Polska stacja kolejowa , a sieć stacji kolejowych w Tokio, to zdecydowanie ogromna przepaść. Madison miała wielką okazję , żeby się tego przekonać, kiedy wybrała się do Tokio. Była zaskoczona jak ogromną ilość peronów, torów i pociągów zajmuje główny dworzec w Shinjuku. Nie wspominając o ludziach, którzy non stop zajmowali jakieś miejsce w tej ogromnej przestrzeni. 4 miliony- taka liczba populacji codziennie korzystała z Japońskiego dworca kolejowego. To miejsce sprawiało, że człowiek czuł się jak w sieci labiryntów, czego nie można powiedzieć o skromnej polskiej stacji w Lęborku Nowy Świat, którą Madison mogła podziwiać podróżując do Łeby. Każde z tych miejsc miało dla Madison swój własny urok, a co za tym idzie niepowtarzalne wspomnienia. In September 2018 I travelled to Tokyo, Japan. It was only my second time out of the country and the first time I travelled such a far distance on my own. I was very excited but I was also terrified. One thing that I was nervous about was the train system. Some stations had twenty or more platforms. And some stations trains were arriving every other minute. But there wasn't just trains, there was also subways and sky trains. The greater Tokyo metro map is an overwhelming tangled web of 882 stations. It is no surprise that Shinjuku Station in the heart of Tokyo is the busiest train station in the world. Almost four million people travel through this station every day. In fact, I did get lost in Shinjuku Station many times. There are too many hallways, to many stories, too many lines and too many platforms. It felt more like a maze than anything else. When I finally found the right line and then the right platform, I felt a great satisfaction. It was like a had truly accomplished something. It didn't take long for me to look forward to taking the train everyday. I enjoyed the hustle and chaos of the metro world. I even smiled and laughed as I quickly walked with the crowd as we all hurried to make our connections. Because God forbid we have to wait a whole seven minutes for the next train. Coming to Poland I was excited to ride the train again. I took my first train when I went to Leba in August. Walking to the Lebork Nowy Swiat Station, I did not know what to expect. Tokyo had left me with such a grandeur idea of stations. However, as I learned that day, this station is best not compared to those of Tokyo. It is the humble station of a quaint little city. But most important, this station takes the people to the favorite summer day location: the Baltic Sea. So this stop is perfect in its own little way. I did laugh when I realized what the station was, and I did take pictures and send them on to my friends in Tokyo.
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9/24/2019 0 Comments Opis budowy po angielskuMadison opisuje swoje odczucia odnośnie prac przy tworzeniu ronda, które dzieją się tuż za oknem jej klasy. Pierwszy raz spotyka się z takim widokiem,ale nie mowa tutaj o samej sytuacji ,a robotnikach. W tym przypadku mowa o “ochronie”. O braku specjalnych odblaskowych kamizelek, butów ochronnych, kasków czy nawet okularów. W Kanadzie budowy w dużej mierze są zabezpieczane, robotnicy również muszą zachowywać ostrożność. Ostrożność powinno się także zachowywać jeżdżąc obok robot drogowych. W Kanadzie nie wolno przekraczać 60km/h przez obszar budowy, a brak przestrzegania tej zasady jest bardzo surowo karany- tak samo jak brak ochronnych ubrań na budowach. Częste prace na drogach w Kanadzie związane są z surowymi zimami tam panującymi, aczkolwiek ludzie coraz częściej się do tego przyzwyczajają-i co lepsze, potrafią obrócić to w niezły żart. Madison opowiada, że kiedyś spotkała drzewko zasadzone w miejscu "ubytku" drogowego , co niewątpliwie wywołało u niej uśmiech. Walking into work last week, I was disappointed to see that the road infront of the school had been torn up. The construction workers are working on finishing the roundabout. While I am no stranger to construction: traffic, delays, and noise, the way this construction site looks is very foreign to me. In Canada, safety on construction sites and all work sites is very important. Not just the safety of the workers but also of the pedestrians. The use of personal protective equipment, or PPE is mandatory in Canada. Meaning that to work road construction you must wear full reflective gear, steel toed boot, protective eyewear and usually a hard hat. But here, I couldn't tell the difference between a construction worker and a pedestrian. Also, construction sites in Canada take road safety very seriously. If you are caught speeding through a construction zone or driving dangerously the fine is at minimum doubled. On September 13, 2019, a man from