Warsaw

Last weekend, Patsy and I took off for Warsaw to meet Amber at the airport on Monday. We left Olsztyn Saturday morning and spent the day Saturday and Sunday hanging around Warsaw. To be real honest, Warsaw is not my favorite city...it's a typical big city, and those just aren't my favorite anywhere! But, we did get to eat some good food, look around the mall a bit, and enjoy people-watching in Old Town. And, of course, the hilight was picking up Amber at the airport Monday! Here are a few shots from our weekend away:

As we sat in Old Town Sunday afternoon, it was great just to watch all of the people walking around and to see the town come to life after being so dead throughout the winter. I enjoyed watching the horses as they waited for customers to take carriage rides. The horses were huge and, honestly, I felt kind of bad for them. They just looked bored to death and when they tried to walk on the cobbleston, their shoes slipped so it looked like it was really hard to walk. I also noticed that they would shift their weight from one back leg to the other. If you look closely you can see that this horse is doing just that. It was so interesting to me. I didn't know that horses did that!
Also in Old Town Sunday, we saw all of these bears! They are large fiberglass bears from countries all over the world through UNICEF. An artist from each country designed and painted a bear, and they are being displayed in different countries to promote unity and peace. They have the bears all set up to look like they're holding hands, to show unity. It was really neat to walk through and see all of the different countries. In this picture above, you can kind of see the lines of bears. There were TONS of bears...and people!
This was the America bear. It was a beautiful sight to see =)
And, finally, on Monday morning before we left to meet Amber, I took a walk and ended up by some water!!! There is a river that runs through Warsaw and, I'm telling the truth here, walking by it was almost like walking along the pier in Huron. Almost.

The Birthday Continues...

I almost forgot to post pictures of my "Lake Erie in a box" birthday package from my parents! Sheesh!
Have no fear, here they are.

Let's just start with the center, the coup de gras: a piece of genuine Lake Erie driftwood, with a message spelled out in alphabet noodles!!! Does anyone reading this blog remember doing that on seashells??? Yes, my mom did this for my birthday and wrote: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA, LOVE AND HUGS, MOM AND DAD". How great is that?? She even glued some genuine Lake Erie sand on there, too, as well as sent a little bag of sand, a few shells, some lake glass, and two lucky stones that my dad hunted down! There was also a Beach Towel scented candle (it smells great but cracks me up...my beach towel NEVER smells good!), foot lotion (to be ready for sandals), sunless tanner, a little notepad with a lighthouse on it, and Tranquil Waters scented oil. Ahhhhh...it's almost like sticking my toes in the water. Thanks mom and dad!
Now, let me first preface by saying that I'm not a huge fan of just slapping a picture of myself on here, but I wanted to show off the pretty shirt my grandma Davis sent me. It's so cute! And, it is perfect for summer here, as it's not usually too hot. I love it! Thanks grandma!
Also, if you look close enough, you can see my other birthday present from my parents: earrings and a necklace made of Lake Erie lakeglass! Seriously! I love it--it's a great gift and so special! You can check out the website where they bought it here.

Flying Crocs and A Spring Day in Olsztyn

Amber is in the States right now for a little visit and to celebrate her brother's graduation from college and her friend's wedding! Fun stuff! So, I decided to post a few other photos that I had just to make it feel a little bit more like she's here=)

This is a self-explanatory picture. But, I must mention that this wasn't staged at all! I was diligently working at my computer one day, and there was an incoming Croc that landed just like this! Good thing the window wasn't open!
Now this picture shows another one of Amber's favorite tricks...the hairband snap. We will frequently be sitting at our weekly team meeting, and WHAM! She gets me. I will admit that this one is staged, but I'm pretty sure she let it rip for real after the picture was taken!

These other pictures are some shots of a great afternoon we had last Sunday. The weather was absolutely beautiful...in the low 70's and sunny! So, after church and a little lunch, Amber and I packed up and headed out without a definitely plan except a McDonald's McFlurry and making our way out to the Intemann's house for team worship by 5 o'clock. (I should add that, for Amber and I, to have a plan as loose as that is pretty "wild and crazy". We felt like real adventurers!) Our first stop was the McFlurry (we needed energy of course!), then we headed over to a park to sit in the sun for a while. It was absolutely wonderful. And, believe it or not, I didn't even get burned! (At the beginning of every summer, I inevitably labor under the delusion that I can sit outside in the sun for endless hours without SPF 522 sunscreen and walk away with a golden glow. Heck, in reality I'm doing good to be able to walk at that point!)

