Esraa comes from Egypt. She works as an engineer in the automotive industry. She’s been living in Katowice since 2024 and, from the very beginning, has been renting an apartment with Wellcome Home. We’re talking about her beginnings in Katowice, cultural differences and misunderstandings, and we learn exciting things about Egypt you probably didn’t know!

When I came to Poland, everything became slow. […] I became quieter, more peaceful.

Edyta:. The first question may seem really simple, but it’s not. Why Poland? How did you end up in Katowice? 

Esraa: To be honest, it wasn’t my plan to come to Poland. I had planned to go to Germany, and I had even studied some German. I’m working as an embedded software engineer in the automotive sector. I was looking around and watching the economy, and I realized the automotive industry isn’t very stable in Germany or France right now.

Surprisingly, I saw new opportunities opening in Poland. I had worked with Polish people in my previous company. They were very nice, a little bit direct, but I enjoyed working with them. When the opportunity came, I did some research and thought, “Why not give it a try?”

How long have you been in Poland and Katowice already? 

I arrived in April 2024. One week later, I rented an apartment with your company [Wellcome Home], and that was my good luck!

Thank you. Perfect match here in Katowice, right?

Yeah, exactly. 

Apart from your experience of working with Poles, did you know anything about Poland before? What were your expectations before, and how did reality compare after moving to Poland?

I decided not to set expectations. I used to do that and always saw the complete opposite. So I just decided not to set any expectations and just explore it. You always hear a lot of things: some people warn you, some people give recommendations. So you never really know.

When I arrived, not everyone was nice, but what surprised me were places you would never expect, like the open grocery market in front of my apartment. People there don’t speak English, but they even tried to teach me how to buy groceries, and the names of things in Polish.

So, what did you learn? 

I learned bakłażany [eggplants], pomidory [tomatoes], jajko [egg], and I can count: jeden, dwa, cztery [1, 2, 4]. Trzy [3] I cannot pronounce very well, but it’s understandable to the lady at the grocery market. And I know pęczek [bunch].

At the beginning, we were using sign language: I pointed at something and just counted on my hands. With time, they noticed my progress, and they were proud. They started saying some Polish words which I didn’t understand, only guessing from their body language.

I remember one situation: the man was giving me the pomidory and other stuff, and he suddenly realized that I had done my order without Google Translate. He said, “Oh my God, no Translate! Such a success.” He clapped for me. I was a little bit shy, but it was such a good experience. Another time, I ordered pęczek pietruszki [a bunch of parsley]. The man called his wife and asked me to say it again. They were so proud.

Have you attended any Polish course, or was it just learning from real life?

Being here alone doesn’t give me a lot of motivation, because I’m not forced to speak the language. Sometimes that causes a problem. Once, a woman was saying something to me. I just said “Thank you”, but then I realized she wasn’t being polite… That wasn’t a good experience, but it made me a little cautious about getting involved in places that I don’t know. 

And in general, can you say your experiences in Poland are rather positive or negative? 

Both. But the overall experience would be 60% or 70% positive. And it’s not because of anything people do, but because of differences between cultures, food, weather, and mindset.

Is this your first experience abroad? Did you live in another country before Poland? 

I visited the USA before, but not for a long period like this. It was a shock moving from Cairo to Katowice. It might be different in Cracow or Warsaw, maybe, because they are bigger cities and there’s a lot of noise around. Katowice is so quiet, I could not even sleep!

Was it really such a difference?

Yes. I’m not used to that. Cairo stays awake till 4–5 a.m., or even longer. Then, in the morning, people going to work wake you up. The street is never empty. Especially on occasions like Ramadan or other religious festivals. There is always a crowd celebrating, chatting, and selling something.  It was the biggest difference between our culture and the way of living. In Egypt, people spend most of their time at work. Their life is tied to work. Shops that never close before midnight, because people working during the day want to get their things at night.

And how big is Cairo? So we can have an image. 

That’s crazy. I used to live outside the capital before Cairo, and we were like 13 million people or something. But in Cairo, we’re over 23 million. So even Cracow or Warsaw don’t compare. That’s why I like the flat and the area I live in Katowice. You can feel that the city around you is alive. There are trams, buses, people singing, and going out from the nightclub.

