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Welcome to Poland ! (Stay away for your own sake)


jose67  
29 Nov 2015 /  #1
Alright, before i start my talking i would like to mention some important points. First of all, everything that is writtin here is true and happened to me personally so i dont want somebody to fight me in the comment and argue for nothing to prove me wrong. I'm just sharing my story and hopefully others will learn from it :)

So I'm an international student from North Africa who decided to study as a full timer in Poland ( it was the most stupid decision i've ever taken so far) I arrived to poland 5 months ago and to be more specefic to Wroclaw. I chose to study here because of the polish propaganda about their universities like '' Study in Europe'' and '' Wroclaw is one of the most friendly cities'' or '' Earn a European degree'' Poles are really good in promoting sh*t but I believed all of what they said and decided to come here with a huge smile on my face. Believe it or not, but i got called a terrorist from the taxi driver who took me from the airport to my dorm ofc after giving him tips :) that was his way to thank me. But Hey! it doesnt matter. Just an a$$hole driver. in the same day or after 2 hours of my arrival i was in the city center and it was 16:00 in the middle of the day when suddenly and for no reason at all, a group consisting of 5 skinheads decided to attack me in front of everyone and literally robbed me and ran away. I was stoned. i couldnt even move or talk. Hell it was my first 2 hours in the bloody country !!! They just saw a foreigner who look '' different'' so they decided to attack me but you wanna know what was the worst part? That everybody was watching and NOBODY moved 1 step to help..... But I said, maybe it just wasnt my day and my roommate decided to take me to a club at night to cheer me up after what happened to me. aaaaand so we did :D i went clubbing for the first time in poland and i was with a group of italians, Americans and french. The thing is, when we were entering the club, these stupid bouncirs prevented me from entering with my friends!! they let them ALL enter except for me ! because ofc i'm not white with blonde hair. And when i tried to ask them in a polite way why i cannot enter, they got aggresive towards me and started to take off their shirts to punch me in the face......Can you imagine all of these things happening to you in 1 day?? Of course that hurts and made me think that i might have taken the wrong decision to come to this country and i was hoping it will get better soon. But it didnt...... By living in this country and by interacting with the locals, i realized how Racist they are. The average Polish citizen is Racist and Okay i know that someone will tell me '' Not everybody is racist'' But i'm talking about the majority of the population are. And it doesnt matter whether it's daytime or night, You can get attacked at any moment when you're crossing the street or buying some food. As soon as they discover that you're a foreigner, they start to throw stupid racist jokes and some of them can phsyically provoke you, and you CANNOT do anything about it. The police will not help you that much. At the end of the day, they are still polish with the same mentally :) and trust me, one of my professors in the university who is 58 years told told us literally '' Poles are stupid as f**k'' Yes he the said the F word. Despite that he's polish 100% but he lived in the UK for a while so when he came back to poland he realized the difference between the two cultures. He also added that '' At least 95% of Poles are Racist and the other 5% they just dont care, that doesnt mean that they're welcoming you here ! '' His words not mine. I thought he's exaggerating to be honest, but by the time i figured out that he was right. The way foreigners get treated here is beyond ******. You cannot even walk in the street without getting starred at or without finding stupid racist people who are trying to be funny in front of girls. I was the type of people who likes to socialize, who likes to dance and have fun and travel. I just wanted to live my youth but i can't. and everybody from outside of Europe feels the same. We are not welcomed here, and the locals have to show and prove it to you day by day. However, WE pay thousands and thousands of Dollars and Euros for their government then the locals spit on our faces. I cannot even go out for 1 hour without having troubles, whether somebody comes at me and ask what is my religion, or annoy my European female friends for walking with them and for example one night i was walking in the city center with my female friend then suddenly a guy came to me and asked me in agressive way '' Where the F**k are you from'' then he called my friend '' Kur*a'' for walking with me :) isnt that so cute? What's funny for me is that i cannot find a reason or excuse for them to be that arrogant. I mean Poles are acting as if they are the chosen population from God. They despise EVERYONE who has different skin colour or who's not catholic. They think that they are too good to be in the EU and that's why in the independence day they burned the EU flag then attacked my dorm ! Yes, a group of nazis attacked one of the largest international students dorm for nothing. Can you imagine how dangerous is life here?? We're almost in 2016 and yet Poles are still not used to find a different person walking in the street next to them. I pitty them for real. They are sooo closed minded and im still asking for what ?? Poland is not a rich, full of racist skinheads, full of alcohol and bit**s BUT they have to go to church every sunday because they are religious people :)

