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…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 4, jimjilbang/Korean sauna
This is the last post before the summer holiday break and I decided to continue with my Korean adventure. It is the fourth part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the links below: Before I took off to Korea, I did some research. Many sources recommended a visit to jimjilbang, which in Korean culture is what sauna is in Finnish, onsen in Japanese, banya in Russian, hammam for Turkish – a cheap public bathhouse. All of the local friends we met during our trip suggested exactly same thing, but of course I knew better. I wasn’t going to “waste” my precious time to see a…
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…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 3
This is the third part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the link below: This is probably the only post which I write with no pictures on the subject. The answer’s simple. That was my second day in South Korea and apart from taking pictures with my friends, I didn’t take any others. And I do not really want to post pictures of other people. They are not even on Facebook!!! the wedding Anyway, I’m not sure if my friends’ wedding was typical or not. I did some research and it seems that it was not that different from what other couples would do, so…
questions my clients ask – part 1
I have been working with expats relocating to other countries for many years and even though they come from different cultures, they actually ask very similar questions. They check my website, so this post is written to answer some of their questions beforehand, maybe even give you and them some insights about my work too, and will be one of many. It’s not possible to cover such a vast subject in only few minutes read, it would simply be too much for you to digest in one go. Trust me, you do not want to feel overwhelmed. If you have questions which are not answered here, let me know in…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 1
Before I share with you my thoughts and memories from Korea, a few words of introduction are needed. The trip happened in 2019 and, as always, I took plenty of notes during and shortly after my travel. I started to work on my new website, where the Korean journey was supposed to be one of the first posts published. I also started studying ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring which proven to be more time and effort consuming than I planned, especially with the pandemic hitting the world. And in my area of expertise, it hit really hard. There were not too many people moving around the…
