Life / Sci-fi / Fantasy books in Polish? [12]

Try here: empik.com, merlin.pl and kind of polish ebay: allegro.pl

PS. For 16 years old Wiedźmin Saga by Sapkowski would be great...
Lem of course is the best polish sci-fi writer of all times but some of his books could be intellectually challenging (but it is good thing, isn't it? :-) )

News / Unbelievable but, its truth. Poland is finally happy to share border with Russia [57]

Poles are indeed happy, because this border is so much shorter that it used to be before 89' ;-) Thanks to that, this "brotherly smile" cann't change so easily into "brotherly bite" ;-)

Poland much more prefers to have a few slavic brothers in the east instead of one :-) After all the bigger family the better...

Travel / Floods and Lodz [6]


Contrary to the name of the city (Lodz = Boat), Lodz is far from any big river, and those small ones aren't much of a threat either. I believe you have nothing to worry about.

History / Poles and Russians -- love-hate relationship? [209]

Awesome video :-) At 1:28 you have used both together "Ruskie kacapy"! Well, that was meant offensive for sure ;-)

History / Poles and Russians -- love-hate relationship? [209]


Well, lets put some definitions first:
1. "rusek" is term wich means something between: "dude from east of the border" to "dude selling socks and old soviet uniforms on flea market". So it is really not so offensive

2. "kacap" is slightly worse, but it could be offensive or humorous, anyway this word has some interesting etymology:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kacap


No, those are at least centuries old informal names for people east of the border in Poland, sometimes negative sometimes not. Those are quite capacious words. You can't expect that such old words disappear after just twenty years of normal relationship. I bet they will not vanish, but if things will be ok between us, negative association will vanish. That is the way usually language evolution works.


Well, that explains a lot, because if nothing more happened then you are overreacting...
You don't joke about others nationalities? It is hard to believe that, but if so be aware that you are missing big chunk of human knowledege. Jokes about other nationalities are just another version of La Fontaine fairy tales... Of course in every country versions locals are the brightest and neighbours are not ;-)

Work / Where to study: Krakow or Wroclaw? [5]


Well, in 2010 Krakow Jagiellonian University got better marks than Wroclaw University, but on the other hand Wroclaw University of Technology got better marks than both technical universities in Krakow... :

grafik.rp.pl/grafika2/490249

but all this rankings uni vs uni aren't very informative, because the better thing is to compare department vs deparment...


That is debatable also, it depends where you want to travel, for example there is much closer from Wroclaw to Berlin or Prague...


That is true.

To sum things up, my opinion is:
Krakow:
- better public transport
- better university
- it is bigger city
- it is tourist destination (so friendlier for foreigners but more expensive)

Wroclaw:
- slightly better technical university
- it is smaller city
- it is much smaller tourist destination (well, there is no medieval castle here...)
- it has worse public transport and at least for another two years there will be problems with city jams
- it is a little but only a little cheaper here

Overall, both cities are fine students cities in positive way (there is easily above 100000 students in both cities every year), so I suggest you better focus on what kind of studies you want take and then try to compare departments

Good luck! :-)

Life / Potential move to Poland [6]

Well, I beg to differ with warsawmole. Poland is definitely not a "cycling heaven", especially Warsaw isn't. If I'm not mistaken there is no city in Poland with coherent bicycle path network. If you are a bicycle addict then you sure would know what a pain in the ass that could be... From the bigger towns I would say, that at least the highest awarness of this problem is in Gdansk and Wroclaw. For sure I can talk about Wroclaw, where there is at least plan for coherent network, but we are still light years, well, maybe 5 to 10 before basic coherent network will be in place.

But apart from big towns there is plentiful of cool places to cycle into the wild :-)

About salaries, well, I'm local, but I think those dudes knows the answer:


Well, everywhere you can find that, it is individual thing. But one sentence says it all about Poland: Warsaw is our financial center, so the biggest rat race is there. But on the other hand there is about 3 mln people there, so not everyone is taking part in that race...

