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American student in Krakow
- Kent's second semester in Poland 03/22/2008, Saturday |
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Hey everyone! Seeing as it's been roughly 3 months or so since my last email, I figured it was about time to touch base with all of you. I'll do my best to make this as concise as possible, but I'll warn you now that I will likely have trouble keeping it short. So I'll get right to it! After an almost-3-month hiatus at home in Houston, I returned to Krakow at the end of February. To my surprise, the weather in Poland when I got back was almost the same as it had been in Texas when I left! Spring here has been very enjoyable, and I've seen a lot more of the sun these days than I did last semester. I can't wait for daylight savings time to hit! The days are going to be insanely long! It's been much easier settling in this semester than last. I guess in a way, I've become comfortable here. Not so comfortable that I'd call it "home"...but I suppose it just felt somewhat natural when I came back. School has been more demanding this semester, which I appreciate. My Polish continues to improve, though it took me a week or so to get back into the swing of it. I've gotten to the point where I actually can answer questions that people ask on the street, rather than simply resorting to the reflex phrase, "Przepraszam, mowie tylko troche po polsku." (Sorry, I only speak a little Polish). Basically, it's no longer nerve-wracking to have conversations with people and being afraid I'll screw it up somehow. So basically, I'd just been sort of getting readjusted and doing some simple homework until last week. Last Saturday morning, I left on a week-long study trip to Ukraine! You'll probably remember that I went to Lviv, Ukraine last semester and absolutely loved the experience...but this trip was so much more informative and exciting! First, we visited a small Polish city on the border with Ukraine called Przemysl. It was nice to experience the small, non-touristy Polish city. Unfortunately, I have to admit that I didn't really find it to be anything special. Our tour guide was pretty dull, and (as is the case in many Polish cities) he basically took us from one Catholic church to another. I know it might sound a bit odd, but after having seen so many churches this year, I'm a little bit "churched out." haha! Seeing as there are churches scattered everywhere, they have a tendency to run together. But I digress... After visiting Przemysl, we took a night train to Kiev, Ukraine. Some of you will know that visiting Kiev has been something I've talked about for years, so I was pumped. Basically, I feel as though Kiev is a small-scale (I know that 5 million people isn't small...but compared to Moscow...) version of what I imagine Moscow to be. I'm sure Ukrainians would kill me for saying so, but the comparisons are definitely there to be made. Kiev is a city of contrasts. The dichotomies are striking. For instance, there are thousands of EXTREMELY wealthy people, but also those who live with almost nothing. I've never seen as many Mercedes', Lexus', or Land Rovers as I saw in Kiev. But they drive on the streets next to Soviet-made LADA's from the 1960's which hardly even run. Walking through central Kiev, you'd honestly feel as though you were in the US because people drive SUV's with fancy accessories. You also get this feeling that a lot of the money being made is somehow made illegally. I have absolutely no evidence to back this claim, other than people telling us that corruption is still Ukraine's #1 problem (but then, what country doesn't have that issue?). Kiev, being the cradle of Slavic civilization, has some really beautiful Orthodox cathedrals/churches. They mostly contain the Eastern "Onion Dome" style roofs, which makes for some pretty sweet photos! The city also houses MASSIVE Soviet monuments and hundreds of housing blocs which almost seem surreal. We visited the "Monument to the Great Patriotic War" which basically means "WWII Memorial" in Soviet-speak. It was maybe the largest complex/memorial I've ever seen, and just baffled my mind. There are statues of Soviet soldiers, workers, craftsmen, and women...all working together in typical Soviet style (also, all the men had really fit abs...which I doubt was actually the case for all Soviet men). :) The site was made even better by the fact that loud communist music was blaring the whole time, including the old Soviet National Anthem. The grandest part of the memorial, however, was the 62-meter tall "Motherland" statue, complete with sword, sickle, and hammer. Though Ukraine became independent in 1991, the monument still stands as a testament to those Ukrainians who died during the war. The city is obviously moving forward, as evidenced by the Orange Revolution in 2004, but it's clearly difficult to break from the past (especially due to the fact that 40% of people living in Ukraine are of Russian decent). But one thing I learned while in Kiev was that the Orange Revolution really hasn't had the effect that people expected. In the West, we were given the perception that Viktor Yushenko was the catalyst of democratic change in Ukraine. He was seen as the leader who would bring democracy to the former Soviet Union. But it seems to me that we have it backwards. The democratic movement in Ukraine was the catalyst for Yushenko's election. He acts as nothing more than a figure head...and to be fair, a figure head which really can't seem to get much done (though, that's no fault of his own). The momentum of the revolution has died significantly as the parliament came to a standstill in the latter part of last year. Change, as we know, takes significant amounts of time and effort, and this is something I think we Americans tend to forget. It's become increasingly popular in the states to say that a "New Cold War" is beginning, and well...maybe it is. But we can't expect that these countries (especially Russia) which have known nothing but Authoritarian or Totalitarian rule for the last 1200 years or so are suddenly going to convert to democratic systems which mirror the US. This would prove especially tough, given that many people of the older generations still view the US as a significant threat due to years of Soviet propaganda they were forced to endure. So wow...that was a long explanation...so I'll try to wrap up quickly. After visiting Kiev, we went to Lviv in Western Ukraine. It felt distinctly more "Western." The city was Polish until the Red Army took it for the Soviet Union during the Second World War. There are still obvious signs that it was once Lwow, one of the most important cities in Poland. Seeing as I already wrote about my previous experience in Lviv, I'll spare you the details of this trip. So now I'm back in Krakow, and am actually struggling to shake a bad cold I picked up while in Ukraine. With a few days to rest, though, I'm sure I'll be back to normal in no time. Tomorrow, I'm actually planning on attending mass because I hear that Easter in Poland is a sight to see! It ought to be fun. I hope that those of you who celebrate Easter enjoy your holiday! For the rest of you, I hope you continue to enjoy your experiences wherever you may be. Any replies are encouraged (just remember not to "reply all"). All of you who are abroad...I've really enjoyed reading your updates, so keep 'em coming, por favs! Hope all is well for everyone! Talk to you soon, Kent PS - Pictures will follow in a separate email once I upload them! |
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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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