Venezuela is voted happiest place to live ,Poland?

I offer these questions for who have visited Poland only as compared to other places one may have visited.
1. Are polish people rude?
2. Do Polish smile often?
3. Are Polish people less compasionate?
4. Are polish people forgiving?
5. Are Polish people too serious?
6. Do you feel honesty and trust when meeting them?

believe it or not ;P

Are you out to drive me up the wall?


I don't understand this.


I don't understand this.


This is the only bit i do understand, they are loaded questions.
I will change them when I get my meds Mr.Indiana USA

NURSE!?! GET MY MEDS!?!

No


If there be a reason...


I think it depends on the person :)


Actually everything depends on people... but my opinion on this one: NO.


Yes...simply


meeting whom? myself? :D

On the street yes. Very VERY rude. One-on-one not at all, the complete opposite actually.


not on the street.


no


as individuals it depends on the Pole, as a nation, well who should they be forgiving to?


the women seem a tad too 'umbrella-up-the-ass' like.


honesty, trust? I don't trust anyone.

Poland is the horniest place to live.

Don't bring goats into it lad ;)

Greece is nr 1
askmen.com/top_10/travel_200/237c_travel_top_ten.html

Poland is nr 5
askmen.com/top_10/travel_200/237b_travel_top_ten.html

Don't tell me things I already know.However taking into account the appearance of polish women,polish men should wear kilts or clothes like the Arabs to cover the results.

Having such president lie Czavez :-) Of course they are smiling nation!

Some are, some are not. Just like anybody else.


See above


Towards others I don't know, towards themselves they are compassionate.


Net. Well... I don't know yet if this unforgiveness, government's policy, or kinda fashion.


I've seen few Poles in my life, thus can't say anything.

Ok, I don't know why but I have been thinking about this thread, I am not Polish at all but I live here and I find the questions flawed, I felt somehow defensive about these cultural misunderstanding as if it were my own culture, just an observation, I must be "fitting in".

1. Are polish people rude?
It is difficult to answer this, I am serious, different cultures put different emphases on what politeness is. I will attempt an explanation, In Poland it is considered rude to speak a laud (unless among friends), so when someone (Irish or American) talk loud it would be considered rude to a pole and if someone is rude, you'll be rude back. Know what I mean?

(I used American and Irish because I think we are the loudest).

2. Do Polish smile often?
Again I would have to say there is a cultural difference. Polish people do not smile with their mouths much but they smile with their eyes, if you can pick up this subtle difference you will see they smile a lot.

3. Are Polish people less compasionate?
I am not a 100% on what you mean here, are Cambodians any more or less compassionate than Ecuadorians? Maybe you mean passionate? and again who do you compare them to? Latinos? Japanese?.

4. Are polish people forgiving?
Masks98 put it best.


5. Are Polish people too serious?
About certain things, I think so but I would say that Irish people are too serious about certain issues and not serious enough about others.

A very good article I read recently was about the breaking away from communism and how the older generation had to fight so hard for their freedoms that now all they know is how to fight. In comparison to Ireland politics is not too serious and in comparison to America (where it seems to be 'just another' talk show) yes.

6. Do you feel honesty and trust when meeting them?
Is this a silly question? I understand that some of the second generation Poles in America hear bad things from their Grandparents but these are different times, desperate people do desperate things, now Poland is doing better as regards to work, economically and even politically.

I will put it this way I have never felt under threat here. I know there are some threads about being attacked but even they say it could've happened anywhere, no?.

These questions were very loaded, almost expecting a negative answer. It could of course just be me. But they read to me like Poland is a rude, unforgiving, miserable, dangerous place, isn't it? (expecting an agreeable answer). Again it could just be me taking offence for some strange reason or more than likely I am loosing the plot.

Although I found these questions interesting.
I do find cultural differences and misunderstandings and they should be discussed more, so good post!.

Exactly my point and I do appreciate you diving in to this. I read so much on PF sometimes towards the negative. It makes one wonder why visit the place at all. Of course the only way to solve the question is to visit first hand and vist a broad range of people over over time One would have to back pack Poland to know. I put this example to you. In the US, If you are riding your bike in the country, there is a high possibility of some idiot throwing something at you from their car, what is the possibility of this happening in Poland High or low. In the US farm country , people are warm to inviting you in there home. Are Polish farmers similiar for the most part?

have you even been to Poland ?It would be a good start to see what is real and what is perceived.

Many people in Poland think that Germans are rude or they simply don't like the nation for one reason or another. I spend some time in Germany and I had one of the best times in my life, because we related to each other as people.

Polish farmers, hmm, I don't think they'd invite u in so easily, especially as a foreigner. This is not Canada where people march on in and grab a beer from ur fridge.

Polish drivers don't throw anything at u from their cars. Well, not in my exp anyway and I've cycled quite extensively in the countryside.

At least they don't just march into ur house like in Japan. There was a meter checking man who just waltzed on in without knocking. I was a bit taken aback, I could've been naked or doing sth intimate.

