Language / Poles! How do you cope with English phonetics versus English spelling? [37]


The same as with polish spelling of the words that have u/ó, h/ch, rz/ż, ect, namely by memorization plus hunch of intuition. Of course, mistakes and misunderstandings are inevitable. Once I asked a passerby whether she knows where is the nearest LIDL market...

Little market? - she said... Damn you English spelling!

Life / Euro Trash - does it still exist and what is the Polish variety like? [15]

It's the first time i hear the term euro-trash. Funny. :)

Life / 52% Poles: life in Poland is bad... [46]


As one German once said, Poles are either Romantics or Cynics, which pretty much makes sense as a cynic is just a disillusioned romantic. :)

Life / How do Poles feel about non whites/non Slavs living in Poland? [150]

Well I heard that Mein Kampf lacks cohesion and looks like a enormous rambling of a mad man, but this is an opinion of a person that couldn't possibly be mistaken for his fan. I also haven't had the chance to read it.


I never thought that my country men and women feel so strong about this subject until I actually joined this very forum, and I must admit that after asking some of my friends in the real life they confirmed this sentiment that they do not wish to be labeled as Eastern European. They didn’t call themselves western, though.

The concept of central Europe sounds very artificial for my taste, but than again so does eastern Europe. It’s a very out-dated idea. After all, USSR collapsed almost 20 years ago and A8 countries are not your enemies anymore.

News / Reuters News Taints Poland by Association of Prostitution Ring Leader [15]


Really?

Life / How do Poles feel about non whites/non Slavs living in Poland? [150]

I don't think logic was a strong side of his. Quite an emotional character he was. :)

Life / How do Poles feel about non whites/non Slavs living in Poland? [150]


Because it wasn't really about qualities of Slavs, but more about their land. Lebensraum for his kin, where they would procreate, prosper and other sh!t ze Germans do. ;)

You see racism is basically a form of pushing a certain group of individuals down the ladder to a lower level in social hierarchy, so that one could take advantage of them, for example economically. It really wasn't about inferiority of Slavs, but about Greater Poland, Silesia, Pommeln, ect...

PS: I always found it odd that Mexicans aren't considered white. They look quite white to me.

UK, Ireland / Rise in race crimes linked to attacks on Poles [50]


I'm sure the Pakistanis already got their part of bashing. Plus, it's not them that flood the UK in such great numbers in recent years.

PS: Good to see you back here on PF. :)

UK, Ireland / ARE BRITS MEANER AND LESS HOSPITABLE THAN POLES? [79]

But why do you actually need a system in the first place? Surely, behaving spontaneously would cause much less of a friction, innit?

When I go out with my friends it really is random. When someone goes to fetch a drink for himself he usually asks whether someone else wants one too. People then either give him money, or go with him and buy themselves a drink, or the guy buys them a round and when they are through those people buy him a round, or when he insists that they shouldn’t they don’t….. *catches breath*

That way, there really is no pressure from the group and everybody drinks in their own pace and quantity. After all, isn’t going out with your friends about having good time with them rather than counting the numbers and measuring speed one pours alcohol down his throat?

History / Polish Anti-semitism - origins? [186]


Actually it was a lot longer than that. I used the number 400 as a comparison to 4 years the Poles have spent in the UK up until now. A significant Jewish community was in Poland at least since the 14th century, if not longer.

UK, Ireland / ARE BRITS MEANER AND LESS HOSPITABLE THAN POLES? [79]


I agree. Żołądkowa Gorzka and spaghetti? Now that's very adventoures.

Żołądkowa is OK, but Krupnik is the real deal! Especially when home made!

UK, Ireland / ARE BRITS MEANER AND LESS HOSPITABLE THAN POLES? [79]


Are you calling me a diddums? How rude!

What's a diddums, osiol?

