Polska

Krakow,Krakau, Cracovia,

My gateway to Poland; the city I feel inclined to call: Home!!!

However, prior to finding Home, perhaps it is advisable to better understand two phenomena which are revolving the dynamics of my Polish existentialist experience. They are: 1 – Something I’d name: “in-no-time-acquired-Polish-skepticism” and 2 – a considerably respectable challenge called Polish language.

Not that the reported phenomena are keeping me from doing it the Latino way – I mean loving the city like we love Ipanema, Copacabana, the Sambadrome and Christ the Redeemer. It is just not the way to live it here and I am beginning to understand that.

Regardless, the grey clouds, the cold rain that reaches you from every single possible and impossible angle, a thermometer showing -20C in winter, hooligans on the booze, the classical rough public servants in the Post Offices among other institutions, here I feel protected, embraced and inspired.

In fact, the beauty of this place is vibrant but you cannot take it for granted. There is discretion, serenity what might often be interpreted as boredom to the demanding “Tropical Eye” – eye that finds a vigorous source of delight in this land; particularly with the sight of Polish women…Yes, they are gorgeous! As to be impartial in this remark, I will say it is a quote from my mother-in-law.

I have first visited Poland 3 years ago and I have landed in Krakow from a stopover in Vienna after flying from Dubai, or “home” (note the lowercase) at that time”.

The experience could be initially described in the primary level of  senses or that of shocking paradigm shift when it comes to one’s limited weather references (my case). Not that I was comfortable with my climate reality in Arabia where temperatures are normally around the 45C (in the shade) . Rewarding to be able to see apple and plum trees, after having as the only picture  date palm tress artificially irrigated with desalinated water. Summarizing: a leap from the Arabian oven straight to the Slavic refrigerator…and I Loved it!

And Love was the  main purpose of the trip. I was to meet my kochanie, Polish for sweetheart.  We have met in Taiwan back in 2005, when we were both on a governmental scholarship, studying at the same university. Who would imagine a Chinese cupido, so efficient! Obviously our student life in Taiwan deserves the best reportage of all, for it is about the best moments of my youth and my life. (Eventually, I want to work on that!)

Since then, we were to endure a lot of difficulties, proper to the so-called long-distance relationships. I would say I was happy every 2 or 3 months, when we could meet for a week or so, in Brazil, in Shanghai, Poland and Brazil…. We have had to fight hard to be together, oh yeah!

It’s been 1 year and 7 months I have been living here and it feels good!

A second degree within the experience starts to tackle the richest of all aspects of this country: Culture. To properly explore the realm of Polish History and Culture, it is necessary an unimaginable level of commitment to study and talent I have, so far, only found in the work of Norman Davies. After all, we are talking about 1,000 years of history; a country that has endured 3 partitions, occupation, humiliation, holocaust, communism. A country that has preserved intact its identity and, to an oversimplified but suitable metaphor “The Christ Among the Nations”.

Copernicus, Chopin, Malinowski, Kochanowski, Conrad, Kapuczinski, Borowski, Schulz, Curie, Nem, Milosz, to name a few geniuses in a wide variety of scientific  and artistic fields. I will certainly forget to mention someone brilliant… Ah…Mickiewicz!!!  Poland’s greatest Polish poet, Adam Bernard Mickiewicz, a leading romantic dramatist.

A remark of utmost importance: The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe. The union gave birth to something called Polish Lithuanian noble culture to which is linked the nation’s most popular poem, often used as a “proof of Polishness:, Pan Tadeusz:

“

Litwo! Ojczyzno moja! ty jesteś jak zdrowie; Ile cię trzeba cenić, ten tylko się dowie, Kto cię stracił.

”

“Lithuania, my fatherland! You are like health;

How much you must be valued, will only discover

The one who has lost you.”

If you know a Pole who cannot recite this poem, it’s very likely that he/she is a counterfeit…

Coming up next….The Almighty Catholic Church! Virgin Mary is the Queen of Poland! Plus posts on how Sinbad the Sailor came across the most valuable of all treasures: Polish beer!