Anyhoo, after soaking up some rays for a while, we started on our journey out to the Intemann's. Just to put it in perspective, we usually have to take a 25 minute bus ride to get out there. I'm guessing that, from the park, it was about a 4 mile walk. It was great. Here are some of the shots from along the way.

This is the view from where we were sitting at the park. I don't know if you can tell or not, but it's a sandbox. Not quite the beach, but it was the closest we could get on short notice =)

This is in front of one of the post offices in the city. Every spring, they spell out "Olsztyn" in flowers and make the city symbol with flowers as well.

As we walked we came upon a circus! Circuses and carnivals frequently pop up on random corners here throughout the spring and summer. And this was literally a travelling big top circus! They just roll into town, throw up the tent, and...well, do whatever you do at a circus in Europe. We saw some elephants as we walked by. And, when we were on the return trip (on the bus this time!) there was NO sign that there had ever been a circus there. Everything was gone...well, except for the smell, according to Ala who lives nearby.

Birthday '08...Part 1

How can you go wrong with a Birthday Week??? That's right, I had a birthday week this past week and it was great. Here are a few hi-lights from the festivities:

On Saturday the 2nd, we had a birthday party for Sean, Lydia and me, as all of our birthdays are in May. Sean and Lydia celebrated a significant birthday milestone (I won't say which one, but I will say that we used black plates and napkins) which is why they're wearing these ridiculous glasses. I promise they don't really look like this! And, I got to wear the princess crown since Sean and Lydia had fun glasses to wear. I had to take it off because it was giving me a headache. Apparently I'm not meant to be a princess. Bummer.
On Thursday, we met with Ania and Alina (the two new girls we've been meeting with for about a month) and, through Facebook, they knew that it was my birthday, so they brought me a gift! How sweet are these girls?! They brought me a cute coffee mug and a beautiful candle holder with some scented tea lights. They are really wonderful and it's been great getting to know them.
On Friday, the Big Day, we were planning to meet with Nina and Ala for a bit. Amber and I were in our kitchen, getting things ready, when we thought we heard laughter out in the stairwell. I peaked out the peep hole and didn't see anything. Then, a few minutes later, the doorbell rang, and there were Nina and Ala with this cake, with candles lit, singing the Polish version of "Happy Birthday"!!!! Again, how sweet are these girls?!?! I was truly shocked and overwhelmed with just how blessed I am to have met these girls a year ago. This was definitely a memory of Poland that I will never forget.
And, might I add, they baked a pretty stinkin' delicious cake! They said it was their first attempt and they had to call Nina's mom for directions, but I would say it was a success! The top of the cake said "Sto lat", which means " 100 years", as a blessing or wish for 100 years of life. I took this picture of the inside of the cake so you can see the different layers. There was a layer of a creamy filling, then a layer of forest fruit jam. It was delicious!And, on Friday evening, Amber, Patsy, Alethea and I headed uptown for dinner, then went back to Patsy's flat for cake, ice cream, and coffee. We had a great time just talking and laughing and enjoying some good food. I really appreciate and am grateful for these ladies. They really made my birthday a special day.

I also got many birthday cards and wishes, which truly do help so much, being so far away from home. And, of course, I got to talk to my mom and dad and got a package from them which is pretty much like Lake Erie in a box. I will work on a post about that one soon =)

You Might be a Loser If...

So, the other night Amber and I were sitting around munching on some M&Ms. We were discussing the new colors that they came out with several years ago and how silly it was that there used to be dark brown and tan. Why two browns? I then commented that I knew someone--I couldn't remember who--who only liked the brown M&Ms because they seemed more like real chocolate. This mystery person didn't think chocolate should be other colors than brown.
Amber looked at my for a second, then said "Jess, I think that's Matthew McConaughey in The Wedding Planner".
Hmmm...sure enough, that's who I was thinking of. Gosh, I really need to get out more.

Meet Kid Sis

You may have noticed that I often refer to "we" when I write about things going on here. I do work with a team of 12 other Americans, but the vast majority of my time here is spent with Amber. She is my roomate/teammate/friend/kid sis/partner in crime and just all around great girl =) One of the first things you'll notice if you spend any amount of time around Amber is that she definitely has an ornery side and you know you're loved when she feels comfortable enough to let that orneriness loose! I caught some photos of Amber's favorites in action, although as a disclaimer I must first mention that these photos are dramatic reenactments. No Team Northeast Poland team members were harmed during the process.