About football, if you like it, the best team this year is from Poznan, for the next two years they would have the best stadium also. Others locations with good stadiums in next couple of years would be Wroclaw, Gdansk, Warsaw, Cracow and Chorzow (near Katowice). There is also decent but small stadium in Kielce, and maybe we can add Lubin to that list (not mistake it with Lublin :-) )

Well, my advice is, go on vacation to polish seaside with bicycle. You can start in Świnoujście or Kołobrzeg and go all the way to Hel and from there to Gdansk. If there will be a little rain you will love it, otherwise you will hate me ;-). Anyway, when in Gdansk, choose you way back via either Torun/Poznan/Wroclaw or Warsaw/Cracow/Katowice or some others towns from your list and look what those town look like...

PS. if you will follow my seaside tour advice, be sure you are heading from west toward east...

History / What do Polish people think about Belorussians? [38]

I think for most of Poles Belarus is kind of 'terra incognita'. There is many probably shallow stereotypes like 'Belarus is a post USSR heritage park' or 'Belarus is just a bigger version of kolchoz'. For my part I hope that some day it would be possible during canoeing trip by Czarna Hancza instead of turning right on Augustowski canal, turning left toward PL-BY border and crossing it without trouble the same way I can cross border in Sudety or Tatra mountains. It would be also nice to walking freely into Belarusian part of Białowieża Forest.

I would drink for that becasue it would mean normality both in PL and in BY and between PL and BY. Long way to go I suppose...

Language / Etymology of samochod and other related automotive words [12]

@clifborder4fm try search in google like that:
<word> etymologia

you will get at the top various dictionaries, sometimes with etymology of the <word>.
For example for:
samochód etymologia
you will get this:
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samoch%C3%B3d

Funny, but I don't know if reliable:


Słowo "samochód" was choosen in the contest before WWII. The name "samojedź" which would be more appropriate instead of "samochód", wasn't choosen because it supposedly means(or is close to) "cannibal" in ancient polish :-)

Cool, isn't it? :-)

Real Estate / Buying/Building a house in Poland/Wroclaw metro area [12]

I wan't help much with those precise questions, but:
1. house is not historic monument just because it is old. It depends. There is conservator office where there is list of such objects.
2. I'm not sure, but I think that for major renovations you will need some official permits and plans
3. as for cost I have no idea, I guess it could be easilly 100 000. My family is planning roof changing in different and cheaper location than Wroclaw area, and first estimates are that it would be at least 30 000. So if you add painting, windows, electricians, plumbing... what about heating system?

Well you will need some professional advice! Good luck :-)

Real Estate / Buying/Building a house in Poland/Wroclaw metro area [12]

Hm... If I were you I would first rent a flat and look around for couple of months before purchasing anything, and for sure I wouldn't start bulding a house at once. Unfortunately all valid sources I know are in Polish. Before I'll post links some warnings:

1. Wrocław lately was choosen as third most congested city in Europe
(59 biggest cities was examined)

thenews.pl/international/artykul130207.html

it will probably change when highway ring will be finished (about two years to go), but till then buying property outside of the city and work in the center will kill your spirit ;-) All traffic national/international goes through city center...

2. There is huge road building program around and in the city, so be carefull where you choose property to buy. You will think that it will be quiet and calm, but there can be some main road next to it in couple of years, example = 9 maja street (it actually wan't be that bad because there are high noice standards so noice barriers are builded, but still).

Here some links to start with (in Polish):

- overall housing investments in the area: investmap.pl/galeria/mieszkania-i-domy/
- forums and opinions about it: forum.investmap.pl

- similar stuff (probably you will need to register):

skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=292321&page=122
skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=349592&page=834

Some useful maps:

- current and future roads (when there is no road on google maps and is here, then probably it will be in future)
- future road map of Dolnoslaskie Province
[hm.. sorry those two above are to big to attach..]
- fload range (1997) - next one probably in 2997, but you never know ;-) :

• 
  fload map
  

Travel / Mushroom picking in spring in Poland? [35]

Well it depends for what..
Personally:
- the best ones for scrambled eggs would be "Kurki"
- the best ones for "bigos" or "zalewajka" soup or souce would be "Borowiki", "Stojaki" and "Kurki"

- the best fried ones with butter and salt would be "Rydze"
- the best pickled ones, hm, again "Kurki" and "Podgrzybki"

anyway, the best thing with mushrooms is the process of finding them

Language / About: w tytę [12]

It my opinion is rather "w pytę" :-)

Polonia / Poles and Austrians, do they get along? Vienna districts? [30]

Austrian is a kind of German highlander, so not the most friendly folk under the sun :-)
But they have nice ski resorts though and do the best they can to properly accomodate you. As long as you will not sing drunken songs at night in their ship-shape hotels they will pretend that they love you ;-)

Travel / Getting from Krakow to Warsaw [99]


If you are tough enough then go for it. But the cheapest train can be kind of a cultural shock, don't have to be, but can. It is quite random.

