Koobazaur's Domain

I recently traveled back to my homeland after 3 years, which reminded me of all the things I miss about Poland. And some I definitely do not.

1) The Serene Morning in the City. My first morning I woke up to a chill breeze coming from the window and birds chirping outside, right in Poland’s capitol. The occasional crow made an appearance too. Does not sounds like a big deal, but it was quite a change of 3 years of sun in your face, loud traffic, and random people yelling in Spanish outside my window.

2) Bread, sausage and cheese. Staying with my gramps always opens up with a nice basket of multiple breads and platters of various cheeses and sausages. So good you don’t dare putting katchup or mustard – you don’t want to take away from the actual flavor.

3)Really, ALL the food. I ate fresh tomatoes straight off the vine, grown by my aunt; you don’t even have to wash them because there’s no pesticides. You can grab still-warm donuts or pastries from one of the billion mini-bakeries virtually at every corner. The availability and quality of FRESH everyday food is just so much better here (at least for now…)

4) Good public transit. This again is not unique to Warsaw but after 3 years in Los Angles I miss clean buses that actually run frequently and on schedule. Having a simple map and schedule at each stop is also surprisingly useful.

5) Bars with Free WiFi. There’s bringing your laptop into a cafe and sipping on latte while you work, and then there’s a cold-beer-fueled work session on a hot sunny Sunday. A whole different world for a freelancer like me.

6) Prices. While most tech gadgets and imports tend to be a bit pricier, especially after joining the EU, the everyday expenses aren’t too bad coming from the states. I can get a beer in any pub for less than a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Poland knows where its priorities lie.

7) Urbanized Nature and Space. – Our cities aren’t just post-Soviet industrial gray blocks, they’re actually nicely planned out. Between housing blocks you will find lots of trees, parks and playfields. Even the very Warsaw downtown has a lot of greenery and breathing room.

8) Polish Girls. I gotta pull a total guy for second and admit Polish women are beautiful. I came up with “the bus rule:” every time I board a bus or a tram, there is *at least* one gorgeous girl there. Fact.

Things I did NOT miss

As a sarcastic cynic, there are plenty things that crack my rose-tinted glasses however.

1) Having to buy your own bottle of water at restaurants. Say goodbye to infinite ice-chilled pitchers, you cover each drop of water. While you can technicaly ask for water, it comes in the tiniest 8oz glass and dirty looks. And no, there are no water fountains anywhwere either.

2) Unfriendly store clerks. Many you will meet come off very brash, even rude. I had a shopkeeper loudly complain because I gave her 10 extra grosz (think 10 US cents). How has Poland not figured out that basic shit like smiling makes for more repeat customers is beyond me.

3) General rudeness and directness. I can’t quite blame clerks for their attitude given the customers aren’t much better. I heard loud complaining, angry outbursts and blame games a surprising amount. Or perhaps living in California has made me too soft?

4) Cars stopping in your face – yes, they see you crossing on the sidewalk, but they will not stop until 3 inches from your face. It scared the crap out of me a few times. It is worse than my time in India – at least there you KNOW they won’t stop. Here, you can never tell.

5) Transport outside cities While our municipal buses and trams are bomb, traveling city to city still leaves a lot to be desired. Our trains are… not exactly the best.

6) Politics. Given our country’s turbulent pace it is no surprise patriotism and nationalism run strong. While it is a good quality for keeping a nation together, it often leads to very dividing debates about the future of our country, often influenced by religion and traditional conservative beliefs. Not to mention the kind of ridiculous stuff the current leading political party is doing.