SRL 2010 ~~ Ripped out to Polska

Hey guys,

Year 2010's last day just started. Stating the final 24 hours of the phenomenal year is already started, final 8 hours of my year's work will be started in a few hours. This post is more of a role-player characterized as the mirror of the full of struggles, happiness, achievements, learnings, analysis, working, networking, making friends all over the planet and not to forget... AWESOMENESS. On the tour of SRL's 2010 life, I would be taking you to the journey month-by-month, en-craved on this very post by the text and the pictures.

• January 2010
• February 2010
• March 2010

January 2010 ~ A new beginning

For me, January 2010 was the time of taking resolutions, thinking on do's and dont's for the coming year. In December 2009, I was selected for my 6th semester internship in Poland, which was, for me like a dream come true. But, there was a catch, because then in January, I had to go through rigorous polish VISA procedure, and at the very same time, I was appearing for my 5th semester masters exam. The schedule for these two most important things at that point of my life, stood together on a time-clash. Since the Polish embassy, I had to do all the studies on my travelling on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. I had a great support from my bestest college friends, cheers to Rituraj, Saurabh, Sunil, Vijay, Om and Srikant, may you guys never end-up working in a dry-state ;).

So, by 15th of Jan. I had all my exams nicely done, and a good news was awaiting on my way back to home after the last exam, I'VE GOT THE VISA to Poland. I was on the top of the top most part of the planet. January 18th's early morning was embarking a mark of SRL boarding on the airbus A330 owned by Turkish Airlines, which was scheduled to land on the Polish sand via Istanbul. It was a pity that I couldn't make to meet my best friend in Jaipur before I left, but my mom & dad came to see me off at the airport from Mumbai, which was too much of emotions for me, indeed sweet. Wait for it, I was still not checked in and the airport authorities announced the flight delay by 7 hours. Journey reconnected - Delhi-Vienna-Istanbul-Warsaw. I was excited for the five and half months Polish life coming up and nostalgic for 23 years of Indian life already. :)

Me and Dad at Indira Gandhi International Airport

View from Boeing 777 (Vienna-Warsaw)

18th of January 2010, 2200hrs, I was on the Polish grounds. After changing the currency at the airport, I headed to the Central Rail Station in Warsaw to go to my final destination, the city of Lodz, where I had to work. Absolutely unaware of the next big challenge which was waiting for me right at the central station at almost middle of the night on completely alien grounds. This was the news I got from the counter ~ "Sir, you have missed the last train to Lodz, the next train is after 8 hours at 7:30 in the morning". Whoa, this was completely injustice to me, as I had a freaking 18 hour long tiering flight and still had to stay awake for one complete night. But still I managed to do that in -25 °C of temperature, but was really challenging due to cold, strangely staring at me people, language problem, food problem, and of course, nice polish girls :P. I can, on some part, call it a "cultural shock".

Next morning, It was soon to be called ~ "The Land of SRL" ... naah.. just kiddin. I was in Lodz, and two of my first friends in Poland, Justyna and Ewelina came to pick me up and giude through the city in the morning. I changed money (again for more), paid the rent in bank to the international student's dorm in which a room was already reserved, and then headed to the best dorm in town. This was a really tiring day for the first half, and lazy on the second half ;). What I saw from my beautiful dorm room's window, was just a memory of a life time for me. SRL, who belongs to Rajasthan, a land of deserts was about to start his career on almost the coldest place on the face of Earth. Had two awesome roomies, Roger(my party wingman) from Barcelona, and Pawel(the saxofoner) from Katowice.

My dorm at Okopowa, Lodz

View outside my dorm room.

My Dorm Room

First Polish day of my life... awesome.

January 2010 gave me a lot of learnings and new friends. 21st of this month was the first day for me on my internship, Justyna, my assigned buddy, who was responsible for my comfortable survival in Lodz showed me up to the company, and I met the supercool boss ever, Maciej Kalas, for the first time. Since, this was first day, I was introduced to everyone in the bosses & staff of the company, and thereafter, he took me to a sheesha bar, which was indeed a humble and the gesture I like.

