News / Positive features that distinguish Poland from other countries? [63]

I recently spent a few days in Poland visiting with family and I was very impressed by how happy and nice everyone was. Polish people give the best hospitality then anyone I've ever met. I have never felt so welcome in a place.

The food was mostly good...I can be a picky eater so not all things made were to my liking. But everything was made with love and in quantity so you never went hungry. In fact I was always more in danger of bursting at the seems!

I spent time in Krakow and in a small village in the a few hours away and they were both breathtakingly beautiful.

I enjoyed every moment I spent in the country and look forward to when I can go back. Next time though I definately will need to learn more Polish....I hated haveing to rely on others to translate for me.

My one complaint about Poland is that the language is so hard to learn! *lol* That and the Vodka there is deadly!! Just a few shots and I was more drunk then I've been in a long time...it goes right to your head. It should really come with a warning label - something like - Americans be warned about consuming this product your body probably won't be able to handle it as well as the Polish.

USA, Canada / Would my Polish degree be worth anything in the US? [14]

Yes your Polish degree would be valid in the US. As long as its an accedited and recognized institution. Poland has some very good colleges in it - some of which give a better education then some schools in the US. Where I work in the US we have people who got their degree from all different countries - India, China, Russia, Italy, the UK and more.

So if you want to study in Poland then go and have fun. If you have trouble getting a job afterwards then its jsut because the job market in the US can be tough - depending on your field of interest

Genealogy / "You don't look Polish" statement [29]

I think that it might have something to do with the shape of the face.

At my last company shortly after I started to work there we had a baby picture contest and one of the owners walked in took a look at mine and said now that's an eastern european face. He studied it for a few moments more then ruled out the woman who was Ukranian and then picked it out as me and was like...you're Polish right?

I'm 4th generation here in the states and my name is an English as you get...no one there knew my ancestry yet he just knew that I was Polish.

Travel / Cracow storm? [6]

I was in Krakow during that storm in August. It was very impressive and violent.

Genealogy / how many know their own family histories? [139]

On my father's maternal side of the family things can be traced from the first ancestor who plopped down in the states back in the mid-1600's to the early middle ages....the hard part has been getting from that ancestor to the modern day family. You'd think that it would be fairly easy considering that guy from the 1600s is the patriarch for that entire family in the states, but so far there have been many deadends. As for my dad's father's family little is known and my sister and I haven't had the time to do more serious searching on our grandfather....or even finding the missing link for our grandmother's family.

As for my Polish roots there is a lot of detail known. It helps that my Polish great-grandfather didn't cross the pond until the early 1900's and that many of his brothers and sisters remained in the same village where he was from. We also have been able to remain in contact with those family members through the years.

As with my dad's side not much is known of my grandmothers family except that she was Irish and had a VERY common Irish name so that will make things difficult.

Genealogy / Anyone Else 1/2 Polish??? [58]

My mom is 50% Polish and 50% Irish

I'm 1/4 Polish, 1/4 Irish and 1/2 English.....yet I've always seemed to identify more with my Irish & Polish roots....lol

I went to Poland for the first time last August on a whirlwind trip to meet some family and plan on going back many more times. It was such a wonderful country....and the people couldn't be more awesome =)

Genealogy / Bak, Wrobel, Chorzempa - 2nd Generation Man Searching for Relatives In Poland [3]

I have some Polish relatives with the last name of Bak. From the family tree some of them do not live too far from Krakow. Do you know anymore details on your grandmother?

It is probably a long shot but I can always ask them to see if there is any connection between them and your grandmother Hedwig Bak.

Genealogy / Rzeszow birth, death records available or destroyed in war? [5]

Hello 2772

I contacted my cousin who lives not to far from Rzeszow about your question and just got this response back from him....I hope that it helps!

Look: bip.um.rzeszow.pl/53,54,66/66

This is the Town's Archives of Rzeszow. Look: ksiegi.pdf (down of this page). Look point 4.18. in this pdf plik: "KSIEGI URODZEN" -birth documents.

Pobitno 1890-1942.

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


I was in Poland last August for a family gathering....and have been talking with some family and friend here about going back for another visit in the next year or two. With the exception of some of the food I loved my time there. Meeting my Polish relatives was a wonderful experience and I hope to get to know them all better. Just as I hope to improve on my Polish. I don't know much.....but I do have a desire to learn.

