This lady from the upper floor was just an old grumpy polish babcia, they’re everywhere, but you don’t need to mind them

You said 'first floor'. Good for you!

Actually, it is not about addressing people "officially". It is about addressing people FORMALLY! Polish is a formal language. I say, always err on the side on formality, ALWAYS!

It’s very true with the mister/miss thing. For example, imagine a road rage situation. Even if we are very angry at the other driver we still say “jest pan idiotą!” which means “sir you’re an idiot!” instead of “you’re an idiot!”.

other mistakes: as a man you are not supposed to wear hat indoors (unless you are a Jew) and in general putting feet on a table is big offense

I will add one more mistake. :) If it doesn't offend your religious feelings, don't eat with your hat on.

That first one is kinda wierd. I think it is like that with older people only. Seniors in Poland can be really rude and they usually have a opionion about everything, even when it does not consider them at all. That neighbour you mentioned watching you from the window is what we call "osiedlowy monitoring" A older, retired woman who has nothing to do, so she spies on eveyrbody trough her window. Nothing interesting beside a sunday service is going on in her life, so she needs to comment and intervine in other peoples life. I personally hate people like that. In know my english is off, but I hope I got the point across.

The lack of Pan Pani construction in english actually gave me a hard time when I was a kid. being on an airport in GB with my mom in the toilet, I wanted to ask somebody for an hour but couldn't because I didn't know how to address adults properly. Surely as a kid I'm not allowed to call an adult 'you' and I didn't know that adding a sir/miss at the end of a question makes it formal so I was just standing there like "guess I'm not going to know what time it is. This is fine."

One more thing about hands in your pockets. Never handshake while having your other hand in your pocket. Very disrespectful here.

Wow, you are awesome, very observant. It takes intelligence and great deal of self awareness to catch those things and not to impose your way as the only right way. Congratulation for your respect and effort presenting differences without sarcasm or ridicule. Thank you.

Zgadza się : ) Polski poeta Adam Mickiewicz napisał w Panu Tadeuszu: " Bo grzeczność to nie jest nauka mała, grzeczności nauczyć to duża sztuka". Język polski oddaje naszą kulturę, skomplikowaną przeszłość, która nas nauczyła, że ostoją jest rodzina. Poza nią zaufać i otworzyć się można tylko na niewiele osób które swoją wartość potwierdzą, a reszta to znajomi bliższego lub dalszego stopnia. Przez wieki było nam ciężko się wykształcić, bo byliśmy traktowani jako ludzie drugiej kategorii, dlatego do dzisiaj zwrócisz sie do Pani w aptece przez Pani Magister, do Profesora Panie Profesorze, a do Pani kucharki w stołówce szkolnej Pani Kasiu. Każdemu z należnym szacunkiem. Na piśmie, pisząc do kogoś i nawet "tykając" ta osobę użyjesz wielkiej litery: Ty lub Pan, Pani. To oznaka szacunku dla drugiej osoby. Można ją również wyrazić przez poszanowanie starszych, ustąpienie miejsca w autobusie staruszce, przepuszczenie ciężarnej w kolejce. Nie chcę żeby ten szacunek zanikł.

Mistake nr 7: wearing hat inside a building (unless you are a Jew) is considered to be one of the rudest things to do. And pro tip: tipping your hat when greeting someone (even baseball cap) is a sign of great respect- do this and you already got few sympathy points. Mistake nr 8: wearing shoes inside somebody's house is quite rude. Maybe not as much as wearing a hat, but unless you got sweaty feet, take your shoes off.

Zapomniałeś jeszcze o "nie uśmiechaj się do obcych na ulicy bo możesz dostać w zęby " :D

Actually Poles do speak very personal and pretty deep when they know you well.

About personal questions - - Any children? - Not to my knowlege... Don't know why but everybody around starts to lough instantly. And there's no questions any more :)

I was working in not polish company in Poland and when my boss started talking to me with "Hi" I was thinking like we are now really good friends or smthing? :D That was funny for couple of weeks.

