As I came to understand it, beauty in Poland was both a currency and a commodity, and that belief was reinforced pretty much on the daily, in subtle and more hidden ways. It was easier to deal with coming from the Polish women and girls outside the confines of home, because they could be waved away with the excuse that this is just how they were – and as I learned the older I got – not everyone had to be your friend, no matter how seemingly glamorous they were or appeared to be.
Christmas Stress and Other Lovely Occurrences – 6 types that stress you out
When I was younger, I didn’t really think about it that much, because Christmas was Christmas and between my neighbor’s mom and mine they had a whole plan cooked up when it came to Christmas Eve. I’d be in my room with my parents, the doorbell would ring and then my mom would announce that…
Unraveling the Mystery of the Polish Relatives: wujek Zbyszek part I
I probably still have some of my mother’s kin living where she last left them. I wouldn’t know because to me they are not family. In fact they are the furthest thing from family a person would wish to have / would / could wish on their arch enemy / enemies to have. This is…
On Finland
On December 6 Finland – as every year – celebrated its independence from Russia with great fanfare. Not by showcasing massive parades or anything else that would draw mass attention to it. Instead post after post proclaimed the glory of Finland and why the poster – Finnish and foreign – considers Finland the “bestest country…
Three Positive Things About the Place You Live
Right now, and this may or may not change, Finland is not my favorite place to be. I’ve tried to achieve something (many somethings) that generated very positive responses in other countries but never here, and between that and the beyond abysmal healthcare – henceforth known as Burana Care thanks to the inimitable and super…
Geburtstags-Tipps für Sternzeichen in Helsinki: Krebs
Geburtstage verursachen mitunter gerne mal Stress. Vor allem wenn es darum geht etwas für das Geburtstagskind zu organisieren. Schön soll das Geplante ja sein und originell. Dabei soll es auch noch von Herzen kommen. Was also tun? Viele zerbrechen sich tage- und wochenlang den Kopf und suchen das perfekte Geschenk im Geschäft oder online. Dabei geht…
Kaffeepause Helsinki: Flucht in den Norden – auf den Spuren Klaus Manns
Flucht in den Norden hieß der Roman, mit dem alles anders werden sollte, und so war es dann auch. Zumindest eine zeitlang, zumindest ganz kurz. Nicht mal einen Sommer dauerte sie, diese Affäre mit dem Land, aber auch mit den Leuten, mit einer Person. Die Affäre, die der Reality Star, der seiner Zeit weit voraus…
On the Conundrum of Recognizing Nationalist Rhetoric Before Others Become Aware of It
As the child of a Holocaust survivor (and a war child delivering goods to the ghetto) your mind naturally wanders off in all sorts of directions and goes off on all kinds of tangents, one of them being, what were those times like? Were there any signs and – perhaps more importantly – how would it have affected me and what if anything would I have done? We all want to be the heroes in the stories we dream and live but when it comes to generational guilt and trauma, those wishes and ideals intensify.
Journey Into Freedom: 1932 revisited in 2023
Finland was a playground on which I got to explore different sides of the proverbial coin – in this case life in Helsinki and its surrounding areas – and I was a most welcome guest. After all, who doesn’t like witnessing the process of creativity, especially when it comes to getting swept up in the highs (the lows remain nicely packaged up because they are never witnessed by those not in the know). But somewhere deep inside me I knew that this could not last forever . . .
Therapy, Coffee & Lunch
Add to that pretty good food that fulfills the job of filling you up – whether you’re a meat lover or vegan – amidst a boho-meets-hipster vibe and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for a place to hang out.
talesfromyourlocalpubs 