Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Speaking of Politics... Speechless Wednesday






I'll let Polish Mama on the Prairie speak for me (except for that part about voting for him, never did that, never will, but that's no big secret 'round these parts).

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

My Facebook Status (if I hadn't quit Facebook) #1

Hejjo: Mommy, can I go to Lego dot com?
Me: No, honey, I am finishing my lunch and then we have to get back in the car.
Hejjo: Why?! We were just in the car!
Me: I know but I have to go vote, and I want to go now before I forget.
Hejjo: But I thought only men were supposed to vote?


P.S. So, how hard is it to vote in Poland? I mean, an American, voting for, let's say, the Presidency, in Poland? Absentee ballots? Mailing them in? That kind of thing? Anybody?  Because voting here is super easy, and the polls are always run by the sweetest old men *and women* ready to usher you to your private little booth with the fancy buttons. Always makes you feel so powerful, like you've done something both secret, and good.


BAM!


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Where's all the beef?


Speaking of Texas, and food... Where's all the beef, Poland? Hmmm....?

I mean, they have cows in Poland, they exist, they are raised for milk and other dairy products, so where are the steak houses, the Bar-B-Q joints, the meatballs?!

Martin and I have had many a discussion about this topic. Mainly centered around the idea of opening an awesome, lovely, simple steak house. Much like one of those places that only serves 5 different cuts of steak, maybe one choice of seafood and 5 sides. Simple, and good. But where do you get the beef? Will Polish people even solicit such a restaurant? (My idea is to scrap the steak house and go for a simple and delicious Bar-B-Q joint...who doesn't like good bar-b-que)!?

So, we took the idea to my dad, a connoisseur of steak grilling and he later sent me this article (emphasis mine)...



Beef prices set to increase in Poland

3rd April 2012
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Beef producers in Poland, concerned that domestic consumers currently lag behind their European counterparts in terms of beef consumption, are planning to increase prices, reported Puls Biznesu.
Their representatives claim that Polish beef is the healthiest and most delicious in the world. However, despite this, Poles eat on average 3 kg of beef per year, compared to 15 kg per capita for the average EU citizen.
And although experts say that low consumption is a result of high beef prices, producers are seeking to increase prices even further in order to finance the implementation of their own QMP quality control process, with the support of the Polish government and the EU. This is in order to change consumer perceptions and change Poles' eating habits, so they buy more high-end beef products such as entrecĂ´te or roast beef.
“Consumer studies show that customers are likely to pay more for meat that's of better quality. QMP beef is more expensive by up to 30 percent, but you pay for quality,” said Jerzy Wierzbicki, chairman of the Polish Association of Meat Producers.


From Warsaw Business Journal



entrecĂ´te = fancy French word for steak
(I simply will not address the statement in bold. Clearly "their representatives are wrong. Clearly).
It appears that there is a chance that beef may become more popular in Poland sooner rather than later but it will be more expensive? And that will make people want to buy it more? I guess because then people will think it's super special and be more tempted to try it? I don't know...
 Well, it's something I guess. 
All I know is that I *will* be making spaghetti sauce *and* meatballs. And those meatballs will be made out of pork *and* beef. And if I can't find ground beef at the nearest butcher, I'll buy whatever parts of the cow they have available, I'll whip out my in-law's manual poppy seed grinding machine, and I will grind that beef up like it's nobody's business! Because the poppy seed grinding machine would work, right? The plan is a good one, right?! I will be able to make meatballs and lasagna and awesome spaghetti sauce, right?!!!
So, what's the word, my readers... beef? Where can I get some and what condition will it be in when I obtain it?










Saturday, May 19, 2012

My "missing Texas" bucket list...

 Top 10 list.

