Luisa and Ewelina

Well aware that I’ve been peppering my writings with these names – and not much else about them, I conclude it is high time to assure you that they are very real people; not figments of my imagination or fictional characters in this ongoing narrative.

Setting the Stage

For some people, it’s a new car: while waiting for loan approval, they buy all sorts of automobile accessories – seat covers, floor mats; maybe a vanity license plate or even fuzzy dice.

Does anyone even buy fuzzy dice anymore?

For others, a new home is the cause of their spending spree: new curtains, linens, dishes...

In either case, their major purchase occupies their every waking thought.

For me, it’s new adventures.

In the year leading up to my relocation, I dreamed, planned and educated myself on living in Poland, scouring websites for every bit of information I could find:

·         Careers in Poland is a treasure trove of information about living and working in Poland

·         Numbeo permits a cost of living estimate for just about any city you could think of

◦  This site also provides a by-city quality of life index and crime statistics!

·         Rent Flat Poland provides real estate listings in select cities

·         Poland unraveled presents socio-cultural aspects of life in this country

·         Of course, Superprof has Polish tutors to help your language learning get off on the right foot!

When I first started speculating on Szczecin (among other reasons, because Numbeo indicated the cost of living was so low!), naturally, an apartment search was the first order of the day.

Rent Flat turned out some pretty cute and very affordable apartments.

Good! Check that off the list!

Just like new car buyers who cruise past the car lot while waiting for financing arrangements or new homeowners returning again and again to their prospective neighborhood prior to their closing date, in idle moments, I kept loading that apartment page, checking what was available for rent and picturing myself there.

And then, one day, there were no listings for Szczecin! Other cities, sure... just not the one I was planning to live in.

The great part of this type of lifestyle is flexibility. If there is no place to live in the city of my choice, then I should simply choose another city, right?

Except for the fact that I have a direct flight into Szczecin...

OK, plan B: search for apartments specifically in Szczecin – and that’s how I ran across . Everbest Realty

With just days left stateside and not quite believing my luck, I emailed ‘them’ my arrival date and what I was looking for.

‘They’ answered!

Admittedly, the response was rather abrupt, but then, I had read somewhere that Polish business culture is rather brusque.

I answered Ewelina’s questions in my reply, and then boarded the plane to Poland.

By then I could replace ‘they’ with an actual name because she had accidently sent me an email (in Polish) meant for another client. She urged me to pay no attention to it... as though I could have understood it!

She also urged me not to come to Poland until she’d found me suitable quarters... too late; here I am!

First Meeting

On my first morning here, making use of the hotel’s WIFI, I located a T-Mobile store (purely brand familiarity at play, I assure you!), and then searched for the realty office.

I was pleasantly surprised to find them both with walking distance of my temporary quarters.

I was not pleasantly surprised to not find the T-Mobile store but I did get to meet the very nice Alina, a representative of Orange telecommunications mentioned in a previous blog.  

I was also not happy to have located Everbest only to find the door locked and the lights off. But then, that gave me a chance to eat one of the best Doner Kebaps ever!

For those not in the know: a Doner is shaved meat (beef, chicken or, traditionally, lamb) tucked inside a  crusty pita type of flatbread, topped with lettuce and minced onions and a savory yogurt sauce.

As a teenager in Berlin, a Donerr was my favorite treat!

Here, they taste slightly different but this particular one was sublime – and large I could hardly finish it.

Groaning with a full gut, I went back to Everbest and, lo and behold: someone was there!

When I entered the office, a  brown-eyed pixie with lustruous long hair peered over the loft railing at me. I introduced myself and recalled our email conversation.

Now beaming, her full mouth smiling wide, she came downstairs, ushered me in and introduced me to Luisa – truly a woman to be in awe of.

Where Ewelina is gamin-cute and bubbly – but a total professional, Luisa is drop-dead gorgeous: slim, relatively tall, with long hair and eyes that eat up her face; eyes outlined by mile-long, flawless lashes.

Me: large, bumbling, awkward... these two beauties could have made me feel uncomfortable but, through their charm and grace, I immediately felt a part of them. Indeed, it wasn’t long before we were laughing together.   

Here they are, blowing kisses...

 

Building a Friendship

I admit to a touch of unintentional arrogance at showing up in their office with the imperative of finding an apartment in the five days I had temporary lodgings already paid for. After all, I had no idea what formalities apartment rental in Poland entailed.

Turns out that realtors for both parties must be in agreement to lease but, before agreement could be finalized, there must be a prospective renter screening and checking with landlords to verify that the renter is suitable.

Without considering my fault at all, Luisa and Ewelina jumped through hoops: combing their listings, calling landlords and even other agents to see if they might have a suitable property available.

Through their efforts, in short order, I was settled in my pok, eaten up with remorse.

I had no idea whether such quick leasing was the norm or due to my gentle yet firm pressuring but I thought some sort of recompense was due.

A thank you text was sent; it included an offer for dinner. Whether I would cook it or we would meet out – or even if there would be such an event would be their choice.

And so, a friendship was born.

Getting to Know You...

Our first outing was to a pizza joint, and we were minus Ewelina – because she leads a busy life; not because she didn’t want to be there.

Luisa and I talked for hours: about men and relationships, traveling and life in general. I was shocked to discover she is the same age as my daughter! In appearance, attitude and demeanor, she seems 10 years younger.

Ewelina joined us on the next outing. She is not as confident as she could be with regard to her English skills so Luisa sat between us, interpreting.

I got to pick the next restaurant where we spent our third evening together again chattering and laughing. I was pleased to note that Little Ewelina, as I think of her, is growing more confident in her language skills.

She is ‘Little’ because she is the youngest of our group and also the smallest, not because of any immaturity or lack of intellectual development.

In fact, I am quite impressed to know that Luisa holds a Masters’ degree in Economics and Ewelina trained as a lawyer: clearly, these two are not fluffy, flighty women!  

And they are so warmhearted and generous, with their knowledge and with their time!

Through them, I was able to get health insurance and find a clinic to address any health concerns I may have.

When the foreign affairs office plagued me with their demands for documentation, they helped me secure it.

And, on our last outing, they were sure to remind me to buy extra food because all stores would be closed for three days for Christmas.

We also exchanged Christmas gifts! Below you can see one of my fav pics of us on the coffee mug they gifted me.  

It has been and continues to be my pleasure to get to know Dear Luisa and Little Ewelina (‘dear’ is capitalized in the same sense that ‘little’ is).

In spite of the broken arm that continues to trouble me and deep concern for my dear ones stateside who have their own health battles, Ewelina and Luisa continue to enrich this living adventure.

How lucky I am to know them!