Lucky Bamboo

Recently we have been spending a lot of time settling into our new nest. Not all of the boxes are unpacked yet, but we are on the right track.

Finding a place for all of Dean’s hobbies and academic collections requires some thought. Our present furniture does not fit very well on the hardwood floor, and my wardrobe always seems to be too small.

So we need to think carefully about how to utilize every inch of our Californian square meterage. To do this, of course, we went to Ikea, in an impressive sized building located just by the popular shopping center, surrounded by tall palm trees. 

In the entrance hall, we were greeted by Holiday decoration. However it was more a European Christmas one. I have not found many adornment accents of upcoming Thanksgiving.

To gain energy before crowded shopping, we entered an even more crowded cafeteria. Everything about it, was as I suspect in all of the branches of Ikea, seemed familiar.  

The popular worldwide Swedish meatballs looked tasty to the American shoppers. A cup of coffee and chocolate mousse cake instantly gave us more strength.

We began measuring available bookcases. We tried new sofas and desks. Apparently Ikea’s American success depends on attributing more attention to the kitchen accessories (larger sizes were necessary) and bedroom selection.  Indeed, I thought that the choice of the beds seemed to be greater than in Europe.

After we finished exploring the spacious halls, I picked a charming plant - Lucky Bamboo - and a shower curtain with red patterns, perfect for Christmas décor.

Since we arrived without a car, we decided to order needed furniture online.

The return journey took us a little more time. The free shuttle to the city train was late for almost an hour. Nevertheless, we thought that the trip was a successful one, and our new space already feels like more like home.

Have a look at the newest American Ikea commercial:

                                   

                            

  H.                         

                        

Welcome home !

With these kind words, the immigration officer at the airport in San Francisco greeted me. Even though I have permanent resident status, I have to go through passport control, just like everyone else, including citizens.

For over a week, Dean and I have lived together San Francisco. My first impressions have been very positive. We live in the city, but our new neighborhood is relatively quiet.  There are a construction sites around us, but it is still a lot quieter than our Bellevue apartment.

Right by near us there is a huge baseball stadium. I have no idea which famous games took place here, but I quickly recognized that this is the same stadium on which Kanye West himself proposed to his famous chosen one ... :) Dean tells me that that is where the San Francisco Giants won the 2014 World Series baseball championship.

Our high-rise is also situated by the port of San Francisco. From a close distance we see impressive cargo ships.

We also have a wonderful marina and a boulevard by the Bay - great for long weekend walks or bike trips. On the streets you can see also my favorite palm trees, and listen to seagull squawks. We also can't complain about the weather; almost all the time it is around 20 degrees Celsius.

There don't seem to be many smaller shops or kiosks here. To my surprise, there are not as many Starbucks cafes around. But there are a lot of buses and even trams, and not only ones for tourists.

I always wanted to live by the water and now I can say that my dream has come true. Dean also seems very happy with his new job, to which, surprisingly for American standards, he can walk.

And here are some pictures of our district, Mission Bay:

                                                                                      

Season for changes

The seasons have changed. In shops and cafes many pumpkin products are already available. I hear more and more talk about how to spend Thanksgiving, and even Christmas!

Privately we are also embarking on new changes. Dean has been offered a dream job in San Francisco. We decided not to pass on such an opportunity.

Quite fast moving, means we need to leave Bellevue. I should be calmer. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an average American moves about eleven times during a lifetime!

It was in Bellevue, however, where I began life American-style.

Recently I completed my first American volunteering experience. For the last two months I helped with a couple of very interesting events organized under by the Culture Diversity Program at Bellevue City Hall.

It is also in Bellevue where I began training for the Human Resources Certificate at the Bellevue Community College. It turns out that I can finish at San Francisco State University.

In Bellevue I have also met a lot of nice people. We will be still living on the West Coast, and hopefully mutual visits should not be a major hassle.

If I am to continue Poczytajki with the youngest generation of Polish emigrants in Seattle,  I should also find a new Polish House.For sure it will be hard to find Dean such a nice and effective Polish teacher.

