Barlinek, With Love

Very often I find it quite fascinating how life works.  And I say this optimistically because I've just come home from my holiday and everything is daisies and sunshine and utter perfection.  So, while I'm still under the daze of vacationism and I'm looking at the world with rose coloured glasses, I write this post about my lovely four days in Barlinek, a small, small (small) town in the north west of Poland.  It's got a population just over 14,000 and is situated around a large lake.  It has a quaint, "Canadian cottage" feel to it, but with the plains and forests of Poland.

This is where my grandparents live, as well as many of my aunts, uncles and cousins.  This is also the town where my parents grew up, met and got married, and the town where my three older sisters were born.  Despite being the only person in my family born in Canada, this town is perhaps the root of my family, so naturally I was drawn to it.

I visited seven years ago with my parents, but for two weeks instead of four days.  It's been seven years that I haven't seen my grandparents and I'm lucky that they're all still alive and well.  I'm unlucky in the sense that I haven't grown up with them nearby, but it's funny - seven years separation really is nothing because the moment I arrived I was welcomed with complete endearment and love.

This was exactly what I needed.  I've been living on my own in Copenhagen for about four months now and though I've been fine, it was the days leading up to this trip that I felt the most lonely and the most homesick.  My sister who was visiting had just left and shortly after I came down with a stomach flu.  I'm the sort of person who, when sick, loves throwing herself a pity party.  I wanted nothing more than to have my mother take care of me and nurture me.  I recovered on my own, but the following days I felt the weight of solidarity on my shoulders.

So it was a huge difference when I was soon within the land of my family.  My aunt invited me over for dinner right away and it was then that I realized just how long it had been since I last had a mother's home cooked meal.
 

Polish countryside

My first night in Barlinek, I was tucked into bed by my grandparents.... Need I say more?

The next morning, a feast was prepared for breakfast.  Something I learned on this trip was the cultural difference of meals and eating.  Breakfast was a vast arrangement of different things from slices of bread, cheeses and cold cuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, yoghurt, fresh fruit, compote (a special homemade juice), tea, coffee, eggs.  This wasn't too different from the big breakfasts I would have back home with my family.

Dziadek + morning feast

After breakfast, my Dziadek (that's 'grandfather' in Polish) took me to a place I remembered fondly from my last visit when I was 13 - his garden.  I'll never forget the little yet beautiful plot of land in which he's planted copious amounts of vegetation.  Apple trees, cherry trees, pear trees, rhubarb plants, raspberry bushes, kiwi plants and lots of radiant flowers.  I'll never forget the taste of the fruit I would pick from these plants.  Incomparable to anything you could buy at a grocery store.  It inspired me, and I told him, to one day have a garden just like his.  But this garden is more than just a cultivated piece of land, it's a very sweet reflection of my Dziadek's hard work and dedication.  Today, it is a hobby that gives him peace and motivation.  The way he describes each living plant and explains when they grow, I can see it is a passion of his and though he's too humble to admit it, he should be proud of his perseverance in this wonderful garden.

Dziadek's dzaiłka 

some of the goodness one could find in Dziadek's garden

Following this, my Babcia (Polish for 'grandmother') took me out for ice cream.  This isn't ordinary ice cream - my sister swears this is the best ice cream she's ever had, though she thinks it might be psychologically linked to her faint memories of eating it as a child.  Nevertheless, it was very, very good.

just a couple of gals hanging out

Then I went to visit my other grandparents, from my mother's side.  We sat down for coffee and tea and homemade cakes and cookies (welcoming the kilos with open arms).  And after a good catch up with my grandparents and my Aunt from Canada who was visiting as well, I had return to my other grandparent's house for dinner.

