UK, Ireland / Calling a friend from UK to Poland. Cheap option? [13]

My mum has recently changed to Virgin for her home phone and she is having the same disconnection problem with me, but not with my Dad (who travels all over the place). Not sure if this is a problem between suppliers there and here or just that Virgin is rubbish.

Also strange is that when she phones me from my house in Glasgow, my phone shows up a Polish number?<-any ideas on that front?

Life / UK garage, do you get it in poland? [18]


If you like the limewire set up though, you can download Frostwire which is the same interface but without the nasty bits.

Food / Polish culinary dislikes [83]


Which is a shame, I think mutton is marvellous. Sure it takes a bit more effort cooking it to ensure it's not too tough, but the flavour you get from it is incredible!

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]


Under the terms of the Scottish Smoking Ban, you are not allowed to smoke for 3 hours prior to having a workman round to your house (or of course you can smoke outside). Due to them making a house call, your house become this worker's place of work.

Life / Do you think a smoking ban would be a good thing in Polish restaurants and Bars? [217]


Just so folk don't see this and go running in, a free house is a pub that is "free" from any brewery ties ie. they can use any brewery they like.

Food / Polish culinary dislikes [83]


That's what it's all about. I love the fact that he's an offal chap like myself!

I have watched every episode of No Reservations and A Cooks Tour...love it to bits! Kitchen Confidential is a great read too!

Food / Polish culinary dislikes [83]


Completely depends on the region and the butcher. The kaszanka that i've tried had a very similar texture to what I knew as black pudding, but with different spices than back home.

As for BBQ, just looking at a wikipedia entry shows how many different meanings there are by region, not just country. When it comes to grilling then I trust the aussies, they have it down to a fine art. But the american style of BBQ sounds great, I saw and Anthony Bourdain show all about it once and it looked awesome!

Law / How much is the maximum daily limit to withdraw zloty from ATM in PL. [14]


Now I see that it is a travel card (bit slow today) I would say the same as the bold Szarlotka here...I'm sure the finance department of the university must have a visa debit system in place.

If not I would got and see your student advisor, he might be able to talk to the finance department in the University and offer advice from there, there may be some precident and therefore, and easy solution :)

Love / Beauty and physical apperance - Is it so important to Polish boys? [26]


Is fugly not a contraction of fat and ugly?

Ahm jist sayin...

Life / Horribly cold in Krakow at the moment , how do you cope with such temperatures ? [124]


Ahhh, that explains a lot. I thought I had a spot in my nose or something, I never thought the cold weather could do so much damage to my nostrils! Bloody annoying because your nose runs all the time in this cold and blowing it is rather sore!

Will my nose gain an immunity to this? Or do I just need to wait 'til it gets warmer?

Law / How much is the maximum daily limit to withdraw zloty from ATM in PL. [14]


Quite right. Also if you can contact your bank and ask them to extend your ATM withdrawal limit to the maximum (I know with WBK you can take out up to 10000zł every 24 hours). Keep in mind the withdrawal limit is not per cash machine, but per 24 hours, so if you can't get a high limit, it might be better to go into the branch and set up a transfer...could be quicker and easier. Not to mention safer than carrying around 20000zł in your pocket!

Life / Horribly cold in Krakow at the moment , how do you cope with such temperatures ? [124]

I personally really feel for all the people without power at the moment. I can't imagine not having heating right now. I have the flat at a comfortable 20-22 (68-71 for our american readers) degrees, but even the 2 minute walk to the tram stop chills you to the bone...but I have been careful to check my tram and bus times to avoid having to stand about for too long.

It is the first time in my life that I have felt cold like it. Breathing early in the morning is a struggle and it is a "painful" cold, in that when you go outside, anything that isn't covered gets really sore from the cold. I see the temperature reading this morning was -17 but I imagine that the wind is making a big difference, because it feels much colder.

And to Scrappleton, I know it sounds like we are all whining, but it's just that, for a lot of us, this is really strangely (not to mention quite unpleasant) cold. So it's less complaining and more comment. If we get the same next winter there will probably be a lot less said about it. To reitterate an earlier question to you, what sort of temperature are you getting and what sort of conditions?

Food / Burgers, why not in Poland? [54]


I would agree with that completely. I find that "American" burgers have the meat ground too fine for my taste and so I prefer the ones I get the butcher shop in the UK where it is just normal minced meat.

