Travel / Overstaying on a Visa in Poland [25]

American citizens don't need visa going to Poland. Consider during your stay leaving Schengen zone for short trip to Ukraine (?) otherwise you might be put on SIS database and that could lead to troubles when entering any EU country in future.

Life / Easter weekend in Poland - does everything Close? [11]

Small groceries will remain selectively open and rather in shorter hours. That is at least how I remember last year. Some fast food chains may stay open, too. I am talking here bigger towns. You're better off to get your supplies earlier on. Monday morning can be unpleasant due to kids running the streets with buckets full of water...

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

England national football team is a major rival of Poland NT. It may not be the case for English fans but definitely is for polish ones. Few victories against England we had enjoyed are well remembered as well as losses to England, that btw prevented Poland to participate in major tournaments at least several times. We had enjoyed victories against world champions but ones against England are sweeter. Poland would always estimate highly victories against England as we take England as a cradle of football regardless of latest form or rankings. It is Ireland polish fans would cheer for full heartedly anytime.

Travel / Is there a limit to the number of trips in 1 year to Poland? [21]

There will be no airport passport controls very soon ( I think in March), that is if you fly to Poland from EU country. The only reason they still control EU passengers is because of need to upgrade airports infrastructure to separate traffic from EU and non EU countries.

Life / Poles in Poland: How did you learn your English? [60]

I started with English at school as everybody probably but then had to use it in Germany, Holland, Sweden where I in fact had learned to actually communicate in English and then I had American girlfriend - my university teacher!

My humble beginnings were with BBC radio where I could get latest soccer/football scores understanding only "Liverpool ONE - Manchester City TWO"

I once met polish girl who had been living with her Scottish man and she could ONLY speak english, she didn't even know how to spell HAVE or MARRIAGE and could write close to nothing in english.

Food / Is there McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut etc in Poland? Food survey. [222]

McDonald has horrible, horrible food here and KFC has very good food. Really good!

Food / Eating out in Poland [43]

Fast food is treated indeed by many Poles as a treat for their children. The idea of selling/giving toys there wasn't a polish one - I assume.

We definitely have here a luck of knowledge about junk food. On different scale polish junk food is often better tasting then one served in USA - exception here being Burger King burgers.

Travel / Inland Fishing in poland [24]

There are ten thousand lakes in Mazury region alone but countrywide there are not THAT many lakes. Only close to 1% of all land are lakes, Scandinavian countries have 10% share and more. Other Poland region with many lakes is Lubuskie (west Poland, close to German border). I don't know about kind of fish either. My 14 year old neighbor goes fishing several times a month in Odra river and I often see fisherman on the banks. It is a popular sporting (?) activity in towns but not that many take traveling to the lakes for some fish.

Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

What annoys me on trains in Poland are people using their cell phones a lot. I've been lucky to have the whole 8 person compartment for my self many times in my longer journeys or at least had share it comfortably with 2 or 3 other fellow travelers. Polish EC trains are often crowded from my experience but have better service like newspapers, drinks, ...toilets and seats.

Local trains are probably all crowded, the new, modern ones have usually uncomfortable seating and older ones are sometimes overheated.
Best deal: Friday evening to Monday morning all trains 60 PLN 2nd class, 80 PLN 1st
I find train station toilets clean but overpriced. Probably it does take 3 PLN per **** to keep them profitable for agents and corporate style.

Life / POSITIVES ABOUT POLAND AND POLISH PEOPLE.... [119]

Poland rocks vs Poland sucks: googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=Poland+sucks&wor d2=Poland+rocks

Genealogy / Info on Poles in German work camps 1943-45 [7]

English Translator 3
see if you like demo, download = "pobiez program"
I have a full version and my opinion is ...good.

dobreprogramy.pl/index.php?dz=19&id=2280&t=63

UK, Ireland / POLISH ADMIRATION FOR THE IRISH GENIUS JAMES JOYCE [63]

Anna Staniewska who was an editor of Slonimski translation of Shakespeare had many critical remarks on Slonimski works.
For example:
Hamlet: "That's a fair thought to lie between maids' legs"
Slomczynski: "Piękna to myśl do włożenia między nogi dziewczyny"

Slomczynski had - according to her - confused "to lie" and "to lay" .... :)

Nevertheless her opinion on his Ulisses was positive and this is an opinion coming from someone who had edited nearly every Shakespeare polish translation.

I haven't read Ulysses nor Ulisses yet. I have bought Slomczynki's translation of Jonathan Swift but .... am yet to start.

