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polak · 01-08-2016, 05:04 PM

Sweet thread. Inspired me to call up my mom and get the full story as I haven't heard it in ages.

when did you move to Canada and from where

1992 (I was 2 and a half). Moved from Germany where my parents lived for 4 or 5 years after fleeing Poland as refugees. Once the wall came down they were court ordered to leave Germany and return to Poland or go elsewhere. Apparently The US, Canada and Australia were accepting those displaced (wonder if there was all that commotion accepting migrants from Germany in the 90s

). Half of my parents friends moved to the US right away, my parents and their remaining friends got lawyers and dragged out the process as long as possible until they decided to move to Canada. Picked Calgary because that's where the first of their group decided to go. They loved skiing so she thinks if they were picking from scratch they would've probably picked Calgary anyways.

</cool story bro>

Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country"

Huge connection to Poland as, outside of my Aunt and her husband who moved here in 2005, my entire extended family lives there still. I've been there 5 out of the last 6 years and spent 4 summers there in grade school. Fun to visit but I could never live there.

Outside of cheap partying cause of the exchange rate, everything about it is significantly worse than Canada. Even outside of economic reasons (Poland is actually one of the strongest economies in europe).

My view is skewed because the vast majority of the time I've spent there has been in the small town that my family is from but theft, violence, racism and homophobia are the norm. By that I mean that you will see otherwise great, kind, normal people that are truly racist and homophobic simply because they don't know any better. It's the world they're surrounded by and grew up in. Even their standard elementary textbooks have a story about a little black kid from Africa named "Bambo" that climbs trees to hide from his parents and fears taking baths because he might turn white.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murzynek_Bambo)

The theft and violence isn't as in your face and I've personally never been in a fight there, even when I've acted like a drunken idiot but you hear stories all of the time. When my cousin was here and saw that people simply leave patio furniture and BBQ's in their backyards and on their first floor decks she was shocked. Do that in Poland and it's guaranteed to be gone.

Moving there would be a tough adjustment

Do you feel Canadian

Through and through. Polish-Canadian. My family in Poland always gives me #### when they ask me which country I'd represent in sports and I say Canada but I've lived here my whole life. Obviously I feel a stronger connection to here, even though the blood in my veins is Polish.

01-08-2016, 05:04 PM	#17
polak In the Sin Bin Join Date: Aug 2012 Exp:	Sweet thread. Inspired me to call up my mom and get the full story as I haven't heard it in ages. when did you move to Canada and from where 1992 (I was 2 and a half). Moved from Germany where my parents lived for 4 or 5 years after fleeing Poland as refugees. Once the wall came down they were court ordered to leave Germany and return to Poland or go elsewhere. Apparently The US, Canada and Australia were accepting those displaced (wonder if there was all that commotion accepting migrants from Germany in the 90s ). Half of my parents friends moved to the US right away, my parents and their remaining friends got lawyers and dragged out the process as long as possible until they decided to move to Canada. Picked Calgary because that's where the first of their group decided to go. They loved skiing so she thinks if they were picking from scratch they would've probably picked Calgary anyways. </cool story bro> Do you miss or feel a connection to your "Old Country" Huge connection to Poland as, outside of my Aunt and her husband who moved here in 2005, my entire extended family lives there still. I've been there 5 out of the last 6 years and spent 4 summers there in grade school. Fun to visit but I could never live there. Outside of cheap partying cause of the exchange rate, everything about it is significantly worse than Canada. Even outside of economic reasons (Poland is actually one of the strongest economies in europe). My view is skewed because the vast majority of the time I've spent there has been in the small town that my family is from but theft, violence, racism and homophobia are the norm. By that I mean that you will see otherwise great, kind, normal people that are truly racist and homophobic simply because they don't know any better. It's the world they're surrounded by and grew up in. Even their standard elementary textbooks have a story about a little black kid from Africa named "Bambo" that climbs trees to hide from his parents and fears taking baths because he might turn white.(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murzynek_Bambo) The theft and violence isn't as in your face and I've personally never been in a fight there, even when I've acted like a drunken idiot but you hear stories all of the time. When my cousin was here and saw that people simply leave patio furniture and BBQ's in their backyards and on their first floor decks she was shocked. Do that in Poland and it's guaranteed to be gone. Moving there would be a tough adjustment Do you feel Canadian Through and through. Polish-Canadian. My family in Poland always gives me #### when they ask me which country I'd represent in sports and I say Canada but I've lived here my whole life. Obviously I feel a stronger connection to here, even though the blood in my veins is Polish. Last edited by polak; 01-08-2016 at 05:27 PM.