What boys hear the most from the teachers at school when they're called to the board to answer some questions? "Get your hands out from the pockets!", "no hands i the pockets!", 'HANDS! POCKETS!"

Your neighbor was also naughty. You do not knock on someone's door this late hour. Xd

#2 w życiu, jeśli już widzę, że ktoś młodszy mówi na 'ty' do starszej osoby, to przeważnie dotyczy to osób, które dobrze się znają, albo w jakichś sytuacjach konfliktowych, gdzie dominują emocje. i w zasadzie jest mi wszystko jedno. tzn. nie denerwuje mnie to, ale nie uważam tego za sytuację idealną. ale, patrząc z drugiej strony, bardzo mnie denerwuje, gdy tak zwracają się prezenterzy do swoich dużo starszych gości w TV. jakoś mi to nie pasuje. pamiętam program (talkshow) p. Ewy Drzyzgi i takie typowe scenki: jakaś staruszka opowiada, że została okradziona, pobita albo że spaliło się jej mieszkanie, a Drzyzga: "aha, i co zrobiłaś?" "co im powiedziałaś?" "i czego od ciebie chcieli?" - sorry, ale dla mnie to nie jest objaw nowoczesności czy luzu, ale kopia zachowań amerykańskich... które na naszym gruncie, w moich oczach się nie sprawdzają bo (przynajmniej w moich oczach) są objawem braku szacunku. żebym nie wiem jak był wyluzowany, to nigdy do starszej nieznajomej pani nie powiem "cześć, pomóc ci z tą walizką?". zawsze spytam "dzień dobry, czy potrzebuje PANI pomocy?" From the other hand... professor Nowak seems to be having problems with low self-esteem.

Ja dodam: chodzenie w kaszkietce ( bejsbolówce) w pomieszczeniu....do tej pory mnie to dziwi w kontaktach z Amerykanami.

I think a lot of the "mind your own business" attitudes come from the memories of communism and the fear of being reported to the authorities.

One commits crimes. One does not commit mistakes. One does however make them.

I really enjoy the 'pan/pani' tradition here. Helps me with keeping people in safe distance, especially when I don't want to be too personal with them. And I like that I can show respect to my seniors just by keepng the proper formal tone. Hope it won't be gone.

My name is Professor Novak. *ding* Did you know that this world is filled with mysterious creatures, called Pokémon? *ding* I study them and their habits

Man, you are such a good observer. I would never think of my habits in a way you do. That is a well-deserved sub. Keep the good stuff coming to your channel.

Strange thing about the inappropriate clothing. Never happend to me

Very good observations. Very true :)

#1 - nigdy się z czymś takim nie spotkałem. Może tego typu zachowanie występuje w małych miejscowościach/ mniejszych wspólnotach zamieszkałych przez osoby na emeryturze, przesądnych i nie majacych co zrobić z czasem i faktycznie na przełomie wieków gdzieś około 1999 roku ;)

Dont shake hand with the gloves on very disrespectful.

Point #2 is interesting to me -- I grew up in a Polish neighborhood in Cleveland and my Polish grandmother lived with us. When speaking to the neighbors, she always called them "Mrs" or "Mr"...no last name, just "I spoke to Mrs next door" or "I talked to Mrs three houses down." Now it makes sense to me. Of course, I'm of the generation that called every adult Mr. or Mrs. or Miss Last Name, no first names for adults by children.

I must say you are just a great man, that is cause you really love to share our culture which is really important for us and we expect that from foreigners. This is either a matter resulting from our history or this is what a normal Poles do when they travel around the world. Never get biased about stereotypes that are flooding the social and mass media. Loving you for what you are doing and keep it up

Don't say "How are you?" to a Pole. Either they will be offended, or they will tell you. Everything. In detail. And if you don't seem to listen to it all they will be offended.

