Life / The School Year in Polish Schools [21]


Public schools are co-ed. There are some Catholic schools that aren't but there are very little of them.


Primary:
magister (M.A.) in pedagogy
Secondary:
magister in the subject taught + teaching methodology course

sometimes a teacher can get a course in some new subject and become quilified to teach it


You must be kidding! That's a few hundred pages of data - a forum is not a place to get such info. Better try the Ministry of Education...

Life / 'The Pianist' - the movie. What's your opinion? Polanski [59]


I have. It's very interesting to compare the film to the book.


So what's surprising about a film about a Jew who was hiding and didn't know what's going on?


What has hiding someone at home got to do with honour? It's just helping another human being, just as sending someone some food or a coat to prison. It's a sing of compassion, opposed to encouraging kids to risk their lives in order to write some sign on a wall.


And why not?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilm_Hosenfeld


You said you've never heard a theory that Jews suffered more from their own leaders than occupants. So, in case of Mordechai Rumkowski, a lot of Jews had such a theory. Many Jews in Lodz ghetto considered him a traitor and blamed him for many of their misfortunes.

Life / Gift for good luck/protection...any ideas???? [11]

Sweetpea1779,
are you sure this guy is superstitious?

Because if not, he might think that you consider him an uncivilized member of some strange tribal community who still believe in good luck charms.

Life / Internet cowboys in Poland - Internet Providers [15]

If you've got a stationary phone and you want to pay less than in TPSA, you may try Netia. I've got it and it's quite OK.

You can also get wireless Internet (e.g. blueconnect), it's more expensive but it's independent from your administrator's ideas.

Life / 'The Pianist' - the movie. What's your opinion? Polanski [59]


Then, explain it to me: in what way did painting one sign on a wall help Polish culture survive? It wasn't even a part of the culture then, as it was invented during the war. Can you give me any cause and effect relationship? Do you really believed that it scared Germans and made them significantly less effective? I agree that e.g. blowing up rails by those kids was heroic - it paralyses the enemy, disables them to harm people at least for some time. But what does the anchor do?

Polish culture survived oppressions not because of graffiti but because of education and care of the language. Secret lessons during the times of bondage and also organized by during the second world war, smuggling and reading Polish literature when it was banned, speaking Polish, creating centres of Polish culture 'abroad' (e.g. in Paris) - these were actions thanks to which Polish culture has survived. It was risky and idealistic, I agree, but it was an effective way to fulfil those ideas.

Writing a sign on a wall only pissed Germans off and cheered Poles up. OK - that's a fine purpose but is it enough to risk a teenager's life?

Can't you see a difference between risking your life to save another human being and risking your life to tell your enemy "we're still here and we keep on fighting"?

There's some strange belief present in Polish culture which I really hate - the belief that whatever you do in the name of your ideals is good. Even if it hasn't got a chance to be effective, even if it can harm somebody, even if it's completely ill-conceived - it's great if it's done for some national ideas.

In my opinion acts which can only make things worse are just stupid, no matter what is the idea behind it. A lot of patriotic Polish talk concerns pointless acts of courage.


Honour is first of all some vague idea that has been long used as a tool to convince people to kill each other. Much more often than for noble actions.


It's hard to compare the ghetto uprising idealism to the strange kind of idealism that occurs in Poland. The Jews in the ghetto had no chance for survival, and they, to put it simply, wanted to choose the way to die (at least, that is what Edelman's words imply). They had nothing to lose.

I think I'd do the same in their place: I would also rather get shot in fight than die of starvation.

Many times in Polish history there were times when Poles had no chance to win, as well. But any fight could only make their situation worse. But they still fought and brought more oppression to themselves and other Poles. And such people in Poland aren't considered reckless but heroic.

Life / Gift for good luck/protection...any ideas???? [11]


I don't know. If I got something for 'good luck' as a joke, kind of funny present, I'd be OK. But if someone gave me something for 'good luck/protection' in earnest I'd either consider the giver superstitious or feel offended. We've got 21st century, anyway...

Life / People with Down Syndrome/Mental disability in Poland [26]


very true


That's so cool! Poland is starting to become a civilized country.

