Last night can really only be describe as "shit-tastic". My mum may edit it into something else, or she may let it stand. I am not sure which, but I hold that that is the only true descriptor of last night.
I found the bus station that took me to Warsaw only because someone suggested I go upstairs from the bus station I was in to look for an information desk. Apparently the bus station (the entire one) has two levels. My terminal/bus gate was on the upper level. Which was cool, I met a nice girl who told me that I could have her number so if I had any Polish questions, she could translate, and then she could practice her English.
I got to Warsaw and a guy pointed me to the metro station. I purchased a ticket and took an honest-to-god subway. From the subway I was to talk ten minutes to a train station and take a train, or I could find a bus station.
I took a taxi. It was dark and I didn't know which ten minutes to walk. I did ask someone, but the only people around drove taxis, and how rude is it when your job is to transport people and I am asking for directions from you. And actually, I am glad I did take the taxi (even if it was expensive) because it was actually about 20 minutes away BY THE HIGH WAY and if I had tried to do that by public transport I would have been late.
In the airport, I finally eat for the first time since a light breakfast.
10:35pm flight delayed two hours.
Next estimate says we leave at 02:20am.
Flight is canceled, but everyone has to come back to the gate.
Cannot go back through the airport, no, everyone takes a lap outside to get cycled through the "arrival" door despite the fact that the temperature is in the 20s and it's windy.
Stand in line for two hours to either see if there is another flight to take, or if I need to apply for a refund.
Wait another hour for a bus to take me back to centrum, where I will wander for a hostel or hotel.
While I was in line, a guy who was forcing himself to make jokes so he wouldn't get mad was doing a legit job of finding out little bit a of information that he could while we waited. I would riff of the information he brought us.
"The reason our flight is cancel is because the plane arrives late, the service people in the control tower go home."
"Are you fucking. Kidding. Me?!"
"This is not my idea. But I promise what I say is true."
"No, I'm not mad at you, but I believe the word I am looking for is 'KURWA'."
((A man 10 feet in front of me shouts: KURWA. TAK.)) The entire front of the line laughs.
20min later a man standing at the desk begins shouting at the lady behind the desk. A girl behind him pipes up and tries to call him off. He shouts more and begins throwing things at her. Security is called and a few people rush over. Security runs at him and immediately takes him down, and he struggles and resists hard enough that the desk gets pulled away from the wall and then people are indignant and bring their phones out to try to film it, and security gets in THEIR face too, and they take the guy away in cuffs and spend the next half hour talking down the people next to me who were trying to film it.
They weren't rough with him any more than was called for for him being unsafe and him struggling. I mean the floor was hard, but he decided to turn violent. They didn't have fun punching him or whatever. They put him on the floor and took him off in cuffs. That was it.
I was sitting with a girl and her mom and she had a lot of questions for me about america. What did I think of Florida vs. California, have I seen pretty little liars, what did I think of Canada vs. America, especially after bowling for columbine, what did I think of America education system, what do I think of free health care, what about people in the south?
Actually normally I love fielding questions like that, but I was so fucking tired I just wanted her to shut up. I mean I was nice. I explained that Michael Moore is a sensationalist and a raging asshole, and when she didn't understand what that meant I asked her if she knows the soccer gangs here, Cracovia and the other one? The graffiti that is the star of David with a line through it? Or the star of David on the gallows?
She nodded yes.
"Okay well Michael Moore could show up here and film that graffiti and talk about how much anti-semitism is still rife after world war two and talk about what a legacy the Nazis left and the Soviets left and talk about how hatred here is still alive and well and never mention anything about how it has nothing to do with antisemitism, and everything to do with a soccer rivalry. That is sensational. It will sell."
"Oh I see."
"Right, so even if his movies raise any good points, the way he does it completely makes those points invalid. They don't matter, because they are coming from a biased place and only meant to sell. Also, he has made boatloads on money off of the trend of Americans hating america, and I have never once heard of him doing anything worthwhile with that money. He just sits on it, and makes more."
"So I change the subject. Have you seen pretty little liars? It is the final season, and we are going to finally find out who A is."
On the bus ride back to centrum, the drunk guy who sits next to me keeps talking to me about Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan and touching me and playing all the songs on his tablet really loud and offering me his booze and all I want is to get away from him.
I get BACK to the centrum station and wander for about an hour. I stop for information, I have a map in hand, I get a ride from someone to the wrong address, and during more wandering no less than three men tried to get my in their car. One of them stopped in the middle of the road and only drove off when he realized I wasn't turning around to come back. One asked me something in polish and indicated the seat next to him and I said "I don't speak polish." And he slowly realized I was not a prostitute said "...oh" and drove off.
The next one pulled over so far that he ended up on the sidewalk and I turned right around and left. He waited until I rounded the corner before he drove off, too. Several more slowed down as I walked past, but when I finally got to the Marriott, the last guy was just outside the parking lot and as I crossed the street he opened his window and tried to get me in his car. And only pulled away when I passed him, said I didn't speak polish, and didn't look back.
The man here got me a room for $30 less per night than he quoted me, and so I thanked him for it and am staying here. It was four thirty in the morning, I never did find the right place, and I just wanted to cry and sleep.
Now in the light of mid to late afternoon, I am going to shower, walk around, take pictures, and tomorrow I'll ask if there is something specific I should see.
Must be careful, though. I brought everything but my USB-to-wall adapter, so my cell and tablet only have one portable battery left between them.
Warsaw will be beautiful. It has to be.
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