Polish Christmas Carols... still singing into the New Year

One thing I have learned here is that Christmas is far from over after January 1st. The epiphany, or Trzech Kroli (Three Kings) holiday is still celebrated here with great reverence and tradition. Doors of houses are inscribed with the letters 'K+M+B' and the year in chalk which is tradition for providing the household with  protection against illness and misfortune. Each letter is said to stand either for the traditionally applied names of the Three Kings in Polish - Kacper, Melchior and Baltazar - or for a Latin inscription meaning “Christ bless this house.” It is traditionally kept above the doors year round until they are dusted off or replaced by the next year's markings.

This means the Christmas tree usually stays up until February 2nd and that carols are sung until then too. This was somewhat strange to me since at our house Christmas was usually wrapped up well after Christmas day. Here however, the mistletoe and tree, both looking very dry and dead, have been up for awhile--like they usually are here.

Fortunately we took ours down this weekend. I think the needles all over the floor were getting to A. However, I thought I would include a short video of the kid's piano recital where you can experience Polish Carols, even on this last day of January.
PS. Also check out the piano teacher's very awesome white upright piano! I had never seen a white piano until now and once in England at a very fancy hotel.

Reading corner

This is the best book! A fictional story set in 1850 California and based on the book of Hosea. Thanks Natasha!

Butter, flour, sugar, eggs.. polski version 2.0

A promised here are some photos of some of the ingredients I have been using--Poliski (Polish) version!

Peanut Butter! Ironically I like the European version better than at home. It's less sweet!

Part of our pantry. You can see in the right corner 'Barszcz' which is beet soup

Literal translation is 'Fluffy flour', but this is cake flour. I see no real difference though in the regular flour

Honey! They keep alot of bees in Poland

Poppy seeds--also very Polish. They have alot of Polish cakes that use these, especially around Christmas

Buckwheat--we use this alot of the time as our starch in the meal, like you would with rice

Potato flour

Oat bran

Cocoa!

More honey--the one on the right smells vile

Baking soda

Baking powder

Butter--we go through alot of this

Fresh yeast for cakes/breads. I have been getting used to using this

The Polish love their meats. These are 2 very typical options. The one on the left is more or less like a salami, and the one on the right is liver pate. Apparently I am the only American au pair they have had that even attempted to eat the liver one--and I liked it. :) Aga says my Mom raised me very 'German'... I guess this is an Eastern European thing to eat, haha.

And one last one for your no doubt drooling tastebuds, especially after that last photo--(just kidding). This is the banana/lemon/poppyseed cake I made for the kids. It was a great success and is sooo tasty.

Too Cold

Our comfort for the day/week

Well, the start f the week has not started off well. The kids have been ill with the flu and as of today we are all forbidden to go out for the rest of the week. That and this week is supposed to be the coldest it's been this winter. And yes, it is really really cold outside. To put that into perspective here is our weather forecast for the rest of the week.

Poznań, Greater Poland Voivodeship:

Tue 23° | 3°    Wed  14° | 1°      Thu  10° | 3°      Fri  12° | -6°

And that's in Fahrenheit people! So, yes the fire is a welcome sight. We have all been congregating to the living room amid all the blankets on the couch. I am making the kids chicken, rice, and carrots. I only think I have a slight case of what they have, so amid all the water, honey, garlic, and vitamin C tablets I have been taking, I am hoping the slight case of a plugged nose will quickly go away. Besides I have a guest tomorrow, so I need to get better! My sweet decided to come for the weekend and will be here until next Wednesday. Now isn't that some nice news, and there was no convincing him otherwise to postpone it a week, so..... I just hope he doesn't get ill too. :P

