Do Polish People Dream

Curiosity

Wherever I go in the world I meet Polish people. Poles are great travelers; curious about the world and courageous enough to step out into it. "

Aga, service designer, working and living in Warsaw. She lived in The Netherlands for twelve years, Denmark, Belgium, and Switzerland before that.

Your rant made me think about my Dutch experience. As Poles we have some difficulty to at least admit that someone's perspective made us think. We are not even allowed to admit that we may have a problem with ourselves. This may be an unfair opinion, but it seems that we have not been trained to find a win-win solution. We often see such comments as criticisms rather than just another viewpoint. "I wish that we all (including me) could have more of this perspective."

Klaudia, polish fashion management student studying in the UK (6 years). Previously lived in Germany, Spain and Poland

I have spent most of my life living in England, but also in Germany and Spain. And I must say, that we are very rude people, especially when it comes to our employees. We do not realise it, that we are being rude, inconsiderate and that the working environment we create is kind of sick. Recently, I talked to some Polish friends who live in Aberdeen. We all agreed that the working conditions are absurd in Poland. No respect towards you and your work from employers, constant stress and apparently constant 'underperformance'. Your employer will take the blame if you are making mistakes or underperforming. They'll work with you on improving it. Your employer will train you constantly to become a better worker.

Duncan's statement is true. Polish people are very regarded in UK as hard workers. We are considered smart and wise and quite often can tackle problems British people have trouble with solving. "If you have lived in Poland your whole life, it is possible that you will not notice the differences. You may even think this way because you've been immersed in Polish culture for so long."

Mick, 7 years working and living in Trojmiasto. Mick is originally from Manchester in the UK.

I love Poland. Understanding the culture took a lot of time, and sometimes even hard work. But now after 7 years I feel Poland's benefits. Poles do not insult other nations because they are patriotic. They value small and local business and community. The people have a strong sense of social responsibility. Qualities the UK for example I feel has lost.

Poland I feel is tied down by unwritten rules. The perception of things that no longer exist. The expectant of the worst case scenario. The last Polish generation lived this way, while the present day is still struggling to get over it.

Instead of just planning for safety, I would like to see Poland be optimistic. Asking 'why' is no longer an option. Instead, ask 'why not?' Want poles to aim higher and dream bigger. Failure will not affect them as much they believe. To quote Mark Zuckerberg. 'If you are not breaking things, you are not trying hard enough'"

Patriotism and National Pride

Patriotism is an integral part of Polish culture. The history of Poland has had an important influence in developing national pride. Polish citizens are proud to celebrate their contribution to the world.

The polish commitment to excellence within higher education speaks volumes of the polish people's determination to reach their highest dreams and goals.

Their grit and ambition have earned polish people great respect abroad, where they are widely appreciated for their dedication and willingness to go the extra mile.

This contagious spirit has inspired individuals around the globe with its infectious enthusiasm!

Delicious Food

It's hard to compete with other European nations like Italy or France for the title of the best cuisine on the continent. Most of the time though, they are sure that tortellini is just as good as pierogi and should be appreciated by gourmets.

Polish cuisine isn't just pierogi. It also includes a variety of other foods, including tripe, pickled cucumbers in salty brine and curd.

When asked to describe the Polish food, many people will recall sauerkraut, potatoes or pierogi. It's not very appealing, is it!

There's much more to Polish food than just this. In fact, regional delicacies often remain hidden from sight.

Even though Poles like their local cuisine, Polish dishes take hours to prepare and only the most patriotic Poles out there show the determination required to organize a real Polish dinner for their friends.

And that's why Poland remains known as the country of pierogi and potatoes.

Amazing Football Team

The Poles are passionate about football. They're easily the most passionate football enthusiasts out there. And they really, really want you to know that Poland has an amazing football team that just somehow never got around to winning a championship.

This one should be obvious.

While Polish players provide their talents to many different teams all over over the world, the Polish national football team hasn't realized that common dream many Poles share yet.

Instead of being known for a great team of football players, the Polish have to accept the fact that their country will never be famous for figures like Robert Lewandowski, but always associated with Lech Walesa (the founder of the Solidarity movement that contributed to the fall of the Iron Curtain) and Pope John Paul II.

It is so common that most Poles get annoyed by it. Sure, both these figures played an important role in local and global history, but to have their names shouted at you every time you mention that you come from Poland gets old after a while.

Emotions

"White people seem more emotional compared to us. Perhaps this is because they choose not to hide how they feel. In Asia you express yourself differently: Due to the characters of people, education, culture and so on, Asian people don't always say what they think at the first moment. In contrast, Polish people might be very straight forward, telling you directly what they feel, without considering whether or not it's the appropriate moment to do so."

Suddenly I figured out that this must be connected to my unprofessional behavior earlier today.

As a #6 Guest, You Are Given Slippers

When you enter a Polish household, it is customary to remove your shoes at the door. It's not surprising that this is a common custom in many cultures, but you might be surprised to be given a used pair of slippers. If you decline, the host may be concerned about your health. (It's impossible to go barefoot inside a Polish home!). Many Polish guests bring their own slippers to avoid the hassle.

Accountability

"Talking about meetings, it's very often that B. sets up a meeting and it's cancelled very easily one day before, sometimes even a few hours before. Polish people seems to change their priorities without considering the effect on the other party."

The same day I met Nathan, a New Zealander who has been based in Poznan for about 6 months. Nathan thinks there are, of course, many positive aspects of Polish culture, particularly when compared with other broadly European cultures.

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