UK, Ireland / No Irish Need Apply - Polish Builders get their own back [42]


As far as I know the only reports about such signs come from Northern Ireland and relate to Polish companies operating there. This makes the NINA signs not only illegal but also extremely far away from any form of common sense.

Life / Beware When Buying a Computer in Poland [28]


I'm sorry to say that but in case of graphic you have only two options: Mac OS and Windows. Linux might come as very, very distant third, mainly for home users.

UK, Ireland / No Irish Need Apply - Polish Builders get their own back [42]


Having googled a bit I must say that it was probably my mistake. The first site I saw the information on was mojawyspa.co.uk quoting Belfast Telegraph. As mojawyspa generally covers UK / Ireland stories only I assumed that was also the case. Apparently not.

However I still would like to point a couple of things:
- there isn't a single photo or even a company name which can prove that the whole story is true. No names, no details, not even a particular city being mentioned, not for even one of those signs which "started to appear". If I saw similar sign I would take a photo straightaway, even with my old mobile phone, and I'm not even a journalist.

- Polish construction sites do not advertise jobs on their hoardings, as pointed out by Wroclaw. Also the slowdown in construction industry (due to the economy but also to the winter, as many sites are at least partly closed during winter months) usually results in a temporary lay-offs for at least half of the staff. They come back to work as soon as it gets warmer, March or April. Recruiting in any form in December / January would be really strange, as there isn't much going on on the sites and as soon as the work starts in Spring the people who had already worked for the company will be available to work for it again.


Yes. And for all these Belarusians, Ukrainians, Russians, Vietnamese and Chinese who are already there and are expected in 2009 :D

Life / Beware When Buying a Computer in Poland [28]


Great. For your firm.
However graphic designers, web designers, publishing and printing companies, photo editors, architects and 3d modellers would probably challenge your claim about the ultimate superiority of Linux and its "excellent graphic software".

UK, Ireland / No Irish Need Apply - Polish Builders get their own back [42]


mojawyspa.co.uk/artykuly/23113/Polscy-budowlancy-mowia-No-Irish

belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/no-irish-need-apply-polish-builders-get-their-own-back-14126902.html

The text is the same as Irish Independent one, as both newspapers are published by the same company, Tom O'Reilly's Independent News & Media and probably used the same source document.

Language / Affectionate endings to guys' names in Polish... [16]


Krzysiem.
To make things even easier than they already are there is one more quite popular version: Krzyś.

Krzysiem, Krzysia, Krzysiowi.

And I would say everything is totaly dependable of the person being addressed. There is no general rule, even the toughest guy can still be called Krzysiu.

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]


It's truly amazing how easily people presume that if someone does not follow their rules / religion he does not follow any.

In general I agree that the catholic church should stick with its rules and provide some kind of solid benchmark. However its logic never stops surprising me. For well over a thousand years it did not oppose deacons and diaconesses fulfilling similar duties and now it's seems to be some kind of ultimate blasphemy...

Life / JOKES IN TODAY'S POLAND? [20]


Now there are plenty of Kaczynski Bros. jokes.

Try this site: joemonster.org

It's one of the most popular sites in Poland and they do have quite decent English version although it covers maybe 10% of their material (you need to click on the flag in the right top corner for English). The forum there, which is the most important part of the site, is mainly Polish, but they also have English section: joemonster.org/phorum/list.php?f=17

Language / Affectionate endings to guys' names in Polish... [16]

Krzychu
Krzysztofku
Krzyniu
Krzysiuniu
etc... :D

News / Doda - Kaczynski - Tusk - any connection? [17]


..and both originate from Solidarity movement in Gdansk, which makes it even more interesting.


Which did not stop Kaczynski from winning over Tusk in 2005 ;)

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]


Perhaps you would like to check the roles performed by deacons through ages? Taking anything for granted in today's church and giving the reason "it is as it is because the Apostles and Christ said so" results in terrible oversimplyfing. Ignoring the fact that the Church has been shaped through milllenia, that it is a result of permanent transformation and has extremely interesting history, proves that I'm not the only one here who needs to do some research.

Also, the Apostles required their successors, today known as bishops, to be married. Their ability to take care of the parish was judged on the basis how well their children were brought up. The Church has always been really good in adopting only some of the rules from the set left by Apostles and Christ and ignoring or changing the others. That is probably the reason why it lasts so long.


