7 Things Americans Won't Like About Poland

Thanks for watching!

[Trev_in_Poland]

I somehow messed up numbering to the point where I added an 8th. Oops.

[M-CH_]

I'll give you a tip about starting a conversation with strangers in Poland: complain. A true Pole won't skip a good opportunity to whine.

[markg]

I’ve been living in America for 36 years now. I spent six months in Poland last year. The quality of life is so much better in Poland. Poland and Europe have so much more to offer, it’s not even close. I have lived in the most attractive and beautiful places in America. Polish people think that America looks like they show it in Hollywood movies. They have no idea about the reality.

[sylwianiespodziewana]

Talking to strangers at least for me feels kind of weird and suspicious. For example a stranger at the bus station could ask me about the way, which bus to take or something like that and that’s fine but other than that, when the person out of the blue would ask me how is it going I would get suspicious and a bit uncomfortable. And I think it’s common for teenagers and adult people. I noticed that elderly people would talk with strangers on the buses or at the bus stations without a problem.

[boargarage]

Most things you said are just EU things rather that Polish things (I've been places so I am telling you that out of experience). You are taking a lot about service and tipping. In Poland the customer asks and tips, service is trying to be polite and not interrupt, you have a distance bubble, I am going to say that we have a talk bubble, we don't like being interrupted and talk more than needed with strangers. Tips are just less common here

[ulllaaaklara]

Didn't your mama tell you not to talk with strangers?

[bqgin]

I feel like just randomly talking to people is ok as long as it is "na temat". So for example I feel no problem with people walking up to me and starting a conversation about pets if I'm walking my dog at the moment or if they start talking about art when they notice me painting at the park, or going on about how they also like T-shirts with skulls on them when I'm wearing one. So it is situational. If there is a certain subject that is somehow "relevant" right now I have no problem with that but yeah, but I would be creeped out if someone just randomly started asking me "How are you? What's your name? Where do you live? What do you do?". Especially because in Poland "how are you?" is not just a substitute for "Good Morning" but an actual question people are expecting an answer to.

[ania]

I'm Polish and I hate when someone is standing too close. Especially at the supermarket. I think it concerns older people. I have noticed that they have this tendency of violating my personal space. 😀

[bartek]

8:40 you can't do that. If you bring your food or drinks to restaurants you can be ask to move out cause it's rude

[hekatenor]

about starting conversation you just have to be simply more creative. We really do not like small talk and we do feel interrogated, when we are asked personal question by a stranger. It is like with your personal space. When you ask us personal question, it feels for us same as for you when a stranger stands to close in the line. But we are very open to conversation, just not small talk and not personal question. You want start conversation- be creative and start from your own person. We are very helpful so use it- say that you are new here and you dont know around and you don't know the language. Ask for help finding something. If you find someone, who is actually free in that moment- you might get your self a tour guide. And if it catches- even you might get invited somewhere for food party or something like that. Talk to people about how different things are in your country- we are very curious of other cultures. We will listen and might tell you something about us than too. Talk about other places you visited, like- hey that looks a bit like this thing I saw once in...". And first and most important question- do you talk english? Because many people might not talk to you simply because they are generally shy to talk in other languages in Poland. We are all thoght english in school- but just few actually use it.

[kijankus]

Things are a little different with these employment contracts. They protect the employee more than the company. Most such contracts have a probationary period (usually a month) during which you can normally quit your job. Later, the notice period applies, so you don't lose your job right away, e.g. if we have a notice period of 1 month, if a company wants to dismiss an employee, you must notify him one month in advance so that he has time to look for another job. Often, companies ask employees not to come to work anymore and they pay them normally for this period. An employee does not have to pay any penalties if he or she leaves work, he / she just has to call the company earlier, but in such situations he / she goes to the agreement with the company and terminates the agreement by agreement of the parties immediately. Thanks to the employment contract, we are sure that we will not be without money, that the company will pay taxes for us, that we will have medical care (in Poland, medical care (doctors, hospitals, etc.) is for free if taxes are paid), we can also based on showing in other companies where we worked and what we did.

[sugarsimmie]

"If any Polish people are watching this"
75% of your channel viewers: yes sir

[bip]

There were many comments about contracts but something that men don't really think about: only with a contract of employment women have maternity leave guaranteed.
Other things: 20-26 days free of work in the year, if you are sick or had an accident you are not left without salary for those days.
You won't get that in other types of contacts.
Also this idea of fine is wrong: depending on how much time you have spent in the firm there is a specific time that you need to wait between informing your boss that you are quitting and the end of your employment.

[iexist]

Smog in Krakow is a meme in Poland by now.

[magdalena]

I feel you misunderstood job contract concept. I cannot imagine to work without one. It is still easy to quit. That point was missed by you. In US from what I understood you don't have any social security. Whereas in Europe we strongly believe in it. Working with contract provides you with all the benefits-medical care, retirement, annual leaves-26 days in a year, maternity leave (in US I heard 3 weeks or 3 month
- sounds like a policy against women), child care benefits, sick leave-you can take upto few weeks in a year and then if unable to work - disability security, unemployment benefits, etc. It protects you also as a employee from unethical practices of some employers. Quitting is really not an issue and you can really do it very easily and anytime you wish in 99%of cases. Contract is to protect employee. My father employs some people in Poland and it is always first priority to fulfill all the obligations towards their rights, as per contracts. And yes - we don't like peanut butter. It's just not tasty at all for us 😂

[joannabasinska]

HI Trev, Appreciate your videos.


