Today I spoke to Chris Thornborrow, a Brit from Bristol who has spent the last seven years living in Poland. After spells in Warsaw and Zielona Góra Chris has now settled in Wrocław and is married with one daughter.
We spoke about how Chris met his wife, why he came to Poland, how he found a job, being a Dad, where to get a good curry, and what Chris thinks is wrong with Polish trees. Listen to the podcast below to find out why Chris thinks the best place to learn Polish is in Egypt.
You can also check out Chris’s own blog here: Chris Thorborrow’s blog
Excuse me, is he married with one of HIS daughter?
No, because in English you are married ‘to’ somebody, not ‘with’ them.
Hey, thanks for that personal interview. After 9 years in Poland
I can understand Chris very well.
@Chris: I you want oaks, big oak trees go to Mazury. They still
have them. But you are right, most of the forest you see normally
here is of the industrial kind to produce quick growing straight trees :-(
Martin
Haha! Everybody has a story as to why they’re in Poland and it’s never straightforward. I met my Polish wife in the States and now we’ve got 2 kids and live in Warsaw!
I always said it’s fate, but it seems to happen to a lot of people.
Good idea with the podcast!
@Mike: That’s not really a surprise. Poland is not the country you would normally _choose_ if you were looking for better job or something interesting to do in your life. It’s usually something else that brings you there.
I’m in an opposite situation (like many other Poles nowadays). I left the country for a better job (at that time – any job in my profession) and I don’t think I’ll return anytime soon. As I progress in my career and life, the distance from Poland is growing, rather than getting smaller.
@Ben/Chris: After a couple of years in Britain I also miss Sunday lunches at village pubs (although I “discovered” them fairly late), fish&chips and parks. I’d add to the list B&B’s (but not hotels) and all the cultural stuff (museums, theaters etc.).
I don’t share your opinion about trees. Yes, these in parks are impressive and well kept (btw, if you want to see a nice park in Poland visit Park Oliwski in Gdansk Oliwa, I found it better than Warsaw’s Lazienki), but otherwise they are not terribly different from Polish. Perhaps you’ve only seen a typical planted pine forest, which is common in Poland (and I agree, it’s fairly unattractive) but there are others too, perhaps more obscured like these “village pubs” in Britain. Ask someone to take you for mushroom picking (na grzyby), the season will start in a couple of months. Although I personally don’t enjoy the experience very much, it might be what you’re after.