Some time ago we asked one of our students to translate a text by a Polish writer, Andrzej Stasiuk. The author granted us the permission to use his text and Dawid, who used to be an active student in LIP project and is now a graduate, undertook the task to bring this text closer to our partners.

Here is his translation.

Back then (in the 1950s) in villages there were no trash bins. There was no trash at all.

We bought different things, but we left no waste. We bought sugar in paper bags, that we later reused or burned. Vinegar, oil and vodka bottles you  could resell, even with a sizeable profit. You could also use them to store some cherry or raspberry juices that we used to make. Patented beer and soda bottles, that had a spring latch made from ceramics and  metal wire, were used to store home-made refreshing beverages made from yeast and sugar.  There was practically no plastic, no foil or aluminium coated cardboard.

There were pretty much no food leftovers. We ate what we killed. The dogs got the bones. The skins or leather could later be sold. It was really expensive back then. Wool as well. Man would leave almost nothing behind and even that could be burned or given to the animals. To the dogs or the pigs, which ate almost anything. There were no bins. No trash. That much I remember.

-excerpt from the book “Fado” by Andrzej Stasiuk   

translated by Dawid Marcisz