2015-02-02: And the Band Played On (least realistic lyric ever)

Cultural Observations: Oh I Remember Punk Rock, Just Like It Was Yesterday!

The kiddies in Białystok are on winter holidays. Winter holidays are staggered throughout Poland, when we were in Zakopane I think it was the Krakow kiddies winter holidays.

At first I thought this was a stupid idea. But that is because I was looking at it from a simplistic perspective: I would be annoyed at work if kiddie holidays were staggered because I would have a couple of months where people from various parts of the country were on holidays instead of just the normal "everyone at once" thing.

Further reflection (I do occasionally do that) and I realised this is a good thing, even for capitalists, the holiday places can have lower prices and service more people while making more money. Most people only have a large amount of work contact with other people in their local area so it isn't even noticeable to them that there is staggering.

The local kiddies and a visiting friend put on a performance for us. The first song went okay but then The Lighting Operator (two torches) stopped showing the drummer (wooden spoons, jars and bottles). He got pissed and stopped drumming to fix the Lighting Operator. She ran away. The Lead Guitarist / Vocalist (actual guitar, remembers some lyrics) lost her focus and started complaining.

Then the Cops (Their Dad, he is actually a border guard but pfft guys in uniforms, all the same) shut down the show. Recriminations all round, accusations flying, some tears and a little foot stamping. The crowd (Ewa and I) fled before the Cops checked what we were drinking.

No photos - to protect the innocent (no one was).

Rating: 10/10 (reminds me of a show where a band was wasted and did their half hr set in about 5 minutes then had a punch up for the next 20, great show).

Monday Night Kendo. Horsie riding stretches a lot of the muscles, tendons and general stuff in the groin region. I am not a flexible man. I creaked into the dojo. Fortunately the sounds of my body failing drowned out my whimpers.

Kamil and I compete for goofiest grin

We had a visiting 4th dan from Olsztyn which is where I believe an awful lot of the Warsaw club founders started from. I was warned about the strength of the Polish kendo scene before coming but I have to admit that a teeny tiny smiley Lady didn't scare me much at first, she didn't look mental. I should learn from my lessons. On the bright side she didn't tell me off.

Oh, nice kote

Ewa said it was one of her favourite types of training. All basics, no free sparring, lots of correction. I have to confess a sneaky love for it as well.