Alzo la vista al cielo mientras me enciendo un cigarro, las nubes se abren paso cubriendo el sol del mediodía, que harta estoy de este tiempo...
De la puerta sale Pavel y me sonríe, le hago hueco en el poyo de la puerta "Ven siéntate, soy pequeña y hay sitio para los dos". Me sonríe y me da las gracias.
Pavel es un hombre de unos 35 años, calculo, quizás algo más. Rapado al 0, pero en verdad se lo rapa para no mostrar su calvicie, de ojos profundos en los que se puede ver que la experiencia ha hecho mella en su vida y de una sonrisa sincera e inocente.
"Cuánto tiempo llevas aquí Pavel?" Le pregunto. Hace un esfuerzo por hablar en inglés, que es básico, a pesar de que va a clases de inglés.
"Llevo aquí 20 meses en Irlanda y 20 meses trabajando en el hotel de kitchen porter"
Me quedo mirándole, eso es mucho tiempo...20 meses haciendo el mismo trabajo, de arriba a abajo lavando platos y cargando las piezas de carne y demas stockaje que traen para la cocina...
"Te gusta el tiempo de aquí Pavel?" intento desviar la conversación...
"La verdad es que me da igual, sólo que llueve mucho y todo el rato hay viento!"
"Si es odioso" le contesto y me río.
"Si es odioso" le contesto y me río.
Este tiempo es un auténtico asco, digan lo que digan, no hay día, no hay transición de la mañana a la tarde, casi ni si quiera de la mañana a la noche. A penas hay unas horas de noche, pero a las 11 de la noche incluso se pueden apreciar unos tenues rayos de luz del sol que se niega a desaparecer del cielo irlandés y a las 5 de la mañana, el sol empieza a asomar para llegar a su plenitud a las 6 de la mañana, porque como cada día nos toca un cielo nublado. Acompañado de una lluvia que no cesa.
Salgo de mi absorción después de unos segundos y pregunto a Pavel "Qué hacias en Polonia?" De repente su semblante se pone serio y su mirada se endurece.
"Tenía un pequeño negocio.Fabricaba ropa y zapatos para grandes tiendas, pero con la incorporación al mercado de fabricantes chinos y taiwaneses los locales nos arruinamos, a parte de que los impuestos en Polonia son excesivos! No se puede tener un negocio en Polonia ahora"
"Bueno, en España estamos en crisis, así que tampoco podemos tener negocios, ni grandes ni pequeños" Nos reimos.
"Bueno, en España estamos en crisis, así que tampoco podemos tener negocios, ni grandes ni pequeños" Nos reimos.
"Y dónde vives?" Me pregunta.
"En Renmore, le contesto. Y tú, dónde vives?"
"En knocknarra, cuánto tiempo tardas en llegar aquí, al trabajo"
"Tardo unos 20/25 minutos si el tráfico es malo, 10 si vengo por la mañana y le piso al coche un poco. Andando puedo tardar una eternidad" Le devuelvo la pregunta.
"Tardo unos 20/25 minutos si el tráfico es malo, 10 si vengo por la mañana y le piso al coche un poco. Andando puedo tardar una eternidad" Le devuelvo la pregunta.
"Yo tardo 40 minutos, en autobús claro. Yo no me puedo permitir un coche, las tasas, la gasolina, aparcar el coche en la ciudad...Antes iba todo el día en coche en Polonia y en el fondo me cansé de él. Además yo he venido a hacer dinero! Quiero volver a casa y poder volver a empezar"
"Yo me traje el coche de España, ni loca podría comprarme un coche aquí y menos con el sueldo que nos da Mr. Sweeny, jajaj"
"Yo me traje el coche de España, ni loca podría comprarme un coche aquí y menos con el sueldo que nos da Mr. Sweeny, jajaj"
Mira mis cigarros y me pregunta de dónde los he sacado, "Son españoles, el precio de los cigarros aquí es extremo!!! Así que cuando me voy a España me abastezco jeje"
"Yo hacía lo mismo cuando iba a Polonia, la última vez me traje 17 cartones. Pero ahora te miran como a un delincuente en la aduana. Cogen tu pasaporte y lo miran un montón de veces y comprueban tu cara. A parte te inspeccionan el equipaje...así que si traigo de más me fulminan. Antes en esta tienda polaca que tenemos en frente vendían ilegalmente cartones de cigarros...Bueno es mejor que volvamos, se ha acabado nuestro descanso. A qué hora terminas?"
