Happy Santa Claus Day

Santa Day in Babel Hostel

Another couple of days in Olkusz have gone by! The school work is hard but I think the students are starting to like us and about 10 have added me on facebook. We constantly need to think of more group activities.

Leo and I in our class

My host family is great and I think that makes up for it! The other night we had a dinner party and invited Leo and Rachel's families around. I got to help make these yum things a bit like Polish gnocchi... maybe pronounced 'klucha'?? 'Do you want a vodka... maybe just a try?' Well the night ended in Johanna, my host mother dancing me around the kitchen in her beige lycra outfit singing 'my little tomato' because my cheeks were red from alcohol!

The dinner party pre-vodka

The food is insane, there is just too much!! First there is breakfast at 7am with bread, meat, cheese, vegetables. Then snacks and a packed lunch at school. Then a cooked lunch at school. Then at 3pm we have dinner at home. Then second dinner at 6pm. Then sometimes supper at 8pm (which is also a cooked dinner). Then dessert! And every single meal contains potatoes or bread. I am SO FULL!
As well as feeding us, Noemi has been doing a great job of entertaining us. Yesterday we went bowling and saw an amazing old church. We didn't manage to find out how old it was due to translation issues, but it had these amazing clay drawings of saints up the pillars and ancient frescos cracking off the walls. Apparently the organ is the biggest in Malopolska (it's big.) We spent the evening with a atlas and Polish-English dictionary (which is present at every meal haha), talking about the country. It was nice.

The church

Today we went a medievel castle in Ogrodzieniec (I had to look up how to spell that!). Walking around it while it snowed (and slipping over), I couldn't help but imagine how the people lived in it hundreds of years ago. It was amazing and in such good condition! The others think I will get bored of castles... think again!

The old castle.

We also visited a church. Mass was on, but as we quietly left, Santa Claus walked in wearing a satin cape, sunglasses (even though it was night) and holding a bag of goodies! Today is Santa Claus day in Poland! When I said 'but doesn't he visit on christmas eve?' Noemi looked at me like I was mad. Okay, so now I know your secrets Santa - you don't fly around the world in one night, you take a whole month. At the school some girls wearing thigh high leather boots and santa outfits brought lollies into the classroom.

Tomorrow is my last day at the first school and we are going to catch a bus to Krakow straight after. Noemi and the others are coming too for the day which is great... especially regarding previous polish bus experiences! There we will meet some other AIESECers from Wroclaw - I can't wait to see them, I have missed them already!

Also, tonight I have made Pavlova for my family... it's in the oven as I type. I am a bit worried that the ingredients apart from eggs are all wrong because I had to use google translate to find them in the kitchen. Hahaha hopefully it will be sweet. Dobranoc - goodnight!!