At breakfast, the hotel restaurant was filled with fit, young men with large biceps outnumbering the rest of the guests. They are all tennis players in the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour about to take place this week.
I sat in the outside area next to the river and listened to the church bells again. Church bells have been a big theme of this trip, waking me up at 6am in Cieszyn and here they are either striking on the hour or playing a tune at random times in between. From where I was sitting I could see at least eight spires so I'm not sure if they have some rota system to ensure there isn't a clash.
Home soon!
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Monday, 28 June 2010
Last Full Day here
I've been bitten again in various places - don't know whether this is the same beast that bit me in Cieszyn or whether my fondness for green places means I've attracted another one(s). Big red fiery itchy lumps on my ankles, legs, torso, back and one on my face! Its not pleasant and I really need some antihistamine!
Took it easy today with a more relaxed walk to a large shopping mall with seat stops on the islands and a detour through an indoor market (where many greengrocers and florists seemed to compete for trade - they all sold the same stuff). The large shopping mall was like any other - shops I didn't even want to look at. Found another park behind the shopping centre where a huge round builidng called the Raclawicka Panorama. It was closed on Mondays so I'm still none the wiser to what went on inside it. The National Museum also looked shut or perhaps just uninviting so I took a riverside walk to the Old Town for coffee in a charming Cafe at the Cathedral. Charming because, once again, its coffee and cake- nothing else served. And the cake served is enormous.
Back to the Botanic Garden to keep under the shade although I was acutely aware of the small insects that were crawling over me and wondered if it was one of their relations who had feasted on me yesterday. And generally, I'm itching and feel I could take off the top layers of my skin. Also bookless,so I'm fidgety and unsettled. I have one book on Japanese Literature but its too heavy (in weight and in content).
After a cool shower and the addition of antihistamine gell, I had my last meal in the Main Square at a 'traditional Polish' restaurant. The bread basket was served with a dish (and not that small) of lard. I thought that it perhaps hid some type of potted hough under it but no, it was lard (with a very tiny amount of meat through it). This had already been served up on Friday at the Castle and is a delicacy here. It kind of turned my stomach to see so much of it.
That's it - the last post. Tomorrow morning, I'll be heading to the airport and then home.
Took it easy today with a more relaxed walk to a large shopping mall with seat stops on the islands and a detour through an indoor market (where many greengrocers and florists seemed to compete for trade - they all sold the same stuff). The large shopping mall was like any other - shops I didn't even want to look at. Found another park behind the shopping centre where a huge round builidng called the Raclawicka Panorama. It was closed on Mondays so I'm still none the wiser to what went on inside it. The National Museum also looked shut or perhaps just uninviting so I took a riverside walk to the Old Town for coffee in a charming Cafe at the Cathedral. Charming because, once again, its coffee and cake- nothing else served. And the cake served is enormous.
Back to the Botanic Garden to keep under the shade although I was acutely aware of the small insects that were crawling over me and wondered if it was one of their relations who had feasted on me yesterday. And generally, I'm itching and feel I could take off the top layers of my skin. Also bookless,so I'm fidgety and unsettled. I have one book on Japanese Literature but its too heavy (in weight and in content).
After a cool shower and the addition of antihistamine gell, I had my last meal in the Main Square at a 'traditional Polish' restaurant. The bread basket was served with a dish (and not that small) of lard. I thought that it perhaps hid some type of potted hough under it but no, it was lard (with a very tiny amount of meat through it). This had already been served up on Friday at the Castle and is a delicacy here. It kind of turned my stomach to see so much of it.
That's it - the last post. Tomorrow morning, I'll be heading to the airport and then home.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Wroclaw by Foot
Left the hotel shortly after 9 to take photos as I didn't carry my camera yesterday. I'm beginning to understand how to island hop via all the different bridges to the other side of the Odra. Still evidence of all the sandbags that they had in May when the river rose to worrying levels.
Found the botanic garden again and just stayed there for hours, wandering round, sitting watching the families and reading the end of my third book (which was even worse than the second one). It was really a lovely garden and made me wonder if my flowers have been watered at home or will I come back and find them all dried up in the sun there?
I loved the garden so much, I might go back tomorrow and just sit in the sunshine again (with my Factor 50 on). Its nice and peaceful and so different from the main square which is full of people in street cafes.
I visited the main square again for a while but the heat was pretty intense so I headed back to my room - in fact I didn't get back till nearly 5 so I'd done a lot of walking.
There's a concert on one of the islands tonight, Suzanne Vega, but the music is fairly muffled through the double glazing and I can't see anything from here.
I'm just staying in tonight and watching a film on my laptop. I'm getting fed up with eating out and I'd quite like something really simple like scrambled egg on toast for my dinner. Even if I had to make it myself and do the washing up.
Found the botanic garden again and just stayed there for hours, wandering round, sitting watching the families and reading the end of my third book (which was even worse than the second one). It was really a lovely garden and made me wonder if my flowers have been watered at home or will I come back and find them all dried up in the sun there?
I loved the garden so much, I might go back tomorrow and just sit in the sunshine again (with my Factor 50 on). Its nice and peaceful and so different from the main square which is full of people in street cafes.
I visited the main square again for a while but the heat was pretty intense so I headed back to my room - in fact I didn't get back till nearly 5 so I'd done a lot of walking.
There's a concert on one of the islands tonight, Suzanne Vega, but the music is fairly muffled through the double glazing and I can't see anything from here.
I'm just staying in tonight and watching a film on my laptop. I'm getting fed up with eating out and I'd quite like something really simple like scrambled egg on toast for my dinner. Even if I had to make it myself and do the washing up.
Saturday, 26 June 2010
Wroclaw - Car, Train, Taxi
Several of us had breakfast together before leaving Cieszyn and finally the sun is out and there's blue skies again! Ewa drove me to Katowice and we arrived at the station with 3 minutes till the train departed. It was better to rush and catch this rather than wait 2 hours till the next service.
