EDIT, PLEASE READ: After thinking more deeply about the language topic and decided to take back what I say about it in the video. I will explore Polish more deeply first before making comments about it. I wanted to cut it out of the video, but TH-cam studio isn't letting me do it for this video. Just wanted to be transparent and keep an open mind to learning Polish deeper.
Ukrainian people are the ones in 2016-2024 building new monuments to people who have commited a g******de to 100,000-120,000 of Polish people and other nations too. Zelensky has posed 5 times(!!) in the last 30 days next to U*PA black and red flag. And what... you are blaming polish people? for their xenophobia? seriously...? How do you imagine helping another country who celebrates deeds of the Austrian painter and flies his flag? Our government sponsored everything to Ukrainians, food, electricity, equipment, accomodation and in return we got even a more demanding attitude towards Poles and extreme poverty among Polish people. You might not feel it, but Polish people were insulted numerous times ever since it all began. Even their president called us Moscow agent, despite us basically holding Ukraine alive. I think I want to have nothing to do with this youtube channel anymore. It really disappointed me.
You, like anyone else, have the right to your own very subjective perception of Poland but I can tell you that, like in case of most Westerners, your comments lack the depth to make it objective. The things you listed as Poland's drawbacks can be applied to many countries and can be disputed. The suggestion to simplify the Polish language to accommodate the foreigners is ridiculous! It's not the easiest language indeed but we know much more difficult ones i.e. Hungarian, Finnish, Turkish in Europe or the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and we wouldn't suggest to them to simply them for us, would we? And when it comes to the Polish-Ukrainian relations, it's better that you foreigners stay away from commenting on them being ignorant about our mutual and mostly very dark past history and not much better present times (despite the MSM "positive" propaganda). Defending Ukrainians is totally irrelevant here because the Polish people know very well what to think about them. They know that they have every right to resent them by now and be fed up with their sense of arrogance, ignorance and entitlement which is encouraged by their VERY anti-Polish government officials!
@@graceg.253thank you! And I did some research… Poland does not have the lowest birth rate in Europe. I didn’t know Poland had poor air quality in some cities but it is some cities and it is because they burn coal which hopefully can change. Also though this is a very sensitive topic, Poland is not the country with top amount of alcoholics. I don’t judge the people or the countries that have this if it is even accurate. Poland is known for dressing well and taking care of themselves. Poland is also helping Ukraine now.
No, we will not restructure the language for the sake of foreigners. Language is not a thing you can change overnight, it evolves over years of usage. What's more, it shouldn't be imposed, it has to come from the people using the language. Not a foreigner, not the government, nor any other institution. Even small changes imposed on the language users would cause mass confusion. Restructuring the language doesn't just affect you, it affects the whole society. It forces people who can speak the language to deteriorate their skill for the sake of a minority.
@@WheresWes if nobody fixed the crazy English spelling (thought/tough/through?! Leicester?!), and that's clearly just a distortion that needs to be cleaned up, I don't think Polish is bound to be revolutionised... I think we should promote Polish more, most of all by offering very cheap Polish language courses even in small towns, if there are a lot of foreigners (industrial towns). Perhaps we should formally limit the use of other languages like the French did. But most of all, some of the work has already been done - AFAIK passing Polish state language exams is even now a condition to get citizenship, permanent residency, or free college (in Polish language only).
Congratulations! You are officially a resident of Poland. It's autumn, and winter is just around the corner - the perfect time to master the art of complaining.
Weather Science in Poland counts whole December as the first winter season, because the average temperature of the month is below 5 degrees and that is how in Poland it is officially determined: average temperature below 5 is winter, 5-15 is spring or autumn, above 15 is summer. The division between seasons for weather science in Poland is simple, full 3 months, which correspond well with the average temperatures, although sometimes there are anomalies, where thermal summer is in May or September.
@@wanderingdoc5075 No, our climate is milder and recently drier, so we get much less snow in Winters as opposed to years ago. Most of the winter is snowless, and temperatures are frequently above 0 during days. We can still have days with -16 or -25 even during a day, but those became rare.
Yeah... thats pure theory since they do not have one to even compare too. Same with railways... Bridges... all publu infrastructure in U.S. that is collapsing soon.
Man, people being kind to you and trying to make you feel better by saying things like "even Popes struggle with Polish", and you then take that kindness and throw it in our faces. Class.
I think we don't like talking about changing our language because language was one of the things that kept our nation alive during the partitions. Personally, I love the Polish language, all the inaccuracies and ambiguities, because they are a testimony to all the years that have passed. But I absolutely agree with the drinking culture and graffiti, it's awful.
Saying polosh language should be simplified is at the ssme level as saying chinese should get rid of it's writing system and adapt Latin alphabet bcuz they're not a closed country anymore
@@hubert36667 the funniest part about what you said, it's that is pretty probable to happen within 100 years.... The pingin could get that script rip just because is not practical for writing with keyboards hahaha.
@alejandrogandini8048 they write it on keyboards with Latin alphabet. They know it. And still don't want to switch. Maybe because a forced, drastic change of language is nearly impossible. China tried to switch to Latin alphabet once. Didn't work
I don't think they should get rid of the writing system per se but it's undeniable China would get much more internationally influential if everything was (also) in pinyin. Vietnam is way more accessible after making the switch and literacy rates skyrocketed.
Czy jestes pewny, ze Polska to dobry wybor dla ciebie? 1 rok pobytu w Polsce i przedstawiasz nam 13 'zarzutow'. Moze lepiej uderzyc bardziej na wschod? Niefortunne jest porownanie gastronomi polskiej do ukrainskiej. Jak myslisz jak odbiora to restauratorzy Polscy, ktorzy maja wysokie koszty utrzymania. Placa ZUS, podatki, nie zatrudniaja na czarno, itp, myslisz, ze im starcza na inwestycje? W Polsce nie ma korupcji, origarchi, prania pieniedzy, haraczy, prostytucji ukrytej w restauracjach z ktorej czerpie korzysci wlasciciel restauracji. Wiem, ze to co powiedziales to sa slowa twoich ukrainskich przyjaciol. Pomysl, gdyby ukraicy byli tacy super w interesach to Ukraina byla by dzisiaj Dubaiem. Pomysl, ukraincy sa drudzy po Niemcach w kupowaniu nieruchomosci w Polsce.. Czy ty masz pieniadze kupic nieruchomosc w Polsce? Czy przecietny Polak ma pieniadze aby kupic sobie nieruchomosci w Polsce? ``Bogaci``Ukraincy to ci, ktorzy dorobili sie na korupcji na Ukraine i nie tylko tam i teraz piora brudne pieniadze w Europie. Naiwny jest ten kto mysli, ze po przybyciu do Polski nagle odmieni sie i bedzie uczciwy. Prawda jest, ze coraz wiecej Polakow, Niemcow i Europejczykow czuje niechec do Ukraincow.
You pretend as if Ukrainians do not pay taxes and all that stuff. Also, corruption, money laundering, prostitution is in all countries. Also, Ukraine had this tiny issue of dealing with russian imperialism
And Ukrainians feel a lot of aversion towards you. To flee a war, lose everything, to then work your lowest jobs and be treated often with no respect. The fact there is no corruption in Poland is laughable, but stay too proud to see the truth if you want. Also, you know why you had growth, you were lucky to be a part of the EU and got your support. And now when we would have a chance to join - you will never allow it, as you are easily maluable by your politicians and right wing agenda. Poland is still very imperialistic. Your farmers block our border so the weaponry can't get in in time and you simply abuse the fact we are weak and torn by war. Read a little about Dubai if you want to know where their wealth comes from. But yes, we would be richer if we wouldn't have horrible neighbors. I am starting to think Poland is one of the bad neighbors now.
„Nie szata zdobi człowieka” Uważam że to bardzo wartościowe że ludzie nie zwracają tu tak dużej uwagi na powierzchowność. Natomiast powietrze i billboardy to rak tego miejsca…
I agree with most of what he said but as a Polish woman, I like the fact that we typically don't dress like Ukrainian women. I think we just don't feel as much pressure from society to look beautiful all the time - and that's a good think imo.
Akurat Amerykanie słyną z niedbałego wyglądu "bo co to kogo obchodzi", wypowiedź Wesa jest pół-ironiczna. A mi jako mężczyźnie wcale nie podobają mi się kobiety z wydłużonymi paznokciami, wszędzie lakierem, toną tapety i perfum itd., odrzuca mnie to. Wolę naturalny wygląd z najwyżej makijażem korygującym (niewidocznym, nieoczywistym!) i ubiór dobrany ale nie flashy. Natomiast polscy faceci powinni (powinniśmy!) poprawić swój wygląd, to niewątpliwe, na początek częściej prać spodnie i nie nosić wytartych swetrów 😄. Nie mówię, by od razu konkurować z Włochami, one step at a time... 🤭
Jak sie prezentujesz to ekspresja tego jak chcesz byc postrzegany(a). Jesli ubierasz sie byle jak, to znaczy, ze nie dbasz o to, jak ktos Cie postrzega a wiec nie chcesz byc przyjazny... to podobne w ekspersji do nie mowienia "dzien dobry". Wreszcie jak sie ubierasz niechlujnie to mocno sugeruje, ze po prostu jestes niechlujny.
Jest mnostwo powodow dla ktorych ludzie w Polsce ubieraja sie tak a nie inaczej. To jest kazdego indywiduala sprawa. Czy mowienie nam jak mamy sie ubierac nie jest juz lekka przesada? Wiekszosc z nas byla wychowana aby ubranie bylo schludne i czyste. I jak PiotAir napisal rowniez nas uczono, ''ZE NIE SZATA ZDOBI CZLOWIEKA''; wazne jest jaki czlowiek jest. Ubranie mozesz stracic lub ktos odpicowany moze byc wrogiem. Pozwolcie nam byc nami i nie wchodzcie z butami w nasze zycie.
About the language thing: it’s because of our history. It was this one only thing that kept our nation when we didn’t have our country for 123 years, then occupation, etc. And though I get your point about „making it easier”… I can’t agree. If you move to France, Germany, Japan or almost any other place in the world it is expected to learn native language, but it’s okay to not master it. Why should we simplify our language then? I kinda love that Polish is so hard, because it lets you play with language more (even though I do make mistakes as a native). So we do find it kinda offensive when someone is like: well then simplify it. Because it sort of strips us of our identity. (My comment is more of an explanation than criticism, I love your videos 😅)
The complexity of Polish makes it that much more versatile. It's very rich compared to english. There is no "point" about making it easier. Just because someone finds it difficult, doesn't mean that it should be simplified for their sake. They just need to keep up as well as they can. That was extremely ignorant on his part.
I said exactly that on a previous video where he said the same thing. It's offensive. The controversy must be helping to build his channel though as I don't think he's stupid.
I believe that people who pay so much attention to appearance are snobs and narcissist. After all bilionaires often wear ordinary jeans and a t-shirt and no one blames them.
I feel this one actually is a pro not a con. Same goes with interior design. Ukraine has much lower income per capita, but more luxurious restaurants... For well connected/oligarchs. Despite we tend to still expend more than we can afford, Polish ppl have more common sense (especially women)
People who are friendly are also snobs and narcissists? How you wear is how you present yourself, it's how you want to be seen. Billionaires do that for a reason - they don't want to be seen as billionaires.
In Central European or Dutch culture this will be right but unfortunately the overwhelming majority of cultures disagree. Poles should do whatever in their own country/time but realise they need to impress others in other cultures.
Jego argument rzeczywiście był głupi. Za karę będzie siedział w oślej ławce z Tobą przez dwa tygodnie (celem postraszenia go co by było jakby się tam rozgościł na dłużej).
Jestem dumny z mojego języka, bo jest baaaaardzo elastyczny, przebiegły i w razie zagrożenia, taki Amerykaniec nie jest w stanie odróżnić sensu dwóch podobnie brzmiących zdań: - Na Kremlu stał na korytarzu rosyjski dzban. - Rosyjski dzban stał na korytarzu na Kremlu. :) Każdy wie o co chodzi, ale dla obcokrajowca to przecież zwykły dzban w stylu rosyjskim :) Takich przykładów jest mnóstwo. Bo Polacy w czasie zaborów chcieli porozumiewać się ze sobą tak, by wróg nie wiedział o co chodzi. A jeśli obcokrajowiec chce się mojego języka nauczyć, niech się wysili.
Let's go 1 by 1. First of all, the "English only" guy was an idiot, is not polish responsibility to know English, but the other way around. Second: no, polish grammar is not specially hard, all the things that you find in polish grammar are in other languages, aspects are part of the past tenses in romance languages, declensions are used in German, georgian, Latvian, Lithuanian, finish and so on.... What could be hard, depending of where u are from, is to remember the words themselves, but the other things are a matter of understanding more than intrinsically hard..... Are u even able to use all the tenses and conjugations in spanish correctly? I don't think so, but u aren't claiming that the language is that difficult...... Ah, btw, how many native English speakers do u know that are able to explain the grammar of English without having studied anything related to linguistics? That happens in every language. That's the point of being a native, you have the feeling of correctness just by having been in contact with the language all your life, which made your brain internalize and recognize its patterns unconsciously..... Make a survey of how many spanish speakers, not academics, are truly able to explain the use of subjunctive and why it is so.... I like u to tell us how it went in a video😊
@leno_o17 if I have to be honest, the more someone claims something is difficult, the more that one is showing the less that they know. Nobody who truly understands a thing would say that. But it's easier to claim it to be difficult than actually trying to understand. As we say in Spanish "he is painfully american" (the word by word translation would be something more like "he is so American that makes u feel pain", but the first one does sound better I guess hahaha)
uproszczenie języka nic nie zmieni, polacy będą mówić normalnym polskim a obcokrajowcy uproszczonym. Nie wyobrażam sobie, że nagle wszyscy będą mówić w taki sposób: "byłem wczoraj w sklep i kupiłem 8 bułka"
ale bariera wejścia jest wysoka- mieszkam w kraju w którym nauka języka to śiermięga - i to widzą też lokalsi i próbuja pomóc bo właśnie to prowadzi do tego co Wes wspomniał
Hey, what does "making some changes" mean in the context of language? I'm genuinely curious, not trying to sound judgmental or anything - I just don't quite get it. It's not like Polish is a constructed language that you can tweak through reforms. The only thing you could realistically change is the spelling system (since that's external to the language), but given how consistent Polish orthography is, I don't think think that's a major issue here. Also, Poles *do* speak Polish properly. The issue is that some people, often those without much linguistic knowledge, tend to look down on colloquial speech in general, as well as regional variations and non-standard ways of speaking. There's a strong emphasis on using the standard language here, but that's not uniquely Polish but rather a common thing in all the so-called "standard language cultures". It's the same in English-speaking countries, where standard English and written ways of expression are often seen as the ideal, even though most people don't speak exactly by the book. So Poland isn't unique in this regard - language variation and non-standard forms exist everywhere. As for the idea that Polish is "extraordinarily difficult", that's really just a myth. Sure, learning any language takes time and dedication, but how hard it feels depends on how closely related it is to your native language. You've got around 7000 languages in the world, many are severely understudied, so ranking them by difficulty is nearly impossible - and even then, what’s considered "difficult" or "simple" can vary depending on perspective. For example, as a native Polish speaker, I'd say English is quite challenging just because it’s so different from Polish. The grammar and way of expressing things take a lot of getting used to. On the other hand, speakers of East Slavic languages like Ukrainian or Russian tend to pick up Polish relatively easily because of the close linguistic ties - there isn't much that surprises them grammar- or vocabulary-wise. Ultimately, whether a language feels hard or easy depends on what you're already familiar with. I agree that Polish can be tough for English speakers, but it's not anything special. In fact, the fact that it's in the Indo-European language family (just like English or Spanish) and tied to the Western cultural sphere definitely gives you some advantages as a learner.
Dude, split it into 3 videos, how am I supposed to react to all 13 points?! 😉🤣🤣 Most of your comments are correct, but not all, and I partially disagree with some. Air pollution in Poland for instance is terrible, and one of the worst in Europe (or at least the EU) and one of the top problems to solve, but it's nowhere close to China or India. I believe there are a few days a year (perhaps 10), where the air pollution in Poland is indeed worse than in China, and then it's great for a click-baity news articles ("The pollution in Warsaw became worse than in Delhi! [but only yesterday, and only for a day]". Is alcohol a problem? Yes, it is. Anecdotal evidence is not worth much, so I'll give you just one number: Polish stores sell over 1 million "małpki" (liquor bottle max 200 ml)... ONLY BEFORE NOON (12:00). EVERY DAY. That doesn't include beer, strong or regular. Or big bottles. Just think, these are high-functioning alcoholics, since they can afford it. They drink, and go to work. As to Ukrainians. I personally have a certain sentiment to Ukraine (from my student times), but some of these presented opinions are true. Ukrainians who have lived here for more than 5-7 years adapt, speak Polish fluently, and not only accept, but even internalise the local norms and treat them as their own. The new arrivals are not doing so well, I'm not sure if they need more time, or it's that the earlier immigrants actually *wanted* to move (there was no war). I do see at least some Ukrainians in the new wave improving over time, but the entitlement and rudeness is at times crazy. And this entitlement and rudeness is also reflected in political relations. I won't dislike someone only because of his nationality, but my sentiments are getting tested very severely.
W przypadku Ukraińców zależy od wykształcenia i wieku. Do Polski po 2022 roku trafiły głównie kobiety, w tym też starsze. Ale np. młode kobiety, wykształcone, dość szybko opanowują język polski. Znam takie osoby i w niektórych przypadkach byłem zdumiony, że zaczęły w miarę swobodnie mówić po polsku po raptem 3-4 miesiącach pobytu u nas. Były to osoby wykształcone, ale też ambitne i zdeterminowane. W biurze, w którym pracowałem, zatrudniono młodą dziewczynę u nas studiującą, pochodzącą z Ługańska. Po polsku mówiła świetnie i to prawie bez akcentu. Bardzo jej pomogła... nauka języka ukraińskiego w Kijowie, do którego z rodziną przeniosła się po 2014 roku. W domu posługiwała się rosyjskim, ukraińskiego wcześniej prawie nie znała i ten ukraiński stał się bramą do języka polskiego.
It's not that the "new" Ukrainians don't assimilate as well- I know plenty who are extremely grateful and respectful. It's just that it's mass imigration- so statistically there's just more pathology that is visible. And true, some people probably didn't want to come here in the first place.