Well, you have been warned ;-)

Life / Outdoor Stoves in Poland (Propane?) [9]

hehe, yeah, scarry :-)

News / Are there interests that Poland share with Russia? [50]


I suppose such coordination would be welcomed by Ukrainians the same way as would Serbs welcome coordination over their situation by Austrians and Turks ;-)


I know what you mean but you must understand some paradox of the current polish geopolitics. In reverse to Stalin's intention the closer Poland is to Germany the safer current border is... As polish (?) saying goes "keep your friends close but your enemies keep even closer" :-). Personally I don't treat modern Germany as an enemy, nevertheless this saying has seed of truth in it... Usual argument about Polish participation in NATO is that Poland is there because USA is great ally who will protect us from all evil, but rarely it is added that second maybe even more important reason is that Poland is in NATO because Germany is in it.

Life / Outdoor Stoves in Poland (Propane?) [9]

Well, for 30 people I suppose you will need more than one of that:
decathlon.com.pl/PL/kuchenka-z-2-palnikami-118667732/

or that:

euro.com.pl/kuchenki-nastawne-i-turystyczne/campingaz-camping-duo-plus-cv.bhtml

Other ideas? I don't know where you are going to camp, but Poland is not Alaska and rarely there is no bar around.

News / Are there interests that Poland share with Russia? [50]


There is no such question in Poland. There is some autonomy movement in Upper Silesia (what maybe wouldn't be bad for the region - they need some higher level of cooperation inside conurbation in my humble opinion) but there is no question "inside Poland or not". Let put it into perspective, numbers:

- there is about 4650000 people living in Upper Silesia
- about 170000 of them declared themselfs as Silesians not Poles (btw, Silesians are not exactly Germans too), the rest are mostly Poles.
so you see it is minority issue... Similarly in Opolskie region (here is strong German minority). No issue at all in Lower Silesia (population is almost entirely polish).


That is surely interest of Poland, but Russia in recent years did many things to suggest that Russian interest is different. No reason to belive that it changed.

News / Are there interests that Poland share with Russia? [50]


This type of thinking certainly wouldn't help Kaliningrad Russians dealing with central Moscow gov. Also I don't think they want that. All they need is broader self-goverment maybe even close to autonomy. Right now almost every little detail has to be processed in Moscow which is big obstacle for any real local cooperation.

News / Are there interests that Poland share with Russia? [50]

On micro-regional level - all stuff about Krolewiec/Kaliningrad/Königsberg, like:
- free access to Pilawska Strait between Vistula Lagoon and Baltic Sea for Polish vessels
(it would be positive for Kaliningrad too from tourist bussiness point of view)
- faster and easier border passing - new road on Russians side (there is already new one on Polish side)
- broader cooperation regarding bussiness, transport and mediacal issues between Kaliningrad region and northern regions of Poland

unfortunately so far Kaliningrad is a hostage of big politics and Russian centralization of power, dragging down polish city of Elblag.

On macro level Russia and Poland are in first ten to each other in terms of trade.

Travel / Driving to Poland from England - any tips? [264]


True, if he is going to Ustron near Cieszyn, then going there via Frankfurt (Oder) and Poznan is bad choice (at least for another 2-3 years). Much better would be entering Poland in Goerlitz/Zgorzelec and use A4.

Law / What do you think about the Gerlach company? [28]

I'll tell you only that we use their stuff in our family for generations, the same stuff :-) They surely had good quality, not sure how it is now.

