Hiccups

Well, we knew we would have to be flexible on this trip and we are already being tested.

If you read my wife's blog- http://anamericanhouseholdinpoland.blogspot.com/ you already basically have heard this story.

I had always knew I need a special type of Visa to work in Poland. However, it was my understanding that this was being done for us in Warsaw. Well, I was wrong.

I emailed the Warsaw office at 5pm on Wednesday to ask what to do, of course they are seven hours ahead of us. I woke up every hour during the night to check my email. At 5 a.m., the answer came in- you're screwed!

I was told that not only did I have to get this myself- but it can ONLY be done at the Polish Consulate that governs your state of residence in your home country. For Kansas, that is in Chicago. So, I was on a 9 a.m. flight that morning to Chicago to personally appear at the Consulate with my paperwork (keep in mind I am leaving on the 8th).

As you know, lots of Poles live in Chicago- and every damn one of them was at the Consulate that morning.  You could barely get in the front door. I waited in line 4 hours to get the chance to tell my story. No sleep the night before, no food as I went right from the airport to the Consulate, and deeply panicked.

When my number was called about 4pm- I went to the window. I told her my story and she they COULD expedite the paperwork.

She then asked when I was leaving- I said the 8th. She just started to say "impossible". She then brought over her supervisor, who also started to say "impossible". They even elevated my case to the General Consulate of Chicago- after 20 minutes of deliberation- he said "impossible".  I was starting to get the message.

Basically he said I could get my work VISA quickly, but there was no way I was getting on a plane on the 8th (they have to take your passport to issue a work Visa).

After much deliberation, he felt he could get me a work Visa and passport back on the 10th or 11th and it was safe to fly out Saturday or Sunday. I flew back to KC that night tired, hungry and frustrated.

So, now I am booked to leave on the 12th. In the grand scheme of things, I only lost 4-5 days (and several hundred dollars in expenses). But I had lots planned in Gdansk to include meetings at my University, getting my apartment, phones, etc. I will now only be in Gdansk about 24 hours before I have to leave again for Warsaw. So, everything is tightened immensely.

What could have occurred had I not discovered this missing document, and went on the 8th?

This is what I learned:

1) I could have been denied entry into Poland by customs, and sent right back home.

2) If I was let in- I would only be allowed to stay for 90 days (a tourist Visa). Then I would have to leave the country- return to Chicago, apply for a work Visa, get it, then return back to Poland.

First of many hiccups to come, I'm sure.

A World War by our House

The world's eyes are 2.5 miles from our Gdansk house today.

It is the 70th anniversary of the beginning of WWII. The very first shots of the war were fired within walking distance of our new home (a segment of land called Westerplatte).

Pretty cool that a world war started in our backyard; September 1, 1939; 4:45am. (Our house is "A" on the map and the WWII began at "B"-Click on the map to enlarge it.).

Nothing like this ever happens in Olathe....

Many of the world's leaders are in Gdansk today to commemorate the event: Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel as well as 20 other heads of state and foreign minsters.

See the video and news:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8230678.stm

It's Coming Together...

Well, there remains just about a week before I leave the US, returning in June. I am very ready and excited.

Clothes and items are packed or stored, and the honey-do list is about done. As an academic, I must admit I am taking more books than I am shirts and pants. Occupational hazard.

The Gdansk University (GUoT) administration is back from their August holidays, so details on my job are trickling in.

It appears that I will be teaching an undergraduate and a graduate section of Strategy Management as well as a section of Statistics. Classes begin on Oct 1st.

This is basically what I would be teaching at Rockhurst, had I been there this term. That said, Rockhurst has started classes without me for the first time in nine years. I can't believe they pulled it off. So much for my ego.

As soon as I get my official class schedule- we can start to think about scheduling some long-weekend trips. Although most people think about traveling through Europe on a train- several deep-discounted airlines have entered Europe. They are offering incredible deals. We can fly to Frankfurt Germany for $30 a person (round trip) and to Glascow Scotland for $70 a person. One of the new airlines is called Wizz- I can't wait to fly on Wizz!

Our plan is to travel outside of Poland about once a month- then within Poland a couple of times a month. We will also enroll the entire family in Polish language class. I know the words for beer (piwo), coffee (kawa) and toilet (toaleta), so I am set; but will go anyway. Hopefully that pesky job and Fulbright scholar work won't get in the way of my fun and travel!

The travel is just not a luxury, but a must. If all 6 of us spent 10 months in our 1200 sq foot apartment, we could create a nasty crime scene.

Sadly, I will miss our little family events for a few weeks (as they do not leave until the end of Sept). Last weekend I saw Natalie's soccer game, and today I watched Ben's high school football scrimmage. These will be the last time I see of them in sports for the season.

Back to the final preps and more reading....

And I Wait....

Well, I said this blog would be a little slow until I actually started my trip, and it has.

Keep in mind I have been planning this trip since last October.

I have three weeks before I leave (the 8th). The family does not leave until the 27th. The kids start school this week. They will actually get in most of their first quarter before they leave.

Rockhurst U is also going to start classes Wednesday, without me. So I am officially on sabbatical until NEXT August from Rockhurst. Lisa seems to think sabbatical is Latin for "honey-do".

I suggested I leave for Poland early- however, I cannot repeat Lisa's response on this family-friendly blog. Needless-to-say, I am here until the 8th.

