Language / Difference between wise and intelligent in Polish [30]


It won't, you're just encouraging the OP in the false belief that every concept has equivalents in every language. That just isn't true....

Language / Difference between wise and intelligent in Polish [30]

You're going about it wrong. Instead of trying to replicate differences from English/Dutch you should concentrate on the differences important in Polish.

Food / The 12 dishes of Poland on Christmas Eve. [51]


Here are some recipes:

polki.pl/gwiazdka_kuchnia_artykul,10016603.html
mojegotowanie.pl/przepisy/ryby/sledz_wigilijny_mojego_taty
mojewypieki.blox.pl/2011/12/Wigilijne-kapusniaczki.html

Again, we're not talking about massive amounts but larger dishes in which eggs and/or butter are used. But I havebeen served herring with sour cream (with lots of horseradish, yummy) on wigilia as well.

I think most people now find it hard to keep different kinds of fasting straight. No meat is easy to remember but no dairy/eggs limits things a lot more.

Food / The 12 dishes of Poland on Christmas Eve. [51]

It's more of a 'when in Rome' deal. If I spent the 24th alone or around non-Poles I might not care but in a social setting I'll follow majority practices.

And although I'm not religious (to ridiculously understate the case) I respect religion and recognize its importance.

Food / The 12 dishes of Poland on Christmas Eve. [51]


Herring and carp are animals too!

I can easily believe that originally wigilia dishes avoided dairy and egg but they certainly do appear now.

But meat for wigilia though seems like a line too far. I've known atheists who do the whole wigilia thing and avoid meat on the 24th as do I. I'm incapable of religious faith or faith-based practices but I can respect and follow traditions.

Food / The 12 dishes of Poland on Christmas Eve. [51]


The no-meat part I get. It's like the traditional Catholic custom of no meat on Fridays. But no dairy? I really haven't heard of that and I think some wigilia dishes use some dairy products. The no-alcohol has been addressed on another thread (summary: it's kind of a tradition but spottily observed).

Life / Polish holiday tradition - granny dumping? [13]


Yes, but if you read the article linked to, it's not the older people, it's their younger family members who feel discomfort induced by ... the presence of the older person.

Life / Polish holiday tradition - granny dumping? [13]


Not to mention it spares guests the spectacle of having to look at an old person.


Written like someone with caller-ID who's not answering calls from the hospital until Jan 3.....

Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]


well the discussion was specifically about alcohol so that's what I was referring to..... (context)

Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]

I knew why there was no meat, and that's always been observed ime. I just hadn't noticed people abstaining from alcohol. I'm not talking about getting drunk of even tipsy just a glass of white wine or a kieliszek of something stronger between courses. When I asked some people they seemed to put 'no alcohol' in the 'eat nothing before the wigilia meal' category, an option for the specially devout, but not a necessity. There's probably regional (and urban/rural and class) distinctions.

Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]


That has got to be the most pathetic reason for feeling superior I've ever heard......

On drinking for Christmas Eve. All my experience is with families who drink during wigilia dinner (moderately but steadily). This forum was the first time I'd heard of any kind of abstention (I certainly never would have guessed form observing people's behavior).

Life / Does Polish society accept new people especially those not from Poland [41]


A couple of things: The hostility might partly be embarassment and/or discomfort from a real live foreigner (not so common in the countryside).

Also, once you learn to understand Polish you realize they can be pretty brusque with each other too.

USA, Canada / If America is so bad, why move here? [254]


A majority of American citizens might, quite reasonably, not want people to be in the country illegally, but the ruling classes (dem and repub) love, love, love having lots of people in the country illegally which is why the leadership of both parties work to keep the floodgates (for Mexicans at least) open. You don't expect the wealthy to pay a living wage to the hired help do you?

And I don't know what decade you're living in, but most Polish people don't really want to move to the US. Many would like to be able to visit but membership in the EU has given most of them much better (closer) options for working abroad than anything the US can offer.

The visa issue now is mostly about respect. It rankles many Poles that Poland has been a very good and dependable ally of the US for 20 years now and is still treated with a marked lack of respect. Face it, the US has never been a very good or dependable ally for Poland (and many other countries).

Language / 24 hour time telling in Poland vs. other countries [29]


You were waaaayyyy to generous with that one. They should actually lose points in other classes for that....

Language / 24 hour time telling in Poland vs. other countries [29]

I think many or most Americans would not understand 17.00 and might interpret it as 7:00 pm (19.00)

I think the answer should be counted as incorrect (especially if you've mentioned that the 24 clock is not as widely used in the UK or US as it is in Poland.

Losing some points on a mock final exam is a good way to get their attention. Effective communication partly includes trying to foresee eventual comprehension problems and prevent them before they happen.

Interestingly while I have no problem at all in using the 24 hour clock in Polish I never use it in spoken English (even after all these years).

Life / Grocery Store / Super malls websites in Poland (in English)? [5]

The number of English speaking foreigners in Poland is not large enough to justify maintaining websites in English.

English is not used in Poland except for some international purposes, it plays no real role in Polish society domestically.

Poland doesn't really have Wal-Mart (I think one's opened but ....)

It does have tesco

tesco.pl

and Auchan

auchan.pl

which are similar in design and scope.

The word to look for is hipermarket.

Language / Speaking with wrong Polish case endings? [94]


But so many people including very educated ones say byLIśmy, I sometimes think I'm missing something if I don't do as the Romans (so to speak). BYliśmy comes more naturally to me (since that's what I first learned) but I worry it makes me sound too priggish.

