Life / Poles working abroad - do they integrate well? [4]

I think it might partly be their language. The Polish Language is not a recognized 'World language' which hold international understanding. They have endured fifty years of Communism where their country, language and religion has been grouped together in a catacomb. All these things have not helped them to come to terms with the outside World. It might b also explain their attitudes to the outside World and that is that everything is someone else's fault. World War 2 is Britain's for not coming sooner, Stalin's for coming too late, America's for spending too much time shopping in Dunkirk en -route to Berlin!! I know many Poles in England where I live and I even know of an Englishman married to a Polish lady and it seems successful so interaction and in-breading does take place but on the whole, Polish girls do marry polish men either of the first or second generation. It might be also of course, that a Polish girls could only get a visa through marriage and it is better to trust someone she has cultural ties and that is another Pole so they searched and found people with similar cultural backgrounds and that must include Poles. However, I have met nice Slovakian girls and they do not seem to have the same level of hang ups about their past and culture as the Poles. Everybody in Eastern Europe was enslaved under Communism, even the Russians themselves yet only the Poles suffered, only the Poles complain yet it is Poland that is one of the least successful post Communist countries. Go and see the Czech Republic-it is already miles ahead of Poland and is only a fraction of the size. Do you see Czechs queuing outside job centres looking for jobs as builders mates for £4 per hour? Like any children, they have not reached the same level of maturity as their other European neighbours. They want all the usual benefits, which they see as a cultural right but do not know how to contribute. As far as the E.U. is concerned, it is the same old adadge-the Poles want to milk the cow but do not want to feed it, sad but true. The other problem of course is their religion, it is used th o blame other people for their mistakes. They can do what they want and after giving their confession on a Sunday morning to a rich Polish priest who so loves God that he drives a new series 5 B.M.W that costs £40,000 and then they are free yet again to continue as before in the same old way. End of story.

Study / The basic requirements for a non-EU foreigner to go to a university in PL [23]

I was reffering to an experience of mine at the Jagiellonski University summer school programme in 1986.

Work / For all English teachers in Poland (who work for only $1000 a month) [102]


Pobably you are right and that is why I have never tried to take on such a thankless task.

Work / For all English teachers in Poland (who work for only $1000 a month) [102]


I have heard actually that this is quite a con. There is a huge difference between a one hour lesson and a forty-forty five minute lesson because at the end of the week you have to prepare for far more lessons and have far more lesson plans. It sounds good having a forty five minute lesson but in fact its much more work over the full week. I am very pleased that I am not a teacher of English in Poland.

Travel / Is Wroclaw the best city in Poland? [30]


I have been there.

Life / What makes you proud to be Polish? [150]

It seems to be an endless debate about the Jews and their role in Europe, I would imagine that you could easily write five or six Phd thesis on the topic of Jews various roles throughout history in Eastern Europe. The Poles love America because during Communism they all watched American films presenting the all American dream of wealth and profit, large detached houses with two big cars in the driveway. Poles are a strange two faced lot-not my cup of tea at all. They will shake your hand and smile while their best friend robes your wallet of all your loose change. The Poles hate the Russians because the Germans destroyed Warsaw so it must be Stalin's fault it is always someone's fault-not ours. The Poles never accept responsibility for anything. The Russians saved Kraków but the Poles never mention that at all. In fact, it was the stupid Poles themselves who destroyed their own heritage by building a steel plant there.

Study / The basic requirements for a non-EU foreigner to go to a university in PL [23]

There will be plenty of courses in Poland. They are desperate for foreign money but beware, a lot of these Eastern European courses are not up to scratch. I was in Kraków once, years ago and there were plenty of Americans having polish Language tuition. The lessons were not very good and they were just given certificates which entitled them to credit transfers in the united States.

Travel / My first 10-day tour to Poland [30]


I know Częstochowa very well indeed although it is a few years since I was there last.

News / Is the E.U. good for Poland?? [180]

The E.U is splendid for the Poles who have never had it so good! It might not happen even in my life time but there will come a time when the British people will be scratching at the door of Europe to get out. I never voted for the U.K. to be in Europe and never wanted it. Now, we are beginning to see the consequences of our own actions. Another ten years of hell and we will be bankrupt.

Travel / Is Wroclaw the best city in Poland? [30]


Nice in the summer but horrible in winter-very very damp and cold. The Old Town is nice but the outskirts are dreadful. I was there a few years ago and we got to get off the bus at the right stop and had to walk back. My God, what a horrible town, dirty streets and dilapidated buildings. It would cost billions of overseas dollars to put it right. orunia, I think its called-if anybody ever invites you there just remember Michal's words-straszne miejsce!

Life / Age of students of High School in Poland [7]

It might take a little longer in Poland to finish their schooling because some of the children go to secondary school and do their matura-A levels along with a profession at the same time. My wife did that and very much regrets it. Parents of the working class seldom think long term-in sociology it is called the short term advantage. A dustman today may earn more than a trainee solicitor but in twenty years time, the roles are well and truly reversed.

Love / More beautiful Polish women: in Warsaw or Krakow? [37]


Yes, it is very common with all eastern European women. I even worked with two nice Yugoslav girls in England once, and when one of the girl's visas ran out because they had lost their refugee status, one married a black man and had a child. One way to get a visa! She should have married an American and got a child and new continent in the bargain! All women are manipulative and use their bodies to get what they want-its simply human nature.