Genealogy / Rzeszow birth, death records available or destroyed in war? [5]

Unfortunately I can't help you there. My Polish is still at a very elementary level. =( It was a relative of mine who knew of the link and did that initial search for me. Perhaps if you put out a plea on the translation thread of this forum someone can help you.

You can also try to use the email address on the page to see if the person on the other end knows English and could help.

Genealogy / Czaponis surname [10]

I don't know anything about the names...but I think what you are trying to do is very commendable! Good luck with your search.

Genealogy / Mieczyslaw, Mike, Michael, or Mitchell? Byczek, Stec, Kogut - name questions [7]

Do you know anything more about Rosealia?

My great-grandparents settled in W. Warren, MA when they came over from Poland. My great-grandmother had a niece named Rozalia (called Rose) who was born in 1906.

Genealogy / Family Pictures of loved ones in Poland [21]

This is a photo of all the members of my family who came to a gathering in the small Polish town that we all originated from. Most of the people there were from that town and its surroundings....but there were also tons from Krakow, Warsaw, Germany, England...and me - the only one from America who made it. All together there were over 150 family members. I had been in contact with a cousin for a few years via email and so this was the first time that I met or talked to most of these family members.....yet it they didn't feel like strangers. I never felt so welcome in a place. =)

flickr.com/photos/irisheyz77/2099187549/

(I tried to upload the photo but it was too large....but for any interested in viewing it just follow the link)

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

I am 1/4 Polish, 1/4 Irish and 1/2 English.

My mom is 1/2 Polish and 1/2 Irish....which for some reason always seemed like an odd mix to me.

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

In my experience the Polish are crazy drivers! While there are some crazy drivers in America the Poles just seem to take it to extremes....when being driven in Poland I alwys tried to make sure I was sitting near a door...so I could grip the handle when things started to get a little tense for me. I don't know that they manage to survive there! *lol*

As for the first comment about roundabouts....there are tons of them in MA. Built to try to keep traffic moving while at the same time controlling the speed. While I can see the logic in this I find them horribly annoying. I also get antsy thinking that the other drivers may not be on the same wavelength as me and that I'll get into an accident.

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


The thing that got me the most was when my family and I drove from Krakow to the villiage my great-grandfather was from. It was a 2 lane road with traffic going in opposite directions in each lane. There was a lot of traffic and when I am from we'd mostly sit and creep along as traffic progressed cursing at whatever the cause might be. But my cousin on the other hand would pull out of the line at every opportunity, gun the engine and speed down the lane - which had cars coming at him....when he came close to a car coming at him he'd slam on the breaks and cut off a car in the lane that was travelling in the same direction as him.

Maybe I'm just an overly cautious driver at times though in America we generally don't pass on the left - we usually pass on the right and suck up as best we can any delays. All I know is that the playing chicken with the on-coming cars was not a fun experience.

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]


Yes I am quite intellectually capable....but why do I need to explain myself to you? Especially since your comments were not of the kindest in nature. However, I will say this...to me a Polish/Irish combo just seemed like an odd mix. Its more of a feeling that I've always had based not on the actual countries/nationalities themselves but probably most influenced by the people who my grandparents were. They were complete opposites.

And of course there is the fact that the areas that they both grew up in. My grandfather grew up in a neighborhood dominated by other Polish immigrants just as my grandmother grew up in an Irish community. Both of which were small communities as the area as a whole is highly dominated by the Portuguese. To me it would seem more likely that there would have been a Polish/Portuguese and a Irish/Portuguese match rather than a Polish/Irish...So it just seemed odd that my grandparents managed to get together. Although I am very glad they did...for if they hadn't then I wouldn't be here.


I second this question.

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]



I am an American by birth....but there is nothing simple about being called American for as others have said America is a large country made up of a mixture of people from various nations. Not many people who live here have all of their roots here (unless you are sioux or cherokee or some other native american). I am descended from people who were born in Poland, Ireland and England and I am proud of all those connections. They are my roots. Here in America when people ask what you are they are usually asking about your nationality.

My great-parents was born and raised in Poland. My grandfather was first generation and he had the opportunity to claim Polish citizenship and even inherited a bunch of land there from my great-grandfather. But like most first generation Americans who chose to give all that up. He was American and didn't want to be known as Polish. That disinterest in where we came from was passed on to his children and as such there isn't very much traditional Polish about us. Which has always saddened me because I feel as though a part of me is missing without that historical/cultural basis.

