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American student in Krakow |
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| 9/20/2007, Thursday | ||
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Hello to everyone! Since my last email, various things have occurred, and I thought I'd spend just a bit of time shedding some light on new thoughts and experiences.  Perhaps
the most shocking revelation of the last two weeks is that fall has
already come to this part of the globe. Now many of you are probably
accustomed to fall arriving in September, but for me - being from Texas
- well, it's a bit odd. We're 20 days into September, and the leaves
have already begun changing colors. During the day, the temperatures
have been in the 50s and at night, they've been in the low 40s or high
30s. I figured it would be chilly over here, but if winter comes as
quickly as fall, I could definitely be in for a shock! haha! Either way,
I really enjoy fall, so it's kind of a pleasant surprise.As you're all probably well aware, soccer is one of my greatest passions, and living over here definitely caters to my fixation with the sport. Last weekend, I went to my first European soccer match - Cracovia Krakow vs. Groclin Wielkopolska. And though they might not be soccer-powerhouses, it was still a very interesting experience. You see, about 3 or 4 years ago Poland adopted their own form of English hooliganism about 30 years after the British were making it "hip." In other words, their soccer fans were kind of behind the curve, and didn't realize that hooliganism was pretty "passe" these days. And though the problem has essentially been eliminated in the last year or so, there were still riot police everywhere, and each person had to enter the stadium individually for security checks. The system they have in place now seems to work very well, because the game went off without incident, and everyone had a great time. It was a lot of fun, especially because everyone in the stadium knew the words to every song/chant and would constantly sing. But perhaps the best part of the game were the half-time treats. The only thing on offer was freshly grilled Kielbasa, bread, and Pepsi. In all, it cost me about $3. So my front-row seat and my half-time meal cost me about $10 total. I think that's a pretty great deal! I've also been very fortunate that soccer is on the TV here all the time. So a couple of nights this week, a few of us have gone into town to watch the games at pubs or cafes. It's pretty much one of my favorite things about living here. haha! But I've also been playing some soccer here, as well. It's a bit different than in the states because we have to play on concrete pitches. There isn't enough room in most European cities for big open fields, so most pick-up games are played on small concrete courts. Perhaps the neatest thing about the games is that we play in the shadow of Wawel Castle (a very famous landmark in the city). It's a pretty strange feeling when you look up during the middle of the game and see the castle and cathedral rising up on the hill.  Finally,
I'd like to share a little bit about a trip that some of my friends and
I took to a nearby town. Last Sunday, we hopped on a bus and went to a
small suburb called Wieliczka. The town was made famous by its' salt
mines, and today, people can tour the mines. The actual salt mining
experience isn't the attraction any more, though. The place has a series
of chambers in which there are magnificent sculptures, statues, and
different scenes made of salt. But the coolest part of the tour is this
room that is basically a cathedral carved out of salt. It's a massive
room with an alter, chandeliers, etc. It's even got "The Last Supper"
carved out of salt. I'll send some photos of this along so that you can
have a better idea of what I'm talking about. In any case, it was an
interesting tour.This weekend, we'll be taking a study trip to the mountain town of Zakopane. We've got some hiking, rafting, and things like that planned. I'm not really sure when the "study" aspect of this "study trip" comes into effect, but I suppose that's part of the fun! haha! (...) Cheers, Kent |
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Picture #1 - The Cracovia Stadium with Wawel Hill in the background Picture #2 - The Cathedral-type thing I mentioned at the salt-mines Picture #3 - Me at the mines Picture #4 - My amazing half-time Kielbasa |
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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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