Wow. That’s something we usually complain about, and you enjoy it! And what is your everyday life now? Has your routine changed?

Completely! I used to be a nervous person. And with the stress at work, I was always in a rush, and everything was pretty fast. When I came to Poland, everything became slow, quiet. Here, people value only eight hours of work. They respect that we have life after work, not life at work. I’m not used to that.

And they go out a lot in the summer. I didn’t understand that until I experienced the winter. I’ve had a colleague at work, and she has been going out every time there’s been sunny weather. It was more like: “Why should we go out when there is sun? I have something else to do. I would like to study, stay at home.” And then December came…

And you understood. 

Yes, then I understood. Everything was cold and dark. And suddenly, the day ended at 3 p.m. I was wondering, “What’s going on?” So that affected my personality as well. I became quieter, more peaceful. I was able to get over some of my anger issues. Quiet surroundings helped me as well. You guys never get angry, and cars on the street never beep. It’s completely different from my place.

Believe me, we can get angry and noisy, too. 

But for me, there’s balance. It’s like a little bit of everything that you want to find.

Let’s go back to your first winter experience. How was it? 

That was funny, because I had a call with my family, and they noticed my face had become fluffy and red. It was snowing before, and I wanted to spend time outside, feel the snow on my face, on my hands. I was really happy, but I ended up in the hospital.

Really? 

Yeah. My body wasn’t used to that. It was minus 7 degrees, and I was wearing a jacket for minus 30 degrees. But anyway, the snow irritated my face and my bare hands. When I got back home, I tried to heal myself by cooking some traditional Egyptian food, and I took a cold shower, but it made things worse. When I went to the hospital, they were laughing, and they asked me, “Is it your first winter in Poland?” I just got some paracetamol.

You have already experienced all the Polish seasons. Which one is your favorite?

I love November. You don’t wear very heavy clothes, but you have the rain, like in movies. I dreamed of visiting Europe and feeling that vibe from the movies I watched. I wanted to see it myself. I wanted to experience how people live, if they are like what we imagine. 

In the US, I saw many people begging for money to buy drugs. I don’t see it here. I feel safe. No one comments on my skin color or hair, which doesn’t make me feel like I’m a foreigner, of religion X, coming from a Middle Eastern country.


I’m happy to hear that. We, Poles, tend to be very hard on ourselves. But every time I speak to a foreigner, they say they feel safe and at home in Poland.

Yes, here in Poland, I feel I can be my true self. I know people keep repeating stereotypes, especially on social media. Sometimes someone doesn’t want to speak to you, but it’s because they just feel ashamed of their English. When I started to learn a little Polish, people became more comfortable communicating with me.

Yes, speaking some Polish words breaks down many barriers. That definitely helps you get your groceries at Miarki Square, but how about building relationships? Do you have Polish friends?

The reason I don’t have Polish friends is because of cultural differences. It can cause a lot of misunderstandings. In Egypt, we are very friendly. We visit each other a lot, we buy gifts, and we give food. So sometimes Polish people may feel like you don’t give them enough space. Because of these differences, it’s difficult to have long-term relationships. I’m not sure how to deal with it, how I should communicate. I’m afraid to say a word that has another meaning in English.



I guess we may also be confused and ashamed to say something for exactly the same reason you do. It’s about being fully honest. But it’s difficult, like any serious relationship.

That’s why I’m trying to give a safe space for the people I meet. I say, “Tell me if I did something and you felt annoyed. Over time, I will learn. Treat me like an AI model.” I once told my fiancé that after coming to Poland, I’d like to be like fries – a side dish for everything for a while, until I got to know the culture and the people. And then I would guide them through my culture.

And how about different nationalities? Is there a community of Egyptians in Katowice?

In Katowice and Cracow, too. Everywhere in Poland, there’s a big community of Egyptian people. But as I told you, since I’ve come to Poland, my personality has changed. I’m not an introvert, but I pick the people I communicate with. Maybe I was affected by Polish culture? [laughs] Most Egyptian people have families, kids. So they have different daily schedules and responsibilities.

