Him: "This isn't really the most pretty part of Krakow, or the prettiest time..."
Me: "Are you kidding? I love this. This is reality. It's what people look like."
Him: "There are prettier parts, though. Places that are better for pictures."
Me: "Places aren't just made up of their pretty parts, though. I like the whole picture."
(And a little later.)
Him: "People, when they are poor, don't always care as much if something is pretty."
Me: "I know what you mean. *quietly indicates classmate* you know she brought nine pairs of shoes? I can't even imagine fitting that many in my suitcase. But she likes heels. And good for her, you know? She'd be the pretty part of town."
Him: *laughs*
Me: *grins* I'd be the part next to the library.
There were gardens with these run down shacks at the end of them and they were apparently very popular during the communist regime because it was hard to come by fresh produce.
Also I saw graffiti of "cracovia" upside-down and a star of david with a line through it. And the most interesting part of that is that it isn't really anti-semetic. It has to do with soccer; historically, cracovia was one of the only teams to let jews play. So the other polish team uses that as an identifying feature of the team. Apparently the rivalry is so heated, there is gang-style violence and graffiti'ed-out sections of turf. The fans caused so much trouble they aren't even allowed at the games. which is fine by me, because we are apparently set to attend one of those games. So the fact that they won't be there sits pretty. READ THAT, MOM. IT'S SAFE COZ THE HOOLIGANS WON'T BE THERE.
I was on a moving train. No pic.
I also went to the famous salt mine. Got some great pics there with my regular camera. (Cel cam, regular cam, fancycam.) We were encouraged to lick the walls to taste the
At the deepest point (nudgenudgewinkwinksaynomoresaynomore) my person penetrated (a nod's as good as a wink to a blind bat) the earth's crust by 130 meters.
So that's fun.
It's so gratifying to read your blog full of interesting minutiae of the Polish countryside. Thanks for taking the time and sharing with those of us who may never get to visit this country.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if the government still provides garden allotments for its citizens? This civilized practice is common in nations in Scandinavia, the UK, etc., but I confess I don't know about Poland.
I think that the flavor of soviet communism made the gardens a rather sour necessity. I don't think they provided the garden allotments, I think it is something the people did themselves. At least, this was the impression I got. It could be wrong.
DeleteI do know that students hated even something so organized as a school putting on dances, because it reeked of further totalitarian fingers grasping at them.
Though that memory has begun to fade, so perhaps in the future, that will be a thing.
Just weirdly juxtaposes Seattle, tho, which fought to have community gardens enstated.