An interesting article reminding the most unusual aspects of Polish culture according to foreigners.:
onet.pl/styl-zycia/miasto-kobiet/piwo-z-sokiem-i-pierogi-na-slodko-co-zaskakuje-obcokrajowcow-w-polsce/8qq1sq3,30bc1058
1. Ah, that Mr. and Mrs....
Poles love to address each other formally. And although we are not the only nation that maintains a certain formality and distance in the initial contacts, some foreigners are still surprised by it.
- I went with my fiancé to Canada to visit my aunt and uncle. It was very nice. Until one day my uncle took my fiancé aside and said that aunt Basia felt bad because he constantly called her "ma'am" - says Agna.
It also happens that we stubbornly stick to polite expressions. Even in situations where emotions take over and unpleasant exchanges occur, often between strangers. We do not spare bad words, sometimes invective, but as if to keep appearances, we avoid speaking as "you".
The issue of ... partial shortening of the distance causes an additional headache for foreigners. Miss Anna or Miss Annie? Who and when can say it? It is very difficult for uneducated people in Poland to sense these subtle differences, and the juxtapositions of you with diminutive names sound illogical. So how is it at last - do we keep a formal distance or do we become familiar using diminutives?
2. Polite grunts
Probably every Pole is aware that in the competition for the most cheerful and smiling nation we would probably take one of the last places. What in other cultures is considered a form of friendly behavior, we perceive as insincere or false. We are definitely more reserved in giving smiles to strangers or talking to strangers on the street. Despite this, we are considered a fairly polite nation.
- I have the impression that Poles are grateful for everything. Even if they have nothing to be thankful for. You want to get something done, you fail to get help, and you say thank you anyway. You ask for directions, they can't show you directions, and you'll thank them anyway. You say "I'd like" instead of "I want" and "Could you buy me something" instead of "Can you." Maybe it's a matter of habit, you probably don't even think about it. We are more direct and probably less cultured compared to you - laughs Katja, a resident of Bulgaria.
And indeed, there is much truth to this. In Polish culture, thanks are important - not only verbal ones. After all, many of us feel a strong need to give others symbolic gifts as a thank you - and that's at the end of school, in gratitude for a favor, for a job well done.
onet.pl/styl-zycia/miasto-kobiet/piwo-z-sokiem-i-pierogi-na-slodko-co-zaskakuje-obcokrajowcow-w-polsce/8qq1sq3,30bc1058
1. Ah, that Mr. and Mrs....
Poles love to address each other formally. And although we are not the only nation that maintains a certain formality and distance in the initial contacts, some foreigners are still surprised by it.
- I went with my fiancé to Canada to visit my aunt and uncle. It was very nice. Until one day my uncle took my fiancé aside and said that aunt Basia felt bad because he constantly called her "ma'am" - says Agna.
It also happens that we stubbornly stick to polite expressions. Even in situations where emotions take over and unpleasant exchanges occur, often between strangers. We do not spare bad words, sometimes invective, but as if to keep appearances, we avoid speaking as "you".
The issue of ... partial shortening of the distance causes an additional headache for foreigners. Miss Anna or Miss Annie? Who and when can say it? It is very difficult for uneducated people in Poland to sense these subtle differences, and the juxtapositions of you with diminutive names sound illogical. So how is it at last - do we keep a formal distance or do we become familiar using diminutives?
2. Polite grunts
Probably every Pole is aware that in the competition for the most cheerful and smiling nation we would probably take one of the last places. What in other cultures is considered a form of friendly behavior, we perceive as insincere or false. We are definitely more reserved in giving smiles to strangers or talking to strangers on the street. Despite this, we are considered a fairly polite nation.
- I have the impression that Poles are grateful for everything. Even if they have nothing to be thankful for. You want to get something done, you fail to get help, and you say thank you anyway. You ask for directions, they can't show you directions, and you'll thank them anyway. You say "I'd like" instead of "I want" and "Could you buy me something" instead of "Can you." Maybe it's a matter of habit, you probably don't even think about it. We are more direct and probably less cultured compared to you - laughs Katja, a resident of Bulgaria.
And indeed, there is much truth to this. In Polish culture, thanks are important - not only verbal ones. After all, many of us feel a strong need to give others symbolic gifts as a thank you - and that's at the end of school, in gratitude for a favor, for a job well done.