Feminism, My Lack of Catholicism, and Poland Sentimentalism.

Seeing the square as quiet as it is tonight is somewhat haunting yet comforting at the same time. I guess it's safe to say that the tourist season is over, well as over as it can be. All that is left now is the locals running from tram to tram and occasionally buying an overpriced beer. Welcome to Kraków in November.

Last Friday marked my two month anniversary of moving to Poland. I celebrated by eating a massive stick of candy floss and experiencing one of the most morbid holidays I've ever seen - All Saints Day. Don't get me wrong, it was stunning to see the cemetery all lit up, and to some extent I like the tradition... A day to remember everyone who we have lost. But I couldn't help but wonder why this is limited to one day a year. But traditions are traditions, and one doesn't argue with Catholicism.

What can be argued with however, as I discovered this week, is my lack of Catholicism and just general belief in a higher power. I had a 13 year old boy trying to convert me on Wednesday, whilst telling me all the best churches to go to to pray in. I have to be honest, I didn't say much other than teach the word agnostic. I would have loved, however, to write "love is love" on the board and try and convince them that homosexuality is, in fact, not a sin. But hey, you can't win them all.

Today, however, I decided to start a debate about feminism. The room literally divided, it was hilarious. On one side I was told that feminists are not intelligent and on the other I was told that every woman should be a feminist and that women have periods because men would die if they bled that much.

I fell off my chair laughing. Flipping brilliant.

It's hard to say who I prefer teaching- adults, teens, or children. I am lucky enough to work for a language school that accommodates all three, and I teach all three. I came out here believing that I would much prefer to teach adults and that children were sticky and odd. However, with the exception of the army I can safely say that my passion for teaching adults has dissipated somewhat. My children's classes leave me broken and with a ringing in my ears, but feeling somewhat toned. My teens are often amazing however. They want to know everything, they want to see everything, they sometimes hate me, they sometimes love me. But they keep me on my toes, they make me howl with laughter, and cry with hurt. I can see myself in secondary education fo' sho' (cause I'm blates down wi' the kids, innit).

I can honestly say now that coming to Poland and doing this insane adventure was the best god damned decision of my life. It has opened my eyes to so much in just 2 months. I feel like I have changed, I have grown up, and that my confidence levels have raised so high that I am not even phased by the prospect of standing in a room of 20 odd soldiers and telling them they're saying things wrong.

I have had such a nostalgic week teaching Bonfire Night and thus thinking back to the 5th November 2012. Life was so different, and I was so different. I know it's cheesy and very self gratifying but I couldn't be prouder of how much I have achieved this year. The shit that I was dealing with in just March of this year is now a distant memory. I thought I would be affected by it all for a long time, but it turns out I just needed to go to a beautiful place and clear my head, and in doing so I have found my passion and my plan.

Poland, you have already been a intense page turner, here's to the next 4 months of stress, lesson planning, and defending my lack of religion. I can't wait :D

Peace out and have a great weekend.

P.s CANDY FLOSS!!!!!!!!!

Ten Amazing Things That Have Happened In 8 Weeks.

Dzień dobry!

Yes, that IS the title of this blog. I have high expectations too, and I haven't even started writing it yet, or even thinking about these so-called amazing things, but here it goes...

Eight weeks ago today it was the 30th of August, and if I remember correctly I was freaking the hell out, revising grammar til I was blue in the face and packing ALL the wrong things (a lesson for all you future TEFLers: overpack. Things are cheaper once you're in-country, yes, but not when you're earning the local wage.) So yeah, the first amazing thing that has happened since then is this:

I know grammar better than I ever imagined I would. All the tenses, the conditionals, reported frigging speech. I know it. And it is somewhat awesome standing in front of a group of surly teenagers explaining a rule to it's last detail and then thinking "woah, how the hell did that happen?!"

