About

Weather-wise, it was a typical day for England. A little foggy and drizzly. I arrived with two bulky suitcases that did not actually contain too much. Some clothes, some shoes, some documents and notes. Most of the space in one of the suitcases was occupied by a very heavy Oxford English Dictionary – a symbol of my dedication to mastering the English language and a continuous and nagging reminder of how much I still need to learn. At the time, this dictionary was the only materialistic possession that really mattered to me and regardless of its weight I had to drag it along with me.

I was never a very practical type. More of a dreamer, hungry to see what’s beyond the horizon of my little but picturesque village in Poland, hungry for knowledge and new experiences. Speaking English was not just a symbol of freedom and adventure. It was a swipe card that opened more than one world and enabled me to explore more than one reality. Amazing things happened ever since I put my foot beyond our Polish border. I looked after two Nigerian children while working as an Au-pair, wore a pink Thai dress while a waitress at a Thai restaurant, poured Fosters while bar-tending with Australians, celebrated the year of the Dragon with my Chinese students, devoured pieces of Black British writing at university, dipped bread in a fragrant curry while sitting on the floor with my Afghan friends, I sang nursery rhymes in Greek to my son’s best friend and celebrated my son’s baptism with our dearest friends of other beliefs.

But why am I writing this? I’ve been looking at the headlines and am getting concerned. It’s alarming to see that attitudes against diversity are being promoted and are spreading around the world. For what reason?

The globe has been wounded and scared many times by attitudes similar to those. The trees of our genealogy are witnesses to those events. Many people went through great efforts and reconciliation processes because they wanted to learn to love again. And they did. And they love. And they cherish. And they care. Most of us individually have not experienced severe hatred, we haven’t been exposed to maltreatment at the hands of others. So where is this prejudice coming from?

This site stands for growth. For growth, diversity and equality. Stay. Together we can spread other messages. Messages of love, growth and kindness.

for equality

35 thoughts on “About”

  6. Thank you so much for liking one of my last blog posts. I really enjoyed reading through your site, and I am now happily a follower. Hope to get more postcards soon. Thanks again. I love what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.

    Like

    Reply

  7. thanks for stopping by and liking my recent post. I enjoyed looking through your site. Best Wishes for your 2014 Caring project. I recently saw a TV spot on a man who shined shoes for a living and managed to give several hundred thousand dollars to charity out of his earnings. The story was a great motivator for being a better giver.

    Like

    Reply

  9. Alicja, thanks so much for liking so many of my still lifes. I love the delicious web of world-wide connections made possible through the blog! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Best, Maggie

    Like

    Reply
  10. Pingback: Weekly Reblog #24: Lasting Friendships | Paths Unwritten

    1. Thank you very much for this nomination. I feel honoured. I am sorry I am replying so late. I was giving it some thinking time and in the end I decided that I will not be accepting awards for this blog. I feel extremely lucky that you visit my blog and give me some of your time. Your visits and comments are my reward. Thank you very much again.

      Like

      Reply

      2. Haha! Brilliant! Great minds think alike! Sorry, I missed this post. I am not sure why but not everything reaches me through the reader. It’s really good that you wrote about this topic. It’s nice just to blog. Accolades are unnecessary in this sphere, I think.

        Like

Leave a reply to dorisbolliger Cancel reply