"Yo es que no hablo polaco desafortunadamente para conseguir cartones jaja.Termino en una hora, sí! Estoy molida y tú?"
"En teoría termino a las 4,30, pero quizás termine antes. Si estoy de buen humor terminaré a las 4,30 si estoy de mal humor antes. Depende de Pyrianka"
"Sabes qué te digo Pavel? que le digas a Pyrianka que le den por culo"
[]
Cuando vuelvo al restaurante pienso en Pavel y en lo que ha tenido que sufrir. El valor que le ha echado al venirse a un país, donde no controlaba el idioma, ni si quiera lo chapurreaba. Arruinado y con pocas cosas en la maleta ha sabido sacar las fuerzas de su interior para continuar adelante.
Empezar de 0 y trabajar en uno de los trabajos más duros que hayan podido existir y lo más asombroso descender de una posición cómoda, de responsabilidad y reconocimiento, a lo más bajo y que siga poniéndole una sonrisa a la vida.
El caso de Pavel no es el único, y menos en Irlanda. Detrás de cada inmigrante hay una historia, unas experiencias y sobre todo, un corazón. Gente que viene con una posición y unos estudios en sus países y empieza de cero, y tienen que mentalizarse de que no tienen nada y de que nunca lo han tenido, si es que quieren seguir adelante.
Pero como todos los flujos migratorios, éstos tienen sus consecuencias negativas. Y es que no todos los inmigrantes no son como Pavel, o Karolinna, o John...Muchos polacos son ariscos, antisociales, sectarios,...Muchos no vienen a trabajar o a labrarse un mundo mejor, muchos vienen a delinquir y culpan a la sociedad irlandesa (en este ejemplo) de que su vida no fuera la de antes.
Lo que no se dan cuenta es que ellos no han sabido digerir lo que sus otros compatriotas han hecho. Alzan la voz y protestan en contra de las "injusticias", repudian a sus hermanos que intentan adaptarse a la nueva sociedad a la que acaban de introducirse. Les tachan de débiles y de traidores, y les recuerdan cada día que son ellos los más fuertes.
Pero nada más lejos de la realidad, éstos infelices y pobres de espíritu en verdad tienen miedo y en la vida serán tan fuertes como los protagonistas con nombre de esta historia.
Quiero dedicar este post a Pavel, que aunque sé que no leerá ésto en la vida, quiero darle las gracias por enseñarme algo nuevo e invalorable. Y profesar la gran admiración que siento por él.
*************************************************************************************
I looked up to the sky while liting up a cigarette, the clouds open up themselves covering the evening sun, I’m so fed up of this weather.
Pavel came out from the door and smiled at me, I made a bit of space in the small step of the door “Come and sit down, I’m small and there is space for both of us” He smiled at me again and gave to me thanks.
Pavel is a man of 35 years old, I reckon, may be older than that. With a shaved head to avoid to show his baldness, he has a deep look in which you can see that the experience has made an impression in his life and his smile is sincere and innocent.
“How long have you been here Pavel” I asked him. He makes an effort to speak in English, as his vocabulary is very basic, despite of he is attending to English lessons.
“I have been in Ireland for 20 months, the same time that I’ve been here in the hotel working as a kitchen porter”
I looked at him, that is a long time,...20 months doing the same job, day in and day out, washing plates and carrying the meat and other stock which the suppliers deliver to our kitchen to the storage rooms.
“Do you like the irish weather Pavel?” I try to divert the conversation...
“The truth is that I don’t care about it, it just rains a lot and is windy all the time!”
“Yeah, it’s horrible” I added and I laughed.
This weather is shite, whatever the people want to say, there is no day, no transition from the morning to the evening, not even from the morning to the night. We hardly have some night hours, at 11 o’clock you can still appreciate the weak rays from the sun which refuses to disappear from the Irish sky and at 5 in the morning, the sun rise to reach its fullness at 6, because like everyday we have a cloudy sky accompanied with the rain which doesn’t cease.
I come back to the reality after some seconds and I ask Pavel “What did you do in Poland?” Suddenly, his expression becomes serious and his look hardens.
“I had a small business. I made clothes and shoes for big stores, but with the incorporation to the market of Chinese and Taiwan manufacturers the local people ruined, apart from that the polish taxes are extremely high! It’s impossible to have a business in Poland nowadays”
“Well, in Spain we are in crisis, so it’s impossible to have businesses, neither big nor small” We laughed.
