Leo P. Olobia
Chopin museum
Home
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Journal
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - -
Pinoys in the High Seas
Hauntings By the Polish Spirit
Classical Music in
Your Being
Searching For My Own
Theater Group 1 and 2
A Traveler's Diarrhea
Coming Home, Indeed
Philosophical Lessons
in Life
My Romance In Miami
High School Memoirs 1
and 2
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
About the CD:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I have un upcoming CD eintitled "Piano
Potpourri", a selection of my favorite classical, broadway and
standard music. It is currently being edited and mastered in Vancouver,
Canada. As soon as the final product is released it will be posted here for
your listening enjoyment.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hauntings by the Polish Spirit
A
FEW years
ago I visited my friends in Poland towards the end of the year when the
season was just about to change to bitter cold. I have worked with a lot of
Polish musicians on ships and I have earned their company quite well. As a
pianist, I am always fascinated with my own kind from different schools all
over the world.
My journey started upon arrival in Krakow, Poland, the cultural capital of the country as opposed to Warsaw which was heavily ruined during the war years as the Russians established a regime that almost eradicated the entire Polish culture. Krakow is dominated by old, European architectural designs with the Market Square as the center. It is surrounded by restos, cafes and souvenir shops and a stunning Catholic church with intricate Baroque ornaments. As you enter, a moment of serendipity catches your eye as you look up the ceiling and see the crucifixion way up in the tower floating in the sky. It's not mounted on a wall but freely standing in space. I was deeply touched by this site that my prayer was interrupted. It was like my sins were forgiven immediately.
Poland is synonymous to Chopin, the great romantic composer who has captured
the hearts of many aspiring pianists. As such, I went to his little place
in Zela Zowa Wola near Warsaw where I pressed my fingers on his vertigrand
piano, although it was sealed with a glass cover. There is an inexplicable
magical feeling as you go around the rooms viewing the exhibits. There is a
corner of the house where Chopin piano competitions are held and people
surround the edifice even out in the picturesque garden with a lagoon while
his music echoes.
The highlight of my trip was a visit to the dreaded Concentration Camp in
Auschwich where millions of Polish died in WW II. There is a Death Wall
inside the camp where prisoners were lined up and fired randomly just like
in the movies "The Pianist" and "Schindler's List". Worst of all is the
crematorium that looks like a baking oven, only that humans were placed
inside instead of bread. On another room is a gas chamber, a very
disturbing sight, you could almost see the prisoners crying as they struggle
for life. There is a pipeline down by the walls where the fatal gas was
supposed to come thru the chamber awaiting massive death.
Along the corridors are pictures of millions of people enlisted in the camp. There are pots, combs, plates, clothes and all kinds of belongings used by the Jews all piled up in one room for all the world to remember the dark existence they had to endure during the War. Amidst all this painful sight is a deafening silence as you are not supposed to talk aloud. There are candles and flowers all over the Death Wall and chambers so you can say a personal prayer.
It was a two-hour ordeal inside the camp and I totally lost my appetite for dinner as we finished the tour. The mood was very sad and angry for all the crimes of humanity. So many innocent people died inside that camp. There is no amount of pity and understanding for the perpetrators even if it happened almost half a century ago. Time does not heal the wound in this case. It inflicts more pain as the memory lives longer than flesh. This place is a constant reminder to all. Our modern-day forms of conflict are just as horrifying indeed. Hatred is the worst form of virus humanity has ever invented. It is the last entity to survive when all the world comes to an end because it is a virus, capable of mutation.
My journey ended with a brief stop at Warsaw and Opole, both places heavily influenced by Russian and German cultures. Warsaw, for one, is just like any metropolis with booming establishments yet a feeling of disgust still lingers in the hearts of many Poles as the place was almost annihilated during the War. Outside the walls are ghettos, another sight for serious human rights violations. Opole is more easy and relaxing. It's a quiet place just like any suburban area but a smell of sophistication is in the air. Bars and lounges are decently decorated, parks well-maintained and the changing seasons make the leaves vibrant and colorful.
There is one place I cannot forget to mention --Czestohowa. It is the center of Catholicism in Poland. As you know, Poland is predominantly a Catholic Nation. In Jasna Gora, you will be greeted with meditation as religious icons dominate the scene. The center of worship is The Black Madonna. Outside the church is a monument of the living Pope John Paul II bigger than life. There is a panoramic view of the city as you go around the walls of the place.
Oh, what a memorable trip. Finally, food is never to be missed. I have experienced a unique Polish gourmet of potatoes and more potatoes. They have some similarity to Filipino cooking, I should say, except that rice is not a popular choice unless you go to Chinese restaurants which also flourish in the country.
I
was captivated by the Polish spirit and yes, it will not be too long before
I go back to this Dreamland. It's easy to fly to here from the Philippines
and certainly not one of the expensive vacation sites in the world.
Posted at BQR 10/06/04.