Polish vs British vs American - Clash of cultures

And look what it got them: oblivion. he same fate may be awaiting the Anglos who seem to have an aversion to other languages.

Eating out isn`t as popular in Poland as in UK or US. Poles prefer traditional home cooking. Especially that most Polish wives/mothers/lovers are good or even excellent cooks, unlike in other countries.

Of course, financial differences also play matter - eating at home is much cheaper.

Polish way: Poland dinner
UK/US way:

I doubt Jaroslaw Kaczynski is used to eating in such environments, to be fair...look at his face, that's a man that's used to the good life ;)

delphiandomine
Knajpiarstwo may be 'the good life' to expats and other aliens incapable of feeling, savouring and understanding the real Poland!

Must have been a shock for those foreigners used to their nomeklatura lifestyle in Poland to suddenly adjust to the new reality of having to earn their way fairly, don't you think?

I imagine the ending of all those subsidised perks in exchange for supporting the regime really hurt some people.

What's interesting is that Jaroslaw clearly doesn't want to be there as well. Can't you see the look of contempt in his face? That's not a man that's used to eating at home, or indeed having to eat cheap food in a cramped environment.

Next one to go silly, off- topic and personal gets a ban. Starting in 5 minutes.

Continuing the topic of eating out:


Dinner politicians Poland




Entrance to new Nobu Malibu - Note the two gorgeous Ferraris parked there.

huffingtonpost.com/jay-weston/nobu-malibu-may-be-hottes_b_1831460.html

Family meet-ups had nothing in common with the nomenklatura. On the contrary, they involved a cross-section of generations from amongst family and close friends and were the antithesis of vodka-laced peer-group booze-ups by red, pig-faced commies.

Merged: Reddit about Poland and UK

There is today popular topic in reddit written by Pole who says what surprised him in UK. Somebody commented opposite - what surprised him in Poland:

I'm pretty sure I've read much of that before somewhere, but maybe I'm wrong.

There are many truisms there but the tattoos thing isn't -- lots of young Wrocław women DO have tattoos or temporary tattoos. I don't like them and would never want one, least of all on the back of my neck or above my buttocks, thanks very much.

The thing with change is insane. What do they do with it when the till is full? Long ago I learned to have my loose change ready in my hand so the cashier could just pick out whatever she wanted. Now if everyone did that, the queues would be shorter, but people seem surprised when the the check-out girl asks them for the odd change. Why? They've been asked the same question every day of their lives.

He forgot to mention tinned fish in grocers' fridges. What's that all about?

Ha ,ha where I was reading it 'what surprised me in Poland'- One comparison made me smile- bacon sandwiches- it is so BRITISH ( american too?).

In my previous job ( upmarket Legal company) daily training session in hotel - and surprise, surprise what welcomes you after arrival- bacon sandwich and cofffee.

In Europe you would get small ,smart open sandwich, sweet roll, croissant..maybe tiny canape.....

Why would I want greasy bacon sandwich first thing in the morning???

In the Riddle thread we mentioned the coffin portrait art popular in past Poland.

https://polishforums.com/travel/poland-photo-riddles-25380/67/#msg1676588

The tradition is still present today though it evolved a little - pictures of the deceased are placed on gravestones. My rough estimate is about 20% graves in Poland display a photo, and the trend is getting more popular when I look at new burial sites.

How about American and British cemeteries?

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We have the same in Ireland, though the pics on the gravestones are usually quite small.

Because it is the perfect breakfast.......... :-)

Add to the bacon sandwich a fried egg and sausage and you're in heaven......

a good bacon sandwich is not "greasy" and is delicious. a far better way to start the day than with horrible French 'croissants' (a roll made of air and flat crumbs,,,mmmm ok)

Yes, I've seen them here too, but in gardens of remembrance more than on actual graves. I would say that more people are cremated in the UK rather than buried, probably due to higher costs. Space will eventually become a problem too.

@rozumiemnic
Nothing wrong with bacon sandwiches but not first thing in the morning for me:-).

Those pics I showed are also small, about 8-10 cm high.

As for cremation, it is indeed a necessity in the UK.

But it came to my mind to mention another clash of cultures between Poland and other Western countries. Here, people visit cemeteries not only on All Saints` Day on 1 November but also on other occassions, namely:

- before 1 November to tidy up for the holiday]
- after 1 November, to tidy up after the holiday
- at Easter time
- at Christmas time
- on the anniversary of death]
- on the birthday of the deceased

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  Easter
  
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  Easter
  
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  Christmas
  

Pawian, one strange thing for me was seeing... I don't even know how to call it, like "ready made grave" - you'd have the family name there, some poem, but no-one was actually dead yet or buried there.

Yes, a ready made grave, as you call it, I saw it a few times, 10 years ago I thought it was a bit extravagant, today I know that the owners want to prepare the place before they are gone so that nobody changes their concept how it should look like. You know how some people can be really pedantic. :)

It is just another example of Polish familiarity with the issue of burial/ cemetery/ death etc.

See below - names and birth dates only:

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Exactly that! It's absolutely awful and not something I'd ever consider doing :(

Well, because you are still young and don`t think about the end. But when you get closer to it, then it won`t be controvercial anymore. :):) The owners of the grave were 64 when they had the initial inscriptions made.

Of course it all depends on your outlook.
Me personally?
I don't care.
I'll be dead.

@delphiandomine

That ready made grave just seems like tempting fate to me, not what I would want!

Yes, but one can be die a rogue or a decent person, and that makes a difference,. Milo, it is high time you corrected your sinful ways and become decent. :)


Let`s not be supersticious. It is just a common sense combined with practicallity. :)

Never!
Once a sinner always a sinner!!! :-)
I am an old school Rocker, did all the wild and bad stuff when I was young.....calm and sensible now with responsibilities and grandchildren.

But when I die, I will still be dead.
So,no, I don't care...... :-)

Aah, those guys were called Rowdies back then... :)

I have just looked through the whole thread and feel like crying over the Paradise Lost. Those were golden times..... And posters could quote at will and not get warnings. Shall it ever come back?

The following topics were discussed, either initiated by the OP or other posters, grouped in the order of appearance. I need this list not to repeat the same stuff.

Polish and English symbolicism in films
Polish vs British fishing customs
Polish vs Western religious life
Polish homogeneity vs Western racial diversity
Warsaw underground system vs Western ones
Polish Santa Clause on 6th December
Polish mushroom hunting customs
Polish prudery vs British shamelessness
Polish must vs English must
English language vs French language
Polish women vs Western women
Polish partyning vs British partying
Polish boczek vs British bacon
Polish home cooking vs Western home cooking
Polish ready made dishes vs Western ready made dishes
Polish All Saints` Day vs Western Halloween
Polish live fish sale vs Western live fish sale
Polish Pan/Pani vs Western Mr/Mrs
Polish gynaecologist visits vs Western
Polish rodent poison vs British rodent poison
Polish winter vs British winter
Polish flat room number vs British
Polish birthday and nameday celebration
Polish reserve vs Western snitching
Polish field landscape vs Western one
Polish dead veneration vs British one
Polish fermented diary
Polish overweight vs Western obesity
Polish home meals vs Western eating out
Polish burial customs

Dairy, of course.