Otherwise the week has been good. I took a bus to town so I could spent the weekend with my friend. We had a lovely time spending the evening looking for a nice local Polish pottery place that she told me about. I am so excited! I really want to buy some authentic pottery. They are so pretty. We also had a lovely night watching movies and eating popcorn, having church in the morning and participating in a 48 hour worship service that was held at a local office building nearby. I thought this was so cool to have a bunch of local churches taking part in this and to have that time to worship with them was truly God-given--even if I wasn't feeling well. I was so happy to be there, but my whole body just ached. Being out in the cold didn't help either. After the worship we made our way to the train station where I booked my ticket back home. Can you imagine it only cost me $1.12! Transportation is so cheap here. Found Platform 2 and was standing out there in the cold only to find out at the last minute that the platform was really not the one I needed. To clarify I asked a lady nearby in (very) broken Polish if this was the one I needed to get on to which she said no. So I ran back upstairs, took a look at the board, ran back down and went to Platform 5. Ironically there was no indication on the board outside which town this train was going to--the sign was blank. sigh. There was a young couple standing outside the train so I briefly held up my piece of paper that had the train time and city written on it and pointed to the train. She nodded affirmative, and I hadn't missed it yet! So that was my train adventure. Got off on the right stop, but A got confused and was at the wrong stop to pick me up. There are two towns with similar names. So similar in fact that they are only different by a letter and an accent mark--Puszczykówko vs. Puszczykowo. You can imagine the confusion. So I had to wait a little bit before she came to get me, but all is well.

My next post ( I promise) is of some Polish food with pictures. :)

Friday

When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.  -Shauna Niequist

 

The Girl with the Polish Family

One of my morning drives to Śrem

I got up early Saturday morning to go grocery shopping with A. Deciding to give up a day of sleeping in, I wanted to spend some time in the grocery and to be included in all of Saturday's plans, even if that meant cleaning the pantry and organizing the kitchen, which we did with great success. Oh! And bake a cake. I think I should have been a baker. A real one.

I really like this family. Not only because A&J are such kindhearted people, but they truly do think and act in the best interest of their family, and of me as well. Even though I have only been here a month (yes hard to believe), they have always treated me as more than just an employee or caretaker--I have always been family. This drive with A was nice because it gave us a chance to really talk about how things are going and how we feel about everything. It felt nice to actually ask her, personally, how she thinks I am doing. We both agreed that things are going really well and she amazed me by saying that she was really thankful that I was the type of person that asks questions if I am unsure or want to know about something. She told me it helps her to learn what I need in this process. Consequently, this car ride was more than just a weekly grocery run--it was a nice heartfelt chat between friends.

We stopped by 'Arturo', the local grocery in a town close by and bought many things (including bananas that I had been craving!) and I learned a thing or two about soups, meats, and yoghurt. The essentials I tell ya ;)
And this morning I had corn flakes with the kids! Okay, I have been craving cold cereal too, but I do love my morning ritual of toast, yoghurt, some tea and fruit. :)

As we speak, I am baking a banana, lemon, poppyseed cake. The kitchen smells soo good because I have had the door closed. It's pretty quiet too since the kids are in lessons and Ewa (pronounced 'Eva'), the house cleaner, is ironing upstairs. All that you can hear is the dog snoring away. She will no doubt get up instantly when she hears me go check on the bread.

Get ready, dear readers. Another post with pictures of various food stuffs is coming soon. Until then 'Do widzenia!' (Goodbye in Polish) :)

Butter, flour, sugar, eggs.. polski version

I thought I would include some photos of what I have been baking here. The title of this entry too makes me think I should also write an entry that shows some of the products used. Anyway, that is a different story. :)
You can imagine me with floured hands going to Google Translate to see what kind of flour I have in my hand. This is where I find my solitude--in cooking. I always have. It's always been my 'second home'.

 Ironically the kids had never seen or heard of these before. They really liked them though, and they were my first ever batch! Yay, and I even found an awesome recipe without using yeast. 

 

If you can imagine that this is a pancake then be ready to be impressed. Apparently this is the way it's done in Finland, and these are sooo good. I found this recipe on one of my many recipe searches, and I am so glad I did because it's quick, easy and requires limited ingredients.Click on the photo for the recipe!

Finnish Pancakes

Jam drops! I love the color variations.

A bit time consuming but very tasty...

And of course, how could I forget my pride and joy... Lime, Yoghurt, and Olive Oil cake.

