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.

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Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

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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

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

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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

Meet Lee Taylor, an Englishman who moved to Poland, couldn't speak the language nor understand what's going on, and initially followed his Polish wife around like a “little lost dog”?

Today, Lee is the man behind ‘Lee Learns Polish’, the channel that documents his experiences, misunderstandings and attempts to master Polish and is now a hugely popular social-media brand.

Lee tells us how a seemingly spontaneous decision to move to Poland came about, how arriving in a new country left him feeling that he'd lost his identity, why learning Polish became so important, and why Polish people insisting on speaking English to him isn't always helpful!

We uncover his somewhat embarrassing geographical revelation about Poland, his love of the Baltic coast and Gdańsk, his thoughts on Polish bureaucracy (spoiler alert – he’s not a fan!) and the Polish habits he has gradually adopted, including the refusal to throw anything away.

And, naturally, we get into food. Lee explains why he thinks Polish cuisine is seriously underrated, reveals his love of żurek, pierogi and gołąbki, and admits that he's even started cooking Polish food for his friends.

Plus, Peter brings back some Greek inspiration from Corfu, John and Peter battle over their latest 3 in 10, and Lee reveals the song that has a very special place in his heart.

So climb aboard the wesoły autobus and enjoy the ride.

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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.

Corfiot Folk Music/Dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=For3dbbP5A4

Polish Round Table (Okrągły Stół): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Round_Table_Agreement

Kraków Folk Art Fair: https://imagokrakow.pl/

‘Lee Learns Polish’: https://www.youtube.com/@leelearnspolish

Lee’s coaching community: https://www.skool.com/the-standout-solopreneur/about

James Blunt – Bonfire Heart: https://open.spotify.com/track/1D7c4uelZgxBx5r5BoD4do?si=984a63fee2494fd1

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

What happens when an American musician working on a cruise ship falls in love with a Polish woman and finds himself unexpectedly moving to a country he knew almost nothing about? Our guest, Tony Lombardo, says he crash-landed in Poland, and his story is quite the ride.

Tony joins us to talk about making a life in Poland, learning Polish the hard way, the joys and frustrations of Polish bureaucracy (obvs), cultural misunderstandings, making friends as an adult, and why resilience matters when you're an expat. He also tells us about his life as a musician, wedding saxophonist and content creator, and why he thinks Poland's safety is one of the country's greatest strengths.

Plus: Peter investigates Polish war heroes who share the same name, John gets a distinctly Polish education in girls' names, we discover the medicinal properties of raw kogel-mogel, and we calculate exactly how long it will take Pole-ish to conquer the entire human race.

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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.

Resilient Expat Living: https://resilientexpatliving.com/

Peter on Poland Today: https://youtu.be/nKAqvEo1eYs?si=XVWirDBRLfo7U6MU

TSA – Maratończyk: https://open.spotify.com/track/6NVtdbuNuxsVWyCFZsFsMV?si=8d18767bf7fd4df8

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

It's our silver anniversary! Episode 25 of Pole-ish takes us on the first stop of our grand tour of Poland - Katowice.

Our guest is Sicilian-born Marco Cillepi, who arrived in Katowice 15 years ago expecting little more than a job and a change of scenery. Instead, he built a career, a family and the Katowice Internationals Foundation .

What began as a casual Saturday kickabout involving players from a handful of countries eventually became the Katowice Internationals World Cup, now featuring 28 national teams. Marco tells us how the tournament has grown into much more than football - creating friendships, jobs, marriages and connections between people from all over the world.

We also discover how Katowice has changed since Marco arrived, why he thinks it offers a better quality of life than Poland's biggest tourist destinations, and why the openness of Polish people is one of the things he loves most about the country.

Elsewhere, we celebrate our anniversary with some Polish silver facts, meet the legendary Art Deco artist Tamara Łempicka, debate the delights - and crimes against humanity - of Polish food, and discover that Poland really does have a vending machine for almost everything. Including injured birds and, naturally, pierogi.

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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.

Katowice Internationals Foundation: https://www.katowiceinternationals.org

Tamara Łempicka: www.tamaradelempicka.org

Big City Life – Mattafix: https://open.spotify.com/track/0Stkh0VvjWMqQOWNkHVhJq?si=975a154ade384269

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

When Nigerian content creator Raphael Obi (DarkMagikCA) joined us for Episode 17, we barely scratched the surface. So we invited him back. This time, Raphael shares the stories that didn't make it into the first episode - from the challenges of finding work and learning Polish to surviving scams, online trolls and the rollercoaster of going viral.

We also talk about why Warsaw can actually make learning Polish harder, how joining local communities might be the secret to finally becoming fluent, and why he believes every interaction in Poland is potential content.

