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Pole-ish

Pole-ish

By: Peter MacLeod / John Nett
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Two expats. Two cities. Two perspectives.

Peter, a Brit living in Warsaw, and John, an American based in Kraków, dive into the hilarious, always confusing and often eye-opening reality of building a new life in a foreign country.

From navigating Polish bureaucracy, learning a new language, dating, renting, and understanding cultural differences, to deeper conversations about immigration, integration, politics and money... no topic is off-limits.

Using humour (humor!), honesty and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, they compare British and American viewpoints as they try to make sense of modern life in Central Europe. Along the way, they share real stories, practical tips, and introduce some very special guests in order to bring them greater context to their new lives.

Whether you live or plan to live as an expat in Poland or elsewhere, want to improve your English or Polish, or are just curious how two foreigners survive everyday life in an alien environment, welcome to the adventure!

New episodes every Monday.

2026 Peter MacLeod / John Nett
Language Learning Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Stand Up, Pole-ish
    19 Oct 2026

    Brazilian comedian Miguel Ferreira joins Peter and John to explain why he swapped the Swiss Alps for Warsaw, how a T-shirt declaring his love for Poland caused an unexpected cultural misunderstanding, and how comedy brings Poles and expats together.

    Plus: Poland’s bottle-return bonanza, the scientist behind a breakthrough in modern electronics, the questionable delights of pig’s trotters in jelly, a Nobel Prize quiz, and Peter’s painfully French musical forfeit.

    Polish chaos, cultural comedy and plenty of nonsense. We’re Pole-ish - we’re not Polish, but we’re getting there!

    --

    Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

    Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

    Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

    Kaucia: https://www.gov.pl/web/climate/deposit-refund-system-in-poland

    Czochralski Method: https://janczochralski.com/en/method/

    Impact Warsaw: www.impactwarsaw.com

    Genesis – Me & Virgil (not currently on Spotify): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taXXvJkU9U0

    Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 8 min
  • Man Up, Pole-ish
    5 Oct 2026

    This week on Pole-ish, Peter and John are joined by British expat Mark Cameron, who tells us why he fell in love with Gdańsk, what keeps him in Poland, and why he believes making friends is easy enough but making real connections can be much harder.

    After experiencing depression himself, Mark set up Man Up Polska, a peer-to-peer support group for English-speaking men in Poland. We talk openly about loneliness, masculinity, working from home, moving countries and the importance of simply having somebody you can talk to. Mark explains that one of the biggest issues he sees among the men joining his group is the loss of genuine human connection.

    But don't worry - this is still Pole-ish, so there's plenty of lighter stuff too. Mark reveals his favourite place in Poland, his frustration with Polish customer service, and his love of Polish craft beer. We also discuss Polish football, learning the language, British food cravings, and the many joys of living on the Baltic coast.

    Plus, John tackles our brand-new quiz, We Put Poland in Order.

    And, yes, there's plenty of arguing.

    --

    Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

    Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

    Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

    Solec-Zdrój: https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solec-Zdr%C3%B3j

    Man Up Polska: https://manuppolska.com/

    The Riverboat Song – Ocean Colour Scene: https://open.spotify.com/track/6Ykk0PRL8VMQb6h13CxH31?si=0eb004e66c4a4e23

    Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 7 min
  • Pole-ish Foodies
    28 Sep 2026

    Polish food is having a moment - and who better to talk about it than Karolina Klesta, founder of Polish Foodies?

    Karolina joins Peter and John to talk about her journey from travelling the world to returning to Poland, and how a love of Polish food turned into a global online community and a collection of 10 cookbooks.

    We get stuck into the big questions: why Polish food is still misunderstood abroad, whether traditional Polish cuisine really is all about meat, the secrets of a proper bigos, the joys of Polish sourdough bread, and why you should never EVER put ketchup on pierogi.

    Karolina also reveals her favourite place in Poland, her favourite Polish food, and the song she wants to add to the Pole-ish playlist.

    Plus - Peter gets angry about the plural of pierogi, our 3 in 10 quiz is officially retired after an outright winner is declared, and we discover that Poland has a national bird imitation championship.

    Come hungry.

    Guest: Karolina Klesta, Polish Foodies

    --

    Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

    Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

    Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

    Polish Foodies: www.polishfoodies.com

    ShataQS – Wilczyca: https://open.spotify.com/track/06tDKUcLlu7lYq9ey8Dlvi?si=41c99e3eefda4444

    Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 10 min
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