Lime, Yoghurt, Olive oil cake

I forgot to take a picture of last nights Chocolate Wine cake, but yes it was amazing too. More baking soon! :)

Cheek to cheek

There are just some days when nothing seems to go very smoothly. I am not saying it didn't go particularly well, because not everything is entirely bad. I think in this instance it reminds me of knowing what to be thankful for, and to put into perspective how I should act upon such circumstances.

Yesterday I burned the beef. I never make such awful mistakes when I cook, but for some reason I didn't realize that the pressure cooker could have been taken off the stove 30 minutes before I did. I had never used one before either. :P As I undid the lid I immediately thought 'I have three kids to feed, and their mother to answer for if I can't find something to give them if this isn't worth eating.' Luckily there was some backup pork in the fridge from a few days before if I needed it, but I was determined to fix this. Not all the pieces were burned, and even the pieces that were had only a small amount of black on them. It was mostly the bottom of the pot that had taken the damage. It was a nice crusty mess of garlic, onions and some beef shreds. Ah me, *sigh*. So I took the little bit I had that was okay to use and looked at this bowl of dry beef cubes. Lovely--now what to do with it. I decided what had to be done was to get it soft again. Taste wise I was convinced it was alright. So I poured it all into a pot and added a little water and just let it gently simmer until it had soaked up some water. In a few minutes you could never tell it was burnt. I even asked the kids and they said it was really good. In addition, A left me a note for what to do with today's lunch and even wrote on the bottom 'PS. The beef was very good'. Sometimes you just have to laugh.

(The pot is all nice and shiny now too)

Since I love to bake I decided to make some bread with some yeast I found in the drawer. Only that turned out badly too. I just couldn't get the middle to 'bake'. It was too doughy even after leaving it in longer than called for. Again, lesson learned--maybe the batter was too thick and I remember thinking to myself  how thick the batter looked before I stuck in the oven. But I didn't listen and thought it was fine. Yet again, even my mistake was a hit with the kids. I asked Cecylia and Kasper to taste the bread and tell me what they thought. Granted it was better after I left it in the warm oven, but you could definitely tell it was still a little 'sticky' in the middle, but they loved it. Kasper immediately asking excitedly if I made it and Cecylia commenting that it was still warm called it 'super'--which is something they say in Poland for something that is really awesome. It calmed my frazzled nerves a bit to know that even if it wasn't perfect to me, kids see things so very differently and in this instance they loved the bread that I had only seen as a failure.

Lastly, I have had a really big taste of parenting in the past month, mainly because I am with the kids the majority of the time and must on many occasions reprimand those that misbehave and stand in the middle of small quarrels between siblings. It's almost like I fast forwarded to my life in ten years without the husband. Only now, I realize more what my parents had to go through and maybe even come to appreciate it too. It surprises me when I set down their plate and the first thing they ask is 'do I have to eat these vegetables', or when I ask them three times to do something and it's like I don't even exist. It shouldn't surprise me so much, because I can see my younger self in them in more ways than one, but for the first time I am seeing it from a different angle. I have to say I don't like it. I don't like what I see, in them and what I used to be too. I see the fits they have, the pouting that goes on, the yelling at each other over such silly things. Did I really act this way too? It really puts things into perspective when you are the one in charge--the one that has to hear it day in and day out and deal with it accordingly.
'I told you to do something and you didn't do it. Why not?' 
'I'm sorry' 
'That's not what I asked'
I makes me want to be the 'parent' I recognize my parents were to me, and to care for them as my parents cared for me with love, respect, and discipline. In so many ways, dealing with them is giving me so much practice and insight into how they act, what to take away, what to say to them and the tone. Always to tone. Eventually they learn--I know I did. Someday I know I will be a great mother, because I was brought up by such a good one with my father, and from the practice I get from taking care of these three here. So far the challenge is met and I like to think I am winning.

No, today wasn't such a bad one.

They are gone--disappeared. I am speaking my favorite pair of grey/silver fingerless gloves. I simply can't find them anywhere, and I am pretty sure I haven't worn them while here. To be sure I am quite upset, partially at the fact that there is a good chance I put them in a special place for 'safe keeping', only at the moment I don't know where that is. Le sigh.

