Szlachetna Paczka - leadership experience

I have pledged to give follow-ups on how I am doing in my new role, being a manager to more than 20 people for the first time in my life.

In mid-July I took part in a two-day workshop where I could hone my skills (such assertion implies I have already had some). Soon later I met with fellow volunteers who had decided to carry on with Szlachetna Paczka to discuss the ideas on how our area should function and how they would support me.

For a long time I had not been fond of managing people, especially I feared dealing with intractable persons. The company of friends who I can count on persuaded me to overcome my premonitions. After all, if I am to move ahead professionally, I might not end up as an expert only, but with time I would need to begin to lead other employees. But since managing a team is a school of hard knocks, it seemed an excellent idea to acquire some competencies outside the ruthless world of a corporation.

As a leader I strive to be a partner for my volunteers, rather than a boss. For the sake of my hygiene and to avert excessive workload, I delegate as many tasks as possible and I trust my team members (i.e. hold my horses in terms of controlling them).

With respect to the time spent handling the Paczka, it turns out to be more time-consuming then I expected. My role involves a lot of conceptual work, being available to volunteers who want to consult me and hundreds of clicks in IT systems, essential to keep the venture going.

Right now, after the first area meeting held this Wednesday and ahead of first meetings with families enrolled, I am glad I have taken up this challenge and happy to be in charge of such wonderful team, though some more attentive members I might require a lot of patience.

I will keep you posted on the developments on the Paczka front in late October.

Nad życie – czego uczą nas umierający - book review

I cannot recall how I have come across a mention of the book, but once I learnt of its existence, I immediately signed up for it with my infallible provider of readings – the district library of Ursynów.

The paperback, which is a structured jumble of interviews, came up to me as a loose follow-up to Tomasz Stawiszyński’s work (a new book of the philosopher to premiere in October), in which the author repeatedly underlined death had been unduly erased from the contemporary culture.

The set of interviews is literally titled “More than life – what the dying can teach us”. The first part of the title brings out several thoughts. Nothing is precious more than life. Nothing can be cherished more than life. Then a penny drops – will I read about people holding on to life tightly? Will a dying human always hold on to life? Would they take every effort to extend their stay in this universe, or would they prefer to depart before the suffering gets unbearable? Do not expect the book to provide you with any answer. The death in a moral, ethical, philosophical and psychological perspective is an abstruse and complex issue.

The decease and all its aspects – medical, legal, religious are brought closer to a reader in a series of conversations with people who, by dint of their professions, deal with dying people on a daily basis. The common denominators of all interlocutors is their reserve towards the very phenomenon of departure (inevitable, if they want to keep their sanity) that they do not pass judgements nor can indicate any universal rules.

The book explores in an approachable manner the topic of euthanasia, futile therapies, pain alleviation, terminal care and other issues whose ethical and medical dimensions are controversial. More sensitive readers might find it difficult to go through chapters on suicides (but oddly enough committed on the spur of the moment, not in an episode of depression) or departing terminally ill children, but I do believe for the sake of knowing the world we live in, they, along with the entire book, are a recommendable read.

Sardinia

Back from a week-long overseas holidays, quite different than previous trips abroad. For the first time since many years I ventured somewhere for a few days with a group of friends (there were 7 of us). In such crowd some conflicts were inevitable, yet most of the time we get on with one another well. Because the timing had to fit everyone, the journey coincided with the end of high season, which impacted the price and the weather. For many temperatures between +30C and +35C during afternoons and dawn-time low of +20C are ideal, for me it was far too hot. For the first time in my life I rented a car to drive around the island (we covered more than 650 kilometres during three days). This was also my most expensive holidaying (on account of end-of-August timing) – the week set me back around PLN 4,000, despite buying reasonably cheap plane tickets.

Alghero, on the western coast of the island was the first city we visited. It has been dubbed “a small Barcelona”, but in my opinion it does not deserve such reputation. To the right, a typical Italian narrow street on the city’s old town. Note the absence of people in early afternoon heat.

On the same day we dropped in on Sassari, which is more picturesque. Here, one of many climatic backyards, with eateries, during evenings lit by lamps hanging overhead. Such places best give off the charm of Italy.

