FRESH START:I speak as a human being, rather than a Pole in Ireland, when I express my sorrow at the deaths of Pawel Kalite and Marius Szwajkos, writes Miroslawa Gorecka
On the Polish web portals this week there is plenty of discussion about the awful killing of these two men. Naturally the mothers and fathers of young Poles in Ireland caught their breath and imagined the unimaginable. But to me, this is a dark story for human beings, not for Poles or Irish in particular. This is people killing people, and I try not to let issues of nationality, racism or immigration get in the way of that certainty.
I have no fear of racism when walking the streets of Galway, I am grateful to say. However as a young woman in a big city, you always have to be vigilant. I've stopped walking to and from my apartment this week, partly for security, and partly because I passed my driving test.
For those of you who have tried and failed to get their driving test on a number of occasions (and I have met a few), perhaps you should skip this paragraph - it's bound to annoy. Despite the fact that I am 17 and have only been driving for a few months, I passed my test. Despite the fact that my car looks like it drove through a meteor shower, I passed my test. Despite the fact that a careless pedestrian ended up on my windscreen, I passed my test. I'm not joking - the tester decided that it was the unlucky walker's fault and not mine.
In last month's diary I talked about drowning cockroaches in alcohol as part of my zoology practical. I hope that this gruesome detail didn't cause distress. The fact is that the insects are not actually drowned in the lab, they come to us already dead and preserved in alcohol. Besides, I should get used to dealing with animals in all their manifestations. I spend a good portion of my week in the veterinary clinic.
There I nurse cats and dogs, working alongside some of the nicest people I have met in Galway. With no family around me, it's great to have a job with people who always make me feel welcome. They seem to be quite comfortable with straight talking and I like that too.
My heroine of honesty is Anne Frank. She was a German Jew who became trapped in Amsterdam during the German occupation in World War II. In a small room for two years, Anne wrote fearlessly about her experiences. Because she went for the truth and spoke plainly, her writing has stood the test of time.
Storm Emma cut a path through southern Poland last week killing 10 people and injuring many more. My family is from the region and so I was on the phone in a heartbeat when I heard the news. It appears that our town, Katowice, was undisturbed by Emma. It was such a relief.
The event made me homesick again. I read that Polish people are starting to leave the UK and go back to their families. The number of Poles signing on to the register of migrant workers is down by nearly 20 per cent on last year. Meanwhile employment figures at home are starting to rise.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern visited Poland last week. Our government officials were standing by to pick his brains. Prime minister Donald Tusk is sure that we can have an "Irish miracle" of our own. Could this be the beginning of something good for Poland?
I am still applying to Polish universities in the hope that I can complete my medical studies there. My favoured university is in a small town called Lublin. I'm tired of cities, traffic and so many people. I came to Ireland looking for peace and purity, but again I find myself in traffic and crowds.
I have found the Ireland I was looking for, however, in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. This summer my two friends from Poland are coming to stay and I will take them there for the real thing.
Recently I've been thinking about getting a canary to greet me when I come home. I've been told that miners use canaries to warn them of danger. Perhaps I have a miner in me. Katowice is a coal centre, full of mines. I have been thinking very deeply since coming to Galway to study medicine. Perhaps it is time to come up for air.
Miroslawa Gorecka is a first-year medicine student at NUI Galway
