Lodz

25.10.05, 17:31

Since I am in Poland I stayed for 2+1 months in Lodz and also Lodz was the
first city which I saw. After a while I got over the initial "shock" and I
learned the city a bit, experienced it, or as Stasiuk in his book Dukla, I was
looking for his (Lodz's) scent. I am not sure if I found it, but I started to
liking the city, feel his heart.

After 3 months, with my wife we spent the weekend in Lodz. We arrived late at
night and the way home made me quite depressed. A lot of people drinking in
the streets, the sad and rainy city, the poor houses and so on.
I will make a long story short and will just say that after Warszawa the
contrast was striking.

I wonder how you feel about Lodz? What do you think of the city?
How about you portulaco? Was it hard to get used to Lodz?

Ervin

thebartiski.blogspot.com
    • portulaco Re: Lodz 26.10.05, 09:30
      Hi bartis_ervin

      Exactly as you I experienced the same feelings. I arrived at Lodz the 16
      September 2001 to study in WSHE thanks to the Erasmus program.

      I recall during the first days in Lodz as quite sad, every building seemed grey
      and abandoned and the streets were full of Fiat 125P old rusted Maluch and dull
      Polonezes, at the time I stayed in some students house were the ambiance was
      quite hostile - some "Macho Polacos" living there there considered us a threat -
      and we - 3 Portuguese and 2 Finnish - decided to rent an apartment in some
      grey alley in Piotrkowska, the same day we move we saw some drunk guys shouting
      and urinating in some corner were people placed the rubbish bags.

      Lodz in fact has astonishing buildings all over the city centre, the so
      called "sekcesja" style it's present in most of them, but usually people don't
      pay attencion, pitty the city doesn't have money to restore this real jewels,
      it would be fantastic to see it.

      Lodz city life goes nowadays around Ulica Piotrkowska but next Spring a
      gargantuum shopping mall and market will start were it used to be Posnanski's
      factory, it will be called "Manufaktura" and it's supposed to be the biggest
      mall in Europe they say... I checked from the outside and it really seems BIG
      but I wonder if it will be that sucessfull... anyway the old factory was
      restored as well the road around it.

      Unemployment is killing this city since many years though nowadays one can see
      progress, some foreigners investments are beeing made and it seems the city
      airport will be used to deviate some traffic from Okęcie airport mostly from
      low-budget flights, as if it would be part of some David Copperfield show most
      of the Fiat 125P Maluch simply vanished and Polonezes nowadays only those Caro
      versions can be seen, some people talk about some kind of Mafia forcing shop
      owners and investors to pay for "security" just like 1930's Chicago Maffiosi
      did it, if it's true they still exist and I don't know.
      • bartis_ervin Re: Lodz 26.10.05, 11:22

        I really like the "macho polacos" expressionsmile

        I also checked out the Manufaktura. It seems big but not nice or orginial.
        Probably the best part of all this is that they will restore the old brick
        building. The entrance and the iron gate and fence simply look astonishing! And
        the factory building too. Too bad I didn't have my camera this weekend..

        Yes, Piotrkowska is nice except if you walk there around 23.00 on Saturday. In
        some cases it can also be Friday.

        A friend of my works at the HR department of Gillette and the interesting thing
        is that she said that they have problems in finding qualified people or just
        finding people to hire. She told me a story about a guy who got hired, but the
        day before begining his job he celebrated with his friends and got so drunk that
        on the 1st day of work he didn't show up and he got fired.

        About the arhitecture you are right. I also have a couple of favourite buildings.

        Ervin

        thebartiski.blogspot.com
        • portulaco Re: Lodz 26.10.05, 12:52
          Funny... I have here in the office a collegue which used to work in Gillette
          Lodz and she said the salary was completely ridiculous comparing to the hours
          she had to work, maybe a reason for the problem in finding people?

          About "Macho Polaco" smile Watch out! And they say latins are jealous!? Those
          guys I'm refering when threatened have several reactions, they start kissing
          and rubbing with the girlfriend, they became violent and destroy something
          nearby or give you a push and don't apologize or even do something stupid with
          the car, usually tunning car with those oval stikers "D".

          Fortunetly they're a minority.

          "Yes, Piotrkowska is nice except if you walk there around 23.00 on Saturday. In
          some cases it can also be Friday."

          I think you mean about violence? Thanks God I never experiencied problems in
          Lodz except with some a*****e in Kaliska Bar wich asked me for the passport
          saying I had Jewish look and he didn't like Israelis, well... I have black hair
          and dark brown eyes but my nose is quite small and the ears too...

          Funny was that this guy had a "Duzy piwo" thrown in his face when some Polish
          girl didn't like the comment smile)
          • usenetposts Re: Lodz 26.10.05, 23:18
            portulaco napisał:

            > Funny... I have here in the office a collegue which used to work in Gillette
            > Lodz and she said the salary was completely ridiculous comparing to the hours
            > she had to work, maybe a reason for the problem in finding people?
            >
            > About "Macho Polaco" smile Watch out! And they say latins are jealous!? Those
            > guys I'm refering when threatened have several reactions, they start kissing
            > and rubbing with the girlfriend, they became violent and destroy something
            > nearby or give you a push and don't apologize or even do something stupid
            with
            > the car, usually tunning car with those oval stikers "D".
            >
            > Fortunetly they're a minority.
            >
            > "Yes, Piotrkowska is nice except if you walk there around 23.00 on Saturday.
            In
            > some cases it can also be Friday."
            >
            > I think you mean about violence? Thanks God I never experiencied problems in
            > Lodz except with some a*****e in Kaliska Bar wich asked me for the passport
            > saying I had Jewish look and he didn't like Israelis, well... I have black
            hair
            >
            > and dark brown eyes but my nose is quite small and the ears too...
            >
            > Funny was that this guy had a "Duzy piwo" thrown in his face when some Polish
            > girl didn't like the comment smile)

            You know you have to marry her for that. It's a tradition!

            (Only joking, but she sounds like a mighty fine woman!)
            • bartis_ervin Re: Lodz 27.10.05, 09:51

              By the waysmile is she your wife?

              Ervin

              thebartiski.blogspot.com
              • portulaco Re: Lodz 27.10.05, 10:33
                Nope... smile
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