Tomorrow is the glorious 4th of June, and that’s all we’ve been hearing about recently. Personally, I’m tired of it already, and it’s not even the 4th yet.

Why tomorrow is so important, I hear you ask? It’s the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism. I understand it’s an important anniversary, but really, what the media is doing it’s total overkill. I’m really surprised that the day hasn’t been declared a public holiday yet. Or do we have to wait with that until the 25th anniversary, huh?

We all know (at least those of us in Poland, because other former communist bloc countries may have different ideas – just ask the Germans who watched the Berlin Wall coming down) that IT had begun in Poland. Supposedly on June 4th 1989. Though of course, that date means something very different if you happen to be in China. It’s ironic really, that the same date can be remembered for two so opposite events in two different countries.

But if you don’t know what’s so special about June 4th, 1989 in Poland, here’s the Cliffs Notes version of it: there were elections and Solidarność (Solidarity) won. It was the first of many anti-communist “revolutions” in Central and Eastern Europe in 1989.

I was actually in Poland that June, but was too young to vote and too busy planning my summer vacation to pay attention to what was going on in the world. We all knew that communism was going to fall sooner or later and it was just an elaborate show to allow the Party to retreat with dignity. And many people who could vote felt exactly the same way. The election turnout was surprisingly low – only about 63% in the first round and embarrassing 25% in the second.

I don’t like to write about politics, the stuff’s so mind boggingly boring, it fries the nerves endings in my brain. And because our nerve endings are precious, and this week is just filled with politics (the European parliament elections on Sunday), let’s talk about something else.

There’s going to be a huge concert in Gdańsk tomorrow. To celebrate this momentous 20th anniversary of Restoration of Independence and the Fall of Communism in Central Europe (and please tell me that this pompous title doesn’t reek of communism – I guess old habits die hard), the organizers (European Solidarity Center) invited a whole bunch of artists (Kylie, Scorpions, Kora, Lombard, Kombii and a few others) to perform at the It Began in Poland concert. But as my 18 year old friend very aptly noticed “Yeah, I suppose they invited those fossils because they were popular in ‘89, too.”

TVP (Polish TV) has a whole website dedicated to this 20th anniversary. It’s all in Polish, but even looking at the photos can be interesting. Those hairstyle! Yikes!

PS. And where’s David Hasselhoff singing “I’ve Been Looking for Freedom”, huh? Oh right, different anniversary, different country.