Last weekend I visited Budapest with two of the other volunteers, which was a great experience! We had a lot of fun visiting several castles, as well as the Basilica, Parliament, and a bathhouse. We saw a band called Triggerfinger play at the A38, which is a performance venue on a boat! They were a lot of fun to watch! We also went to see a ballet performance at the Erkel Theatre, which was incredible, and a really good way to spend an evening. 

Today I visited the Old Town in Warsaw, for the second time. It was quite festive, with many flags and other decorations in the streets for the upcoming Independence Day. There were a lot of performance artists as well, including dancers and musicians. My favourites were a band of Romanian gypsies, who played very well, and very loudly!

I also love seeing all the old buildings in the Old Town, as well as those that have been rebuilt. It looks very different to where I live! It was strange to think that some of the older buildings are older than Australia as a country! It was also exciting to see the birthplace of Marie Skłodowska Curie.

Elinor

This week at school we made boomerangs with the first and third grade classes. We made them from coloured card, and the kids decorated them. It was great to see the kids try to use a dot painting style to decorate their boomerangs, after the pictures I showed them. A few were a bit creative with their decorations, using card scraps from another person, or even plasticine. The boomerangs didn’t return when thrown, although several kids did try! 

This weekend I went with some of the other volunteers to Lublin, leaving on Friday and returning on Sunday. While we were there we did some shopping for winter clothes; some of us were unprepared for the sudden fall in temperature! We also visited the Lublin museum, including the exhibits inside and the tower. The museum was really interesting, and it covered a lot of topics. The view from the tower was beautiful, but the stairs seemed a bit steep on the climb up! We also visited a few cafes and bars, and ate a lot of delicious food!

It was also nice to just walk through Lublin, especially on Sunday when there were markets in the streets. Walking through the park was also very lovely, despite the cold!

On Tuesday evening I went bowling with the other volunteers. It was a lot of fun, and it was good to see everyone again. None of us were very good, although I am proud to say I won in my lane!

On Thursday evening we left for a weekend trip to Prague. It was amazing, Prague is a beautiful city! We went on several tours, and to a few museums. We also ate a lot of delicious food, the waffles with strawberries and melted chocolate being the most memorable! My favourite part of this trip was probably the Segway tour. While riding a Segway looks a bit silly, and very touristy, it is actually extremely fun! It was a good way to see more of Prague too, without getting tired from walking.

The rest of our Prague trip was also amazing! So many great memories were made, several of them involving food. One chocolate shop in particular won my heart with its amazing waffles. We went there twice, and it was just as incredible the second time.

Prague was definitely a city worth visiting. It is very beautiful and inexpensive to visit, and I found the locals to be very friendly and understanding to tourists like myself. I’m tempted to go again!

 Elinor:)

This week I mainly worked at the school, where I taught the children about my experience at school in Australia. It was quite different to school in Poland in a few ways, but similar in others. It was interesting to see what the kids thought about school in Australia. They were a bit surprised about a few things!

It’s been getting a bit colder recently, and a bit more obvious that I’m living in a different climate. Today I went for a walk in the park with my host family, and it felt a bit strange to see what is normal here in Autumn-leaves changing colour and falling-actually happening. It doesn’t happen back in Darwin! We also saw some squirrels, which are another thing that is quite new to me. The closest animal in Darwin would probably be a possum, and they aren’t nearly as common as the squirrels!

Elinor:)

Today we went to the zoo, which was a great way to spend an afternoon! At the zoo I saw a few familiar faces from Australia, including kangaroos and kookaburras.

I had a day off school on Tuesday, and I went to the Warsaw Uprising Museum, but I was told it is closed on Tuesdays, so I took the tram into Warsaw Central and did some shopping. I’m quite proud of myself taking the Polish bus and tram without getting completely lost! I don’t take the bus very often at home, but I quite like using public transport here, as it is so convenient.

This week I started living with my new host family in Poland. They are really nice, and thankfully they speak English quite well!

The flight over from Australia was very long, and very boring, but there was a good view out of the window.

On Sunday we went to the park in Żelazowa Wola, which is where Frederic Chopin was born, and listened to a pianist playing some of his works. It was very beautiful in the park, and the plants were quite different to those back home!

