Life / What to wear for winter in Poland [51]


Get a pair of tights to wear under the jeans.
Hats stand out - unless worn by elderly ladies. It's not what girls usually wear, and, btw, a hat is not good for frosty weather - getter get something that would cover your ears.

Gloves and a scarf are a must.
Make sure your boots don't soak easily - temperatures around 0 are very common in December, so there's a lot of mud and half-melted snow in pavements. It's a good idea to wear skinny jeans with boots because boots are easier to clean that jeans :-)

Life / What to wear for winter in Poland [51]

Wildrover, I actually wear a furry Russian ushanka in winter...


It sometimes happens, so elfshmelf should be prepared...

Life / What to wear for winter in Poland [51]


At the end of December at night it's quite possible.

Life / Celebrating Christmas in Poland [52]

Cardno85,


It will be nice if you bring presents for the whole family. They should be just symbolic, so don't worry too much. Treat it as a sign that you remembered about all the family members (even the ones you're seeing for the first time). It's just appropriate to give a little something to every person present at a Christmas Eve, so I'd advise you to ask your friends who's invited.

Expensive presents are bought only to the closest ones (like spouses, parents, children), so you're not included in 'serious' present exchange. If there's a kid in the family - the present for the kid may be slightly more effective than for the rest.

Have them packed and tagged with you, and just put it under the Christmas Tree before the Eve starts.


Always be happy about the food (warning: carp is very... specific).
Dress formal (in most families a suit and a tie would be OK).

When the dishes are served, take only a little of each (watch how much the others take). According to the tradition, one should try all of the dishes and you can expect around 12, so be careful to have some 'room' for the ones that aren't on the table yet.

When all the dishes have been brought in, you can decide of which to take more (but remember about the desert!)

And don't worry, be relaxed. If you realize you've done something wrong, just apologize and smile.

Life / Celebrating Christmas in Poland [52]


No, it's not about appearing greedy. It's just simply impossible to try everything if you take large portions.

For example for my last Christmas Eve, there were: soup, 2 kinds of fried fish, pierogi, fried mushroom, beans, 3 or 4 kinds of herrings, 2 or 3 kinds of sauerkraut with mushroom, carp in aspic, 2 kinds of cake, noodles with poppyseed and and more stuff that I can't remember. And think: you should try everything... It's possible to handle only in small portion and with some alcohol (preferably wine) to help you digest.


Yes, that's right! Quite important...

Life / Rudeness of polish people when they are drunk [43]

I don't believe that it has anything to do with alcohol. Nice people stay nice even if they're very drunk. Being drunk is not a justification for such behaviour.

I think you should change the environment.

Language / Anyone use "SERWUS"? [46]

I've never heard it used in real life.

Life / Rudeness of polish people when they are drunk [43]


I've never met anyone who'd be obnoxious on the booze without having such tendencies sober.
Whenever I drink with people I like, they just become silly, cheerful and playful.

Food / Pierogi with fruit filling? [30]

Don't buy pierogi. Make some.

Life / What to wear for winter in Poland [51]


Three years ago there were a few days in a row of such temperatures. At nights it was even colder.
One day, during that winter, I was going to classes and my tram broke down, so I had to walk outside for some 2 km in the temperature of exactly -18 degrees Celsius. If I hadn't been wearing an old sheepskin coat and a ridiculous Russian fur cap, that little walk would have been a nightmare... I think it's better to be prepared for such "attractions".

It's not the only winter like that I remember (in my short life). Such weather is rare but it's nothing abnormal in the Polish climate.

Life / HAND-KISSING WANING IN POPULARITY? [29]

What the young generations thinks about it?

Well, kissing hands is sweet, cute and everything, as long as the kisser is in close relationships with the kissed. So, if my boyfriend, husband or just a guy I'm flirting with does it, it's OK. But in case of a stranger or nearly stranger, it's just disgusting. It makes me feel like running to the bathroom and washing my hand immediately, so I'm very happy this custom is fading away. I don't want any contact with random people's bodily fluids...

