3. Why Gliwice?
The short version is that when our job in Radom went south we were lucky enough to have a friend in Gliwice who was kind enough to help us get back on our feet (with the assistance of a lovely lady back in Kamloops who was wonderful enough to let us rent her flat for the time being). We found jobs and fell in love with the city in the meantime.
4. What Are Some of the Biggest Challenges of Living Here?
The language barrier is the biggest hurdle we've found ourselves leaping over. Other than that I would have to say that our biggest nightmares have been paying bills/student loans back in Canada (the Polish Zloty doesn't translate well) and trying to file taxes. Don't get me started on that.
5. What Do You Like About Living In Poland
These won't get answered in any ranked order. I'm just going to write these as I think of them.
1. Bakeries
Oh my gods is this ever one of the best and worst things we could have discovered. Polish baking is fantastic! It doesn't matter whether it's bread or some kind of sweet, the stuff that comes out of the bakeries here is amazing. While W-Z is a chocolatey specialty particular to Poland I have to say one of my favourites is Kremowka Papieska -- aka Kremowka Wadowicki (pronounced kremoovka Vadovitski), which is basically two inches of dense cream between two sheets of flaky pastry and dusted with confectioner's sugar. Sarah is also passionately fond of the coconut macaroons at the two bakeries around the corner from us...they have very different styles of baking them, but she seems to love both equally.
2. Reliable Public Transit
Compared to Kamloops Gliwice, has the bus service of the gods. Even if you're trying to get to an outlying area there really isn't anywhere that busses don't go.
3. Polish Foods
This one may require another blog post. While it's easy enough to tell my readers at home what foods from Canada I miss, the things we sometimes eat here may require some explaining.
4. Things Are Close
Even if they close rather early by the standards we're used to, there's always a grocery store of some variety within walking distance.
5. There Is Always Something New To Learn
I don't know how Sarah feels on this subject, but one of the things I have loved most about being abroad is learning new things about the area, the people and the culture.
What still surprises me after spending the (almost) last year here is that in general Poles are so negative about their country. They don't think it's very interesting or viable on a global basis at all. They usually laugh when I explain to them that from my perspective Poland is like the woman who spent years with an abusive husband, and is finally getting on her feet after she's gotten the nerve to divorce and start over.
They tend to correct this view by suggesting that she puts his body in the trunk of her car and takes him to a lake. They don't have a very good relationship with Russia and it shows in the way they talk about Communism here.
There will be more Q&A to follow. For the moment I have to go do some grocery shopping before things close. There is another government holiday this weekend, and apparently nothing will be open in Gliwice all of the long weekend.
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Questions We Get Asked Most Frequently -- And Our Answer
These questions are common when students meet us for the first time, but they also tend to come from some of the few service people we interact with who speak enough English to hold a conversation.
1. Why Poland? You could go anywhere!
Actually no, we can't. Part of the problem stems from some of the political issues associated with being an LGBT couple in the ESL field -- nondiscrimination laws that are a mandatory part of joining the EU mean that our jobs are still protected by law if anybody found us out. Sarah and I don't actually acknowledge the fact that we're a couple at work -- at least outside the staffroom. Officially, we're friends or "traveling companions" when we talk about each other to our students. That being said, there are a lot of places we wouldn't risk going because our lives and livelihoods could very well depend on it. Most of the people we've encountered over the age of 30 are still quite homophobic here, but it isn't as bad as some other places in the world.
The other part of the problem with trying to find work in the EU is that so many schools and businesses prefer Native Speakers who already have EU citizenship (ie from the UK) because everything is cheaper from a bureaucratic standpoint and you don't have to deal with the messy issue of work permits and visas. This is one of the reasons we actually do tell our students.
One of the others we mention is that in the more westernized parts of Europe it is exceptionally difficult to find jobs that don't require you to have a Master's degree. Because University costs dramatically less than it does at home -- even in the countries that don't have free Uni -- almost everybody and their dog has a Master's in something. We get a lot of shocked expressions from our students when we explain what we have to pay and that there really isn't a lot of support for the under-privileged in Canada in terms of scholarships and financial aid. Here, parents are required by law to support their kid through university until the age of 26, even if they have to move to another town to study and public universities are free if you are a citizen...that being said my students find it quite unthinkable that a post-grad degree in Canada would cost too much and result in hundreds of thousands in debt.
Truthfully, it's a lot easier to get an ESL job in Poland because for the most part they seem to be quite happy to have a Native Speaker around. Especially when it comes to people from North America, Poland isn't the tourist hotbed of Europe in spite of the fact that it's drop-dead gorgeous here. We wanted to come here, much to the surprise of those we encounter.
