Notes from PL: Things I Have Learned So Far

As part of a summer language program, I've been gradually learning more about Polish, Poznań, and the local culture. I am the only American enrolled in the program and while English is the language of instruction, I am one of the few native-English speakers. (I've had a lot of fascinating conversations that involved explaining colloquial phrases in English--why do we sometimes address small children as "pumpkin" anyway?-- and learning about similar phrases in German, such as "Mäuschen" and "yaco taco" (not sure about the spelling there...)). Here's some things I've noticed so far:

-"Googlować" is a verb in Polish (also "googlen" auf deustch). So is "facebookować".

-There are only three reasons to learn Polish: 1) For your studies, 2) To reconnect with family or distant Polish roots, or 3) (the most popular reason by far) your boyfriend/girlfriend is Polish.

-Poznań's football team is currently the best in Poland. But they still lost to Praha tonight. (Also, their nickname is "Kolejorz", which roughly translates to railroad workers).

-Poznań's stadium is currently the best stadium for the EuroCup 2012 (but that's because it's the only one that is completed). I believe tonight's match (loss) was the first game in that stadium.

-A (traditional) Polish lunch is HUGE. We're talking soup, meat, potatoes, salad, and vegetables required at each meal with lots of other side dishes to complement. However, dinner/supper is basically the same thing as breakfast (breads, cheeses, lunchmeats, tea), so be sure to eat up.

-Poznań is also famous for its rogale swietomarcinki, or St. Martin's croissants. They're traditionally eaten on Nov. 11, but bakers now often carry them year round. (I can't testify if this recipe is accurate, but it's a good image).

-Like much of the rest of Europe, about 90% of the city center of Poznań was destroyed during World War II. (Poznań was actually part of Prussia for a century, and there was much debate when drafting the Treaty of Versailles if it would be included in the newly resurrected Poland or not). The majority of the buildings were rebuilt using detailed replicas, but the decorative city hall (which is not actually a city hall) located in the center of the Stary Rynek, or old marketplace, was not rebuilt until 1999. During communist times, such a ornate building was not considered necessary.