Carpe Graffitium
Seize the day is what they say. And seize it I didn't. I've developed a certain love of photographing graffiti as it occurs in the wild. Two things in particular have been on my to shoot list for several months both of which were located on the same wall. Then to my horror as I rode to work last week I didn't see my beloved works of art. The wall block wall is no more, now replaced by a metal wall no doubt as part of the spruce up the city campaign as we near our 750th year. The two pieces in question: a huge cube root of seven equation and the outline of a man with a bottle to his mouth - both in bold colors. When you see something you like, shoot it quickly before it runs away.
At the moment I am through with my fourth semester and trying to post some new thoughts in the 30 minutes before I run to catch my shuttle to the airport where I will continue my adventures.
Last weekend I went to Poland. The German teacher friend of mine invited me to go with him to Gdansk. Sunday morning at 4:30 my alarm went off. Up, ate, shaved, and walked 40 minutes to the bus station. Our bus pulled out right on schedule at 6:30 with all of 12 people aboard. My friend and I chose seats near the front and soon everybody vacated the area around us because we were talking. Who wants to talk at 6 on a Sunday morning? Learned quite a bit on the trip. The highways in both Kaliningrad and Poland are remarkably similar due to them being built by Germans. Long straight shots with a row of trees on either side of the road providing a natural canopy to protect the horses (or BMWs) from the sun.
At the Russian side of the border I had document difficulties, but after a few minutes they waved me on. Incidentally now the problems have increased in magnitude, but I'll tell that story when it is finished. Once into Poland I didn't notice any immediate change except the signs were in Polish. Then we came to the first city. Churches everywhere and many people in them. Going a mere 100 kilometers transported me from anti-Catholic Russia to ultra-Catholic Poland. Even the town halls had huge banners of the Pope hanging from them. Difference number one.
My knowledge of Polish culture is rather skimpy - most of what I know is related to the torrent of Polock jokes my friends told me in school. I'm glad to say that I have a new appreciation for Poles and their credibility following my trip. Back to the ride. It finished. What should greet my eyes but McDonald's! I'd been deprived from all that deep fried goodness for so long that I didn't know what to do. After investigating the bathroom appeal (non-existent), we headed to change our money.
Sunday's weather wasn't all that great so we stayed indoors. The archaeological museum with its tower to view the city from was interesting, sort of. How excited can one be over lifeless bones and relics from bygone eras? Next stop was a cafe for lunch. Round about this time the central historic center began to populate. So after checking the movie schedule (the ticket seller spoke perfect English), we hailed a cab and journeyed up the coast a wee bit to Sopot.
Time for a mini geography and history lesson. Gdansk is strategically located at the mouth of the main waterway into Poland and has always been important as a trade mecca. The first shots of World War II were fired just outside of the city proper - interesting as the primary inhabitants of the city were rich German merchants. Fast forward to the end of the war and merger with the USSR. Gdansk had many German people still living in it, but (I didn't catch all the details here, so take what I say with a large grain of salt) for some reason all the Polish people had to relocate. They moved North a short distance and founded Gdynia. Midway between these two large cities (population upward of 200k in each) is Sopot, the resort choice for not only Gdanskians and Gdynians, but also the rest of Poland.
In Sopot my friend and I walked tried to check into a hotel. But it was cold and the heat was turned off. Small rooms, dilapidated hallways, and not such a happy feeling prompted us to look elsewhere. A walk along the beach and another respite at a small cafe where we discussed world events and the meaning of life took up most of the afternoon. Back to the hotel search. An excellent cab driver took us to a small reasonably-priced joint and we checked in at somewhere around 19 local time. I was pretty bushed, so laid down and woke up a few hours later. What to do when in Poland? That's right, flip on the TV and watch an American movie. It finished somewhere between 1 and 2 and I tried to return to my dreams. But it didn't work. I don't know if it was the comfy bed or just being in a different country, but I had a great conversation with myself looking at the ceiling.
