Visit three...
Kasia Przylepa lives in Warsaw with her two daughters: Agatka-7 and Inga-15.
A divorcee, she brings up her kids on her own.
Jobwise, Kasia, a qualified teacher of English, cannot sit still.
On top of being a sworn translator and a university teacher, she also works for an estate agency in the capital.
`Every little helps` says our mother of two.
Here she tells us about her day to day reality, her wardrobe staples and cosmetics she couldn`t live without.
Her list of favourite things:
1/ "Cooking. I really enjoy making a tasty meal from nothing."
2/ " Relaxing by a fireplace at her parents` house."
3/ " Reading. Only recently have I discovered a pleasure of reading on the underground on the way to
work."
4/ " Shopping. I love hunting for bargains."
"I have always wanted to be a mum. It`s the way I was brought up.
But, don`t get me wrong, I do understand women who choose not to be mothers.It`s just that for me, life without my daughters would not have any sense whatsoever.
Having said that, it is important not to make motherhood your only goal in life.
You need a variety, a healthy balance."
Agatka`s list of favourite things:
1/ "Games."
2/ " Going to preschool, because it is really cool and they serve good lunches there."
3/ " I love dogs because they are nice. I even asked my mum why I`m not a dog."
4/ " Playing football cards.They are only a dollar each."
5/ " Cuddly toys because each time I hug them I feel like hugging my mum."
6/ " I like somebody to stroke my back and my head."
What Agatka thinks of...
- her elder sister
"My sister parties a lot and she sometimes goes on Facebook without mum`s permission, but I like cuddling up with her."
-her grandpa
" I like it when he takes me to McDonald`s or to a fun fair.
When we lived in Lublin he would sometimes pick me up from my school and we would go to Plaza shopping centre, to a toy store there. I liked it a lot."
- a perfect birthday party
" There would have to be loads of balloons, all my friends, a fruit cake with `Agatka`s Birthday` written on it, nice waitresses and presents, for example a dog."
- about friends
" I have a very good friend. His name is Antek. Antek has a green bicycle. We play a `Blind Man` together.
When I`m at school I always play with Mikołaj."
-lying
"My sister makes me lie sometimes."
-who she would like to be in the future
" I`d love to be a painter.I like drawing animals."
"Inga is at Warsaw Ballet School.
She is a good dancer and she has already taken part in a few important performances on the stage of The National Opera House: `Tristan`, `The Nutcracker`, `The Sleeping Beauty` and `Cinderella`."
Inga`s list of favourite things:
1/ Dubstep
2/ Fashion blogs
3/ Healthy food
4/ Sports
" I`m a single mum but I don`t feel different or worse because of that.
I do not think that just because I`m bringing my kids up on my own, the world owes me something.
You cannot blame all the misfortunes on being a single parent.
Of course it`d be great to have a partner to share my life with, but there is time for everything in life, and the right person hasn`t come along yet."
" When it comes to day to day logistics, I only learned that when I moved to Warsaw.
I had to introduce certain routine into our lives.
I get up in the morning, I prepare Inga`s lunch, I take Agatka to school and then I go to work.
Mornings are easy. It`s the afternoons when things get complicated.
I very often have meetings with potential clients in the afternoons and picking Agatka up at 5 pm sharp can be a challenge. It`s the rush hour in Warsaw and sometimes I just have to run to be on time.
If my ex-husband or my mum were here, I wouldn`t have to stress constantly."
"Inga has always been great with her little sister.She looks after her so well, but I never impose that on her.
It always is Inga`s initiative.
Her school is very demanding. She comes back home very tired, so I make sure that house duties are off her rota, but very often she comes to me and offers to take care of Agatka so that I can have some `time off`.
They have such a good relationship. They even sleep together.
And at the moment we are in a very small apartment, on top of one another, so they, too, need time off me."
" Inga went to a boarding school when she was 11.
We were really worried, but she was so passionate about ballet that we could not deny her something she felt so strongly about.
The first year away from home was really hard for her.
She would come home once a fortnight and we would go and see her every second weekend, but it was not enough for a little girl that she was at the time."
"A few years ago cancer took my mum away...
I`d love to be a mother like she always was for us, but she was so perfect that I`m afraid I`ll never be able to catch up.
My mum was a mother figure to all my friends, too.
For me, she was an ultimate role model.
I miss her so much , especially now, when I myself am a mother of two girls, like she once was.
I love sitting on the verandah at my parents` house in Kazimierz, because it always feels like sitting at the table with mum.
Her presence there is incredibly strong, still, after all those years...
Since I don`t have her in my life anymore, when the whole world comes crashing down on me, I run to my younger sister".
Kasia`s advice for other mums...
"You cannot protect your children from the world. It does not matter how much you want to hide them away, you cannot live their lives for them.
On the contrary, show them the world in all its colours.Make them aware what it is like to be out there, but do not let them into the reality of adults too early .
Parents` problem can easily become children`s problems as those little people understand much more than we think.
My ex-husband and me made that mistake, unfortunately...
We could`ve avoided that but things just slipped out of control. That will stay with my daughters forever...
So, just remember that staying with your partner only for the sake of your children can do them more harm than you think."
"I don`t blame my husband only for how things between us turned out.
Our problems had been accumulating for years.
He was the love of my life but I somehow never felt that feeling was mutual.
It was similar with our girls.
He was very good with them but they were never the integral part of his life.
Until the very end I was hoping that we would somehow be able to sort everything out, but his life was clouded by secrets and I could not take it any longer."
"Before we decided to go to court and put an end to our marriage, we were separated for two years.
It did not work though...
The conclusion?
Some people should never be together ".
"Agatka is a very good child.
