Three weeks in Poland and a few days in London passed quickly but wonderfully. An full program with family and friends provided us with many warm moments.
We organized our splendid wedding reception, visited Cracow renovated undergrounds, St. Mary’s
Basilica, Oscar Schindler’s Museum, the picturesque city of Lanckorona and took a short trip to Zakopane -ah, our beautiful Tatra mountains and waffles with berries ..
Basilica, Oscar Schindler’s Museum, the picturesque city of Lanckorona and took a short trip to Zakopane -ah, our beautiful Tatra mountains and waffles with berries ..
To prolong enjoying the Polish ambiance, I volunteered to help during the third annual Polish Festival in Seattle. I chose the booth Best of Poland Assistants. My reward was a food coupon for a few dollars- my first salary in a long time.
During my shift I had the opportunity to meet people of Polish origin not only from Seattle, but also from other cities of the United States. Some regretted that their grandparents did not teach them Polish; others asked whether Poland is safe to visit. There was no shortage of Americans interested in visiting. There was even talk of starting a Polish Social Hour.
The crowd was a rich mix of diverse ethnicities, ages and beliefs, yet the participants seemed satisfied with festival activities. The organizers provided them with maybe a little bit of old school, but still with a convivial and very friendly atmosphere.
The guests could explore an exhibition dedicated to the Solidarity movement and get a taste of Polish food. One could find many Polish souvenirs (Dean got a Cooking with a Polish Touch book), and when having a break could observe the diverse artistic program.
There was even a Gypsy dance performance.
The Festival was decorated with Polish colors and flags, participants wore beautiful costumes, and children were painted and dressed patriotically in white and red. At the end I filled out a student’s questionnaire regarding events promoting different cultures. Seattle Polish Festival is in fact part of a year-round cycle of festivals “honoring cultural richness and diversity of the Pacific Northwest region.” Still to come are Croatian, and Turkish weekends.
On November 1 Mexican Dia de Muertos will be celebrated.
Now I need to unpack the books, which have flown with me to supply the Polish Library in
Seattle.
