Travel / train @ bus from warsaw to budapest? [17]

The best would be flying, the cheapest hitch-hiking ;-)
But seriously, I think that there is no direct flight to Budapest from Krakow airport or from nearby Pyrzowice airport. But there is direct night train:

Kraków Główny 30.01.10 leaves at 22:11 (10:11 p.m)
Budapest-Keleti pu 31.01.10 arrives at 08:32 a.m.
(it suppose to be everyday train)

source: pkp.pl

PS. it says that it is train with couchettes only. Personally I used that kind of train once travelling from Wroclaw (Poland) to Berlin. It was quite long journey, but I just fall asleep in the evening and woke up in the morning. It was quite comfortable and I think quite safe.

Life / Polish Christmas Traditions [19]

Well, the best Christmas/New Year tradition in Poland I know and I bet no one of you know about is soccer match, full 90 minutes on full size sport field in New Year at midday in my hometown. It is fun as hell because usually field is covered with snow and ice and most of the guys are half drunked still :-) I miss that...

Life / Consider going back to Poland? [90]


Heh, late autumn... I recently finally comprehended that every time I'm thinking about some new job is in late autumn. I suppose it is all about sun and biology.

Travel / Wroclaw to Lubin - the best way to get there? [14]

Buses from main bus station (you can find Lubin there):
wrosystem.um.wroc.pl/beta_4/webdisk/830a36b1-fcb3-4023-8049-515dce6ccb47/tablica_odjazdow_Wroclaw_Cent_16listopada.pdf

There is plenty of them. Lubin is maybe not big city, but it is important and quite rich (relatively) because of KGHM, so it is good connected.

Life / Consider going back to Poland? [90]


Well, Poland made this mistake, and then bankrupted, after that communism collapsed :-)
We are still making the same mistake, but at a slower rate than UK... Hm.. sorry, it is OT.

Travel / I will be visiting Krakow for 8 days, any African restaurants out there? [5]

One word of advice, you should book place in choosen club, because usually in New Year clubs are booked and full. It is hard to find a place in decent club just from the street.

Maybe they could assist you:

krakownightlife.com/puby/
krakow-info.com/nightlif.htm
information.krakow.pl/index.php?lang=WIN-1250
krakow.pl/en/?chl=EN

Hm... or maybe they (Society for African Affairs at the Jagiellonian University)?

e-afryka.ovh.org/articles.php?lng=en&pg=134

Travel / Wroclaw (tourist help needed for a 14-year old) [20]

Hm.. in that case skiing is off the table :-)
August 2010? You have plenty of time to google it. If you have specific questions post it here, maybe I will be able to give you some tips.

Travel / Wroclaw (tourist help needed for a 14-year old) [20]

I gave some tips about Wroclaw surroundings here: https://polishforums.com/travel/poland-days-40048/

I suppose in late autumn/winter without snow it is better to stick to the cities. But if snow falls then it is always good to do some sking. If you aren't begginer then in Wroclaw area I recommend rather Czech ski resorts near the border with Poland (3h by car from Wroclaw), for example Janske Laznie is nice or Spindlerovy mlyn. But if you are beginner then there is a few nice ski resorts in 1-2h range from Wroclaw by car.

PS. It would be easier to make a piece of advice to you if you tell us when would you visit Poland/Wroclaw and what are your preferences... Not every 14th years old person likes museums or architecture ;-)

Travel / Christmas Markets in Rynek / Old Town Squares? [8]

Wrocław :-) :

youtube.com/watch?v=knH3-diIU-c
jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy.com

UK, Ireland / What is the british obsession with Polish workers [39]


You right, most reliable sources claimed that it was/is about 1.2m of Poles... but... it was entire emigration from Poland to entire globe, not only UK.


Ok, if your goal is to put everyone in the same pot, you can easily just use typical English phrase: "those bloody Europeans" ;-)


I agree with that. Poland in 2004 done two things:
- we exported our unemployment (UK will be thankful for that in the long run, Poland will lose)
- we exported our criminals (well, sorry for that)

On the other hand, I don't understand how some British expacts in Poland who came here to make easy money doing English classes (I don't talk about you) are so surprised that Polish wave hit mainly UK. Wasn't it just perfect example of Newton's third law? Hm... actually you should blame americans, there were plenty of people from Peace Corps teaching English in Polish high schools in 90'. Accidentally those kids were the outcome of population boom in 80'... Funny thing isn't it ? American Peace Corps educated workforce for UK ;-)

UK, Ireland / What is the british obsession with Polish workers [39]


As far as I can understand that this sudden influx of Poles disturbed UK market and society, I would like to point to one thing by real life anecdote (polish worker somewhere in Britain):

"Englishmen think of all of us (CEE) people as Poles. One day my English superior came to me with some new guy and said: "you were a Pole, right? So instruct this new guy.". It turned out that new guy was a Hungarian" :-) :-).

