Screaming party

So I am having my intercultural shock right now:D

On eof the first things to understand and analyze the culture is to look on facts. After you can start tryingg to understand what each behaviour means. Like in one very ince ICL game: girls were sitting on the floor and guys on the hairs, girls were feeding guys and so one. Those are facts but many people in this game misunderstand them, telling that it is gender discrimination, and knowing the story why they are doing those things, change totally the undestanding of situation.

Therefore I will try to present just facts from last night, without any judgement, maybe I will understand it later...

We were asked to move to the gym, like everyone on the campus. Around 300 people were walking together for some time, what was characteristic it was a scream. One person starts screaming, then the next one, and next one... It was generally laud. All the freshmens were told to move to one gym, after standing there around 15 minutes, we were told to go to the other one, I followed the folk, it was so laud. Next to the gate to gym in two lines there were a lot of people in the some shirts standing and screaming and showing either right or felt hand.

When all the people get in to the hall, people in the some t-shirts started running around us and screaming, lauder and lauder. Finally all the poeple in the some shirts went to the stage and all the others sit down on the floor.

IN the next 2 hours we were told to do many different things like get in groups of 3 people, 6 people and bigger, stay in the circle and sit down on our knees, shake the ass, there was a lot of jumping as well and of course a lot of screaming; quite often we were asked to say our name or sometimes even where are we from and what we like.

All this finished with staying in to big circles and shaking hands with a lot of people.


to be continue ... (after I will charge my battery)

one more airport story :)

I am finally in US - healthy, tired and really happy that I ma finally here, becasue it was not easy!



The travel was so long and complicated. Till Paris it was ok, I was sleeping almost all the way, I have even overslept my meal in the plane, then in Paris CDG I realized that my flight is delayed, but still I was not that worried about it. Problems has started in the plane...

Firstly, I was so hungry and it appeared that I am not on the list of vegetarians! There was really nothing to eat; finally after a long conversation with the craw they brought me someting, but nothing hot.



Secondly, I realized that our delay will be rather big and I can miss my plane. I decided to do my best to cath the plane. Just after landing I was the first person who get out of the plane, then RUNNING i got to know what I have do next. Immigration! there was already a line, but I asked people and they let me in first, the guy from immigration was looking through the papers quite long but he was helpul telling where to go next.

Baggage! It looked so good, I had 35 minutes to take my laguagge and to to the plane. But... my lagguage was not there, and I was waiting and waiting... In the meantime I have met guy from Austria going to the some university as me. He was the first who had found his lagguage and run:)

Finally!! 10 minutes before my plane I got my lagguage! I was still hoping to catch plane. So I run through customs, then I was trying to find a right gate, then there was scanning hand lagguage. I had to take off my shoes, so i did continue without them:D I didn't have time to put them on!

While I was running i realized how big is this airport. And I had to catch the train to move to my gate. I was not the only one - plenty of people were screaming that they might be late.

OK, totally tires, sweting so much and stinky I finally got to my gate and I have meet the austrian guy over there. Of course we both missed the flight.

But this small chenge of plans had some advanteges as well. I had time to have some beer on the airport and meet some funny people (with whom we almost missed the next flight - because they changed the gate and there was no information)

ohhh... here is totally different, I will try to write next posts soon, one about americans in general because I have already a lot of observation and the second one aout Hendrix itself (thats name of college)

cheers
Aga

Almost on my way

It is sooooo boring sitting at home with the feeling that everything is packed and ready for me to go. I still have around 2 hours and I have no idea what to do with myself.

My suitcase is about 21 kg - I hope I will not have problems on the airport. But I have all I need - including my magic box with shisha, 1 kg of tabacco (different flavours) and a bit of cols (I was looking for some more in Wroclaw but I couldn't find any, maybe because it was Saturday). I have as well vodka - of course Zubrowka and one beer for "american friend" :)

I am so happy because finally I have poncho finally. I was looking for the new one since I lost somewhere mine 2 years ago.