There are a few things I have noticed about Polish culture that is different to Australian culture. I keep forgetting that carbonated water is so common, and mistake it for still water. I’m also still getting used to cars driving on the side of the road. Different sports are popular here as well, everyone has been getting excited about volleyball and handball, instead of cricket and AFL!

Elinor:)

Ok so this week I have been preparing for my after Poland trip. So far I have one travel buddy Emily, she is from Australia. Together we are going to travel through Europe starting from England, Ireland, Morocco, Spain, Amsterdam and Germany. I'm soooo excited to START MY ADVENTURE! 

Poland has been an amazing experience for me, I think what has changed most about me is my ability to think outside the box. This means I learned to handle difficult tasks that I haven't faced before and learned from my mistakes and experiences. I also think my knowledge has been enriched with Polish people, food and culture and I will make sure to share this knowledge with my family and friends. 

Also I am forever grateful to my host family for having to put up with me for the last four months, they helped me have one of the best experiences of my life, I will miss my host brothers so much when I return home. I wish I will be able to see them when they grow into young men. P.S my host mum Anna's cooking was AMAZING! P.S the school food was also DELICIOUS. Also my mentor, Beata was the backbone of my trip, without her support I don't think I would have had such an amazing journey :D Will miss my students dearly, I just hope they learn something about New Zealand and hopefully English Skills.

Dominique:)

So this week has been boiling hot! and soaking wet. At one point it reached 40 degrees outside that's crazy weather for a New Zealander! Lucky my host family set up a pool in the back yard I was so excited when I came home to warm water to cool in. I also went to ORANGE FESTIVAL this weekend. 

It's a festival that goes for 3 days with massive stars like Lily Allen to Snoop Dog. My favourite part of the whole festival was seeing Florence and the Machines During her performance the whole crowd was covered in glitter and Giant Balls. Although the festival was half inside half outside, when Snoop Dog was playing it started to poor down, none the less the atmosphere the crowd had no one cared about the rain and just enjoyed the music AWESOME AWESOME weekend!

This week I was able to go to an amazing adventure park with my host family. 

I had to climb wires and swing from only a rope to a small platform and use a flying fox to finish. I was able to climb the second hardest level with much difficulty and sweat while my host brother were on level 1.

It was so fun I wish I could do it every week. I was also able to spend some time in my friends placements and experience what they go through without a host family. 

They live inside their school on the third floor. We also had a mini hike as there was a nature walk right next to their school.

Dominique:)

This week I felt a bit adventurous and explored my neighborhood. I was really bored after school finished one day and so I decided to get some exercise and look at the natural beauty around me. I was able to discover a dirt track that amazingly ended up at the local Biedronka (I'm not sure if this is spelt correctly) lady bug?? Also this weekend I discovered that there's such a thing as National Children's Day, it was awesome to visit a mini carnival with my host family, my host brother played forever on an inflatable slide :)

I am proud to say that whilst my stay with my host family I was able to teach my host to create an origami Lily. It took much effort and patience but he was able to create a pretty flower. 

This Sunday was my host mothers birthday, it was the first time I heard the polish version of happy birthday song, we had cake and delicious pizza I'm glad I was able to share this experience with my family:) 

Dominique:)

This week has to be the hottest week of my LIFE! I didn't know Poland got so hot. During the week I got to experience my first out door class it was so much fun running around with the younger students, they must have worn me out pretty good because my next class was in shock when i turned up sweating and a bright red face. :P since the weather was superb my host family decided to have a barbecue. I tried for the first time a black sausage (I'm unsure of what it's called) and apparently you can only find it in Poland. It was......... different hahah. None the less, the food was amazing. We also had a water fight using: A Hose, Bucket, Cups and Ice. I totally won!!! All in all a great week:)

So this week I was able to enjoy a home made bonfire. I smelt smoke coming through my window so I rushed outside to see what was happening?? 

I was so excited to see that there was a bonfire and a sausage with my name on it :) It reminded me so much of home to sit outside and be heated by the fire, and I loved that I had this experience here. 

Unfortunately the volunteer team and I had to say goodbye to a member this weekend as she was leaving her placement early. So to celebrate our final days together we as a group got together and went for a family meal.  

