News / Libertas - what chances does the new party have in Poland? In Europe? [23]

It'll be a miracle if Libertas acheives the 5% threshold needed to send memebrs to the EP. What I can't understand is the amount of fear this party has instilled in the mainstream politicial class. What are they afraid of? Libertas will probably always be a minority or niche party if it gets into the EP at all.

Love / CULTURAL DIFFERENCE/PROBLEMS IN MIXED POLISH-UK MARRIAGES [34]

Sorry for omitting the Welsh. I had in mind social situations, language (are the kids to learn both languages or not?), eating habits, religous views, cultural preferences and recreational preferneces 9it's hard to imagien a non UK/er fancying cricket!) and a myriad of other things that could cause differences. Natrually, a lot depends on the sensitivity and maturity of the people involved. However, when marrying, not everyone knows what they're getting into. One common error of people marrying (and this pertains not only to mixed marriaegs but usually more so to them) is that it's rarely us two v the world. In actuality, a person is marrying inlaws, the other side's extended family friends, colleagues, etc. with all the complications and challenges that may entail.

Law / Civil Wedding in Gdansk - office / documents? [8]

It's called a Registrar's Office of Register Office in English.

Genealogy / Last name Confusion "Judah" [13]

There was many a przechrzta in Old Poland. Many Jews converetd to Catholicism for various reasons and often they assumed a Polish-sounding name. Your case seems just the opposite -- Jewish name and Polish physical features. But so many different things went on in a country oft-invaded, partitioned, de-Polonised and re-Polonised, decimated, insurected, resurrected and shifted to the west... Without more facts and details your enigma will be impossible to unravel.

USA, Canada / TORONTO OR MONTRÉAL (for a Polish person to live?) [35]

Are you a Joual?

Real Estate / Rental prices Poland, how they vary from town to city and old/new properties. [6]

Loook up estate agents Strzelecki:
strzelecki-nieruchomosci.gratka.pl/oferty

Life / Queering Krakow's Culture - Same-sex pairs of iconic Greek sculptures [16]

I noticed a Q added to LGBT. I presume it means queer, but why add it when the lesbos and gays are already listed? Besides, calling someone a queer in English is similar to the Polish pedał.

Life / Polish National Anthem Protocol [3]

There is no directive on this as far as I know. generally Poles stand respectfully and silently at attention and possibly sing along. I have noticed Ukrainian President Yushchenko placing his hand over his heart during the playing of his country's anthem. Years ago, a Polish woman watching Jimmy Carter do this asked whether he had a stomach ache or what.

Language / Questions about Polish language and grammar - I can help you [16]

Something I have wondered about are nominal suffixes, esp. of masculine nouns. I have in mind such as -ur, -ura-, -or, -ora, --oła, ul, -uła, -ol, -ajda, -ęga and a few others.

I'd be interested in seeing what they usually mean and a few examples.
Some are neutral as in kocur or gąsior but others often have a pejorative flavour, for instance: gaduła, ciamajda, pierdoła, szlachciura, niedołęga, etc.

Genealogy / Wilk coat of arms [16]

Unfortunately this source genealog.home.pl lists only the Dąbrowa c-o-a for the surname £oś. Click on Polish or English, type the name into the box, hit enter and then click on £oś to see the Dąbrowa heraldic device. The Remaining two are shown for £oś in a hard-copy armorial I've got. Online resources are less extensive. But you can click on the letters to see what £uk and Zagłoba look like.

Life / Queering Krakow's Culture - Same-sex pairs of iconic Greek sculptures [16]

I thought the age of consent in Holland has been 12 for a numebr of years now. Any Dutchman on the forum who could set us straight on this?

Life / How to proceed after getting a gift from my spouses grandmother? [4]

A nice thqnk-you letter would be fine. If she doesn't know English, then have your spouse translate it. Older ladies are usually surrounded by a lifetime of collectibles, and often want to unload some of the clutter rather than getting more. But, of course, every sitaution is an individual case. Your spouse probably has the best insight as to what his Babcia would appreciate, if it is something other than your gratitude and warm regards.

Love / foreign gays in Poland [59]

Come out of the closet and die young!

Food / baby food in Poland - culture differences in feeding babies. [23]

I have seen all kinds of baby foods in Poland -- formulas, strained bottled things (Gerber's and Polish brands such as Bobofrut). Helath-conscious mothers still seem to pefrer home-cooked and strained or blender-proceesed foods, but I haven't seen any statistics on this.

Life / Understanding Communication and Body Language of Polish People [13]

May 15, 09, 11:36 - Thread attached on merging:
POLISH GESTURES AND BODY LANGUAGE?