Even my Italian classmate got stabbed in the hand when he was clubbing. Italians are Europeans in ofc in the EU but still they are hated because they are still defferent, which shows that Poles are not just racist towards foreigners but also racist towards some of the European countires as well. They are haters. They have this wierd mentality that '' foreigners are here to steal their jobs bla bla bla'' but in fact, THEY are lazy asses who doesnt want to go study and get a real job. They just keep bi**hing and bit*hing and bit**ing all day and all night and complain about foreigners in their country. Hell, you dont even know how real africans get treated!! whenever they walk, people start calling them monkeys and make jokes about them. I met a 20 years old nigerian guy who was literally crying and got depressed after living 2 years here. Poles cannot leave the the hell alone, they cannot mind their business and walk in peace next to you. They have to make your life worse and worse untill you get depressed or maybe commit suicide. I have more and more and more examples of racist attacks that happned to me but ok im a man and sometimes i can deal with it. But the thing is, last weekend when i was in skytower with my classmates in a trip it was at night and it was really cold, so one of my female friends wore her scarf on her head to get warmer then suddenly a polish guy in his 20s came and literally pushed here for thinking that she's Muslim and insulted the religion then ran away and escaped inside the mall :) I figured out that it happens here quite a lot to see a ''man'' hitting a woman in the street but Hey! Poles are still the best for sure! In my opinion, i feel bad for the educated polish people in this country because they deserve much better than that. . I proved my point and I know that in the comment some people will be like '' Then why dont you leave? '' and i wish i could. The academic year has started already and i cannot leave suddenly during the semester. Once again, i dont wanna argue about what i wrote because it all happened to me and my friends and classmates. I'm hoping for the people who are considering coming here to live or study to rethink again before making a dicision that they might regret later. I changed from being a fun person to a depressed person who is dying to leave his room and go out but he cannot because he knows what's he gonna face after 10 mins from walking in the street.
Levi  11 | 433  
29 Nov 2015 /  #2
they let them ALL enter except for me

This is not racism, your ignorant. This is called Door Policy and happens all around the world. Clubs are free to select who they want to accept.

Even the so called multicultural germany have strict door policies at their clubs. Try to go to clubs like Watergate or Berghain and see the amount of people getting bounced (specially at this last one).

Believe it or not, but i got called a terrorist from the taxi driver who took me from the airport to my dorm ofc after giving him tips :)

So what?

Cant you get a joke? I am a south american and i was called as a banana-eater monkey in Portugal (even having pretty much the same appearance as the average portuguese, but my accent reveals where i am from).

Did i cried because of that? No, because i am a grown man. Not a silly kid like you.

'' Where the F**k are you from'' then he called my friend '' Kur*a'' for walking with me :)

Do you think that this is racism? Here in middle east you can go to jail if you walk with a arabic woman.

So a hooligan calling you bad names because he saw you with a polish girl is not a big deal at all.

They have this wierd mentality that '' foreigners are here to steal their jobs bla bla bla'' but in fact, THEY are lazy asses who doesnt want to go study and get a real job.

1st: Poles are for sure much more educated than the average person of your country in North Africa. How can you call them uneducated?

2nd: Remind me why some Tutsis where killing Hutus in pretty the same Africa? It was not racism? And this is just an example. Duh.
OP jose67  
29 Nov 2015 /  #3
@Levi
Here we go.... I was waiting for such crappy comment. Dude, telling me about this Door policy crap is not true, if they let wasted people who are throwing up everywhere inside and they dont let me enter with my friends while dressing well doesnt make it a '' door policy'' this is pure racism and sorry for not adding that they called me black :) so tell me again this is door policy and not racism, Secondly, telling me that people go to jail if they walk with arabic girl is total bullsh*t, Have u ever been to my country?? I guess not? so stop implying stupid crap from your Media. Thirdly, if you can read English well, you can see that I didnt call them uneducated, and i said not all the poles but the majority of them plus i added '' I feel bad for the educated people here because they deserve better'' You just need to calm down and read again what i wrote :) cheers
Levi  11 | 433  
29 Nov 2015 /  #4
stop implying stupid crap from your Media

It is not from the media. I live in the Arabic Gulf. Which is a place with similar culture to your home country in North Africa.

So i can say, for sure, that while you are spitting on Poles calling them racists, you are not considering how racist is your own culture.

And by the way, i don't think that Poles are racist In general. I lived in Lodz and i never faced a single case of racism.

(And Lodz is WAY.WAYYYYYYYYYYYY Poorer than Wroclaw). I also spent some time in Bialystok (another poor city), and it was also ok, despite the fact that people looked strange to me, but this didn't bothered me by any means.

They are just proud of their heritage and there is nothing wrong with that.