“And where do you live?” He asked me.
“In Renmore” I said, “What about you?”
“In Knocknarra, how long it takes you to reach the hotel?”
“It takes me about 20/25 minutes if the traffic is heavy, 10 if it’s in the morning and I hit the gas. By walk it can take me an eternity” I ask him the same.
“It takes me 40 minutes, by bus obviously. I can’t afford a car, the taxes, the petrol, park the car in the city...Before coming here I travelled by car all day in Poland, and I ended up being tired of it. Moreover, I came to Ireland to make money! I want to go back home and start again”
“I brought my car from Spain, I couldn’t afford to buy a car here even if I was mad, and less with the salary which Mr. Sweeny pays us”.
He looked at my cigarettes and asked me where I got them. “They are Spanish cigarettes, the price here is abusive!! So each time I go home I stock up myself lol”
“I used to do the same when I was going to Poland, the last time I brought 17 boxes but now in the security control they look at you hundred times checking that your id photo coincides with your face. Also they inspect your luggage, so if I bring more than what is allowed they will strike me dead. Some time ago in the polish shop which is just in front of here they sold illegally boxes of cigarettes from Poland...Well, it would be better if we go back to work, our break is finished. At what time do you finish?”
“Unfortunately I don’t speak polish to get some cheaper boxes. I finish in an hour, yeah! I’m wrecked, what about you?”
“in theory I finish at 4,30, but perhaps I’ll finish earlier. If I’m in a good mood I will finish at 4,30, if I’m in a bad mood before that. It depends also on how is Pyrianka today”
“Do you know something? Tell Pyrianka to fuck off”
[]
When I went back to the restaurant I thought about Pavel and how much he should suffer. He should be so much brave to come to a country, where the people speak a language he didn’t speak. Ruined and with few things in the suitcase he was able to get strengths from inside to continue.
Start from 0 and work in one of the hardest jobs which could ever exist is the most amazing thing. He descended from one comfortable position, of responsibility and recognition, to the lowest one, but he stills put a smile to the life.
The case of Pavel is not unique, and less in Ireland. Behind every immigrant there is a story, experiences and overall, one heart. People who come with a position and studies from their countries and who start from 0, but they have to get used to the idea that they have nothing and that they never had it, if they want to continue on without becoming mad.
But like all the migratory flows, it has its negative consequences. And not all the immigrants are like Pavel, or Karolinna, or John...Many Polish are rude, antisocial, sectarian,...Many of them don’t come to work or to improve their future, many come to commit offences and try to blame the society (in this example) for their life styles. They blame them coz their life is not like the one they had anymore.
The thing is that they don’t realise that they haven’t been able to assimilate what their fellows countryman did. They raise their voices and complaint against the “injustices”, they disown their brothers who try to adapt themselves to the new society they just joined. They accuse them of being weak and traitors, and remind them every day that they are stronger than them.
Far from the reality, these unhappy people and poor of spirit are actually scared and they won’t be as strong as the major figures with name of this story.
I would like to dedicate this post to Pavel, although I know he won’t read this. I would like to thank him for teaching me something new and invaluable And I would like to profess the big admiration I feel for him.
Pavel came out from the door and smiled at me, I made a bit of space in the small step of the door “Come and sit down, I’m small and there is space for both of us” He smiled at me again and gave to me thanks.
Pavel is a man of 35 years old, I reckon, may be older than that. With a shaved head to avoid to show his baldness, he has a deep look in which you can see that the experience has made an impression in his life and his smile is sincere and innocent.
“How long have you been here Pavel” I asked him. He makes an effort to speak in English, as his vocabulary is very basic, despite of he is attending to English lessons.
“I have been in Ireland for 20 months, the same time that I’ve been here in the hotel working as a kitchen porter”
I looked at him, that is a long time,...20 months doing the same job, day in and day out, washing plates and carrying the meat and other stock which the suppliers deliver to our kitchen to the storage rooms.
“Do you like the irish weather Pavel?” I try to divert the conversation...
“The truth is that I don’t care about it, it just rains a lot and is windy all the time!”
“Yeah, it’s horrible” I added and I laughed.
