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Recent Posts
- For my Chinese readers
- In the King’s Footsteps (Day 4) The Longest Day
- In the King’s Footsteps (Day 3) Lake Ammer
- Hiiumaa, the real Adventure Island
- In the King’s Footsteps (Day 2) Andechs Abbey
- In the King’s Footsteps (Day 1) Lake Starnberg
- The Iron Curtain and Freedom of Travel
- Why I never get hired
- Hitchhiking against the Skeptics
- Bombs, Explosions and my Time in Beirut
Category Archives: Poland
Two Night Trains to the East
I am calling them night trains on purpose, not sleeper trains, because when I booked the tickets, I couldn’t discern if there would be a bed, maybe even a shower, or with how many people I would share the dormitory … Continue reading
Armenian Patriotism
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. This summer, during the Football World Cup, I was in Kraków, where I met an Armenian friend studying in Poland. When she said she needed to go home to watch the World Cup, I naturally … Continue reading
Next trip: Krakow
Apparently, studying at a distance-education university does not only mean that I can study from anywhere, but also that they are taking me on trips. As part of my studies in history, I’ll be going on a field trip to Poland, starting … Continue reading
Posted in Education, History, Holocaust, Poland, Travel, World War II
Tagged Auschwitz, Krakow
22 Comments
Random Thoughts (16)
Finland has some weird sports competitions. Each time I return to Europe, rents have doubled. Tweets cannot change laws, regulations or rules. Each time Donald Trump tries to do so, he should be laughed at. Why can’t Microsoft Windows move … Continue reading
Posted in Bolivia, Education, Elections, Language, Military, North Korea, Philosophy, Poland, Politics, Religion, Sports, Technology, US election 2016, USA, World War II
Tagged Czech Republic, Donald Trump, Finland, prison, railroad
5 Comments
Where is the center of Europe?
Reading the book Schwarze Erde, I became aware of a village in Ukraine that was calculated and named as the geographical center of Europe in 1887: Dilove. “Really?“ I wondered, not because I would begrudge Dilove the distinction, but because I had … Continue reading
Posted in Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Europe, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Maps, Photography, Poland, Travel, Ukraine
Tagged Europos Parkas, geography, Slovakia
13 Comments
Instagram 1.0
How our grandmothers got their cool Facebook profile photos. (Warsaw, Poland in 1946.)
Posted in Facebook, History, Photography, Poland, Technology, World War II
Tagged war, Warsaw
2 Comments
Random Thoughts (9)
In Bolivia, I spoke with a lawyer about feminicidios, the killing of women by their partners, which carries a higher sentence than a “regular” homicide. Out of curiosity, I looked up the figure for Germany – and was shocked: 331 … Continue reading
Posted in Bolivia, Economics, Germany, Health, History, Human Rights, Immigration Law, Law, Mexico, Military, Music, Poland, Politics, Romania, Russia, Statistics, Travel, Ukraine, US election 2016, USA, World War II
Tagged crime, criminal law, dance, Donald Trump, racism, Soviet Union
1 Comment
How far can you get by train?
Zur deutschen Fassung dieses Artikels. One of my readers wrote that he had been wondering how far he could get if he took his local commuter train and continued traveling with no other means of transport than the railway. As a train enthusiast, … Continue reading
Why Eastern Europe cannot accept more Refugees
Dear Western Europe, it seems you are in sulk about our unwillingness to accept more any refugees. It hurts us to hurt your feelings, so please allow us to explain things from an Eastern European perspective. We are certain you that … Continue reading
Posted in Economics, Estonia, Europe, Human Rights, Hungary, Islam, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Politics, Statistics
Tagged refugees, Slovakia
20 Comments
The Revolutions of 1989
1989, those were the times! With each broadcast of the evening news, the world changed so quickly that most people already lost track back then. Now, 25 years later, only a vague recollection of falling walls, fired shots and popping champagne … Continue reading