Actually, from all the countries that i had been (26 and counting, at every single continent), the only place where i faced something like racism was Portugal (where i speak the same language and have the same appearance, but still...)
Roger5  1 | 1432  
29 Nov 2015 /  #5
jose, ignore Levi, he has personal problems. It sounds like you've had some really appalling experiences. What can I say? The behaviour you describe is unforgivable. It sounds like you have a pretty good relationship with your fellow students, and I hope you can see that younger, more educated people are more open to the world. As for the doormen, these thugs are often the same types as skinheads. I'm sorry you're having a bad time here, but try to enjoy it as much as you can, even if that means avoiding the clubs. Good luck, and please don't think of all Poles as haters.
OP jose67  
29 Nov 2015 /  #6
@Levi
You lived in the Golf area and you say it's the same as my country ?? hahaha man you really need to educate yourself better than that :D My country is totally different in the mean of culture. In the gold area usually all the population are Muslims and in my country 65% are Muslims and the rest are not so my advice to you, is to read more to get to know the differences . Just because we speak arabic ( and not even the same arabic) doesnt make us all the same. Otherwise it's like saying that All Europe are the same because all countires are right next to eachother.

@Roger5
Thank you so much! I really appreciate your kind words. As you said, i just faced a lot of bad experiences here but yet there are still good people like you :)
pines  
29 Nov 2015 /  #7
It's probably the worst possible time for you to be here. With the migrant crisis still going strong xenophobia is pretty prelevant right now and I don't expect it to disappear anytime soon but rather grow stronger if migration continues and German attempts to force quotas on Poland won't stop.
OP jose67  
29 Nov 2015 /  #8
@pines
I agree with you. But at the same time, i dont agree with these racist attacks to prove that they're against the migrants. The polish government didnt accept any refugee and yet the poles are protesting almost everweek to insult them. Which doesnt make any sense at all. But I totally agree with you that it's the worst time for foreigners like me to be here.
nothanks  - | 626  
29 Nov 2015 /  #9
Geez sounds like you are drawing alot of attention. Do you dress like an American rapper?
Ironside  50 | 12326  
29 Nov 2015 /  #10
Alright,

You sound uncanny alike a one persistent troll who is posting similar tales of woe here in regular intervals.
t0tal  - | 9  
29 Nov 2015 /  #11
I live in warsaw for one year now and i never had any problems with polish people they are nice and friendly .But they stare at me everywhere only
NocyMrok  
29 Nov 2015 /  #12
Alright

"The Wall of Text has hit You for 9001 physical damage (crittical)(crushing)"
InPolska  9 | 1796  
29 Nov 2015 /  #13
@José: Awfully sorry for you but what else did you expect? Were you not informed before coming? It beats me that people go to places they don't know anything about. Everybody knows that areas as of former East Germany eastwards are not open and most difficult for anyone looking and being "different". If you keep reading PF (among others), you'll realize it. The only PF members who are open are from .... Western Europe. Yes, as your POLISH teacher says, around 95% of Poles are racist and the remaining 5% don't give a sh..t (and of course won't make you feel welcome ). Of course, since the migrant issue, things have gotten even worse if you are or "look Arabic" as for most Poles (again just read PF ;)) believe that Arabs and Muslims are all ... terrorists ;). Don't bother with Levy, he does not live in Poland and knows nothing about Poland (and about other places, like you have already noticed), he only hates Muslims although he lives with and works for them ;)

Furthermore, as your Polish diplomas for studies I suppose in English won't be worth more than the cheapest toilet paper, why don't you consider moving to Western Europe where people are for the huge majority open and foreigner friendly? Having a depression doesn't make any sense so my only advice is to get ready to leave during Christmas break , go home and then manage to be accepted somewhere in western Europe.

I do understand your anger but do take care of yourself! I really feel sorry but it was to be expected.(such messages are rather common on the net).. (I live in Poland but am 100% European so white ..., etc etc so I don't have to go through the same craps as you do but I do understand how racism can be cruel (and stupid)
NocyMrok  
29 Nov 2015 /  #14
95% of Poles are racist

95% of your comment is generalisation with no basis. Mentioning a 3rd-party person (Levi) indicates that you might have some serious issues. Maybe even a depression you talked about.. Seems you should take your own advise and move to the more "Western" part of Europe where Political Correctness, LGBT and Multi-Culti thrive. Don't come back crying when "Tolerate-o-nalism" will make you a second-class human and serve some gods that aren't even your own.
t0tal  - | 9  
29 Nov 2015 /  #15
Move to warsaw is better
InPolska  9 | 1796  
29 Nov 2015 /  #16
@Mock: thanks to confirm José's message! It is most amazing to read so many xenophobic, racist, antisemitic, homophobic etc etc messages in PF and when someone writes in PF that he or she was a victim therefrom while in Poland, the whole racist, xenophobic, antisemitic homophobic etc etc mob shows up and denies the OP's comments.

