Jan's Latest Version

How I was getting back to school.

We leave our house 30 min later (supposed to be nine in the morning but who in their right mind leaves the warmth of their house at nine in the morning.) than it was planed, Ups!
It’s foggy on the road ahead, although quarter mile later when the road started to do it’s snake like climb up the slope the fog was a history like yesterday’s news, take that suckers. Hehe.

We got in the initial thoughts, are: make three new divisions, one for the people that checked in at home and have traveled more than once in the past two years. A second set of about three bag checking stations for the tech savvy. Third set of all the other stations for all the other people. From my simple observations the group of people who fly very rarely but more than twice in their life is very small. Mostly they either fly a lot or don’t fly at all.

The security screening missed my secret Kaitlin apple. Ups. My gate changed from 103 to 105 it is a great start to make this flying experience as long as it can be.

Delayed 15 minute because a flight attendant was missing and “we” can’t leave without her on board. Now being 12:57 pm the curiosity is extended towards the special paying their way in people. Curiousy aka giving more arse -.-

1:20 the new time of take offish experience. Wonder how much longer will this fun take.

13:33 up in the air nothing like a good set of high frequency vibration to make your day. We been told to expect trerbulance on the way there. I don’t have ticket Canada to EU.

Funny thing is that any increase in air density is very much felt in the quality and quantity of vibrations. Did I mention I am flying on two time fan duty tube kind of plane?

14:38 landed in a rather decent descent. A section of montreal although photographically and from the air looked interesting was way to same. I would go crazy with such a high level o sameness.

Love the airport music I could fall in love with that in the back ground.

Large hall with a ton of gate people seem knowledgeable but it is a bit slow for my taste and I am yet to see a gun semi automatic or not.

Loving the airport although there is couple chock points over all it is going smoothly. The lines by passport and declaration form control were the worse after that is has been going smoothly. No guns.

The airport is relatively large and there is a lot of space over head. Places with lower ceilings are well lit and signs although slightly confusing make sense after you get used to the procedures.

15:58 getting ready to depart. 16:18 in the air. Taking forever. I have to say the Air Canada airplanes are nice. Well equipped and we can forgive them three bucks a headset price tag.

17;15 landing I am starting to get used to flying to the point that while being awake I do miss the touchdown moment of the landing. Embarrassing or just really weird. Maybe I’m just getting that international now I just need to learn another language or two.

Out the door twenty eight after five.

LOT is an airline I just don’t feel comfortable recommending to any one. There is just to many problems with it and the quality of the last two flights left loads to be desired. This time around it was impossible to get my ticket ahead of time and I ended up getting the boarding pass in toronto out of all places. Canadian airports are nice.

Apparently leather shoes have enough metal in them to set of alarms. Got body checked. Fast professional and no complains on my part.

Polish customer service is condescending and seems to have a problem with the fact they have people to serve. If not for us you wouldn’t have a job. And for some reason it’s primarily women. I suppose men have better things to do. Again by no means it is the whole lot of LOT employees. But sure there is a lot of that happening at least with me around.

Magda ninja stole my seat so I got window and next to a nice older women looking worried. Hope she isn’t. Magda and Paula are two very young and rather cute girls. The one that stole my seat is defiantly cuter I might try to investigate.

Food. I did choose beef. Decent. Got milk chocolate as desert only ten grams but still nice accent.

Best friends are still having the longest conversation made of streams of conciseness that I have witnessed in recent days. Pleasure it isn’t but at least I had my good deed for the day checked off.

I will try to get some sleep I will dream of wisdom power world domination and how I should get myself unscrewed from the killer semester this spring.

Med student studying in Gdansk. Talks a lot but rather interestingly and has a sense of humour which is a good quality.

Sleep. Now its half past two in the morning. The “night” was some what restful although I woke up in the middle of it with a very sharp pain in my neck. Depending on the position of my head the pain differed from slight to unbearable. I can’t pin point the source it seemed to be located close to my skull at the right side of the spine. There was a muscle involved but felt like bone grinding. Fell asleep again in a weird head twisting position.

Woke up right for breakfast. Which was good no complains here. Tea and a cup of juice to it. Is it very weird that I am getting used to surviving on airplane food? Probably not.

