How will I be treated in Poland by Polish people? I'm an English person.

CoolMoon:

Do remember that visits, even long visits, are not the same as actually settling down there so you may want to prepare yourself more for the shock of relocating without worrying too much what other people will think of you. If you already know other people there, it will help (and of course, you don't need to make an impression on them). Good luck :)

Polson:

I think it depends also on where you're planning on settling down

finT:

don't play the 'I love Poland' card too much, it starts to bug folks

NO 14Threads: 8 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 15, 07	Edited by: NO 14 Apr 17, 08, 11:20 / #
I am planning to move to Poland with my Polish wife in the near future, as an English person, i am quite patriotic towards Poland, maybe because i see it as my home now & i have visited so many times, i just feel as it should be my place to live. I love everything about it, the countryside, most of the people, the language & cities. I always try to speak Polish when i am there, i want to learn about its history, people, culture etc, i have quite a lot of Polish friends who live in Poland (mostly around Trój Miasto area), anyway, what i want to know is after you read all this how do you think i will be treated as a foriegner with a Polish wife living in Poland?

Grzegorz_Threads: 81 Posts: 6,213 Joined: Nov 16, 06	Apr 17, 08, 11:37 / #
No idea...

NO 14Threads: 8 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 15, 07	Apr 17, 08, 11:38 / #
Well how would you treat me if you came across me in Poland?You know a little bit about me so what do you think?

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Apr 17, 08, 11:39 / #
They'll love you to bits. Although the doggy's answer is probably better.

NO 14Threads: 8 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 15, 07	Apr 17, 08, 11:40 / #
osiol: Although the doggy's answer is probably better. What do you mean?

Wroclaw Boy	Apr 17, 08, 11:41 / #
As long as you like or even love Poland youll be just fine. Tell them that Adam Malousz is your hero they love that.

NO 14Threads: 8 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 15, 07	Edited by: NO 14 Apr 17, 08, 11:42 / #
Is he the ski jumper? Actually honestly my hero is Mariusz pudzianowski!!!!!!!

Wroclaw Boy	Apr 17, 08, 11:58 / #
NO 14: Is he the ski jumper? Actually honestly my hero is Mariusz pudzianowski!!!!!!! Yes, I quite like old Super Mario my self he is the undesputed daddy of strong man.

CoolMoonThreads: 1 Posts: 71 Joined: Jan 10, 08	Apr 17, 08, 12:08 / #
Be yourself and don't be too much "I love Poland" or it could come across as insincere. Do remember that visits, even long visits, are not the same as actually settling down there so you may want to prepare yourself more for the shock of relocating without worrying too much what other people will think of you. If you already know other people there, it will help (and of course, you don't need to make an impression on them). Good luck :)

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 17, 08, 14:31 / #
Some places frown upon the use of English but u should be fine. They will likely be curious

LondonChickThreads: 43 Posts: 1,261 Joined: Nov 19, 07	Apr 17, 08, 16:36 / #
Nationality aside, you'll fit in fine if your are easy going and pleasant enought. This is the way that I try to come across, and it people don't like me, then that's their problem - this applies anywhere in the world.

benszymanskiThreads: 9 Posts: 510 Joined: Feb 29, 08	Apr 18, 08, 02:36 / #
I've lived in southern Poland for about 18 months now and have not had anything but good experiences from people. It can get a bit tiring hearing the same response when they realise you're English though - either they are really keen to know what made you want to come to Poland and you have to explain that the UK really isn't paved with gold and that higher wages means higher costs of living, or if they are middle-aged women they end up twisting your ear for 10 minutes telling you all about their son/daughter in Ireland and what he/she's been doing there for the last 3 years.... Having said that I haven't lived in/near any big cities, so maybe an Englishmen here is more of a novelty.

Wroclaw Boy	Apr 18, 08, 03:10 / #
Matyjasz: Kubica is in now Oh yes, ofcourse. Kubica vs Hamilton an interesting one to follow. Apparently they trained together years ago.

PolanglikThreads: 40 Posts: 883 Joined: May 16, 07	Apr 18, 08, 10:58 / #
NO 14: how do you think i will be treated as a foriegner with a Polish wife living in Poland? Poles in general are a very warm and hospitable bunch, so I think you'll be treated well; learning the Polish language or at least trying to will endear yourself to them; also having a Polish wife will help. The advice given above in previous posts is worth making note of ..... especially the ' finT: don't play the 'I love Poland' card too much . As long as you come across as honest and sincere you'll be fine. When do you plan to move to Poland ? I am in a similar situation except that I have Polish parents and although I was born in London, can speak Polish fluently. My wife, who is Polish is originally from Wroclaw although we plan to move to Krakow in 2009. Our kids, aged nearly 6yrs, and 4rs are speaking both Polish and English. Like yourself, I have been travelling to Poland very frequently over the last 10 years and feel equally at home in Poland as I do in England ..... maybe even more at home in Poland considering so many of my English-born Polish friends have moved over to Warsaw & Krakow.

isthatu2Threads: 13 Posts: 5,221 Joined: Apr 3, 08	Apr 17, 08, 16:38 / #
NO 14: Is he the ski jumper? Actually honestly my hero is Mariusz pudzianowski!!!!!!! its easier to grow the 'tasch than the muscles though :)

oliver twistThreads: - Posts: 124 Joined: Mar 18, 08	Apr 17, 08, 16:46 / #
NO 14: maybe because i see it as my home now & i have visited so many times, well you should know how the Polish will treat you. good luck m8..

