Impressions from Warsaw - Utrinki iz Varšave

Here are some of my first captured moments in Warsaw. It is a city of many faces, with a long history and the ability to create a wonderful atmosphere. The colors of autumn and not-winter-at-all temperatures play a big role in this. Can't wait to discover it more!

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Tu je nekaj prvih utrinkov iz Varšave. Mesto ima veliko obrazov in dolgo zgodovino ter zna pričarati čudovito vzdušje. Barve jeseni in prav-nič-zimske temperature imajo pri vsem tem veliko vlogo. Veselim se naslednjih dni in odkrivanja mesta!

Autumn Holidays! - Jesenske počitnice!

Kinder went Christmas. Schoko-Bons have Christmas decoration. I haven’t even noticed it right away, but when I did, it gave me a weird feeling. Christmas. It is actually not that far anymore.

Anyhow, Schoko-Bons are great to celebrate a week of holidays, and if Christmas motives represent the holiday spirit, then be it. I have a week off, after the mid-term exams and lots of hours spent at the university.

I am on my way to Warsaw, Poland. It will be my first time in a country I have heard so much about from my friends, and I am really looking forward to it!

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Kinder se je obarval božično. Schoko-Bons vrečka je okrašena z božičnimi motivi. Na začetku dekoracije sploh nisem opazila, ko pa sem jo, sem se zdrznila. Božič. V bistvu ni več tako daleč.

Kakor koli, Schoko-Bons so odlični za praznovanje tedna počitnic, in če božični motivi predstavljajo počitniško vzdušje, potem pa tudi prav. Imam en teden počitnic, po kolokvijih in urah preživetega časa na faksu.

Sem na poti v Varšavo, na Poljsko. Prvič bom šla v državo, o kateri sem od svojih prijateljev slišala veliko simpatičnih stvari. Res se veselim!

Winter in Paris - Zima v Parizu

I guess it is the time for me to take winter clothes from the last non-unpacked box. And prepare a cup of cinnamon&apple tea. And put some warm socks on. I smelled it tonight, the winter. The temperatures went down, the winter is coming into town. Slowly. I like it.

Cold and windy Copenhagen prepared me well for Paris weather. It is nothing compared to last year’s Danish weather, but sometimes it doesn’t seem that far from it, to be honest. So I keep cycling instead of using the metro, even if I go a bit farther, and I keep enjoying it.

Today, on a Saturday, I went to the groceries. Riding the bike back home with a full basket and passing the Louvre and then one of the bridges over Seine, I was thinking that even the most ordinary thing, such as shopping for food on a Saturday morning, seems special in Paris. Or maybe it is just me seeing it as special.

Anyhow, I enjoy Paris a lot. I am getting better in remembering the one-way streets (oh, they are just so many here!!), avoiding the tourists and rather take some smaller but nicer streets and boulevards. I am not waiting at the red light but pass when I see it is safe to do so.

A friend of mine, a non-French, told me the other day: “You are so French!” When I asked him why, he went on: “The way you say this and that, the body language you have – you just seem so French.” I took that rather as a compliment. Some people have said so far that I have a French accent in English. This is rather not a compliment :D And it is not true, just to be clear on that :D

But I wouldn’t want to argue about my immersion into another culture. I think it is a great thing one can do when living in a foreign country for some time. A lady I talked to for a very short while in Paris, two or three years ago, told me: “When you are in another country, you must eat what people there eat.” She wanted to emphasize the importance of immersion into another culture, and that it makes no sense comparing all the time with your home country, criticizing instead of accepting, avoiding instead of trying. I think she had a very good point there.

And not-good point of the day: in the shops they already sell chocolate advent calendars. And what is even worse – I saw some people buying them! :D Crazy world.

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Mislim, da je čas, da odpakiram še zadnjo ne-odpakirano škatlo, škatlo z zimskimi oblekami. In čas, da si pripravim skodelico cimetovega in jabolčnega čaja. In oblečem tople nogavice. Začutila sem vonj po zimi, danes zvečer. Temperature so se spustile, zima se bliža. Počasi. Všeč mi je!

