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Corpus Christi and Other Stuff

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Today is Corpus Christi or Boze Cialo in Poland, a Roman Catholic holiday commemorating the institution of the Holy Eucharist, first celebrated in 1261.  It’s a national holiday here; no one is working today.  Many are turning it into a four-day weekend.  Our friends who used to live on Ogradowa street said they would be an huge procession down their street on this holiday.  I noticed that starting today, this is one of four holidays (two religious and two civil) that will be skipped for the next five years in Portugal.  The thought is that the extra productivity will help their ailing economy.  They said the decision involved special discussion with and permission from The Vatican.

As American Protestants, we’ve had a quiet day at home with Ed convalescing, keeping up on his physical therapy homework.  I read on David’s blog that there is a four-day market/festival in the old square starting today.  It’s rainy and windy, so we haven’t ventured into town to check it out. . . yet.

I had an interesting experience Tuesday night.  I attended an advanced adult English class at Metro language school.  The owner is the friend of a friend and I was their native (guest) speaker for the evening.  I met some very nice people, and as we chatted, I was so impressed with the vocabularies.  They know a lot of words in English that I don’t know in Spanish.  Studying languages is such a common pastime here for children and adults.  I know of very few people at home who spend their spare time learning a new language, and sadly we never hear of youngsters doing so until the classes are offered in high school (the best learning years are lost by then).  It seemed they were surprised by some things that I said.  In no particular order, I got a reaction when I told them:
1. how we mispronounce Polish names in the US
2. that there are women flying the F-16 in the USAF
3. that we are Lech Poznan fans and have been to many matches.

The 2013 ICF Canoe Sprint World Cup starts tomorrow at Lake Malta and runs through Sunday.  It’s too bad that the weather forecast is calling for rain the entire time.  Hopefully, they’ll get a few patches of sunny weather.  I met a couple of the competitors from Canada at the supermarket last week – helped them find the right Polish laundry detergent for their needs.   They had just come from a similar event in the Czech Republic.

Lately, I’ve been driving in and around the city more than I usually do (usually, would be not at all), and I have to say the potholes are absolutely terrible; the worst I’ve ever seen on roads that are not abandoned.  In some spots the pavement looks like Swiss cheese – photos soon.

Poznań Half Marathon 2013

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Today was the nicest day, weather-wise, since I’ve been back in Poznań – sunny skies and temperatures promising to hit 42 by mid afternoon – perhaps the first day without snow flurries.  The runners in this year’s half marathon couldn’t have asked for better weather.  Our friend, Sławek, was partipicating, so we walked to the lake to watch for him as he passed by.  After a while, we started to worry that we wouldn’t recognize him.

I may have been the only one with that thought.  During a Susan G Komen 3-day, 60 mile walk, I remember waiting for our niece and her friends at an interesction.  I didn’t see her and she didn’t see me.  If it wasn’t for cell phones, we never would have connected.  You know, all those exhausted people in their athletic gear, trying to suck in as much oxygen as possible.  And if I’m perfectly honest, there’s a much more homogenous look to the population here.

We did catch a glimpse of Sławek and shout a word of encouragement as he went by.  We saw some folks running in interesting costumes, from Pippi Longstocking to a guy in a business suit. Ed got some great photos that you can see on his blog.

This was the sixth annual half marathon.  They had  7,650 entries and 6,800 runners (a 50% increase over last year!)

Lech Poznan New Silver VIP

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Protected from the elements in the Silver VIP hospitality room

Lech Poznan is playing tonight against FK Khazar Lenkaran from Azerbaijan – part of the Europa qualifying.  We attended the first home match in this process.  It was exciting to see new players and the team record a win!

Also exciting about that evening a few weeks ago, our seats in the newly created Silver VIP section. While more expensive than our usual seats, tickets in this section are much more affordable than previous VIP areas.   Silver VIPs aren’t seated in a box, but the blue plastic seats are padded and have arm rests unlike the seats we’re used to.  As someone who appreciates personal space in pubic settings, the armrests provide a much more comfortable space between fans.

Before the match, Silver VIPs gather indoors to enjoy drinks and nibbles and the same at half-time with more substantial fare.  I can’t justify the difference in price with the hospitality room.  A big part of what you’re paying for is convenience and comfort – which might be worth their weight in gold come December.

It’s very appealing at half-time to walk up a few steps and enjoy refreshments which are waiting for you.  We were able to sit down in climate controlled comfort before returning for the second half.

Now, let’s compare this to our usual half-time ritual.  We usually climb a flight of steps and line up in the breezeway for 20 minutes with hundreds of other people to get a grilled sausage, which we balance in our laps trying not to get grease and mustard on our coats because all of this is often happening in temperatures of 30 or 40 degrees, and all of our extremities are numb.  And one time we stood in line for 20 minutes in freezing cold, and they sold the last sausage to the guy in front of us.