The older woman next to me has episodes. Episodes of my arse is taking up the whole seat so my elbows are going to take half of yours. I haven’t said anything yet because of the recent neck-pains I am worried my polite what of saying OMFG FFS GTFO from my seat might get miss interpreted. I’ve been know to speak my mind freely. She behaves like that baking mushroom thingy she is expanding.

9:35 touch down and looks like a bus ride to the terminal. If standing would make it go faster everyone would stand after landing.

Didn’t get a chance to say good bye maybe for the better. My bag was the first one after the crew so exiting the airport under twenty minutes after landing. Personal record right there.

How I got to NY.

It started like any other trip I did recently between the continents. Five hours before I should have left my house I started to do the packing dance for those who haven’t had the questionable pleasure of living with me let me explain. I pack with a method a plan in mind and thus I know what I want in my bag days before it is due. But five hours before I crash the night and being the confident guy that I happen to be I pack a little about 40 to 80% and at that point start cleaning. Rearranging my stuff making the bed figuring out what I want to wear and so forth. This process is usually accompanied by a silly dance to some weird song and if you can imagine a White guy do a RnB vixen moves I am quite sure you know what it might look like.

I left late picture of the look is attached I’m planing to attach it. Insert pic and a smily face. I got to the airport about eight forty maybe little later. Checked in got my bag taken. Security scrutiny lines very short and easy on the eyes.

Cute blond guard. I swear a girl in shape uniform with a gun and an I will tackle you attitude is sexy and very pleasant to smile at. This will become apparent later. Were was I ah yes I got through no problems. Fast clean just the way I like it in public places. I got to my gate. Twenty six. Set sown abused free interwebs access it was cool.

A girl joined me light accent eastern maybe. We talked laughter. My plane is getting delayed this isn’t great my transfer in Copenhagen was measured to be only forty five minutes long a delay yeah sucks. To bad we joked little more I even dared to notice that if she misses her flight because of me an angry female voice over the speaker might be calling her out for it. Forty seconds later I get to hear my name the voice however sounds concerned and is very pleasant. I wouldn’t mind getting a recording of it for my phones mailbox greeting.

First tango.
Because the flight is getting delayed by serious amour the connection no longer seems feisable and if I fly to Copenhagen I might never leave. On the other hand of I haven’t answered the call and how I could have not I would have been stuck till in Warsaw for another day. All the super cute girls left town as far as I know no reason to stay.

I get a personal guide to help me recover my bag he went to the same school I am going to and for the same major now that is a coincident. Cool beans I get to go through doors no mortal is ever let through my day is getting better by the minute I love when things like this happen to me. I get to get another ticket apparently because of all the delays Warsaw in heavy fog discharges in the air and some other stuff the only speedy way for me to get to NY is the take a flight to Chicago followed by a flight to Newark. Cool I like flying.

Another securerity check the blond sends a smile she comments on me coming again. I get to go to another gate twenty this time. Flights going to USA have another passport check in place at that passport check we fins out that the new ticket is made out to Kamill Nowacki ups.

DENAID!

Have to exit the airport and reenter to get a new ticket people start to know me by name. Got a ticket same flight apparently the miss naming came indepedently of getting the right seat on the right flight. Another security check little more X-ray. This time the blond waits on the other side of the metal detector. Lines as shorter. I should have kept my keys in my pocket. I suggest that next time she should bring a metal detector and I would bring a bottle of red wine and we could compare notes on safety. She says she can’t. Can’t won’t doesn’t want to no clue but it might have been an interesting day if she did and or hmmm secondary screaming in a room with no windows.

I get to smilingly joke with the passport control asking if I don’t look better as a Jan rather than a Kamill that doesn’t go unnoticed. I get to mu gate find couple interesting people. Flight delayed again.
Original should have been at ten past ten.
Chicago should have been at twelve it boards half past two leaves at three.

Feeding because of the delay was a sandwich and some good cranberry juice I’m satisfied. The seat is ok little claustrophobic for my taste but it’s k.

I pod touch my Mom had a brilliant idea! I just wished I would have packed the chargers to the carry on. So let’s sum up if we get to Chicago as early as they say it’s possible 17:05 local time I just might be at Newark just after 21:00 hours. I supposed to be the six hours earlier. Just as I get to be home before 25th crossing my fingers.

More to be written later I’m going get some juice and a nap. It’s 21:14 polish time.

