Poland – a very short introduction – part 2, today
When you deal with the Polish it is impossible not to talk about history at some point. We finished the previous post on partitions. They lasted 123 years and they changed Polish culture completely. When Poland became independent, obviously it was not Poland of 1795. And some other countries became independent as well. It includes Lithuania, and Vilnius, the old Lithuanian capital where almost everyone spoke Polish (which was the language of education and art, not necessarily of nationality) happen to become a capital of newly independent state. That enraged Polish to the point that we decided to stand up and win it back. To make it even more complicated,…
Poland – a very short introduction – part 1, history
I know that many posts on my website is about travels, simply because I love learning about other people and cultures. That’s why I travel a lot in comparison to regular holidaymakers. And I would love to travel even more, by the way. Sometimes, though, it’s only the second-best option available – my work. Even though some people could say it is repetitive, after all I train, coach and mentor my clients how to communicate with the others, mostly British, US Americans and Polish and how to be a happy and fulfilled expat. That is true, but thankfully those using my services come from so many different cultural backgrounds that…
The sweetest day of the year!
As promised, this week’s post is published on Thursday instead of Monday. Why? There is a perfectly valid explanation. This Thursday is a very special day, the sweetest day of the year in Polish culture. It is called Tłusty Czwartek, which literally translates to the Fat Thursday and today, you not only should, but you are morally and culturally obliged to eat as many sweet fried pączki (pronounced pownch-key), as possible. And remember, according to a jocular Polish saying, the calories consumed this day do not count, even if you are on a strictest of the diets. Why, then, don’t you make yourself a cup of coffee, which pairs perfectly…
My intercultural journey
Hello, My name is Konrad Wdowiak and I was born in Poland in 1976, when the communist regime realised that it is supported by less and less Polish citizens. At one point they decided to introduce Martial Law, blocked the borders so no one could leave the country; not too many people could come in neither. And Lublin, my hometown, is the place where people of different religions and nationalities used to live together for hundreds of years. The remnants of its former burghers’ cultures are still there. During communist rule they were kept timidly hidden and never praised like those people have never existed. But they were still there:…
