I find this section incredibly evocative of post war daily life in Poland under the Soviets. The dynamic about your father visiting his old flame is fascinating; how do we re-imagine what we saw/didn't observe at 16? The tension is building. I so look forward to the next instalment.
You’ve described a time and place with great concision, and the people you met are deftly portrayed. Implicit in your account is a reminder of why Poles are staunch allies of Ukraine .They remember those days and want nothing to do with nothing to do to do wth the Russians who imposed them.
This was beautiful Alice. It not only brought you closer to your roots but also provided a deeper understanding of your cultural identity, which is a significant rite of passage for many of us.
These memories have not only formed you Alice, making you the unique and marvellous person you are. They are forming us as you take us down a path of understanding a time and place so different from what many of us grew up with. As the child myself of an immigrant from another country affected by the Second World War, I feel we were lucky to grow up formed by their experiences, articulated or not. It was a super power knowing about our parents’ courage in coming to a new land. It was a gift to be Canadian no matter how imperfect we might be. Thank you for making that clear to me once more.
I was drawn in as soon as you got off the plane and entered the Soviet Brutalist airport building. That word has always stunned me. It really sets the tone.
Alice, thank you. Again, you evoke so much for us: in this chapter the images of Warsaw and the towns and villages you visited in that era. But you also bring out for us the frame - and it's one of limitations - of that teenager's mind and understanding. You do this in a gentle and sympathetic way, but with the wisdom and knowledge of a lifetime since. I love the way you are taking us into this story.
I find this section incredibly evocative of post war daily life in Poland under the Soviets. The dynamic about your father visiting his old flame is fascinating; how do we re-imagine what we saw/didn't observe at 16? The tension is building. I so look forward to the next instalment.
You’ve described a time and place with great concision, and the people you met are deftly portrayed. Implicit in your account is a reminder of why Poles are staunch allies of Ukraine .They remember those days and want nothing to do with nothing to do to do wth the Russians who imposed them.
This was beautiful Alice. It not only brought you closer to your roots but also provided a deeper understanding of your cultural identity, which is a significant rite of passage for many of us.
These memories have not only formed you Alice, making you the unique and marvellous person you are. They are forming us as you take us down a path of understanding a time and place so different from what many of us grew up with. As the child myself of an immigrant from another country affected by the Second World War, I feel we were lucky to grow up formed by their experiences, articulated or not. It was a super power knowing about our parents’ courage in coming to a new land. It was a gift to be Canadian no matter how imperfect we might be. Thank you for making that clear to me once more.
I was drawn in as soon as you got off the plane and entered the Soviet Brutalist airport building. That word has always stunned me. It really sets the tone.
Alice, thank you. Again, you evoke so much for us: in this chapter the images of Warsaw and the towns and villages you visited in that era. But you also bring out for us the frame - and it's one of limitations - of that teenager's mind and understanding. You do this in a gentle and sympathetic way, but with the wisdom and knowledge of a lifetime since. I love the way you are taking us into this story.