Sylvia and the Nun

Hello my darlings!

It was my first Sunday of the semester in Wroclaw so the night before I Google mapped churches near my dorm. I found one that was 25 minutes away on foot, so I wrote down all the directions and the next morning I left a good 40 minutes early to catch the 12:00 Mass.

Oh lawd.

I was on the correct street and I was supposed to look for "Ladna" street next, but after 18 minutes passed and Ul. Ladna was nowhere to be found I knew I was lost.

I decided to just keep walking straight and not make any drastic turns. I figured, "This is Poland. There are churches everywhere. I'll just look up and around and find a steeple and pop in."

I kept walking and another 7 minutes passed. And I began to worry that I was really lost, and sad that I might not get to my destination. And then, like my very own angelic guide sent down to help me when I was but a lost travller, I saw a nun. A NUN!

So I followed that nun with such stealth (I didn't want to frighten her with my eager feet), and glee!

And then she went into her apartment complex.

I stopped and laughed.

Now what?

"Go AGAINST the nun," I thought to myself. I.e. the direction she potentially came from.

There was a main road up ahead so I decided to walk to it and then  go on the nun's trail, or what I hoped was her trail.

I turned the corner, walked a few steps and found myself near a crosswalk. I looked up. To my right, behind some trees, I saw two large steeples touching the sky.

I had found it.

I FOUND THE CHURCH!

What I think happened.

Later I realized it was actually the Wroclaw Cathedral. And I was 20 minutes late because the Mass actually started at 11:30, but whatever.

And that is how a nun on her way home for Sunday chicken noodle soup guided me to Church.

Love always,
S

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Finding Marco Polo and My English

Hello my darlings!

September 8th was my first Saturday in Wroclaw of the semester and after realizing all of the people I met and I were in the same "I have nothing for my dorm" boat, I organized a trip to IKEA.

Ha...haha...haa.....

I did my research online, the IKEA site telling us exactly how to get to their store. "Take the Marco Polo bus," they said. Marco Polo bus eh? We liked the name and were excited to see this vessel that would take us to the Everything-You-Want Wonderland.

This was only my second day in Wroclaw and navigating trams was still a mystery to me, but with the help of my Czech roommate we found the tram we needed to take to Swobodna where Marco Polo was supposed to be.

We got to Swobodna with ease, but upon exiting the tram and not seeing what imagined would be a very distinct Marco Polo bus, I went inside a drugstore to ask where it might be. Oh yes, I failed to mention, I was the official spokesperson for our group.

[In Polish] "Hello, do you know where I might find the Marco Polo bus?...It goes to IKEA."

[confused look] "Marco Polo? Er [silence] oh wait, I can speak in English." [Accent detected.]

She went on to explain she didn't know where it was but that we should check out the bus station. So we made our way to the bus station which was across the street from the train station. We were also in a hurry because M.P. was supposed to be leaving soon. Before we crossed the street to the bus station we saw some taxi drivers and I was once again chosen to go ask where Marco Polo might be. 

[In Polish] "Excuse me we're looking for the Marco Polo bus. It goes to IKEA. Do you know where it might be?"

First guy's reaction- facial expression expressed: "Da hell?"

Second guy's- MarcoPoloMarcoPolo...?

Third guy's- You should go on Bus X [something something something grumble confusion]

Getting nothing from that conversation we went to the station.

Upon seeing all of the buses at the bus station, "...MARCO....Damn." No "POLO" was heard.

So we went to the bus station's information desk.

Again I asked for Marco Polo. [Confused face] Bus to IKEA?

"Go to Platform 6 and catch the bus to Sabodka."

Once at Platform 6 I asked a young chap in a suit if this bus would take us to IKEA. He said that it would and then even alerted us when the correct bus arrived. How nice!

Bus came. Boarded. Off to IKEA!

We made it! Shopped. Found Marco Polo. Caught him on the way back, but missed the first one by 5 minutes so we had to wait an hour for the next one.

We made it to the tram station that would take us home, but Matteo, Kristina, and I still had to buy tickets so we missed the tram the other half of our group took, but it was no big deal.

We stood in silence while waiting for the tram but then Matteo turned to us and asked, "So what are your names again?"

"Sylvia." "Kristinia."

"Ah-ha. And where are you from?"

"U.S.A, Tennessee."

"Ahh, okay. I was thinking, 'Her English is pretty good.'"

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!


I LOVE how my English is "pretty good." hahah ;) it was so funny.

We made it home safe and sound.

Love always,
S

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Sylvia Moves In

Hello my darlings!

So,  on September 7th my aunt and cousin drove me to my dorm. Apparently I was hosting a butterfly rave party in my stomach...I WAS SO NERVOUS. It was like freshman year all over again, except evening fresher and far more foreign.

I went to reception and started explaining who I was in English. The lady made a sad face and apologizing hand gestures and I quickly realized she didn't speak English.

[In polish] "Oh! I speak in Polish too!" She threw her hands up in glee. I then told her who I was and she said she saw my name some where. I don't know where this "somewhere was" because after going through at least 3 different lists twice she couldn't find my name.

"Oh no," I thought, "My application didn't go through. I didn't write down the right day. I'm not going to have a room. I have so many bags with me."

She told me to go to administration. I did and nice little grey-haired man came to my rescue and reassured me that I had a room.

