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


Yes. Before working with and meeting lots of Polish people, I had taken much more interest in Russia than Poland. That is to say, Russian literature, Russian history, Russian oppression of other people, Russian ecology and balalaikas. That really means, lots of things that are found in what is now the Russian Federation that may or may not actually be Russian. Poland seemed just a bit too far away to be easily discovered, a bit too close to here to be interestingly differeny, a bit too small to be well known throughout the world, a bit too big to have the novelty value of a country like St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

It's the people I have met and the time I have since spent there that have made it interesting. Have I ever mentioned that I nearly started learning Brazilian Portuguese instead? Well, only recently, I sat opposite a man on a train who was reading a book about Brazilian Portuguese in Polish. Still an unlikely thing to find, but it would have been even less likely a few years ago.

Language / Collective numbers - dwoje, troje, czworo [38]


Yes and no.
Yes, I'm happy, thankyou.
No, I don't want more!


Unless taken in the hands of a reasonably adept tailor, seamster or seamstress, this can be a bad combination.

So can anyone add to my list?
Dwoje dzieci
Troje drzwi

Skrzypce?
Drzwi?

News / Chairman of TVP flies the racist flag for Poland [51]

I used to live in a place called Birch Green. Very small, very low population too. No Martians are prepared to live there.

Language / Collective numbers - dwoje, troje, czworo [38]

Well, what are they?

Love / Please I need advice. Are Polish Girls and Poland Westernizing for the worse? [16]

The only reason given in all that was that she's an Atheist and doesn't like you talking crap about Catholicism.

Surely there are much worse things than that going on in Poland these days that you have neglected to mention.

Law / Insuring a UK Citizen on a Polish registered car... [18]

It was a challenge for me to get to the greengrocers before they closed this afternoon, but the tomatoes and parsley in my kitchen prove to me that it was possible. I didn't make it from Atlantic to Pacific though. I'd need more than some veg to rise to that challenge. A driving licence would be a good start, and a good quality automobile such as a nice Fiat 126p of course.

Law / Insuring a UK Citizen on a Polish registered car... [18]

I think it looks like a fantastic idea. Wouldn't reaching the Pacific make a slightly better challenge though?

History / Territories of eastern Germany should rightfully belong to Poland? [161]

Odd to see that Austria and Liechtenstein were left intact.

Food / Why do Poles just not "understand" healthy eating ?? [82]

I know a few fat Poles.

Language / Learning polish and i am not very good. [22]


Welcome to the PF struggling learner's club.


As I said, welcome to the club.

I'd say "Trudno mi mówić po polsku."
I don't know how correct that is, but Poles generally seem to understand.

UK, Ireland / Poles flee N. Irleand homes after World Cup riots [70]

Orange trees still have green leaves and we're all human. Some humans are thugs, some believe in peace, but alas many are sheep. A major problem is that thuggery and violence from the few can speak louder than peace from the many. I don't think anyone really truely understands Northern Ireland. Those from there know the most, but sometimes can't see the wood for the trees, being right in the thick of it. Those from outside don't understand because they don't live it day in, day out for their entire lives. Someone said something about poking a sleeping bear with a stick. That is very good advice.

Travel / WrocLOVE or Wroclaw,which is the better ? [8]

Wroclaw, city of bridge discovery.

Travel / WrocLOVE or Wroclaw,which is the better ? [8]

Dundee, city of discovery.
Wrocław, city of discovery.

History / An apology to Poland from Australia [55]

It comes across like this:

Dave is my enemy.
Steve and George are my friends.
I had a bit of an argument with Steve. Not a bad argument or anything.
I tell you all about the minor argument with Steve, but neglect to say anything about Dave.
Who looks like the enemy?

By the way, Steve and I have settled out differences and decided to settle down for a beer.

History / An apology to Poland from Australia [55]

Stop talking about people as though their opinions and their culpability for wrong-doings of the past are dictated by what country they happen to come from. I'm not here to be liked or hated for my nationality. It's irrelevant. You just keep repainting the picture.

History / An apology to Poland from Australia [55]


These forces were working together on the same side. Your post makes it look, not like there was friendly rivalry between allies, but like something as idiotic as the idea that Poles were on the same side as Germans or something. There has been antipathy between Britons and Australians. Read what has already been written about the two countries' responses to the war against Germany. Shall we all start rewriting history now?

History / An apology to Poland from Australia [55]


This is precisely the kind of level of idiocy I have come to expect on Polish Forums.

History / An apology to Poland from Australia [55]

Maybe the lack of response is because so many of the Polish and pseudo-Polish members who discuss this sort of thing make comments like "Why didn't Britain immediately drop bombs on Germany (with Britain's then tiny airforce) and send in troops to rescue Poland from the German forces (probably by means of magic and miracles because there was no such army capable of doing this) and that Britain, including all those alive today who were born decades later) are guilty of invading Poland themselves due to their lack of action against Germany in September 1939, and finally, that it would have been better to do nothing because an unfulfilled promise made in good faith is worse than colluding with an enemy or ignoring the evil that that enemy perpetrates. Sorry, but I've seen too many threads about subjects like this.

