The other day I went to Makro for the first time. What is Makro, you ask? Lucky for you, I will tell you. Makro is a bulk supply store. It’s much like Sam’s Club or Costco. In fact, it’s exactly like Sam’s Club and Costco. At Makro, you can find all of your bulk supply needs. Run out of sledz? – I will tell you of sledz another time - No worries! Makro’s got it in a supply that will last for a year! How about those frozen pierogi? Makro to the rescue again – you’ll be able to feed your family of four with one giant bag of pierogi for a month. And don’t forget about your electronic needs. Makro’s got it all. I-pod nanos, cellphones, computers… and of course the CDs and DVDs you will need to properly utilize these devices. Maybe not the best selection, but you’re getting discount prices, ok? Didn’t have lunch yet? Well, Makro is the place for you, my friend. Walk right on up to one of the friendly workers who want you to try a sample of kielbasa on a stick and some black currant juice! There was one significant item that distinguished Makro from Sam’s Club though, and ensured me that I was definitely still in Poland – the bulk supply of decorative candles used on graves. Thousands of and thousands of them, with the possibility of buying up to 20 candles at once! November 1, All Saints Day, is a national holiday in Poland, and to be sure these candles will be put to use in bulk supply numbers. So if you’ve got a lot of dead relatives then Makro is also the place for you. That came out sounding kind of harsh, but it’s the truth!
As I walked into Makro for the first time, a man and woman who were probably in their 50s were walking out of the store with their cart piled high with food, cds, and of course the bulk supply of toilet paper. Suddenly, I realized how surreal this sight would have been not too long ago. Here I am, in a former Soviet country that has now fully embraced the excesses of capitalism. Take that USSR! In your face Joseph Stalin! The man and woman who passed me by, on their way to load up their car, probably – definitely – used to stand in lines for hours just to get a small percentage of the food that they now had in that cart. I wonder if they ever think about that. Or if now, it is the past that seems almost unreal, not the present.
Recently, a huge mall opened up in the center of Krakow – Galeria Krakowska. I do mean huge by the way. Not just huge by Polish standards either. I’m speaking as a born and raised, blood runs red white and blue, American. Many of the stores in there are high end and unaffordable for the general public, at least this member of the general public and her friends. But I can peruse the selection of English books in the American Bookstore – Yes, that is its real name. - and when I am hungry, head over to the food court for some Subway or KFC. Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not complaining about these things. I like books in English and I like Subway and KFC. And Poland has every right to have these things if that’s what people want, and I have seen Polish people at these stores and restaurants. It’s just that, there are times that I’m in places like Galeria Krakowska when I will forget I live in Poland. Suddenly, I will see or hear something that will remind me of this fact, and I will be totally freaked out for a moment because I feel like I have just traveled through space and time to get from some suburban American mall to the country of Poland. Experiences like this show me how much smaller the world is getting and how much more global minded we are becoming. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. But it would be a shame to see each country lose its distinct identity in the process. Poland has done pretty well with keeping a sense of identity over the last several thousand years, despite the attempts of other countries trying to impose their own. I think Poland will make it through this thorough attempt at Westernization. At least, I hope so.
Now… off to IKEA!
This is us hanging out by the castle. Yeah, that's right... by the CASTLE.
This is us hanging out by the castle. Yeah, that's right... by the CASTLE.
Check out my artistic reflection in the window picture. It symbolizes a bird. That is reflected in a window. Profound, no?
Asia is demonstrating her amazing modelling skills. This was at an outdoor exhibit about underground artists. Try to wrap your head around that sentence to understand its hidden depths.
Next year Asia might come to Krakow for university. When she gets here, this is what she will do on the first day of class to impress her teachers and show them that she's not afraid of school.
For a few weeks you couldn't go anywhere in Krakow (perhaps a slight hyberbole, but just go with it) without having a free Coke Light (known as Diet Coke in the States, but so much better in its "Light" form) shoved into your hands. They had a variety of cans to choose from, this one being my favorite. I got 4 free cans of Coke Light in one week! This was a very smart marketing scheme on the part of Coke. I will tell you why. When you got a can of Coke, they opened it for you immediately, so you had to drink it right away. This meant that there were hundreds of people walking around drinking Coke Light at any given time. This meant that other people saw us drinking the Coke Light and thought..."Hmm, I'm thirsty. Maybe I will buy a Coke Light." The rest, as they say, is history. And profits.
Krakow at night. In black and white. For your sight. All right?