Genealogy / Do I look Polish? (Part II -- Much more detail than other topic) [109]

matryoshka, you should download some 'straight' photos. All the three you submitted are taken from some angle, from the above and it's a bit hard to talk about your looks. So far I wouldn't recognize anything non-Polish in your features (and I often spot 'alien' faces before I learn someone is not Polish).

Life / Doing laundry in Poland [66]

1. My washing machine is very slow. I've got an energy-saving and water-saving model. But why would I care? I press the button and go away to do something else. When I remember, I go and take a look if the washing is done.

2. I learnt about the existence of electric clothes dryers on this thread. It's one of the most absurd devices I've ever heard of. Why waste electric energy on something that happens on its own? Come on, Americans, clothes dry on their own without any effort on your side! You can have it for free and it won't make your clothes shrink! And, btw, haven't you heard about environment protection?

To dry my clothes, I use something like that:

In use it takes up some room but when it's folded, it hardly occupies any space. Drying clothes at home makes the air more humid - good when the heaters are on. I cannot really see any point in using anything more technologically advanced.

History / Why we talk about Nazis not Germans [138]

'Cause not all nazis were Germans and not all Germans were nazis. Simple.

Life / help me find some Polish music I like (Doda genre)... [18]

How can you compare Kazik to Doda?!

If you like Doda, you may like Feel or Piotr Rubik.

Life / AMERICAN-STYLE SLOB CHIC IN POLAND? [24]


Were you watching Polish Sejm session?

UK, Ireland / What is in Poland that England doesn't have? [142]

Bartolome, JustysiaS,
We've got the same thing in Poland. It's one of the reasons I got my MP3 player - not to have to listen to any sh*t every day on the tram...

What do we have in Poland that's not in England?
1) free higher education
2) real winter (you know, with snow, ice and frost)
3) forests - an English forest looks like a Polish park
4) good bread in every shop
5) żubrówka

UK, Ireland / What is in Poland that England doesn't have? [142]


Usually November to early April.


No.

History / Why we talk about Nazis not Germans [138]


how about Italy?

UK, Ireland / What is in Poland that England doesn't have? [142]

Try Puszcza Białowieska:

News / Are Christians prosecuted in Poland (and Europe in general)? [53]

Christian should be kept quiet when they don't want their religion remain in the private domain. Look what's happening in Poland or the US - religious fanatics influence the legislation. Christians have imposed their religion long enough on others. They think everyone else should follow their ethics (as most major religions claim except judaism), so we should be careful if someone who's got some power talks openly about their views. It's dangerous when politicians make a public thing of religion. Such people will never learn religion is something private.

Anyway, this case is not about religion itself but intolerance towards homosexuality that Catholic Church happens to propagate.

UK, Ireland / What is in Poland that England doesn't have? [142]

I agree that most forests in Poland are 'pine farms' but there are still some places with quite big areas of quite descent woodland, not just patches. A place to walk around for a long time, gather mushroom, where one can get lost :)

News / Are Christians prosecuted in Poland (and Europe in general)? [53]

The problem is that sexuality started being discussed because of the lack of freedom. People started talking about it openly to gain that freedom.

And, because it's a thread about politics, in all I wrote, I meant politicians. I don't give a s*it about actors or writers talking about their religion because they can't do anything wrong to anyone by this. But when politicians talk about anything in public, it has something to do with governing other people. E.g. if a politician uses a religious argument in a debate it means he wishes to impose his religions on the ones he rules. That is LIMIT THEIR FREEDOM. If there are enough such politicians - people start taking religious arguments seriously (see: Poland) and limit other people's freedom. So that's why I think we should distrust politicians talking about their religious views - unless asked. State and Church must be completely separated - not to endanger the country.

News / Are Christians prosecuted in Poland (and Europe in general)? [53]


You know, Poland is quite fanatic with the concordate and stuff, but even here people don't, for example, teach creationism at schools...

