Its strange that there arent many Poles who live in the UK on this Forum

'Up north' meaning Newcastle or Scotland? We'd say lass or lassie too in that case.

Sean, i can't help but mention that i had the exact same reaction when discussing with English people! it seems that common knowledge is black magic to them, but then maybe it's just some people here who learn all they know from the television... they're good banter, but to discuss anything deeper than soaps, football (it's astonishing how much women in this country know about football by the way) or gossip, you can expect them to lose interest very quickly. and as for gossip, geeze you just can't tell anyone anything here, otherwise all the office/company will know the next day. so i'm not in love with the Brits, i see the flaws. i did alienate myself at work like that a bit after some of my personal stuff has been passed on a few times, i speak in Polish to my friend and i know it's a bit rude sometimes but i keep a healthy balance and chat in English too, just nothing too personal ;). i just really dislike the feeling i have to watch what i'm saying with some people.


i agree that many Poles find it difficult to think outside of the box, open up to new ideas and new people. some are very natural at it and blend in almost instantly, but a lot of them refuse to mix and only stick with other Polish people and act like they don't realise they are in a foreign country. when i first moved here, the Polish people i lived with basically denied me the right to hang out with English people, because us Poles are supposed to stick together. they made it impossible for me to invite any friends over, and when i finally had enough and announced i'm moving out, they made it hell and my English friend who was going to help me get my stuff out was threatened that if he steps into the house they will beat up both him and me. and they meant it. i've been through a lot of crap in my life but this definitely took the biscuit.


does this one cancel all of it out ha ha. i like talking to English people but the ones i work with are a nightmare!

As in Yorkshire.

Not as North as some :-)

OMG what sort of people were they?! I've known a few idiots in my time, but what you describe here is almost too good to be true ;-)

too good or too bad ;)? i'm serious, they're an odd bunch. they were all related so i'd stick out like a sore thumb, especially that i was really interested in getting to know the people and the country i just moved to. i know a lot of horror stories like mine, seems like you should try to avoid other Polish people when it comes to accomodation and work! someone i know told me the Polish people he lived with (he's Polish too) owned the washing machine in the flat and they always had priority to use it, so even if he chucked his load in on a quick wash, they made a point of stopping it, taking his wet half washed clothes out and sticking a few of their garments in that weren't exactly dirty :)

This forum is not Polish, its not moderated by Polish people, it contains a small Polish minority, its basically a foreigner forum where foreign people discuss Poland.

The sites name is totally false.

I know this is totally off topic, but can't resist. I have had this happen to me, and a friend of mine in a different house-share, in this case the flatmates were definitely NOT of the Polish persuasion - so this I guess would be more of an international trick ;-) I'm SO glad to be living independently now! Overall I think the very idea of sharing a house or flat beyond a certain age (like when people are still studying) is sick and wrong, and really brings out the absolutely worst in people. I sometimes thought I could murder certain individuals for the things they'd done! Ranging from using my kitchen utensils to throwing my freshly washed and dried laundry on the dirty floor so they could hang up theirs :-(((

Yorkshire, aha :)

Perhaps, Justy, but I have to say that Brits have been open to more influences for a long time now. Still, Poles are travelling more and more so that augurs well for the future.

I agree that too many are obsessed with gossiping about celebs. Britain is stagnant when it comes to tv, the same old sh*te every year unfortunately. If I see Wogan or Ant&Dec on tv this Xmas, I will have to fork out for a new tv set for my parents ;) ;)

weird...this sounds so...indian...lol...i expect people from the sub continent to do these sorta things. They move all over the world(and breed i mean look at the population ;-D ) and never mix with the communkities in which they live, never learn the language(atleast they try and avoid it as much as possible) and and always hate the the culture and point out how superior theirs is. They prohibit their kids from playing with local kids and ******* amazing really..i grew up in sydney and after a while all indian kids stopped hanging out iwth me because i had aussie freinds and thei mums told them not to play with me. never imagined poles would do the same...funny actually.

i have a feeling that this happens when they get a feeling of inferiority which leads to them behaving this way.

the same came to my mind. About these Poles, most of them have no education whatsoever, work on fields, or chicken, meat factories, stick to their own, live ghettoized life, breed as hell ( all these young muumies on flight to Poland and back ), claiming every possible benefit, watch Polish sattelite tv Polsat or canal+. List can go on and on.

Lol. I have sky so i get a better choice of crap :-)

I know what you mean about Ant and Dec though.


Indeed a very snowy Yorkshire.

and its not just about the poles, its about every foreigner from the 'third world' who settles in the west. poles might do it a bit more for some unapparent reason(from what i read ofcourse i have no personal experience) but i really think the chinese take the cake on that particular issue.

