Life / Cultural readjustment... returning to Poland from the West. [58]


When I walk in a store, I smile and say Hello! Nice weather! (or something to that effect), and I get a smile back almost every time :-)

Of course there are gonna be surly people out there as well, but some of them actually do crack half a smile too...
I don't wait for the other person to be nice to me first just because I happen to be the customer. If you want smiles, smile yourself. :-))))

Real Estate / Why are homes in Poland more expensive than in the USA? [27]


A vacuum cleaner is just that - a paper bag (or other dirt-collecting gizmo) inside a bigger or smaller appliance with a tube sticking out of it. It's supposed to help you clean the floor, not fly to Mars. If there is a cheap vacuum I can buy, I will. I have actually recently bought a vacuum cleaner at Asda, it cost me all of £15.00 and and is a no-name Chinese product, but what the heck, it collects dust and bits and pieces off the floor, so what's the big deal? I don't need a status symbol in my kitchen.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]


Well, it is a legitimate part of Polish history, and this is a Polish forum, so people are welcome to talk about it, or "moan" (BTW, if you said that Jews talking about the Holocaust were moaning about it, you would be branded an anti-Semite in an instant). It seems you do not quite believe in the atrocities committed by Germans in occupied Poland? Come on, a few folks got shot here or there, whatever's the problem :-/

Language / Computer terms in Polish [11]

I don't think Bondi knows what "pulpit" means in Polish, and takes for granted it has the same meaning as in English ("to preach from the pulpit"), but in Polish that particular piece of equipment is called "kazalnica" ;-p

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]

Just an impression I got while reading about Polish people moaning on and on about what happened to them during WW2. I allowed myself to react in the same way a Jewish person would react if someone said the Jews were moaning on and on about pogroms and stuff. I would like to put some things in perspective. Why shouldn't Poles moan all they want about German occupation? Didn't they suffer? The only reason I can find is that someone thinks they did not *really* suffer that much. Hence my evil assumption as above.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]

I DO understand what you are trying to say. But do you understand what I am trying to say? Not a chance. Visit any thread about Jewish suffering in Poland, and say the same things you have said in this one, like "oh stop the moaning, it's done and gone, move forward" and see what happens then. I have been struck by the inequality of approach - very much. Why are some victims deemed to be superior to others? So, by all means, stop the moaning - everyone. If it's history, it's history - for everybody.


I am really sorry I upset you. I just wanted to pinch you a little bit to get a genuine response. My bad.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]


Well, fair and square then.


That would be November 1st. This is a day to remember all our dead.

I would not be getting agitated by all this if not the recent trend to absolve Germans of any WW2-associated guilt and actually turn the tables on the Poles, claiming that they were rabid Jew-haters and murderers, happy to help the Nazis with their work. In this context, telling Poles to shut up and get on with it means this distorted view of history will not get corrected, and in the long run we might end up as the greatest villains of WW2 :-( BTW, I know I'm exaggerating a bit here - but not as much as you might think.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]


Unfortunately, what you say below confirms my wild claims:

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]


Well, actually I am, and so I happen to know what "to confront the past" means. If you did not mean to say what you have actually said, then maybe you should choose your words more wisely next time. ;-p

Also, as an aside, I never said it was the Germans pushing this trend I speak of. So maybe you are not so good at reading other people's posts either? (I know, I know, I have offended you again - but actually, I am just teasing you. Z góry przepraszam). :->


Very true.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]

Dear Bubba - firstly, I am not translating what you have said into Polish. I am just trying to understand what you wrote. This probably means that you are not expressing yourself very accurately. Hm?

