My first impressions of Poland, long time ago

They always say that your first impressions of a country stay with you forever.
Some things I remember from my first few trips to Poland in 1989-1990: (to the Wałbrzych area)
- The peculiar smell of browncoals used for heating
- Had to change at the border per day in my visa 36 DM into (then) pretty worthless zlotys
- The currency - the banknotes of 1 million zloty printed on that cheap paper
- Had to exchange again DM for "diesel coupons" at Orbis - to fill up my tank. Later my enterprising (as all Poles that era) future father-in-law "arranged" me diesel from another source :)

- The bookshops where you were obliged to take a plastic basket even when you just wanted to browse. And browsing was in any case not possible because all books were kept under lock and you had to ask for them - from these formidable shop ladies :)

- The restaurants, where all items also mentioned their weight. Did they actually check this in the kitchen?
- And at wedding parties (including ours) that cheap sweet Russian bubbly wine - Ikryztoje or something like that?
- The CPN gas stations

Just a few impressions from a long time ago :)

Pan Sobieski mial trzy pieski: szary, bury i niebieski. :)

czerwony, zielony, niebieski! ;)

?????
We have a 15-year old cat called Nitek :)

My first memory of Poland was in Pyrzowice and landing at the airport. I met my loopy boss there and I can remember going to the wrong side of the car (being British n'all). As in any initiation, I went for beer and enjoyed the way that the Poles interacted. I remember thinking that this was going to be quite an adventure. I also remember being impressed with the butchers here. In Britain, we tend to stick to Lincolnshire skinless sausages and don't have the variety that you have here. The wędliny (cold cuts), despite stories of it going downhill, also impressed me. Finally, the women jumped out at me for their beauty. However, like the Japanese experience, the novelty wore off and, although I see pretty girls on the go, I see them differently (not to mention that I'm married and tend not to look anymore anyway).

Overall, my first impressions of Poland were very good. It was the same as Japan in that there was so much to discover. A little less given the cultural similarities but eye opening nonetheless.

rather ignorant... you didn't check it out before you came...


yes, thank you for pointing this out again and again and again...

I knew it, pgtx, but it became so instinctive and I was tired after the flight.

It's important as a behaviour-changing step, pgtx, wouldn't you say?

Anyway, my first impressions were positive :)

well, i'm glad that you don't get in to the car through its trunk...

I know you wrote it because of the first poster's screen name but what does this mean? I understand what it says but is this a kids' song or something else?


Trunk? I think they call them boots in Queen's Country. :)

Pan Sobieski miał trzy pieski,
czerwony, zielony, niebieski.
Raz, dwa, trzy,
po te pieski idziesz ty.

that's a rhyme for kids...

Wow, I'll have to ask my mom why I've never heard it before? Feel cheated... :)

when i arrived here in 91 i was struck by a number of things.

the video exchange: outside, and all the latest movies... before they were released in the cinema.

audio cassettes sold on the streets, in kiosks and a couple of record shops... all fake. sometimes the music didn't match the label.

Sky tv: when the code changed you simply took the card to that 'special person' and an hour later you were watching tv again. we used to have channel 5 here when my mother couldn't get it in her hilly part of england.

i remember the first Levi store and mcdonalds opening in wroclaw. and the first guy to sell dr martens boots.

there was also the russian markets where you could by the strangest things.

and the next were less positive?


Me neither heard that.

In many places they still have it like this.

Some were less positive, yes, but any sane person would say the same. Some Poles are masters of delusion. They trick or are conditioned into believing absolute drivel about their country. Still, let them be! I prefer to see the good sides of things and there are many.

My first impressions were positive in the main but time changes things. I'm still fairly positive but some here could make watching potatoes grow appear exciting.

So what thinks bother you? and how to change it, to make Poland less boring place? ;)

What you must bear in mind, Zeti, and I've stressed it several times is that I live in Gliwice. Gliwice is not Kraków, Wrocław or any other big city over 400,000 people. I'm not saying it is Poland that is boring. Gliwice sorts are overly conservative and that must be borne in mind.

pmsl

This sounds just like a Polish version of Hong Kong's Chungking Mansion LOL :)

Did they offer you "copy Rolex" or "copy Armani bag" as well? :)

ok but in Scotland you also have small towns and still ppl can bear living in such places... In other words what entertaiment Gliwice is lacking of? More pubs? more dicos? more cinemas? maybe some active way of spending time? (quads? go-cards? horse riding? ;) I live in Lodz a more than 700 000 citizen place and I also find it quite boring place.

It's just the aura of the place, Zeti. It does have entertainment options but who has time for those? ;) It needs some bite :)

you? ;D Well if you give up PF then you will have plenty of time :)

Most people who live in small places tend to either commute to larger cities so get the best of both worlds or they are happy to stay in their little bubbles and know no different.

My experience as a tourist (3 visits to Poland) was very positive, nice clean place and in general the people were polite..Most of all, as a female I felt safer there than I do in England (I mean in city centres in the UK, where I live I have no issues about walking home from a friends late at night)...

I prefer other forms of entertainment ;)

... I prefer to watch this lovely Polish-German woman, Natalia Avelon. From Wrocław, my fave place in Poland :)

but his Gliwice is nearby Katowice which is not such a hole. He also have realtively short drive to Kraków.


Yes its funny quite that in Poland women are safer than men.

Gliwice is not a hole, no. Just a bit lacking in pep :(

Have I already told you that you are a mystery for me? :)


what's pep?

pep-energy, excitement, wigor, werwa

Nothing quite like being enigmatic ;)

Pep is like with bursts of energy :)

Sounds like you rescued a polish woman from poverty.

since when is Katowice not a dump? lol