UK, Ireland / Memorial garden in London and Douglas Scotland [11]

The Polish soldiers who came to Scotland during WW2 to carry on the fight against the Nazis were particularly noted for their great courage and the deeds they performed on the battlefield. I went to school with a number of friends who had Polish surnames, this was long before the influx of immigration post EU border relaxation, I can only assume their grandparents stayed here after the war.

We owe a great debt to these men and women, both Polish and Scottish and they should always be remembered.

UK, Ireland / Culture shock (my neighbours in the UK are Polish and Slovak) [88]


I find it funny that you equate this to "superficial friendless", the truth is that in Britain, we don't relate this stuff to friendliness at all, to us it is simply "good manners" and the correct way to present yourself to others. Believe me, not everyone does it and generally we associate people who don't say "please, thank you or could you, may I, etc." as being chavs, low class or scummy.

I know for a fact that if I pause to hold a door open for someone and they don't offer a simple "thank you", then it annoys me and I perceive that person as ignorant. Although I appreciate that one language doesn't directly translate to another language, I think for the purpose of integrating into British society, you should be mindful of these things and you will find living in the UK a lot easier. If someone says "nice to meet you" at the start of a conversation, say "hi" and repeat it back or simply say "you too". You have now politely introduced yourselves to each other.

I find this thread really interesting because some of the responses in the thread come across as bizarre to me, for example

** being British (Scottish) I can easily tell that the OP is British simply from characteristics in her posts but some of the Non-Brits here have openly questioned her authenticity.

** This shows a classic example of what many British nationals, particularly those who take the Daily Fail as gospel fear from immigration, that they will suddenly be surrounded by a completely different culture to their own in their own country ... and also what the Polish view of this is.

Some of the responses I have read have been terrible, one suggested that she "should stick to her own kind" while another made the comment "why should the neighbours learn English when all they're here to do is work and earn money", if that is the attitude you adopt, then don't be surprised by an increasing resentment towards the Polish community.

No good can come of this sticking to your own, refusing to learn the language (however rudimentary) of the country you choose to live in, not adapting to the new environment and effectively ghettoising the Polish people. People in ANY country will quickly grow to resent this.