Posts by Puzzler

Puzzler

13 Jan 2008

Life / Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland [235]

In Poland I've seen six lanes of traffic on a two-lane road (the one to Gdansk) and know that four lines of traffic is considered perfectly normal and entirely acceptable.

- I've never seen it myself. Greg, other Polish participants, have you seen any six-line traffic in Poland? I've seen 4-line traffic in UK many times. That's because the roads are narrow, as they are in Poland. I've also seen lots of horrible drivng in UK (and in US and Canada). No, I've never seen six-line traffic on a two-line road in UK, but that's maybe because I'm not delusional?

Puzzler

13 Jan 2008

Life / Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland [235]

- And you're saying that Poles drive worse than e.g. British, Canadians, Mexicans?

If so, then something must be wrong with your perceptual faculties, friend.

How does the Bible put it: 'They look but don't see' (or something like that)?
:)

Puzzler

13 Jan 2008

Life / Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland [235]

As far as customer service, Prague definitely takes the cake. I find things to be different here but, hey, c'mon, it's here, that's why it's different.

- You mean Czechs (not to mention Germans!) are inherently racially superior to Poles? But you and your lot are superior to Czechs, of course? :)

.

the whole EQ vs IQ notion

- Oops, what is not even your national IQ, but your own personal IQ? Judging from your posts, it must be heights supreme (the other direction). :)))))

the driving culture.

- And what is your own oh so superior 'driving culture'? Would it be Canadian...? :)))

Are you living in Prague now? If so, then - hooray! One foreign racist less in Poland! I truly hope Wroclaw Boy and smilar types follow you as soon as possible.

:)

Puzzler

13 Jan 2008

Life / Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland [235]

Puzzler, first off, we are talking about Poland so please confine ur focus to here. I

- Seanus, , first off, I write as I can. And so do you, I sincerely hope? I don't mind if you or any other chap write whatever you please, as long as I have the right to reply in my own style. Furthermore, if you write about a country, you should put it in the right context; otherwise a false impression of the country, as well as other countries, may result, plus delusions on the part of some. And I dislike delusional folks. Are you actually defending Wroclaw Boy? It's him who has been ranting beyond measure about alleged Polish faults and shamelessly attempting to lift his national self-esteem at the Poles' expense, criticising those things in Poland that are in abundance in UK (and in other countries, for that matter). Do you want to do the same thing as him and that's why you are trying to prevent me from pointing out WB's bull$hoot? As for the old Polish ladies bugging the staff in shops, I've seen plenty of similar old British ladies doing exactly the same thing in UK shops. But the latter don't irritate you as much as the Polish ladies, because they are your own old ladies, right? I've seen something else in UK: sometimes when you're lining up in a shop to the cashier's and you are a foreigner, and some local folks notice you are a foreigner, then they literally start breathing down your neck, urging you without words to finish paying instantly and give way to them, the masters of the land. And God save you if you happen to speak to the cashier, asking for an explanation, etc., and you speak with a foreign accent; the line-up behind you seems to about to explode. (I saw a smilar phenomenon in Canada, but there it was even more vulgar; people would just bounce on or kick you from behind, and then 'apologise' to you, pretending they had assaulted you by accident.)

Nobody is denying that the UK has probs but at least the regular folks admit to them. Hopefully that's how things eventually change!

- How nicely you call your own rudeness, brutality, treating people like $hit - just 'probs.'

Nope, that's precisely why things don't actually change in your country, but deteriorate even more. - Slamming foreign faults, while whitewashing your own. Yes, there are huge scores of national megalomaniacs in UK, but not so many in Poland.

This also extends to driving habits, is it me or does Poland seem to have more 'death wish' drivers than any other country!?

- Have you ever seen how some folks drive in UK? - Four-line traffic in a two- line road, for example? 'Than any other country,' eh? How many countries have you visited? Ever been to Latin America?

