Polish memes and digital art

Our lectures at the new campus at Jagiellonian University was interesting in learning the creative media side of Poland. Our speakers were undergrad students from the University talking with us about Polish memes. Understanding meme culture made it more interesting to see the Polish side of it.

 

They showed us examples of memes that many young people would see on social media or even create themselves. Some focused on the political side of Poland as well as religion in the country. It was interesting to see some of the similarities we share in memes from what I see in the states. We also make memes about our political system as of lately, as well as religion at times. Some differences though from the memes I always see in the states focus on a wide variety of memes using images from cartoons like Spongebob for example, to make a hilarious point about something. The jokes we use are more centered on issues you see in everyday life instead of focusing on a certain topic.

The interesting thing about meme culture is that a meme can become popular so fast from the simplest of things. Some examples they showed us were about their president and just some images that reporters took of him. The images became popular as a meme from the feelings people have of him and how simply funny the picture is. Seeing a different side of memes in another country like Poland had me realize how similar we are in this type of creative media culture, but as well as different.

Collective Memory: what is remembered about Jedwabne and why

During a presentation at Jagiellonian University, Professor Marek Kucia explained interesting aspects related to collective memory as it relates to history in Poland after 1945. Collective memory is communicative memory, such as stories told to you by your grandmother. It also includes cultural memory, such as books, monuments and commemorations. One thing we quickly learned about Poland is there is a memorial or commemoration for practically everything.

The professor also explained there are memorials that excluded details related to the event being memorialized. This relates to collective memory because if the compete story is not told, or if it misrepresented on a memorial, then the true history dies with those who know it.

An interesting and sad case occurred in Jedwabne, Poland. In 1941 non-Jewish men of the town were forced by the nazis to massacre their Jewish neighbors. Although there was a small plaque placed in the town to memorialize get the event, it did not explain the victims of the attack were Jews nor that the attackers were their neighbors at the demand of the nazis. I thought this story was especially powerful because it means the tragedy of the massacre was magnified because the victimizers (the non-Jewish men who murdered) were the victims of the SS as well.  The event was not talked about and almost forgotten, until research began in the 1990s and in 2001, a new monument was placed in the town containing the complete details.

Polish Culture and Society

Our lecture from Marta Shaw on Polish Culture and Society was one of the most interesting lectures.  It was a great way to start our trip and introduced us to some of the topics we would be learning more about later on.  The speaker made it very enjoyable.  You could just feel how much she loved the topics she was discussing.

One of my favorite things to learn about was Jadwiga Andegawenska.  She was a female King of Poland and was passionate about education.  She was actually the founder of Jagiellonian University, the university in Poland where our lectures are taking place.  The Jagiellonian dynasty started by her and her husband ruled until the 1500s.  Jadwiga was also a very giving person and was declared a saint after her death.

Another interesting thing that was discussed was the role of women in Polish culture and society.  The men were often out fighting wars so the women were left to do everything else.  Because of this, Polish women are extremely hard-working.  This is true even today.

Another aspect of Polish culture and society that is true today is a sense of social hierarchy.  This has been a part of Polish society for a long time and greatly differs from the way things are in the United States.

One of the most unique things about Poland’s history is that they were invaded by their neighboring countries so there was no Poland on the map for 123 years.  It was only after the first world war that Poland resurfaced.  Because of this, I find it extremely impressive that Polish culture and society still exist today.

Polish Media and Technology in historical Perspective

The phenomenon of “the raising of the Iron curtain” played an important role in the history of freedom of Media in Eastern Europe. In November 1989, people from everywhere observed, on a live television coverage, the fall of the Berlin wall. A wall built by Joseph Stalling in order to stop the flow of people coming in and out of the East- West border. It was a symbolic moment that unified the two sides and pivotal time in the Eastern European media Before 1970, radio was considered to be the main medium in Poland. Television was not very popular, channels were very limited and the quality of transmission was substandard. Polish leaders started to appreciate television in the beginning because they used it as a channel of communication to induce the population to follow their ideology and propaganda. Later on, they became unhappy with it. First, they did not yet know how to control it, especially when prominent social, economic, and political topics would represent less the party. Second, it could no longer be used as a tool to convince people. Starting in the 70’s, Media in Poland saw different transitions. 40years of turmoil coming from too much suppression, to assuming freedom, to going back to suppression. The state owned and had total control of the media, then they gained an autonomy, and then went back to what was considered to be a communistic system. In 1997 the Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of expression which forbids all sort of censorship, but also guarantees imprisonment for any profanity that could offend anyone. Today, Poland comprises of 30% of the broadcasting market, making it the largest one in the Eastern Europe. It possesses major broadcasters: TVP (state owned), TVN and Polsat (private) and PR ( Polskie Radio) Currently there have been some arguments between the populist ruling party and the political opposition with regards to the restriction on media access to the work in the parliament. With the rise of the new power of president Andrzej Duda, the government wants more control of the media. The treasury minister appoints the National broadcasting council. The president wants to “Repolonize” the media in Poland and make them impartial, objective and reliable. But journalists think that political meddling can compromise the freedom and the autonomy of press that it is so deserving. This is a matter that deeply concerns the European union because it undermines the EU values. Thus an investigation was launched in order to resolve the issue.

