As told by one of EVS Translations UK Project Managers
When asked this question, I had to genuinely ponder as there was not a single thing that popped into my mind instantly… Well, apart from the obvious such as friends and family…but this is so banal and I am sure every person living abroad can say the same and, as it is not very specific to my native country, I would not even count this in.
Since 2004, there has been an influx of Polish people coming to the UK, and they brought their culture and habits with them. There are Polish bars and restaurants, Polish groceries, Polish bakeries, Polish churches, Polish community centres, Polish hairdressers and beauty salons… When I walk around, I can always hear somebody speaking Polish. My English partner jokes that the UK has been transformed into a small Poland. How could I miss Poland then when it seems that my home country is within easy reach?
Well, there are certain things that cannot be easily replicated. Let’s start with the basics. Even though Polish food is widely available in almost every supermarket, I miss my mum’s pancakes and my grandma’s doughnuts. Let me describe you Polish pancakes first as whoever invented them, in my opinion, must be a culinary genius. Made of flour, eggs, milk and water with a filling of curd cheese (Polish twaróg), they are absolutely divine… and of course, my mum’s are the best. But let’s not forget about Polish doughnuts. They are big, with a jam filling and sprinkled with icing sugar. These are my grandma’s speciality and whenever I am in Poland on a visit, I always beg her to make me some.
I miss going to the marketplace during the summer and buying Polish strawberries and cherries, which are very cheap there, unlike in the UK. I usually lounge in the sun with a book and devour them in excessively large quantities!
This actually brings me to another thing, which is Polish sunny and hot summer… and of course the Polish seaside during summer holiday season. I miss this specific atmosphere of Polish sea resorts with crowds of people sun bathing, trying to get their portion of fried fresh fish for dinner or indulging in ice cream.
It is not only summer in Poland, which gives me fond memories, it is also a proper cold and frosty winter with its Christmas time, especially with a proper family gathering on Christmas Eve evening. What is so special about this? Well, a feast consisting of twelve dishes. They mainly consist of fish as we do not eat meat on the day prior to which we share the Christmas wafer with our nearest and dearest, wishing each other Merry Christmas. It is so tasty, warm and full of love – a great experience.
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