Amazing thing number 2: I am not in jail. Yes, we can laugh about it now, but for those of you who know of my little incident in Gliwice will know how bent out of shape I was about it. But hey, at least I can say I've been arrested in a foreign country and have now learnt how to say "I don't understand, it's not my fault, I'm sorry, please let me go, I don't speak Polish". That's me covered for next time.

Amazing thing number 3: today I broke a chair in front of my entire class, fell flat on my back and they all roared with laughter. Normally I would be dying of embarrassment but after the shit I've had thrown at me this week by some students this was a walk in the park.

Amazing thing number 4: well, I moved to Poland. That's all there is to it really. I quit my job, packed my bags and got on the flight. That's pretty sodding amazing. Doing this has really made me grow up and change the way I look at things. I can say in all honesty that even after only 8 weeks I am not the woman I was when I arrived in JPII airport.

Amazing thing number 5: my new found love for JPII (aka John Paul II). I agree with what all the tourist leaflets say, he was one of the greatest men whoever lived.

Look at this picture of him with a baby... Frigging adorable.

Amazing thing number 6: the fact that when approached by annoying tour guides on the main square in Kraków I now say "no ta, I live here". That's pretty awesome.

Amazing thing number 7: having a job where you talk to people and play games. Well, with the good classes anyway. Some classes make you want to scream and cry, whilst others put a smile on your face for the whole week :) 

Amazing thing number 8: Zapikanka. Oh my days. Zapikanka from Kazimierz is probably the best thing in the world. It translates to casserole, and there is a casserole version, but the one I've tried is the half baguette filled with mushrooms and cheese and then your choice of toppings, finished with ketchup or mayonnaise. Nom. Believe me, I have no idea how I've dropped a dress size.

Amazing thing number 9: Kazimierz in general. The square reminds me of an old Covent Garden but better. As it sells Zapikanka for 6zl (about a quid and a bit). But enough about Zapikanka. Kazimierz, to me, is real Kraków. Yes the main square is stunning but honestly? It's too touristy. Well, everywhere in Kraków is touristy but Kazimierz is quieter, cheaper, and much more laid back. And you can see things like this... I love this...

And finally, amazing thing number 10: this is a country that has been through hell and is still left standing. In 8 weeks I have learnt about the occupation, the uprising, the communist regime... All through my students. They have been through it all and are still here strong and determined. Poland is an incredible if slightly absurd country, is cooler than you will ever believe, and will never give up. And with that one fact, I know I picked the right country to start this teaching malarkey in.

My iPad just auto corrected malarkey. I didn't realise it was an official word...

So with that, Kat is out for now. Everyone, feel free to wire me some money. Seriously.

Pani Kasia

Writing from a coffee shop on the main square in Kraków is your favourite Scottish/English/Polish lady who has the flu and a fever but is feeling good about life.

I came to Kraków almost two weeks ago to cover and have just been informed that I will be staying here for the rest of my internship. 4 weeks ago I arrived in Bielsko-Biała with the hopes of being placed there, I then moved to Gliwice and after some rocky moments I settled there after 2 weeks, and then I moved to Kraków and that has been the biggest jump yet. I have gone from teaching adults who added me on Facebook and I could joke about vodka with to screaming children from the age of 6 years old to 18 years old. It is definitely the most challenging teaching I have experienced yet and we mix the direct method and the communicative method to keep them entertained. But I came here for a challenge and it only takes one student to make a difficult day good.

Today after a lovely yet deafening class the best student (I know you shouldn't have favourites but whatever) came up to me to apologise on behalf of her class and to tell me that she hopes they have me again next week. After the 4 classes I had today (one of which sat and called me a "fat bean", charming) this was the best thing to hear. And it's things like this that make me love teaching. 

In all honesty I never thought I would love teaching. I remember that everyone used to assume that because I did a degree in English I wanted to be a teacher, and I remember getting offended by this. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that 4 years later I would be staying up til the wee hours making up games and worksheets, or looking forward to teaching a grammar class. Things definitely do change. Now I don't think I could do anything but teach. I can't imagine myself booking another offshore training course, or sitting at another reception. I don't know whether this experience is going to take me to my PGCE back in Britain or making a career out of TEFL, but what I do know is that I will forever be Pani Kasia, and that is a name I never want to lose.

