Laura Klos-Sokol is an American who discovered Poland thanks to her admission to the Fulbright scholarship which she was granted in 1992. Initially, she thought it would be a brief experience, but... the magnetism of Poland's uniqueness simply overpowered her and she couldn't resist staying here for longer... well, 18 years so far.
Originally, Laura is from the state of Michigan, where she grew up in a small town but always felt proud of her Polish roots. She also lived in Washington, DC where she met her Polish husband and started her contact with the Polish culture. Then she went to Poland and these first encounters reverberated in her head. The book "Shortcuts to Poland" (IPS, 2010) presents her viewpoints on Poland through a collection of essays devoted to different spheres of life in Poland.
Today Laura is happy to be living in Warsaw permanently with her daughter Olivia and husband Marek.
Here is what Laura says about Poland:
"When I meet Poles for the first time, they're surprised to hear that as an American, I have settled permanently in Poland, and they often want to know why. It's an interesting country, I say, I like the lifestyle and the people. Some are genuinely pleased; others find it strange that I could be happy outside my home country.
Not that adjusting to a new country and culture is so easy. Like most people, I learn from my mistakes and I've made my share of mistakes in Poland. Luckily, Poles have been very forgiving... so now they're stuck with me.
I wrote Shortcuts to Poland to help others avoid the same mistakes and develop their cross-cultural understanding more smoothly and quickly. In turn, more cross-cultural understanding encourages more discovery and appreciation of what Poland has to offer."
Of course, we all do need a starting point and this quiz can help you see how Polish you are.
The Polishness Quiz:
How Polish are you? Just a tad? Or even more Polish than the Poles? Take this quiz and discover your rate of Polishness:
- 1. In the past three months, have you spent over three hours sitting at a table eating and drinking? (3 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 2. Do you like Prince Polo or Ptasie Mleczko? (3 points for yes; 0 for no; -1 if you don't know what either one is)
- 3. Have you ever bought shampoo or toothpaste at a kiosk? (2 points for yes; 0 for no; -2 if you've never bought anything at a kiosk)
- 4. When you are a guest at someone's home for the first time, would you most likely show up with flowers or a gift of some kind? (3 points for yes; -1 for no)
- 5. Do you normally shake hands with (or kiss) everyone rather than wave hello or good-bye to the group? (3 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 6. Have you eaten pickled herring? Smoked eel? Carp? (1 point for each fish; add 1 point for each one you enjoy; -2 if you've never eaten any of them)
- 7. Have you ever had a family member visit for longer than two weeks? (2 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 8. Have you ever slept regularly on a convertible or a pull-out bed? (4 points for yes; add 2 points if you fold it up every day; 0 for no; -1 if there isn't such a bed in your home)
- 9. Does your last name have three syllables or more or at least a 3:1 ratio of consonant to vowel? (1 point for yes; 0 for no)
- 10. When you're at the table with friends, does someone usually give a toast at some point in the evening? (3 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 11. Have you strolled through Łazienki Park on a Sunday afternoon? (3 points for yes; add 3 points if you were dressed nicely; 0 for no; -1 if you don't know where the park is or have never been there)
- 12. Do you go to church on most holidays? (2 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 13. Do you hold strong views on what bigos should taste like? (2 points for yes; 0 for no; -1 if you've never had it homemade)
- 14. When guests arrive at your home, do you immediately offer them something to drink? (2 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 15. Have you ever entertained twelve guests in an area smaller than 40 square meters? (4 points for yes; add 2 points if it was more than sixteen guests; 0 for no; -2 if you never entertain guests or have always lived in a larger area)
- 16. Do you know the ingredients of the drink szarlotka? (2 points for yes; 0 for no)
- 17. Have you ever ridden in a mały Fiat? (4 points for yes; 0 for no; -2 if you don't know what one is)
- 18. Have you ever pushed a broken-down mały Fiat down the street? (5 points for yes; add 2 points if you had to leave it at the side of the road; 0 for no)
46 points or more: Congratulations. You're outrageously Polish. Even more Polish than the Poles.
24 to 45 points: You're very Polish. In fact, check your passport.
11 to 23: You're fairly Polish and have great potential. Whatever you're doing, do it some more.
1 to 10: You're only a smidgen Polish but there's always hope. Try harder.
0 to -8: You're negative Polish which means you're fresh off the boat or just very very foreign (so you really need this book). But it also might mean you're pathetic. Try to get out more.
