A Challenging Week Abroad

To say it has been a challenging week would actually be an understatement. Getting sick in another country is not fun, but I learned a lot, and it is true necessity is the mother of all invention.

Somehow, I drank or ate something that did not agree with me. And two weeks after I got here, Montezuma’s Revenge set in. Day one, I thought, ok, this will stop tomorrow. Nope. Day two, which was a Friday, and it was still going strong. I only had bottled water to drink, and my stomach was getting upset. I was getting weak and dehydrated. I had just moved into my new apartment and didn’t have a lot of time to go shopping yet. 

So, Saturday morning, I found a Pharmacy open at 7 am, dragged myself out of bed, and used my translation app to tell the pharmacist who did not speak English I needed something for severe diarrhea. Sunday would have been too late as I learned most everything is closed here in Poland. I also bought a gallon of apple juice, some bananas to replace my electrolytes, which were quite probably very low at that point. By Sunday morning, after taking most of the anti-diarrhea medicine, I was feeling better.

However, getting sick was just half of all the challenges I faced. Every appliance in my apartment is high-tech and not user-friendly to an American. I searched online for the user manuals for an induction stovetop that operates on magnetization, a washer and a dryer that can be programmed for delayed start, the exact temperature in Celsius, and the numeric spin revolution. And I have a convection oven and dishwasher that is also programmable. All thanks to the IT guy who owned the apartment previously. I then had to call the leasing agent to change the language from Polish to English on the washing machine. I figured out how to change the language on the flatscreen TV on my own.

To make matters more challenging, I had to get a phone with two SIM ports or carry two phones around. If you have a US credit card, you need to maintain a US phone number. I found out that Apple does not make an iPhone with two SIMs. So, now on top of being sick, having appliances only a rocket scientist could use, I had to learn how to use an Android phone with two SIMS. I was surprised how easily I caught on after a couple of days. But still, the stress was mounting.

Here’s another thing that completely threw me. Sheets and mattresses don’t come in twin, full, queen, or king. They are measured by centimeters. And after having bought the wrong size sheets at the mall, I was stumped. The leasing agent said the mattress measured 160 centimeters. So, I bought sheets that said that on the package. Oh, no. That only covered the top. And the mall had no fitted sheets. Here in Poland, they use oversized flat sheets and tucked them into the mattress.

I had to get to Ikea to get household items and the right-sized sheets. But Ikea was outside the city. So, I was told the Bolt app is the best way to get from point A to point B if you don’t want to bother with mass transit, which there was no way I was getting on mass transit with all the things I needed for my apartment.

After downloading the Bolt app, you set up your account and tell them where you want to go. They give you the price upfront when you schedule the ride, and it’s always cheaper than hailing a cab. Plus, if you don’t speak the language or have cash, it helps. You can enter your credit card info, and it’s saved for future rides. And on the way back from Ikea, the cab driver couldn’t have been more accommodating. I had a grocery cart overflowing with household items, which I was going to get home delivery on. The line was way too long. So, I chanced using the Bolt app. And viola, the driver drove up, opened his trunk and loaded all my stuff inside, and helped me unload it by my apartment. I tipped him. He was a lifesaver.

However, as soon as I recovered from the gastro episode, I started getting a sore throat. Yep, now I was getting an upper respiratory infection. So, by the following weekend, when I am writing this, I now have a full-blown cold.

But between the two illnesses, I went to the mall, to IKEA to get all the stuff to set up my apartment, right-sized sheets, cleaning supplies, dishes, pots, and pans, etc., changed my phone and picked up my Polish Bank ATM card and ordered groceries online.

So now, I know how to get medicine from a pharmacist, get around town, get food without leaving the house, and operate most of my appliances. I am getting there slowly but surely. It’s all coming together.

Although I missed out on meeting others from my company this week due to being too sick, there will be other times. I am sure.