Nice video some good points hello from Grudziadz been here for 3 years now moved from the UK

Using "Pan" and "Pani" ("Mr." and "Ms.") and "Dzień dobry"/"Dobry wieczór" instead of "Cześć" ("Hi") is a slightly different thing than using professional titles, like "Professor", "Reverend", "Doctor" etc. I'd say that correcting you for not using the full "Professor Nowak" form is just a kind of vanity, unless you are *their* student. Anyway, I'd recommend using full titles all the time if not doing this might get you in real trouble (happens a lot in the academia here: poor students falling victims of conservatives' rage because you had no idea they'd got their professorship just five days ago and called them "Doctor Kowalski" instead of "Professor Kowalski"; I hate that but that's reality). With "Pan", "Pani", and "Dzień dobry" it's different. It really, objectively is an important cultural standard in Poland that you don't say "Cześć" to adults you don't know personally, you don't use their first names or the form "you" unless maybe if they're *much* younger (and never ever in any professional context, like shopping, banks, any kind of institution or service etc.). Mind that it applies to e-mails but doesn't apply to online conversations on social media. There are exceptions but they're usually made explicit. For example, there are people who don't like formal athmosphere and suggest to almost everybody that you should address one another with "Cześć" and "Ty", so it's for you to decide. It may also be a part of some businesses policy that you should address people informally. The one and only context I know where "Pan" and "Pani" is actually rude in Poland is popular culture fan conventions (comic-con style, I hope you know what I mean).

I didn't realise that the pocket thing applies only to Polish people :O

I'm Pole and say that is all true.

In the American South it's highly advisable to say yes sir, no sir.

W sumie z tym formalnym mówieniem to prawda. U mnie w firmie niby wszyscy mamy być na Ty, ale dziwnie się z tym czuje, np w przypadku osób starszych, czy szefostwa i mimo wszystko zdarza mi się mówić Dzień dobry zamiast ustalonego odgórnie Cześć lub przy kierowaniu wypowiedzi używać „Pani, Pan”. Mimo ze najczęściej od przełożonego slysze wtedy „jakie Pani,Pan” to i tak, nie mogę się przestawić całkowicie. Niekomfortowe jest mówić na ty do osób starszych oraz przełożonych. 🤷🏼‍♀️

As Pole never meet anybody (neighbours, other people) complaining about my health or clothing manners in that way you are telling. The rest is straight in the point

2:35 I must say that he was some kind of buffoon. You're right you don't use "cześć" for every person (who is not your collegue). It is a standard to say "dzień dobry" to every person you meet in a lift of in stairway but you can completely ignore (or even do not know) that he is a professor.

I find your videos interesting and funny and despite being Polish I literally learn from you :) Keep on man!

If you're chewing gum, just don't speak to anyone! In fact leave your gum at Passport control.

Went to Krakow from London last month. Very safe place no police or to be scared of any terrorism. Pure Europe high 🏨 standard good prices and quality of a food happy kids they have seen live nativity scene with all animals. I was surprised that everything looks new .I don't know how

Jezu jacy my jesteśmy spięci.

Sad that you are meeting so arogant people on your way. There are more polite ways to correct somebodys missconception of the local manners, especially knowig that you are dealing with people coming from places where colture might be slightly different. There is no way they did not realise that you are foreginer. Telling somebody that my name is profesor, doctor, etc. Its plane vanity. Same person telling you directly that " we are not per ty" could be percept as offensive. Cultural person could tell you that there are some cultral differences about manners between Poland and America, and that this way of approach from you is causing her discomfort due to a bit overconfidence.

I’m an Arabic guy and everything he said it’s exactly the same in our culture. Except we are more touchy people we hug..

Oooh man, you're good. Everything was right. And , I'm Polish.

I am Polish who came to the USA years ago. I remember how I was feeling offended when Americans called me "You", or saying " how are you doing"..I felt very disrespected and feeling that it's not their business how or what I am doing. Now it is normal when I learn American culture. All those observations you were talking about are so true lol. I would add; eating with a hat on, or wearing a hat in the house it is baaaad. Good observations.