#1-The Seatbelt Tug-If you are ever sitting in front of Amber in one of our team's big white VW vans, fully expect her to pull on the seatbelt. As you can see, Patsy is the recepient here and Amber seems to be quite enjoying herself.
#2--The Bathroom Light Switch--I have to say, in all honesty, one of the strangest things about Polish life is the fact that the light switches for the bathrooms are almost always outside of the bathroom. It didn't take long for Amber to realize what fun this could be. This trick has become an Amber Trademark and has spread throughout our team, even to the kids! (I will add that Amber always turns the light back on, but that is unfortunately not always the case when the kids do it!) I think it's her personal favorite and, for the record, she does not discriminate: men, women, children, Americans, Poles, family, friends, guests, Americans, Poles, young, old...all are fair game.

#3--The Croc Kick--As far as I know, I'm the only one on the team who's experienced this one. This action shot was taken from my desk chair and Amber is standing in the doorway to her bedroom. I've had to take cover many a times from flying Crocs.
#4--The Shoulder Tap--Ok, as I said before, all of these pictures are dramatic reenactments. But, sadly, this picture is often pretty close to reality. I've lived with Kid Sis for almost 16 months, yet I still fall for this waaaayyyyy too often. It's one of the originals and, again, a classic Amber Trademark which has been passed on to other team members. Would you believe that Patsy got me with this one just this past Sunday at church!? At church for crying out loud!!

I hope you enjoyed catching a glimpse of some of Amber's favorite moves. All joking aside, I really am so thankful and so blessed to be here with her. I really don't know what I would have done here living by myself. Our teammates sometimes call her my "Kid Sis", but she really does feel like a sister. It's not always easy living here (or anywhere in America, for that matter!), but it helps so much to have someone here to go through this experience with. She's always got a listening ear, a smile or laugh to cheer, CNN updates to share, a song to sing, perspective to share, an eagerness to help out in any way, and that human GPS thing going on! I'd still be wandering the streets of Olsztyn trying to find my way home if I were on my own! We have spent much time talking, crying, thinking, planning, praying, and LOTS of time laughing. Like I said, I'm so thankful the Lord knew what we would both need in sending us somewhere where we'd be together. He is aware of our needs and, just like a good Father, faithfully provides. He even knew I'd need a friend with some orneriness to keep me laughing. =)

Malbork Castle

Things have been a little crazy around here lately, and I sometimes feel a bit like Brutus when she chases her tail. (and, for the record, I had never actually seen a dog do that until I met Brutus. She's special) =) So, yesterday, we decided to take a little break and head out of town for the day. Amber, Patsy, Alethea and I jumped on a train Saturday morning and, about two hours later, arrived in the town of Malbork to see the Malbork castle. The castle was built in the late 13th century and was the fortress for the Teutonic Knights...and, if you know what that really means, feel free to let me know! I do know that they were a Germanic Roman Catholic order of Knights that were responsible for many of the crusades in the Middle Ages and had a strong presence and influence here in Poland(thank you Wikipedia!).
Anyhoo...we spent a few hours walking through the castle and checking things out. The things I noticed were that it was COLD and dark! I have no idea how people back in the day survived the harsh Polish winters without adequate heat and inside a drafty, dark, damp castle. I was also amazed at how large this castle is. There are no pictures to effectively capture the enormisity of this place! However, I tried to capture a few to share with you.

This is a drawbridge over a moat.
This picture is what the castle looked like after WW2, when the Germans retreated and pretty much destroyed most of Poland. Many of the places were able to be rebuilt based on old paintings and photos, but you can still tell where newer brick and materials were used to repair the damage.
Ok, so I don't think the Teutonic Knights drove Dodge Ram trucks, but this was as exciting for me to see as an 800 year old castle. We don't see many trucks around here and it was a sight for sore eyes =)
This is by no means a full shot of the side wall of the castle, but all that would fit in the picture!

Some Random Pictures (and how many times have I used "random" in a title on here!)

As usual, it's been a while since my last post. It seems like things here are just the same old, same old, so I have a hard time thinking of anything interesting to post about. Well, for the record, I still haven't found anything too interesting to post about, but here I go anyways! These are just some random things pictures of some of the things that have been going on the past couple of weeks.