She can look after herself. She decides what she wants to wear, she dresses herself , she sometimes makes her own food.
She has always been this way and I have never had to discipline her.
My friends are in awe at how independent and well behaved a seven year old can be.
She is also extremely open to other people.
Inga is totally different.
She is withdrawn and keeps to herself most of the time.
I bet puberty is to blame:) ".
"I want my children to be healthy above all other things.
I know it`s a cliche, but there is nothing worse than when your child is sick.
Every time there is something wrong with my daughters I turn into a little girl.
I become totally helpless and I panic: I fall apart.
In critical situations I ask to my little sis for help."
" I do not have exceedingly high expectations when it comes to my daughters` future.
They can be what they want to be and I`m not going to interfere with their dreams and their choices.
There is only one condition: they must always have a plan B.
Of course, as long as I live, they can count on me.
This is how it`s always been in my family.
Everything I have achieved, everything I own, I owe to my parents. It`s not a secret.
But I want my girls to be independent and strong. I do not want them to worry about paying the bills."
"I moved to Warsaw because I wanted my girls to be together. I was worried that being separated by almost 200 kms they would grow apart. I also wanted Inga to have a proper home.
Since I came to the capital everything has changed.
Inga does not argue with me anymore.
We simply sit down every evening and have a proper chat.
And yes, I did leave my big, lovely flat behind, but I`m happy we are together at last."
Kasia`s wardrobe staples:
Cosmetics Kasia could not live without:
Visit two...
Kasia Wozniak lives in Lublin with her husband Tomek ( together for 23 years, married since 2005 ) and their six year old daughter Inga.
Last year Kasia and Tomek opened a restaurant in Lublin Old Town: http://www.16stolow.pl/setlanguage,en.html.
Kasia, a university qualified teacher of English, works at a school of foreign languages: http://www.bambury.pl/ every Monday. As she puts it , it`s her only opportunity to have proper contact with English language.
Her list of favourite things:
1/ ``I love everything English: the food ( so underestimated by foreigners ), English sarcasm, the people and,
above all, cosmopolitan nature of London.``
2/ ``I like to eat a lot. All my friends know that.
Food constitutes an extremely important part of my life. I cannot imagine going on a diet.
I have a soft spot for carbs and there is no room for salads or veggies on my menu.
My favorite dishes are chips, which I eat with absolutely everything ( even pasta ), and goat cheese.``
3/ ``I like that very moment in the morning when Inga wakes up.
At that time I usually potter around the kitchen, so first I hear her calling: `Mum!` and then the sound her
bare feet make on the floor when she starts running to me. Finally she turns up in front of me, with her
straight-out-of-bed hair, dragging a `rag` she sleeps with behind her.``
4/ ``Gossip magazines and gossip websites are my guilty pleasures.
The former I buy for the pics, the latter I read on a regular basis.``
5/ ``I love Maltesers.
I can still remember when I got my first packet in a parcel sent to us by my aunt who lives in UK. I was ten
at the time.Poland was going through a tough time and the shop shelves were empty...
I ate one Malteser a day to make the packet last longer.``
6/ ``I can't imagine functioning without chewing gums. I always have some on me. They are in my pockets, in
the car and in every bag I own.``
7/ ``I like people spotting.
When I have time I really enjoy sitting in some public place and watching people around me. I always
wonder whether they are happy, what kind of problems they must cope with, what their passions are...
When I have some company I like making comments on everything I see.
I`m a very active observer and, just for fun, I like matching psychological profiles with the people I don`t
know anything about. It`s fascinating.``
8/ ``I like sniffing. I sniff people, I sniff magazines, I sniff my daughter and I sniff our dog.
Smells, to me, are linked to memories to such an extent that sometimes it melts my heart .
Last time it happened to me was a few years ago when I went on a short trip to London. I was at an
underground station .
The tube has a very specific smell... All the memories came back with an instant. I was moved to tears.``
``I had always wanted to have a daughter and I had always known she`d be called Inga, so when I found out that I`d be having a girl tears rolled down my cheeks. ``
``Motherhood proved to be a massive challenge.
I`m the only child and I can be quite selfish at times. A total change of habits wasn`t easy at all.
The first two weeks after giving birth were definitely the most traumatic.
The first week I had to stay at hospital as Inga had jaundice and I felt totally helpless.
I did not have any influence whatsoever on what was going on around me. I was 100% dependent on the doctors and midwives.
The second week, at home, wasn`t any easier.
I did not have any theoretical preparation. I was even scared to change Inga`s nappy...``
Inga`s list of favorite things:
1/ ``I like my birthday.``
2/ ``I like drawing.``
3/ ``I like receiving presents.``
4/ ``I like putting make-up on.``
5/ ``I like snoozing with my mum on the sofa. I always lie down on her.``
6/ ``I like watching the film `The Seven Dwarves. The Forest Is Not Enough.` ( a German fantasy comedy
from 2006 ).
``Inga always sleeps with her `rags`.
`Rags` are her old, original, cotton nappies- from the time when she was a baby.
They are grey and have holes in them, but because they are washed on a regular basis, they are extremely soft and nice to touch.
When Inga has a sleepover or we go on holiday, the `rags` are the first thing we pack.``
``Inga is an incredibly sensitive kid.
In spite of the fact that she is the only child, she gladly shares with others. She is a very kind-hearted little girl.
I think she`ll be a great friend material in the future. There isn`t a single bad bone in her. She is delicate and subtle.
I very often worry about her future. I`m scared that she might not be able to cope in our cruel world.
She is not feisty and she chooses to stay quiet rather than stand up for herself.
I`d like her to grow up to be a good person but I`d also want her to be independent.``
``I gave birth to Inga quite late, at the age of 36.