PS. I have no problems with their website

Travel / Which city is better to visit: Warsaw or Krakow? [169]

Warsaw is the city of contrasts, Krakow is probably the most beautiful big city in Poland.
"Uniqueness" is relative thing. In my experience city tours tend to vanish if you don't merge it with some event. So if for example you like pop and rock music you can try TriCity instead of Warsaw or Krakow and take part in Opener festival:

opener.pl/en
Pearl Jam and Massive Attack will be there this year :-) Old town in Gdansk is nice, there is sea there, there is fantastic bike road on Hel Penisula (if you ride from West to East...).

Just a thought ;-)

PS. If you will choose Krakow and if you will be passing Wroclaw you can visit this city too

Travel / Travelling from Wrocław to Prague [7]

There was a direct train, but it was canceled on last autumn. Since then you have to change trains in Pardubice in Czech Republic. It is not going through Germany but through mountains/hills between Czech and Poland. Entire trip takes around 5 to 6 hours. I was travelling using that option in last December. It was bearable Czech train but nothing fancy.

PS. Be aware, there are more than one stop in Pardubice, you have to choose proper one.

Law / The Euro, is it a good idea for Poland? [66]

I think it is idea worth of consideration but not before Euro stabilize and Polish economy will synchronize with Eurozone. So, 5 or 10 years? Definitely not now (on the other hand it would be probably good to enter with cheap currency... but it would demolish western economies ;-) so they don't let us now anyway :-))


Hm... I'm not sure about that, country unilaterally pegged usually don't have access to central bank loans, and is vulnerable to currency attack a'la Soros vs BOE. When country finally violently "unpegs" then all debtors are screwed, that is way Latvia is fighting so much to not "unpeg"...

Anyway, it would be nice to not have to change Zloty to Czech Korona everytime when I go skiing.. Life would be easier with one currency, but both Eurozone and Poland are not ready for that.

PS. comment by Forlana from "The Economist" forum:
"To put in another way, it is often said here in Poland that the Euro is a powerful tool for growth and an excellent shield, but a heavy one. Be sure you can carry it before you take it..."

very accurate allegory in my opinion

Life / I'm from Polish descent. CAN YOU GUYS EXPLAIN THE EU TO ME? [115]


Well, I'm not sure about that. Certainly that is what they are trying to do lately. Whether by choice or by no other choice both US and UK are producing accounting entries on their central banks books with great volume and speed. The goal obviously is to stay afloat and stop deflation before all this excess homes fall on their heads and topple banking system. I would say they are definitely trying to inflate but so far they failed. If they finally will succeed and trigger some internal inflation then externally it would mean currency devaluation, well it would if others wouldn't do the same. As for production it is kind of cliche that US or UK don't produce anything anymore. They are and still have quite big industrial base.


Old habits die hard ;-)


You mean going broke is a sign of rebellion and getting better position? What a great idea!
Bail us out so we can get our 13-th and 14-th pay or we do, hm... what exactly?

Life / Has anyone in Poland that you know been affected by H1N1? (swine flu) [44]

@wildrover, I have to worry you, cold don't kill viruses, bacteria maybe, but not viruses.
Viruses can infect in temperatures below 0 Celsius degrees, and can survive in temperatures far below 0. Scientists even keep viruses for experiments in temperatures as low as -196 Celsius degrees.

Life / I'm from Polish descent. CAN YOU GUYS EXPLAIN THE EU TO ME? [115]

@FUZZYWICKETS
Whatever CNBC is telling, Germans didn't bail-out Greeks yet. Many people in media seems to trying make an impression that Germans are pushed to the wall, well they aren't. There is no law which can force them to pay, there is even no law which can allow them to pay. What is more, Germans are quite comfortable with weaker Euro. In the end, maybe Germans will pay, but probably only if it will be convenient to them. BTW. certainly weak Euro is not USA or UK dream what partially can explain Anglo-saxon media attiutude. Currently there is big world competition named "who can weaken currency more" in hope for export trade profits, because internal markets in developed world are weak.


As for this defense argument it is for many years USA choice. Nobody is forcing USA to have all this forces in Europe.

Life / I'm from Polish descent. CAN YOU GUYS EXPLAIN THE EU TO ME? [115]


Well, "absolute independence" can be achieved, in grave... but even that one is not for sure ;-)