Idiosyncracies of Polish People

Even though my social contact here is fairly limited – store transactions, language school and the odd evening out with friends, I feel relatively confident to report of some of the more idiosyncratic behavior demonstrated by the people here.

Now that I think about it, I had much more limited social contact during my first few months in China than I do here, and I was isolated on our school campus to boot.

In either case one can still exercise their powers of observation, whether there is any interaction or not. 

So, as I did in China, here, I observe behavior... some of which is quite remarkable.

Now, unremarkably, I report my findings so far.

A Pathological Fear of the Cold

Two months ago, while I was still running around in short sleeves and leggings, the locals were literally bundled to their eyelids: hats, scarves, thick jackets and gloves.

We’re not just talking about the children,  either. It was the adults, from the warmth of their packaging, eyeballing my strange attire that included none of those cold weather accoutrements.

Much like that kid on A Christmas Story who was so bundled up he couldn’t get up when he fell down, most people here wear so many layers I have to wonder how long it takes for them to get ready to go out of doors.

And, while we’ve had some cold, damp days, so far the temperature has stayed above freezing, at least during the day.

How are they going to manage when it really gets cold?  

I remain quite amused to see adorable bundles of Poles bobbing down the street.

A Pathological fear of Committing Misdeeds

The travel websites warn you and, should you have the great fortune of having a sponsor or a Luisa to caution you, you will know that jaywalking is a decided no-no that you should never engage in, even if there are no moving cars headed your way.

Littering is also frowned upon and I can certainly understand why: there are trash cans every 50 meters and on public conveyances; why would anyone throw trash anywhere but there?

It’s not like this is a police state; in fact, as opposed to China, I’ve hardly seen any CCTV cameras on the street or anywhere else.

Doesn’t mean they’re not there; just that I’ve hardly seen many.

Also unlike in China, there are plenty of emergency vehicle sirens here, but that’s a different story...

In fact, so liberal seems the climate here that one can board public transportation and theoretically get away with not paying for one’s ride – on all the trams and buses I’ve ridden, I’ve yet to be asked to show proof of fare.

Luisa could not use the ticket machine on board the tram we were riding because it was out of service.

As the train was trundling along, she could hardly exit the vehicle to find a ticket vendor, so the whole way to the next stop, she fretted and, when it stopped, she dashed off only to leap into another car, to try that machine.

 Fortunately, it was working. She paid her fare and rested easy until our stop.

You might think that Luisa is an isolated case of virtuous citizenry. Let me add that every single passenger I’ve seen either buys or validates their fare. I’ve yet to see anyone sneak a ride.

Maybe that is why I’ve not seen any ticket checkers...

Don’t get me wrong; there is debauchery here. Even during the day, there are drunks staggering around and, quite often one might see a shattered beer bottle (never wantonly discarded, always shattered; as though the owner were angry at its lack of contents).

There is also quite a bit of graffiti. We’re not talking Banksy-caliber here; this is just random vandalism with few stunning works mixed in.

Obviously, there is lawlessness here but it is far less obvious than it was in China.    

Especially with regard to traffic: here, everyone stops if you give just the appearance of wanting to cross the street – in the marked pedestrian stripes, that is.  Don’t you dare jaywalk! 

Fanatical Cleaners

I am pleased to live in a building that is well-maintained: cleaned at least every other day. Also, our courtyard is kept free of leaves by at least two people who raked them daily when leaves were falling.

Of course, there was that spell when we had high winds and the leaves kept falling as in a rain; still the leaf rakers were outside... until they gave up the task for the hopeless endeavor it was.

Everywhere I have gone, the cleanliness has been remarkable: street sweepers, custodians eternally ambulating around the mall, picking up any little smudge...

It’s not that the street sweepers in China weren’t trying but, like the leaf rakers here, it was a hopeless task!

Let me relate a conversation with the director of my language school:

“Yes, but on my day off, I have to clean my windows!”

Me: “But it gets dark outside at 3:30 in the afternoon; just close the drapes and no one will know the windows are dirty!”

Her: GASP! NO!!!

Here, things must be clean.

However, in contrast to the Chinese who would fairly levitate to avoid walking in a puddle, here, people seem to delight in splashing through them!

Which, I suppose, makes me an oddity here because I err on the side of the Chinese on this one. 

Rabid for Chocolate and Sweets

Aware of my privilege for the ability to buy any food I wish in any amount I desire – to say nothing of the fact that there is food to buy in the first place, I enjoy walking through grocery stores, just to see what is there.

Sharp images of impoverished stores in the Chinese countryside fresh in my mind, I often wonder what someone from such a desolate region would think if they saw the array and variety of foods in our city supermarkets...

I guess you could call it marking my territory; I spent the first few months here scoping out grocery stores, figuring out what stuff was and where I could buy the foods I might crave.

In every single grocery store I’ve browsed, there is at least one aisle dedicated entirely to chocolate bars, another to sweet snacks and candy and a third to baked goods: cookies and the like.

Usually, somewhere close, there are bins for bulk candy that you buy by the kilo.

China also had bulk bins but, alongside the candy, they also had seaweed and dehydrated veg; and let’s not forget the vacuum-packed chicken feet and tofu!

America has a fairly substantial selection of sweets too, and of the same variety: candy, chocolate and cookies but that country’s selection pales in comparison to the veritable wealth of sweets one is treated to here.

One more curious observation about grocery stores here: shortages – but not the kind others around the world must endure.

Shopping here is sometimes a ‘now you see it, now you don’t’ proposition.

Those delectable bacon chicken wraps I previously wrote about... now cannot be found. Ditto with stew beef, some brands of toilet paper and ***GASP!*** one of my favorite desserts. In fact, it seems the later in the day one shops, the barer the shelves.

I’ve even found gaping holes in the chocolate bar supply!

Such shortages are likely more a case of stock replenishment guidelines to prevent food waste rather than an actual food deficiency; but I don’t know enough about how such policies are formulated and implemented here to make any comment about it. 

I do know that shopping early is a good idea though... so is ending this article.

There is plenty more to comment on, that gives you another observational essay to look forward to!