The next day was spent on a cruise boat which sailed us around La Maddalena islands. The very excursion was a kind of pricey, but the sights of rocks and celadon water were worth it.

The entire north-eastern coast of Sardinia is called Costa Smeralda, after the colour of water in shore-side bays. To the right – one of most eye-pleasing lidos I spotted there.

On our way home from the boat excursion, we took a stopover at Golfo Aranci, which is a typical holiday resort, with promenades and beaches. Had it not been for poor access to the airport, this could have been a good place to stay (we rented a house in Pittulongu via Airbnb).

The riviera to the right is located close to Cala Gonone, on the mid-east of the island. The steep, narrow and winding road to the town and back was a challenge to me as a driver to our Fiat Pandas, yet we have made it and I feel a kind of pride. Given how Italian drivers behave on the roads and how unfriendly some junctions are, I feel a more seasoned driver after travelling behind the wheel in Sardinia.

San Teodoro is also a holiday resort which, except for typically Italian architecture, much resembles towns on the Polish seaside. Note how few people roam around. On the day the photo was taken temperature topped +35C, well above my thermal comfort.

Having dropped off the rented cars near the airport in Olbia, we had to return to Pittulongu by bus. Sadly, the public transport in Sardinia is not beyond reproach (except for its cheapness). As we had to wait for over an hour for the bus, we took shelter from the heat on a typical Sardinian cemetery.

And a bonus shot, as our plane was approaching the airport from the west (which meant I could not snap my house from the air) – this is section B of the S7 expressway, somewhere north of Tarczyn. My faith is to weak to put it in promises that the road would be passable by the end of 2022. But for the record, my father drove me through the recently opened section between Warszawa Południe and Lesznowola junctions. Once going my bicycle to my parents will not be an alternative, I shall probably take S2 and S7 to get to Nowa Wola and then to Nowa Iwiczna, bypassing several traffic lights and currently marked out bus lane on ul. Puławska.

Pandemic diary - August 2022

Tuesday, 2 August 2022
The 7-day average number of new infections rises above 3,000 for the first time since 4 April 2022. In 2021 the figure was crossed on 20 October, in 2020 on 10 October. Positivity rate reaches 40%, as badly as during the second wave in the autumn of 2020.

Wednesday, 3 August 2022
My parents receive the second booster shot. As it turns out, prematurely, since my mother’s immune system was still activated in response to an apparent encounter to the virus in the sanatory.

Saturday, 20 August 2022
The cumulative number of cases worldwide reaches 600,000,000. With testing being less widespread everywhere.

Tuesday, 23 August 2022
The sixth COVID-19 wave in Poland, being the first a summer one, tops out at 4,249 cases (7-day average), being the official number. Experts judge the actual number of infections could have reached between 50,000 and 100,000 a day.

Saturday, 27 August 2022
R(t), the reproduction coefficient, declines sustainably below 1.0x in Poland. If the pandemic hits again, it will be probably a minor quandary in comparison to shortages in energy resources.

Wisła – the town and the river

A traveller’s post without photos is a shame. Yet for some reason I have not taken my camera with me this time and took only 2 or 3 snaps with my phone. I cherished the moments, yet failed to save them for posterity.

A fresh relationship with a new girlfriend (we seriously hit it off in the last decade of July 2022) has moved on quickly enough that she invited me over to her second flat in Wisła. The old border guards headquarters building is where her paternal grandparents lived. Having repaid her aunt and uncle, she fully inherited the flat and turned into a holiday hangout or a place to work from in times of home office.

Getting to the site is (sadly) the most convenient by car – over 80% of the route is covered on motorway and as I set tempomat at 110 kmph (average fuel consumption of mere 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres) I managed to reach my destination within 4 hours and 20 minutes (door to door). An alternative is a PKP Intercity train to Bielsko-Biała, with journey duration of under four hours, but then you need to get to Wisła somehow, which is nearly 40 kilometres from the train station in Bielsko-Biała.