Though I put 35 kg on when I was pregnant I did not have any health issues.
I didn`t have carvings, I didn`t experience morning sickness and I did not go all hormonal, but...I ate for three.
Getting back in shape took me a whole year.
I didn`t go on any diet, but after three months, when I stopped breastfeeding, I took up aerobic and spinning classes. I did them for four months.
I guess I`m lucky because as soon as I start exercising I tend to lose weight really fast.
Good genes that I owe to my mum are a very important factor, but the fact that I did athletics when I was a teenager is relevant here, too.
Probably because I exercised on a daily basis in the past I did not get any stretch marks. My skin is very elastic and so are my muscles.``
`` My advice for other mums is no advice.
Every mother knows best what`s good for her and her child.
Intuition plays a very important role here.
We are surrounded by manuals and it can be suffocating. You need to trust your instinct. It won`t let you down.``
``Motherhood has taught me patience and I`ve mellowed, though I did not come effortlessly.``
`` I`m absolutely against stress free upbringing.
I think that a child should know its place and the lines it must not cross.
I bring Inga up in a traditional way and I don`t let her do whatever she fancies.
I`m sure I make mistakes but who doesn`t ...?``
``I`m not a very demanding mum and I don`t impose interests on my daughter.
I also don`t push her into being the best at everything.
I think that competition among children is extremely unhealthy and, in a way, it takes their childhood away from them.``
``Sometimes I probably raise my voice too much.
When that happens I`m angry with myself, but each day is a new lesson in humility.``
``Inga goes to a state school though there was a time when Tomek and I considered sending her to a public school. We even attended a parents meeting but, after 20 mins, we left, sick of their ways.
We couldn`t accept the fact that a spirit of competition is forced upon 5 year olds.
A rat race at that age, careful selection and elimination of the weaker ones is absurd and there is no way Inga would feel comfortable in such an environment.
At her present school she is with kids from different backgrounds and that has a very positive effect on her.``
`` My daughter is very good at sports and when we spend time together it normally is some kind of physical activity.
She is a very good skater and a roller skater, she also loves riding a bike.
I remember how proud she made me when, at the age of three, she was able to ride a normal, two wheel bicycle. A bike without pedals was extremely helpful. She had more control over the vehicle without having to concentrate on pedaling and breaking. I`d definitely recommend it to all parents out there.``
``Inga decides what she wants to wear.
Leggins, tight cardies and skirts are her wardrobe staples.
She is going through a `pink` stage at the moment although recently she has started warming to black.
She designed her own bedroom from A to Z. She chose the wallpaper, a different design for each wall, the furniture and the carpet without us interfering.``
( the note says: Inga Wozniak dont enter nock by Inga Wozniak )
Inga`s recipe for a good birthday party:
- 9 girlfriends
- loads of presents
- piles of fruit and sweets, especially jelly gums
- the party has to be at a play center where they have pools with plastic balls in them.
``I don`t have problems finding the right balance between work and home.
We have a nanny that looks after Inga twice a week and my mum comes over whenever we need her help.
I work at our restaurant in the morning, when Inga is at school, Tomek looks after the business in the evening.
At the weekend, when the restaurant is busy, my mum stays with Inga and I help Tomek.``
``Both Tomek and I love what we do.
Having our own restaurant was our dream for a very long time.
The idea was born when we were in London in the `90s.
We worked at a Victorian style restaurant . I was a waitress and Tomek was a head chef. It was then that he discovered cooking and it quickly turned into his passion.
Several years later, last February to be precise, our dream , at last, came true.``
``We are proud of the place we have managed to create.
I love being around people. There is something going on all the time. Diners come and go, we get the regulars and we make new acquaintances.
I cannot imagine myself working in an enclosed space, like an office cubicle. That would drive me mad. ``
``Dodi, a seven year old Labrador is a proper family member.
The dog whose name was borrowed from Dodi Fayed, was supposed to be a `warm up` before parenthood.
When we brought a puppy home we suddenly had to stop thinking about ourselves only. Wherever we were going Dodi would always accompany us. It was less about us and more about him.
His second name is `Son`. Even Inga calls him that and treats him like an older brother.
Dodi has taken an active part in Inga`s upbringing.
They used to sleep together when she was a toddler and she shared her food with the dog.
It`s had an amazing effect on her. It has taught her sensitivity and made her respect animals.``
``We all love Dodi to bits.
To me he is the best stress remedy. He is exceptionally patient and being with him, looking into his eyes, calms me down.
Every year on his birthday Dodi gets an identical toy: a green squeaky crocodile. He tears it apart within minutes.``
`` Cosmetics I couldn`t live without:
- a moisturizer
- a smoothing base
- foundation
- a concealer
- transparent powder
- bronzing powder
- `Casmire`, perfume by Chopard
There is one more thing I couldn`t do without: a hair roller. I use it to shape my fringe. It has turned into an obsession. I won`t leave the flat if my fringe is not how I want it to be.
There were a few cases in the past when I went out with the roller stuck in my hair.``
``My style is best described as smart casual.
I almost always wear trousers and flats, although, from time to time, I like to put heels on, but because of my height it does not happen too often.
My favorite colours are pastels and different shades of beige, but in summer I don`t mind wearing stronger colours like turquoise.
If I could afford it I would dress in Michael Kors.``
``London is my place on earth. I spent 5 years there in the 1990s.
Both Tomek and I worked in the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the only one in the world devoted to that fictional character:http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/ , and, subsequently, at a restaurant that belonged to the museum.
We met wonderful people there and we found long lasting friendships.
Years later I went back to London, but I only stayed there for three months. I worked for Giorgio Armani in Sloane Street.
Not a single day does go by when I wouldn`t miss London.