Dinner, you should know, is not your average Western culture, post-work, 6 pm meal.  During my trip (and I suspect this is a Polish thing, maybe even somewhat European), dinner was served anywhere between 2 - 3 pm.  So early and something I'm not used to at all, but I complied and because of my obedience in going back to my grandma's house at 2:00 pm sharp, I was rewarded with delicious food.

some yum tomato soup and compote

After dinner, we went to my dad's brother's house for...more coffee and cake.  Him and my aunt have the most beautiful house that he built.  The decor on the inside was not only visually appealing, but it was interesting, and behind every piece and function of the home came a story.  My uncle is very much into collecting antiques so it was fascinating to listen to when and where everything came from.  He had things such as ice skates from the 1920s to my Dziadek's old radio from his youth.  But perhaps the most unique part of the house was the miniature vineyard he had planted in his yard.  He had grapes growing from many different places around the world and then in his cellar he had a complete station set up for making his own wine.  I was astounded!  And later we got to try some, both white and a red.  I had never tasted such fresh wine before!  It was perfectly sweet, delectably thick and with just the right amount of a kick to it - it was heavenly.

kicking back with some red wine

Feeling the lack of exercise and incredible amounts of food in my belly, I met up with my Aunt and we went for a walk around town.  It was interesting to hear the things she had to say.  She was very shocked at the fact that it was a Friday night and we couldn't hear or see practically anybody on the streets.  She recalled when she was young, or even as little as ten years ago, there were kids playing on the streets or youngsters in restaurants or bars with loud music heard from all around.  She was right - it felt like a boring, quaint, almost abandoned town.  But the thing about Barlinek is that it's not actually as boring as it might seem.  There are lots of interesting people and when the weather is right (and when kids put down their damn iPhones), that's when they come out.

 

by the lake

an abandoned plantation - super cool

As the night grew old and we made our way home, my grandparents and I settled down and had some supper (the reasoning for having dinner so early).  Before bed, I asked to look at some old photos.  They had boxes of them - some of my dad and his brothers growing up, some of my grandparents in their youth, and some of my sisters as they were kids.  I was very curious to see what my parents looked like when they were around my age.  It's funny because I remember being a kid and looking through photographs and being somewhat uninterested in photos that were before my time.  Now that I'm older, I appreciate them more and look at every detail.

Babcia and my dad as a baby

The next day, I went to back to my mom's grandparent's house.  When I arrived, my Babcia and Aunt were out shopping, so I got to spend some quality time with my Dziadek.  I listened to all of his stories about his heart attack and his miraculous recovery, as well as his stories from the war.

Eventually, the girls came back and we got started on dinner.  I helped them make pierogis and with the whole production line we had going on (I did the cutting, Babcia did the stuffing and my Aunt did the folding), they were ready in no time.  We had two different kinds of pierogis - one traditional flavour with mashed potatoes and a soft cheese and the other a kind I never had before...a sweet pierogi with sugar and pitted cherries.  We had a few good laughs with the sweet pierogis because the juice from the cherries was squirting out everywhere but our mouths!

Once news of Babcia's homemade pierogis got out, my cousin came over immediately.  It's hard to resist something so delicious.  Afterwards, him and his friend took me out on the lake.  We rented a paddleboat and swam for a couple of hours, just as the sun was skimmed over the lake and was warm on our skin.  To be honest, it was just the kind of summer activity I had been craving for a while.

beautiful, no?

As the sun set completely, we walked to visit my mom's brother and his family.  Sat outside with a few beers and good company.

The next morning, my departure day, we went to church, the one where my parents were married.  Afterwards, during brunch, my cousin came over with her lively son and daughter to come see me before I left.  Her adorable children reminded me so much of my own niece and nephew and made my heart ache over how badly I miss them.

And then came that unfortunate time... I had to leave this loving town of Barlinek.  My dad's parents picked me up and drove me to the bus station.  My Aunt and cousin thoughtfully came as well to wish me farewell.  As I was seated on the bus and looked out the window, I saw the wonderful faces of my family.  We waved at each other for so long, my wrist was sore.  Finally, when the bus drove away, I felt a heaviness - I so badly wanted it to turn right around and take me back.  Like an anchor, chained to my ankle, that was being left with my family while I was being pulled away.

But on a lighter note, this trip gave me comfort in knowing just how close they are, both in distance and in relationship.  My heart tells me I'll be returning someday soon.

And of course, like a typical grandmother, Babcia couldn't send me away without some delicious nalisniki. :)

Pleasantly yours,
Bart

Karma: Yay or nay?

As I sit here, reflecting on the past ten days I've had, I really have little words.  Nothing extremely exciting happened, nor did something tragically terrible.  But I did have a few experiences border lining both.  So here I sit now, in reflection, and I kind of feel like somebody's hit me with boxing gloves of emotion.