What are the main cultural differences you have already noticed between Poles and Egyptians?

Poles are too independent, to a terrible degree. They never ask for help. Never. I don’t know why. You prefer to spend 8 hours solving an issue rather than asking for help. One Polish friend of mine mentioned the historical aspect—the need to fight for your land, and recently for your economy. Maybe that’s why you only rely on yourself.

And you care terribly about details. That’s amazing. I have a photographic memory; I catch places by seeing them. You have everything in your mind. You calculate and control all the details. You are so unique here in Poland, that’s amazing.

I love the place I live now, and I’d stay here forever. Everything is around, and the apartment is so cozy and spacious.

And is there anything you miss? I bet it’s food.

Yes, food is the only thing I miss. In Egypt, we have natural fruits and vegetables of all types. Since I’ve come to Poland, I suffer from a lack of every single vitamin. I don’t know how to explain that, but your fruits and vegetables lack vitamins or even salt. It’s just different from my place. So I lack them and need to get supplements. I used to eat a lot of peaches and mangoes in Egypt.

We don’t have local mangoes here, of course. But we have many seasonal things grown locally.

You have great land here in Poland. You can grow many things. Of course, the climate doesn’t help, so you have only one growing season every year. When I go to the grocery market, people are really proud that they sell local produce. “This one is Polish,” they always say.

I’m really curious to hear about your country, too. Most Polish people only know Egypt from all-inclusive resorts in Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada. 

People everywhere in Egypt are not different from those in Sharm el-Sheikh. They are friendly and welcome you to their homes. They want to give you everything. They want to cook you every single food and will try to feed you as much as you can.

Same here. Sounds like a Polish wedding or any other gathering!

We cherish day-to-day relationships, and we gather a lot, also with our relatives. Friday is a holiday in Egypt, so it’s a family gathering day with lots of food. On weekends, men usually go out to watch football or play, and women gather to do belly dancing just for themselves.

Women also love Turkish TV series. OMG, they are so into love affairs and mafia stories! And men, they follow the news, discuss politics, and the economy. We are very hard-working.

As for religion, most Egyptians value rules, as well as cultural ones. People care about the hijab, and women cannot go outside alone. But it doesn’t mean they automatically reject others. And we love big families. We believe kids make a family stronger.

The population of Egypt is almost 120 million people. It’s a multicultural environment. We have a lot of people from surrounding countries and other Arabic nations. Egypt is like a mother country to everyone around.

Let’s go back to Katowice. Do you have your favorite spots here? 

Three Ponds Valley. That’s my favorite place. I just go there, lie on the grass, and draw something. I also like the cafés near Plac Miarki. I usually go there to work.

For groceries, we already know it’s Plac Miarki [laugh].

Yes, and there’s another place next to it where I buy fish and shrimps [Delikatesy Łosoś]. I have everything in my surroundings, like the Auchan market and the local grocery market. There are many clothing shops, also second-hand, with pretty good stuff. And the prices of shoes, like Adidas, are half of what they are in Egypt. 

Now, it’s time to talk about your future…

I love the place I live now, and I’d stay here forever. Everything is around, and the apartment is so cozy and spacious. I forgot to mention that in Egypt we usually live in big places, starting from 140 sqm and more. Here, I also have space. And I love the views from all my windows.

I’d possibly move to Cracow for work, but I plan to stay in Poland long-term, maybe even start an agriculture business here. There are some things we can have from Egypt that I could plant here. And you guys, when you try this fruit, you will like it so much! 

I’m in! I am crazy about food. 

I still need to work on that project. I even got an offer to immigrate to Australia, but I really didn’t consider that because I want to stay in Poland. I feel safe here. I already recommended Poland to other friends. I really told them how much I value this country, how much I like the place around, and how nice you people are.

Do you think improving your Polish skills will be necessary?

Yeah, definitely. I plan to join a course when I’m A2 advanced already. Now it’s A1. In a month or two, I’ll be ready to join a course and have a conversation.

All the best, Esraa! In Cracow or Katowice, wherever you plan to stay. 

Thank you.