So what to do; buy our regular season tickets or buy Silver VIP tickets for a few of the matches?

 

Euro 2012 Wrap UP

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Euro 2012 has come and gone.  Spain, the favorite and defending champs, out-played Italy 4 : 0.  Many felt Italy stood a good chance, but Spain had what, I think, was their best match of the tournament.

We’ll be without Euro now for four years; it’s two years off from the four year World Cup cycle.  The next Euro will come in 2016 and will be played in France.  The field will be expanded from 16 teams to 24.  We’ll probably be watching on ESPN2 next time.

I’ve written about Warta Poznan before.  Their president, a former Playboy model, has written a letter to Italian football striker, Mario Balotelli – you know, the black player with the bleached mohawk.  The same player who when interviewed about the state of racism in the host countries, said he would ‘kill’ anyone that threw a banana at him.  Did that have anything to do with all the inflatable bananas in the color of the Irish flag that the “boys in green” were carrying?

Well, Balotelli stormed off the pitch after the final whistle – shoving aside a team official who attempted to block his path to the changing room, as coach Cesare Prandelli screamed at him to turn around.  He did eventually return to accept his runner-up medal in tears.

What follows below is the English tranlation of the Polish translation of the Warta president’s letter, which was actually written in English.  You’ll get the jist of it. Nicely done, Izabella!

Dear Mario,

First of all I would like to note that I’m really impressed with Your performance at EURO 2012. There is no doubt that you were one of the biggest stars of the tournament. I would like to have such a utalentowanego player in my team. I do not understand, however, how is possible that Rhinoscleroma such as Ty began sobbing after the match final in Kiev.

I think that you are working on your image-the image of a heavily strong faceta, little thing and unpredictability. Tears that do not match, so I decided to give You a few handkerchiefs. Please, stop sobbing. The time has come to show the best side of the Club, winning trophies. Show the world the true, true Warrior Balotelliego and not płaczka.

Greetings,

Izabella Łukomska-Pyżalska, President Of The Warta Poznan S. A.

Shot from a passing tram

The crews are already at work dismantling the fan zone.  They expect to have everything back to normal by the coming weekend.  Looking back on the experience, I have to say that:
— Poznan did a fantastic job as a host city
— the people watching was excellent
— I met some witty, charming people
— it was very interesting to be in the fan zone so often and aware of what was going on behind the scenes

Time to hang up my credentials and get back to a normal routine.

 

Euro 2012 Day 20

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Football-wise, today pairs Portugal and Spain in the first semi-final match in Ukraine.  Tomorrow, Germany and Italy will face off in Warsaw.  I’m in the fan zone tomorrow and again on Sunday before the final match.

Before the volunteer schedule came out for this week, we thought about going to Warsaw tomorrow just to watch the semi-final in the fan zone.  It would be interesting to see what their fan zone is like; I understand that it’s huge – holding three times as many people as Poznan’s.  Our favorite hotel in Warsaw, which happens to be right by the fan zone, is sold out  Other hotels in town are offering rooms for $700 – $900 that night.  After the semi-final, they’re back in the $80 – $150 range.  We’ll have to watch from here!

football fans – an irreverent lot 😉

I must say that Poznan feels a little empty now that the the foreign fans are gone.  Immediately after the Ireland – Italy match (the last one played in Poznan), a grassroots effort began to organize a friendly match between a Polish team and the Irish national team.  There’s huge interest in this – complete with facebook page, website, and all kind twitter activity.  Ed reads a lot of football news and tweets; he’s read that the Irish team is interested in playing Warta Poznan, who also happen to wear green.

I found statistics saying that 80% of our Irish guest plan to return to Poznan in the future.  The conversations I had with Irish visitors in the fan zone back this up  So many people said they had been expecting an ugly, grey, impoverished city, and they were delighted to find a modern, college town, with beautiful architecture, great public transportation and all kinds of nightlife.  One gentleman said that everyone he had run into had been so helpful, whether it was in his hotel, the fan zone, or just buying some bread and cheese at the market.

Many of the Polish people we know are in the hospitality industry – working in restaurants and bars  They have all been slammed – hopefully making a lot of money during the festivities and generating tax revenue for the city.  I read recently that all of the host cities had taken on debt as they prepared for the matches.  (Some funding was provided by UEFA.)

So the preparation and effort that has gone into being a host city should translate into increased tourism over the years, and equally important, it has changed Europe’s perception of Poznan and Poland.

Euro 2012 Videos

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First of all, let me say hi to anyone at Poznan City Hall reading this.  (Ed was at the driving range recently and the assistant golf pro knew of my Polish blog because he has some connection at city hall.)  You’ve been great hosts for our many foreign visitors.

The city also hosted a marvelous party last night for the volunteers – Dzięki for throwing in an English translation of what was being said. 🙂  Among the hundreds of people in attendance, I saw a few Polish volunteers that I know and many of the foreigners with whom I trained.  I forgot to take my camera and my phone doesn’t have a flash, so I’ll have to wait for Jan to post the photos she took last night.  I left during the concert to meet Ed at Room 55, but I know there was much more to come.