It all started last weekend.  

Low: My Saturday night free from performances was taken away from me.  Not a huge deal.  I'm lucky enough to have a job that I love, so really I cannot complain.  Except for the fact I had a date.  But still no biggie. I just pushed the date back to a later time.

High: The date went well and left me all warm and smiley.  Maybe it was the wine, but nevertheless, a rarity for me and first dates.

Low: Next day, my bike was stolen. LOL.

High: A couple of days later it was my birthday.  It's the first time I've celebrated my big day away from home and I was a little nervous for it.  I don't really know why.  I guess I was just unsure of the relationships I built here.  I'm not one to really advertise my birthday anyways so I was a little scared it would go unnoticed.  Thankfully, I had completely underestimated the fact that I work with wonderful treasures of people.  They left me with plenty of surprises.  And even from everyone far away, I felt very loved.  And at the end of the day, I found myself a new bike that's perfect for me. (insert tangent about newfound, therapeutic passion for bike riding here)

Low: I wouldn't let myself ride the bike until I bought a proper lock, so I had to push my few day expired metro card and take the bus one extra day.  Of course, this was the one day the patrollers came on board.  Bloody bastard had no sympathy it was my birthday just yesterday and gave me a whopping fine.

Are we sensing a pattern here?  I could really go on and on, but I doubt we need a daily record of my roller coaster life.

I'm a big believer of the cliché: "everything happens for a reason".  But...why is it that all of these things happen right after the other?  Maybe this was an incredibly unstable week or maybe I'm just more alert to it than usual, but I can't help but question it.  Are these things happening to me because I did something bad to deserve it?  Is it a warning?  My sweet roommate, bless her, said that my bike probably got stolen because I was about to get into some terrible biking accident.  I suppose that's a much better way to look at it...

Do you believe in Karma?  The Buddhist theory of moral causation.  The belief that one action can lead to another.  There can be good karma and bad karma.  Basically, you get what's coming to you.  I think I do believe it, for the sake that it helps me try to be a better person.  I try not to gossip about other people, to give back to others, help people out, treat them the way I want to be treated, etc.  But then I guess it's kind of selfish, isn't it?  It seems like I'm only doing it for the sake of not getting rained on, and not really from the goodness of my own heart.

I suppose I look at Karma as being the "reason" in the expression above.  These things happen because of something bad I did.  But maybe Karma isn't the reason.  Maybe my roommate was right.  Maybe the reason my bike was stolen was to avoid some crash.  Maybe I had a good first date because the last few dates I've been on have left bad tastes in my mouth, and finally I deserved a nice night.

So yeah... enough with this karmic balance nonsense.  Besides, it doesn't really fit in with my whole idea of living in the present, day by day.  Karma is what happens in the future, due to what happened in the past.  I'm not about that anymore.  So come at me, good things, bad things.  Come all at once or not at all.  You're just making me that much stronger.

Pleasantly yours,
Bart

Melody Mondays: Metronomy

........Hi guys....it's been a while......

Here's a groovy new tune for your Monday.  I found it on Spotify and added it to my playlist called "groovy tunes" ha-ha.  It's called Love Letters by Metronomy, an English electronic music group.  I don't really know how to explain it but this song has some funky ABBA meets Hairspray meets David Bowie meets Scooby Doo feels to it.  Take a listen and maybe you'll know what I mean.  I dig it.  Hope you do too.

Do you see what I mean?? Am I crazy??

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Choosing Happiness

A woman who played a crucial role in my not-so-distant past once told me about an interesting ending to a conversation she once had.  The person with whom she was speaking to, ended their discussion with the words we hear at least three times a day: "Have a nice day."

To which my mentor responded, "It's a choice, isn't it?"

Each morning, we wake up with the option of having a good or bad day and though we may not realize it at the time, it's a personal decision made at that very moment.  I'm not intending to say people should wake up with the sun shining out of their ass, because who really is a morning person anyways?  It's more of...a general outlook.  You can wake up and feel sorry for yourself.  You can count all of your problems on your fingers and toes.  You can bump elbows with a person and choose indecency and forget about any sort of apology.  You can whine and complain and participate in petty gossip.  These are all factors that aid in making up your mind as to the kind of day it will be.

When I start the day with the choice of it being a bad one, if I have the strength to turn it around, I will ask myself questions.

