Tuesday, May 6, 2008

an internet of my very own

Poland may be nice to me, generally, but there are moments when I like it a little less. Like when I hear I need permission to apply for internet. Or when I hear that in order to legally live here, a policeman will come over one day to interview me (how, I wonder? Something tells me he will speak nothing but Polish, and will be one of those people who only get louder and louder when someone does not speak their language) so this fine country can find out whether my moral and legal standards are sufficient to be granted permission to stay.

But after only a bit over a month in this apartment, I finally have something as breathtakingly modern and unique as internet access. Let's not think about how it was all already installed (a network cable comes out of the wall, from under the wallpaper, in the corner of my living room. There is a company who offers internet for this building. Period. No need to compare offers and make decisions! Socialism? Over? Rumours, I tell you!), how noone had to come here to push a button or plug a plug or anything: It was a matter of driving a few kilometers out of the city and signing a form. And then it worked. Why this took over a month to organize, I do not know.

But I won't complain! I am surfing the internet from my new home! I can boldly surf where noone has... uhm, anyway. It was reason enough to start a new blog, so this is the first entry even though I might add to the archives.
Now, off to play with the design. And sleep.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Go West, Young Lady

 
Wroclaw, WrocLove: Very nice, very nice.
But occasional excursions are never a bad idea, especially if they involve famous and impressive bridges and palm trees, speeches by Al Gore, meeting MC Hammer, trying out for the Guinness Book of Records, working from a workplace I'd previously only seen in documentaries, cycling through sunny California hills, and trying a completely different selection of free food. Except that I could have done without the night of the worst case of food poisoning ever.

I still managed to go sightseeing in the remaining 24 free hours, cruised the bay, took pictures, met multilingual musicians and tie-dye-happy potential future presidents of the USA.

Contrary to popular belief, California isn't by default Warmer Than Home. So back in Wroclaw, spring has finally decided to enter the stage boldly and beautifully after too many weeks of only peeking out at its hopeful audience. So even though more time for California would have been welcome, it's not bad to be back.

Very nice, very nice.