In the compartment for 8 passengers, a woman in a cheap red tartan jacket, black jeans and very scuffed shoes sat at the window. She was painfully thin and when she stood up to reach for something from the shelf, her legs were virtually parallel lines each just a little wider than French bagette sticks. She looked in her 40s but quite worn out, with bags under her eyes and black dyed hair severely scraped back. A roll of grey toilet paper fell out of her bag onto the seat, and I wondered why this was necessary. An old book sat in front of her on a small shelf. It was brown, cloth bound and when she opened it the pages were very faded at the edges and had probably never been white. It was Lew Tolstoj, although I couldn't make out the title. When she put her glasses on to read she looked less poor and fragile and more old fashioned, stereotype of a librarian.
Two children sat beside me, the younger one, a boy, at the window and a girl. It was difficult to guess the girl's age as her brown and black striped t-shirt and jeans, made her look like a tiny teenager. She may have been about 9 but really petite. They read, drew in exercise books and ate interesting looking bagels or pretzels. One of these seemed huge in the hands of the girl, about 7 inches in diameter but she managed to eat it completely.
It seemed they were travelling to Wroclaw with their grandfather who sat opposite me, doing word puzzles obsessively, turning the pages and filling in one after the other and rarely speaking to the children, just once when the boy wanted to go to the toilet. He was uncannily like Geppetto with his white hair, tanned skin and moustache. Looking again at the children, I realised they both had flat faces with little pointed and the girl's hair was cut like Coraline. I started to wonder if Geppetto had made then from wood and they had come alive.
Wroclaw is on the River Odra (or Oder) with several canals and islands just beside the hotel. There seems to be a maze of bridges to cross via these islands to the other side where the Old Town is. I got a little lost across these bridges, both old and new, ending up near the Cathedral and a botanic garden. I back tracked and tried to follow my map and signs for the Square.Many people were out and about for the evening enjoying the sunshine. I passed tango dancers, jazz musicians, outdoor beer halls till I found the square and had a meal in an outdoor cafe, people watching. A group of fire dancers and jugglers performed in front of the cafe, i had a front row seat and worried about my eyebrows getting singed.
Walk back over the islands which, now its getting dark, are now full of hundreds of young people sitting in groups, drinking and talking. The atmosphere seems quite pleasant though and not at all threatening.
This hotel is luxurious compared to my room in Cieszyn but I'm not that impressed. I think I prefer the cosiness of the Castle Hotel where there was no hotel reception, no TV and grey toilet paper (sometimes!).
In the compartment for 8 passengers, a woman in a cheap red tartan jacket, black jeans and very scuffed shoes sat at the window. She was painfully thin and when she stood up to reach for something from the shelf, her legs were virtually parallel lines each just a little wider than French bagette sticks. She looked in her 40s but quite worn out, with bags under her eyes and black dyed hair severely scraped back. A roll of grey toilet paper fell out of her bag onto the seat, and I wondered why this was necessary. An old book sat in front of her on a small shelf. It was brown, cloth bound and when she opened it the pages were very faded at the edges and had probably never been white. It was Lew Tolstoj, although I couldn't make out the title. When she put her glasses on to read she looked less poor and fragile and more old fashioned, stereotype of a librarian.
Two children sat beside me, the younger one, a boy, at the window and a girl. It was difficult to guess the girl's age as her brown and black striped t-shirt and jeans, made her look like a tiny teenager. She may have been about 9 but really petite. They read, drew in exercise books and ate interesting looking bagels or pretzels. One of these seemed huge in the hands of the girl, about 7 inches in diameter but she managed to eat it completely.
It seemed they were travelling to Wroclaw with their grandfather who sat opposite me, doing word puzzles obsessively, turning the pages and filling in one after the other and rarely speaking to the children, just once when the boy wanted to go to the toilet. He was uncannily like Geppetto with his white hair, tanned skin and moustache. Looking again at the children, I realised they both had flat faces with little pointed and the girl's hair was cut like Coraline. I started to wonder if Geppetto had made then from wood and they had come alive.
Wroclaw is on the River Odra (or Oder) with several canals and islands just beside the hotel. There seems to be a maze of bridges to cross via these islands to the other side where the Old Town is. I got a little lost across these bridges, both old and new, ending up near the Cathedral and a botanic garden. I back tracked and tried to follow my map and signs for the Square.Many people were out and about for the evening enjoying the sunshine. I passed tango dancers, jazz musicians, outdoor beer halls till I found the square and had a meal in an outdoor cafe, people watching. A group of fire dancers and jugglers performed in front of the cafe, i had a front row seat and worried about my eyebrows getting singed.
Walk back over the islands which, now its getting dark, are now full of hundreds of young people sitting in groups, drinking and talking. The atmosphere seems quite pleasant though and not at all threatening.
This hotel is luxurious compared to my room in Cieszyn but I'm not that impressed. I think I prefer the cosiness of the Castle Hotel where there was no hotel reception, no TV and grey toilet paper (sometimes!).
Friday, 25 June 2010
Friday night - Workshops finished!
After 2 busy weeks, the workshops finished. There was a showing of all the work from this week and the local brewery (Brackie) supplied the beer. Various other drinks were offered including vodka.
Later we ventured across the border again to Orlitsa bar in Cesky Tesin with Dan, Jan, Sofie and Karol, and Sebastian (the events manager at the Castle). Late night (early morning) return to the hotel - about half 3. Sebastian was on good form again.
Later we ventured across the border again to Orlitsa bar in Cesky Tesin with Dan, Jan, Sofie and Karol, and Sebastian (the events manager at the Castle). Late night (early morning) return to the hotel - about half 3. Sebastian was on good form again.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Heart Salami for Breakfast
Isn't this great? - a fatty. meaty sausage shaped like a heart for breakfast. The irony is that eating it probably adds more fat to your meaty heart.
At least they also serve vegetables, salad and fruit along with it.
At least they also serve vegetables, salad and fruit along with it.
Monday, 21 June 2010
Kinetic Typography
Today the 2nd workshop started in Kinetic Typography and so far, its great - just need to speed up my software skills (or work longer in the evening). Change of people on this workshop as 2 left from last week and now there are 5 others who have joined in. Sadly Mateus (from Poznan) and Vit (from Brno) have both gone - they were both very good at speaking English. I have met 2 of the 5 new ones last year at the Typeface workshop though.
Very little of note today - workshopped, ate and then back to my little bedroom. Il pleut.
