Those worrying that this is a Daily Mail/UKIP sympathising post can relax. Rather, this is a reflection on just how many foreigners there seem to be in Bydgoszcz, of which I am of course one. For me, this is great news. I love the diversity that migrants from different nations bring (it would be pretty hypocritical, as a migrant, if I didn’t!) and in an endeavour to meet both more of them and, indeed, more locals who will either tolerate my grammatically disastrous Polish or even want to have a natter in my mother tongue, a few months ago, some colleagues and I decided to set up a monthly language exchange club. After some umming, ahhing, and general faffing about, one of our number – my colleague Judith – set up a meeting with a likely establishment to host the thing. With furious speed, the following month breezed by and, on the ominous date of Friday the 13th December, we had our first “Language Zone” meeting, at the wonderfully chilled café bar Strefa.
We had about 30 guests, from as far and wide as Spain, Portugal and Egypt. It was a really nice night and everyone who attended made at least one or two new contacts, with whom they could meet for more coffee or beer. In a city that is, as I’ve mentioned before, quite difficult to meet people from scratch, it was a real success. We quickly liaised with the wonderful Ewelina, who organises the events at the café, in order to book another event and so it was that our next event was booked up for the middle of January. This time it was on a Saturday night and we were hopeful that, thanks to a bit of word of mouth advertising, we might increase out attendance by half.
When the night finally came around, I found myself at the end of the kind of week where I felt like I’d done everything it was possible to do apart from sleep and relax at all. I was cream crackered. So, I found myself mulling over whether to brave the freezing weather, or just tuck myself like an old man with lots of tea. Realising that while I am a reasonably old man, I still have the maturity and common sense levels of a 20-year-old who’s spent the majority of his life in a cupboard, I put on a jumper thicker than a prison wall and headed out.
What waited for me when I arrived, some 15 minutes after the event had kicked off was quite astonishing. The place was jam packed and there were so many new faces. I found some friends of mine and took a seat, finding my way to a beer, as I did so. A short while later, a Polish English-language-teacher stood up and insisted that people begin to mingle and, using the languages written on their name badges, try to find someone new to talk to.
More or less everyone did so, and the whole event erupted into a whole night of chat, laughter and getting to know new people. I met people from as far afield as Armenia, as well as some really charming local people, and everyone I spoke to had had the same experience. Now everyone is eagerly awaiting the next event and, even though I have a very exciting holiday planned before then, I can’t wait for the middle of February!
Here are a few snaps of the last event. If you are in Bydgoszcz, be sure to check out Strefa on Facebook and come to the next event, to speak English, Polish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, or whatever you like! There’s bound to be someone to talk to you!
A City Called Bydgoszcz 