:)

Puzzler

13 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / POLISH ADMIRATION FOR THE IRISH GENIUS JAMES JOYCE [63]

James Joyce has had his admirers in Poland for decades. Our perhaps greatest translator from the English, the late Maciej Slomczynski, made 'Ulysses' available in Polish in - if I remember correctly - the late 1960s or early 1970s. I can assure you it's a magnificent translation, well worthy of the great original. Its publication caused nearly hysteria among book fans; in many cases, one could obtain the book only in the black market. After 1989, the year of the official end of communism in Poland, due to an economical crisis, the interest in books has gone down, including Joyce's works, but still there are many who read avidly and purchase books. And there are still some who love Joyce so much that they travel to Dublin to visit the spots mentioned in 'Ulysses.' To a certain degree, I am one of them. I read Joyce's works in the past, then just kept them unused on my bookshelf. But a few days ago, while sorting out my books, I opened up randomly the Penguin edition of 'Ulysses' and read the fragment where Bloom looks at the field glasses in the shop window on Nassau Street, wondering where he should go....

... As for me, I think I'm going to Dublin for a Joyce pilgrimage!
:)
PS. How many of the Irish participants in this forum have read 'Ulysses'? Is Joyce greatly respected but not really read much in Ireland? If so, then it'd be just like in Poland, where every one knows that e.g. Mickiewicz is a great poet, but few read him....

Puzzler

13 Jan 2008

Life / Local Poles taking advantage of foreigners living in Poland [235]

- Well put, Magdalena. The hypocrite (from England) calling himself 'Wroclaw Boy' seems to conveniently exclude from his perception the negative phenomena one encounters in the UK - and there are scores of them. Compared to the frequent vulgar, brutal and shameless rippoff and mistreatment of, and discrimination against Polish guest workers in the UK (not to mention the British media hacks' hate propaganda against the Poles), the Polish rippoffs of 'foreigners' seem to be a piece of cake. But, as any hypocrite, Wroclaw Boy pretends to be oh so shocked by the bad stuff in Poland, even though the selfsame - and worse - stuff exists in abundance in his own country.

:)

Puzzler

11 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / TRUTH AND DELUSION ABOUT POLES IN UK [65]

I have been travelling in UK for a long while now, talking to my Polish countrymen, local people, and others, making observations about the country, including the media expressions. (By the way, this forum is also a media outlet, of course.) I must admit I was very enthusiastic about UK - mostly England - having come here from Canada - a country where I had never, not even one day, felt good and at ease. Actually, I felt terribly in Canada, due to the prevalent deep-rooted and totally hopeless Polonophobia there (sorry, Shawn, but I must be honest, no matter what). Am I as enthusiastic about UK today? Frankly speaking, no. But still I do not consider it as bad as numerous other places I have seen. (So far, the country I can say the majority of good things about is the Republic of Ireland; Ireland (I don't mean Northern Ireland) appears to be, along with Finland, the least Polonophobic place in Europe.) As regards the situation of the Poles in the UK, I have so far concluded this: the life of Poles in the UK isn't, on the average, rosy. Mostly low-paid jobs, discrimination in terms of pay and treatment, often squalid living conditions. To compound the problem, the UK media have been very hostile towards the Polish guest workers, methodically setting part of the local population against them. It appears to be legal in the UK for the media to spread hate against the Poles. As a result of the media campaign, some people are convinced that the Poles are the main immigration problem in the UK; it is believed they are the most numerous immigration group (the alleged numbers vary; some seem to believe there are as many as 1.5 million Poles in UK!), even though those who believe so aren't able to give any credible source of the information they base their convicton on. Also, Poles are considered the main - if not sole - foreign job grabbers, and at the same time, the main - if not sole - foreign social assistance collectors. So do they actually work or collect the dole? In this thread, I'd like to present both facts on and positive and negative local perceptions of the Poles in the UK, using, among others, some of the information I have collected.

First of all, many Poles have been working in the UK without any contract. As such, they are not entitled to any benefits. They can be - and are - sacked whenever it suits their employers and then find themselves without any social assistance whatsoever. The European Union has been pressing the UK government for making it incumbent on the UK employers to give contracts to employees after 6 months of work, but the UK government has opposed it vigorously and, so far, successfully....