Funnily enough, I revisited Bielsko-Biała, a city I got to know reasonably well a few years ago, while with my ex-girlfriend. I felt slightly uncomfortable roaming around the town on my own to see how it has changed, while at that time my girlfriend was running 25 kilometres in the mountains. Memories have not been brought back, I had no flashbacks, but the place will always remain symbolic to me.

A pity I have not documented strolls and bike rides around Wisła, a town with 10,000 inhabitants whose area is as large as of Katowice and which consists of 7 districts, lying on countless hills and valleys. But since it seems it was just my first visit there, in a few weeks or so I will be likely to venture there with a camera and take shots when fiery colours of autumn take over in town.

During the weekend I also took up the biggest challenge in terms of uphill cycling in my life. I pedalled up the gross elevation of 567 metres, with some sections of ascent having a slope of 8%. Not easy pickings, yet I am profoundly proud of myself.

The short (4 nights, 3 days) foray helped me recharge batteries, yet now I am looking forward to another holidaying. Next Sunday I fly to Sardinia for a week. Expect a (proper photo) coverage on 11 September.

Pandemic diary – July 2022

Saturday, 2 July 2022
There are three EU countries in which on average every second citizen has been tested positive once since the beginning of the pandemic. Now comes the ranking of countries with the biggest percent of population having gone through an infection (which is a bit of a distortion, since it does not take into account reinfections, quite frequent in 2022):
1. Denmark: 51.71%,
2. Portugal: 51.01%,
3. Slovenia: 50.02%.

Tuesday, 5 July 2022
The 7-day average number of new infections rises above 500 for the first time since 11 May 2022 (with meagre testing).

Friday, 8 July 2022
The health minister Niedzielski (known also as the master of disaster / minister zagłady) proclaims mass testing (I would call it “any access to publicly funded testing) will be resumed once hospitalisations on account of COVID-19 reach 5,000 at one time. Belarus is the only other country geographically situated in Europe where the virus is swept under the carpet.

Wednesday, 13 July 2022
The 7-day average number of new infections rises above 1,000 for the first time since 26 April 2022. In 2021 the figure was crossed on 2 October, in 2020 on 26 September. On top, average testing volume is some 9 times lower than in two previous years, around the days when 1 one thousands of new infections were hit. “Autumn” has come early this year…

Saturday, 16 July 2022
In a sanatory where my mother has resided since 30 June for a 4-week recovery stay COVID-19 is rampant. Fortunately, mum remains healthy, but fewer and fewer people are around. In the absence of testing, each symptomatic patient is deported home, but sadly some of the elderly patients are taken to hospitals.

Sunday, 17 July 2022
The 7-day average number of cases worldwide inclines above 1,000,000 for the first time since early April 2022. The virus cares little about the summertime in the northern hemisphere.

Friday, 22 July 2022
The 7-day average number of new infections rises above 2,000 for the first time since 6 April 2022. In 2021 the figure was crossed on 14 October, in 2020 on 6 October. And those figures come out in the absence of mass testing, hence the estimated daily number of infections in Poland probably reaches 50,000.

Thursday, 28 July 2022
My mother returns from the sanatory which has been a hotbed of the virus for three weeks and has not been ill. Time to sign my parents up for the second booster.

Edit: off for the August long weekend into the mountains, hence next posting comes up on 21 August.

Ucieczka od bezradności - book review

As a down-to-earth human I have never really been into philosophy, but at times a conversation with another human can inspire me to reach out for a book (titled: “Escape from the helplessness”), I would not read off my own bat.

The author, Tomasz Stawiszyński is a relatively young (born in 1978) Polish philosopher and author of books and articles as well as podcasts and radio broadcasts. In the set of essays I have delved into, he cracks down on cult of everlasting happiness and omnipresent optimism, both being laid as foundations of late capitalism. But since happiness is not a continual state and optimism is not the mood humans experience all the time, he holds forth that the eternal balance between positivism and negativism ought to be restored.

