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Posts by Softsong  

Joined: 2 Sep 2007 / Female ♀
Last Post: 16 Sep 2014
Threads: Total: 5 / In This Archive: 5
Posts: Total: 494 / In This Archive: 163
From: USA, Myrtle Beach
Speaks Polish?: No
Interests: History of Poland, psychology, music

Displayed posts: 168 / page 4 of 6
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Softsong   
19 Dec 2008
News / What did Poland get out of the wars and struggles for others? [1108]

My understanding is that ethnically Kashubians are a West Slavic group. Since they resided in Prussia and Poland, some culturally identified with Germans and others culturally identified with Poles. Those who viewed themselves as German mostly were expelled, or left Poland. Those who were Catholic and viewed themselves as Slavic, stayed.

When I was in Gdańsk in October there were many souvenirs one could buy of Kashubian arts and crafts. I also ate at a Kashubian restaurant that served fish from the lakes of that area.

It looked to me that they were a nice part of Polish society. Their language is very similar to Polish, and with the passage of time seems more like a dialect of Polish.

On the other hand, they have learned to celebrate their uniqueness and special customs within Polish society.
Softsong   
22 Dec 2008
Travel / Anyone flew with Ryanair from Gdansk Yet? [8]

I flew from Dublin, Ireland to Gdańsk with no problems. The only thing I was not used to was that they had no assigned seats, or boarding by certain groups. So, the line was waiting outside the departing gates en mass.

Still, all was fine. I had a flight back to Dublin through Centralwings, but they went charter-only, and my flight was cancelled. I would not have known, if friends had not alerted me before my trip saving me the trouble of a nasty surprise at the airport in Poland.

Rearranged a flight with SAS to Denmark and then Dublin. I should have rebooked with Ryanair, but they had no flight back to Dublin the day I needed it. Duh.....I could have gone to London first with Ryanair, and then to Dublin.

All-in-all a great trip and I got to see a bit of Denmark. :-)
Softsong   
1 Jan 2009
Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

It's possible that she was Polish. Intermarriages were not too common, but did happen. I am proof of that. :-)

But, I also have a Ludwika in my line who was German. Her first name was recorded in the Polish form because they lived in Congress Poland (where vital statistics were by law recorded either in Polish, or later in Russian).

However, since your family were from the Prussian part of the partition, and her name is a Polish first name for Louise, I believe there is a good chance she actually was Polish. There would be no legal reason that I know of to change it to a Polish form. Maybe someone else will know more.

Again, find the town name, and you may also be able to learn what parish she was from, and look up the marriage record which would have her maiden name.

Good luck!
Softsong   
1 Jan 2009
Love / Seeking advice - I get a feeling she is seeing other guys [25]

There would be nothing wrong when you are just beginning to date someone to date others, too. As long as you're upfront about it. What would cast a bad light on her would be if she says she sees only you, and then dates others.

If she is honest, it's called keeping your options open before a relationship becomes serious. If a man or woman wants you all to him/herself, they need to become exclusive, in other words, be in a committed relationship.

Until then, it's kind of old-fashioned dating if you are not sleeping around, but going on dates with others. In modern times, there is a tendency for people to be serial daters. As soon as they date one person, that is it. And you get close, maybe see that it is not the person for you, and then experience a painful breakup. And repeat the pattern again and again.

Perhaps it is better to date several people until one stands out. Again, as long as there is honesty.
Softsong   
1 Jan 2009
Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

This website helped me find my family. Lots of Americans find records in the USA that only say their family came from German-Poland. No villages mentioned or parishes. I got death certificates, ship's records, and censuses and all I could find was German-Poland. And a place that my aunt kind of remembered.

But, I knew the names of my grandparents, and great-grandparents and the name of my great-great grandfather and his wife's first name. I wanted to know what her maiden name was and the exact villages where the family originated.

Enter the Poznan Project, lots of people volunteered to transcribe the parish marriage records in Poznan/Posen, and put them in a searchable form online. I found my family, (it all fit....names and even the place that my aunt remembered), and then wrote to the parish and got the details of where the parents of the bride and groom were from, the witnesses to the wedding, etc.

bindweed.man.poznan.pl/posen/search.php
Softsong   
2 Jan 2009
Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

I see that there is no exact match for Woolschock. But they do have German names. And some that are very close. Spellings of names changed a lot over the years. Maybe one is the way Woolschocck was once spelled. Or maybe Posen is not the area of Prussia that you need. It is a start at eliminating things and then investigating others.