MatyjaszThreads: 2 Posts: 1,786 Joined: Jul 20, 06	Apr 18, 08, 00:26 / #
Wroclaw Boy: As long as you like or even love Poland youll be just fine. Tell them that Adam Malousz is your hero they love that. Adam Małysz is soooo last season. Kubica is in now. :)

finTThreads: 15 Posts: 184 Joined: Oct 25, 07	Apr 18, 08, 02:27 / #
You'll be fine but just remember you will always be 'The Foreigner' no matter how hard you try! I agree with 'coolmoon', don't play the 'I love Poland' card too much, it starts to bug folks Having said that, I'm from a wee Scottish town and people from 5 miles down the road were seen as 'The Foreigner'!

PolsonThreads: 15 Posts: 2,812 Joined: May 9, 07	Apr 18, 08, 03:45 / #
I think it depends also on where you're planning on settling down. In big cities, you won't have any problem as there are already many other foreigners. In small villages, it may be different as people are less used to people from other countries. Anyway, i think and hope you'll be great there ;) Good luck.

NO 14Threads: 8 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 15, 07	Apr 18, 08, 08:42 / #
CoolMoon: Do remember that visits, even long visits, are not the same as actually settling down there so you may want to prepare yourself more for the shock of relocating without worrying too much what other people will think of you. If you already know other people there, it will help (and of course, you don't need to make an impression on them). Good luck :) I have a friend that relocated to Gdańsk a few years ago, but he is a traditional Brit who loved the night life & drinking in his local pub most nights, so for him that is what he misses the most but i am the opposite, the things he tells me he misses mean nothing to me, but i have prepared myself for the big move, my only concern is the language, although my Polish is not too bad its still far from perfect. Polson: I think it depends also on where you're planning on settling down In Gdańsk. finT: don't play the 'I love Poland' card too much, it starts to bug folks I will remember that.

Wroclaw Boy	Apr 18, 08, 11:12 / #
NO 14: finT: don't play the 'I love Poland' card too much, it starts to bug folks Firstly I said that in a sarcastic manner, secondly if you need something done and you need the assistance of a Pole for Bureaucracies sake you may need to apply that strategy as a means of a last resort.

hu_manThreads: 8 Posts: 155 Joined: Jan 8, 08	Apr 18, 08, 12:16 / #
Going by some of the threads, Better than the polish people in england....

KilklineThreads: 3 Posts: 894 Joined: Jul 23, 07	Apr 18, 08, 17:44 / #
hu_man: Going by some of the threads, Better than the polish people in england.... I'm sure if he brought a millions mates it would be somewhat different.

NO 14Threads: 8 Posts: 54 Joined: Dec 15, 07	Apr 23, 08, 05:26 / #
Polanglik: When do you plan to move to Poland ? This time next year, i still have a few things to sort out before moving

AnikaThreads: - Posts: 3 Joined: Apr 18, 08	Apr 23, 08, 10:16 / #
NO 14: how do you think i will be treated as a foriegner with a Polish wife Absolutely well I'm sure. And esp.knowing that it's Gdansk I wouldn't worry at all about this. My boyfriend will move here from Paris in Sept. He also likes Poland a lot (so far at least:) I'm not worried how ppl will receive him as he's just plain lovely;)) But I'm curious if there will be any cultural differences that might become problematic. Nothing like that so far but guess we'll notice more once he lives and works here. I'll go search for that topic on PF..

Czarne OczyThreads: 21 Posts: 75 Joined: Feb 7, 08	Edited by: Czarne Oczy May 7, 08, 11:18 / #
My boyfriend and I are moving to Poland-Gdańsk-when I'm finished university:). I'm leaving on June 29th this year for my first trip to Poland (well my first trip..ever!). When I first started learning Polish I was so scared that when I went there, people wouldn't like me because I'm an English speaker, but the first time I tried speaking to Polish people here (Canada) I got so much praise hehe. There hasn't been any other culture that has showed me as much respect as Polish people have.One time, I walked into Wroclaw Plaza, a little European market in my wasteland of a city, and everyone was so nice. I went up to buy some kielbasa, trying to remember what it was that my boyfriend told me to say, and ended up spewing out the most tangeled sentence ever. Nonetheless, the older lady behind the counter just smiled and helped me out. For some reason people here hate Poles...and all foreigerners in general. It's very sad...