Treść książki
Przejdź do opcji czytnikaPrzejdź do nawigacjiPrzejdź do informacjiPrzejdź do stopki
MoneywasObstacleNumberTwo.Youneededtohavemuchover
onehundredandthirtyAmericandollarsyoucouldlegallybuy
inabank.Inordernottobepenny-lessinaforeigncountry,youhad
tosmuggleyourfortuneortakesomeproductsyouhopedtosell.This
obstaclewastoodifficulttoovercomeformanyofthosewhowerenot
risk-takers.ObstacleThreewasfindingyourfirstjobabroad.
Populardestinations
Intheearlyseventieth,Swedishfarmerswelcomedanyonewilling
toworkblackforthemontheirfieldsandingreenhouses.Theywould
waitforPolishferriesinYstadharbor,andtherewerealwaysmore
employersthanpotentialfarmhandstobargainagreements.Oncethe
termswereagreed,thetwopartiesdrovedirectlytothefarms.Boththe
sideswereinawin-winposition,eventhoughthenewcomersfrom
Polandwereunskilledtoworkonfarms,astheyrecruitedfromamong
teachers,journalists,engineersandstudents.Swedishfarmerswere
happytohavecheapworkforce;thePoleslovedtheideatoearnactual
money.ThefarmerspaidbetweentenandfifteenSwedishcrownsper
hour,anditwasalotofmoney.Mindyou;thePolishzlotywasnot
convertibleinthosedays,andblack-marketexchangeoftheUSdollar
rocketedtounbelievablyhighrates.
However,Obstaclethreewasnolongeranobstacleifyouroverseas
familyfoundajobforyoubeforeyouarrived.Maryla’saunt,for
example,ranapubinChicago,andsheinvitedherniecetostaywith
herfamilyforayear,officiallytostudyEnglishintheStates.
Myfriendswearsthatatthetime(1971),Polishauthoritiesallowed
travelerstotakeonlytendollarsaspocketmoney.Theshoessheliked
costtwenty-eight.Sheremembersthatwellbecausesheisasize
40anditwasnotpossibletobuysuchbigshoesinPolandasnobody
madethem.Suchcircumstancesforcedhertomakedowitha39,but
itresultedinblistersand“tearingskinoffherheels”,assheusedtoput
it.Tomakethingsworse,tootightshoespushedhertoestogether,
madeherwalk“toe-out”,andhisswithpain.
MarylastayedinAmericaforayear,survivedpubboozers,their
primitivejokes,andheraunt’shusband’ssoldier-likecourtship.She
alsometDorothy,ayoungjournalistfromWarsaw,andmadefriends
withher.WhenthetwoofthemreturnedtoPoland,Dorothyhired
alargegoodsvehicleandsetfortheharbor.Marylasaidthatthe