In September I took part in the project called Changing Faces of Bellevue. A City Hall demographer wanted to get to get to know more the city's residents more personally. In the interview I mentioned that coming to Bellevue was for me a kind of soft landing.

Now it's time for new challenges. It’s time to exchange the Seattle rain for the Californian Golden State sun and the Golden Gate fog. As my teacher from Bellevue Russian School said "you never know where the road will lead you…"

Next week I'm flying to Poland. Vacation in the autumn of Krakow will put me in a relaxing mood before moving.  Please look for my next blog sometime in November.

I am also linking a video of popular hip-hop group from Seattle. Listen carefully to the lyrics in the first minute.

H.xx

                                    

Aloha! Welcome to my Hawaiian honeymoon impressions.  

In my high school book I wrote atypically that within ten years from graduation, I was going to live in Hawaii. My prophecy was fulfilled two years ago when Dean took me there for the first time. I did not however, foresee that I will go there again for my honeymoon...

There is something special about Hawaii, which makes me want to back there every month. I never get tired of walks along Waikiki Beach and the warm Pacific Ocean. Sunsets, as if cut from postcards, are always perfect scenery for a honeymoon…

I did not also foresee that in Hawaii, I would see so many tourists from Asia. They seem to enjoy making shopping sprees in many of Oahu’s exclusive boutiques. For our last dinner we went back to our favorite and intimate Japanese restaurant, Hana na Soto, owned by a hard working married couple from Japan.

In Hawaii, there are also attractions  a la Americaine. On the main Kalakaua Avenue, one can practice at the Waikiki Gun Club, and then enjoy a meal at Cheeseburger in Paradise. Tourists, also from Asia, visit the historical base of Pearl Harbor.

Yet Hawaii is not a paradise to everybody. The city’s authorities are working intensively on a plan to remove homeless people from main tourist areas. As I read in the local press, the actions are not met with consent from, often religious, residents of Oahu.

During our holiday, once again, we did not hike on the Diamond Head-  a famous volcanic mountain. However we treated ourselves with a car trip to a less exclusive region of the North Shore and a submarine cruise. Huge oceanic turtles slumbering on the wrecks of old, abandoned ships made ​​a quite impression on us.

I also did not try a popular Hawaiian snack:  spam.  This kind of cheaper meat is available in many forms. Even well-known fast food chains offer sandwiches with spam. Initially, it was served as a food of American soldiers based around the world, including Asia. Spam was an instant hit with Asians and Polynesians, which led to its popularity in Hawaii. Email spam owes its etymology to this product; I find neither appealing.

It is hard to stop writing about the unique island of Oahu. Queen Emma’s palace, the oriental pagoda hidden in the center of Honolulu, enormous hotels and the unique Hawaiian hippie atmosphere all deserve more than just a casual remark. Dean should add a few words about the fish he saw while snorkeling in the phenomenal Hanauma Bay ..

Now I should go back again to  From Here to Eternity or Paradise News books, and perhaps to the movies Pearl Harbor and The Descendants...

And finally, a little trivia - maybe you know which well-known living American was born in Honolulu? Hint: Not everyone believes it.

Look for another hint in the video below:

                            If you can't see well, please click here:)
                                             

                                       

H.

Mountain Paradise and sea lions in Oregon.

Summer in the Pacific Northwest is truly wonderful.  It is sunny almost every day, it barely rains, and the evening air reminds me of the Mediterranean climates.

No wonder why the surrounding mountain trails are so popular in the summer. One of them is the Mount Rainier National Park. We decided to make a visit.   

Mountain Rainier is a dormant volcano and is also the highest peak in the state of Washington.  With good visibility, I often see from afar its snowy peak. It is also often themed on paintings, reproductions and souvenirs from Seattle.

When my Dad visited us in March, he was curious of the Mountain’s name. With the help of Wikipedia, we learned that George Vancouver, famous British explorer and naval officer of the Royal Navy, called it at end of the XVIIIth century, in honor of his friend to Peter Rainier. The name prevailed even despite the American Revolutionary War.

