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General differences between Poland and the USA?


posts: 14

p3undoneThreads: 10
Posts: 347
Joined: Jan 12, 12 ♂ [Moderator] 		 Jan 18, 12, 02:51    #1
I am an American and would love to learn about polish culture.I have family in Poland and I do plan on visiting at some point.
If anyone has lived in both countries,would you please explain in general the differences and similarities between the two.
jasondmzkThreads: 31
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun 1, 11  Pictures: 3 ♂ 		 Jan 18, 12, 03:34    #2
I've lived in both, but like you, as an American. First, lemme tell you, these folks don't have the same relationship with their car that Americans do. At least, not the sub-30 years olds that I knew. They HAD cars, but they were far more likely to walk, or take the tram, or walk to the tram, etc. Especially when they planned on drinking. I didn't know anyone who drank and drove as a rule, like here in the states. The roads are NOT that great. And by that, I mean they pretty much suck. Potholes, poor signage, and a lack of circumventing routs in Wroclaw in particular. Shopping is a bit different. People seem to buy what they need for a day, maybe one or two days, at a time, not for a whole month like they do here (America). Not a lotta canned items, either. The taxes are included in the ticketed price of things, which was kinda cool. The chicks are overwhelming attractive and physically fit. Maybe from all that walking? Most of the youngish people I was kicking it with knew English. They at least had a working knowledge of it, if not fluency. I'll stop, just in case this is the kind of minutia you could do without. If not, I got plenty more.
p3undoneThreads: 10
Posts: 347
Joined: Jan 12, 12 ♂ [Moderator] 		 Jan 18, 12, 04:08    #3
No,that's cool keep it coming.
jasondmzkThreads: 31
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun 1, 11  Pictures: 3 ♂ 		 Jan 18, 12, 04:27    #4
My time was primarily spent in the southwestern part of the country, which has four distinct seasons, but the winters were particularly grueling. I mean, truly brutal. Then again, I'm from Alabama, so my perspective on brutal weather might be skewed. People there are friendly, but not as open as Americans. There's not a lot of "hi, how ya doing" to each other as they pass in the street, like we do, here. Good sense of humor, tho, very wry. And they might come across as somewhat cynical, but it appears as tho they truly want each other succeed, which isn't like American cynicism at all. Your dollar will go pretty far, there. About 3 and half zloty for every American dollar, which ain't half bad. They have KFC and Pizza Hut and McDonald's, aplenty; but are ya really gonna travel halfway across the globe to eat the same old crap? The malls are interesting, they have a little bit of everything, electronics stores, supermarkets, the whole nine yards. The shops are smaller, and instead of one security team for the whole mall, there's usually one security guy for each store, which is weird.
JonnyMThreads: 16
Posts: 4,487
Joined: Mar 9, 11 ♂ 		 Jan 19, 12, 06:26    #5
jasondmzk:
My time was primarily spent in the southwestern part of the country, which has four distinct seasons

Some say that central Poland has two seasons, some say it has six. I incline to the latter view. And przedwiosna (pre-spring) will start soon.
jasondmzk:
They have KFC and Pizza Hut and McDonald's, aplenty; but are ya really gonna travel halfway across the globe to eat the same old crap?

Exactly. The same rubbish almost everywhere nowadays, and stifles the post-communist evolution of Polish cheap restaurant food which isn't the best.
jasondmzk:
The shops are smaller, and instead of one security team for the whole mall, there's usually one security guy for each store, which is weird.

There must be more security guards per head in PL than almost anywhere else.
jasondmzkThreads: 31
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun 1, 11  Pictures: 3 ♂ 		 Jan 19, 12, 06:40    #6
I didn't explain about the dual "toalety", and how he's gonna have to pay for every one he uses outside of home, either.
JonnyMThreads: 16
Posts: 4,487
Joined: Mar 9, 11 ♂ 		 Jan 19, 12, 08:23    #7
jasondmzk:
I didn't explain about the dual "toalety", and how he's gonna have to pay for every one he uses outside of home, either.

Tell him to keep a MacDonalds receipt in his pocket and use theirs.
heivivianThreads: -
Posts: 2
Joined: Jan 19, 12 ♂ 		 Jan 19, 12, 08:47    #8
thanks for sharing.
jasondmzkThreads: 31
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun 1, 11  Pictures: 3 ♂ 		 Jan 19, 12, 08:54    #9
Ain't a problem. If ya think of anything more specific ya wanna know, hit me up.
Wroclaw BoyThreads: 57
Posts: 5,478
Joined: Jul 3, 09  Pictures: 2  Gold Member MEMBER ♂ 		Edited by: Wroclaw Boy  Jan 19, 12, 09:01    #10
jasondmzk:
Most of the youngish people I was kicking it with knew English.

shame you dont, stop butchering our language - especially on a forum where English is the second language for many.

jasondmzk:
Ain't a problem. If ya think of anything more specific ya wanna know, hit me up.

^WTF^
bhollen76Threads: -
Posts: 4
Joined: Jan 19, 12 ♂ 		 Jan 19, 12, 14:16    #11
How about the living cost. how is it comparing to America ?
jasondmzkThreads: 31
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun 1, 11  Pictures: 3 ♂ 		 Jan 20, 12, 06:05    #12
bhollen76:
How about the living cost. how is it comparing to America ?

Food costs are less, because you're not going to be buying a lot of pre-packaged bullcrap. Although, I do have an unwavering fondness for Pudliszki's products. http://www.pudliszki.pl/ = YUM! Note; when eating out, you aren't going to get endless refills of soda, like you do in America. Tipping isn't as percentage-crucial as in the U.S., because the servers in Europe are usually paid a living wage, not $2.15 an hour, like in America. Housing is slightly less, then in an American city of comparable size. I paid 600 pln a month for a room in a flat in an old soviet district. Gasoline is much more expensive, but the cars are almost all smaller-engined, more fuel efficient models. Unless it's a very, very modern dwelling, you aren't going to find all the electrical appliances, like dishwashers and stuff that you find in America, galore. Most apartments use radiators, which run on natural gas, and that tends to be a cheaper energy source than electricity.
bhollen76Threads: -
Posts: 4
Joined: Jan 19, 12 ♂ 		 Jan 20, 12, 14:14    #13
Is there any good book written about polish culture ?
jasondmzkThreads: 31
Posts: 503
Joined: Jun 1, 11  Pictures: 3 ♂ 		 Jan 21, 12, 06:12    #14
bhollen76:
Is there any good book written about polish culture ?

The one that first springs to mind; "Unquiet Days: At Home In Poland", by Thomas Swick. It's a memoir of an American's time spent in Poland during the emergent time of Solidarność. It's very good.


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