If you are superstitious....
'When in Rome do as the Romans do' says an old English proverb, but you don't necessarily have to follow all the practices that all superstitious Poles believe in. To begin with, they fear a black cat crossing their way - it is bound to bring bad luck. To drive it away from them, they might turn around a number of times before going on. Like the English, they touch wood or rather knock on unpainted wood when an unfortunate prediction has slipped someone's tongue. In some parts of the country the first person encountered on New Year's day absolutely must be male. Women begone! On the everyday basis the most desirable person to meet is the chimneysweep - just hold on to one of your buttons then till you spot a person wearing glasses for the luck to come your way. If you and your interlocutor say the same in chorus, this also means good luck. Well, perfect understanding of each other is so...