Tuesday we boarded the train for Gdynia and looked around there a bit. Of the three cities, Gdynia stuck a chord with me. Maybe I'll analyze why sometime in the future, but it really felt comfortable. Visited a boat and ate a Gofry. Since my partner had been doing most of the speaking, he said it was my turn to ask for directions and that I could do it in English, Russian, or whatever language I wanted. I tried English, then Russian, then English. And then he came to my rescue. I must admit it was comical watching myself try to talk to somebody and them blowing right past without even recognizing my existence. The incredible warmth and friendliness everybody seemed to show my friend who spoke Polish seemed to not extend to me. Speaking of that, the people really do seem much more friendly and willing to help than in Kaliningrad. The girls don't hold a candle in the beauty department to my fine gals back here in the USSR, but their manners easily take first place.
Back in Gdansk I climbed 400+ stairs to the tower of the largest brick church in the world. Let me tell you I'm not in any kind of shape to be doing that on a regular basis! The view was nice though. Unfortunately we were separated and only hooked up 2 minutes before the bus departed. Fortunately, I had the tickets.
For the ride back, one of my students was on board and we had some interesting discussions. First in English, then in Russian. The people sitting close to the three of us joined in the conversation, or at least shared a friendly laugh at my expense. When we got back my new friend invited me out for some Vodka, but it was late and I opted for home. I wound up at Nina's place and sat there talking to her babysitter for an hour or so while we waited to solve the Troy document dilemma.
I'm running short on time and think I'll just publish this bad boy without my customary revision. A few nuggets I've gleaned from my trip is that I've really acclimated to my surroundings in Kaliningrad. I'm not saying that they are bad or anything, but it surprised me how much I have changed in the way I see things. My boss back in America told me the transformation that came over him when he was picking grapefruit on a kibbutz about 20 years ago. The first day he couldn't believe how the other grapefruit pickers were acting - always looking over their shoulder and trying to fill their baskets first. Then after a measly week, he was in the same boat, clawing his way to the top of the quota chain. I don't suppose that it fits my situation exactly, but in many ways my trip to Poland opened my eyes and allowed me to see how I've fit into the Russian mode of life (if there is such a generalized thing). My upcoming travels to a few other Russian cities will hopefully clarify if it is just a Kaliningrad thing whether this really is what it means to be Russian.
At the moment I am through with my fourth semester and trying to post some new thoughts in the 30 minutes before I run to catch my shuttle to the airport where I will continue my adventures.
Last weekend I went to Poland. The German teacher friend of mine invited me to go with him to Gdansk. Sunday morning at 4:30 my alarm went off. Up, ate, shaved, and walked 40 minutes to the bus station. Our bus pulled out right on schedule at 6:30 with all of 12 people aboard. My friend and I chose seats near the front and soon everybody vacated the area around us because we were talking. Who wants to talk at 6 on a Sunday morning? Learned quite a bit on the trip. The highways in both Kaliningrad and Poland are remarkably similar due to them being built by Germans. Long straight shots with a row of trees on either side of the road providing a natural canopy to protect the horses (or BMWs) from the sun.
At the Russian side of the border I had document difficulties, but after a few minutes they waved me on. Incidentally now the problems have increased in magnitude, but I'll tell that story when it is finished. Once into Poland I didn't notice any immediate change except the signs were in Polish. Then we came to the first city. Churches everywhere and many people in them. Going a mere 100 kilometers transported me from anti-Catholic Russia to ultra-Catholic Poland. Even the town halls had huge banners of the Pope hanging from them. Difference number one.
My knowledge of Polish culture is rather skimpy - most of what I know is related to the torrent of Polock jokes my friends told me in school. I'm glad to say that I have a new appreciation for Poles and their credibility following my trip. Back to the ride. It finished. What should greet my eyes but McDonald's! I'd been deprived from all that deep fried goodness for so long that I didn't know what to do. After investigating the bathroom appeal (non-existent), we headed to change our money.
Sunday's weather wasn't all that great so we stayed indoors. The archaeological museum with its tower to view the city from was interesting, sort of. How excited can one be over lifeless bones and relics from bygone eras? Next stop was a cafe for lunch. Round about this time the central historic center began to populate. So after checking the movie schedule (the ticket seller spoke perfect English), we hailed a cab and journeyed up the coast a wee bit to Sopot.