UK, Ireland / ARE BRITS MEANER AND LESS HOSPITABLE THAN POLES? [79]


Ay, you may be right. However mentioning the buying rounds ritual in a thread dedicated to hospitality doesn't say much about British generosity, now does it me ol china? Where I live hospitality is understood as an act of unconditioned kindness. You give and don’t expect anything in return. So at least when I buy a round I do it sincerely.

Now, as for the original question, does it really make a sense to compare those two mentioned cultures? The first time I visited an English friend of mine I felt totally offended. In Poland, when you visit someone it is considered extremely rude not to let your guest into the house and let him rot in the cold at your door. "Tylko nie przez próg!". However I fond out that in England it is considered rude to pop up without any prior notice. It seems that an English man's/woman's house is his/hers castle and sanctuary. Come to think of it, it's not that dumb after all. Maybe it would be better to try to understand the other culture instead of judging it? Both nations seem to have some good arguments on their side... Oh well...


Alcohol is like music; there are those tunes that you love from the very first time you hear them, alas very often the interest in them wears off just as fast as it appeared in the first place, and there are those tunes that you have to listen several times to appreciate and usually this is the music that stays with you for good. If whiskey was a song it would definitely be the latter. It's not an easy taste, but once it clicks in, you are just coming back for more.

Still, I don't see how whiskey could replace vodka in the future as vodka is an a lot more universal drink. You can drink it in shots if you want “a fast effect”. You can drink it in a form of a drink if you want to sip it and enjoy. Then there is a multiple variety of flavored vodkas. Cytrynówka as a aperitif, orzechówka as a great way to end a meal, krupnik staropolski on a cold winter evening or pomarańczówka with ice on a hot summer day… yumm.

History / Poland and Lithuania [161]

It's always interesting to get to know what other people think about you and how they view certain events differently than you do.

Anyone else noticed how similiar is Lithianians description of their situation in history to the polish one? "Screwed between Poland and Russia.." Just replace Poland with Germany and there you go. :)

I could explain the whole situation but to do that i would have to "make a few century trip back in time" and I'm not sure if anyone here really is interested in it.

On the whole though, as much as I don't agree with this "screwed between Poland and Russia" attitude I must admit I really do understand why they feel upset and threatened by the Polish minority issues in their country. Show me a Pole who doesn't get excited whenever he hears the name Erika Steinbach.

History / Polish Anti-semitism - origins? [186]

The answer to the question whether Poles are anti-semites or not largely depends on ones sympathy, or the lack of, towards polish people. Generally we could just swap stories, charts and statistics and still we wouldn’t find a perfect answer. During the WWII about 50 000 poles lost their lives as a result of trying to help Jews save their lives. We will never get to know the total number of Poles who risked their lives and the lives of their close ones to save people who often were complete strangers to them. And yet Poland also is a country were “Jedwabne” and pogrom kilecki took place. To make it even more complicated, there were many polish anti-semites who helped jews during WWII, just because they were decent human beings. Now go figure.

Maybe one day a wise man will appear with a formula that will put an end to this endless stifle and say yes or no? Who knows.

As for reasons for polish anti-semitism, there could have, and in fact were, many. For example, many brits on this forum have a big problem with polish immigrants that after 4 years don’t mix with the locals and tend not to bother to learn their hosts language. Now imagine an immigrant group that didn’t bother to learn the language and mix in despite being in England for 400 years. Surely some Lloyd or Archibald would get his knickers in a twist over it, innit? There were of course more but I actually got tired of this topic. Never in my life have I read more about the jews as on this site. Besides I prefer to listen about the good sides of polish-jewish relationship, which were many, rather than constantly read about the down-sides.

History / Prussian History [29]

and both are from wikipedia...

Basically, Mazurs came from Mazowsze, which dialect together with the one from Greater Poland and Lesser Poland constituted the core of what is today known as the Polish language.


Between the Prussian Tribute and the 18th century there were no polish-german conflicts, and there were a lot of Germans who contributed greatly to Rzeczpospolita. The last two centuries were definitely difficult for the relationship of our two nations, though. ;)

PS: @ Prince: "But the king beats the queen!" "Maybe where you live!" hehehe... priceless. :))

History / Prussian History [29]

And I posted from where exactly?