Agape Studio's IT section... my Internship place.. Agapenet

Me with Maciej, head of IT department at the Sheesha bar

Later, in the month, it was time to move around the city and explore more. BTW, this was the period in which I was loving the snow a lot. So, coming back to moving around, my friends from AIESEC there, organized an awesome welcome party for me, which is certainly a remembrance. People from almost every continent were around me to be friends with. Such a great time.

Ju(Brazil), Leo(Thailand), Toni(New Zealand) and me(Aamchi Indian)

Pic from my welcome party (Leo, Magda, Ewelina, Andre, me, Adam)

By the end of the month, I already started living polish cultures. Was secured and ensured about my rest of awesomeness in Polish life :)

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February 2010 ~ Experiencing hot and cold

2nd day of this another awesome month gave me the most important thing anyone could ever wish for. The First Salary.  It wasn't much though, but it is certainly was my favorite money, and will be forever.

First & Best ever

The Wrockinng Wroclaw: This was the first time for me to experience a meeting of a bunch of young people at one place. It was Wroclaw diversity weekend. I was certainly sure to not to miss this opportunity, but needed some companions to go with. So I had 3 other people with me for the trip from my city whom I admire a lot>> Daniel Keiti Sato(Brazil), Juliana C(Brazil) and Annisa(Indonesia). So the trip then started. This two day event was clashing to the valentines day, but no worries, I did not had that ;) progress in Poland that time. First day, wooh, Wroclaw diversity weekend turned out to be Brazilian reception weekend. All in all, strength was 16 Brazilians, 2 Portuguese, 1 Indian and 1 Indonesian. This was certainly a language disaster, since except the 2 Asians, all were Portuguese speakers. Second day of the event was super, as I get to see a euro-fest as a guest visitor. Being a foreigner is a good feeling sometimes. So, I was called there for a Slovakian dance competition on some Spanish music. Dang, I nailed it completely, second prize holder, with 10% Slovakian beer and authentic cheese in a big Slovakian country kit as a prize. What a happy happy trip.

Ju, Daniel and Annissa

The old town of Wroclaw

At the Euro Fest... with the mascot

Euro Fest, as a Gość(Guest)

with Ash Dasher(Aishwarya), first Indian friend in Poland

This was the great time when I broke the ice with my friends at the dorm, people from almost all European nationalities were there living in the same dorm. Also it was the same time, when I started to HATE snow, from every bit of nerve present in me. Although, facilities to keeping the body warm are perfect in Poland, but there is one thing that you have to gear-up for even once you have to get out of your building, and this really pissed. This rage had to come out someway, and indeed it came out in the style of a poem:

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Snow snow go away, come again another day

Its time to party and to play, so Mr.Snow... Sperdalaj!!!

{PS: Do not ask me the meaning of Sperdalaj.. coz its BADDDD}

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Before closing the February chapter, I need to introduce a guy, Haroon Khan. A awesome person from Pakistan, who was certainly a major role player to keep me alive in that nation, because he was the only Hindi speaker I knew from everyday life in Poland, and also he was good at cooking, so it can be a better reason for his awesomeness, helping my laziness :D... cheers Haroon bhai

I was now all set for the adventures of month of March.... :)

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March 2010 ~ Marvelous Fiesta

In this month of March, something super-exciting was to happen, as the arrival of three musketeers from Tunisia, who turned out to be my super-group in the coming up polish life. To mention them, they were Yassine, Ahmed and Imen. Well, they were there in Poland from the very first week of March, and so we started to bond up then. Imen, being on the a bit reserved in the nature didn't really jelled up with me, but still we were nice friends. Is it true if I say that "The long we stay together, the better we know each-other.". 