Historically, as Mr Stawiszyński points out, death was present in societies. The departure of a community member used to be commemorated collectively, then the mourning ensued and is some cases lasted for months or even ages. Mourning and grief were an ordinary element of a human existence and were lived through in communities which facilitated the process of recovery. As the author underlines, each human responds in a different way to a loss. A mourning might last two weeks, or a lifetime and each response fits within the frames of “normality”.

WHO estimates around 350 people around the world suffer from depression, which is categorised as an epidemic only because the disease is not contagious. Individualism, hectic pace of life, bars raised too high, lack of community support, pursuit of material goods, consumerism, loosening bonds between humans and several other civilizational changes could have contributed to the widespread character of the disease. The depression is several cases might turn out to be a grief not lived through properly. Not denying the suffering of people afflicted by it, the author claims too many people are reliant on psychotherapy and antidepressants to cope with their problems whose scale is too miniscule to call them a depression. I actually also detest when somebody calls a temporary low mood a depression, since the illness is too serious to use its name rashly.

From the suffering-related parts of the human psyche, the author switches into the way the human mind deals with complex phenomena. When facing the unknown, it tends to seek the most straightforward explanation. When additionally facing the unthinkable or a black swan, straightforward answers come up as mind-boggling and give rise to conspiracy theories sprouting. 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Smolensk airplane crash or the COVID-19 pandemic are the events which had been beyond our imaginations until they happened.

Further on, Mr Stawiszyński touches upon the role of what I called a noble violence. He argues humans reluctant to commit evil, but think up absurd excuses to justify it. Take the example of Russian invasion to Ukraine – the aim of the “special operation” is to “liberate the areas, free the locals from the fascist government and reinstate peace”. All felonies committed in the history were at best committed as the lesser of two evils. When pondering upon the concept, a proverb “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” springs to mind instantly.

The last chapter makes a reference to the helplessness mentioned in the book’s title. Helplessness, which is indispensable element of life, while the contemporary culture intently attempts to find solutions to all sorts of misery. While in several circumstances humans should just come to terms with their misery.

The summative closing remarks are the most precious excerpts of the book, in which the philosopher calls to bring back the dark side of the human existence. He insists we should summon up strength to face up to all unpleasant, but inevitable experiences, rather than averting it.

The coldest winter since decades ahead?

The post title should not mislead you – I am not daring to publish a long-term weather forecast. Such competencies remain beyond my capacity and given my more pessimistic than optimistic look at the life, may they stay so.

While in recent years warm winter seasons, a clear hallmark of the global warming, filled us with dread and uncertainty, many hope the 2022/23 winter in Europe turns out balmy. The worries are spurred by cut off supply of natural gas from Russia which is used to heat dwellings in most European countries. The gas has not flown into several countries for weeks, however in the warmer season, when it is used in cookers, ovens, water heating and for industrial purposes, reserves remain sufficient for a while. But as soon as the autumn draws in, the demand for gas will bump up, displaying clear negative correlation with air temperatures.

Governments of several countries, including the Polish one, warn between the lines we ought to brace for shortages of energy inputs and some forms of rationing out. Experts advise to recommend lower interior temperatures in dwellings, offices and public buildings. A prospect of having temperature capped at +18C or +19C in your house or flat looms very probable, yet is not a tragedy. I prefer to put on woollen socks and a sweater rather than make any concessions to Putler.

The scenario of shivering inside dwellings is an optimistic one. In the pessimistic course of events, deficits of natural gas would be large enough to limit deliveries to industrial off-takers. In such scenario sharply decreased supply of several industrial goods would send inflation even higher, while production stoppages or shutdowns would lead to payment gridlocks. Problems would spill over across the entire economy.

Since the end of WW2 the European societies have never experienced austerity. Currently with energy crisis on all fronts, an advent of war-time-like austerity is genuinely likely. I fear this might cause social unrest, which in turn would prompt politicians to look for a diplomatic solution which would resume gas deliveries from Russia. This must not happen, you surely realise why.

Admittedly, the price to pay for sanctions imposed on Russia is high, yet necessary. It was naïve to hope Russia would not take any retaliatory steps. The uncivilised nation under Putler’s heel, fooled by turgid propaganda, would make a lot of sacrifices to rebuild the empire and to restore the sense of national pride.