I've been flipping through your videos and you do a fine job. As you recall I've visited Poland but I'm going to be back in 2 years for at least 2 weeks, longer if I do some bicycle mini-trips

I am so happy to watch your channel. I agree with all, except first. This must be specific to this city or even neighbourhood.

Nie ukrywam, że wielu młodych Polaków mógłoby się od Ciebie uczyć - zwłaszcza w kwestii rąk w kieszeni i życia gumy :) Dziękuję za super filmik, to cudowne, gdy szanuje się inną kulturę i zwyczaje mimo własnych przyzwyczajeń

I feel ya on the openness part. My boyfriend keeps reminding me to not talk too much and to keep my private life as private as possible (he's from Poland, I'm from the States).

Some more things to add based on comments and my personal observations: 1) you should take off your shoes as a guest (or just ask if you should do so - it's nice) 2) always bring some sort of present for the host - a small gift, bottle of booze, jar of pickles, whatever - you never go to the party empty-handed 3) always take off your hat indoors (especially during a meal) 4) take off your gloves as you shake hands with someone 5) a custom demands not to shake hands at the doorstep - it's considered to bring bad luck and be generally rude 6) the first toast is usually made to the health of the host - keep that in mind 7) a traditional meal consists of soup for the first course followed by a main course 8) you always have to obey "ladies first" rule 9) "How are you today" smalltalk during conversation with people you aren't familar with is somehow rude 10) don't talk while you eat - in formal situations 11) putting your feet on the table is a big no-no 12) don't whistle indoors 13) you should finish your plate - food waste is a big no-no in Poland 14) kissing a woman's hand in greeting - a dying custom but still present among the older generation 15) you should stand up when a person much older or more important than you enters the room (especialy in formal situations)

I never heard about neighbors complaining about what you wear outside like that in Poland except your family who tend to be veeery sensitive about this. Great story Chewing gum seems to be ok here as long as it's not a mouthful. Things may have become just a bit more chill lately Anyway great video Pozdrawiam!

You are really right

I respect Polish dzien dobry culture but I also like more casual hello, so each person who uses it make it more common and accepted, good job!

BTW it is IMHO worth to mentioned that going to "first names basis" is in fact a bit of ritual... It may happen when person is position (older or "more respected" for other reason (educational title, work hierarchy and so on)) will propose it - never other way (!), or usually with equals but not too close yet, during vodka drinking - making a bond/ friendship (can be proposed from both ends). Than "brudenshaft" toast is done - you on first names terms. Default distance is nothing by paying respect to right of the other to feel more important than You. Nothing wrong with it - work both ways... That's real respect - at least that's how we Poles see it. Keep well.

On your 3rd mistake, You also need to remember never to say Hello, Good morning etc with your hands in your pocket even if you are just passing

It's interesting from the side of polish citizen to hear and re-think all those things. Thanks for another point of view on our everyday life :)

Ok not polish. Born in Germany living in Denmark. In Denmark we always speak in first person (du/ty) in german Im use to 3rd person (sie/oni). So my brain has a personality living on first person in Denmark and in 3rd person in Germany. Meanwhile northern Germany has opened up the last 10 years and i still look arround 30. So a lot of people talk to me in the first person in northern germany. First time it gave me a chock, because it was so much against my german mindeset. So I do understand the elderly generation correcting you Im a teacher my self in Denmark. And none of my students (6th-9th grade) talks to me with their hands in their pockets. I think its a no go in most european countries.

Regarding handshake, it may be considered rude to reach out your hand first in some scenarios: - a younger person to an older person - to your boss/someone with higher status - a man to a woman Often, if you are not sure, it may be better just to wait

o kurwa so true xD

As a Pole, what I love about English is that you can address anyone by "you".

Thanks, great info...MORE, please, as I'm looking to teach English this year or next with my TEFL Certificate.

