The Shtetl Sham

An interesting piece appeared in Sunday's New York Times Magazine about photographer Roman Vishniac, who photographed--and apparently romanticized--the Jewish "old world" in Poland in the 1930s.

A photo from Vishniac's "A Lost World," a collection of photos published posthumously (image from NYT).

I'd never really thought much about shtetl life, or why Fiddler on the Roof is so popular, but the article made me realize that we really do romanticize pre-war Jewish communities. The writer's piece in Tablet magazine, and accompanying audio commentary/slideshow gives even more texture to this phenomenon.

It turns out that the photos Vishniac selected, and the way he chose to crop them, served to send specific messages about these pre-war communities, where people were supposed to be dirt poor but incredibly pious. These messages have served poiltical and personal purposes over the course of history, and only now are we starting to separate myth from reality. 

During my time in Poland, I absolutely noticed a romanticization and exotification of Jews. In Warsaw, it was slight. In Krakow, it beat you over the head. Krakow's old Jewish quarter felt like Disneyland for Jews: 

A replica of Jewish shops in Krakow's Jewish Quarter.

So few Jews still live in Poland, yet the idea of Jews looms large. And apparently even in the diaspora we're guilty of the same Disney-fication of Old World Jews.

The Bright Night

Some say that the beautiful, long summer days in Poland are Poles' reward for tolerating the dark, damp winter.

Indeed, summer nights in Poland are glorious.

 

Warsaw Center, 10pm in July

 

I initially welcomed the change from the ubiquitous gray which plagued us all winter and spring. Nonetheless, I found myself getting agitated at the 4am sunrise and the overly long afternoon light. The constant brightness became downright overbearing.

I felt like Al Pacino in the Chris Nolan film Insomnia (closely based on the excellent Norwegian original).

Sun, sun, go away!

I don't think I'm alone in disliking incredibly long daylight. Researchers have found that in geographies close to either the North or South Pole, suicide rates tend to spike during the summer, and dip during winter. One hypothesis is that because sunlight enhances "feel good hormone" seratonin levels, too much sun can be overwhelming and lead to increased impulsivity. Additionally, the "sleep hormone" melatonin can be negatively impacted by insomnia and sun exposure. The Irish Times has a great summary on the research here. 

Before you buy that summer home in Sweden, maybe take a moment to consider whether you can handle all that sun!

Poland Resilient Throughout Recession

Zlotys holla

A good friend of mine recently wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal about Poland's economic health throughout the recession. As one of only three European countries which has avoided recession this year (Greece and Slovakia were the other two), the natural question to ask is what makes Poland so special.

The article offers many explanations, but my favorite one is that the central bank took the correct actions at the eve of the global recession, albeit for the wrong reasons. The bank adopted a tight fiscal policy, which turned out to be just what the country needed. There were also tax cuts which encouraged consumer spending, and a weak zloty, which aided local producers. Read the whole article here to learn more.

The Missing Black Polish Businessman

Internet commentators are aflutter over Microsoft's Polish entity's editing of an ad. The original ad, in English, shows three businesspeople at a meeting, in the now-standard American assortment of ethnicity and gender.

Original US ad

The Polish version displays a somewhat sloppy Photoshop job (the center guy became white only from the neck up).

Polish ad

Microsoft has taken down the altered image and issued an apology. Sloppy quality control and the evocation of horrid race relations aside, I frankly don't see a problem with a company altering its advertising image to reflect the society to whom it advertises.

Poland's population ethnically is over 96% Polish, and after that the most common ethnicities are Silesian, German, Belarusian, and Ukranian (source: 2002 census via wikipedia). In other words, there are a lot of fair-skinned people in Poland--orange tans notwithstanding. In my year working in an international company there, I never encountered a meeting which even remotely looked like US Microsoft photo. Diversity is important, but reflecting some semblance of reality is also key. I'm actually surprised they didn't find a more Polish-looking man for the altered photo.

The Future Bedroom Community of Żyrardów

A dear friend I've made in Warsaw invited me one weekend to come to town the town where she lives just outside of Warsaw. I really couldn't believe how much I lived it. A mere 30 minutes by train (which leaves ever half hour or so), Żyrardów was a Polish wonderland. The day I visited was rainy and grey, but we are talking about Poland after all, and even the grey didn't mar the beauty of this little gem.

The town has about 40,000 inhabitants, and was originally founded in the 1830s around the textile manufacturing industry. It weathered WWII rather well, so many of the original factory buildings still stand.

Main square

Beautiful balcony

Now, for the remarkable features of this town:

1. It holds onto its history. Unlike Warsaw, which can't seem to decide between burying and displaying its tortured/prideful/important past, Żyrardów proudly refers back to its manufacturing past, even as it develops. Placards in English and Polish are placed around town offering snippets about the activities and people who once lived there.