Very little of note today - workshopped, ate and then back to my little bedroom. Il pleut.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Food Trails and Timeslips
I intended to walk and take photographs today but it rained and I had trouble keeping me and the camera dry. So my first stop was the Cafe Museum (named in the French style not Polish) created from a former circular-shaped stables. The waitresses wore black and white and this seemed like my first timeslip - it could easily be dressed for the Fin de Siecle. Seving only drinks and cakes, this became my first course for lunch.
The museum was by tour only (and it seemed only in Polish) although a nice young man offered to translate for me which was lovely but it meant another wait of 45 mins so I daren't stay near the cakes that long. I didn't want to put him to any trouble in case the museum wasn't that interesting!
The celebrations were still going on it the main square with live music from early afternoon in a variety of styles. In between sets an Amy MacDonald CD played repeatedly which was a bit bizarre. But the rain kept coming and although there was shelter in the cafes around the square, there's only so much coffee I can drink.
On my return, I investigated the Tea Room in the hotel basement - a bit like T'Chai Ovna in Glasgow except more Ikea and only a sprinkling of Bohemia. There were raised areas with cushions and only one group of serious looking young men, with long hair in pony tails, sitting cross-legged, smoking from shishkas and drinking tea from small saucer-like cups. In fashions that span decades I felt like it was early 70s. The hummous was frankly terrible. I have no idea what it actually was. some kind of goo with I suspected tinned vegetables on it. When I asked for the receipt he thought I meant recipe and proceeded to tell me the hummous comes out of a tin. That was the secret taste then - tinned hummous! I'm not stocking up.
My first attempt at dinner failed - my miming skills didn't hack it even though I choose somewhere which sold pizza - I though pizza was just pizza everywhere! Second attempt worked - it was still pizza though. With its ruby colouring, tiffany lampshades and swags at the restaurant window, I slipped back again.
Then to the 60s. Thru the window I could see The Beatles on stage in the main square. All the big hits sung with a slight lisp and accent from Paul. Who knew he spoke Polish so well between songs? People were dancing like it was 1964. i waited to see if the set included 'Back in the USSR' wondering how it would go down with the crowd. Sadly I didn't see how the rain sodden crowd would react to that.
Back in the 21st century in my homage to Van Gogh bedroom, filled with Pizza and Piwa, I'm off the time machine - for the time being.
The museum was by tour only (and it seemed only in Polish) although a nice young man offered to translate for me which was lovely but it meant another wait of 45 mins so I daren't stay near the cakes that long. I didn't want to put him to any trouble in case the museum wasn't that interesting!
The celebrations were still going on it the main square with live music from early afternoon in a variety of styles. In between sets an Amy MacDonald CD played repeatedly which was a bit bizarre. But the rain kept coming and although there was shelter in the cafes around the square, there's only so much coffee I can drink.
On my return, I investigated the Tea Room in the hotel basement - a bit like T'Chai Ovna in Glasgow except more Ikea and only a sprinkling of Bohemia. There were raised areas with cushions and only one group of serious looking young men, with long hair in pony tails, sitting cross-legged, smoking from shishkas and drinking tea from small saucer-like cups. In fashions that span decades I felt like it was early 70s. The hummous was frankly terrible. I have no idea what it actually was. some kind of goo with I suspected tinned vegetables on it. When I asked for the receipt he thought I meant recipe and proceeded to tell me the hummous comes out of a tin. That was the secret taste then - tinned hummous! I'm not stocking up.
My first attempt at dinner failed - my miming skills didn't hack it even though I choose somewhere which sold pizza - I though pizza was just pizza everywhere! Second attempt worked - it was still pizza though. With its ruby colouring, tiffany lampshades and swags at the restaurant window, I slipped back again.
Then to the 60s. Thru the window I could see The Beatles on stage in the main square. All the big hits sung with a slight lisp and accent from Paul. Who knew he spoke Polish so well between songs? People were dancing like it was 1964. i waited to see if the set included 'Back in the USSR' wondering how it would go down with the crowd. Sadly I didn't see how the rain sodden crowd would react to that.
Back in the 21st century in my homage to Van Gogh bedroom, filled with Pizza and Piwa, I'm off the time machine - for the time being.
Saturday Evening/Sunday Morning
Thought today was a bit of an anti-climax after a week of working hard and it had a slow but early start. Got up at 5 to finish the project and I completed it but not to my satisfaction (yet). Best to just present it and get on with the day.
Breakfast chatting to Dan Boyarski from Carnegie Mellon(Pittsburgh) was interesting then I tried to recharge my batteries by doing nothing much.
After MSNing Marion, I felt a little sad and homesick which passed eventually - lectures between 4 and 6 (both excellent!) then the exhibition opening at the 'Castle'. The Director Ewa G had made 'jam' specially for this event - I thought it was strange that she was leaving about 1 to make jam - this turned out to be a mash of strawberries served with large round wafers. There was also a small liqueur drink in tiny glasses (honey flavoured alcohol served on some Nestle condensed milk. And the instruction was to knock it back which seemed a waste as it was more flavourful than vodka. They did knock back the whisky that I'd brought without tasting it -thank goodness it was a blend!
The projects we'd worked on this week were included in the exhibition opened by someone from the American Consulate (apparently they'd sponsored the workshops). Somehow I ended up having a tour around Cieszyn with him, led by a lady harpist (another Ewa) who'd returned after the 'transformation'. Her husband also came along pointing at things with his walking stick insisting we take the long way round this little town. I wondered if he needed the walking stick as he seemed to be fairly agile and insisted that we take the long way round, over the cobbles and dodgy stone steps. He was the Czech version of Carl Fredrickson.
Cieszyn is 1200 year old this weekend - there's an old part of the town with narrow streets, a museum with a fantastic cafe made from old stables, an Adam Mickiewicz (Pole's Shakespeare) theatre, a castle, St Nicholas's Rotunda (and a robin bobbed by so maybe it the real one!) and a few other points of interest. Ewa clearly loves this place having spent years in Queens, New York and harping in many other places.
There's a 3 day holiday going on to celebrate the anniversary of the tow. The market square was heaving tonight with stalls and people in celebratory mood.
The consulate bloke was from Orlando, Florida wearing a dull grey suit and in his 30s. He knew something about everything, spoke fluent Polish after 2 years here and perhaps had some kind of Asbergers, (no eye contact, strange way of telling people facts or his undisputed opinion!). He sparred a little with Jarek, a lecturer who'd come from Krakow for the day.
