Growing up Polish-American, my culture has had a great influence in my life.
I am thankful that is has led to me to be so open to diversity, which in turn has brought me a circle of friends
consisting of various backgrounds.
What can I say about my family life? Well, it's not your traditional American upbringing. I am the first of my immediate family to be born in America. My parents moved to the states when my brother was six years old, and I was born four years later. My maternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all live in Poland. I also have family living in Czech Republic, Germany, and even some in Australia.
Growing up, Polish was the only language I remembered hearing being spoken in the house. I learned English by the time I started attending school. Polish dinners were common and included such hearty dishes as galabki, pierogi, and bigos. Polska kielbasa, soup, and potatoes were considered staples. Holidays were filled with many traditions, like breaking the oplatek at Christmas and blessing a basket of food at Easter. And we musn't forget, vodka in the Polish culture flows like water.
Polish people may become quite gregarious and rowdy (due in part to the mind-boggling alcohol consumption level;
but please don't get the impression that they are a bunch of alcoholics). Whenever we had unexpected company, or we
dropped in someone's home unexpectedly, the table was filled with food in a matter of seconds. Common greetings include
either two or three kisses, alternating cheeks (depending on how much they liked you). Our families are extremely hospitable.
So word to the wise when visiting a Polish home - arrive with an empty stomach and a designated driver.
The full name of Poland is Republic of Poland, or Rzeczpospolita Polska. Poland is an ancient nation that was conceived around the middle of the 10th century. It is a country rich with culture and history. Many of the cities are filled with old cathedrals, castles and palaces, and other historic sites. Several of the Holocaust's concentration camps from WWII are located in this country. Poland has been both a bridge and a front line between eastern and western Europe. After many years of turmoil, Poland has been able to reinvent itself. To find out more about this fascinating country, visit Lonely Planet .
The last time I went to Poland was in 2000. I stayed in my uncle's home, which included his wife, 5 kids, and his in-laws. You can imagine there was always something going on. They have lived in this home for two generations. Their home is situated in a rural area, and it is common for families of many generations to live in the same village, if not the same home, for a very long time. My grandparents, for example, have lived in their cottage for well over 50 years. So you can assume that they have no indoor plumbing, and I will leave it at that. But my uncle's home does.
My uncle has a farm, so I got to spend a lot of time hanging around cows, pigs, chickens, dogs, and fields of wheat. It was very important that you watched where you stepped sometimes. Meals were always fresh - vegetables were picked from the garden, meat was either from a farm animal or from the local store, and a juice compote was made from the fruit of surrounding trees and bushes. And I can't forget about all the delicious desserts made from scratch as well. Luckily, a lot of the local transporation consisted of walking.
No visitation with family was overlooked. Much of them I hadn't seen in years, or hadn't even met before, but we still picked up where we left off. It was especially great when I had seen much of my family come together for my cousin's wedding that summer. On a side note, weddings, or rather the receptions, are very, very long and entertaining. When I wasn't visiting or sightseeing, some of my older cousins and I hit up the local nightclubs. These nightclubs were more like small buildings with a lot of floor space, some fancy lighting and decorations, and a live band and DJ. But don't get me wrong, these people sure know how to have a good time. It was very cheap to get into compared to our prices in the states, something like less than a dollar. The crowds left once the band left, which wasn't until about 4am. In Poland, 5am looks like 10am in the states.
One of the many great things about being in Poland is that you're only a matter of hours away from the next great vacation. During my
visit, I was able to visit Germany, France, and Switzerland in a matter of a few days. Overall, I had an amazing experience in Poland
and recommend this type of adventure to everyone.
I know what you're thinking--I've gone through this much Polish talk without a single Polish joke. Well, here's a list of some of my favorites.
In America, they say it's 10:00 do you know where your children are?
In England, they say it's 10:00 do you know where your husband is?
In Paris, they say it's 10:00 do you know where your wife is?
And in Poland, they say it's 10:00 do you know what time it is?
Did you hear in the news that a 747 recently crashed in a cemetery in Poland?
The Polish officials have so far retrieved 2,000 bodies.
A Pole, English, and French guy are running away from the German
soldiers when they come up to a forest and they decide to hide by each
climbing a tree. When the Germans arrive, they go to the first tree
where the English guy is, and shout, "We know you're up there; come
down."
The English guy, thinking fast, says, "Twit, twit, twit..."
The Germans, thinking that it's a bird, move on to the next tree where the French
guy is and once again shout, "We know you're up there; come down."
The French guy, thinking fast, says, "Woo, woo, woo..."
The Germans, thinking that it's an owl, move on to the next
tree where the Polish guy is and once again shout, "We know you're up
there; come down."
The Polish guy thinks for a while and then says, "Moo, moo, moo..."
An English guy is driving with a Polish guy as his passenger,
when he decides to pull over because he suspect that his turn signal
may not be working. He asks the Polish guy if he doesn't mind stepping
out of the car to check the lights while he tests them. The Polish guy
steps out and stands in front of the car.
The English guy turns on the turn signal and asks, "Is it
working?"
To which the Polish guy responds, "Yes, it's working....No,
it's not working....Yes, it's working....No, it's not working...."
Q: How do you stop a Polish army on horseback?
A: Turn off the carousel.