Student's diary

Sunday, 18 November

Yesterday Janusz Piechociński was elected, by a tiny majority of votes, to a position of president of PSL. Thus he deposed Waldemar Pawlak who had been clinging to his office for too long, and, let’s face it, impeded many of the government’s plans to move the Poland forward. He steps down in disgrace, taking umbrage with rules of democracy and proving lack of manners by not congratulating the newly elected leader. Mr Piechociński’s headship should be a breath of fresh air for Platforma’s coalitional partner; his style at first impressed me, but on second thoughts, his hyperactivity begins to appear feigned…

Monday, 19 November

I have foregone the idea of turning off the phone and have to face the music. Half past nine, first call from the guy whose car I damaged a few weeks ago. Renault’s insurer needs another statement signed by me to pay a compensation to the garage which repaired the car. I drop everything, take the car and drive to Konstancin to write out a statement in which I admit at the time of the accident I was not intoxicated. Nobody bothered to check it right after the prang – does it mean Poland is no longer a land of mistrust? Half past two in the afternoon. My boss calls me. He cannot work out how I calculated one of parameters of our potential new credit exposure. I drop everything, start calculating everything from scratch, then send him an e-mail. Exchange of e-mails and discussion over correctness of calculation drags on for an hour… And I am on holiday!

Tuesday, 20 November

Woke up to the news Polish secret services have foiled an assassination attempt. A lecturer from one of universities in Kraków had planned to either outright kill several of the country’s officials or to park a booby trapped car under the houses of parliament and detonate the bomb. The size of averted tragedy is mind-boggling, despite this several laymen criticise secret services for bringing their success to the public either too early or too late…

Wednesday, 21 November

A quarter before ten. My boss calls me and asks whether everything is alright, as I am almost an hour late and this has not happened before. I gently put him right by referring him to our HR management system in which his approval of my two-weeks’ absence is recorded. Much than disenchanted, he puts down the receiver. My colleague predicted this would happen, but thought he would have been astonished not to see my on Monday. I send her a text message and learn she is on a sick leave. If my boss has half of his team absent and work piles up, no wonder he is discontent. Tough luck, his problem, I don’t give a damn!

Thursday, 22 November

An important news item for today is that a member of PiS from Oleśnica was ousted from the party for calling on referendum whether to kill the prime minister Tusk on his blog. The very idea hatched by the Kaczyński’s party activist does not surprise me, yet my jaw drops open, when Mr Kaczyński says his membership has been suspended so that the media do not attack PiS authorities

Friday, 23 November

Today the world revolves around the debacle of EU summit on the new budget for 2014-2020. In times of austerity several politicians (the biggest advocate of EU financial downsizing is the British Prime Minister, Mr Cameron) attempt to cut back on the budget, which would have adverse consequences for Poland, which is a net beneficiary of EU funds. Much of the stride my country has made over the last years is owed to the inflow of EU funds. The summit should be completed next year and if the agreement is not reached, EU will be operating year by year on temporary budgets…

Saturday, 24 November

A day to take a break from studying. In the morning to the swimming pool, then to my grandparents to clean up their flat, after early lunch I take my father, we catch a bus to ul. Ludwinowska and take a walk to Lotnisko Junction and then walk back through new roads of Southern Bypass of Warsaw to ul. Puławska. There is still much work ahead for the builders of the Bypass and it will take at least half a year to complete it, provided winter is mild. There is much to be documented, but I have not bothered to buy a new camera. Some seven kilometres covered on foot spent indulging in sights of Zielony Ursynów and watching the new infrastructure are a great way to recharge batteries. In the meantime a graduation ceremony is held at my university. Had I known that, I would have gone there to take an opportunity to meet schoolmates…

Sunday, 25 November

Doing well in terms of exam preparation and feeling more confident. May it only not lead to overconfidence…