UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [264]


I knew the Polish word but without thinking used the American word once in class... and couldn't get anything done for 10 minutes....

Probably came into US English through Yiddish in NYC (like kvrveh, shmata and other Polish words).

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]

I'll mention another that's not Polish but might as well be.... (seriously the most accurate portrayal of the class sytem of Central-Eastern European society I've seen in the last xxx years)

The Croatian series Uspjeh (Success) is about four random strangers, who, on a Croatian housing estate (that could easily be Polish) end up co-accomplices in a crime and how they try to deal with that.

Blanka - margines, patologia... lives with an alcoholic father who beats the crap out of her and her boyfriend is trying to turn her into a prostitute

Kiki - member of the precariat who can't get/keep a job because of disabled son who needs lots of care but has a lot of side hustles going to try to get by but is about to lose his apartment

Vinka - member of the pmc who's kind of proud of that and very oblivious to lots of things (I've seen the same obliviousness in Poland sooo many times in that class)

Haris - wealthy and corrupt architect who designs buildings that are never used.... he's unhappy and wants to go legit but doesn't know how....

I'm surprised a Polish version hasn't been made... (or maybe it has I didn't know about it).

Like I said, Croatian but at the same time extremely Polish.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]

It doesn't seem to have gotten a following, but I enjoyed Gąska.... a sitcom about a young woman let from a magazine? who ends up working at a Gąska supermarket (modeled after Biedronka/Leviatan/Dino).

The America obsessed boss seemed dated (from the 90s and not now) but the rest of the staff is pretty recognizable, from other people who can't find better jobs to a Ukrainian cashier, an antsy young guy or a mom trying to get back into the work force.

The hook of the series was that in each episode the main character had.... visions of various media figures who commented on her trouble fitting in.

Nothing earth shattering but enjoyable.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


I agree. A very informative show. It should be noticed that while the staff of the Pawn Shop in question are professional actors most (as are a few regular customers and others) each episode also features several amateurs... whose acting skill is not always top form.....

Still, genuinely entertaining and pretty representative of modern Poland.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


No reason you should. What kind of simpleton NPC likes EVERYTHING about the place they live?

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


Stereotypes: Rude people
(like the old joke: How do you ask the time in New York?
"Excuse me, do you have the time or should I just go fvkk myself?")

Also a lot of propaganda from New Yorkers about how great it is, you can only listen to people call it the greatest place on Earth so many times.... especially since cleanliness... issues are well known as its infested with rats and cockroaches (unusual for a city that far north in the US).

And the living conditions don't appeal to most. In a lot of ways it's the most similar to large European cities. Lots of NYers live in apartments which is not appealing to most Americans and there's an extensive public transport system (though it's far below standard of pretty much any European city).

Perceptions about high crime and bad local government: There's actually a cycle... they elect democratic liberals who are soft on crime and living conditions deteriorate and they they vote for a law and order republican to clean things up until its much safer and better run... and then they vote for liberal democrats who let the city decline again...

There's more but that's enough to start

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


Two exceptions....

Americans don't hate Washington DC (except as a stand-in for the federal government) but most are neutral to vaguely positive about it as a city. The real hatred is reserved for NYC.

I had a group of Chinese students and asked them about Beijing.... they love Beijing as a city... it's Shanghai they hate (very open and unabashed about it too).

Maybe Malta too... Valletta is tiny just a blip in a big Katowice-style conurbation... Birkirkara seems less popular (part of the same conurbation).

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


Especially capital cities... one reason they are often disliked by most in the country.

Life / The Best Things About Poland [65]


Where I live.... people aren't fans. Was once on a streetcar full of fans sing/screaming that Legia is a kvrvva...

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


You obviously haven't seen many Polish comedies....

And Polish and British history are not remotely similar.... why should Polish attitudes toward their country be like British attitudes toward theirs?

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


Weird.... you very rarely hear Polish people talk much about taxes.... a little griping but it's just not an issue the way it is in some countries.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


He's very good.

One think outsiders often don't get is that the strongest criticism they can make about Poland pales into insignificance compared to the criticism from Poles themselves.

But... it's a game just for the home team. If you're a foreigner it's best if you just nood and go 'hmmm'

UK, Ireland / BBC launches new Polish language news service [87]


Thank you, kindly.


I want marching bands and a few elephants being ridden by pretty girls.

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


Sweet child of summer... you have no idea how it used to be. It's charm central compared to a couple of decades ago.... (and many Poles in the rest of the country loathe Warsaw not least because of the comparative lack of manners).

News / The Iran war and Poland [826]


Neither do their enemies...

UK, Ireland / BBC launches new Polish language news service [87]


I do. I'm not Polish and have no Polish ancestry...


Please do not use that derogatory term toward me.