Manitoba made the national news after he managed to get a speeding ticket for $2 694 CAD (7 964 Polish Zloty) after he drove 161 km/hr through a 60 km/hr construction zone. The reason Canada takes such strict measures in road construction is due to efforts of trying to eliminate workplace accidents and death. The full reflective gear helps the workers to be seen. This helps to prevent them from being run over by heavy machinery such as an excavator. The clothing also prevents them from being hit by passing traffic. The rules on speed are there to discourage drivers from driving unsafely in a situation where the construction workers are vulnerable to serious injury. Despite the seriousness, we can be good humored about road construction. Because of the very long and very cold winters, potholes are rampant in Canada. During the spring, when the cities and towns are busy fixing the roads, impatient residents sometimes take things into their own hands. But this does not mean they fill the holes properly. People have been planting flowers and trees in potholes to make sure nobody hits the holes and blows a tire or worse, damages their suspension or bends their axle. One occasion comes to mind. In Grande Prairie during May, there was one pothole in the middle of the road; it was over a metre wide and probably 50 cm deep. It was huge. One night someone planted a tree in this crater. But it was not just any tree. It was a Christmas tree. It even had flashing lights. I've never laughed so hard.
9/15/2019 0 Comments Moja przygoda w Lebie“Moja przygoda w Lebie” to krótka notatka o tym w jaki sposób Madison wsiadła po 15 latach na rower. Przygoda rozpoczyna się pewnego weekendu w Lebie, podczas przejażdzki na wydmy. Madison po raz pierwszy od 15 lat wsiadła na rower starając zachowywać równowagę, choć zdecydowanie po takiej przerwie było to trudne zadanie, jednak wykonała je bez większych problemów. Jak dowiadujemy się pod koniec opowieści niestety zdarzył jej się niewielki upadek, jednak nic się nie stało. Spacer po wydmach okazał się dla niej czymś niespotykanym, ponieważ nie widziała nigdy pustyni oddzielającej jezioro od morza. Powrót z wydm również wywarł na niej wielkie wrażenie, bowiem podczas spaceru po plaży jej współtowarzysze udali się popływać. Sytuacja miała miejsce w dzień dość chłodny, z pewnością więc Madison zapoznała się z tutejszym “morsowaniem”. In Canada, people like to use the phrase "its just like riding a bike." It means that once you learn how to do something, you never forget. To ride a bike you have to learn how to balance and use different parts of your body together. This requires lots of practice and usually comes with quite a few scrapes and bruises. Even though it can be hard to learn how to ride a bike, our bodies will never forget. At least that is what I have always heard people say. However, over the weekend I put this to the test. On Saturday I went to Leba for the second time. This time it was the off season so it was quiet and the streets were nearly empty. We parked the vehicle in town, unloaded the bikes and the adventure began. From the vehicle we biked through the town to the dunes. I know this may not sound very adventurous but the truth is that I have not ridden a bike in fifteen years. I was very slow to start. And very tense. I also had a hard time going straight. It felt like an outside force was pulling me into the road. But there was no outside force, only me and my terrible biking skills. All the little cracks and holes felt like giant potholes. I tried my best to avoid them, but my lack of skill was obvious when I hit them anyway. Even though riding a bike after fifteen years was "just like riding a bike," I was so happy and relieved when we made it to the dunes. I have never seen anything like the dunes. They were so much more incredible that what I was expecting. But I also found the dunes to be very strange. I don't understand how a desert can exist in between a lake and a sea.
From the dunes we walked to the Baltic Sea. The water was too cold for me, but my company, Adam and Kathrin were braver and jumped right in. I walked along the shore and took in the sights. From here we headed back to Lebork. And yes, I did crash the bike. |
AuthorMy name is Madison. I am from Alberta, Canada. I like to read books, go hiking and explore new cities. Even though I am Canadian, I don't watch hockey and I don't like snow. I graduated from The University of Lethbridge in 2018 after studying English Literature and Art History for six years. I have travelled to the Mexican state, Nayarit and to Tokyo, Japan. I hope to travel all over the world. Archives
June 2020
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