Puzzler

10 Jan 2008

Life / Do Polish people tend to stick together? [49]

Polacks

- I hope you don't stick to this forum for long.

i don't think so....i don't stick with Polish people...

- You stick with your own bunch instead?

my ex used to hate it when she would hear or spot another Pole in the supermarket

- Your ex, obviously, is one of those whom we call 'polaczki' - folks who hate their own country and people and so are lost forever to their own nation. I've actually met quite a few British people, especially English, disliking their own country and people. Fear and hatred of own country is a universal phenomenon, isn't it?

Puzzler

10 Jan 2008

Life / Polish man finds wife working at brothel [43]

Polish man finds wife working at brothel

- Can happen to any husband, including yours. Is there anything wrong about working in a brothel? Lots of wives do so, e.g. in Germany. It's money as any other.

:)

A married man should not have been visiting a brothel in the first place.

- Isn't somebody being a little hypocritical here...?
:)

Puzzler

9 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

national lampoons animal house is the greatest movie, duh

- I prefer Ladykillers - the 1955 Brit original with Guinness and Sellers, not the lame Hollywood ripoff with Hanks.
:)

Puzzler

9 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

Thanks, Osiolek. It's a brilliant stuff. You're a really good writer.
:)

Puzzler

8 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

so they have as much right to be there as anyone.

- Do the recent Polish arrivals also have the right to 'be there,' or not? E.g. those who, according to you, 'have already infiltrated Birmingham, they are driving the buses and everything [SIC] and there is even a Polish food shop in my small home town now'?

It seems most people are unable to accept the fact that Polish immigration can have both positive and negative consequences

- According to you, is it just 'Polish immigration' that has such consequences, or any immigration, e.g. the massive African and Asian one?

If you're a Pole you seem to think that there isnt a problem with the massive number of immigrants coming to Britain(unless of course they're brown).

- You mean all the Poles think so? Do you suggest we all are, ahem, racist? How about you? You have a problem with Polish 'immgration' to UK but not with 'brown' immigration to UK, don't you? Very unracist indeed. How skillful nowadays the racist has become in blaming others for racism.

The Brits who are against recent Polish immigration seem to be the ones who have lost out financially because of the economic impact of 1.5m people joining the workforce in low skilled industries

- Where did you take the '1.5 m' figure, pal? Do you suggest that those 'Brits' who 'lost out financally,' lost just because of the Poles? Prove it.

As an Englishman with a Polish wife I honestly have more sympathy for working class Brits in this matter. Some of them have gone from earning half what I earn, to a quarter

- According to you, the Poles are to be blamed for this?

and I live in a crap area, drive a £3k car and have no savings

- Of course, the Poles are to be blamed for all this as well?

Therefore I cant imagine what it must be like for them [i.e. those poor Brits - P.], in there own country being told by foreigners ... they should work harder or do a qualification or just move if they dont like it.

- Do you mean the Poles are those 'foreigners' who tell them so?

What a bigot you are, pal, in spite of your Polish wife and support for 'brown immigration.'

In the post -WW II Brtain, Polonophobia became the equivalent of Judophobia (Orwell writes about it), but in today Britain Polonophobia seems to be the equivalent of all the racist phobias.

The bigots in this forum, such as Kilkline, attack the Poles for their alleged taking away jobs from the British, but don't say a word about the thousand and one other nations working in UK, especially the numerous Africans and Asians - who, by the way, unlike the Poles, aren't Europeans, and so EU members....

It seems that the bigots' real unstated message is: 'It's bad when Poles work in Britain, but it's good if all the others, especially the 'brown' ones, work here. We don't like the Poles, but we like and feel close to all the others, especially the 'brown' ones.'

Why don't you say it openly? :)

... The Poles are the most convenient and safest scapegoat, eh, racist cowards?

Puzzler

8 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

found it on Google Earth

- I abstained from searching about Bialystok on the internet, wanted to recall on my own as much as I could. I'm realising I forgot so many things about the places I used to stay in, not just in Poland....

