Tag: Western Europe
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Kharkiv, Ukraine: An Introduction
Kharkiv, an unpronounceable city just like Poland’s Rzeszów. Depending on your Cyrillic abilities, you’ll have trouble pronouncing this city’s name. KARkov, KHHHHHARkov, or, if you’re listening to a Ukrainian speaker (not Russian), KARkeev or KKHHAAARkeeev. The “kh” is a gutteral throat sound and the best way to get the pronunciation right is to take a…
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Ukraine: Second Impressions
After a couple of months in Ukraine I began to slowly accept the country as it is, for better and worse. I got used to some things, especially after living in Kharkiv for a few months, and yet just couldn’t understand some other aspects of the country and its culture. What follows are my second…
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Gdańsk and Sopot, Poland: Danzig and Driving Devices
Day Trip #2 with my homestay folks from Bydgoszcz took us to Gdańsk (I think it’s pronounced Geh-daown-sk) and Sopot (So… pot?), two of the three cities along the Baltic coast that make up what is known as Trójmiasto (or, three-cities). (The third city is Gdynia, but we didn’t have time for a visit.) The…
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Polish Rock and Metal Muzyka
Alright boys and girls, it’s that time again. Following posts on Asian, Korean, Winnipeg, and country music, it’s time for another round of Steven’s Musical Selections. This time I’m covering the muzyka from Poland. While in Krakow, I walked into the Empik store in Stare Miasto, Krakow and asked the info guy to guide me…
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Bydgoszcz, Poland: A Polish Homestay and the Great Blood-Giving Debacle
The same dziewczyna with whom I travelled through Laos extended an invitation to stay with her and her family in Bydgoszcz. They graciously accepted me into their home, generously fed me and gave me a glimpse into their day-to-day lives. I was lucky enough to stay for a week. The apartment was a comfortable place.…