Life / WHY POLISH PEOPLE DON'T USE THEIR NATIVE FIRST NAME WHEN ABROAD? [136]

What? Do what we want with our names? Well, yes.

My name is Anna and it's the same in English, so theoretically there should be no problem. But someone asked me concernedly why I don't use my real name Ania. I tried to explain that it's a common Christian name, from Hebrew Hanna.

But there is another thing. I like to have my name declined, and when somebody calls me, they should say Anno! or, Aniu! And in English there are only very limited declinations. So I prefer to be called nominative Aana in English than Anya!Anya! - which just is less cultured than vocative Aniu, Anusiu.

So for me it's a matter of over-sensitivity rather than embarrassment.

Love / Gay Interracial Polish Dating [36]


I don't think that's the exact issue. It's 'you do what you want', as anyone, but we hide our intimate life in private. We never talk about sex as much as the French do, and expecially I would not want my parents to have the first clue about my intimacy. They were politely ignoring me all my life as I was them. Nobody's business but mine.

So I guess some of the times when there's a negative reaction to homosexuality it is really reaction to safeguard our privacy. And it appears very much that some people who are homosexual or just have a kink on their own sex, will try to be extremely public and become gay (I'm talking in Poland).

So this is awkward to have political sex in a country where anything goes - behind closed door.
Honestly I think that we are more flexible in categorising than the Enlish speaking world. Like this: just because two girls were kissing or petting doesn't mean they became lesbians and people should be interested and comment. They may have been entertaining themselves.

Life / How to behave in Poland? General etiquette questions. [30]

Some people say that we avoid eye contact. It rings true.

I live in UK and try to use this information - and catch people's eyes. But I always fail, because I look at say 20 yard distance, I don't receive eye contact, so I look away - and at this moment the Briton looks for eye contact. 100% misses...

Generally people who have not been introduced will avoid all contact with a stranger. Introduced = acquainted.

Kissing is optional, strangers will generally shake hands. I tend to hug rather than kiss.

I also noticed that in the UK people are expecting others to look all over them. I learned when I was walking in London not staring at anyone, and somebody pointed his finger at me and shouted 'averted eyes'. So I started staring and checking people out, and they started smiling.

I guess that by reversing, we do not want to be checked out. Normally we look in the eye or on the brow, but not at the body.

I suppose that with this lack of contact on the street if you will want to ask a stranger for time, it's best to wave to them to attract attention.

I also hear that people in the shops are surly and never greet you. That's true, but not 100%. Person who goes in the room should greet first, even if that's a shop and shopkeepers should be extra nice. If you greet them they will generally respond nicely.

You can get western food from supermarkets, so don't worry about our sour food too much. But if you like steaks there's very little chance for that.

Have fun!

Life / How not to offend your Polish host who makes too much food? [18]

Or eat really slowly, take little pieces of every dish on your plate, but only eat what you like, compliment everything and make your conversation so good that you have not time for eating because your mouth is talking. Then ask for some to take home. Or ask for recipes.

Or ask for a headache pill.

Life / Wonderful Poland.......but the attitude of Polish people [150]

It's good that you liked Poland, and good that you notice the bad sides as well.

Pesonally I will take this non-PC pleasure to tell you something: we are all taught in liceum on geography that Indians are really white. So I'm sorry to break this to you, but you are white.

I know exactly the problem. My boss in the Finance department was Narinder, a woman who loved being rude to people. When confronted she would start talking about how she 'is the wrong color'. And she looked very pleased with herself.

Also, when you are calling yourself 'Asian', you are using a Britsh abbrevaition, that is very incorrect. India is on the Indian Subcontinent, so you can't be the general 'Asian'. There would be no room left for Mongols, Kalmuks, Czukcze and all the many peoples of China.

I agree that London must be a very metropolitan city, but the Enlgish countryside is openly racist. Even to Polans, even though we are white, or Christian, or whatever other argument the BNP usually has against 'immigrants'. I live in the Midlands, and I even get shouted at on the street.

So to sum it up: you post is a little on the line, very nice country but full of those Poles. It's hard to like this. But OK, it's your opinion.

The stare problem is evident, the Brits stare completely differently, but that is not reason for us to change and be British now.

And as to aggressive people - some are not really aggressive, they just are seen as such by you, because of short hair or exuberant poses. Nothing to do with you.

I write about how Polans see the UK here: polkaontheisland.wordpress.com

Life / Wanna buy a rubber/condom (in Rossmann in Poznan)? [51]


No, they are in their twenties, they just look young to you.

Condoms smell anyway. Get proper pills.