I admit there is a lot of Poles in UK, but it seems that some Brits puts into "Pole" label all CE Europe :-)

Real Estate / Mortgage default rates in Poland [10]

It could be true, but it depends. I don't know how many entities has such right, but I'm sure that currently banks have right to do something like this. It is one of the reasons that I believe that banks in Poland have to much power over their clients. It is called "Bankowy Tytuł Egekucyjny", I don't know how it would be precise in english. Again, I'm not a lawyer and to describe details I would have to consult a friend of mine, but putting all legal issues aside in reality it allows banks to fast seizure debtor property (guarantors too). When bank makes mistake, debtor of course can go to court but damage is already done. I'm not sure if this law is "old times" legacy.

And again, second thing which makes banks position better vs client in Poland than it is in USA is "no walking away" posibility, but I must add that maybe new default law for individuals will change that (but what I've read it is highly restrictive).

In my opinion these two differences between Polish and USA banking law makes it very hard to compare defaults rate in Poland and USA in mortgage bussiness, because as I said before, it is long way before Polish bank has to sell indebted property.

Real Estate / Mortgage default rates in Poland [10]

It is reverse but only at the end of the process. Problem is that till then they can rip you off (and guarantor) entirely without the court. Until resently individual person couldn't default. Now it is possible, but still extremely hard in comparison with USA (interesting thing: what would happen to guarantor when debtor default?).

PS. there is law problem wich I have to consult with my friend before I dare to use it in this debate: I know that bank can sell property with inhabitants (of course with big discount) if bank own this property. What I don't know is if bank can reposes indebted property (probably yes), and if so, how hard is that.

Ok, I have an update :-)
Yes, usually banks can reposes indebted property (I've been told that banks usually make some registration in mortage deed when they give mortage which gives them priorority in case of debtor problems).

PS. I have to correct myself. It is not bank who has to give surrogate living place but commune (state). But still bank has to wait. Effectively it is long process because of lack of commune property. Secondly, this concerns only some groups of society (social issues etc.).


This could be part of it, but I think it is more complicated, for example there is almost no securitization in Poland as it is in USA. So effectively banks carry long term risk, in USA banks just lended money and then via securitization moved risk onto bonds buyers. Besides, many banks in Poland lended borrowed money from the western banks. There was a moment when they simply run out of cash to lend...

Real Estate / Mortgage default rates in Poland [10]

From what I've heard they go straigh for other assets. It is very easy for them because in Poland banks can take other assets without court verdict when someone can't make the payment. Besides often banks requires guarantor(s). Banks can also take assets of guarantor without court verdict. So there is really long way for bank to sell property, which by the way is hard thing to do because there is no easy eviction in Poland. If owner want to throw people out of property, then if those people don't have place to go, owner has to give some other place to live.

To sum up banks in Poland have to much power ower debtor, but paradoxically because of that people are not so eager to make big loans.

PS. I'm not banking expert and I'm not a lawyer, so don't treat above as some kind of legal advice :-).

Real Estate / Mortgage default rates in Poland [10]

One word of advice: default in Poland is entirely different animal than in USA.
In Poland you cann't walk away. Debtor is responsible with entire wealth. As a matter of fact recently new default law for individuals was passed, but still it is hard to default for debtor in Poland. Conclusion is: default rates in Poland and defaults rates in USA are two different things, hard to compare.

UK, Ireland / Where, in the UK, is the most Polish? [18]

You want live among Poles? Why bother with UK, come to Poland or ... Chicago ;-)

Life / Military service in Poland [17]


You should read about Cold War :-) in 60' there was almost WWIII. Another thing is that war between Poland and Germany in fact ended in 1990, because previously Polish west border wasn't recognized by west Germany... Heh, loking at things from current perspective, it seems that Europe before 1989 was really weird place...