Yes, true, you did not say it was the Germans pushing the trend, but you brought them up anyway. I have nothing against the Germans in this respect. Yeah, they have apologized and moved on. Then, you tell me the Polish should do the same - i.e. confront their past (which means there are bad things lurking there) and move on. The Poles would actually be very happy to move on, myself included, if not for the fact that somehow perception of WW2 Poland is being changed, and this is not a figment of my imagination. I do not wish to "move on" into a future in which Poland is continuously forced to apologize for wrongs not committed, or re-apologize over and over again for things it had already acknowledged and apologized for (vide Jedwabne). When I look back at Poland during the war, I do not see much I would need to confront and deal with, and rather little to be ashamed of. As long as that's OK, I am fine to carry on into the next century and shut up. The problem is that once you look round the net a little, and visit some websites and forums, you realize that this is not OK, and will not be OK anytime soon. This is why the Polish people will continue to present their version of events. If you call it moaning, so be it. Over and out - I need to work on some wildly inaccurate translations now.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]


We are in the Polish Politics and History section. History - a global shadow-chasing campaign? It sounds rather nifty, actually. But seriously, if someone chases shadows it's because they desperately need closure. Native Americans campaign for their ancestors' bones to be taken from museums and buried with respect. Is this so different?


Might be some truth in it... My, how generous you are! And how objective in your pursuit of historical truth! Congratulations.

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]


But earlier on, I was very offensive and what else, arrogant if I remember right? And I didn't even call anyone a toilet cleaner. Seems like a classic example of double standards. Of course I am nit-picking now, but hell, it's fun. You are wonderfully uncoordinated and muddled in your argumentation, if I may have the honour of complimenting you.

Life / Polish products for sensitive skin, are they available in Poland? [17]

Irena Eris (Polish brand, very good quality) has a whole range of products for allergy-prone and sensitive skin. Check out the Lirene line of products.

Travel / What time does the stores close in Warsaw Poland? [5]

If you go to one of the big shopping malls you don't have to worry about closing times - they are open well into the evening. I remember coming to London and being shocked about almost all the shops (not grocery stores) closing at 5 pm. ;-(

History / Poles executed in Warsaw '1939-44' [112]

The Ghetto uprising took place in the spring of 1943. This was the Warsaw Uprising, 1944. Some of these people might have conceivably been Jews in the religious sense, who had sheltered on the Aryan side. But they were Poles and Varsovians first.

Language / 'przytulic' cannot ever be properly translated into English [33]

cute - uroczy
kind - serdeczny
funny - zabawny

not quite ideally the same, but the general emotional tone is right :-)

Language / 'przytulic' cannot ever be properly translated into English [33]


cudny/śliczny/słodki kotek would work just as well.
and yes, I have heard a tiny girl comment: Mamo, co za uroczy kiciuś! ;-)

thing is, most of you are trying to translate word-for-word, whereas it's only possible to go concept-by-concept in cases such as these.

Language / 'przytulic' cannot ever be properly translated into English [33]


Oh but we would say: Co za cudna żabka! Urocza malusia ropuszka! Unless we thought the frog was gross, of course ;-)

Language / 'przytulic' cannot ever be properly translated into English [33]

"ach, jakie to urocze/słodkie - dzieli się z pieskiem!"

Life / Shattered dreams. Poland is more expensive to live than the UK. [23]

What supermarkets do you shop at in Poland? Tesco was, and is, one of the worst on offer - overpriced and badly supplied.
The Polish Tescos have absolutely nothing in common with the British ones, except ownership ;-)

Life / Shattered dreams. Poland is more expensive to live than the UK. [23]

But I was asking - did you ever go beyond Tesco?

Life / Shattered dreams. Poland is more expensive to live than the UK. [23]

But how about Geant, Auchan, Carrefour, to name just a few of the other foreign ones, or smaller chains like Bomi or Piotr and Paweł?

IMHO, the Polish version of Tesco is only slightly better than Biedronka / Leader Price and suchlike.

Law / I want to open a bar in Czestochowa [28]


Oh really..? I used to live in a small town of 60 000 and there were lots of places to go (ranging from typical restaurants through pizza places through night clubs to pubs and cafes) - and they were (and still are - I recently visited) packed on a daily basis. If not, then fullish during the week and packed at the weekends. ;-) Not a new phenomenon either. I can't speak for tiny hamlets though.