This past Monday was absolutely gorgeous. It was one of the few days lately that have inspired the hope that, yes, spring really may show up here! In honor of the beautiful day, Amber and I went into Old Town to a coffee shop to get a cup of coffee and sit outside and work on planning english lessons for the week. Mondays are our "get organized" day. We use that day to go to the grocery store, bank, post office, and things like that, as well as plan our lessons for the week. We also meet with Ala and Nina that night, so it often turns out to be quite a busy day. But, it was so refreshing to be able to enjoy some fresh air while we worked on plans.
Last week, there was a team of seven Americans from Arkansas who came to prayer walk for the week. They were great people and it was a huge blessing to get to spend some time with them. Amber and I didn't get to actually go out with them as they prayer walked, as we were busy teaching classes! But, we did get to spend some time with them in the evenings for meals. On Thursday, they came to Nowe Kawkowo and Szalstry and prayed for the people while we taught classes. After our class in Szalstry, one of the men there had prepared cucumber soup and served it to all of us! It was DELICIOUS. And this Thursday, he had prepared a traditional Polish dish called Bigos, along with some really good cake. Amber, Bryan, and I were treated to two helpings of Bigos. It was delicious and we didn't have to cook dinner when we got back! This town is like a breath of fresh air. It's beautiful. There is a small lake, it's right near the forest, the people are so friendly, and it's totally quiet. We were there one day a few weeks ago and, as we stood still, the only sound we could hear was the sound of the wind in the trees. It was wonderful.
This is a sign inside the swietlica (like a community center where they hold an after-school program) in Szalstry. Do you know what these letters are? These are all of the vowels used in the Polish language. Looks pretty fun, huh? I will say this though: the letters don't have different sounds for certain words, as ours do in English. It's pretty hard to explain why 'a' sounds so different in the words "bat" and "car", you know?! It really doesn't make sense, and I have a whole new compassion for people who are learning english!
And, last but certainly not least, Nina, Ala, and introducing Stefan Tweety. I answered the door Monday night to welcome Nina and Ala for our meeting and, lo and behold, there was Ala holding a giant inflatable Tweety, almost as big as she is! Nina had brought Tweety back from Warsaw as a gift for Ala and Ala wanted him to meet her American friends. So, he sat in on our conversation. And, yes, she gave him a name. She said there were too many Tweetys in the world, and he might get confused with the others, so she named him Stefan Tweety! How fun is that?!? I seriously love hanging out with these girls. They are so fun and it's great to have some friends just to be goofy with.

Axl Rose in Poland!?!?!

The first time I noticed this guitar was about a month ago in Jemiolowo. We walked in one wintry, cold afternoon and some of the kids were playing around with this guitar. They looked like they were having fun, so Marcin jumped in with his own efforts on the guitar.

I didn't really think much about it, and the guitar resurfaced here and there over the past month or two, until we walked into the meeting room this past week and I caught one of the girls strumming a little ditty. Well, as well as she could strum with several of her fingers wrapped up in a bandage.

The big surprise came as I peeked closer at the guitar. I looked closer and, lo and behold, there was Axl Rose staring back at me on the guitar! I mean, if that wasn't a photo op I don't know what is! So, while this is a totally meaningless and pointless post, enjoy a few photos of the Jemiolowo Axl Rose Guitar...I mean, you just don't see one of those every day.

...Out Like a Lamb!

Spring has sprung and March did indeed go out like a lamb! Woo-hoo! Over the past few days, as we've been out and about, it's been very apparent that spring is in the air in Olsztyn. And it's a pretty welcome feeling, let me tell ya! I don't recall being so eager and excited for spring last year, but after spending the whole winter here this year (even though it wasn't a particularly harsh winter), I find myself noticing the little "signs" of spring around town. So far, these are the things I've noticed:

*first of all, there are a LOT more people out and about; it seems that everyone has re-surfaced after a winter of hibernating
*we were on the bus Sunday afternoon and some of the windows were open
*there are buds on all of the trees, and some are even starting to look a little green
*the ice cream stands are open and people are walking around throughout the daylight hours eating it (I love this place!)
*as you look at the many apartment buildings near us, you can see lots of open windows and clothes hung out on balconies to dry
*we actually had a (small) thunderstorm Saturday! I saw one huge bolt of lightning and heard a couple rolls of thunder. It's small, but you've got to start somewhere and I'll take it!
*I wore my contacts (which frees up the eyes for sunglasses) today, probably for the first time since Italy in September...I must confess I sit here tonight with a bit of a headache, but I consider it a small price to pay for sunshine
*there were tables outside at one of the coffee shops in old town today
*Amber broke out her favorite sandals (Chacos) today
*the ladybugs (or whatever the technical name for those obnoxious bugs that infiltrate every home apparently across continents) are out in full force
*the storks are returning to Poland (and it is here that I must confess that I didn't think storks were real until moving to Poland. I mean, of course they fly around delivering babies, but I didn't know they did normal bird-like things such as build ginormous nests and, well, fly back to Poland and whatever else it is that birds do.)

