What are your 10 fave things about Poland? And 10 least favourite?

Yep, people dont have time for family these days, too busy making money and spending it...sad but true, but some English value family and I suppose it comes down to what you have been brought up with



We like to call it being reserved, again its all down to how you are brought up and what you know and are used to.

As things I liked about Poland, everything apart from poor service, but hey you cant have everything can you??

I am from the UK Iwona, and unfortunatly I have to agree with your comments. People here have more money now and easier lives than they have ever had. However dispite this they are not as happy as they used to be. I think Britain is top if the "teenage mothers" league, and top of the "divorce" league. Sad really.

I hope your country can keep all the values that matyjasz listed in his post.

That's part of what I liked about Poland. It felt to me as life did 40 years ago: no-nonsense, wholesome, down-to-earth. I would be sad to see it disappear and be replaced by today's mad rush and superficial lifestyle.

Matyjasz.

I liked your post.. thats the ideal and it is hoped all polish people could appreciate all this...unfortunately we live in the real world and nothing will ever be perfect, we need to work on it....making critical comments about poland doesn't mean you are anti poland, it could be that love poland and you want things changed for the better!.

Its a pity that the 800,000 odd poles who have left poland to work overseas haven't appreciated poland and have sought greener pastures?

I been to poland only as a kid , never as an adult .S o I will tell you what I remember was my favorit till this day..

Polish Castles That was cool ..

Feeling safe and running wild at night as a 12 year old could........

My moms sisters Farm , all those chickens . Waliking a cow...

Cutting the end tips of the tails ,off the wild kittens in my uncles barn. then they would put this purple stuff on the end of there tails that was funny. All theses kittines with the end of there tail tip all purple........

My cousins Pigions....

All the coka cola I could drink , Or i mean Oranzada. all i could drink..

This big giant polish church building in the midlde of tyczyn. I would hide there.......lol

The bus rides in to rzeszof........

Polish Ice cream . I wonder if thats still the same.. taste...

going on Hey rides .............

The polish bike they purchased for me to keep me busy..........it was a Yubilat ..
( Is thats spelled write) It was a fold up bike.........

Oh yes and all the pierogi, and kolachki cherry flavored..

Going mushroom hunting with my uncle on the back of his mottoguzi in pouring rain......

I'm surprised that you haven't made any reference to the church and the catholic faith which has been handed down over a thousand year period. hmmmmmmmmm

Seems poles are showing less and less interest in their faith....poles will become poorer for this...

"Seems poles are showing less and less interest in their faith....poles will become poorer for this..."

Poorer? Maybe they become more educated and less manipulated by the church and pseudocatholic nazi politicians?

very dutch point of vieuw that.

I do agree that a total lack of moral supervision from the church or any other institute for that matter makes a society poorer in a few ways though.

teenage pregnancies, drug abuse, egocentric, offensive and agressive behaviour. it's sad, but some people do seem to need some guidance nowadays. - or maybe I sound like an old man? -

so I'm not being totally anti-religious, just looking at the positive things to learn from both worlds.

I wonder why nobody from the Polish ppl gathered here hasn't mentioned ZUS yet... It's DEFINITELY one of the worst things in Poland... This Moloch consumes half of your salaries for your 'pension', but in fact that money goes to total waste (i.e. feeding an army of rude biurwas and raising up more and more marble office buildings). And none of the governements elected after '89 has shown enough balls to reform that leech that bleeds our nation of its hard earned wonga and is one of the major factors that supresses development in Poland.

That is so f*cking cruel. Why would you do that?

Yeah, that's sick.
My friend's dad in Poland did the same thing. And they drown unwanted kittens and puppies . They put them in a sack and throw them in the river.

one of teh reasons I left - I was running a bussiness there and ZUS was really making me poorer and poorer. NOt to mention the fact that I had to write 3 cheques for them on monthly basis. It's not easy to run bussiness in Poland at all .

I understand you miranda. Our sick to bone pension system is one of the reasons why I left Poland. I don't want to be paid scraps when I retire.

It aggrivates me that I can't snowboard out of bounds, but at least you can see the police coming in those neon yellow vests

Syrena_04, Iwona and lef, thanks for the encouraging words. Always love to receive a compliment.



Than your love for Poland must be as big as the country itself.

