Dziekuje Tessa! My Maternal Grandparents were from Poland. And there was a Russian connection, they had stories of Cossacks and could speak some Russian. You are gifted in that You can often make me SMILE and reflect.
My mother’s grandparents were immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian empire fleeing WWI, they were Polish-speaking poor-as-dirt farmers who made their way on a bone dry homestead in Eastern Colorado. Tough folk.
Our ancestors proved Darwin's point: "The most important factor in survival is neither intelligence nor strength but adaptability." Charles Darwin One of my favorite memories of Babcia was the time my friend Ziggy, Polish was the language he spoke at home, was trying to speak to Babcia in Polish and She said: "Ziggy you can speak to me in English, I speak both."
:-) And it is perfectly normal in the cultural context! In fact, as a new immigrant, I was very annoyed that people seemed to constantly demand smiling or talking. I was like, I smile when I want to, and I talk when I want to, thank you!
On a serious note: "You can't destroy the polish national-consciousness or Poles on the battlefield, but if you give them power, they will destroy themselves."
I heard it say that the Disneyland management in Paris had difficulties getting the French employees to smile when greeting tourists. French people tend to smile only when they have a real reason to do so, not as a form of politeness...and people in Paris are rather grumpy. Cultures are different, and idiosyncrasies make us laugh at each other, in a good way...
My girlfriend is also Polish and they live near Tessa and she is a wise and strong witch 🤔🖤 and her fun on Fridays is going to a cemetery on the border of Canada and America!😏
My great-grandparents on my father's side immigrated from Poland, and I've never wanted to go there, in part because of faces like this.
No, I'm not kidding. Seems to be part of their demeanor in my family. Very cold.
My father married a warm, engaging Greek woman and I feel so grateful to this day.
And probably in large part, due to my mother and the whole Greek side of my family, I've taken several trips to Greece. Not to visit family (they all live in the states) but just to be in the warm engaging environment.
Dziekuje Tessa! My Maternal Grandparents were from Poland. And there was a Russian connection, they had stories of Cossacks and could speak some Russian. You are gifted in that You can often make me SMILE and reflect.
My mother’s grandparents were immigrants from the Austro-Hungarian empire fleeing WWI, they were Polish-speaking poor-as-dirt farmers who made their way on a bone dry homestead in Eastern Colorado. Tough folk.
Our ancestors proved Darwin's point: "The most important factor in survival is neither intelligence nor strength but adaptability." Charles Darwin One of my favorite memories of Babcia was the time my friend Ziggy, Polish was the language he spoke at home, was trying to speak to Babcia in Polish and She said: "Ziggy you can speak to me in English, I speak both."
and smile i did!
Well I'm sure you know this Polish saying then:
Life is brutal. And there are traps sometimes.
as someone with, um, some heritage like that, i can vouch for that personally
i'm the bon vivant in the family (bon vivant is not a polish word ;)
:-) And it is perfectly normal in the cultural context! In fact, as a new immigrant, I was very annoyed that people seemed to constantly demand smiling or talking. I was like, I smile when I want to, and I talk when I want to, thank you!
when i was a kid people used to give me a hard time because i didn't laugh out loud at all their jokes
you can't please everybody ;)
Thanks, Tessa. The children look pretty grim, too, except you look intent.
Thank you, Gary!!
Just for fun:
What’s the cleanest language in the world?
Polish.
---
Did you hear about the man who was half Polish and half Italian?
He made himself an offer he couldn’t understand.
---
How did the Germans invade Poland so easily?
They marched in backwards and the Polish thought they were leaving.
---
How do you stop the Polish army on horseback?
You turn off the carousel.
---
How do you stop a Polish tank?
You shoot the people pushing it.
---
How many polish people does it take to change a lightbulb?
100, one to hold the bulb and ninety nine to spin the house.
---
A Polish immigrant went to the DMV to apply for a driver’s license.
First, of course, he had to take an eyesight test.
The optician showed him a card with the letters.
‘C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.’
“Can you read this”’ the optician asked.
“What do you mean if I can read this?’” the Polish guy replied, “I know the dude.”
On a serious note: "You can't destroy the polish national-consciousness or Poles on the battlefield, but if you give them power, they will destroy themselves."
Otto von Bismarck
;-]
I heard it say that the Disneyland management in Paris had difficulties getting the French employees to smile when greeting tourists. French people tend to smile only when they have a real reason to do so, not as a form of politeness...and people in Paris are rather grumpy. Cultures are different, and idiosyncrasies make us laugh at each other, in a good way...
Hahaha! That is funny! Thanks for the laugh, Tessa!
Again Dziekuje Tessa! You have caused me to recall so many wonderful memories of my Polish Heritage.
YES, I laughed, good one!
My girlfriend is also Polish and they live near Tessa and she is a wise and strong witch 🤔🖤 and her fun on Fridays is going to a cemetery on the border of Canada and America!😏
Polish? Russian? Eastern Europe-- same cloth, different cuts. The only Russian smiles I have seen are from their leaders, and that is scary.
lol
👍
My great-grandparents on my father's side immigrated from Poland, and I've never wanted to go there, in part because of faces like this.
No, I'm not kidding. Seems to be part of their demeanor in my family. Very cold.
My father married a warm, engaging Greek woman and I feel so grateful to this day.
And probably in large part, due to my mother and the whole Greek side of my family, I've taken several trips to Greece. Not to visit family (they all live in the states) but just to be in the warm engaging environment.
Wow, thank you for sharing your story! I find Eastern Europeans very warm, but there is not smiling for no reason :)
So which one is you?