This will be a long one, but I’d like to address a few points. I hope this will be helpful to you. Sending you my regards and rooting for your Polish language learning journey! Remember, no one expects perfect grammar from you-it’s important that you’re trying :) 6:00 - You’re right. Alcohol has been a longstanding problem for Poles, but I recommend you take a look at how things were 20, 30, or even 40 years ago. That’s why we have a whole set of laws and institutions for addressing alcohol-related issues since around the 1980s. For someone from abroad, it might seem like we have a massive drinking problem, but trust me, we’ve made tremendous progress on this issue over the years. 11:00 - The main thing you’re missing is that you’re speaking from the position of an English speaker. Imagine asking the same thing of Germans, French, or English people. Poles may not be able to explain where these linguistic rules come from, but if you ask the average American why certain things are said the way they are in English... they wouldn’t know either because it’s their natural language. Also, don’t be surprised by Poles’ reactions-you’ve watched videos where it was clearly explained that we don’t like it when someone from abroad tells us what to do. Our language allowed us to survive over 100 years without a formal state. So what kind of reaction were you expecting? 13:00 - You’re wrong here, too. Poland is not the United States. Our societal structure and the entire concept of a state are different. 14:18 - Yes, Spain conquered an entire continent, but as far as I know, it wasn’t because their language was easy, but because of force. The same goes for the English or the Portuguese. If Poles had colonies, there would also be countries outside of Poland where Polish is spoken, and our language would be more popular. 14:43 - Here, you answered your own question about why we Poles won’t change our language for foreigners. It’s our heritage, and above all, it’s for us to use. The "small changes" you propose make no sense to us and would complicate communication. Besides, the Polish language, like any other living language, evolves and creates neologisms. So yes, we’re constantly changing Polish, just as Germans do with German or the French with French. 5:31 - Here, you’re completely overlooking the fact that Poland is nearly a 40-million-strong country, and you’re operating within your own bubble, speaking a different language. Of course, our country isn’t a major power, but it’s still large enough that you won’t encounter every set of opinions, especially since you don’t speak Polish. Keep in mind that Poles won’t discuss everything with you and aren’t able to express all their thoughts in your language. 16:38 - Divorce in Poland is difficult, but not because of traditional norms anymore. It’s simply because our government allocates very little funding to public services, and all civil court cases drag on for years. 17:00 - In Poland, women gained voting rights at the same time as men. Additionally, women had been running underground schools and working for years. They also took part in uprisings. So yes, Poland is quite a feminist country, although after 1989, the Catholic Church got heavily involved in politics. You’d need to delve into Poland’s modern history to understand this better. The fact that Poland is a Catholic country is more of a phenomenon of the last century-or even less. 17:20 - You’re right; this is the government’s fault. Poland experienced its last baby boom in the 1980s. After the fall of communism, people were losing their jobs en masse and emigrating. If you look at the demographics of the 1990s, you’ll find that they were almost as bad as they are now. They improved later, but only temporarily, as housing prices and the speculative bubble rose. It’s a very complex issue influenced by many factors, but Poles are aware of the problem. 17:32 - Of course not. Even the European Union, including Germany, recognizes the threat posed by mass immigration. It’s not that Poland will completely shut itself off, but Polish policy is unlikely to head in that direction. 19:14 - Yes, you’re right about that. You should also know that housing policy in Poland has looked different from that in the West for years, and this is tied to the aggressive systemic transformation the country underwent. 19:53 - Several issues converge here: history and deteriorating housing conditions. However, I wouldn’t say this is driven by extreme xenophobia. Poles themselves have experienced such treatment in the West. That’s why the term *“Polack”* is offensive. There’s even a book titled *I’m Not Your Polack. A Report from Norway* by Ewa Sapieżyńska, which describes how Norwegians treat immigrants from Poland.
What do you think is easy solution for graffiti? It's not like it's not cleaned. Problem is about more simpler part of society, often connected to football club fans. It's common that right after cleaning walls another bunch of idiots comes and destroys it again.
@@figard9855 a kamer w obecnych czasach wszędzie od cholery na kazdej ulicy, nawet w malych miastach i wsiach. Nie chce się służbom nic robić w tej sprawie i taka jest prawda..
objectively speaking, the polish languge did simplify already, look at some of the older poetry, or books. However, no, dont change it. It's one of the most advanced and flexible languages in the world, what english speakers would say in 20 words, sometimes we need as little as 5, it's truly amazing how much stuff there is in our language, and i really couldn't care less if you foreigners want to learn it or not, the languages you want to learn all depend on what languages you already speak, for example slavic speakers learn polish very easily, germanic speakers not so much, and for the people who speak asian languages its extremely difficult. I really think the video was great, and pointed out some concerning issues, but holy moly that language point you made was one of the worst takes ive heard in a while.
Most Slavic languges have a similar level of difficulty and a similar grammar. English has many issues too, especially with respect to pronunciation. Someone in Poland came up with a universal language, Esperanto. Unfortunatlely it did not catch on.
A lot of people talked about defending our language, but tell me this - why you only target polish? It's almost the same thing in other eastern-european countries. For example take balkans. They have the same problem as us, but like bosnian and serbian are kinda the same but they still fight over it. A lot of cirillic speaking countries have their own separation or take maybe czech and slovakian they are almost the same by the speech and it's easy to understand a czech or a slovak by a polish guy. I'm just gonna say that even though our language is hard to learn for people, you should at least not target only our language, because other languages have their own similar problems.
12:11 this argument actually got me really feel that no drastic changes should be made to Polish language. As native, raised in that culture where unique language is used (I mean it isn't anywhere else) I like the art you can do with Polish language. Writers can really go and well express themselves. Even though I don't always follow its rules and can't explain most of them; I appreciate it
Jak zobaczyłam tytuł filmiku to nastawiłam się na kontrowersje, ale akurat nic mnie nie zbulwersowało z zamieszczonych tu treści. Myślę, że do niektórych kwestii Polacy są bardziej przyzwyczajeni. Chociażby alkohol wśród Polaków był zawsze mocno obecny. W poprzednim ustroju wręcz wrosły w kulturę, w zwyczaje, w święta, w załatwianie interesów itd. Kiedyś był to właściwie społeczny problem. Dzisiejszy poziom spożycia alkoholu może nawet podchodzić pod unormowanie i ustabilizowanie kiedyś powszechnego zjawiska picia 😂😁 - choć wciąż procenty bywają zgubą wielu. Wydaje mi się, że bardzo dużo Polaków zna kogoś w sąsiedztwie albo ma kogoś w rodzinie (choćby dalszej) kto nadużywa alkoholu, lubi przesadnie imprezować (jest to dość powszechne doświadczenie, bo Polacy lubią się napić). Pracowałam kiedyś w kawiarni, w której sprzedawany był również alkohol (równie często). Po piwo wpadał tam regularnie mężczyzna po sąsiedzku w przerwie w pracy i... na rauszu wracał z powrotem do klientów - był stałym bywalcem lokalu. Podczas jednej z największych imprez doszło do kradzieży i pobicia - więc jak się człowiek napatrzy za barem (jak w krzywym zwierciadle) co ludzie potrafią odwalać po alkoholu to czasem sam idzie w abstynencję albo się rozpija (ja piję tylko okazjonalnie). W kwestii palenia mam bardzo podobnie jak Ty. Wydaje mi się, że młodzi tym wcześniej sięgają po zakazane substancje, bo mają większe kieszonkowe odkąd świadczenie 500+ na dziecko wzrosło do 800+. Niektóre aspekty, na które wskazujesz to te, nad którymi sami Polacy się niekiedy zastanawiają aktualnie. Przykładowo: Ukraińcy. Odbierani często jako roszczeniowi i niedostatecznie wdzięczni za pomoc jaką otrzymują w Polsce. Mają przywileje, mimo że często nie są uchodźcami z obszarów ściśle objętych wojną a uchodźcami ekonomicznymi, którzy przyjechali w celach zarobkowych korzystając z nadarzającej się okazji, by sobie dorobić w Polsce (i pobrać świadczenia). Niektórych Ukraińców rozpoznajemy z daleka po markowych ubraniach, gadżetach i drogich autach oraz snobistycznej postawie - która kłóci się Polakom z wyciąganiem ręki po zapomogi. Według badań najliczniejszą grupą Ukraińców, która zjechała do Polski, była tamtejsza klasa średnia i ludzie, którzy swój status materialny przed wojną określali sami jako dobry - czyli ludzie generalnie zamożni, dobrze sytuowani... Jest również mnóstwo Ukraińców, którzy w Polsce odnajdują się bez generowania problematycznych postaw. Uczą się (pojawiając się faktycznie na zajęciach) bądź pracują. Przyswajają język polski. Doceniają w adekwatny sposób to co przysługuje im od państwa polskiego (a na wiele podobnych zapomóg nie może liczyć wieku Polaków). Generalnie rozumiem dzisiejsze krytyczne spojrzenie Polaków na Ukraińców - diametralnie różniące się od czasów początków wybuchu pełnoskalowej wojny na wschodzie Ukrainy. Bywa to dość emocjonalny temat. Mam mocno mieszane uczucia. Mam zawsze w tyle głowy, że sama w jakimś ułamku mam korzenie ukraińskie, bliżej mi nieznane (część mojej rodziny to byli Łemkowie, chociaż ja identyfikuje się generalnie jako Polka). Przy okazji polecam twórczość Igora Herbuta - to najbardziej znany Polak z tej grupy etnicznej, tworzący muzykę w naszym kraju (wygrał talent show). Myślę, że Ukraińcy sami zasłużyli sobie na zróżnicowany (w tym niechętny) odbiór ze strony Polaków - bardziej odpowiadający temu co ze sobą przynoszą, jak się prezentują, zachowują itp. Polacy nałożyli na Ukraińców własne wyobrażenia i doświadczenia wojenne - one się bardzo rozmyły z postawą Ukraińców. Jest mi po prostu po ludzku przykro, że nie wszyscy odbiorcy byli w stanie dobroć Polaków należycie docenić, właściwie ją przyjąć. Bo Polacy pokazali wielkie serce. Ale może te mniej pożądane reakcje bardziej rzucają się nam w oczy, więc się na nich tym mocniej skupiamy. Jeżeli miałabym wskazać problem, który osobiście (abstrahując od reszty Polaków) uznaję za najbardziej martwiący mnie w Polsce odnośnie przyszłości (z tych, które wymieniłeś) to spadek dzietności. Być może spowodowane jest to czasowym trudnym okresem w dziejach (pandemia, inflacja, wojna). Natomiast przypuszczam, że dla Polaków chyba dużym wyzwaniem, budzącym sporo obaw, okażą się imigranci. Jeżeli przyjęcie częściowo podobnych nam kulturowo Ukraińców zrodziło tyle napięć, kolejne fale uchodźców mogą wyzwalać dodatkowo problematyczne kwestie (bądź je pogłębiać). To będzie zderzenie różnych światów i szok kulturowy; wysyp uprzedzeń, wzrost rasizmu, ksenofobii... - na pewno zrodzi to wiele różnych konfliktów o skali dotąd nierestrowanej. Wyglądające mało zadbanie Polki po trzydziestce to mogą być Matki Polki - które są tak zaaferowane swoimi dziećmi, że zapominają zająć się sobą (dość przykre i raczej smutne). Dziś piątek trzynastego (do tego w grudniu), więc podobno smutna data w kalendarzu (ale tylko, gdy jest się przesądnym!). Wszystkiego dobrego! Pozdrawiam.
Trzeba też zwrócić uwagę, że między Ukraińcami ze wschodu i z zachodu są spore różnice jeśli chodzi kulturę…samo Ukraińcy z zachodu nie zawsze przepadają za bardziej „sowieckimi” czy „rosyjskimi” zachowaniami rodaków ze wschodu.
@@gabrielnovicki6257 Łemkowie identyfikują się jako część narodu rusińskiego lub ukraińskiego (więc wpływy ukraińskie w tej grupie etnicznej są obecne). Nie napisałam, że Igor Herbut jest Ukraińcem, tylko Polakiem pochodzenia łemkowskiego.
@@smok40 Słuszna uwaga. Być może to dobrze, że nie przyjechało do Polski tak dużo Ukraińców ze wschodnich rejonów Ukrainy - dzięki temu jest w naszym kraju mniej ewentualnych prorosyjskich postaw. Chociaż Ukraińcy generalnie jako naród słabo odrobili lekcje komunizmu - chociażby porównując ich pozycję startową po upadku ZSRR z sytuacją Polski. Nad udało się dużo lepiej odciąć od Rosji (chociażby dołączyć do UE). Mentalność Ukraińców jest jednak nieco odmienna od polskiej - co można zauważyć nawet żyjąc na co dzień w Polsce i stykając się z Ukraińcami, którzy do nas zjechali - ich mentalność jest bardziej 'wschodnia'.
Bede z Wami wszystkimi szczera. Czy nie sadzicie, ze namnozylo sie tych kanalow o Polsce? W ostatnich latach Polska zrobila sie bardziej popularna. Cudzoziemcy przyjezdzaja, otwieraja kanal na TH-cam, Instagram lub innych social mediach. Najpierw zachwycyja sie, pochlebiaja Nam, co sie wszystkim podoba, zaczynacie go lubiec, ufac. Czasami nauczy sie troche jezyka polskiego, poczuje sie pewniej i zaczyna sie mowienie co oni by w nas zmienili. Polacy sa tez imigrantami rozrzuconymi po calym swiecie i my nie chcemy nikogo zmieniac ani w Anglii, Niemczech, Australii, Francji, Chinach i reszcie swiata. Szanujemy innych odmiennosc wiec prosze uszanowac nasza. .Jezeli decydujemy sie gdzies mieszkac to bierzemy caly pakiet CZY NAM SIE TO PODOBA CZY NIE. To jest twoja decyzja gdzie chcesz mieszkac. NIE, nie mozesz zmienic mowy polskiej, bo ci za trudno. Problemy ze sluzba zdrowia sa w calej Europie (mieszkalam w Anglii, Polsce, mieszkam w Niemczech), tez w calej Europie pija. Zalezy w jakim towarzystwie sie obracasz. Ja nie pije, nie pale i cala moja rodzina nie pije i znam co najmniej 50 Polakow, ktorzy nie pija i nie pala. Kolej jest tez kiepska w Niemczech, grafiti sa tez w Anglli i Niemczech. Tworcy takich kanalow robia analize Polski na podstawie oberzeniu filmikow na TH-cam, kilku wycieczek po Polsce i rozmowach najczesciej z innymi obcokrajowcami lub kilkoma znajomymi Polakami . Malo tego oni na tym robia kase kosztem Polski.
Oglądałam kiedyś gościa, co robił siebie błazna w Polsce, bo jest popularna i nic innego nie dawało mu dużych wyświetleń. Nawet sprzedawał ubrania i kubki z takimi jego znakami rozpoznawczymi tego, co w Polsce wyczyniał. Na początku było to nawet zabawne, ale później zaczęłam zauważać, jakie to żałosne jak łazi i podkreśla jakie to wszystko POLISH. W innych krajach chyba tego nie robił. Wszędzie doszukiwał się rasizmu. A jak w końcu ktoś nawet nie z Polski, powiedział coś niby rasistowskiego to zaczął robić z igły widły. Drzeć ryja jaka to Polska rasistowska i nagrywać ludzi z bliska, a jak kogoś tym zdenerwował, no to trzeba zwalić winę na rasizm. Niedługo po tym z Polski się zwinął, ale kontent z innych krajów nie dawał wyświetleń to wrócił.
Most of the mentioned issues are actual problems, tho the order is kinda weird imo. However, you also mention some, in my view, really silly things. Obviously the language part is just engagement bait, one cannot seriosly suggest "changing" a language like it's clothes or sth. Talking about clothes, it's really just a "you issue" if you find other culture's way of dressing too simple for your liking. As I see it, the part about Ukrainians is just a misunderstanding of the cultural phenomenon called changes, there is nothing strange about some people's reluctance, the mindset needs time to change properly, it's impossible to just "fix" it.
As a 35-year-old woman, I don't feel that I or my friends dress worse than women from Ukraine 😂 But maybe you're talking about younger girls and in larger cities, because I live in a "M" size city and I don't feel any difference between women or men for that matter. As for appearance and age, in my opinion people suddenly look older when they become parents. I don't have children and my partner and I look younger than we really are. The same goes for friends with children vs. friends without children.
I think it adds flavor but reduces clarity. It probably is better if they used the non-phrasal version as the standard version. But yes. I think almost the entire purpose of them is to reduce clarity for fun.
Sounds like you took our complaining a bit too seriously. About the language thing, what you're saying is borderline crazy talk, mate. How would you feel if I said that Chinese should drop their tones to accommodate foreign speakers? Speaking of China stuff, would you dare make any content critical of China?
Jezyk polski jest dla ludzi inteligentnych. Jest niebywale logiczny. Pozatym jest stary, nie zanikł i nie byl sztucznie odtwarzany, wymyślany na nowo(jak czeski).
@almn5 Jola widzi, ale nie widzi, bo z pewnością jest bardziej niemiecka od Niemców. Joli wszystko pasuje. Zostaw ją. Byłem w Niemczech przez 10 lat. Taki syf jaki tam widziałem, w Polsce musiałby się tworzyć chyba kolejne 10 lat i żeby nikt tego tyle lat nie czyścił. Tylko problem jest w tym, że w Polsce co chwilę czyszczą. Niech Jola zdejmie różowe zniemczałe okulary i przejdzie się spokojnie po mieście. Zauważ, że Niemcy wstawiając filmiki o miastach, zawsze dziwnym trafem filmy kręcone są wczesnym ranem lub od pierwszej kondygnacji budynków wzwyż. Ciekawe czemu... Ale Jola pewnie znajdzie odpowiedź jak rasowa Niemka: Że autor filmu pewnie tak chciał :) Przykład: - th-cam.com/video/aFFzvCz2XWI/w-d-xo.html Tu nie ma co tłumaczyć. Ten filmik pięknie ukazuje czystość niemiecką w przecudownym mieście, jakim jest Frankfurt nad Menem, miasto większe od Poznania, gdzie jest wielki port lotniczy i Centralny Bank UE: - th-cam.com/video/qsSX_7qyOHw/w-d-xo.html Ten jest najlepszy :) Teraz niech Jolanta powie jak jest naprawdę w Niemczech :) - th-cam.com/video/69jhmMdiKP8/w-d-xo.html
The thing i disagree with you mostly is that young poles leave country for work. Recently that has shifted towards many poles returning to Poland because of the whole woke and social situation in the world
Overall good and interesting points. Valid criticism is always welcome, and not sucking up to your audience is always to be praised. Full agreement about air pollution, graffiti and alcohol - these are disgraceful. Infrastructure - I think you mean more the services of certain public enterprises such as post or railroads. Infrastructure is actually pretty good and new. The language - hell no. Respectfully, it is not up to foreigners who spent a few months learning it to say how we should change our language. We fought for hundreds of years to keep it- longer than USA existed - and it is intertwined with our identity. A brave suggestion, but no thanks 😉
Some good points, for instance, alcohol abuse, terrible air quality during heating season, woke trend with young women, but also simplistic, even ignorant, nonsense, i.e. "Spain is a very small country", language reform to suit immigrants, etc... I have not heard it being attempted anywhere, have you?
