Language / expressing the present tense - grammar question [20]

Ok, about tenses in Polish:

usually we use the basic present tense. Some verbs, however, have what is called a frequent form. For example:

I go to the cinema every Friday - Chodzę do kina co piątek

but

I go to the cinema (meaning sometimes, from time to time) - Chadzam do kina.

To be honest, you can forget the second form, as it is used really rarely.

If you ask about past or future though, the two existing forms are more similar to simple and continuous in English.

Keep my fingers crossed for your learning process :)

Love / Do Polish men have a problem with Tatto's on women? [47]


The difference with earrings and tats is that you can take the meta out, ink is more difficult though.


Where are you from?! I have never met a sailor or a prisoner, but a lot of people with tatoos who just like the idea, from reggae fans to "perfectly correct citizens" who are relaxed enough to dare be different from the crowd.

News / There is no Muslim in Poland [116]

I had a quick look at some of the photos available on Tatarzy Polscy website. In one of them I saw a woman who looks exactly like one Polish girl I know. She and her other family members have weird names, like nobody else I've ever met. I've always thought that they're Slavic names but this picture makes me think again.

Tell me, do you know anyone called Dobrogniew, Dobroniega, Bozydara, Chwalislawa? They're Catholic and live in Western Poland but....

Any opinions?

Love / I got chatting to a Polish girl in a bar - opinions please.. [77]

There is one thing you seem to ignore that may be crucial to understanding the situation. The girl came to the UK to earn some money, she's working hard and is using all the time available to do so (in Poland univ start Oct 2nd). Consequently no matter what she thinks or feels, she sticks to her priority - and Poles are good at that. Moreover, being tired as she must be, she won't have much energy to actually make the effort of going out knowing it's not going to last.

Just my humble opinion but may shed some new light at the situation.

BW

b

Travel / Accommodation in Wroclaw [27]

If you could specify the price range you're targeting, it would be easier. There are loads of places, from private rooms for rent to four star hotels so it's hard to recommend anything.

i've just checked, most pages that come up are in Polish only. But for sure there's choice.

Food / Cold Soups - Recipes for Summer [2]

Is looks funny - to see the recipes for Polish food, the first one being Lithuanian.

Maybe it's worth mentioning that Lithuania was once united with Poland and many customs are similar, if not the same.

The heat wave is gone but maybe I'll try the soups anyway. Thanks.

News / There is no Muslim in Poland [116]

Actually, there are some, very few, Muslims in Poland. In Wroclaw, where I live, there is a Muslim community house, in the north of the city, there was even a weekend of Muslim awareness open to the public.

Considering wider view, there are some Muslims in all Poland, very few, but still. There are some newcomers, but also some families living in Poland since 15th century. They speak perfect Polish and it's just religion that makes them different.

Personally, I met one Polish girl who turned out to be Muslim. Educated, kind, humble. I also met a young man whose father came from the Near East and started a family with a Polish woman.

Are Polish racist? That's a separate question. You don't need to be white to be racist, you just hate "others", whoever they are. And it's always connected with narrow-mindedness.

Life / Polish Parents Canada; they still treat me like a child. [5]

There are more differences between their emigration and yours. The most important, I think, is that for them there was no way back. If I were you, I'd explain that they made their decision and now it is time for you to make yours.

If such reasoning doesn't appeal to them, try changing the name for your adventure. Instead of "start a life in Australia", try "travelling" or "gaining new cultural and professional experiences" ect. Then the argument "what people will say" will collapse - you haven't migrated (negative), you're travelling (positive).

I did the same thing with my parents. Worked. Keep my fingers crossed for you.

b

BTW - in the last of cases you may tell them you're going, whether they approve of it or not, and give them a hint that it'll be better if they help you than you go on your own.

Love / Do Polish guys have a different approach to dating than others guys? [50]

There are some people who claim they'll stay virgins until they get married, but thst species is in extinction, and most of those left are women anyway.

Why don't you ask him out? Send out a clear message and see his reaction, with no witnesses and in a clearer situation. He may surprise you... :)

News / OK, how bad is the economic situation in Poland? [47]

I agree with Wujek (#12), some people just don't follow the new realia. They still expect the government to give them jobs, flats, social support ect. The grew up in sick comunist reality and were taught helplesness. Those are the ones who are poor, unemployed, pessimistic and with unrealistic expectations from the authorities.

Most young and many middle-aged people, however, have changed this old way of thinking for a much better, individual approach. They study, get additional qualifications, change jobs for better, look for new ways of improving their lives.

