Hey, Nice Airport Wrocław! Or! Day #1 for an American Ex-Pat in Poland.

Nooooo, lookit, there's a major scuff on the toe.



Bonus Footage: My adorbs Euro-Sized fridge (which is actually a lot bigger than one that was here prior):



And the remains of our mediocre to goodish Thai food:



And I'll tell ya something weird about the tv; one of the channels is a view from a cctv camera stationed right outside the front lobby. You can look at who's coming and going. It's like a meth house in Vegas. Very strange.

You are in Europe, we have a hard on for CCTV .

Jason, re your photo, some Beko fridges in official fire warning:
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2284119/Beko-accused-dragging-feet-faulty-goods-company-linked-ELEVEN-deaths.html

and some Bosch and other dishwashers:
telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/9933927/Bosch-half-a-million-dishwashers-that-catch-fire-still-being-used.html

Good looking out, man; but this thing is so small I doubt if I couldn't stamp out any resultant fires with my feet.

I feel sorry for homeless people, I know some homeless folk and I wouldn't be making fun of them this way. Those who are better off should help instead of talking like that about them.

Just checked the forecast for Southern Dolnoslakie and man its cold over there, you have -17 coming in on Saturday night........ohh crap. Thats nasty.

I'd rather be dead. But I don't think it's gonna get that bad. Then again, it was supposed to be over 11 C yesterday, and... it was 0. So.

LAWL.... heh! I am roooough on my shoes..that is day one before reaching my front door condition


o_0 OMG!

THAT will be a real prob if I ever go EU!! I'd have to be a real housewifey type just to go shopping every 3 days! I have one of the largest fridges plus a freezer and a minifridge and still have to do supplementary shopping once a week after monthly main trip.

I cannot see a scuff on that trainer.

I applaud your empathy with the homeless, but I don't think he was making fun of them. They do indeed get 'armpit deep' in the skips of waste, I see it regularly. Jason is just painting pictures with words, and he's very good at it. I can't see him intentionally meaning to offend you or any homeless people. Had that have been his clear intention, I'd share your revulsion, but I would be very reluctant to assume he was doing that.

Some notes from a (sometimes) complaining American on his visit to the Polish Burger King in Bielany Wrocław.



First off, it's a very spiffy Burger King. Lots of curved areas, colorful displays, televisions that are all synchronized to the same advertisement (of a meat patty burning in burger hell?).

But. Where's the BK Big Fish? It's a fish sandwich that is a STAPLE of the franchise. The McDonald's across the street has THEIR Filet O'Fish, where's BK's fishburger?

Third: ICE. Where is it? If I'm gonna be shoving about 500 grams of salt and lipids down my gullet, I need whatever I'm washing it down with to be COLD.

And yes, I must consider that this isn't Tavern On The Green, it's a fast food joint. That said, I want my soda frosty and my fish sandwich present and accounted for.

On a minor side quibble, I'd mention that their chili-cheese poppers consisted of green peppers, NOT jalapenos. Sacrilege.

All of that said, I'd eat there again. And THAT, my friends, is the complaining American at work. Thank you.

I can happily live with such complaints :) There's no BK in my town (it bankrupted years ago) so it's cool to read your relation :)

that "food" is disgusting. how can you eat that? you haven't been here long and already you are going for the fast food?

In Poland, there's lots of mobile advertising billboards. They're usually very subtle, like this one:



I saw it tonight, by the Burger King. Which brings us to:


You ever do an hour worth of shopping with an 18 month old and walk ten minutes back to your space in -2 cold? You want something to eat, and you want it now. I did, and I did. And there was a BK right there in the parking lot, as though placed by a conspiring God and a very astute land developer. I am fit, I don't eat horsecrap daily, and I have no regrets.

actually yes, and I have two kids, cry me a river. Try -35 C with a windchill then you can whine. Doesn't matter how fit you are when you eat toxic chemicals. Sorry, but giving that toxic cocktail to your kid is sad. You are an adult and choose to eat it. Your child doesn't.

Americans didn't get obese by eating fresh fruits, veg and clean meats, did they?

I didn't give my kid jack squat but her sippy cup, but thanks for judging what you don't know. My kid doesn't eat crap, and if I do it occasionally for convenience and nostalgia that is ENTIRELY up to me. You eat pheasant under glass and lobster diavolo for every meal? Good for you.

Americans didn't get obese by eating fresh fruits, veg and clean meats, did they? You think the guy in this pic is American? Hint: I heard him order, he's not.

My kid eats like a champ, but when I want nutrition tips and parenting advice, I'll know who to ask.

Are they doing that to stay warm?

