One eye on the rearview mirror, but full steam ahead.
- ten Ginter Grass to tez byl kawal ch. z Gdanska i byl polakozerca wiec chyba
ona ma racje ze pisal to o Polakach.
For background, you should know that I grew up in a Polish immigrant family on
the south side of Chicago. Despite this "training," I found I was not able to
plunge seamlessly into Polish culture when I visited Poland or when I lived
there on two separate occasions. Sometimes, Poland would just take me by
surprise.
-Jackowo?
The basic building blocks of culture " food and language " were not a problem
for me in Poland. I was used to traditional Polish cuisine of tasty
carbohydrates and meat, and I could converse comfortably in Polish.
Fortunately, even back in the days of the Communist regime, I could afford
diverse restaurants to stave off culinary boredom. Today's Poland offers many
options for dining, especially in urban areas, so even an American who doesn’t
like Polish cooking won’t starve.
-No, fajnie ze taraz jest ta tania i roznorodna zywnosc. Jeszcze troche a okaze
sie dawniej to byly same slumsy.
My culture clashes came with the people themselves, oddly enough. Even though I
was surrounded by Polish people growing up, the powerful American culture must
have blunted my perception of Polish culture. When I went to Poland, I met the
real thing.
-pierdolnieta baba z Jackowa przezyla jakis rozczarowanie?
When you visit Poland yourself, you might find, as I did, that people often say
what’s on their minds. I found Poles refreshingly direct, even though they
sometimes surprised my Midwestern sensibilities. For example, they would ask me
how much my house cost, how old I was, and how much money I made. Tip: always
lie.
--No i pomoglo, nie? Czyli tak samo jak w Chicago.
And maybe it’s just my relatives, but Polish people can be pushy.
--Tak, to tylko Polacy sa 'pushy', bo reszta narodow sama rwala do Iraku po
czarne torby plastykowe.
They have strong opinions and are eager to share them.
--Zaczynalo sie mnie wiecej tak: co ty k. wiesz....
Pushy can be good and bad.
-czyli nie wszystko stracone, huh?
It’s bad if you’ve already eaten and drunk too much and here comes another
round of something.
--ze za duzo pija, nie?
It’s also wonderful because I always feel so welcome coming to Poland.
-welcome home, hon'.
You’ll offend a Pole if you don’t eat a little of just about everything, but
you won’t usually offend someone with a well-reasoned argument.
---to chyba bylo za Gierka tak....
Well, maybe they just like to argue.
--powiedz ze nie daja sobie wciskac kitu jak sobie wyobrazalas po czytaniu
Michnera.
Which leads me to another trait I have observed about the Poles. They are often
very stubborn.
--no, sa. Bo miedza nasza.
I have seen them stand their ground even when faced with unquestionable proof.
--mozga miec kazda racje, provided it's MINE.
Even when their stubbornness creates an unbelievable disadvantage for them.
--wiesz, ciotka, dzialas mi na nerwy. Przepisujesz Cwierciakiewiczowa czy jak?
This is both a good and a disastrous trait for Poles, depending on the
circumstances. They will defeat Communism but they will not ask for directions.
--A ty je oczywiscie znasz, te directions, nie?
Sometimes I see contradictions in the Polish character. Here are the people
that through the centuries united for elusive freedom.
---lejesz ich a oni ciagle nie daja sie rolowac calkiem na plask.
The same people can constrain themselves from freedom, with a traditional
outlook that can sometimes be oppressive if someone really needs to be
different.
-sraty taty, -- "6".
Women participate widely in educated professions but also are expected to take
a traditional role in families.
--To jest dopiero jak przestaly uczeszczac na zebrania ligi kobiet i zabraly
sie za robote w domu kolo tego alkoholika niezdary co przepija i chodzi w
jednych butach cale zycie. Ja mam jeszcze z Chelmka.
Finally, while Poles are generally a fun-loving group, they are also serious
about their formality. Polite manners count. Bring flowers with you when
invited to someone’s home, and use a person’s title until you both agree to use
first names, if that ever happens. Women can expect their hands to be kissed by
gentlemen, as a way of saying good-bye.
--- lecz sie pi. bo jestes p...ta.
There is of course so much more to share about Poland. I hope these
observations will encourage further exploration of this country and people who
truly have contributed some outstanding achievements to all of us. Without the
Poles, who would have brought down the Communist system of control? Would we
still be waiting? Perhaps it really does take a people who can be described as
romantic, proud, spirited and devout.
Co to k. za belkot ta ciulica napisala?