After the tour, there was a projection of our work onto part of the castle wall along with examples of students work from the profs running the workshops. This went on for 2.5 hours followed by the fireworks (for the celebration). Some of us headed to the Czech side for one drink in a pub that looked like it hadn't changed in 50 years. I still haven't worked out how much 25 Koruny is in pounds but that's what a pint of lager cost.The American tagged along too - I'm not sure whether he was just trying to shake off his grey suit image.
Back at hotel at 3am - maybe not such an anti-climax after all.
Breakfast chatting to Dan Boyarski from Carnegie Mellon(Pittsburgh) was interesting then I tried to recharge my batteries by doing nothing much.
After MSNing Marion, I felt a little sad and homesick which passed eventually - lectures between 4 and 6 (both excellent!) then the exhibition opening at the 'Castle'. The Director Ewa G had made 'jam' specially for this event - I thought it was strange that she was leaving about 1 to make jam - this turned out to be a mash of strawberries served with large round wafers. There was also a small liqueur drink in tiny glasses (honey flavoured alcohol served on some Nestle condensed milk. And the instruction was to knock it back which seemed a waste as it was more flavourful than vodka. They did knock back the whisky that I'd brought without tasting it -thank goodness it was a blend!
The projects we'd worked on this week were included in the exhibition opened by someone from the American Consulate (apparently they'd sponsored the workshops). Somehow I ended up having a tour around Cieszyn with him, led by a lady harpist (another Ewa) who'd returned after the 'transformation'. Her husband also came along pointing at things with his walking stick insisting we take the long way round this little town. I wondered if he needed the walking stick as he seemed to be fairly agile and insisted that we take the long way round, over the cobbles and dodgy stone steps. He was the Czech version of Carl Fredrickson.
Cieszyn is 1200 year old this weekend - there's an old part of the town with narrow streets, a museum with a fantastic cafe made from old stables, an Adam Mickiewicz (Pole's Shakespeare) theatre, a castle, St Nicholas's Rotunda (and a robin bobbed by so maybe it the real one!) and a few other points of interest. Ewa clearly loves this place having spent years in Queens, New York and harping in many other places.
There's a 3 day holiday going on to celebrate the anniversary of the tow. The market square was heaving tonight with stalls and people in celebratory mood.
The consulate bloke was from Orlando, Florida wearing a dull grey suit and in his 30s. He knew something about everything, spoke fluent Polish after 2 years here and perhaps had some kind of Asbergers, (no eye contact, strange way of telling people facts or his undisputed opinion!). He sparred a little with Jarek, a lecturer who'd come from Krakow for the day.
After the tour, there was a projection of our work onto part of the castle wall along with examples of students work from the profs running the workshops. This went on for 2.5 hours followed by the fireworks (for the celebration). Some of us headed to the Czech side for one drink in a pub that looked like it hadn't changed in 50 years. I still haven't worked out how much 25 Koruny is in pounds but that's what a pint of lager cost.The American tagged along too - I'm not sure whether he was just trying to shake off his grey suit image.
Back at hotel at 3am - maybe not such an anti-climax after all.
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Lists
I MISS:
Lucy
Marion
Mum & Dad
Friends
My own bed
My garden (and the flowers that'll be out now!!)
Cooking
Longer chats
My follower
THINGS I DON'T MISS
TV
Work
Driving my car
Tesco shopping
Housework
Chocolate/sweet stuff
Travelling to work
Having more choice in clothes
Horrible white Scottish bread
Feeling stressed
Lucy
Marion
Mum & Dad
Friends
My own bed
My garden (and the flowers that'll be out now!!)
Cooking
Longer chats
My follower
THINGS I DON'T MISS
TV
Work
Driving my car
Tesco shopping
Housework
Chocolate/sweet stuff
Travelling to work
Having more choice in clothes
Horrible white Scottish bread
Feeling stressed
Friday, 18 June 2010
Exhausted but not Finished yet!
Today I tried to finish the first sequence and just managed to although I had more time to improve it! Just when I'm starting to get the point and enjoy it. It's being projected tomorrow night in an open air event onto the castle walls - mine is first! Probably because its colourful and it gets it out the way - everyone's is miles better - these guys really know their stuff when it comes to software. And they work bloody hard - staying up late.
I still have a 'motion poster' project to finish tonight and I've been over ambitious about this - I'll just need to stay up and get it done.
We had a barbeque outside in 'The Orangery' area at the back of the hotel tonight. Dan Buyarski has arrived from Carnegie Mellon and Jan Kubasiewicz (Mass Art) is leaving this weekend. The rain was chucking it down - the gazebos they'd put up were full of water quickly and the blokes had fun emptying the puddles in the roof. The Polish sausage managed to get cooked although it kind of looks like it doesn't need cooked!
Dan Buyarski arrived from Pittsburgh today. He appears to be a sweet older man and at least he, like me, can't speak Polish. This might make the workshops even better next week as Jan spoke Polish and some of the workshops lapsed into Polish.
Spoke for a while to Ewa Golebiowska who runs this Design centre here - for a small border town it's quite an organisation and she really tries to promote design. So why was Glasgow's Lighthouse such a failure? The previous Director of the Lighthouse even came here and saw what they were managing to do. She's lovely - when I asked her how she came to manage the 'Castle' she told me about being a teacher and firstly that "I like people".
Anyway - now to finish the animation for the morning and then I can have some time off - till the lectures at 4 and the projection later.
Jan introduced a 4th project - optional but could be continued on the Wiki - based on a conversation we had on the way back from lunch the other day. May start that on Sunday. All about 'Found Typography' - matches my photos from Glasgow that I already have.
I still have a 'motion poster' project to finish tonight and I've been over ambitious about this - I'll just need to stay up and get it done.
We had a barbeque outside in 'The Orangery' area at the back of the hotel tonight. Dan Buyarski has arrived from Carnegie Mellon and Jan Kubasiewicz (Mass Art) is leaving this weekend. The rain was chucking it down - the gazebos they'd put up were full of water quickly and the blokes had fun emptying the puddles in the roof. The Polish sausage managed to get cooked although it kind of looks like it doesn't need cooked!