Polonius, imagine you meet some guy and he kisses your hand. Would you feel comfortable with it?

Genealogy / My grandpa was from Poland - Gresom Jopfa [44]

One thing is certain: Juva can't be a Polish surname.

Either it is not the original spelling of the name or the name is foreign. There is no 'v' in the Polish alphabet.

Genealogy / My grandpa was from Poland - Gresom Jopfa [44]


I can see you've got no idea about Polish and Jewish history. Instead of freaking out, better 'listen to ' Wroclaw, Grzegorz and Krakowianka.

I'll add some facts you should know.
Before II WW, Polish was a multicultural country. There was a lot of Jews in Poland. By the end of 19th century, among the Jews, many new SECULAR cultural movements started. Some Jews - and mainly the members of intelligentsia, doctors, lawyers etc. - gave up their religion and became atheist. Also, Zionism (that movement that led to creating the state of Israel), was a secular movement, supported mainly by atheistic or non-Orthodox Jews. In 1930s there was quite a few of educated, atheistic Jews in Poland (I even know one old Jewish retired doctor, who was born into such kind of a family). Most of them lead lifestyle that was more similar to the one of Polish intelligentsia than to the one of Orthodox Jews. And they identified themselves both as Jews AND Poles. Many great Polish intellectuals and artists of that period were Jews (e.g. Julian Tuwim, Bolesław Leśmian, Artur Rubinstein, Bruno Schultz). So, an atheist Jew was nothing unusual in 1930s Poland. What's more, many of them went to America to make business (if you want to learn something more about the social realia of these times, I'd recommend you to read some I.B. Singer).

What's more: your grandfather has got typically Jewish big nose. He's got a Jewish first name. The surname, no matter if Jopfa or Joffa, sounds rather Jewish than Polish. The proper Polish spelling of Gersom is GERSZOM, so if you're looking for it in Polish records, try it.

Grzegorz is the only equivalent of Gregory. There are diminutive forms: Grześ, Grzesiek, Grzesio, but you will not find nicknames in documents.

To sum up: most probably your grandfather was either a member of Polish Jewish intelligentsia or a Polish Jewish businessman.
The Jewish transcription of that name might be: יאפא גרשם . I'm not certain about יאפא, but I'm sure about גרשם (Gershom).

Study / Moving to Poland/Finished High School in USA/How I Get Into PL College [12]


Legal documents must be translated by a sworn translator and the prices are established by the state. You can't get it cheaper.

Life / Are Polish People Hypochondriacs? [50]

Getting ill in Poland:

You've got a cold. All you need to do is to go to bed and wait until it ends.
You don't need a doctor to cure it. It's just a cold.
But to stay in bed, you must be absent from work.
To be absent from work and not lose your job, you need a little paper signed by the doctor.
So, you go to the doctor to get that paper. But the doctor will not leave it just like that.
The doctor will prescribe you some antibiotics so you don't feel that he ignored your illness.
You cold is a virus infection, so antibiotics can't cure it, but you've got the feeling something is done about your illness.
You are staying in bed with your little paper, taking the unnecessary antibiotic, and you think: "The doctor prescribed me such a strong antibiotic, so I must be really ill."

Life / HAND-KISSING WANING IN POPULARITY? [29]

Pierniczysz jak potłuczony...

Genealogy / What would be the Polish approximation of the surname BENNDT? [6]

West Pomerania in 19th cent. was in Prussia and the name looks like a perfectly spelt German name...

Du musst deine Familie in Deutschland suchen. (may someone correct my German?)

edit:
Ok, I looked up some stuff for you.

Choszczno used to be called Arnswalde, and there was some Berndt family there.

This site may be more helpful, but the English version is "under construction":
pommerscher-greif.de/englisch/index.htm

Life / ANYONE OWN A POLISH DOG? [22]

I've got a pure blood Polish Kundel.