Sometimes I wonder whether coming back to Poland was such a good idea...``
`` I love our flat. It`s very spacious and airy. I can properly relax here.
My favorite places: the hallway and my boudoir bathroom.``
`` I have a lot of distance towards myself and I admit to my weaknesses.
There are three things that I particularly don`t like about myself: laziness, pessimism and tendency to ramble.
I never get straight to the point.
I`d also want to be more of a `domestic goddess` for example I like eating but I can`t cook...``
`` If I had more time I would like to spend it with my mum. I love her so much and I`m aware that, because time is such a precious commodity now, when we have our own business, that I tend to neglect her...``
Visit one...
Kasia Przylepa lives in Warsaw with her two daughters: Agatka-7 and Inga-15.
A divorcee, she brings up her kids on her own.
Jobwise, Kasia, a qualified teacher of English, cannot sit still.
On top of being a sworn translator and a university teacher, she also works for an estate agency in the capital.
`Every little helps` says our mother of two.
Here she tells us about her day to day reality, her wardrobe staples and cosmetics she couldn`t live without.
Her list of favourite things:
1/ "Cooking. I really enjoy making a tasty meal from nothing."
2/ " Relaxing by a fireplace at her parents` house."
3/ " Reading. Only recently have I discovered a pleasure of reading on the underground on the way to
work."
4/ " Shopping. I love hunting for bargains."
"I have always wanted to be a mum. It`s the way I was brought up.
But, don`t get me wrong, I do understand women who choose not to be mothers.It`s just that for me, life without my daughters would not have any sense whatsoever.
Having said that, it is important not to make motherhood your only goal in life.
You need a variety, a healthy balance."
Agatka`s list of favourite things:
1/ "Games."
2/ " Going to preschool, because it is really cool and they serve good lunches there."
3/ " I love dogs because they are nice. I even asked my mum why I`m not a dog."
4/ " Playing football cards.They are only a dollar each."
5/ " Cuddly toys because each time I hug them I feel like hugging my mum."
6/ " I like somebody to stroke my back and my head."
What Agatka thinks of...
- her elder sister
"My sister parties a lot and she sometimes goes on Facebook without mum`s permission, but I like cuddling up with her."
-her grandpa
" I like it when he takes me to McDonald`s or to a fun fair.
When we lived in Lublin he would sometimes pick me up from my school and we would go to Plaza shopping centre, to a toy store there. I liked it a lot."
- a perfect birthday party
" There would have to be loads of balloons, all my friends, a fruit cake with `Agatka`s Birthday` written on it, nice waitresses and presents, for example a dog."
- about friends
" I have a very good friend. His name is Antek. Antek has a green bicycle. We play a `Blind Man` together.
When I`m at school I always play with Mikołaj."
-lying
"My sister makes me lie sometimes."
-who she would like to be in the future
" I`d love to be a painter.I like drawing animals."
"Inga is at Warsaw Ballet School.
She is a good dancer and she has already taken part in a few important performances on the stage of The National Opera House: `Tristan`, `The Nutcracker`, `The Sleeping Beauty` and `Cinderella`."
Inga`s list of favourite things:
1/ Dubstep
2/ Fashion blogs
3/ Healthy food
4/ Sports
" I`m a single mum but I don`t feel different or worse because of that.
I do not think that just because I`m bringing my kids up on my own, the world owes me something.
You cannot blame all the misfortunes on being a single parent.
Of course it`d be great to have a partner to share my life with, but there is time for everything in life, and the right person hasn`t come along yet."
" When it comes to day to day logistics, I only learned that when I moved to Warsaw.
I had to introduce certain routine into our lives.
I get up in the morning, I prepare Inga`s lunch, I take Agatka to school and then I go to work.
Mornings are easy. It`s the afternoons when things get complicated.
I very often have meetings with potential clients in the afternoons and picking Agatka up at 5 pm sharp can be a challenge. It`s the rush hour in Warsaw and sometimes I just have to run to be on time.
If my ex-husband or my mum were here, I wouldn`t have to stress constantly."
"Inga has always been great with her little sister.She looks after her so well, but I never impose that on her.
It always is Inga`s initiative.
Her school is very demanding. She comes back home very tired, so I make sure that house duties are off her rota, but very often she comes to me and offers to take care of Agatka so that I can have some `time off`.
They have such a good relationship. They even sleep together.
And at the moment we are in a very small apartment, on top of one another, so they, too, need time off me."
" Inga went to a boarding school when she was 11.
We were really worried, but she was so passionate about ballet that we could not deny her something she felt so strongly about.
The first year away from home was really hard for her.
She would come home once a fortnight and we would go and see her every second weekend, but it was not enough for a little girl that she was at the time."
"A few years ago cancer took my mum away...
I`d love to be a mother like she always was for us, but she was so perfect that I`m afraid I`ll never be able to catch up.
My mum was a mother figure to all my friends, too.
For me, she was an ultimate role model.
I miss her so much , especially now, when I myself am a mother of two girls, like she once was.
I love sitting on the verandah at my parents` house in Kazimierz, because it always feels like sitting at the table with mum.
Her presence there is incredibly strong, still, after all those years...
Since I don`t have her in my life anymore, when the whole world comes crashing down on me, I run to my younger sister".
Kasia`s advice for other mums...
"You cannot protect your children from the world. It does not matter how much you want to hide them away, you cannot live their lives for them.
On the contrary, show them the world in all its colours.Make them aware what it is like to be out there, but do not let them into the reality of adults too early .
Parents` problem can easily become children`s problems as those little people understand much more than we think.
My ex-husband and me made that mistake, unfortunately...
We could`ve avoided that but things just slipped out of control. That will stay with my daughters forever...
