Hospitality

Hello!
I have just been shamed by a middle aged Polish lady!

Me and Luke visited a family he knows to borrow a guitar for me to play at the English class next week. They live in a very small 3-room flat in a huge estate of Communst-built tower blocks. After shaking hands with the family we were sat down and given apples, chocolate sweets, home-made raisin cake, vegetable stew, and green tea (in that order)! And this wasn't us staying for a meal, this was just a mid-afternoon snack!! What a feast! What hospitality!

If you are silly/brave enough to have been to my house in Leicester you would be lucky to get a cup o cheap tea in a dirty mug, and if you were VERY lucky you might get milk and sugar to go in it!! What hospitality?

So my 1st Che Guevara-esque life changing travel experience in Poland is to vow to keep a stash of custard creams and tea to give to anyone who visits me, and to make them feel welcome. Revolution in the air!!





So far it has been a very chilled-out trip with loads of time just to read, study, and chat with Luke (who is very cool by the way!) But we start to get busy tommorow as we are joined by an American team, and the kids English classes start on Monday. It will be a challenge but a lot of fun!


Also, Polish take-away pizza is better than English take-away pizza. Oooooh contraversial!

Much love, Jonny

Exciting news!: Polish ice-cream is better than English ice-cream!

Thats all i have to say really. I'm not even sorry. I just wanted you to know!




Me and Luke are preparing for a week of Youth events starting on Monday, based around teaching English conversation and building friendships. I will be leading an English slang workshop... could do with a spot of help! So far I have got:

'cor blimey!
'aas ya father?
'aas it going ol' pal?
Don't get ya' knickers in a twist
Not half mate, not half!
Well blow me down!
Hang about!

Any other suggestions?....

Much love, Jonny

Poles cheer and give a round of applause when the plane lands. ...you wouldn't see THAT sort of thing in England! Gosh no!

Hello from Poland! My name is Jonny, i will be your blogger. Pretentious travel writing is the future!!

As part of my apprenticeship year with the Navigators I have gone on a Summer trip to Wroclaw in Poland. I am staying with a Polish pastor called Luke Klykow who helps run an English language school, a church, and lots of youth programmes. He is looking after me ,and we will work together over the next 6 weeks.

Ernesto Guevara famously set out on a journey with a close friend around south america. His experiences and discoveries on that trip shaped his thoughts and convictions about the need for a social revolution for the under-represented lower classes. I don't particularly want to stage violent revolution, be captured and killed by the CIA and become an iconic anti-establishment figure. But the point is that new places, people, and experiences can change you. I want to return wiser, more faithful, more grateful, and with greater purpose.


So...its raining here in Olowa (near Wroclaw). I thought you should all know that.


Over the next 6 weeks i will be...
- Teaching english conversation at a week-long kids event in town
- Going to a Polish arts and music festival to do some more english conv classes
- Visiting a homeless people outreach in Wroclaw
- Going travelling up to Krakow and Rapka for some space to pray about the future.

Any prayers or encoragement or blog-heckling is welcome!
Lots of love
Jonny