Shopping n' Blogging

Two superb blogs listed below I've just discovered through a guy who's recently bookmarked me, Karl Bischoff, an Australian who lives in my favourite Polish city of Wroclaw. I particularly like this photo on his blog showing an old woman selling bread to a passer-by. To which I would add my own photos from a recent visit to the open air market in Natolin, just a 15 minute walk from PzU HQ. This scene are the essence of Poland to me. Something very, very old fashioned about the image of woman crowded round an old man selling a few hats on the ground, discussing styles and arguing about the price. To me, this is the only really "East" thing about "East Europe" - but it's not necessarily even old fashioned or...(pausing for the right word) ...worse.. it's just a type of shopping experience that has died out in the UK.

[Photos not appearing due to truculent Iphone playing up]

Talking about shopping experiences, I was out this afternoon picking up ingredients for tonight's chicken curry. I went to Real but stupidly realised I'd left my wallet in my other coat. Lidl is a much closer supermarket to ‘the gaff’ and if it wasn't for their poor vegetable stock management it would be the hypermarket of choice. I had to go there though, and as they don't have shopping baskets I used my satchel to store my items. I noticed the security guard, who looks like a 'Leszek', eyeing me up a bit whilst I was deciding whether to buy a bag of onions or just a couple. I’ve always imagined with security guards that in their semi-insane boredom they become amateur criminologists: watching for a flickering eyebrow of fear or the jerky hand movement of the obvious crim. And who I am I not to indulge in such chicanery? We then played a beautiful tango around Lidl. When I was inspecting vodka bottles I noticed him eyeing me from behind the cleaning products. When I was paused briefly in the jumble sale-style clothing section to examine the socks I looked up to see him pretending to observe the range of Jogobella yoghurts. I knew Leszek and I were bound to meet a little closer to the exit and this proved to be true. He lightly touched my arm and invited me into a side room. “przepresam ale nie jest polakiem, chcesz ogladac w moja torba?” did not impress him and I started to get a fear a more invasive approach from my dancing partner than a ‘don’t touch my junk’ moment. “Ello, Ello, Ello Leszek,” his face said to me, “we’ve a troublemaker here.” Luckily all was well and after showing him the contents of my shopping and the random scrawls and aide memoires that make up my teaching tools, he sent me on my way with an apology.

(Having re-read this story of this encounter I fear it sounds like it might be the highlight of my week. And sadly, reader, it was. Old age should be a giggle at this rate).


Two great blogs you should read, now: 


English Teacher X
Foreign Infatuation

I would really recommend the market by Natolin. It’s visible from the tube and runs on Sundays during the colder months. There’s a fair bit of tat but some great fruit ‘n’ veg stalls and I picked up some superb kielbasa priced at about 22zl a Kg.