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Post by leslie on Jan 12, 2006 9:33:32 GMT -7
Pawian wrote "Of course, it depends on the teacher or instructor a lot. If he/she behaves in a loud-mouth, arrogant way him/herself, then the class prefers to stay timid hahahahahah."
Czesc Pawi
I trust that you are not having a go at me with that statement! Quite frequently in my training sessions in Poland it takes me all my time to get a word in edgeways because of the 'class' - and to say that of me is saying something, as my friends here in UK would tell you.
Also a warning - I will probably be in Kraków in this coming April - so careful how you treat me!!!!!!!
Leslie
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Post by gardenmoma on Jan 12, 2006 10:27:45 GMT -7
It's funny that, having come to Poland, I feel I am coming to understand New Englanders better ... V...Thanks for the brief bio...if you taught at Woodlands School, you must have been living in Kent. We (Husband, I and three teen-age kids) lived in Ditton for almost a year while husband worked at East Malling Research Station. Very interesting place...Kent  So...I add my welcome to those already extended ;D Because we have called New England home for over 40 years, Your comment quoted above intrigued me  Care to comment? Thanks...GM |
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Post by justjohn on Jan 12, 2006 14:05:20 GMT -7
Welcom V,
from an ole New Englander.
Remember if you were born in New England you will die in New england.
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Post by varsovian on Jan 13, 2006 5:24:52 GMT -7
gardenmoma - I love the name!
I taught in Tonbridge for 4 years - loved the area. Of course I know your old neck of the woods - low rolling farmland, the river, the country pubs.
My point about culture is that when you move permanently to a foreign land you become conscious of the need to transmit your own culture. When you become conscious of your culture, you also become conscious of just how important it is to you. Certain things you miss out too. Other things take on an importance you never attached to them before.
Christmas is an ideal example, as is November 5th.
All those English things happen for my children because I go out of my way to make them happen. And they learn English language carols on the piano ...
And yet in my holding onto certain things English, I remodel actual Englishness. I doubt whether many English parents read bedtime stories taken out of English history (in addition to Greek myths etc etc - I'm not that much of a culture freak!!)
... and my children share our love of gardening.
That said, they have Polish friends and behave Polish-style with my in-laws.
So basically, the point I was making was that New Englanders seem to cherish tradition in a way that typical English people don't, yet they have embellished so greatly on their various traditions that they have created something new. And I can see that process happening with me here. It would be interesting to see how this translates into my children's adult lives, assuming they stay in Poland.
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forza
Cosmopolitan
Posts: 514
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Post by forza on Jan 13, 2006 6:38:32 GMT -7
Myself I have never been into "polish culture" that is until I had found myself living abroad, outside of Poland for 12 years. There I came to the conclusion that I was very much "polish" and that no time living outside of Poland or company I was with was going to change it. For some time I've been living in a kind of Twilight Zone, being not fully connected to the new land and yearly, monthly, weekly loosing contact with my homeland, people I left there, events etc. I would often miss not only the food, polish sense of humor, all night long parties, singing together but the whole way Poles look at and interpret the world, the whole thing of being polish. Strangely after coming back to Poland I am so culture aware that after my immigration experiences I dare to call myself only half polish still. Polish culture is taking me back in but it is strangely taking long and there are some cultural aspects I absorbed from the English speaking world and people that I refuse to give up. I guess it is leaving ones home culture that makes you aware of what you have not and being able to compare gives that extra base from where things just look different.