Time for a mini geography and history lesson. Gdansk is strategically located at the mouth of the main waterway into Poland and has always been important as a trade mecca. The first shots of World War II were fired just outside of the city proper - interesting as the primary inhabitants of the city were rich German merchants. Fast forward to the end of the war and merger with the USSR. Gdansk had many German people still living in it, but (I didn't catch all the details here, so take what I say with a large grain of salt) for some reason all the Polish people had to relocate. They moved North a short distance and founded Gdynia. Midway between these two large cities (population upward of 200k in each) is Sopot, the resort choice for not only Gdanskians and Gdynians, but also the rest of Poland.
In Sopot my friend and I walked tried to check into a hotel. But it was cold and the heat was turned off. Small rooms, dilapidated hallways, and not such a happy feeling prompted us to look elsewhere. A walk along the beach and another respite at a small cafe where we discussed world events and the meaning of life took up most of the afternoon. Back to the hotel search. An excellent cab driver took us to a small reasonably-priced joint and we checked in at somewhere around 19 local time. I was pretty bushed, so laid down and woke up a few hours later. What to do when in Poland? That's right, flip on the TV and watch an American movie. It finished somewhere between 1 and 2 and I tried to return to my dreams. But it didn't work. I don't know if it was the comfy bed or just being in a different country, but I had a great conversation with myself looking at the ceiling.
Tuesday we boarded the train for Gdynia and looked around there a bit. Of the three cities, Gdynia stuck a chord with me. Maybe I'll analyze why sometime in the future, but it really felt comfortable. Visited a boat and ate a Gofry. Since my partner had been doing most of the speaking, he said it was my turn to ask for directions and that I could do it in English, Russian, or whatever language I wanted. I tried English, then Russian, then English. And then he came to my rescue. I must admit it was comical watching myself try to talk to somebody and them blowing right past without even recognizing my existence. The incredible warmth and friendliness everybody seemed to show my friend who spoke Polish seemed to not extend to me. Speaking of that, the people really do seem much more friendly and willing to help than in Kaliningrad. The girls don't hold a candle in the beauty department to my fine gals back here in the USSR, but their manners easily take first place.
Back in Gdansk I climbed 400+ stairs to the tower of the largest brick church in the world. Let me tell you I'm not in any kind of shape to be doing that on a regular basis! The view was nice though. Unfortunately we were separated and only hooked up 2 minutes before the bus departed. Fortunately, I had the tickets.
For the ride back, one of my students was on board and we had some interesting discussions. First in English, then in Russian. The people sitting close to the three of us joined in the conversation, or at least shared a friendly laugh at my expense. When we got back my new friend invited me out for some Vodka, but it was late and I opted for home. I wound up at Nina's place and sat there talking to her babysitter for an hour or so while we waited to solve the Troy document dilemma.
I'm running short on time and think I'll just publish this bad boy without my customary revision. A few nuggets I've gleaned from my trip is that I've really acclimated to my surroundings in Kaliningrad. I'm not saying that they are bad or anything, but it surprised me how much I have changed in the way I see things. My boss back in America told me the transformation that came over him when he was picking grapefruit on a kibbutz about 20 years ago. The first day he couldn't believe how the other grapefruit pickers were acting - always looking over their shoulder and trying to fill their baskets first. Then after a measly week, he was in the same boat, clawing his way to the top of the quota chain. I don't suppose that it fits my situation exactly, but in many ways my trip to Poland opened my eyes and allowed me to see how I've fit into the Russian mode of life (if there is such a generalized thing). My upcoming travels to a few other Russian cities will hopefully clarify if it is just a Kaliningrad thing whether this really is what it means to be Russian.
posted by Troy on 07:25
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At your leisure, please blog to let us know you're still with us to help with our next, um, filmmaking endeavor.
Did the banners depict the old pope or the new one? Perhaps Poland seemed ultra-Catholic because John Paul had recently died.
The title "merchant" has the same euphemistic connation for me as "planter" and "banker" — someone who has money and power and doesn't do any real work.
The case could be made that planters and merchants are no different from modern-day executives, except nobody pretends that Steve Jobs actually designs the computers and he probably does do a lot of tangible work.
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