"A better choice of crap", I like that. A bit like Roger Waters on one of the songs in The Wall. "I have 40 channels of sh*t on my tv to choose from".

And&Dec are just jumped-up little farts. They should have had their day by now.

Good point made last, other groups don't integrate much either and I know them. The Indians and Chinese really section themselves off in their own communities. Comparing them to Poles is foolish. Poles are much more sociable.

There is a nice Chinese joke but maybe only the resident Scots will get it. I hope more do. Here it goes:

A Scotsman walks into a Chinese carryout (take away/to go). Upon entering, the Chinese man audibly says to the Scotsman 'watch awa?'. The Scotsman, having already decided, orders a foo yung (omelette) and proceeds to sit down with his back to the wall. He spots some paint on the back of his jacket and remonstrates to the Chinese man (he is angry). 'Fit's is, en?' (what's this then?). The Chinese man retorts simply, 'a tow you to watch awa'.

I wonder who gets this without further help or translation :)

I think there is more to it that you let us know.


what is to you? jealous? ******* w****!

Is the second word 'witch', Ironside? I like this guessing game :)

i wouldnt really know about polish habits when they immigrate but wen people live abroad hey tend to stick together...it gives them a feeling of...security??

the problem with asians(general outlook) is that they really think of themselves to be more superior than the westerners...i have never met more racist people than indians(they really are they funniest people to observe)...but one thing which really bugs me about the poles in poland is their absolute rejection of english as a language. first few days here were a nightmare. it took an hour to buy tram tickets. I mean, someone has to realise that wether u like it or not, u cant survive in this world without speaking english(atleast basics) nobody wants poles to be like shakespeare but even in warsaw very few people speak english...gotta admit tho, krakow is wayyyy better...i even met one of the beggars(they want money for piwo) speaking to me in english..i gave him 5 zloty juts because of that :-D


watch it man...that crown belongs to the indians and chinese and not to the poles ;-)

yes that's a fact, you lot are much more laid back and always happy to try something new, even if you do follow the gossip on tv and at your workplace a bit too much ;).


same here :). i just don't watch all them soaps, strictly come dancing, dancing on ice and rubbish like that. didn't even watch the x-factor this year because they screwed up my favourite bit - the auditions. call me silly but i loved all the random weirdos who thought they could sing ;D


yeah it seemed a bit that way, at first they might've been protective towards me (i was still only 19 at the time). it was hell, going back home to that lot was like going for an exam that you've not revised for.


ha ha like what? you have no idea what it was like, i've been spied on, bad mouthed and threatened with court, police, violence and you name it when i didn't act the way they expected me to. they broke into my room, nicked my stuff and made me sign a paper saying i forgo my share of the deposit on the flat (i got it all back on the grounds i've been threatened and bullied and had witnesses). i never had any dodgy people round, never damaged anything in the house, i was hardly ever there by the end of it because i was so scared. so don't tell me there was more to it because i can't imagine what someone would have to do to make me to treat them the way i've been treated.

You need to go to an English school, plenty spoken there :)

thank whichever god u pray to u werent living with an arab family...things wud be way more interesting then lol (no offense to arabs ofcourse) ;-p

you should try speak English in Berlin!


close enough :)

I have a lotta freinds from there and they seem to be able to speak it just fine...and i have some freinds who live ther(dnt speak german) and seem to get by just fine...

Tried to speak my very basic German (ordering beer etc) there and was nearly always answered back in English.

thats what everybody but ironside told me...speaking english is no problem in germany

It's frustrating when that happens, but remember the waiters don't have much time to be patient. They appreciate your efforts speaking German, but at the end of the day are just interested in serving you quickly.

True enough jonni.


Ironside is quite a disagreeable fellow i think Raj :-)

Did they speak English?
What was your relation to them?
Did you try to get along with them or you being 19 said you are not my parents -**** off, I'm only living here.
You see social interaction, dynamic is basically two ways track.
I'm not justifying their behavior in anyway but "normal" people can start acting "funny" for a reason and "reason" could be as simple as misunderstanding of intension and/or expectations.

haha lol..great makes this so much more interesting..if everybody starts agreeing...no fun

Well, I was told in German that when I come to Germany I should speak German as he is in his country and doesn't speak English and something about Englander - anyway that is gist of it!:)

Ah Don't know about Germany it was in Berlin next to The Kempinski Hotel.


and **** you too:D

Quite the opposite my dear fellow!:P

good point

About speking English in Germany or France, if you try to speak their native language, they recogise your effort most of the time ( young or middle generation ) and speak you back in English :)

If you try to force them an idea that they have to speak English you will get what you deserve - dumb face ( nice try by the way )