Just reading PF confirm OP's message.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
29 Nov 2015 /  #17
(And Lodz is WAY.WAYYYYYYYYYYYY Poorer than Wroclaw).

Poor Levi, getting the facts wrong as always. Last year, the average salary in £ódź was only about 300zł less than in Wrocław. It's not "WAY WAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY" poorer at all.

See, this is what happens when Brazilians living in Saudi Arabia try and present facts about Poland.
Ironside  50 | 12326  
29 Nov 2015 /  #18
Move to warsaw is better

Nah he is trolling he won't move from his mum basement anytime soon, after all he spend there last 30 years.

I question validity of OP tales of woe.
NocyMrok  
29 Nov 2015 /  #19
blah, blah and some more blah

(...) "Western" part of Europe where Political Correctness, LGBT and Multi-Culti thrive.

The above part of my reply is a fact (something you clearly are unfamiliar with). It is truth objectively regardless of whatever additional bottom it makes you to look for. Another FACT is that

Political Correctness, LGBT and Multi-Culti

aren't doing so well in Poland. The blind belief in "righteous tolerance" and cultural and religious equality makes you lack common sense and not asking questions while making up things (generalisation and loathing those that concern) and "bark at your kind". Seemingly Poland is not the country you dreamed of and i am sorry it had to take this long for you to come up with conclusion.
Grzegorz_  51 | 6138  
29 Nov 2015 /  #20
so many xenophobic, racist, antisemitic, homophobic etc etc messages

You can name it with much fever words: common sense.
kaz200972  2 | 229  
29 Nov 2015 /  #21
@ jose67
I think you must be going to all the wrong places because this sort of behaviour is not the norm for Poland. I'm British Asian and visit Poland at least 3 times a year, a very run down part of Lodz. The worst that has ever happened to me is a drunk leering and going 'hmmmm chocolate'. My boys, who are darker than me, have had no bother at all.

I'm not saying racism never happens in Poland but it is fairly rare!
I have had the odd spat with Polish expats in my home area but that was more personal than racist as such.
Bad things happen everywhere,Poland is no worse than any other place.
smurf  38 | 1940  
29 Nov 2015 /  #22
Alright, before i start my talking i would like to mention some important points.

Edited
Man, please, try and use paragraphs. That's impossible to read.
InPolska  9 | 1796  
29 Nov 2015 /  #23
@Smurf: trust me, it can be read very easily ;). However with spaced paragraphs, it would have looked better ;).
Wulkan  - | 3136  
29 Nov 2015 /  #24
Welcome to Poland ! ( Stay away for your own sake)

Hi jose67, I think you should give other potential students favor and spread this message on North African boards to warn them.
Wroclaw1010  3 | 90  
29 Nov 2015 /  #25
@jose67
I am a black African and a muslim(a rare minority in Poland) who has been living here for some time now. I'm not discrediting the fact that you have had awful experiences but then, I'll only say you are just unlucky. I have never had any of these experiences though I do hear people complaining of such.....

People stare at me but I don't consider that as being offensive because I remember doing the same when I was in my country. I was always staring at white people out curiosity so I assume that people who do it to me in Poland do it without malice.
t0tal  - | 9  
29 Nov 2015 /  #26
Polish they stare even if you are white .They stare to any foreigner curiosity without malice
Wulkan  - | 3136  
29 Nov 2015 /  #27
Polish they stare even if you are white

If you are white then you don't look like a foreigner.
Dougpol1  29 | 2497  
29 Nov 2015 /  #28
Polish they stare even if you are white

Staring is bloody rude and ignorant, and when I was a young man that would have got a rapid response, I'll guarantee you that.
t0tal  - | 9  
29 Nov 2015 /  #29
Wulkan@
You mean If you are SLAVIC then you don't look like a foreigner.
I'm not a SLAVIC
I'm a spanish i have a light skin dark hair brown eyes
InPolska  9 | 1796  
29 Nov 2015 /  #30
@tOtal: the guy is Arabic and Muslim so you cannot compare your (European = white and catholic) situation with his ;) (logical).

@Doug: yes, it is rude to stare at people. I remember when I was a kid to be told NOT to. Nevertheless, besides being rude, the way (a lof of) Poles stare at people because they happen to be different is most uncomfortable for the "stared at" one.... Poles need to start meeting different people and they'll stop staring...

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