How can my life be worse?  Who can I think of that is having a harder time than I am right now?

But since misery can sometimes feel like the Burj Khalifa weighing over my shoulders, I need to go further:

Can I make a change?  If I am unhappy and have been for a long time, what can I do about it?

Making a change within one's life is something that requires a lot of courage.  We're creatures of habit.  And if suddenly we break the routine of our daily lives, it can be stressful too.  But stress is an inevitable part of life.  And so is unhappiness.  But while unhappiness often pokes it's head into the picture, it really shouldn't outweigh the presence of your happiness.  Cliché as it is, the best metaphor I can illustrate for life is comparing it to a roller coaster.  So yeah, maybe changing your life (changing your job, your home, your relationships, etc.) may disrupt the ultimate harmony that is your "schedule", and yeah it may take a few weeks of discomfort, but in the long run, that little step outside of your comfort zone, that little leap in a new direction, may be what you need to find your happiness.

In all honesty, I think the reason why I'm writing this is because I'm kind of going through this floating transition period.  I have just moved to Copenhagen and have started a new job.  I left behind people that were very important to me back home, but I also left behind a workspace that was making me unhappy.  I didn't even realize just how unhappy I was until I actually left.  I'm living in this new place now and surrounded by new people and it almost doesn't seem real.  It feels like I'm living inside a dream in my REM cycle.  I'm still adjusting.  And for a period of time, it was stressful (packed it all up in one suitcase, thank you very much.) But it's a fresh start and sometimes that can be bliss.

I was talking with my friends last weekend and I told them how happy I was, but that it frightened me.  Too often it has happened to me that in what has seemed to be a happy part of my life, something bad happens all too soon.  And perhaps that's why I'm constantly comparing life to this roller coaster.  Because just when you're up high, at the peak, you fall down faster than you can even breathe.  So yeah, I'm terrified that everything right now is too good to be true and that any second now, something awful and horrific will happen.

Thankfully, I have good friends.  They told me that I need to let myself be happy.  I need to accept and acknowledge this feeling that comes so softly and often is disguised by the bitterness in the world.  Human beings hardly ever let themselves be happy.  Either they are going through a tough time and are thinking "Man, I can't wait for this all to be over so that I can get a break" or they are in a tough time and remembering how easy they used to have it.  So often I look back on my previous years and think "If I had only known how hard my life was going to get."  I think that I used to have it so good.  But was I thinking that at the time? Hell no! At the time, I told myself "Your life is hard right now, but get through it and it will be fine."

So in summary, we believe happiness to be something either in the past or in the future and that makes it so far away and intangible.  The goal that I've given myself as of now, is to accept happiness in, not the past, nor the future, but in my present.  Right now.

I am happy.

The night I arrived, a rainbow came out.  I'm hoping it's a good omen :)

Pleasantly yours,
Bart

Copenhagen, Denmark

I love autumn. It's my favourite season for so many reasons.  But this past year I had a different fall experience than what I'm usually used to.  I spent a few weeks in October visiting Copenhagen, Denmark and while my heart belongs to the orange leaves and crisp air in Canada, I'm happy I got to witness a Danish autumn this year.

This was my first time in Denmark (lots of firsts for me this year, travel-wise) and thankfully I had two good friends who had just recently moved there to join the Royal Danish Ballet.  I stayed with one of those friends in the most charming apartment.  This was the moment I was introduced the the perfection that is Danish design.  I eventually learned that lots of Danish apartments look similar to this.  Very simplistic.  Minimalist.  Geometric.  Matte, light, wood finish.  Very light and white.  I adored it.

Every morning, to get into the city's centre, we had to walk along this gorgeous canal.  Boats parked all along the sides, cobblestone pathways beneath my feet and the sun's definitive glow - it was picturesque to say the least.

beauty, ain't it?

My first morning there, Wilma and I stopped at the cutest cafe by her place.  Little did I know, I was about to taste the most drool-worthy croissant of my life...

I still dream of this croissant. 

As we walked further into the heart of Copenhagen, there was lots to see....

bike traffic. It's a thing there.

Strøget -  one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in the world

Strøget by night.  Lit stars in the ground :)

Torvehallen - a food/super market.  Think Chelsea Market in New York or St. Lawrence Market in Toronto.

