It is hard to believe that I have only been in Poland for one week. I have already seen and experienced so much here that it feels like I have been here for a lot longer. I decided that today was the day to write my first blog post from overseas because the details of the first week of my exchange are already fuzzy- I cannot even remember all that has happened- but I will try so here goes nothing. :)
I was really nervous before coming here, but I have finally settled in and have begun to make friends here. It is difficult because I can speak almost no polish, the language is so difficult. For the first three days I was completely overwhelmed by language difficulties- I would wake up in the morning to the sounds of the voices of my host parents and the television and it felt a little bit like a crazy dream. I still cannot really communicate with my host parents. My nineteen year old host sister Patrycja speaks almost perfect english so she translates. Thank god for her. I can now get by on basic phrases. I know how to ask "How are you?" and how to say "I cannot understand or speak Polish. Can you speak English?" I know it will come in time: I study a little bit each night and after one week I am able to grasp the topic of conversation- I just cannot understand the opinions being expressed.
My flight was a disaster. My first flight from Albany to Detroit was delayed because of weather and plane complications. This delay caused me to miss all of my connecting flights. I was so nervous to leave anyway so I was quite distressed by the situation. Fortunately, when I got to Detroit I was able to rebook my flights to Amsterdam, Warsaw, and finally Wroclaw. I arrived in Wroclaw six hours later than scheduled so my Mom had to call my host parents and the emergency travel agency line and my host club counselor in Poland to let them know.
Because I missed all of my connections I never met up with other exchange students going to Poland. However, in Detroit I met Grant- an American going to Germany on exchange, and Ian, a boy from my district who was also going to Germany. This was wonderful because I spent a six hour layover in Amsterdam with them. We met up with two other exchange students, (both going to Germany) and they left a little bit before me. I was sad when they went- maybe I will see them back in the States.
I can't really describe what I was feeling as I flew into Wroclaw. It was night, and from the plane I could see this huge city all lit up- it was breathtaking. I was excited, scared, sad, happy- I have never had such mixed feelings before in my life.
Any fear I had dissipated when I arrived and met my host parents, Grazyna and Marek, my host club counselor Mr. Keidrowski, Kaila, an exchange student from Australia, and Patrycja, my host sister and her boyfriend Lukasz. They were all so friendly and welcoming. I couldn't understand a word of what they were saying to me, but I knew they were nice immediately.
We went to a party from the airport. My host parents friends were celebrating an anniversary and so we had dinner with them. the Polish people are crazy happy :) and very energetic. It was so much fun to just sit there and watch them even though I could not join in the conversation.
The next day I slept until 1:00 pm. I didn't understand military time so I did not know what time it was- I am proud to say that
I've got it down now. I slept through breakfast so I woke up to a huge dinner of amazing soups and meats (no longer a vegetarian, its impossible and the meat is so good anyway. I just eat a little bit of it and when I come home I think I will go back
to being a vegetarian. Later on Patrycja and I went to meet Kya, Patrycja's best friend and we went shopping at a large mall. I immediately fell in love with the city: it is absolutely GORGEOUS, and it is over 1,000 years old. There is a lot of German influence here because Wroclaw was a part of Germany during World War II. After shopping we went to Patrycja's uncle's flat and got ready to go to a dance club. At the dance club I met Paulina, Patrycja's other best friend who spoke English with me after some time. Most teenagers here speak English very well but they are shy and afraid of making mistakes. Paulina was really nice and I spent the night talking to various people. They are very interested in the fact that I am from New York, but all automatically assume I am from New York City. Robert, a student at the University in Wroclaw, asked me if I had ever met G-Unit and 50 Cent, and he was completely serious. :)
Day number three was a good day: woke up, met my host grandparents. They spoke only Polish so I was tired by the time we left their flat from listening to so much of another language. We then went to KFC where I met Hubert, my host brother for the first time because he was on a vacation with his friends. He just left this morning to go to Cooperstown for a year on exchange. I am so excited for him and a little sad that he left today- he is so nice, so anyone from Milford or Cooperstown reading this, introduce yourself. Hubert and I went to a Rotary meeting where I met three exchange students and introduced myself, in Polish, to the Rotary Club that is sponsoring me. I loved meeting the other exchange students, and tomorrow we will meet again. There are nine exchange students in my city.
The next day Patrycja's host sister came to Poland. Patrycja was an exchange student in Canada two years ago and Elysha's family hosted her. They had not seen eachother in two years. Elysha is still here and will be here for another week. In three days we will go to Krakow for a few days. I am really excited :) It is nice to have Elysha here because English is her native language as well :) and Poland is so different for both of us.
On Wednesday I went to Boscowo with Elysha, Patrycja, and Lukasz for three days. Boscowo is located on a lake so we spent our time there swimming and eating. Some of Patrycja and Lukasz's friends were also in Boscowo so we spent the nights with them and it was good fun. Polish people are very loud, they stay up very late, and they are very good at having fun. I was a little homesick because the lake reminded me of Otsego County and I felt as if I was still at home- (minus the ridiculous language being spoken everywhere around me.)
Yesterday was the best day yet. Elysha and I got a tour of the city from Maciek Cieslak. Maciek was an exchange student in Unadilla last year so I met him a few times in the United States. He actually is a paid tour guide in Wroclaw for German visitors. we walked EVERYWHERE: through Japanese gardens, breathtaking cathedrals, over and across many bridges. Wroclaw is called "The City of 100 Bridges." Robson Veronas, an exchange student from Brazil, lives with the Cieslaks so I got to spend some time with him on our tour. It is nice to talk to someone who is in the same situation as you. I do not understand why the American Rotary discourages exchange students from hanging out with other exchange students. I get to learn about Polish culture from my Polish friends and other cultures from my exchange student friends. I would say its a win-win situation. I wish everyone from home could visit me. Every time I am in the city I fall in love all over again. Walking around at night gives me goosebumps because I am amazed over and over again by Wroclaw's beauty.
I just ate a scrumptious dinner of Pierogi's and soup and now I will get on the bus to go to Wroclaw with Patrycja and Elysha. we will go to watch a water show- really hard to explain but its basically lights and fountains and Mozart playing loudly. Afterwards we will go out and then I will with Maciek and Robson to an eighteenth birthday party for some girl I have not met yet at a dance vclub. There will be about 300 people there, so its really different here than in Milford. :)
Polish people stay out really late and it is impossible to be bored on Friday and Saturday night.
On Tuesday school starts. I am excited to meet new people.
This experience is already amazing and I know I am going to grow up really fast here. I miss you all so much and I know this is really long and probably a bit tiring to read. My next posts will be shorter and will include some pictures.
Until later,
Dowidzenia! (Goodbye)
<3
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