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]


The Poles have a sever problem. They sit uncomfortably between two strange neighbours. The Germans on the one side and the Ukrainians, the most peculiar race in Europe on the other. I think that it is a genetic problem and most polish nastiness comes from the Ukrainian side. I always remember visiting my mother-in-law in hospital in Częstochowa and in the next bed was a very clever woman who told me all about what a funny race the Poles were. I have never forgotten her words and I 'took it all on board'..

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]


No, its not. polish train travel is certainly not safe at all. You can be robbed and your body is then thrown out of the window to hide the evidence. I know of someone who left the compartment for a while and had his drink spiked. On his return he sat down, finished off his drink and the next thing he remembered, he woke up in his underpants! They had stolen the lot, literally everything, they cleaned him out.

News / Polish C-295M Crash [47]


It would be had you been on the plane.

Language / Who wants a Linguaphone Polish Course...? [30]

Some linguaphone course are better than others but the original Polish one was supposed to be very good indeed.

Language / Who wants a Linguaphone Polish Course...? [30]


How much do they cost? I think that tapes are still the best. If you listen to language courses with CD disks the sounds often jump.

UK, Ireland / 90,000 Scottish Immigrants in Poland! [67]


Did your father ever run a fish and chip shop in Surrey? I only ask because she was a Lynda Wilcox and the shop was even banned and closed down by environmental health officers.

Love / Valentines messages ideas - English guys with Polish girls [55]

You are my girl friend and I love you,
But on seeing your mother, I feel so blue.
Knowing what I'll be married to in twenty years time,
makes me feel such a terrible slime!

Language / (part 2) Polish Language Pronunciation - Sample Words and Phrases [311]

pshytoow mnje

News / Polish C-295M Crash [47]

I meant in the sense of course that maybe the reasons for the crash may have been kept hidden. In England there would be crash investigators and an inquiry. In 1986, in Poland, I am not sure how much they would have divulged, especially with it being a Russian plan-not very good as a propaganda stunt for Russian products!

News / Polish C-295M Crash [47]


I remember it well. I can still remember it being on Polish television when I was staying with friends in a street called Asesora in Gdansk at the time. I was of the opinion that the plan was coming in to land after flying in from America but the information I was reading tends to suggest that the plan had just taken off from Warsaw Airport.

Language / Accusative Case [44]

Masculine nouns take the genitive endings and the feminine take the nominative plural

Znam tego pana-I know that man singular accusative case
Nie znam tego pana I do not know that man in the genitive singular case
Znam tych panów I know those men in the plural accusative case
Nie znam tych panów I do not know those men in the genitive plural case

Znam tę dziewczynę I know that girl in the singular accusative case
Nie znam tej dziewczyny I do not know that girl in the genitive singular case
Znam te dziewczyny I know those girls in the plural accusative case
Nie znam tych dziewczyń I do not know those girls in the genitive plural case

News / Polish C-295M Crash [47]


No, it happens all the time in Poland. We have already discussed this topic before. Air crashes are very common and accidents grow all the time 'jak grzyby w lesie po deszczu'. It is certainly not the worst in thirty five years because I was in Gdańsk tewnty something years ago (circa 1986?) and a huge airliner crashed outside Warsaw and at least ten times that number were killed. As I say, we have already talked about this before. The trouble is, Poland buys cheap old Russian equipment and it fails.

News / Have the European media lost interest in Poland? [17]


Have you looked through good quality newspapers? The Guardian is good and The Daily Telegraph always has an international section. TV news is a waste of time and only concentrates on a few main topics which change every two to three days.

UK, Ireland / Poles working in the UK should be getting more money from your employer! [62]


As far as I am aware, it was Germany's ability to utilize the Czech armaments factories from where they got their ability to fight a long and sustained war.

Language / Genitive case ("nie ma nic" vs "nie ma niczego") [71]


Yes, but some Poles on this Forum are trying to state that the Russian word 'nicheevo' is not 'niczeevo' but is niczjevo' and that is rubbish. Teraz koniec tego tematu. Wystarczy na dziś!

Language / Genitive case ("nie ma nic" vs "nie ma niczego") [71]

Yes, that is what I said-with the stress on the final 'o'o. Another use of niczego in Polish is that it expresses something being useless. Coś albo ktoś jest do niczego.

Language / Genitive case ("nie ma nic" vs "nie ma niczego") [71]

Exactly, with the stress on the final 'o'. Why the big deal anyway?

UK, Ireland / Poles working in the UK should be getting more money from your employer! [62]


No, I think in the long run, the end result would have been very different. Hitler's only aim was to move eastwards. He hated Bolshevism and the Jew. Bolshevism he saw as a Jewish religion. He wanted for Germany Russia just like Britain had India. He saw the roles of both suprressed people as similar in this regard. It was Britain that declared war on Hitler because he would not leave Polish soil. Had we done nothing he would not have moved through France, Belgium or Holland at all. He would have attacked The Soviet Union at least two years earlier and would probably have won. The future of Europe must have been changed quite considerably in the long run.