Most people have no idea I'm American until/unless I tell them. And the idea that most Poles look up to Americans is ridiculously dated.
I do have an accent but it's not the type associated with Americans. Certainly mentioning that I'm American did not impress anyone in the tax office or at my family doctor (actually the outpatient clinic in a research hospital).

How I learned to be comfortable in Poland (incomplete list, not in any special order):

-I complained a _lot_.... I mean a _lot_ including elaborate monologues about everything wrong with the country and how I could fix it if they just had the good sense to let me (I will always be grateful that there was no internet at that time).

-I learned the language (that is key... you need to be able to understand the news on tv and navigate the bureaucracy on your own in Polish). It's a rich, interesting language so if you're not going to invest in learning it then just leave now.... (also Poland is much more interesting in Polish than it is in English).

-I realized that the country doesn't exist for me, that no one specifically invited me and that things I didn't like usually were the way they were for a reason.

-I learned how things work and how to get what I want within the system as it existed and not the way I wish it existed (this also helped me realize what things were feasible and what things weren't).

UK, Ireland / BBC launches new Polish language news service [87]


You seem to really hate the idea of Polish people enjoying their lives or even feeling comfortable. Why is that?

UK, Ireland / BBC launches new Polish language news service [87]


Polish people use boczek more as a seasoning than a meat exchange on its own.... different strokes.

UK, Ireland / Polish immigrants in the UK - victims or criminals?! [295]


why are you rewarding him? he says anything for attention and the marks here rush to give it to him... just blank him and he'll go away

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


They're rent free in you head by now!

Who's zoomin' who?

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


If they're doing so in Polish... how would British people ever know?

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


Okay the first channel you link to is annoying and I couldn't listen to more than a few minutes.

But what do you have against "Londyńskimonolog"? He's thoughtful, explains his positions clearly and isn't hysterical but rather calm.

I assume he's missing some things but most people without experience in things like cross-cultural communication wouldn't be able to explain.

From what he says, it sounds partly like a difference between an 'ask' culture and a 'hint' culture.

"ask" culture - you ask for what you want directly, understanding that the answer might be 'no', when somebody asks you for something it's okay to say 'no' with no further explanation

"hint" culture - it's impolite (or subjectively very unpleasant) to turn people down so people evolve to making very few direct requests, instead they drop hints that are meant to elicit an offer. if the person being hinted at doesn't bite then that's okay... and it's okay to ignore hints (and more polite to do so than to say 'no').

The US is split between the two (partly by region, partly by class, partly by race, etc etc etc) and this causes no end of misunderstandings and hard feelings.

Poland is definitely an 'ask' culture while I think that Britain is more a 'hint' type of place.

And I'm sure that British people can tell the difference between a sincere "that's great! and one that's about to be followed by "...but" long before that word gets spoken.

That said, there's nothing offensive in what he says unless you're so culturally thin-skinned that the mere idea of doing things differently bothers you.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


It's called russian salad in most European languages, except russian where it's cалат оливье (Olivier salad, named after the inventor).

śledzik is a different story for me, I really like some forms and can't stand others...

I like the simple kind, drained and rinsed matyas filets cut up with onions in oil with salt and pepper.
A friend makes herring in sour cream infused with garlic or horseradish... both are very good

I've had very good and very awful salads with herring.... śledź w miodzie (herring in honey) despite the odd-sounding name was pretty good and I'd eaten a lot before I knew the name (had I heard the name first I'm not sure if I would have tried it at all).

rolmops on the other hand.... meh..

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


I don't care how lovely driving is for everyday people in a place.. I'm sure being a bus driver anywhere makes a person hate all cars and people driving them.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


The mudfish is for Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day.

Polish ovens are not set up for turkeys... if you need a bird for Christmas I think goose tastes much nicer.

But damn, now I would like a nice bowl of mayonnaise soup!

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


But he doesn't realize we're laughing at him and not with him....


What about his problems with the healthcare system?

Life / Poland is horrible and I have to live here - somebody call a whambulance! [95]


In the words of the youtube guy in Ireland: na poczuntku ci tłumacza.

I'm not making any claims.... I just watching videos and reporting what others say. The guy who didn't like Irish driving/parking is a bus driver and that could color his perception. One particular complaint relates to people parking in such a way that he has to make a detour....

Did you listen to the guy complaining about bylejakość? He says there are very nice places in England but also many that are just depressing with badly built and poorly maintained buildings (and Polish people will never get over the prevalence of single pane windows in England).

Law / Polish Police and Their Tactics [237]


Or international/euro english which is fairly distinct...

Law / Polish Police and Their Tactics [237]


Not really. You find a few but most have rhotic pronunciations cannot/do not distinguish the vowels in bother and father (they rhyme in the US but not in most of the UK). British textbooks are more common than American ones.

UK, Ireland / Polish YouTuber weirdos trash-talking the UK [200]


Is there high demand for British food from anyone besides British people?