Travel / June Weather in Poland - What to wear? [13]


ORLY? I have the hardest time buying anything BUT antiperspirant in Poland - and in the UK as well, for that matter - where do you buy your cosmetics?! Walk into any Drogeria Natura or Rossmann and there they are - row upon row of them. Chock fullo'aluminum chlorohydrate (that's why I am paranoid about them). Then there are the spray-on body whatnots, but I wouldn't really even class them as deodorant, they're more along the lines of a weak, cheap all-over perfume. But as far as antiperspirants, there's LOTS. Unless some sort of national catastrophe has wiped them out within the last year. I'm visiting Poland in August so I'll keep you posted ;-)

Life / The strangest things in Poland [468]


except this meat is not raw - it's smoked (heat treated over a long period of time). sushi is raw meat.
have you eaten beef jerky and/or biltong (I've eaten both, seem very similar to me)? that's a lot "rawer" than your typical Polish sausage, being smoked for a short time only.

Life / Customer Service in Poland, what are your experiences? [106]


And why not? It's their country and they have no duty to conform to your requirements. When in Rome, etc.
There are a lot, a LOT of things I find funny/stupid/maddening in the UK, for example. Does this mean the UK is worse than Poland in some respects, or does this attitude work only one way, because the UK is "more developed" by default? I am afraid many of you think that it is only the poor old iron-curtain countries which need to "catch up". Unfortunately, I have lived and visited abroad (so-called western countries - Holland, the UK, Denmark, Germany), and I am not terribly impressed. They are just regular countries. And each has its quirks, some amusing, some downright crazy.

Life / Customer Service in Poland, what are your experiences? [106]

Apart from everything else - the customer is NOT always right.

When my dad visited the States, he got loads of really way bad customer service - waiters that were right in his face all the time, making him feel guilty for saying no to "would you like something more" (he really hated that one), waiters trying to be overfamiliar with him, pestering him with details of their personal life and habits, trying to be on a first-name basis with him just because he wanted to eat a salad; no "hot tea" anywhere to be gotten for love or money (only iced tea or terrible, watery coffee); at one place they actually gave him tea leaves "infused" in lukewarm microwaved water and were genuinly surprised he did not like the result! Etc., etc. When my dad got back to Poland, he did some complaining, but then stopped short and said OMG, I'm just like those Americans in Poland, complaining of everything in sight. I'd better stop! - So he stopped ;-P

Life / The strangest things in Poland [468]

Poland is truly a land of horrors, where men stand too close, old ladies smell bad, and the roads are full of potholes. Plus children are required to change shoes at school - terrible infringement of their human rights... Do you think you could try being just a tad more flexible in your approach to what is a different culture? It is not the Poles' fault that you find some things different. Some of you make it sound as if it actually were their fault, though. And that makes me feel rather uncomfortable.

Yeah, sure: they could mend the roads. And surprise - they actually are, all the time, every year. Maybe there is not enough money to make the new road surfaces more durable. I don't know. But I've driven around quite a lot and every spring there are roadworks all over the place. So there!

Life / Customer Service in Poland, what are your experiences? [106]

And a dangerous one. Lawsuit culture, anyone?

Of course, downright rudeness on the part of the service provider is not to be tolerated. But I think many foreigners confuse rudeness (chamstwo) with a certain aloofness which we Poles like to maintain. We just don't like getting all lovey-dovey with total strangers ;-)

If a salesperson totally ignores me while I talk to them, I will either walk out mid-sentence, or tell them off.
But if they ignore me UNTIL I start talking to them, it makes me feel comfortable. I do not like being pestered before I had even made up my mind whether to stay in that store at all. I know a lot of Polish people who feel the same.

If you want me out a place real quick, ambush me at the door with "can I help you" :-I

Life / Customer Service in Poland, what are your experiences? [106]


customer service in Poland aside - the above is a totally American way of saying "it sucked" ;-)