There are many different things I love about Warsaw. Some things make me feel quite at home as they
resonate with other familiar places and traditions of my own country. One of my
favorite things about Warsaw has to be its cathedrals. The fascinating thing
about cathedrals is just how many stories are held within their walls. Poland’s history is at least a millennium
long and has more stories to tell then we could count. My favorite cathedral in Warsaw is the Field Cathedral
of the Polish Army because most of Poland’s stories are somehow reflected here. Whenever we have guests visiting from America
I show them around Old Town and always include a stop at this cathedral.
I’ll never forget the first time I visited. I could read very little Polish but I
immediately recognized the armor of the Winged Hussars hanging on the
walls. I had read about them and had
only ever pictured them in my imagination.
A full cavalry brigade of Hussars coming across a plain with their
feathers moaning in the wind must have been a fearful sight and sound. I
shared the story with my children who later recognized that their new school’s
mascot was a Hussar. When the Winged Hussars were at their most
famous the United States of America had yet to be been formed. The length of Poland’s history by comparison
seems unending.
Another feature of the cathedral that resonates with me is the
chapel that is dedicated to the victims of the Katyn Massacre. Walking into the chapel with the names of murdered
officers individually listed is humbling.
The number 20,000 is just a number until you stand in the middle of all
those names as they rise above your head and realize the enormity of the amount
of lives lost. It reminds me of the
Vietnam War Memorial in Washington D.C.
A visitor to it walks down a sloping path beside a wall that lists the
name of every American soldier who died in Vietnam. By the time you get to the middle of the wall
it towers over you and it’s overwhelming to say the least.
Visiting the cathedrals of Warsaw I am also reminded of the Washington
National Cathedral in Washington D.C. It
too is a reflection of a country with an interesting history. This cathedral has hundreds of ornate
adornments with some of the more amusing being the hippie gargoyle and a Darth
Vader carving. These are not symbols of
irreverence but a reflection of American history and events that shaped its modern
culture. There are also centuries old stone pieces from
two cathedrals in Europe to show the difference in age when compared to
European cathedrals. But the feature
I’ve always found the most interesting is the Space Window. It is a beautiful stained glass piece, which
at its heart, it holds a piece of rock brought from the moon. Polish born Copernicus would be proud to know
his discoveries have been advanced to the point of regular space travel.
The Washington National Cathedral is a traditional Gothic
cathedral yet built in 20th century America. As you know The Field Cathedral of the Polish
Army, a centuries old cathedral, was destroyed at the end of WWII and carefully
rebuilt. Both are reflections of peoples
and cultures that are a mixture of old and new.
Hundreds of years from now I am sure they will both continue to be
visited and appreciated for the resilience they depict and the stories they
preserve.
Remembering the stories of one’s national history is just
one way to connect your host country and your home country. When you constantly live outside your comfort
zone very simple things begin to evoke subtle feelings of nostalgia. Just hearing someone speaking American
English can bring that feeling simply because I understood all the words they
used. However, last spring when I
traveled to Austria and Hungary I found myself relieved once we returned to
Poland where I could at least communicate, albeit haltingly, and read the road
signs. So it truly is relative.
Food is another great
vehicle for bringing people together and learning about a culture. When I first arrived here in Poland it was my
first time living overseas since college and I was excited. I wanted everything Polish. I had to eat where and what the Poles ate,
drink what the Poles drank and speak like the Poles speak. That last one is still a work in progress. But after all this time I understand the need
to find a little bit of home. If I get a
hankering for some American food and atmosphere there is one particularly good
place to visit in Warsaw; Jeff’s on the edge of Pole Mokotowskie. Jeff’s is an American
style restaurant with the typical diner style décor and Americana signage. You can just take comfort in recognizing
things you haven’t seen in a while and knowing that the staff will understand
your English better than you can speak Polish.
Last fall we had an American friend visit from Kazakhstan. There is very little in the way of an
American escape for her there so we took her to Jeff’s for a burger and a
feeling of home. It did the trick.
With the Holiday season upon us everyone in Warsaw are sharing
traditional meals of the season. The
American holiday of Thanksgiving passed just recently. It is an important holiday in the United
States and most Americans I know here in Warsaw continue to celebrate it. It gives us a time to reflect on the good things
in life while sharing a meal together.
The centerpiece of the meal is a roasted turkey and the side dishes are made
with items found fresh during Autumn.
Even though some of the side dishes are regionally specific to America
most items are also grown in Poland and can be found in local markets here in
Warsaw. An American friend invited a
number of us to her home for dinner. She
and her husband took care of roasting the fresh local turkey and some of their
favorite sides dishes and she asked us to each bring our favorite Thanksgiving
dish. I brought a pumpkin pie which is
enjoyed not only on Thanksgiving but Christmas as well. There are many
varieties of pumpkins here in Poland so I was easily able to recreate this
American favorite for my family and friends.
Many expats in Warsaw have also found that groups like
American Friends of Warsaw (which is not just for Americans) and the PTO at the
American School are great places to meet friends. These are not only places to meet people but
great resources for information as well.
They often organize social events and the AFW even hosts a Christmas
party complete with a visit from an American Santa Claus. So all in all Americans living in Warsaw have
been able to carve out their own pockets of Americana within their Polish
lifestyle just as many immigrants to America, including our many Poles, have
maintained their home country traditions.
Wesołych Świąt
Jackie
Kennedy-Russo
Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie
Cut up a small pumpkin, clean out the seeds and roast in
oven on a baking sheet until soft all the way through. Cool pumpkin, clean pulp from the rind and
puree in food processor. You can use all
one kind of pumpkin or roast more than one kind and mix them together in equal
parts. (cooked pumpkin can be frozen as
well)
Prepare 9 inch pie crust.
Line pie dish and set aside.
2 cups of the freshly pureed pumpkin
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
2 eggs
¾ cup packed brown sugar or granulated brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
In a large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat pumpkin with the
remaining ingredients until well mixed. Pour pie mixture into pie plate. Use a small pastry brush dipped in some milk
to wet the edges of your crust to prevent over cooking it. Place pie in oven for approximately 40
minutes or until pie appears solid in texture all over. Remove from oven and cool 2 hours then chill
1 hour before serving. It’s great served
with freshly whipped cream dust with a little fresh nutmeg on top. Serves 8 - 10