2. What Do You Miss Most About Canada?
There are a lot of answers to this one. Fortunately modern technology enables us to keep track of family and friends, but there are some aspects of life in North America that just can't be replaced. These are some of our top-ranking answers:
1. Ethnic Diversity
We would seriously kill for some real Chinese food right now.
The problem here lies in the fact that more people leave Poland than want to come here, so the rich immigrant population that we're used to being surrounded by doesn't exist...at least not in Gliwice. According to our students you're more likely to find that diversity in a major centre like Warsaw or Krakow, but not a small (by their standards) city like Gliwice...and definitely not in Radom. The very few immigrants we've encountered here are Vietnamese, so Chinese food is mostly a loose interpretation by non-asians.
I never thought I would live to see the day when I got excited by seeing someone on the street who wasn't Caucasian, but the truth about Poland is that the population is extremely homogeneous and they know it. I wonder sometimes if that isn't part of the reason why political correctness and acts against racially intolerant views aren't such a big thing here...even in spite of their history.
Seriously...you should hear some of the comments they make about Jews and Roma here. It's shocking.
2. Reliable Internet
I understand that the company we go through isn't our choice, but seriously! Imperium Telecom sucks things that I probably shouldn't mention in the event that there are young readers looking at this page. It gets annoying that for whatever reason our service kicks out around the 23rd of every month (so far nearly always on a weekend), and nobody ever answers the after hours numbers provided when you try to call them. This makes life difficult when the weekends are usually when we have time to talk to our family and friends back home.
3. The Awesome Things Happening At Home
Not kidding! Kamloops decided to get awesome when we left home and we're jealous! Luckily we could watch the live stream of the Jane Goodall lecture -- which kept us up until 5am -- but had to miss the WCT production of Les Mis, the screening of 'The Last Unicorn' with Peter S. Beagle in attendance...and god dammit who decided to have a Dr. Who themed birthday party in our absence?!
We also miss the normal things like the monthly Kamloops Burlesque productions...even though we went nearly every month. It's still fun to see what new ideas they come up with -- though explaining what Burlesque is and the fact that it was going on to Peter were just as entertaining.
4. Sleeping on a Real Bed
This isn't actually an answer that we give to our students because it requires a lot more explaining than is professionally wise. However it's very true. Admittedly the sleeping situation in Radom was largely due to the fact that we weren't comfortable talking about our relationship status with our employers until they more or less outed us in the car to work one day. But pulling mattresses off the two single beds in separate rooms so that we could sleep together on the floor became an enormous pain in the everything.
We were stoked to see a fold-down couch in Gliwice, but it comes with its own set of challenges -- like Sarah taking over what basically amounts to something slightly smaller than a double mattress, or Brutus deciding he wants to follow my butt around the bed when I need to roll over. We have since come to realize that when we return to Canada we can't do anything smaller than a queen and have it work. The couch is still more comfortable than a mattress on the floor.
5. Certain Foodstuffs That Can't Be Found Here
This list is long enough that it needs a separate blog post.
6. Being Able To Converse With People
The fact that we don't speak a lot of Polish (or any) often means that we can smile and say hello to people, but not much more than that. It would be nice to be able to talk to our neighbours about their day and any suggestions they have for living in this city. It would be nice to strike up a conversation with the people riding next to you for some of those long bus trips to in-company classes in outlying areas. The language barrier has left us pretty isolated here once you take the students and fellow colleagues out of the equation. I can count the number of people with whom I've been able to say more than a few words on one hand. I know this is something that just comes with the territory of teaching your own tongue in a foreign land, but it still can get pretty depressing.
7. Mountains
A person from Saskatchewan could feel very much at home here in Poland. It seems like the closest mountains in Poland are always near the border with somewhere else, no matter where you are. In the vast majority of this country nothing gets more serious than a small hill that even the least exercise inclined could probably climb in 5 minutes. That being said we seriously need to go to the mountains.
8. Having a Microwave
It isn't that they don't exist here: they definitely do. It's just that they're expensive and rather awkward to lug home if you don't want to pay for a cab or have access to a car at that particular point in time. It's really changed the ways we have to think about the way that we time the preparation of our meals and what we make leftovers of because we don't always have the convenience of reheating in a timely manner.
9. Having a Car
While I'm relatively certain I've stated more than once that driving in Poland seems like a scary proposition, we both miss a lot of the convenience that a car comes with. It would be nice to do things like go on trips to the supermarket without inconveniencing Peter, and I'm pretty sure we would explore more if we could drive. Lugging everything to the train station, paying for tickets, and getting everything on/off the train only to drag it all to your hostel is a considerable hassle. I miss the days of being able to just pack the car and go on a road trip.
10. Being in The Same Time Zone
Sometimes we have to contact people and government organizations back home, but the fact that their day is our night can often make that more than a little tricky...especially when we work in the evenings.
