They wrote essay about their impressions and experiences living in Poland. Although they didn’t win any awards, they shared their reflections about life in Poland and created very interesting, thoughtful compositions. Here are excerpts from some of them:
“Living in the capital city of Poland, Warsaw, is a delight and has many advantages. Warsaw is a fairly new city since it was destroyed during the second world war and rebuilt from the ground up, meaning its infrastructure is fairly modern and recent. When you live in the capital city, most people you meet will know how to speak English, so communicating with people to get directions or other information is quite easy around the city. There are a lot of malls and shops to choose from, some of which have some very affordable options, and of course, the famous polish cuisine, mostly known for its pierogis, a dumpling filled with meat or potatoes, which is just delicious. I have also learned a lot while on my journey in Poland. I have visited many museums telling the history of Jews during the second world war, which is of course very emotional, and those visits have widened my knowledge and points of view on historical events, which I see as a positive outcome of my experience in Poland. Generally, I have loved my stay in Poland, because I have met incredibly kind people, have visited a large amount of cities and widened my knowledge, which makes my stay in Poland very valuable to me.” Carla
“I have learned many things about this country and visited most of its major cities. The people here might seem unfriendly at first but are some of the toughest people i have ever met. However the most satisfying phenomenon that I have discovered in Poland would be the band Behemoth (and my friends of course).I advise people to live in this country and ignore most of the stereotypes that one hears about Poland. The Poles are hardened by the wars they have endured and the harsh climate that engulfs their land.” Tristan
“When I moved here initially, I found it hard to adapt due to the extreme language barriers and the drastic weather transition. However, I grew to love this place as time went by and I built many friendships with poles. The history behind Poland has always captivated my curiosity, I’ve visited multiple museums throughout my time living here, my personal favourite being the Copernicus science museum. I specifically enjoyed it thanks to its interactive displays. I associate it with good childhood memories as I visited it quite young and it makes me feel nostalgic. I really like polish cuisine, my favourite dish being pierogi ruskie and my favourite desert being Paczki (which are eaten on fat Thursdays). A thing I love about Warsaw is the contrast between the modern area (Wilanow) and the superannuated area (centrum), both environments are very different, and I enjoy having the option to visit both as it suffices me with things to do on a weekly basis depending on my mood” Alexia
Marta Mijakowska-Johnson
Polish Teacher