IRENE BOND: FROM POLAND WITH LOVE

Irene Bond, a modern spy

Irene Bond. Spy. Poland.

I'm Irene Bond. I was born in Kraków, Poland. I'm a spy, a person who knows lots of important information and works undercover. 

I had a lot of work and prestige during the Cold War but after the fall of the Berlin's Wall the world changed forever and I recycled myself being a computer analyst, another way to obtain important information. I like reading and cinema.

 

-Good morning, Irene Bond, and thanks to attend us.

-Good morning. It's a pleasure.

-I've never interviewed a spy.

-Well, never say never again.

-Is a normal interview or this never had happened.

-This interview is for your eyes only.

-When we talk about spies we think in American, English or Russian agents but you're Polish...

-This idea was true during the cold war but nowadays every country has its important secret services. I'm Polish but when I started to work Russia was the URSS and the European map was another completely different from now. In fact, I can say that I came from Russia with love, because Poland was an active member of the Warsaw Pact, in fact this pact was signed in the capital of my country.

-What can you explain about Poland?

-When we talk about Europe, it seems that we're talking only about Germany, France and the UK. It's a terrible mistake because we're 28 countries in the EU, now 27 with the UK saying goodbye, and 50 in the entire European continent. Poland is a big and historical country. We existed since 1025 when the Kingdom of Poland was founded. We formed a great Duchy with Lithuania, later we were part of Prussia, Russia and Austria and we were determined in the beginning of the WWII when in September 1939 Poland was invaded by Nazi Germany. We were a Soviet satellite state and after 1989 we are a Democratic Republic, again. When you live in a place with these historical events, it's normal that you want to be a spy. We lived in a crossroad between two worlds and you realize that the world is not enough.

-Are you scared with your work?

-No, I'm not. Risk exists everywhere and my work is only a work. It's true that you have license to kill but nowadays the spies are intelligent computers and you must control and analyze the information that they offer.

-How's life living in a border?

-It's interesting because you receive lots of influences and diversity is something that offers you the possibility of having different points of view and this is something very important in our global world.

-You were born in Kraków, a city with a terrible past. How does the global world affect in the population nowadays? 

-Kraków is nowadays a modern city which is considered as Europe's Silicon Valley. The city is the headquarters for important multinational companies and cultural diversity is something that you can see in our streets. It's true that Kraków has a terrible story. Everybody remembers how the members of our Jewish community were forced into a walled zone known as the Kraków Ghetto, from which they were sent to German extermination camps such as the nearby Auschwitz and Plaszów. Auschwitz was declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1979 and the most important about this declaration was the idea of keeping this horrible event of our recent history in our minds because it represents the human horror and the result of totalitarianism. Auschwitz was a view to a kill and now must be a view to peace, tolerance and respect.

-How is the life of a spy?

-A normal life. You must be cautious, you mustn't speak a lot and it's important that nobody remembers you. You must be like a spectre.

-And the personal life? It must be difficult...

-Well, only a person who works in this can really understand you but you must choose between having a personal or professional life. The spy who loved me had to choose it. It's not an easy election.

-Which is your favourite spy?

-Mata Hari, of course. She was a Dutch exotic dancer and courtesan who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War I and executed by firing squad in France. A legend in my profession that demonstrated that diamonds are forever.

-And your worst enemy?

-Lots of enemies: Dr.No, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Octopussy, The man with the Golden Gun, GoldenEye... but if I had to choose one, Jaws. Without any doubt. I was working in a mission named Moonraker. I knew Jaws a terrible highly skilled killed with an incredible strength. His name was in tribute to sharks. It seems that he liked shark, the animal which lives in oceans and eat fish, seals, crabs and seabirds. They find their prey with their sense of smell and they are in danger of extinction. Jaws had all these characteristics. He was very dangerous and caught him required an enourmous effort.

-Have you got any secret gadget?

-Well, it's not a secret. Everybody knows that I have a special clock with the last technology. It's called Quantum of Solace and it was a present of Pedro Bond, aka Pierre Beaund, who is an incredible watchmaker, for me, the best of the world.

-How do you feel being a member of The Bond's family?

-Very well. The Bonds is a very funny family. They respect my job and they don't ask me anything. I like them because they live and let die. For us, the family is the most important. It's the jewel of our crown, our majesty, and we are on our Majesty's Secret Service.

-How is a normal day with The Bonds?

-We haven't got a normal day because we haven't got a planning. We have an idea about our obligations but we can change all things in a second. All depends of us and this is something very interesting because offers you the possibility of being creative and non-static. You can not control tomorrow, and then you realize that tomorrow never dies.

-How long have you been studying English?

-I come from a family of spies. I was born in Kraków but I grew up in Montecarlo, near Casino Royale, where I learnt French and in London where I learnt English. A spy must know languages.

-Then, you speak Polish, English and French.

-Poland is a multilanguage country. Languages are the living daylights for us. Polish is the official language but other languages like German, Russian, Ukrainian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Czech, Belarusian, Romani and Yiddish are spoken in my country, too. I also speak German and, of course, Russian.

-What can you explain about your life with The Bonds?

-When you have this kind of work, you need people who understand you and give you the opportunity of having your personal moments. They know that I can't explain as things as I know and they respect this, and this fact is very important because I feel comfortable with them.

-Which is your best memory with the family?

-We have lots of memories but I remember one day that I have to offer quick and efficient solutions to different problems that I didn't control. It was very interesting because offered to me the possibility of thinking in spontaneous solutions and this is not easy to do, although, I'm a spy and I'm a person who must be decisive.

-You like reading, don't you? Recommend me a book...

-I'm reading the biography of Cristopher Columbus, who sailed from Spain in August 3rd, 1492 to the west. After ten weeks, a sailor saw a bird. They arrived to land and they named the island San Salvador. So he discovered that the Earth was round. Perhaps, it could be interesting that Columbus had read the studies of Nicolaus Copernicus, the Polish astronomer who talked about the heliocentric system. I'm also reading another biography. It's about a universal Polish, Maria Salomea Sklodowska-Curie, aka Marie Curie.

-You're a spy. Can you write a slogan for The Bonds?

-Die another day because you only live twice.

-One last question... is Irene Bond your real name?

-I'm a Bond. I'm Irene Bond, aka Skyfall, although my parents call me Adele.

-Thank you very much, Irene Bond.

-You're welcome.

 Those things which I am saying now may be obscure, 

yet they will be made clearer in their proper place.
 

Nicolaus Copernicus