The search

C&A and McDonalds

I can't count the number of times I've heard the words 'when Poland was a real country.'  Sean studied in Czestohowa for a year in 2001, before Poland was infiltrated by tourists and globalisation.  Apparently things have changed!  In the 3 weeks I've been in Torun, I've ate in a cafe owned by an American guy, found the local Indian, been shown the English speaking travel agents and met scores of English folk.  Not only that, but even when I use my (somewhat limited) Polish on an unsuspecting taxi driver, shop worker or passer-by, the response invariably comes in English.  Torun is a very progressive place, and from what I've seen much of Poland is too; it's fantastic, but it's always a shame to see a country's ways and traditions erode under the influence of globalisation.  I thought living in Poland would be quite a challenge, but after just 3 weeks in I've settled into a very comfortable normality.  Too easy!  Real Poland certainly does still exist, I just need to find it.