102/365: Art Styl

102/365: Art Styl, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 12th

Sometimes when you duck into a random courtyard you find your picture for the otherwise unremarkable day.

92/365: Graveyard Votives for JP2

92/365: Graveyard Votives for JP2, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

April 2nd

Pope John Paul II died six years ago at 9:37 p.m. , and every year since the anniversary is celebrated solemnly across Poland. These are graveyard votives placed at the foot of a statue of JP2 by the Lodz Archcathedral. Hundreds of people gathered there tonight to light candles and pray.

This year is particularly special as in May, the late Pope will be canonised- he will become a Saint. Saints are extremely important for Catholics as they act as a medium between the faithful and God- now people will be able to go to Church and ask John Paul II to appeal to God on their behalf. It is also comforting for many to have 'one of our own' join the saintly ranks. John Paul II was loved in Poland, not only as a Pope but as our devoted kinsman, a mentor to many generations, an accomplished poet and philosopher, and our champion in the free world. Perhaps most notably for Poland, he made great efforts to make the West aware of the situation behind the Iron Curtain, and his work helped bring an end to communism and the Soviet command in our country.

14/365: The Africanos bar

14/365: The Africanos bar, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

I didn't want to take my camera because I knew there would be drinking. But when I tried to take a picture with my phone, the battery died! So I used my ipod.

It's a horrible photo which shows nothing at all, but at least I didn't break my streak of one photo per day. In a 365 project, that's really important. It's better to take a bad photo than none at all, and you'll know it the very next morning when you say, 'Hm, well, I'm still on board', rather than 'Aw, man, I missed a day, is it worth continuing?'

Yes, it is, actually. But it's better not to miss a photo. ;)

351/365: In blue for the holidays

351/365: In blue for the holidays, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

December 17th

A building on Piotrkowska street getting a facelift.

308/365:Yeah...well...you know.

308/365:Yeah...well...you know., originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

November 4th

THESE WRAP PARTIES NEVER END people won't you just go home already

306/365: Another goodbye party

306/365: Another goodbye party, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

November 2nd

This one was for...oh, pretty much everybody. The departures are staggered so every other night is drinking goodbye night. (hence this is a phone photo, as I have mentioned before that I do not take my camera when I plan to drink. Basic caution.)Exhausting.

To clarify: I work with a lot of imported folks, and now that the project we were on is ending, they are all going home.

69/365: The lights on Piotrkowska

69/365: The lights on Piotrkowska, originally uploaded by Magic Madzik.

March 10th

There are lights on Piotrkowska all year round, except around Christmas they add stars and stuff like that. Piotrkowska is 'the only street in Lodz'. Or so they say in other cities, presumably because they're jealous. :P

Most buildings along the street look better than that one, though, at least from the outside. It's a bit like a false-front Western frontier town, where what's visible has been nicely painted but what's hidden is tumbledown and stained with pee.