edster
Freshman Pole
Posts: 11
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Post by edster on Mar 10, 2008 6:18:20 GMT -7
Dzien dobry,
I came across this forum while surfing other Polish sites. I am an American man, my Father's parents were from Poland. I am currently living and working in Germany and I met a wonderful Polish lady on the web almost 2 years ago. We are getting married this fall and I will move to Poland in the future. We are building a house there. I have been to Poland many times to be with my fiance and I like it there very much. I have to say I have been out of the US for 12 years and I feel more home in Poland than I do anywhere else. Poland certainly has its drawbacks like anywhere else but I really enjoy the people, the culture, the food and many other things. I am slowly learning Polish, I sure wish I could have learned when my brain and my tongue were much more flexible. I plan on doing some genealogical research while I am there and find out more about my relatives, I still have family somewhere in Poland.
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Post by jimpres on Mar 10, 2008 6:27:55 GMT -7
Ed, Guten Tag Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy your time here. The group is very diversified and spread around the world. Congratulations on you upcoming marriage.
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Post by hollister on Mar 10, 2008 6:36:30 GMT -7
Welcome! Your brief bio - sounds so interesting! I am hoping you will tell us more!
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edster
Freshman Pole
Posts: 11
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Post by edster on Mar 10, 2008 7:20:17 GMT -7
Welcome! Your brief bio - sounds so interesting! I am hoping you will tell us more! OK, you twisted my arm. I am working as a civilian for the US Army here in Germany. I also was a soldier for 6 years, stationed in Japan and Texas, was discharged in 1994. I left the US again in 1996, went to Korea and in 1999 I came to Germany. My mother was born and raised in Italy, came to the US as a war bride. I went to Italy several times to visit family so I am no stranger to Europe. I am in contact with an aunt in the US that knows where some of my family is in Poland and I hope to go visit when I find out. I am quite excited about finding out more about the Polish side of the family, I never learned much about them. I did grow up with mostly Polish relatives, all of my aunts and uncles were Polish on both sides. I have many fond memories of holidays at my grandmother's house with all of the Polish food and some traditions. That could b why I feel very much at home in Poland now, a lot of things are familiar. This summer my fiance and I are going to the mountains in the South part of Poland for the wedding of one of her mother's family. That should be fun, as many of you folks probably know Polish weddings are quite the celebration. Our wedding this fall will be pretty small but still a lot of fun.
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Post by Jaga on Mar 10, 2008 9:49:52 GMT -7
Dear edster,
welcome to the forum. We are glad to have you here. Your life story is extremely interesting. As Jim said we are a very diverse group here.
Will you finish your military service when you go to live in Poland or you are planning to be there with NATO forces? If the questions are overwhelming, just relax and take your time! Could you believe 20 years ago that the ex-military US soldier will decide to live with his fiance in Poland? Times changed so quick!
Congratulations on your marriage!
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Post by hollister on Mar 10, 2008 12:57:07 GMT -7
Okay I'll bite ... what's your MOS?
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edster
Freshman Pole
Posts: 11
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Post by edster on Mar 10, 2008 14:19:22 GMT -7
Okay I'll bite ... what's your MOS? Well I am currently a civilian so I don't have an "MOS", I work in Logisitics. When I was a soldier I was a 91G which was Behavioral Science Specialist (Mental Health). That was interesting! Now it is called 91X I think, Mental Health Technician. In answer to an earlier question from Jaga, I will leave civil service when I move to Poland. I certainly never thought I would marry a Polish lady and move there! I would also like to thank everybody for welcoming me here.
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Post by rdywenur on Mar 10, 2008 14:26:59 GMT -7
Hi Edster...welcome to the forum. Your MO sounds lots like mine. Well I was born in Germany in Wildflecken aka Wild Chicken as one of my frineds from the army calls it. I am Polish, my parents born in Poland but we came here to US when I was three. My first time to Poland was 1998 and met my family for the first time. They live in South Poland. My best fiend here is German so I pick up words here and there from her. She came from Bad Toelz which had a base thre till 2003 I think when it closed. I was married to a guy half Italian and his mother and family came from Naples. So I know a lot about the culture and one of my dear friends is from Torino. I had an uncle who married an Italian. He has passed away and I am still looking for the family. I don't know his wife's first name and since my Mom only had a couple letters and they never actually kept in touch this is as far as the story goes...but I am still hoping one day to make contact. My question to you is if your mom is Italain born and raised in Italy then did you have any Italian background at all...like did she ever cook Italian cuisine. Since the town I grew up in was mostly Italian and then married to one I felt more on the Italian side then Polish. Now I am here learning my heritage. So I can make a mean sauce, no pierogi or golumpki or any Polish foods....yet but still in training so there is always hope.
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage.
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Post by kaima on Mar 10, 2008 15:28:57 GMT -7
I'll add my welcome as the Resident Slovak. I also worked in Germany as a civilian engineer for 9 years + 1 up in the Baltics on US Embassies. So I can appreciate your experience over there!
Congratulations on finding a good woman and best of luck with the marriage.
Kai
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Post by uncltim on Mar 10, 2008 17:47:49 GMT -7
Welcome Edster!
