So after 2 buses, 2 flights, a train, another bus, and a taxi I made it..... A very long 14 hr travel day (check out my route). When I arrived into the airport the passport control guy actually said "back again? did you forget something?" No I replied I just like visiting your country....I guess they are starting to recognize me around here... or maybe they just remember the commotion my group of 23 students made when we were here in March... this is a very different trip from Shalhevet!
You would think that getting to Lodz (actually a pretty major town in Poland) would be easy...think again. Lodz (pronounced Woodge) and believe me if you mispronounce it nobody has a clue where or what you are talking about. With the help of a lovely woman who spoke Esperanto (for those of you who are not familiear, it was created in the late 1870's as a universal language to foster peace and international understanding) no I'm not making this up... google it! So my new friend at the bus station Gabriella a beautiful woman in probably her late 70s and I had a very nice conversation.... I speaking in Spanish and her in Esperanto-- we did pretty well. She really liked my backpack. I on the other hand am pretty much ready to toss it out of a moving train. Whose idea was it to bring all these books anyways!
So why did I go to Lodz you ask? What a fantastic Jewish history lesson. Lodz was once the second to Warsaw largest Jewish Community in Europe. There is so much that remains... including a small Jewish community. Who would have thought that I could eat lunch at a Kosher restaurant. Not to mention having the largest Jewish cemetery in Europe still standing -- with these mausoleums that look like shrines to King Tut. Don't worry I didn't go far without bumping into a couple from Berkeley there doing family history research...they never knew about HCNC (classic) and they are thrilled to start coming to our film series next year. Don't worry Leslie I've always got a business card on hand.
It's not only familiar Jews I have run into. Sure enough on the train into Warsaw (the first time) I met up with an Aussie who shares friends in common from my capoeria days in Melbourne. She is alot of fun (as most Aussies are) and we have been having a good time here in Warsaw. Ok so that is it for now. I'm going to rest up before my day in the archives tomorrow and of course the big AJC reception I've been invited to tomorrow. You know because I can speak to their delegation who is in town about Shalhevet. Good thing I have my conference gear with me and I won't show up looking like the backpacker I am pretending to be....
I hope everyone is having a great 4th of July... full of BBQ-ing in the sun and the such. I had polish dumplings under grey raining skies this afternoon. Not very patriotic I know...
ciao ciao,
Morgan
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