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Posts by nguyenek  

Joined: 18 Dec 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: -
Threads: Total: 1 / In This Archive: 1
Posts: Total: 11 / In This Archive: 9 		From: USA
Speaks Polish?: Yes

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nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Life / what should i say to people while giving out opłatki? [9]

Okay this is like my 4th Christmas in Poland - I always celebrate Christmas with my uncle's family. So the first time, I was excused from wishing in Polish because I virtually knew next to nothing. Second time, I could say something like "Wesołych Świąt." Third time, I had a decent command of Polish so I started to be more creative with "Życię ci pełne zdrowia i szczęścia" (probably butchered the grammar there). This time, I really want to say more things other than just zdrowie and szczęście. What are the other variations that people usually wish one another while giving out opłatki? I also have some little cousins, so I hope I can wish them to study well and grow big too.

No words are too big for me, I have a decent command of Polish, I just don't have a lot of opportunities to practice it - Really appreciate your help!

I like eating opłatki btw.
nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Life / what should i say to people while giving out opłatki? [9]

Is it a diminutive form of Nguyen? Pronounced New-yen in America?

yes sirrr! i was trying to polskify my last name somehow, just for fun.

well i was googling around for answers too and i found a good site that lists all the wishes for Christmas - although it'll probably sound more like me reading prose if I try out these wishes. I'll post it here for anyone's reference:

zyczenia.biz.pl/zyczenia-bozonarodzeniowe.html

Okay so I guess I got the adults out of the way - now for the cousins, how does this wish sound?

"No, z okazji boże narodzenia, życzę ci dużo zdrowia, szczęścia, radości, i właśnie, wysokich stopni w szkole!"

Thanks and merry christmas everyone.
nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Life / what should i say to people while giving out opłatki? [9]

What part of the US are you from?

I'm from Williamstown, in the western part of Massachusetts. I go to a college there. As you can tell, my last name is Vietnamese because I was born and raised up in Vietnam. That's also how I got all this connection with my Vietnamese uncle who basically has been living in Poland for already 30 years. My cousins are half-Polish. :)

You said four years of being within the Poles, right?
US I presume? Or is it Poland?

Well... with my uncle's family in Warszawa, to be exact. But I also have met Polish families in the States. I studied in Warsaw for a semester and made some best friends with other kids in the program. I often hang out with one of them in Linden, New Jersey and always get fed with ridiculous amount of food by his mom.

Anyway, I'm getting done with exams soon and flying out to Warszawa in 2 days. Pretty psyched to be back.

How do you like Lower Silesia?
nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Travel / train @ bus from warsaw to budapest? [17]

I know there's a train from Warsaw to Budapest. You take the Intercity PKP I think, it should depart around 10-11pm. Not sure if there's information on the PKP website but the best way is to go to Warszawa Centralna train station and ask for information from the Intercity booth. I don't remember how much it cost but it should be no more than $30 both ways.

Warning: the train ride may take 12 hours. When me and my friends took the train, we got stuck in this one place in Slovakia (Srnica or whatever it's called) for straight up an hour. They changed the head engine there and the coach got moving. Next thing we know we're heading back in the same direction and the signboard "Srnica" showed up again. Probably another head engine change or the train conductor forgot his lunchbox.
nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Life / what should i say to people while giving out opłatki? [9]

If you're ever in Wroclaw area (that's a capital of Lower Silesia but I am sure you knew that already ;P) just give me a yell!

Will do! Me and my buddies always wanted to hit up Wroclaw but we never got round to it, so next time when I gather our troops together again, Wroclaw is definitely on our list. Merry Christmas to you too!
nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Travel / train @ bus from warsaw to budapest? [17]

Actually, one way ticket from Warsaw Central to Budapest Keleti costs 405PLN,
so both ways ticket's price is closer to $300 :)

Not sure how you found the price out, but if it were $300 I would have never made that trip on a train with my friends.

We booked through a PKP ticketing agent and all I remembered was I gave my friend about 100zl so she can booked me one ticket.
nguyenek   
18 Dec 2009
Travel / train @ bus from warsaw to budapest? [17]

That's possible. However, $30 both ways still sounds incredibly cheap.
Maybe your friend was able to get some sort of a very special discount
on the tickets?

We were visiting students at the time, and I did have to present my legitymacja so I think there could be a student discount. That was a year ago in October. You're right that a Budapest ticket should cost more than a Gdansk ticket - but it should not be *that* expensive i.e. 405zl.