I got onto the bus and sat down next to a kind looking old woman. She eventually started talking to me, after yawning and asking if it was just her or was I feeling that way, too. It's the weather, she thinks, so I took that as an open door to tell her I only had so many clothes as could fit in my luggage. It turns out she studied in Lublin many years ago, but doesn't much remember it as it was only work, work, and more work that followed those younger years of hers. When I don't understand what someone asks me in Polish, I try to answer in a way that might possibly be related. She also told me what Poznań is like, and I am still encouraged about the city. She complimented my Polish, and the conversation kind of halted. But the kindest moment was when she got up at her stop, and didn't just leave, but said "do zobaczenia." More of an informal "until we see each other again" kind of "goodbye."

I thought I'd go to Costa Coffee for breakfast, just as a treat, and since I had no food in my room. I pushed the door. Pushed and pushed. Nothing. So I walked about to see if another door would be open. I turn back and a worker opened the door for me. Should have pulled. That was struggle number one. Go up to order. Going fine until there are too many options and my Polish fails me. Conversations switches to English. Struggle number two. But this guy doesn't actually speak English. He just memorized the bare necessities to sell tourists overpriced muffins and coffee. So my joke was lost on him and it was just awkward. Struggle number three. Don't have close change to pay [for the much higher bill than expected for a single muffin and some orange juice] so he wasn't so thrilled about that. Struggle number four. Wait for my freshly squeezed orange juice, fled to the safety of a far away bench down the street.


There is a rule at my dormitory that you must go outside to smoke. That's why it is so amusing that when the administration office leaves for the day, the door ladies decide to break out the papierosy and light up in the lobby, ash tray and all, and smoke all night long, to their hearts' content.

I get to work at 9:15 and the office isn't even open, as no one has arrive before me. So I leave to buy some water and go for a walk. Turns out Gumball 3000, a fancy shmancy sports car showing thing was here and I watched the Polish boys sprinting all around with their cameras like kids in a toy store. Turns out the previous day Tony Hawk had been hanging out for a while, skating on a special ramp, directly across from my work, surrounded by mobs of people, and I had absolutely no idea about this. I then return to the office, and the door guards I'd seen only 45 minutes earlier, scolded me for not flashing them my identification. Swell.