Hostel Internet
Every website that I visited that is connected in any way with Google is in Polish. Shouldn't they intuitively know I am an American in Poland? Sheesh. (Incidentally, variations of that word mean both 'hi' and 'six' in Polish. I can't explain it either.)
So, I've been in Poland for more than a week, but this is the first time that I have actually had a) internet access and b) more than two minutes to sit down and write something. Things were crazy at the English camp! We had about 55 students, all with varying levels of English ability. We had to do quite a bit of adapting on the fly, which is always frustrating and challenging. I think we ended up with some really good stuff, though, and I hope the students were able to learn and have fun at the same time.
We are now in Krakow, staying at a hostel just off the city square. We spent the day in Auschwitz. It was miserable, first because of the subject matter, and second because of the weather. My umbrella is pretty much trashed from the wind and rain. I don't think I've dried out yet. It was definitely appropriate ambiance for the concentration camps, though. It was more than sobering - it was horrifying. As someone who has spent no small amount of time studying World War II, I found the whole experience provided some excellent perspective. It was definitely interesting to hear things from several different points of view. Our tour guide certainly didn't pull any punches. It was also interesting to see just how little is left of Birkenau. I have to clarify somewhat, because Birkenau is absolutely huge. It covers quite a few square kilometers, but the Germans tried to destroy most of it when they realized the Red Army was about to arrive. Very little has been restored at Birkenau, but I could easily have spent another two hours just walking around the camp.
I could also spend all of this post talking about what I saw today, but I will refrain.
Poland, like most of Europe, feels very old and quaint. I keep taking photos, but I don't think any of them will do it justice. Besides, you don't want to see 1300 photos from my trip, anyway.
I may post again tomorrow, but in all honesty, I probably won't post anything until I'm back home. I need to organize my thoughts. For now, I will bid you adieu.
So, I've been in Poland for more than a week, but this is the first time that I have actually had a) internet access and b) more than two minutes to sit down and write something. Things were crazy at the English camp! We had about 55 students, all with varying levels of English ability. We had to do quite a bit of adapting on the fly, which is always frustrating and challenging. I think we ended up with some really good stuff, though, and I hope the students were able to learn and have fun at the same time.
We are now in Krakow, staying at a hostel just off the city square. We spent the day in Auschwitz. It was miserable, first because of the subject matter, and second because of the weather. My umbrella is pretty much trashed from the wind and rain. I don't think I've dried out yet. It was definitely appropriate ambiance for the concentration camps, though. It was more than sobering - it was horrifying. As someone who has spent no small amount of time studying World War II, I found the whole experience provided some excellent perspective. It was definitely interesting to hear things from several different points of view. Our tour guide certainly didn't pull any punches. It was also interesting to see just how little is left of Birkenau. I have to clarify somewhat, because Birkenau is absolutely huge. It covers quite a few square kilometers, but the Germans tried to destroy most of it when they realized the Red Army was about to arrive. Very little has been restored at Birkenau, but I could easily have spent another two hours just walking around the camp.
I could also spend all of this post talking about what I saw today, but I will refrain.
Poland, like most of Europe, feels very old and quaint. I keep taking photos, but I don't think any of them will do it justice. Besides, you don't want to see 1300 photos from my trip, anyway.
I may post again tomorrow, but in all honesty, I probably won't post anything until I'm back home. I need to organize my thoughts. For now, I will bid you adieu.