So, just remember that staying with your partner only for the sake of your children can do them more harm than you think."
"I don`t blame my husband only for how things between us turned out.
Our problems had been accumulating for years.
He was the love of my life but I somehow never felt that feeling was mutual.
It was similar with our girls.
He was very good with them but they were never the integral part of his life.
Until the very end I was hoping that we would somehow be able to sort everything out, but his life was clouded by secrets and I could not take it any longer."
"Before we decided to go to court and put an end to our marriage, we were separated for two years.
It did not work though...
The conclusion?
Some people should never be together ".
"Agatka is a very good child.
She can look after herself. She decides what she wants to wear, she dresses herself , she sometimes makes her own food.
She has always been this way and I have never had to discipline her.
My friends are in awe at how independent and well behaved a seven year old can be.
She is also extremely open to other people.
Inga is totally different.
She is withdrawn and keeps to herself most of the time.
I bet puberty is to blame:) ".
"I want my children to be healthy above all other things.
I know it`s a cliche, but there is nothing worse than when your child is sick.
Every time there is something wrong with my daughters I turn into a little girl.
I become totally helpless and I panic: I fall apart.
In critical situations I ask to my little sis for help."
" I do not have exceedingly high expectations when it comes to my daughters` future.
They can be what they want to be and I`m not going to interfere with their dreams and their choices.
There is only one condition: they must always have a plan B.
Of course, as long as I live, they can count on me.
This is how it`s always been in my family.
Everything I have achieved, everything I own, I owe to my parents. It`s not a secret.
But I want my girls to be independent and strong. I do not want them to worry about paying the bills."
"I moved to Warsaw because I wanted my girls to be together. I was worried that being separated by almost 200 kms they would grow apart. I also wanted Inga to have a proper home.
Since I came to the capital everything has changed.
Inga does not argue with me anymore.
We simply sit down every evening and have a proper chat.
And yes, I did leave my big, lovely flat behind, but I`m happy we are together at last."
Kasia`s wardrobe staples:
- flip-flops
- ballerinas
- jeans
"If I could afford designer gear I`d go for Ralph Lauren clothes, Marc Jacobs shoes and Furla bags".
Cosmetics Kasia could not live without:
- make up ( Calvin Klein )
- nude or peach lip gloss
- Celia moisturizer
- collagen ( face and body )
"Yes I did have botox and I`m not ashamed of that.
I wanted to get rid of a furrow between my eyes.
The effect was very natural.
As my beautician says: `You have to age as beautifully as possible`."
"At home I surround myself with angels.
I believe they protect me".
Proust Questionnaire available in Polish only.
Visit two...
Kasia Wozniak lives in Lublin with her husband Tomek ( together for 23 years, married since 2005 ) and their six year old daughter Inga.
Last year Kasia and Tomek opened a restaurant in Lublin Old Town: http://www.16stolow.pl/setlanguage,en.html.
Kasia, a university qualified teacher of English, works at a school of foreign languages: http://www.bambury.pl/ every Monday. As she puts it , it`s her only opportunity to have proper contact with English language.
Her list of favourite things:
1/ ``I love everything English: the food ( so underestimated by foreigners ), English sarcasm, the people and,
above all, cosmopolitan nature of London.``
2/ ``I like to eat a lot. All my friends know that.
Food constitutes an extremely important part of my life. I cannot imagine going on a diet.
I have a soft spot for carbs and there is no room for salads or veggies on my menu.
My favorite dishes are chips, which I eat with absolutely everything ( even pasta ), and goat cheese.``
3/ ``I like that very moment in the morning when Inga wakes up.
At that time I usually potter around the kitchen, so first I hear her calling: `Mum!` and then the sound her
bare feet make on the floor when she starts running to me. Finally she turns up in front of me, with her
straight-out-of-bed hair, dragging a `rag` she sleeps with behind her.``
4/ ``Gossip magazines and gossip websites are my guilty pleasures.
The former I buy for the pics, the latter I read on a regular basis.``
5/ ``I love Maltesers.
I can still remember when I got my first packet in a parcel sent to us by my aunt who lives in UK. I was ten
at the time.Poland was going through a tough time and the shop shelves were empty...
I ate one Malteser a day to make the packet last longer.``
6/ ``I can't imagine functioning without chewing gums. I always have some on me. They are in my pockets, in
the car and in every bag I own.``
7/ ``I like people spotting.
When I have time I really enjoy sitting in some public place and watching people around me. I always
wonder whether they are happy, what kind of problems they must cope with, what their passions are...
When I have some company I like making comments on everything I see.
I`m a very active observer and, just for fun, I like matching psychological profiles with the people I don`t
know anything about. It`s fascinating.``
8/ ``I like sniffing. I sniff people, I sniff magazines, I sniff my daughter and I sniff our dog.
Smells, to me, are linked to memories to such an extent that sometimes it melts my heart .
Last time it happened to me was a few years ago when I went on a short trip to London. I was at an
underground station .
The tube has a very specific smell... All the memories came back with an instant. I was moved to tears.``
``I had always wanted to have a daughter and I had always known she`d be called Inga, so when I found out that I`d be having a girl tears rolled down my cheeks. ``
``Motherhood proved to be a massive challenge.
I`m the only child and I can be quite selfish at times. A total change of habits wasn`t easy at all.
The first two weeks after giving birth were definitely the most traumatic.
The first week I had to stay at hospital as Inga had jaundice and I felt totally helpless.
I did not have any influence whatsoever on what was going on around me. I was 100% dependent on the doctors and midwives.
The second week, at home, wasn`t any easier.