Genealogy / My grandpa was from Poland - Gresom Jopfa [44]


What's wrong in saying Jews have big noses? Most of them have. Every ethnic group has some characteristic physical features. Try googling the pics of the people I mentioned in my previous posts, and you'll see characteristic features of Eastern European Jews.

In many cases, Jews have big noses, Africans have wide lips and Slavs have high cheeckbones. Get over it.


Of course you can have a Jewish name, just as you can have a Polish, English or Chinese name. Gershom, Sarah, Rachel, Abraham, Isaac etc. are Jewish names.


Many Jews in the diaspora have a kind of double national identity. I've heard a London rabbi saying "I'm an Englishman" and, of course, he was Jewish at the same time. A lot of Polish Jews consider themselves Polish as well as Jewish. There's really nothing unusual in a guy who is ethnically Jewish, atheist and identifies as a Pole. I'd rather say it was easier to find a Jewish atheist than an (ethnically) Polish one during the interwar period.

Life / Japanese bands that are popular in Poland. [26]

There are some fans of Malice Mizer and Mois-Dix-Moi in Poland.

Mana rules!!!!

Genealogy / What would be the Polish approximation of the surname BENNDT? [6]

No problem googling it up when you speak Polish :-)

Genealogy / My grandpa was from Poland - Gresom Jopfa [44]


No problem. As far as I know, pure Polish. And I don't think it's racist, when someone attributes my fair skin, greyish blonde hair and face features to my Slavic origin ]:-)


mmm...
I have read a lot of bullsh*t about Jews in my life, but I haven't heard anything like that. What the hell is the source of that? Looks like some kind of political correctness...

That "myth" is the basic belief of judaism and factor that held Jews together for centuries, not letting them give up their culture.


First of all "Americans" is not ethnicity but nationality. If there is anything like "American" ethnicity, it's not white, black or middle eastern, but Native American.

Anyway, this will be good for a start: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_ethnic_groups


Does anyone here deny he came from Poland?


If you had any idea about Jewish history, you'd know why Ethiopian Jews are different from Ashkenazis.


Neither do atheists.

Love / Polish girlfriend and birth control! [62]


Crude or not, never mind the language. You have had sex with a girl for some time and you haven't even discussed the contraception issue. That is the worst thing.


I beg to differ. You are not even fully prepared to have sex. You know, sex is an adult thing, not some game for kids who don't see any problem with putting a teenager at a risk of being pregnant. If you're not mature enough to date a girl, I doubt if you're mature enough to be a father.


I heard one doctor saying that "pulling out" is a method that produced half of Poland's population...

News / Poland's Most Quoted [22]


I asked my Latin teacher. She said it was Cicero...

Food / POLISH HANGOVER PREVENTIVE? [7]

The best way to prevent hangover is drinking moderately.

Food / POLISH HANGOVER PREVENTIVE? [7]


Klin :-) One word is enough.

And this is how I learn that idiom:
youtube.com/watch?v=SKVyXeOtBTw

Language / Polish Metafor [4]


What is naked, is exposed. The part of the moon that is lighted by the sun is exposed to us, so "half-naked moon" might mean that half of the moon is exposed to our eyes, or that it is in the first or final quarter.

lumisfera.pl/media/photos/1632/17953.5.jpg

Life / Where to buy household furniture Lodz [19]

some bigger stores I can think of:

Domus, Piotrkowska 190
Black Red White, Brukowa, very close to Aleksandrowska
and I heard there's something big in M1, Brzezińska 27/29

If you need any household facilities, I recommend Art-Dom, Kasprzaka 6

Life / Where to buy household furniture Lodz [19]


Can you tell me where is Ikea in £ódź? 'Cause as far as I know, there's none yet...

Life / Facebook - is it popular in Poland? [22]

Nasza klasa is originally a site where people were supposed to look for class-mates from the past. They logged on, looked for their school, their class and contacted their childhood friends. And sometimes it changed with a big community portal that has nothing to do with looking for one's class mates. But still, it's something completely different from Facebook.

Back to the topic: I have many Polish Facebook friends, so I guess it is popular.