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Pole-ish

Pole-ish

Written by: Peter MacLeod / John Nett
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About this listen

Two expats. Two cities. Two perspectives.

Peter, a Brit living in Warsaw, and John, an American based in Kraków, dive into the hilarious, always confusing and often eye-opening reality of building a new life in a foreign country.

From navigating Polish bureaucracy, learning a new language, dating, renting, and understanding cultural differences, to deeper conversations about immigration, integration, politics and money... no topic is off-limits.

Using humour (humor!), honesty and a healthy dose of self-deprecation, they compare British and American viewpoints as they try to make sense of modern life in Central Europe. Along the way, they share real stories, practical tips, and introduce some very special guests in order to bring them greater context to their new lives.

Whether you live or plan to live as an expat in Poland or elsewhere, want to improve your English or Polish, or are just curious how two foreigners survive everyday life in an alien environment, welcome to the adventure!

New episodes every Monday.

2025 Peter MacLeod / John Nett
Foreign Language Audiobooks Social Sciences
Episodes
  • T*ts – Slow Down!
    May 4 2026

    This week on Pole-ish, Peter and John welcome Oleg Tyshchenko, a Ukrainian developer behind Polish Heritage: Quiz Explorer - an app designed to help people discover Poland through quizzes, recipes, history and culture.

    Along the way, we get into Polish vs Ukrainian borscht, the truth about pierogi ruskie, why philosophy still matters in tech, and how Polish heritage can survive across borders and generations.

    Plus: ChatGPT takes our Five Big Questions, John talks Kraków Marathon dinosaurs, and Peter finds perhaps the least subtle bit of graffiti in Warsaw and is embarrassed about how “naughty” it is.

    Come for the culture. Stay for the smalec.

    --

    Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

    Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

    Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

    Bubble Boy (trailer): https://youtu.be/jSRU48wCphI?si=-bhbfkLaFwWcLYpF

    Oleg’s Polish Heritage app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.olegtyshchenko.polishheritage&pcampaignid=web_share

    Chopin Nocturnes (Rubenstein): https://open.spotify.com/album/5Q5m22P7jIwdMSKXqhrpaN?si=4a1c092c5aec4e09

    Mery Spolsky – Miło Było Pana Poznać: https://open.spotify.com/track/72p7CkcPgKtWJjaxsAFNDZ?si=0bc35f0ce53e4477

    Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • No Means Yes
    Apr 27 2026

    This week on Pole-ish, we prove once again that you don’t need a wild night out for things to descend into mild chaos. Fresh(-ish) from a wholesome Kraków meetup, we recap an evening that featured cherry liqueur, questionable coordination, zapiekanka incidents, and - because it’s Poland in April - a surprise midnight snowfall. Rock and roll.

    There’s also a global reality check as we discover our listeners are popping up everywhere from Vietnam to Oman (still not France… awkward), plus a deep dive into the perfect hangover cure: a full English breakfast in the middle of Kraków.

    Along the way, we stumble into a hidden church, accidentally unpack a deeply disturbing Greek myth, and question some life choices.

    In this episode:

    · A surprisingly civilised “big night out” 🍻

    · Polish wines and why you should give them a chance 🍷

    · The unpredictable reactions to speaking Polish as a foreigner 🗣️

    · The return of 3 in 10 (with Ipswich under pressure) ⏱️

    · Oscypek appreciation hour 🧀

    · And why the Polish word “no” absolutely does not mean what you think it means 🤦‍♂️

    We wrap up with a nod to Majówka and Poland’s triple celebration season - so if you’re listening with a beer in hand, you’re doing it right.

    As always, we’re not Polish… We’re Pole-ish.

    --

    Read our blog: www.pole-ish.eu

    Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

    Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

    Cherry Liqueur bar: https://pianavyshnia.com/

    Scandale Royale: https://scandale.pl/

    Pasaż 13: https://www.myguidekrakow.com/shopping/pasaz-13

    Legend of Procne: https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/procne.html

    Hoopoe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoopoe#

    Polska Rada Winiarswa (Polish Wine Council): https://zpprw.pl/en/#

    British 'champagne': https://tinyurl.com/ycd8zj64

    Oscypek cheese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscypek

    Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • Two Mates, Three Beers, No Plan…
    Apr 20 2026

    Our two Pole-ish buddies finally record an episode in the same room. In this very special (and somewhat disorganised) episode, Peter & John record together in Kraków with no script, no plan, but absolutely no shortage of beer.

    They swap stories of Poland past and present (including propeller planes into a snowy Balice), debate why Kraków might just be the perfect-sized city, and attempt to separate fact from fiction - with mixed success - on everything from wolves to bar & café density.

    Along the way:

    • The truth about Kraków vs Warsaw
    • A near-wolf encounter in the mountains
    • Museums you should visit… and one you probably shouldn’t
    • The legend of the Hejnał trumpet
    • A fridge inspection that gets surprisingly emotional
    • And a competitive “3 in 10” that tests John’s home knowledge

    It’s messy, it’s meandering, and it’s probably our most Pole-ish episode yet. Na zdrowie 🍺

    PS Sorry for the dodgy sound quality in places – we’re still quite new to the game, and clearly haven’t mastered how to share a microphone. Normal service will be resumed next week.

    --

    Read our blog: www.Pole-ish.eu

    Write to us: peter@pole-ish.eu

    Follow our socials: search for ‘Pole-ish Podcast’ on BlueSky, Xwitter, YouTube and Facebook.

    Hejnał: https://mariacki.com/hejnal/

    Rynek Underground Museum: https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/en/branches/rynek-underground

    Kraków Stained Glass Museum: https://muzeumwitrazu.pl/

    Kraków Wax Museum: https://www.poloniawaxmuseum.com/

    Grey Wolf: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf

    Pole-ish Guest Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68kYaLG4XYgcjRdSjzzgcW?si=de7065757241400c

    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
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