Food / Polish Milk, Just not the same [54]

Don't buy UHT. Buy the fresh stuff in the chilled section. My personal favorite is Mazurski Smak!

Life / Customer Service in Poland, what are your experiences? [106]

Customer Service in Poland...Ha...now that is just a completley foreign concept here. Generally people are ignored when they enter a shop and are almost glared at like some kind of enemy. But I have to say that when I put on my big American smile I usually get a better response.

Life / The strangest things in Poland [468]

The way people have no concept of personal space! I stand in line at the post office and some old lady is literally right at my back...and the odor that lineers around her...well that is a whole other catergory.

Life / Paying bribes in Poland - necessity or a luxury? [41]

We are currently building a house here. my husband is Polish I am American. I remember the first time he told me that he had to bribe the gas buy to put out gas project through quickly otherwise it could have taken months...many months. He has also bribed other buidling officials. And we decided not to put the second window in our bathrooma nd there fore expect to bribe the final inspector for that too. the problem here is not so much that they expect bribes but rather that the laws and rules are so goofy that to get anything done in a reasonable amount of time you have to bribe someone to get something to happen.

Life / What is your experience about giving birth in Poland? [12]

I have given brith twice here in Poland...I am American. We went to the director of the OB department privately and therefore we paid him well beforehand, when we were at the hospital I was treated like gold. We also paid him a large sum after.

But I think it depends on where you go and what town you live in.

Where are you going to be living?

Also as for staying after the birth it was crazy for me too the have to stay for so long. I had a c-section both times and they made me stay for 6 nights for the first and wanted me to stay longer for the second. After 5 days I said I had had enough and they had better discharge me or I was walking out on my own.

Oh and be prepared to be fed very little afterwards. Make sure you family is prepared to sneak you some food in. The up side is that I got a huge amount of help with breastfeeding and it was a breeze.

If you have any other question feel free to email me as I don't check the forum very often.

Life / Why do a lot of Polish people stare and why is good personal hygeine shunned? [108]

I get after my Polish husband all the time about staring.

when I first pointed it out he had no idea that he does it!

Life / Poland's Craft Stores, Yarn Shops and Sewing/Fabric / Clothes Stores - in or near Krakow? [21]

Anyone know where I can find other quilting supplies like batting for the layer sandwiched between the material outside layers?

Life / Poland's Craft Stores, Yarn Shops and Sewing/Fabric / Clothes Stores - in or near Krakow? [21]

Thanks Wroclaw.
My MIL bought me (excuse the spelling) fazolina. But that is not it. Batting it thicker and cushy like th inside of a bedspread.

Life / Who has moved to Poland in the last year? Swap stories. [115]

Wow gutted...pretty harsh. Such generalizations show a huge lack of character. Those things can be said of any country. And as for saying that no one should comment unless they live here...well I do and have for 6+ years.

I do see those things in some Polish people, mainly in cities in the younger crowd. But that is not true for the whole country.I live in a small city and while many do fall under that categoy there are just as many who are disgusted by their won countrymen who behave in such a way. I could say the exact same about my fellow Americans.