September Events

In Business
Aspire, the Association of IT and Business Process Service Companies in Poland, is offering a series of webinars this month.
First up is an analysis of the Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Practice (September 6, 1pm), looking at what the qualification means and how those who have the certificate can benefit your business.  On September 12 (4pm) the theme will be TOGAF, the Architecture Framework of the Open Group, now used by 80 per cent  of Fortune 500 companies. The CI quarterly workshop will be on September 14 (details to be arranged) at the Amway Business Centre, then on September 19 (2.30pm-3.30pm) there will be a webinar entitled Collaboration and the Changing Workspace.  The last webinar of the month, on September 25 at 2.30pm, will be called Negotiating for Success.

IWAK
The International Women’s Association of Krakow is for those women who find themselves in  the city, either for work or because their partners have jobs here – and offers friendship, support, advice and more.
The organisation returns from its summer break with a programme of events for September, starting on September 7, with a coffee morning for newcomers, at Wedel on the main square (11am). On September 13 there’s the regular coffee morning at the Sheraton Hotel (11am). Then, on September 22, there will be a picnic (3pm – venue to be decided). Bring food and drinks, and something to sit on. The final event will be the girls’ night out, on September on September 27 (7pm). Other regular events and activities include sport and fitness, book clubs, cooking, baby play groups and charity events.

Ex-pat Evening
There’s a new bar in the centre of Krakow which is doing a great job of giving a warm welcome to ex-pats from all over the world. It’s Cheers pub, at ul. Grodzka 31, barely a minute’s walk from the main square. The bar prides itself on being the only Scottish/Polish venue in Krakow, so those from the northern end of the British Isles are guaranteed to find something of home when they step through the door – but anyone is welcome to drop by. Share local knowledge, learn about the city, broaden your social circle and more, and take part in the weekly ex-pat evening, every Tuesday at 8.30pm. It’s a relatively new event in Krakow, but news travels quickly, and there are more people each week – Poles and foreigners alike.

Language Exchange
Whether you’re new to Krakow from abroad, or a long-term resident of the city, there’s probably a meeting where you can meet new people and speak in your native tongue – or practise your Polish or any other language you are learning. A great place to meet Poles keen to learn English and make friends are the weekly meetings at Sienna 5, held every Wednesday from 6pm. There are refreshments and conversation, and all are welcome. There’s also an English language exchange meeting on Monday evenings, at Café Kładka on ul. Mostowa, just in front of the footbridge connecting Kazimierz and Podgórze. Meetings usually start at 7-8pm. For French, try Kolory on Plac Nowy, on Thursdays at 7.30pm, while you can hone your Italian on Mondays, at Pod Jaszczurami on the main square, from 6.30pm. There’s a German language meeting at Migawka, at ul. Krakowska 27, on Wednesdays at 7pm, and Spanish at the Por Fiesta, ul. Warszawska 15, on Thursdays from 7pm. Sundays are great for polishing your Polish, at Café Satori, ul Józefa 25, 6pm.

Couchsurfers
If you haven’t yet encountered the phenomenon of couchsurfing, now is the time to find out more. It’s an international community of friendly folk who love to travel, and offers a chance to hook up with people who might have a spare couch, bed, or even floor space in cities all over the world. In Krakow, the organisation is particularly strong, with on online membership of more than 8,000. The group organises loads of events, including free walking tours (from the Mariacki Church in the main square, daily, at 11am and 3pm), movie nights, food and drink projects… and there’s usually at least one meeting each week – but there is so much going on that it’s best to bookmark the website at couchsurfing.org to find the August get-togethers that suit you. Quite brilliantly, there’s an excellent service for those new in town with temporary accommodation problems. Join the Couchsurfers group in Krakow, and they’ll do their very best to help put you in touch with someone who can offer a bed while you sort things out.

For Families
The International Cultural Centre on the main square in Krakow, is offering special facilities in August for visitors with babies and children up to the age of three. Called ‘ICC on a dummy’, it is an opportunity for those social-minded mums, dads and babysitters who really need a day in the gallery but worry about disturbing other visitors, to take part in a guided exhibition tour. There will be extra chairs, feeding facilities and a changing station, on September 17, at noon. The tour lasts 40 minutes and costs 8zł per adult. Bunkier Sztuki runs the ‘Little Club’ for children aged 5-12, on the first Saturday of the month, bringing together Polish and foreign artists in fun and educational sessions – see bunkier.art.pl for more. Finally, Kino pod Baranami has special showings for parents with babies every Thursday at 11. Catch up with the latest movies as your little one snoozes in the pushchair beside you.

InterNations
InterNations is a world-wide expats organisation that puts people in touch, organises events and shares information – and there’s a branch right here in Krakow. It’s free to join via the website, internations.org, although each application is vetted. Once signed up, you will have access to the InterNations community in Krakow, and can choose to receive information about events and activities going on in the city. It’s a great way to get in touch with others from abroad who are living in Krakow, and to build new personal and business links. Although much of the information available is free, there is also a premium package for paying members who want to get a little more from the InterNations experience.

Jewish Community Centre
Fancy learning Japanese? That’s just one of the courses on the JCC’s weekly programme, with classes for beginners every Tuesday at 5.30pm. There are Hebrew lessons on Mondays for beginners (5.30pm) and advanced students (7pm), and on Wednesdays you can join the Yiddish club at 6.30pm. It’s not just about languages, though, as the JCC also runs a choir, meeting Thursdays at 7pm, basketball (Wednesdays, 9pm) and more, throughout the week. There’s a dedicated programme for senior citizens which includes yoga (Mondays at 4pm), computing (Wednesdays at 6pm), and English for beginners (Thursdays at 3.30pm), amongst others. For younger visitors, there’s a Sunday school for under 12s (10am) and for those aged 12 and up (1.30pm). And of course members of the Jewish community in Krakow are welcome to bring a guest to the Shabbat dinner, on Fridays after the service at the Remuh synagogue.