I was a little premature in thinking this would be a quiet and uneventful week. Okay, Monday was sort of quiet after Witek left to go back to his school at 3 pm and Aneta and I actually watched a documentary movie about Annie Leibovitz, the famous photographer. Kasia came over and watched part of it with us as Ania was taking a long nap after her big weekend. We ate pretzel sticks and shared a big Carmel filled chocolate bar. It was a real girlfriends evening.
Little did I know that Tuesday was a big deal day in Poland. It was Santa Claus Day - or Saint Nicolas Day to be more precise. I think we had four meals Tuesday interspersed with two servings of cakes! Witek came home again and sometime during the day his parents came over for an extended visit. Aneta told me her father was coming over around seven. Well, it turns out that her father is Santa Claus, complete with the red coat with white trim, a hat with a fluff ball on the end and a fake white beard. By the time he arrived we had also collected Aneta's mother, Alycja, her brother, Thomas, Kasia from next door and Witek, Aneta, myself and Ania. Everyone was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Saint Nicolas to see how Ania would react. When he arrived it was quite an event. Ania was very shy of him- of course - and hid her face in her mother's pant leg. When he got the bag of goodies off his shoulder and put it on the floor she got a bit more intrigued. Oncee he started hauling gifts out of the bag and handing them to her she was all over it. Santa brought her a new hooded sweater, a Dora the Explorer shirt, a magnetic fishing game, a Hello Kitty lunch box, a Disney treasure chest, a puzzle and book. He brought Kasia a computer CD/DVD that turned out to be way beyond her years so he has gone to the store to exchange it as I write this.
After the visit Santa left and a while later Aneta's father showed up. Ania gave him a
sideways look and then looked at her grandmother with a look that said, "I know who Santa
Claus is but I am going to play along here."
Once the whole gang was present Santa Claus Witek got a large glass of Piwo (beer) for his efforts and the rest of us were invited to the table, yet again. By 10pm the crowd had dwindled to our nuclear unit again and Witek put a tired little girl to bed. Aneta and I collapsed on the sofa (my bed) and were finally joined by an exhausted Witek where we visited and recounted the day. Just before she went in to bed Aneta said, "tomorrow you have lunch at
Witek's parents."
"I do?" I said, puzzled.
"Yes, don't you remember? They invite you on Saturday night for the Grochowka(grow-hoove-ka)."
I didn't remember until she mentioned it and then a vague something came drifting back into my feeble mind and I said, "oh, Yaa. I remember something about thinking I'd have to climb all those stairs again.". Clearly my memory lapse was bodily protection. Aneta's response?
"You didn't have walk today so it will be good for you."
She is so tough on me!
Anyway, the lunch will be followed by a birthday party for Aneta's father, Witek, at a nice restaurant somewhere this evening. He extended me a personal invitation and I did manage to remember that. We had a conversation about which birthday but I don't think I got a square answer for sure. Maybe his 58th. Aneta is going to buy him a Squash Racket in the hopes that he will take up a new, more active, sport. I have no clue what to offer at this gig.
Witek fixed breakfast this morning and it was the lovely offering of dill pickles, radishes thinly sliced ham, cheese slices, sliced tomatoes with diced fresh onion and herbs atop, warm fresh bread with butter and coffee. It reminded me of the early days of breakfasts in Poland before I corrupted Aneta by introducing her to cornflakes and granola!
So now I am off to lunch at Marion and Franke Studzinscy for lunch. (I had a little language lesson there; Marion by herself is Marion Studzinska, Franke by himself is Franke Studzinski but together they are Marion and Franke Studzinscy!) are you thoroughly confused now? I am!
I will report on the birthday party tonight if I am still standing upright at 10 pm. Otherwise it will be tomorrow after I get my last Polish French Manicure at 10 am.
"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go.
I'm standing here outside your door.
I hate to wake you up to say good-bye....."
But I'm leavin' on a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again.
Oh babe, I hate to go...."
My apologies to The Mama's and The Papa's, but I can't get this song out of my head. The words probably aren't even in the right order - I have a tendency to do that with song lyrics - get them all screwed up, that is.
Be back later.
Linda
No comments:
Post a Comment