Immoral rules are the rules as well ;)

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]


If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is an intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity and entitle the doubter to the attentions of the psychiatrist in an enlightened age or of the Inquisitor in an earlier time.

Celestial teapot by Bertrand Russel

Real Estate / Construction (Poland Vrs where you are from) [66]


I always have one, I had one in Poland and it's the same here. And it's the best thing possible, especially when it comes together with a decent size bath and equally decent size bookshelf :)

The only thing is it should not be permanently attached to the floor, more a rug than a carpet. Otherwise it gets truly disgusting, I agree on that point.

Did anyone mention the windows? First: you won't see single glazing in Poland (the winters...). Secondly: the windows are supposed to be easily open, all parts. No awning windows (especially the type which opens 20-30 cm max), very rarely you can find single hung window where only the top (or bottom) part can slide. And the window should never ever open outwards (unless you got some bungler builder working for you). The reason is simple: try to clean the window of fourth floor apartment if it opens to the outside of the building :)


Fortunately I was lucky enough to find a place with standard taps, but that reminds me of this spectacular invention :D

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]


Out of curiosity: why? That seems to be a pretty final conclusion, why do you want to discuss it further?
Do you want to convince someone? Or, what would be even more interesting: do you want to get convinced?

Life / Must See Movies in Polish? [65]


Lejdis? (which is basically Polish phonetical transcription of "ladies")
It's being advertised as the "feminine response to the Testosteron movie" popular some time ago.

I would recommend Ciało (The Body). Of all the Polish movies my friends have seen this one seems to be liked the most.

And personally I have never really been into Zanussi movies. Definitely wouldn't recommend them as the first sample of Polish cinema to watch.

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]


Do you?

I just like to listen / read to the people who think they know the Truth. Catholic truth, atheists' truth, agnostic truth, 7-year old's truth, Jewish truth, feminists truth - basically everyone who is convinced that even the biggest Archimedes' lever wouldn't move his / her world. I guess I just like to discover, over and over again, how similar people can be even if they think they are on the opposite sides of the barricades :)

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]


That seems to be rather ultimate assertion to me. And, to be honest, I don't think human beings are capable of anything ultimate.

That's my ultimate assertion :D

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]

I don't believe in Thor
vs
There is no Thor

I prefer the solipsistic way :)

USA, Canada / FIRST POL-AM CATHOLIC (?) PRIESTESS [72]

Every time I try to explain that I hear: Oh, you mean Matrix? :)

There is a thing called language competency and I definitely lack this when it comes to philosophy in English. Fortunately wikipedia can help me out: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism

Travel / My trip to Poland - I hated Katowice, loved Krakow, and adored Bielsko [59]


It is IN Krakow.
Take the tram no. 18, 19 or 22, get off on Kapelanka (near the UFO-like bank building), go down Twardowskiego St (5 minutes walk). Enjoy.

Travel / My trip to Poland - I hated Katowice, loved Krakow, and adored Bielsko [59]

...jeeeezz... Now, that's what I call ugly :D

Genealogy / How can I find a phone listing of a friend from Warsaw? [11]

You may try here: ksiazka-telefoniczna.com

(3 fields to the right are: city, street and name)

Or here: pkt.pl - for companies / business numbers

And yes, of course there are hard copies of phone books and yellow pages (usually called "Panorama firm") :|

Language / How do people mispronounce your Polish names? [60]


My Kaszëbsczi (Kashubian) name with distorted German phonetic spelling is being butchered equally bad by both English and Polish speaking people :D

Life / Kashubia, Kashebe and Kashubians. . . [23]


Juniper, to be precise. And you absolutely rock if you wake up early enough to slap bare feet of sleeping family members with juniper birches :D


Try this:
csb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prz%C3%A9dn%C3%B4_starna

Znóny lëdze pòchôdający z Kaszëbsczi (w dzysdniowëch greńcach), abò z nią zrzeszony

* Günter Grass - runita
* Gerard Labuda - dzejownik
* Czesław Lang - kòłownik
* Paul Nipkow - wënalôzôrz
* Janusz Reiter - diplomata
* Danuta Stenka - aktorka
* Donald Tusk - pòlitikôrz
* Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński - socjologa
* Andrzej Wroński - bartkòwnik
* Rafał Mohr - aktór
* Józef Rogala Wybicki - ùsôdzca słowów "Mazurka Dąbrowskiego" (pòlsczégò nôrodnégò himna)