Naturally we also answer these questions with standard things like having face time with family and friends, but since these are fairly obvious and require no explanation they haven't been listed here.
Since this post is already enormous, there will be more Q&A to follow.
1. Why Poland? You could go anywhere!
Actually no, we can't. Part of the problem stems from some of the political issues associated with being an LGBT couple in the ESL field -- nondiscrimination laws that are a mandatory part of joining the EU mean that our jobs are still protected by law if anybody found us out. Sarah and I don't actually acknowledge the fact that we're a couple at work -- at least outside the staffroom. Officially, we're friends or "traveling companions" when we talk about each other to our students. That being said, there are a lot of places we wouldn't risk going because our lives and livelihoods could very well depend on it. Most of the people we've encountered over the age of 30 are still quite homophobic here, but it isn't as bad as some other places in the world.
The other part of the problem with trying to find work in the EU is that so many schools and businesses prefer Native Speakers who already have EU citizenship (ie from the UK) because everything is cheaper from a bureaucratic standpoint and you don't have to deal with the messy issue of work permits and visas. This is one of the reasons we actually do tell our students.
One of the others we mention is that in the more westernized parts of Europe it is exceptionally difficult to find jobs that don't require you to have a Master's degree. Because University costs dramatically less than it does at home -- even in the countries that don't have free Uni -- almost everybody and their dog has a Master's in something. We get a lot of shocked expressions from our students when we explain what we have to pay and that there really isn't a lot of support for the under-privileged in Canada in terms of scholarships and financial aid. Here, parents are required by law to support their kid through university until the age of 26, even if they have to move to another town to study and public universities are free if you are a citizen...that being said my students find it quite unthinkable that a post-grad degree in Canada would cost too much and result in hundreds of thousands in debt.
Truthfully, it's a lot easier to get an ESL job in Poland because for the most part they seem to be quite happy to have a Native Speaker around. Especially when it comes to people from North America, Poland isn't the tourist hotbed of Europe in spite of the fact that it's drop-dead gorgeous here. We wanted to come here, much to the surprise of those we encounter.
2. What Do You Miss Most About Canada?
There are a lot of answers to this one. Fortunately modern technology enables us to keep track of family and friends, but there are some aspects of life in North America that just can't be replaced. These are some of our top-ranking answers:
1. Ethnic Diversity
We would seriously kill for some real Chinese food right now.
The problem here lies in the fact that more people leave Poland than want to come here, so the rich immigrant population that we're used to being surrounded by doesn't exist...at least not in Gliwice. According to our students you're more likely to find that diversity in a major centre like Warsaw or Krakow, but not a small (by their standards) city like Gliwice...and definitely not in Radom. The very few immigrants we've encountered here are Vietnamese, so Chinese food is mostly a loose interpretation by non-asians.
I never thought I would live to see the day when I got excited by seeing someone on the street who wasn't Caucasian, but the truth about Poland is that the population is extremely homogeneous and they know it. I wonder sometimes if that isn't part of the reason why political correctness and acts against racially intolerant views aren't such a big thing here...even in spite of their history.
Seriously...you should hear some of the comments they make about Jews and Roma here. It's shocking.
2. Reliable Internet
I understand that the company we go through isn't our choice, but seriously! Imperium Telecom sucks things that I probably shouldn't mention in the event that there are young readers looking at this page. It gets annoying that for whatever reason our service kicks out around the 23rd of every month (so far nearly always on a weekend), and nobody ever answers the after hours numbers provided when you try to call them. This makes life difficult when the weekends are usually when we have time to talk to our family and friends back home.
3. The Awesome Things Happening At Home
Not kidding! Kamloops decided to get awesome when we left home and we're jealous! Luckily we could watch the live stream of the Jane Goodall lecture -- which kept us up until 5am -- but had to miss the WCT production of Les Mis, the screening of 'The Last Unicorn' with Peter S. Beagle in attendance...and god dammit who decided to have a Dr. Who themed birthday party in our absence?!
We also miss the normal things like the monthly Kamloops Burlesque productions...even though we went nearly every month. It's still fun to see what new ideas they come up with -- though explaining what Burlesque is and the fact that it was going on to Peter were just as entertaining.
4. Sleeping on a Real Bed
This isn't actually an answer that we give to our students because it requires a lot more explaining than is professionally wise. However it's very true. Admittedly the sleeping situation in Radom was largely due to the fact that we weren't comfortable talking about our relationship status with our employers until they more or less outed us in the car to work one day. But pulling mattresses off the two single beds in separate rooms so that we could sleep together on the floor became an enormous pain in the everything.