Me (in no particular order):

1. Mexican food.  Every. day.  A Margarita will be drunk with every appetizer or full sized meal purchased. (appetizer *and* full meal = 2 margarita's) Jarin, I'm lookin' at you here, let's get started.
2. The Texas coast. Unique in every way to any other coast you've ever been to. (unless, of course, you've *been) to the Texas coast and then it's just as unique, as...itself.)
3. New boots - ok, ok, this isn't a place...it's a thing... but boot stores are fun places, and I would like to go to one...and get new boots... please? Maybe Cabela's. If you've ever been to Cabela's you'll know it's an experience in and of itself. (Cabela's is all the best about Texas and none of the bad ;) )
4. A baseball game. Triple A or Professional, either will do.
5. Enchanted Rock, and actually hike to the top, not just drive to the entrance gates and turn around. Combined with a night spent at my parent's barn/house right next door.
6. Dallas to visit friends from college, visit my sister and her family, and visit my Godmother. It's actually just time for me to do this but now I have a great reason!
7. The San Antonio Zoo. A great zoo, and only 1.5 hours away and just down the road from my brother and his family! 2 birds, 1 stone, must be done.
8. Go fishing.
9. Make s'more's around a campfire under the Texas sky. The skies really are bigger in Texas (they really really are)!
10. Canoeing on Town Lake with the kids.

I would settle for the family visits and the coast... and of course new boots to wear at the same time....and we all have to eat food, why shouldn't it be Mexican in flavor?

Any other suggestions? What would you just *have* to do if you were leaving the country for a while (it can include things outside of Texas, but really, if you're leaving the U.S. and you're not already *in* Texas, then shouldn't "visiting Texas" be on your list)?

 Am I missing something big?

Lay it on me.

Friday, May 18, 2012

Red Poppies - Mak

The red poppy, or "corn-poppy" is the unofficial official flower of Poland. I love red poppies (red is my favorite color). I think they're beautiful, and I first saw them in America, not Poland. I am looking forward to seeing fields of them, as I have been told exist, in some areas of Poland. Much like this...

Image Detail




... and so, as a compromise, as Martin cringes every time I try to insert some sort of "girly" background to my blog (yes, *my* blog, but still, we are "one flesh" and what not...he also "approves" every post that might be mildly controversial, so if you get offended, blame him for not censoring me enough), we have the Poppy background, and I quite like it.

Coincidentally, or perhaps not at all, but actually quite deliberately, playing around with blog backgrounds and columns and widths of columns and color palettes is a really great way to avoid doing anything you *need* to be doing to move your entire family across an entire ocean.

I am pooped. I can't move from my comfy bed, and I quit Facebook last week. What else is a girl to do?

On a completely different note... Martin is currently researching Polish castles, in good shape, for a total of 75,000 American dollars. "Hey, Martin, if I'm not a farmer, then you're not a King!"

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

It just takes a simple phone call...shipping car and stuff update

In this go-go world of emails and online everything sometimes it's nice to just pick up the phone and talk to a real person. Especially when that real person is an expert at what they do and has clear and concise answers for all your questions, and treats you and your concerns with respect.

I just called Schumacher Cargo Logistics twice in a row, talked to the same guy and he answered my questions thoroughly and respectfully.

#1. How full can I pack my car?

answer: needs to be at a level where the driver can safely see out the back windows.

Knowing this, it may not make more sense for us to fold down the seats. Instead we should use the most of the floorboard space as possible. We'll see which way allows us to fit more containers, bags, etc.

#2. Can I pack clothes and what not in to the bags you suck the air out of? (this was my exact question...very eloquent and with impeccable grammar)

answer: Yes, as long as it is labeled properly

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This changes everything! My entire plan for packing... everything! In fact. I wouldn't be surprised if I can fit everything in the car with room to spare, even without filling it to the ceiling (which was my original plan)

God is good...

...all the time!

Now would it be crazy to ask Lina to sacrifice her room so I can use it as my packing room?

Ya'll, this is going to be a packing extravaganza that will go down in Demkowicz family history books!

Can she do it?!

Yes, she can!

(um, yeah, I think so...)

I was saving his intercession for a time when I felt I really needed it. I think that time has come. St. Jude, pray for us!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Nuts and Bolts: Shipping the Car, and our stuff (a.k.a. Car Trouble Part 2)

So, we have decided to ship the car using a company that will ship the car in a huge crate, with our personal belongings stuffed inside. Think of a turducken. If you have never seen a turducken, then make it your goal for 2012, you have lots of time left. (Here's a hint: google it. Done. You're welcome.)

If you do happen to google it, then you may also come across this...


