Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

Laughing already Isa :) et merci beaucoup!!

Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

I have a perfect example of this for those who think others are being parochial (to be nice about it). So it's my birthday - SMS flying in from all sides, my ex tried to get hold of me on MSN when I was sleeping (whoops), I have a party tonight and I am in an excellent mood looking at the beautiful blue skies, the glowingly green grass and the flowers suddenly everywhere. Then I end up in a complete Fawlty Towers a la Communisto farce in Carrefore which was caused by their bar code scanners but was massively exacerbated by me not being able to speak Polish. 45 minutes trying to buy some sprouted seeds (I love these so much!) rather took the shine off the experience and I decided I was going to just go home and chill out, get ready. But ... it made me cry, as soon as I was away from other people's view.

Now I am a fairly tough bird, I am generally the one other people lean on for support, but something so small as that underlines the frustrations that flare. It doesn't matter, I know that the guy in the store didn't mean anything personal it just made me feel very alone in an uncaring universe for a while.

Home now and it already seems a massive over-reaction but it's just part and parcel of adapting. Only been here three weeks really, so no wonder I can't have my usual control and collectedness I'd have either at home or where I have a far better grasp of the language.


I remember every year sorting out things for Xmas present boxes to be sent to Poland. We used to go out with some extra pocket money and a little we had ourselves and buy sweets, colouring books, crayons, hair baubles etc., then make up a "surprise shoebox" with these things in them. I always used to feel really happy as a kid that someone would have a nice thing to open which one of us had made for them. :)

Life / Decently priced gym or health club in Warsaw? [17]

I'm using Poltran (I'm too lazy to use an actual dictionary today!)

Life / Decently priced gym or health club in Warsaw? [17]

Thanks esek :) Wow that first site has some eye-watering webpage offerings (putting on my glasses and reaching for the dictionary :) )

Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

I don't think people are saying that - they're talking about the same experience as you had yourself in my opinion. I *LOVE* Poland, I am constantly surprised at what I find here etc etc - however, I do miss some things - when I went back to the UK to pack up my stuff I missed Polish things. And actually I kind of wish I'd left everything back in the UK and started over because my belongings made me feel weird, like they were ties to something I wasn't any more.

The thread was started by someone in the throes of a culture shock, you can't berate someone for a perfectly natural human reaction. We're all different - it wasn't a culture shock for me here in Poland at all as I am half Polish and find it quite comforting to be in the culture my Father taught me when he was still alive. Even so, this is the first time I've been out of the country of my origin for a period of time and there is no real "going back" to the life you had because travel and experience have broadened your mind and made you a different (and I'd say probably better for it) person. The people you leave behind can't understand that.

Anyway what I miss atm is a healthy breakfast cereal that's not loaded with sugar - anyone seen Bran Flakes anywhere? :)

(Life IS what you make it)

Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

I was initially looking at going from home in the UK to Chicago, that was based on a relationship which has at best had an interruption and may not be recoverable. However, I found AMERICA a culture shock, even given the (sometimes arguable) same language. I wasn't there for long, and if I'd gone for a holiday and been a tourist it would have been great but I was already viewing it with the eye of "could I live here".

I have empathy for mazzy, I'm starting to wonder if any expats actually meet up (in Warsaw, anyway). Would love some female friends, my English friends here are all guys and even the gay one can't really empathise with girly mindset requirements :)

I hit a slump last week when my mother was sent to hospital (she's quite frail, she's back home now). However, there's no point dwelling, the key really IS to keep yourself busy and to throw yourself into things wholeheartedly. It's my birthday today so I am looking forward to the (not mean) streets of Foksal and Nowy Swiat tonight :)

PS look up Homesickness on Wikipedia if you are feeling low (I adapted this article for a lesson the other day). Read that - think "hey this is normal!" and feel better about yourself. :)

Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

I was about to say this too. There are light boxes available which you can use every morning when you get up for about half an hour if you sit close to them. They are safe and don't have any side effects except you don't want to sleep all day and eat three loaves of bread all the time like a hibernating bear!

Life / How can I get my mobile phone unlocked in Warsaw? [6]

Sony Ericsson T303. I was sceptical at first but seems no one could get round the encoding.

I would like to unlock it and then maybe keep the other one as a spare because the new phone is a lot nicer to use!

Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

My (now definitely) ex in the UK took it badly that I wanted to come teach English after years in a miserable but well paid job came to an end when I was made redundant, so given how much he has been unpleasant (with a range of things from threats of suicide, threats to kill me if I ever went back and getting himself into a situation seeing not one but two girls behind each other's backs - not his normal, he was trying to make me jealous so I will come back) I'd say my bridges are pretty burned in the UK. Knowing that was pretty scary, and I am worried about money but overall the advice given is good. The Polish way is very different and very defined: learn to live Polish :)

Life / Life in Bydgoszcz [39]

This thread made me laugh. I just came here from Leamington Spa. Fleeing Warwickshire FTW!!!!!!! (I'm in Warsaw though)

Life / Legally changing my Polish name to English one? [55]

Nah, stick with Marcin. English people are SO lazy with names - I used to get my first name spelled incorrectly because people were so freaked out by the czyk at the end of my surname that they forgot to look at how many e's in Beverley. LOL.

My dad changed the family name when I was a baby, he always regretted it and was very proud when I got to 18 and changed it back to the one on my birth certificate, his birth certificate etc ... be proud of who you are!

Life / How can I get my mobile phone unlocked in Warsaw? [6]

Thanks! However several shops were unable to unlock my phone - seems like the dire prediction from O2 were correct: it can't be unlocked for a year is their official line. I'm now the not so proud owner of an older model Sony Ericsson, but at least it was cheap!

Life / Medical board in Poland - is there a centralized list of doctors? [5]

Avalon, this is the same as myself - would you be kind enough to share your Dr's details please?

Food / Where to buy Cheddar in Warsaw? [57]

Red Leicester is available in Carrefour Arkadia.

Life / Warsaw - most boring capital in Europe, after Brussels - comments? [78]

I love it here. End of :)