My Polish/English Views

Hello everyone! 
     I will be completely honest with you... I have tried my best to write today's entry in Polish; however five sentences in I realised that my Polish was nowhere good enough to create anything decent out of it; therefore I would like to sincerely apologise! 

On the other hand, the subject of today's post remains the same; therefore I am going to get right to it! ENJOY! ♡

ENGLAND versus POLAND 

     Whenever someone asks me the following question: "What are people like in Poland / What are people like in England?" I always respond with the same answer: they are very similar, yet very different. Why? 

Poles just like Brits are very outgoing. Whenever I go for a night out in either country I always feel like I can talk to new people without feeling awkward (well most of the time) nor rejected. All in all, most people in both countries come across very friendly and chatty, which is something I value a lot. Once I even had the opportunity to take my boyfriend on a night out in Poland and surprisingly every single person we have met that night had been extremely chatty and friendly with him, even though their English was nowhere near good enough to hold a decent conversation - it's the thought that counts! 

It was a lovely surprise though. I would personally feel unhappy in a country where people are rather reserved and interested in only interacting with those within their friend group. It makes you feel excluded from the social group, which is something no-one wants to experience, right? 

Anyway, the thing that makes them completely different are manners. I think this is partly due to the fact that each language has different politeness levels and ways of approaching/ speaking to strangers or people older than you. For example, the Polish language requires the speaker to use "Mr.", "Miss" or "Mrs." when addressing anyone who is older than you, even if it IS your friend's mother whom you have known all you life. 

Of course, this depends on the relationship between you and the speaker because in some cases the parent would be fine with you addressing them in a casual manner - but you get the idea. :) 

As most of you know, the English language does not require such thing and even though I have been using this language every day for the past ten years, I still feel rude when I use the word 'you' when addressing strangers or people older than me. I guess, some habits just stay with you no matter what country you move to nor what culture you adapt to and I am sure that many of you can easily relate to this. 

However, what the Brits do that the Poles don't is the excessive usage of 'thank you', 'please' and 'sorry'. And when I say excessive, I am not over-exaggerating. Even they admit that in a situation where someone bumps into them, they are capable of apologising to the other person (I guess for just being in the way) and not only once nor twice, but at least ten times. And as funny as it sounds, I find it quite nice, because it shows that they actually acknowledge your presence and the encounter even if you don't really know each other. 

I am one of those people who prefers chatting to the elderly at the station while waiting for the bus, than sitting on my phone and refreshing the same newsfeed over and over again. I just think in general that we don't interact with each other as much as we should and as much as we used to in the past, which is kind of sad in a way, but I guess there's only so much I can do. 

Another thing that makes Poles and Brits different from each other are the things they get up to in their free time. Firstly, I would like to mention that there is a massive difference in pay in most part-time jobs, as you earn double the amount (if not more sometimes) in the UK that you do in Poland. And I am not saying that in regards to the currency conversion but the prices of food, outdoor activities, rent, etc. in both countries. 

In Poland, many young people would often buy a few beers or a bottle of vodka, hide it in plastic bag and take it over to the lake side or to the park where no-one can see them and enjoy their little 'gathering' until the late hours of the evening. Due to the poor pay in Poland and the constant low number of part-time jobs available, not many can afford to treat themselves to a trip to the shopping centre, a meal out and drinks at the pub. Of course I am not referring to all young Poles but just to what I have observed and what I see most people tend to do. 👍

I guess it is easier for those who live in larger cities, such as Warsaw, Krakow, or Wroclaw, just like it would in any other country, but I come from a small town in Central Poland and from what I have seen, a few beers at the park with your friends will always be a lot cheaper and in my eyes it has become a 'tradition' ( to an extent) among the youth and I guess there is nothing wrong with that. 

On the other hand, Brits are more likely to do the opposite: do some shopping with a group of friends, go for a meal or a movie and then head down to the pub for a few drinks - potentially a night out. And this is not because they are all extremely well off, but because the pay here is much more generous and many things are much cheaper than they are in Poland - and again I am not talking about currency conversion but the prices for a Polish person living and working in Poland. 

I have also observed that more young Brits go on holidays; very often more than just one a year, whereas in Poland, although you do get many young people who also go on holidays abroad; due to tight budgets many would normally go and spend their time off at the Polish beach or visiting castles or whatever it may be (usually drinking). 

I am not saying that Poles are too poor to do any of that because it is not true at all. In fact, we are one of the most modern countries in Eastern Europe and you do see more people becoming financially successful, but there is still that small gap between them and the UK. 

This is all in regards to my main observations. I was going to write something about how I learned English (what book I used, effective techniques and so on); however I am saving that for tomorrow, so you are given an excuse to come back ;) 

I hope that you enjoyed today's subject. I am sorry once again for not writing it in Polish... I could have but it would have made little sense and the fact that I am not good with words in general, just wasn't helping at all. 

If you have any questions or comments then feel free to message me on Instagram (daria_studies) and also follow me if you like. 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your day! 

Take care and see you back tomorrow! 💚💛💜