Aya and I have now been in Warsaw for three months. We've moved into our apartment, toured around the city a bit, been taking Polish lessons and generally getting to know our new home.
One thing that I knew coming in was that I would not completely escape the air pollution we experienced in Beijing. As I was accepting my new position last year some friends of ours living here in Warsaw warned us that the air gets bad in winter and we watched last winter through our apps to see that happen in aqi data. Then, last week we started to experience it ourselves. While not nearly as bad as Beijing, it is still a bit disappointing to have to again consider if I can run outside or if we should have our windows closed and air filters on at home.
But let's not dwell on the negative for too long. Warsaw is full of positives. Maybe the best thing that we've experienced is the beer and ice cream. Ice cream is everywhere and Aya has literally been eating it almost every day. The craft beer scene is very strong here and so I too have been indulging almost every day.
and oh, the food, so much of it and so good. There are many national cuisines around the city and Polish food is pretty good in itself. We live outside of the city center, but there are plenty of places in our neighborhood and it is an easy 15-20 minute metro ride to the center of town.
You would think that we are gaining a lot of weight here, but there are lots of places to walk and hike and my route to work each day is a 20 minute bike ride each way, so lots of time and place to get out and get moving.
Similar to China, so far, we haven't made too many local friends but I would say that people here do seem to be more keen to hang out together and its just a matter of time before we make more friends. Poles are known for being a bit shy or unfriendly, I am told, but the latter part has not been my experience. We have noticed that people don't really chit chat with strangers, unlike the US ( a good thing) and that in public spaces people tend to be quiet, like in the metro. People don't really smile unless something is truly pleasing to them, so service staff will not seem as friendly if you are coming from Japan or the US were an effort is made to seem friendly. However, once you break that veneer people are very friendly and kind. We've made a couple friends and generally people seem to appreciate our attempts at Polish, though we usually don't get very far before they answer us in English. We've also noticed a lot of good behavior in public, like giving seats to the elderly, orderly queues, quiet voices, and a general respect for others. One thing to be aware of though is to be prepared to hear a long answer when you ask a Pole how they are doing. They take it seriously, so you won't get the usual, "fine, and you?" Often they will tell you exactly how they are feeling and why. One stereotype that seems to be true is that Poles do like to complain, but don't take it too seriously.
Getting around town has been quite easy and there is a lot to see. We've been to the Old Town a few times, an impressive place as it was totally rebuilt after WWII from old plans and paintings of what the town looked like. There are lots of nice places eat there or just to sit wand watch the crowds. Much of the architecture in the city is squat and dull colored, though I don't find it ugly some people do. One other unusual site in Warsaw is the Palace of Culture, built as a Soviet gift it is sometimes referred to a Stalin's... because it was a large symbol of the Soviet power during the Cold War era. More recently EU money has been pouring into the city and many new high rises and roadways have been built. Though some of the politicians here deride the EU in Warsaw it is clear to see the benefits.
The other quite distinct thing about Warsaw and the Poles are the legacies of the past that shape their lives today. "Pamietan/my" can be seen everywhere, "Remember". No matter where you go in the city there are markers, candles, and remembrances to events past. We were lucky enough to be here at the end of July which marked the remembrance of the starting of the Warsaw Uprising, the largest resistance to the Nazis by a civilian population which left over 200.000 civilian Poles dead and 85% of the city destroyed. On this day every year the Poles stand for remembrance in the streets of Warsaw as life in the city literally grinds to a halt. The war time history of Poland and then the invasion by the Soviets gives the living Poles today a sense of sadness but also a sense of pride in the nation. It is a pride that can be easily seen among Poles of all ages, but unfortunately recently has been morphing into a more commonly seen anti-immigrant anti-globalization movement, part of a greater European trend, and gaining more seats in the parliament.
With all that said, Warsaw is a lovely place to be even if, like everywhere, it is not perfect. It is quite easy to enjoy a day at the local flea markets, walking along the boardwalk of the Vistula river, or enjoying Chopin in the park. The people of Warsaw love their city and their country and make it a point of pride to help foreigner like us feel right at home.