This weather is shite, whatever the people want to say, there is no day, no transition from the morning to the evening, not even from the morning to the night. We hardly have some night hours, at 11 o’clock you can still appreciate the weak rays from the sun which refuses to disappear from the Irish sky and at 5 in the morning, the sun rise to reach its fullness at 6, because like everyday we have a cloudy sky accompanied with the rain which doesn’t cease.
I come back to the reality after some seconds and I ask Pavel “What did you do in Poland?” Suddenly, his expression becomes serious and his look hardens.
“I had a small business. I made clothes and shoes for big stores, but with the incorporation to the market of Chinese and Taiwan manufacturers the local people ruined, apart from that the polish taxes are extremely high! It’s impossible to have a business in Poland nowadays”
“Well, in Spain we are in crisis, so it’s impossible to have businesses, neither big nor small” We laughed.
“And where do you live?” He asked me.
“In Renmore” I said, “What about you?”
“In Knocknarra, how long it takes you to reach the hotel?”
“It takes me about 20/25 minutes if the traffic is heavy, 10 if it’s in the morning and I hit the gas. By walk it can take me an eternity” I ask him the same.
“It takes me 40 minutes, by bus obviously. I can’t afford a car, the taxes, the petrol, park the car in the city...Before coming here I travelled by car all day in Poland, and I ended up being tired of it. Moreover, I came to Ireland to make money! I want to go back home and start again”
“I brought my car from Spain, I couldn’t afford to buy a car here even if I was mad, and less with the salary which Mr. Sweeny pays us”.
He looked at my cigarettes and asked me where I got them. “They are Spanish cigarettes, the price here is abusive!! So each time I go home I stock up myself lol”
“I used to do the same when I was going to Poland, the last time I brought 17 boxes but now in the security control they look at you hundred times checking that your id photo coincides with your face. Also they inspect your luggage, so if I bring more than what is allowed they will strike me dead. Some time ago in the polish shop which is just in front of here they sold illegally boxes of cigarettes from Poland...Well, it would be better if we go back to work, our break is finished. At what time do you finish?”
“Unfortunately I don’t speak polish to get some cheaper boxes. I finish in an hour, yeah! I’m wrecked, what about you?”
“in theory I finish at 4,30, but perhaps I’ll finish earlier. If I’m in a good mood I will finish at 4,30, if I’m in a bad mood before that. It depends also on how is Pyrianka today”
“Do you know something? Tell Pyrianka to fuck off”
[]
When I went back to the restaurant I thought about Pavel and how much he should suffer. He should be so much brave to come to a country, where the people speak a language he didn’t speak. Ruined and with few things in the suitcase he was able to get strengths from inside to continue.
Start from 0 and work in one of the hardest jobs which could ever exist is the most amazing thing. He descended from one comfortable position, of responsibility and recognition, to the lowest one, but he stills put a smile to the life.
The case of Pavel is not unique, and less in Ireland. Behind every immigrant there is a story, experiences and overall, one heart. People who come with a position and studies from their countries and who start from 0, but they have to get used to the idea that they have nothing and that they never had it, if they want to continue on without becoming mad.
But like all the migratory flows, it has its negative consequences. And not all the immigrants are like Pavel, or Karolinna, or John...Many Polish are rude, antisocial, sectarian,...Many of them don’t come to work or to improve their future, many come to commit offences and try to blame the society (in this example) for their life styles. They blame them coz their life is not like the one they had anymore.
The thing is that they don’t realise that they haven’t been able to assimilate what their fellows countryman did. They raise their voices and complaint against the “injustices”, they disown their brothers who try to adapt themselves to the new society they just joined. They accuse them of being weak and traitors, and remind them every day that they are stronger than them.
Far from the reality, these unhappy people and poor of spirit are actually scared and they won’t be as strong as the major figures with name of this story.
I would like to dedicate this post to Pavel, although I know he won’t read this. I would like to thank him for teaching me something new and invaluable And I would like to profess the big admiration I feel for him.
7 comments:
Buenas Anita:
Lo que cuentas es lo que se ha vivido en España decadas atras. Emigracion para mejorar las condiciones de vida, emigracion para hacer dinero y volver a casa.
Solo que ahora pienso que tu compañero lo tiene mas dificil. Polona ha entrado en la comunidad economica europea y a muchos los ha dejado en el paro pero tambien es mas complicado el hacer ese dinero suficiente para volver a casa con la cabeza alta, como un triunfador y rehacer la vida.
