I’m in Poland again for Christmas. For many reasons, this Christmas might have been a little subdued and difficult.
But it hasn’t. As always, the hospitality has been amazing. Since we arrived, I haven’t gone more that an hour without being offered food and/or drink.
I miss the English Christmas traditions but have got used to the idea of Christmas being over on the 24th.as in Poland, the main meal of the period is eaten once the first star is visible on Christmas Eve. I have my suspicions that there is no basis for this other than impatience to get on with the presents…
My Polish isn’t yet good enough to watch TV here (a Christmas tradition the world over). Almost everything is British or American, but rather than subtitles, each film or program has the same, monotone voice speaking over it. No attempt at acting or any kindvariation in delivery, regardless of the sex or humour of the character. I’m told that natives get used to it, but how people can tell how well a film is acted or understand the subtleties of delivery I don’t know.
So instead, I use my mother-in-law’s old laptop and flaky wireless internet connection to catch up on the Google Reader backlog. It is the only time all year that it gets cleared. I actually started this blog on Christmas day, 3 years ago as little else was happening given that everyone had exchanged gifts and wishes and was too full to move.
I’ve taken a stack of photos while I’ve been here, but there’s no chance of this machine handling the RAW files from my digital camera. The other cameras all use film, so they’ll have to wait too.
That just leaves the iPhone pictures to post:
This is my Christmas present to myself. I bought it on the Polish version of eBay (Allegro.pl) for about 35 quid and had it sent here to the In-Laws’. It is new (although made in 1987) and unused and came in the box with the Russian instructions and the original handwritten service card.
I’ve already fed it a roll of EliteChrome…
I can see an opportunity in buying these on this side of the Iron Curtain and flogging them back home. Lomography want 250 quid for Chinese copies of these!
I’ve already fed it a roll of EliteChrome…
I can see an opportunity in buying these on this side of the Iron Curtain and flogging them back home. Lomography want 250 quid for Chinese copies of these!
Waiting for Grandma outside her Christmas day church service. Yet another picture of Gosia that she hates.
My present from Gosia and her family. A 1966 Nikon F with early Photomic finder. It is in great condition and has already consumed half a roll of TMax. By Christmas day, I’d already bought a 50mm of similar vintage on eBay. Anyone want to by a Praktica collection?
Despite all the cameras, films, photoshop, developing scanning etc, I’m not sure I’ll produce a picture on this trip that I like more than this one of my wonderful Mother in Law.
Happy holidays everyone.
Barnaby Nutt 