blog Archives - Polonization - blog about living and working in Poland

30 ways you know you’ve been living in Poland too long

When you live in a foreign country, you sometimes don’t realize the effects it has on your daily life. When I meet with my American friends nowadays, they think I talk funny. Poles have their own way of speaking English and when you hear it all day, every day, it starts to wear off on you as well. For example, I say “for example” way more than I used to or I use “this” in situations when I know I should use “that”. Polishisms. But there are innumerable other ways in which Poland rubs off on you. How? Read on.

8 December 2015

Cultural Musings, Poland

Are we so different? Poles vs. Americans

Poles and Americans aren’t so different. All in all people are similar, especially young people, but there are some differences in culture which can’t be ignored. Growing up in the States, we’re encouraged to embrace our individualism. This is evident in how we name our children. We invent names for them or simply use names of common objects. Rain, Pilot, Apple, whatever. Poles, however, stick to Polish names. If you use an English name, it’s a bit ridiculous. It’s better to have a normal name like everyone else than to stand out in the crowd. This is just one of the many ways in which our cultures differ.
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10 November 2015