I thought I would pass along some of the great video the city put together.  It will make you feel like you were here, or you should come here!

the Italy – Ireland match (Italy, you need catchier songs!):

And we have foreigners speaking Polish (always good for a laugh):

 

 

Euro 2012 Day 11

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After playing Spain in Gdansk, the Irish are back.  I’ve been meeting Caroline for a bike ride at Malta after she drops her sons at school.  The camper parking at the lake was almost empty last Friday, as well as camp ground.  As you can see from the photos, they’re back!

It’s no wonder they’re enjoying the lake; we do – riding 9 miles several times a week.  It’s good to have an accountability partner, otherwise, I know I would find reason to put off biking, as pleasant as it is.  The hard part is just getting out the door.  We also bribe ourselves with a coffee al fresco at one of the restaurants at the lake after our ride.  The one we visit is by the train stop.  A small train carries passengers from the west end of the lake to the zoo.  We saw a school outing on their way to the zoo today.

I’ve heard that 35,000 Irish fans have been in Poznan this month.  After the last match in Poznan tonight (Ireland – Italy) and the last for Ireland, they’ll be leaving.  The city has organized a farewell party in the old square this afternoon.  Posters have been put up around town saying:

Attention!
 
We appreciate that you make our city alive whole day and night, also and we want to thank you, Irish guys, for that!
 
On june 18th, at Poznan Old Market Square, at 3 p.m., Poznan people want to say goodbye to Ireland in our way!
 
Come there to see how we want to convince you to visit us more often!

What a neat idea!  I wonder what it will be?  Mad Dog shots for 35,000?

PS – it wasn’t shots.  Poznan, lead by many of our host city volunteers, sang the songs the Irish have been singing in the Old Square, in the Fan Zone, in the stadium, on the trams, and walking down the streets.

Euro 2012 Day 10

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A more recent photo of the countdown clock

When we first arrived in Poznan, there was a clock in the old square counting down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds to Euro 2012.  The days at that time were 900 and something.  Ed remembers wondering if we’d still be here then and thinking that we probably wouldn’t be.

As we settle in to watch Portugal – Netherlands and Germany – Denmark face off in Ukraine, it’s sad, but not surprising to know that Poland is now out of the running.  Before Euro, I heard many Polish people say that the only reason they qualified was because they were hosting; they were guaranteed a spot.  This realistic assessment did nothing to reduce the number of balconies sporting Polish banners or the cars decked out with flags (reminiscent of a General’s staff car).

Ed read today that the Polish team visited the fan zone in Warsaw to thank the fans, very classy.

Euro 2012 Day 9

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An American soccer player in Poznan

Euro continues. All of the teams have played twice. We now have both matches happening at the same time, 8:45 PM. This scheduling seemed fan-unfriendly, but a friend (actually, it was Kasia) pointed out, that it’s to keep things aboveboard. I guess a team might not play all out if they knew they were going to the next round no matter what; this way, they don’t know the outcome of the other match

One of the fun things about writing this blog is getting to know a lot of new people. I’ve written about having coffee with Chris, Misiu, Lizzie, and Rosie of Kielbasa Stories when we were in Wroclaw. Kasia from Houston (originally from Poznan) will often comment on my posts, frequently answering my questions about something I’ve seen. We first got together when I was in Houston a few months ago. This week, I got to meet her husband and her son (that’s him in the photo above, sporting the checkerboard pattern from the Croatian flag for the Croatia – Italy match).

with Kasia at the Museum Cafe

I read in the New Poland Express (Polish news in English) that someone was so disgusted by the Russian goal in Poland’s recent match that he threw his television out of his third floor apartment window. He didn’t get to see Poland tie it up because he was on his way to jail. One minute left and Poland is losing to the Czechs 1 – 0 . I wonder what will happen tonight.

I was interviewed by a TV crew in the fan zone a couple of days ago. They asked all the usual questions, where do I live, where am I from, why did I want to volunteer for the Euro. Then they wanted to know if I had any funny stories from the fan zone. I was really at a loss to come up with anything. It’s been interesting to watch from behind the scenes, so VERY many people in Poznan (and the other host cities) have worked long and hard to make sure everything goes well this month. They even had one of the universities do a study to determine the best location for the fan zone. One of the most surprising things for me has been on my morning bike rides around Malta Lake; I’m amazed by the dedicated fans that are sleeping in pup tents and in their cars just to be here and be part of this experience.

We met an Irish guy at The Dubiner the other day, who reminded us that it had been 10 years since Ireland had qualified for one of the big tournaments such as the Euro Cup or World Cup. He and his buddies had been saying for ages that the next time Ireland got in they were going. They were just thrilled to be here.