For the school year of 2008-2009, I was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach in Poland at the University of Wroclaw. I spent the year with my wife and teenage daughter.
To assuage our occasional homesickness, we saw a lot of American movies, with Polish subtitles, at the huge, ultra- modern mall near our apartment: "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "The Dark Knight," "Milk" and (alas) "Mamma Mia." The mall's multiplex screened many more American than Polish films. Often afterward, we ate ice cream in the mall's food court, which sports a Subway sandwich shop, a Burger King, and a Kentucky Fried Chicken. Sitting there, you'd have no idea (except for the signs in Polish above the stores) that you weren't in Middle America
As a visitor from the US, I was not amused. For the money I spent, I wanted to see Polish restaurants serving Polish food. The unhealthy type like flaki and tatar. That was not easy to find. But a Subway sandwich? No sweat.
Apart from macs, kfc, bk and starbucks i cannot think of an American retailer that has a serious presence in Poland. None of the food, clothing, sports, DIY or drugstores are American.
Gap, Footlocker and Exxon have been and gone but i cant think of many others.
Almost all malls have polish food available - there are chains like Altana, and Chlopskie jadlo plus pubs and plenty of stoisko selling sausage, cheese etc plus you can often eat at the deli counter in the supermarket which has plenty of kapusta and schab.
The extreme formalities and politeness of Polish culture can seem circular to a foreigner, but it is a pleasant opening dance to many, especially older, Poles. Many men still kiss a woman's hand at the beginning and close of a business meeting, a social grace that might well be considered harassment in the U.S.
"We don't use Pan or Pani (Mr. or Miss) in our office but large state-owned companies still do," Tobiasz said. "You have to call the head of the company Pan Dyrektor and you cannot call him by his first name. In Polish companies it will not change in several years. But especially in American companies, you'll find people are open, friendlier and more informal."
See that's your problem, not being Polish you're relying on third hand information (repeating old stereotypes) that's completely wrong and trying to pass as native. What a silly, old, unconvincing fraud you are (see? no Pan!)
Poland's by far the least Americanized nation in Europe! Germany's far more like almost a mini-US, certainly in terms of how American English has infected their mother tongue. French additions were clearly a badge of pride; take from one's betters and imitate them. "Denglisch" or "Germlish" or whatever you wish to call it, is a sign of linguistic laziness, scarcely pride, and probably far more widespread in Germany than, say, "Poglish" is in Poland.
But especially in American companies, you'll find people are open, friendlier and more informal."
Because that`s what people are indoctrinated to act like. Keep smiling and optimistic approach are a must in the US. Sad gloomy guys are considered losers.
Keep smiling and optimistic approach are a must in the US. Sad gloomy guys are considered losers.
The funny thing is that the Americans reject European PC, but they eagerly comply with the necessity of bearing an artificial smile glued to their mugs all day. And Rich is no exception even if the 'keep snmiling' rule is a pecular kind of political correctness, too.
Couldn't say it any better. The proof: kids are naturally prewired to smile when they are happy and see a friendly face, even if that face belongs to an old and strange guy like me. Nobody got them "indoctrinated", coerced, bribed, or threatened to smile - or no ice cream.
As for adults, a simple hand wave as we approach, full eye contact, and a "hi" turns a 30-second random commercial encounter into a moment that pleasant and so much different that those fake and oh so serious faces of the Euro skinny supermodels who must feel that this is how they look more intelligent than they really are.
Guys who support keep smiling approach, think reasonably and logically for a while.
Keep smiling approach in the US produces millions of patients for psychiatrists and counsellors each year. You can never be yourself when among other people - regardless whether aliens, workmates, family. NEVER. You must`nt complain at work coz they will fire you. You mustn`t complain at home coz your wife will divorce you. You mustn`t complain to mates coz they will think you are a loser. Who TF can you complain to at last? The shrink. He or she will take everything from you for decent financial gratification.
ISn`t the Polish approach better? People meet in the street and start complaining immediately. Later they fell happy and don`t need to consult a counsellor. Only really mentally ill guys do.
When any country becomes "-ized", the results will usually be less than favorable!
Poles are and always will be Polish, Germans German, the French French and so forth. Motto here? Ya can't fit a square peg into a round hole.....it won't work:-)
Superficially of course, English, in the future most likely, American English, will be used exclusively in nearly every country in the customer service sector, bar none.
This doesn't mean though that a foreigner's knowledge of the whatever local lingo won't still be tremendously helpful, albeit no longer absolutely necessary for basic every day transactions.
Says you! I know better in this case, based on what I hear from my students. After all, they live there 24/7 and have no need to either impress of suck up to me. They're expressing their honest opinions, I presume.
Poles don't learn English so they can speak to Americans
Very true, similarly they don't learn it so they can speak to people from the British Isles... they mostly learn it because it's mostly a required subject at school (and language learning has always had a prominent place in the Polish school system).
larger Polish-American communities such as Chicago,
The geographical area of the Chicago/Polish community has changed drastically over the years, its much smaller now. Many Poles have left the city for the suburbs. Ja Tez:)
Same in Greenpoint! Was there nearly a year ago and apparently many if not most of those wonderful cafes and shops are now gone, little Polish left, except for Polonia Bookstore(:-
