Category: Travel Journals

Reconciling with Poland and my own duality

This is not an ordinary foreign travel. I am visiting Poland, the country of my birth and youth, probably for the last time. During my previous visit six years ago I had a sense that the time was approaching for moving on and leaving Poland behind. While I felt, and still do, totally at home in this language and culture, and in the geography of this dynamic city, it became clear during the 2010 visit that Poland was no longer my country and Warsaw was not my city. I am not rooted there, have no aspirations or hopes connected with that place, no daily business of living to attend to. I have mostly memories, old wounds inflicted by my sudden and shocking expulsion in 1968, and deeply set yet unarticulated longings.

This is not an ordinary foreign travel. I am visiting Poland, the country of my birth and youth, probably for the last time. During my previous visit six years ago I had a sense that the time was approaching for moving on and leaving Poland behind. While I felt, and still do, totally at home in this language and culture, and in the geography of this dynamic city, it became clear during the 2010 visit that Poland was no longer my country and Warsaw was not my city. I am not rooted there, have no aspirations or hopes connected with that place, no daily business of living to attend to. I have mostly memories, old wounds inflicted by my sudden and shocking expulsion in 1968, and deeply set yet unarticulated longings.

Continue reading “Reconciling with Poland and my own duality”

Nepal 2005

Nepal and Tibet July 2005

Monday, July 4.

About 24 hours have passed from the time we left Voorschoten until we landed in Kathmandu airport. Considering its duration and our couch class, the trip was not too bad. After the London connection we took sleeping pills. It worked like a charm with me, especially that I also found three empty seats together and was able to lie down. I got four hours of sleep, and so did Philip, in his sitting position. The sleeping pill was so effective that we both had a difficult time during the 2-3 hour layover in Abu Dhabi. Continue reading “Nepal 2005”