Archives for November 2013

10/9/13

I arrived in Turkey at 6:30 am which is 1 hour ahead of Poland. I saw the sunrise through the plane window and it was beautiful. In the airport, our passports had to be checked 4 times at each checkpoint. My visa had to be checked twice at different checkpoints as well. Their security center in the airport is extremely strict.

After all the checkpoints, we got our luggage from the carousel and checked in with our tour company. The tour bus drove us to our hotel with 30 other people. Once at the hotel, the front desk required to keep our passports which made me feel super uncomfortable. I was worried the desk will photo copy my passport number and information. I heard United States passports are wanted by everyone and people are trying to become citizens. It would be easier for them to just take my identity. That really scares me.

The front desk also wouldn’t issue room keys to our group yet so Sunny, Andzrej (Sunny’s host father) and I walked to the beach. The walk was about 5 minutes straight down the road. The view was beautiful because the beach is positioned between two mountains. The water was crystal clear and refreshingly cool. Everything about the beach was beautiful except the “sand”. The sand is actually stones. When I took my shoes off to feel the water, I was saying “ouch” with each step. The stones were harsh on the bottoms of my feet.

I had to sit down to release the pressure from my feet against the rocks. Once I sat down and absorbed the sun on my skin that is when the exhaustion hit me. I leaned against my backpack on the rocks and fell asleep under the sun.

At 10 am Sunny and I decided to walk back to the hotel and take a nap in our bed. By then we had our room key and passports back. I slept until 2pm and then took a shower. It was really nice to be wearing shorts and a tank top again.

At 3 pm Sunny, Andzrej, and I walked to a restaurant along the beach where we ate hamburgers and drank Coca-Cola. Then I laid on the beach with Sunny and read a book while listening to the waves crash against the shoreline. It was truly relaxing reading on the beach of a beautiful place.

Walking back to the hotel for supper, I wore my American flag shorts. Some guys passed by saying hello while others just stared at me. It felt funny having all these eyes on me, but I like being patriotic in Europe. When I see a USA flag anywhere, I become extremely excited and cheer.

It feels so surreal being in Turkey. I never thought I would visit this country, but I recommend everyone should visit here.

Stephanie Raquel

10/8/13

I packed and left for Turkey today!!

I decided to take my big, black suitcase that I used to bring all my clothes to Poland. I filled the bottom with summer clothes such as shorts and t-shirts. The max weight is 20 kg which is equivalent to 44 pounds…I weighed my suitcase to be 18.6 kg. I definitely over packed and didn’t leave any room for things I will buy in Turkey, but oh well! I am on the plane heading to a beautiful land.

I sat in my room after I packed for about 4 hours. I finally watched the movie “This is the End” featuring Seth Rogan and Jonah Hill. It was a stupid but good movie. I started watching “Monsters University” but that is when Sunny and her host father showed up. Everyone was shocked at the size of my suitcase because it up to my waist when I stood up. Even though I didn’t fill it, it was still pretty heavy.

We drove to the Warsaw Airport which took about 3 hours. I slept most of the way because our flight took off at 2:30 am. This is my first red eye flight! I am experiencing a lot of firsts. In the airport as we went through security, I ended up having to take off all my clothes. Sunny walked through the metal detector still wearing her sneakers and sweater, but I had to strip down to my socks and t-shirt. I told Sunny this is racist thing since I come from America. Honestly, I am used to stripping down to nothing in the airport because that is the protocol in America. Sunny thought this was very odd, me having to strip, because in Taiwan they don’t care if you are still wearing shoes or sweatshirts through the metal detectors.

On the plane, Sunny and I slept the entire way. The stewardess shut off all the cabin lights and everyone had their shades shut. Above the clouds, the moon is very reflective making it impossible to sleep with the shade open. About 2 hours later, we arrived in Turkey where the sun is always high in the sky, the water is warm, and the beaches are nice.

I am so thankful to have be able to visit Turkey. Thank you Sunny and her host family for taking me to Turkey on the two week journey. I will be visiting Turkey again in my life.

Stephanie Raquel

10/5/13

Another busy day in Warsaw with my family.

For breakfast we ate at Charlotte’s, it is located in the main city by the giant Rolex building. I ate orange and honey French toast. The bread is all made fresh in the restaurant. Ania ate an egg sunny side up with one tomato and a basket of fresh bread. You can eat the bread with a choice of jam or Charlotte’s chocolates. We ate it with Charlotte’s milk chocolate, white chocolate, and strawberry jam with cinnamon. My host mom had an omelet and my host dad had the same as Ania.