More on Maciej Slomczynski vs William Shakespeare here (polish)

Life / Polish Birthday Traditions [42]

As for importance those are most celebrated
16, 18, 21, 40, 50, 80, 90, 91, 92, 93
Sixteen is still special in Poland, for some unknown to me reasons
Eighteen - you enter "maturity" what is symbolized by right to buy spirits on ID
Twenty one - we celebrate it as 21 is beautiful, it would be sometimes called "real maturity", you can vote now
40 - a big 40
50 - half time,
80 - big number
90 - huge number
all above 90 are huge

I had a feeling of importance when celebrating 16
I had a feeling of joining the club at 18 realized I could buy buzz much later
I saw 40 as a big dancing party with lots of people

Life / Old Polish/east european song title [7]

Milosc ci wszystko wybaczy ?

USA, Canada / Roads and Driving rules in Poland versus America [63]

The idea behind building more rondos is slowing traffic as we have speeding problem. Speed limits are unthinkable to implement in cities as we would get arguments that "In Germany there's no speed limit". Go figure.

News / Illegal immigrant tries to get into Poland in a luggage [19]

Yes. She said "it's my underwear"

Travel / Have you ever been in Poland? [111]

I live in Poland and would like to visit UK, probably London. For now I luck ideas on what to do after I would arrive on Stanstead (?) or Luton....... I wouldn't mind watching football game but heard I would need to register and go through some hassle. Not that much interested in architecture or touristy things. (...) I guess I'd wait for spring to inspire me.

Love / Why my Polish girlfriend's mother started to ignore me? [74]

Or the opposite. She has accepted you and now has been showing how comfortable she would feel around you. No pleasantries needed to be exchanged anymore. You are one of her family and can ignore you and focus on her own. It is a polish way of showing acceptance to new family member (vanishing but still performed mostly in eastern regions of the country)

Life / Best way to get tickets for Legia Warsaw [6]

Legia now has introduced some Membership cards which are required to enter stadium. The cards as far as I know are issued even on game day but it is - I was told - a long line on the game day. I would suggest buying your ticket and card some days in advance. There are several places in Warsaw you could do it. Legia has generally speaking fair attendance but only few games a season are sold out. If you are not registered hooligan you would buy your ticket in most day with no problem ( if you are - go see Polonia Warsaw in 2nd division they are good this season and aiming to advance to top league)

Language / Abecadło (The alphabet) [19]

There's abecadło audio available now ... :)

youtube.com/v/2K_yN5JgtKI

News / British moved to POLAND on BBC tonight [74]


Here's Kavin Aiston clip (he's playing an Englishman looking for a job in Poland)

News / Third World War and the role of Poland [82]

Germany first of course. First duty then pleasure!

News / Third World War and the role of Poland [82]

If Poland was military attacked by Germany and Russia who would Poles fight first?

News / Third World War and the role of Poland [82]


We are no different and many of us would love to kill, harm and fight risking own lives. In case of war you are mentioning I think Poles would have no problem contributing and coping. We would love to kick Russian's ass for sure and I foresee no problem with motivating against China or Iran (here claim that they are Muslims would be easy to sell).

As for our partners in planned bloodshed (?) we'd love to fight arm in arm with USA and UK. Israel ? - well, we work it out in hope they would stop hating Poland.

I'm sure Bush didn't say it all, did he?

Life / Psychology in Poland: Polish Psychologists and Psychiatrists [5]

One and most interesting one: Alice Miller

Life / What do Polish people think about Americans living in Poland? [48]

I like Americans for they are rather very straitforwad kind of people and on individual basis I find it easy to judge them and thus accept as my company or avoid. They are seldom false, pretending, hiding something, are not sneaky in nature and all that is great. Recently in Poland we would perhaps find it fashionable to bash Americans as this is probably way of coping other European sentiment but still Poles have very favourable attitude toward Americans I think.

^
! I have a picture summing up polish attitued towar Americans!
Here!
nitka.net.pl/~asdf/raczkowski.jpg

Life / New English Language Magazine for expats in Poland? [24]

There is a newspapper callled New Warsaw Express. For some time they had .pdf format and now they offer also printed edition.
nwe.com.pl

Life / How come Poles have 2 cars, mobile phones - but make so little money? [23]

I also think that Poles like to show off. They (we) are particulary crazy about clothes. I know families who have old furniture, dirty carptets at home but when parading on street would always be dressed up. The cell phones aren't that expensive if you buy them in pawnshops and there's planty of those. You would also find many folks who would generally care little about what they eat and rather save for that car or phone or flat screen tv.