I have just finished watching Tonari no Seki-kun anime. Not sure what’s the purpose or the story line indicate since it ended kinda abruptly, and I don’t have too much motivation to search for the continuation. But the series are interesting and short enough to watch when you’re procrastinating but still want to continue being productive because it will only be a short distraction.
Seki-kun, never run out of “toys” or even mundane daily items to play with
It tells a story about how a boy named Seki-kun is always distracted on class. He’s never bored, he always have something he played with, sometimes need skills and he’s damn good at it! And next to him, has a very good imagination that spiced up Seki-kun’s toys. They are very entertaining.
In this situation of COVID-19 pandemic with limited activities, I think it’s very important to be Seki-kun like. To find activities and amusement even from the most mundane daily toys. And having the patience and will to polish the skills needed to do whatever you wanted. That way we won’t lose our head to the boredom of being forced to stay indoors. Being forced from visiting our favorite places. Not having our usual activities.
In anyway, I think it’s a good outlook in life, if you don’t let it outshine you from doing the main quest of your life. And frankly, isn’t almost everyone’s life is on hold in this point?
Vital information about the cost and all at the end, scroll down.
The First day in Krakow wasn’t actually spent in Krakow. The town have it’s own charm, but we have a second day at Krakow after we comeback from Zakopane, so we are now heading to the city near it, Oświęcim, that host the world renown, tragically beautiful War Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau.
The iconic Auschwitz gate, Arbeit macht frei – Work sets you free
I am very intrigued with Auschwitz-Birkenau. It host one of the darkest history of modern human life and full of cruel and sad stories and rumors going around. I expect it to be a serious, gloomy place, with a sad, heavy atmosphere. Instead, we are greeted with this scenery :
Such a beautiful place
The scenery are simply stunning. There’s beauty in it’s solemnity. It’s calm and serene, making us thinking about the hardest day of our lives, but also ease it, claiming that even the darkest period will pass and can be seen as beautiful.
Holocaust train, train to concentration camp
Despite the horrifying event that has taken place on it’s soil, the location has now redeemed itself as a beautiful memoir. I love how that sounds, how it gives hope for even one of the most horrible stain in humanity history. In the time I’m writing the post, it’s in the middle of a pandemic, COVID-19. So it gives hope and strength.
Concentration Camp Houses
Auschwitz and Birkenau have more or less the same atmosphere. Of course, there are the sad and haunting part where we see how they are treated. How so many life comes to an end to something that sounds like a made up reasons these days. The items they left that show what kind of life they are going through. And the living condition- How they drink, sleep, eat, and die. The gas chamber and the suffering of people who died inside.
Inside the huts poor living system
There are also records of desperation and the hope that never come true. The part where they display the saddening fact that some items are containing people’s hope, frustrations, and longing. The windows that are the only glimpse of a freedom they dreamed of, but also a peek to their doom.
Glimpse of freedom… but also a peek to how they might die
In the end, we can also enjoy some of the more detailed information of the sites and display. We leave the sites with somber and clear thought about live and it’s meaning.
The part which are touched by time
After that, we hurry back to Krakow because we are worried we will have to go search for our hotel in the darkness. I don’t see many parts that I want to see, I didn’t found the pile of shoes etc. But we need to reach our hotel before it’s dark, I don’t want to risk sleeping outside.
Getting dark…
We sight see a bit of Krakow. It has a lot of castle around the city! As I haven’t see many castle yet I want to see as much as possible. We also found a cute, nice restaurant in Krakow! It’s already dark, so the other scenery has to wait until we got back from Zakopane.
Vital Information
To Oświęcim!
Transportation – We are usingPolskiBus – which now join Flixbus – for 4.5 EUR per person from Wroclaw to Krakow (3 hr). I forgot where we put our luggage – my guess is that we throw them into a locker in the bus station where we arrive at. I know I can book ahead for a bus to go to Oświęcim, but I decided against it. I am not sure when we will arrive, and I don’t want to have to wait too long as much as I don’t want to be late. There are many bus towards Oświęcim, as it’s a popular tourist spot, with more or less the same price. We ended up going with a local bus we bought the ticket at the station for 24 zloty (5 EUR, 1,5 hours each way) for going there and back again.
Site map
As we arrive, we go straight to having lunch, as the journey takes about 1,5 hours. The area where the bus stop has a food place that’s quite decent. To go to the Auschwitz-Birkenau, we need to take another bus. First, we will arrive at the museum. As far as I remember, it’s free. Auschwitz-Birkenau is a two sites memorial, Auschwitz have 30 huts while Birkenau (we need to take a bus between the two) is a lot wider but have fewer huts. You can learn more here : http://auschwitz.org/en/. It’s a very large area, so if you want to explore every single inch of it on your own pace, you might need the whole day, or even 2 days, and a comfortable walking shoes.
Accomodation
We booked Atlantis Hostel’s deluxe 3 bed/s private with private bathroom from Hostelsclub for 41.47 EUR. For 3 people, it’s not bad. We got the room all by ourselves. The bathroom is nice. But what I love the most from this hotel is the balcony! It’s so lovely and we can watch what’s happening on a big street. The kitchen is big, clean, and organized. It’s also only a few minutes away from the nearest tram station. Overall, satisfying. 4/5. Full review will be uploaded later.
Cost
Activity
Cost (Zlotty)
Cost (Euro)
To Krakow
18,67 zł
€4,50
Atlantis Hostel
51,90 zł
€14,00
Krakow-Oswiecim-Krakow
24,00 zł
€5,00
Breakfast
12,00 zł
€2,80
Total
106,57 zł
€26,30
Poland is relatively cheap, and other meals might cost €5-€6.