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Post by gardenmoma on Jan 13, 2006 6:56:13 GMT -7
gardenmoma - I love the name! I taught in Tonbridge for 4 years - loved the area. Of course I know your old neck of the woods - low rolling farmland, the river, the country pubs. My point about culture is that when you move permanently to a foreign land you become conscious of the need to transmit your own culture. When you become conscious of your culture, you also become conscious of just how important it is to you. Certain things you miss out too. Other things take on an importance you never attached to them before. Christmas is an ideal example, as is November 5th. All those English things happen for my children because I go out of my way to make them happen. And they learn English language carols on the piano ... And yet in my holding onto certain things English, I remodel actual Englishness. I doubt whether many English parents read bedtime stories taken out of English history (in addition to Greek myths etc etc - I'm not that much of a culture freak!!) ... and my children share our love of gardening. That said, they have Polish friends and behave Polish-style with my in-laws. So basically, the point I was making was that New Englanders seem to cherish tradition in a way that typical English people don't, yet they have embellished so greatly on their various traditions that they have created something new. And I can see that process happening with me here. It would be interesting to see how this translates into my children's adult lives, assuming they stay in Poland. Thank you! I also like my nom de' plume  A friend long ago described me as a grower of good plants and kids! The GM initials are also those of my birth name. "My point about culture is that when you move permanently to a foreign land you become conscious of the need to transmit your own culture. When you become conscious of your culture, you also become conscious of just how important it is to you..." Although we, as a family, have lived in many places for short and long stretches of time, I personally can not imagine myself moving away from my home of 40+ years here in western MA. yet alone permanently to a foreign country.  I emotionally feel at times as if I've taken a vow of stability as many cloistered individuals do. Certain things you miss out too. Other things take on an importance you never attached to them before.
Christmas is an ideal example, as is November 5th.
All those English things happen for my children because I go out of my way to make them happen. And they learn English language carols on the piano ...
And yet in my holding onto certain things English, I remodel actual Englishness. I doubt whether many English parents read bedtime stories taken out of English history (in addition to Greek myths etc etc - I'm not that much of a culture freak!!)
I think part of the transmission and "remodeling" is also because the family unit becomes tighter...a touchstone / refuge/ center especially for the children who are trying to adapt to what is new. My case in point is being "at home" in that house in Ditton ready to hear about the "children's adventures" of the day and softening them with some after-school goodies on the table. Yes, here "at home," I would have been available, but they, as teens, could darn well have gotten their own after-school snacks without the ceremony of Mom in attendance Mom (and Dad) are always available to listen and talk - mostly listen It would be interesting to see how this translates into my children's adult lives, assuming they stay in Poland...I will bet that two-thirds of them will not stay in Poland...but will not necessarily go back to England With the foundation they have from you...they will essentially become "citizens of the world" and take their two cultures with them. You and your wife, by providing a family refuge, are allowing them to take what they need and move on. Our family, which now includes spouses and grandchildren, joke when we are together about how each offspring in his / her own way is a chameleon and can adapt to wherever they happen to land. No one is in New England any more and will probably move from their present locations when they are ready to leave current jobs behind. They cling (in a healthy way) to each other and each in his/her own way differently to traditions learned here at home. Wow...thanks for reading all of this  Time to get on with my day... GM |
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Post by Jaga on Jan 13, 2006 16:32:03 GMT -7
Forza,
the same happened to me. I would never be the emmissary of the Polish culture if I would not leave Poland. Although I had a tendency to serve as a quide for foreigners, either friends, visitors to the same conference or even working on weekends as a paid guide. Still I know what you mean - about the culture - what I miss - is a different type of experience than me and my husband had. I still remember the mountain hikes, sleeping in the tent and listening to quitar at the fire, I am not sure he ever had this type of experience. My friend from Poland send me just recently some tapes with this type of ballad-music
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Pawian
European
Have you seen my frog?
Posts: 3,266
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Post by Pawian on Jan 14, 2006 14:36:53 GMT -7
Czesc Pawi I trust that you are not having a go at me with that statement! Quite frequently in my training sessions in Poland it takes me all my time to get a word in edgeways because of the 'class' - and to say that of me is saying something, as my friends here in UK would tell you. Also a warning - I will probably be in Kraków in this coming April - so careful how you treat me!!!!!!! Leslie Hahahaha, you seem to have taken the bait.... I resorted to that innocent provocation to check if you are loud-mouthed hahahahahah. "So careful how you treat me" proves you are a little. hahahahaha |
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Care to comment?
A friend long ago described me as a grower of good plants and kids! The GM initials are also those of my birth name. 
I emotionally feel at times as if I've taken a vow of stability as many cloistered individuals do.
Time to get on with my day... GM