Also to those denouncing the fat in a burger. The fat in meat gives it a lot of flavour. Compare a fillet and a sirloin, a fillet will be nice and tender but won't taste half as good as the sirloin.

I personally like making my own burgers as well though, not because of specific ingredients or being sure of the quality. More just because they are fun to make and it means you can season it to your taste from the start. I personally like to add some finely chopped onions, garlic, allspice and a decent bit of black pepper. I also normally add some "filler" of breadcrumbs with egg yolk because I feel it gives it a nice mouth-feel. Some star anise is always nice in there too.

I actually had a dream last night that I was arguing with a burger vendor because he said I wasn't allowed a bacon and cheese quarter pounder...don't know how that turned out though because I woke up.

Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]

I am currently earning around the 2000zł in hand at the end of the month. I pay 1000zł rent and normally about 100zł a week on food. The rest goes on nights out, etc. I would not say it was a totally comfortable amount, at the end of the month I am still struggling, but it is enough to live on.

That and I am taking on a second job soon which should up the casual spending money a bit.

UK, Ireland / Polish restaurants and foods in Glasgow? [8]

There used to be one just off Dumbarton Road if memory serves me correctly. But I am not sure if it is still there.

Life / Which Polish product you can easily do without? [51]


I always thought the opposite, that they didn't add enough salt to the food.

But then I am Scottish :P

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]

Is he not meaning the British people of Asian descent who are off into terrorist cells in various central asian and north african countries?

Food / Turkey for New Year's dinner in Poland? [29]


It is a problem yes, and it also means that to get a decent amount of food you need a really big oven.

And agreed, the best part of the goose the wonderful fat!

Food / Turkey for New Year's dinner in Poland? [29]


As has always been the case because turkeys are more abundant in the states.

Traditionally in the UK Goose is the bird of choice for Christmas. And, in Scotland at least, we have steak pie at New Year.

Life / Which Polish product you can easily do without? [51]

Seriously, tongue is pretty tasty. Heart as well...think about it, two muscles that are very lean and well worked so plenty of taste and healthy to boot :)

Still don't dig the tripe!

Language / doing / making - the difference? [20]

I am no expert at all...but I think that zrobić is the future form. As in "Co zrobisz na sylwestra?" meaning what are you doing for new year...as in the future.

But I might be wrong.

Food / Wanna buy Spiritus Krakow [28]


Yes, I read your post, mine was merely in jest. I enjoy the odd spyritus with red bull...but not very often as I often lose the ability to speak the next day!

Food / Wanna buy Spiritus Krakow [28]


Two things which are surely never meant to go together!

Genealogy / Why Polish aren't white?? [272]


Henrik Larsson would have been the first one to come to my mind.

Life / Do expats living in Poland speak Polish? [233]


Yeah, there's good and bad in all countries. I can't see what is possibly so terrible about the UK that would make someone want to cut all ties with it and deny their country of birth.

But hey, each to their own.

Life / Do expats living in Poland speak Polish? [233]


To be fair it can make you feel more part of a group. It means you don't feel left out, or feel that you are forcing other people into talking a language they don't feel comfortable. Most of all though, the more Polish I learn, the easier my life becomes. Everything from meeting new people to various contracts...right to everyday life just gets easier the more of the language you know. I am still only gradually learning, but it's a little every day and so life gets easier every day.

In answer to the thread topic, I don't speak Polish, but I am keen to learn and hope to one day.

USA, Canada / Getting a VISA to USA by a Polish person nowadays [339]


Is it really that easy? Do they not have border checks when you travel from Canada to the US?


Are you guys still not allowed to go on holiday in Cuba? That sucks.

Food / Wanna buy Spiritus Krakow [28]


If you are drinking in Aloha then all you need to do is go out of the door, turn left and go into the wee 24 shop there and they have it. Many a night i've been tempted by it, but after the one night of Spyritus and Red Bull my liver just says no!

News / Crucifixes to stay in Polish schools [364]

Where did you come from? That is the most sense I've read in a long time!

Life / Which Polish product you can easily do without? [51]


I think this is universally agreed on the site. I actually have never met a person here who likes Flacki and I have never met a person in the UK who likes tripe. Infact we had a chicken dish in my restaurant back home that had tripe on the plate and it was never eaten...ever!