ego.istic.org

I noticed today that my local Co-Op is reflecting the changing demographic mix in the area by turning one of its end-of-aisle displays into a Polish section. It's full of cans and jars, all labelled in Polish. I have no idea what is in any of them, because I don't speak Polish, but I'm sure it'll be a boon to Poles who've come to Cambridge to take advantage of the local job market.

I suppose now I'm back on the job market I should be annoyed at them “coming over here, taking our jobs,” but I really can't manage it. Having worked with a few Polish computer scientists the chaps who are over here seem to be a pretty competent bunch, and I think more competence in the industry can only have a beneficial effect. Cambridge is a huge job market for programmers and supporting rôles, and I don't think the unemployment rate is going to rocket overnight with the presence of our European friends.

The sort of people who write letters to the Daily Mail will be complaining not only at their coming over here and taking our jobs (and probably our homes and our women, too), but also that this provision of Polish foodstuffs is creating a ghetto culture rather than encouraging them to assimilate into the existing culture. (Except, such letter-writers would probably say “our” local culture, to polarise the issue more.) But past experience has shown that helping the first-generation immigrants feel at home here means the second generation will be born here, surrounded by native, British culture, such as it is. Said offspring will grow up watching EastEnders and drinking our inferior beers, and their parents will feed them kotlet schabowy and lament at how they don't follow the old ways.

Besides, more availability of authentic Polish ingredients will make it much easier for the rest of us, too, to wrap our mouths around that delicious Polish cookery. Actually, I must admit to being unfamiliar with native Polish dishes, apart from to the extent that Jewish food has influenced that of their brethren in the UK, but at least some of it must be delicious, and I can't wait. And they do make pretty nice vodka.