So, as you can see, spring is here. Now, in keeping with my realist tendencies, I will say that I am fully aware of the fickle nature of nature. So, I won't be shocked or disappointed if/when snow returns...but I know that it will only be for a short while and we are well on our way to summer! Here are some pictures from our walk in town this afternoon.

When the cotton candy/balloon animals/other random junk seller is out, you know it's spring.
The street flower vendors. Some stay out pretty much all winter, but there are even more as the weather gets nicer.
Pretty tulips. Amber bought some yellow ones to brighten up our living room.
A local street performer. Our favorite is when we walk by and he's singing Oasis-Wonderwall. Nice. We didn't hear it today, but we did hear a little Red Hot Chili Peppers and I'm not going to write on here what the song title was!

Happy Spring!

New Villages and Easter

The school in the small village of Nowe Kawkowo, where we'll be teaching English on Thursday afternoons.
We went prayer-walking in Nowe Kawkoko (which means NEW Kawkowo! There is an OLD Kawkowo as well!) this past Thursday with a Polish believer named Radek. As we walked past this rock, he pointed out that this tiny village is older than America. Crazy!
This is the swietlica in the even-smaller village of Szalstry, where we'll also be teaching English on Thursday afternoons. Amber and I will also be making the short (about 4 KM--although it takes about 10 minutes to drive because the road is so bumpy) drive from Nowe Kawkowo to Szalstry solo...in a standard VW van! Thankfully though, the road is so bad we won't have to go any higher than second gear =)
Lydia, Patsy, and Lydia's good friend Ela at Easter lunch. Ela is the professor who invited Amber and I to her classes to invite her students to practice English and study the Bible with us.

I have a few minutes this morning, so I thought I'd sit down and do a little "catch-up" blog. It's been a while! Sorry! We're getting ready today to head out to two new villages, Nowe Kawkowo and Szalstry. It's always nerve-wracking to go somewhere new, but I'm also looking forward to meeting some new people and seeing what God will do in these villages. Bryan and Radek have been meeting with some ladies from these villages to practice some english and study the Bible. Please pray for these villages and for open doors to share the gospel with them. We're at the point now, in many of these villages, where we're really looking at where to go next. Obviously, teaching english is a great service to the community, but we're also wanting to gain the opportunity to share God's Word with people and looking for creative ways to do that. So, please pray that God would open doors and give us some creativity as we plan for the summer.

This past week, Amber's parents came for a visit. I got to tag along as their second daughter, and it was great. We didn't do too much out of the ordinary, but they got a chance to see what "everyday life" is like in Olsztyn, Poland. We even took them to the grocery store! They missed out on fun events like the post office, but maybe next time =) We did get to play a couple of games of euchre, which Amber's mom and I won! Woo-hoo!
We also, obviously, celebrated Easter this past week. The three evangelical churches in Olsztyn had a joint service in the morning at a local hotel. Then, in the afternoon, we all went to the Stevenson's house for a DELICIOUS lunch! After eating too much, and drinking coffee to stay awake, we had a time of worship to celebrate Christ's victory over death on our behalf, then Amber, her parents, and I headed back home for the evening.

So, in a nutshell, that's what's been going on here. As you can see by some of the pictures above, there is still snow here! It's actually gotten really cold and has snowed almost every day for about a week now. I know that it's almost April, and I'm totally ready for some warm weather, but I still think the snow is pretty. Well, when the sun shines on it anyhow!
By the way, on a sidenote, over the Easter break from school (which was Thursday through Tuesday), there was another camp for kids held in Warsaw. Marcin took ten kids with him and his wife and six of those kids trusted Christ! Two of the girls are involved in our English club in Olsztynek, and one of the girls comes to our club in Jemiolowo! Please pray for these kids, that they'd be drawn to spend time reading God's Word and grow in Him.

