Where ‘you from?

Whenever I’m asked such a question, I have to think for a moment. What would be appropriate? Outside New York I’m from New York. In New York – from Poland. In Poland – from Warsaw. All of the answers make people look down their nose. Back in Poland, people don’t like us, “Warsovians” (Warsowers?) ‘cause apparently we’re snutty, patronizing, arrogant and not very honest. There was this famous tale about a guy form the ‘hood who apparently sold the Poniatowski Bridge to a poor provincial guy. Put it this way: I was born in Warsaw, my dad was born there, my grandma grew up there, and they weren’t like that. I had lots of friends, native Warsovians – none of the above applied to them. I’m not like that (or am I? One can’t be too sure these days); in college I had friends that were born in Warsaw – they were the nicest people you could meet. So – where is the stereotype coming from? Especially that there aren’t so many “true” Warsovians living there anymore. It’s the outsiders that ruin our reputation (I write “our”, but am not so sure if I can be still called Warsovian – although, as C. told me yesterday – “You can move a boy from Kansas, but you can’t move Kansas from a boy”), it’s suburbia moving to Warsaw, trying to act up and be successful no matter what. And, last but not least, our soccer fans. If you go to Lodz (there's a long history of competing between Widzew Lodz and Legia Warszawa) or Cracow, you better shut up when they ask you where you're from – or else you could be beaten up. I lived in Warsaw for 28 years, went to school there, had my first job there, first kiss (the Old Town – surroundings were nice, kiss – not so much), and then everything started to be the same. I started to choke. So I left. Came to New York. And what do I find here? Same shit. Whenever I meet a Pole living in Greenpoint, Ridgewood or Maspeth, they look down on me ‘cause I’m from Warsaw. Could not believe it! Even here, I’m called “Warszawka” (sarcastic way of describing Warsaw’s beau monde, the so-called “elite”).

Native New Yorkers are being patronized, too. Outside NY and in their own city. They’re being pushed over by the newcomers (and the GOP conventions). They have bad reputation (snobbish, arrogant, tough guys, smart asses, thinking how to rip you off) they – supposedly – aren’t very friendly. Two cities, two parts of the world. So different yet so similar.
I want to write about those two cities. Now I know why I chose New York to live. Cause it’s like Warsaw, in many ways; only bigger and better.

To be continued