About ukrainian refugees, most of my family took ukrainian families to our homes. Some of them were really nice and generous people. Others... tried to scam our family members out of money, returning again and again for more and more. I get it, they need help, we took them in, wanting to help, knowing how it is being left alone during wartime. But its just disheartening after a while. Our lives grow harder and harder, inflation goes through the roof, while they often live their best life simply taking from us. Our government pampers them, granting them our tax money, while there is a lot that needs to be done to make our homes better. It feels like we became a hotel for them, they do whatever they want, and we need to clean after them while plastering smiles to our faces. Again, as I said before, there is a lot of them who are normal, grateful and wonderful people, sadly its, as usual, those loud, ungrateful, entitled ones who are the loudest and easiest to see. And meeting uber drivers who cant even say a single word in polish or communicate at all, instead, they keep speaking ukrainian and get pissed we cant understand them, is just the worst. Im honestly just tired.
Chłop gada że dużo pijemy i palimy, ale niech zobaczy jaki postęp zrobiliśmy przez ostatnie 50 lat, w przeliczeniu na ilość mieszkańców, tego już nie wspomni nikt. Panie Wes, zobacz ile się piło i paliło w latach 70tych i gdzie wolno było palić w tedy a gdzie wolno palić dziś.
Ale jakie to ma znaczenie? Mówi, o stanie obecnym i odnosi się do realiów z którymi ma styczność w Polsce w odniesieniu do realiów z którymi zetknął się w innych krajach. To nie jest analiza krytyczna w oparciu o statystykę w ujęciu historycznym. Opanuj się chłopie.
@@Dante_Lynx ale to nie są do końca obiektywne realia, bo konsumpcja alkoholu w Polsce jest niższa niż w wielu innych krajach- w tym Francja, Niemcy, Czechy. A już jak chodzi o codzienne picie, to w ogóle jesteśmy niziutko. Z paleniem też się nie wyróżniamy na tle Europy.
investigate the clean air issue. In Western Europe, sensors are located on the outskirts of cities to calculate the average. In Poland, they are placed in industrial centers. Which results do you think are more realistic?
There is a map of sensors which includes also the private ones. The problem is Wes lives in Cracow. And the city is one of the most polutted in winter. I live in Tricity no pollution alarm ever.
It would never corss the mind of a Polish person to ask a different country to simplify a language for Polish people to learnit easier. Given how Polish history was like and that POlish identity is strongly linked to a language I doubt that any simplification is going to happen in a foreseeable future. As for medical marijuana, chances are you have been misinformed. As for alcohol drinking, no has nothing to do with winter and a lot with social drinking during major celebrations and social gatherings and also about how people relax given long working hours, so more like in China I suppose and different from Scandic countries where yes, people drink due to harsh winter climate mostly. As for medical sector, well in education Poland has a surplus but 80% of medical studies graduates goes directly to Germany, so we need a legal change. Unlike other conturies we do not have regulations that require graduates of free public medical universities to work for a while in Poland after finishing studies in Poland and this is the root of all evil that Poland has to deal with. As for air pollution in Kraków, actually the source of this pollution is now aoutside of Kraków and next 2-5 years Kraków will devote to trying to adress this issue in other smaller towns and villages outside of Kraków. Vaping, yes, young generation thing. Due to Western- American fashion they see on TV I suppose. Plus vaping is less smelly and less old-fashioned to them than really nasty smelling smokes they know from being around their parents and grandparents. As a non-smoker and non-drinker, yes, I can admit it's uncommon in Poland to be this way. I have been told many times in my life, even by members of my own family, to change it at least to smoke or drink socially but I never did and just like you I do look younger than my age would suggest due to it. I can compare to women I have studied with for example who had winkels and dull skin mostly due to these two habits or addictions if someone prefers such a term.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I think many people would be discouraged to publish video like this, regarding such problems and speaking your mind about them in fear of the possible reaction. But the way you carefully approach this topic really shows, that deep inside you simply care and that shines through your words. Most of the arguments and observations are (sadly) true, although I have some feedback on them. Graffiti stays, that's it. There's a problem with it, but it's not it's existence. It's the placement and the form of it. In some strange way, expression that doesn't come in form of our architecture can be released in other forms, like graffitti. The real problems are the tags, and people painting them wherever they want. They have almost no artistic value, to simply put, it's a facy signature and just like dogs are peeing on things to mark their territory, these people use paint for that reason. I can maaaaybe understand them in some backalley, but out in the open? It's shameful. Other from that, I think you'd be positively surprised how many beautiful murals you can find around the city. Keep an eye for it. The gender divide thing. Well, yeahh, but it's not really an issue of gender. As you pointed out I feel like it's a social media thing and we're very suseptible to it's influence. Especially Warsaw, but I'll leave it at the end. I cannot agree on language thing. I mean, I agree with the points you make and the observations alone. You are totally right, making the language more accessible would help a lot, but it's just not who we are. You got to know our history during your stay, so you'll probably understand when I say, there's no such strong thing as our identity. And our own language: raw and unfiltered, is simply embeded in our hearts. The Poles alone could be one to change the language, but we must do it by ourselves, not because someone else pressured us to do so. It won't work. It's quite like complaining. Most of us feels this way: that only we are allowed to trashtalk and shit on our own country, if enybody else does it, oh boy, just watch those fists swingin'. It's a matter of mentality and having something which you can call your own. About Ukrainians, well, this conversation is like walking on thin ice and I'd rather think a lot more about that problem first, in opossition to some people who blabber around without research and allowing them to be guided by personal feelings, vendettas and such. All I can say is the following, for many of us, it doesn't really matter where you come from, all we wanna see is some respect, a reasonable amount of respect for other people living here and our culture, and if somebody wants to stay here for longer period of time, maybe even forever - start assimilating. We're more than happy to help anyone with that. Just let that be genuine feeling. Nobody is forcing you to stay and the atmosphere in the room can change very rapidly with Poles and they'll not hesitate to "show you the door". This is quite important thing about our mentality. Many people feel it too, but have trouble putting it into words. In some sense, we care deeply about community. Even people from Poland know their past, they know their ancestory and that we all came from somewhere. This place, language, the culture - that's what unites us. It was never the blood ties which we romanticize so dearly. It is our shared community. I feel like I'd like for people coming here for longer to become a Pole, not entirely of course, it's not about casting away your past lives, but that's the thing, become a Pole. Like dedicate a part of your heart for this community. Become a part of us. Bring your experiences and let us all flourish together. Or maybe that's just how I feel like. After all I can't speak for everybody. This is just a feeling I got. The final thing - Warsaw. Well, the thing with Warsaw is, many people who live in Warsaw can simply afford living in Warsaw. It's a melting pot of culture, it's a capital, in its own way it's prestigious and frankly not very representative of the rest of the country. In many ways it is, of course, it's good to assume that Warsaw is truly a western city. Poznań, Kraków or Wrocław certainly would like to be like that, I mean, not literally like Warsaw but so grand and rich in some sense, but they're not there yet. That's also a common theme of jokes about Warsaw and people from Warsaw among people from other places in Poland - that they're all a bit detached from reality, a little bit more westernized.
On the fashion point; it has changed. Recent years trends from the west (Baggy clothes) has affected the country massively. Polish women used to dress very elegantly even for every day mundane activities... Since the 2020 pandemic, everything changed. Don't get me wrong, they still dress very well comparing to the west.
Many points make sense from your point of view. However, I highly doubt our language will be simplified FURTHER just to accommodate immigration. You see, it has already been simplified compared to Old-Polish. We will gladly speak two languages if need be, and I believe many Poles will agree with me. Look at Netherlands - they retained their language even though it's a difficult one for foreigners to learn. Many countries attempted to wipe our nation off the map across the centuries but we prevailed. Our culture, language and religion is a massive part of why Poland exists now, hence it's not something we'll give up. Many of us despise people who would rather run from war than defend their land. Land that, most likely, has been drenched in blood of their ancestors who fought for it. I think that's one of the reasons why there's tension between us and some Ukrainians. Personally, I've only met a few and we get along well. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the content you create and have nothing against you. That being said, I think you are out of depth in certain areas.
From my experience alcoholysm is mainly dependant on age and socioeconomic status. I am a part of gen Z and i come from a middle class family. When it comes to alcohol within families myself and my friends from similar background don't have a single alcoholic family member among us. There is also little to none alcohol cosnumption during family gathering. However in families of lower socioeconomic status alcohol seems much more prevelant, especially affecting the middle aged men. Their family gatherings revolve around drinking and even underage family members get offered alcohol and are encouraged to drink. When it comes to social situations it seems like regardless of socioeconomic status starting age for drinking is around 13-15, however what comes next differes based on afformentioned status. People from my background tend to drink almost exlusively socially. They start with heavier drinking but around 18 grow out of it and then are really moderate with the ammount of alcohol. In contrary people from poorer homes start drinking heavly from the beggining and stay that way. Although taking everything into considertion young people consumse much less alcohol than previous generations. From my perspective "polish people are alcoholics" is an overblown belief and is less true every year. On the other hand smoking/vaping seems ectremely popular among my peers and it's pretty horrifying.
One thing you may not expect is the adaptation of the Polish language for "foreigners." Do you know of any international precedents for that? Also, there is a fundamental logical issue with that suggestion: since "foreigners" comprise several very different language groups, there is no practical way to adapt any single language, including Polish, to "them." As for accommodating foreigners that Poland will inevitably need to run its economy, two factors must be helpful: first, the popularity of English is on the rise in Poland; second, do not forget that AI will have a rapidly increasing role in near-real-time translation.
@@modelbaumok9210 we might be talking about 2 different things: adapting laguage and creating language. The main problem with creating language is how to adapt it to the new wording which evolves influences by local cultures and technology progress. My general point is that English, for whatever it's worth, with its 3rd place in number of speakers (~400m) after Mandarin (~900mln) and Spanish (~500mln) became the primary one for intercultural exchange and trying to change/improve it may only create only more problems.
Dear Wes, I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my gratitude for your work in promoting Poland and challenging stereotypes about the country. Your perspective, as an outsider, is immensely valuable and provides a fresh outlook on Polish reality, which can sometimes be challenging to assess objectively for those who are more deeply rooted in the local culture. It is indeed a double-edged sword to be an outsider. On one hand, you bring a unique and unbiased viewpoint that helps to challenge and refine understanding of Polish nation. On the other hand, your lack of familiarity with certain aspects of Polish culture and language can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, as evidenced by your reactions to Polish music. I understand that the translation of lyrics can be a challenge and those you used were mostly poor or simply bad and shallow, and I encourage you to continue your efforts to learn the Polish language. As you delve deeper into the meaning of Polish words and phrases, I am confident that your understanding of Polish culture will grow. I, too, have experienced life in Poland over an extended period. I lived here for 11 years, during the tumultuous post-communist era. It was a challenging time, marked by crime, corruption, and economic instability. However, I must say that the transformation since then has been remarkable. Despite current economic challenges, the situation has improved significantly compared to the late 1990s. While new challenges have emerged, the overall progress is undeniable. I agree with your observation that Poles seem to have become somewhat subdued. This could be attributed to a combination of factors, including the historical trials and tribulations Polish nation has faced. As you continue to learn about Polish history and literature, I encourage you to consider the resilience and spirit of Polish people. Despite the hardships, Poles have demonstrated an unwavering determination to overcome adversity and rebuild. In conclusion, I appreciate your efforts to understand and share your insights about Poland. Your work is an invaluable contribution to the international community's understanding of Poland. I wish you continued success in your endeavors and look forward to seeing your future contributions. P.S. Min_Mei_Lin is right about the language. Just look at Portugal, where they simplified the language decades ago for the very reasons you mentioned. After living there for about 6 years, it was easy for me to learn the language to the extent I was able to provide lectures in Portuguese. It's important to mention that the language changes took about 50 years, and yet I've noticed that the older generation still uses the syntax and grammar from before the changes.
@WheresWes True, but that's why you have work permits. They can't legally stay. In Australia, we have temporary work visas for many jobs from mining to fruit picking.
Good to hear your perspective, and I think you are spot on on most things. In terms of infrastructure, maybe we do lack something, but I couldn't help but laugh. Had you been here 20 years ago, it was whole different level. We've made great progress. Speaking of Ukrainian refugees and their integration: if the war ends and some of them come back to Ukraine, who will stay? Those who integrated best, found success. Objectively Poland is a better place to live than Ukraine. This is the first time in our modern history when we could be on the receiving end of brain-drain.
It’s quite long, but I hope you read this, Wes: 1. 0:22 - Quite true, thank you for mentioning that. I feel like people should wear neater things, but please don’t compare us to Ukrainians. We don’t like that. 2. 1:22 - Yes, that’s also quite true. It’s sad that not many people study medicine, but as you said, in some other countries, there are better opportunities in medicine, so sadly this field isn’t as attractive as others. 3. 2:40 - Yes, that’s true, but this is a broader problem related to coal mining, people having old heating systems, and financial issues like how to get wood or other materials for heating. Right-wing politicians (I know you’re also more conservative) don’t really see the problem. So, it was interesting to me that you acknowledge this issue. People see it, but those on the right think it’s made up, so to them, it doesn’t exist. 4. 3:18 - That’s true. I think some middle and lower-class people lack cultural awareness. This is where Western individualism comes in - they think they don’t represent anyone, or they just don’t care. But that’s not true. They don’t realize that by behaving this way, they’re tarnishing the reputation of the whole nation, not just themselves. It’s sad that people are so individualistic and don’t see themselves as part of a larger national picture. And yes, it is different now than before; people are a bit wealthier now, so the survival instinct isn’t as strong as it once was. Thank you so much for speaking highly of us - that’s what we need, and I appreciate everything positive you’ve said about Poland. 4:22 - That’s true, but I don’t know, I feel like Polish music isn’t really made for a national audience but more for the people within Poland, you know? 5. 5:16 It’s partially true. I think that people just lack passion in this and don’t see the bigger problem, sadly. And again, please don’t compare us to Ukrainians. 6. 6:12 - That’s totally true. I even try to tell my friends to grow up, because drowning yourself in alcohol doesn’t bring anything positive to the table. People need to balance this out a bit more. Yes, drinking is part of the culture, but it becomes a problem when everyone I know has or had someone close (an uncle, father, brother, or mom) who struggled with excessive drinking. Another problem is that it’s not enough frowned upon. 7. 8:14 - Totally true. Yes, the smoking culture is so bad here, but I feel that’s also a post-Soviet issue that was passed down. Stress, the work culture, and using it as an opportunity to bond - that’s wrong, I think. 9:34 - And don’t push everything onto the fact that it’s winter and depressing, haha. That’s not the main reason. Everyone here is used to gloomy winters; that’s just how it is. Yes, drinking and smoking are quite bad, but some people are so stubborn they don’t want to admit it’s affecting them negatively. 8. 10:14 - Graffiti is totally true. I agree completely. I feel like there’s no organization that takes care of it, and the cities don’t see it as a problem. That’s a big issue. People are just lazy to make an effort, to be honest. 9. 11:01 - Oh, dude… better delete that part of the video, haha. It’s like someone said in the comments, “make Mandarin easier just because foreigners want it.” No, that’s not going to happen just because foreigners want it. Polish is and always has been a huge part of Polish culture. Please read more about it. 11:47 - And what do you mean when you say people can’t explain things the way they are? Not everyone studies Polish at university! Things like this are taught in Polish universities, and that’s why things are the way they are. 12:21 - It’s not ridiculous. What’s ridiculous is the stuff coming out of your mouth right now. 10. 14:52 - That’s a quite controversial topic, but what I can say is that people don’t know how to discuss things, compromise, and treat each other with respect. That’s all I’m going to say. 11. That’s also a problem, but we have to ask ourselves why women don’t want to have children and what would encourage them to have them. This also connects to number 10. The low birth rate is also the fault of the system, not women in general. Mostly, it’s about costs and the need to give children more than the older generations gave us, in order so we can give a prosperous life to our children. 12. 18:22 - Very true. 13. 19:51 - Difficult topic… thin ice, my friend. Believe me, Polish people don’t want conflict, but the lack of respect for us and how Ukrainians complain so much about Poland is just disrespectful. It’s unacceptable. Polish people are tired of the disrespect they always get from foreigners, even though we try our best. Polish people were literally the first ones to help Ukrainians. Now… it’s just a bitter feeling and a slap in the face. People can’t tolerate such behavior anymore, and that’s where, sadly, xenophobia and heavy feelings come in. And don’t even get me started on history… thin ice. 21:02 - Don’t even get me started on Ukrainian hypocrisy. They only want to take, not give, and make people feel bad for not helping them enough. I know many people in Germany who took people in at the beginning of the war, and now they don’t even keep in touch with them. That’s how grateful they are for being taken in. Germans are pissed, believe me. They’ve had enough, even though they didn’t help as much as Polish people. 24:06 - That’s also how they tarnish their own image. You were talking about Polish people in the beginning, but look at theirs, and why that is…
As you mentioned ENglish is quiete easy and there is a lot of communities in america that don't speak it. The same for poles in London. Many Vietnamese seems to speak Polish.
People use trash to heat their homes. I think the solution is for corporations to make packaging that can be burned without fumes (like the plastic used in milk bottles) because you can't tell poor people not to heat their homes.