My main activity (other than the small house projects) has been reading. I probably read 4-5 hours a day. I am reading everything I can get my hands on regarding Poland, Polish history and Polish current events. I hope that a strong grasp of the aforementioned, somehow might make up for my lack of language skills. I am probably getting through a book every couple of days. My Polish history is getting about as good as my American History. (even though Poland has been around for about a 1000 years longer). And the first thing you learn, is that for those 1000 years, either Russia or Germany/Prussia has been annoying them. I could bore you with lots of other fascinating stuff I have learned (which really is fascinating)- but I won't (maybe in future entries).

I double checked with our real estate agent- all is in place. I will get off the plane on the 9th, and her office is located right by our new rental house. I just have to sign some papers, pay some money- then should be off to sleep in the new home that same night.

I am getting very little information from my Polish colleagues (either at the Fulbright office nor at the University). As you know- Europeans basically take the entire month of August off (just like our Congress). So, very little is getting done or sent to me.

I know we have an orientation in Warsaw on the 16th, and then another in Poznan which goes through the 25th. Then I start teaching on October 1st. I am REALLY fuzzy on the teaching part. I believe I am teaching an undergrad section of Strategy Management as well as an MBA section of it. That is about the extent of what I know. I hope that once everyone returns from holiday, I can get some more details.

Unlike the US system- where we plan the following semester months in advance (I basically already know what I am teaching when I return to Rockhurst in the Fall of 2010)- it seems the Polish System runs a bit slower when it comes to details. So, I wait.

I have been planning some research topics however. As with most of my former research- it will mostly involve Health Care or Beer.

I do look forward in these last few weeks to seeing my kids play in a few games. Ben will start Aquinas football, Natalie in soccer and Abbie dancing and Trey starting full day school. One of my first tasks in Poland will be to find them equivalent activities to participate in.

With that, back to reading, honey-dos and waiting.

Living One of My Lectures

When I teach International Business, I always spend a few lectures on the trials and tribulations of foreign exchange rates. Granted, not the most exciting topic and students' eyes glaze over; as it seems to be a very "academic" discussion.

Well, I am in the middle of living this lecture- and it has not been fun.

Poland's currency is called the Zloty (they are not allowed to adopt the Euro until at least 2012). Well, the Zloty has been getting strong and the US Dollar has been getting weak. As I get paid in US Dollars (a fixed salary), but all of our expenses (rent, food, transportation, etc) are all paid in Zlotys- this is a dangerous mixture these days.

Since I was awarded my Fulbright in April- the Zloty has increased 21% on the Dollar (and is still on the rise). This means that everything I will purchase in Poland on my US salary- just got 21% more expensive. An example- since the time I found my apartment to today- the monthly rent I will have to pay has gone up by $146 (just due to the exchange rate).

I have one of two choices- ride it out and hope it falls again (but easily I could lose more ground and money) OR go out and buy a fist full of Zlotys now (we would call that hedging).

Great case study for my students when I return- but it really sucks to experience it.

MPG

A Dom of our Own

After 1.5 months of trying to find a place to live- I signed a letter of intent yesterday. Attempting to find a place to live in another country, in another language was a challenge. Luckily I had met (through a forum) a delightful native of Gdansk who helped me with translation and ideas. She even helped me look for apartments on the internet and negotiate the lease.

Anyway, we have a 3 bedroom condo/house (dom) about 1.5 miles from the University and 1.5 miles from the beach. It is a rather new dwelling, about 1200 square feet. Although that sounds painfully small by American standards- it was one of the larger ones on the market. Families live in much smaller quarters. Our new address is on Dźwigowa, 80 Gdansk, Poland (email me if you want the exact house number).

I move in on Sept 9th and the family arrives on the 28th.

I found a cultural difference with real estate agents between the US and Poland (first of many cross-cultural observations). In the US, when an agent gets your name- you can expect to be hounded day and night, until you buy- then they move on to the next client. In Poland, it is much more lax. First, most agents had little interest in talking to me- even though I spent a couple of weeks almost begging them to sell me something (and they are in a down real estate market). Most agents were confused why I was looking in late June for an apartment in September. One asked me to contact her the week before I move.

Then once I found an agent- it would typically take 3-5 days for her to answer a question.

This seems to be my common experience so far in dealing with Polish institutions. We anal Americans expect an answer ASAP. So far the Poles are more culturally disposed to take their time. I've had similar experiences in my communications with the Fulbright office in Warsaw, the Embassy, the University and as mentioned above- the real estate agents. I will need to learn to adjust.

I had expected assistance from Polytechnika (my University) in finding housing- but they seemed rather uninterested. I have heard similar stories from other Fulbright recipients going to Poland. So, thank God I found this person in a discussion group.

Finding a home was one of the major things on my list- most other things we can do once we get there.

Getting Ready

The details of the big trip are starting to come into place. I will be leaving on September 8th and spending a few days in Gdansk to get the feel of the city. On the 15th I will travel to Warsaw for a meeting at the US Embassy. On the 17th we go to Poznan for a nine day program.

I return back to Gdansk on the 26th to start the new life. Lisa and the kids fly in on the 28th.

I have been in contact with my University. We are still working out the details, but it looks like I will be teaching Statistics, Strategic Management and International Business (basically what I teach at Rockhurst).

My biggest worry now is finding an apartment for the 6 of us.