You're Not in Poland Anymore!

So this post sort of relates back to my Everyone Speaks English post last month. Only that was about how everyone around me, well, speaks English. This is about how I seem to speak Polish. Now, I'll admit, I don't actually speak Polish, but after six years I've of course had to memorize some basic words and key frases. And it's become so much of a reflex for me to use them...well, let's just say I've been getting some looks along the lines of "Well there's a Crazy".

Here's a replay of a typical Polish-speaking situation that I got myself into yesterday: Ok, so I walk up to a McDonalds, and since really I've only been to Polish McDonalds' I've of course memorized my order in Polish. So I walk up there, not bothering to look at menu (which was ofcourse English and what should have tipped me off) and I say very smoothly (and forgive me, any Polish speakers who read this, I don't actually know how to spell these words): "Moła frytki i szec McNugget prosze." ... Then I'm like, "Oh wait, darn it, not again." At this point is generally when I get "The Look". So I start stuttering about how I'm used to speaking Polish, and that I forget I'm in America now (Yeah, real smooth Anna, real smooth). Then I hear customers behind me clearing thier throats, and then I duck my head and mutter my English order.

I've lost count of how many times I've bumped into someone and said "Pszeprasam" (Excuse me) or when someone has held the door open for me I've said "Dzienkuje" (Thank you). Or I've held open the door and said "Prosze".

You know, you'd think that it wouldn't be that difficult to get rid of all those automatic reflexes, but, six years is a long time. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes me that long to get over them. But until then I'm going to get a lot more "The Look"s. I guess its too bad I don't live in Chicago.