So what next, I was reading forum of my new university and there was nice topic: ow much are you taking with you. And people are writing about 5-6 boxes, full cars, a lot of stuff including TV, fridge, microwave and even chair to the computer:D hmmmmm.... I am happy with my limited stuff :) and I am happy about my shisha

One week to go

Unbelievable, next week this time I will be already in the plane going to Arkansas, USA. Today I decided to start with preparation and what I realized it that I have already 3 working days (because in Friday we have national holiday) and too much things to do, as always.

few days later...

I wanted to write someting for few days but I couldn't find time to do that. Right now I can say I am almost prepared. I was thinking quite long what I have to take, how to pack, shell I take my backpack or rather suitcase? I decided not to take a lot of stuff, just I will take those cloths which i like and rest I will buy in US. Right now when US dollar and euro are so wick everything seems soooo cheap!

So Monday morning I am takin my plane from Berlin, then stop in Paris and Atlanta. I shiould be in Little Rock Monday evening local time. Then I can say I will start new life I hope...


any goals?

there are plenty of things which I am expecting after this stay in US. I am not sure if they are possible to realized but I will try. Those goals are:

--> chill out - I want to have few weeks without stress, running all the time and being overworked, I know that I am workoholic but I will try to change it
--> take care about myself - I hope it will be the next step after chilling out, I want to have more time for myself, rest, start eating more healthy lost weith
--> experience how it is to be a student - I realized lastly that I have never been thhe normal student, always studies were in addtiion to someting, maybe know it will be different, I really want to study
--> visit New Orleans - I have as well some expenctations about travelling, one of them is New Orleans, I will do my best to go there...
--> my master thesis - one of my main goals is to collect materials to write my master thesis, I want to work on this as much as possible to have less work coming back to Poland

Am I excited about my travel?

No I am not. For me travelling, changing places where I live is just "normal", I am not getting excited about that, just like that. But I am afraid that I will have to force myself to be excited or just lie to everyone about it.
I had already a lot of contact with different people from the university, both students and professors. In each e-mail I was getting there were a lot of expressions how excited are people...

"I am very excited that you all will be arriving at Hendrix in just a few days."
"We hope you are looking forward to a great year at Hendrix"
"Again i'm excited that your coming to Hendrix and can't wait to get to know you"
"Hey, i am so excited aout hte new semerster, and you?"
"I’m very excited to meet you! I just wanted to send you a note, telling you a little bit about myself. "

...and many more:) Just I am not sure how it will be over there when I will not show so much excitement as the others... but it can be fun:)

Am I stressed?

No, I am not. For 5 years I was taking care about people who are going to live abroad for one year and I think this gave me a lot fo experience. That's so wired but I cannot be stressed!!!!!!!!
But there are some things which are scaring mea bit, firstly I am afraid that I will be the oldest one over there and it will influence me a lot, and thats all:)

I hope to have nice time over there

Wadi Rum - places that amazed me

I wanted to write few articles about places that amazed me the most. I was thinking about my different travels, sightseeing, places, monuments and what I realized is that mostly I am getting impressed by nature.

One of that places I have found in Jordan. We went from Amman to the south - to Petra and Wadi Rum. At first we got to Petra - one of the new 7 Wolrd Wonders.

Petra is a rose-stone city built in the 3rd century by Nabataenas, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from the sandstone cliffs.
I had there a very nice walk (what is quite difficult in Amman) and spend a nice afternoon, but if you want to go to Petra book the whole day for that. I was all the time said faster, faster we don't have time. And unfortunately I even didn't have time to make a good photos and fully enjoy. MAybe therefore I will say that this place was just nice...



Then we moved to Wadi Rum (Rum Valley). It was already the night when we got there and we was enjoying the sand storm, after it was raining. I haven't seen a lot. When it finished in the middle of the night with my firends we decided to walk around. There was nothing to see, but we claimb up some rocks and we have a very nice view on our camp. The plan was to wait until the sun rise. It was cold so we moved to our camp to wait there till the morning.

Of course we oversleep the sun rise, but when I woke up and went out of the tent I was shocked. I was so impressed, so amazed. The surrending was so wonderful, the rocks all around, the colours, the shapes... breath taking...