'I think Poland needs better fashion items (...) apperance matthers and I think the world will start to take Polish ppl more seriosly if the present themselves a lot better' *Well, I disagree*. Polish brands like Misbhv, The Mannei, Magda Butrym etc. are global. LPP group isn't only Reserved but also Medicine, Cropp, House, Sinsey, Mohito (you'll find these stores outside of Poland like ccc group or 4f). Diverse, Big Star...is like you go to any shopping mall and half of the stores are Polish brands. Your point? In fact, the streetwear market is huge here: Prosto, 2005, The Hive, Neige, An-Appendage, Warsaw Saints, Local Heroes - just a few examples (out of dozens) that came to my mind while writing it...not to mentions women's brands xD if you want the best quality posibble Zack Roman & Monika Kaminska is the address. YOUR problem is that YOU don't know the brands in PL or YOU don't like the style in PL, not that there's so little choice here 🤷♀️ good day ✌️
I love that fashion is not as big thing as it is elsewhere. It connect whith fact which you like in women, that they don't need nice restaurants, cars etc ;) if you have personality and things to do, you don't need fashion as much to fullfil your day.
Grammary is descriptive not prescriptive. You can`t force free people to speak the way you want. They just speak. Please learn a bit about how languages appear in general :D. You are arrogant and so confident in your arrogance :D.
dude post offices are legit the greatest here in poland, there are parcel lockers EVERYWHERE, its actually amazing how i live in a place where 500 people live and i still have one around the corner.
You haven't found people who understand the origins and meaning of languages. There are positional languages like English, where parts of speech have their permanent places in the sentence, and there are inflectional languages like Polish. Through inflections and inflection you get a lot of information, such as gender, tense, mode depending on the part of speech we are talking about. The subject is our default language. With the appropriate conjugation of the verb, you get a lot of information, e.g. "(one) zjadły" where you have a specific plural, gender, past tense and predicate mood and much more. Maybe try read or watch prof. Bralczyk. He is master about Polish language. Greetings! ☺️
I was born in Poland but have lived most of my life in the US. All of your points (except the language improvement idea - not realistic) are spot on. I recently spent a year in Poland and had very similar observations. And don't even get me started on the air pollution thing. Every time you mention it to a local they just start rolling their eyes and act like you come from Mars. Six months of the year the whole country feels like a sealed garage with a car engine running inside. But the other six months it's a really cool place and I really love it there. EDIT - forgot something. I just want to mention that I disagree with your observation on fashion. Compared to the USA Poland is EASILY the fashion capital of the Universe.
Oh, you put your foot into it :-)))) So many complaints at once, and over such issues... You are partly right, but to a point. Healthcare? Come on - in America if you are not rich, in case of getting sick you can just buy Paracetamol and HOPE to get better. Polish healthcare works poorly, but still works, despite the odds. "Restructuring the language"?! I almost thought you were trolling, because that's clearly absurd. A language is not something you can just 'fix', especially not because it could be too difficult to some people. There are many difficult languages - for me German is really difficult but whenever I needed to communicate with it I managed to gain some communicative efficiency and not think about being 100% perfect. Also, I have never had problems communicating with an Ukrainian person - many of them had been in Poland long before the ruSSian invasion on their country started, there are also many Ukrainian students at Polish universities. Yes, they are sometimes a bit different and used to a different suite of rules (I discussed that with Ukrainian students to understand it better), but generally their assimilation is going quite well, and it would be much better if they decided to stay in Poland rather than go further west, making room for people from entirely different cultures. I can tell, for example, that in school environments Ukrainian parents are often among the most disciplined when it comes to making donations to parents' council. Ukrainian pupils, on the other hand, especially older ones, are a bit trouble-making, because the tolerance to their smoking/drinking at an early age is much higher than in Poland (odd as it may sound, given the fact that you mention people in Poland doing that at the age of 13). Younger ones usually function seamlessly in school environment. When it comes to fashion... probably you're right. I don't have much comparison, but seriously - who gives a s..t? You are supposed to feel comfortable and just be yourself. Clothes are secondary. Also smoking - frankly, I get the feeling that the fashion for it is dying. The governments in Poland over the years have made cigarettes so expensive (and banned from public places, like pubs, which was a blessing) that it is becoming increasingly rare. Vaping is another matter - I don't really get it and actually hope that within years it will be found to be even more harmful than smoking and banned. Growing costs of living and low birth rate are a serious problem, but they need to be discussed in the political context, yet these are not only Polish problems. I daresay the whole western Europe is already there. All in all, I enjoy your channel - I even used one of your videos as teaching material (I hope you don't mind) to instigate discussion among students. Worked like a charm ;-)
jeśli chodzi o uproszczenie języka to problem nie leży w jego trudności , tylko tym że ludzie przestali pisać listy, używają telefonu i czytają bardzo mało książek. w telefonie, komputerze mamy autokorektę. więc może zacząć od poprawienia zdolności językowych. mamy się rozwijać a nie mówić jak dwulatek
Careful criticising Poland you'll get a lot of hate lol, Polish will complain about other Polish and everyone else but if you complain about them they get super defensive.
"Let the nations of the world know that Poles are not gooses , they have their own language" . For centuries in the West, you could be a citizen of Germany or France without knowing a word of German or French. but not in our country. In Poland, to be a citizen, you had to speak Polish.This is why we still call German a "Niemiec" to this day. Word "Niemiec" is a synonym of the word "Niemota" - dumbness mute. Dont be like "Niemiec" , if you want to live in Poland , learn Polish...🤣🤣🤣
be quite man just live your life or leave poland, stop acting your have some such a big profound opinion and etc, no body cares about your think. foreigner wants you to be quite and respect their customs too
even if the language was easier if someone doesn’t want to learn in the first place they will never learn. i know some foreigners that speak good polish because they were just motivated to study. you spoke about highly educated people coming to poland to live here but if i am being honest, majority of the people that are from for example asia, they work in the factory. these people do not know basic english let alone polish and i dont think they care about learning anything at all 🤷🏼♀️ also really agree on the drinking culture here. although i dont know anyone that had an alcoholic in their family yet i can definitely see that drinking everyday is really normalized here. like, dads be coming off work and all they wanna do is drink some beer😂 but they dont see themselves as alcoholic because they dont drink enough to get drunk lmaao.
When i was at a presentation (during my driving learning course) about road safety, first aid etc. there was a filipino girl (i think her name was Ayla). She understood polish, but when i talked about her with my driving instructor he said she doesn't know a SINGLE word in polish, and I mean not even thank you, sorry, hello. So at the presentation i knew and i helped translate some of the most inportant bits of info about what role we play in saving lives and some absurd situations. And yes, my driving instructor teaches her driving in english.
Naaah dude, its to early for you to drop statements like that, you didn't dive deep enought. There is only few things I can agree with you but there was just simply "bruh moment"
you go abroad and you hear the same things about polish people. some say that we are the most hardworking. and then the other will say that we are lazy, steal and everything. i think it’s the same thing with people that came from ukraine. when i was living in poland my neighbours were just a normal family with kids that went to school here and they never made any trouble. my dad who owns a laundry room business also says that he has lots of clients from ukraine and these are the best people YET he had lots of side-eye moments with polish people. obviously, you can meet bad and entitled people as much bUT i wont lie when i came back to poland during summer vacation i was so surprised that i couldn’t barely hear polish. you are near a kid playground and all you can hear is ukraine language
Language is big and I'd love to see it catch. I just saw sanah in Chicago and there were (very small and early years) elements of Taylor Swift concerts, where eight year old kids would come up to the rails and get pictures while she'd come to the stage edge in a song and fans would scream louder even. But few there didn't speak Polish at least some. It's not like Kpop, and maybe that kind of fandom could help some language and, in turn, cultural strength.
regarding Ukrainan "issue" we as state are completly unprepared - we thought that war would last for one or two years, while looks like it will stay for longer. And typical to our government (no matter what wing) we do not anticipate and try to have a strategy, otherwise soon most of Poles change the attitude just inspired by rumours and social media.
Regarding air pollution: China's levels remain approximately double those of Poland,India's PM2.5 levels are substantially (up to 3 x) higher than those in Poland.
About fashion. A lot of international brands like Zara have different items and style for Poland and let's say Italy. A Polish brand Medicine used to have very funky designs but toned it down, to boost sales. Many international brands tend to sell casual items and avoid more funky ones. If you want something different you go shopping in Berlin, London, somewhere in Italy or just go online. I remember an article from the 90s where a British guy wrote that Polish women regardless a very limited access to the best fashion brands, are forced to be very creative and that makes them fashionable. It seems we have lost it at some point. My guess is that we have turn to be more Northern European, where you don't show off your wealth or position with brands or crazy style. Less "visible" you are the less trouble you have. "No logo" is the way
Hi Wes, The reason why Polish women tend to be more radical in their liberal views is that our conservative goverment passed a near-total abortion ban a few years ago and that radicalized a lot of people in the liberal direction, especially young women. Maybe social media and western talking points helped with that, but the main cause is our government.
Humans are interesting. I know people even have issues when their own diaspora happen to return like say Japanese Brazilians in Japan, or Greeks from Turkey in Greece. It’s funny cause in the US there is solidarity with Poles and Ukrainians. They become the best of friends and feel at home with each other. Humans always find a way to hate on each other. But I get it and understand it. It’s our nature.
I don’t know Wes. I see a few nice stores. For suits I went to Kraviec. They were very professional. For leather shoes and classy shoes Kazar and I think wolo or wolno not sure. Dress shirts I go to bytom. As for fashionable items you can even find in small towns boutique shops that got what you need. I do this as a Polish American that comes on visit. I’m sure there are more that I don’t know about cause I don’t live there
I agree with the points you’ve mentioned in absolute terms, but what’s your comparison point, actually? As I studied in the US, I’d say at least half of the problems seemed an even bigger issue in the US than in Poland (healthcare, interior design, clothes, immigration, infrastructure, drugs, housing prices, public image (“dumb Americans” vs. globally successful Americans, “dumb Poles” vs. heroic historical figures), etc.)… I guess the comparison country would be different for each point, as there will be a country Y that does something better than country X. I believe Poland is a golden middle country, with so many things remaining average/moderate that actually is impressive, compared to so many countries in the world with extremes (economic inequality being just one thing I have in mind). But yes, I hope we can improve the things you mentioned over time. I always appreciate your perspective.
I agree with majority of your points, but i feel the need to explain some of the issues: Crime stereotype - that was actually true, but in 90s. Our economy was devastated, most big communist factories were closing, unemployment rate was like over 20% in late 90s. Because of that crime was very serious problem - we had highly organised crime groups (so-called mafia) in major cities, tons of petty crimes - stealing, fighting, vandalism etc. Poland was the very opposite of safe country - to the point where losing your phone or car radio to young thieves was common thing in early '00s. Situation improved after EU accession, when many, many people who were causing problems, went abroad to do simple jobs. That contribiuted to image of our emmigrants, but at least we don't have to deal with lot of them inside country. Low birth rate - you're right about rising cost of living being one of main issue, but "real estate" market is the biggest problem here. Most people want to live in couple major cities, and prices of flats in those cities skyrocketed in last few years. You have cheaper flats in smaller cities - but there is little to no job opportunity here. Other big reason is lack of social-connections and change in way people raise children. When i was young, both of my parents worked, but we spend time in grandparents flat, or simply on playgrounds around the block. My parents knew our neighbours and we were staying in their flats as well. Nowadays you just can't leave kids on their own for couple of hours, and people work even more than 10-20 years ago. People in new neighbourhoods often don't know themselves that much, and babysitter costs quite a lot. Furthermore, there is pressure to give kid better education, extra classes, everything cost so much. I was happy when i had used bicycle and boombox for my birthday - nowadays kids have smartphones, gaming computers etc. And you're right about carrer - people flexing their muscles and wasting their potential for big corporations that doesn't even bother about them and would kick them out without blink of an eye. Worst, when all that stress will begin to destroy them, then would pay their hard earned money to try healing their mental health... This is one of the reasons don't want any big-finance-corporate carreer. PS Believe me, this is not harsh winter. I remember winters with tons of snow and temperatures around -20 to -30 degree celcius.
Alcohol is culture in Poland and Russia (and perhaps other countries) which I attribute to centuries of poverty and then reinforced by culture. Hopefully, this will change with the modernization of Poland in the last few decades. I would be worried that alcohol will be replaced in the younger generation by drugs in a modernizing country. Polish language is very hard, and I grew up in a Polish family in the USA. But it is so versatile when you do learn it; so much can be said with so few words (due to a lot of specific word-endings :-) ). No need to change it, (should English speakers change the English irrational spelling??)
Dude. You haven't seen Europe much. Kiev in Ukraine has some dining spots, nonetheless this is still disproportionate to Warsaw's standards. They do not have any refurbished facilities for an instane like Koszyki, Elektrownia, Norblin, Koneser, Browary - to begin with. I already pointed 5 unique desing conglomerates and there's already a growing number of stand alone spots, providing different international cuisines. Now getting west. Have you ever been to Berlin? Mind what Berlin offers in that regard. It is even more redundant than Warsaw's regular turning tables spots. First it seems you've become used to Warsaw too much and you need to extend your tourism to regain objectivity. Btw. Europeans drink a lot in general, especially south-western. Btw2. Graffiti is not an eastern European vibe. Go to Germany, Berlin would fit that too. On the contrary, graffiti is freedom, part of western mindset.
Graffiti artystyczne to nie to samo, co bazgranie po murach, które jest cechą wyłącznie patologii, dzieci z rodzin patologicznych, jakichś naprawdę bardzo prymitywnych środowisk. Obrzydliwe i szpecące miasto. Na szczęście jest coraz więcej monitoringu i może dresiarze za kilka lat będą otrzymywać surowe kary za wandalizm.
As a polish person who also lives abroad i have to a little bit defend ukrainians i was living and working in poland and i did encounter ukrainians and a person from belarus and they were just a normal persons who speaks polish and who i on a personal level really liked. And i really don't like the growing conflict between poles and ukramians. Also as person who lives abroad i know how it is to be in minority that have many bad stereotypes and i want you to have in mind that probably most of the poles and ukrainians living abroad are just a normal working and doesn't cousing any problems persons but because peapoles who do steal who are always drunk etc. Are much more "louder" then they got most of the attention than normal peapols. I hope that this sentence😅
If you have a few rude customers and one is Ukrainian and the rest are Poles who will you remember and tell friends about? Do you underscore his nationality but not the other poeple? Isnt it the real reason or really Ukrainians are so rude?
Ok, as a young Polish man living in a rural area and struggling with a marijuana addiction, I feel called out :p. The reason why it is incredibly easy to find weed on the outskirts and in less gentrified places is mainly because of one bizarre law: seeds. You can buy any strain of seeds you want, and it's legal; you just need to declare that you are buying them for 'collection purposes' :p. Additionally, all the necessary items for home growth are easy to find on the market. There are specialized shops that sell that stuff. And well, in rural areas, first of all, there are almost no cops, or if they are there, they won’t do anything to you-they just don’t care. And the people? OLD. Mainly grandpas and grandmas who only see the screen of the TV or the cross in the church. They don’t care either. And you know, if you live close to farmlands, it’s natural for you to grow plants on your own. And the one thing I hate the most in Poland is the winter. Holy hell, someone please turn off the grayscale filter-it’s just grim, cold, and gray.
![Why I Left the U.K. for Poland [Kult America]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QLkkCbG0P5M/mqdefault.jpg)
EDIT, PLEASE READ: After thinking more deeply about the language topic and decided to take back what I say about it in the video. I will explore Polish more deeply first before making comments about it. I wanted to cut it out of the video, but TH-cam studio isn't letting me do it for this video. Just wanted to be transparent and keep an open mind to learning Polish deeper.
Ukrainian people are the ones in 2016-2024 building new monuments to people who have commited a g******de to 100,000-120,000 of Polish people and other nations too. Zelensky has posed 5 times(!!) in the last 30 days next to U*PA black and red flag. And what... you are blaming polish people? for their xenophobia? seriously...? How do you imagine helping another country who celebrates deeds of the Austrian painter and flies his flag? Our government sponsored everything to Ukrainians, food, electricity, equipment, accomodation and in return we got even a more demanding attitude towards Poles and extreme poverty among Polish people. You might not feel it, but Polish people were insulted numerous times ever since it all began. Even their president called us Moscow agent, despite us basically holding Ukraine alive. I think I want to have nothing to do with this youtube channel anymore. It really disappointed me.
You, like anyone else, have the right to your own very subjective perception of Poland but I can tell you that, like in case of most Westerners, your comments lack the depth to make it objective.
The things you listed as Poland's drawbacks can be applied to many countries and can be disputed.
The suggestion to simplify the Polish language to accommodate the foreigners is ridiculous! It's not the easiest language indeed but we know much more difficult ones i.e. Hungarian, Finnish, Turkish in Europe or the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and we wouldn't suggest to them to simply them for us, would we?
And when it comes to the Polish-Ukrainian relations, it's better that you foreigners stay away from commenting on them being ignorant about our mutual and mostly very dark past history and not much better present times (despite the MSM "positive" propaganda).
Defending Ukrainians is totally irrelevant here because the Polish people know very well what to think about them. They know that they have every right to resent them by now and be fed up with their sense of arrogance, ignorance and entitlement which is encouraged by their VERY anti-Polish government officials!
@@graceg.253thank you! And I did some research… Poland does not have the lowest birth rate in Europe. I didn’t know Poland had poor air quality in some cities but it is some cities and it is because they burn coal which hopefully can change. Also though this is a very sensitive topic, Poland is not the country with top amount of alcoholics. I don’t judge the people or the countries that have this if it is even accurate. Poland is known for dressing well and taking care of themselves. Poland is also helping Ukraine now.
@@graceg.253Ukraine is very anti Polish?
Poland is also one of the wealthiest countries in Europe now and they are recovering from communism.
No, we will not restructure the language for the sake of foreigners. Language is not a thing you can change overnight, it evolves over years of usage. What's more, it shouldn't be imposed, it has to come from the people using the language. Not a foreigner, not the government, nor any other institution. Even small changes imposed on the language users would cause mass confusion. Restructuring the language doesn't just affect you, it affects the whole society. It forces people who can speak the language to deteriorate their skill for the sake of a minority.
we will see what will happen.
@@WheresWes if nobody fixed the crazy English spelling (thought/tough/through?! Leicester?!), and that's clearly just a distortion that needs to be cleaned up, I don't think Polish is bound to be revolutionised...
