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 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…
questions my clients ask – part 1
I have been working with expats relocating to other countries for many years and even though they come from different cultures, they actually ask very similar questions. They check my website, so this post is written to answer some of their questions beforehand, maybe even give you and them some insights about my work too, and will be one of many. It’s not possible to cover such a vast subject in only few minutes read, it would simply be too much for you to digest in one go. Trust me, you do not want to feel overwhelmed. If you have questions which are not answered here, let me know in…
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…