Life / Wanna buy a rubber/condom (in Rossmann in Poznan)? [51]


not that simple - use them for an hour and you'll feel the stench of old tyres in your body and even breath for another hour..

ugh. even durex elite stink
plus they take the feeling out. it's like drinking wine though a baloon. pointless.

Life / Wanna buy a rubber/condom (in Rossmann in Poznan)? [51]


one can't be to open in the modern society... wait... I'm traditional.

Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

I just want to point out one thing - it's not necessarily about race - it may be, but does not have to.

I know that If you consider syourself to look different, you will be tempted to use this as an explanation. But if you look around, it's not such a homogenous country in fact. It's only been like that since the last war, but people of mixed origins, especially with the Siberian and other Asian peoples, are still here. Some are even Polish Muslim. Some still bear the features of the Gengis Chan invasion - two blond parents can have almond eyed child.

It's a new situation for us to be homogenous.

Also there is the thing that we stare differently to other nations - I knwo about this. Brits always look to me like they are avoiding direct eye contact in conversation, and I apparently don't look at them and smile on the streets.

But my point is - it's quite possible that the problem is personal, not racist. My mom has not spoken to my bf for 7 years until a year ago. And he's blond. It's common in troubled familied that they think the new spouse is stealing the child and ruining the order. Not necessarily alcoholic families, but maybe tyrant ones.

Just my opinion.

Life / Women in Poland dyeing hair red [30]


I went to Germany once when my hair was Redvolution red, and everybody was staring and drooling, so apparently not 'twat color'

What can you know about fashion anyways, where you come from everybody wears the same style. 1984 is already there!

Life / Help with Polish Nicknames / Diminutive Names [21]

MALE NAMES:

Samuel - Samcio, Samek, Mulek też pasuje

Michael - Miś, Misiek, we always call all Michałs teddy bears

£ukasz - £ukaszku - Kaku

FEMALE NAMES:

Barbara - Basia, Baśka, Bacha, Basieńka

Lucia (Lusia) - Lusia, Luśka, Lusieńka

Janina - Janka, Jasia, Jaśka, Janeczka

Life / Understanding Communication and Body Language of Polish People [13]


Funny, I have that in Britain - I don't understand why everyone is shouting so much.

And we always get the comments from Britons that Poles are surly, depressed, never talk to people and somesuch. Nothing at all about being expressive. So not sure about your post, Kamila2.

Life / Would you intervene in a mugging on a street in Poland? [16]


It sometimes happens that the courts decide that one has overstepped the rules of obrona konieczna - but there was a case 4 years a ago, of a man shooting a burglar in his own hallway, who later got acquited.

There are very strict rules to obrona konieczna, and as usual, ignorance is not an excuse.
For example - you are free to use any means that you deem necessary in a particular situation. That means: if your life is threatened, you may defend yourself up to the same level. If you see a lifted hand, you may assume that the person intends to strike you - then it's permitted to strike or kick. But if later you cannot prove that - you will have overstepped obrona konieczna.

You are at any time allowed to use continuous force and inflict continuous pain - such as an armlock, but a citizen must not me hit or kicked, in a situation when physical contact is necessary.

In general you can be sued for so much a touching someone, becasue that's invasion of personal untouchability - naruszenie nietykalności cielesnej. But nobody ever does sues for that.

All in all I feel more endangered in the UK - I got mugged in Hastings, I witnessed fights under my window in Rugby. I called the police but they were disinterested.

I developed this method - I take pictures with a loud flashlight. this always scares them off (except one girlie beater who was just too high to notice). I suppose that in Poland it will work just as well. And a proof is what you need to win a case in the court. So take photos. One guy won this way a case against burglars - his camera was good and their faces where shown clearly.

Besides: do you judge goodness of characted based on 'high income'???

Life / Playing loud music in Poland. What are the laws? [6]

call the cops every day after 10pm, they are obliged to come. or call all day and say you want to report disturbance of house peace (zakłócenie miru domowego). they will ask him to quiet down of his own will, but if he annoys them enough he will get a ticket and maybe kolegium

Life / IS POLISH PATRIOTISM OBSOLETE? [34]

I had an experience that clarified patriotism to me this way: When living as a student in the USA, I told the family that 'in Poland we make the best bread in the world', and they said to this: 'it's very good that you said that'.

I think that they were able to understand that one appreciates one's own country and people, because they appreciate their own, too.
So, when I read on Steffen Moeller's website that he thinks the bread from Wuppertal is the best, I was happy. That is a thing worthy of appreciation, bread.

BUt I don;t think that loving your own home is the same as aggressiveness. The dark side of nationalism is national chauvinism, which says 'we are better, they are worse'. It is the chauvinism that nobody wants, but patriotism is simply appreciation.

