I know that this post is very much after the fact, but now that our feathers are starting to smooth and things are potentially looking up again, it is time to fill everyone in on the promised misadventure of actually trying to leave Radom.
Our last week at the school in Kozienice (among others) actually went well since everyone loves Christmas lessons -- talking about what gifts they want for Christmas, singing songs, playing games, talking about local customs and traditions, etc... I know I learned a lot, and I hope they did too. Many of my students brought candies and small presents, so the lessons were as much English as mini party. I wish all of the last three months could have gone so smoothly.
I wonder how everybody is doing with their new teacher now that they've had a chance to meet with her. I wonder if they will behave for her as they did for me, or if she knows some magic secret of classroom management that I have yet to add to my dossier of tricks. Anyway, that's the past now.
We went to the staff Christmas party because we knew it would be our last chance to see many of our Polish colleagues (or to meet some of them for the first time) -- and though I can't speak for Sarah, I will be the first to admit that I felt a little bit like Banquo's ghost sitting at Macbeth's feast. It was decidedly awkward. The food, however was delicious. Throughout the week we had been asked by bosses and colleagues alike when we planned on leaving for Gliwice -- since Saturday was the only day that Peter could come to help us, that was our departure date. Since the last direct train left at 10 minutes to 4 we made it very clear to all of our bosses that we had to be at the train station no later than 3:30 (Agnieszka was kind enough to offer a ride to the station), but that's not what happened.
It was agreed that Ania would come around noon to read the meters and figure out what our final bills would be, which she did. It was agreed with everyone at the dinner party that they would come at 3 to sign the final paperwork and get our last pay cheque -- which didn't go as planned. By 2:30 we were packed and ready to go, we had said our goodbyes to the teachers who could make it to the flat as we were finishing, and we were chatting with Ewa (Kris' friend), Kris, and Peter -- keeping an eye on the time all the while. Three o'clock rolled by and there was no sign of our boss. We knew Agniszka wouldn't be coming because she had let us know she wasn't feeling well, but that her husband would be coming with Witek to help us with our luggage. Ten after 3 rolled by and we decided it was time to ask Agnieszka if she knew where they were and she said they were on their way. Twenty minutes after 3 -- the time we planned on leaving for the train station -- they come in.
If it had just been a quick signing of papers and going over final settlement, we might have made it. But since there were some long-winded explanations about certain deductions pertaining to the flat (which could have happened when Ania came to settle our bills), we were not so fortunate. We didn't begin to load our bags until 10 minutes before our train was due to leave and didn't arrive at the station until 5 minutes after the last direct train to Gliwice had already departed. We were given a choice: stay in Radom another night, or try our luck at getting a slightly less direct train to Gliwice and pray for the best.
If Fortune smiled on us that day, it was because at that particular moment she was a sadistic wench with a twisted sense of humor.
The only way to get to Gliwice was to go to Krakow, then connect with a train to Katowice and get the commuter train to Gliwice from there. Instead of the nice direct train we had planned on taking, we now had to navigate 3 trains and 2 connections with three people and roughly 250 pounds of luggage...
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