How often do you visit Poland?

The times when you visit Poland, is it often?

Its between once a month and 1/2 the time. I went for half because I wish I could :)

I left the Old Country when I was a teen back in the 80's. Ended up in the US. Somehow I never made it back yet, even for a short visit. Today my wife and kids don't even speak Polish, so I think a trip to Poland is going to be unlikely... Maybe some day?

That's sad.

That reminds me of the many Irish men who left here to go to England in the 50s and 60s. They left as young men and grew old in England, left without belonging to anywhere.

You got a wife and kids and from your Brew Day video a good life.

To be blunt, when you emigrate you're playing your last card and it looks like you won:)

Edit: Haven't been to Poland yet but Soon.

does it mean you wouldn't be allowed to integrate or accepted even if you speak the same language (with slightly different accent ) because of your national background? what about Poles? they have to first learn language ( to achieve skill of complete understanding, it takes years ) and after that try to fit in?. Judging by constant crap about them from any possible media, which is no helpful - no chance.

The same fate or even worse than of these Irish from 50s 60s I predict.

I didnt expect a competition.

What I meant was that often the first migrants have a S*it time, their children have less baggage and so on. With the Irish in England, a lot had happy lives but some were lost, belonging to neither land, and its for those people that I feel empathy, Just Ordinary Men who grew old in a foreign land.

youtube.com/watch?v=dsmAMKUIXbE

Ah why did you say that, we could have beaten them ;)


I have lived and worked in England and I have met many Irish people who left Ireland a long time ago who perfectly fit the description 'lost'.

I think many of Christy Moore's songs could be translated to Polish to fit what is happening today, Missing you
youtube.com/watch?v=F8pWCoqxvrA

Splendid and very sad.
I had to go to Spain to find work in the 80s I didnt want to leave the country but had to.
This lost generation as you know is a large part of Irish folklore and sorrow.

I tried once to talk about this Here. Songs of Polish migration must play a large part in collective memory?

Its been going on for a long time

Good idea I will try to have a go.

Not since 2007. Probably wont be until 2011, I just started a new job, and am at the bottom of the vacation selection totem pole.

Excellent, I think it would be really a great idea and really appropriate for what is happening now.
Polish people have taken a lot of the spaces under the bridges in London, it is such a pity.

I frequent a pub in Krakow that plays music, quite often they place traditional Irish music but with Polish lyrics. I think they make the lyrics up on the spot though, as they seldom get past the first verse and also their new lyrics have nothing to do with the original.

Please let us know how you get on :)

That would be great. Do you know of any Polish songs about migration?

Old one but my favorite. Makes me cry every time.

youtube.com/v/XkE6x6Rku-U

After just quick look on YouTube. Beginning is lousy.

youtube.com/v/KSCfqFpf-BA

Barney
our culture in connection with migration was focus more on literature than music. Actually our XIX c literature is based on it, migrations, expulsions. Henryk Siekniewicz wrote a lot about it. like in Latarnik - Lighthouse man -a novel about emigrant to America who worked in Lighthouse, he was old and lonely man who missed very much his old beloved country which was divided by oppressors, he was member of 1831 uprising. One day he received ordered pack of books in Polish , he was reading them with such passion thathe forgot to lit the lamp in lighthouse . That night one ship was shipwrecked because of this. After that he was sacked. This story shows fate of live of emigrant.

There are some others novels by Sienkiewicz about the subject, but they are in Polish.

I can try to get some titles or even authors who wrote on the subject and send you if you like, but later.

Bzibzioh
That Song heavily reminds me of the Christy Moore Song that Sean posted "Missing You".
Its the first Polish song that I have heard about emigration.
We have a saying in Ireland when you have a bit of good luck, we say its like "money from America" ie money sent home.

Any sayings like that in Poland?

derek trotter
Thanks, that is very informative there are so many questions I could ask but I think you could start a separate thread about Polish migration. I think that would be a dinger*.

*Dinger..........Means Very Good

Ha! I haven't used that since I was 11, honestly :)

I get dragged there every Xmas and Easter ( I get no say in it ), plus every 2 months if the miss gets hold of a cheap flight

Im in the same boat but I dont get dragged and I enjoy the time I spend there.

Oh yeah, no doubt about it, Barney. The truth is I never went to visit Poland because I chose not to go. I just took my vacations in other places. Let's be honest here, Poland is not exactly #1 tourist destination place.

So do you expect Poland to be anything like it is depicted on PF? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Of course I am joking, I am sure you know better and talk to Polish people there too.
But I had to ask :)

I expect it to be exactly the same except fewer Jews:)

My friends are at the point where they can buy a flat for cash. They have done the maths and need to stay another 18 months to save enough to refurbish the large but old flat they are in the process of buying.

Of course I have mentioned PF to them and they think I am mad.


I know

dragged there was a bit of a harsh comment, But I do think it was a lot better before the EU

I never went before so cant comment,But where my wife's folks live is quite rural and a little has changed since I started going but I dont see so many Trabants,Fso and Skoda Estelles :-(

Its changed so much in Warsaw in the 6 years i,ve been going, could be anywhere in EU if you block out the nice commie blocks.

as for the superb classic cars,, its just idiots in 4x4s with modile phones stuck to their face in the city center now,, oh well least some of the Trams take you back.

There are a few quirky differences that I would not have expected here.
Even though Ireland and Poland are both predominantly Catholic.
Poland have different customs or rituals.
I thought it was the same all over but for example, they bring a piece of bread, salt, vinegar, eggs, meats, fruits etc in a basket to church to get blessed by the priest on Easter.

Or for Christmas dinner people here brake a white wafer with a depiction of Mary on it, and you eat a little when you greet each person in the room, while making a wish for them, it symbolises sharing of bread.

Just a lot of small things, I always find that going to another country is not about the big things but the small ones.


Excellent, that is how i got started too, you work hard and you save, I respect that.
Sure there is luck involved but some times you make your own.


I can only imagine.

I can't afford holidays anymore. If I had been asked two years ago I would have said I visit more often, say one or more times a year.

No vinegar. Chrzan z buraczkami.


It's called opłatek. And they depict birth of Jesus.

The people I know bring vinegar, great preservative.


A sure Mary was there too :)

Yes, it’s the small things that are important. In every country I have been to what surprised me (I dont know why) was the similarities between people if you are observant you see these differences.

The salt and bread thing
I have read about that here. The first time I heard of this tradition was watching The World at War narrated by Laurence Olivier on TV as a teenager. He mentions that traditional gift of welcome in Eastern Europe, it always stayed with me.

I spoke to one of my Polish friends about this and she produced a small piece of wafer from her purse.

Working hard and saving for your goal is important these people save every penny they have. Its quite a shock and humbling to hear a big man tell you that he never expected to own a motorbike, he was smiling like a dog with two *****.

What I like is that these people had the guts to up sticks and make the most of what was offered.