After almost fifteen years of living in Poland, David Toft met our students from Zabierzów to talk about his thoughts concerning Poland and America. The students from all three grades attended the meeting on the 15th of October and willingly asked different kinds of questions.

How did you end up in Poland?

I met a nice young lady in Germany and I followed her to Poland. It was love.

What did you know about Poland before moving here?

Nothing. I didn't know anything like dzień dobry or dziękuję. I knew there was Warsaw, John Paul II, Lech Wałęsa and that's it.

What language do you speak at home?

I speak a mixture of polish and English. One part of the sentence is Polish and the other one is English.

How often do you go to the States?

Every year, so that my children can meet with their cousins and grandparents.

What are typical holiday destinations in the US?

There is Disneyland, Grand Canyon and National Parks for example Yellowstone National Park which I visited this past summer.

Do you like our Polish mountains?

Yes, they are quite nice, but my mountains are a little bit higher. The city I lived in is 2000 m above sea level. My favorite city in America is Denver – Colorado. It's close to the mountains so you can go skiing and hiking.

What is life in America like?

It's good. In the States people are more delighted to take action. When there is a problem they do something, more than Europeans who usually complain and take their time to do anything.

Do you like Polish food?

Yes, especially Polish soup. We don't have such good soups in the US. People don't make good soups at home any more.

What do you think of the Polish school system?

My children are also in the Polish school system so I know a little bit about it. In my opinion a good thing would be to have more emphasis on practise and less emphasis on tests. Not so many tests – more practical experience.