I think we should promote Polish more, most of all by offering very cheap Polish language courses even in small towns, if there are a lot of foreigners (industrial towns). Perhaps we should formally limit the use of other languages like the French did. But most of all, some of the work has already been done - AFAIK passing Polish state language exams is even now a condition to get citizenship, permanent residency, or free college (in Polish language only).
@@WheresWes >we will see what will happen.
Happen what? :v
What do you mean?
@@WheresWes What you are describing in the video is not just in the polish language but it's same in most of the Slavic languages as well. 😀
@@WheresWes why you want migration. the reason is clean and safe is because it's anti migration. what's your problem... go to brazil buddy
Congratulations! You are officially a resident of Poland. It's autumn, and winter is just around the corner - the perfect time to master the art of complaining.
Is Poland that cold? I spent 3 years in Fairbanks Alaska 😂
Weather Science in Poland counts whole December as the first winter season, because the average temperature of the month is below 5 degrees and that is how in Poland it is officially determined: average temperature below 5 is winter, 5-15 is spring or autumn, above 15 is summer. The division between seasons for weather science in Poland is simple, full 3 months, which correspond well with the average temperatures, although sometimes there are anomalies, where thermal summer is in May or September.
@@wanderingdoc5075 No, our climate is milder and recently drier, so we get much less snow in Winters as opposed to years ago. Most of the winter is snowless, and temperatures are frequently above 0 during days. We can still have days with -16 or -25 even during a day, but those became rare.
Basically -20⁰C to +30⁰C. Lately it's no so much really cold days, less snow, and so on..
@@michakuzyk1863 In Fairbanks Alaska the range was -50°C to +36°C
"RESTRUCTURE THE LANGUAGE" dumbest thing ive heard
Funny to hear an American complaining about public health sustem in Poland.
Yeah... thats pure theory since they do not have one to even compare too. Same with railways... Bridges... all publu infrastructure in U.S. that is collapsing soon.
But our buddy Wes here is sound. Just a bit detached from reality. Learn the language and enjoy you stay Wes. You are welcome.
Its just as bad in different ways. public healthcare is broken - you need private care to get anywhere and proper care.
Man, people being kind to you and trying to make you feel better by saying things like "even Popes struggle with Polish", and you then take that kindness and throw it in our faces. Class.
I think we don't like talking about changing our language because language was one of the things that kept our nation alive during the partitions. Personally, I love the Polish language, all the inaccuracies and ambiguities, because they are a testimony to all the years that have passed. But I absolutely agree with the drinking culture and graffiti, it's awful.
Saying polosh language should be simplified is at the ssme level as saying chinese should get rid of it's writing system and adapt Latin alphabet bcuz they're not a closed country anymore
@@hubert36667 the funniest part about what you said, it's that is pretty probable to happen within 100 years.... The pingin could get that script rip just because is not practical for writing with keyboards hahaha.
@alejandrogandini8048 they write it on keyboards with Latin alphabet. They know it. And still don't want to switch. Maybe because a forced, drastic change of language is nearly impossible. China tried to switch to Latin alphabet once. Didn't work
I don't think they should get rid of the writing system per se but it's undeniable China would get much more internationally influential if everything was (also) in pinyin.
Vietnam is way more accessible after making the switch and literacy rates skyrocketed.
@@hubert36667 I didn't say it was gonna be forced. It will be organic. I'd like to take a look within 150 years or something like that
Czy jestes pewny, ze Polska to dobry wybor dla ciebie? 1 rok pobytu w Polsce i przedstawiasz nam 13 'zarzutow'. Moze lepiej uderzyc bardziej na wschod? Niefortunne jest porownanie gastronomi polskiej do ukrainskiej. Jak myslisz jak odbiora to restauratorzy Polscy, ktorzy maja wysokie koszty utrzymania. Placa ZUS, podatki, nie zatrudniaja na czarno, itp, myslisz, ze im starcza na inwestycje? W Polsce nie ma korupcji, origarchi, prania pieniedzy, haraczy, prostytucji ukrytej w restauracjach z ktorej czerpie korzysci wlasciciel restauracji. Wiem, ze to co powiedziales to sa slowa twoich ukrainskich przyjaciol. Pomysl, gdyby ukraicy byli tacy super w interesach to Ukraina byla by dzisiaj Dubaiem. Pomysl, ukraincy sa drudzy po Niemcach w kupowaniu nieruchomosci w Polsce.. Czy ty masz pieniadze kupic nieruchomosc w Polsce? Czy przecietny Polak ma pieniadze aby kupic sobie nieruchomosci w Polsce? ``Bogaci``Ukraincy to ci, ktorzy dorobili sie na korupcji na Ukraine i nie tylko tam i teraz piora brudne pieniadze w Europie. Naiwny jest ten kto mysli, ze po przybyciu do Polski nagle odmieni sie i bedzie uczciwy. Prawda jest, ze coraz wiecej Polakow, Niemcow i Europejczykow czuje niechec do Ukraincow.
You pretend as if Ukrainians do not pay taxes and all that stuff. Also, corruption, money laundering, prostitution is in all countries. Also, Ukraine had this tiny issue of dealing with russian imperialism
And Ukrainians feel a lot of aversion towards you. To flee a war, lose everything, to then work your lowest jobs and be treated often with no respect. The fact there is no corruption in Poland is laughable, but stay too proud to see the truth if you want.
Also, you know why you had growth, you were lucky to be a part of the EU and got your support. And now when we would have a chance to join - you will never allow it, as you are easily maluable by your politicians and right wing agenda. Poland is still very imperialistic. Your farmers block our border so the weaponry can't get in in time and you simply abuse the fact we are weak and torn by war. Read a little about Dubai if you want to know where their wealth comes from. But yes, we would be richer if we wouldn't have horrible neighbors. I am starting to think Poland is one of the bad neighbors now.
Yes, some Polish people do make mistakes when speaking Polish but not nearly as often as some Americans when they spell English words. ;)
Yeah, I don't know what he's on about, in my circle, everybody speaks properly :)
„Nie szata zdobi człowieka” Uważam że to bardzo wartościowe że ludzie nie zwracają tu tak dużej uwagi na powierzchowność.
Natomiast powietrze i billboardy to rak tego miejsca…
I agree with most of what he said but as a Polish woman, I like the fact that we typically don't dress like Ukrainian women. I think we just don't feel as much pressure from society to look beautiful all the time - and that's a good think imo.
Akurat Amerykanie słyną z niedbałego wyglądu "bo co to kogo obchodzi", wypowiedź Wesa jest pół-ironiczna. A mi jako mężczyźnie wcale nie podobają mi się kobiety z wydłużonymi paznokciami, wszędzie lakierem, toną tapety i perfum itd., odrzuca mnie to. Wolę naturalny wygląd z najwyżej makijażem korygującym (niewidocznym, nieoczywistym!) i ubiór dobrany ale nie flashy. Natomiast polscy faceci powinni (powinniśmy!) poprawić swój wygląd, to niewątpliwe, na początek częściej prać spodnie i nie nosić wytartych swetrów 😄. Nie mówię, by od razu konkurować z Włochami, one step at a time... 🤭
Jak sie prezentujesz to ekspresja tego jak chcesz byc postrzegany(a). Jesli ubierasz sie byle jak, to znaczy, ze nie dbasz o to, jak ktos Cie postrzega a wiec nie chcesz byc przyjazny... to podobne w ekspersji do nie mowienia "dzien dobry". Wreszcie jak sie ubierasz niechlujnie to mocno sugeruje, ze po prostu jestes niechlujny.
Jest mnostwo powodow dla ktorych ludzie w Polsce ubieraja sie tak a nie inaczej. To jest kazdego indywiduala sprawa. Czy mowienie nam jak mamy sie ubierac nie jest juz lekka przesada? Wiekszosc z nas byla wychowana aby ubranie bylo schludne i czyste. I jak PiotAir napisal rowniez nas uczono, ''ZE NIE SZATA ZDOBI CZLOWIEKA''; wazne jest jaki czlowiek jest. Ubranie mozesz stracic lub ktos odpicowany moze byc wrogiem. Pozwolcie nam byc nami i nie wchodzcie z butami w nasze zycie.
@@PiotAir A modne ciuchy są w Internecie z dostawą w kilka dni. Także większego problemu nie ma.
About the language thing: it’s because of our history. It was this one only thing that kept our nation when we didn’t have our country for 123 years, then occupation, etc. And though I get your point about „making it easier”… I can’t agree. If you move to France, Germany, Japan or almost any other place in the world it is expected to learn native language, but it’s okay to not master it. Why should we simplify our language then? I kinda love that Polish is so hard, because it lets you play with language more (even though I do make mistakes as a native). So we do find it kinda offensive when someone is like: well then simplify it. Because it sort of strips us of our identity. (My comment is more of an explanation than criticism, I love your videos 😅)
The complexity of Polish makes it that much more versatile. It's very rich compared to english. There is no "point" about making it easier. Just because someone finds it difficult, doesn't mean that it should be simplified for their sake. They just need to keep up as well as they can. That was extremely ignorant on his part.
I said exactly that on a previous video where he said the same thing. It's offensive. The controversy must be helping to build his channel though as I don't think he's stupid.
I believe that people who pay so much attention to appearance are snobs and narcissist. After all bilionaires often wear ordinary jeans and a t-shirt and no one blames them.
I feel this one actually is a pro not a con. Same goes with interior design. Ukraine has much lower income per capita, but more luxurious restaurants... For well connected/oligarchs. Despite we tend to still expend more than we can afford, Polish ppl have more common sense (especially women)
People who are friendly are also snobs and narcissists? How you wear is how you present yourself, it's how you want to be seen. Billionaires do that for a reason - they don't want to be seen as billionaires.
Everyone blames billionaires; wtf are you talkin about?
A Ci co like-uja sami sa cudzoziemcami. Przeciez jak ktos sra ci na glowe nie bedziesz sie z tego smial, przytakiwal i mowil rob tak dalej.
In Central European or Dutch culture this will be right but unfortunately the overwhelming majority of cultures disagree. Poles should do whatever in their own country/time but realise they need to impress others in other cultures.
Wyobrażacie sobie dyskusje w sejmie, żeby może uprościć język polski żeby Alibaba Król Kebaba miał łatwiej? xD
🤣🤣🤣🤣 tak wyobraziłam sobie
No, już kurwa widzę jak ktokolwiek, poza razemkami, zgodzi się xd
To nie mój problem, że obcokrajowiec chce się nauczyć polskiego :v
Jego argument rzeczywiście był głupi. Za karę będzie siedział w oślej ławce z Tobą przez dwa tygodnie (celem postraszenia go co by było jakby się tam rozgościł na dłużej).
Jestem dumny z mojego języka, bo jest baaaaardzo elastyczny, przebiegły i w razie zagrożenia, taki Amerykaniec nie jest w stanie odróżnić sensu dwóch podobnie brzmiących zdań:
- Na Kremlu stał na korytarzu rosyjski dzban.
- Rosyjski dzban stał na korytarzu na Kremlu.
:) Każdy wie o co chodzi, ale dla obcokrajowca to przecież zwykły dzban w stylu rosyjskim :)
Takich przykładów jest mnóstwo. Bo Polacy w czasie zaborów chcieli porozumiewać się ze sobą tak, by wróg nie wiedział o co chodzi.
A jeśli obcokrajowiec chce się mojego języka nauczyć, niech się wysili.
That is rude… American talking about bad public health system….and comparing Poland to Ukraine…. 🤣
Tez tak mysle.
What is so weird about comparing Poland to Ukraine?
@@OrkosUA We don't like Ukraine and Ukrainians. We don't have anything in common.
Let's go 1 by 1.
First of all, the "English only" guy was an idiot, is not polish responsibility to know English, but the other way around.
Second: no, polish grammar is not specially hard, all the things that you find in polish grammar are in other languages, aspects are part of the past tenses in romance languages, declensions are used in German, georgian, Latvian, Lithuanian, finish and so on.... What could be hard, depending of where u are from, is to remember the words themselves, but the other things are a matter of understanding more than intrinsically hard..... Are u even able to use all the tenses and conjugations in spanish correctly? I don't think so, but u aren't claiming that the language is that difficult......
Ah, btw, how many native English speakers do u know that are able to explain the grammar of English without having studied anything related to linguistics? That happens in every language. That's the point of being a native, you have the feeling of correctness just by having been in contact with the language all your life, which made your brain internalize and recognize its patterns unconsciously..... Make a survey of how many spanish speakers, not academics, are truly able to explain the use of subjunctive and why it is so.... I like u to tell us how it went in a video😊
The part a out the language and grammar being too hard was such an "American moment"...
@leno_o17 if I have to be honest, the more someone claims something is difficult, the more that one is showing the less that they know. Nobody who truly understands a thing would say that. But it's easier to claim it to be difficult than actually trying to understand. As we say in Spanish "he is painfully american" (the word by word translation would be something more like "he is so American that makes u feel pain", but the first one does sound better I guess hahaha)
uproszczenie języka nic nie zmieni, polacy będą mówić normalnym polskim a obcokrajowcy uproszczonym. Nie wyobrażam sobie, że nagle wszyscy będą mówić w taki sposób: "byłem wczoraj w sklep i kupiłem 8 bułka"
ale bariera wejścia jest wysoka- mieszkam w kraju w którym nauka języka to śiermięga - i to widzą też lokalsi i próbuja pomóc bo właśnie to prowadzi do tego co Wes wspomniał
What's wrong with that phrase/sentence?
@@cooledcannon odmiana rzeczowników jest błędna, poprawnie byłoby: "byłem wczoraj w sklepie i kupiłem 8 bułek"
Hey, what does "making some changes" mean in the context of language? I'm genuinely curious, not trying to sound judgmental or anything - I just don't quite get it. It's not like Polish is a constructed language that you can tweak through reforms. The only thing you could realistically change is the spelling system (since that's external to the language), but given how consistent Polish orthography is, I don't think think that's a major issue here.
Also, Poles *do* speak Polish properly. The issue is that some people, often those without much linguistic knowledge, tend to look down on colloquial speech in general, as well as regional variations and non-standard ways of speaking. There's a strong emphasis on using the standard language here, but that's not uniquely Polish but rather a common thing in all the so-called "standard language cultures". It's the same in English-speaking countries, where standard English and written ways of expression are often seen as the ideal, even though most people don't speak exactly by the book. So Poland isn't unique in this regard - language variation and non-standard forms exist everywhere.
As for the idea that Polish is "extraordinarily difficult", that's really just a myth. Sure, learning any language takes time and dedication, but how hard it feels depends on how closely related it is to your native language. You've got around 7000 languages in the world, many are severely understudied, so ranking them by difficulty is nearly impossible - and even then, what’s considered "difficult" or "simple" can vary depending on perspective.
For example, as a native Polish speaker, I'd say English is quite challenging just because it’s so different from Polish. The grammar and way of expressing things take a lot of getting used to. On the other hand, speakers of East Slavic languages like Ukrainian or Russian tend to pick up Polish relatively easily because of the close linguistic ties - there isn't much that surprises them grammar- or vocabulary-wise. Ultimately, whether a language feels hard or easy depends on what you're already familiar with. I agree that Polish can be tough for English speakers, but it's not anything special. In fact, the fact that it's in the Indo-European language family (just like English or Spanish) and tied to the Western cultural sphere definitely gives you some advantages as a learner.
Ngl you're getting flamed in the comment section dude, and most of em are right
Dude, split it into 3 videos, how am I supposed to react to all 13 points?! 😉🤣🤣 Most of your comments are correct, but not all, and I partially disagree with some. Air pollution in Poland for instance is terrible, and one of the worst in Europe (or at least the EU) and one of the top problems to solve, but it's nowhere close to China or India. I believe there are a few days a year (perhaps 10), where the air pollution in Poland is indeed worse than in China, and then it's great for a click-baity news articles ("The pollution in Warsaw became worse than in Delhi! [but only yesterday, and only for a day]".
Is alcohol a problem? Yes, it is. Anecdotal evidence is not worth much, so I'll give you just one number: Polish stores sell over 1 million "małpki" (liquor bottle max 200 ml)... ONLY BEFORE NOON (12:00). EVERY DAY. That doesn't include beer, strong or regular. Or big bottles. Just think, these are high-functioning alcoholics, since they can afford it. They drink, and go to work.
As to Ukrainians. I personally have a certain sentiment to Ukraine (from my student times), but some of these presented opinions are true. Ukrainians who have lived here for more than 5-7 years adapt, speak Polish fluently, and not only accept, but even internalise the local norms and treat them as their own. The new arrivals are not doing so well, I'm not sure if they need more time, or it's that the earlier immigrants actually *wanted* to move (there was no war). I do see at least some Ukrainians in the new wave improving over time, but the entitlement and rudeness is at times crazy. And this entitlement and rudeness is also reflected in political relations. I won't dislike someone only because of his nationality, but my sentiments are getting tested very severely.
W przypadku Ukraińców zależy od wykształcenia i wieku. Do Polski po 2022 roku trafiły głównie kobiety, w tym też starsze. Ale np. młode kobiety, wykształcone, dość szybko opanowują język polski. Znam takie osoby i w niektórych przypadkach byłem zdumiony, że zaczęły w miarę swobodnie mówić po polsku po raptem 3-4 miesiącach pobytu u nas. Były to osoby wykształcone, ale też ambitne i zdeterminowane. W biurze, w którym pracowałem, zatrudniono młodą dziewczynę u nas studiującą, pochodzącą z Ługańska. Po polsku mówiła świetnie i to prawie bez akcentu. Bardzo jej pomogła... nauka języka ukraińskiego w Kijowie, do którego z rodziną przeniosła się po 2014 roku. W domu posługiwała się rosyjskim, ukraińskiego wcześniej prawie nie znała i ten ukraiński stał się bramą do języka polskiego.
It's not that the "new" Ukrainians don't assimilate as well- I know plenty who are extremely grateful and respectful. It's just that it's mass imigration- so statistically there's just more pathology that is visible. And true, some people probably didn't want to come here in the first place.
This will be a long one, but I’d like to address a few points. I hope this will be helpful to you. Sending you my regards and rooting for your Polish language learning journey! Remember, no one expects perfect grammar from you-it’s important that you’re trying :)
6:00 - You’re right. Alcohol has been a longstanding problem for Poles, but I recommend you take a look at how things were 20, 30, or even 40 years ago. That’s why we have a whole set of laws and institutions for addressing alcohol-related issues since around the 1980s. For someone from abroad, it might seem like we have a massive drinking problem, but trust me, we’ve made tremendous progress on this issue over the years.
11:00 - The main thing you’re missing is that you’re speaking from the position of an English speaker. Imagine asking the same thing of Germans, French, or English people. Poles may not be able to explain where these linguistic rules come from, but if you ask the average American why certain things are said the way they are in English... they wouldn’t know either because it’s their natural language. Also, don’t be surprised by Poles’ reactions-you’ve watched videos where it was clearly explained that we don’t like it when someone from abroad tells us what to do. Our language allowed us to survive over 100 years without a formal state. So what kind of reaction were you expecting?
13:00 - You’re wrong here, too. Poland is not the United States. Our societal structure and the entire concept of a state are different.
14:18 - Yes, Spain conquered an entire continent, but as far as I know, it wasn’t because their language was easy, but because of force. The same goes for the English or the Portuguese. If Poles had colonies, there would also be countries outside of Poland where Polish is spoken, and our language would be more popular.
14:43 - Here, you answered your own question about why we Poles won’t change our language for foreigners. It’s our heritage, and above all, it’s for us to use. The "small changes" you propose make no sense to us and would complicate communication. Besides, the Polish language, like any other living language, evolves and creates neologisms. So yes, we’re constantly changing Polish, just as Germans do with German or the French with French.
5:31 - Here, you’re completely overlooking the fact that Poland is nearly a 40-million-strong country, and you’re operating within your own bubble, speaking a different language. Of course, our country isn’t a major power, but it’s still large enough that you won’t encounter every set of opinions, especially since you don’t speak Polish. Keep in mind that Poles won’t discuss everything with you and aren’t able to express all their thoughts in your language.
16:38 - Divorce in Poland is difficult, but not because of traditional norms anymore. It’s simply because our government allocates very little funding to public services, and all civil court cases drag on for years.
17:00 - In Poland, women gained voting rights at the same time as men. Additionally, women had been running underground schools and working for years. They also took part in uprisings. So yes, Poland is quite a feminist country, although after 1989, the Catholic Church got heavily involved in politics. You’d need to delve into Poland’s modern history to understand this better. The fact that Poland is a Catholic country is more of a phenomenon of the last century-or even less.
17:20 - You’re right; this is the government’s fault. Poland experienced its last baby boom in the 1980s. After the fall of communism, people were losing their jobs en masse and emigrating. If you look at the demographics of the 1990s, you’ll find that they were almost as bad as they are now. They improved later, but only temporarily, as housing prices and the speculative bubble rose. It’s a very complex issue influenced by many factors, but Poles are aware of the problem.
17:32 - Of course not. Even the European Union, including Germany, recognizes the threat posed by mass immigration. It’s not that Poland will completely shut itself off, but Polish policy is unlikely to head in that direction.
19:14 - Yes, you’re right about that. You should also know that housing policy in Poland has looked different from that in the West for years, and this is tied to the aggressive systemic transformation the country underwent.
19:53 - Several issues converge here: history and deteriorating housing conditions. However, I wouldn’t say this is driven by extreme xenophobia. Poles themselves have experienced such treatment in the West. That’s why the term *“Polack”* is offensive. There’s even a book titled *I’m Not Your Polack. A Report from Norway* by Ewa Sapieżyńska, which describes how Norwegians treat immigrants from Poland.
What do you think is easy solution for graffiti? It's not like it's not cleaned. Problem is about more simpler part of society, often connected to football club fans. It's common that right after cleaning walls another bunch of idiots comes and destroys it again.
Na Białorusi rozwiązał Łukaszenko ten problem i za grafiti bazgranie po elewacjach jest sroga kara.
Brawo Białoruś
@@adlervonschlesien4869 I co nie ma tam graffiti?
@@adlervonschlesien4869 W Polsce też jest kara za grafitti, tyle że większość osób robi je w nocy, kiedy nikt nie patrzy
@@figard9855 a kamer w obecnych czasach wszędzie od cholery na kazdej ulicy, nawet w malych miastach i wsiach.
Nie chce się służbom nic robić w tej sprawie i taka jest prawda..
@@m44g5 nie widać .
Czysto tam jak w żadnym Europejskim kraju
Poland is the last country standing in Europe
objectively speaking, the polish languge did simplify already, look at some of the older poetry, or books. However, no, dont change it. It's one of the most advanced and flexible languages in the world, what english speakers would say in 20 words, sometimes we need as little as 5, it's truly amazing how much stuff there is in our language, and i really couldn't care less if you foreigners want to learn it or not, the languages you want to learn all depend on what languages you already speak, for example slavic speakers learn polish very easily, germanic speakers not so much, and for the people who speak asian languages its extremely difficult. I really think the video was great, and pointed out some concerning issues, but holy moly that language point you made was one of the worst takes ive heard in a while.
Stop comparing Poland to Ukraine.
Most Slavic languges have a similar level of difficulty and a similar grammar. English has many issues too, especially with respect to pronunciation. Someone in Poland came up with a universal language, Esperanto. Unfortunatlely it did not catch on.
A lot of people talked about defending our language, but tell me this - why you only target polish? It's almost the same thing in other eastern-european countries. For example take balkans. They have the same problem as us, but like bosnian and serbian are kinda the same but they still fight over it. A lot of cirillic speaking countries have their own separation or take maybe czech and slovakian they are almost the same by the speech and it's easy to understand a czech or a slovak by a polish guy. I'm just gonna say that even though our language is hard to learn for people, you should at least not target only our language, because other languages have their own similar problems.
cause I'm in Poland
12:11 this argument actually got me really feel that no drastic changes should be made to Polish language. As native, raised in that culture where unique language is used (I mean it isn't anywhere else) I like the art you can do with Polish language. Writers can really go and well express themselves.
Even though I don't always follow its rules and can't explain most of them; I appreciate it
Jak zobaczyłam tytuł filmiku to nastawiłam się na kontrowersje, ale akurat nic mnie nie zbulwersowało z zamieszczonych tu treści.
Myślę, że do niektórych kwestii Polacy są bardziej przyzwyczajeni. Chociażby alkohol wśród Polaków był zawsze mocno obecny. W poprzednim ustroju wręcz wrosły w kulturę, w zwyczaje, w święta, w załatwianie interesów itd. Kiedyś był to właściwie społeczny problem. Dzisiejszy poziom spożycia alkoholu może nawet podchodzić pod unormowanie i ustabilizowanie kiedyś powszechnego zjawiska picia 😂😁 - choć wciąż procenty bywają zgubą wielu. Wydaje mi się, że bardzo dużo Polaków zna kogoś w sąsiedztwie albo ma kogoś w rodzinie (choćby dalszej) kto nadużywa alkoholu, lubi przesadnie imprezować (jest to dość powszechne doświadczenie, bo Polacy lubią się napić).
Pracowałam kiedyś w kawiarni, w której sprzedawany był również alkohol (równie często). Po piwo wpadał tam regularnie mężczyzna po sąsiedzku w przerwie w pracy i... na rauszu wracał z powrotem do klientów - był stałym bywalcem lokalu. Podczas jednej z największych imprez doszło do kradzieży i pobicia - więc jak się człowiek napatrzy za barem (jak w krzywym zwierciadle) co ludzie potrafią odwalać po alkoholu to czasem sam idzie w abstynencję albo się rozpija (ja piję tylko okazjonalnie).
W kwestii palenia mam bardzo podobnie jak Ty. Wydaje mi się, że młodzi tym wcześniej sięgają po zakazane substancje, bo mają większe kieszonkowe odkąd świadczenie 500+ na dziecko wzrosło do 800+.
Niektóre aspekty, na które wskazujesz to te, nad którymi sami Polacy się niekiedy zastanawiają aktualnie.
Przykładowo: Ukraińcy. Odbierani często jako roszczeniowi i niedostatecznie wdzięczni za pomoc jaką otrzymują w Polsce. Mają przywileje, mimo że często nie są uchodźcami z obszarów ściśle objętych wojną a uchodźcami ekonomicznymi, którzy przyjechali w celach zarobkowych korzystając z nadarzającej się okazji, by sobie dorobić w Polsce (i pobrać świadczenia). Niektórych Ukraińców rozpoznajemy z daleka po markowych ubraniach, gadżetach i drogich autach oraz snobistycznej postawie - która kłóci się Polakom z wyciąganiem ręki po zapomogi. Według badań najliczniejszą grupą Ukraińców, która zjechała do Polski, była tamtejsza klasa średnia i ludzie, którzy swój status materialny przed wojną określali sami jako dobry - czyli ludzie generalnie zamożni, dobrze sytuowani... Jest również mnóstwo Ukraińców, którzy w Polsce odnajdują się bez generowania problematycznych postaw. Uczą się (pojawiając się faktycznie na zajęciach) bądź pracują. Przyswajają język polski. Doceniają w adekwatny sposób to co przysługuje im od państwa polskiego (a na wiele podobnych zapomóg nie może liczyć wieku Polaków). Generalnie rozumiem dzisiejsze krytyczne spojrzenie Polaków na Ukraińców - diametralnie różniące się od czasów początków wybuchu pełnoskalowej wojny na wschodzie Ukrainy. Bywa to dość emocjonalny temat. Mam mocno mieszane uczucia. Mam zawsze w tyle głowy, że sama w jakimś ułamku mam korzenie ukraińskie, bliżej mi nieznane (część mojej rodziny to byli Łemkowie, chociaż ja identyfikuje się generalnie jako Polka).
Przy okazji polecam twórczość Igora Herbuta - to najbardziej znany Polak z tej grupy etnicznej, tworzący muzykę w naszym kraju (wygrał talent show).
Myślę, że Ukraińcy sami zasłużyli sobie na zróżnicowany (w tym niechętny) odbiór ze strony Polaków - bardziej odpowiadający temu co ze sobą przynoszą, jak się prezentują, zachowują itp. Polacy nałożyli na Ukraińców własne wyobrażenia i doświadczenia wojenne - one się bardzo rozmyły z postawą Ukraińców. Jest mi po prostu po ludzku przykro, że nie wszyscy odbiorcy byli w stanie dobroć Polaków należycie docenić, właściwie ją przyjąć. Bo Polacy pokazali wielkie serce. Ale może te mniej pożądane reakcje bardziej rzucają się nam w oczy, więc się na nich tym mocniej skupiamy.
Jeżeli miałabym wskazać problem, który osobiście (abstrahując od reszty Polaków) uznaję za najbardziej martwiący mnie w Polsce odnośnie przyszłości (z tych, które wymieniłeś) to spadek dzietności. Być może spowodowane jest to czasowym trudnym okresem w dziejach (pandemia, inflacja, wojna). Natomiast przypuszczam, że dla Polaków chyba dużym wyzwaniem, budzącym sporo obaw, okażą się imigranci. Jeżeli przyjęcie częściowo podobnych nam kulturowo Ukraińców zrodziło tyle napięć, kolejne fale uchodźców mogą wyzwalać dodatkowo problematyczne kwestie (bądź je pogłębiać). To będzie zderzenie różnych światów i szok kulturowy; wysyp uprzedzeń, wzrost rasizmu, ksenofobii... - na pewno zrodzi to wiele różnych konfliktów o skali dotąd nierestrowanej.
Wyglądające mało zadbanie Polki po trzydziestce to mogą być Matki Polki - które są tak zaaferowane swoimi dziećmi, że zapominają zająć się sobą (dość przykre i raczej smutne).
Dziś piątek trzynastego (do tego w grudniu), więc podobno smutna data w kalendarzu (ale tylko, gdy jest się przesądnym!). Wszystkiego dobrego! Pozdrawiam.
Herbut jest Łemkiem, nie Ukraińcem...
Trzeba też zwrócić uwagę, że między Ukraińcami ze wschodu i z zachodu są spore różnice jeśli chodzi kulturę…samo Ukraińcy z zachodu nie zawsze przepadają za bardziej „sowieckimi” czy „rosyjskimi” zachowaniami rodaków ze wschodu.
@@gabrielnovicki6257 Łemkowie identyfikują się jako część narodu rusińskiego lub ukraińskiego (więc wpływy ukraińskie w tej grupie etnicznej są obecne). Nie napisałam, że Igor Herbut jest Ukraińcem, tylko Polakiem pochodzenia łemkowskiego.
@@smok40 Słuszna uwaga. Być może to dobrze, że nie przyjechało do Polski tak dużo Ukraińców ze wschodnich rejonów Ukrainy - dzięki temu jest w naszym kraju mniej ewentualnych prorosyjskich postaw. Chociaż Ukraińcy generalnie jako naród słabo odrobili lekcje komunizmu - chociażby porównując ich pozycję startową po upadku ZSRR z sytuacją Polski. Nad udało się dużo lepiej odciąć od Rosji (chociażby dołączyć do UE). Mentalność Ukraińców jest jednak nieco odmienna od polskiej - co można zauważyć nawet żyjąc na co dzień w Polsce i stykając się z Ukraińcami, którzy do nas zjechali - ich mentalność jest bardziej 'wschodnia'.
Bede z Wami wszystkimi szczera. Czy nie sadzicie, ze namnozylo sie tych kanalow o Polsce? W ostatnich latach Polska zrobila sie bardziej popularna. Cudzoziemcy przyjezdzaja, otwieraja kanal na TH-cam, Instagram lub innych social mediach. Najpierw zachwycyja sie, pochlebiaja Nam, co sie wszystkim podoba, zaczynacie go lubiec, ufac. Czasami nauczy sie troche jezyka polskiego, poczuje sie pewniej i zaczyna sie mowienie co oni by w nas zmienili. Polacy sa tez imigrantami rozrzuconymi po calym swiecie i my nie chcemy nikogo zmieniac ani w Anglii, Niemczech, Australii, Francji, Chinach i reszcie swiata. Szanujemy innych odmiennosc wiec prosze uszanowac nasza. .Jezeli decydujemy sie gdzies mieszkac to bierzemy caly pakiet CZY NAM SIE TO PODOBA CZY NIE. To jest twoja decyzja gdzie chcesz mieszkac. NIE, nie mozesz zmienic mowy polskiej, bo ci za trudno. Problemy ze sluzba zdrowia sa w calej Europie (mieszkalam w Anglii, Polsce, mieszkam w Niemczech), tez w calej Europie pija. Zalezy w jakim towarzystwie sie obracasz. Ja nie pije, nie pale i cala moja rodzina nie pije i znam co najmniej 50 Polakow, ktorzy nie pija i nie pala. Kolej jest tez kiepska w Niemczech, grafiti sa tez w Anglli i Niemczech. Tworcy takich kanalow robia analize Polski na podstawie oberzeniu filmikow na TH-cam, kilku wycieczek po Polsce i rozmowach najczesciej z innymi obcokrajowcami lub kilkoma znajomymi Polakami . Malo tego oni na tym robia kase kosztem Polski.
Oglądałam kiedyś gościa, co robił siebie błazna w Polsce, bo jest popularna i nic innego nie dawało mu dużych wyświetleń. Nawet sprzedawał ubrania i kubki z takimi jego znakami rozpoznawczymi tego, co w Polsce wyczyniał. Na początku było to nawet zabawne, ale później zaczęłam zauważać, jakie to żałosne jak łazi i podkreśla jakie to wszystko POLISH. W innych krajach chyba tego nie robił. Wszędzie doszukiwał się rasizmu. A jak w końcu ktoś nawet nie z Polski, powiedział coś niby rasistowskiego to zaczął robić z igły widły. Drzeć ryja jaka to Polska rasistowska i nagrywać ludzi z bliska, a jak kogoś tym zdenerwował, no to trzeba zwalić winę na rasizm. Niedługo po tym z Polski się zwinął, ale kontent z innych krajów nie dawał wyświetleń to wrócił.
You’re a great communicator. You break down topics very well.
Great channel
Most of the mentioned issues are actual problems, tho the order is kinda weird imo. However, you also mention some, in my view, really silly things. Obviously the language part is just engagement bait, one cannot seriosly suggest "changing" a language like it's clothes or sth. Talking about clothes, it's really just a "you issue" if you find other culture's way of dressing too simple for your liking. As I see it, the part about Ukrainians is just a misunderstanding of the cultural phenomenon called changes, there is nothing strange about some people's reluctance, the mindset needs time to change properly, it's impossible to just "fix" it.
wanting other cultures to change to suit yourself a foreigner is disgusting.
you missed the point my friend.
@@WheresWes your smugness has not limits, my friend
@@tomeks3951 Agree, smugness and lack of self awareness, makes Wes very unlikable character.
Wes is honest; he doesn’t have to be always right to be likeable
@@pawerybacki98 actually if you look back at Wes history you’ll find plenty of dishonesty. Ask him why he had to run away from Colombia
As a 35-year-old woman, I don't feel that I or my friends dress worse than women from Ukraine 😂 But maybe you're talking about younger girls and in larger cities, because I live in a "M" size city and I don't feel any difference between women or men for that matter.
As for appearance and age, in my opinion people suddenly look older when they become parents. I don't have children and my partner and I look younger than we really are. The same goes for friends with children vs. friends without children.
My proposal is to get rid of phrasal verbs in English. I wonder what english native speakers would think.
probably would agree. English slang can be confusing.
@@WheresWes I don't think you what phrasal verbs are
I think it adds flavor but reduces clarity. It probably is better if they used the non-phrasal version as the standard version.
But yes. I think almost the entire purpose of them is to reduce clarity for fun.
Sounds like you took our complaining a bit too seriously. About the language thing, what you're saying is borderline crazy talk, mate. How would you feel if I said that Chinese should drop their tones to accommodate foreign speakers?
Speaking of China stuff, would you dare make any content critical of China?
Jezyk polski jest dla ludzi inteligentnych. Jest niebywale logiczny. Pozatym jest stary, nie zanikł i nie byl sztucznie odtwarzany, wymyślany na nowo(jak czeski).
I’ve seen way more grafitti in Germany and France than in Poland.
And I have seen more graffiti in Athens, the graffiti makes Athens look really terrible, way worse than Poland
@@RybvynIn addition, "engineers from Africa" have taken over several districts, so that Athens is quite dangerous even in tourist places after dark.
Ive seen more in Poland than in Germany, not to mention England which is Miles agead from us.
@@jolakowalska9706 Zalezy w jakich landach, miastach i dzielnicach.
@almn5 Jola widzi, ale nie widzi, bo z pewnością jest bardziej niemiecka od Niemców. Joli wszystko pasuje. Zostaw ją. Byłem w Niemczech przez 10 lat. Taki syf jaki tam widziałem, w Polsce musiałby się tworzyć chyba kolejne 10 lat i żeby nikt tego tyle lat nie czyścił. Tylko problem jest w tym, że w Polsce co chwilę czyszczą.