So I am Polish, have lived almost all my live in Poland until 10 months ago, when I moved to the US. And actually some of the stuff you mention here is things I will probably always like better in Poland.
Personal Space - I think, we in Poland are somewhere in the middle of the range within Europe. There will be nations that have this bubble much wider, and others that it is much smaller. But we do have the bubble you mention. It is maybe not extended arm + fingers and a little bit. But an arm yes, there will be individuals though that do not have it.
Foodservice - as you notice, we tend to be annoyed by the waiter coming to my table every 3 bites to ask if the chewing process is ok. I like that in Poland (and in many other countries too) you can just stay sitting and sipping beer for hours at the place. The waiter will not hand you the bill right when you are with the last bite of the dessert but will accommodate to your plan for the day/night. You ate at this table, you can sit and drink and talk at it until you are done and you will be the one signaling when it is.
Socializing with strangers - this is a weird one. Even though it is much much easier to socialize with perfect stranger in the US. when you already know someone and ask "How are you?" in Poland you actually wait for an answer and you are likely going to get it. What does annoy me here in the US. Is that many times they even do not slow the pace when asking "How are you?" so when I start to respond there is no one already there to hear the answer. And they do have surprised expression that there would be one. So we talk to less people in general. But when we talk - then we talk. Maybe it has to do with the history. You know all of the wars and stuff and the regimes from the past. That we have a trustworthy circle of people that we T A L K and T A L K a L O T to. And others are strangers. Not to be too trusted with too many details of the life. But I do like, that when I am asked “how are you” the person who asked will care for the answer.
Lack of public toilets - true, but is getting better
Work contracts - Your point of view makes perfect sense in an economy with virtually no unemployment for decades. and the fact, you can make a living on a minimum wage - not too fancy, but still you will be able to pay your bills, pay the gas for your car (and have a car) and pay rent + food. Not the case in Poland. There were times that we had 30% unemployment. So when you did find a job you wanted to grab it so hard so that you would never lose it again. And the work contract works both ways. It protects more the employee than it does the employer. After a year of service both parties need to give the natural month length of notice. You don't pay fine as long as you keep to this notice period. And the employer can release you form duty of performing the job, but still will need to pay you the salary if they fire you. And after 3 years it is 3 months. So from the impacted employee point of view it gives some time to start looking for the new job and pull resources together so you will be able to pay your rent in coming time if you don’t find it. I find the US lack of contracts and notice periods unnerving. Makes me feel unprotected
stores not open 24/7 - there will be some, and for sure the gas station will. there are some tescos open 24/7 - not all of them. But yes, you need to know the around of your house where to search for 24/7 store. I guess we simply don't mind it
We dislike the Sundays deal tool. But this is nasty politics topic.
Junk food - I guess we simply don't care for the junk food. The most common now is kebab and you need to know where you can find decent one. But the others junk foods we treat precise as it is called. junk food, not the food you care for, nor you are expecting amazing experience from it. We also don’t go to these places for breakfast. It is not the everyday dining place. We cook (usually from scratch) and eat at home and we grab a junk food when in the city all the day walking from one place to another, or travelling somewhere.
And yes, peanut butter is not a big deal in Poland. When I was a kid and the Sesame street was first airing in Poland (early 90ties) and some other US TV shows aired for the first time too, it appeared in the shelves in some limited capacity. Never conquered people's hearts. Now if you find it, it will be in GNC type of stores. Very healthy and natural ones, to get healthy fats from it for the body builders.
But you know. After a year here I will also find number of things that in the US are not widely available and I do miss them from Poland.

[wojstube]

Real original Polish junkfood: ZAPIEKANKA!

[hermenegildakociubinska]

With talking to strangers in Poland (or Europe in general), there's a time and a place. If it's a social occasion (party, club, festival, meetup, convention etc.) socialising with strangers is quite normal. If it's not a social occasion, you need a good excuse to start a conversation. Asking for directions is generally considered a good excuse.
Asking personal questions comes off as nosy–you need to establish some kind of relationship first, by talking about some common subjects. For example, if you meet some random hikers in Bieszczady, you first talk about your recent adventures on the trail, other places you've hiked in etc., and once it's established you're enjoying each other's company in and getting along, then you can get to "and by the way, what do you do? I'm an X."
And with public toilets – I never have any problem with finding one. They're in all restaurants, bars, shopping centres, railway stations, museums, supermarkets, public libraries – most places that are open to the public have them. You just need to come in and ask "Przepraszam, czy mógłbym skorzystać z toalety?" Most are free.

[maidere]

in the EU countries, u have to sign the job contract (they are different contracts and some u can easily terminate with no consequences). The thing is, the contract gives u protection - ur insurance is covered and if u f. ex. get sick, have the right for paid sick-leave and stay at home. Same with a pension or financial help when u are unemployed. So, in fact, those contracts are more for employees not for employers.

[rivieramaya]

About contracts, you have them in Poland because your employer pays your taxes, insurance etc. As well as 30 days of holiday a year. Other thing is confirmation that you work legally and you will get retirement pay based on what you were earning through all those years.