POLAND - WARSAW

First, to clarify my point of view, I must empathise my little adventure to the fantastic capital city of Poland, Warsaw. My first impression about the country before I researched it was closely similar to western European stereotypes, like the country is more or less a developing country with a flair of the old Sowjetunion regime, people are similar to Russians, the weather is always harsh, people always drink vodka, polish people are heavily committed to theft, and if you do not speak Polish, you do not have any chance to communicate. Nonetheless, Polish people showed me that sometimes it is necessary to be flexible in certain circumstances. Based on my overwhelming experiences in Poland, I can not solely address one specific aspect of life in my host country because, more or less, there is no particular point to make. Concerning the aspect that everything, especially cultural things, is intertemporally connected.

However, by spending more and more time researching the country itself, especially the city of Warsaw, it became clear that most stereotypes about the people and the land are invalid. Aside from that reflectional point of view about the whole country/city. It also became more evident that some city developments are much more advanced compared to some western cities.

Apart from the national comparison between my home country and Poland, it turns out, day after day, that the core values of Poland are practically the same as mine. The people care about their families, their independence, and finding their way of life. Additionally, I need to admit that this recognition did not start during my exchange semester. More or less, it began with growing up. What I wanted to highlight with the beforementioned sentence is that deep down, it does not matter from where people come. Everyone has more or less the exact wishes, dreams and values. Furthermore, throughout my experiences in Poland so far, spending some time abroad has helped me to develop a further understanding of different points of view/cultures.

So far, the most crucial difference I have experienced regarding cultural aspects is the difference in speed. Well, what I aim for with that statement is that Polish people showed me that sometimes it is enough to sit down and enjoy the little things in life. However, I need to admit that it was unusual for me before. (You should account for more time for doing grocery shopping) Aside from that, eating habits vary slightly compared to my home country where you usually have dinner at six/seven a clock in the evening. However, in Poland, you typically start around eight. At least, this is what I have experienced so far. In addition, traditional Polish cuisine offers, at least for me, a good mix of meat based or vegetarian food. Furthermore, it is also essential that Warsaw provides you with countless free activities such as restaurants, museums, sports, and more.

So finally, to put everything into a nutshell, the best way to put my cultural experience into words is to look at the attached picture. The picture shows the palace of culture, located in the city centre of Warsaw. The ancient building, built during the cold war, represents my old point of view about Warsaw. In contrast, the colour represents my newly gained knowledge about the country, the people and the peculiarity of never judging people/countries. Furthermore, a different personality trait, strengthened through the interactions between all the people during my exchange semester, is always to continue to educate yourself, explore the world, embrace differences, share your experiences with others, and celebrate the moments.