Sunday 16 November 2008

5 MINUTES WITH – KASIA WOJTACH


Kasia, her husband Robert and her three children settled in Buncrana from Poland just over four years ago. Her work at the Inishowen Development Partnership office as the Immigrant Integration Development Officer, she finds both varied and interesting. Kasia works with people from Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and Poland organising trainings, courses, integration projects and information meetings. One of her latest integration project with the VEC is a story project for parents . The course teaches parents how to read and tell stories to their children in English. All nationalities attend, which strengthens both the integration of parents and nationalities. On the 11th of November (today), Buncrana library on St Mary’s Road are having their official opening of the Polish Library section within the library. Nearly 1000 books were collected by Kasia and her friends in Poland and brought over to Inishowen. These books will be available to borrow throughout Donegal and will be hugely beneficial to Polish children, adults or anyone who wishes to learn a new language.


What music do you like?
I enjoy listening to Sting, ever since he started with the Police. I also enjoy Jazz, especially soft jazz from Louis Armstrong and more recently Chris Botti. He is an Italian trumpet player, and I was introduced to his music at a wedding in Poland. Irish musicians from the Different Drums project are great too

What would you never throw away?
Books. Any books, I have lots of books at home and there will be even more in the library after today.

What book are you reading?
I read a lot of fiction books but at the moment I am reading a biography about Marina Vlady, the wife of an alcoholic Russian singer. It’s a very enjoyable book.

What was your favourite childhood game?
When I was really young I played with dolls and dolls houses. When we were a bit older we played a game called podchody. Translated this means to go over or to come up. We would divide ourselves up into two groups; one group would set off and hide. It could be anywhere in town. They would leave clues for us to follow and we tried to track them down. This could take all day sometimes. It was great fun

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
I went to see High School Musical 3 with the children and before that I went to see Sex in the City with my friends; they are from Dungloe so we meet up half way in Letterkneny.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
I start from the back, avoiding the sport, as I am not too familiar with it.

What is your idea of a good night out?
A party with friends or a trip into town.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
Robert and I met in a dormitory that had both university students and technical school teens in it (Robert was in the tech). The pupils called it Alkatraz, as there were so many rules. I was with the girls on the fourth floor and Robert was in the boys wing downstairs. We had just started seeing one another and I decided to treat him to a candlelit dinner. There was just one shared kitchen, but I managed to cook some spaghetti bolognaise. I really, and I mean really overcooked the pasta until it was a soggy mess. Robert ate it and was so polite, he didn’t even comment although I could see a look of disappointment on his face.

Have you a favourite TV programme?
I occasionally watch Desperate Housewives when I remember it’s on.

How do you relax?
A good book and a glass of wine.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I wanted to be a vet or observing and filming animals for nature programs.

Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Just somewhere sunny

Your idea of heaven and hell?
Watch the film - What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams…..

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
My father, he passed away three years ago and I still miss him. I would also invite Pop John Paul II. As a teenager I was involved in Catholic groups through the church and I thought his ideas about the whole of life were inspirational.

Favourite animal?
The lioness, she is strong and takes care of her cubs.

What couldn’t you live without?
Family and friends.

Biggest fear?
Darkness, especially driving over the hills from Carndonagh at night.

Biggest thrill?
A hug from my children and when they say “ I love you” I like to see people getting on together.

The world’s most irritating invention?
The answering machine. I don’t want to talk into a machine….

Do you have a hobby?
Books and psychology, I have always been interested in Freud

World’s most useful invention?
That would be the telephone, to be able to talk to anyone at anytime around the world.

What do you have for breakfast?

Sometimes porridge and sometimes a slice of toast and jam.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
It’s a bit of good advice from my granny. She said to spend 15 minutes of good quality time with your children every day.

Personal philosophy?
“It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked”. That’s a quote from an Arabic poet called Khalil Gibran.

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