Then we decided to take a jeep trip through the desert. As well we didn't have enought time for that, and we took one of the shortest trips just 2 hours, but it was worth. Driving on the desert with the jeep, seeing amazing views ot that extraordinary desert, claimbing sand mountain and the rolling down the hill :) climbing the rocks over there and taking too much sun!



Yes - Wadi Rum it is this place I have to come back :)

Egyptian boyfriend

hmmm... how to start, I want to write about my observation done during my "touristic" stay in Egypt.

Do you remember very old movie called "dirty dancing"? It was about a girl who went to summer resort for her holidays and fall in love with guy from stuff, in the background you can observe other girls, who were flirting with guys from stuff as well. For some of them it was the main aim of the holidays.

I was staying in the hotel in Hurghada just few days and still I do not know how to understand that, but I had the impression that all the people from stuff were flirting with me. I may find few reasons of this behaviour:
1) it is a hotel policy to flirt with guests as much as possible to make them leave with "amazing memories" and come back next year (lets call it PR purpose)
2) they just want to be nice, and saying to guests "e ya moza", "hello, how was your day" all the time, and trying to talk with you as much as possible it's part of they culture
3) they are counting for a cheap affair or fall in love
4) they think that girls are expecting summer romance with egyptian guy

How it looked like in my hotel in Hurghada

Besides a lot of people saying you all the time "hello, how you doing" there was few other people which I memorized very well (either as funny or very anoying).
For example two guys who were cleaning rooms. After we come back to Hurghada thay have noticed that we was not there, they asked as for our names, and they were remembering them! Also guys who were sitting on the corridor (i dont knwo why) they were all the time starting the discussin with me, but if you are quite often going from and to your room it starts to be anoying to say all the time hello, and they have a lot of questions prepared, smiling and flirting all the time. The some during meals. I was wondering why waiter was coming to me and saying that I look tired, or asking also some personal questions.
That was not os offensive, but I really had the impression that a lot of them were counting on something. Or maybe they were just bored with their job.

Improper behaviour

But some the behaviours were not accaptable at all. Once I was sitting after the dinner with my two egyptian friends next tot he pool. Suddenly I have heard "E ya mozza" what means "hola guapa". I know that sentence because I was overusing it when I was in Jordan, but only towards friends. It was the first time when I have heard that in Egypt to I started laughing so much. They guy got embaressed and run away. Afterwards he came to one on my friends and asked if I did understand that. He was so sorry. I didn't mind until it happened again. Then I answered that it was totally not professional and as a stuff he shouldn't behave like this. He was trying to shirk, but I was in the bad mood and I complain about that in the end of my stay.
But it was not the worsed. First 2 days we were in Hurghada with our egyptian friends. Guys who were sitting on corridor noticed that and started commenting. Once (after they kick them out of the hotel) they asked me where they are and said that we should "use the room", can you imagine?

Mixed cupples


I think I was the only person who didn't enjoy that. The whole Hurghada looked like dating spot for Easter European girls with Egyptian guys. While walking down the street in downtown you can see a lot of white girls in arms of Egyptians. It looked like picture of the perfect "summer love".

...Summer love or more...

Are the relationships between girl-tourist and guy-local only the summer flirt? Does it have a future? Staying just 2 days in Hurghada I got to know few love stories.

1. Diving instructor got merried with polish girl. They were living in Poland, but as he said they are not together any more because of her family who didn't accept him. (he was not typical Egyptian, with long hair, looked like rasta who is smoking weede all the time)
2. Waiter in one bar, who fall in love in the Slovak girl and was afraid that he will not get visa to visit her in Slovakia

I am sure that there was a lot of that kind of stories. Love stories. Asking why? Maybe you should see typical polish boyfriend :))) I do not give them big chances. I think I don't believe in the summer love. I think it is more about finding some attractions and experience something exotic.

Why I think that?
Conversation between 2 polish tourists in the bus to plane coming back home:
Girl1: Did you like your holidays?
Girl2: Yes, Hurghada is amazing. Let say I have met native (local inhabitant) [smile] you know what I mean, maybe I will come here next year.