You’ve probably heard stories about how Poles enjoy a good party. They are, in fact, quite good at celebrating, whether it’s for a birthday, wedding, a funeral, a Friday night, a Tuesday night, what have you, any occasion is a good one. If you’re not sure what to do at a Polish party, here’s a run down of what it’ll look like.
10 zł. 50 zł. Zbieramy! Na co? Wszystko.
I noticed recently that Poles love to składać się. Złożyć się. Zrzucić się. Whatever you want to call it. If you don’t know what it means, it’s chipping in to buy one, usually bigger, gift for someone for a certain occasion. What kind of occasion? Pretty much all of them. Why and how does it work? Read on to find out.
All us immigrants have a lot of the same impressions/experiences after living in Poland for a certain amount of time, so I’m sure we can all agree that when you have to show your ID for something and you whip out a karta pobytu, it’s hilarious to see people’s confused expression as they try and figure out what in the world it is. This article is full of those little special moments when you’re not sure whether to jump on the next plane home or just go with it. That’s life in Poland sometimes.
So you’ve been invited to a wedding in Poland, you say? Well, lucky you! Polish weddings are incredible. They are also exhausting. You need to be prepared. You need to know how much money to put in the envelope and you need to know your limits. Watch yourself! A Polish wedding can make you or break you.
Are you thinking about moving abroad? It can be a tough decision. It all depends on your situation. When I moved abroad I was 23, had just finished college, and was in love with a good-looking, mysterious foreign man. I had nothing to lose, frankly, and I’m so glad I took the plunge now. But it was hard for me for a long, long time. Why, you ask? Read on to find out.
You’re probably staying at home a lot these days. I, for one, haven’t left the neighbourhood in about 2 weeks. Maybe you don’t know this, but things here in Poland and things back home in the States aren’t the same when it comes to COVID-19. I’d say the governments of both countries have handled things a bit differently, and people as well. This is the first time I can say I’m actually proud of the actions the Polish government has taken here.
It’s incredible really. When I first moved to Poland (let’s be honest, for the first three years I lived here), I really didn’t speak Polish at all. I was lazy, wasn’t really sure I’d need it in the future, just kept putting it off. So everyone who could spoke to me in English. Finally, because of my husband and his family, I learned Polish. Painstakingly, but alas, wreszcie! I can manage myself without nearly having a heart attack before every single interaction. But recently it’s become apparent that almost nobody speaks English to me anymore! And honestly, it sucks.
The other day my kid said this: “Mamusiu, co się stało pieskowi?” And I ask my husband, “Is that the correct przypadek?” The answer is positive and it leaves me feeling a bit disappointed in myself and I realize – it has started. My kid’s Polish is already better than mine. How did this happen? He’s only 2.5! He uses proper cases, he uses the right dokonany or niedokonany version of a word, it’s so unfair! When will he start saying things I don’t even understand?!