My first impressions

From New York to Paris, then from Paris to Krakow, I see and feel lots of differences that impressed me. New York is a modern city where people live in the fast-paced lifestyle. It like the center of the world where you can meet people who work and live there from all around the world. Everyone in the city seems ambitious and motivated. A crowded city that embraces the diverse culture, art and foods. On the other hand, Paris is an emotional city. Long history and traces of greatest artists edified classical, romantic sentiments rooted in every brick on the street. Wonderful architectures, fine chocolate, tasty French food, countless museums and well-dressed people. These things make up a fantasy dream that is unreal, and you won’t want to wake up. 

If I say Paris is a dream, Krakow is storybook. The old town in Krakow likes a storyteller. When I saw Krakow from the plane, it is neither a modern city where the skyscrapers go up from the ground nor magnificent city where is full of palaces and masterpieces. The city is cozy and artistic. Along with the old town city wall, the story begins from here. History and modern life combine within old buildings. Randomly walking into a small shopping mall next to the main square, I was so impressive about how the way of the building constructed. 

Arriving Krakow one day earlier allows me to walk around and sightsee the old town. I found an interesting thing that many stores selling ice cream have a name “LODY” on the sign.  I though it is a brand for local ice cream. But the fact is “LODY” just a Polish word for “ice cream” ;). Krakow is an ice cream city, and I tried a  particular one called “Black Rose.” It smells like rose and tastes good.

Lucky for Alexa and I, we had a chance to listen to the famous local orchestra in the Saint Peter and Paul church.  This is my first time to have a concert in the church.  Different and sacred!

As a foodie, I won’t miss any opportunity to try foods during the travel. Here are photos of foods in Krakow, I’d like to share. 

Can't wait for the culture study tour tomorrow! 

Good night Krakow;)

    

Hello Krakow!

It still makes me feel like a dream in Krakow and indeed, sometimes our bodies even travel faster than our minds.

Maggie and I arrived in Krakow one day earlier on May 27th. We hanged out around the old town square and went to the church for orchestra concert last night. We could not help but exclaiming how impressive the city is. I did some research online about the city for big idea of how it looks like before our landing. Unlike Paris, where we can get to know about the city from various sources such as movies and novels, Krakow is a city that gives you more surprise when you actually step in. The city is full of historic and artistic feelings. The lifestyle here is pretty relaxing and enjoyable. People here are so nice and less aggressive. The first impression of Krakow is just so amazing and charming!

I look forward to exploring the city more, getting to know more about Polish culture here and enrich my experiences. I expect more suprises during our study tour in Poland.

My travel to Poland and the first impressions

We are here!!! With so many positive emotions :)

My whole trip to Kraków was very long...I had a 7 hour layover in Oslo, Norway, so the whole travel to Poland took me almost 1 day, but I'm sure it was all very worth it! Also, flying together with Keiana made the trip much easier and funnier. We chatted, laughed, even ate delicious salmon in Oslo (you can see a picture of our meal on the right).

Having impatiently waited for this trip so long, finally being here, in Kraków, makes me so happy! I've been waiting for this since January and yes, I'm finally in Poland and I'm excited!

The first impression of Kraków is that it's a very clean, cute little city with narrow streets and many tourists. I've only seen it at night and mostly from the car window, but I can already tell that it's a beautiful city with a lot of history. Also, certain things such as buildings and even road signs remind me of my hometown, Vladivostok.
The first impression of the people here is that they are very hospitable and nice :)

Can't wait to discover what this city has in store for us!

See you all tomorrow :)

I am ready for Poland!

I wrote this blog when I was in Paris but and I did expect I will come to Poland in Krakow one day. European lifestyle and culture have attracted me since I was a kid. Now I am surrounded by building with history and language that I don’t understand. I like this strange but new feeling. Traveling helps me to learn more about the world.

About the study tour, I want to know more about the change when Poland transited from CCCP to Capitalism, and how media industry adapts to all the change through political aspects to economic aspects.

Can’t wait to meet you guys!

I am in Newark Airport struggling with my first blog

I suppose to write this blog before taking off from New York. Now it's 44 mins from boarding, so I guess it's a good time to finish this post. This is also my first time blogging, feel like I am writing a dairy just randomly write down anything in my mind this moment.

About what I expect in Krakow, , I don't know. Before coming to this class, Poland is just a name to me. After 4 session I am able to picturing Poland vaguely. It got a history, went through CCCP, now its Captialism believe in free market but still in tranforming. I still have too much to explore about this country.