It seems I might be delayed yet again. Landing prognosis quarter to six local time. I do have some connections so it shouldn’t be to terrible. An hour and three quarters left for now. I hate the last hours of the flight it seems pointless I should be already there end the agony of tight seats and dry air. 23:06 polish time 16:06 local.

Time of flight looks to be a out nine hours and forty minutes.

I got to get in no special trouble. Couple questions were why and for how long. And if my day couldn’t get any finer I got more ticket fun. First the ticket I was hoping for wasn’t recommended to me instead I was give a line up for a 19:20 flight out with UA. Great I thought met a customer service girl and exchange one of mu bracelets for one of hers. Hers is in jolly colours and jingles mine was orange shoe lace. UA does not operate this flight continental does. Very cool. I got to go to continental. Took a tram to a different side of the OHara airport.

There a cool lady she books me in on a flight that supposed to leave from B2 at 16somethig but since it is getting delayed it should board 19:37. I get to B2 and there is a flight boarding to Huston wow damn. I get to a dude he sends me to Mike. Mike is a no nonsense kind of guy, he books me on a 16:47 flight to Newark it is almost 19:10 mind you. That new flight is leaving yesterday so I jump on and become the second to last passengers to board it. It should land earlier than I have told my Mom it would but it’s ok I will/can just wait for my Dad in NJ. It’s nice to be finally on my way home. It’s 19:37 local time (2:37 polish time ) and I’m again up in the air. Getting little hungry somewhat tired and ready for shower and a hot meal.

Landed 4;11 polish time and about 22:11 local. As you probably guess that isn’t even close to the end of it. My out of Poland to out of Poland calls are as expensive as they can be and yet short and to the point isn’t working over them. Finally I zero down on my bag it will be coming on another flight the one to last I was suppose to be on. Cool lands quarter past eleven pm. I can wait or have it mailed to me. It’s 22:46 and I’m waiting for my Dad in baggage claim with no bag. All I want is a hot shower and some chocolate milk to go with it. And although this whole running around is educational I would be happy to end it.

Why do most people attend church?  Why do most don’t pee in public?  Why do most avoid raping cute girls on the first date?

Each one of those questions asks the same thing.  Although additional arguments can be made, the essential reason is “we want to belong”.

We want to belong to a civilized society of decent human beings (being tea bagged in jail might hinder that), and need to be seen as cultured and well mannered.  The first question is the most vague one.  It is almost as light as asking why do people jaywalk, in NYC, in groups.  There might be many theories, but I still stick to any which connect the sacrifice of time (effort) to the price we are willing to pay to be considered a member of that (church) group.

So where does the subject line fit in?

During many Nationalistic movements, of all sorts, not belonging was “bad for your health”.  Example of those movements are Bolshevik (Soviet Reds), patriotic hysteria after 9-11 (mainly in US), tragedy of Smolensk on April 10th 2010, and Nazi-Germany to name a few.

They all are very much different and I am far from putting the tragedy of Holocaust on a even level with 9-11 (it has been tried in US-TV and it was the biggest propaganda bullshit I have seen in a while, tragedy although large, isn’t even comparable…).

“Bad for your health”.

In each one of those cases member of those societies who didn’t agree with the current theme were considered… problematic.  In Nazi-Germany and ZSRR you were eliminated, easy.  In US since there was a need to control the population (haven’t made my mind up about it yet, conspiracy seems feasible) through propaganda and fear.  Any opposition to the “official” story was considered unpatriotic and thus you weren’t an individual with a question or different opinion, you were a terrorist (your life got really bad if you were “born brown”).  There was no defense against those accusations and only recently people started to talk about it…  Side note: it was embarrassing how badly that was handled.

Either way, in each one of those cases there was a basic idea behind the nationalistic movement.  Things mostly turned bad though.  Those societies very quickly turned into either black or white.  There was no middle ground, no shades of gray.  You could be either with the theme or you were considered against.  Lets add TV, religion and a old still healing wound (Soviet executions of 12000+ of Polish officers near the Katyn forests, recommend you check Wikki).

And so let us look at Poland.  Seventy years ago Soviets invaded Poland (not long after Nazis did) and killed off thousands of officers and intelligentsia.  Since then, Poland won its independence, started breaking ties with the communist party, became a part of EU and started slowly moving towards being a greater nation it once was.  Soviet ZSRR changed too, it broke up and became Russia (there is still some history cover up, deep fried in secrecy, we will see what happens in the upcoming weeks).