Mrzel in vertoven Kopenhagen me je dobro pripravil na pariško vreme. Ne more se primerjati z lanskim danskim vremenom, ampak moram vseeno priznati, da se včasih ne zdi tako daleč. Še naprej torej kolesarim namesto vožnje z metrojem, tudi če grem malo dlje, in še naprej uživam v tem.

Danes, v soboto, sem šla v trgovino po hrano. Ko sem se peljala domov s polno košarico na kolesu in sem šla mimo Louvra pa potem čez enega od mostov čez Seine, sem razmišljala o tem, da se tudi najbolj enostavna stvar, kot je nakupovanje hrane v soboto zjutraj, zdi posebna v Parizu. Ali pa se samo meni zdi posebna.

Kakor koli, Pariz mi je res všeč. Vse boljša postajam v tem, da si zapomnim enosmerne ulice (ki jih je tu res veliko!!), da se izognem turistom in raje kolesarim po manjših in simpatičnih ulicah in avenijah. Ne čakam več pri rdeči luči na semaforju, ampak prečkam cesto, ko vidim, da jo je varno prečkati.

Prijatelj, ne-Francoz, mi je pred kratkim rekel: “Ti si tako francoska.” Ko sem ga vprašala, kaj me naredi francosko, je nadaljeval: “Način, kako rečeš to in tisto, kako to poveš s celim telesom – enostavno francoska se zdiš.” To sem vzela kot kompliment. Zgodilo se je že, da mi je kdo rekel, da imam francoski naglas, ko govorim angleško. To, na primer, ni kompliment :D In samo da je jasno – ni res :D

Kar pa se tiče moje “potopitve” v tujo kulturo, mislim, da je imel moj prijatelj prav. Zdi se mi, da je ena izmed najboljših stvari, ki jih lahko naredimo, ko živimo v tuji državi, ta, da se “potopimo” v kulturo te države. Gospa, s katero sem se pred leti za kratek čas pogovarjala v Parizu, mi je rekla: “Ko si v tuji državi, moraš jesti to, kar jedo prebivalci te države.” Kar je želela poudariti, je ravno ta pomembnost “potopitve” v tujo kulturo in to, da nima smisla stalno primerjati stvari s svojo domovino, kritizirati namesto sprejemati, izogibati se namesto preizkušati. Mislim, da je gospa z menoj delila zelo pomembno modrost.

In ne-dober utrinek dneva: v trgovinah že prodajajo čokoladne adventne koledarje. In kar je še hujše – videla sem ljudi, ki so jih dejansko kupovali! :D Narobe svet.

Relaxed Sunday with some tea - Sproščena nedelja s čajem

It was raining last night and even though it is not particularly cold (yet), the atmosphere just calls for some tea, warm socks and some good readings. A relaxed but working Sunday. I have bought myself a new collection of teas and, after trying it out for the first time with almost trembling hands, it is so far the best French substitution for my favourite tea I cannot buy in Paris. Having it nicely stored in the best tea box in the world (it was a special present I ever since take with me when I move) just adds the charm and serves as a nice decoration in the apartment. It will be a nice Sunday.

Sinoči je deževalo in čeprav (še) ni posebno mrzlo, današnje vzdušje kliče po skodelici čaja, toplih nogavicah in dobrem branju. Sproščena, a delavna nedelja. Zadnjič sem si kupila novo zbirko čajev, ki je, po tem, ko sem jo prvič preizkusila s skoraj tresočimi se rokami in v velikem pričakovanju, najboljši približek mojega najljubšega čaja do sedaj. Pisane vrečke sem spravila v najboljšo čajno škatlo na svetu (bila je posebno darilo in jo vedno vzamem s seboj, ko se preselim), kar še posebej doda čar in je hkrati simpatična dekoracija stanovanja. Luštna nedelja bo.

Autumn in Paris - Jesen v Parizu

On the first day of autumn summer came back to Paris. And not just for a day. After a just too quick change from summer to rainy and grey autumn, we apparently got a second chance, the one letting us slowly get used to the autumn and its beautiful colors. Walking to the university and riding a bike elsewhere on the streets of Paris – the winning combination.

Na prvi jesenski dan se je poletje vrnilo v Pariz. In to ne za samo en dan. Po čisto prehitrem preskoku s poletja na deževno in sivo jesen smo očitno dobili še eno priložnost, da se jesen počasi obleče v jesenske barve. Peš na faks in s kolesom po ostalih ulicah Pariza – najboljša kombinacija.