Star Light, Star Bright

It's been a while, but I'm back with a little update of sorts. I want to say that we haven't been up to too much around here, but I guess we really have. It's pretty much the same old, same old, but it's been good. We started meeting with two new girls on Thursday nights to speak English and do a Bible study. We've met twice, and it's been really great. They're super sweet and their english is good. We've also still been meeting with Ala and Nina, which is a blast. They're just great. And, we're still going out to four villages, and looking at adding two more! Last Tuesday, after our final lesson for the day, we went to the home of the village leader, who is into astronomy as a hobby! When we first arrived, it was pretty overcast, but as we were leaving the skies cleared up a bit. We were able to see Saturn, Mars, several constellations, and the moon. It was pretty stinking amazing to see. I mean, we live in ONE galaxy and it's just unfathomably huge. I can't even wrap my little brain around it. But, it reminds me of Psalm 8:

"When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your finers--the moon and the stars that You have set in place--what are mortals that You should think of us, mere humans that You should care for us? For You made us only a little lower than God, and You crowned us with glory and honor. You put us in charge of everything You made, giving us authority over all things--the sheep and the cattle and all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents."

It was just amazing to see the vastness of the night sky (I should also mention that it's something we don't often see here, either because it's cloudy or because we're in a city with many lights) and realize that, though I am so small, God sees me and knows me and cares for me. Amazing!

So, let's see, anything else going on around here...our friend Iza called us this past week and asked if we'd come help her clean up our church. They had done some remodelling over the past two weeks, and needed to get it cleaned up and put back together for church this Sunday. Amber and I were thrilled to be able to help out, so we gladly said we'd be there. Obviously, we can't do...well, anything that requires speaking! But, give us a rag and a bucket of water, and we're on it!

This is a picture from this past fall of the outside of the Olsztyn Baptist Church. The dark brown door is the entrance to our side of the building. The left side is some kind of men's only sauna, I think. I try to stay away from those.
This is the sign for the church. Needless to say, it's a little hidden and tucked away, a little difficult to find! This is also where we meet on Sunday nights for International Fellowship.
This is what we walked into on Friday morning. It looks great! Freshly painted walls and new light fixtures really help. This is the sanctuary, worship center, whatever you may call it.
And this is the dusty mess that was hidden behind the door in the picture above. Yuck. They had apparently sanded down the plaster walls in the sanctuary and the dust from the process was on EVERYTHING! I'm so not exaggerating about that one. I mean to tell you, the crayons and pencils were covered in dust. E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. And this is Iza, surveying the damage and wondering where to start. This is the bathroom/kitchen where I was put on dish duty. Every Sunday after the service, people stick around to drink coffee and tea and eat little sweets and fellowship. And, since the cups, plates, and utensils fall under the category of EVERYTHING mentioned above, they desperately needed washed. There were five of us who worked for several hours Friday morning, then another group came on Friday afternoon, and more on Saturday, but the work got done and everything looked great Sunday morning!

A Night Out and an Idea for America

Last night, we got to go to a concert with Ala and Nina at their university. It was a man by the name of Grzegorz Turnau and another-guy-whose-name-I-don't-know. Both men sang and Grzegorz played the piano BEAUTIFULLY and G.W.N.I.D.K. played the guitar, equally as BEAUTIFULLY! It was really a great night. Yes, every song was in Polish; yes, they would talk and tell stories between songs that apparently were pretty funny (it's always a weird situation when everyone around you is laughing and you have no idea what's being said!). But, it was still beautiful music--kind of a blend of jazz and folk--and it was just calm and relaxing. It was a great night and I'm so thankful Ala and Nina thought to invite us. If you live in Ohio and are snowed in for the weekend, you can search Grzegorz Turnau on YouTube and hear some of his songs.

Nina, Amber, Ala, and I after the concert. Aren't they cute?!?
Grzegorz is on the left and G.W.N.I.D.K.is, obviously, on the right. Grzegorz played the accordian for a couple of songs as well, which was awesome. I will admit, I really like the accordian!
Ok, here is the other big blog-worthy news. Here in Poland, almost everywhere you go has a room called a "szatnia". It's a room where you check your coat when you go into a building. Now, I know that some places in American have these...namely, theaters. But here, most places offer a szatnia and it is so nice! As I was sitting last at the concert last night, I thought "this is so wonderful! Live, relaxing music, friends, and I'm free to move around in my seat, unhindered by the bulk of a big winter coat, scarf, gloves, and hat! What a great idea!" I was so inspired, I took a picture of my coat-retrieval tag (I'm sure there's a much better Polish word for this thing...heck, I'm sure there's a much better English word for this thing!).
And, here are the hordes of people waiting to retrieve their coats with their coat retrieval tags. I should also add that the coat retrieval process is done with great efficiency here and is highly impressive. America, can we get on that?