I guess they're looking for recyclables, it's a good question. I've wondered about the Polish trash-in-a-cage for awhile, now.

I'm not crazy about trams. In America, perhaps the biggest car-culture on the planet, we are defined by our "rides". Being a passenger among dozens of other passengers just isn't cool. That said, when I have to take a tram, I like to sit in the very front or the very back, and watch the other parts of the train twist and sway in and out of sight, like the segments of a wiggling worm. Last night started on a tram, but ended in a taxi. Went to celebrate a friend's birthday at a place I'd never been, "Kredens". You can expect most bartenders in Wrocław to speak English, and drinks are more than fairly priced. And we were discussing wiggling? Nothing like watching a packed house of Polish girls dancing three drinks past their last inhibition.

Please, Jason, don't let the cantankerous ones (to put it mildly) discourage you from posting on this thread.
I'm sure you have a silent majority of readers that hope you will keep reporting about your experiences in Poland.
I think this is what most of us are here on this forum for, despite appearances to the contrary.
If you are posting somewhere else as well or think about starting a blog, please, let me know.

Thanks, f stop! I appreciate the encouragement, and I promise, as soon as (IF?) spring ever rears her pretty head, I will continue in force. I work from home, and I think you guys have probably seen enough of my apartment for now. In case not, here's something that every ex-pat will appreciate:

Packages from home!

I don't know how Polish are with over top antcis...but if I walked in there I would be ever so tempted to throw myself near counter in front of that guy with arms spread and yell in Polish "RUN! I'll save YOU!"

Prolly get arrrested and evaluated there.


The girls don't appear unusual for the setting but ..... Holy Mother of MURPHY! that shirt!

Ironic considering last month events ;)

Haha, nice. You know, I wouldn't care if they put MORE horsemeat in the meatballs, as long as IKEA would just put em back on the damn menu.

+1
And the packages from home...I would move out just to get them :)

The IKEA meatballs in Wroclaw taste better that the IKEA ones here in England, whats the deal - more horse or what?

My guess, a better quality horse. :)

So you're from America I have some family there. What brings you to old Poland, it's not exactly the same luxury isn't it? How I wish I was in America instead.

Seven things I have discovered to be a fixture in nearly every Polish household. Mine included, of course.

1. A Shoe Stand:



Everyone knows the Japanese take off their shoes when entering theirs or someone else's home. I had no idea the Poles were just as inclined. Back home, we kicked our shoes off when at home, but we didn't necessarily have a PLACE for them, and we didn't do it when visiting others (unless they had new white carpeting). I had the internet guy come the other day, and he took his shoes off before approaching my computer, as though it were a sacrosanct shrine. I guess maybe it is.

2. Radiators! Gas or electric, in every room!



3. Towel-Warmers in the bathroom:



Now this is one that I can really get behind. We definitely should do this in America. You crank the thermostat up to 4, and your towel is nice and toasty by the time you get out of the shower. I think I'm going to start putting my underwear up there, too.

4. Curtains (often lace) on every window:



Self-explanatory. Americans have gotten lazy, vis-a-vis their window coverings, and we often just use Venetian blinds, nowadays. This one seems Old Europe, in particular.

5. Steel-shutters:



If we Americans are only going to use the aforementioned blinds on our windows, perhaps this is the way to go. Nothing says it's the end of the day like the satisfying rolling down of the steel shutters. Secure AND practical; they also keep the godforsaken light out of my bedroom.

6. The Drying Thingy:



I'm not a huge fan of these. Air-dried clothes are stiff, this one takes some getting used to. As does the last on my list:

7. Under-the-sink Trashcan:



Poles like to keep their trash under the sink. It's just how things are done, here. It doesn't look like it fits a lot... and it doesn't. You won't be squishing any pizza boxes or large bottles into this tiny sucker. It doesn't take too long to get used to, though, and it puts you in a different mindset. "Do I REALLY need to make this much trash?" is an ever-present thought, and it helps in deciding by the fact that taking out that tiny bag in freezing conditions is less fun than learning how to make less garbage.

I wasn't either.... But:

Saves on space - rack folds away nicely when not in use.
Saves on energy - no heating up a large chamber, running a large rotating drum
Saves on clothing bills. They tend to wear out tumbling around the drier, and lose their colour as well!
Also, if you have hardwood, it keeps the humidity level up, preventing drying out the wood.

OK the last one was a stretch, but....

Would probably be true... if I ever put the darned thing away.


Very true, and the ultimate reasoning behind its existence, I assume.


This one I'm unsure about. The time the fabrics stay wet is exponential compared to tumble-dry, and that can't be particularly good for them.