Dan Buyarski arrived from Pittsburgh today. He appears to be a sweet older man and at least he, like me, can't speak Polish. This might make the workshops even better next week as Jan spoke Polish and some of the workshops lapsed into Polish.
Spoke for a while to Ewa Golebiowska who runs this Design centre here - for a small border town it's quite an organisation and she really tries to promote design. So why was Glasgow's Lighthouse such a failure? The previous Director of the Lighthouse even came here and saw what they were managing to do. She's lovely - when I asked her how she came to manage the 'Castle' she told me about being a teacher and firstly that "I like people".
Anyway - now to finish the animation for the morning and then I can have some time off - till the lectures at 4 and the projection later.
Jan introduced a 4th project - optional but could be continued on the Wiki - based on a conversation we had on the way back from lunch the other day. May start that on Sunday. All about 'Found Typography' - matches my photos from Glasgow that I already have.
Thursday, 17 June 2010
All nighter!
I now need to finish 2 animations for tomorrow. It's 23.10, I need to focus and get this done asap so I can sleep. We workshopped from 9 till 9 today with time for lunch in the market square. Dinner on the Czech side.
No time to blog.
No time to blog.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered
I'm none of the above but I've just had to listen to it about 6 times in a restaurant tonight. I knew it had a rare thing in it - an English menu!!
During the day I can rely on other people but Ewa is in Warsaw tonight so I had to fend for myself. I ended up being the only person in a huge room which could be a film set for something set in the 1960s. I had a lit candle on the table in a tall brass candlestick and lace tablecloth. Dinner was fried chicken with broccoli but it was more like a stew.
At lunch we all had pierogi after a visit to the bibliotek to look at old books from the 16th century. This was our field trip. The librarian let everyone touch these old books without gloves and clearly conservation has not reached Eastern Europe - an old illuminated manuscript was just passed round.
On Project 3 for the workhops. A narrative animation based on any printed poster. I chose Peter Saville as I knew no one would have a clue what I was talking about. I was right. So Joy Division will be on the soundtrack. The Prof Jan is very good and I feel a bit better today. Just a whole heap of work to finish by Friday. I hope next week is slightly less demanding!
And book number 2 is finished, it was awful and I cannot recommend it at all. Only 2 books to go.
During the day I can rely on other people but Ewa is in Warsaw tonight so I had to fend for myself. I ended up being the only person in a huge room which could be a film set for something set in the 1960s. I had a lit candle on the table in a tall brass candlestick and lace tablecloth. Dinner was fried chicken with broccoli but it was more like a stew.
At lunch we all had pierogi after a visit to the bibliotek to look at old books from the 16th century. This was our field trip. The librarian let everyone touch these old books without gloves and clearly conservation has not reached Eastern Europe - an old illuminated manuscript was just passed round.
On Project 3 for the workhops. A narrative animation based on any printed poster. I chose Peter Saville as I knew no one would have a clue what I was talking about. I was right. So Joy Division will be on the soundtrack. The Prof Jan is very good and I feel a bit better today. Just a whole heap of work to finish by Friday. I hope next week is slightly less demanding!
And book number 2 is finished, it was awful and I cannot recommend it at all. Only 2 books to go.
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Sound Mapping
Spent the day trying to finish 1 min 15 secs of visually mapping this piece of music. Yesterday felt quite confident but now feel like I'm using the computer with mitts on. Complete mind block and I keep using the wrong damn keyboard shortcuts on the Mac. It shouldn't be that challenging as I just want a skeleton that I can then change all the symbols and have several different experiments rather than just one end product. Its not working for me at all.
Reminds me of 1996 when I used to be terrified that my GCBP lecturer would ask how I was doing - I'd just say 'fine' and spend the rest of the week trying to figure it out instead of admitting I hadn't a clue!
I should now walk away from this and do something else for a while but considering another project has already been introduced, I'd like to get a move on.
I haven't really worked out if the other participants are further ahead - everyone seems to be doing very different things.
Reminds me of 1996 when I used to be terrified that my GCBP lecturer would ask how I was doing - I'd just say 'fine' and spend the rest of the week trying to figure it out instead of admitting I hadn't a clue!
I should now walk away from this and do something else for a while but considering another project has already been introduced, I'd like to get a move on.
I haven't really worked out if the other participants are further ahead - everyone seems to be doing very different things.
Monday, 14 June 2010
Stormy Weather
Another loud thunderstorm during the night sometime around 4am. Velux windows are not good in a storm.
And I've woken up with bites, probably some insect gained while sitting in the park yesterday. Large itchy lumps on various parts of my body and a blood trail down my shin where it has managed to break my skin 3 times in a neat row. And I feel itchy all over.
Straight into workshopping today starting with listening to john Cage's piece for orchestra '4m 33 secs'. It is on YouTube performed by BBC. A must see and more importantly hear! So we had to visually map our own 4mins and 33 secs. I actually quite enjoyed this and started to see the point.
Then we started our 2nd project which involved visually mapping a set piece of music (experimental Polish) and abstract as all this sounds, I really really enjoyed this. I am not thinking about work, I am not thinking about how to teach the next batch of students, I am lost in some other world
Lunch with Ewa, Jan (the Prof) and his wife (who is beautiful and talented and seems a genuinely lovely person) and I absolutely hate her. Turns out she is a solo violinist:http://www.joannakurkowicz.com/.
More workshopping and some group critique. I spent too long trying to remember how to do things in Flash but it may work as a skeleton for several visual experiments. I always have time tonight to do some more.
Finished after 7 and then dinner which involved a walk to the Czech Republic (Cesky Tesin) across a construction site (no H & S again), it is like stepping back in time. About 30-40 years. I opted for a safe dinner by taking the same as the chap from Brno. Conversations ranged from Wolfgang Weingart to communism, Czech lager to (the no longer) Cieszyn film festival.
Feel a lot more relaxed now I'm here and doing something. Just need to work each day and have something at the end of it. Today's projects will be joined together and shown at the event on Saturday (yes, on Saturday there's lectures and presentations - I'm not even getting the weekend off!
And I've woken up with bites, probably some insect gained while sitting in the park yesterday. Large itchy lumps on various parts of my body and a blood trail down my shin where it has managed to break my skin 3 times in a neat row. And I feel itchy all over.
