Friday, August 30, 2013

Things I've learned since being in Poland (so far)





It's officially been a month since I've been in Piła, Poland to play professional volleyball for Pilskie Towatzystwo Piłki Siatkowej or PTPS, for short. Therefore, to celebrate, I decided to start a blog to share my experiences with any of my family and friends interested in my current endeavors overseas. So to start off my blog, I decided to come up with a list of some things I've learned since being in Poland. Enjoy and stay tuned for more posts in the near future.


THINGS I'VE LEARNED SINCE BEING IN POLAND (So far)

1. Because of the dash in the "ł", Piła is pronounced as if the "ł'' was a "w". It's Piła (or Pee-wa). If you say Pila, you sound like an idiot.

2. Roundabouts run rampant in Poland. Be prepared to hold on to your seat due to sharp curves.


3. Whenever you enter an eating establishment, it is courteous to wish its patrons "Smacznego" which is the equivalent to saying "Bon Appetit" .

4. I think I say these words at least 15 times a day:  
Cześć!: Hello!
Dzień Dobry: Good day, good afternoon  
Do Widzenia: Goodbye

5. I tend to say this phrase as well but not as often:
"Przepraszam, nie mówię po Polski" which translated means "I'm sorry, I don't speak Polish".

6. The Disney Channel is one of 10 channels that does not have a Polish voice over. And yes, I do find myself  watching Powodzenia Charlie (Good Luck Charlie) and Nadzdolni (A.N.T Farm) when bored.
Don't judge me!!

6. Polish Desserts are the bomb-dot-com.

7. Expect to see people airing their dirty laundry. Well, technically, it would be their clean laundry.  Most Polish people don't have dryers. Therefore you either have a drying rack or you hang your clothes outside. I have the former.

8. Never thought I'd like sparkling water. Now that I've been here for month, I'm officially a fan of Wildberry flavored sparkling water. So addicting!!

9. Polish radio stations overplay songs just as much as U.S. radio stations. I swear if I hear Thrift Shop one more time...

10. Last, but definitely not least, because of the crazy amount of birthdays the team has had this month, I now know how to sing Happy Birthday in Polish: