2008 Woodie Awards
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The Scene
Lessons in Europe translate to States
Cross-cultural dispatch: Krakow, Poland
By Madalyn Wasilczuk on 12/6/07
This past weekend, I flew to Paris to visit a fellow AU student and take in the City of Lights. After three months of being away from home, the two of us chatted excitedly about the challenges we faced and the journeys we took, giving me an opportunity to reflect on the highs and lows of studying in Krakow.
In three months, the medieval city of Krakow has, at times, become almost invisible to me. Earlier this week, I looked past the snow and slush and saw for the first time in a long time the beautiful sights that surrounded me. The Cloth Hall, St. Mary's Church-I walk by them almost every day, and it's hard to believe I'll be saying goodbye to them, perhaps forever.
The steps I've taken from who I was before going abroad have been unnoticeable up to this point, as I have gradually become acclimated to my surroundings. Arriving here with no language proficiency to speak of, I now utter the Polish words for "thank you," "please" and "excuse me" without thinking. Words with four consonants followed by one vowel and another four consonants no longer horrify me.
The fact that cabbage is served with pretty much everything has become a fact of life. Coleslaw with Chinese food? I still don't get it, but it doesn't surprise me. Cabbage in a burrito? Of course there is. No longer do I give a second thought to the fact that I can get a kebab every five feet, but I have to scour the city for Mexican cuisine.
Similarly, I expect stores to be closed on Sunday and don't expect late-night hours like I do in the U.S. I think it will seem like a novelty to be able to stop at CVS at 3 a.m. on the way back to my apartment. Or maybe I'll just realize that it's not necessary.
Some of the things that I've grown accustomed to are less tangible. This semester, I've never once had to explain to someone how to pronounce my last name. Look at my byline and tell me that's not a feat. However, I have had to explain multiple times that, despite my last name, I don't speak Polish, nor am I Catholic, despite being Christian.
In three months, the medieval city of Krakow has, at times, become almost invisible to me. Earlier this week, I looked past the snow and slush and saw for the first time in a long time the beautiful sights that surrounded me. The Cloth Hall, St. Mary's Church-I walk by them almost every day, and it's hard to believe I'll be saying goodbye to them, perhaps forever.
The steps I've taken from who I was before going abroad have been unnoticeable up to this point, as I have gradually become acclimated to my surroundings. Arriving here with no language proficiency to speak of, I now utter the Polish words for "thank you," "please" and "excuse me" without thinking. Words with four consonants followed by one vowel and another four consonants no longer horrify me.
The fact that cabbage is served with pretty much everything has become a fact of life. Coleslaw with Chinese food? I still don't get it, but it doesn't surprise me. Cabbage in a burrito? Of course there is. No longer do I give a second thought to the fact that I can get a kebab every five feet, but I have to scour the city for Mexican cuisine.
Similarly, I expect stores to be closed on Sunday and don't expect late-night hours like I do in the U.S. I think it will seem like a novelty to be able to stop at CVS at 3 a.m. on the way back to my apartment. Or maybe I'll just realize that it's not necessary.
Some of the things that I've grown accustomed to are less tangible. This semester, I've never once had to explain to someone how to pronounce my last name. Look at my byline and tell me that's not a feat. However, I have had to explain multiple times that, despite my last name, I don't speak Polish, nor am I Catholic, despite being Christian.
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