As time passes, the first group shrinks and the second grows. Those who are fine in Poland, stay, some take a chance and emigrate. All in all, things are improving.

Work / Is it possible to get to Polang and bring my dollars to set a business here? [8]

As long as I know, the business visa is usually granted to people who have a job in Poland, or are about to receive it. I agree with Rafik, contact the Polish embassy in the place of your residence for more details. For sure your bank account will be helpful there but never is the only condition of getting a visa of any kind.

Life / Polish Men and Fashion [90]

I must disagree about lack of men's clothing supply. I live in Wroclaw and I've seen a number of good shops.

I guess the problem lies in the comfort that a uniform gives. If you wear jeans and T-shirts, everything matches and you don't have to be thinking about colours, style ect. Same goes for the haircut - ease of maintenance over the looks.

I'd also like to mention that in many cases the above uniform is accompanied by a pair of (cheap) white trainers... Yuck!

Life / What to buy for Polish Name Day celebration? [21]


If you don't know what to do with your life, sure you can drink through it. I hate such attitudes, they only show the intellectual level of the participants. For more intelligent people partying is more than getting dead drunk. And it goes for the "drinking" nations, too, let's not let ourselves be fooled by stereotypes. Actually I always avoid those individuals who drink for fun - making such selection I can be pretty sure I'm going to have a good time :)

Love / Are you in a Polish-nonPolish relationship? [150]

Oh, but I am very happy about my husband's helpfulness, it's just that it makes me laugh that he's so different in public. Well, it annoyed me once or twice, but overall I can't complain :)

My topic seems to have been asleep for some time. But I remember someone writing about the attractiveness of Latins and Blacks and their attraction to Poles, nevermind the gender.

So how is it guys, if I may ask again, with it? Who's attractive to Poles and who are Poles attractive to? How far does the attraction go? Dating? Serious relationships? Marriage? Kids? Divorce?

Let me hear from you, dear forum members and visitors!

Life / What to buy for Polish Name Day celebration? [21]

Shelley,

if this is of any importance to you, the tradition of namesday comes from the saints' days. Some of these dates are connected with saints lives, their birth, death or beatification days. So these dates were put in calendars and you celebrated the day of your patron. Similarly, Ireland celebrates St. Patrick's Day, England - St. George's ect.

As for celebrations - a party is similar to a birthday one (food, drink, gifts, guests), but at work it's more of a lunchbreak upgraded, after all you still have to work.

UK, Ireland / What do the Poles Living Abroad Think about Their Host Countries (the UK) [29]

Probably the author of the article was trying to prove some thesis and used true but selected data.

I guess that's just British point of view. They always think in terms of "strong currencies" and although they realise that costs of living are also lower, they worry about those who don't earn enough pounds annually.

Life / Poland: The Things That Make Foreigners Lift a Brow [123]

I celebrate my birthdays, and so do all my family and friends.

It may be a matter of regional customs. Many Poles are used to thinking of the country as one, whole, forgetting that regions differ more than we normally remember. One of the proofs is the fact that there are differences in calling things (ziemniaki, kartofle and pyry are all the same vegetable), the recipes are slightly different, and also other customs vary - take the dispute between beetroot soup and mushroom soup for the Christmas Eve dinner.

Love / Are you in a Polish-nonPolish relationship? [150]

It got quiet here... I was wondering if you have any particular experiences that other people would never imagine could happen. For example my Latin husband does everything at home, including baby care, but the moment we step out of the door, I have to push the buggie, change nappies, feed, play, ect. All that because in South America men don't do any housework, it's a female thing - for wives and maids...

Travel / Traveling to Poland: Tips for First-Timers [47]

Poles, unlike Brits, don't have a hunting tradition. Fishing - yes, drinking - yes, but hunting is not perceived as a regular hobby. Going to forests is usually for mushrooms or just fresh air.

Life / Poland: The Things That Make Foreigners Lift a Brow [123]

About drinking in public - for some years already it is forbidden to consume alcohol in or around shops that sell it. Unemploued don't have money to drink all the time, unless the drinks they buy are really dodgy.

About drinking straight from the bottle - don't Brits do the same? Don't Americans? Don't Dutch, Germans, Spanish? No point criticising there.

What the article describes seems to be based on experience or description of low class people - blue collar employees, long term unemployed ect. If the author bothered to ask someone from a city with proper education what they do in their free time, the picture would be completely different.

The same refers to talking - people of high esteem will not chat you up just because you're there.