2. It is developing intelligently. Again, unlike many towns I've visited in Poland, Żyrardów gets what makes it special - interesting architecture, a small-town vibe, and a rich history. Rather than tearing down the many abandoned brick factory buildings, they are being converted to lofts (swank!).

Here is one loft building, which I would be mighty tempted to buy into if I were a 30-year-old Pole working in Warsaw and just starting a family:

Brand new lofts in what was once a textile factory

"Spinning Lady" restaurant on the ground floor of new loft building

At the base of this building is a wonderful wine bar/restaurant serving Polish food which has been reinvigorated with interesting ingredients and food combinations (again, not something you see very often in Poland, despite its purported interest in becoming more European).

[Editor's note: should this post make you tempted to buy as well, you can find more info on Żyrardów loft living here and here. Just tell 'em YAIP sent you!]

3. Things make sense in Żyrardów. Only those who have lived in Poland can truly understand the frustration of dealing with Polish commerce. Salespeople rarely volunteer more information than is absolutely necessary, and there is a general lack of information everywhere you go. This can be especially frustrating in restaurants, where customers are somehow expected to know to ask, upon reading a menu, "what else do you have?"

Long rant short, in addition to the above mentioned restaurant, Żyrardów boasts an adorable smoke free (!) cafe with a wide range of beer and tea offerings. How do I know this? Because they display the things they sell right in plain view! Plus, they have an additional menu which lists other relevant information, such as prices and each beer's alcohol content.

Behold:

A cafe with lots of choices, which you can SEE

4. Proximity to Warasw. People live in Warsaw mostly because that's where the money is. Jobs, stores, etc. No one lives in Warsaw for the culture, civic beauty, or housing options. Enter Żyrardów. My friend commuted by train from Żyrardów to central Warsaw for a year with no problems other than the tram delays which hold up the entire city from time to time. It's a quick and easy ride, similar to the New York Metro North line for commuters who live upstate or in Connecticut . All it takes is a small shift in attitude and suddenly people who once found train commutes unthinkable are finding themselves escaping the urban hustle and bustle for the peace and quiet of their country homes. Same goes for weekend visitors looking for a quick getaway.


Żyrardów doesn't yet appear in any tourist guidebooks, and with good reason. It doesn't have any hotels or guesthouses and it has only a handful of eating establishments. Nonetheless, my money is on this town becoming a weekend getaway for Poles and enterprising tourists in the next few years. All it would take is a little interest, then one or two B&Bs will open, and suddenly Żyrardów will be Discovered. Just you wait.

Łazienki Park

After hearing from every Pole I know that Łazienki Park is the most beautiful place in all of Warsaw, I finally ventured down to the park and palace, which used to be the summer home of Poland's royalty.

After a treacherous journey (we are talking about Warsaw, afterall) which involved a long walk, a metro ride, a couple dark, abandoned, graffiti-sprayed underground tunnels, unfinished sidewalks, and a slippery cobblestone road, I entered the gates of the park.

I wasn't exactly in the best of moods, but my annoyance dissolved instantly. Stunning. Beautifully manicured lawns, lush flowerbeds, clear lakes and romantic buildings with paths crisscrossing throughout, I can see why Łazienki Park is such a big deal here.

Inexplicably, one can find peacocks wandering around the park. They make for excellent entertainment--and I don't just mean the inevitable question, "Why are there peacocks in Poland?" to which the only response I've heard is "I have no idea." During my visit, several peacocks had gathered in a small plaza. I unfortunately only had my cell phone, so my ability to transmit the experience is sub-par and a bit washed out.

No, I can't explain why there are peacocks in Warsaw

We visitors were witness to the miracle of life - a single peahen wandered among the various peacocks, acting unimpressed.

This peacock did have marginal success with her , but I'll spare you the pornographic details

One word of caution: peacocks can be aggressive, screeching creatures. Especially towards unassuming Americans who venture too close trying to take a photo. Yes, that's right--this peacock yelled at me (in Polish? hard to say). I'm sure he was quite satisfied when I emitted shriek and ran away.

My assailant

Peacock terror aside, the park is truly lovely and provides a nice contrast to the rest of the city.

Eastern Europe Bath Houses Faceoff

I'm hardly the authority on public bathing, but I do make an effort to visit spas or bath houses wherever I travel. In most Western European cities, spas are prohibitively expensive, but in Eastern Europe you can get quite a deal - an hour's massage for $30 or a day in thermal pools for $15. Quality varies widely between different locales and cities, however.

