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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