Volleyball in Warsaw Medical School in the 60s
It was 1961, and I’ve just started my medical school in Warsaw. Volleyball interested me since high school and since I wanted to have a physical balance to my book education, I’ve found a volleyball team at my university. Modest beginnings We had practices in a far away arena late at night. But since we […]
The Largest Military Effort by Resistance Forces During WWII
Seventy-two years ago, on September 1st, Warsaw exploded. Two, may be three generations past. How many people still remember it? How many of them, who saw it with their own eyes, are still alive? And when our city erupted, there were only few not afflicted by these events. The Biblical scene of David fighting Goliath […]
Story behind the picture
There are no colleges in Poland. In our last year of high school, we had to decide where to continue our education. To help us make a conscious choice, our beloved Latin, French and an ancient history teacher, Mrs. Libera invited several of her graduated students to talk to us about professions they chose. To […]
Best Dish in the Polish Kitchen
After WWII, countries in Europe were deluged with art inspired by the monstrosities of the conflict. Despite a relatively small population, Poland was presented with one of the highest casualty lists, the highest as a percentage of the total population of the nations. No wonder that the resulting impression on Polish art, particularly filmmaking, was […]
Story of the cross in my father’s church
Christianity has a long history in Poland. In the 900s, we had no country – just a bunch of Slavic tribes. The ruler of one of them, Mieszko, had big ambitions, which fortunately were backed by the political and military skills. Having unification on his mind, Mieszko I, with substantial help from his wife, a […]
Trip to Europe and How to Finance Your Education
A couple of months ago, Bonnie and I came back from an exhausting trip to the continent where I spent the first thirty years of my life. Four countries, countless cities and many sleepless nights. But we wouldn’t put a price, monetary and otherwise, on all the memories we’ve got. There is a village in […]
Joseph Conrad and Being a Bilingual Writer
The life and writings of Joseph Conrad fascinate me. He was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in the area of Poland annexed by Russia after the partitioning of my country at the end of the 18th century. His father was a highly educated person. Writer, translator and would-be-revolutionary member of Polish nobility (szlachta). While a […]
Courage and the Price of Integrity
It was 1942, three years after the German invasion of Poland. In the village of Rekowka, 90 miles south of Warsaw, German troops appeared in a house occupied by two families, Skoczylas and Kosiorow. Apparently acting on a tip, they were looking for Jews. Indeed, there were six Jewish people being sheltered by the Poles […]
The Greatest Massacre in the European History
During the process of learning how to write a novel, one is urged to study how to begin the story. The opening of the novel is said to have the ability not so much to break it, as is seen as a chance to raise it to the memorable level. These first sentences are analyzed, […]