Don't know exact number but most of it was conscription. PRL army size were between 200000 and 400000 soldiers (depends when), with much more ready for draft with military training. Add to that a few hundreds thousands Russian soldiers which stationed in Poland.

Anyway, I'm glad that conscription ended, but I think some kind of territorial defence should be created which could be used in case of natural disasters.

Law / Poland selling Carbon Credits [16]

There are two kinds of this carbon credit.
One is UN carbon credits and Poland has plenty of those because UN started counting that somewhere in the 80'. I don't know exactly. Thing is that in the same time Poland bancrupted so willy-nilly Poland managed to reduce gas emission a lot :-)

Another thing is EU thing which came up recently which is counted from mid 90' or 2000' and it is different story... I think that Poland sold those UN carbon credits. UN and EU credits are not convertible.

I'm not sure if this is madness or not. I can tell you one thing, in the 80' in Poland pollution problem was serious, there was no regard toward envirement. There was a time in my home town when in city park trees were white with the powder from cement factory. In 90' Poland started to get civilized and such problems ended. It turned out that if pressed, industry came up with the idea how to use envirement in clean way. This cement factory is still working, still is huge, is profitable but don't pollute anymore. So if the carbon credit system can help keep industry clean then I say it is good thing...

History / Valenza. "It is to fools we owe the minors joys of life" [14]


I've clearly wrote:
"(USSR failed) probably mainly because of oil prices fall and Afghanistan war, but it is hard to make symbol from oil :-)"
There is a difference between symbol and real cause. So either you have a problem with reading or your logic is


You were surprised why Walesa was one of main figures in Berlin, so I've explained it to you:
it was CELEBRATION. Celebrations requires symbols, especially living symbols. Walesa is one of them. It has nothing to do with all economic and political factors behind Soviets fall.


He is a symbol of freedom, concept which is probably strange to you. Maybe it will surprise you, but in 80' when there were tanks on Polish streets, many ordinary people in the west (in west Germany too) organized diversed help for Solidarnosc. They knew what was happenig here and they cared (at least a little). That is why even this old Walesa, currently politically not important old man is still symbol for many people in Poland and in the West.


There is no need for brain strain to know that. That is the exact reason why every person with a common sense in Poland don't shed single tears over Soviet Union. That is the exact reason why every human with a little respect toward human life couldn't belive that supposedly democratic president of Russia, Vladimir Putin said that the collapse of the Soviet empire “was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century”. Most people in Poland don't share this sentiment, deal with it.

History / Valenza. "It is to fools we owe the minors joys of life" [14]

Ech, ConstantineK, your sorrow and regret that USSR collapsed is blinding you :-)
Relationships between Poland and Germany are one of the best in entire history despite all well know issues. Thread after thread you try to spark some conflict where there is none...

One of the most amusing statements made by Russian for Pole is this:


Because regardles of which pawn Poland is or isn't at present, Pole sees at ance that the only purpose of such statement is expresion of the sorrow that Poland is not Russian pawn like it used to be...

Regarding to Valenza. Of course that USSR colapsed because of many factors, probably mainly because of oil prices fall and Afghanistan war, but it is hard to make symbol from oil :-) That is why Valenza is much better for that, Solidarnosc is better for that even if in the bigger picture Poland was just one of the pieces in this domino. And that is why to our Polish regret Berlin Wall fall is a global symbol of this changes now, even if Germans weren't first and most important in 89' revolution...

PS. I still trully belive that in future Polish-Russian relationships can be as good as between others European countries... if only Russia could accept independence of post USSR countries.

Life / Polish birthday party? (video) [22]

Perfectly normal in the country where corporal punishment is/was practised...
It is 18 birthday, child become a grownup. 18 hits symbolize the last time when person can be beaten by parents. It suppose to be soft but rarely is...

Life / What are people in Poland REALLY saying about 'swine flu'? [41]


Maybe it is because of birds migration routes? ;-)

Life / What are people in Poland REALLY saying about 'swine flu'? [41]

If you are interested, here Kopacz (Polish Health Ministry) explains why they didn't buy vaccines for A/H1N1 (yet). It is translated, 10 minutes movie.

