The madness continues...

Demo day 3 was even more fun. There was a coffin with pole bearers, flags and a fake priest, there were mourners, there were cops...
A true happening. Strangely I suddenly noticed that all the police force are completely unarmed. No batons, no cuffs, no guns, not even belts. They just stand around wearing their black outfits doing not much. Interesting. Obviously they are not expecting any trouble with the demo. All the cop cars are parked in the streets around and all are KIAs and a few Mitsubishi utes. The media vans seem more armoured and prepared for action.
This lead me to a realisation that the society has changed dramatically. I always assumed that the beauty of living in Australia was the fact that it was a safe, friendly place where one can rely on neighbours and other citizens to do no harm. Europe on the other hand was full of strong opinions, all sorts of political movements and crime.
The bizarre thing I am observing here is that people are very outspoken and what would be seen from Australian perspective as aggressive. Yes, people say what they think, quickly and to the point. Whether you are a cop or a bus driver you'll be told in no uncertain terms what people think of you if you block a pedestrian crossing or arrive a bit late. And yet I found last night that a few of my friends don't lock their cars for the night. There are automatic bike rentals all over the city, including the "badder" parts and all the bikes are in a perfect working conditions. The seats are not cut or stolen, the lights and dynamos are there, working... I am not trying to say that it's a wonderland as my friend had her bikes stolen from a 1st floor balcony, but just imagine how long would 10 bikes last let's say in Kings Way in the City, or in Broadmeadows...
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After all my bitching about the dead twin I would like, for a change, extend my thanks to the dead twin. Thanks to the hoopla that his death created a few potholes are being fixed. All roads leading from the airport and from a helicopter landing area are being fixed feverishly. Last night, around midnight the city looked like a NASA launch pad a day before flying to Mars. Hundreds of workers with all sorts of noisy implements were preparing the city for a smooth ride.
At Blonia they are building a massive structure to house the media and hold a screen for the burial telecast. Six guys with ropes and spanners working in the dark are building something the size of a small cinema - amazing.
Col, they need you here badly! No fences, no netting...

You can just wander around while bits and bobs are falling from the skies.


Another bunch are fixing the panels of the huge screen.

The adjacent road was being PAINTED black, after the potholes were fixed. Last time I saw that, was when comrade Brezhniev was visiting... and so the history repeats itself.

Just a small explanation for those who may wonder why fixing potholes in Krakow is such a big issue. Well, the roads in Krakow look like Moon surface, there's more pothole to a square metre than anywhere else in the Universe known to Man.