A *bacon-wrapped* Turducken...My first Thanksgiving in Poland may or may not include this little beauty right here. (Doesn't that just make your mouth water and your heart hurt at the same time?)  4. Count them. 4 different animals killed to remind us to be thankful for our lives.



The rest of this post has nothing to do with Turducken's or Thanksgiving or bacon...unfortunately.

Our car will be shipped in somethign like this...

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and hopefully nothing like this happens...




.. that would be horrible.

After many, many, many emails back and forth w have decided to go with Schumacher Cargo Logistics as our shipping company.  

Why we chose what we chose and what YOU might do if you were in our situation:

There are only a couple options for shipping your car to Poland (and possibly most other foreign countries that are not connected by land).

#1  Roll On Roll Off-  this is just as it sounds. You drive the car to the port where the boat is waiting to take it overseas. You cover the inside with sheets and other protection form mold and mildew. You empty it of all personal belongings that you don't want stolen and you leave it completely unlocked. It is driven into the bay of a huge ship along with hundereds of other cars and unloaded in 6 weeks time at the port of your choosing. Car companies ship their cars this way.

Pros:  
- cheaper - as the price is for moving ONLY the car, and nothing else... up to 25% cheaper than your other option
- possibly a faster shipping method


Cons:
- can't use your car to transport stuff
- generally more prone to damage of the car or pieces missing from the car
- (in theory) a little more exposed to the elements (humidity,etc.)


#2 Container Shipping - this is the method where your rent room in a container (as pictured above) and can store personal belongings in the car. You can rent the whole container for your car and whatever else you want to go in there or you can simply rent room for just the size of your car. You package the items in convenient and easy to open containers, fully labeled as to contents* (for customs).You get your car full of stuff to the port. They load it up and it gets sent. Takes about 6 weeks.


Pros:
- You get to ship your stuff in your car, if you aren't taking much, it cuts down on the cost of shipping your personal items separately... cheaper for "total move" costs


Cons:
- more expensive
- possibly a longer shipping time if the other half of the container you rent doesn't get filled in a timely fashion. They don't ship half empty containers. Not a problem if you don't need your stuff by a certain date.




Let me start by saying that we do have stuff we are taking to Poland that does not fit in our carry on and checked luggage...obviously. Our airline allows you to check up to 10 bags per ticket. TEN. BAGS. For about a week or two, this was what we were gonna do. The price turned out to be cheaper than shipping it  through an international moving company or international shipping company ($1.25 per lb  vs.  $1.50 per lb). So our plan was to load up our 50 bags (5 tickets x 10 bags a ticket, 5 bags for free) pay the "extra baggage fee" and just make it work. Logistically, pretty crazy, transporting to and from the airport, checking it in and out at customs.. ugh...but doable...if we have to we have to. We asked the check-in lady at Air Berlin if this is something people do. Se said... "oh yes, all the time... when they are moving from country to country."  Hey! That's us! 


A couple weeks passed, Martin looked into shipping our car in a container and loading it with our stuff, and decided on that instead. No big light bulb moment, just a bunch of emails back and forth with the Roll On, Roll Off people and not liking them one bit, and stumbled across our guys at Schumacher.


Thank Goodness! - 50 bags, each weighing in at 50 lbs. each? Can you imagine?! 


So there you go. There are lots of companies, lots of options, but Martin always does his homework and chooses the best company for the job, as far as he can see. It's working out so far. 


So, in a couple weeks time, my car and all the possessions we will be taking to Poland, will be on a ship in the middle of the ocean.






* I plan on boxing everything in see through bins, which I already own. I plan on labeling each bin with a colored sticker and a corresponding sheet that that explains what is contained in each box by color (the company requires a list, the color coding is for their convenience). So a color coding system. My mother-in-law suggested getting those bags where you can suck out the air so you can fit more. A good idea but I have a feeling that at some point some guy (or girl) is going to open them and not have a vacuum cleaner handy to deflate the dang things again. So, bins and boxes and a color coded system. Here. we. go...



P.S. Check back in a couple months after this whole ordeal is over, we have our car , and all our stuff is safe and sound and NOT at the bottom of the ocean. I'll let you know then how we feel about it. Fingers crossed!