Official titles varies in Poland but general idea is that we have way more respect for professors and doctors here than in Canada or states

Few notes of Native Polish guy: #1 That's pretty much elderly people. Other people don't care, if you wear t-shirt, while it's snowing or jacket when beachwear would be more suitable. BUT one thing you should consider when traveling to Poland -> always check the forecast. Weather in Poland can change dynamicaly and depends a lot of the air currents. #2 That's prety acurate. All polish kids are/were tough that you should adress adults and elders by "Mr. or Mrs." and that's how you show them that you respect them. But it's also ok, just to say "Dzień dobry"(good morning/afternoon) and smile. We also say "good morning/afternoon" to strangers, people we meet 1st time etc. We tend to say "hi" to friends, relatives - generaly people we know a bit and spend some time with them. Same goes with addessing people as "you". It's just considered to be more personal approach. When a stragers says "hi" to me in Poland, 1st thing I think is "Do I know him/her? Should I remember that person name?" As for academic titles - people usualy doesn't care that much about them outside of university campus, or scientific conference. Properly titling people is considered as showing respect to their achivements in their field of science, and skipping the title or using wrong title instead might be seen as neglecting their work. But as I said it - academic titles are pretty much irrelevant on daily basis. Sometimes we tend to call people 'a professor' in honor to their knowledge to some matter, but that's usualy unrelated to academic title. With best example would be, that most high school teenagers are calling their teachers "professors". To sum up this point: "dzień dobry" (good morning / good afternoon) is generaly the safe option. You're never wrong when starting a conversation with it. Saying "cześć" (hi) is reserved to friends/relavites/colleagues generaly people you know and spend some time with. Using academic titles -> pretty irrelevant unless it's university/scientific conference etc. (ofc, there might be some buffoons who will want to be titled everywhere...) #3 and #4 Having hands in your pocket, chewing gum -> Disrespectful to the person you're talking too... (unless you all are like chewing gum, than whatever) same as staring at your cell phone while talking to someone. Same as talking to someone who's standing in front of you while you're sitting. #5 - Being more touchy when talking to someone or adressing them as "you" is considered as violatating someones personal zone. Simple way to explain it - imagine an invisible circle arround a person, that their personal zone. Any strangers aren't welcome inside, by default. Hugs are usualy reserved for firends/mates/partners/family members etc. Generaly when talking to someone you don't know it's best to keep the distance someone equal to the lenght of your arm and adress them as Mr od Mrs (and you just MUST do this when talking to old people). They can propose to switch to less formal speach and drop the whole "Mr and Mrs" thing. You can also propose it, but if they deny you should keep the form.

Good stuff 💪😎

I’m Polish and I love watching your videos. Totally agree with all of your observations, although I wasn’t fully aware of them! : D I would never be offended by being addressed “na Ty” by a foreigner, but it sounds strange and funny when they don’t choose the right form (they sound almost like a child then, children obviously mess up the form sometimes and are corrected by adults)

Polskie obyczaje w porownaniu do przecietnego zycia w ameryce sa o wiele bardziej wymagajace pod wzgledem szacunku do innych.

At the beginning and end of your videos, it would be nice to greet us and say goodbye in Polish.

Great episode

manners...yes very important!

"Don't touch people" Yes -I live in the West and that is nightmare - I love my personal space.

I'm Polish and I've never heard of 'dress appropriately' rule. You must live in a really weird place. As for talking while chewing gum: isn't this a general savoir-vivre rule. It's like talking with your mouth full.

Something very rude is being in a church or a cementary and having your hands in the pockets

About first one: Honestly, I'm Polish and I personally don't dress, how you said that, according to weather conditions. I'm 19 and I try not to think to much how or what anyone else will think about me. I'm not gonna be sick, because I'm used to cold and I like to train my body to stay that way and sharpen it even more. The problem with such situations that you mentioned is the behaviour of elder people in our country. Unfortunately, they're just too often inappropriately honest or even mean. But you gotta just let it go. Let them talk and in the end they'll just give up and leave you. But don't think about me as about some mean, arrogant young Polish teenager, 'cause I'm not. Of course you have to be polite to them. When you're nice it's even better. But you don't have to listen to them. They're strangers to you, that's their problem they're too honest and acting inappropriately. Pozdrawiam :)

Brakuje tutaj jeszcze chyba podawania ręki w rękawiczkach, ale nie wiem czy to typowe tylko dla Polski.