Welcoming the Tunisians at the Lodz Febryzna Station
L-R: Imen, Ahmed, Magda, Sonia, Yassina, SRL, Ewelina

Now, we all had started to plan some trip to another city in Poland, to have a break with the tiring work and the monotonous daily life in Poland, and thus we got the chance to attend the Diversity weekend#2, in the capital itself, Warsaw.  

I saw Warsaw: Me, Imen, Daniel, Yassine and Ahmed we are jet set ready to experience another Diversity weekend in the league of the Polish cities' cultural demonstration. Got all packed, snowing all around, got to the train. Guys, SRL and excitement go shoulder to shoulder. This time, the train broke down at almost an abandoned railway station, so we waited for it to fix for some 30 minutes in dark and hence decided to change the train, which came on the very next platform and heading to the capital. We did it, and the moment we boarded the new train which we didnt knew was freaking slow, the one we left got fixed and went running to Warsaw. Damn'it. Anyway, We enjoyed that turtle train as well, since we started dancing in the train itself :P. I told you guys already, my Tunisian friends are a bunch of freaks I know. Later, we reached Warsaw central and were received by the reception coordinator, Ola. Next morning, we were all ready to meet the group of the weekend delegates, and believe me, this group  was huge, people from almost every continent and not just Brazil as the last time. In the back of the mind, I was wondering to see the hike on my facebook friend count when I friend all of them :P. One of the better 2 days spent in the month :).

All set to see the Capital

Dancing Tunisians in the train :P

Getting together
Yassine, Danielle(US), SRL, Supreet(Chandigarh), Marta(Poland) and Daniel

The world is mine
Brazil, US, Poland, Tunisia, Ukraine, Phillipines, Portugal , China, Japan and India and ofc, BULGARIA :) 

at Warsaw Old Town

On the way back.. waiting for the last bus to central station :)

The Easter: Coming back from Warsaw, lif again came back on its daily track, but not for long. It was now time for the easter celebration, a Christian festival, which I, being a Hindu and living in India never get to experience the beauty of it. The festivities for me started at the office itself a couple of days before Easter. At office, after the half day of work, the long holidays for this fest was started by the lunch at office with good music and nice sharing of experiences. For the main celebration me and Ahmed were invited to visit and experience the celebration with Magda and her family in her hometown, which was the only polish village (or rather I should say it a small town) I saw. Let me first tell you about the place I was heading for the celebration. Rzeczyca, was the name of Magda's hometown, which was some 1.5 hours by road from the city of Lodz. It was a quiet, cool, calm place where anyone can find a peace of his mind, it was the first feel I had when I entered Rzeczyca. Now, we were at Magda's place, where we met her parents, grand-parents brother and her fiancée. Before I go further, after this experience of Easter, I always wanted to write and thank the family of Magda and Magda herself for such a wonderful experience, and the time is here when I can write all in my mind in my blog and a way to thank her :). So, her family welcomed us with whole warmth and was a certain moment which I cannot forget. The first day, the three musketeers; Ahmed, Magda and me went to an old riverside which was perfectly peace moment blended with the joy of sitting on nature's lap. The journey continued in a Church in the village. Evening was at the club in a village, which was quite different than the ones in the urban area. All-in-all, easter celebration turned out as a bundle of amazing experiences, as meeting Yassine, Ewelina and Katryzna at a lake, making a huge photoshoot with more than 1,100 pictures taken in 3 days, visiting a Romanian Old Church, and most importantly, the downfall of winters with a warm welcome to springs. I will never forget those days. And and and and... most importantly, Magda, if you are reading this, I am still in love with your DSLR camera :). Certainly it was not possible to show all important pictures, but I am still managing to pick some of them :)

On the Town Board while entering the area :)

The Three Musketeers; Ahmed, SRL and Magda

Jet Lee Vs. Jackie Chan

At the lake

At Katarzyna's place with her family and friends for lunch :)

Romanian old church

Magda's Family

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