Besides, we need to remember that Putler, currently cut off the flow of technology and luxury goods, is well on track to bring the Russian economy back to where it was just before the Soviet Union collapsed. The dictator is intent to step up in his pursuit of the great Russian empire. Reportedly, the Russian economy is shifting into the war mode, meaning men left jobless as a result of economic downturn would become conscripts, while factories will begin to manufacture armaments, to make up for the losses from recent months.

Bleak times lie ahead. I hope western politicians realise no concessions must be made to Putler and that NATO unity, if put to the test, must be fiercely and firmly defended.

Szlachetna Paczka - as a leader

I have just realised if I disclose the news, my anonymity I try to ensure might become questionable. Bearing in mind the blog is not easy to reach and low enough in search engines’ algorithms, I consider my identity to be withheld properly, still.

After being a volunteer in 2020 and 2021 I pondered upon development opportunities within the charity. In March 2022, when I co-organised a transit warehouse of goods collected for refugees from Ukraine, I met several folks who had been involved in Szlachetna Paczka for years. We talked a lot about challenges and satisfactions drawn from co-ordinating the venture or being in charge of volunteers. I have found my skills, competencies and familiarity with the Paczka sufficient to take a step forward.

In April the former leader of my area did a pep talk to me to persuade me to take over headship of Ursynów area. I was reluctant, yet could not refute his argument it is an unrepeatable opportunity to learn team leader skills outside a corporation.

In May I found out I had been recommended for a function of logistics co-ordinator in the entire Mazowieckie province. Having learnt what my scope of duties would be, I turned down the offer, without even asking, whether I would be employed or volunteer. It did not matter, as my the function would occupy as much time, as a full-time job does.

Frankly speaking, I have felt under pressure to become the area leader. Fellow volunteers urged me to take it up, regional co-ordinators also insisted I was the right person for the function. None of the local folks wanted to apply for the role, had it not been for my candidacy, someone from the outside would become a leader, or the area would not be formed. As all the alternatives seem sub-optimal, so I have resolved to be in charge.

Before taking the decision I feared I would be a ruthless and demanding perfectionist as a leader, getting fucked up with my volunteers every time they do not deliver what they would promise. I feared my folks and I would get frustrated with my strictness and fondness of order and discipline. Currently I only fear the role would be nastily time-consuming and leave me tired-out for weeks.

I will keep you in the picture of how (un)well I would be doing as a charity manager, also saving the experience for posterity, but next week I'm having a two-day introductory workshop in my new role and will be too short of time to sit down to blogging.

Pandemic diary – June 2022

Sunday, 5 June 2022
Portugal has published a backward correction of its COVID-19 figures which show the country experienced another wave in May 2022. Who still claims the virus is seasonal?

Wednesday, 8 June 2022
The number of new cases bottoms out in Poland at (7-day average) 195 (much higher than 2021’s low of 77 when testing was not as scant as these days.

Friday, 10 June 2022
Poland reports the first case of monkeypox. Nearly a month after first reports of the disease spreading, it does not seem to have he potential to trigger a pandemic.

Thursday, 16 June 2022
I learn my friend and her family, as well as several people from her office had COVID-19 during last month. Needless to say none of them was officially tested.

Saturday, 18 June 2022
The second, artificial bottom of the 7-day average of new infections in Poland is reached because of scant long-weekend testing – 169 new cases.

Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Poland begins to follow the path of Western Europe, where cases are markedly rising.

Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Hospitalisations in Poland, reported weekly, reach a bottom at 287, vs. low of 271 in early august 2021.

Tuesday, 28 June 2022
In several European countries the number of new infections bottomed out sustainably, as measured by 7-day average number of new infections:
- the Netherlands: +424% since 28 May 2022,
- France: +343% since 27 May 2022,
- Austria, +311% since 30 May 2022,
- Germany: +261% since 28 May 2022,
- Italy: +242% since 3 June 2022,
- Greece: +231% since 3 June 2022.
Given that BA.4 and BA.5 variants of Omicron are spreading across Europe, it give up on switching into quarterly timeline. Monthly reporting to stay in place.