As a teacher of English as a Foreign Language I was immediately aware of Jerzy's limitations with English and normal conversation was not always successful. Jerzy did as any language beginner does - he pretended to understand our English when he did not understand at all. When we spoke to him, we would ask if he understood and he would nod reassuringly and say "Yes". It did not take long for events to show that he had obviously not understood us. For all this, his understanding of personal space was different and he did not seem to be aware of the effect of the British reserve and politeness of the other housemates. Jerzy was a man and as such seemed to indicate that he believed his word should be law. As the owner of the house and as a woman, this did not go down very well with me.
When things came to a head, as the owner of the house, I started to make demands. I stipulated that if Jerzy was to stay, he would have to learn better English and he would have to adopt English ways. Jerzy was obviously happy to stay in my house and immediately agreed to do both although I was not entirely convinced that he fully understood just what these two conditions entailed.
I set up free English lesson for him on a weekly basis. We worked through a grammar book that gave him relatively easy exercises to practise better English. He learnt about using "a" or "the" before nouns, he practised saying "th", a completely new sound for him, and he learnt about word order. I instructed him, that if he did as the English do, he would not take these lessons for granted and would do something in return. We settled for him doing one hour's gardening a week in return - a job that I suspect he thoroughly enjoyed.
To my horror, I realized that although he had learnt better English, when he spoke to us on a day-to-day basis, his English had made no improvement at all. He was not putting into practice what he had learnt. He was thus instructed to continue having English lessons, but with someone else and that he should use the English he learns. A previous lodger knew Jerzy well and Jerzy visited him from time to time. Under pressure to find an English teacher, Jerzy was able to persuade his friend to take on the task and Jerzy goes to his house weekly. Things have improved and he is now a well-liked member of the household, although his English is not always perfect and he is still essentially Polish in his tastes and manner but his willingness to try has made it possible for him to blend in the household without losing his identity.
Ania, another polish migrant is a different kettle of fish. She has already taken a big step to integrate into British society by marrying British-born Ralph Holland. She decided immediately to blend in and lives with Ralph in his pub which is a testament to their cultural conciliation. The pub is called "The Zebra", an unusual name in a city that boasts the charm and historical tradition known worldwide. Very few people can claim ignorance about Cambridge University, King's College Chapel, or lazy days in summer punting on the river Cam. Cambridge of all cities can claim to be one of the most quintessentially English of cities.
With customary British eccentricity, the Zebra is named not after the animal resident in far flung countries, but after the pedestrian crossing the lies just outside the pub. Pedestrians walk across white stripes painted on the road. This type of pedestrian crossing is known as a "zebra crossing" and hence the name of the pub.
I joined a group of keen Scrabble players and we booked a morning at their pub. The fire lit, we were plied with coffees and drinks while we played Scrabble until lunch. Ralph looked after the drinks, while Ania cooked the food. The couple offered a true blending of the cultures, with a menu of British and Polish food. All the food was cooked from local produce in and around Cambridge and the dishes were authentic recipes from Ania's homeland, Poland. The menu list offered translation from English to Polish and include hints on how the Polish should be pronounced - How else would we know to pronounce Golabki as gowompki? We were offered a choice of dishes ranging from Home Made Roasted Pyzy (Potato and Cheese Pasta) to Home Made Golonka (Ale Roasted Pork Loin). Other dishes included Beef Stroganoff, Kopytka (Potato and Cottage Cheese Pasta), Pierogi (Past Parcels) and Bigos (Hunter's Stew with Pork and Sauerkraut). However, the menu also catered for our English tastes and the traditional Fish and Chips were on the menu too, if we wanted them. Even our varied diets were taken care of and fresh fruit salad was produced for those especially concerned with calories.
The food was different but delicious. Herbs seemed to be the most effective for giving a special Polish taste. What made the mean special however, was not so much the excellent service and cooking but the delight Ania showed in sharing with us her Polish traditions. Our Scrabble party took place a few weeks before Easter, so without a touch of embarrassment, Ania brought out a large round cane basket. In the base of the basket were some seeds. These, she told us, are dampened and the wheat grows in time to provide a green base for the Easter eggs at Easter. My immediate thought was that I wished I had though of that when my daughters were younger. They would have loved to watch the wheat grow as they waited for Easter.
Ania's example is one of many, so, with such enterprise, perhaps British and Polish cultures will not remain "Poles apart" for long. More important than this, cultural integration is an intangible notion that can rarely be fully defined or experienced, but the juxtaposition of different personalities, one element of which is cultural background and the way in which such personalities interact and associate successfully is the way forward for any society, be it Polish people or indeed any people living in Canada, the UK or anywhere in the world other than their own home country.
