This week has been an absolute whirlwind! Everything has gone by very fast, but eerily slow at the same time... and we're all feeling it. I really think that many of us were too idealistic in thinking that all would work out (concerning leaving school for a week and still getting our work done).
If we haven't been at the conference, we've been eating (but also usually at the conf). If we haven't been eating, we've been sleeping (also sometimes at the conf).
And if we haven't been sleeping, we've been LOST! Seriously! Our route to the conference takes an hour on a normal day, but just about everyday it has turned into considerably more. We get on the wrong tram, or the right tram going the wrong way, we miss the tram, the tram doesn't work, we make it to the tram just before it leaves yet it doesn't open the doors and let us on, the tram decides to take us on a different route and then tell us we have to get off in the middle of freaking nowhere! Yeah, that last one happened last night... 2 hours of walking to get home!
Homework has been absolutely impossible for these reasons. We spend all day the conf. and then deal with serious transportation issues. When we get lost, or frustrated, we all just blurt out F***ing Poland! And then start laughing... it's become our thing. I'm gonna miss it, actually!
Some of my favorite/most hated moments:
1. Arriving the first day, for the first time to the United Nations World Conference, of hugely important World figures, Brittan gets out of the cab and pukes on the front steps! Oh, it was awesome!
2. Losing my camera, but finding my way to Stary Browar (the absolutely incredible mall complete with Dolce, Versace, Benaton, etc.) to buy a new one. And for an AMAZING price ($100 less than listed in the US).
3. Getting dropped off in Poznan with no idea of where I lived. But then finally printing out a map.
4. Meeting people at the conference and around town and then seeing them again! Very unlikely in a building of 11,000 people! Kind of makes it feel like Ithaca.
5. Seeing Yoni from Rochester, NY!
6. Presenters putting too much text on their power point slides, and then READING it... terribly annoying.
7. The old Cathedral of Poland... 1,000 years old and gorgeous!
8. Not feeling anything in my body except for sore feet, legs, back, and shoulders.
9. Giving a gift (flowers) to our house-lady (the owner, she stays in the basement).
10. Almost getting attacked by that FREAKY little dog that came out of absolutely nowhere!
11. The girls that work in the Tourist Booth... they were so nice! (And spoke English) They even called the bar and taxi company and translated into Polish that I had lost my camera. And translated a Peirogi menu for me... mmm...!
12. Getting screamed at in Polish for who knows what by who knows how many people only to reply, dzien dobry ("hello!").
13. Getting a cappucino every time I ordered a coffee, or having to drink instant. I miss Gimmee!
14. All the fantastic networking that I've done! I think I could get a job out of this!
15. The fantastic group dinner we had in downtown Poznan... authentic Polish food... delicious! And lots of wine!
Well, time to go! I'm excited to get home, and really excited to graduate! Just not terribly excited for the immense amount of work that the next two weeks will bring!
Best,
Patrick
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment