History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

Regardless where Poland is, I am not moving and Poland is not going anywhere.
I would like it to move south somewhere near Greece, I like the weather there. Better still move Poland there for winter and back home for summer.

Fellows this is serious: I will move Russia to Australia, Germany to New Zealand, Israel to New Guinea, and Americans to Siberia. Think how to do it and let me know.

Once you get these lot going rest would be easy (I have more candidates for relocation).

Genealogy / Why are some Polish people dark complected, and others very light [511]

It struck me when I came to Warsaw after being abroad for a quite a long time how identical everyone looks. I was looking down on a crowd waiting for luggage.

I had a friend who without a doubt had some Tartar blood, he looked like a copy of Zbigniew Brzezinski (slightly slanted eyes, and facial features making children cry). To my great sorrow he passed away, anyway I doubt if he will know. There were Tartars resettled on the eastern border, these were captured soldiers of an Ottoman Empire, recognized as well trained and fierce worriers they were offered freedom and land on the eastern border. Officers were granted nobility status and throughout the Polish history they were the most patriotic. Quickly integrated into polish society while retaining their religion (Muslim). Since the eastern parts were after WW2 incorporated into USSR many of them moved to the central Poland.

There was also Armenians coming to Poland as small traders when both countries were part of Great Russia, then at the beginning of XX century when they were running away from Turks. They also quickly assimilated.

Both are usually shorter and having darker completion people (my friend was very pale and tall).

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]


Isn't it just what I said. The smile, in a society, serves some purpose and is not an expression of inner happiness I would say is fake and dishonest (or at least defeats its original purpose). For that very reason wearing a smile is required by some employers (I have heard that in America managers insist that service people smile) as it allows them to "accomplish so much more over the phone or in person, when you take care of issues with a smile". I had an unpleasant experience myself when using my much less than perfect English was using banter with the fellow who was smiling and not giving any signal that he was feeling being offended, at the end he exploded telling me that I was rude. Would he stop smiling I will get a signal and for sure will not be pushing farther.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

In my humble opinion, the good part of expression of unhappiness is due to the weather. It takes an effort to smile when you are cold and wet most of the time. Remember going for camping trips when my things and myself got soaked on the first day and got dry when returned home three weeks later.

There is also a way of telling jokes, it is considered to be a poor way of doing it if the person telling a joke laughs.

Lack of enforcement: Americans have employer enforced happiness(employers of funeral homes are excluded), it looks rather silly to me to see happy face regardless of circumstance.

Lack of a laugh track: TV programs in the anglo cultures prompt people to laugh regardless of what is being shown, I myself like to laugh when I consider things are funny.

Overall and seriously, expressions of emotions in most Slavic cultures are considered to be in poor taste.