When you get a large group of Poles together (especially expats), there are two things that are certain to happen:

1. At some point, all participants will be herded into one room for a speech. The topic is variable, but it will happen. And it will at some point seem like something out of the film Rejs.
2. There will be singing. Masses of people will join together, singing songs from childhood, songs of national significance, songs that seem to sound best when sung at the top of one’s voice.

That predictability is somehow comforting.