Omg this is all so true! I was raised and grow up in Poland! The only thing that has changed with me as I live outside of UK for many years, I’m more casual when speaking to people. I meet my sister mother in Law two years ago and I was addressing her by her name, she never told me off but my own sister said I have very western way of living now 😂🤣 But yeah everything is spot on!!

Putting your hands in your pockets whilst talking to anyone, is also rude in Britain.

Lived 18 years in Poland never encountered the first one

God Help Me - Does this cold thing hit home. I am Canadian having lived in Toronto and Calgary. Poles do not understand what cold really is. My wife gives me royal hell in winter if I do not wear my hat and strangle my self with a scarf before going outside - I keep explaining that it is only fresh outside and don't need to bundle up. LOL Take this one step further - try asking for some ice at a friends house or party - they look at you as if you were some Yeti (European for Sasquatch). We even bought a new fridge here , but no ice cube trays - all my wife says that I will get the grippa if I have ice in my drink. Same goes for a real cold beer. LOL Love this country.

Good one. Accurate.

Dziękuję!!!

The comment about Babcia busybodies is very true, same situation in Germany. Luckily in the US we have the state of Florida to solve that problem.

Wow, I didn't realised our country must seem pretty strict to Americans

I have been to Poland three times, and without knowing these taboos, never committed any of them. Perhaps my very strict Norwegian mother drummed some degree of respectful behaviour into me from the beginning. Another definite no-no is to shake hands across the door threshold, though I had that explained to me by Polish friends before I went. Also don't wear you outside shoes into your host's house. Often they have guest slippers at the door ... Poland is a fantastic country. I had three days in Krakow on my own after I had been to a real Polish Wedding at Ciche. If you are polite with Poles and attempt some simple Polish with them, they are extremely nice. Much less reserved than Norwegians for sure!

Even when you say "Cześć" or great someone in another informal way (like "Siema"), you should take your hands out of your pockets for a second :) It looks funny when two people are passing and saying hello to each other with this gesture (e.g. in winter), but it's kinda important ;)

U realy feel Poland 😉

This is so funny bc I live in the states but always lived w my grandfather who came here from Poland born n raised and growing up in my house everything u just said I was taught not to do... I couldn’t even have the fridge open too long without my Jaja saying something 😂😂😂 the gum thing not wearing a jacket omg just brought back memories lol

It is true about addressing people, that's why Starbucks stopped calling customers by their names.

Super Mr. Mr.!

I would add one more - it is unpolite to shake somebody's hand while sitting down. You have to raise, for somebody equal to you it is enough to raise by 1 cm, if you meet somebody more respectful you should stand up.

well, with chewing gum I dont think so Its there an issue but while eating basically like sandwitch etc it might be a problem

