Halloween in the Midwest – part 3
This is the third and the last post about my road trip and just like in the previous ones (part 1 and part 2), there are plenty of pictures you can click on in order to enlarge them. entering South Dakota We were heading towards Rapid City, that’s where we were planning to stay for the next couple of nights. The drive was not too long, only around 4 hours, but it was not an interstate highway which means we had to cross some towns instead of bypassing them. I just had to be more cautious behind the wheel. But it was good and interesting ride, definitely not as monotonous…
Halloween in the Midwest – part 2
This is the second post about my Midwestern road trip; the first one is here. There are plenty of pictures and all are clickable if you want to see the bigger version. the road trip As I mentioned in the previous post, travelling to Chicago seemed to be the best option. We got the first flight of the day westwards from London Heathrow operated by the American Airlines which was probably not even 1/3 full. And flying aboard the Dreamliner makes a difference. During long-haul flights, even the mid-day ones, the cabin crew forces people to shut the blinds and increases the temperature so passengers would sleep instead of bothering…
Halloween in the Midwest – part 1
When we were driving across New England in May and June this year, little did we know that it’s not our only time in the US in 2022. In August, I have decided to participate in the SIETAR USA conference which was held in Omaha, Nebraska. There were some deliberations about fitting it in our schedules; we normally have some holidays planned in November when London is grey and gloomy; this would make it either/or situation. At the end we made up our minds, we’re having beach holidays in January instead. Nebraska is part of the Midwest, the area of the United States which is kind of in the middle…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 4, jimjilbang/Korean sauna
This is the last post before the summer holiday break and I decided to continue with my Korean adventure. It is the fourth part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the links below: Before I took off to Korea, I did some research. Many sources recommended a visit to jimjilbang, which in Korean culture is what sauna is in Finnish, onsen in Japanese, banya in Russian, hammam for Turkish – a cheap public bathhouse. All of the local friends we met during our trip suggested exactly same thing, but of course I knew better. I wasn’t going to “waste” my precious time to see a…
The British Museum – part 1
Living in London has many advantages in comparison to living in any of the cities of the world. Of course, for some people those would be disadvantages and they would do anything just to move out to the countryside, I am not one of them, though. Once a capital of the empire on which the sun never sets, now still one of the capitals of the world – London, living here suits me well enough. One of the things I love doing in my spare time is going to the museums. Ruling the huge piece of the Earth once, meant getting access to its treasures, of both natural and human origin.…
The US National Park Service – part 1
We are all familiar with the idea of “a national park”; we take it for granted that all over the globe there are protected areas which we can visit and enjoy for their natural beauty and importance. But it wasn’t always like that. Of course hundreds of years ago, there were game reserves restricted to use by all but royalty and nobility, unfortunately it was for their particular interests only. There was no protection in mind; one of the best evidence for this is the story of an auroch – the animal only kings could hunt for meat and recreation. It still didn’t save it from extinction. This post is…
Kyiv, not Kiev: pre-war thoughts
A post about Ukrainian capital was on my list for quite some time. You see, I have always felt strong affinity towards the Ukrainians and the truth is, I have no idea why. Western Ukraine used to be part of Poland until WWII and, especially in my region, which was close to the new border, everyone still remembers the atrocities done by Nazi collaborating Ukrainians against their Polish neighbours. I definitely wasn’t born to be a Ukrainophile, just like most of my compatriots I supposed to be a Ukrainophobe instead. But since it’s pointless to talk about being oppressed and offended by someone whose life you practically owned (yes, the…
The sweetest day of the year!
As promised, this week’s post is published on Thursday instead of Monday. Why? There is a perfectly valid explanation. This Thursday is a very special day, the sweetest day of the year in Polish culture. It is called Tłusty Czwartek, which literally translates to the Fat Thursday and today, you not only should, but you are morally and culturally obliged to eat as many sweet fried pączki (pronounced pownch-key), as possible. And remember, according to a jocular Polish saying, the calories consumed this day do not count, even if you are on a strictest of the diets. Why, then, don’t you make yourself a cup of coffee, which pairs perfectly…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 3
This is the third part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the link below: This is probably the only post which I write with no pictures on the subject. The answer’s simple. That was my second day in South Korea and apart from taking pictures with my friends, I didn’t take any others. And I do not really want to post pictures of other people. They are not even on Facebook!!! the wedding Anyway, I’m not sure if my friends’ wedding was typical or not. I did some research and it seems that it was not that different from what other couples would do, so…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 2
This is the second part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the link below: As I mentioned in a previous post, we flew with Asiana and it was a great choice. Because it’s a Korean carrier I was a bit stressed about the food or the amount of space aboard the plane but it was way better than my British Airways experiences so far. I’m a rather tall person and I could easily stretch my legs, which is of the utmost importance if you’re forced to sit in one spot for 11 hours. The food was very tasty, you could choose either Western or Korean…
