A little bit cold

Lodz in Poland is not the first city in this beautiful world that I have experienced "the cold" in its both meanings. I arrived here on the last days of Fall and things became complicated for me.

About a week after that, it was snowing and the weather even doubled the cold in me and in local people here. I first started with one class of Polish languages. My classmates in this group already began the lessons 2 weeks again. I bet some people will agree with me that this language is very difficult. My first hours of Polish with me would be in hell. I understood nothing from what the teacher said and even my friends. It was too bad but not the worst. I started to look around during the break time and received almost no warm-looking eyes with eagers to explain what happened and why. I talked to the teacher to change to another group which just started recently, not this one. Thanks God, it was over and I was switched to another group and everything was getting better after that.

For an Asian man like me, living in a very hot country, I love the cold weather, but this "cold" almost killed me. One day on the tram, I discovered the city by myself and got lost. With only the map on my hand and one Polish question "Czy mówisz po angielsku? " which means "Do you speak English? " Most of the answers were "nie" (which means no). I felt lonely and lost in the city that I must survive for almost a year. On most of the means of transportation, people laughed or tried to hide that they laughed because of my stupid language skills or "appearance". I don't know but I hate myself. I tried to hide rather than to go out no longer after that.

Within the cold, I realized that many old people were buying their own foods, taking care of themselves and walking almost alone with a dog. I asked myself and then my teachers "Why? ". It was not the same in my country, the kids or the youngers must take care of their parents and grandparents when they are getting older. My limited Polish only allowed me to talk slowly to these people, they helped me break the ice on me and we actually had conversations. I learned something here for real.

Of course, Polish people are very nice. Most of my friends like me and I have some old friends too. I am sharing this just because it was a shock for me.