My (short) Poland experiences - bad luck?

I've reproduced my message not yours! I have right to post my words wherever I want.


Read the post #28 again, ok? I've already acknoledged that you have right in most points but not in all of them (and it was in my first post in this thread).


I just told you to take back your psedofeminstic attitude back to Ireland (but ok, I'm sorry I might misunderstood you. For me "chivalry" is to let women walk first through the doors and all those nice little gestures which make ppl smile... and certainly nothing oldfashioned).


I said that machismo is not a part of polish culture. I can't asure you that every lout respects women but you can encounter such louts everywhere in the world. Generally Polish men respect women even though they mentain "old-fashined" (for you) suvoir vivre (which their mothers tought them). Poland is not Latin America.

...is what you said Zetigrek.

This whole manners/chivalry thing has got out of hand totally. I mentioned old fashioned manners/chivalry - not a problem with that - that "spilled over into... there's where the problem started for me.

And yes, old fashioned definitely by most standards e.g. kissing women's hands? Again, not a problem with it though.

I have re-read your post#28. Fair enough, you have been more open/receptive than I may have assumed a few posts back.

I'll probably leave this because it's all been said and there is too much misinterpretation and defensiveness I think.

Again, apologies if I have offended anyone as it was not my intention. I was just trying to be as honest as possible.

There's nothing wrong with what you wrote, as you said it's just an opinion. I'm sure there were lots of thing you also enjoyed over in Poland.

There is a macho element in Poland though, that I do believe after so many years of living there.

...in polish culture :)
It would be risky to say that 100% of Poles are the exemplary gentelmen. You have to understand that society is full of individual cases. But generally Poles aren't macho in my eyes. I find macho style bit funny.


This one is actually old fashioned even in Poland. Mind that young ppl rather don't kiss women in hand. But still it's nothing wrong.


I apologize you too.


Well comparing with Russians or Ukrainians our "machoman" seems to be fading. I've just post an article about Ukrainian women who work in Poland and they praise polish men to be real gentelmen who respect women, as an opposite of Ukrainians who are too much dominating over women (as I understood from the context)... (to all Russians and Ukrainians - it's not my own opinion! I found Russians really nice ppl and I don't know any Ukrainian in person)

o nooo. he is calling this "tolerance" :)

Zetigrek wrote:


as do I.

it always cracks me up to see 2 big polish guys, track suits and pumas on, walking side by side through the market square holding ice cream cones. i have 2 friends flying in today from America and I know once they see that, they're going to laugh their pants off.

Zetigrek,

Having read this interesting exchange, in which emotions might have flared a little high sometimes (probably due to the limitations and the one-dimensional character of communicating on the internet), I'd like to ask you a question.

You say that, in general, there is no macho-culture in Poland. In the past couple of months (I can't exactly remember when), there's been a survey in Poland in which it was said that a big percentage of Polish men think that household chores are a woman's task, that they don't cook a meal at home and that they generally don't get involved in the day-to-day care of the children. When I am in PL (which as you know is just about every weekend), I quite often see groups of men sitting in front of some local shop "having a drink" (or should I say getting loaded). Wouldn't you agree that this is also a part of macho-culture?

No need to get worked up, it's just a question out of interest.

Adidas.

This threat proved my experience and observations were in deed substantiated.

This is macho culture.

monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1420981.php/In_macho_Serbia_it_s_OK_to_slap_the_wife_Feature

Yup, it's all true and those of us who live here and don't agree 100% are just too stupid to see it.


Hilarious

Er...No ???!!!

Are you actually a real poster tow_stalin or just some piece of code written to generate non sequiturs throughout the site?

Hello Teffle,

Where abouts in Ireland are you from?

I think a lot of what you perceived as rude is just cultural differences.

People here look strangers in the eye, something which is perceived as threatening in Ireland.

People were quite in crowds, you expected a certain ambient noise level in a galleria, (I was afraid the first time I came to Poland because people were so quite I thought there was a bomb somewhere) loudness is considered rude in Poland.

And service is shite but again I put this down to culture shock on your behalf, as the history of customer service is a short one here.


This makes me think of the reaction some people have got when they visit Dublin's fair.
Binge drinking girls, totally locked drunk, with their skirts up around their ears, screaming and cackling so loud you can't hear yourself think.

It is pretty much polar opposite to what you have experienced here in Poland.
Again there is a cultural difference, Ireland went through a sexual revolution, when men were men and women couldn't vote, weren't even allowed in the same section of the pub as men, they were in another room with the babies and had little or no rights or say on matters.

Irish women now are in many ways equal to men (except in pay for the same job).

Poland during communism had women and men working side by side, women were considered a part of the workforce and the children where sent to nurseries while they went to work in the factories. There difference because of your sex was nothing like Ireland and so never went through a sexual revolution. In fact I find a large amount of Polish women want to get a good education and a return to pre-communist family values.

Where I find in Ireland now, that children are a hindrance to the 'sex in the city' self made women.
Neither way is better, I am just trying to describe the way I see it and I think the way you perceived it was down t culture shock.


I didn't understand this comment of yours, what beliefs?

And maybe I missed the Homophobia part but what makes you think there is any more Homophobia here than in Ireland. When I used to live in Sligo, gay bashing was common enough and almost lead to deaths on several occasions.

Despite what you may think you have done on this thread, you have bashed Poland.
That is not to say that your experience is untruthful and as you seem like an intelligent enough guy, you'll know that absolutely anything can look crap when viewed from a certain perspective.

I blame your mates for not showing you the best Poland has to offer.
I am from Dublin and I live in Poland, I really love living here.