La otra cara de la moneda la plasmas muy bien, el inconformista que solo grita y chilla pero no hace nada, creo que en algunos paises deberia considerarse deporte olimpico :D
En fin, bonita reflexion y bonita conversacion.
¿En realidad no te sientes tu un poco como tu compañero? Aunque las realidades sean diferentes claro esta
Un abrazo
Daniel
Queridísima Ana:
Gracias por tu blog, me ha hecho reir y sollozar a partes iguales.
Hoy soy un inmigrante más en Athlone. Bueno, no uno como el de tu historia: por suerte yo conozco el idioma y no tengo muchos problemas económicos.
Pero aún así soy un extraño. Aunque no me sienta como tal, porque trabajo junto a Julia, una hermosa chica alemana y James, un nigeriano de lo más agradable, porque desde el primer momento he recibido una cálida atención y porque estoy tan feliz de estar aquí que creo que voy a explotar.
Sólo quería compartir mi mirada de inmigrante y desahogar con palabras los intensos sentimientos de apego a la vida que hoy me asaltan.
¡Un abrazo a toda la gente de corazón puro!
Carlos.
Señorita:
Usted escribe con el corazón, siga dándonos estos momentos tan agradables.
I’ve never experienced living in a different country but I am sure it wouldn’t be easy for anyone and especially after reading about Pavel. To learn the language would be one of the biggest barriers to over come. New environment to adapt to and the list goes on. It cant be easy!
Its sad to think that in life people can go from having everything to having noting at all. But you find the strength and determination to start again surely you would accomplish a lot more then doing noting at all and blaming society and everything else.
Simplemente maravilloso, sublime. Vamos que casi me entra un orgasmo al ver lo bien que escribes Ana. Deja las bandejas y agarra una pluma pq provocarás más sonrisas y que los sentimientos broten sin ton ni son. Un abrazo bien fuerte de un fan de tu blog! muuaks
Carlitos 'peke peke...'
Primero de todo gracias a todos por vuestros comentarios! :) Realmente conforta que haya gente leyendo ésto y lo mejor que den su opinión sea positiva o negativa, de todo se aprende!
@Daniel,quizás todos los que estamos fuera nos sintamos un poco así. La gente dice que no hay racismo o chauvinismo, pero lo cierto es que en mayor o menor medida te lo puedes encontrar en cualquier ciudad del mundo. Curiosamente, anteriormente a Galway, viví en un pueblo de 15,000 habitantes en el que sólo en ciertos casos contados con los dedos de la mano, me encontré rechazo por ser extranjera y cierto es, que de quien vino, ni lo tomé en cuenta. Ahora que estoy en Galway, tristemente se ha acentuado y veo cosas que son simplemente insultantes. Pero me niego a ponerme en el lado inconformista del bando y prefiero intentar ser lo más positiva posible, porque de ese modo, no cierro puertas a posible gente buena que me pueda cruzar por el camino y además mi vida será más fácil.
También he de decirte que la peor persona que he conocido en este país y la más rastrera, ha sido un español y es de los que está todo el día quejándose. Un abrazo
@Carlos, me alegro muchísimo que te hayas asentado tan bien en Athlone! Ya me contarás que tal va tu historia por allí ;)
@el lungalto taliban, muchas gracias por su comentario, que aunque es corto encierra mucho. Me alegra poder comprobar que se ha dado cuenta de que escribo desde el corazón y es que en todas las cosas que hago intento poner un poquito de él, a veces da un poco de luz el poner sentimientos en un mundo donde la indiferencia y el individualismo es lo que prima.
@Keith,well u will experience it when u'll go to Spain to live as u have planned, lol. I will hire you to write the comments in the prologue of my books, :P. What do you think? By the way, you should help me in my operation "moving to Dublin"
@Carlitos,yo casi desparramo el cola cao con "tu orgasmo literario" jajaja. Deja de pelotearme que a mí la pluma nunca se me dió bien. En cuanto a las bandejas,...pues seguirán rondando un tiempo, al menos hasta que me gradúe ;) un beso peke peke
La famosa Ellefolk,
Mucho gusto de nuevo y que escritora eres! Me gusta mucho lo que dices a pesar de mi español débil, pero no importa porque tu traducción inglés y la manera de expresarse es si elegante y humana.
A propósito, (solo si te gustara) podría mandarte un libro y cd de un curso en gaélico. Es en inglés / gaélico. Sería más barato que asistir a clases.
De todos modos, saludos y suerte!
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