Thursday, May 27, 2010

Zusia

The bit of free time in the mountains provided a unique opportunity to spend some time with the grandchildren of the couple providing us housing.

Zusia is six and currently attends a full day 0-class, similar to the American kindergarten.  Full of curiosity and enough words to fill a library, Zusia invited me to see her life the first night we arrived.  She lives with her mother, father and brother, Antek in a small apartment within the house were were staying.  Ushering me into their space she showed me the bedroom where she sleeps a couple feet from her parents and brother.  Noticing my camera, she showed off a pink toy camera from her drawer of toys, the whole time bombarding me with questions and comments in Polish.  Her mother entered soon after, and attempted to explain to her that I only spoke English as I tried to politely excuse myself from their space.   



The next day, Zusia invited me to go on a walk with her. For a solid hour, I got a tour of her playground, the forests and hills up the street from her house.

Despite her knowledge of the language gap between us and my blank stares and shrugs, she rambled on and on in Polish, telling me where to take pictures and dragging me to where I needed to be when I didn't understand.  Throwing rocks into the stream and making daisy chains, her curiosity, determination, mischievousness and sense of adventure shone through the communication barrier.

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