Here we began to cross the bridge to get into the neighbourhood known as Nørrebro.  It's the northern district of Copenhagen and currently regarded as the trendy destination.  It's likely the most multicultural part of the city and filled with lots of amazing restaurants, cafes, bars and shops.  

One lonely chair overlooking the water. How lovely.

And by the chair is a mysterious book...

The view from the bridge.

Here's another canal.  You really can't walk for more than ten minutes without seeing a canal in Copenhagen.  

t'was a gloomy day

This is the infamous Nyhavn.  It is a 17th century waterfront but to the plain jane eye, it is yet another canal.  It's loaded with restaurants and cafes.  Very lively and entertaining.  Personally, my favourite part about Nyhavn would be the bright colours of the buildings.  Visually, it's a lovely portrait.

When I had some alone time to wander and get lost, naturally I happened to stumble upon what I believe to be the world's best cookie (so far).  The place was called Foodshop No. 26 and because wifi is like an endangered species when you're travelling, I was initially inclined to enter because of that.  Or maybe it was the fresh pastries and danishes sitting at the window, beckoning me, completely aware of my vulnerability to sweets.  Blasted Danes...why must your food be so good??

Heaven in cookie form.

The grandest tourist adventure I went on was to see the Little Mermaid statue.  Hans Christian Anderson, known to us as the author of many fairy tales, modernly presented as Disney movies, lived and died in Copenhagen.  The statue is found by the waterside of the Langelinie promenade, which in itself is a nice walk.

Me and Wilma being all touristy.

And there she is!

Lucky for us, this very same night was also KulturNight in Copenhagen.  On this night, for a fixed rate of maybe about $25, every museum, gallery, church, political building, castle, etc. was opened to the public.  First we visited the Museum of Danish Design but I didn't get any pictures. Sorry.

We moved onto the building of trade.  We got a really thorough tour, thankfully in English.

Outside, we ran into a series of tents that had different activities within them.  This is me sawing of a piece of wood, which I later turned into a candle.

this was hard for me...

Here, on a bright, sunny and warm day, I ventured off to see the Royal Danish Library.  

amazing

Just outside the library, I discovered my new favourite reading spot...

leave me here forever?

Then of course came Saturday night.  Universally known as a late night.  We visited Christiania, which is a self-proclaimed neighbourhood in the city that seems to have no rules except for NO PICTURES.  So yeah..didn't get any pictures.  But imagine a charming hippie-village.  

As bikes are the best way to get by in Copenhagen, I couldn't leave without riding one.  Only problem was, I didn't have one.  So I hopped on the back seat of Liam's.  I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life.

these smiles are fake.

Next day, Liam and I came across a very, very random set of swings.  We couldn't not...

I don't think I've ever seen fashion so impeccable as the fashion I've seen in Denmark.  The stores are out of this world.  Such quality.  Expensive, but...worth every penny.  I treated myself to some black jeans from Cheap Monday and two basic t shirts (softer than a baby's bottom) from Samsoe Samsoe.  

But I must admit, the best thing I bought in Copenhagen was my new haircut.  Funny story with that - after months of debate, whether or not I should cut my hair, Liam convinced me it was the right thing to do.  My long hair, despite my efforts to grow it longer, was damaged beyond repair.  It was a Sunday that I came to this decision, and I tell you, everything is shut down on Sunday.  Except one magical hair salon that told me this was my fate.  Short hair is blissful.  It's light, it's easy.  I feel that I look older (thankfully because I'm a cursed babyface).  I had no regrets.  And yes, occasionally I'll look back and miss the way my long hair looked, but I think I'm gonna hang onto this bob, just for a little longer.

To summarize the trip, it was memorable.  The city itself was perfect in all the right ways.  The people were friendly, the air clean.  I was so grateful to have had my friends there and to have made new friends as well.  

I'm very excited because I get to go back there next month.  The scary part is I'll be living there for half a year... Working at the one place I very remorsefully didn't get to visit: Tivoli Gardens.  I have dozens of thoughts and feelings about this right now, but I think I'm at a place in my life where I need to start a new adventure.  I've aged a lot this year from experience and I feel ready to do this, despite the uncertainty one always feels when starting something new.  

