"I love Gdańsk, but I miss my desert"

Waris Dirie was just five years old when she underwent (=przeszła) genital mutilation (=obrzezanie) practised in the name of (=w imię) tradition in her tribe (=plemię)...She was 13 when she fled (=uciekła) her family, who wanted to marry her off (=wydać za mąż) to an elderly man. The girl arrived in London, where she worked as a maid in the Somalian Embassy (=ambasada) and after its closure (=zamknięcie) as a McDonald's employee. At the age of 20 Waris was noticed by a photographer Terence Donovan. Her career bloomed (=rozkwitła) with her appearance in the Pirelli Calendar and adverisements for Chanel, L'Oreal, Levi's and Revlon. In 1987 she also played a minor role in James Bond movie 'The Living Daylights'. The model took part in fashion shows in London, Milan, Paris and New York and her photos appeared in such fashion magazines as 'Elle', 'Glamour' and 'Vogue'. Taking advantage of (=wykorzystując) her popularity the model started to raise (=poruszać) the topic of FGM (female genital mutilation) and soon became a United Nations ambassador for the abolition (=zniesienie) of this cruel (=okrutny) practice (=proceder). In 1998 Waris published her first autobiography - Desert Flower. The book soon became a bestseller and in 2009 was adapted for the screen (=zekranizowana). The movie was a great success as well, receiving such awards (=nagrody) as Bavarian Film Awards and the Audience Award in the San Sebastian International Film Festival.

The cover of Waris' autobiography

Waris Dirie with Liya Kebede, the Ethiopian supermodel,
who played Waris in the film 'Desert Flower'

To my surprise, I have learnt today that Waris is currently living in Gdańsk. The human activist has bought a house at the seaside (=wybrzeże). Waris decided to move to Poland because of her best friend, Joanna, for whom Gdańsk is a home town. The women met in Vienna and soon made friends. When Joanna showed the model her home surroundings, Waris directly fell in love with (=zakochała się w) the Baltic Sea and decided to give in (=poddać się) to this spontaneous feeling. Each day she runs on Polish beaches, which she adores. She has filled her house with lots of African souvenirs and now is also living with part of her family. 

Click below to watch a trailer of the film 'Desert Flower':

Source of the photos : the Internet