WAKE UP, WAKE UP THE POLES ARE COMING

Summer 1988 in Finland. The phone rings in the early hours of the morning about three o'clock if I remember. The stumble to the phone was bad enough but the shock quickly brought me to my senses. It was the police calling. Oh dear what have I done now? The Finnish Police are, in the main, trusted by Finns but one does not mess with them. They are straight talking even if usually fair. If they tell you to get out of bed and catch the first flight out from Finland you best believe me they mean just that. Do not even bother to make excuses like first I need to get my clothes on. It does not work. Get out means just that and it means now not later. A Scottish guy made this mistake once. He ended up half naked in the airport although the police found him clothes later. So you will understand my concern.

The matter-of-fact policeman said : " We have a bus load of Polish people here in the centre of town. They say that you are responsible for them!!!"

I thought inwardly then... ( but no laugh)... that me...? Me... responsible? Responsible for Poles in Finland? Recipe for disaster I thought but did not say so at the time. The policeman continued . " They are parked on the main high street. They speak little or no English and no Finnish. They are blocking the street. They cannot stay there like that". What this really meant was do something about it and do it now and quick. I got the message. Early work for me and no debate. Take reponsibility for a bus load of Polish people at three in the morning. Orders are orders and so they were.

How did this all begin? Good question. About one full year before this 1988 summer I had been asked to advise on international groups wanting to make canoeing trips in Finland and to begin with a group from Poland. Poles had been asking to visit for their canoeing holiday. I received a telefax from a place called Gdansk in Poland and from what seemed to be a Trade Union social and sports club. I replied in a few hours. Waited about 3 weeks and a reply came back. I replied that same day and waited about 6 weeks for the next telefax from Poland. But by this time a bus load of Polish people had agreed to visit Finland in the summer of 1988. I sent many telefaxs more but no replies. I tried, after about 4 months of no contacts, to insist upon the details for this trip. Another 4 or 5 telefax messages were sent. No replies. I assumed that I was wasting my time. Gave the whole thing up as a no go.

The next thing I know is ( you guessed it ) bus load of Poles blocking up main street in the early hours of the morning. Police say I am responsible. Also the police said that the bus was not altogether suitable for Finnish standards and I must explain such things to them myself. Orders were orders and I was left in no doubt about just who was responsible here and now.

To cut a long story short I gathered up help and we fixed up cabins for the group to sleep in and canoes for them to use. The group had their own food in their bus which was a good thing because they had VERY little money. In fact they had as much money as they had language skills. I was responsible. I found an organisation to handle the financing thank god and helped their transport through mini-bus systems. They had a great one week. Strange that they did not canoe very much. A few individuals did canoe for a few hours in the week but the majority had no idea or intention about canoeing. I was now responsible but I was also, now, learning and fast.

I learnt, after about 3 days of difficult translation work and patient dialogue, that this whole idea should be a cooperative thing. I did not mention the total lack of replies by that telefax. But apparently they would host a group of Finnish folk to visit Poland and canoe. I began to understand the ways in Poland at that time. Why not - coop OK for the likes of me. It seemed like those Poles needed to disguise themselves as a canoeing club in order to get travelling abroad. I never did get to understand fully all the details.

On the final evening the group invited me and a few co-workers for food and drinks and sing songs. Wow ! What a night. Beautiful spread of food buffet style and as much ( no much much much ) vodka type drink. The singing was great and I saw the incredible strength of Polish folk at play. I will never forget that final night. They also presented me and the town various gifts from Poland. They had no money but my god they had character and they had vitality. That large cabin rattled and raved that night. Good time? Yes.

But never did that return trip to Poland. Maybe one day. Hope so.