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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Poles in the UK mingle with... Poles

It is probably the best way to create ghettos like e.g. Turkish/Kurdish ones I saw in Berlin, Hamburg and Ruhr Valley area in North Rhine Westphalia. Everything local - almost like in Royston Vasey but in Polish...
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

You're a fan of 'League of gentlemen' Marcin?
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

warren whitmore:
You're a fan of 'League of gentlemen' Marcin?

Absolutely! Are you local, Warren? ;)
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Actually, Marcin, you sound like the kind of person who does get to know the locals.

How are things in Belfast?

Do the Poles integrate there?
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

warren whitmore:
Actually, Marcin, you sound like the kind of person who does get to know the locals.

How are things in Belfast?

Do the Poles integrate there?

It is hard to say really. From what I gather no, they don't integrate that much but my sample isn't too large. However I went to a Polish party a few weeks back and some people there told me they lived and worked full-time in "Polish-only" environment. This means sub-renting flats from Polish middleman (who turned to out to be some sort of rogue), having Polish foreman "on the floor", need for Polish interpreter to get their WRS and EEA1 applications sorted and stuff like that. And before anyone asks "why don't you integrate with fellow local Poles?" my answer is I don't really fancy discussions about screwing landlord over 50 quid, car chase after that rogue middleman, and whether 5 quid an hour "on the floor" is enough for a box of smuggled Sobieskie ciggys.

It never ceases to amaze me that some people arriving here write on different forums "hi, I just arrived from Poland, I'm a car mechanic, my English is virtually non-existent, can you help me find job?".Marcin B. edytował(a) ten post dnia 17.02.08 o godzinie 12:15
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

But tell me about yourself Marcin.

Who do you personally socialise with?

Do you have many Irish Friends?

How do you feel at social gatherings where there are no Poles present?

Comfortable or awkward?
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

warren whitmore:
But tell me about yourself Marcin.

Who do you personally socialise with?

Mainly with my work colleagues and a few friends - one British, his gf, and a French guy who very recently unfortunately left for the US.
Do you have many Irish Friends?

A handful - it really depends on the occasion but I reckon ~10. For my house warming I expect a bunch of ~20 to turn up.
How do you feel at social gatherings where there are no Poles present?

Good. I had to get used to discussing mortgages, house moving, kids growing up and petrol being £1.15 per litre, though :)
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Hi boys. I guess it is more complicated that we think. Adapting process is not easy both for imigrants and local people. People are not the same within their nationality. Some are educated, have high moral/ethical standards, try to 'match' to the society. Some of immigrants are ... don't want to say, everybody knows. Even hesre in Poland I don't make friend with everybody. When I am abroad I double-check a 'candidate' for a friend. I think this is what Macin has on his mind.
I am a guest=I try to adapt but still keeping my own personality. No matter how much you try sometimes it's very hard to merge with the local people just because they also have right to decide wheter they want me as a friend/neigbour or not.

The differences between nations are cruicial. I have no problems with getting on with Russian, Czech, Jews even people from Kazakhstan ;)))). Used to drink 'brudershaft' with all of mentioned. It is also about temeratures of emotions, common history, similar cuisines and so on.. I make friends fast with Thai, Arabic girls.. I don't know how such relations would be kept on if I lived in these countries. Anyway, being abroad it was easier to have nice time together with other immigrants or the second/third immigrant generation.
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

To be honest, I'd say that the few ex-pats you have in Poland don't really integrate.

Apart from here.
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

warren whitmore:
To be honest, I'd say that the few ex-pats you have in Poland don't really integrate.

Apart from here.

I won't say you're not right. Integration is not a soft piece of toast bread :)). For many years my best friend was a boy who came from Uzbekistan. Yes, he had some problems here, mostly on Targówek ;), but his 2 meters and golden chain on his neck were very distinctive so it was easy to persuade potential 'friends' to stay away. He got a very good job, better paid than many Poles just after studies, had many friends... Anyway, he moved to US to the rest of his family.
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Hi guys,
I live and work in Plymouth (south west of England) and I have a constant contact with many cultures down here because of my job. As a poles we are not the worst in integrating with local people. Everyone is really the same. Kurdish people are probably the most isolated.
In my opinion the main reason why poles do not integrate is LAZINESS - they just don't want to learn English. It's a shame. I can't really see other things. And to be honest I think that our nations (polish and english) are very similar.
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Do you happen to know these guys, Jarek?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftvav2hNuGUwarren whitmore edytował(a) ten post dnia 17.02.08 o godzinie 13:42
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

warren whitmore:
Do you happen to know these guys, Jacek?
Who the hell is JACEK ??? :D :D :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftvav2hNuGUwarren whitmore edytował(a) ten post dnia 17.02.08 o godzinie 13:35

From time to time I see those chaps on the street. But I don't know them. They are weirdos to me ;-)
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Jarek Grześkowiak:
warren whitmore:
Do you happen to know these guys, Jacek?
Who the hell is JACEK ??? :D :D :D

Sorry Jarek.warren whitmore edytował(a) ten post dnia 17.02.08 o godzinie 13:43
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Agnieszka P.

