Warszawa January 6, 2008
Before going to India, I managed to spend a few days in Warsaw with my friend Ana (or Anka). I became friends with Ana when I was in Bolivia a couple years ago, and was one person that helped me learn Spanish very quickly. Needless to say we did get some stares from the locals as there aren’t many Indians in Poland let alone people conversing in Spanish. Very random. Spanish is definitely seems easier than Polish. Aside from the unexpected pronunciations and a seeming lack of vowels, nouns have several different declensions on top of the various verb conjugations. The name of the following song by Polish artist Myslovitz is “W Deszczu Maleńkich Żółtych Kwiatów”, but don’t ask me to pronounce it.
Warsaw is charming city that evokes a reminiscense about some of the greatest struggles in the 20th century. Older Poles vividly remember the horrors of WWII: blitzkrieg, holocaust, unsympathetic “allies”, and the subsequent communist takeover of Eastern Europe. On the other hand, the younger generation resents the Catholic church and Poland’s persisting xenophobia, both perceived as obstacles in the way of true freedom and national strength. Whilst the people of Warsaw have done an extraordinary job at rebuilding the razed city, you can still somehow feel the violence. Virtually every part of the main city has some historical significance, either being the site of an important battle, a wartime hospital, barracks, or some other stronghold. Everyone seemed to keep to themselves in Warsaw. Perhaps it’s the paranoia emanating from Poland’s rough past that Poles don’t exactly greet you with open arms. Despite this, Polish artists have quite a knack in effusing their creative passion with dauntless grit. Warsaw exhibited some of the best modern art I’ve seen in my life, an unexpected treat.
Anyway, Ana has an exquisite skill of making anything all the more interesting. I ate all sorts of food, like Polish sausage, pierogis, soups, sweets, and of course, Polish vodka. We visited the old town, the Vistula river, Ana’s university, the beautiful Lazienki Park, and countless art galleries, and even a visit to an Ecuadorian art expo courtesy of the Embassy of Ecuador in Warsaw. Finally, we also managed to go to a party inside a (former) communist block apartment. All in all, thank you for a great time Ana!