On the simple one name search, many German and Polish names came up:

Approximate matches
Protestant community in Poznań - Św.Piotr [Posen-Petrikirche], entry # 8 in 1850 score: Groom: 64%

Carl Ludwig Wilscheck (27)

Auguste Dorothea Buch (23)

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 31 in 1835 score: Groom: 61%

Ferdinand Wolschke (37) father: Paul Wolschke

Johanna Kurzhan nee Albrecht (40) Additional information: Witwe Christian Kurzhan

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 32 in 1835 score: Groom: 61%

Ernst Albert Wolschke (28) father: Gottfried Wolschke

Bertha Viebig (33) father: David Viebig

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 4 in 1837 score: Groom: 61%

Johann Samuel Wolschke (34) father: Johann Paul Wolschke

Marie Dorothea Korduan (26) father: Gottfried Korduan

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 8 in 1837 score: Bride: 61%

Ludwig Ferdinand Baum (42)

Caroline Wilhelmine Wolschke nee Hepke (42) Additional information: Witwer/Witwe des Heinrich Wolschke

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 25 in 1840 score: Bride: 61%

Franz Ludwig Kirslauter (45)

Anna Rosina Wolschke (37) Additional information: Witwe des Friedrich Wilhelm Wolschke

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 30 in 1868 score: Bride: 61%

Johann Gustav Schneeweiss (24) father: Beniamin Schneeweiss

Johanna Elisabeth Wolschke (27) father: Eduard Wotschke
Softsong   
5 Jan 2009
Language / SZCZ and ŚĆ HARD TO EXPLAIN [19]

Polson, with the examples "China" vs. "Chill" the "CH" sounds do sound the same to me, except that with the "CH" in "China" there is a long sounding vowel after the initial "CH". But with the "CH" in "Chill" there is a short sounding vowel after the intital "CH."

I have not practiced any Polish sounds in a long time, but remember that it is important where you place your tongue.

When saying "China" I noticed that I put my tongue more forward to achieve the long sound. And with "Chill" I put my tongue further back. Is this the difference?

Same thing applies to your other example. "Shark" vs. the end in "Attention". Is this what you mean?
Softsong   
5 Jan 2009
Food / History of the Polish potato (what did Polish people eat before?) [17]

Copol, thank you for asking that question, and Polonius3 for answering it. I found myself wondering the same thing when a class I had mentioned that the potato was exported from the New World during the age of explorations.

Not many people in America from what I can observe are familiar with buckwheat groats, or even millet. But millet is beginning to be an ingredient in some dried cereals or even the main ingredient. Mostly in the natural foods section. People that are into health foods are also probably more familiar with millet.

When I made it on the stove years ago, my friends thought I was eating bird seed. LOL

Those grains are all really good for you. Time they be eaten more. :-)

However, I do love potatos, too.
Softsong   
12 Jan 2009
Genealogy / Has anyone taken Genealogy DNA tests? [87]

Yes, that is one reason why the Sorenson foundation has been doing DNA testing. For a long time, you could get it done free and after a period of time, you'd find your results posted on their website. Well, you'd figure it out due to searching for a surname, and looking for the MtDNA that matches all over the world. Or the Y-DNA.

Their goal is to demonstrate that we all can trace our lines back to one human and are related. So yes! *group hug*

Actually, you need only go back relatively few generations to find someone related to you. There were much less people generations ago. It is always funny when candidates are running for president and some genealogist tells us that say Obama is related to Cheney or some such thing. :-D

Not sure if I remember who it was he was related to...but probably someone remembers.

I also learned here at PF that blue eyes were a mutation and that before the first blue-eyed person, all had brown eyes. I have blue eyes...well grayish blue.

BUT, if you are interested in the history between the first blue-eyed parent or even before that, the first man or woman, it's neat to see where your ancestors roamed. We may say we are from here or there, but we all came from someplace else. Our genes tell a migratory story, and history of us.

