Things that Polish-American should know about Poland.

im from the united states and im Italian and irish but mostly polish
i dont know hardly anything about poland and i would really like to learn about things polish americans should know about there country
if you could let me know that would be great
thank you
and have a good day:)

Well, the capital's Washington, the banknotes all look pretty well the same, it has land borders with Canada and Mexico, Poles need a visa to visit, it has really nice ice cream but pretty indifferent beer, there are two main wine producing regions and it is the home of Maccy D's and Wal-Mart.

Seriously though, if you wnt to know about Poland, check out the wikipedia entry, or just browse through this forum. This site:


bbc/news/world-europe-17753718
isn't too long or complicated and has some interesting stuff.

That's a good link, Jonni, thanks.

So, you're actually American.


They should start by learning Polish. And I mean real Polish, not the American version which consists of a vocabulary mangled and twisted through time.

Nice pics:

polandeyes.com/index2.html

Looks a not very well hidden "success propaganda" but it feels nice to look at it...

Regards

Lukasz

Once again a person of Polish origin is vilified for being curious about his/her ancestral country. How dare he imply that he is Polish??? He doesn't even speak Polish!! ...and if he does then it's a mangled and twisted version of it!

Yeah, I too dislike fake Polish words such as Busha, etc. Yet was your reply really welcoming?

A year ago I ran into a lady in Minnesota whose grandparents came from Sweden (surprise). She told me about a trip she'd made to Sweden about 6 months prior and how she enjoyed visiting the birthplace of her grandparents. It was the only time she'd ever flown in an airplane!

I said:
- so what made you decide to visit Sweden? After all you're afraid of flying and it was a long trip.
- Oh, it was all the encouragement from the people on the Internet, people I didn't even know would say come and visit, you'll love it, you are one of us, etc. I was very surprised how friendly everyone was AND I don't even speak Swedish!

Compare this Delph to the "real Pole" inferiority complex you and many here seem to have. Yes, you are right he is an American and America is his country. Yet, was this sarcastic venom really necessary? Couldn't you have said "Welcome to Polish Forums!!" ? "Hope you'll find what you're looking for and give us a shout if you want to learn a few words in Polish, we'll be glad to help out! What happened Delph to the extra plate on the dinner table???

The Old World (PRL and post-PRL) version of Polish is a language which consists of a vocabulary mangled and twisted through time by macaronisms, Germanisms, Czechisms, Gallicisms, Russicisms and more recently by all kinds of Anglo-commercial 'dwa w jednym' and 'od Wedla' rubbish not to mention hip-hop crap of the 'siema' and 'ziomal' variety.

Brachu - wyczilluj. Nie jest tak źle.

You can't freeze a language in time any more than you can stop history. And isn't it a bit arrogant to tell people in Poland what influences they should or shouldn't use in their everyday speech? They're speaking a living language, not a dead one. By the same logic, when would you stop? With the Polish as it was spoken 60 years ago? 150 years? 300 years? Hey, why not remove any changes that have been made since the time of Mieszko I?

I have lived in Poland for quite awhile so I am basing my answer on the impression my 68 year-old aunt had when she visited Poland a few years ago. (It was her first visit abroad and she considers herself "Polish".)

I think that Polish-Americans, like my aunt, who plan to visit Poland (and may have heard about Poland from other family members) should know that Americans are generally well-liked in Poland...but please don't set foot on Polish ground like you are the second coming of Jesus Christ. Another thing is that Poland is not as cheap as some would think especially compared to the American dollar.

So, my aunt who loves to research our family history just showed up to various "family members" (aka complete strangers) homes unannounced, unable to speak Polish, and expecting to be welcomed and expecting someone to understand her. Bless those souls, they did welcome her but knowing my aunt they didn't have much of a choice. Also my aunt complained that dinner in a large tourist center cost a whopping 20 dollars but when she misunderstood the internet cafe pricing she was prepared to pay 400 PLN for one hour of internet time - that's my crazy aunt.

I agree. It's not just Americans. I had once an unexpected phone call from my sister's friend from Australia who just arrived to my city and wanted me to come over to her hotel immediately and show her the city. When I said I had plans for this afternoon - she was very upset even though I offered to do the tour the next day, and later complained to my sister. She said that it was rude of me not to drop everything and assist her, she came all the way from Australia after all!! There is no pleasing some people.

I agree that languages evolve as do customs and practices, but some people disavow us Polish Americans because many of us do not speak Polish as it is spoken in post-PRL, have modified certain customs (we call it kiszka, you say kaszanka!) and have different cultural preferences (the polka rather than your beloved Doda). But that too is evolution. Would you attack a Québecois because his French differs from that of the ancestral motherland or that Mexican food differs from what is genrally eaten in Spain?

Polish-Americans should learn some Polish history and find out what a truly interesting country Poland was in the past. Learn about Sarmatism and The Golden Freedom. Read the memoirs of Jan Pasek. Read The Knights Of The Cross and The Trilogy by Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Aha. I thought as much - you're not actually Polish at all. Certainly figures from your la-la imagination when it comes to Poland.


The French routinely ridiculous Quebecois French. Nothing new there - they don't speak French as it's spoken in La Metropole, therefore it's wrong.

And Chris - I think you've summed up beautifully what I'm talking about.

Earlier I said:


Here's Delph's reply to Polonius3


I rest my case...

Given his constant insults towards real Polish society, I think it's quite justified in making it clear that he's not Polish at all, despite his claims otherwise.

Haven't followed all his posts so I'm not sure whether it's true or not but you're missing my point. What is "real" Polish society? Isn't this forum geared toward all of us, Poles living in Poland and those living abroad? Doesn't the name Polish Forums imply that everyone is welcome here? That if you feel a connection to Poland then you are invited to our dialogue?

If not then why don't we rename this venue to OnlyRealPolishForums.com? Your "pure Pole" mindset reminds me of the Lebensraum mentality. I just don't get it, you sound like a teenager whose girlfriend dumped him for a "foreigner" or "not real Pole" and now you have a grudge against all of us who do not live in Poland...

Exactly - traditions form, as languages evolve, due to a whole host of reasons, each version is equally valid - though one will always be the mainstream.

Two British expats (delphi and Harry) deciding who is Polish and who is not. Gotta love those arrogant pricks ... and this Polish forum :)


Were you born yesterday or something ...?

I wonder if labels about ethnicity help - where you're going to is more important than where you're coming from.

I'm Polish so obviously I must be.


Nice save but too late.

An odd thing to say.

Have you ever considered that our views reflect Polish society - that most Poles simply do not consider 3rd/4th/5th generation Polish-Americans to be Polish, especially when they can't speak Polish?

For what it's worth, I can't figure out how you can claim to be a certain ethnicity if you can't speak the language! Many Poles have told me how awful Polish literature is in translation - and if you can't read the literature, how the hell can you be Polish?

Yes, you meant it as an insult and it was.

It's strange - why are all these vile mouthed Americans on here ruining the good name of Poles by constantly making such remarks?

Anyone would think that Poland was some sort of barbaric, backwards country on the basis of what these Polish-Americans say constantly!

At least we know the truth, huh? ;)

Because as usual you're cruising the forum with your finger ready to flick the button (you're evidently used to doing it fast) and argue. You must have a boring life.

Nice tactic: blame the victim.

what are you delph ? you haven't answered my inquiries, why are obsessed with PolAmes?

A dull Scot with possibly some very diluted Norwegian blood in there somewhere.

and strange one at that