Peace out my loves.

Just Put a Pillow On It.

Dzień dobry!

I'm writing this from the staff room in Gliwice after just teaching a 7:15am class. I don't feel physically ready to go home until I've had a vat of coffee so I figured it was about time I blogged!

I've now been in Gliwice for over a week and can safely say that I (now) love it!

Truth be told it took me a while to cope with the move. Getting to know a new city on my own was daunting to say the least and after an incident which involved me pretty much getting arrested I was hitting up the Ryanair website for another one way flight. I'm so sodding glad I still don't understand the currency system here well enough, because the minute I saw 300zl I hit close. (£60...).

Luckily, it has gotten a whole lot better. I started teaching on Monday and I love it even more than I thought I would! The school uses three different methods so two classes are never the same. Even when discussing the same topic with three classes in a row you always get different answers. My favourite so far being...

Teacher Kat: what would you do if you were sharing a hospital room with someone who wouldn't stop coughing?

Student: I would put a pillow over his head until he stopped.

The answer in the book is "I'd ask to switch rooms". Whilst this may be a somewhat extreme answer I loved it much more than if he had used the target language. It was grammatically correct and broke up the tension in my first class with this particular set of students. It's only day 4 and I already have favourites. I taught another class how to speak Scottish (bonus material). So now a group of middle aged Polish students can say and understand "alreet, fit like iday?" Winning.

Gliwice itself fascinates me. It is not a modern city, the buildings are old and some of the architecture is stunning, despite the fact that this is where WWII started. (Note to self: educate yourself about this). There is graffiti in the strangest of places and saying the strangest things. A bin on my walk back to my flat has been graffitied with the words "drunken cats". At least I know I'm welcome there.

Which brings me to my next point: beer. Oh my god, beer. I have never known a beer hangover, and so to get my first one on my first day off in Poland was horrible. The beer is good though, the beer is cheap, the beer is strong. Oh so strong. Tyskie in Britain is, what? £3.50 a bottle. Tyskie here is cheaper than diet coke (I mean coca cola light, boak). Goodbye liver.

So, since I started writing this blog I've gone home, had a nap, eaten my weight in French toast, forgetting I was going to the vegibar (amazing) with Amelia, so have now just eaten my weight in a potato and cheese crepe. I can't move, I need to start planning my lesson (one left today, a woohoo!) but it's impossible. But once that's done I'm off until Monday, which is when I will be starting my week of teaching in Krakow!

So all in all, your Kat is doing well but missing you lots. I'd just like to point out that you'd probably only need £50 after flights for a weekend here. Ahem. And we have a bed in our living room. What more could you ask for?

Peace out kids. xxxx

What does the fox say?!

So, week one is done and week two has begun, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster...
Week one was all about Biesko-Biala and some intense but amazing training. We discovered a bar called the Dogs Bollocks, and the vodka made us discover some interesting things about ourselves. We have been taught about shit-gunning and Korean love symbols. We have been to the brewery 3 times and seen some beautiful sights. I went up a mountain hungover to hell and almost broke my feet walking back down. The other interns are awesome and I miss my flatties already.
I have ended up in my placement school in Gliwice a week early to finish training. I haven't seen a lot of the town yet and still need to get settled but once I do it'll be good! We are off to Krakow this weekend for a tour and a boozy night which ought to be good :-)

This is just a little update, I will write something interesting once I settle in... Promise!

National Rail Must Love Me.

