Crazy in Krakow...
Well after a memorable performance (only because of it's oddness) I had my first experience on the overnight train from Poznan to Krakow. Eight hours in a sleeper car later, we arrived hungry and tired to find out that we're not actually staying in Krakow, but in a "suburb" called Nowa Huta, that was a community created by the Communist party as way of integrating the upper class, with the working man. We're actually staying in the old dorms of the steel workers from the factories the government built. While our accommodations are far less impressive than Poznan, and the food is far worse, the whole situation seems to contradict what CAL has told us.
Here's the story...
"The Reception" was a crazy lady who came in our her day off to show us our rooms and give us the 50 cent tour. The previous day CAL had given me the role as the main contact person for the group, basically the one who handles all the logistics with this crazy woman because CAL isn't arriving until two days from now. La Loca (as I'll call her) takes me for the orientation and shows me all the rooms, gives me a schedule, and tells me I have to decide who gets to sleep where, right then (she obviously didn't want to be there very long). While I don't mind taking the lead, I definitely mind making decisions for people, we are all equals, and we should all get an equal say. La Loca did not agree, but I insisted as a group we all decide on sleeping arrangements. She already had an idea of who was going where, I think she just wanted it to look like we were choosing it for ourselves. I hate it when people play pretend like that. Anyway, after getting settled, she realizes that we're late on the schedule she set, and yells at me to get the group back on schedule. Come to find out, all our food is being bought by her, and that it comes from the center's cafeteria. Yes that's right...we get to eat polish cafeteria food for the next week...it ain't gonna happen. The vegetarian options are so limited, I'm going to disappear.
After the confusion, and disappointment of our accommodations, we ventured into the center, Krakow. And we really did go into the center plaza. It's overwhelmingly large, and filled to capacity with interesting sights, and stuffed full of people. A group of Hip-Hop/Breakers performed in the center, it was so interesting to see something like that in this environment.
Later we all reconnected and gossiped and drank and complained and drank and ate and drank and took pictures and drank. That was the first time that both groups came together (without their directors) and had time to connect. Why didin't we do that before? We were out so late, we missed the tram, or it was late, or unreliable (I'm still not sure about what happened), anyway we taxied home to our Communist Block with a broken shower. But that's another story for another day.
Well my friends, the computer I'm using right now doesn't want to do links...so you'll just have to wait for them.
Or you could just use wikipedia.
Here's the story...
"The Reception" was a crazy lady who came in our her day off to show us our rooms and give us the 50 cent tour. The previous day CAL had given me the role as the main contact person for the group, basically the one who handles all the logistics with this crazy woman because CAL isn't arriving until two days from now. La Loca (as I'll call her) takes me for the orientation and shows me all the rooms, gives me a schedule, and tells me I have to decide who gets to sleep where, right then (she obviously didn't want to be there very long). While I don't mind taking the lead, I definitely mind making decisions for people, we are all equals, and we should all get an equal say. La Loca did not agree, but I insisted as a group we all decide on sleeping arrangements. She already had an idea of who was going where, I think she just wanted it to look like we were choosing it for ourselves. I hate it when people play pretend like that. Anyway, after getting settled, she realizes that we're late on the schedule she set, and yells at me to get the group back on schedule. Come to find out, all our food is being bought by her, and that it comes from the center's cafeteria. Yes that's right...we get to eat polish cafeteria food for the next week...it ain't gonna happen. The vegetarian options are so limited, I'm going to disappear.
After the confusion, and disappointment of our accommodations, we ventured into the center, Krakow. And we really did go into the center plaza. It's overwhelmingly large, and filled to capacity with interesting sights, and stuffed full of people. A group of Hip-Hop/Breakers performed in the center, it was so interesting to see something like that in this environment.
Later we all reconnected and gossiped and drank and complained and drank and ate and drank and took pictures and drank. That was the first time that both groups came together (without their directors) and had time to connect. Why didin't we do that before? We were out so late, we missed the tram, or it was late, or unreliable (I'm still not sure about what happened), anyway we taxied home to our Communist Block with a broken shower. But that's another story for another day.
Well my friends, the computer I'm using right now doesn't want to do links...so you'll just have to wait for them.
Or you could just use wikipedia.
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