My SN I choose over 15 years ago when I knew more about my Irish side then Polish as my grandmother spoke more of the Irish than my grandfather spoke of Poland. It was only later as I got to know my great-uncle better that I began to learn more of my Polish roots. That I was able to get in contact with the family that still live there. To get to know them and as a result learn a little bit more about myself and where I come from. That is part of what it means to be American....to have an understanding of your roots - the places that your ancestors came from.

I am American however, when I am overseas and people ask me what I am or where I am from I say American or America. In America its different because the meaning behind the question is different. I am proud of my roots - without them I wouldn't be me. I am glad that I now have the opportunity to learn more about my Polish side. Part of that learning process is to come here and talk with other Polish about the history, customs and language. I'm fourth-generation Polish much of that information was lost. I love communicating with my Polish relatives but as many don't speak/read English I also come here for help when my limited knowledge of Polish can only translate a small bit of what was said.

Who are you to call me 'fake'? I am not fake anything....I am very real and very proud of the places where my family has come from. I have been to Poland seen the house where my great-grandfather was born. Been loved and accepted fully by people who I had never met before. Who when I was there didn't want me to leave and tried to get me to promise to move to Poland - and to bring all the family that was here with me - since I was Polish and should be in Poland. They don't think that I am fake anything. And I must say their opinion of who I am means a heck of a lot more to me then yours....so go ahead call me fake...ask god to save you from poles like me....it won't change anything about who I am or what I believe.

Travel / Would like to visit krakow, any advice? [11]

Krakow is beautiful. There is so much to do. I had a whirlwind tour of the city when I was visiting family back in August. One day was definately not enough to see even a fraction of the city....but what I saw definately made me want to return. =)

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]


Perhaps you should get to know someone before makeing judments. I wouldn't be on this forum if I did not like my Polish heritage.

Life / Choosing a Polish Name for Your Newborn [15]


In my family over in Poland the name Aleksandra was the dominate one. Seemed as though every other girl I met was called Ola. lol

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]


All my post said was that I was part Irish, Polish and English and that my mom was 1/2 polish....what is in that caused you to think that I didn't like Polish people? Was it because I thought that a Polish/Irish combo was odd? But even that says nothing bad about Poland or Polish people.

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

If you were traveling in August on some road between Krakow and Niebieszczany then it just might have been! Don't ask me the road because I have no clue. I was sitting in the back seat with my hands over my eyes shaking with fear! *lol*

Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

I'm not dwelling....I promise you that. I just wanted to understand where you got your idea from is all. I mean if I had said something that was inadvertently anti-polish then I would want to know so that I wouldn't say it again. Different places can have a similar expression or gesture and yet have two very different meanings attached. Like in the US if you hold up two fingers in a V with your palm facing the body then it usually means 'Peace'. But over in the UK if you do that same gesture then it means F**k You. So that is why I asked you to clarify what it was about my post that you thought was anti-polish.

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


hands over eyes remember....so no....I didn't "see" any accidents while there. And I will admit my cousin did seem competent behind the wheel....his wife and kids were all sitting calmly the whole way.

As for the condition of the roads. Have you ever been to Boston? Now there are some tiny roads built long ago (yes i know not as long ago as poland) made for horse-carts and not cars - especially not the huge as SUVs that many Americans are fond of driving. Add to that a constant state of construction, badly defined detours and roads that are riddled with pot holes. While I was in Poland all the roads that I drove on seemed to be pretty well laid out and in good repair. So a case could be made that Polish roads are better than roads in some American cities.


I noticed that too. People were much more likely to let a car cut in front of them in Poland that here in the states. Boston has some very aggressive drivers and not the best roads to drive on which don't help. Add to that the SUVs in which people think they are invincible just because they have a huge car...most of my near misses the last few years has been due to an SUV cutting me off because they a)don't see me or b) just don't care because I drive a tiny little Nissan that their car can crush without blinking an eye.

Life / Polish Birthday Traditions [42]


What exactly is a nameday? and how is it celebrated?

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


Me too! At least NYC has nicely laid out streets and fines if people block the box...so they don't do it. Here they don't care and block roads. When I drive in Boston I'm a bundle of nerves afterwards.....yet its usually smooth sailing in NYC. Well, not including all the traffic that is. ;-)