So far, so good, BUT...

Why does there have to be a "BUT"? Why? Why can't I just tell you how much we love it here? (And, we REALLY do like it here.)

But, there is a "but"...at least for me. I'm struggling a bit. No, not with finding a coffee shop - I'll find one in the next couple of weeks. No, not with making friends - that will come with time. I'm struggling with the language...or, should I say, my lack of ability to speak the language.

Everywhere we go people immediately start conversing with you in Polish. Afterall, we look like like a typical Polish family. And then we smile at them and say that we don't speak Polish (Yes, we say this in English - as we haven't learned that phrase yet!) And they smile back and say something which I optimistically hope translates to: That's okay! You'll learn some Polish soon. But, most likely translates to: WHAT? You don't speak Polish and you live in Poland!? You're an idiot!

I only have a few of the Polish basics in my repertoire right now: Hello, thank you, goodbye, 1, 2, 3, 4, half and quarter. (Yes, that's mainly so I survive at the grocery store and don't have to order a kilogram of ham each time I go to the deli.)

In Kuala Lumpur, English was everywhere. And yes, while we heard Bahasa Malay and Mandarin and French and all sorts of other languages, English was the common language. I had no trepidation about trying to get my point across to anyone because everyone seemed to speak English.

Here, that is not the case.

The other day at the mall here in Warsaw, there was a family in the elevator speaking Spanish. (Yes, Spanish!) I found myself eavesdropping on their conversation because I longed to talk with someone other than my own family members. (I taught one year of introductory Spanish at a small school in Upstate New York which made me capable of this elevator eavesdropping.) So I listened intently with a smile on my face as they chatted among themselves. (Please note that I did refrain from interjecting my thoughts on where they should eat lunch at the mall, although I would recommend Jeff's Bar and Grill for the burgers.)

I knew that Polish would not be like French or Spanish, but this former foreign language teacher was hoping she could draw some similarities. So far, not so much. This one is going to challenge me.

And that's okay. I'll take some Polish lessons and I'll make some Polish friends who will let me practice my meager Polish skills on them (which is bound to be spoken with an American-French accent). Because you know what? I want the superpower, too!