Poles that have lived or live abroad are they different?

In my experience Polish people that have lived in England have changed quite a bit from the stereo typical Pole that has spent their entire life in Poland. They come accross as more open, happy and accepting.

I was in a que the other day and this dude was told he couldnt have something on the menu, he kept saying nie ma problema, and being very nice about the whole thing. He over heard my wife and i talking in English and turned around to have a chat. It seems to me that the Poles that have intergrated well in foreign coutries come back with different mannerisms.

Wroclaw Boy

In my experience everybody changes when living abroad for an extended time. You are immersed in a different culture, and that usually has a very positive effect.

are you suggesting that you become similar to that culture given time and having been immersed? If so it depends on the culture as to wether it will have a positive effect on every day life.

most of the time I like that trait about the Britons, but not on occasions when I can't find something in my bag or drop a stash of paper :(

No, you are not becoming similar (except of course, you live abroad for a very long time) but you are getting much more open to other ideas. You accept and understand that there are people out there who do not "tick" the same way you do. Actually you are forced to be more open minded, because YOU are the one who is the stranger in the country. Difficult to explain, but I hope you get my drift.

It's true. Sometimes it makes people more cynical and negative, depending on their experience traveling. If it's generally positive, they come back happier and better adjusted. If it's negative, they return scowling and hating all mankind.

Ohh i catch your drift all right im a right miserable bastad when im shopping, especially when im in a cue. Just hope it doesnt stick, it wont i love getting the hell out of Poland and being normal again. When in Rome do as the Romans do.


The same as when they left then. Sorry couldnt resist.

It depends but the West is more permissive and open for the most part. I remember a Japanese girl who was amazingly shy and she came back a different person after one year in America. The Poles I've met who had a stint abroad are a little different, yeah. They talk about a wider range of things and seem to be more aware of products, world issues and what have you.

Another good thread, btw. Putting mine to shame :)

Living abroad for a while is one of the most developing things you can do. Everyone who lives abroad change, some more, some less.

I fully agree. It really broadens your horizons and there are many new situations to test you out.

yes.

I think some of them return to the motherland a bit meaner!

They are reassimiliated back into the Borg collective after some time ;) Only the very resistant carve out a new path for themselves.

And how long do they have to be away before the urge to re-assimilate to the Borg subsides?

There are a few Hues out there but they are few and far between. It depends on the individual and the chances they had to be individual abroad.

One of our secondees at work told me a story: (he's been in the UK for about 6 months now, but with trips home in between)

He went to a ticket booth to get a ticket and said "good afternoon" and was greeted with "this machine is out of order" ( in a rude horrible way)

He got his ticket in the end:

When he left he said "My Lady, I didn't ask if your machine was out of order, I just said good afternoon!"...

I said to him, I thought it was a cultural thing in Poland to be a bit abrupt, he said "No, its a lack of culture"

This is a Polish guy saying this!

Some are and some aren't :)

The few Polish people I have met that have enjoyed time abroad do certainly seem to be more accepting and accomodating when it comes to new things.

that's what i see often...

The boneheads we seem to get probably will end up in jail. Thats if they go home, if they dont, they will probably end up in jail here!

you know you have a point here - when Poles were allowed into the UK and Ireland suddenly Poland became a silent, peaceful, friendly land :) too bad the credit crunch

and there was a time my advice to the people I knew was - while abroad try to stay away from Poles whenever possible - the time coicided with me travelling abroad :)

and you know what the trouble is - the prisons in Poland are already full up

he's wrong.. it's called conciseness and most westerners have an issue with it.. americans love it when you beat around the bush to no end.

i think they come to england with their chastity belts on and go home fcuking like jack rabbits :)

Yes, well... I'm sure that Wroclaw Boy has personally been teaching manners to all sorts of people and they came out better for it.

Polans sometimes come back more relaxed due to your relaxed, laid back lifestyle. Everyone takes it easy in Britain, you have local newspapers, local radio, football teams and pubs, and that's about it. You don't fret over the politics as much as we do, you're not bombarded with Gazeta Wyborcza and TVN living in a state of permanent catastrophe.

This is what draws people over here, that lack of stress.
This is what makes people not care what job they are in - even if it's 200 pounds per week, at least the petrol is dirt cheap.

Now the manners issue - notice how you wave the yobs away with disdain. They are a problem to us, but you know that they don't represent your country. Well, Poland used to be a nice country, and when the bolshevik times came, it was a shock for everyone. Elders are forever brooding over how those times are bandit times, people are evil etc.

But, of course, when you are treated rudely by a bolshevik in Poland, you assume it was an average Polan. They hurt our reputation - the same as yobs hurt yours (yobs or sales women and shopping assistants who never have the time to answer a question, or cut the fabric unevenly etc)

I'll make a thread of it.

Super comment by Torny :) :) I really think he has a point with this to a certain extent. Sexual would be very low on my list of words associated with Polish women.

Those that went abroad may well be a different story.

Poles that have lived or live abroad are they different?
Yeah they learned to shower :P

hehehe kidding!

They seem to have less dire manners and smile occasionally as opposed to never at all, I guess their driving will have improved slightly too,

It does however **** me off when they moan about the standard of living in the UK having spent 6 months sharing a room with 6 other people and thus thinking they have an insight into how we live.

In britain its not normal to share a room with anyone except your wife or G/F let alone 6 other people.

They change to the worse.

Good points by dnz :) Southern, changed for the worse?? How do you come to that conclusion?

These two comments have to be put together as I am fairly sure RN has never left his Mum's basement, his posts say a lot about him.


That is not the truth for a large part of the new immigrants to Britain.
Also a lot of people emigrated because of economic necessity and if the opportunities were available to them at home they would not have gone, making them home sick.

A lot of non-Polish people in Poland also complain too much for my liking.
But I think that people should make the best of what they have, I dislike moaners from any nationality.

Poles that have lived or live abroad are they different?
I have met a surprising amount of Poles who have returned to Poland from Ireland, as of late.
There is a marked difference in their attitudes and social skills (gift of the gabba :)