Venezuela may have the feelgood factor, I thought Colombia would've tipped them to that position with all the cocaine that gets passed around. Just kidding ;)

Zero, I have never even heard of that.
Would the driver not be afraid that if the bicyclist caught up with him in a petrol/gas station, that the cyclist would knock three lumps of shtuff out of him? That would drive me bonkers. Do they do that just for "fun"? and what kind of stuff do they throw? beer cans of bottles?.


I like America a lot but would the same farmers invite you in the homes, if you were black or Arab Muslim?. I do not want to turn this in to a black/Mulim/white thing but my point is that Polish farmers would see you as a foreigner, know what I mean? Times they are a changing.

I would say this, in Ireland I have many "friends" and some good friends. In Poland they seem to cut out the jokers and just have fewer friends but good friends.

It is too easy to look at the negatives of life, come over scratch the surface and I am sure you will be delighted!.

My plan has been discovered.


Now we are talking possibilities?


They do it for fun and I have professional cycle friends that have been annoyed by this. One was injured by a fishing pole once. I very much would like to cycle in a country that would not do such a thing. Remeber many americans also cary guns so stopping them at the gas station could be risky.

Ah ha! good point.
Cycling is a fantastic was to see a country. Come up with a rough plan and maybe PF could point out liitle diamonds in the rough, I recommend Krakow and south to the mountains and forrest. I can be much more discriptive, if you like?

---

Back on topic, I have notice that Americans and Irish will brag about how great we are doing (even if it is not entirly true). Were Poles will brag about how difficult their life is (even if it is not entirly true) ha ha, it is the same thing, except exactly opposite.

Also About Happy Poland, I have this to add.
I have to talk about Ireland in relation to Poland because since joining the E.U. both thier economies have shot up, unemployment is down, things are going very well for the majority of people in both countries.

So it annoys me when people talk about how Ireland or Poland has lost it's true character and how people were happier, friendlier and things were better when foreigners came to visit.

The truth is they were visiting and things were shite, unemployment in both countries, Dublin in 1989 was the Heroin capital of Europe (per capita) it was a very bad state of affairs altogether.

Now things are going well foreigners complain, as if we should be poor and not have toilets and dance around them. HHhhmmm

sure, but some Americans take their "freedom" to the extreme as you have stated.

Go to Poland and see for yourself. Looking for stereotypical answers on PF is just a way a stirring up people when nothing else is happening on the farm.

Very good point. I couldn't arsed to answer the questions since they have all been asked time and time again.........

I enjoyed Poland, no culture shock and the people were nothing out of the ordinary with regards to manners and the way the acted towards people.

The answer to this is never. I arrived by train once in Poland and there were lots of people, all of themn Polish looking down from a railways carriage. One of them said, "look, he must be foreign, he looks happy!"

Thank you and I will put something together for next year. Maybe some PF mebers would like to make a group of it?
I would like to add the following to this thread. When one goes out in their wonderful country on a bike tour and it becomes unpleasant. This person is going t o have questions on the nex trip they plan in a completely foreign country as Poland. In college a few years ago I was biking a several hundred mile trip in Texas with my african girlfriend. Nothing was thrown at us and as a whole it was a good time. She was beautiful and looked good on the bike yet there were still occasional words from vehicles that made us a bit uncomfotable. I realize this kind of situation could happen in any country and one has to look at the whole of it. I do wish to travel where there is less of it. I like stopping at farms and discussing things with them. In the US this is easy and most are friendly as a whole very inviting no matter what the race of the person is or that they are a foreigner. I do not wish to feel like an intruder. In the city it may be totally different, but when on the road where not many people are arround it is imperitive to feel comfortable with one's surroundings.

IMO many people here work hard to give Poland bad name (on this forum).

Poland is very hospital country for guests, Poles don't smile as much as americans but hospitality is natural not calculated. I agree that on the street Poles try to avoid each other and don't touch other people. I like it very much ;) In pesonlal contacts Poles are much more open.

You are very rude. Get out.

Please avoid conflict on this thread. Just for once ignore and hold tongue please GRZ. Miranda is right too many times and this time It would be nice to prove her wrong.


Why would anyone want to give their own home country a bad name? This worries me that there are many like this . Hopefully not! The truth should prevail . That i s most important to all.

No.


Only when you buy from their shop and then not always.


No.This is absurd.


No.But catholics or protestants do not forgive.Orthodox forgive.


No.They are very loose.


Yes.But again absurd.

I am ? OK. About what?

If youre an American or of caucasian decent, Venezuela is the last place you would
want to live unless you can afford a bodyguard.
Businessmen are constantly being kidnapped and held for ransom, its not a place
where you would want to walk into the wrong neighborhood that for sure!

That Hugo Chavez isnt exactly friendly twoards Americans, and with all the civil unrest, a war could break out at anytime.

I cant see how it could be the happiest place to live?
Unless youre a rich Venezuelian

FYI

huh? ShawnB had some good comments.