There is loads of content out there on the web with people (both Poles and non-Poles) complaining about what is wrong with Poland, so I just thought I’d jot down a few random things about what I really like about Poland to level up the score a bit. In no particular order:
1. Poland has a certain “quaintness” about it - there are lots of traditions and customs that have disappeared in the UK that are still evident in Poland, such as not working on Sunday. In fact on Sunday my wife doesn’t even allow me to wash the car – not that I wash the car very often anway… :-) If you happen to be out and about on a Sunday morning anywhere in Poland you will see people dressed up in their Sunday best heading off to church. I am told that this used to happen in Britain back in the 50s….
2. Polish TV – Another thing I find both quaint and at the same time a little bizarre is the way that Polish TV just “stops” during the summer – it seems that all the TV serials just stop during July/August and they only screen repeats. By late September new editions of everybody’s favourite programmes come on air. Why don’t they just film a load of episodes in one go and spread them out throughout the year like in other countries? I can’t work it out. Maybe it’s because during July/August nobody watches TV anyway because they’ve all gone on Holiday to the Baltic coast…
3. There is a cautious optimism in Poland – Whenever Brits ask me what I am doing now and I tell them I quit the UK and moved to Poland, the general reaction is along the lines of “I envy you / good on you / this country is going down hill”. In Poland Poles complain a lot about their country, but there is an underlying optimism that things are getting better and will continue to get better. Everywhere there is evidence of improvement in the roads, pavements, renovation of public buildings, EU funded projects, EU development ads on TV etc.. In 2013 the postal market will be privatised and other markets such as the energy sector, ship building and so on are all going through the process or heading in that direction.
4. Family values are strong here – most Poles wouldn’t consider sticking Granny in an old people’s home. Multiple generations living under one roof is quite common. Although the divorce rate is rising it isn’t as endemic as that of the UK.
5. My local council doesn’t dictate to me about what days I have to leave the bins out, that they have to be on my property but right next to the pavement, that the lid has to be properly closed, that I have to segregate paper glass and plastic. They don’t then charge me over a grand a year for it. In fact there is no rubbish collection service whatsoever from my local council and in return I pay zero council tax. Fantastic. If I want somebody to take my rubbish away I can use a private company or do it myself.
Well I don’t know where in Poland you live, but my local govt is about to force me to segregate paper, plactic, glass AND biowaste, and regular unsorted rubbish collection prices wil be much higher. I’ve got two private companies to choose from, but they all will have to abide by the rules set by the local govt. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, only that what you write certainly does not apply to Poland in general.
Also, how’s the Polish summer TV lull different from season and mid-season hiatuses on US and UK tv?
Also, “not working on Sunday”? Seriously? I remember my grandmother telling me not to do laundry on Sundays 30 years ago but nowadays? In the name of all backwaters, where do you live?
6. typical but humourous polish negativity about everything (Lil being a perfect example), not agreeng with anything good being said about Poland. Lil, why don’t you come to England and have a look at local council affairs, family values, tv licence enforcement, safety (london) etc. and in no time will you understand what the author is on about.
Brit in Poland, as a Pole in London (and loving it as much), I thank you for your comments, you made my heart feel warmer.
‘Sunday work turns into shit’ my grandfather and father used to say, funnier in Polish as it rhymes.
cheers
Hello I am scuh a big fan of you blog sooooooooooo happy to see your back blogging thank you, I was wondering what happened no updtaes since aug I had checked every month. Hope to see a feb blog
Hi yes apologies – in fact I just wrote about that here: http://www.britishinpoland.com/blog/2010/01/too-much-work/
I will try to make sure I post more regularly in 2010 I promise :-)
marych, sweetheart, of course I’m negative when someone perpetuates the stereotype of a “quaint little, god-loving, just-like-in-the-50s country”. Just FYI, I come from a family of well-travelled atheists who very much live in the 21st century and don’t _need_ to live in the UK to live okay.
I’m also usually negative when I come across poor research and sweeping generalisations based on a case of a misinformed one.
well through my British eyes Poland is indeed reminiscent in many ways of a quaint little god-loving 50s country so I think my comments are fair. As a well-travelled atheist in my humble opinion you are not representative of the average Pole. My research is based on my observations of living in Poland in 3 different areas (Kielce, Opole, Krakow) over the last 4 years. It is just my opinion which I am entitled to. If you don’t like it you are welcome to say so and am happy to publish your comments good and bad.
lil, bitterheart, try to understand that your opinion isn’t any better just because it’s yours, trying hard for eloquent wording won’t change that. you might perceive Poland as a modern secular society but to a westerner simply it is often not. and what does being an atheist have to do with that? as an atheist myself i can tell you it doesn’t authomatically make you any smarter, only shows your stance on a matter that can’be be decided anyway, why do you even bring this up? fashion?
on needing to live in London – one day you will realize people sometimes choose lifestyles nad careers they do not only because they need or have to but solely because this is their way to live and work, look forward to that day.
Now, be a sweetheart like myself, chill out, have a pint, read some dawkins and remember – life’s to short to wallow in negativity. that’s all folks.
I did exactly the same thing on the same day on my blog about being British in Poland… that’s just creepy! And for the same reason – was writing far too many negative things (‘blog when angry’ therapy I guess!) so decided to cheer myself up – been living in Poland 5 months, finding it a bit tricky. It worked, and now I have some more reasons to be nicer to Poland :)