Some people like figuring everything out before starting their journey. I, however, prefer letting the journey teach me whatever I need to know. Boarding call howling in the hall, here I come Poland!

Almost Time For Poland!

Hi Everyone,

I leave for Poland tomorrow and am so excited!

As I pack and make my final preparations, I can't stop thinking about what to expect from the trip.  Everything I have learned from our class sessions and readings makes me feel ready to experience the culture of Poland.  I can't wait to continue learning about the culture as I am immersed in it over the next week.  I'm also very excited to try the food.  I've heard great things!

Poland ain't ready for me!!

So this is going to be my first trip in Europe. I am super pumped about it. I can't also help worrying about me not speaking the language and getting lost in Poland.

I also have an assignment from my internship to video document our trip in Poland. So I am excited to do this also. Anyone not afraid of being in front of the camera, and would like to be a part of this project, please let me know.

Excited to visit Krakow

Similar to the other bloggers’ posts here, I am very excited to visit Krakow. I expect to see an interesting mix of old world culture amidst a modern, vibrant setting. I look forward to seeing elements remaining from of the communist era and how life in Krakow has evolved.

In addition to learning about Poland’s culture and history, I expect to learn more about the media. As an MBA student, it will of course be interesting for me to see how the Polish media outlets operate from a business perspective. It will also be interesting to gain insight from the media management students’ observations.

Ultimately I think I will find the country to be a welcoming place to visit. I expect to meet many friendly people who are proud to share their heritage and show us the country’s bright future.

Immersion to Poland

We are leaving for Poland in 4 days. Over the last few weeks, our class has had the opportunity to learn about Polish culture, it's growing economic landscape, and the rich history of the entire region. I am very excited to arrive in Krakow and experience the fascinating culture of this region.

Prior to our trip, each student was asked to choose an article on Polish culture that interests them, and put together a summary and response to the article. I enjoyed reading a study on Entrepreneurship by Michal Chmielecki and Lukasz Sulkowski. Traditionally, Poland is known to view entrepreneurship in a negative light due to it's extremely "risky process". The study included a qualitative and quantitative questionnaire of 124 management students in Poland. The goal of the study was to identify metaphors on entrepreneurship to gather a better understanding of how young people in Poland perceive entrepreneurs. I found it particularly interesting that some Poles are becoming more open to the idea of entrepreneurship in Poland, an area of the world where this idea is often looked down upon. I believe innovation in business is critical to maintaining competitive markets in economic structures. For entrepreneurship to expand in Poland and other countries around the world, it is important for the concept to be associated with innovative ideas, creativity, and freshness.

I look forward to talking with the people of Krakow about how they view innovation and business in a region where the idea is historically looked down upon. I understand that the start-up technology and entrepreneurial culture is becoming more and more popular in Poland, and I am excited to learn more about it. I am also very excited to eat the food in Poland, particularly the pierogis and Polish Kielbasa. Na zdrowie!

Poland, ho!

The few sessions we've had so far have gotten me really excited about our trip!

I learned so much from what Konstanty Gebert shared about the European Union, and I'll be interested to keep my eyes and ears open to hear what I can about the Polish perspective on the EU and what's been happening in the UK and France.

Our next session on the economic climate of Poland enlightened me that Poland has such a strong economy, and has endured quite some hardship, but has come out very strong business-wise and financially. I'd love to know more about specific industries and how they strategized getting through hardships such as the economic crisis of 2008.

I was looking least forward to our session on Polish history, but found it to be the most interesting to me. I was fascinated by how much the Polish borders have shifted throughout the years, and would love to hear how that's effected businesses, particularly in media. I'm also interested to hear how media survived the holocaust in Poland. Similarly, how Polish culture changed throughout this tumultuous history - what the Polish people have clung to, and what new customs they have adopted.

Concerning the reading I've done, I'm also interested to visit the Polish radio station, and hear about how Polish radio has been effected by the history of the country, and how it operates today. 

It's very interesting that so much media was banned during the holocaust, I would love to know how that has had an effect on the country.

More than anything, I can't wait to see what the people are like, and how much fun we'll have :)

Getting Ready for Krakow

We’ll be leaving for Krakow, Poland in only 5 short days! The last few weeks, we’ve learned about the history of Poland, its cultural heritage, its incredible food, and the evolution of its media landscape. It’s been a fascinating few weeks of cultural education, and I can’t wait to experience it firsthand.

From our visit with Ms. Klimek, we learned about Poland’s growing industries and international investors, as well as its rich culinary environment. I was interested to learn that Poland has many protections on its food products for their high quality and history. June is the peak season for strawberries in Poland, and I hope to experience them while we’re there.