So, there's the big news of the weekend from Olsztyn. Well, that and the karaoke event that was held at the KFC downtown today. Yes, that's right. KFC as in Kentucky Fried Chicken. It's Women's Day here in Europe, and what better way to celebrate than karaoke at KFC? Sadly, Amber and I didn't make it into town today. Maybe next time!

English in Olsztynek and the Heaviest Sweater I Own

This past Tuesday, Amber and I headed out to Olsztynek, as usual, to teach our English lesson to the kids there. However, this particular week was a bit different! We had been told the previous week that there was going to be a special presentation about Polish folk clothes, so our lesson would be shortened to only a half an hour long. We were then invited to attend the presentation, to which we agreed. Now, at this point, I should mention that Marcin (the pastor we usually travel to these villages with) was out of town last week. So, through our Polish friend Iza's translation, we arranged to come and see the presentation, then teach a shortened english lesson. No problem, right? Well, when we arrived at the building where we usually teach (and where we thought the presentation was), we were right on time and ready to go and....NO KIDS! No one at all was in the building! At this point, I'm starting to sweat (and not only because I have on the heaviest sweater I own, along with my coat and scarf and we just climbed three flights of stairs!). I was afraid that we missed something in translation (it happens quite often) and, since we're still relatively new to teaching these kids, didn't want to make a bad impression. Thankfully, Marcin quickly called Iza, and found out where the kids were meeting...at the Museum in town! So, we high-tailed it over to the museum, just as the presentation was starting. The directors of the kid's program (it's kind of an after-school program for specific kids who qualify--due to low income, family issues, things like that) welcomed us warmly and the tour guide at the museum was extremely gracious and excited to get to explain to us the different traditional clothes worn by people in different regions throughout Poland. Marcin translated for us, and it was really interesting. I learned that the people from the region where I live typically wore more basic, cheaper clothes, because they were out working on the farms and caring for livestock. This region is one of the poorer regions in Poland, to this day (or so I've been told).
The clothing was beautiful, and it was a lot of fun to get to share the experience with the kids. Then, after the tour was finished, the directors asked if we would mind to just teach the english lesson right there in the museum! (no one else was there). So, we got to teach in an extremely old building (it used to be a church, although I couldn't find exactly how old--Google let me down) and Marcin snapped a few pictures that I thought I'd share! Enjoy =)

Amber and I with the kids. They are great kids and so much fun! Right now, their favorite game is Around the World with numbers 1-20. I'll tell you what though, some of these kids get vicious! They definitely get into the game!
As the tour director was showing this dress (above) she was pointing out the detailed embroidery on the scarf and telling us that when a woman was nearing the age to be old enough to marry, she had to start making shirts for her husband because he had to have enough shirts to wear a different one every Sunday to church. Yes, that's right, before she even got married, she had to have a stockpile of 52 shirts! Can you imagine?!
More beautiful clothes, typically worn by people in the mountains. And, can you see the pictures in the background? Amber and I kept commenting that many of the pictures looked like Mexicans. It was interesting.
Me and Amber. I dont' know if you can see the grates in the floor, but there was some serious heat pumping out of those things. And remember the aforementioned "heaviest sweater I own"?? Yeah, I was warm, to say the least. Sometimes, you just can't win here with the clothing selection. You think you've got it just right and you end up either freezing or melting!
In action. It's always a lot of fun in Olsztynek, and the kids seem to really be interested and enjoy learning english, which definitely helps =)

And, before I go, in answer to the questions on the previous post:

--yes, the purse is Vera Bradley. Love it!!!

--the boots: my friend, Teresa, back in Ohio introduced me to them. Then, when I was home for Christmas, the good old TSC (Tractor Supply Co.) in Sandusky had some in stock. Woo-hoo! If you have some free time (or a slight obsession with Google, as do I) just Google "fat baby boots" and you can check out the many different designs and colors. They're so fun!

--the tea: I don't know if you can buy it in stores, but I ordered it online Here and it's SO worth it!