Following the story, a Polish government group (way to many important people on one plane IMO) flew to Katyn, to celebrate the memory of the ones fallen (70th anniversary).  They crashed, 96 dead (why? isn’t the top priority).  Unprecedented, to have so many politically important people die at once, during peace time.  Things started to happen, National Tragedy, a week long mourning,  most of civilized world announced mourning days.  Flowers started to pile up at Polish embassies around the world.  Place before the Presidents Palace in Warsaw was (for days) swarming with people, candles and flowers.

Ready for the butts?  I see couple of them and I am Polish.

President Kaczynski was a good person and started his career by being at the right place at the right time, accident or not, he was there.  Politically wise he wasn’t spectacular and would probably end up having a paragraph or two in the history textbooks.  He died in a terrible tragedy and suddenly he is getting elevated to a super-Pole.  Every foreign dignitary (with couple exceptions) got the same memo (Wikki entry?) highlighting his greatness.
Suddenly everyone is getting bombarded by “greatness” info and looping on repeat scenes of the plane crashed in the mud.  Depression is enhanced by media which afraid of playing anything else (un-Polish), play the same thing over and over.  Patriotic hysteria sets in.  To say anything but “we loved the man” or “it was terrible ::tear::” is un-Polish.  So much for freedom of thought…

It is a tragedy, 96 very fine people died in a plane crash.  Most people went to mourn with others, drastically reminded of their own mortality, which is understandable.  To blow it up the way it was done is to make a circus out of something that is really sad.  I suppose someone got a whiff of some international attention and it blew up.

That is not all, why would it end there? now comes the monkey act (see-do).  To show how patriotic we are, “we” started to make Kaczynski one of the greatest Poles ever.  That is not all, a new kind of panic, how can “we” match the insanity? … make him an honorary citizen of Warsaw, O.K. What else? …
In Cracow there is a massive necropolis in the crypts beneath the Wawel (castle).  Only the greatest Polish people were granted a resting place there (people who take up chapters in history books).  Idea comes across the screen, family is debating putting the  presidential couple there.  What?  People woke up…

There were appellations made by bishops, to the crowds, to quietly accept this decision (catholic church hold a strong grip on Poland, it was their “un”influenced decision to allow burial there), but demonstrations still ensued.  Argument?  There is a problem when you start lowering standards for a place as important to everyone as are the Wawel crypts.

One last thing I’m going to mention is that Katyn was a Soviet doing, saying Katyn 2.0 is will build on the anti-Soviet sentiment which will translate into anti-Russian sentiment.  From what I seen so far, Russia’s prim-minister and president behaved in a matter fitting the office they hold, very impressed and very happy.

Over all a great tragedy has been cheapened by people who had the power to use it for good.  Voices can be heard that this tragedy is uniting people and reminding them of core principles of being Polish.  However, most are just looking for company of living to be sheltered from the media assault.  It is a tragedy that 96 dedicated people died in service of their country but you don’t have to give into the hysteria to prove you still love Poland.

The Girl in the white jacket, loose jeans… The Girl walking around the station… She reminded me of someone I knew years ago.  Lost and damaged, hurting from worlds sole existence.  Reminded me… at a distance.

I stood next to her on the train, there was nothing in her eyes.  I rarely… I don’t remember last time I saw someone, else, look this way before. I know my limits are breached I can go this cold, but someone else that was just scary.

I wanted to do the Jan thing, to ask why was she sad.  It wasn’t sadness, not when I got to see her from up close.  It was complete lack of emotions.  Lack of hope, a total surrender.  I wanted to help but I was afraid.  I felt that emptiness of her gaze.  What if we spoke? Death of light by proximity?

Edt. Now couple days later, I am ashamed that that night I wasn’t strong enough to ask, didn’t have enough warmth to share and enough recklessness to do it.

I’m tutoring… English… grammar.  Me tutoring English? ROFL, right?   But, this is what I got a chance to do these days, tutor English grammar.  Am I doing O.K.?

Third language of mine, I don’t find it particularity “fun”, I’m not to great in that grammar stuff…  I suppose for now I am doing O.K.  Judging from the past year and a half, I’m lucky I got some sort of job.  Even if it isn’t even close to what I would like to be doing.

