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Jul 2, 06, 18:13 #1
When, for one reason or another, you move abroad, you bring with you, whether you want it or not, your expectations and your ideas about what it will be like to live in a foreign country. But unless you have experienced living abroad before, nothing can really prepare you for the real, often harrowing, experience. Your preconceptions shatter and you have to go on with the reality. Some can do that, but some can’t.
Nowadays, you can go back at your pleasure, but the –often-political - expatriates of the past could not, and had to get used to the new life or suffer. Still, it is no piece of cake to get used to everything foreign. No wonder Poles look for Polish products – the sweet taste of home - in the shops.
But the food is only one part of it, since there is much more to be happy or unhappy about. Your flat, your income, your boss, your work comrades, your relations in the workplace and outside, communications, the prices, the “lack” of culture, you name it.
Anything can be annoying, while most things can be intolerable. Nothing is like home, but the best advice is to take the bad with the good and persevere, at least for a while when waiting for the things to improve.
After all, humans can get used to anything, and given some time, you might even start to tolerate the soft, spongy bread from the supermarket or the crowded buses for a pound a ticket on the way to work.
As an example, how does a Pole feel about everyday life in a foreign country like the UK? Although not far from Poland, geographically the British islands might well be a world away. It can be all that different.
According to the Poles, there are small but potentially annoying things as the proverbial British phlegm - or beer without foam. It is worth remembering that the Polish are notorious when it comes to complaining, so not all the complaints should be taken too seriously.
According to Lukasz: “Almost every compatriot I met here is unhappy with most things here, we are here only for the money”. Consequently, the Poles complain about most things (just a few examples below):
Prices:
Anna: “The rents are high, and so are the prices of food. Also, better furniture costs a bundle. It is not easy to save, because most of the stuff is so expensive.”
The Food and Drink:
Roman: “The food simply tastes bad and it has strange taste. Bread is like a sponge and the alcoholic drinks are not sold after 11pm, which is a bit early for my taste”.
Anna: “The English kids eat unhealthy food. A cake or lollies instead of an apple. No wonder there as so many fat kids here.”
The Weather:
Krzysztof: “It is terribly cold, the humidity is bad and nothing dries out. And the wind goes through your clothes. The winter is very depressing. No wonder many people have depression here.”
The Language:
Anna: “People think that if you don’t understand the language then you are idiot.”
Jurek: “The English they speak, especially Irish, is totally incomprehensible.”
The Religion:
Ewa: “People do not have any religious signs or pictures in their homes. I haven’t seen a cross anywhere. The churches are also not as filled with people as the Polish ones.”
The Traffic:
Rysiek: “The English bus drivers drive like crazy, accelerating from the bus stop, braking at the last moment when stopping. They drive like madmen through the narrow streets and I thought we would crash at any moment.”
The Work:
A Polish economist that accepted an offer of working on a building site mixing concrete complains, “I never knew work could be so hard I have pain in every single muscle.” He adds “We can only get the worst, low paid jobs that no native would accept.”
Behavior of young People:
Anna: “I was appalled by the drunkenness of the young. Every Friday and Saturday the bands of young drunks roam the street. It’s shocking.”
Inhospitality:
Robert: “Poles are hospitable, but the English never invite anyone home. How do you make friends here?”
Stinginess:
Anita: “English are very stingy and count every single penny. If someone has to drive you home, you can almost see how they calculate how much the petrol will cost them.”
Washing Your Hands!
Ilona is exasperated: “There are two taps in most places, one for hot, one for cold water. It is impossible to wash your face without getting scolded. It’s really primitive.”
Standards:
Roman: “Electric and phone outlets are different, so you need an adapter. Also the sound on your TV from Poland won’t work because they have a different PAL standard, than the rest. Why can’t they be like the rest?”
Anna: “Although the English are a part of EU, the measurements are still the traditional English ones: stone, pound, ounce, gallon, pint, foot. It takes some getting used to.”
TV:
Jan: “TV is boring with lots of violence. English series are only something an Englishman can get excited about. Definitely not better than Polish TV”.
On the other hand, some are very happy with their hosts, especially when comparing their current situation to where they came from.
Iwona says: ”Maybe because we live in a small town, the people are friendly, everyone greets you in the street, the food is not all that bad, and only the rent is expensive. It’s super, I am happy to be here, and I can’t stand Poland.”
Marian agrees: “At last, a normal country with normal people. This is a country for the people - not against - like Poland.”
There are other positive things. According to Anna, one should bring a bike coming here: “There are special roads for bikes everywhere, and if you happen to drive on a normal road, no one beeps at you.”
Jan is impressed with the English job-centers: “They are all computerized and offer a free phone. Not like in Poland, where there are only endless queues.”
Stefan points out how cheap the communications are compared to the Polish ones: “You can make a call to Poland for 2p per minute, which is great,” and he adds “and you can arrange most things, even with the authorities over the phone – no need for queuing like back home.”
And according to Ilona who is a university student: “The universities have excellent facilities and there is an excellent support for single mothers and handicapped, also in society. Health care is free for students. In general, people are also more tolerant here.”
Whether living abroad is for you is another question, but for the Poles, it is a serious consideration. Most, if not all, have considered going overseas for at least some time, and as many as 20% want to move permanently. It is sad that Poland has become a country that cannot provide for its own people, and the fact that 750,000 Poles live in the UK alone already, is the best proof that something is wrong with the state of Poland.
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