Along the way, Raphael tells us about the extraordinary moped scam that greeted him during his first month in Poland, losing thousands of dollars to fraudsters, coping with negative comments online, and why he's determined not to let setbacks define his experience of living here.

Elsewhere in the episode:

• Peter recalls an unexpected lesson from a stay in a Polish hospital
• John enjoys a summer paddleboarding adventure on Kraków's Bagry Lake
• The battle for Three in Ten continues with the most adaptable of Polish words - "proszę"

It's a funny, honest and surprisingly moving conversation about resilience, adapting to a new country, and finding opportunity even when things don't go to plan.

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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.

Follow Raphael Obi / DarkMagikCA

• Instagram: @darkmagikca
• TikTok: DarkMagikCA Live
• Linktree: DarkMagikCA Links

Bagry Beach: https://plazabagry.pl/

Proszę: https://culture.pl/en/article/prosze-poland-word-by-word

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

This week we're joined by Ged Nichols, founder of Planet Kraków, one of the fastest-growing online communities dedicated to helping visitors discover the very best of Poland's former royal capital.

Originally from Sunderland via Los Angeles, Ged tells us how a pandemic lockdown, a leap of faith, and a move to Kraków led him to create a platform that's now inspiring thousands of tourists and expats to look beyond the obvious attractions.

We chat about hidden gems in Kraków, why Nowa Huta deserves far more attention, day trips to Zakopane and the Tri-City, the best place to grab a proper zapiekanka, and why Ged thinks Poland's greatest asset isn't its castles or cuisine... it's the feeling of safety.

Elsewhere, Peter returns from a birthday trip to the UK with an embarrassing Polish-language story, John tackles a gruelling 42,000-step hike in the Tatra Mountains before soaking in Bukovina's thermal baths, and the pair continue their increasingly chaotic 3 in 10 quiz battle with a geography challenge that neither of them covers themselves in glory over.

Whether you're planning your first visit to Poland, already call it home, or simply enjoy hearing two expats (and this week's guest) celebrate everything that makes the country special, there's plenty to enjoy in Episode 23.

As always, we'd love to hear your own recommendations, hidden gems and travel tips. Do get in touch, and if you're enjoying Pole-ish, please subscribe, leave us a review and tell a friend!

Planet Kraków: https://www.youtube.com/@planetkrakow

Magillo Restaurant: https://magillo.pl/

Endzior (‘best zapiekanka in Kraków’) – via Google Maps - https://maps.app.goo.gl/CSgjYw8X1tQUuwuh6

Golonkarnia (‘best golonka in Kraków’) – via Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nW69gcAjz5joV4ce8

Feniks Nightclub: https://feniksklub.com/

USMNT ‘We love it!’ chant: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V3Iq5DaZ18Q

Bal u Rafała – Ralph Kaminski: https://open.spotify.com/track/3uIYWYJzh4qKfpExCF05oS?si=84bdb91e09044eac

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

It's a Kraków Special on Pole-ish as we welcome David McGirr - Scottish photographer, founder of Kraków Expats Directory, creator of Kraków TV, and one of the city's official Ambassadors of Multiculturalism.

David explains what first drew him to Kraków, why he chose to stay, and how he's helped thousands of newcomers discover the city. We talk hidden gems, favourite neighbourhoods, expat life, learning Polish, British tourists, Kraków's thriving food scene, the city's unique blend of history and modernity – and how his friends came to give him THAT nickname!

Plus, Peter and John explore some of Kraków's best-loved legends, from the mysterious knife hanging in the Sukiennice to Pan Twardowski, and put John's local knowledge to the test in another round of 3 in 10.

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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.

The Legend of Pan Twardowsky: https://culture.pl/en/article/pan-twardowski-the-first-pole-on-the-moon

Kraków Expats Directory: https://krakowexpats.pl/

Kraków ‘sine’ bridge: https://www.architekturaibiznes.pl/en/kladka-ludwinow-kazimierz-dzieli,34665.html

Kraków TV: https://www.youtube.com/@KrakowTV

Otwarty Krakow: https://otwarty.krakow.pl/

Kraków Celtic Festival: https://krakowcelticfestival.pl/

Kraków Photo Tours: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274772-d9786466-Reviews-Krakow_Photo_Tours-Krakow_Lesser_Poland_Province_Southern_Poland.html

Polish Celtic Association: https://www.polishcelticassociation.org/#/en

Mad dog (wściekły pies): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C5%9Bciek%C5%82y_pies

Caledonia – Dougie McLean (lyrics): https://genius.com/Dougie-maclean-caledonia-lyrics

Caledonia – Dougie McLean (song): https://open.spotify.com/track/7jEVW8o2CIfdgziEJXnii8?si=50681d767dfe4dd3

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