Agnieszka P. Magister do kwadratu

Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

hmmm, the fact is that the integration is not such an easy thing, actually... especially if you go to another country on your own. then you find yourself in front of people who've known each other for years, you've made relationships, who have sth in common. you're a new one there and that's a difficult situation to face. of course, it doesn't mean it's not possible to integrate but it takes a long time.

I lived in the UK for 8 months (btw, Jarek, it was not far from where you are cause I was in Braunton, near Barnstaple). Braunton is a small town with about 12 thousand inhabitants. no people in my age cause they've gone either to study or to work. there were just my pupils from primary schools (sweet little darlings but too young to make friends with), those from the secondary scool, then a gap and then their parents and grand parents. and at schools where I was teaching it was quite difficult to socialise with teachers. they were very nice and friendly but during the breakes they were talking about pupils and their problems. I wasn't actually able to join in because I was working at 3 schools at the same time, in each schools was one day a week and had lessons with all the kids from the reception to the year 5 - imagine how many kids there were. and as I spent with each group 15 to 40mins (per week of course), I didn't know them that well to talk about their learning difficulties, talents etc. the same thing about the teachers: I saw them once a week and nowhere else apart from school, so there was a kind of distance between us till the end of my stay there.
on the other hand I think I integrated very well with my host family. first of all we just had to integrate because we were living together, so spending quite a lof ot time together. it's always a bit dull at the beginning, before you get to know the other person better but afterwards it was really great. they treated me as a part of their family which was double nice considering the fact that all my family and all my friends were here, in Poland, far away from me. I was invited to join them each time there was a party or a family meeting, they took me to different places to visit a little bit, they organized a birthday party for me :))) that was a great experience for me. and I'm still in touch with them, I hope to have them at my place one day.
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

It's very nice story Aga indeed. I have quite similar memories about my first trip to UK in the summer of 2005. After few weeks I met very nice british guy (actually he was my boss at the beginning). He helped me and my girlfriend a lot when we were in trouble. Since then we've been really good friends. One year later he was in Poland (Great City of Katowice) and suprisingly he enjoyed it! :-) Of course the nicest part of visit was Krakow and Mountains:-)

It's another example that it's possible to integrate and make friendships with english people. But there is one main condition - COMMUNICATION.
No language, no communication. No communication, no integration :-)
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

hmmm, the fact is that the integration is not such an easy thing,
actually... especially if you go to another country on your own.
then you find yourself in front of people who've known each other for years, you've made relationships, who have sth in common.

Yes, I agree. When I went to France at first I was working for the same company, but the mentality was completely different. They never socialised together. Even if at 17.30 there was a glass of Champagne and a cake for someone's birthday they'd be looking at their watches and making excuses by 17.45.
They all had their own family or friends (from secondary school often). I was lucky to meet an English girl within the same office who had some sociable French friends so eventually I could integrate, plus I had a girlfriend eventually who I spent a lot of time with.

Regarding Poles in the UK, if we look at those that have lower education levels and do manual jobs, and then compare them with the equivalent British people it is hardly surprising that they don't integrate. I don't think that their British peers would generally have the curiousity and manners to help the process along.

re. Jarek's latest comment, as I student in France, it took a disaster in my personal life and the kindness of a French acquaintance when I needed it to then create a good friendship and get the integrating process snowballing.
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

warren whitmore:
To be honest, I'd say that the few ex-pats you have in Poland don't really integrate.

Apart from here.

I really think that it is up to each individual. It works on a case to case basis. I think, that if you find yourself feeling awkward in social situations in general, it will become more of an issue when it's a situation where majority of people come from a completely different background. It applies to various social groups, social classes, religions and nationalities.

I find it akward not socializing with people that you interact with daily. It helps in creating negative stereotypes.

Again, I really think that it is solemnly a matter of a personal preferance. I live in a four family house, owned by a Pole. I found the place through a Polish friend, yet I work in 100% American environment. My group of friends consists mainly of Americans, but it is also a mixture of various nationalities - French, South American, Polish, Russian etc etc...
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Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

Steven H.:
hmmm, the fact is that the integration is not such an easy thing,
actually... especially if you go to another country on your own.
then you find yourself in front of people who've known each other for years, you've made relationships, who have sth in common.
Sure, this is definitely something difficult, but look.. none of us know each other, yet every day we find things that we can discuss. Human beings are exceptionaly social creatures, with this planet getting smaller and smaller daily we can find many things to keep us entertained in pretty much any situation.
Living in the same city, country or even continent at this point, gives you many points of reference when it comes to group discussions.
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Agnieszka P.

Agnieszka P. Magister do kwadratu

Temat: Article (in Polish, though) - Poles in the UK mingle...

yes, Rafał, it's true that we don't know each other and yet we have discussions together. but this is different. that's internet. we're partly virtual here and anonymous. we let the others discover about as only what we want them to discover. and if we don't like a discussion, we can stop at any time and never send a post on a particular thread again or have a long break, come back and you will still be very welcome to join the discussion. we can find new groups, change them as many times as we like. is it like that in real life? no. you can't leave and come back whenever you like. you can't just stand by and listen to what the others are saying because that's not integration and you can't change the groups of people with whom you spend time because there are some people with whom you have to spend time for the basic reason that you work together for instance.
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