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American student in Krakow |
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| 9/11/2007, Tuesday | ||
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Hello to all once again! It seems as though the last week has gone by very quickly, and it's very difficult for me to believe that September is almost half way over. Last week's prediction that my experience here could only get better following the tooth incident seems to have been pretty spot-on. I'm glad to report that I'm feeling much better, and I'd like to thank you all for your well-wishes. It could very well be that I'm not out of the woods yet...but at least I feel much better. The weather here has been a bit of a bummer, as it's rained almost every day since my arrival...but I suppose living in Houston over the summer prepared me for the deluge. That being said, the temperatures are amazing. At night, it's been in the 40s and during the day, it's been high-50's or low-60's...so I'm really enjoying that for the time being! This past weekend, we took a study trip to Warsaw, and though it often gets what I would consider a bad-wrap in Polish circles, I'd have to say that it's one of my favorite places in Poland. It could very well be that the gorgeous weather had something to do with this feeling, but each time I've visited, I'm just amazed by the progressiveness that takes place in that city. Though many of you may find it difficult to believe, Warsaw is a modern, "Western" city. While in Warsaw, we had a stroke of extremely good fortune. It just so happened that we were touring the Polish Sejm (Parliament) while they were in session, so we were lucky enough to be allowed to watch. On the particular day we visited, an historic event happened: The Sejm voted to dissolve itself for the first time in years. It may be somewhat difficult to comprehend (as it even took me several explanations until I understood), but the Polish Parliament has the ability to dissolve itself if the coalitions are unable to form a legitimate government. And it just so happened that the coalitions could not agree on terms, so at this moment, there is no Parliamentary government. As a result, every spot in the 460-member government is up for contention. It will definitely be an interesting month, as elections are slated for October 21st. There will obviously be a lot of campaigning and political action. Strangely (because the Polish system is not a 2-party system like the US), absolutely no one seems to have any idea what will happen. In fact, it could be that the people elected form a government that is EXACTLY like the one that just dissolved. It's definitely something that is difficult for we Americans to comprehend. My classes began this week, and they're pretty interesting. They're all taught in English (except for Polish class, which is obviously taught in Polish). They mainly deal with European Union, European cultural identities, and European history. It should be a good semester, from what I can tell thus far. Finally, some of you who know Chelsea (my girlfriend) may be excited to hear that this week was made even better by the news that she is going to be visiting Krakow during the week of Thanksgiving! It will definitely be an exciting time, as it's a great chance to see another part of the globe and learn new things about the world in which we live...and as an added bonus...well...naturally, we'll get to see one another! (...) Do Widzenia, Kent |
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8/31/07 9/11/07 9/20/07 9/27/07 10/5/07 10/14/07 3/22/08 3/30/08 |
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