Woodland Park

Saturday morning began with an iced soy latte.. I know it sounds snobbish, but in the United Stated soy milk is much more common and is not reserved to yuppies. Well, maybe it is a little…:) In Poland we call this group lemmings.

About nine o'clock I was already at the Bellevue College. During the interesting Introduction to Employment Law class, we discussed the issues related to the non-exempt and exempt employees. The first employer is required to pay for overtime, while others are excluded from this obligation. After a pause, revision of the  medical leave. Did you know that in the U.S. there is no law guaranteeing a paid maternity leave?

After the class, it was finally time to relax. We decided to get to know our atypical neighbors, the inhabitants of Woodland Park Zoo. We arrived after lunchtime, which is probably why bears, lions, jaguars and kangaroos were not willing to show their charms, but rather preferred to sleep in the distant shade.

However we saw a lot of amazing animals and birds from all around the world. A beautiful, huge,  and I assume a well fed elephant strolled past on his quite spacious area. Interestingly, Woodland Zoo, as well as the administration of President Obama, supports the initiative 96 Elephants, which calls for an end to  the killing of elephants and trade on the ivory. Unfortunately, the U.S.  has one of the biggest ivory markets..

In one of the hideaways we ran into a large collection of venomous snakes. I get goose bumps just when I recall these thin, little tongues...

After two hours we reached our close relatives ... gorillas. A charming view.  They even approached the glassed division and came closer to visitors. I think they understand how important it is today to post attractive photos on social media.

This coming Wednesday we are checking off another item from our summer bucket list. We are going to witness the madness of American pop culture at the concert of the Queen Bee Beyonce and Jay-Z . #soexited!

                                         

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                                      More Zoo photos!                                                                                  

Back to US and straight to the Polish Seattle Festival. 

Three weeks in Poland and a few days in London passed quickly but wonderfully. An full program with family and friends provided us with many warm moments.

We organized our splendid wedding reception, visited Cracow renovated undergrounds, St. Mary's Basilica, Oscar Schindler's Museum, the picturesque city of Lanckorona and took a short trip to Zakopane -ah, our beautiful Tatra mountains and waffles with berries ..

To prolong enjoying the Polish ambiance, I volunteered to help during the third annual Polish Festival in Seattle. I chose the booth Best of Poland Assistants.  My reward was a food coupon for a few dollars- my first salary in a long time.  

During my shift I had the opportunity to meet people of Polish origin not only from Seattle, but also from other cities of the United States. Some regretted that their grandparents did not teach them Polish; others asked whether Poland is safe to visit. There was no shortage of Americans interested in visiting. There was even talk of starting a Polish Social Hour.

The crowd was a rich mix of diverse ethnicities, ages and beliefs, yet the participants seemed satisfied with festival activities. The organizers provided them with maybe a little bit of old school, but still with a convivial and very friendly atmosphere.

The guests could explore an exhibition dedicated to the Solidarity movement and get a taste of Polish food. One could find many Polish souvenirs (Dean got a Cooking with a Polish Touch book), and when having a break could observe the diverse artistic program. There was even a Gypsy dance performance. 

The Festival was decorated with Polish colors and flags, participants wore beautiful costumes, and children were painted and dressed patriotically in white and red. At the end I filled out a student's questionnaire regarding events promoting different cultures. Seattle Polish Festival is in fact part of a year-round cycle of festivals "honoring cultural richness and diversity of the Pacific Northwest region." Still to come are Croatian, and Turkish weekends. On November 1 Mexican Dia de Muertos will be celebrated.

Now I need to unpack the books, which have flown with me to supply the Polish Library in Seattle.
                                                         

                                                               
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                                   Take a look at more photos:)