At least I don't say 'se' even though I had a friend who was always saying things like "Se kupię..."

.... though I do tend to say 'jest do góry' a local thing I was warned against saying (but which I somehow picked up instead...)

Language / Speaking with wrong Polish case endings? [94]

In everyday spoken Polish tą instead of tę is almost universal and is, I believe, now considered acceptable in informal speech.

In writing or very formal contexts tę would be required.

In my formative stage learning Polish as a foreign language I only learned tę so that's what I use (just like I learned ante-penultimate stress for verb forms like byliśmy) which often made people think I spoke better than I did. I do sometimes slip the accent back to the penultimate for verb forms like byliśmy on purpose to sound less formal but it doesnt' come naturally.

I rather like tu pisze instead of tu jest napisane for similar reasons though a Polish teacher I work with was scandalized when a student asked 'co tu pisze?' in class.

Language / Hejka / Nara - a trendy youth greeting in Poland? [26]


In my experience hej has always been more common as a leave taking expression rather than a greeting. I assume the same would go for hejka.

The expression I hate, hate, HATE is 'do zobaczyska' .....

Love / Polish guys opinion about Romanian girls? [23]


You might know this already but just in case you don't, this is for two reasons:

- In the early 90's there was a big influx of gypsies from Romania who lived in parks, begged in the streets, smelled bad and who generally alienated the Polish public.

- The PC requirement to not use the word gypsy (Cygan in Polish) any more and replace it with 'Rrom' (or Roma) was too similar to Romanian for many people to keep separate. Most people at some level know that most Romanians are not gypsies but since most of their contact with people from Romania has been with the gypsy minority (who are not exactly goodwill ambassadors) that knowledge breaks down.

I don't know where the prostitute thing somes in (besides prostitution being another occasional sideline for gypsies). There used to be tirówki (roadside prostitutes) from the Balkans but I thought they were mostly Bulgarian or ex-Soviet. Maybe there were some Romanians too....

I'd advise not worrying about it (cause you can't change it) and concentrate on making a good impression on the Poles you meet one person at a time.

The funny thing is that Poland and Romania have a lot in common. The times I've been in Romania and people mention something they think only applies to Romania my first reaction is usually 'Oh, just like Poland!'.

USA, Canada / Do Pol/Ams celebrate Black Friday and other American festivals? [18]

This seems to be a relatively recent thing. My last US thanksgiving was almost 20 years ago, but I don't ever remember shopping the day after Thanksgiving when I still lived in the US or remember it being any kind of big thing.

I'm pretty sure it's only turned into the festival of awful consumer violence and mayhem in the last few years.

Love / Pregnant in Wroclaw, need a good doctor [11]


Isn't your wife Polish? Why can't she search for a gynecologist?

Language / 'lubię, lubisz' - Infinitive [86]


There's no need to get all drippy.....

(just keeding)

Language / 'lubię, lubisz' - Infinitive [86]


I didn't get to answer here, but I generally love being able to help learners (farther back on the path than I am). By all means ask as many questions as you can!

Also, it's culturally appropriate. Polish people are mostly not the kind who are afraid to ask for help. Polish people much prefer to make direct requests (understanding that 'no' might be an answer) than hinting around hoping someone will guess. Keep asking!

Real Estate / Apartment in Poland is not up to standard; right to terminate the rental agreement? [78]


There's usually an initial lease (usually a year) and after that (if the owner and tenant agree) they just go on a month to month basis with no lease. At least that's what a friend of mine did.

Also, the first answer in Poland is always 'no'. That's where standing up for yourself and arguing (skillfully not angrily) and persistence is needed. That first 'no' doesn't mean 'no', it means "let's negotiate!" or "convince me!".

Real Estate / Apartment in Poland is not up to standard; right to terminate the rental agreement? [78]

Poland will knock that out of you _very_ quickly.

In short, you have to learn how to stand up for yourself in an assertive (not aggressive!) manner. It won't always be pleasant but the process will ultimately make you happier and more self-confident.

Real Estate / Apartment in Poland is not up to standard; right to terminate the rental agreement? [78]


Yeah, if there is no contract in Polish he'll have a hard time collecting.

If there is a contract in Polish it will take precedence over one in English.

Also are you on the ground floor or Polish first floor (equivalent to second floor in the US and I think UK)?

Real Estate / CZYNSZ - payment issue - help [43]


It is the normal case that the laws of a given country govern real estate disagreements, not the culture/law of a foreign buyer.

Again, ethically and morally you may be completely in the right, but you don't have the law on your side. I'm not even sure if it's legal to wave czynsz payments (unless the owner picks them up, which why would he do that?)

Your best bet is paying up and selling off or if you want to run a delaying action ask for the bills (and register to take lwowskakrakow up on her offer).


They do that for free? Wow, what nice people!

Real Estate / CZYNSZ - payment issue - help [43]


There's no such thing in Polish law and a person is responsible for czynsz even if they never set foot in the apartment.

Buying an apartment in another country when you

- don't know the language, or

- don't know the culture, or

- dont' know the legal system (in terms of basic principles)

is not a particularly clever thing to do.

When things dont work out as planned calling the country third world might make you temporarily feel better, but what's really third world is getting into situations that you don't understand sufficiently and assuming legal principles from your own culture will apply.

Ethically the buidling administrator might be scum but legally he's in the right and the OP is in the wrong (from what has been written here).