More than any story I’ve written, people are constantly asking how the homeless Polish men are doing with the yacht they’re building to sail around the world. Something about that article touched a nerve with a lot of people.

So here’s an update from Piotr Malecki, the terrific Warsaw-based photographer who has been following their progress:

“They are now welding water tanks and other inner parts of the ship at the workshop. In March they will start sandblasting and painting the ship. Both welders passed the advanced maritime welding exams and now have the international papers that will allow them to get good jobs anywhere in Europe. So Slawek Skarbucha, one of them, is soon going to Norway, he got a good job offer at the shipyard. The welding process is now coming to an end here so he can do it without compromising the ship.
Waldemar, the “captain”, recently put a list of things accomplished after death of father Boguslaw and he claims the list has 20 positions.
They have also finally acquired the engine parts that stopped them from completing the engine that will run the ship. It does look like the they are on top of things and seem determined to go on with it.”

Hello there. I know, two posts in one day after no posts for eight months. I’ve been busy. I wrote a story about dairy farmers dumping their milk as part of a strike. So many people have asked me that I wanted to set the record straight. The answer is yes. Teetz exists.

The Scott McClellan book has brought the media’s role in Iraq back into the spotlight. Maybe Jimmy’s CNN tape will be posted on YouTube again.

Who says time travel is impossible? I rented a movie from 1998 the other day and they only had it on video cassette. Remember the dinosaur days before DVDs? The volume jacked up until the hissing envelops the dialogue and you can’t hear a thing? Ah, nostalgia.
But the biggest difference in content was the previews, a whole string of them. There was one for that Robin Williams movie “What Dreams May Come” where he’s dead and playing with Cuba Gooding Jr. and a multi-colored dalmatian (insert far-too-easy Cuba joke here). Studio executives drunk with the power of CGI attempt to tackle heaven. Screams “New Toy.”
Then comes the Tarantino Gen-Y, Echo Boom or whatever you want to call it. First “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels”… Read the rest of this entry »

I’m guilty of blog neglect. That’s because this whole foreign corresponding job takes a lot of work.
Some moments along the way:
Driving the wrong way down a one-way road in Ulm, Germany, on zero sleep, eyes glued to the lying GPS, “Country Roads” blaring on the stereo, talking to my editors on the cell phone when I hear a car horn and finally look up at my near doom coming at me.
Buying a beer at a tiny grocery in Sofia, Bulgaria, Seinfeld playing dubbed on the little television over the refrigerator. (Why do they always make George’s voice even higher pitched when they dub poor Mr. Costanza?)
Breakfast with the waters of the Bosphorus lapping at the edge. Omelette made to order and glorious morning in Istanbul.
All told, not so bad.

Gdansk, as I hope to someday expound at length, is a beautiful town. It is attractive in a way that it’s name, like the sound of a car crashing into a bicycle and then the bicyclist sliding across the hood, could never warn you. Getting home from Gdansk seemed simple enough — a quick flight on genteel SAS through Copenhagen.
I’ve always wanted to see Copenhagen. When I heard that our plane had a flat tire and we would be delayed by several hours, I saw the hand of good fortune. It was extending to us — through our missed connection in Berlin — a free night to wander Copenhagen before another flight the next morning. This was foolish optimism.
Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not turning out to be the world-champion blogger, it appears. I have some excuses though, including the book itself, getting married to my lovely wife Lauren, and moving to the Berlin bureau of the New York Times. This evening we’re in not-quite lovely Warsaw, where a powerful electrical storm turned the sky into the original low-tech AV entertainment. Just before the storm struck, we enjoyed Asian fusion cuisine on ul. Foksal and somewhat more traditional cheesecake and apple strudel at the refined and charming Cafe A. Blikle on ul. Nowy Swiat, which specializes in pastry and an obsession with Charles De Gaulle, after whom a booze-soaked cake is named. Stand proud, Chuck D, wherever you are.

Dearest Readers,
It appears that a few books were printed with the pages out of order. This happens from time to time but I understand how deeply frustrating it can be. If it happens to you, I hope you’ll let me know about it and the publisher and I can make sure that you get a new copy. Email me at the following address: nick@nicholaskulish.com.
I will set things right.
Thanks for your patience,
Nick

So I did another radio show called Fair Game with Faith Salie. The interview was as much fun as it sounds. It’s not that easy to link to this one. Go to the page and in the search box in the upper right hand corner type “Kulish” and it’ll pop up. I’m in Los Angeles this Friday – July 20th – if anyone’s around and interested in coming out.

Here’s a link to an appearance I did recently on NPR’s All Things Considered. It was a great experience. Have a listen.