As you know I'm from Poland. Each nation has some typical characteristics or habits. Here's a funny list of some of our typical habits and behavious:) I've taken some of the points from the Internet and some from observations of a German living in Poland who's book I read.
You know you’re Polish when:
You know you’re Polish when:
- You sing the same song - “100 lat” - on every occasion (weddings, birthdays, baby showers)
- Someone mentions pierogi and your mouth starts to water
- You use lots of ketchup
- People mistake you for being Russian when you go abroad
- Your grandmother insists on constantly feeding you
- When you're at a stranger's house, you expect their garbage can to be under the sink
- You always take off your shoes as soon as you step into someone else's house, even when they say you don’t have to
- You always find some reason to complain
- You never answer “I’m fine” if asked “how are you” but explain your whole health and mood situation with details
- You have pork chops every Sunday for dinner.
- You hit a bottom of vodka bottle with your hand before opening it.
- You have to drink “karniaki” (“punishment” shots) if you come late for a party.
- You don’t listen to “disco polo” music but when someone plays it in a party it turns out you and everyone there know the lyrics.
- You joke about your nation but you hate it when others do so.
- You have home made preserves in your cellar.
- You say “thank you” after getting out of the lift
- You ask your guests couple of times if they want to eat or drink something and you feel unhappy if they don’t want anything
- You comply with superstitions even though you don’t believe them
- You share all the food/drink/anything shareable with friends around you before you eat/drink/use it yourself
- You invent non-existent words while talking
Maybe some % of you is Polish?;)
It is as if I was reading a description of myself - apart from "disco polo" and "pork chops" parts! This German guy must have been good psychologist! :0). I am actually proud of characteristics on this list! Am I a weird Pole?
ReplyDeleteI don't fit in "pork chops" part either but you can't deny that it's Sunday dinner of majority of the people here:P And I'm afraid you can't run away from disco polo, in weddings for example. I am pround of the things from the list too:)
DeleteOMG! Aga, I died laughing hahaha! XD point 5 hahaha!
ReplyDeletePoint 19 is the same here too! with friends and family! XD
Point 17... well, in my home (and I guess in all Mexico) we don't ask if our guests want something, we bring them soda immediately, or water XD or if there are many men, my father offers beer, and everybody happy haha! It's strange when you go to a house and the hosts don't give you something (but without asking).
It's very interesting your list, I want to make one about mexicans XD
That's interesting:) I know in some countries people ask their guests if they want something or if they're hungry and if they say no, they don't get anything. In Poland if you say no, we make sure if you really mean it and ask once or twice more:) If we have some cookies we put them before the guest without asking too.
DeletePlease make a list about Mexicans:D I'd love to read it:D
Oh, I know that book!! :D
ReplyDeleteFunny list - and my daughter obviously has something Polish inside when it comes to the use of ketchup, hehe.
Haha, ketchup is an essential ingredient:P
DeleteI thought I were Dutch, but now I know I'm 25% Polish, too (even though 7 and 17 are considered the contrary of 'typical Dutch', I feel these are in my system)!
ReplyDeleteEven would be 30% Polish when I translate 'Disco Polo' into the Dutch equivalent :-)
@ Nina: our son also would cherish nr 3 :-) And however we don't drink any wodka at all, dear son hits the bottom of the ketchup bottle too, before opening...
@GotThatSwing: I don't know Pierogi, but the looks of it make my mouth starting to water, too (35% Polish :-) )
Well, all of us are world citizens of course :-)
This is SO interesting! I think NO.4 happens a lot with us Japanese but not being mistaken as Russian but Chinese. And No.14 and 20 sound really familiar! :D I've been thinking about what's typical about Japanese but can't really come up with 20 items! You did so well to come up with all the Polish characters! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's easier for someone from 'outside' to notice the typical behaviours. But like Heleen mentioned below, bowing came to my mind too:) I also heard it's polite to slurp while eating in Japan and that giving business cards is very common. And Japanese tourists are famous for taking photos all the time;)
Delete@ Snowangel: I think the wrapping of presents in Japan very typical!? In the Netherlands we use a simple coloured/printed wrapping paper, but I've seen pictures of presents in Japan, in which wrapping papers looked like works of art!
ReplyDeleteOther things that come in my mind as 'typical about Japanese' (but correct me if I'm wrong):
Making origami crane birds (1000 cranes for good health).
Bowing instead of shaking hands when meeting.
Politeness, talking not too loud (also children: not screaming, at least not as loud as many Dutch children in public do...).
Well, that makes only three or four more...
On the other hand I think it hard for me to come up with 20 items on 'typical Dutch', either! As our environment and habits are so 'normal' to me/us. Furthermore I still think there are more similarities between people from different countries..
Ow, and @ GotThatSwing and all other snail mail lovers: I think all of you/us snail-mail-lovers are a special people, too (a nation-spread-all-over-the-world)! :-) My Dutch friends and colleagues don't understand why I get so excited by seeing stamps and envelopes and postcards.. I think you do would understand this! And maybe also you have people around you who don't understand this preference for snail mail?!?
I got weird looks too many times when I said something about my penpalling hobby so I actually don't talk about it with people outside our little snail mail world.
Delete