Im a third generation American.(Polish both sides) Congrats on finding someone to love! Feel free to join the fray! Lots of interesting people here.
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Post by freetobe on Mar 10, 2008 18:38:26 GMT -7
Hi Edster, I am first generation American, both parents Polish immigrants to New York. Best wishes on your impending marriage. Lots of hot and heavy exchanges. By and large people are very knowledgeable about things Polish. Witamy!
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Mary
Cosmopolitan
Posts: 934
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Post by Mary on Mar 10, 2008 20:12:41 GMT -7
Dzien dobry, I came across this forum while surfing other Polish sites. I am an American man, my Father's parents were from Poland. I am currently living and working in Germany and I met a wonderful Polish lady on the web almost 2 years ago. We are getting married this fall and I will move to Poland in the future. We are building a house there. I have been to Poland many times to be with my fiance and I like it there very much. I have to say I have been out of the US for 12 years and I feel more home in Poland than I do anywhere else. Poland certainly has its drawbacks like anywhere else but I really enjoy the people, the culture, the food and many other things. I am slowly learning Polish, I sure wish I could have learned when my brain and my tongue were much more flexible. I plan on doing some genealogical research while I am there and find out more about my relatives, I still have family somewhere in Poland. Ed, Welcome! Now Charles has another German (by default?? )on here to help him tollerate the rest of us! I have to say you are lucky to find a Polish lady to love, and lucky to have her love you! My Grandparents met then married only a few days later. (Grandma was only 17) They were together until his death, and all Grandma could say after he passed was.. "I want to be with papa"... and so it was...... Their love lasted into eternity..... and you have my best wishes for the same. Ed, What area of the states did you live in? From all the wonderful pictures some forum members have posted much of Pennsylvania, especially western, look like Poland. Mary
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edster
Freshman Pole
Posts: 11
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Post by edster on Mar 11, 2008 10:57:57 GMT -7
Ed, Welcome! Now Charles has another German (by default?? )on here to help him tolerate the rest of us! I have to say you are lucky to find a Polish lady to love, and lucky to have her love you! My Grandparents met then married only a few days later. (Grandma was only 17) They were together until his death, and all Grandma could say after he passed was.. "I want to be with papa"... and so it was...... Their love lasted into eternity..... and you have my best wishes for the same. Ed, What area of the states did you live in? From all the wonderful pictures some forum members have posted much of Pennsylvania, especially western, look like Poland. Mary Mary, I am from Northwest Pennsylvania, up on Lake Erie. There are many Polish people there. The part of Poland I am familiar with is rather flat but I can see from photos where Southern Poland looks a lot like PA. Hi Edster...welcome to the forum. Your MO sounds lots like mine. Well I was born in Germany in Wildflecken aka Wild Chicken as one of my frineds from the army calls it. I am Polish, my parents born in Poland but we came here to US when I was three. My first time to Poland was 1998 and met my family for the first time. They live in South Poland. My best fiend here is German so I pick up words here and there from her. She came from Bad Toelz which had a base thre till 2003 I think when it closed. I was married to a guy half Italian and his mother and family came from Naples. So I know a lot about the culture and one of my dear friends is from Torino. I had an uncle who married an Italian. He has passed away and I am still looking for the family. I don't know his wife's first name and since my Mom only had a couple letters and they never actually kept in touch this is as far as the story goes...but I am still hoping one day to make contact. My question to you is if your mom is Italain born and raised in Italy then did you have any Italian background at all...like did she ever cook Italian cuisine. Since the town I grew up in was mostly Italian and then married to one I felt more on the Italian side then Polish. Now I am here learning my heritage. So I can make a mean sauce, no pierogi or golumpki or any Polish foods....yet but still in training so there is always hope. Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. After WWII Wildflecken was a camp for Polish refugees from the war. Is that how your family came there? I grew up bi-cultural, at home my mother cooked mostly Italian food and she had Italian friends and spoke Italian to them. I also went to Italy several times to visit. On the other hand, my mother only had one cousin that came to the US so usually holidays and weddings were Polish. I ate a lot of Polish food at my grandmother's house as well as my aunts and uncles. My father spoke Polish as did most of his family so I heard that growing up along with the Italian. In spite of all that i feel like I am American although I doubt I will ever live there again. I have spent about 15 years of my life living in other countries.
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Post by rdywenur on Mar 11, 2008 12:46:59 GMT -7
Yes that is how we came to be there after the war. There is a great website created for us there. You can read about us here on www.rhoener-reservisten.de/wta/ (select 1945-1951) Wildflecken
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Mary
Cosmopolitan
Posts: 934
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Post by Mary on Mar 11, 2008 14:54:08 GMT -7
OMG ED!
I was raised in Warren! I live in Forest County now. With my Dad's years of heart issues I spent many hours at Hamot and the VET"S Hospitals.
The Millcreek Mall was a must for Christmas shopping for quite a few years until our area got a few more stores and such. (Warren finally got a Walmart and a Lowes last year. Titusville has a Walmart now too, where I buy most of my groceries)
Did you live in Erie, or one of the beautiful little towns on the lake. I just love the Northeast area.
Mary
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