I came to the Pasaréti secondary school this year and I joined the Comenius program as a new student. I got the opportunity to take part in the Polish project-week between September 29 and October 5.
When I arrived, I was really curious how my host family would be like. Somehow I had the feeling that they would be nice, and I was right. When I got into their car, they immediately asked me if I was hungry and how the journey had been. They asked me so many things that for a few seconds I didn’t know where I was, but of course, after a while I could answer everything. Dominik is an incredibly nice guy, who has a big heart and is very good at music. He spoke also English very well, so we understood each other perfectly. Their home was very friendly, except the wild angry cat, which desperately wanted to get into my room, but eventually, I managed to get along with it as well. The young ‘Chopin’ showed me his talent already that evening, and I have to say that he played really beautifully. After a while we started talking about his future, and I don’t know how, but we ended up discussing my brother’s future as well. After the long talk Dominik and I went around the large stadium which was nearby. While we were waiting for his younger brother returning from a school excursion, we exchanged our opinions about Polish and Hungarian football fans. Finally we went home and had a lovely dinner. I had some delicious meals with them.
The first day of the project was Monday, which we spent at the school. It wasn’t bad, I learned some Polish words, and I could see how the Polish cheer for their team at a competition. The following day in Krakkow was quite good, although I could feel the long walks in my ankle. Still, I really enjoyed the programs, and I had some time to buy some souvenirs for my family and myself. We saw the famous window, which Pope John Paul II had been looking out of, and we learned that he would be canonized in spring. Despite the cold, the weather was nice. We had dinner in a restaurant, where I started to get on well with the representatives of the other countries, who were really nice. Wednesday was a special day for me, because first, I made friends with the others in Katowice, and, on the other hand, I felt that our friendship was strengthened in Auschwitz. 
The visit at the Auschwitz museum was interesting and shocking at the same time. It was truly an experience never-to-be-forgotten. I still don’t know how the tourist guides can work there. On Thursday, we went to Czestochowa, where we saw one of Europe’s most well known Virgin Mary depictions, the Black Madonna in the basilica. The sanctuary is at a beautiful place. First, we were shown around by a local priest, who was talking really fast. After half an hour we got another guide, who spoke English really clearly and nicely. It was still this day when I – a proud harmonica player – go the chance to listen to Furkan’s, a Turkish boy’s disastrous performance, which I commented with a simple ’Oh My God’. On Friday, we went to the Guido coal mine in Zabrze, which I found especially interesting, even though I already knew a lot of things, because that was not the first time I had visited a mine. We also got to wear a yellow helmet here as well.After the visit in the mine we had lunch at the same restaurant as on the first day, and the food was again delicious. I have never had problems with the food, I always finished my portion. Later we went to a shopping centre with Dominik, where I bought a hat. The last party was extremely good. I danced so much that I could barely walk the following day. I must say that I really had a good time! J All in all, it was an unforgettable journey, with lots of new friends and some amazing, adventurous days I will never forget. It was a good decision to join the Comenius project week in Poland.
Mark Siegler
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