She is quite convincing I must say... : youtube.com/watch?v=RhZesZe33cw

News / Poland's place in changing world order? [74]


Hipotheticaly there is possibility to open umbrella in the ass ;-)
Ok, sorry it's not pretty but I couldn't help it... This dicussion got in far far away galaxy right now :-) Slavic confederation? I understand Crow that Pan-Slavism has big historical meaning in South Europe, but in Poland it was bankrupt concept from the begining. In XIX century Serbia it was simple equation Pan-Slavism = fight with Austro-Hungarian Empire = fight with Germans, but in XIX Poland, occupied partly by Russians it was useless ideology. It bankrupted second time, when USSR used it as a propaganda tool. So if you hope that by using it you will open some secret passage to polish heart you are misleaded. Pan-Slavism is not significant part of Polish background and using it as some kind of argument in regard to Poland is irrelevant.

Life / What are people in Poland REALLY saying about 'swine flu'? [41]

Some interesting statistics (sources: newspapers, internet, so maybe not credible enough):

"Some independent health experts have been advising vaccination after a recent surge in flu cases in neighbouring Ukraine saw more than 700,000 cases and 109 deaths of people with flu-like illness in recent weeks.

Fourteen of the fatalities were swine flu cases, Polish news agency PAP reported, citing Ukraine's chief doctor Oleksandr Bilovol."

"700,000 cases and 109 deaths of people with flu-like illness"
= 0.000015 chance to die from it...."

To put it into perspective, chance that someone will die from flu is similar to chance to die from car accident in Poland...

Today news from Ukraine are:
- 969247 -> possible flu cases (not only A/H1N1)
- 155 deaths

so chance to die from it still not to high...

News / Poland's place in changing world order? [74]


That would be nice, but could you MareGaea exctract this kind of behaviour from your "core members" especially Germany? Because so far it seems they aren't exactly went that way...

Life / What are people in Poland REALLY saying about 'swine flu'? [41]

"What swine flu" ?... That is what are saying people in my circles. Either it is not here yet or it is like ordinary flu. In fact so far most of evidence are that it is like ordinary flu... We have ordinary flu every year, so what is the point to panic? Personally I've took vaccine against ordinary flu (typical, every year in my job free choice vaccination). It is quite typical in Poland so maybe there is less of typical flu here so there is much less fuss about A/H1N1 cases. It seems that this entire fuss in Ukraine is because ordinary flu hit much of population there.

About goverment I've mixed feelings, because on the one hand, if there is a possibility of epidemic they should by this vaccine, on the other hand if pharmaceutical companies refuse to take responsibility for side effects then I think that something is very not ok with this new vaccines. Personally I wouldn't take it, especially when it looks like this flu when treated properly is like every other flu. I even started to believe that part of this media hype is pharmaceutical lobbing.

News / Poland's place in changing world order? [74]


Certainly not in the west... Polands policy towards Russia is usually reacting not acting. Russia is setting the board and Poland has to play accordingly. Certainly Poland would prefer different rules but has no choice. As usual I repeat that there are only three real disagreements between Russia and Poland:

1. Poland wish for denomopolize resource routes from central Asia to Europe, Russia don't
2. Poland wish for preserve independence of Belarus and Ukraine, Russia don't
3. History disagreements, which would be unimportant without 1. and 2 (because it is used as a political tool)

It seems more and more probable that in the end old saying will prevail:
"Where two beats there third one will take advantage"
It seems that in the end Chinese will pull the triggers in Central Asia. What will Russia economy, based on resource reexport from this region will do then? That is why it makes me laughing when some Russian is happy when current political order is shaking. Beware what you wish for ConstantineK...

News / Poland's place in changing world order? [74]


ConstantineK, your story is similar to the situation:

Old fox is threatening a rabbit. Rabbit points and shouts "look behind, look behind"!!
Stupid fox don't care and still is trying to catch the rabbit. Meanwhile big bear is coming from behind....

Guess what ConstantineK, Russia is no longer a bear but this fox :-) Yeap, political order is shaking, but the new superpower would be China not Russia. Russia to China is the same as Poland to Russia. All in all Russia is still loking for enemy where there is none.

Food / POLISH BREAD..... isn't it great... [22]

Personally I prefer "razowy" (wholemeal bread?). It is dark and a little sour. Some people have to use to it, but if they do, they stay with it :-). But for sweet things (i.e. jams) I prefer white bread and rolls...

Tip: bread will be fresh longer if you pack it in a bag and put into the fridge.