I really like these videos! Kudos for your observation skills - a lot of the things you talk about are just about second nature for natives, but then when you hear it being "called out", so to speak, it's a funny feeling, like "oh yeah, we *do* do that!". Anyways, I'll share my take on a couple of these from the perspective of an under 30 yo, since some of these seem to come from (as you mentioned later) older people. #1 -> This is ridiculous. I'd understand if she came up to you whilst you were still outside, but either way that was just rude - it was none of her business what you wear around the house. True, sometimes if you dress ridiculously (or even just comfortably), you will be subject to gossip (and the smaller the town, the higher the chance), but no one in their right mind should outright shout at you for that. #2 -> To me this is elderly mentality and thinking in titles should die a fast death. Of course, in formal discourse (university settings, interviews, etc.) you _should_ refer to people by their titles (at least above "magister", i.e. doctor, professor). Until not long ago even some older pharmacists (usually older women) would call you out for not calling them "pani magister". I'm guessing it's because attaining higher education was so prestigious then that not acknowledging it was an insult. Nowadays though, anybody below doctorate is "pan[i]" (except for high-school, where for some reason you have to call every teacher "pan[i] profesor" - again, ridiculous), especially since, IIRC, ~80% of the population is an undergrad/grad in _something_. Of course the "dzień dobry" vs "cześć" thing is still current, as well as "pan[i]" vs "ty", but sometimes it's just for show. My thesis supervisor was simultaneously my co-worker at a software company, and so at university of course it was "dzień dobry" and "panie doktorze", but then at work it was "cześć Tomek!". It's funny when you drink beers with your supervisor the day before your thesis defense and the next day you have to be all formal in front of the committee which he's a part of lol. But yeah, the phrase "nie jesteśmy na ty" is still in use and I've heard it myself once or twice when I was younger. You learn very fast as a kid to default to formal speech when talking to strangers/adults. It's become so ingrained that now _I'm_ the one that's kind of ruffled internally when someone refers to me by "ty" or without prefixing my name with "pan". Never complained about it verbally, but it does catch you off-guard and you can't help but feel slighted. I never call people out for it because it's a kind of a two-way street. Who am _I_ to demand formal language and a show of respect above that of common decency (which many people falsely equate, but oh well). Interesting fact: a lot of times the older generation treats drinking together as semi-formal "przejście na ty", where they introduce themselves to one-another by their first names and drink a shot (often a bruderschaft, endearingly called "brudzio" in Polish). After that you are officially on closer terms and may refer to that person as "ty" or by name, without "pan[i]". This is also the reason why sometimes apart from "nie jesteśmy na ty" from older men, you can also hear "nie piliśmy razem" (i.e. "we haven't drunk together"), and often an invitation this befriending will be (regardless of how long you know one another) stated as "poznajmy się ;)" ("let's introduce ourselves"). It's so prevalent that sometimes when someone doesn't want to drink with you (e.g. during a wedding or party) you can playfully act all offended and go "ja cię nieeee znam, nie piliśmy razem!". And after the second party gives in and takes a shot with you, you go "nooo i teraz się znamy! :D". Weird, but fun! #5 -> This also true for a lot of people, even the younger generation. Of course it depends on how close you are with someone, but strangers, irrespective of age, will at least give you a strange look, and at worst may even respond with aggression! It's like "who do you think you are, touching me like that, punk!?". Once in my life I did the shoulder pat thing (and it was to a family member, too!) and in response got a very quick lesson in manners: "konia sobie poklep" (go pat a horse). Oops! #6 -> Hard to say, but I guess this one may also be changing with the years. I, for one, have no real inhibitions about sharing even some personal stuff, but perhaps, as someone mentioned before me, this is a "PRL" mentality. BTW, although AFAIK discussing financial issues in the States is perfectly fine, in Poland it's still a big no-no and things like salaries are kind of taboo. It's safer to just not ask anyone, even casually, how much they make. Cheers!

Yeah. My grandma lives in Poland and this is all pretty true

I grew up in Poland so using Pan/Pani is natural for me when it comes to talking with somebody much more older than me. I would feel weird with talking to the man who is sixty without using Pan/Pani. I was learnt to do that, but its a way of showing respect to somebody.

Hey, I'm Polish living here in Chicago for the last 20 years. It's interesting to hear your observations. It's quite interesting. It's true on one hand we bump to each other, but at the same time, Polish people may find it rude when being tapped at the back in the friendly gesture. We may find it diminishing. I'm wondering if personal insecurities may have anything to do with this.

Wow, Russell, I like the gum part. They should do this in America...the addressing people got to go remember we are all people and we won't die as a fancy title

God the '90s in Poland were so depressing

Pretty much the same in China, though it's a really big place and there are regional differences like how Northerners are more open and direct. Are there regional differences in Poland as well?