On to better news. It has been lightly snowing most of the morning. A nice dusting but not enough to be considered hazardous or anything to look at really. Although the drive to the swimming pool this morning was very beautiful as the snow covered the multitude of fields and the little houses along the way. I briefly took some photos of myself outside, but I imagine with more snow the landscape would look more spectacular. More pics soon.

Decided to make the kids something different than just toast with jam and fruit for 'second breakfast'. I made them oatmeal, or porridge, instead with a little brown sugar to change things up. Cecylia came into the room, saw the small bowls on the table and her eyes lit up. Smiling at me she says 'This is my favorite!' I was happy they approved so much. In terms of cooking for them they seem to eat pretty well. Marcel is the pickiest. However, I have been told that I cook vegetables very well... and better than E. I kinda felt bad when they said that, at least for her, but I am glad that what I prepared (minus the salty bread, and Marcel not liking roasted tomatoes) has been met with mostly happy faces. I plan on making them some cookies soon for their daily 'sweet snack'. It amazes me how many small meals they have in a day. They usually ask why I eat so little. Oh, and also why I am not ticklish. :)

I must go prepare their snack. Today it's grandma's leftover poppyseed cake from Christmas and some fruit. Toodles!

**Revise: Since this morning it has been picking up the pace with snow! Here is our brief 5 min break from school. :)

Bright Morning Star

Put me like a seal over your heart, Like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death. Song of Solomon 8:6

Sundays are usually a time for me to reflect on the past week. As I am in the throes of living in a new country, more often than not it is also a time for me to experience fellowship with my Polish family and the new friends I have made here. Even though weekends are usually filled with the presence of others, I feel that these times very much influence my own 'quiet time' at the end of the week. I am able to put into perspective alot of things.

For the past  two Sundays I have had the privilege to attend an international church with another American au pair. Knowing I had an opportunity of attending before I came was a joy, and now that I can finally see and experience this church in the flesh. In many ways it wasn't what I expected, and than in other ways it is also what I think I needed to experience. So much of this new adventure is feeling God here and seeing Him lead me to different people and finding new revelations in my life and the life I will lead later. The thing that amazes me with this church is it is constantly growing, but never with the same people. Being an international church, open to people of any denomination or age, it serves as a haven to those who come and go in this city. Many are students who are merely staying to finish their degree or on study abroad, others are missionaries with their families who are here for an allotted number of years before moving to another place. They hold church service every Sunday in a rented room in the Sheraton Hotel and also have a Bible study group on Tuesdays geared for university students at a local coffee shop. There is so much love here in this church to share with the people here the joy and happiness that Christ brings.

I have to say my first Sunday at this church was a disappointment, and I wanted it not to be for so many reasons. I wanted to find a place that would snatch a piece of my heart and that I felt like I belonged to. I wanted to find joy in the people that believed the same thing I did and to feel the love in that place. That's not to say I didn't feel some of those things here. I did, but not as deeply as I had hoped. Today was much better, and I think I came to understand more of what the church had for me, and, most importantly, what God's plan was for me with this church.

It is so hard to find a church that you feel is home to you and that you connect with on a spiritual and personal level, and the older I get and the more spiritually I grow I am reminded of that very fact--a good church is hard to find. When I was in England I felt that connection and it made me sad that I would never be there for long periods of time to stay there and benefit from those congregations and worship services. I suddenly knew what it felt like to only have short glimpses of a group of people that felt God as I myself did. Even if I knew I would be back it still made me wish that wherever I went I would always find that. God, however, had a different plan. I think he brought me to this international church to experience what it feels like to be in a church where God is so heavily abundant, but where the emphasis is helping introduce Him to those new lambs. There is of course that sole foundation of church missionaries and leaders who have that spiritual understanding of who God is and what He can do for our lives, but in just two Sundays I saw the need for this church to grow not in numbers, but in strength of knowing and accepting who He is and how to develop that relationship with Him. Maybe I don't know the church well enough to know where they are spiritually, but I know that in other places I have felt more joy from worship, and really connected with much deeper sermons about who God is and what He expects and has done for us. This to me felt too 'introductory' and broad, but I think God wanted me to experience this to perhaps humble me on where I am now and where I used to be many years ago. Perhaps part of my part here is to help contribute to sharing my growth and helping someone else grow--perhaps at this very church. I don't yet know my part, but I think I will soon. I plan on attending more, because I think I need it and that somehow God needs me here too--because God is love.