Straight into workshopping today starting with listening to john Cage's piece for orchestra '4m 33 secs'. It is on YouTube performed by BBC. A must see and more importantly hear! So we had to visually map our own 4mins and 33 secs. I actually quite enjoyed this and started to see the point.
Then we started our 2nd project which involved visually mapping a set piece of music (experimental Polish) and abstract as all this sounds, I really really enjoyed this. I am not thinking about work, I am not thinking about how to teach the next batch of students, I am lost in some other world
Lunch with Ewa, Jan (the Prof) and his wife (who is beautiful and talented and seems a genuinely lovely person) and I absolutely hate her. Turns out she is a solo violinist:http://www.joannakurkowicz.com/.
More workshopping and some group critique. I spent too long trying to remember how to do things in Flash but it may work as a skeleton for several visual experiments. I always have time tonight to do some more.
Finished after 7 and then dinner which involved a walk to the Czech Republic (Cesky Tesin) across a construction site (no H & S again), it is like stepping back in time. About 30-40 years. I opted for a safe dinner by taking the same as the chap from Brno. Conversations ranged from Wolfgang Weingart to communism, Czech lager to (the no longer) Cieszyn film festival.
Feel a lot more relaxed now I'm here and doing something. Just need to work each day and have something at the end of it. Today's projects will be joined together and shown at the event on Saturday (yes, on Saturday there's lectures and presentations - I'm not even getting the weekend off!
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Arrival in Cieszyn
Turned out there was one direct train from Katowice to Cieszyn today or a Sunday service bus which started later on. I opted for the train which turned out to be grim. And I didn't think it could get any grimmer. Hardly slept last night due to constant shouting outside, the thunder, the trains pulling into the station and the heat.
Katowice station was even worse than Warsaw: grey, concrete, dirty, seedy, awful. The train turned out to be ancient and had very few passengers, although my mood was lifted when a group of children boarded on some kind of Sunday trip out - one group of young girls had a colourful game going on with lollipops. I was sad when they got off as it just seemed so dull again.
At Cieszyn, the end of the line, there was literally no platform - this time I had to prise open the sliding doors and drop myself and my bags down to the ground. And the bag on wheels is useless here - there isn't a smooth bit of ground to pull it on.
My room is on the 2nd floor in the eaves of this 'castle' although technically it looks out onto a Castle Tower in a landscaped park. I tried vainly to get some lunch in the main square but the girl only understood Piwa (Pivo/Beer) so I ended up with a liquid lunch. She may have been trying to tell me that there was no food today. I gave up after my mime and pointing skills didn't work.
One large Piwa (costing about £1.20) went to my head and I wanted a lie down. However, there was a large Catholic mass happening in the area behind the castle. It didn't feel appropriate to interrupt and walk through the it to get to the 'hotel' so I had to wait 2 hours till it finished! Seemed to be a big affair with lots of single men (I mean priests, possibly a bishop or 2), choir, nuns (I've seen several different nuns' outfits in 3 days - they fascinate me!) and kids in robes.
I'm completely knackered tonight from lack of sleep. It is actually very peaceful here, birds twittering outside although I might want to shoot them in the morning. It's also not so hot and oppressive so I'm hoping I sleep better.
Katowice station was even worse than Warsaw: grey, concrete, dirty, seedy, awful. The train turned out to be ancient and had very few passengers, although my mood was lifted when a group of children boarded on some kind of Sunday trip out - one group of young girls had a colourful game going on with lollipops. I was sad when they got off as it just seemed so dull again.
At Cieszyn, the end of the line, there was literally no platform - this time I had to prise open the sliding doors and drop myself and my bags down to the ground. And the bag on wheels is useless here - there isn't a smooth bit of ground to pull it on.
My room is on the 2nd floor in the eaves of this 'castle' although technically it looks out onto a Castle Tower in a landscaped park. I tried vainly to get some lunch in the main square but the girl only understood Piwa (Pivo/Beer) so I ended up with a liquid lunch. She may have been trying to tell me that there was no food today. I gave up after my mime and pointing skills didn't work.
One large Piwa (costing about £1.20) went to my head and I wanted a lie down. However, there was a large Catholic mass happening in the area behind the castle. It didn't feel appropriate to interrupt and walk through the it to get to the 'hotel' so I had to wait 2 hours till it finished! Seemed to be a big affair with lots of single men (I mean priests, possibly a bishop or 2), choir, nuns (I've seen several different nuns' outfits in 3 days - they fascinate me!) and kids in robes.
I'm completely knackered tonight from lack of sleep. It is actually very peaceful here, birds twittering outside although I might want to shoot them in the morning. It's also not so hot and oppressive so I'm hoping I sleep better.
Saturday, 12 June 2010
Photo: Stalin's Legacy
This building is not rainbow coloured but perhaps should be. It's such a huge menacing reminder of Stalin's impact in Poland that it should be dressed up in bright colours and not treated with reverence.
Saturday Night
I could have been anywhere in Europe tonight. Dinner in a street cafe under a canopy of fairy lights on a balmy night. It could be Paris or Brussels or... anywhere except its much cheaper here. Plenty of people around; couples, families, young people in groups, probably not tourists though. And me, sitting reading the next book 'One Day' by David Nicholls. It will no doubt be shite, like his last book 'Starter for Ten'. On the other hand, it starts in 1988 after a graduation and I started to reminisce about Leeds in 86 and my hazy memory of that time.
Now there's sheet lighting and thunder getting louder and louder. I just managed to return before the rain, shame really, it might have cooled me down.
Now there's sheet lighting and thunder getting louder and louder. I just managed to return before the rain, shame really, it might have cooled me down.
Travel To Katowice
Central Stations are probably the same the world over. Everything in its' native language and generally kind of seedy. I can now understand why Glasgow Central has actually won an award!
From Informacja to Kasa Biletowa, I negotiate a ticket (1st class - I received raised eyebrows). Then I had to listen to an old man who wanted to chat at me, in Polish, although we established that I was not Deutsch but English. He continued about 'taxi' and I'm sure I heard Diana. Perhaps there was a purpose in his chat, I'll never know. I must just look like I needed talking to.