History / Prussian History [29]


I was actually surpsised that you still cling to this version. Since you like wikipedia so much:


de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masurische_Sprache

History / Prussian History [29]


Well that certainly was the official version of Prussian government in the 19th and early XX th century. The aim was to deny the Mazurians in times of Polish struggle for independence and Prussian politics of germanization, any links with the polish nation. Unfortunately, Mazurs where the descendants of the settlers that came to Prussia from Mazowsze (Masovia), and thus spoke just another dialect of the polish language. With time German language had it's impact on this dialect, just like it had on other polish dialects. For example, my grandfather always used to say "Gdzie som moje hozy!?" but still I doubt anyone would call the greater-polands dialect as a slavic language similar to polish with a German mix. It’s just another dialect of Polish language.

At the end of the day, the Mazurians were too polish for the Prussian government and too German for the polish commie regime.


Ahh, if only it was so simple. There were Mazurians who felt Polish, there were Mazurians who felt German, and also there were the ones who felt neither of those, but just Mazurians.

Language / SAY TELL TALK SPEAK - HARD 4 POLES [22]


I'm saying you - it's not what I wanted to tell! <-- this one sounds great! ;)

History / Poland Betrayed in WW2 [243]


I like the sound of that. Maybe I will put it on my business card. :)

News / Poland's Future Includes Fewer Poles, More Foreigners [324]


Start making babies right now. A lot of babies.

Or sabotage any attempts to improve the quality of life here in Poland.

Life / POLES' ENGLISH COMPARED TO EUROPE AS A WHOLE? [39]


:)

I think you are right. People with the worst English are those that weren't forced to learn it properly. One of the reasons I wanted to relocated to England was to improve my English. Unfortunately, I ended up on a construction site in an all polish team with little contact with English native speakers. :(

News / Does the polish immigration cause the increase of the interest in Poland? [20]

"Symphony of Sorrowful Songs", eh? Yeah, we Poles like a proper cheerful tune. ;)

On a more serious note, you knowing about Lem, Górecki and Joseph Conrad ( although I do consder him more of a english writer) have a greater knowladge of polish culture than many of my country men and women, who decided to limit their contact with it to "M jak Miłośc" soap opera and "Strictly Come dancing" - the polish edition.


I'm sure you are right. Even now I can see them skinheads and rude boys moonstomping to some large disco-polo record. ;)

News / Does the polish immigration cause the increase of the interest in Poland? [20]


Ahh, what a frank and in your face statement. I respect and appreciate that.

Generally, I think it would be too much to expect that suddenly British people will start to read Tetmajer, watch Kieślowski's movies, and listen to Szymanowski's symphonies.

Taking under consideration the fact that just less than a decade ago most of them thought of us and the rest of the nations from the former commie block states as of some kind of Russians, I would consider their knowledge of Kraków and Żywiec as a great strategic success and a good sign for the future. Mark my words, today they are getting wasted drinking Tyskie at a stag party in Cracow, tomorrow they will be listening to Penderecki's "Lament to the victims of Hiroshima"! ;)

History / 70th Anniversary of start of WWII [50]

Some say they started it, but than again surely they are Germano-russianophobs. ;)

History / 70th Anniversary of start of WWII [50]

Well we disagreed the last time but you know how the Germans are. ;)

History / 70th Anniversary of start of WWII [50]

Well I don't know about Poland but I truly hope that the Germans aren't planning anything big this time.

History / 70th Anniversary of start of WWII [50]


Yeah, I guess you should know that, innit? :)

History / The only successful Polish Rising - 1918/19, Wielkopolska [13]

Two of my great-grandfathers participated in this rising. I must say that I am surprised of the level of recognition of this event from "Warsaw". Usually there were more concentrated on the rising in the part of Poland occupied by the Russians. Quite a refreshing change I must add.