I've been stressing myself with apartment-hunting lately. I know, we aren't even moving until September or even early October, my friend who lives in the city we're moving to already said that I/we could stay with him to look at places. And the city is way, way less expensive than the last city we lived in in Germany, but aaah. I know that I worry too much about things that might never even happen, but I can't help it. I also have three papers to write this summer. I have to hand in two of them at my university in Germany and they do papers differntly here, so I don't really have anyone to consult about them. I just hope they're going to accept them and let me pass. Otherwise I'd have to move back to my uni city... it would be super expensive and we'd be long distance again. I just really, really don't want that to happen.
On to more positive things:
I know I just posted a picture blog a few days ago or something, but my new laptop has a card reader (I know, I bet all of yous have computers with card readers, but my old one was really old and didn't have one) and it has become so much easier to get the photos from my boyfriend's cam. We also went on a really beautiful walk through Warsaw yesterday and I found some funny older pics, so I might as well post another photo blog
The thing about Warsaw is, the city is pretty ugly at first sight. It's like they just got the worst of all possible architectural styles and as an added bonus everything looks not cared for and there are huge billboards and commercials everywhere. If there happen to be not-so-ugly buildings, they're hidded behind some huge Tesco or Beer ad. It's not a place for tourists to come and take pictures of the cute old town. (I was just being a bitch and banged the broom against the wall because my neighbours were driving me crazy with super loud and annoying electronic music... it worked. They probably hate me now, though. Ok back to topic
BUT if you look close enough and are interested (even only slightly!) in the history and culture, there are remnants of a very different and interesting past everywhere. A few streets from where we live, there's a whole street with buildings that still have these huge bullet holes and... I guess I still can't imagine what war must look like, but it sure gives you an idea.
Anyway
Warsaw
That would be me, but it's also a driveway to a building that no longer exists.
This is like two minutes from the city centre. The house is basically a ruin and one of the few remaining pre-war buildings (and someone's still living there...). Unfortunately these are most likely the last years of the buildings that survived the war and socialism. There seems to be money to build new glass skyscrapers and modern apartment apartment blocks, but none to save the old buildings. They're protected monuments, so it's not allowed to directly destroy them. Solution? Just let them rot until they collapse by themselves
Examining a new memorial for people who fled the Warsaw Ghetto through sewers
And a happer occasion:
This is from my our birthday party - and I don't know why I'm making a crazy face.
That sewer monument is very chilling. And also quite impressive.
San Jose is a really ugly city. There's actually nothing historical to preserve either. I still like it though, in all it's grime covered glory.
Good luck moving!