We were stoked to see a fold-down couch in Gliwice, but it comes with its own set of challenges -- like Sarah taking over what basically amounts to something slightly smaller than a double mattress, or Brutus deciding he wants to follow my butt around the bed when I need to roll over. We have since come to realize that when we return to Canada we can't do anything smaller than a queen and have it work. The couch is still more comfortable than a mattress on the floor.
5. Certain Foodstuffs That Can't Be Found Here
This list is long enough that it needs a separate blog post.
6. Being Able To Converse With People
The fact that we don't speak a lot of Polish (or any) often means that we can smile and say hello to people, but not much more than that. It would be nice to be able to talk to our neighbours about their day and any suggestions they have for living in this city. It would be nice to strike up a conversation with the people riding next to you for some of those long bus trips to in-company classes in outlying areas. The language barrier has left us pretty isolated here once you take the students and fellow colleagues out of the equation. I can count the number of people with whom I've been able to say more than a few words on one hand. I know this is something that just comes with the territory of teaching your own tongue in a foreign land, but it still can get pretty depressing.
7. Mountains
A person from Saskatchewan could feel very much at home here in Poland. It seems like the closest mountains in Poland are always near the border with somewhere else, no matter where you are. In the vast majority of this country nothing gets more serious than a small hill that even the least exercise inclined could probably climb in 5 minutes. That being said we seriously need to go to the mountains.
8. Having a Microwave
It isn't that they don't exist here: they definitely do. It's just that they're expensive and rather awkward to lug home if you don't want to pay for a cab or have access to a car at that particular point in time. It's really changed the ways we have to think about the way that we time the preparation of our meals and what we make leftovers of because we don't always have the convenience of reheating in a timely manner.
9. Having a Car
While I'm relatively certain I've stated more than once that driving in Poland seems like a scary proposition, we both miss a lot of the convenience that a car comes with. It would be nice to do things like go on trips to the supermarket without inconveniencing Peter, and I'm pretty sure we would explore more if we could drive. Lugging everything to the train station, paying for tickets, and getting everything on/off the train only to drag it all to your hostel is a considerable hassle. I miss the days of being able to just pack the car and go on a road trip.
10. Being in The Same Time Zone
Sometimes we have to contact people and government organizations back home, but the fact that their day is our night can often make that more than a little tricky...especially when we work in the evenings.
Naturally we also answer these questions with standard things like having face time with family and friends, but since these are fairly obvious and require no explanation they haven't been listed here.
Since this post is already enormous, there will be more Q&A to follow.
Getting Used To It All Again
There hasn't been a whole lot to report this time around. March has primarily been a month of routine, relaxation, and regrouping now that the hectic nature of getting accustomed to new work environments is behind us. We've more or less settled into the pattern of favourite bakeries to go to, the restaurants we like best, and more or less knowing which convenience stores are open latest. The only thing I wish I could change about our daily life is not knowing enough Polish to speak to any of our neigbours. Though I still sometimes wake in the morning with the throb of terror that I would have to go to Kozienice in a few hours, we are both very happy to be where we are.
There have been a few small get-togethers with friends and colleagues, and my birthday was quietly celebrated with Skype calls from family back home. There was a fantastic rock and gem expo not even a five-minute walk from our apartment, where Sarah and I spent a couple hours enjoying all manner of shiny objects before going home to watch a movie and spend a rainy day inside.
April I fear has been just as uneventful. In spite of all our plans to go forth and explore more, fate and the Student Loan Bureau continually conspire to keep us at home. It's okay though. Experiencing a traditional Polish Easter with Peter and Christiana was fun, and decidedly a much more subdued affair than the typical dinners and family gatherings at home.
Eventually the long awaited pictures of the flat will come. We've just been a little tired of late with all the extra hours we've been getting at Speed due to a staffing shortage at the school in Wroclaw.
Next post will likely be an FAQ from the students here about our lives in Canada and how they compare to our experiences in Poland.
Until next time.
There have been a few small get-togethers with friends and colleagues, and my birthday was quietly celebrated with Skype calls from family back home. There was a fantastic rock and gem expo not even a five-minute walk from our apartment, where Sarah and I spent a couple hours enjoying all manner of shiny objects before going home to watch a movie and spend a rainy day inside.
April I fear has been just as uneventful. In spite of all our plans to go forth and explore more, fate and the Student Loan Bureau continually conspire to keep us at home. It's okay though. Experiencing a traditional Polish Easter with Peter and Christiana was fun, and decidedly a much more subdued affair than the typical dinners and family gatherings at home.
Eventually the long awaited pictures of the flat will come. We've just been a little tired of late with all the extra hours we've been getting at Speed due to a staffing shortage at the school in Wroclaw.
Next post will likely be an FAQ from the students here about our lives in Canada and how they compare to our experiences in Poland.
Until next time.
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