We went up to the  4th floor to my room and put all my bags down. My roommate had moved in but she wasn't there. After a quick look around my aunt and cousin left and I was alone.

I kinda started unpacking but not too much because I didn't have any hangers yet. Soon enough my suitemates moved in, but stayed in their room with their door closed (Note: we're all really good friends now!!!). I felt so dumb in all sorts of ways and got to the point where I didn't know what do to so I just sat on the bed hahaha. (We didn't have internet yet either) Still not knowing what to really do, I thought, "FOOD! I need food!" There's a grocery store right in front my dorm so I went there.

I returned and my roommate still wasn't there so I decided I'd go on a nice long walk.

Eventually my roommate came back in the evening and she's really great :)

We decided to walk around to different rooms and see if anyone wanted to hang out. Our room soon had a nice group of people and we just chatted and chatted and then went to bed.

Love always,
S

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Hello my darlings!

Good gracious, I so much has happened since I last posted!

So, heeerrreee we goooo,

Found picture of me playing and feeding pigeons.

Fed pigeons.

Found this.

-Quick kids! Go stand with the medieval band
-Soon we will take you as one of our own
-Smile!!

Ate massive raspberries the size of strawberries

 Took grapes off vines

Watched my grandmother make raspberry juice

Took Natalia to her first day of classes

Had a surprise birthday party for Natalia

Admired Natalia's birthday outfit. I want it.

Let Natalia paint my nails.

Then Ola drove me to my aunt's. It was the first leg of my trip to my dorm. This is Natalia and "Kubus" (pro: kooboosh) (Pooh bear) she was said it was time for me to go

And that's what you missed on GLEE! ;)

New post about arriving to my new city coming soon!!

Always, 

S

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Imieniny and First Day of School

Hello my darlings!

Yesterday was my grandmother's Imieniny (name day) which is a bigger deal than one's birthday. Your name might be found several times throughout the calendar, but my understanding is you celebrate the one closest to your birthday. So, we had a dinner party with yummmmmyyyyy food, a few drinks for good measure, and some singing!


                                               

Babcia i Ja! (Grandma and I)

                                      

                                     

                                                 

                                     
TODAAAYYYYYYY....

Today was my niece's first day of school!!! I was SO excited about this event. The first day of school in Poland is A REALLY BIG DEAL. All the kids wear clothes of the black and white nature (or navy color) and look so cute and adorable and European chic and Polish precious!!! I wanted to be part of their crew to be perfectly frank.

I'd heard about this day's ceremony from my mom and dad but never witnessed it.

The night before, Natalia told me to get up at 7:30 AM so that we would have plenty of time to get dressed and I could do her hair.

Like the early bird I am, I was up and singing at 7:30 AM...only to find that Natalia and her mom weren't awake. So I chilled with my grandma in the kitchen.

Natalia and mom rolled out of bed around 7:45 AM and the eating of the breakfast began. My grandma asked Ola (mom of Natalia) if she was sure she had the event's time right. 

"Yeah, 9 AM, that's what everyone's been saying..."

"Are you sure? Are you sure it's not early because it's her first year?"

"Lemme check.....(checks) IT'S AT 8:30." It was 7:55.

Immediately this....

turned into this: 

At some point during this freakout Ola called the school and returned to the kitchen to say "It's at 9! Oh blessed school angels it's at 9!!" ((ok, not exactly, but you get it))

So the inhaling of food ceased and we returned to the breakfast of singing Syl accompanied by the conveniently located kitchen birds.

Natalia got dressed in her lovely jumper and at 8:45 we were off to the school!

LOOK AT ALL THE LITTLE KIDDOS!!!!! Seriously reconsidering becoming a Elementary School teacher (in a positive way)

Getting knighted!! We'll not really, but kinda...with a big pencil

Presents: Polish flag and candy flower

Seat's taken....LoLjK!

Oh Elementary School, such good days!!

Always,

S

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RECAP

Hello my darlings!

Yesterday was a rainy day so aside from going to the cemetery and garden in the morning we stayed in and found ways to amuse ourselves. Natalia and I played Monoply Junior. She beat me by over 40 points.
I love this Monopoly because of its battery powered Bankomat (ATM) that spits money and Life Chances at you. I would be perfectly okay if an ATM just spit money at me and smiled.

Natalia and I also caught Harry Potter on the TV last night and I was excited to see if it was going to be subtitled or dubbed. The latter took the snitch and won the match. I was really impressed with the voices! For Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco their voices were what you'd imagine they'd be but in Polish.

Now I leave you with a picture recap of the past week 

Grandparent's mini house on the garden (I always called them "Barbie Houses"

Picking Peaches!

There were 2 or 3 REALLY hot days when I was at my grandparents. So, I spent my days pretending to be someone from a Jane Austen novel playing cards and sweltering in the heat, lounging with my wrist pressed against my forehead. Oh, and we drank hot coffee...hahaha

Grams made nalesniki (crepes)

I spent one night at my aunt and uncle's and returned to my room one night to find my window open like this (in real life it's quite a large window) and immediately thought: RO-MAE-O!!!!! [sic]

I was ready.

But he wasn't there. Le sigh.

Here's my grandpa (mom's dad) in his basement :D

All of the jams they made!!! They said half the shelf is going with me to school. Yum yum.

Apples :)

Funny Looking old brush

Running like a baby gazelle or doe, or so I was told...

Night time fountain fun

That's all for now!

Always,
S

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