Lastly, I feel that my new found friendships have been blessings to me in every way. I could not have imagined the support I have been given here, and how genuine these girls have made me feel in connecting with the city and getting acquainted. I may have alluded to that already, but they continue to amaze me. It's nice to have that and more so than any other time, I believe that God's love is so big right now and that He is taking care of me in every shape and form.

In the Still of the Night

A sanctuary for those who believe

 

Probably one of my favorite moments from tonight was a nice evening chat with J over supper. He is what all men should be--respectable, kind, and knows how to laugh, long and deep. He and A are a wonderful couple, and incredible hosts. I am lucky to be their au pair and 'other child' in a sense. He was looking through a handmade calender that had been specially made for them with pictures of the kids and Bible verses printed on each page. Perhaps this was my favorite moment because on certain phrases he asked me to explain the meaning in English so he could translate it to the youngest. How do you describe 'behold', or what does it mean when they say to 'fight the good fight'? What do they mean when they say 'take hold'? I could not have been more proud, to not only share my love of Scripture with them, but also to help them understand in their tongue what the words mean.

I have experienced such a peace while being here, even if I was unsure of my purpose. It is enough knowing He has a plan for me. He always does.  <3

Wunderkind

The past few days have been more or less driving. Driving to and from Poznan, driving to Kornik and Srem--and if you want to be philosophical, completing the drive of my life at the moment into a more complete circle. I think I have been able to ease into things relatively easily, and I have had some help from new friends along the way. This past weekend I found myself, alone, in the car on my way to town. I had my handy dandy GPS, (which I have been trying NOT to use) ready to meet some new friends and have a very good Saturday. All went well, albeit a slight scare in the parking garage. Don't worry, nothing was scratched, hurt, banged, or even disjointed--I got out fine! It was nice to walk around the mall where I imagine I will spend many weekends for a getaway or plans with friends. I even ventured out to the other side of town to another mall. (Apparently that is the thing to do here, haha) But more than that I felt that I was taking a step forward and putting an initiative in finding my own way--to want to explore and not get scared about forgetting something or getting lost. I needed to venture out and do it on my own. To learn and to like experiencing it at the same time.

I never realized I would be driving so much, which leaves me at the end of the day very stiff and with a sore neck. Who knew I would be operating my small and (almost) reliable limo service. I am kidding of course. :) The kids here are very active in swimming, which consequently involves driving them to 3 different pools throughout the week. Luckily this week has been exam time, so they mostly have been going to only a few. I think I am just about there with remembering where things are, and what roads to turn on. It is so easy to get turned around, especially on these very dark, windy country roads. Tonight I managed to somehow turn off the main road onto a small gravel one that led to a dead-end with a very ferocious small dog yapping at me. Needless to say I had to bring in my backup--the GPS. Pretty sad when you are 10 min from home, but it was understandable in the circumstances.

Also, of all the things I miss it's the simple and delightful privilege of eating vegetables. That's not to say that we never eat them; no, we actually do just not as often as I would like. I have come to understand the eating habits of the family and I really do find it quite amusing and interesting.

• Breakfast: Always consists of bread, cheese, meats, and various jars of honey, jams, and any other 'condiments'.
• Lunch: Usually this is the only meal that is different from the rest and something new is prepared. Today for instance we used up some of the leftover beef steaks, had some rice and mixed vegetables with it. 
• Dinner: Same as breakfast, only no sweet things like jam. I usually have an apple & peanut butter--my fav!

Other than that, we eat alot of bread, cheese, and meats. I liked this at first. I even thought it something to try at home, since it is simple, but it has left me wanting a stalk of broccoli, or some squash, zucchini--anything veggie related. I really strive on vegetables along with my meat and cheese, and when I don't get enough I crave them--as many do with chocolate or ice cream. Mmmmm..... ice cream.... :)
It has been really super though that they have yoghurt--because I love that so much too. I do miss cold cereal but it is expensive here, so we don't get it. Also their milk tastes different...