P.P.S. Also, I don't even know if our stuff is going to all fit in the car. BOOKS! Homeschooling and books go together like fungus and feet. So many books. 


USPS "book rate" or "media mail" (same thing apparently)


- within U.S. - 70 lb. box of books = $27.00----- pretty awesome I must say
- internationally - 70 lb. box of books = $700.00-----that's us...no way.


I called the Post Office just to make sure I didn't read wrong on the website. It's true.


UPS- 70 lb. box of books- $ = an entire plane ticket-----------who do they think they're dealing with here?




I hope there's not a weight limit on that boat!

Monday, May 7, 2012

Nuts and Bolts: Preparing your children

Oy. I made a huge mistake today. Huge.

This morning Martin gave me the news that we will be sending our car in two weeks time, and it will need to be filled with all our belongings. Remember how I mentioned that we didn't know quite yet how we are getting what little we are taking to Poland. Well, that's how. And for the car to be there when we get there, it has to leave in two weeks. Which means I have two weeks to get everything out, put into bins, itemized and labeled correctly for customs, and hope it all fits in the car.

This was big news. And then I shared it with the children.

See, the thing is with kids, they have no concept of time. Hejjo, 6 years old, he does ok, but the other two 4.5 and 3, not so much. (Kacio was just running around knocking all the packing boxes over. That's what he does all day, knocks stuff over.)

Me; Okay guys well, we have to start packing up stuff to ship to Poland in our car. Let's see, where we can start?
F: Mommy, where's my backpack?
L: Do I have a backpack?
Me: Yeah, ya'll's backpacks are on the top shelf of your closet, why?
F: I need to pack it up.
L: My dolly needs to go to Poland, can I take my dolly? She needs to go in my backpack.
Me: Yes, Lina, you can take your dolly. Guys,we don't need to pack for the plane yet. The backpacks are for the plane. We are just packing for all the stuff that is going on the boat to Poland, not the plane.
F: Mommy, what kinds of things will go in my backpack?
M: Well, you know, things like, snacks and a couple books and a game and one stuffed animal if you want.
L: I want my blankie to go and this sticker and I want an orange. Can I have an orange on the plane?
M: Yes, Lina, you can have an orange on the plan but we don't need to pack those things now. We aren't going anywhere right now.
F: But why can't I have snack's on the plane?!
M: You can! You just don't need to pack it right now. We have lots of time before we need to pack for the plane. Lots of time.
F: Oh, you mean cuz if we pack it now it will rot before we leave? It will rot in our backpacks?
M: That's right, Felix! So don't worry about the plane and your backpack right now, okay?
L: Mommy, can you open my backpack I need to put my Raggedy Ann in too so she can go with me. Will there be buckles on the boat?
Me: Buckles? What for?
L: So that my dollies and my Lego's don't fly everywhere when the boat goes in the water.
Me: You don't need to worry about that Lina, it will all be in our car. It will be safe.
Hejjo: What if the boat sinks?


 So, as you can see. The younger they are, the less they need to know, at least when it comes to packing.  ;)

But otherwise, preparing the children. I don't know. I  suppose it differs for every family.  Martin recalls that when he was a child and they would go back and forth between the two countries he wouldn't find out they were leaving until just a couple days before they left, sometimes finding out from people other than his parents. He doesn't remember this too fondly. I know they had good reasons for this ( some of which you can see we are experiencing at this very moment :) ). Nevertheless, we are kind of doing the exact opposite with our kids.

We ask a lot of questions, daily, and talk about it, a lot.

What are you excited about? Hejjo: climbing trees (lots of good cherry trees for climbing where we're going), Felix: Eating ice cream every day (yeah, right), Lina: a princess bed (= "mosquito net" thingy from IKEA) Kacio: "bah" (sound of him knocking over a chair, also from IKEA)

What are you nervous or afraid of? (Hejjo: the kids there won't know English, Felix: those big dogs, there are lots of dogs there, Lina: being by myself in my room (she'll be sharing with Kacio I think)

What will you miss? Hejjo: my friends, Felix: Babcia (his source of ice cream ;) ), Lina: Grandma and Victoria

And so forth and so on.  And we are constantly talking about the differences between the two places, pointing out what will be the same and what will be different in any given situation. Constantly reassuring them that Mommy and Tata will be no different, and that our family will be the same no matter where we live. All I can do is prepare them a bit before hand so the shock isn't too great and just pray they adapt quickly, like everyone says they will.