Turkish Baths are quite well-known, and have inspired a number of homages in NYC, most notably the Russian & Turkish Baths on E 10th St, which upon entering you feel you've time traveled to medieval times. The various dry and wet heat rooms are rustic, packed with sweaty bodies, and often garnished with a shirtless Turk whipping someone in the corner. Highly recommended, if you're into back-in-time-while-scantily-clad experiences.


In Istanbul, however, the "authentic" Turkish baths feel much less...well...authentic. The most famous and highly recommended bath house Cagaloglu Hamami (included in the book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, it proudly proclaims) is beautiful, as is most of Istanbul. The actual bath experience is a bit underwhelming - you lie on a large round stone slab while an attendant gives you a 15 minute scrub with soap and a loofah. It's a nice piece of history - and it's always heartening to visit a place where cleanliness really is next to Godliness - but as a sheer bathing ritual, it's not particularly spectacular. I would never, ever, in the slightest way discourage someone from visiting Turkey--it truly was one of the most arresting places I've ever been--but perhaps take a peek at the bath house and keep walking.

The place to indulge in a full-out bathing experience is the Szechnyi Bath & Spa in Budapest.

Pure Awesome

A bathing complex housed in a beautiful 19th Century building. It holds 12 thermal baths of different temperatures, some inside and some outside, plus several saunas/steam rooms as well as massages. The best part is the sense that tons of Hungarians frequent this place as part of their regular lives (the place offers weekly and monthly passes). The cafeteria doesn't serve wheat grass shots, but rather beer and sausage. I had one of the best massages of my life there. And the whole thing was very reasonably priced.

The large outdoor pool (below) is reminiscent of Iceland's much-touted Blue Lagoon, but Budapest wins hands down. It's cheaper, more low-key, offers more variety, and the large outdoor pool doesn't give you the chills (though arguably I did visit the Blue Lagoon during a mild hurricane).

Budapest: Szechnyi Baths

Iceland: Blue Lagoon

I realize it's blasphemy to live in Poland and not visit a Polish spa, but I haven't yet. I'm remedying the situation next weekend with a trip to the city of Szczecin (on the German border), about which I know very little other than that there are reasonably priced hotels and spa services. Sweet! I'll let you know how it compares to gilded Budapest.

Warsaw Gives Up Seats

One thing which immediately impressed me aboutWarsaw was the rapidity with which younger Varsovians lept from their seats when an elderly person stepped onto a tram or metro car. Given the large population of elderly people in Poland, this isn't a rare occurrence.

Looks like NYC is having a problem with people hogging their seats (though I have to say that in my personal experience, people have been quite courteous). They've even started legislating this courtesy. It can't hurt - it certainly was nice when NYC passed laws saying people couldn't use seats to hold their bags or put up their feet when the train is full. One would hope people would use common sense, but I suppose we can't all be Polish!

Swine Flu & Coffee

Utopia of Warsaw Coffee Shops

I'm spending the morning at my favorite coffee shop, Wayne's Coffee, which is conveniently located right across the street from my apartment. It provides the perfect combination of factors which make an ideal coffeeshop: free internet, minimal smoke, lots of outlets, and employees who generally leave you alone. Today is a bit of an exception when it comes to the last factor, but I don't mind.

The guy at the counter and I had a mini-drama about honey for my tea...they didn't have any out on the counter, so he went to look for more in the back. He reported that the bulk package of honey was frozen. He put it in hot water to thaw. The prognosis wasn't looking good. This information trickled in as updates in 5-minute intervals which he'd trot over to my table to provide.

Finally, we had success with the honey, and he came over to me with a large jar and a spoon, from which I scooped just enough for my tea. Hooray!

Then we started talking. Turns out he's from Mexico, and has been here for over a year working on his thesis for school (I had noticed a strange accent, but didn't think much of it). He said it's great to meet another North American.

We commiserated about the situation in our homeland, and about how Poles are wary of us. I told him that our clients don't want us coming into the office directly after arriving from the US after our periodic trips home. They've asked us to self-quarantine for 1-2 days before coming into the office. Fair enough, I suppose.

He told me that customers here often ask where he's from, and these days jump back a little when he says he's from Mexico. Once he assures them he hasn't been to Mexico in 4 months, they relax.

Who knew that in coming to Warsaw, the most discrimination I'd feel stems from my being from New York? And that swine flu would be something over which an American and a Mexican could bond, all the way out in Warsaw?

Slate on Starbucks

I wasn't the only American to comment on the arrival of Starbucks in Warsaw.

A Slate writer provides some interesting observations:

The arrival of McDonald's in Warsaw in the early 1990s signified for many the arrival of capitalism in Poland. The arrival of Starbucks in Warsaw, as in Prague, Czech Republic (it got there a few months ago), and possibly Budapest, Hungary (where it's been promised for years), signifies the entry of Central Europe not just into the capitalist world but into the world of 21st-century-style prosperity.

Full text here.