We went to the Palace of Wilanowie, home of King Jan III and his wife. They only had 3 children that reached maturity. The outside is a beautiful yellow color with beautiful crown molding on the borders. Surrounding the building is green grass hills and yellow, green, orange trees. Everyone is right when they say the gold autumn in Poland is gorgeous. The palace has little to no original furniture left over from the family. The paintings along the walls and on the ceilings are breathe taking. The palace and the ground is quite large. We walked in a circle around the palace grounds. Along the grounds were 4 bride and grooms taking their wedding pictures. All the couples looked spectacular intertwined with the beautiful scenery.

My family and I made our way to the Old Town where I saw a man covered in artificial flowers standing in a flower pot. It was so amusing seeing people try and grab tourists’ attention. There were horse drawn carriages standing in the streets waiting for customers. The castle sitting in the square looks grand but it was closed by the time we got there. Next time I visit Warsaw my host parents promised to take me.

On the long ride home from Warsaw, Ania and I ended up sleeping the whole way home. My host dad always says, “Too much air helps you sleep easy at night.” He is completely right.

Stephanie Raquel

10/4/13

This morning I felt horrible. I stood up and felt extremely dizzy. My stomach is also turning inside out. All I want to do is throw up. I couldn’t possibly go to school feeling this way. My host dad made me mint tea and let me sleep instead of going to school. I then had a fever so I turned on the heater next to my bed and bundled up with blankets. At 8 am (my time) I called my mom which was 2 am her time. All I did was cry to my mom because being sick in a foreign country without my mom is very upsetting. She told me to take the medicine I brought from home, drink lots of fluids, and sleep. Around 11 am I was feeling a little better so I took a cool shower and made myself toast. It seemed safe to say that I was healthy enough to still go to Warsaw with my family.

My host dad and I left to pick up Ania at her house around 1 pm. (Ania is my host cousin on my dad’s side). My head started to act up in the car so I slept most of the way to Warsaw. Ania only slept a little bit which made me feel a little better for letting my host dad be the only one awake in the car.

Warsaw is such a nice city! It is a European style of New York and Philadelphia, but has no skyscrapers. We went to the Palace of Culture and Science (Pałac Kultury i Nauki) which was a gift from the Russians to Poland after World War II. We went to the top terrace where you can see all of Warsaw. The building is gorgeous on the outside.

Back at the Golden Terrace Mall (Złote Tarasy), we met up with my host mom after her conference. The mall is quite large and has a wide variety of stores. Warsaw is known to have any store you desire including Louis Vuitton and Victoria Secret. I ended up buying 2 sweaters in white and navy blue to hold me over in the winter weather. The only stores Warsaw does not have are Macy’s and DSW Shoes, but their stores make up for the loss. At TK Maxx (not TJ Maxx) I bought two winter jackets. My host mom bought a pair of boots.

When I was trying on coats, I started to feel bad again. My temperature was rising and I wanted to throw up. At supper I ate chicken noodle soup and drank a cold Coca-Cola. My host mom gave me Advil and we went back to the hotel.

Ania and I roomed together in the hotel room and for hours we just talked in bed. She told me all about her friends, family, and adorable dog. It was so nice getting to know her. Talking to Ania about my life, felt like I was talking to an old friend. She and I get along so well. It is so nice to have Ania visiting Warsaw with me. I also hope we become lifelong friends.

Stephanie Raquel

9/29/13

My host dad woke up at 6 am…I heard everything. My host mom woke up at 8 am…I heard everything. I finally woke up at 9:30 am when my host mom woke me up for breakfast.

I ate perogies for brunch. There were other things on the table like mushrooms but I only wanted to eat perogies for brunch. I wasn’t full after the 3 perogies but I didn’t want anything else.

We left at 11:30 am for Busko’s main city square. I saw the beautiful sanatorium building that smells like sulfur. This city is dedicated to retirement people and people with sicknesses focusing on recovering. The old people are sitting within the large park playing instruments like the accordion. The park in the middle of town is huge because it helped the town maintain a clean atmosphere. My host parents said we will be back in the city in the winter and spring to see the park in the different seasons. Chestnuts grow on the trees here for the fall and in the spring large white flowers grow on the trees.

Next we visited my host Aunt Ellen’s father. He is 90 years old and lives alone in a town house. His faithful dog had recently passed away and his grandson bought him a brown lab to replace the dog. The puppy keeps him company when he gardens and makes him stay active by having to walk him daily. Today we took the dog for a walk in the backyard and I got to play with her. Her name is Baya and she has beautiful blue eyes. In the garden she bit the fur on the Uggs because she thought it was an animal. My Uggs also probably smell like other animals. When I go back to New Jersey I definitely want a dog like Baya.

Once we left the puppy, my host parents took me to the Krzyztopor Castle that was built in 1631. I couldn’t imagining living in the castle. The architecture matches the design of a calendar. There are 365 windows for 365 days, 4 main quarters for the 4 seasons, and 12 hallways for the 12 months. Most of the floor and décor is missing but the structure is still standing. The family only lived in this house for 11 years after it was designed because all the family had passed away. There are texts still written on some walls and passage way accessible to the public.