Hi! Sorry that I have been out for a very long time. I have been swamped with work.
Out of stress, I have been playing a lot of mobile games. And I mean a lot. I want to share it with people, but you know, I play kinda outdated free games that looks like a lot of people should have their own review, walk through and all posted online, but I still want to share it. I thought to just post it to Tumblr because that’s where the geek community I know, but I want a more organized place. So WordPress it is!
I will post progress so you guys would be bored together with me. For now, I will post about “Living Alone”. Over the time, I will post many other games, which I thought would be of no interest also, but I still want to share! Bear with me!
I am reflecting. A fine day such as today calls for a reflection. A day where I get the chance to know more about other’s personality, to get more glimpse into their thought process.
With the way I live my life the past few months, my reflecting time is past due. What comes towards me had a very very big effect on me that I might have not be myself anymore. In short, my circumtances make me change, again, in so short a time. So I need to know myself more, too.
A lot or articles, forum and such from the internet seem to reassure my belief that people in their twenties change every so often. That’s generalitation, of course, I am sure there are people who know who they are by twenty and so do not change that much after. But it makes me feel not so alone, I know there are people who accuse themselves as a wishy washy because what they want for themselves is just so inconsistent, what they want the most for one day is what they hate the most the next week.
That did sounds annoying, but on the flip side, that means a chance to improve, to start anew, every so often. We can choose the new revelations that contribute to the change. We can choose what influence us, what direction we take when presented with a condition. We can change every week. We can be more like our ideal self faster! Says those similar, gimicky motivational speeches.
Sounds too good to be true?
Yeah, for me too.
I see something so clear today that change my perspective : not all people see from my perspective. Yeah, big news, and seems like I am so late in understanding that. But really. There are fundamental elements in us that won’t change no matter what forge we have been going through under. It’s not for us to change.
So is it futile to change ourselves, moreover others, because it is pushing the law of nature? As I hate giving up, I will give the ever so annoying answer, “Maybe”. After all, human have work around forces of nature and pass the boundaries to overcome hurdles before. For many, many years.
And so, who knows? If this fail to take place, maybe it’s true that I am a lazy piece of trash with no will power in me. And I have no power to change that.
My list of manga I followed on bakaupdates are more red than blue red, indicating I haven’t read the latest chapters of half of them. This has been going on for months, and I ignored it. It doesn’t indicate anything at all, because well, in my own opinion, some manga are meant to be read a few chapters on one go. Like One Piece. Or look at Dragon Ball that might only deliver one punch of a fight in it’s weekly release.
But yesterday I just realized that I am only on the 7th books of my 30 book (non-work related) reading goal this year! Now this is alarming, because that means I haven’t read and relaxed for so long this year. I have neglected an activity I enjoyed and proven to make me relax and stress-free so much because of idle actions. I have work, yes, but I believe I idling and opening social media and unrelated articles on the internet as much as I work.
But opening social media and the like didn’t have the effect of being absorbed in a book for me. But I do it anyway. Because boredom and out of focus and not seeing what’s in front of is so easy. It’s a bliss to be always distracted. No wonder I become restless and a bit high strung despite of my reduced pace of life nowadays.
I want to go back and stand up on my own feet again now, not carried away by by idleness. Currently swimming in the middle of unfinished work though (result from idleness too!), so my focus can’t be given to readings right now.
So I guess I must count on December holidays to reach my goals.
But oh, I also have goal on December.
There’s a lot of things I love about my short visit to Wroclaw, Poland, and the hostel I stayed at surely contribute a lot. The name’s Grampa’s Hostel (And here’s their website)
Let me tell you one thing I love the most about this place : How it feels so cozy and homey.
I guess, hostels are expected to give the homey feeling : it’s a place where backpackers come and go and interact. Socializing. Where people with the same passion (travelling) could meet and then built everlasting relationship. Where the travel stories begin and cross-country friendships bloom.
Do you know the Christmas snow globe? One that has rows of fir trees in front of a castle, that you could shake up so tiny little white dots resembling a snow come down? That’s what I think of this tiny town, my very own real life snow globe, especially since I am there near Christmas.
Date : 20th December 2016 – fourth day of Euroescape!
Do you know the Christmas snow globe? One that has rows of fir trees in front of a castle, that you could shake up so tiny little white dots resembling a snow come down? That’s what I think of this tiny town, my very own real life snow globe, especially since I am there near Christmas.
Known as a religious and conventional Christian (or Catholic?) country, Poland is very festive near Christmas. They took Christmas very seriously. The decorations are up. The announcement boards are full with service schedule and practice hours and posters. People everywhere, walking in groups and with family, trying to finish the Christmas shopping and preparation on the last minutes. Anywhere. Well, at least in the 3 city of Poland we visited in 4 days. There are even a very long queue on our second day in Krakow, when we witness people queuing for a free Christmas tree for about 300 meters long. Talk about dedication!
Hanover! This city is a hub for many Germany trans-country trip, maybe because of it’s ideal location, beside it’s other reputation (such as Oktoberfest). Surprisingly, this city tourist attraction is cramped in a quite small area, even my friend who are not that used to walk a long way can conquer this city just fine.
When we arrive at the city center (the bus and train station are on the same area) we met the monument to Ernest August and then quickly dive to the subway to go to the Leibniz University!
This is the best picture I took, sorry
It was the university where Leibniz, one of the founder of both mechanical and digital calculator are doing his research, and so the university are named after him. It’s a quite interesting university, nearly empty maybe because it’s Christmas vacation time. And I love the lion in front of the gate to the entry!
referencetravel 