News / Are Christians prosecuted in Poland (and Europe in general)? [53]


I should write lol, but it's quite sad.
All the stuff around evolution comes from the fact the theory of evolution (although corrected in details over time) has been proven in several ways, directly and indirectly. The fact that you live in America and don't know that basic fact proves that religious fanatics do have a big influence in that country.

There are freaks and fanatics everywhere, but in a more civilized country when someone talk things like 'creationism is equally unproven as darwinism', there will always be found a scientist who will explain people that it's a lie and explain how it was proven over the years. But in the US fanatics who talk bulls*it are treated equally to people who base their knowledge on years of research.

That's why I think religion should be kept away from politics. It leads to such absurdity like a big part of society believing that evolution and creation are equal hypotheses.

Life / Religions in Poland. [64]

You forgot Jehovah's witnesses (who are a separate branch of Christianity), and Judaism.

What's more, atheism, agnosticism, deism etc. (free thinker's ideas) aren't religions at all.

Life / 'The Pianist' - the movie. What's your opinion? Polanski [59]

I never said I don't see a problem in it. I also think that if really your life is at risk, you should drop books down and wait for better times. I only say that it was effective and it was a reasonable attempt to save a culture. Cultures survive thanks to transferring them from generation to generation, and the transfer is all about education: children learn the language, customs, literature and art of their culture and thus carry it on. If you don't want your culture to die, teaching children is the only way to do it. If those kids felt like risking their freedom and future education (in most cases) to save the national cultural heritage, at least they did something that really fulfilled the purpose.

Life / Religions in Poland. [64]


Yes, but a belief in god is not enough to make a religion. Deism is not a religion, and Buddhism does not have any gods.

In case of judaism, there's some kind of Jewish renaissance in Poland. I know two converts personally, a new community wants to get registered, Chabad wants to 'convert' Polish Jews, something is apparently going on.

Life / What is your experience about giving birth in Poland? [12]

I have a friend who is pregnant at the moment and she decided to deliver her baby at home, assisted by an experienced midwife. I talked to her about it and I think you might find helpful what I learnt from that conversation.

In hospitals women are told to be lying while delivery. In fact it is not a natural position for labour and it makes it harder for the mother. Only for the doctors it's easier when the woman is lying on a bed. In a Polish hospital you've got no choice.

In all hospitals in my city (second biggest in PL), the babies immediately after birth are fed from a bottle. Despite the fact that the kind of milk the mother has just after the delivery is crucial for the baby's immunity system.

There is no privacy in most hospitals and you might come across a group of medical students or something.

So, she decided she doesn't want it that way and looked for an alternative.

Life / Religions in Poland. [64]

Lukasz, it's not that easy to know those things. Most of peple from Lodz I know actually have no idea where the synagogue is or that Cafe Tuwim exists.

But food at Cafe Tuwim is really great. I could spend a fortune there.

Life / What is your experience about giving birth in Poland? [12]


As far as I know, there are no regulations - a woman can just choose to have her childbirth at home, in a private clinic or somewhere else. But then, she has to arrange everything by herself and I don't think the costs are covered by the public health service. My friend read some books about it, found a a contact with a midwife with a long experience in home deliveries and she arranged things with her.

UK, Ireland / What is in Poland that England doesn't have? [142]


And can you study at top British unis free? I don't think so...


Oh, yeah, two years prove a climatic change. How about three years ago? - 20 C and heaps of snow everywhere. How often is there such winter in Britain?

Life / help me find some Polish music I like (Doda genre)... [18]


I think putting these two in one topic is a mistake. Kazik is an experineced musician who has been a leader of a few projects (Kult, Kazik, KNŻ, El Dupa), done Tome Waits songs, done a great album with his dad's songs, who writes thought-provoking lyrics and represents some intellectual level, while Doda is a girl who plays ****** music and earns popularity by appearance and scandalizing behaviour.

These are two completely kinds of music. Kazik makes music and Doda makes just mass entertainment. It's like comaping Jodie Foster to Paris Hilton.

Work / Is there jobs for a beauty therapist in Poland? [28]

I don't know what a beaty therapist means (what's the difference between a beauty therapist and a beautician) but I think there's a big demand for such service in the market.