USA, Canada / For Polish Immigrants - What do you miss from your home country? [7]

I've just beeen curious about this issue as I have experienced it with myself and with my wife.

I am American and my wife is Polish. She has been living in the US for about 18 years now. Last year, we went to Poland to attend her nephew's christening. While there, we saw small items in the supermarkets that my wife went crazy over. Just small items that we could find in Poland, but we could not get in the United States. A specific example was a certain Wedel chocolate. We can get Wedel chocolates at Polish pork stores here in New Jersey, but that specific chocolate was only to be found in Poland.

Since then, I have tapped a line directly to Poland and I get regular shipments of that chocolate which always puts a smile on my wife's face.

So I was just wondering what other products Polish immigrants miss over here.

As for me, I can only relate to Danish things as I had lived in Denmark from 2000 - 2003. I never thought I would miss things from either my own country or from Denmark, but I do. I had anyone coming over to Denmark bring me US products, and I have anyone visiting from Denmark bring me Danish products. So I will give you my list:

US Products missed when living in Europe:

American Marlboro Lights
Dunkin Donuts Coffee
Hellmans Mayonnaise
Peanut Butter (Any kind)

Danish Products Missed while living back in the US:

Sanex soap products
Matas (a Danish pharmacy chain) cleansers
Min Egen Blanding teas
Real Danish Pastries. What is called a Danish pastry in the US is NOT a Danish pastry.

Even though I have only spent 2 weeks in Poland, I can give you 2 things that I personally miss from Poland:

Black Currant Juice (although I just found a place to get Hortex juices here)
A certain food I had in Zakopane. It was lard on thick bread with pickles

So I was just curious to see what Polish people miss about their own country.

Cheers,

Karl

USA, Canada / Polish Social Club/Associations in/near Warren County New Jersey [9]

Hi,

Recently, I married my wife who is originally from Poland. Prior to our marriage, she and her mother lived in a very Polish section of Clifton, NJ. We just bought a house out in Hackettstown, NJ and I feel for my mother-in-law who feels out of place. Her English is not the greatest, and now she has to function more in an English speaking environment when previously, she could just speak only Polish in her neighborhood.

I would love to find some Polish speaking social clubs or associations that we all could join (especially my mother-in-law) so that she can feel more at home in our new environment.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!