You'd hear concerts of the music of Chopin, the artistic hero of Poland, near a large monument to him. On non-concert days, like Niemisto, you would play Chopin piano music through your headphones -- music that complements the park so well, Niemisto reports, "that it takes your breath away."

Niemisto lives in Warzawa (pronounced "Var-shavah" though most Minnesotans know it as Warsaw). He is a Rotary Youth Exchange student for this year. Warzawa, a city of 2 million people, is the political capital of Poland and the center of economic activity.

He chose Poland because of its culture, which is many years older than Minnesota's, and its political importance. It survived years under communism and will enter the European Union this May. He prepared for his trip by learning the basics of the language from his Northfield neighbor, Renata McWilliams, and by reading James A. Michener's novel, "Poland."

Niemisto has found that Warzawa still bears the scars of World War II and communist rule. Since so much was destroyed, most buildings are less than 50 years old, and more buildings, roads, bridges, and metro lines are still under construction or being planned. Niemisto feels at home with the Polish climate, however, for it is much like Minnesota's.

His host mother and father are both lawyers. As is often the case, Niemisto's host parents have a child who is a Rotary exchange student in the United States. Their son, Michal, attends Eden Prairie high school.

Niemisto hopes that when he returns to Minnesota he will be able to reproduce some of the Polish food he has eaten. Barszcz (beet soup) and Zurek (pickle soup) are two of his favorites. And the crusty bread -- "I think I'll miss that most of all," he said.

Although nearly all the students in Niemisto 's school, the Kopernikus Secondary School, speak English fluently, the instruction is in Polish. Niemisto is working on his Polish, which he describes as "one of the hardest languages in existence", but he finds he understands only about one word in four at school.

"In everyday chat, though, I think I'm doing well," he said.

His Rotary Club has offered instruction in Polish language and culture at the University of Warzawa. Tom plans to bring back some Polish films he has seen there.

Niemisto has continued studying the cello. He has an older teacher, a man who has played in the Warzawa Opera Orchestra for 35 years. This man speaks no English, "but we get the job done because music is language of its own."

In addition, he attends the high school version of The Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in the old part of the city. His youth orchestra recently performed Beethoven's "Eroica" symphony.

He has traveled a lot. With other Rotary exchange students he visited Krakow, Gdansk, and Wroclaw in Poland as well as Prague, Budapest, and Hamburg. His host parents took him to the Mazuri Lake district of northern Poland, where they picked and ate fresh mushrooms.

Niemisto said he enjoyed participating in Christmas traditions, including a feast and a tour of the old part of town to observe nativity scenes. He especially enjoyed a trip with other young people to the small ski resort of Wisla, near the Slowakia border. After a horse-drawn sleigh ride, during which they held torches and sang songs, they were treated to a feast of Zurek, Kielbasa, and bread with Smalec, a lard butter with bacon and herbs.

The son of Paul and Elinor Niemisto of Northfield, Tom Niemisto plans on attending St. Olaf College next year where he hopes to play in the orchestra.

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