* Andrzej Lepper - pòlitikôrz
* Ryszard Krauze - biznesman
* Marta Żmuda-Trzebiatowska - aktorka
* Maciej Miecznikowski - spiewôk
* Roman Paszke - żéglôrz
* Jarosław Sellin - pòlitikôrz
* Sylwia Gruchała - florecëstka
* Klemens Bronk - pòlitikôrz, zakłôdôrz TOW Gryf Kaszubski /Gryf Pomorski
* Andrzej Bronk - filozófa z KUL
* Thomas Kantzow - runita, dzejopisôrz

Language / Verb patterns 'BYC' [29]


I drive to Warsaw twice a week (regular basis).
Sometimes, but not very often, it's used for sth you do right now and I would assume that if you use "jeżdżę" you have no particular purpose / reason / destination and you are just driving around.


That's either:
1. "ja jadę teraz" - right now I'm in my car on my way to Warsaw (or train, bus etc)
2. "ja jadę jutro / w niedzielę" - in the future, but once only. I'm going to Warsaw tomorrow / on Sunday.


Starting from the easiest one:
Pójdę - future. Again, only once - I will go for a long walk this evening (not something you usually do).
"Pójdę sobie" may mean "I will go away".

Idę:
1. "ja idę teraz" - At the moment I'm in the park walking.
2. Future, happening again only once: "Ja idę odwiedzić ciocię w ten weekend" - I will go and visit my aunt this weekend.

And "chodzę"....
1. Right now, at the moment: I cannot sleep so I keep walking in my room.
2. On regular basis - "ja chodzę do pracy / szkoły / na jogę" - but it's not exactly the same meaning. Instead of "walking" it's rather "attending".

3. Also: standard regular basis - I go for a walk every morning / Ja chodzę na spacer co rano.

Life / Illegal drugs enjoyed by many of the young male Poles. Availability? [24]


There is a movie about Ryszard Riedel "Skazany na bluesa". Speaks more than a thousand words.
Amphetamine and opium poppy have always been quite popular, that hasn't changed much. And people have always been resourceful, everything based on Trichloroethylene could have been used for getting high (every single Polish person has heard about Butapren glue).

...and 30 zł is waaay too much, especially in large cities like Kraków, Warsaw or Wrocław.

Life / What is kolęda? [11]

Kolęda - Christmas carol.
Also: annual visit of the priest from your parish.
Also: Polish version of Halloween trick-or-treat game, but the costumes are different.

Which one do you mean?

Life / What is kolęda? [11]

Generally between 1st Jan and 2nd Feb, schedule is being announced every year so that every household know when to expect the Spanish Inquisition :D

Life / What is kolęda? [11]

Not until very last family is visited. It is supposed to end before Candlemas.

cjjc: basically the priest, together with 2-3 altar boys and sometimes some other helper (vicar, organist etc.) is supposed to visit every household in his parish every year.

As not everyone is keen to experience such visit the procedure might differ: some parishes require you to put your name in advance on the list of people who want to welcome kolęda visit (especially in large cities where in general it is expected that there may be many reluctant residents). Sometimes the priest just rings the bell - and if noone answers he proceeds to the next door / house. Again, in general, if there is K+M+B mark on the door it is generally assumed that you are catholic and you would like to see the priest.

If the parish is quite large there may be a few different priests visiting the households. It also looks different in the cities (there are many people to visit in relatively short time and they live close to each other) and the country (there might be fewer people and they are scattered on larger area - remember that the winters in Poland can be quite harsh and travelling between farms is not particularly enjoyable. That also means that the priest will probably enjoy a vodka short once he arrives :D ).

In general it's all about small talk, maybe small cross-examination of the little children on how well they do with their religious education, blessing for the house and the family members (they should get the holy water in advance from the church) and last but not least - an envelope with money contribution. As this is split later on it comes as no suprise that assisting the priest during kolęda is one of the greatest priviledges for altar boys and matter of tough competition between them :)

Also, at the end of the week the priest sometimes stays a bit longer in the last household he visits, has a dinner there etc. and this dinner might be attended not only by the family members, but their friends and neighbours as well.

News / another proof that Poland is a confessional state [18]


Priests?
There are not enough of them in Poland.
Usually they will be terribly undereducated poor men and women who will be totally ridiculed by everyone in the class. As they already are. Bullied or ignored. Even by 10y.o.

Have you been in Polish school recently? The only thing you should be worried about the moral / ethic / religious education is the lack of any.