departures

Wong left for Vienna today. He’s back on Monday. I called the train info line to ask some details about the connection. The dude kept putting me on hold. Pissed off I dialed 4 to talk to an English speaking operator (same dude picked up the phone immediately) and abused him in English for putting me on hold. It worked and I got the info I needed (probably because my rant in English was fast enough that the poor bugger didn’t understand what I was saying). I wonder when this free ride of ‘I’m sort of a foreigner’ will end for me here?

Wong was up at 5am to make his train. Michal and I got up to see him off despite Wong’s horror and distaste at seeing us refuse to go back to bed, insisting on being up. That’s the way it is – Slavic hospitality – sometimes uncomfortable, often unnecessary. Whilst tying his shoes he grinned and said, “I left you a parting gift Michal” pointing to the stack of dirty dishes left over from his hearty breakfast of sausage and egg (“do Poles have big breakfasts before a train journey?” Wong asked). The house will be empty without him. And me. I am heading off to Debno to see my parents.

to avoid confusion, this note was left by Wong in the fridge