History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

I agree, BB. Here we are, with 52 years of Europeanisation designed to build cordial ties and people are still pointlessly, um, pointing back to WWII :(

We won the war, relax guys :)

Language / SLANG FOR INEBRIATION IN POLISH? [32]

nabrząkany ;) ululany :) napity or wypity :)

Life / So it's hit me too, isolation in Poland [46]

BevK, the gym is a super idea. I haven't been for over a year but used to go at least once a week. It really takes your mind off of things. I paid 8PLN and was there for a couple of hours, a good deal. It was well-equipped. I used to do a lot of stepper work and liked kick-boxing the punch bag.

Go for it, it's a great release :)

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

Exactly. Besides, what about repentance? I bet you some Germans felt ghastly about what they were ordered to do. Although I personally subscribe to the belief that most of them were more than mere 'cogs in the wheel', many of them must've felt bad for what they were ordered to do.

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

Yes, that's the Biblical perspective but what about the norms and precepts we have built up independent of the religious dimension? Forgiveness is divine being one of them.

I'm with SP on this one. The Nuremberg Trials at least caught some of the guilty parties. There's no sense in blaming modern-day Germans.

Law / Polish business invoices: do they still need to be stamped and signed? [10]

I know I have to stamp and sign my bills but they are not technically invoices. I find it hard that Poland could accept not having one or the other.

Language / Difference between zbyt and za [11]

Looking at it from the other side, zbyt rolls well with the negative as a general comment to say 'not really'. Lubisz X? Hmm...nie zbyt. Nie zbyt + adjective can often be like not so, rather than 'not too'.

Life / So it's hit me too, isolation in Poland [46]

The Poles are good that way, they draft you into their drinking endeavours. However, some unwanted 'guests' often appear, inviting themselves to sit with you. I hate this!

Isolation can take place within your home country and that's a point worth remembering. Have a seat, take a breath and think about what you really want and can reasonably expect from life here. Trust me, Bev, I've done the same.

As a final comment, be glad that you don't live under Sharia Law and radical rule. It could always be worse ;) ;)

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

WB, SwedishPoles is right. His commentaries are balanced and right on the mark. Yours? Well, I'll let others be the judge of that.

Language / Difference between zbyt and za [11]

That's because those sounds go together well, Czwartek. They don't require a bending of the tongue ;) ;)

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

What nonsense, Greg. Go and ask those in Wołomin and Pruszków.

Language / Polish Language Pronunciation - Example Words and Phrases [178]

Poles pronounce it more as lanch. Many Scots enunciate their vowels with precision so I hear this clearly.

Language / Difference between zbyt and za [11]

For example, ask yourself which sounds better:

Za bardzo zadowolony - too glad
Zbyt bardzo zadowolony - too glad

I'd say za bardzo sounds better as the sound combination (vowel plus consonant) rolls together better and is shorter. Like we wtorek rather than w wtorek.

Language / Difference between zbyt and za [11]

It's whatever sounds good, as is often the case in language. For example, explain to me why it's na Litwie rather than w Litwie, or Na £otwie rather than w £otwie! It just is and that's it!! Most countries follow w (in) but there are exceptions (Hungary)

The same as zbyt mało and za mało. Zbyt is gramatically sound but the great majority of native speakers, I reckon, would go with za mało. It rolls off the tongue better.

Certain words go better together and that's why we have collocations and instinctive speech production.

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

No concept of vendetta in Polish culture?? I think some know the meaning of 'odwet' i 'zemsta' here, let's not kid ourselves.

Travel / Gdynia info / Hotels to stay [17]

Gdynia? I live in Gliwice and have never been to Gdynia, LOL.

I'm not ask.com and I ain't no Jeeves :)

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

I'm talkin about moving on and letting sleeping dogs lie. Some can't bury the hatchet and that's fine, let them feel that. The Allies triumphed and the world unfolded as it did, I don't think about the atrocities that much but I feel sorry for those who suffered loss at the hands of the Nazis.

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

Well, they lived in different times so that's their gig.

I wasn't alive then but I know the policy of appeasement and missed messages.

It doesn't matter my upbringing at this moment. It matters that we can move on.

Everyone knows it was evil what the Nazis did but I'm more concerned about how we wrote down, as an international community in Auschwitz, that history would not repeat itself and it did in the 1990's. In Rwanda too.

So, WB, where is your criticism of those more recent events?

History / World War II - a tragic story for Poland and the World [489]

It is passed down through the generations. There's nothing quite like perpetuation, it was championed by the duck brothers.

Life / Women in Poland dyeing hair red [30]

Yeah, the Brazilian wins favour in many circles, present camp included :)

Life / Women in Poland dyeing hair red [30]

A Polish person trying to look a fair bit different is a recipe for disaster :) The proof is in the pubes :)

Life / Women in Poland dyeing hair red [30]

I've seen less of it recently but they still do it. It's their choice but sometimes they look like prize twats!!

History / Poland: dont blame us its the Germans. [174]

What a pathetic view, WB. Hitler was a madman who rose to power without anybody blocking him. Successive generations have condemned him, the Austrian, and castigated his deeds and foul statements. Don't let a dislike for the Germans block the fact that others have moved on. What they did was horrible but what good does being hateful now do?

Life / Culture Shock Since Moving to Poland - Anybody Dealt With This Before? [52]

It's all a question of level. If you are accustomed to a very ordered and predictable way of life then culture shock is inevitable when you move. It also depends on your background. If you have spent some time in Africa or Asia, Poland appears simple and easy to adapt to.

News / Searching for keys in Polish-Russian relations [75]

I really recommend it, Sasha. I can understand a little Russian but only through Polish. You will understand the Russian and it's quite audible. Still, I think you may understand the Polish too.

McCoy, you're a gem.

News / Searching for keys in Polish-Russian relations [75]

Kasparov has those roots, McCoy, but he is from Baku which is the capital of Azerbaijan. His mother was Armenian and father Jewish so clearly you have a point. He is proud to be an Azerbaijani though.

News / Searching for keys in Polish-Russian relations [75]

It's very easy to translate by the sounds of it. I really hear the similarities and contrasts of Slavic languages. I don't know how aware Kasparov is of the political realities in Poland nowadays but he's certainly cluey about Putin and the current Russian regime.

I wonder what Crow thinks about Kasparov, the Azerbaijani. Russian sounds more Serbo-Croatian than Polish does.

News / Searching for keys in Polish-Russian relations [75]

I love Kasparov's commentaries. Thanks for that, McCoy. Weinstein was precocious and is an admirable political spokesman :)

Life / So it's hit me too, isolation in Poland [46]

You get those moments where all around you appears foreign and inaccessible. Trust me, the potential for isolation is much worse in Asia. I just got stuck in, remained open-minded and let myself take in a lot of new experiences.

Here, the transformation was easier but maybe you need a lucky break. Mental conditioning can often distort reality. The UK is a cesspit in some parts, many parts are unappealing and there are few things that I miss.

Give it another crack of the whip and if you know what you want, you may well get it :)

Life / How much do you HATE POLISH PEOPLE and POLAND [1260]

Well, it forces the issue a wee bittie but still....