I don’t know what I want/would like to do, but I’m pretty sure teaching English grammar wouldn’t make the top 10 positions… 15$ an hour, 2 hours a week with 10-15hours of prep. … if you can’t do what you want, you do what you can, trying to figure out what you want, so you can do it, right?

I bought a mobile phone, as it seems that this is the only way I will be able to get in touch with people here.  I bought a Nokia 2700c and I am in love. I liked my Sprints’ Sanyo Katana before today… next to this sim-card, SD card holding mobile, my US cell is as if comparing the girl of your dreams with a Montana goat…

Simple and even though it was one of the cheapest ones around (under 100$ with no subscription plan required) it is vast superior to the brick like piece of s… I payed 170+$ with a 2 year plan in US.  I’m starting to think that comparing phones is like comparing girls between the continents.  Will have a better idea in June…

For now EU is slick, working, esthetically pleasing, logical, easier on your pocket and with no forced commitment, marvel… vs US bulky, limited, expensive, commitment requiring, retarded, and dying 15months in… ball and chain.

Did I mention it talks to me with a sweet British accent?  I have control my impulses not to press her buttons all the time…  I love my Nokia.

I’m sure that both somewhat extreme and logical cases can be made for as well as against what I’m going to present here…

From my limited interactions with both the female populations of US and EU, I concluded that it seemed more likely to sleep (meaningless, accidental, thing to do…) with an American girl than an EU one.  Easier by an margin bigger than what one would expect for a statical error.

Question that always bothered me was/is Why?

Flower children rebellion against the sadistic domination, suffocation of the puritanical values?

Sure, but after several decades of rather liberal (values) upbringings , one would expect the general media influence to wain, rather than maintain strength.  So what than?  What has the power to make generation after generation worth of women (and men) looser than 13 size sneakers on a 5 year old?

What do all those people (different in: class, income, education, state, upbringing, etc) have in common?  There are only a hand full things that can have such a wide Socio-psychological mass effect we see here.  Language is one of those factors.  Language-culture composition to be precise.

The moment you turn thirteen years old, you stop being “it” you become mister or miss, there will be sir and ma’am next to your name and you will be referred to as an adult.  With distance and respect your age group deserves.

This distance and respect will translate into your 20s and up.  No more “you” on the first date (meeting).  In EU you need explicit permission to be able to refer to others as “you” rather than sir, ma’am.  Precipitation of this is a longer term of approach.  “I don’t know you, thus I will respect you.”

English language uses you to fill the blanks of personal conjugation of active verbs. (Miss, you forgot your scarf.)  In Polish you can infer persons gender from the form of the verb, as well as other information.

For me it seems rather unnatural to say ma’am, sir with out the use of “you” next to the verbs.  I’m not an Englsih grammar buff, but I have been in academic circles for over 8 years learning the language by mimicking it.

I’m far from saying that casual encounter don’t happen here, and the fact that EU is much more liberal makes a difference, but the initial distance at which you hold strangers does make a major contribution.

It isn’t front page news that certain things are more expensive in Europe comparing to USA.  Couple “cute” observations.

Gas is more expensive, it is almost 4.9 PLN (2.85 PNL to 1 USD) for 1L (~3.5L per gallon).  Guess what?  Cars are smaller, on average burn much less gas.

Cell minutes are priced higher, no one calls just to bullshit and chit-chat, most of the time you call for a reason rather than to fish.  Text-ing (SMS-ing) is used much more even by adults and work, business circles.

Soda is more expensive, comparing to food, that and more walking (higher gas prices) better diets and most people are pleasant to look at?  Decent taste in cloths does help too… Opinions?

… cute but not saying much.  The reason why it is so easy for me to judge women by character first, personality second, and looks last, has a lot to do with where I grew up.

I have been back to Poland for two days now and I already have a serious neck injury.  All that head turning is killing me…

All most all are in good/great shape, tall, with “cool” hair-do’s, tastefully dressed with great use of accessories and color accents… etc

Most importantly they all have a flare in their eyes, something you can see in untamed predators.  It is refreshing but problematic as such.

The trouble is that my selection rules which worked great in NY/US (Filtering 99.37% as unsuitable to pursuit) are barely setting a bar to most random strangers I see in Poland.

Based on what I see: the way people walk, carry themselves… I should be asking every other female my age out.  If I get lucky and I can hear them speak or I know what they are reading I can get down to about one in six…

Damn to many choices, Poor me!  I missed Europe.