Land of Contradictions.

Zenon — Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:42 am

Author: Zenon

Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2021 8:42 am

We have a new post for you on our blog: Land of Contradictions. One American’s Experience of Living in Poland as an Ex-pat. written by James Massey.

James has been living in south-east Poland for almost 20 years now with his Polish wife and children. In a humorous, but at the same time factual way, he describes his observations of life in present-day Poland from social, cultural, economical perspectives and of course, a lot of food included.

Those of you who already visited Poland may smile when you recognize some patterns of behavior you witnessed by yourselves when you, for example, met with Polish relatives. Others may consider coming to visit Poland in the future, maybe stay longer or even settle in the country of your ancestors. The article may help you to prepare for the experience.

Here is a short abstract:

“Many Americans, upon first setting foot in the Old Country, will quickly notice that, out on the street and in more official situations, the natives can come across as very formal, even cold. I personally experienced this, as did my parents, when they first crossed the pond to visit me (okay, they really came all this way to see their precious grandbabies, not me, but never mind). Likewise, when I first brought my young family to the States, I remember telling my wife something along the lines of, “Okay, sweetie, now remember: Smile. Smile often. Smile at everybody. And say hi. And wave. And be prepared for people you’ve never seen before in your life to smile, say hi, call you by your first name and ask how you are. Yeah, I know it’s kinda weird, but you’ll get used to it.” And Lord knows she tried! But after a while she looked at me, visibly exhausted, and (careful she was out of earshot of any Americans who might take offense) quietly said, “Honey, my face hurts. I can’t keep smiling like this.” I could relate. That was reason number 273 that I left sunny Southern California to come here.“

The whole article: https://polishorigins.com/blog/land-of-contradictions/ .

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Land of Contradictions.