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August 15, 2011 | Polish

Vacation Days

Or should that be "daze"?

One word for “worker” in Polish is robotnik. I find it a funny and cute word. It is also suggestive of how I have been feeling lately: a little robotic.

So, after 771 consecutive days of this project, I have finally decided to take a mental holiday. 

The plan: to spend a few weeks thinking, eating, sleeping, etc., in my native language (English). Then return to Polish in early September.

During my mental vacation I will be enjoying multiple performances of my husband’s new play, Just Sex, which opened yesterday at Theater for the New City in the East Village. There are no foreign languages in the play, but it does contain some colorful language. Brandt wrote it and is acting in it, and it is hilarious. 

If you live in the New York area, please consider yourself invited. You can even eat a nice Polish meal at Polonia restaurant down the block beforehand. 

Polonia on First Avenue, Near the Theater

Polonia on First Avenue, Near the Theater

Stuff You Can Eat There

Stuff You Can Eat There

Well, I haven’t eaten there, so I can’t vouch for it, but it looked cute when I popped my head in, and they have pierogis!

Pierogis for poor men, and pierogis for kings, and all for the same price. I don’t know what that means; I am just reading off the menu. Maybe someone can explain?

Comments (6)

Joo Lee • Posted on Fri, August 19, 2011 - 3:44 pm EST

Baguettes? Shitake mushrooms? Mozzarella? This looks like one of those Franco-Italian-Nippon-Polish fusion places that are catching on. Also, does that sign outside say “sangria”?

It looks delicious. But confusing.

Ellen Jovin • Posted on Fri, August 19, 2011 - 9:59 pm EST

You are much more observant than I am.

Katherine • Posted on Tue, August 23, 2011 - 1:26 pm EST

I think a mental vacation is a great idea.  I often wonder how you go without one! I find that I need to take a break from whatever language I am studing and go back to it when I feel ready.  Of course my sitaution is different from yours since I don’t study as many languages as you do, but I find that those breaks really help.  My brain then has time to adjust to all the information it has just absorbed without being forced to constantly take in new information.  Many times I have found that when I return from the break, my level in that language has slightly improved. The times where I knew I had made the jump into fluency in a language were actually after such breaks.  This may just be me though and might not work for everyone.  I also think these breaks only help if you have been really intensely studying a language, the way that you do. Hopefully when you come back you will be a Polish-case master!! Enjoy!

Nick • Posted on Sat, October 15, 2011 - 7:43 pm EST

Is the project still going on? It’s already halfway October and I haven’t seen any new blogs. I still think its marvellous that you kept the project up until 771 days, its shows that you have a discipline talent.

Greetings from a Dutch student, studying in Berlin

Ellen Jovin • Posted on Sat, October 15, 2011 - 10:55 pm EST

Yes! It’s on! I started up again with the studying a while ago, but still have to get a blog entry up about it. You have spurred me to action; I will post tomorrow. Thank you. :)

Tim Ryan • Posted on Mon, December 29, 2014 - 2:09 pm EST

Poor man’s pierogi don’t have beef. King’s pierogi do. *shrugs*
Beef’s considered wealthy folks food in many countries because you have to slaughter something that could be making milk for you. Pigs just make more pigs. : )

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