Moral Dilemma

Let me just say for the record that, on the whole, I'm a very contented vegetarian.

I don't feel socially outcast at a barbecue, I don't feel culinarily deprived around Christmas, I don't even have kebab cravings at 2am on a Saturday morning.

But when my dad was served a giant plate of bigos (which contains no less than 4 different meat products) by the matriarch of my Polish family, I felt a twinge of that ethical dilemma that many vegetarians often face.

Fortunately she had also made a giant serving of lazanki (cabbagey/mushroomy/pasta goodness) and so the anxiety quickly faded.

Homecoming

It's a lovely luxury to be both on holidays and at home simultaneously. For the last few nights I've been staying in Warsaw with the family who tolerated me for half a year when I was fresh out of high school - a short five years ago. I have been constantly entertained by all those things that are so familiar, and all those that have changed.

The family have not changed in their lovely, friendly and entertaining way - although the youngest, who was only 15 when I was here last has grown (It took me a while to comprehend he's actually old enough to drive...). The house is still the same, but the neighbourhood as grown. I went on Friday to visit the school that I taught at where there are still many teachers I remember, but very few students. In the city the Russian Markets have gone (only last month!!) but there's a shiny new shopping mall behind the Central Station. My favourite coffee shop is still there, but my second favourite has gone. My second favourite Milk Bar is still there but my favourite has gone.

It's been fun showing my family around the city - My parents are impressed by how much Warsaw is like any large European city, which has me a bit worried. I now get the impression that I lived for six months in a Soviet back block. I had to break it to them gently that 1989 was quite a long time ago now...

So a couple more days in Poland and then it's off to Old Blighty. So little time, so many pierogi...

Poland

So, I'm having so much fun being back in Poland that I really don't have anything particularly interesting to say on the subject (although it could be said that I never have anything particularly interesting to say about anywhere I've visited).

I've just been spending a lot of time here in Krakow wandering around visiting shops I use to visot (Orsay, Empik, etc) and eating Polish food, and chatting with my Polish relatives. This is not going to bad, largely because of their high tolerance of my complete lack of grammar, and very small vocab.

Today I'm off on a train to my old hometown of Warsaw. I'm sure five years will have seen a lot of changes there, but I'll have to wait another 6 hours til I see.

Best Idea Ever...

... a vegetarian Milk Bar.

Now, first of all, a bit of background.

A milk bar in Poland sells cheap, hearty traditional fare without any frills. "Hearty traditional fare" is normally of the meat variety in this country.

Some awesome person came up with the idea of making all the lovely Polish food I use to enjoy before going veg-side without the use of meat. And and the same low low price one normally pays at a milk bar.

This has just been one excitement among many.

Back in Poland

It's only take me five years, but I'm finally back in my adopted homeland of Poland.

We flew into Wroclaw from Barcelona, and our cousins were waiting at the airport to meet us, which was a surprise. I say cousins, but I actually mean my grandmother's cousin's daughter and family - life gets endlessly complicated when you start to analyse these things too closely, so anyone referred to as cousins while in Poland are usually 2nd and 3rd cousins, removed to varying degrees.

We've been strolling around the lovely old town, and had a good Polish feed for dinner.

It's so good to be in a country where I know more of the language than 'hello', 'thankyou' and 'do you speak English?'. This is not to say that my Polish is anywhere near as sophisticated as that of your average 3 year old, but it is nice to be able to ask questions about the menu, or ask where the toilets are, without resorting to absurd gestures and defeatist English.

We're spending the next 9 days in Poland, which means there's a lot of doughnut eating, beer drinking and catching up with friends and family to do in a very short period of time.