It all started with a one way ticket, and then things... erm... got out of hand...? 
In the past 4 months I have seen some lovely English cities and two of my favourite Scottish ones.
I have seen Harrogate in all it's beauty, gone for a drive around the dales of North Yorkshire, and eaten ice cream in front of the cows it was made from. I have played bingo, won toys, made myself sick on the Walzers and high on Candy Floss all while celebrating my 24th birthday in Blackpool (no denial here). I've seen some of my best friends in Sheffield, Manchester and Newcastle; made some new ones at a TEFL course in Leeds, and returned a few weeks later to get sunburnt and drunk there with my sister. I've been a social history geek in Headingley, and learnt nothing about Kirkstall Abbey other than it looks pretty awesome. I've done my back in dancing to Loch Lomond at a wedding in Edinburgh, between fly-in visits to Newcastle. I've seen the British Museum, Covent Garden, and many many tube stations in London with my mum, before seeing my sister's barracks and GOING INSIDE A REAL TANK (!!!!). I've rowed down a lake hiding in Halifax with my best friend, I ate ice cream there too. I've eaten French cake in Manchester and Liverpool, swayed to 'Let it Be' in the Cavern Club and found a real life Karen Millen dress for A FIVER (it doesn't fit me yet, but it will!). And I wrapped up this incredible summer of adventures with a rendezvous with the Penthousians on race day in York after a 4 day Scottish binge in Aberdeen. (so. many. butteries.)

And in between ALL of this, I've worked full time, completed my 140 hour TEFL course, secured an awesome job that starts a week tomorrow... and gotten to level 201 of Candy Crush Saga...
Well, you can't have too much fun. It probably won't surprise you that I've saved pretty much nothing, but I'd say it's been worth it. I think we can safely say that £28 for a year's railcard is a good deal.

I probably won't have another summer like this one for a while, so I guess I better make this Christmas one to remember too :D

Next time: A blog about my love for cheese whilst I pretend to revise.

Wine.

I bloody love wine.*
White, red, rose, £2.99 bottles, box wine, expensive wine, sparkling wine. Wine. I freaking love it.
Now I am quite ashamed to say that I know jack shit about it. Not only did I spend six months working in an upmarket wine bar but I was also romantically involved with the manager of a wine shop for quite some time. Don't get me wrong I have been told things about wine: I have been told to swirl it, smell it, look at it's 'legs', taste it, drink it with ice, drink it without ice. I have listened to hours about the different regions wine comes from, how the grapes were prepared, why a screw top is superior to a cork. I did not listen to any of this, you know why? Here's why. Imagine a small child having their favourite toy dangled in front of their face, the dangler isn't allowing them to touch it until they explain why it's the best or worst toy in the world. The kid doesn't give a crap, they just want their effing toy. Well folks, I am that child and wine is my toy. (that sounds a bit wrong)
You see, what I've noticed about wine-lovers who care about that sort of stuff is that they won't allow you to taste it until they've told you about it's mother, hobbies, and horrifically gory birth. This, in my eyes, is selfish. Just give us the god damned wine! I can guarantee I would have listened to everything I have been told over the past five years about wine if I hadn't been teased. No one drinks wine and things 'mmmm, I can certainly taste the South of France in this'! No, they drink it and think 'amazing, by the end of this bottle I will either be crying over my shoes or telling that mildly attractive man that I love him'. With the latter wine is serving it's purpose!
Now before you judge me I do know some things about wine. I know that if a bottle is reduced from £10 to a fiver then it is good, that you should steer clear of ones just labelled "white wine" as they're clearly not committing to the cause, big dip in the bottom = class, and that before you even consider that uptight and braggy £20 bottle consider how many humble bottles you can buy for that. Who knows, you might actually have fun and forget about your innate desire to tell people about the wine's life story. You might even end up sharing eight bottles with someone, and somehow end up back at your flat thirteen hours later playing dream phone and forgetting that the day even happened.**
I believe that people like me are the true lovers of wine. We are not shallow or showy, we believe that it's a person's (or wine's) personality that counts, and really gets through to you at the end of the day.
So, people, next time you see a bottle of wine that may have not had the best upbringing or be from the poshest part of town, give it a chance, recognise it's potential, because it's wine too.






*oddly writing this sober
**based on true events.