Can anyone list the different signs and gestures Poles use to express different notions such as neck-tapping, eye-pulling, forehead tapping? Are these all universal or are any limited to Poland, Slavdom, the former Soviet bloc, etc.?

Probably this has already been raised at some stage. If so, could someone direct me to that thread?

Genealogy / KULVINSKI/KULVINCKI/KULWINSKAS [7]

According to verwandt.de, the German equivalent of moikrewni, there are an estimated 2 people in Gemany named Kulvinskas living in the Heidelberg area.
Does anyone know of a Lithuanian, Belorussian or Ukrainian version of something like the Polish surname sites herby.pl or moikrewni?

Language / Help with pronunciation of Gorecki Symphony [41]

The accent (stressed syllable) is important and indicated below by the upper case:

Mamo, Mamo, nie placz,

Niebios Przeczysta Królowo,

Ty zawsze wspieraj mnie.

Zdrowaś Mario Laskiś Pelna

MAH-maw, MAH-maw NYEH* pwahch
NYEH-byawss psheh-CHISS-tah KROO-law-vaw
TIH ZAHF-sheh FSPYEH-rahy MNYEH
ZDRAW-vahsh MAH-ryaw WAHS-keesh PEHW-nah

* eh is used here to indicate the short e in English let, met, pet, etc.

Food / Common Pastry in Polish Bakery? [19]

drożdżówka - Danish
sękacz - log cake
keks - fruit cake
kremówka - cream cake (similar to napoleon), the late JPII's favourite
wuzetka -- Warsaw speciality - cream-filled chocolate cake
faworki - sugar-dusted fried pastreis in US aka angel wings, bowknot patries, crullers, etc.
karpatka - creamy, crunchy cake with undulatuing mountain-like crust hence the Carpathian reference
sernik - cheesecake
murzynek - a choclate cake called "little Negro" (for PC types "little Afro")
tort - rich, creamy (ultra-high-calorie) multi-layered torte

Genealogy / What region of poland is my family from? [27]

Before it's too late (mortality never waits for anyone!), try to question the eldest family members you know, possibly old firends of the fmaily or former neighbors about where your ancestors were from. Are most of the Polish people in your area from one part of Poland? Some Polonain communities are dominaned by people of Góral (highlander), Wielkopolanian (Poznań region), Mazovian, Silesian, Kashubian, etc. ancestry. That could be a start. Also what were your fmaily's Polish surnames. At times that is also telling.

Food / Price of food and drink in Krakow (zubrowka, krupnik, lager) [5]

Don't vodka prices start at around 25zł per half-litre?

Love / Gay Interracial Polish Dating [36]

There is a mountain of scientific evidence in the West that practicinmg homosexuals have a shorter life span (closeted ones and sporadic practitioners live longer). The reasons incldue not only the highly publicised

-- HIV/AIDS but also:
-- numerous other infectuous bacterial, viral and fungal diseases,
-- higher rate of domestic violence agaisnt each other than amongst heteros
-- higher rate of substance abuse
-- higher promiscuity rate (more partners)
-- irresponsible lifestyles (more frequent unprotected and casual sex),
-- physical trauma (damage) to the sodomised partner (that anatomical orifice was designed only for ejection, not injection).
No-one said that ALL HOMOSEXUALS are paedophiles, but that small minority does account for one-third of all the offences.
The point is that this is all new to Poles who think they are discovering America.

Love / Gay Interracial Polish Dating [36]

Warsaw's Stefan Wyszyński Unviersity is holding a conference on why homosexuals live 15-25 years shorter, according to Gazeta Wyborcza. It was also "revealed" that homosexuals, although scant in number (a mere 2-5% of the population), account for a full one-third of all paedophilic assaults on children (usually young boys).

Just goes to show how far behind the Poles are. These facts have long been known in the West and are only just now being discovered in Poland.

News / Kaczynski laughs at Tusk because of his English language skills [18]

Merged: TUSK & KACZYŃSKI BACK IN THE SAND PIT?

Poland's squabbling little boys in the sand pit are at it again. PM Tusk isn't sure he'll attend the Prague Eastern Partenrship summit becuase President Kaczyński plans to attend. Foreign-ministry spoeksman Paszkowski told the daily Dziennik that the plan was devised by his ministry without Kaczyński's knowledge. One should think that on things such as Poland's approach to Russia and other ex-Soviet republics the government and president should get their acts together rather than going solo. Hopefully there'll be no rerun of last year's "you can't use my plane" and "muscial chairs" nonsense. But then what will the poor tabloids write about?

Link?

Travel / Traditional Polish Restaurants / Cuisine in Warsaw [11]

Have never eaten there but have heard good reports about the Honoratka restaurant (good food, large selection, reasonable prices, nice interior) in Miodowa street in Old Town.