Nationalist Karaoke
Monday, November 12th, 2007
November 11, forgive me for not remembering which of many Polish “independences” this is, but it’s a national holiday in Poland. Good thing I knew in advance, because otherwise I would have no idea what to make of the strange occurences in the main square.
A small but lively mix of folks, all carrying umbrellas under the snow, crowded around a platform stage. Just like at Jedynka, a Polish nightclub in Chicago, next to the stage there was a huge projector screen displaying the Polish lyrics to the songs. There was no bouncing red ball to mark the phrasing, and Polish can be a bit difficult to pronounce for a beginner. Needless to say, my mumbling efforts at singing along lacked the patriotic zeal of my neighbors. You need confidence to sing national anthems. I needed food more than I needed confidence, so I made my way across the square to get some dinner.
When I came back from dinner they were still going at it, one song after another with the same pomp and grandeur of our single national anthem.
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