While we were there, there were brides taking their wedding pictures throughout the castle. I saw about 3 couples laying on the grass, leaning against the walls, or standing in passageways. October is a popular month to get married in Poland. Any month that contains the letter “R” in the month is good luck to get married. If you get married during the other months…well it’s just unheard of to be married then.

It was nice spending the weekend with my host parents with their relatives. I am lucky to have a family that is very welcoming and opens their house to me.

Stephanie Raquel

9/28/13

It’s is 8am and I am waiting on my bed to go to my Aunt and Uncle’s house. My parents are taking me there to visit the beautiful nature surrounding their house. They live in a lake with trees, flowers, and many antique farming tools placed in the yard. It is very peaceful and quiet.

The ride is about 3 hours to get there. After everyone is introduced and greetings are exchanged, my parents and I are served dinner. Dinner is tartar but with fish and sliced bread. I do my best to eat the tartar but the fish taste is making it impossible for me to find it appetizing. I covered up the taste by jamming as much bread in my mouth as possible. They also served me gas water which is bubbly and unappealing. This made it hard to wash everything down my throat. This was an unfortunate situation.

My uncle loves to exercise so we hiked for 3 hours up and down steep hills and across farms. I started the hike with clean Uggs, a long sleeves shirt, a thick sweatshirt, North Face jacket, and a warm scarf. By the end of the hike I had dirty Uggs and only wore the long sleeve shirt.

Back at the house I had collapsed on the couch outside and refused to get up. All I wanted to do was sleep for the next 2 days. Then I had a major craving for chocolate. This craving did not go away no matter how hard I tried to push it in the back of my head. My host mom was staring at me too so it would make it impossible to sneak the chocolate in my mouth without her seeing. As soon as she got up to use the bathroom I had maneuvered the chocolate out of my backpack and broken a small piece into my hand. When she got back, I was now holding the chocolate. My host dad called her over to the outdoor kitchen which gave me enough time to put the chocolate in my mouth and have the wrapper shoved into my backpack pocket. My host mom is very observant so when she came back, I tried to camouflage my chews by scratching my cheek with my hand.

For supper, we all ate on the dining room table siting on the dock above the lake. The table accompanied the 8 of us. I ate cabbage filled blintzes which wasn’t the best but the ketchup made it delicious. As soon as I was full, I got super tired and couldn’t keep my head up. My host dad gave me his puffy vest to keep warm and my host mom took me inside to watch TV. I couldn’t figure out how to work the clicker so by accident I recorded 2 shows. Eventually I got it to play a British show and converted it into English.

After a few hours of sitting on the warm couch, my host dad and uncle got a fire started outside. I went with my host dad to sit with everyone. My host uncle told me I looked like the angels and saints that are painted on the murals in church. When the fire reflects off my face and my features, it makes me angelic. This is an absolutely huge compliment that I have never heard before. I feel so honored and warm inside.

In Poland sometimes the houses and bathrooms are designed for different sized people. In my family’s house, their downstairs is an open room with a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room, and dining room. Upstairs is an open room as well with 4 big beds laying on the ground with 1 bathroom in the corner. I took a “shower” in the tiny bathtub that had no shower curtain. The ceiling was also on a slant so I had to sit on my knees and kept my head in my lap when I had to rinse the shampoo out of it. It was hard not to get water all over the floor no matter how hard I tried.

After the hot shower in the tiny tub, I shimmied into my sleeping bag on the flat mattress. I was sleeping in the same room as my host parents which was a little odd to me. I could hear everything they did when they came upstairs to go to sleep. Privacy is not an option in this house.

Stephanie Raquel

9/22/13

Every Sunday I attend church with my host family to honor their lord and be respectful to their religion. At the church…this is where I become very homesick. My eyes always look at the families sitting around me. The mothers are hugging their daughters and the sons are imitating their fathers. All the little girls are dressed up in dressed while carrying purses just like their mothers. It makes me miss my family very much. I wish I could hug my mom and hear her say, “Hi babe.” I think about the day that I will come home from exchange and finally get to hug my parents. I tell myself it’s going to be a long year if I keep thinking about this, but I can’t help myself from imagining. I imagine walking through the baggage claim with all of my suitcases and seeing my family. Tears of sorrow and happiness will be running down my cheeks because I just left my life in Poland to come back to this life in USA. Church is the only time I let myself think about being home with my family because I see all the families embracing around me.

It’s okay to be sad every Sunday but anymore will just be unnecessary sorrow.

Stephanie Raquel

9/21/13

Even though the weather is wet and a little chilly, I had a fun time in Zamosc with my Lublin Ladies. Ashley’s (ME) host father took Sunny, Lana (Brazil), and I to Zamosc to visit the city. We walked around the beautiful Old Town. The buildings are painted vibrant blue, green, yellow, and purple. If the sun was shining today it would display the colors more beautifully.

