polski: Mandatory Introduction

Please tell me about the culture shock you experienced when you first arrived to Poland. Were you prepared for it?:

Well, before I left, I asked my friends from Poland what to expect. Of course, they had all left when it was still Communist, and they didn't have totally good memories about it, but they let me know what the people would be like and a lot of what the culture was like.

When I got there, I found that, superficially at least, it wasn't really hugely different from Canada. Oh, there were differences, but they weren't as large as I had prepared myself for. There were still malls and McDonald's and all the usual things, but I noticed differences like the fact that most cars were small (which is more European than specifically Polish), and that people interacted a bit differently.

"Well, there were a few things that I noticed:

1) people on the street don't smile at each other. I just sort of half-smile at someone automatically when I make eye contact. That got me into an interesting conversation or two :)

2) men are big on kissing women's hands and letting them go first through doors. Not that I didn't experience that here, just not to anywhere near that extent. And really, the hand-kissing thing just isn't really done in North America unless it's jokingly :)

3) there was a *lot* of hand shaking. Every time you met up with someone you knew, you'd shake hands. Every time you met someone new you shook hands (this is what I'm used to). People would often shake hands with every person at a table in a pub before sitting down.

4) guys actually dance! This was so very different from what I'm used to here. I always have to physically drag my male friends onto the dance floor, often only succeeding after they have consumed large amounts of alcohol.

I'd say those are the ones that I noticed most :)"