The stuff Poles eat? I lived in Poland for years and I've never eaten that. It's a matter of choice, just like with liver, Christmas pudding (stored for months outside fridge) or haggis.

Kissing hands? Only among olds, or perhaps in the deep province. In my life I only saw it happen a few times and it was always someone old, both kissed and kissing.

Dark parks and alleys? Please, that's elementary, wherever you go, including UK.

Life / Stereotyping in the Polish culture: Are Polish blondes really dumb? [130]


Guest

So are you

Language / A Native American or a Native Pole: Who is better into which language? [116]

About tenses in Polish - at school children are taught that there are three of them, however if you consider that each tense has also the continuous form, that make it six.

About tenses in English - true, there are just two, modals and auxiliaries are to blame for the 16-tense mess.

Pronunciation in Polish is easy, as long as you manage to learn some sounds; many of them are present in other languages, e.g. Italian or French. Once you do, reading is a piece of cake.

English, on the other hand, has many sounds that do not appear in any other language, and also trying to pronounce an unfamiliar word can easily become a disaster.

UK, Ireland / What do the Poles Living Abroad Think about Their Host Countries (the UK) [29]

However many there are, it's always likely that only some of those who went to UK will be happy there. My bet is that those who speak good English and got decent jobs will be the ones. Those who complain are in a worse situation and probably complained even more before they left. After all something must stop them from coming back, right? Always the most intelligent ones adapt more easily and the less gifted - well...

I agree that Poles are an ever complaining nation. I've never met any Pole saying "I'm perfectly happy". So divide what they moan about by two and you may get somewhere close to what things really are like.

Life / Is Sex in Polish a Dirty Word? [16]

If I may have a word - the word "sex" usually relates to the physical side of the act. Many prefer to say "make love" rather than "have sex" for the simple fact of it being milder, less biological and more human, so to say. So if you want to know about the word itself, yes, it is a bit strong and you're not likely to hear it over a family dinner table.

UK, Ireland / Profile of a polish person in London [18]

I disagree to accept that all Poles live this way. I met many who often have take-aways for lunch, who work normal hours, have one job, eat healthy stuff morning and evening, especially salads ect. There are also people who don't drink unless partying on the weekend, who integrate with the locals and stay away from other Poles.

Polish people usually buy certain Polish products (bread, ham, beer), some rarely, some more frequently. Often they live with other Poles what makes communication at home easier but learning English harder.

There is some truth in what Bolo wrote, however any kind of generalisation would be a mistake.

If you need more information or want to ask some specific questions, e-mail me and I'll be ever happy to help.

b

Life / Level of English among the Poles? [64]

Most Poles speak English with mistakes of word use, word order and grammar, and with poor pronunciation. Even those who studied English at university or have lived in th UK for ages often fail to produce fluent speech. You may be lucky though as there are some Polish people who thanks to their musical abilities can actually learn to speak perfect English.

Most non-native speakers judge their own language abilities well when they become speaking without breaks - fluently in their opinion, however not always as well as it may seem.

Try to establish what degree of fluency you actually require and bet on those who get closest. Best of luck.

b

Life / Retire in Poland - Good or Bad Idea? [74]

Just as the initial post suggests, it depends on your situationand preferences whether or not retiring in Poland is for you.

I know that many people love coming back home for the autumn of their lives. On the other hand I know examples of Poles coming back to Poland and then leaving again because they couldn't stand the red tape, the way the country is governed, the brainwashing of the media, lack of culture and other things you get used to living in the West.

Anyway, the decision is yours, hope you're happy with it, whatever you bet on.

Food / Can't remember the name of the Poland-style soup? [21]

There are two white soups, zurek and barszcz bialy (white barshch), that are very similar. Zurek os more spicy and more sour, white barshch is milder.

Z with a dot is like "ge" in garage [garaz] not [geridz]. You may also try saying "sh" just voiced.

Welcome to the sour soups lovers club!

Food / I would like to see more recipes from Poland please [5]

I can tell you about barshch.

Slice or grate 3 medium size beetroots, 2 carrots, 2 parsley roots, slice some leek and cook it all with some meat base or stock cube. Remember to start with the beetroots as they take longer to cook. With the soup or separately (both ways are popular) cook some potatoes (cubed if in the soup). Spice it up with some ground pepper and add parsley leaves if you like.

This is just the basic version, upgrade it if you feel like it.

Unfortunately I cannot add any family story to this recipe as I only learnt how to make barshch as an adult. I only remember eating it once at my friend's house and being very careful not to stain anything purple...

Enjoy the food and good luch with more recipes!

b