Archive for 'Culture'
Required Reading – Jan Brzechwa Posted by Anna on Aug 15, 2008
Today is a public holiday in Poland, the Feast of the Assumption, which is an important Catholic celebration, I presume. Though when I asked my friend this morning about the reason for a day off, she mumbled something about the Battle of Warsaw instead. That battle, also known as the Miracle at the Vistula, took…
From Chopin to Szarlotka Posted by Anna on Aug 1, 2008
I’m always very surprised when I hear that people with absolutely no prior connection to Poland want to learn Polish. It’s one thing when someone has Polish roots, or a Polish name, or a polish spouse, or plans to move there. But it’s completely another when someone wants to learn Polish “just because.” Just because…
Four Tankmen And a Dog Posted by Anna on Jul 29, 2008
I woke up this morning humming the theme song from “Czterej pancerni i pies” (Four Tankmen And a Dog). Don’t ask me why – I must have had some really wacky dreams last night. Mercifully, I remember nothing. So how did this song get stuck in my head this morning? A total mystery to me…
The Many Polish Greetings Posted by Anna on Jul 8, 2008
In all this excitement with grammar and country music, I totally forgot to tell you about the intricacies of Polish greetings. I realized that last night when a friend from Finland skyped me and very indirectly pointed out my oversight. My friend is an older lady whose brand new daughter-in-law is Polish. The girl’s Polish…
A Little Bit About Mrągowo Posted by Anna on Jul 1, 2008
One of our readers is going to Poland this summer, and that in itself is nothing unusual, tons of people visit Poland every year. But not very many of them go to Mrągowo. In fact, I was rather surprised to hear that anyone from abroad would actually know where Mrągowo is. Because I’d bet that…
Time for Dinner Posted by Anna on Jun 25, 2008
Most foreigners, whether they realize it or not, have had some sort of contact with Polish culture. And it happened, most likely, in the kitchen. Yep, it’s Polish food time! And if you’re going to argue that food is not culture, then I dare you to eat nothing but burgers next time you’re in Italy…
Henryk Sienkiewicz – Required Reading Posted by Anna on Jun 18, 2008
Lately I have been hearing a lot about what it means to be Polish. It seems to be a trendy discussion topic, both among my countrymen and foreign expats living in Poland. And while neither side can agree on what exactly characterizes a typical Pole, they are both of the same opinion when it comes…