I did not have any theoretical preparation. I was even scared to change Inga`s nappy...``
Inga`s list of favorite things:
1/ ``I like my birthday.``
2/ ``I like drawing.``
3/ ``I like receiving presents.``
4/ ``I like putting make-up on.``
5/ ``I like snoozing with my mum on the sofa. I always lie down on her.``
6/ ``I like watching the film `The Seven Dwarves. The Forest Is Not Enough.` ( a German fantasy comedy
from 2006 ).
``Inga always sleeps with her `rags`.
`Rags` are her old, original, cotton nappies- from the time when she was a baby.
They are grey and have holes in them, but because they are washed on a regular basis, they are extremely soft and nice to touch.
When Inga has a sleepover or we go on holiday, the `rags` are the first thing we pack.``
In spite of the fact that she is the only child, she gladly shares with others. She is a very kind-hearted little girl.
I think she`ll be a great friend material in the future. There isn`t a single bad bone in her. She is delicate and subtle.
I very often worry about her future. I`m scared that she might not be able to cope in our cruel world.
She is not feisty and she chooses to stay quiet rather than stand up for herself.
I`d like her to grow up to be a good person but I`d also want her to be independent.``
``I gave birth to Inga quite late, at the age of 36.
Though I put 35 kg on when I was pregnant I did not have any health issues.
I didn`t have carvings, I didn`t experience morning sickness and I did not go all hormonal, but...I ate for three.
Getting back in shape took me a whole year.
I didn`t go on any diet, but after three months, when I stopped breastfeeding, I took up aerobic and spinning classes. I did them for four months.
I guess I`m lucky because as soon as I start exercising I tend to lose weight really fast.
Good genes that I owe to my mum are a very important factor, but the fact that I did athletics when I was a teenager is relevant here, too.
Probably because I exercised on a daily basis in the past I did not get any stretch marks. My skin is very elastic and so are my muscles.``
`` My advice for other mums is no advice.
Every mother knows best what`s good for her and her child.
Intuition plays a very important role here.
We are surrounded by manuals and it can be suffocating. You need to trust your instinct. It won`t let you down.``
``Motherhood has taught me patience and I`ve mellowed, though I did not come effortlessly.``
`` I`m absolutely against stress free upbringing.
I think that a child should know its place and the lines it must not cross.
I bring Inga up in a traditional way and I don`t let her do whatever she fancies.
I`m sure I make mistakes but who doesn`t ...?``
``I`m not a very demanding mum and I don`t impose interests on my daughter.
I also don`t push her into being the best at everything.
I think that competition among children is extremely unhealthy and, in a way, it takes their childhood away from them.``
``Sometimes I probably raise my voice too much.
When that happens I`m angry with myself, but each day is a new lesson in humility.``
``Inga goes to a state school though there was a time when Tomek and I considered sending her to a public school. We even attended a parents meeting but, after 20 mins, we left, sick of their ways.
We couldn`t accept the fact that a spirit of competition is forced upon 5 year olds.
A rat race at that age, careful selection and elimination of the weaker ones is absurd and there is no way Inga would feel comfortable in such an environment.
At her present school she is with kids from different backgrounds and that has a very positive effect on her.``
`` My daughter is very good at sports and when we spend time together it normally is some kind of physical activity.
She is a very good skater and a roller skater, she also loves riding a bike.
I remember how proud she made me when, at the age of three, she was able to ride a normal, two wheel bicycle. A bike without pedals was extremely helpful. She had more control over the vehicle without having to concentrate on pedaling and breaking. I`d definitely recommend it to all parents out there.``
``Inga decides what she wants to wear.
Leggins, tight cardies and skirts are her wardrobe staples.
She is going through a `pink` stage at the moment although recently she has started warming to black.
She designed her own bedroom from A to Z. She chose the wallpaper, a different design for each wall, the furniture and the carpet without us interfering.``
( the note says: Inga Wozniak dont enter nock by Inga Wozniak )
Inga`s recipe for a good birthday party:
- 9 girlfriends
- loads of presents
- piles of fruit and sweets, especially jelly gums
- the party has to be at a play center where they have pools with plastic balls in them.
``I don`t have problems finding the right balance between work and home.
We have a nanny that looks after Inga twice a week and my mum comes over whenever we need her help.
I work at our restaurant in the morning, when Inga is at school, Tomek looks after the business in the evening.
At the weekend, when the restaurant is busy, my mum stays with Inga and I help Tomek.``
``Both Tomek and I love what we do.
Having our own restaurant was our dream for a very long time.
The idea was born when we were in London in the `90s.
We worked at a Victorian style restaurant . I was a waitress and Tomek was a head chef. It was then that he discovered cooking and it quickly turned into his passion.
Several years later, last February to be precise, our dream , at last, came true.``
``We are proud of the place we have managed to create.
I love being around people. There is something going on all the time. Diners come and go, we get the regulars and we make new acquaintances.
I cannot imagine myself working in an enclosed space, like an office cubicle. That would drive me mad. ``
``Dodi, a seven year old Labrador is a proper family member.
The dog whose name was borrowed from Dodi Fayed, was supposed to be a `warm up` before parenthood.
When we brought a puppy home we suddenly had to stop thinking about ourselves only. Wherever we were going Dodi would always accompany us. It was less about us and more about him.
His second name is `Son`. Even Inga calls him that and treats him like an older brother.
Dodi has taken an active part in Inga`s upbringing.
They used to sleep together when she was a toddler and she shared her food with the dog.
It`s had an amazing effect on her. It has taught her sensitivity and made her respect animals.``
``We all love Dodi to bits.
To me he is the best stress remedy. He is exceptionally patient and being with him, looking into his eyes, calms me down.
