Happy holidays from the Zandri clan!
A Chronicle
You are much more effective coming up with game-changing ideas when you are in a ‘creative state.’
Controlling the environment is key.
Get away from your desk. Go to places that are conducive to creativity, which will most likely NOT be your cubicle or office. If you can get creative in your cube, let me know. I want to hear from you.
I get best ideas when I walk the streets of Brooklyn or when I hang out with my dog in Prospect Park. I write them down on my pad (DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP).
On our way via train from Wroclaw to Prague, while Matthew and I were sprawled out and sleeping across two rows of seats (at 5am, mind you, after an all-night bender on disco-polo with our dear friend, Magda), we were rudely awakened from our slumbers to find out that the train had stopped and we had to get off at the station in what would become my new favorite small town in Poland, called Miedzylesie (pronounced exactly the way it looks, hehe). Never heard of it? No?? Neither has the rest of the planet, aside from the 25 people (maybe) that live there.
Shot of the train station. I wish I had one of the road in either direction…empty.
We had to disembark the train due to mechanical issues. The conductor told my husband, or so we thought, that another train would come to pick us up in 45 minutes. I should have known that there was a chance my husband wasn’t getting it right when he asked the conductor - in perfect Polish - to repeat the instructions at least three times. But, I don’t speak Polish and so my usual knack for eavesdropping was rendered useless.
It was around 8am at the time and we really had no idea where in Poland we were. The train station was literally deserted, but for our sorry souls and two other lost boys that were forced off the train because they had ridden this far for free without tickets (much to their dismay, there was no ticket officer in the train station at good ol’ Miedzylesie).
Our “Lost Boys”
To make a long story short, we missed our “45 minute later” train, because either it arrived and departed 20 minutes early, or men really are miserable at taking directions from anyone, whether female or male and whether in English or in Polish. In this case, I will never know the answer.
Anyway, we were able to discern from the tarnished train schedule stapled inside a wooden and plexiglass display case that the next train to Prague would arrive in approximately 4 hours. At this point everyone was a little hungry, thirsty and pretty much just grumpy from disco-polo hangover. But, not to be defeated by desolation and despair, we grabbed our roller-luggage and ventured into the small village of Miedzylesie. We were on foot and in search of a true country breakfast and perhaps some interesting scenery. We ended up finding both and had time to spare to get to know our new friends, the lost boys, along the way.
Our country breakfast Inn…
The trek back to the train station…
Our new friends found themselves in the same predicament as us and we passed time together talking about Poland’s political future and the socio-economic differences between the U.S. and Poland. Yes, we had that type of intellectual discourse with these guys. They rode the train with us to Prague and by the end of the ride I was convinced that these two represented the future of Poland - the ones who would be in control when our generation’s time has already passed.
Goes to show, never judge a book by its cover and never shy away from an adventure!
I really wish I didn’t lose their names and email addresses.
This past summer my in-laws took me around their city in Lodz, Poland. We rode bicycles around the city (arguably the most fantastic way to travel inner-city) to observe the Dzieci Balut 2- Murale Pamieci (Memorial murals of children of the former ghetto in the Baiuty district of Lodz).
Throughout the city, and in some of the most unsuspecting places, there are murals of small children on the sides of concrete buildings. The small children represent the children of the ghetto in Lodz during the Nazi occupation in WWII. I will never forget this experience as we rode through the city and I watched the faces and postures of the children on the sides of those buildings. The impact was profound.
My sister-in-law, Zuzanna, is just an amazingly brilliant young woman and she put is simply and rightly when she said: “They are small, but someday I think they will be history.” I think she is right.
First: A prisoner of the camp for Polish children.
Address: ul. Wojska Polskiego 112
Second: Also a prisoner of the camp for Polish children.
Address: ul. Wojska Polskiego 116
Third: another child prisoner.
Address: ul. Mikolaja Reja 7
Fourth: Another polish prisoner.
Address: ul. Przemyslowa 16
Fifth: A boy from the same camp for children.
Address: ul. Mikolaja Reja 13
Sixth: A girl from the camp for gypsies.
Address: ul. Wojska Polskiego 82
Seventh: A boy from the gypsy camp.
Address: ul. Wojska Polskiego 82
I hope you find that the tour impacts you as heavily as it did me. The essence of the war lingers in the air throughout Poland and, I’m sure, much of Eastern Europe. These murals will keep me thinking about how precious life is and how misguided people can become. I hope history in this regard will actually be a deterrent for unnecessary oppression and cruelty in our future.
~Ms. Attachee
It’s been a little over a year since the honeymoon in Costa Rica and as I was rummaging through my files I came across this tarzan swing video from our trip. I was reminded of how it felt to swing high above the canopy of the rain forest trees in Uvita.
One year has passed and, in many ways, I feel as though life has mimicked this video. I’ve spent an abundant amount of time practicing, reading, talking about and learning how to overcome fear. Of the many things I’ve realized, the most profound is probably that when you want the absolute most out of life, this road of overcoming fear is infinite. The difference is that now, instead of feeling terrified of that reality, I feel prepared.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for all the tremendous and beautiful people in my life who have encouraged me to reach beyond my fears and toward my destiny. I am very much looking forward to having more of you in my future.
Totally awe-inspiring murals on the walls of brick buildings in Lodz, Poland. The contrast between old and new in this city is remarkable. Old buildings painted with avant grade murals. Reconstructed and refurbished buildings adjacent to rundown and nearly condemned remnants of a past that is still all too familiar to the people of Lodz and most of Eastern Europe (WWII).
Brooklyn Superhero Supply #parkslope #brooklyn #superheroes #826nyc #literacy #youth #inspiration #spreadlove
Never cared too much for television shows. Not enough to actually watch the same show at the same time on the same day of each week. BUT, seriously, TV is awesome these days. And, as I’m continually inspired by characters like Carrie Mathison, MacKenzie “Mac” McHale and the infinitely wise Kenny Powers (aka “Le Flama F***** Blanca”), I have to take a moment to jot down these original series shows for the digital time capsule (in no particular order, other than general greatness):
1. Homeland
In my opinion, the best series ever to air on television. Like many of my sister Homeland fans, if I had it to do all over again, I would be (a less bi-polar form of) Carrie Mathison when I grow up.
2. Newsroom
Wasn’t sure about this show until the last scene of Season 1, Episode 4 (not to mention the scene is played to one of my favorite Coldplay songs)…I am all about Aaron Sorkin and his “mission to civilize.”
Started watching this show at season 4, and it is just the right amount of “totally ridiculous” to offset the dose of civilization provided by #2 in this list (Disclaimer: season 3 is not as good and I haven’t seen seasons 1 or 2, but season 4 is so funny it almost doesn’t matter)…
This post was inspired by Stevie Jankowski.
