I.

Most of Polish immigrants in the UK feel at home when they have their family there. It is because home is not just a place but people who we are with. Some immigrants get homesick. They miss their friends, their family or a place where they grew up and they feel lonely. When they start new life, get married and have children, they make the place where they live their new home. If immigrants decide to stay in a different country only for several months just to earn money, they do not try hard and do not feel at home. If people plan to stay there for few years, they do their best to feel good and thanks to that they feel at home. Usually immigrants decide whether they want to feel at home or not. Sometimes it may be hard when climate, food and lifestyles are very different, but in case of Polish people in the UK it is possible to feel at home.

When Polish people don’t know the language of a country they migrate to, they have friends only among Poles. When they know the language, they do not only have Polish friends, but also foreign ones, because they can communicate with each other. Poles always have Polish friends when they move abroad while number of international friends depends on language skills of the immigrants.

Majority of people do not care about other cultures and are not really interested in Polish customs and traditions. Sometimes people may be curious and try to get to know more about the immigrants who live in their country. As many Polish immigrants do not speak English very well, they do not socialise with other people who do not have a chance to learn more about Polish culture.

Language barrier, similar traditions and same culture are what keeps the Poles together. Other immigrants also feel very comfortable with people of same nationality for example Chinese people living in Chinatown.

II.

Thanks to my Chechenyan friend I know about the situation in his country at the moment and why his family had to move to Poland. My Colombian teacher Dayan taught me Latin American Spanish and presented Colombian customs and traditional dishes for example Bandeja paisa and customs.

Gabrysia, 14