This week I was able to go to the cinemas for the first time while being in Poland. I was with two other volunteers Greta and Michaela we saw The Other Woman. I was so excited to be watching a movie without the Polish dub blocking out any trace of English ahaha. 

This week we also celebrated one volunteers 18th birthday!!! We got to meet her parents who book two hotel rooms at the Mercer Grand Hotel for me and a couple of the other volunteers :O which was amazing even just to look at. Then later on we had dinner at an Italian restarant and was able to get everyone there to sing happy birthday to her and even people walking along the street joined in. It was an amazing experience that I hope everyone will remember from this trip. Funny enough my best friend back in New Zealand had her birthday at the same time so I skyped her and had a mini celebration over the internet.

Dominique:)

Hey, so this week wasn't very special, I just relaxed at home with the family and met some of the volunteers for a little get together and a catch up. I had and awesome adventure with my youngest host brother, we went on a frog hunt around the lake in front of the house. Although we couldn't find any we managed to build them an Indian hut as to try and lure them in. When we got home we had to climb the tree in the front yard to try and retrieve the house keys because someone thought it would be wise to use them in a game of catch tut tut! Haha but it was both amazing and worrying to watch as my host dad climbed up the branches. The other volunteers and I got together and had dinner at Kebab King which I see everywhere and yet this was my first time going, it was really great to meet everyone and to be able to blurb out full long conversations which I miss being able to do....... hmmmmm maybe I need to learn more polish then???? hahaha.  

This week I travelled home to Warsavana:) and finished off my classes for the first semester, I'm sad to not be teaching these classes any more but look forward to the new students I meet:) with my weekend free I took my mother to Krakow for her last remaining days in Poland before she has to fly home to New Zealand. 

We visited Shindler's Factory which was soo big we got lost several times trying to find the exit. It was amazing and we watched videos from past employees explaining there involvment in the war and experiences with trying to save and help the jews. Then the next stop was a city tour bus which took us all around Krakow which was beauty in a shell. Unfortunately it rained for the last two days we were there so we got trapped in old town without an umbrella (it was a long walk home) haha all in all Krakow was awesome. My mother flew home today with heeps of souvenirs for the family of our travels and many memories we will cherish :D 

This week I got to see the Eiffel Tower!!! 

It was gorgeous and even more at night the lights made it so romantic.  I was also invited to try frogs legs and snails, although the snail was not so much to my taste the frog was amazing it's just like chicken except better. 

The following days we travelled to Berlin and along the way we stopped at Anne franks home where she hid from the Germans in an attic. We also stopped by the Mercier Champagne House where we took an underground train to travel the winery and saw where and how wine is made. 

In the house is  also the the giant barrel made for the world fair exibition it came in second as most popular attraction, behind the eiffel tower.

This week I went on an epic adventure to PARIS!!!! I met my mother at the airport and have spent so far 3 days in France. 

Everyone here has been super helpful and friendly (we have needed to ask for directions A LOT). We have climbed 420 steps to reach the top of the Notre Dame, had to stop and catch my breath more than a few times :P. 

The view from the top was amazing with ancient gargoyles for company. We also stopped by the wax museum were I met the president Jackie Chan and Elvis!! 

and or course we saw the piece du resistance the Eiffel Tower!!!! 

We dont climb it till Monday so wish me luck and hopefully it wont break.    

Dominique:)

This week I got to explore the home grounds of Fryderyk Chopin. My host family took me to see the musicians museum. 

We walked through the gardens and even his house. 

It was a first for me to listen to a machine guide as we walked through the park (mine stopped working halfway through).

 I also got to meet some of my host family's friends, and I talked about home and the differences between Poland and New Zealand. 

Dominique:)

This weekend a group of volunteers got together on an adventure trip to Gdansk to catch up with friends.

The 5 hour bus trip was an experience I'm only to glad to say I slept all the way through :P. On the first day we visited a castle and hit the shopping centre..... that had a giant water wheel :D

It was awesome. we later saw a bridge full of locks with names inscribed on them, I heard that this was done between couples who sign there names on the locks then throw the keys into the water, so we decided to all sign our names on a lock and do the same thing. 

The next day was sooo amazing because there was sunshine!!! We decided to head to Sopot and visit the beach and walk along the wharf.  

Dominique