I have one:
talking to people on the train - there is always somebody to stike the conversation with.
I loved it.

Very well then lef. Here's my less favorite things:

1. Bureaucracy,

2. Wages could be better,

3. ZUS,

The rest are just small things like not free public toilets(1,5 zł isn't that much though), condition of many roads, the "końcówka" thing in stores, etc...but all this “problems” aren’t big nor extremely troublesome for me.





I totally agree with Guest-Vic in the post #54.

It's not a SMALL thing, especially if you're a driver :/ Polish roads are just terrible.

It's also the damn trees that they line up right ON the road...tree ally's

Well, personally I don't mind these trees... Maybe it's because I'm not an 'amateur rally driver' (no offence, Fisz )

Roads are terrible, narrow, lined up with trees - which are beautifull, but really dangerous.
What about driving through villages with chickens and other animals crossing the roads.
Not to mention people walking along those roads (especially at night - coming from the dicso), since there are no pavements.
If I was not careful I would kill a few in a very short time - animals and people.
I usually am on a verge of a nervous break down when driving or being driven in Poland.
I am not even going to mention Polish drivers. Unfortunately most of them should not be allowed on the road. Some got their driver's licence illegally - if you know what I mean.

I am not trying to be picky here.

Oh, please (typical Polish mucho attitude). Lots of people close to me died becaus of those trees - no excuse and NO - it has nothing to do with driving skills.
That's what buggs me about some of the Polish attitude - when criticised - they take it personally, or too lightly - insted of accepting it as a constructive criticism.
There is no chance for improving things if one is not going to take it for what it is.

Countries need infrastructure and road system is one of the most important ones.
See the map of western Europe and their road infrastructure. Have you ever looked at Holland map for example? Thank God EU has invested some money in that deparment.

Nor am I...none taken. It's the amt of accidents that PL has each year...and most I see in these trees

I must admit, that I can't understand what's your point here, M. Would you please be so kind to explain me what part of my post indicates that I can't take any criticism (or take it personally) and am a macho (me ??? macho ???) ???

What have you got against ZUS?

Depends how many times you have to go...and trying to find one when in need.

What I like about Poland are little stores everywhere. A sklepik here, another one there, warzywniarz over there, a cukiernia there...
The ice-cream is really, really good.
They use polite words like dziękuję bardzo, proszę pani, proszę bardzo, etc.
The guys treat women and children with respect.
The dogs are well groomed. Not talking about the strays.

Matyjasz,
I don't think that anyone likes ZUS in Poland - But our pension system is changing for better now.

In UK papers moan about their pensions it all the time. In Poland at least your pension depends on your salary and years of working in UK state pension is the same.
I mean if there are 2 people one with big salary and big contribution and small salary and small contribution they both end up with the same state pensions.

it is very communistic everyone gets the same.

I love girls with the name "Iwona" - it's far and away the most attractive Polish name!
Now, I've got that off my chest ...
Mushrooms? Excellent picking in Scotland - much better than in Poland ... no competition from fellow pickers!!
Architecture. Hmmm a tough one.
Warsaw is so ugly, which together with the undrinkable water, is why I don't live in the city but just outside - between Pruszkow and Podkowa. Leafy, green, fresh air, can drink water from the tap ...
Lifestyle made possible by the WKD train line - Warsaw earnings and country living. Eeeh, it's grand!

Oh Iwona, Iwona - you won't get a state pension at all - your private one may be very good, who am I to know?
The retirement age in the UK is set to go up to 68.
I'll say that again - 68.
No teacher would ever make it!!

I'm concentrating on getting as filthy rich as I can now, then sitting back and teaching English part-time just for the social aspect.

I was sent to a sister factory in Poland for a weeks course about this time last year. I had a hire car from Krakow Airport and the drive was about 200km. Out of about 20 people on the course I was the only one who had a hire car, the rest used taxis. The people taking the course were suprised and a little worried about me driving in their country. The driving was not a problem ( I drove on the wrong side of the road in the US for 3 months) However the other drivers were. I was overtaken on double white lines and on corners numerous times where there was zero visability! I also came across 2 accidents in the 200km! I was really suprised how low thae standars of driving was. The roads were also quite poor with big pot holes and deep ruts from the wagons.

Sorry to hear about your losses Miranda.