Another thing is that Australia is probably a bit too far off the radar of many here, whereas the UK is still Poland's evil enemy that welcomed Poland into the EU and opened its borders to Poles and others when other countries offered no such priviledges (or EU rights, if that's what they are) and kept their borders closed to eastern European workers. Of course, that's just cynicism. But it's good that Australia can look back at things like this and do something to show that it made mistakes.

Love / Polish girls' obsession with marriage [124]

Instincts are being followed!

People don't always make the best decisions for themselves. This is as true for donkeys as it is for humans. Then there are various ways of correcting these mistakes. Doing so messily is a mistake and can only create more problems for all concerned. Follow the path of righteousness and the instinct to munch on any nice green bit of grass along the journey isn't the right thing to do on the way to the field of truth. Well, I think I know what I'm going on about here. I don't know about anyone else.

It's odd how the above reply appeared moments before I logged in this evening.

History / Taras Bulba - the movie [115]

They should do a film of "Diary of a Madman". It would be less controversial, it wouldn't go on and on for hours, and it would feature a talking dog. My favourite work by Gogol is "Dead Souls", a work he never finished. There are very few films I'm ever tempted to go and see.

UK, Ireland / Polish girls in England. [33]

There are many many culture gaps in the world far wider than between Poles and Britons. There are cultural differences within Britain that are almost as great.

Every relationship involves give and take. Some people don't know how to give, others actually find it difficult to take. Reaching a balance isn't easy, particularly when there are differences. However, I believe that some differences are essential in any relationship. It does help though, if both can communicate on something approaching an equal level.

UK, Ireland / Polish girls in England. [33]

I have actually found that if the family likes you, you have probably crossed one of the biggest cultural hurdles. The other big one can be language. That's where I have found the biggest problem. If you can't easily discuss how you feel with eachother, a relationship will be strained. In the past, I couldn't understand how so many people would come to PF asking for translations, simple or difficult, of messages sent by boyfriends or girlfriends in a language not shared by both people in the couple. I have since been guilty of asking for a small number of translations, even though, for an Englishman, my Polish isn't all that bad. Above average, I'd say!

Anyway, long ago I used to hang around with a lot of artists and art students. I went out with a woman for a while who was an artist. That turned out to be a big mistake. I haven't spent very much time with artists since then. Not that I'm saying all artists are bad...

News / Poland to ban Che Guevara image [55]

It shouldn't be banned. I remember asking someone if they knew whose face it was on their tee-shirt. "I think it's the bloke out of Rage Against the Machine."

Love / Boyfriend wants to move us to Poland but I don't speak Polish. [32]

From my experience, day-to-day life using a foreign language isn't as bad as being in a relationship with a language barrier. I find working with Poles, going on holiday to Poland or even playing in the back yard with Polish kids far easier than dealing with the kind of communication it takes between a couple to make a relationship work.

Anyway, you're young and intelligent and will learn fast.

News / Kaliningrad. Problem, Threat or Opportunity for Poland? [185]

It all depends on the definition of Russian. How does a Russian define Russianness? If someone living in Britain says that they are British, who am I to argue with that? For them to say they are British, they must feel British, otherwise they would probably have found something else to call themselves. I include English, Welsh and Scottish as terms within the British umbrella - to be one, you must be the other. The terms people use to define themselves just show where their priorities lie.

As far as I know, someone can be Russian and something else (Tatar, Mari, Yakut, etc.) or just Russian. Maybe I'm wrong. Are there two different words for this?

- Осёлов

Love / Polish girls' obsession with marriage [124]

I was almost as good as married a few weeks ago - more her thoughts than mine I should add. Things have changed since then. A break up followed by a kind-of make up. Only last night I had to endure an attempt at live chat over the internet:

Miss X: Czesc

a few seconds later...
<Miss X is no longer online and therefore uncontactable>

5 minutes later...
Miss X: Czemu nie odpisujesz?

Donkey reaches for keyboard and begins thinking how to reply...
<Miss X is no longer online and therefore uncontactable>

This went in a repeating cycle, each time getting on my nerves slightly more than the last.
The word doomed springs to mind.

UK, Ireland / POLES SUPERIOR TO BRITS? [260]

If my local baker sold the kind of bread that so many Poles think of as English or British bread, they would very quickly go out of business. What's the cheapest bread from Biedronka like?

Food / Poland and the Juice [35]


Growing it was banned for a long time as it was said to spread disease (plant diseases). Lots of plant diseases have unlikely hosts. Wheat rust living on Mahonia being an example. I actually planted four blackcurrant bushes in my front garden last week. I think I'll be using them for jelly rather than juice. Good on toast or poultry, although not at the same time.

Food / Best donuts in Warsaw? [22]


But they are made of do.