Niech Jola zdejmie różowe zniemczałe okulary i przejdzie się spokojnie po mieście. Zauważ, że Niemcy wstawiając filmiki o miastach, zawsze dziwnym trafem filmy kręcone są wczesnym ranem lub od pierwszej kondygnacji budynków wzwyż. Ciekawe czemu... Ale Jola pewnie znajdzie odpowiedź jak rasowa Niemka: Że autor filmu pewnie tak chciał :) Przykład:
- th-cam.com/video/aFFzvCz2XWI/w-d-xo.html
Tu nie ma co tłumaczyć. Ten filmik pięknie ukazuje czystość niemiecką w przecudownym mieście, jakim jest Frankfurt nad Menem, miasto większe od Poznania, gdzie jest wielki port lotniczy i Centralny Bank UE:
- th-cam.com/video/qsSX_7qyOHw/w-d-xo.html
Ten jest najlepszy :) Teraz niech Jolanta powie jak jest naprawdę w Niemczech :)
- th-cam.com/video/69jhmMdiKP8/w-d-xo.html
The thing i disagree with you mostly is that young poles leave country for work. Recently that has shifted towards many poles returning to Poland because of the whole woke and social situation in the world
Overall good and interesting points. Valid criticism is always welcome, and not sucking up to your audience is always to be praised.
Full agreement about air pollution, graffiti and alcohol - these are disgraceful.
Infrastructure - I think you mean more the services of certain public enterprises such as post or railroads. Infrastructure is actually pretty good and new.
The language - hell no. Respectfully, it is not up to foreigners who spent a few months learning it to say how we should change our language. We fought for hundreds of years to keep it- longer than USA existed - and it is intertwined with our identity. A brave suggestion, but no thanks 😉
Some good points, for instance, alcohol abuse, terrible air quality during heating season, woke trend with young women, but also simplistic, even ignorant, nonsense, i.e. "Spain is a very small country", language reform to suit immigrants, etc... I have not heard it being attempted anywhere, have you?
About ukrainian refugees, most of my family took ukrainian families to our homes. Some of them were really nice and generous people. Others... tried to scam our family members out of money, returning again and again for more and more. I get it, they need help, we took them in, wanting to help, knowing how it is being left alone during wartime. But its just disheartening after a while. Our lives grow harder and harder, inflation goes through the roof, while they often live their best life simply taking from us. Our government pampers them, granting them our tax money, while there is a lot that needs to be done to make our homes better. It feels like we became a hotel for them, they do whatever they want, and we need to clean after them while plastering smiles to our faces. Again, as I said before, there is a lot of them who are normal, grateful and wonderful people, sadly its, as usual, those loud, ungrateful, entitled ones who are the loudest and easiest to see. And meeting uber drivers who cant even say a single word in polish or communicate at all, instead, they keep speaking ukrainian and get pissed we cant understand them, is just the worst. Im honestly just tired.
Yesh, just like you took from Britain and USA after moving to those lands?
Chłop gada że dużo pijemy i palimy, ale niech zobaczy jaki postęp zrobiliśmy przez ostatnie 50 lat, w przeliczeniu na ilość mieszkańców, tego już nie wspomni nikt. Panie Wes, zobacz ile się piło i paliło w latach 70tych i gdzie wolno było palić w tedy a gdzie wolno palić dziś.
Ale jakie to ma znaczenie? Mówi, o stanie obecnym i odnosi się do realiów z którymi ma styczność w Polsce w odniesieniu do realiów z którymi zetknął się w innych krajach. To nie jest analiza krytyczna w oparciu o statystykę w ujęciu historycznym. Opanuj się chłopie.
ma racje bo jest tu chujowo.
Uwazam ze pijemy wciaz za duzo, ale palenie spadło w mojej opinii baardzo mocno.
@@Dante_Lynx ale to nie są do końca obiektywne realia, bo konsumpcja alkoholu w Polsce jest niższa niż w wielu innych krajach- w tym Francja, Niemcy, Czechy. A już jak chodzi o codzienne picie, to w ogóle jesteśmy niziutko. Z paleniem też się nie wyróżniamy na tle Europy.
Co go to kuźwa obchodzi.Moje zdrowie moja sprawa.
investigate the clean air issue. In Western Europe, sensors are located on the outskirts of cities to calculate the average. In Poland, they are placed in industrial centers. Which results do you think are more realistic?
There is a map of sensors which includes also the private ones. The problem is Wes lives in Cracow. And the city is one of the most polutted in winter. I live in Tricity no pollution alarm ever.
Do Polski wędruje cały syf w powietrzu z Europy Zachodniej i jest blokowany przez rosyjskie wyże. Dlatego tyle tego jest
Wait is that true? Interesting!!
It would never corss the mind of a Polish person to ask a different country to simplify a language for Polish people to learnit easier. Given how Polish history was like and that POlish identity is strongly linked to a language I doubt that any simplification is going to happen in a foreseeable future. As for medical marijuana, chances are you have been misinformed. As for alcohol drinking, no has nothing to do with winter and a lot with social drinking during major celebrations and social gatherings and also about how people relax given long working hours, so more like in China I suppose and different from Scandic countries where yes, people drink due to harsh winter climate mostly. As for medical sector, well in education Poland has a surplus but 80% of medical studies graduates goes directly to Germany, so we need a legal change. Unlike other conturies we do not have regulations that require graduates of free public medical universities to work for a while in Poland after finishing studies in Poland and this is the root of all evil that Poland has to deal with. As for air pollution in Kraków, actually the source of this pollution is now aoutside of Kraków and next 2-5 years Kraków will devote to trying to adress this issue in other smaller towns and villages outside of Kraków. Vaping, yes, young generation thing. Due to Western- American fashion they see on TV I suppose. Plus vaping is less smelly and less old-fashioned to them than really nasty smelling smokes they know from being around their parents and grandparents. As a non-smoker and non-drinker, yes, I can admit it's uncommon in Poland to be this way. I have been told many times in my life, even by members of my own family, to change it at least to smoke or drink socially but I never did and just like you I do look younger than my age would suggest due to it. I can compare to women I have studied with for example who had winkels and dull skin mostly due to these two habits or addictions if someone prefers such a term.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I think many people would be discouraged to publish video like this, regarding such problems and speaking your mind about them in fear of the possible reaction. But the way you carefully approach this topic really shows, that deep inside you simply care and that shines through your words.
Most of the arguments and observations are (sadly) true, although I have some feedback on them.
Graffiti stays, that's it. There's a problem with it, but it's not it's existence. It's the placement and the form of it. In some strange way, expression that doesn't come in form of our architecture can be released in other forms, like graffitti. The real problems are the tags, and people painting them wherever they want. They have almost no artistic value, to simply put, it's a facy signature and just like dogs are peeing on things to mark their territory, these people use paint for that reason. I can maaaaybe understand them in some backalley, but out in the open? It's shameful. Other from that, I think you'd be positively surprised how many beautiful murals you can find around the city. Keep an eye for it.
The gender divide thing. Well, yeahh, but it's not really an issue of gender. As you pointed out I feel like it's a social media thing and we're very suseptible to it's influence. Especially Warsaw, but I'll leave it at the end.
I cannot agree on language thing. I mean, I agree with the points you make and the observations alone. You are totally right, making the language more accessible would help a lot, but it's just not who we are. You got to know our history during your stay, so you'll probably understand when I say, there's no such strong thing as our identity. And our own language: raw and unfiltered, is simply embeded in our hearts. The Poles alone could be one to change the language, but we must do it by ourselves, not because someone else pressured us to do so. It won't work. It's quite like complaining. Most of us feels this way: that only we are allowed to trashtalk and shit on our own country, if enybody else does it, oh boy, just watch those fists swingin'. It's a matter of mentality and having something which you can call your own.
About Ukrainians, well, this conversation is like walking on thin ice and I'd rather think a lot more about that problem first, in opossition to some people who blabber around without research and allowing them to be guided by personal feelings, vendettas and such. All I can say is the following, for many of us, it doesn't really matter where you come from, all we wanna see is some respect, a reasonable amount of respect for other people living here and our culture, and if somebody wants to stay here for longer period of time, maybe even forever - start assimilating. We're more than happy to help anyone with that. Just let that be genuine feeling. Nobody is forcing you to stay and the atmosphere in the room can change very rapidly with Poles and they'll not hesitate to "show you the door".
This is quite important thing about our mentality. Many people feel it too, but have trouble putting it into words. In some sense, we care deeply about community. Even people from Poland know their past, they know their ancestory and that we all came from somewhere. This place, language, the culture - that's what unites us. It was never the blood ties which we romanticize so dearly. It is our shared community. I feel like I'd like for people coming here for longer to become a Pole, not entirely of course, it's not about casting away your past lives, but that's the thing, become a Pole. Like dedicate a part of your heart for this community. Become a part of us. Bring your experiences and let us all flourish together. Or maybe that's just how I feel like. After all I can't speak for everybody. This is just a feeling I got.
The final thing - Warsaw. Well, the thing with Warsaw is, many people who live in Warsaw can simply afford living in Warsaw. It's a melting pot of culture, it's a capital, in its own way it's prestigious and frankly not very representative of the rest of the country. In many ways it is, of course, it's good to assume that Warsaw is truly a western city. Poznań, Kraków or Wrocław certainly would like to be like that, I mean, not literally like Warsaw but so grand and rich in some sense, but they're not there yet. That's also a common theme of jokes about Warsaw and people from Warsaw among people from other places in Poland - that they're all a bit detached from reality, a little bit more westernized.
On the fashion point; it has changed. Recent years trends from the west (Baggy clothes) has affected the country massively. Polish women used to dress very elegantly even for every day mundane activities... Since the 2020 pandemic, everything changed. Don't get me wrong, they still dress very well comparing to the west.
Many points make sense from your point of view.
However, I highly doubt our language will be simplified FURTHER just to accommodate immigration.
You see, it has already been simplified compared to Old-Polish.
We will gladly speak two languages if need be, and I believe many Poles will agree with me.
Look at Netherlands - they retained their language even though it's a difficult one for foreigners to learn.
Many countries attempted to wipe our nation off the map across the centuries but we prevailed.
Our culture, language and religion is a massive part of why Poland exists now, hence it's not something we'll give up.
Many of us despise people who would rather run from war than defend their land.
Land that, most likely, has been drenched in blood of their ancestors who fought for it.
I think that's one of the reasons why there's tension between us and some Ukrainians.
Personally, I've only met a few and we get along well.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the content you create and have nothing against you.
That being said, I think you are out of depth in certain areas.
From my experience alcoholysm is mainly dependant on age and socioeconomic status. I am a part of gen Z and i come from a middle class family.
When it comes to alcohol within families myself and my friends from similar background don't have a single alcoholic family member among us. There is also little to none alcohol cosnumption during family gathering. However in families of lower socioeconomic status alcohol seems much more prevelant, especially affecting the middle aged men. Their family gatherings revolve around drinking and even underage family members get offered alcohol and are encouraged to drink.
When it comes to social situations it seems like regardless of socioeconomic status starting age for drinking is around 13-15, however what comes next differes based on afformentioned status. People from my background tend to drink almost exlusively socially. They start with heavier drinking but around 18 grow out of it and then are really moderate with the ammount of alcohol. In contrary people from poorer homes start drinking heavly from the beggining and stay that way.
Although taking everything into considertion young people consumse much less alcohol than previous generations. From my perspective "polish people are alcoholics" is an overblown belief and is less true every year. On the other hand smoking/vaping seems ectremely popular among my peers and it's pretty horrifying.
One thing you may not expect is the adaptation of the Polish language for "foreigners." Do you know of any international precedents for that? Also, there is a fundamental logical issue with that suggestion: since "foreigners" comprise several very different language groups, there is no practical way to adapt any single language, including Polish, to "them." As for accommodating foreigners that Poland will inevitably need to run its economy, two factors must be helpful: first, the popularity of English is on the rise in Poland; second, do not forget that AI will have a rapidly increasing role in near-real-time translation.
As a matter of fact, OpenAI is free in some countries allowing an immediate 2-way voice translation. Have you tried it?
Of course, there is a language that combines many languages, and that is Esperanto. Unfortunately, it does not include the Filipino language.
@@modelbaumok9210 we might be talking about 2 different things: adapting laguage and creating language. The main problem with creating language is how to adapt it to the new wording which evolves influences by local cultures and technology progress. My general point is that English, for whatever it's worth, with its 3rd place in number of speakers (~400m) after Mandarin (~900mln) and Spanish (~500mln) became the primary one for intercultural exchange and trying to change/improve it may only create only more problems.
Dear Wes,
I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to express my gratitude for your work in promoting Poland and challenging stereotypes about the country. Your perspective, as an outsider, is immensely valuable and provides a fresh outlook on Polish reality, which can sometimes be challenging to assess objectively for those who are more deeply rooted in the local culture.
It is indeed a double-edged sword to be an outsider. On one hand, you bring a unique and unbiased viewpoint that helps to challenge and refine understanding of Polish nation. On the other hand, your lack of familiarity with certain aspects of Polish culture and language can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, as evidenced by your reactions to Polish music. I understand that the translation of lyrics can be a challenge and those you used were mostly poor or simply bad and shallow, and I encourage you to continue your efforts to learn the Polish language. As you delve deeper into the meaning of Polish words and phrases, I am confident that your understanding of Polish culture will grow.
I, too, have experienced life in Poland over an extended period. I lived here for 11 years, during the tumultuous post-communist era. It was a challenging time, marked by crime, corruption, and economic instability. However, I must say that the transformation since then has been remarkable. Despite current economic challenges, the situation has improved significantly compared to the late 1990s. While new challenges have emerged, the overall progress is undeniable.
I agree with your observation that Poles seem to have become somewhat subdued. This could be attributed to a combination of factors, including the historical trials and tribulations Polish nation has faced. As you continue to learn about Polish history and literature, I encourage you to consider the resilience and spirit of Polish people. Despite the hardships, Poles have demonstrated an unwavering determination to overcome adversity and rebuild.
In conclusion, I appreciate your efforts to understand and share your insights about Poland. Your work is an invaluable contribution to the international community's understanding of Poland. I wish you continued success in your endeavors and look forward to seeing your future contributions.
P.S. Min_Mei_Lin is right about the language. Just look at Portugal, where they simplified the language decades ago for the very reasons you mentioned. After living there for about 6 years, it was easy for me to learn the language to the extent I was able to provide lectures in Portuguese. It's important to mention that the language changes took about 50 years, and yet I've noticed that the older generation still uses the syntax and grammar from before the changes.
The term you were looking for is "brain-drain," where all the talents leave the country for greener pastures.
You dont need to import foreigners. Just provide them with work visas to come, work, and then leave.
lmao good luck with that. most of them will likely just want to stay
@WheresWes True, but that's why you have work permits. They can't legally stay.
In Australia, we have temporary work visas for many jobs from mining to fruit picking.
Good to hear your perspective, and I think you are spot on on most things.
In terms of infrastructure, maybe we do lack something, but I couldn't help but laugh. Had you been here 20 years ago, it was whole different level. We've made great progress.
Speaking of Ukrainian refugees and their integration: if the war ends and some of them come back to Ukraine, who will stay? Those who integrated best, found success. Objectively Poland is a better place to live than Ukraine. This is the first time in our modern history when we could be on the receiving end of brain-drain.
You’re presenting yourself to the World Wide Web talking about fashion wearing a bland t shirt,are you sure you were in Poland,you look confused.
It’s quite long, but I hope you read this, Wes:
1. 0:22 - Quite true, thank you for mentioning that. I feel like people should wear neater things, but please don’t compare us to Ukrainians. We don’t like that.
2. 1:22 - Yes, that’s also quite true. It’s sad that not many people study medicine, but as you said, in some other countries, there are better opportunities in medicine, so sadly this field isn’t as attractive as others.
3. 2:40 - Yes, that’s true, but this is a broader problem related to coal mining, people having old heating systems, and financial issues like how to get wood or other materials for heating. Right-wing politicians (I know you’re also more conservative) don’t really see the problem. So, it was interesting to me that you acknowledge this issue. People see it, but those on the right think it’s made up, so to them, it doesn’t exist.
4. 3:18 - That’s true. I think some middle and lower-class people lack cultural awareness. This is where Western individualism comes in - they think they don’t represent anyone, or they just don’t care. But that’s not true. They don’t realize that by behaving this way, they’re tarnishing the reputation of the whole nation, not just themselves. It’s sad that people are so individualistic and don’t see themselves as part of a larger national picture. And yes, it is different now than before; people are a bit wealthier now, so the survival instinct isn’t as strong as it once was. Thank you so much for speaking highly of us - that’s what we need, and I appreciate everything positive you’ve said about Poland.
4:22 - That’s true, but I don’t know, I feel like Polish music isn’t really made for a national audience but more for the people within Poland, you know?
5. 5:16 It’s partially true. I think that people just lack passion in this and don’t see the bigger problem, sadly. And again, please don’t compare us to Ukrainians.
6. 6:12 - That’s totally true. I even try to tell my friends to grow up, because drowning yourself in alcohol doesn’t bring anything positive to the table. People need to balance this out a bit more. Yes, drinking is part of the culture, but it becomes a problem when everyone I know has or had someone close (an uncle, father, brother, or mom) who struggled with excessive drinking. Another problem is that it’s not enough frowned upon.
7. 8:14 - Totally true. Yes, the smoking culture is so bad here, but I feel that’s also a post-Soviet issue that was passed down. Stress, the work culture, and using it as an opportunity to bond - that’s wrong, I think.
9:34 - And don’t push everything onto the fact that it’s winter and depressing, haha. That’s not the main reason. Everyone here is used to gloomy winters; that’s just how it is. Yes, drinking and smoking are quite bad, but some people are so stubborn they don’t want to admit it’s affecting them negatively.
8. 10:14 - Graffiti is totally true. I agree completely. I feel like there’s no organization that takes care of it, and the cities don’t see it as a problem. That’s a big issue. People are just lazy to make an effort, to be honest.
9. 11:01 - Oh, dude… better delete that part of the video, haha. It’s like someone said in the comments, “make Mandarin easier just because foreigners want it.” No, that’s not going to happen just because foreigners want it. Polish is and always has been a huge part of Polish culture. Please read more about it.