Every year on his birthday Dodi gets an identical toy: a green squeaky crocodile. He tears it apart within minutes.``
`` Cosmetics I couldn`t live without:
- a moisturizer
- a smoothing base
- foundation
- a concealer
- transparent powder
- bronzing powder
- `Casmire`, perfume by Chopard
There is one more thing I couldn`t do without: a hair roller. I use it to shape my fringe. It has turned into an obsession. I won`t leave the flat if my fringe is not how I want it to be.
There were a few cases in the past when I went out with the roller stuck in my hair.``
``My style is best described as smart casual.
I almost always wear trousers and flats, although, from time to time, I like to put heels on, but because of my height it does not happen too often.
My favorite colours are pastels and different shades of beige, but in summer I don`t mind wearing stronger colours like turquoise.
If I could afford it I would dress in Michael Kors.``
``London is my place on earth. I spent 5 years there in the 1990s.
Both Tomek and I worked in the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the only one in the world devoted to that fictional character:http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/ , and, subsequently, at a restaurant that belonged to the museum.
We met wonderful people there and we found long lasting friendships.
Years later I went back to London, but I only stayed there for three months. I worked for Giorgio Armani in Sloane Street.
Not a single day does go by when I wouldn`t miss London.
Sometimes I wonder whether coming back to Poland was such a good idea...``
`` I love our flat. It`s very spacious and airy. I can properly relax here.
My favorite places: the hallway and my boudoir bathroom.``
`` I have a lot of distance towards myself and I admit to my weaknesses.
There are three things that I particularly don`t like about myself: laziness, pessimism and tendency to ramble.
I never get straight to the point.
I`d also want to be more of a `domestic goddess` for example I like eating but I can`t cook...``
Visit one...
Agnieszka Kuchcińska lives in Poznań together with her husband Piotr, a furniture designer, and their six year old son Roch.
Professionally she is an office space designer.
During her career she has taken an active part in designing the office interior of The Polish Institute in Madrid and The Polish Embassy in Brussels.
She dreams of having her own furniture gallery and a design studio, where she could work together with Piotr.
At the moment she is on a mission to find an interesting and easily accessible venue for her venture.
Her list of favourite things:
1/ `` Lazy Saturday and Sunday mornings spent with my boys.
I usually prepare a yummy breakfast, Piotr brews coffee...We sit down at our wooden table.
I cherish those fantastic moments!``
2/ `` I like it when Roch sneaks into our bedroom in the morning and says -``mummy, I would like
some cuddles...`` And although I often wonder when this stage in his life is going to pass, the
truth is I want it to last as long as possible.``
3/ `` I like my ``me and myself `` moments. They don`t happen very often, but when they do, I put
Możdżer cd on and everything seems just right.``
4/ ``I like good coffee, Earl Grey tea, red wine and girly evenings out .
5/ ``I like reading fashion blogs, design blogs and magazines about interior design . I have a soft
spot for beautiful things.``
``I did not always want to be a mum. I would have thousands of ideas filling my head, I would be constantly on the run. Having a baby wasn`t something obvious, something that would come to me naturally.``
``When Roch came into this world, the biggest surprise was how easy being a mum really was. I had always thought that motherhood was much more complicated, but it had turned out I did not have to give my lifestyle up.``
``When Roch came into this world, the biggest surprise was how easy being a mum really was. I had always thought that motherhood was much more complicated, but it had turned out I did not have to give my lifestyle up.``
Roch`s list of favourite things:
1/ Spiders, snakes, lizards and fish
2/ Trying shoes on
3/ Ballet
4/ Books about carnivorous dinosaurs
5/ Chocolate cake
``Roch is very much like me.
He is spontaneous, a bit crazy at times.
He has something to say on every subject.
I am glad that he can come up with his own opinions and I know that he will be fine in the future, that he
will be able to stand up for himself and won`t let the others tell him what to do.``
`` We have a six months old kitten, a British Shorthair called Polina.
She is a proper member of our family and accompanies us in all our rituals.``
``Three years ago Roch made me really proud.
He was only three at the time and, incredibly, he could already read.
Each time we would go with him to a restaurant Roch would grab the menu and read it fluently top to bottom.
I remember the reactions from the fellow diners. They could not believe it.
There was no trick or hard work behind it. Roch simply learnt to read from car number plates.
I`m also very proud that he is a sensitive little man. He notices beautiful things, buildings,
clothes even...``
``Finding a balance between my professional life and my family life is not a big challenge for me. It actually
comes quite naturally.
I personally think that one can do both.
I couldn`t be a stay-at-home mum. My job is really important to me.
Of course I`m very lucky that I can earn money doing what I like.
I`ve been given quite a lot of freedom at work. The place is beautiful, my colleagues are really nice.
Every day in my job is different and every day is interesting.
Being a mum, a wife and a good friend at the same time, requires good time management skills.
I know when to stop and ask myself - am I not going too fast?
In those moments I know that it`s time to go out with my girlfriends and reset.
Then I`m ready to face a new day, a new week , a new month.``
`` My advice for all mums out there: listen to your intuition and try to stay calm.
Everything happens in it`s own time.
I give Roch plenty of time: to learn to ride a bike, to improve his handwriting.``
``In times of crisis I usually don`t say much.
I make something to eat for my boys and escape to the bedroom.
I cover my head with a blanket.
Roch knows that those moments are entirely mine.
In my case it works.
I never take my frustrations out on my husband or my son.``
``As a family we love celebrating the beginning of a weekend.
On Friday evenings Roch puts on his pjs, I put a bowl of crisps on the table, Piotr opens a bottle of wine and...we watch a cartoon together. `` Ice Age`` is Roch`s favourite.
Roch is even allowed to drink his fruit juice from a wine glass.``
Roch is even allowed to drink his fruit juice from a wine glass.``
``If I had more time I would like to travel more.