We ate dinner at a restaurant undergrown in the Old Town. It looked to be a wine cellar but it was made for a restaurant. Lana and Sunny had trouble ordering with the menu being in English so I ordered for the girls also. We had hot chocolate and spaghetti Bolognese. It was warm for the weather but delicious as well.

Then we went to a small shop where I bought a pin saying Zamosc for my Rotary Blazer. There was also a plate with Zamosc painted on the front and gold spots decorating the tops of the buildings. I want to put it on the book case next to the fire place back at home in New Jersey. When I go shopping in beautiful Old Towns, I try to find objects that are uniquely beautiful for my book case.

Sunny and I decided to take our flags out and take pictures with the beautiful buildings. When I was walking back to Ashley and Lana I heard, “USA!” I got extremely excited and screamed “Yea USA!” I never realized how patriotic I am for America until I got to Europe and wanted everyone to know I am American. I now draw big USA letters in my notebook and on bathroom walls.

Ashley’s host dad took us to a gorgeous old church where the man who founded Zamosc is buried. We went to the town next to the church and at the top you can see over all over Zamosc. After taking hundreds of pictures, we head over to the old synagogue in the Old Town. I am shocked this building had survived all of WWII. The building is now turned into a museum to education others about the history for the Jew in Zamosc before and after WWII.

We had plans to visit the Zamosc zoo because it is a historical zoo but the rain made it impossible for us to visit. We instead visited the gate that allowed the only access to the city centuries ago. It was a nice adventure.

Stephanie Raquel

9/20/13

Happy 1 Month Anniversary to Me and Poland!

Every counselor, inbound student, or past exchange student has told me that the first month of exchange is the absolute hardest. It is the month of adjusting, learning, adapting, and emotions. This is the time where you test yourself for the strength deep down in your body to pursue the next 9 months of the exchange. The hard times are not over and won’t stop until years after your exchange. I have pushed through the heartache when my boyfriend broke up with me, the homesickness when I severely missed my family, and emotions when the kids from school were too scared to talk to me but gladly talked to the other exchange student sitting right next to me. In this past month I have eradicated some stereotypes about America including always eating at fast food places; introduced American culture to other exchange students like Miss America; and grown closer connections to the other American exchange students instead of focusing on the friendships back in New Jersey. There have been many things out of my control such as being available at certain time for the people in New Jersey, but I am in control of my happiness in Poland.

From this month forward I declare a promise to myself:

            I will hereby not think about activities occurring in New Jersey and say, “I wish

            I was here.” I will try everything new here, eat new things, and travel to new places.

            I will also focus on the people around me and make great connections with them. I, Stephanie Raquel Kneble, will be super happy during my exchange and be grateful               towards everyone and everything even after I return.

Being a student ambassador for the USA is a huge responsibility and I will represent my country with great pride. This is only the beginning of the thousands of things I will accomplish over the next 9 months.

Stephanie Raquel

9/17/13

Riding 6 hours back to Lublin didn’t seem so terrible, but that ride turned into 7 long hours. This ride was extended because a high speed train was behind us and our train needed to get out of the way. At the Warsaw station we were delayed for 15 minutes because the train’s engine needed to be checked. This delay caused our train to get in the way of other scheduled trains. For 30 minutes we sat on side tracks while 2 high speed trains passed us. It was a long 7 hours that was complete torture. I listened to my playlist on my iPod 10-15 times because I had it on repeat, now I know all the songs by heart.

My morning started off well with Nutella filled crepes and apple juice. Without this delicious food, I would have been beyond cranky on the train. I also packed some cookies and chocolate bars in my bag for the ride. Sadly, I did not pack 7 hours’ worth of food to keep me happy.

Around 7 pm, we all started becoming restless and hungry. Agata, Szymon, and I walked to the restaurant car of the train and ordered ourselves food. It was very interesting to see all the different seating arrangements in the train cars along with all the strange people sitting in the seats. It was a nice break from the boredom I was experiencing in my own train car. In America it is very rare someone needs to take a train from place to place but in Poland and anywhere else in Europe it is very common. I enjoy taking train rides here, but next time I will pack more food and download more songs.

Our food finally arrived in our train car as soon as we started moving towards Lublin. Another 2 hours to go, I enjoyed my Russian styled perogies which were filled with cheese. They were topped with caramelized onions and accompanied with salad. Agata ate Parmesan chicken and Szymon ate a Greek Salad.

When we finally arrived at the train station, my host mom picked Agata and me up. At home we ate beat soup and mushroom blintzes that Babcia Maria had cooked. The combination of being stuffed with warm food and being showered made it easy to fall asleep quickly.

Stephanie Raquel