I wish that you could have been with me the first night I was in Poland. Anna brought her twin brother, his girlfriend, and her sister to meet me and bring us all to hear a fellow teacher play with his band. As we walked toward the public square, we passed part of the original fortifications of the city. We passed the old entrances, including a turret surrounded by a drained moat, and walked under the wall into cobblestone streets. The square is the largest still intact in Europe, and it was lit to accentuate each architecutral feature, from the Church of St. Mary on the corner, to the old cloth market. Shops and restaurants radiate outward from its center. Maybe it was because it was Friday night, but the streets were filled with young people, very stylishly dressed. To get to where Piotr, Anna's friend was playing, we walked through a door, down a stone corridor, and then descended down to a cozy arched brick restaurant where "The Accoustic Duo" had reserved a table for us with a placecard marked "USA." They tuned up, and then played a range of songs which included U2, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, John Denver, as well as some Polish tunes. People sang, and at one point a few women got up and danced. It was very relaxed and lovely, warm and cozy. (With the exception of the British man who was making county music "yehaws" in between his comments to us all that it was time to go home. Then he would sit down again..
This morning Anna brought Denise and I to mass (church service) at the Sanctuary of Our Lord's Mercy, which Pope John Paul consecreated. It is a very modern structure with a tall tower from which we could see the sights of Krakow. The church is known for hosting a portrait painted by Saint Faustyna, a nun who after having visions of Christ, painted his portrait with one hand over his heart and rays of mercy coming from that spot to fall upon those who gaze upon it. In the modern sanctuary, there is a blend of natural lines and strong straight ones. The marble floor picks up the motif of rays as lines of different colored rock eminate from the altar. Behind the altar are sculptures of trees, blown and weathered, intertwined and bare, bronzed and elegant. Behind them is the painting by St. Faustyna. If they are a message to the Polish people and everyone in the sanctuary, it may be this: I may bend you and shape you, you may be broken, but I will pour infinite love and mercy upon you.
The Polish have a phrase, "A Guest in the house is God in the house." Anna planned a party for us to meet some of the students she tutored, their families, and her husband. Her students practiced their English with us, and we shared with them stories of Massachussetts and North Carolina. Anna's husband cooked a traditional bread for us, and he even called his mother and grandmother to make sure he was making it the authentic way. Leon and Jack played their violins for us. Like Southerners, our new Polish friends made us feel welcome, and Gabby, who is ten, has invited us to her home later this week.
Tomorrow is our first day in the schools. I miss you all, and I can't wait to share some of the fabulous realities I have seen.
With Love,
Mrs. Daly
This blog is not an officila U. S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the grantee's own and do not represent the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program, the International Leaders in Education Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.
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