So starting late April, this blog will be coming to you from Copenhagen, Denmark!

Pleasantly yours,

Bart

Oslo, Norway

At the end of January I was lucky enough to travel to the magnificent city of Oslo, Norway to attend an audition.  It was a short trip - maybe about three days long - but I really tried to make the most of my stay there and absorb what I could in this short amount of time.  

I got off my plane and like any explorer in a new place, made my way on the train which took me straight into the heart of the city.  I fell in love with the Norwegian scenery instantly.  

here are some fields...

here are some trees...

here are some homes...

As you can see, lots and lots of snow in Norway.  The temperature wasn't much different from Toronto's - frosty, but no more than what I'm used to.  But I left a green Toronto, so I was quite appreciative of this Nordic snowy winter view.

I stayed in what was by far the coolest hotel my student budget could ever afford. The Comfort Hotel Xpress Youngstorget.  The hotel had the vibe of an ultra hip youth hostel.  It was decorated with pop-art and graffiti on the walls and even had arcade machines upon entry.  The staff were incredibly friendly.  I can only say good things about this place.

cutest twin beds I've ever seen

how about this super Nordic bathroom

Isabelle was meeting me in Oslo but since my plane arrived a few hours before hers, I had some time to go off and explore...

mountains of mystery

the Oslo Opera House (also where my audition was)

cute cafe I found (one of the few places open on a Sunday aka I was starving)

When Isabelle arrived, we went out to explore some more and out for dinner.  Staying outside in the fresh air and tiring ourselves out was the best way to fight off the jet lag, especially considering we had to be perky, bright-eyed ballerinas the next day.  Isabelle thought it would be neat to document Norway in panoramas, so she took these cool photos:

1. A restaurant not too far from our hotel.  We think it was Italian because I ordered a pizza but they did also serve fish so...we never found out for sure.  Our waitress was telling us about this one white fish that's similar to cod, that they hang up to dry out for some time before serving it.  Apparently, it's a big thing in Norway.
2. This was the neighbourhood where our hotel was.  Youngstorget, it was called.  Very hip and trendy. Lots of cool restaurants and bars and only minutes away from the shopping street and other known parts of Oslo.  The only difficulty was that we had to walk up and down these hills to get out of the hotel, which in any other season would be fine except that in winter, all of Oslo turns into an ice rink.  Not even kidding.  We were slipping and sliding all over the place.  So yeah...these hills were basically a death sentence.
3. Here is a view of the opera house and city at night.  Very beautiful and lit up.  Could you imagine going to see an opera or a ballet in such a striking structure?
4. Ah Joe & the Juice.  Joe and I first met upon my travels to Copenhagen in October.  It's this incredible juice place where they're known to hire really hot guys...sort of sexist, I know.  But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it somehow makes the juice taste even better.

The audition went well.  I mean, I didn't get a job so obviously it could have been better, but I had a good class and a lot of fun.  Optimism is the only thing I can hold onto for now.  And if I know that I did my personal best, then I know they just didn't want me.  Yeah, that sucks, but at least it's not my talent that's in question.  It's going to be a long road of rejections, so if I let myself break this early on in the game, I'll never make it.  Anyways, the view outside the studio was something else.  I made sure to get a barre spot right at the window, which could be distracting/inspiring, all at the same time.  Windows are very important to me.  

Isabelle and I after our audition

My friend Ida who lives in Norway was kind enough to take us around the city and give us a tour.  It was so lovely seeing her again since it's been a handful of years since I last saw her.  We walked for hours in the cold but I felt that after her personal tour, I properly got a taste of Oslo.  

Over all, Oslo is a visually remarkable city.  The architecture is puzzling, yet memorizing.  Many of the buildings, including the Opera House, resemble Arctic glaciers or icebergs, fitting the winter reputation this country has.  I'm happy I got to experience Norway in this season.  Hopefully I can come back and see it in the summer.  The one thing about Oslo that I would change is that it seemed to die down by the nighttime.  I mean nobody wants to be out in a temperature below zero, but it seemed that were hardly any people on the street.  And stores closed quite early.  I think if I lived there, I would get a little bit bored, but at the same time, with the nature and beauty of the city, I think I would find other ways to stay in awe.  

farvel Oslo!

Pleasantly yours in Oslo,
Bart