Boulevard Saint Germain is between 12h and 14h, when I go home and prepare lunch, extremely lively. And I don’t mean lively in the sense of hysteric running and hurrying. Not at all. In France, this is the time dedicated to lunch. Even if people are enthusiastic, they are calm. Restaurants get filled up, cafés with a “terrace” on the sidewalks change to a place, which reminds me of a box of sardines, and everywhere the atmosphere is lively. Add to that super great sunny weather – you get the picture.

Boulevard Saint Germain je med 12h in 14h, ko odidem domov in si skuham kosilo, izjemno živahen. Pa ne v smislu brezglavega tekanja in hitenja. Sploh ne. V Franciji je namreč ta čas rezerviran za kosilo. Čeprav so ljudje navdušeni, so umirjeni. Restavracije se zapolnijo, kavarne s “teraso” na pločniku se spremenijo v konzervi s sardelicami podoben prostor, povsod pa prevladuje živahno vzdušje. Dodaj k temu še super sončno vreme – you get the picture.

The queues in the supermarkets are infinite. Lunch only rarely means real lunch for French people. This real lunch comes later, in the form of an early dinner. In between people just eat something quickly. A sandwich, a salad, in a restaurant or in a park, on a bench or simply on the way back to work or university.

Vrste v trgovinah so neskončne. Kosilo za Francoze redko pomeni pravo kosilo. To pride kasneje, ko se pozno kosilo združi z zgodnjo večerjo. Vmes pa se poje nekaj na hitro. Sendvič, solato, v restavraciji ali pa v parku, na klopci oziroma kar na poti nazaj v službo ali na faks.

The streets too are full of cars and scoters (French really drive lots of scoters. I guess they see it as the best way to avoid traffic and are at the same time still quicker than cyclers), but I am going with a bike. After a year in Copenhagen I cannot imagine a city without a bike (even though the cobbled stones in Paris sometimes become just too annoying). In the beautiful weather and hundred of cars everywhere I feel extremely light and extremely happy on a bike on a cycling lane.

Tudi ceste so polne avtov in skuterjev (Francozi se res veliko vozijo s skuterji. Najbrž se jim zdi najboljši način, da se izognejo gneči, a so še vedno hitrejši od kolesarjev), a sama prisegam na kolo. Po letu v Kopenhagnu si mesta brez kolesa ne znam več predstavljati (čeprav so sem in tja tlakovci v Parizu lahko precej nadležni). Ob čudovitem vremenu in vrstah avtov se na kolesu na kolesarski stezi počutim izjemno lahkotno in z vetrom v laseh izjemno srečno.

A sunny day like that finishes with a sunset in the same style, of course. Oh, Paris.

Tak sončen dan se, seveda, konča se s sončnim zahodom v podobnem stilu. Oh, Pariz.

Paris - for a year. Or two.

Paris. The city of lights, or how do they say? The city of love, fashion, art, politics, macaroons, the Eiffel Tower and, of course, the Champs Elysées. Or the city of berets, baguettes and accordion. As you want. My city. It’s been my city for the third week in a row, and there are still many to come. As many needed to add up to two years. At least two years. After a year in Copenhagen, where I graduated, Paris was there, waiting for me. The promised city ever since I was accepted to my French university four years ago. “When you are big, you will study in Paris.” We all knew that and expected it – and now this moment has come. Paris.

Pariz. Mesto luči, al kako že rečejo. Mesto zaljubljencev, mode, umetnosti, politike, makronov, Eifflovega stolpa in, seveda, Elizejskih poljan. Ali pa baretk, baget in harmonike. Kakor hočete. Moje mesto. Že tretji teden zapored, pa še kar nekaj jih bo. Toliko, da bo vsega skupaj naneslo dve leti. Vsaj dve leti. Po letu v Kopenhganu, kjer sem diplomirala, me je pričakal Pariz, obljubljeno mesto že odkar sem bila štiri leta nazaj sprejeta na svojo francosko univerzo. “Ko boste veliki, boste pa v Parizu študirali.” Vsi smo to vedeli in pričakovali – in zdaj je prišel ta čas. Pariz.