Whilst waiting over coffee, a well groomed, slim lady in white from neck to ankle, manoeuvred her large bag next to mine in the space between our tables. She then proceeded to eat 3 large fritters of some sort, with sauce and cake with cream. It was only 11am! There must be some instruction somewhere on how to wear white and eat at the same time. If that was me, I'd have been wearing the sauce down my front for the rest of the day. Doomed to travel hours with sauce stains across my chest.
Someone asked clueless me whether they were on the right Platform for Katowice. I pointed to the large sign. She clearly wasn't convinced and asked for my Bilet to check it against hers.
The trains still have compartments for 6, so I picked one with a young Art Garfunkel look-a-like, he was wearing a T-shirt with an English quotation from Mark Twain. All T-shirts here apparently only speak English, I'd just read one on the chest of a young girl saying 'Grumpy but Gorgeous'. I suspected that she wasn't the former and wasn't really the latter either. T-shirts are not always honest.
Polish countryside seemed relatively flat and very green. Green, green and green. With some really ugly stations that had clearly been left over from the Soviet era or before. I had Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave and others to sing me Leonard Cohen songs with Leonard chatting in between. This intercity train turned out to be the slow version taking 4 hours so, held captive, I had to read and listen all the way whilst the countryside trundled by. Health and Safety still hasn't reached here, the windows were open a foot and the breeze was lovely. But the gap between the train and the platform is enough to lose a whole me down, and I dreaded the end of the journey when I'd have to do it again with my bags in tow.
Katowice isn't any prettier than I remembered it. Just hotter. Most of the shops were shut at half 4 and there's a really strange mix of very posh shops, one only had canteens of cutlery in the window (who buys them?) and then really cheap looking shops. A shiny black Bentley with an open top passed me with an ugly bloke and a pretty lady (same the world over) and at the other end of the spectrum an elderly couple fishing in the rubbish bins for tins and whatever they required.
There's nothing really for me to do here except have some dinner later, then start reading the next book and listen to music or watch a film. Wonderful. No dishes, no housework, no work. Shame the view and the surroundings weren't better.
Tomorrow to Cieszyn...by bus.
From Informacja to Kasa Biletowa, I negotiate a ticket (1st class - I received raised eyebrows). Then I had to listen to an old man who wanted to chat at me, in Polish, although we established that I was not Deutsch but English. He continued about 'taxi' and I'm sure I heard Diana. Perhaps there was a purpose in his chat, I'll never know. I must just look like I needed talking to.
Whilst waiting over coffee, a well groomed, slim lady in white from neck to ankle, manoeuvred her large bag next to mine in the space between our tables. She then proceeded to eat 3 large fritters of some sort, with sauce and cake with cream. It was only 11am! There must be some instruction somewhere on how to wear white and eat at the same time. If that was me, I'd have been wearing the sauce down my front for the rest of the day. Doomed to travel hours with sauce stains across my chest.
Someone asked clueless me whether they were on the right Platform for Katowice. I pointed to the large sign. She clearly wasn't convinced and asked for my Bilet to check it against hers.
The trains still have compartments for 6, so I picked one with a young Art Garfunkel look-a-like, he was wearing a T-shirt with an English quotation from Mark Twain. All T-shirts here apparently only speak English, I'd just read one on the chest of a young girl saying 'Grumpy but Gorgeous'. I suspected that she wasn't the former and wasn't really the latter either. T-shirts are not always honest.
Polish countryside seemed relatively flat and very green. Green, green and green. With some really ugly stations that had clearly been left over from the Soviet era or before. I had Rufus Wainwright, Nick Cave and others to sing me Leonard Cohen songs with Leonard chatting in between. This intercity train turned out to be the slow version taking 4 hours so, held captive, I had to read and listen all the way whilst the countryside trundled by. Health and Safety still hasn't reached here, the windows were open a foot and the breeze was lovely. But the gap between the train and the platform is enough to lose a whole me down, and I dreaded the end of the journey when I'd have to do it again with my bags in tow.
Katowice isn't any prettier than I remembered it. Just hotter. Most of the shops were shut at half 4 and there's a really strange mix of very posh shops, one only had canteens of cutlery in the window (who buys them?) and then really cheap looking shops. A shiny black Bentley with an open top passed me with an ugly bloke and a pretty lady (same the world over) and at the other end of the spectrum an elderly couple fishing in the rubbish bins for tins and whatever they required.
There's nothing really for me to do here except have some dinner later, then start reading the next book and listen to music or watch a film. Wonderful. No dishes, no housework, no work. Shame the view and the surroundings weren't better.
Tomorrow to Cieszyn...by bus.
Friday, 11 June 2010
Walking in Warsaw
Thought a walk to the Old Town of Warsaw would do me the world of good. I took the riverside route which seemed direct.
It wasn't terribly picturesque. Brown river and not very scenic and several parts had police tape (and police) to prevent me going to the riverside so it ended up more a walk alongside a busy dual carriageway. Started to weave my way towards the city centre via some parks (or city woodlands would be more accurate). I had to do this in order to stay out the sun (fearful of sunburn).
Then I realised I'd lost my sense of direction as the river was out of sight. So I decided to follow the majority of walkers as they must have some purpose. At this point I was a little lost, found the Bibliotek and the river was behind it ( I was sure it was way behind me!). Think I must have walked about as if I was drawing a noughts and crosses grid with my feet. Maps are actually quite good sometimes if I bother to take it out my bag. I also seemed to lose all the people and found myself in quiet spots, hardly saw a shop and I've still not worked out where they've hidden all the chain stores. Not that I want one, just that every city looks the same when you find the H&M and Zara.
Found the Royal Palace again in Zamkowy Place where snakes of walking kids in baseball hats traverse constantly. I needed drinks, I'd been walking 2 hours in 30 plus degrees with short breaks under trees. Beer very pleasant and I watched the snakes. There must be some serious scheduling for these snakes. Just as one snake would leave, another would appear. I'd have liked them colour coded to differentiate one snake from the other though.
Walked the Old Town part and lunched watching the snakes (again) and some incredibly skinny women who clearly have no inner organs, There's no room for them when their abdomens are only 2 inches deep. Lunch was seriously good, huge salmon salad. Couldn't finish it but noticed the skinny girl beside me wolfed the lot. So why am I thrice her size? Not fair.
