Simple Pleasures

First off I have huge thanks for the zip lock storage bag (courtesy of the St Paul - Minneapolis airport) and the wash clothes I received from the 3M contingent from St. Paul last weekend. I have yet to find anything even close to resembling plastic storage bags for food but stranger yet is the lack of wash clothes here. I asked someone about that and they looked kind of quizzically at me and suggested I use my hands! It is funny how the simplest of things seem irritatingly large when you don't have them. I will be stocking up on certain supplies when I return for Christmas.

I also had the sheer pleasure of a People magazine Craig's boss brought over for me! Normally, I would read it cover-to-cover the day of receipt; however, I needed to string out the pleasure so I looked at the pictures on day one. Read letters to the editor and the movie and book reviews on day two. Days three and four I read the articles and I saved the cross word puzzle for day five! I am not recycling it yet either!!! For anyone that comes to visit it will be like the waiting room at your doctor's office - not a current magazine in site!!

As most of you know I can find out more about a person in five minutes than most people can find out in a week! Last night I amazed myself and had a conversation with the security guard in Polish! I found out about his dog, his three kids, his grandchild and our ages!!! Granted there was probably not a whole sentence or correct grammar but nonetheless I did it!!! I think Craig wondered what happened to me but I was on a roll!

I've also discovered there are fewer maroon hair colors, dred locks, funny shoes and slightly outdated clothes than I saw before. It's not because the numbers have actually declined or heads are covered by hats, but now I only see people. I can only assume they find American piercings, tattoos and clothing as odd as I found maroon hair (not that I want it) and likely laughed at us as I once did at them. I think I am starting to fit in here! Ok...there is still no excuse for the man walking down the sidewalk yesterday with a red cardboard box over his head so I will always still be me!!

The same goes for the city itself. Last week I was asked if I feel safe here. Frankly, I believe part of that comes from how downtrodden some of the outskirts look. There is a lot of graffiti and buildings in need of repair. There are some parts of the city where you feel as though you are in north Minneapolis; however, you have to remember it was not long ago (late 1980's) when the city was still under communist rule and money was not allocated for repairs. Wroclaw was also heavily damaged during WWII and some of that damage is still apparent. As we toured the city with the folks from St. Paul last weekend I found myself saying, "Isn't this the cutest city"? I feel safe here and am now seeing beyond the "bones" and into what Wroclaw is going to look like 10 years from now! Construction and renovations are being made everywhere you look. I'm actually a part of where Wroclaw is going and it is gratifying.

With that said...I still miss a good steak, zip lock bags, normal bedding and most of all my family!!