I was pretty sure my results would show I was from Eastern Europe, and would have the most typical MtDNA for Poles since my mother's mother's line is Polish. (Lewandowski, Bubacz, Chmielewska, and Nowak).

Yet, I was verysurprised that when I traced every female back in my line with my MtDNA, it is one of the longest, (unbranched-out from another major European mother) lineages in Europe. Most scientists say that the only thing older in Europe would be Neanderthal!

So, I am from a blue-eyed indigenous European human stock. Closely related to the Saami reindeer-herding tribes. Unlike some who feel that they paid $200 to learn something they already knew, I learned something totally surprising to me. Of course, while not the most common Polish MtDNA, quite a few Poles have the same. U5.

I am thinking of asking my newly rediscovered 2nd cousin if she is curious as well, and take the test (as a gift from me). She carries my German grandmother's MtDNA which might give me some interesting history on that side of the family and maybe show some Kashubian or Dutch influence. Ultimately, it does make littlle difference in some ways though because culturally, I was brought up as an American with many traditions going back to Germans from along the Baltic and North Sea, and traditions of Poles from Gniezno, the heart of the Polish nation.

It is neat to know we are all one family! With lots of interesting cousins. :-)
Softsong   
25 Jan 2009
History / Polish Anti-semitism - origins? [186]

It just shows that all peoples are capable of deeds of hatred. But, the problem is that we tend to only hear about what happened to the Jews. It was terrible, no attempt to minimize the tragedy, but there were other terrible things done for revenge to both Poles and Germans. Maybe some day we can really learn that one revenge leads to another and another.

I bring this up because interestingly, on a mail list that I subcribe to about Central Europe genealogy, someone recommended reading a book that is only in limited supply at the moment. Amazon has a few in stock.

The author is named John Sacks and he is Jewish. Even he had a hard time making the book known and if not for his being Jewish, it may never have seen the light of day.

Here is what one reviewer at Amazon said:

By Mariusz T. Wesolowski (North Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Eye for an Eye:

This fantastic piece of investigative journalism brought howls of impotent rage against its author, a Jewish writer, who dared to discuss the Jewish revenge on the German and Polish civilians right after the end of WW2.
One of these executioners, Shlomo Morel, still lives in peace in Israel despite the Polish government's efforts to have him extradited and tried for genocide. A must read for anybody who doesn't passively accept the whitewashed story of the 20th-century East European Jewry.
Softsong   
28 Jan 2009
Life / Poles are some of the most wonderful people. [18]

Anybody can use Polish characters. They are available when you post. Just above the box where one types.

So, if I say, Gdańsk, I just put my mouse up and grab the Polish letter.
Softsong   
29 Jan 2009
Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

Hi Polam,

I've had the same experience. Almost identical. My parents seemed to know nothing and have no curiousity. Obviously the grandparents knew, and maybe were eager to be Americans and said nothing. Maybe the parents as kids just played with other kids who also had parents with accents. The time period of which you spoke about America was just full of immigrants. My mother learned Polish though, unlike her siblings. She was attached to her grandmother who spoke to her. I learned a few things from my grandmother, too. Mostly foods. :-)

For some strange reason, as I got older I was very curious. I knew little things, but not enough. Now I have been to most of the villages of my ancestors. Quite a task as no one told me where they were from. I had to piece it all together from documents. Jumping across the "pond" was the most difficult thing for me because most documents just said they were from German Poland or Russian Poland.

Like you, my heart swells with pride and good feeling towards Poland. I bore everyone around me though as if Poland were the only place on earth. My first flight over the land and I felt I was hyperventilating with happiness.

Of course, since I am of mixed ethnic background, I have Germanic grandparents as well. However they too lived in Poland when it was multinational and so no matter what, the land feels like a home. I truly love Poland.
Softsong   
29 Jan 2009
Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

:-P

And everyone has different things they enjoy or feel proud of. Whatever floats your boat is fine and dandy for YOU. Why pour cold water on someone who has a different outlook. Obviously, if many Americans do this, there is an inner need. And so you being non-American lack the ability to understand. This thread is about those who do understand.
Softsong   
29 Jan 2009
USA, Canada / Good job for Polish in USA [34]

No immigration. Think your clan always lived in Scotland? LOL

Immigration is nothing new. People will always migrate. Otherwise you might yourself still be somewhere in Africa. All of us came from there, and migrated.