I`ve always wanted to visit Norway. That country fascinates me. In fact I find all Scandinavia really
exciting. I`d love to get to know its people and traditions . I`ve always found Scandinavian design
extremely interesting.
I also dream of a trip to the Himalayas.
We are just waiting until Roch is a bit older.
I know it will be holiday of a lifetime.``
`` Normally we spend our summer holidays in Tuscany.
We love its cuisine . Roch is a big fan of gelato.
We also visit my friend in Normandy.
This year Tuscany is on our summer agenda again!``
`` I don`t do any sports on a regular basis.
In spring and in summer I cycle a lot. In winter we go skiing.I also love swimming. I go to a swimming pool
whenever I have time.
I do not pay too much attention to my beauty regime.
I never get facials.
Every morning and evening I apply the same cream : Nu Skin Moisture Restore http://www.nuskin.com/ to
my face. That`s all.
my face. That`s all.
Although my mum`s good genes play their role, too.
I`m a believer in a positive attitude to everything that surrounds us. It is reflected on our face.``
``I like looking good.
When it comes to clothes I admire young Polish designers. They are extremely talented people.
``I have a soft spot for jewellery.
``Social life is extremely important to me.
Grandpa Henry`s Potato Pancakes
Most of what I have in my wardrobe is simple: simple forms, basic colours: usually greys and blacks.
When buying clothes I pay a lot of attention to fabric. I like knitwear a lot.
When buying clothes I pay a lot of attention to fabric. I like knitwear a lot.
My favourite brand is Cos :http://www.cosstores.com/. Unfortunately, they are not in Poland yet, so every
time I go to France or visit Berlin I buy their clothes in bulk.
Cos for me stands for a very good quality. Their products are also reasonably priced.
I often have problems finding shoes for myself. I`m size 8. So if I see a pair that I really like I don`t think
twice - I buy them straight away.
I love high heels . They make a woman look sexy, but because of my height I don`t wear them much.``
``I have a lot of sentiment for our grey sofas.
My husband designed them when Roch was born. The model is called ``Roszko``.
The round, black tables were brought from Berlin``
``The wooden table is the most important piece of furniture in our flat.
As a family we spend most of our time here.
During the day it`s just a dining table , in the afternoon it`s a playground for Roch, and in the evening it turns
into my and my husband`s office. Each of us has their own half of the table to themselves, though Piotr`s
papers very often occupy my half.
We do not have chairs round the table, only two long benches with soft seats. They are extremely comfy
and practical, too.``
``I simply love my kitchen.
time I go to France or visit Berlin I buy their clothes in bulk.
Cos for me stands for a very good quality. Their products are also reasonably priced.
I often have problems finding shoes for myself. I`m size 8. So if I see a pair that I really like I don`t think
twice - I buy them straight away.
I love high heels . They make a woman look sexy, but because of my height I don`t wear them much.``
``I have a lot of sentiment for our grey sofas.
My husband designed them when Roch was born. The model is called ``Roszko``.
The round, black tables were brought from Berlin``
``The wooden table is the most important piece of furniture in our flat.
As a family we spend most of our time here.
During the day it`s just a dining table , in the afternoon it`s a playground for Roch, and in the evening it turns
into my and my husband`s office. Each of us has their own half of the table to themselves, though Piotr`s
papers very often occupy my half.
We do not have chairs round the table, only two long benches with soft seats. They are extremely comfy
and practical, too.``
``I simply love my kitchen.
We designed it together with Piotr.
It`s very modern, sleek and functional.
We are very proud of it and I really enjoy cooking here.
Piotr likes simple, uncluttered, white walls but I had always wanted to have something to stick important things
on. Our fridge is built into a cupboard so there was no place for everyday notes.
One day I read in `Elle Decoration` http://pl-pl.facebook.com/elledecorationpolska about a special black paint used for school boards.
I did not say anything to Piotr. I went to the shop, bought it and painted one wall black.
It`s brilliant. We use white chalk to write important dates and other stuff that matters on it, and Roch uses it to draw.``
``I have a soft spot for jewellery.
I normally get it from my husband.
I can trust him on that-his presents are always spot on.
There is a funny story connected with jewellery...
When we were getting married we could not decide on the design of our
wedding bands for a very long time.
wedding bands for a very long time.
In the end, three days before the wedding, we went to a gallery.
I chose a silver band with an ebony middle and Piotr chose one with a middle
made of rose wood.
made of rose wood.
Mine was too small to fit onto my ring finger, so I wear it on my little finger.
I remember how surprised the Official at the Registry Office was ...``
``Social life is extremely important to me.
I could not live without meeting my friends and outings with my girlfriends.
Being a mum, surprisingly, did not get in the way.
I`m a very well organized person and I have a fantastic nanny.``
Grandpa Henry`s Potato Pancakes
3 big potatoes
1 big onion
1 egg
1 spoon of flour
3 spoons of frying oil
salt
pepper
Grate the potatoes and the onion ( small eyelets on the grater ).
Then add the egg ( whole) and flour. Season with salt and peper ( skip pepper if you want them with sweet garnish ).
Heat the oil up in a frying pan.
Scoop the mixture onto the frying pan and fry until golden.
Serve with sour cream or sweet cream and fried apple.
Enjoy!
Very, very interesting! I do hope that this format will stay in the future! It differs enormously from interviews which I read in my wife's women's magazine! It would be great to extend this also to men.....
ReplyDeleteThat`s the plan (if we find not-so-ordinary daddies of course:)
DeleteI found this a great read. Interesting to poke into other people's lives. Especially other mums. I love the photos too. Great shots.
ReplyDelete