you have a point there, however I wouldn't use a word "lazy" - they are just more comfortable and don't have to prove anything, also they don't have to fight for survival, as their parents did. I am much more "ambitious" in comparison to my born in Canada cousins and sometimes it causes missunderstadings and conflicts. I am also more resilient due to hardship, although I don't know if that's good sometimes.
It might be something to do with their education. I was in Poland once and went for a day trip across the border to the Czech Republic-totally different story! Like one hundred years advanced on Poland. If any country from the former 'East' will make it in the E.U. it will be the Czech Republic-almost like an East European Austria, mdern and clean. I was a student in Russia a long time ago and I can tell you that a lot of East European degrees are probably not worth much some people were writing a few hundred pages to get a Phd. I do not know if these pieces of paper are valid in England or not though.
Hi there, first of all like me tell you a bit about ,myself....My family were invited to come to England back in the late 50's, It was after the second world war and Britain asked people in its commonwealth to come to the "Mother land" to help build up the infrastructure. My family are from the Caribbean- and when they came to england- like many Polish women and men- they where cleaners. My Nan worked in Old peoples home- and many of the old people there were white and made it difficult for many blacks to do their job-i.e Racism. In fact all 4 grandparents were cleaner.
But today after many years in England- they all own their own home here and in the Caribbean- and that was from cleaning money!!!!
What Im trying to say is that you may have to start at the bottom- but it gets better. Today you see alot of people Black,Asians, Eastern Europeans that are in good jobs like Finance,IT and Banking.
As for our southern neighbors - they are nice, peaceful people, who try to refrain from any blood spills, and battles, conflicts or struggles if possible. Nation who emerged from the austro-hungarian era unscathed and more beautiful. It found itself in a byt of trouble in 68, but after that as one Czech said on some tv documentary seen last year, "decided to use its superior intelligence to fight the communism, not like other European countries - jumping and fighting". Took them ONE week to achieve what we "not so intelligent" Poles fought for, since the soviets filled the power vacuum , as the front line moved west. (hope u understand it )
When the Russian entrapment took place, my dad born in 1921 was in Germany (since 1940) working in one of his many force labour camps. I will never forget his stories, how that news made them cry. When I was only little he said to me "one day our eagle will get its crown back, I will not live to see it but you will". Dad died in dec 88 from lung complications, one of the many health problems he acquired during his years in a camp, where in winter they slept under the sky using body heat to keep themselves warm in minus temp. About midnight they would walk for 2hr to the kitchen to receive the daily food - some bread and soup - they never look at the food distributor, not to "upset" him, hoping he will plunge the ladle for some solids, but it never happened - there was no solids for them.
Dad wasn't well, but he never complained, never considered seeking war compensation, he would say I don't wont to be paid for my pain, let it be my humble gift to my country, I wasn't here to do more. He was part of the lost generation so well described by Norman Davies in Rising'44
My mother at the age of 8 helped her parents look after Jewish family of three for over a year. My grandmother now 102 years old would do it again. Her words -"it das not worry me what they say about us, I know I saved lives. Everyone around kept Jews at home, one German raid and all would go against the wall.... but we didn't think about it."
We are an ordinary average polish family, like many others - and this is part of my little story