History / Poland and Lithuania [161]

Hi, Ppl
You know, I read this topic with interest. I really would never have guessed that there is hostility in Lithuania towards Poland?! I feel no hostility towards Lithuania, even though my ancestors hailed from Lithuania (and Ukraine, Germany, Russia and the Tatars). There is no going back, we have all been moved about by Stalin, in the best tradition of the Great Catherine. There are now nations there, at home.

What I know about the dark sides of our history, is that there had been bloodbaths in the east, but I have a lot of forgiveness. This was, sadly the time when a sense of nationality was becoming clear there, and it had to be confronted with another nation to gain strength. I pity that it was we. At least we Poles had the many German countries as neighbours, they are different from us in a lot of ways, and that had made things easy for us to establish ourselves.

I think that the biggest problem is always the Russian border, and we all have it, so I see no real sense in bothering with hating Poland, especially that we are not trying to go back.

We are in EU now, if I wanted to buy my Grandmother's folwark, I suppose I can be allowed to.

I kind of thought that the Ukrainians disliked us for not making the Cossaks equal with Polish and Lithuanian nobles, and for polonising their own nobles. But why Lithuania?

Lithuania bothered our eastern border so much that taking their Duke as our King was a very good deal for us, he got to sleep with our Princess, not even the other way around.

They won. They also needed the military against the Muscovy, and got it.

I understand that the deal had worked badly for them when we've lost all importance and fell on hard times. Sorry. I wish that we were a big and rich country, and I believe that we still can. Look at Germany - they were in a very bad shape after the WWI, then they had put all the money in the WWII and regaining their honour, broken in the peace treaty. They were is such hardship that they had to rely on benefits. Now, after 60 years of good management and honest work they have bought themselves the whole EU, in terms of influence and riches. That is what we have to do now.

Or, what we could do if of course we were not so strongly influenced by the greatest manipulators, brothers Muscovites. That can be the reason why there would be any resentment in Lithuania speaking of Poland as we speak of Germany, even though it was a union, not a conquest. It looks a bit like stealing our song.

Regarding the Poles in Lituania and the same in Belarus and Ukraine, I think that the policy of our pseudo-liberal govt. is to stupidly stir and meddle, and make ourselves hated. Why is that? So that Russia can look like friends (and Germany is taking that chance as well as of late). Since it is not in the interests of Poland, I think it's done under influence of foreign services. Otherwise, it may be the stupidity, but I do hope it is not THAT grand.

At any rate, there is nobody currently to vote for that had not been active in the colonisation times. They are all soiled.

So, to sum it up, I think highly of our neighbours that were once countrymen. I wish we would do more business together. We can only benefit as a country from being your neighbours if you get rich, and I wish you that.

Food / What Polish food or drink do you not like and why? [37]

The British version of salceson is called head cheese. I've just learned that!

History / Poland and Lithuania [161]

Ironside - I am most delighted to have pleased you.

After consideration, it seems to me that the policy we implement concerning our minorities is the worst with Belarus. Idiotic, really. It would pay to lure them out of the Russian field of interest, not offend them. So it is possible that we are not so mean in Lithuania, I hope. But I have very little info. The countries that Poland seems to be the most preoccupied with are the USA, Germany and now UK. It would be interesting to learn more. If we can't have equal rights, I think we should petition for them.

Nerijus, is there a user friendly site about Lithuania that I could go to? I only speak Polish, English, and some German, though, so the options will be limited.

The only real info that I have so far are the onet.pl news about the economic success of the Baltic states. Apparently in Riga the life is better than in Warsaw. Is it also so successful in Lithuania?

I think, Nerijus, that by today's standards Poland was aggressive then. From what I learned it was considered the only option for us. (I am quite chuffed by the taking of Opole Silesia, though, as it was not a matter of survival). Of course, I would not mind getting the Polish cities back to the Mother. But since it is the EU now, I will take a train and simply go. I suppose that the Germans would not mind getting Stettin back, but we cannot move. To accommodate them, we would have to attack the eastern neighbours, and why would we do that just to please somebody? This is the shape of the world as of today. I live with it.

History / Drang nach Osten. [79]


Of course we can share the lands, as we always have. That's what the problem with ancient tribes on the maps is. We were always neighbours, village to village. With Celts, Avars, Sarmathians, and whoever fancied passing through the forests that have no natural borders. That's what this land was - forest, forest, more forest, a tiny settlement, a wooden keep, a mud road, more forest. There were Slavonic settlements around Berlin and Germanic settlements as far as Russia.