:)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

It was walking distance from Branicki.

- Absolutely. And so not far from, ahem, the Farny church.

There is a nice wine shop right across from the fountain (oddly enough with one of those nice looking women) where I always manage to find a wine I like...

- We could treat it as a starter....
;)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

They are all 'Śledzie" anyway, right?

- The Bialostockie sledziki? :)

(To the English speakers: it's untranslatable; literally it means: Bialystok herrings; in Polish it's pronounced in a way poking fun at the Bialystok accent, particularly the way the word 'sledzie' is pronounced).

You may have to run for your life if you refer to anybody from Bialystok, £omża or any town from that region 'śledź' - I don't know the origins of it

- See my above explanation of the origin of the nick. In Bialystok folks are alleged to speak in the soft manner in which the word 'sledz' is being pronounced by the Eastern Borderland Poles, such as Lvovians (in the pre-WWII Poland).

You're exaggerating with this running for one's life, Eurola. The Podlasie people are quite good-natured and peaceful.
:)

This was the church we went into...cannot find the exterior shot of it though. I remember it was quite dark inside and there was a steep set of steps leading to the entrance.

Recognize this fountain?

- As for the church, I think I bungled it up: the old church is the Farny church (or the Fara, as they call it in Bialystok), whereas the younger church is the St Wojciech church. I can't be sure which church you visited; was it the one in the middle of the city - that would be the Fara - or the one more away from the centre, closer to the train station?

As for the fountain, I think I recognise it. It's in the city Square, near Lipowa street, the City Hall (also a nice old building), and the Army Museum, isn't it?

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

PS. If I remember it right, in the vaults of the older Catholic church (not the Farny) are some ancient coffins (of the Branickis?).

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

I do know it was the birthplace of Dr. Zamenhof

- I think the house where he was born has a commemorative plaque. There is also a nice memorial. Forget Zamenhoff! - Did you know Izabella Scorupco (in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful sexiest actresses) is from Bialystok?

:)

Walked the grounds, but couldn't get in for the place was being renovated

- In communist times it was the site of a medical school. The palace originally belonged to the magnate Branicki family. I am not sure whether Casanova spent any time in it, when he was hosted by the Branickis and had an affair with one of the ladies?

If we ever meet in Bialystok, Shawn, I'll know where to take you for the night of Belvedere, singing and, perhaps, something else....
;)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

never in the history of the UK have we had such a massive influx of one nationality in such a short pewriod of time

- That's the British media slogan. But the British media - like the media anywhere else - consist mostly of psychopathic liars. Hence is the slogan true? What are the real figures on immigration to UK? Does any one know? Aren't they being kept secret by the British government, as well as the media psychopaths, for the reasons of so-called political correctness, that is in order to conceal the fact that it's mostly Africans and Asians (not Poles) who enter UK? Aren't Poles being made the scapegoats to be trashed for all the British immigration ills?

1,500,000 possible Poles in the UK

- Where did you take this figure from? The bottom of a vodka bottle?

2,500 registered Brits in Poland

- You alone ought to be counted millionfold. It's really really great you're leaving Poland. But, actually, are you? Isn't it just promises promises? Don't disappoint us - please go, asap. I'm sure any country shall gladly take in such a sweet burden!

:)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

I'd like to have seen more of Białystok ('Enemy of £omża!' someone said).

- I recommend the Branicki family Palace, two Catholic churches - one in a neo-Gothic (?) style, the other, the Farny church, in a modern style, one Orthodox church; a large inner city park called the Planty; and a few good restaurants and bars, opened up late; lots of pretty girls. At least that's what I remember from my last visit, a few years back.

The 'enemy of Lomza' phrase may be just imperfect English; perhaps it should be: 'Lomza's rivals' (re: the regional status rivalry).
:)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

If I go back I would like to live in a place free of immigrants

- Do you mean you'd go back without your Polish wife?

I left the UK for various reasons one of which was the ever groing number of immigrants flocking to our shores

- So you fled from foreigners to a foreign land? A smart (and patriotic) move.