We entered the park in the car and drove almost to the top. We chose a less challenging trail Paradise. It was quite busy, but very pleasant. After a walk among foggy and flourishing meadows, we could not pass on iced coffee in the nearby hotel with a beautiful view of the peaks of the Cascade Mountains.

Last weekend however we explored the coastal town of Newport in Oregon. Its stunning local beach is adorned and illuminated by mysterious lighthouse, The Yaquina Head Light.

In the attached video you may see charming and very noisy sea lions that attract the city’s tourists.  Amusingly, on the famous Bachelor Row’s decks, only male species can be seen. In August they arrive to the port leaving females with offspring for the winter in warmer California.

And today we are packing bags for our exotic honeymoon.  We should not forget to stack them with colorful lei...

                           
                                   If you can't see well, pls click here:)

H.xx                

Happy Anniversary!

August marks a year since I flew to the States. Last year was full of beautiful trips and interesting observations. Stay tuned for special summer photo gallery. 

The United States  is a country of great opportunities, but also of great contrasts. On one of the major streets in Seattle one can purchase insanely expensive handbags, but right next to the shops one can also see the lonely and sick homeless.

There are times when things go less smoothly. For example, not a long ago I forgot that the bus driver does not give change - coins and banknotes fell into a sealed container. Now, usually I ride with a transport Orca card.

On the other hand, when saying my name, people mistake Helena with Hannah far by often. Remember when I wrote about this funny linguistic mistake in January?

And what do I think is still ahead of me on the way to the American adaptation?

I should drive more- especially on the highway. The longest route I made so far was when between Oregon and Washington states. It went quite well, but in the US I still I'm afraid of driving only by myself.

A visit to the capital. Especially after watching House of Cards series, seeing the White House seems a necessity. By the way, wouldn’t it be great if the next series where directed by a women with Polish origin ...?

I also hope that in the near future I will find my place in the American labour market. Recently the Polish community was intensely scrutinized for candidates interested in working language as game testers.

The national cuisines are very popular in the States.  That is also why I am also waiting for a moment when I will be finally inviting friends for a home-made pierogi dinner party. It may, however, still take me some time.

August also marks two years since in unique Kiev, while attending a Russian language summer class, I met Dean. We often took walks at the beautiful Independence Square.  How much has changed since then…

Dear readers, thank you, that since last year you visit (even from very remote parts of the world) me here. May further entries be also interesting for you! 

H.

Kiev 2012

                                          

French Meet-Ups

We finally got to attend a Francophile meeting in Bellevue. I found this group on the Meet-up website, which introduces strangers with similar interests. In our neighborhoods there is also a Russian meet-up, as well as a Bellevue Creative Writing group; there are Bollywood dance classes,  Bellevue Active Mums and Eastside Christian Faith Singles.

The French rendezvous take place regularly at a nearby bakery. What a great opportunity to meet new people and speak in French. We learned these that the group's founder, has Polish roots. The meeting has motivated me to watch TV5 Monde États-Unis more often and  frequent the French dvd collection at local library.

When I lived as an Erasmus exchange student in Aix-en-Provence, I regretted not seeing the beautiful lavender fields. Fortunately, though on a much smaller scale, I made it ​​up in the United States. It turned out that the nearby city of Woodinville we can promenade on a Lavender Farm. I discovered this charming place, while spontaneously reviewing photos on Instagram.

The farm has two types of lavender: French and English.  We walked among violets and relaxing scent of lavender. Not surprisingly, the farm also serves as a place for wedding ceremonies. Before leaving we had a cooling grapefruit lemonade. In the parking lot the owner of the farm approached us. We were told that we can always come back and ... help with harvesting. Volunteers are apparently awarded with a bouquet of lavender and an ice cream bar.

Another nice and rather frequent French accent in my American reality are meetings with Jacqes and Claude ... Dean ne t'inquites ne pas! ... You know that these are just the names of pancakes in our French Bakery:)

Quel plaisir …

H.