Who knows, since the downturn in the economy is less pronounced in Poland, you may find yourself cleaning toilets there some day! :-D
Softsong   
29 Jan 2009
Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

Besides, none of us are saying that we are Polish in the same way as someone raised in Poland. Just that something about us because of our heritage makes us slightly different than other Americans. And it is fun to discover why we do what we do, eat what we do. Being American pulls us all together in the longrun, but we are just talking about enjoying knowing that some things we do are actually things that were passed down to us by a former culture, even without us knowing it came from there.

Perhaps it is something as simple as I believe the general European folklore that if you drop a fork versus a spoon, it predicts who is coming to the home. I mentioned that to my Polish friend who was visiting, and the same type of thing was said in his home.

Or because my other grandparents were Germanic, I have always said, "Make out the lights." In the American south people say, "Cut off the lights." Up north they say, "Turn off the lights." I've been made fun of for my expression, but my father said that. It turns out that that is a common error a German person learning English would say.

So each American has things that are unique to the ethnic group they came from and it is fun discovering where it came from. No need to belabour the point. You, noimmi may feel differently, but feelings are feelings. You can have yours and we ours. No need to convince anyone that either feelings are more wrong or right.
Softsong   
31 Jan 2009
News / Peculiar opinions about Poland [33]

I now live in a part of the USA that has very few Poles. I went to the post office to mail a package and the clerk had to look up the code for the shipping prices. She with a straight face asked, "Is that in Europe?" :-(

But I do guess it is because of the former communism keeping the exchange down between countries, and also because unlike the northeast part of America, there are not many Poles here. That has changed a bit because of the resort area employing Polish college students for the summer vacation.
Softsong   
31 Jan 2009
News / Peculiar opinions about Poland [33]

Yes, Maine has towns with the names of countries. Poland, China, etc. It is funny at one crossroad you can see signs pointing to places in the whole world.

Also, to an extent I agree with Marycha that many Americans have a poor sense of geography. But, remember, I grew up with this system as well and I do know the world pretty well. It also depends upon how you apply yourself. And as you say, if the news sources fail to mention a place much or only that they are communists, the interest to be curious about a place is lacking.

And in the part of the south I am living in, there just have been very few Poles to attract interest, as well. When I do tell people about Poland, most are very interested. At work everyone was excited about my trip and could hardly wait to see the travel books and pictures I brought back.
Softsong   
1 Feb 2009
News / Peculiar opinions about Poland [33]

Being an older person, I must have received my education at a time when things were not as described above. I did decide a few years ago to go back to college to turn my liberal education into a masters of education.

I found it distressing that a lot of effort went into entertaining kids with subjects. At least that is how it felt to me. But the rational is that not everybody learns in the typical teacher speaks, kids take notes, answer questions and read at home way.

People were more likely to be assigned to a group to do things together. Which seems good, but I found that one student always did more of the work and the others tagged along.

Not sure what the answer is. But even so, any adult who has half a brain can take an interest in the world and learn. I thought everyone knew that Poland was in Europe. I was surprised that a postal clerk of all people would not be sure.
Softsong   
5 Feb 2009
Genealogy / AMERICANS' DEGREE OF POLISHNESS (OR ANY OTHER ETHNICITY) [10]

Probaby 30.

My Dad spoke German, my Mom spoke Polish, that hindered my learning either language, but my Mom and Grandmother spoke in Polish to each other. My Dad and his mother spoke in German to each other. I remember the Polish nursery rhyme my grandmother taught me, and know some basic Polish phrases from my Mom and have learned a few more.

I was not familiar with Polish characters and writing until recently, but can sound most things out and recognize a lot of words. My grandmother read in Polish, my mother could only speak Polish. The 12 noun endings are very confusing to me. I like my nouns to stay in one form. :-)

Foods, grew up eating Polish and East German foods.

Highly interested in the traditions and history of Poland, fairly knowledgeble.

Listened more to German music because my Dad was a musician in a German nightclub called the Lorelei.

