A Polish Girl in America

The American Enterprise Online ^ | 8/17/05 | Olga Walendziak

[anonymoussierra]

"So I already knew that American English is different from British.
"Billion" is "milliard" in British. Really. I'm still recovering from that one.":}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[sergey1973]

I'm OK--how about you ? Are you traveling ? How it's going ?

[Revolting cat!]

For a European it is surprising that here hard work is considered something of which to be proud, not ashamed.

Almost true, but. It's been said that Europeans work to live while Americans live to work. No, workaholism is nothing to be proud of. (I haven't known a European who's "ashamed" of hard work.)

[anonymoussierra]

I'm doing well good friend please read e-mail thank you/dzieki Sergiej.

[Revolting cat!]

"Billion" is "milliard" in British.

Yes, and isn't "billion" in European languages what we in the U.S. call "trillion"? If you're counting on your fingers, it can get real confusing!

[tomjohn77]

Your right on some things here, but on average just around 55% of voters vote in elections. You are right that most Americans say more thank you, please etc.
It might be so that people are ashamed of hard efficient work in Poland, but that is because you were communist. This is not way it works in most of Western Europe exluding the French.

[A. Pole]

"Billion" is "milliard" in British. Really. I'm still recovering from that one.

And so is in Polish ("miliard"), and so might be in almost any other language :)

"Billion" is thousand of "milliards".

[anonymoussierra]

:}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
thank you:}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[<1/1,000,000th%]

But despite the P.C. ideology, Americans still manage to run their country relatively simply, effectively, and with a great dose of common sense.

Compared to what the Europeans are doing, this is true.

[Modernman]

First thing that stunned me was the city itself. I expected it to be a capital like London, Berlin, or Warsaw—modern, full of tall buildings and daily rush. Washington, or, as I like to call it, “Washington Village,” is cozy, full of greenery and calm. Washingtonians seem unlike people in other capitals. I mean, they are kind.

DC is a great town. It's a fantastic place to live. You get to meet people from all over the US, as well as around the world (I just met a Mongolian for the first time at the Four Seasons' bar this weekend).

What's especially great is that DC is cosmopolitan without being overwhelming. Even interns fresh off the turnip truck from South Dakota can get used to the District very quickly.

[Clemenza]

Good article. Oddly enough, my great-grandfather had the same appreciation of the American work ethic when he came to this country from Poland, according to members of my family.

It never ceases to amaze me how many foreigners I have met, whether from Poland, Costa Rica, or the Phillipines, expect America to be just like "Friends" and get here and realize that we are much more complex, culturally and otherwise than depicted on TV. Another thing foreigners tend to notice is how Americanized second-generation children of immigrants are.

[tomjohn77]

One of my class mates was half Polish. He went down there when they were still communist. He said it was incredible how slow people could work. There were several men that was making small walkpath of some kind. They had started before he arrived and was still not finished after two weeks. He found it very amusing and strange. Just like it was a game going on who can work the slowest. It could be three people working in a small shop and you still didnt get service even if you were the only one there.

[anonymoussierra]

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"Good article. Oddly enough, my great-grandfather had the same appreciation of the American work ethic when he came to this country from Poland, according to members of my family.
It never ceases to amaze me how many foreigners I have met, whether from Poland, Costa Rica, or the Phillipines, expect America to be just like "Friends" and get here and realize that we are much more complex, culturally and otherwise than depicted on TV. Another thing foreigners tend to notice is how Americanized second-generation children of immigrants are."

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"I have nothing but great compassion for your great nation. I believe that if people should come to your country come legally and be respectful of different culture. If you plan to stay there then you have to get acquainted with your country history; at for be respectful and if you have children then they should know English first and polish second but not to loose your heritage. Hard work is a common; nothing comes from nothing you have to earn it but be respectful in country you are in; for which gives you bread."

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thank you

[A. Pole]

One of my class mates was half Polish. He went down there when they were still communist. He said it was incredible how slow people could work.

When I was a university student in Poland, one day I was sitting on the bench in the lobby of the institute with couple friends talking on various subjects.

Then one of the professors was passing by, he stopped before us looking annoyed and said "why don't you do something useful instead of wasting your time". He apparently was very busy doing something very important and left in hurry.

One of my friends explained, "he was too long in America and now he acts strange". I am sad to inform you but this professor did not live long - he died young because of some heart problems. I guess all this stress killed him.

[anonymoussierra]

leje ze smiechu:}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[lizol]

It was communism.

There was a saying at that time - "Czy sie stoi, czy sie lezy - 2.000 sie nalezy", which means - "no matter if you're standing or laying - you're entitled to get 2.000 salary".

Simply - the state was pretending it was paying and the people were pretending they were working.

[anonymoussierra]

albo lezy nie lezy i tak zarobie pracowac nie musze 8 godzin przechodzi

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"So what I still get paid for 8 hours I don't have to work hard"

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It was communism

[ZGuy]

Lizol - Would you agree with her statement "I grew up in a country where you don’t ask even your closest friends whom they are voting for, or what their religious affiliation is."?

We talk about things like that all the time when we are in Poland and I'd hate to now find out that we have been offensive by talking about these subjects.

[anonymoussierra]

""I grew up in a country where you don’t ask even your closest friends whom they are voting for, or what their religious affiliation is."?"

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"Warsaw calling. No seriously this can be debatable for it is her feeling; at fore she speaks of her attitude and what she believes in. Not for I tell you we do talk about politics every day; its our life man {"LOL"} what is this: depends what influence of other people she was expose to."

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[Gucho]

America is, by definition, always surprising. It’s the kind of country where everyday you learn something new.


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