Even the genetic make up proves that, and just look at the Haplogroup R1a spread. We interbreed. Half of Germany are half-Slavonic?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Distribution_Haplogroup_R1a_Y-DNA.svg

Looking at the Germanic distribution above - are Poles half Germanic?

At any rate, Poland and German Countries had shared a long period of peace in our history. Wettin kings, German citizens in towns, Gdańsk loyal to our king, normal dinner (meat with veg and a staple, as opposed to the celebratory bigos and dumplings), strucla, miodownik, etc. It's the Prussia that we have been in the fiercest conflict with, and it's a crying shame that Jogaiła had not incorporated them, made Hohenzollerns marry Polish princesses and so on.

The same as with Moscow willing to take Prince Władysław as their tzar, but the idiot Swede Sigmund Vasa had not allowed it. (Sorry, I don't like him)

I think personally that German Countries were a more cheerful place to live in, up until the Prussians united Germany and currently occupy them. Making the life sad for Bavarians (not that Bavarians give up on their culture)

I have a Great-Grandfather named Sprinz to prove this peaceful neighbouring.

The problems of the XIX and XX centuries concerned the development of nations as opposed to royal subjects. It's a thing that happened, so now I am Polish rather than King's subject. Sadly but naturally, the frictions while creating the national community included chauvinism, with all the dire consequences.

I suppose that chauvinism is not bringing any military success these days, now that the Japanese had constructed a mech warrior. It will die out, I hope, it makes life hard.

Life / IS POLISH PATRIOTISM OBSOLETE? [34]


I don't think so. This sentence regards something that we do, not what we 'are'. 'Italians make the best pizza' also states a preference of mine, not a belief in their superiority.

Life / Wonderful Poland.......but the attitude of Polish people [150]


Really, you lot got treated like animals. And even he thanked you! WOW, that is openly racist!

History / Drang nach Osten. [79]


Gosh, I was trying to be understanding towards Germany. You just like to annoy us, do ya?

You have really bad brandy. There, I said it. Made u feel better?

<more annoyed mutterings while throwing away German mayonnaise from the fridge>

Life / IS POLISH PATRIOTISM OBSOLETE? [34]


I would love to have one for myself. Ksawerynaland. Ksysiowo. I would invade a neighboring kingdom and impose my ideaology, even if they didn't want it!

History / Drang nach Osten. [79]

Yes, BB, I know. Count Bismarck had done you good. The same as the Great Russia, Catherine and Peter the Greats, all had been good for Russians, not so for Poland. So I am personally against, but I understand that you are pro.

Looking back at history all the Prussia misfortune would not have happened if Duke Konrad had not invited the OT, or the Lituanian king Jogaiła had made the Hohenzollern family marry his cousins. Bloody Hohenzollerns. Then it would be down to the endless wars for Brandenburg and sex with Sachsen. Bliss.

History / Drang nach Osten. [79]

No, we are peaceful farmers.

History / Drang nach Osten. [79]


What, have you never heard about poor German peaceful farmers who were pestered with those Roman legions and as soon as they got some peace, Slavs came in?

News / Russia opens archives and Poland demands minority rights from Germany [60]

Rzeczpospolita is not the same as GazWyb.

But if it is as BB and you say, that we already have agreements in place, then I can see the issue as a response to the Steinbach issue. I wonder what about it.

If this is as I now think then it must mean that our politics is becoming Western. That has to be bad. I would prefer to stay on the straight and narrow - but of course that does not work with the USA (offset F16 etc.)


You are probably looking through Western eyes, Harry. From my point of view my many nations had always fought and quarrelled, so I see no reason to exclude the Jews. People had their own newspapers, their own football teams. Competitive taunting is still in today. Polish Catholics were one of the many nations of this land - sadly not today. Stalin had changed that.

News / Russia opens archives and Poland demands minority rights from Germany [60]


I'm sorry - what Anti-Semitic lies? Michnik is not hiding his Jewish background, so aren't others. In a country of such a big Jewish minority, and nowadays half-Jewish minority, a radiostation, newspapers like Midrasz and Gazeta Wyborcza etc are normal.

It is only surprising that this particular daily has gained such popularity, while the members still retain ties to the People's Republic and the Party Inheritrix.

This isn't the only problem with the media market today. A large investment by the Axel-Springer group means that the media in Poland, especially the local ones, now belong abroad.

There is a general feeling that we are fed a foreign version of history and politics. It would not have been so if the foreign proprietorship were limited to a few titles, engaging in a dialogue or a big mouth-off.

But of course during the systems being changed, many shady deals had been made.

News / Russia opens archives and Poland demands minority rights from Germany [60]


C'mon BB, let's have at least Fussball wars ;)