Headed to the Ars Homo Erotica exhibition in the National Museum, it may have be a mile but felt like 5. Heat really intense so I was glad to get inside. The highlights of the exhibition were: the large print of a urine stained mattress, the room of Saint Sebastian paintings (Mishima would have been in his element), the photographs of lady bits which are much greater than life size and an odd video of a moving pink mouth and tongue in very close up view (not sure if this was supposed to look like lady bits too) it was about 6 foot across. I got quite an eyeful at first till I realised it was a mouth!
More walking till I was completely walked out. And now, in my hotel room I have found that all the walking in shadows was pointless. I am pink heading towards cerise. My chest, my arms, my back and worst of all - my forehead and cheeks (except the bit where my bug eyed sunglasses were. I look awful. And my hair is bleached, frizzy and matted where I was sweating at the back of my neck. I'm looking for those chain stores tomorrow morning for some sun cream.
Then to Katowice...by train.
It wasn't terribly picturesque. Brown river and not very scenic and several parts had police tape (and police) to prevent me going to the riverside so it ended up more a walk alongside a busy dual carriageway. Started to weave my way towards the city centre via some parks (or city woodlands would be more accurate). I had to do this in order to stay out the sun (fearful of sunburn).
Then I realised I'd lost my sense of direction as the river was out of sight. So I decided to follow the majority of walkers as they must have some purpose. At this point I was a little lost, found the Bibliotek and the river was behind it ( I was sure it was way behind me!). Think I must have walked about as if I was drawing a noughts and crosses grid with my feet. Maps are actually quite good sometimes if I bother to take it out my bag. I also seemed to lose all the people and found myself in quiet spots, hardly saw a shop and I've still not worked out where they've hidden all the chain stores. Not that I want one, just that every city looks the same when you find the H&M and Zara.
Found the Royal Palace again in Zamkowy Place where snakes of walking kids in baseball hats traverse constantly. I needed drinks, I'd been walking 2 hours in 30 plus degrees with short breaks under trees. Beer very pleasant and I watched the snakes. There must be some serious scheduling for these snakes. Just as one snake would leave, another would appear. I'd have liked them colour coded to differentiate one snake from the other though.
Walked the Old Town part and lunched watching the snakes (again) and some incredibly skinny women who clearly have no inner organs, There's no room for them when their abdomens are only 2 inches deep. Lunch was seriously good, huge salmon salad. Couldn't finish it but noticed the skinny girl beside me wolfed the lot. So why am I thrice her size? Not fair.
Headed to the Ars Homo Erotica exhibition in the National Museum, it may have be a mile but felt like 5. Heat really intense so I was glad to get inside. The highlights of the exhibition were: the large print of a urine stained mattress, the room of Saint Sebastian paintings (Mishima would have been in his element), the photographs of lady bits which are much greater than life size and an odd video of a moving pink mouth and tongue in very close up view (not sure if this was supposed to look like lady bits too) it was about 6 foot across. I got quite an eyeful at first till I realised it was a mouth!
More walking till I was completely walked out. And now, in my hotel room I have found that all the walking in shadows was pointless. I am pink heading towards cerise. My chest, my arms, my back and worst of all - my forehead and cheeks (except the bit where my bug eyed sunglasses were. I look awful. And my hair is bleached, frizzy and matted where I was sweating at the back of my neck. I'm looking for those chain stores tomorrow morning for some sun cream.
Then to Katowice...by train.
Thursday, 10 June 2010
Tomorrow - Investigate Warsaw
I might visit this exhibition tomorrow on its opening day. The title of the exhibition appears to celebrate the posterior but I suspect my Polish language skills need some work.
Home to Hotel
The cat, clearly sensitive to the fact that he'll be neglected for the next couple of weeks or so, decided to chatter noisily to me at 4am this morning, I'd only just got to bed at 1.30. So I repacked my bag, deciding to discard all the stuff more suited to a beach holiday than Central Europe. Luggage honed to the minimum except I'm still carrying a large proportion of the prizes available in a weekly Gadget Show competition.
Unremarkable train journey from Paisley to Prestwick except for the ticket lady (used loosely here, perhaps operative?) calling the rest of the passengers 'ignorant' for not having change for their tickets. True Scottish Customer Care.
I'd forgotten to pack more than one book - I'm not going to survive without books for more than 2 weeks. Airport selection limited but 'The Tent, The Bucket and Me' is first on the list. At 9 this morning, I was crying with real tears at it, trying not to be too noisy on the flight. The book's subtitle is 'My Family's Disastrous Attempts to go Camping in the 70s'. Perhaps ours weren't such disasters although started to feel nostalgic for my parents' blue frame tent. I'd recently recycled it from their loft to the Paisley Paranormal Group. I hope it is now enjoying a second life with those looking for second lives.
Avoided all the pushy airport taxi drivers by heading for the public bus. Shit. Its over 30 degrees here and I'm inappropriately dressed with 2 bags. Eventually, I could stand the emergency stops and horn blasting no more, it's impossible to hang on to a shiny pole with hot sweaty palms so I'm off the bus vaguely in the middle of the city.
Vainly looking for an information point, a map or a shop that might sell one, I end up at a WiFi enabled Pizza Hut to check my whereabouts and bearings to hotel. And lunch - well you can't go wrong in Pizza Hut. But I probably can - there's a rainbow of slaws in the salad bar not just dried up cucumber and sweetcorn as per UK usual. I ate a plate of slaws. My sister will be able to predict the result of this with acute accuracy.
So hot, knackered and with internal and external baggage I find a taxi rank and head to my hotel. The ipod says it 4.6km away - so much for 'Centrum'! Taxi says 3 Zloty per 1Km. 10 mins tops I reckon, but he's going kinda slow and I'm thinking he's thinking there's a mug in the back of my cab. At the hotel, he points to the meter, it clearly has a reading of 4.6 (that's km according to Mr Apple) but he decides its 46 Zloty. So I end up arguing with a Polish taxi driver (with mild panic - what if he drives off with my luggage and leaves me?). He's talks about the hour it took him to get here (it really was 10 mins) and pointing to tariff cards which frankly are all Polish to me!
Eventually I throw some money at him angrily. Assured by the hotel that it should have been half the amount I'll not be taking taxis from ranks unless I absolutely have to.
Monday, 7 June 2010
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