Polish Expat Bloggers Posted by Anna on Dec 28, 2009 in Culture
It always amazes me how many Poles in recent years have packed up and moved to the UK and Ireland. Sometimes I feel like the last Polish person left alive who hasn’t even properly visited the “islands”, because no, transferring between Heathrow and Gatwick doesn’t count, or does it? I will remedy this glaring oversight in 2010 when I visit Birmingham for about a week in August (any readers in or around Birmingham who would like to get together and have lunch, or a non-alcoholic beverage, please let me know!).
Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, Poles in the UK. There are thousands of them. Or is it millions now? And it seems that despite the bad economy, more and more are heading there. Personally, I know only two people who chose to return to Poland in 2009, and about ten times as many who got on a Ryanair flight with all their dreams and belongings reduced to one piece of checked-in luggage. But as I am a professional nomad myself, it’s not really my place to pass judgment on them and dissect the reasons why they decided to leave Poland.
What interests me are their experiences in the UK. Why? Oh, I’m nosey and real life stories are so much better than soap operas.
Luckily for me, it seems that just about every Polish expat on the “islands” is busy documenting his or her life in a blog. Most, actually – almost all of those blogs, are written in Polish and detail the boring, mundane events of boring, mundane every day life.
What surprised me was how many (many) of those Poles in UK complain, and what they complain about (everything). I know that narzekanie (complaining) is one of our national traits. No, wait, it’s not a trait, it’s part of our Polish genetic makeup. Nobody complains like we do. We’ve turned complaining about life, universe and everything into an art form.
But where was I? Ah yes, Polish expats blogging. Mercifully, since most of the blogs are written in our obscure national language, their readership is also almost exclusively Polish. There are, however, a few brave souls that decided to blog about their experiences in the UK in English. And maybe because they blog in English, they don’t complain as much as the rest.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to know just what those neighborhood Poles are up to, now you can – check out thesee blogs:
Anglopole’s blog is somewhat spasmodic, but still offers a nice glimpse of what a Polish person in the UK does and thinks.
Polka on the island writes a bit more frequently and also covers a wide variety of topics.
If you are a Pole abroad and blog in English, or in a mixture of languages about your daily life na obczyźnie, please take a minute and leave a comment – if you don’t mind, I’d like to feature your blogs next time we talk about this subject.
And yes, if you think I’m a blog addict, you are absolutely right. I love them, I read them, and I write them. Kocham blogi, piszę blogi i czytam blogi – jestem blogowym nałogowcem.
Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.
Comments:
Jake:
As an Englishman who used to live in Poland, I’d love to know what the Polish blogs complain about in their life on the islands. Care to summarise what you’ve read?
Anglopole:
‘Sasmodic’, eh? Thanks, A.!;-) Well, some bloggers actually have a life too, and a busy one for that matter and so their blogs can suffer some neglect from time to time! 🙂
As for complaining, some people complain about Sweden, various airlines, Polish clerks and all kinds of procedures… and others about things they find annoying in the old Blighty! lol! 😉
Actually, more and more Poles are going back to Poland as it is increasingly harder for many to save enough money to be helping the relatives left behind in Poland. Many of those who have come here with their families choose to stay as even amidst the omnipresent crisis, life is easier here than in Poland.
Michael:
It is a shame that some Polish people complain a lot, it gives a very bad impression of them and other Poles even though they could be very nice people.
Ivone:
Hello,
My name is Ivone and I would like to ask you to join our affiliates program. Could you please give me an e-mail account where I can write to you?
Thank you very much,
Ivone
Anna Ikeda:
Jake, simply put, they complain that the UK is different than what they’re used to.
Anglopole, you get writing, will you? And honestly, I know that many people are coming back, but just as many, if not more, are still leaving.
Michael, I don’t think it’s such a bad impression, especially if have no clue what they are actually saying. And if you don’t know what’s being said, you might simply think they’re discussing the weather. 😉
polkaontheisland:
Oh, cheers for recommending me!
Sure we complain – who doesn’t? We are as skilled in ranting in Polish as the English are in English!
Anglopole:
Updating my blog more regularly is one of my New Year’s resolutions! 🙂
As for us complaining, Jake, Poles here do not complain as much as the Brits about council tax, weather, or immigrants taking jobs away from them… 😉
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!
Naceface:
I’m an Englishman who’s interested in polish Culture, I have to say that i find it extremely funny that you describe complaining as being “in your genetic make-up”. There is nothing more british than than the power of negative thinking. perhaps that’s why i like the polish the most out of the people i work with.
paweł:
You ask why so many Poles relocate to the UK. UK has become what USA used to be for the generation of my parents: the cool place. It’s probably the most vibrant country in the world, open to people of all races and walks of life, modern, fashionable, hip… that’s where the new music in the last 20 years was coming from.. be it rave, drum and base, 2step, or desi…. It’s the most creative melting pot. That is why I am so into the UK and UK culture. If I could chose any other country in the world to love apart form Poland, UK is my first choice.
If you asked me what came to my mind when USA was mentioned would say… Christian fundamentalism, levelling, dumbing down, favouring beauty over substance, odd allergy to democratic socialism, and few islands of something interesting in largest cities. American culture and odd autocensorship of the mainstream media promote mild, luke-warm culture versus the witty, and sharp British counterpart.
Jouve:
Hello,
My name is Jessica JOUVE and I am journalist for a French and German Television named Arte. I am making a documentary about the Polish expats and the fact that a lot of polish people returns back home from a lot of european countries.
In this context, I am looking for expats who went to England or an other european country to work in 2004 and then comed back in Poland because it’ was not attractive anymore.
I am aslo looking for a Polish person wich is still living abroad and wants to come back !!
If it’s possible, It would be great like to find a Polish Plumber expat, an impled reference to the Polish Plumber cliché
Thanks for your help,
Jouvejessica@yahoo.fr