Hejjo will have it the hardest. He has friends here. He doesn't understand why we *have* to go to Poland and so I tell him again, each time he asks, and then he's okay with it. Felix and Lina have a hard time understanding that we will be living in Babcia's house (Martin's family's home) but Babcia won't be there. And that we won't be here for Christmas. They can't envision a future somewhere different. But they'll figure it out.

I think, in the end, as with everything, my mood will set the tone for the entire endeavor. As long as I remain positive and enthusiastic, so do they. When I have a moment of weakness or fear, they immediately follow suit and push back against the idea. And so, much more rests on my shoulders than just my own outlook and experience, as my children will rely on me to guide them not only physically but emotionally, through the next two months and into our new home. This is good and right. Good for me and good for them. We will rely on each other in this way. And we'll be okay.

As for the boat sinking... Hejjo is already planning which new Lego sets he will buy with the insurance money once I explained how that works. The little stinker.

Krakow 2010...Felek with his daily ice cream.


-

Friday, May 4, 2012

Official song of Euro 2012- updated with an actual video



Sorry about that, folks. Martin's fault entirely. HERE is the real video and then some...









THIS song has been voted by the people of Poland, in an  unofficial t.v. "votathon" as the official Euro 2012 song...



It will not be played anywhere officially but I bet it sneaks it's way in there, somewhere, from time to time. 

("Koko" is not a real word, those women are actually the singers of the song, not just a "cover band")

I think I'm gonna like this country.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Inspiration for our own home.

We have a lot to do between now and July 11th. Remember the post about the car. It was part 1 of 2 parts...still can't write the second part because we still don't know what we're going to do about that. And remember the whole shipping some things over and how it will get there... Martin's new plan is slightly crazy and makes my shoulders go up around my ears, which is Olivia talk for ANXIETY. I'll fill you in on that little plan soon, possibly tomorrow.

But today, because it's supposed to be my day off, even though I spent most of the day comforting a sick Kociula bub, I did have a chance to look at some images that are a reflection of what we hope to be able to have in Poland some day.

Some eye candy if you just so happen to have the same taste in architecture and house innards as I do. I love looking on Weranda.pl and Kochamwies.pl for inspiration...


http://www.kochamwies.pl/w-stylu-country/domy/14390-trzcinowe-wzgorza



I love this. I dont care if that makes me weird or "artsy.". Look at the size of those sticks in that pot! I dont love that.
http://www.weranda.pl/domy-i-ogrody/domy/rustykalne/12989-dom-swiatlem-malowany  to see more of this house.






This is just a smidge too country for me but I like the idea. White walls with wood on the ceiling and floors. Lots of light and open spaces but cozy at the same time.
http://www.weranda.pl/domy-i-ogrody/domy/rustykalne/8883-drewniany-dworek-na-mazowszu to see more of this house



And I love me some Dworki! ("Dworek" is a style of home popular in Poland about 200 year ago, traditionally with a thatched roof and columns in the front framing the doorway and a small porch. I dont like the columns so much but I have seen several styles that make them look good. What I do particularly like are the roof lines on the traditional Dworki)

Traditional rooflines on a "vintage" Dworek


http://www.weranda.pl/domy-i-ogrody/domy/rustykalne/7598-gdzie-wszystko-rosne-bujniej


Dworek w Palowicach - rok 1974
Ok, so this one is technically a palace but just think slightly (or a lot) smaller, and a little cleaner.

While I wait for everyone to peel their eyes off the ceiling from rolling them so high I will take this time to share that I realize all these homes come from a ritzy magazine and are built by, most likely, eccentric and rich individuals. I don't care. You gotta get your inspiration from somewhere.  How do you combine a French farmhouse feel with a Polish cottage-y exterior with an American sized kitchen? I don't know. But we'll figure it out!