I also hope to learn more about the way businesses operate in Poland. As an MBA student focusing on Marketing and Media Management, I would like to learn about their perspective on media as Poland experienced a significant transformation in its media environment. For my selected reading, I chose an article on the rapid growth of rock music in 1980s Poland. From this article, I learned about the complex media environment, and how its opportunities allowed rock music to thrive at this time. With this context, I’m looking forward to learning about Poland’s current media and music industries.

I was also impressed by our conversation with Ms. Klimek in the way that Poland utilizes place marketing to highlight its strengths and promote its businesses. As a marketing student, I would enjoy learning more about how Polish businesses leverage marketing strategies in the international arena.

Lastly, in addition to the wonderful cuisine we’ve all heard about, I would love to experience more of the Polish culture, from music to arts, architecture in Krakow, and its beautiful natural environment. While I first visited Poland during high school, I look forward to experiencing it now from a business perspective and immersing myself once again in its beautiful culture and surroundings.

Here we come, Kraków!!!

Czesc everyone!

I’m so so SO excited for our upcoming trip!! I’m sure it will be amazing! With every lecture, we immerse more and more deeply in the Polish history and life, so I just cannot wait to visit the country and meet Poles!!!

From the trip, I expect to learn even more about history and significant events that helped Poland become the country it is today. I also think that by being in Krakow, the center of Polish cultural and artistic life, we all will be deeply immersed in Polish culture, art, media, and many other academic and traditional landscapes of Poland. Ideally, I would love to attend a music concert of Frederic Chopin :)

After reading the article about Polish companies and how firm’s size affect their willingness to collaborate with other firms, I became more interested to discover the business side of Krakow. So I hope that we will get the chance to learn more information about business and trade environment in Poland. In addition, I would like to hear from Polish students what they think about Polish job market and if they plan to stay in Poland after graduating.

Finally, I want to discover similarities and differences between Poland, Russia, and the United States. As most of you already know, I was born and raised in Russia and I moved to the U.S. about 6 years ago. But only some of you know that my hometown is actually located on the Far East of Russia and is very close to the Chinese and North Korean borders. And by spending most of my life being so far from the West, I naturally became more knowledgeable about Asian countries, to which I traveled more often and frequently heard about from the news. And now when I’m in the US, I always look forward to visiting cities in the Western world so that I discover the culture and life here. Also, from what I know, Poles and Russians share common traditions and some similar food, so I really can’t wait to experience everything and finally eat that delicious food!

Do zobaczenia wkrótce, Krakow! (See you soon, Krakow)

Can't wait for the trip to start!

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited to finally arrive in Poland in less than a week! The past classes we had were very interesting in learning about the history of Poland, economics, and some of the culture. Actually being in Poland though, I'm excited to actually experience the culture there and learn new things about the media side of Poland. Being a media management student, I'm excited to learn the history of media, which will be on our first day, and how technology is shaping the country.

I do expect to see differences in the culture but maybe some similarities as well. I love learning and experiencing different cultures when I travel, so I'm excited to learn more about it with the Polish students we'll meet. As well as looking at our itinerary, the different activities and lectures we'll be experiencing is going to be a great overall experience in being in Poland for only a week.

And having the same feelings on Mariel on this but I'm excited in trying the different foods while we're there! The readings about Polish food offered when we had our guest speaker Sabina Klimek has been an interesting read in learning about different kinds of food in Poland, but as well as the different foods grown there, their exports and processing.

Have a safe trip everyone!

See you soon, Poland!

Ccześć wszystkim! (Hello everyone!)

I am so excited to finally arrive in Poland in less than 10 days! We've learned so much about Poland in the past few weeks from Professor Mierzejewska, Konstanty Gebery, Sabina Klimek, and Professor Magda Teter. From them, we learned about the culture, history and current economic and political status of Poland. We also learned a lot from the academic articles about the different media sectors of Poland and how they work.

Having said all of that, I'm excited to see how all of what we learned is applied in Poland with my own eyes. I expect to see and experience the culture and meet the Polish students and talk to them about their way of life. I would like to see and understand how it compares to life in the United States. I think it will be different from the way we live, but I also think there will definitely be some similarities.

I am also eager to learn about the Polish radio stations and how they compare to ours. For my chosen academic article, I read about the history of student radio in Poland. I see we will be visiting Polish Radio Krakow, the biggest regional public radio station in Poland, so I would like to see how what I read affects their industry today. I also expect to gain some insights from Tygodnik Powszechny magazine. I'd like to learn how they deal with the disruptive effects of new technologies and how they compare to the way US companies are tackling the issue.

Finally, I absolutely cannot wait to try all of the different foods. In any trip I've taken abroad, I make it a point to try a different food every day. I think food is a very important part of a country's culture, so I'm glad that Professor Mierzejewska made an effort to have us try different meals throughout our time there.

This trip couldn't come soon enough!