11:47 - And what do you mean when you say people can’t explain things the way they are? Not everyone studies Polish at university! Things like this are taught in Polish universities, and that’s why things are the way they are.
12:21 - It’s not ridiculous. What’s ridiculous is the stuff coming out of your mouth right now.
10. 14:52 - That’s a quite controversial topic, but what I can say is that people don’t know how to discuss things, compromise, and treat each other with respect. That’s all I’m going to say.
11. That’s also a problem, but we have to ask ourselves why women don’t want to have children and what would encourage them to have them. This also connects to number 10. The low birth rate is also the fault of the system, not women in general. Mostly, it’s about costs and the need to give children more than the older generations gave us, in order so we can give a prosperous life to our children.
12. 18:22 - Very true.
13. 19:51 - Difficult topic… thin ice, my friend. Believe me, Polish people don’t want conflict, but the lack of respect for us and how Ukrainians complain so much about Poland is just disrespectful. It’s unacceptable. Polish people are tired of the disrespect they always get from foreigners, even though we try our best. Polish people were literally the first ones to help Ukrainians. Now… it’s just a bitter feeling and a slap in the face. People can’t tolerate such behavior anymore, and that’s where, sadly, xenophobia and heavy feelings come in. And don’t even get me started on history… thin ice.
21:02 - Don’t even get me started on Ukrainian hypocrisy. They only want to take, not give, and make people feel bad for not helping them enough. I know many people in Germany who took people in at the beginning of the war, and now they don’t even keep in touch with them. That’s how grateful they are for being taken in. Germans are pissed, believe me. They’ve had enough, even though they didn’t help as much as Polish people.
24:06 - That’s also how they tarnish their own image. You were talking about Polish people in the beginning, but look at theirs, and why that is…
You just hate Ukrainians, and he is right, you are xenophobic to all but your own people
As you mentioned ENglish is quiete easy and there is a lot of communities in america that don't speak it. The same for poles in London. Many Vietnamese seems to speak Polish.
People use trash to heat their homes. I think the solution is for corporations to make packaging that can be burned without fumes (like the plastic used in milk bottles) because you can't tell poor people not to heat their homes.
'I think Poland needs better fashion items (...) apperance matthers and I think the world will start to take Polish ppl more seriosly if the present themselves a lot better' *Well, I disagree*. Polish brands like Misbhv, The Mannei, Magda Butrym etc. are global. LPP group isn't only Reserved but also Medicine, Cropp, House, Sinsey, Mohito (you'll find these stores outside of Poland like ccc group or 4f). Diverse, Big Star...is like you go to any shopping mall and half of the stores are Polish brands. Your point? In fact, the streetwear market is huge here: Prosto, 2005, The Hive, Neige, An-Appendage, Warsaw Saints, Local Heroes - just a few examples (out of dozens) that came to my mind while writing it...not to mentions women's brands xD if you want the best quality posibble Zack Roman & Monika Kaminska is the address. YOUR problem is that YOU don't know the brands in PL or YOU don't like the style in PL, not that there's so little choice here 🤷♀️ good day ✌️
I love that fashion is not as big thing as it is elsewhere. It connect whith fact which you like in women, that they don't need nice restaurants, cars etc ;) if you have personality and things to do, you don't need fashion as much to fullfil your day.
Grammary is descriptive not prescriptive. You can`t force free people to speak the way you want. They just speak. Please learn a bit about how languages appear in general :D.
You are arrogant and so confident in your arrogance :D.
smug
Poles know about these problems and this is nothing new in the debate in Poland, just as they know about many other challenges.
Poland for the polish
I agree . Mr. Wes, you are a guest in my house and you should adapt to my rules, to my lifestyle. In my house, YOU have to change, not me.
Thank God the healthcare is free... the health insurance CEOs can sleep well ... XD
dude post offices are legit the greatest here in poland, there are parcel lockers EVERYWHERE, its actually amazing how i live in a place where 500 people live and i still have one around the corner.
Where's Wes? With each new section, he is getting further and further away from Polish.
You haven't found people who understand the origins and meaning of languages. There are positional languages like English, where parts of speech have their permanent places in the sentence, and there are inflectional languages like Polish. Through inflections and inflection you get a lot of information, such as gender, tense, mode depending on the part of speech we are talking about. The subject is our default language. With the appropriate conjugation of the verb, you get a lot of information, e.g. "(one) zjadły" where you have a specific plural, gender, past tense and predicate mood and much more. Maybe try read or watch prof. Bralczyk. He is master about Polish language.
Greetings! ☺️
I was born in Poland but have lived most of my life in the US. All of your points (except the language improvement idea - not realistic) are spot on. I recently spent a year in Poland and had very similar observations. And don't even get me started on the air pollution thing. Every time you mention it to a local they just start rolling their eyes and act like you come from Mars. Six months of the year the whole country feels like a sealed garage with a car engine running inside. But the other six months it's a really cool place and I really love it there. EDIT - forgot something. I just want to mention that I disagree with your observation on fashion. Compared to the USA Poland is EASILY the fashion capital of the Universe.
Oh, you put your foot into it :-)))) So many complaints at once, and over such issues... You are partly right, but to a point. Healthcare? Come on - in America if you are not rich, in case of getting sick you can just buy Paracetamol and HOPE to get better. Polish healthcare works poorly, but still works, despite the odds. "Restructuring the language"?! I almost thought you were trolling, because that's clearly absurd. A language is not something you can just 'fix', especially not because it could be too difficult to some people. There are many difficult languages - for me German is really difficult but whenever I needed to communicate with it I managed to gain some communicative efficiency and not think about being 100% perfect. Also, I have never had problems communicating with an Ukrainian person - many of them had been in Poland long before the ruSSian invasion on their country started, there are also many Ukrainian students at Polish universities. Yes, they are sometimes a bit different and used to a different suite of rules (I discussed that with Ukrainian students to understand it better), but generally their assimilation is going quite well, and it would be much better if they decided to stay in Poland rather than go further west, making room for people from entirely different cultures. I can tell, for example, that in school environments Ukrainian parents are often among the most disciplined when it comes to making donations to parents' council. Ukrainian pupils, on the other hand, especially older ones, are a bit trouble-making, because the tolerance to their smoking/drinking at an early age is much higher than in Poland (odd as it may sound, given the fact that you mention people in Poland doing that at the age of 13). Younger ones usually function seamlessly in school environment. When it comes to fashion... probably you're right. I don't have much comparison, but seriously - who gives a s..t? You are supposed to feel comfortable and just be yourself. Clothes are secondary. Also smoking - frankly, I get the feeling that the fashion for it is dying. The governments in Poland over the years have made cigarettes so expensive (and banned from public places, like pubs, which was a blessing) that it is becoming increasingly rare. Vaping is another matter - I don't really get it and actually hope that within years it will be found to be even more harmful than smoking and banned. Growing costs of living and low birth rate are a serious problem, but they need to be discussed in the political context, yet these are not only Polish problems. I daresay the whole western Europe is already there.
All in all, I enjoy your channel - I even used one of your videos as teaching material (I hope you don't mind) to instigate discussion among students. Worked like a charm ;-)
jeśli chodzi o uproszczenie języka to problem nie leży w jego trudności , tylko tym że ludzie przestali pisać listy, używają telefonu i czytają bardzo mało książek. w telefonie, komputerze mamy autokorektę. więc może zacząć od poprawienia zdolności językowych. mamy się rozwijać a nie mówić jak dwulatek
7:31 Few year ago Eurostat stated, that we are second best country in EU when it comes to number of drunk drivers.
Careful criticising Poland you'll get a lot of hate lol, Polish will complain about other Polish and everyone else but if you complain about them they get super defensive.
Truth is more important than everything, I'm used to hate.
"Let the nations of the world know that Poles are not gooses , they have their own language" . For centuries in the West, you could be a citizen of Germany or France without knowing a word of German or French. but not in our country. In Poland, to be a citizen, you had to speak Polish.This is why we still call German a "Niemiec" to this day. Word "Niemiec" is a synonym of the word
"Niemota" - dumbness mute. Dont be like "Niemiec" , if you want to live in Poland , learn Polish...🤣🤣🤣
No sense.
be quite man just live your life or leave poland, stop acting your have some such a big profound opinion and etc, no body cares about your think. foreigner wants you to be quite and respect their customs too
Well said!
even if the language was easier if someone doesn’t want to learn in the first place they will never learn. i know some foreigners that speak good polish because they were just motivated to study. you spoke about highly educated people coming to poland to live here but if i am being honest, majority of the people that are from for example asia, they work in the factory. these people do not know basic english let alone polish and i dont think they care about learning anything at all 🤷🏼♀️
also really agree on the drinking culture here. although i dont know anyone that had an alcoholic in their family yet i can definitely see that drinking everyday is really normalized here. like, dads be coming off work and all they wanna do is drink some beer😂 but they dont see themselves as alcoholic because they dont drink enough to get drunk lmaao.
When i was at a presentation (during my driving learning course) about road safety, first aid etc. there was a filipino girl (i think her name was Ayla). She understood polish, but when i talked about her with my driving instructor he said she doesn't know a SINGLE word in polish, and I mean not even thank you, sorry, hello. So at the presentation i knew and i helped translate some of the most inportant bits of info about what role we play in saving lives and some absurd situations. And yes, my driving instructor teaches her driving in english.
A ja mam problem z angielskim. Nie można by go trochę uprościć? Może bardziej upodobnić do polskiego? 😉
Naaah dude, its to early for you to drop statements like that, you didn't dive deep enought. There is only few things I can agree with you but there was just simply "bruh moment"
A lot of myths here not the best video but it's fair to show your thoughts on our controversial part.
you go abroad and you hear the same things about polish people. some say that we are the most hardworking. and then the other will say that we are lazy, steal and everything. i think it’s the same thing with people that came from ukraine. when i was living in poland my neighbours were just a normal family with kids that went to school here and they never made any trouble. my dad who owns a laundry room business also says that he has lots of clients from ukraine and these are the best people YET he had lots of side-eye moments with polish people. obviously, you can meet bad and entitled people as much
bUT i wont lie when i came back to poland during summer vacation i was so surprised that i couldn’t barely hear polish. you are near a kid playground and all you can hear is ukraine language
Do you live in Warsaw by any chance?
wait, we have only 13?
Language is big and I'd love to see it catch. I just saw sanah in Chicago and there were (very small and early years) elements of Taylor Swift concerts, where eight year old kids would come up to the rails and get pictures while she'd come to the stage edge in a song and fans would scream louder even. But few there didn't speak Polish at least some. It's not like Kpop, and maybe that kind of fandom could help some language and, in turn, cultural strength.
regarding Ukrainan "issue" we as state are completly unprepared - we thought that war would last for one or two years, while looks like it will stay for longer. And typical to our government (no matter what wing) we do not anticipate and try to have a strategy, otherwise soon most of Poles change the attitude just inspired by rumours and social media.
Regarding air pollution: China's levels remain approximately double those of Poland,India's PM2.5 levels are substantially (up to 3 x) higher than those in Poland.
About fashion. A lot of international brands like Zara have different items and style for Poland and let's say Italy. A Polish brand Medicine used to have very funky designs but toned it down, to boost sales. Many international brands tend to sell casual items and avoid more funky ones. If you want something different you go shopping in Berlin, London, somewhere in Italy or just go online. I remember an article from the 90s where a British guy wrote that Polish women regardless a very limited access to the best fashion brands, are forced to be very creative and that makes them fashionable. It seems we have lost it at some point. My guess is that we have turn to be more Northern European, where you don't show off your wealth or position with brands or crazy style. Less "visible" you are the less trouble you have. "No logo" is the way
Hi Wes,
The reason why Polish women tend to be more radical in their liberal views is that our conservative goverment passed a near-total abortion ban a few years ago and that radicalized a lot of people in the liberal direction, especially young women. Maybe social media and western talking points helped with that, but the main cause is our government.
Humans are interesting. I know people even have issues when their own diaspora happen to return like say Japanese Brazilians in Japan, or Greeks from Turkey in Greece. It’s funny cause in the US there is solidarity with Poles and Ukrainians. They become the best of friends and feel at home with each other. Humans always find a way to hate on each other. But I get it and understand it. It’s our nature.
I have also made this observation and I agree
I don’t know Wes. I see a few nice stores. For suits I went to Kraviec. They were very professional. For leather shoes and classy shoes Kazar and I think wolo or wolno not sure. Dress shirts I go to bytom. As for fashionable items you can even find in small towns boutique shops that got what you need. I do this as a Polish American that comes on visit. I’m sure there are more that I don’t know about cause I don’t live there
I agree with the points you’ve mentioned in absolute terms, but what’s your comparison point, actually? As I studied in the US, I’d say at least half of the problems seemed an even bigger issue in the US than in Poland (healthcare, interior design, clothes, immigration, infrastructure, drugs, housing prices, public image (“dumb Americans” vs. globally successful Americans, “dumb Poles” vs. heroic historical figures), etc.)… I guess the comparison country would be different for each point, as there will be a country Y that does something better than country X. I believe Poland is a golden middle country, with so many things remaining average/moderate that actually is impressive, compared to so many countries in the world with extremes (economic inequality being just one thing I have in mind). But yes, I hope we can improve the things you mentioned over time. I always appreciate your perspective.
I agree with majority of your points, but i feel the need to explain some of the issues:
Crime stereotype - that was actually true, but in 90s. Our economy was devastated, most big communist factories were closing, unemployment rate was like over 20% in late 90s. Because of that crime was very serious problem - we had highly organised crime groups (so-called mafia) in major cities, tons of petty crimes - stealing, fighting, vandalism etc. Poland was the very opposite of safe country - to the point where losing your phone or car radio to young thieves was common thing in early '00s. Situation improved after EU accession, when many, many people who were causing problems, went abroad to do simple jobs. That contribiuted to image of our emmigrants, but at least we don't have to deal with lot of them inside country.
Low birth rate - you're right about rising cost of living being one of main issue, but "real estate" market is the biggest problem here. Most people want to live in couple major cities, and prices of flats in those cities skyrocketed in last few years. You have cheaper flats in smaller cities - but there is little to no job opportunity here. Other big reason is lack of social-connections and change in way people raise children. When i was young, both of my parents worked, but we spend time in grandparents flat, or simply on playgrounds around the block. My parents knew our neighbours and we were staying in their flats as well. Nowadays you just can't leave kids on their own for couple of hours, and people work even more than 10-20 years ago. People in new neighbourhoods often don't know themselves that much, and babysitter costs quite a lot. Furthermore, there is pressure to give kid better education, extra classes, everything cost so much. I was happy when i had used bicycle and boombox for my birthday - nowadays kids have smartphones, gaming computers etc. And you're right about carrer - people flexing their muscles and wasting their potential for big corporations that doesn't even bother about them and would kick them out without blink of an eye. Worst, when all that stress will begin to destroy them, then would pay their hard earned money to try healing their mental health... This is one of the reasons don't want any big-finance-corporate carreer.
PS Believe me, this is not harsh winter. I remember winters with tons of snow and temperatures around -20 to -30 degree celcius.
common core guy, the language is not that hard
Alcohol is culture in Poland and Russia (and perhaps other countries) which I attribute to centuries of poverty and then reinforced by culture. Hopefully, this will change with the modernization of Poland in the last few decades. I would be worried that alcohol will be replaced in the younger generation by drugs in a modernizing country.
Polish language is very hard, and I grew up in a Polish family in the USA. But it is so versatile when you do learn it; so much can be said with so few words (due to a lot of specific word-endings :-) ). No need to change it, (should English speakers change the English irrational spelling??)
Dude. You haven't seen Europe much. Kiev in Ukraine has some dining spots, nonetheless this is still disproportionate to Warsaw's standards. They do not have any refurbished facilities for an instane like Koszyki, Elektrownia, Norblin, Koneser, Browary - to begin with. I already pointed 5 unique desing conglomerates and there's already a growing number of stand alone spots, providing different international cuisines. Now getting west. Have you ever been to Berlin? Mind what Berlin offers in that regard. It is even more redundant than Warsaw's regular turning tables spots. First it seems you've become used to Warsaw too much and you need to extend your tourism to regain objectivity. Btw. Europeans drink a lot in general, especially south-western. Btw2. Graffiti is not an eastern European vibe. Go to Germany, Berlin would fit that too. On the contrary, graffiti is freedom, part of western mindset.
Graffiti artystyczne to nie to samo, co bazgranie po murach, które jest cechą wyłącznie patologii, dzieci z rodzin patologicznych, jakichś naprawdę bardzo prymitywnych środowisk. Obrzydliwe i szpecące miasto. Na szczęście jest coraz więcej monitoringu i może dresiarze za kilka lat będą otrzymywać surowe kary za wandalizm.
As a polish person who also lives abroad i have to a little bit defend ukrainians i was living and working in poland and i did encounter ukrainians and a person from belarus and they were just a normal persons who speaks polish and who i on a personal level really liked. And i really don't like the growing conflict between poles and ukramians. Also as person who lives abroad i know how it is to be in minority that have many bad stereotypes and i want you to have in mind that probably most of the poles and ukrainians living abroad are just a normal working and doesn't cousing any problems persons but because peapoles who do steal who are always drunk etc. Are much more "louder" then they got most of the attention than normal peapols.
I hope that this sentence😅
If you have a few rude customers and one is Ukrainian and the rest are Poles who will you remember and tell friends about? Do you underscore his nationality but not the other poeple? Isnt it the real reason or really Ukrainians are so rude?
Ok, as a young Polish man living in a rural area and struggling with a marijuana addiction, I feel called out :p. The reason why it is incredibly easy to find weed on the outskirts and in less gentrified places is mainly because of one bizarre law: seeds. You can buy any strain of seeds you want, and it's legal; you just need to declare that you are buying them for 'collection purposes' :p.
Additionally, all the necessary items for home growth are easy to find on the market. There are specialized shops that sell that stuff. And well, in rural areas, first of all, there are almost no cops, or if they are there, they won’t do anything to you-they just don’t care. And the people? OLD. Mainly grandpas and grandmas who only see the screen of the TV or the cross in the church. They don’t care either. And you know, if you live close to farmlands, it’s natural for you to grow plants on your own.
And the one thing I hate the most in Poland is the winter. Holy hell, someone please turn off the grayscale filter-it’s just grim, cold, and gray.
Smutne ale niestety prawdziwe.