Chilli's Blog 001 - Since leaving Brighton: 114 days / Since arriving in Krakow: 96 days
Date: December 2, 2010
All of our many ceiling windows are covered in a thick layer of snow. It makes us all wake up at least an hour later than we usually would. For me this makes no difference, because I constantly wake up late anyway, so waking up an hour later is a dream come true. It has been like this for two days. Two days filled with constant falling and settling snow.
The first day of snow wasn't the most enjoyable. It wasn't what you might expect two children to do. You would probably expect us to spend all day playing in the snow. But instead we had to go to a shopping centre to buy us some suitable clothing...
If anyone has the slightest interest in what one would wear in -5C, if they did not own any sort of coat, it might be something like the following.... It's what I wore for the day: 2 vests, thermal top, thermal bottoms, woolly tights, long sleeved t-shirt, ski socks, jeggings, hoody, Topshop jacket, large waterproof thermal jumper, cosy faux fur lined body warmer, scarf, two pairs of gloves and a pair of Hunter wellies. A lot of layers, which kept me warm (sometimes too warm) as long as I didn't get hit with too many snowballs and didn't roll around in the snow. In Brighton such drastic clothing measures wouldn't have to be made because it doesn't get as cold as it does here; in Krakow -25C is normal in winter. But this one is not going to be a normal winter. They say it's going to be 'the mother of all winters', so perhaps it'll be even lower... Brrrhhh!
So, we were spending the first proper snow of the season walking to a shopping centre and were meant to pass the many patches of untouched snow without any yearning to roll in it or something - apparently, yes! Milligan was having none of that (even though we were going to the shopping centre to get him some waterproof boots) he would not move until he had rolled around in as much snow as he could, and his shoes were soaked through. For the rest of the journey he threw snowballs at everyone, till he was told off by one of the snow clearers for using some of the snow they had piled on the side of the road.
We got to the shopping centre about two hours later than planned. We walked to various sports shops in the vast centre, though none had quite what we were looking for... We ended up in a shop that we had been to many years ago when Milligan was just 5 and I was 9, so 3 years ago... which is a long time to me. Most adults seem to think that 10 years ago was only the other day. They will say things like: 'I watched that film recently' or 'I was talking to so and so the other day...', when they really mean
'I watched that film about a year ago and I kind of know what happens' or 'I was talking to so and so last month...'. Which is really silly because I think of the other day as in the same week as when I say it... Adults have the silliest minds, like when they see a child, they say 'you look so old', but when they see an adult they might say 'oh you look so young', whether they do or not. I get that it's a compliment and everything, but when do you stop saying you look so old to a child and then start telling them that they look so young? Would a 20 year old really want to be told that they look so young? But I'm sure they wouldn't want to be told that they looked old? They might start using anti-wrinkle cream or something...
So, we were in this sports shop, which I found thoroughly boring, though I did slightly enjoy trying on the various snow boots with fur lining... Milligan was brought some boots, and I got a thermal top and a pair of orange thermal socks.
We then went home and Milligan and me did the bare minimum Polish revision before our lesson (we have them three times a week). I then put on less clothes than I had before and instead wore my Dad's Canada Goose arctic coat (which is a real arctic coat as you can only buy it inside the Arctic Circle... well that's what my Dad says anyway...). We then left for our Polish lesson. The next part of the day was a bit dull, so I will save you the dullness that I had to endure...
The next day we went sledging (though it wasn't up to Brighton's standards, as Krakow is a very flat city) and when we went back I was soaked through! This was either because I spent a lot of time lying on my back in the snow (It's actually very comfortable) or because I rolled down the hillock a couple of times (but it was not really a hill so I pushed myself all the way). Or because I am not the best sledger and fell of rather a lot of times. Though I would not have expected to be wet through as I was wearing another of my Dads many coats.
We got back and did little home schooling, I think we are getting a bit slack...
Yesterday was a lazy day for me and Milligan. We spent a bit of the morning dressing each other into the opposite gender. So I was a boy and him a girl. I now call him 'Sissy', not as in an actual sissy but as in sister...I hope that makes sense?
Milligan wore one of my dresses and I put a bow in his hair and covered him in make-up, he really looked like a girl! My outfit was a little less convincing: I was wearing a Spiderman t-shirt with a belt and a knife, some bright orange shorts, a cap on my head and my hair was tied up. Then just under the cap there was a tie tied round my head. I also wore a pair of headphones. I looked like a right rebel.
Today we went out to the main part of town, where my German lesson is. While I was in my lesson Milligan and my Dad went around different churches for my Dad's new project. His idea is to photograph the Sunday services in the most beautiful churches in Krakow, from a high-point inside, because a lot of people go to church here, and my Dad thinks that's interesting. It sounds slightly boring to me. And anyway, he is always complaining that he has spent too much of his life as a Catholic and that he is NOT going to carry on with any Catholic traditions. He also hates the lead up to Christmas (I think he is a bit of a 'scrouge') and hates Christmas day, if it's not just our little family...
After my lesson we went to the Main Square. There was a procession of traditional Krakow cribs (these are hand-made, coloured tinfoil models of Krakow monuments). There was a procession because there is a competition for who can make the best one. And all ages enter. My Dad took a picture of two old ladies in wheelchairs carrying a massive one that they made (I wonder if it will get into any of his books?)
In the Main Square every year there is a Christmas market (this years is smaller than in other years, someone said). Milligan and my Dad bought some expensive take-away sausages that made them feel really sick afterwards.
Milligan keeps talking about the Nintendo DSi XL that he is going to get for Christmas. When I allow him to sleep in my bedroom, he often chooses the topic of conversation, which includes: Club Penguin, Christmas presents, Do you think I will get a DSi XL?, Ugly Betty, I'm getting a DSi XL for Christmas, Club Penguin, Christmas, DSi XL's, Christmas, DSi XL's, DSi XL's and DSi XL cases... This is all he ever wants to talk about. He comes up to me and says 'what do you want to talk about?', and I say 'I'm not sure', then he says 'okay, we'll talk about my DSi XL', and then he starts rambling on and expects me to listen.
My Mum and Dad have just been shovelling snow from around our van, so that my Dad can go and get snow tyres, because it's very dangerous to drive without them! I didn't even get to say goodbye before he left! I hope he survives! I'm so scared that he could crash or something... I will let you know in my next post whether he survives or not. But I'm sure it would be on the news in Britain anyway. It would probably say 'Mark Power Dies In Accident In Poland! He Was Not Using Winter Tyres! Everyone Devastated!' Or something like that.