cFaniak, do you mean odd as in rare, or are you asking if the stereotypes of Poles indicate odd things?
I used to do some world discussion and international community type stuff here in Houston, which I enjoyed, although having an abusive stalking ex in the same community kind of turned me off to it, for obvious reasons. But one of the coolest chances I got through it was to be part of a smallish (about two hundred folks) Q and A session with Lech Walesa.
I got the idea through my participation in those groups and that community that the stereotype of Poles is almost like what I think of for Southern US Americans, minus the history of slavery and civil rights problems (or at least, I'm not familiar enough with Polish minority groups, though I know they exist, to know the history there). It kind of makes sense though, I can see pre WWII class divisions in Poland being very similar to the class divisions among whites in the Old, and regrettably sometimes still, the New South too.
Argumentative, in a philosophical way. Like to debate and discuss a lot. Really don't like government, almost to point where it's inhibitive rather than freeing. Brash, bold, big (physically too) people, who do everything in a big way. Sometimes defensive, and fond of bragging. Passionate to the extreme about their heritage (though that could be said of almost anyone), and just big on individual freedom. Also, real scrappy about making things work, no matter how bad the materials or the situation at hand is. All big Roman Catholics who adore the lately deceased Pope. Also they eat lots of sausage and drink like fish, and have really long parties for religious ceremonial events.
That's my take anyway. I'm Polish-American, among many other things, but more that than anything else. My surname makes it obvious, and generally, I grew up in an Amer-Slavic culture (Grandfather was all Polack, first gen born here, Grandmother was Czech-German, also a first generation US American). Polacks have a whole different stereotype for those of that descent here as opposed to actual Poles in Poland, but it doesn't matter that much now, as white ethnic groups and the prejudices against them have given way to bigotry towards more physically identifiable minorities over the years.
HTH!
I used to do some world discussion and international community type stuff here in Houston, which I enjoyed, although having an abusive stalking ex in the same community kind of turned me off to it, for obvious reasons. But one of the coolest chances I got through it was to be part of a smallish (about two hundred folks) Q and A session with Lech Walesa.
I got the idea through my participation in those groups and that community that the stereotype of Poles is almost like what I think of for Southern US Americans, minus the history of slavery and civil rights problems (or at least, I'm not familiar enough with Polish minority groups, though I know they exist, to know the history there). It kind of makes sense though, I can see pre WWII class divisions in Poland being very similar to the class divisions among whites in the Old, and regrettably sometimes still, the New South too.
Argumentative, in a philosophical way. Like to debate and discuss a lot. Really don't like government, almost to point where it's inhibitive rather than freeing. Brash, bold, big (physically too) people, who do everything in a big way. Sometimes defensive, and fond of bragging. Passionate to the extreme about their heritage (though that could be said of almost anyone), and just big on individual freedom. Also, real scrappy about making things work, no matter how bad the materials or the situation at hand is. All big Roman Catholics who adore the lately deceased Pope. Also they eat lots of sausage and drink like fish, and have really long parties for religious ceremonial events.
That's my take anyway. I'm Polish-American, among many other things, but more that than anything else. My surname makes it obvious, and generally, I grew up in an Amer-Slavic culture (Grandfather was all Polack, first gen born here, Grandmother was Czech-German, also a first generation US American). Polacks have a whole different stereotype for those of that descent here as opposed to actual Poles in Poland, but it doesn't matter that much now, as white ethnic groups and the prejudices against them have given way to bigotry towards more physically identifiable minorities over the years.
HTH!
to tell you that some of it is true, but only as long as the german peopel are at the baltic sea, the moment they go different countries they change... 