Have some Polish art and decor. Folk art like wooden colored eggs, wooden boxes, etc.
Softsong   
13 Feb 2009
Love / Younger foreign man dating older polish women ? [28]

I have had a serious relationship with a younger Polish man for three years. I was 50 and he was 21. His parents were not happy about our age difference, but they came to love me and we all got a long just fine. It was a fantastic relationship for both of us. After being together for about a year and a half, he wanted to marry me, but I began to feel guilty since he did want to have children initially. I struggled and decided to see if I could become pregnant. Miraculously I did conceive and lost the baby in my third month. Just too darned old to be able to give him what I wished.

You would not put her through that struggle. You know already you do not wish to have children.

And, your situation is really not THAT much of an age-gap. It is a problem when the man or woman is so young that they have not experienced life yet. Once both are adults, love is ageless.

In fact there is a support site for YM/OW and OM/YW. It's called [agelesslove]. Most of the couples there did not deliberately seek each other out due to an age preference, but they just happened to meet someone that rocked their boat and there was a large age gap. They come looking for support since many times society, friends and family do not understand.

People do understand what they think is primarily a hot sexual combination. So many times I got the "you go girl" thing when for us, we both wished that we were closer in age because we loved each other, and wanted to make a life together.

There are some people like you that just know they have a preference for older or younger and seek it out. There are dating sites that cater to people looking for age-gap relationships. Even regular sites can be useful. Why not sign up for a Polish dating site and see the women in that age group. While they might be taken aback at first, if you treat them like you would any woman you are interested in, you may get a good response.

Or some might think it is just for fun on your part and have trouble accepting that you really want to find a mate in this age group. Since she will not be dependent upon parents due to being established in life, she can move forward IF she falls in love with you, and IF you show her your steadfastness.

I NEVER would have entered into a relationship with my ex-YM, but for 8 patient months he courted me till I realized that you only live once. I am ever so glad that we did get together, even though I believed forever was unfair for him. I perhaps should not have made that decision for him, but I did. Pushing him away was the most painful experience of my life. Now we are still friends and after seven years of no longer seeing each other in person, I visited him this fall. It was an awesome reunion.

I wish you good luck and experience knowing it can work. Especially if the gap is so small. My current boyfriend is 11 years younger than me. We both live in the USA and we are not aware of any gap.
Softsong   
14 Feb 2009
Love / Younger foreign man dating older polish women ? [28]

And THAT is exactly the type of prejudice that my ex-boyfriend and I had to hear ALL the time. Of course, at that time rather than someone attempting to get into the European Union, it was that he must be with me for a green card to stay in the USA.

Well, heck, he hated the idea of living in the USA and wanted to bring ME to POLAND.

Hardly anyone could accept that a cute, young guy could love an older lady for real. It had to be because she wanted wild sex with a toy boy, or he wanted a green card.

That does happen a lot, but not all the time. And that is why I posted....so that I can help others who face this type of stereotype. And can help people to see that they may be hurting an otherwise happy couple by their pre-judging everyone who falls in love with someone older or younger than themselves.
Softsong   
18 Feb 2009
History / UPA barbarian murders on Polish and Jewish neighbors during WW2 [150]

Maybe BB, he misunderstands what you mean about "having a blind spot" and thinks you are saying that you are ignorant, and chose to stay that way. Although, if he would read carefully you distinctly said the thread was interesting to you BECAUSE you have this gap in your knowledge. And that could hardly be an "enemy."
Softsong   
27 Feb 2009
UK, Ireland / Dublin city centre - interesting places to see [33]

I was in Dublin this past October and enjoyed it very much. After my plane landed, we strolled around the City Center and had a nice supper at a vegetarian restaurant.

I love history so we toured The "Viking" Church (Christ Church), which is right in Dublin. The inside of the church and museum depict the early history of the city, and how people lived in the middle ages.

Also in the City Center is St. Stephen Park, very pretty and near shopping.

We also did some of the ancient burial sites and abbeys, but those are out from Dublin, and would probably be too far. I did not have much time either, just four days, but it was worth using one full day to take in these sites.

Glendalough though, I believe is not too far and I believe the bus might take you to see the surrounding countryside. Have fun and let us know how the trip went.
Softsong   
2 Mar 2009
UK, Ireland / Dublin city centre - interesting places to see [33]

Hi SeanBM,

No, I wanted to do that, but went to the associated smaller group of mounds called Dowth. Just not enough time.

Please do tell us about it! :-)