I read that you said that you can find bad things about Ireland, fair play but Ireland is a great country and although someone might go there twice for short stays and think it is crap, without time to adjust or digest what is happening is also a valid.

Point and you have come on here bashing Poland and I actually believe that was unintentional by the way you write but might explain the emotional reaction you have provoked.

Who knows maybe you'll come back some day and see it with new eyes and love it as much as I do, anything is possible :)

I don't mean to explain away all your bad experiences, because Poland is not perfect but I do hope to shed some light on aspects it seems you had not picked up on, understandably because of your short trips.


Now here is a person with a chip on her shoulder.
What is it that makes you post a load of rubbish on these forums? Are you jealous of Poland?
Anyway I am too busy working to save up for my luxurious McDonalds to discuss this any further with you, for now...

Beats me. Zetigrek said it originally. A reference to the assumption that I thought that good manners was a bad thing. A misunderstanding really.

Thanks for taking the time to post Sean - some of it makes sense. Culture shock cannot be underestimated, but there are certain attitudes, behavioural aspects that are just rude or offensive in almost any culture or language.

I am indifferent to Ireland - it is my nationality and I live here, that's all. I don't have any romantic view of the place nor do I feel a need to defend or praise the country. I recognise that there are plenty of things wrong here as there are in most countries.

Considering the Polish friends I have I cannot really totally rule out going back to Poland and if so, maybe I will have a better experience next time.

(I'm from rural Cavan by the way)

First of all, machismo needs to be defined. I was gonna say that quite a while back in this thread but nobody said it thereafter. Without this, too much second guessing will be going on.

I really blame your mates for not showing you what Poland can be.

I wrote some topics on my recommendations, have a look if you get the chance :
Recommendations for Krakow and Myślenice and Recommendations for Zakopane


Yeah but people are always bashing Poland on here, normally I don't bother replying but you seem like decent enough fella, so i thought I'd throw in my bit.

Many Polish people are defensive of Poland again because it is poor and so many people had to leave to find work elsewhere, which is a very recent possibility.

Many Polish people feel bad that so many Poles couldn't carve a life out for themselves here in Poland.
Very similar to the way Irish people were almost ignored when they left Ireland because it reflects poorly on the country.
There are many other reasons for Polish people feeling defensive and sure, sometimes it is just a blind form of nationalism but also for more complex reasons.


The thing though, is that you have only really described Poland as a miserable, bleak, depressing place full of racist homophobic macho-men with out really saying anything else.


Well make sure they bring you to the right places.
I strongly recommend the jazz scene, architecture, nature and wildlife.
It all depends on what interests you but there is something for everyone, well at least for me :)


Good man!

we call them dresiarze (dres=tracksuit). It's almost a subculture ;)


We've already patched things up. I agree sometimes I too much involve in "discussions" ;)


For me macho culture is something deeper than "traditional living task division". Macho is a kind of domination over women (sometimes agressive). Way of thinking that a woman is a man's possesion. I wouldn't say that men tend to dominate over women in Poland (but ok, it's my individual opinion, maybe I have good luck to see kind men around me). The household task is a different problem but I would say it really changed during the years. I can give you an example of my dad who do pretty great amount of houseworks (e.g. he cooks) and he is an older generation (he is almost 60)... My mom never was good in householding so my dad had to take the things in his own hands ;D Certainly if there was be a poll and my dad was to take a part in it, he would say that householding is women task... but his life happened to be for him that he makes most of householding on his own.

Maybe I have extraordinary experience derived from my home and that's why I don't consider men being machos. I have also an older brother who is also not a sexist type...

I have a good friend who often do babysitting with his nieses...


Normal ppl call them żule or margines społeczny
I know that margines społeczny (an English equivalent please, anyone?) is a huge % in Poland but it's sad that Polish ppl are almost all consider as such by foreigners. Everyone who sits whole day in front of kiosk with alcohol is a alcoholic who leave on benefits (and on debts) not a normal and decent citizen.

Alcoholism is not a part of macho culture. Btw it's starnge that you don't see the female alcoholics among them which is not unusual thing either.


No I do believe your a Polish guy who just mock to be a Balkan (or something...)


I hope it was a sarcasm...

the underclass

Yeah, as Northmanc says underclass would be a common enough equivalent by the looks of it. Don't speak Polish really but marginalised would be a polite way of putting it and margines looks pretty close.

Underclass would be fairly derogatory but as you can imagine, there are plenty of much worse terms too!


Don't worry, most countries have a similar problem. Britain and Ireland definitely. France is pretty bad for this too.

For what it's worth I didn't see much evidence of this when I was in Poland - so there you are: a positive! ; )

it should be "Now I believe". How do you can distinguish between "dres" - its the only polish state of art to know which dres means what ;D

Addidas and Reebok are the most "dresest" brands among dresiarze. Nike in almost behind. But Puma? Puma is quite nice label ;D

On the margins of society or even on the fringes of society :)

I have to admit that I only read the first page of this discourse and skipped to the end.......but it made me aware of something that was nagging at me!! I love the comparatively empty malls in Rszeszow (no idea how anyone makes a profit?) but the thing that has nagged at me is the silence, it makes me so aware when I speak to my wife whilst shopping in a mall! If you speak louder or with emphasis...everyone looks! it,s like a library, I,m expecting them to shussssh! even the people who work the booths selling tend to whisper. I never noticed the depression? yes loads of suicides in the villages, but in the towns people just look..normal..going about their business and I find that even in government buildings a big genuine smile with the usual handshake thaws the ever present icy distance.