a week later and silver confetti can still be found in the square. Below are some pictures from the night.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! All the best to you!

My Polish is still not good enough...

I'd like to share a short, hopefully entertaining, story about how my roommate Paige and I tried to order pizza.

See, we were hungry but lacked motivation to go out and get food. So what's the American way? For someone to bring food to us. Feeling ambitious and quite brave, Paige called a pizza delivery service. In this brief conversation of Poleng (polish and english) she successfully ordered a pizza.... or so we thought. Two hours later... still no pizza.

Not feeling brave or ambitious, but rather under Paige's influence and guilt tripping I called back. We were planning on ordering a new pizza, under a new number, because trying to locate our original order was a lost a cause. So, when someone answered the phone, I did my best to order in Polish. What was the result? They hung up on me.

Distraught and starving, we were running out of options. Brave the cold? Call a different pizza place? Finally, after serious damage to our self-esteem, our friend Salma called. Mind you, she lives on the other side of the city. When she called, they kindly put someone on the phone who spoke english. Clearly, pizza places hate me and Paige.

An hour later well more like 3 hours later, the pizza arrived. We gave the delivery guy a 5 zloty tip. He was beyond grateful. Oh kind sir, if you only knew.

Suffice it to say, we devoured our pizza. I think it was delicious?

On a completely different note...

Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku! Happy New Year!

Uczę się języka polskiego.

Minus the dreary clouds, cold weather and darkness creeping in at ridiculous hours, I do love Poland. Learning the language is proving to be more challenging than previously thought, however, I am relishing in the fun of it as much as I can.

Today I share with you some of my favorite words/phrases.

1. Książka: noun. (Kih-sean-shka... this is best phonetical pronunciation I have for you) It means "book." As is in, "Lubię czytam książkę. I like to read book." I realize the vocab word is spelled differently than the word in my sentence, but, as previously mentioned Polish is a grammar party, so the ending changes for the noun because of what I'm saying and which verb I'm using. And yes, I mean book, not books, because if it were plural, then there would be another ending. "Lubię czytam książki. I like to read books."

2. Skręcić: verb. (Skren-cheech) To turn. "Skręcić w lewo. Turn left." I just like the way it sounds.

3. Jestem głodna jak wilk. (Yestem gwo-d-na yak veelk) "I am hungry like wolf." Its an expression used the same way we use "I'm so hungry I could eat a cow." By the way, if you are a man saying this, you say "Jestem głodny jak wilk." Instead of saying głodna (gwo-d-na) you say głodny (gwo-d-neh.)

Polish Christmas Tradition

Poles are very Catholic. Poles love Christmas. Poles have many traditions. My family, identifying partly with our Polish heritage, partake in a few of these traditions, mostly those relating to Christmas Eve. My family always breaks the Opłatek, a communion like wafer symbolizing the importance of family, God and friends. We also eat keep our Christmas Eve meal meatless, indulging in pierogie... many pierogie because as previous learned, you can never just have one. This delicious carbohydrate masterpiece is accompanied with fish, although not the traditional carp. (I think we stick to flounder or some other white fish.)

The traditional eating of carp is one of the newest discoveries I made here in Poland. In fact, it is quite amusing. Carp is a dirty fish, living and swimming in deep, murky, dirty, muddy water. In order to enjoy this fish, it must be cleaned thoroughly, however, a good scrub just is not enough. One way poles clean this fish is by buying it live, a few days before Christmas Eve and keeping in a bucket of clean water.... or a bathtub. Yes, a bathtub. Apparently it is a running joke that children smell before Christmas Eve because keeping the carp in the tub takes precedence over cleanliness.

A recent article posted on Polskie Radio discusses the recent animal cruelty campaign for carps. Poles are now being encouraged to buy carp on ice, claiming the treatment prior to its inevitable fate is cruel. Animal rights activists in Poland pressed hard for the fishes rights, that it now has to be treated like any other vertebrate animal. Read the article here.

Oh Poland. You and your interesting ways. I love them, even if I'll never understand them all. Especially those pertaining to your inability to provide change. No... no I do not have pięćdziesiąt siedem groszy. (57 groszy)

Wesołych Świąt

The daily hustle and bustle of Krakow grew these past few weeks no doubt because of the Christmas Market. This festive, delightful, if touristy, attraction lights up the city square each

night with stands full of beautiful ornaments and traditional Polish presents ranging from red beads to honey. One, of course, cannot escape the stands selling delicious delicacies. Kiełbasa, pierogie, and kebabs fill the cold air with their hearty aroma, as well satiating that sudden need for Polish food that appears like magic.

After serious gift shopping for friends and family, (or yourself) those frozen hands, busy sifting through great deals, need to be warmed. So when those newly bought wool gloves just aren't cutting it, there’s always Grzaniec Galicyjski (try to pronounce that one, I dare you.) This delicious, sweet, hot mulled wine is the perfect addition to your sudden indulgence in Christmas spirit. It warms both hands and soul.

The market is full of different characters from all walks of life. While this might be where one hears English spoken more than any other place in Poland, native Poles can also be found, slowly preparing for the biggest holiday in the country. I’ve weaved in and out of the crowds almost every day since it opened in the beginning of December.

My favorite time to go is at night, when the entire market is lit with tinkling lights. Even the small streets leading the center, glow with icicle blue lights and wreaths. Couples holding hands, children running around with their families, and friends laughing over a cup of Grzaniec Galicyjski contribute to the fantasy of Kraków. The horse-drawn carriages only heighten the romantic atmosphere with its occupants closely huddled under blankets for warmth.

A friend and I found ourselves in grumpy moods one evening, having no real desire to do anything but to curl up in a ball and go to sleep. On our way through the city after eating dinner, we were drawn to the market because of the festive music playing and after an hour, we left the market with smiles on our faces and presents in our hands. Christmas is a magical time of year, and while it may make me an unrealistic romantic, I adore it. I can’t wait to be with my family, enjoying champagne and brownies for breakfast.