On another note I finally made it to the post office, so those of you who were mailed a post card I hope they come within a week! Goodnight for now. :)

Tak (Or 'yes' in English)

Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore a man cannot discover anything about his future. Ecc. 7:13-14

After a very long day driving to and from town, getting stuck in traffic, making a wrong turn, and arriving too late to take the kids to their taekwondo and swimming, this verse reminds me that things may go wrong--but that's okay. Especially after reading this verse I am reminded of a thought that came to me in the car whilst amid all the 'red' around me on the roads. That as funny as things have gone for the first week here, and that even when things go wrong I know I am in the right place. I remember thinking that I was so happy to be here, even though the challenges of the commute and learning the roads is such a challenge. I am so happy because this is where God has placed me, it's where I wanted to go and I am able to say with joy that I am doing this for God's glory. Even though things may not go according to plan, or that I may have some hurdles along the way, I have come to appreciate so much those little hiccups.

I am so glad I came here, and I am reminded of that everyday. That's not to say I worry--that is only the human side of me--but I truly do love it here and am so blessed to be with this family. They are wonderful.

Little things catch my attention. Things that I know will be so ordinary to me in a year or two because I will be used to them. Now they are new and I seem to connect with what are new observations.

• I know that many times in the house a conversation consists of Polish and English conversation--sometimes both interchangeably
• That daily prayer is essential to this family
• Marcel loves Legos--I think the first conversation I had with him was about his collection
• They love garlic
• I love the way A laughs, and equally so when her husband is the one making her laugh
• There is a rooster next door who likes to announce the morning
• Polish drivers are crazy!
• And they signal a thank you with their flashers (hey at least they do that)
• The symbol of a goat is very important here

All of these things I take in and there are a dozen other things that I know I will observe too. This whole adventure has tamed me to see, to look and stop to think about it--to understand what others fail to think about or see.

Opening Doors and Closing Others

Yesterday night marked the night E left to go back to her family. Seeing her go brought so many things to mind as I watched her say goodbye to the family that truly has embraced her as a sister and daughter. As painful as goodbyes are I know that they bring with them hope and many truths to the emotions of the heart. I witnessed the kids wanting her to stay and the family too. It made me happy and it also made me hope to be as good a person as she has been to them. I wanted at that very moment to be someone they come to admire, to not be purely compared, but to be someone they come to know also as a part of their family. I imagined the day that I too would leave and I wondered if it would be as bittersweet as I saw now.

I have to admit it felt strange to be there at that moment. Knowing that I was taking her place, but also knowing that I have a little while to go before I gain the same love that they show towards her. Perhaps for the first time I felt like a new girl on the block--only this new girl had 'THE job' and would be given a precedent to follow.

I don't know why I am so worried about being compared. I think it is only natural to want to be as loved as another person, but I think I need to focus on being myself and being who I know I should be. I know how to act, to do what I am told, to have a positive and righteous attitude towards this entire endeavor. It is what I wanted, and I still want to go through with everything. I want to be strong, to live the life God gave me and to do it well.

The first week was easier than I expected in as much as transitioning into the life I now lead here. What I am learning will come natural to me in time. I know this--it's getting myself to keep remembering that is the key. I WILL know these roads, and I will gain new friends and a new family. Because it's the path God has laid in front of me, and I'm so glad I followed it.

Happy 2012!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot...

Here is wishing you and yours a safe and prosperous New Year. It's so hard to believe that it's 2012! I look over last year and think of all the amazing things that happened to me. I graduated, took a trip overseas, saw my love for the summer, became an au pair, and am now living in Europe. Who would have thought?

 I count my blessings, especially with this new day of the year when I am reminded of how much we are given and how giving a God we have. I really hope this coming year sees me grow as an adult, as a caregiver, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a lover, and a child of Christ. 

There are so many things I am worried about, but nothing can be done that isn't first planned in a way that God has so carefully laid out. That is why I am letting things fall where He wants them. In this way I can not be afraid. Pray for me as I pray for you. Pray that this year would be an eye-opening one, and that many good things come out of it. Welcome this new year with gladness and hope. Happy New Years friends.