Some of you may be aware that I dont really enjoy living in Poland that much

- Bluntness for bluntness: many of us, Poles, don't really enjoy living in UK and are getting the heaven out. (Just read, if you're able to, on the Polish websites, such as onet.pl, what the Poles in UK say on the subject.) Leaving UK to real immigrants - those from Africa and Asia (we Poles are predominantly just temporary workers in the UK).

Thanks for your hospitality, England!

... Happy now, Polonophobic xenophobe?
:)

No it's not.

- Fine, then it is and it is not. Does it sound satisfactory, Osiolek?
:)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

You mention that your wife is Asian....she's not even part of the EU so has no real right to be in the UK

- A good point, ShelleyS.

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

Bialystok

- My birthplace, where I lived the first two years of my life!!!
:)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

History / Poland-Russia: never-ending story? [1341]

Poland-Russia: never-ending story?

- I hope it has a happy ending: the villains getting theirs. Oh, I hope I live long enough to see this.
:)

Puzzler

7 Jan 2008

Travel / Donkey visits Poland [76]

Osiolek, I'm counting on more details from your trip. Please keep this thread alive.
:)

Puzzler

5 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

Yes I have issues with the way immigration

- You seem to have issues only with the Poles in England. And the vast majority of them are not immigrants, only temporary workers. And they are relatively not numerous compared to other foreigners - mostly from Africa and Asia - living, breeding and working, or dole collecting, in England. Do you go to African or Asian websites and whine there about 'immgration' as you do in this forum? Why do you and those like you only call by the name, single out and pick on Poles? That's certainly discriminatory, and that's certainly hypocritical on your part to say you're not prejudiced.

And i still don't care about J

- Watch what you're saying, because racism breeds racism. Be responsible for your national image. Keep your dirty comments to yourself. Behave yourself.

Puzzler

5 Jan 2008

Language / "sorry" instead of "przepraszam" [76]

didnt fill that profile very carefully...

- Yeah, right.
:)

with all due respect, this is nonsense - to say the least.

- Why would it be nonsense, that 'sorry' is 'cooler' to Madzia? Sorry, or should I say przepraszam, but she has her likes and dislikes, just as you do, doesn't she? No offence, mate.

:)

Puzzler

5 Jan 2008

Language / "sorry" instead of "przepraszam" [76]

we polish people (young generation) like play with our language and modify words eg.

- Do you mean you speak Polish? In your Profile you indicate you don't.

What is it all about?

Puzzler

5 Jan 2008

Love / Polish girls in the eyes of a Turkish guy [24]

thats why Im dating pakistani girl...

- Some Pakistani ladies I have met are very beautiful and graceful indeed.

Puzzler

5 Jan 2008

UK, Ireland / What's So Great About The UK? [416]

see their best chance of doing that is to come to live here in the UK, then "Good Luck!", but should it be at the expense of the British people themselves ?

- Don't worry, the majority of the Polish people will leave UK. Scores of us have been leaving already. So eventually there will be just you and other foreigners - non-Poles, thankfully - the majority of them crowds of Third World people, on your precious little island. Actually, there are incomparably more non-Polish, mostly Third World, foreigners in the UK than Poles, but you don't complain about that, right? So yes, we'll leave UK, not to worry. Thanks for your, ahem, hospitality. Maybe in the future you'll need ours - we'll be happy to offer you exactly the same one as you've been giving us.

I hope no one misunderstands where I am coming from and I'm not a bad or prejudiced person

- We understand perfectly what you really mean, e.g. when you assure that you are not a 'bad or prejudiced person.'
:)))

Puzzler

5 Jan 2008

Love / Polish girls in the eyes of a Turkish guy [24]

But u guys are very lucky to be in the same nation with these beautiful girls

- Sure we are.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, though. - I am Polish, but the most beautiful women I have ever seen are non-Poles; I'm listing them in a chronological order: a Jewish lady from Alberta, Canada, a Welsh Canadian lady from Vancouver, and an Irish lady from Cork.