…well, except for maybe another car and an all-English-all-the time book store. Oh, and my parents close-by would nice. And my sister and her family too. A girl can dream.
I’ve got everything I need. I’ve got my Misiu and my two adorable miśki. We’ve got jobs – knock on wood. Miśki have a nice school within walking distance. We’ve got our city haven, a little small, but it’s all paid for and all ours. We’ve got our village housek, needs some work and is a bit empty, but it’s all paid for and all ours.
I’ve got my friends, my BFF’s, my acquaintances. I’ve got my hairdresser, my doctor, my dentist and my OB-GYN…who by the way promised to learn English…I’ve had 2 kids since then. I’ve got my favorite places, my butcher Pan Sławek, my favorite bakery, my favorite shoe shop. I know 10 different ways to get to the center from here. I know that if you want to turn left there, you should change lanes here. I can get you to airport in a heartbeat. I can tell you where the best places to park are.
We got all the shops we could dream of –all the major supermarket brands, the Polish and international clothing brands. We’ve even got a new Gap in the city, I’m certain, put here expressly for me…to make me feel more at home. Thanks, I appreciate it.
The supermarkets have got all the stuff I want to buy. They’ve got the good Polish bread, the dark brown sugar, the Philly’s cream cheese, even Oreo’s if you are so inclined. I’ve got my Tide (Vizir), my Dawn (Fairy) and my Secret antiperspirant. I’m ready to go.
I can cook pretty much the same stuff that I cooked in America although I hate recipes that start with “a box of…, a packet of…” when I don’t have those things. But I can adapt.
My motto is
da się…
…bo się da.
and now prepare to be amazed…
English is everywhere. My miśki will grow up bi-lingual, if not tri-lingual.
We were so sorry when they changed “Sex on the beach” for “Sun on the beach”. It was my whole Sunday morning fun to go to the bakery and listen to the babcia’s order 2 scoops of “Sex on the beach” after mass.
Remember….
DA SIĘ!
22 comments:
Did you tell Olivia from roadtopoland? She's been trying to get "there" as well.
Thanks Aneta, I will tell her if she doesn't catch this post soon herself. She will get "there" for sure. She needs some more time to find the way. I've had a lot longer to find my way.
Olivia, from Aneta and from me...da się kochana i trzymaj się!!!
An all-English-all-the time book store is called Kindle. Myself, I need the good Polish bread, and this is my own "nie da się" :(
I forgot to mention I'm horrified by 'topy', 'trencze', 't-shirty' and 'szejki.' This is *new* Poland I'm not accustomed to. It's really, really sad...
@Ds, jak nie, jak tak? Da sie!
Your homemade Polish bread's delivery is in two days!
@Aneta, sorry, but "trencz" is an old word. Much older than komputer. Probably similar age as "sweter", and exactly the same origin.
Even "lajkować" has been recenty approved by prof. Miodek himself :)
Chris :)
Twoje jedzenie, talerze, miseczki, kuchnia, wszystko zawsze tak pieknie wyglada. Tak jak powinno byc :)
Wesolych Swiat :)
kama
Lucky you :-)
girls (and boys?)! for all-english-all-the-time book store go to bookdepository.com - the shipping is free WORLDWIDE. That's how I get my paper books in Australia (yes, they do speak English in Oz (or at least something close to 'normal' English), but prices are crazy... And yes, there is kindle, but the smell of paper book...! :)
I really do need a Kindle. I am so technologically behind the times. Last week one of my teenage students asked me if I know what mp3 is! (I know) I will also check out bood depository and compare to Empik.
I like all the English words in Polish...because I speak English. What I don't like is when people (for ex, my old boss - Polish born, American passport) pretended he couldn't remember Polish words. His top hit was a sandwich order "duża tuna bez cebula". Apparently he forgot his grammar as well.
I guess I am lucky...and the mess in my kitchen is just out of photo range :)
Dobrze powiedziane!
Can I have a secret formula of green bean casserole?
I don't like mixing languages it hurst my ears and eyes. Thank god I don't have to see that.
After 28 years I still speak Polish and I do speak English as well with all due respect to each.
Ds was right - nie da sie :(
Mumps made the today's delivery to her impossible.
Star - You should watch some interview with Joanna Krupa in Polish. It's like she is one of our family.
zut - I have to find the secret formula first and then it is yours. It is so secret that I can't remember where it is. It's even better if you make homemade onion rings to put on top.
Czar - Mumps!? Sweetheart, I feel for you. I had the chickenpox along with the girls a few years ago. Not fun. Take care of yourself.
Not me, my younger daughter. Second episode at the age of 17. Generally not too bad in self, but awfully swollen. Thanks anyway.
We had to cancel her school ski trip and our Paris break, therefore Ds won't have Polish bread and sausages for Easter :(
secret formula of homemade onion rings then? please?
I am very impressed by your cookies and cakes!!! Nice decorating!! I can bake but can't decorate.
I hate "Penglish" as my English teacher used to call it. I can't believe Miodek has approved "lajkowac.":( And I agree with you Chris about Polish people who forget their words and grammar. Well - sometimes you can forget - but not every other word. Still - if I forget, I will use the English version instead of "drajwowalismy".
I love to get books from amazon, itunes or to download them from a library - have found out about that from Lois. I read them on my ipad, listen to audiobooks when I run, or in the car when I drive to and from work.
I like the word Penglish. I will use it. And I like Penglish in the mouths of my little angels, well, today devils. It snowed a foot and half yesterday and we didn't bring our snowsuits, it being Easter and all. We're all a little crazy cooped up at home.
I can understand that somebody who lives abroad can have a mind lapse and forget something. But I don't like it when folks like my old boss come back to PL after a 2,3, 5 year stay in the US and act more American than Americans. When my old boss used to say "we", I always said "jaki we? jaki we?" Did I mention that I was trying to get fired?
Hmmm, I got a library card from my local library this summer. Now I just have to catch up with modern technology...
Thanks for the compliments on the cakes. I made a cake today for Rosie's 5th birthday. It didn't turn out exactly as planned. I have trouble baking in a gas oven and I forget some of my decorating tools in the city. Anyhow, "sto lat" było and that's all that counts.
Beans and onion rings recipes will be coming soon....
Gotta go, Peppa Pig is on. It's a nighly ritual of one Peppa in English and another Peppa in Polish. Other nights we watch Uszatek and sometimes even Franklin. Have I mentioned that Rosie calls Peppa Pig "Pippa Peg"? Oh and feta cheese is "Peppa cheese". :)
@Kasia
I believe you're meant Ponglish - as Penglish is a Latin transcription of Persian words (also known as Pinglish or Fingilish).
Noted Ponglish not Penglish :) Dzięks!
Ha! I did see this one a while back. I have to admit, right now I am in the "can't find anything I want" mindset." Not quite taking the time to see all that I do have. I think more than anything it will just take time for these things to become "mine" and not "Poland's". If that makes any sense. I am always surprised about how much English here is basically just a second language. Poland is like #11 in terms of countries that have a large population that speak English fluently (as a second language), or something like that. That's pretty high on the list. I guess it depends on your perspective of whether or not this is a good thing...
It's a good post. Important to remind yourself sometimes how far you've come rather than dwelling on how far you have to go.
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