News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]


Sounds like you don't like capitalism very much.

You could also think about the money flowing into Poland from exports of the self same products and services.

Poland is the EU's largest net benefactor and really gets a very, very good deal from membership.

Law / 'Karta Pobytu' & long-term visa [27]

I have all of that without a PESEL. And I've never had any problem at all.

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


Exactly. Occupation has a very precise legal definition.

Travel / Visa to Poland for a person from India [52]


Is the airfare different for a dog and a bear?

History / Would you classify the Poland's Communist years as a "Soviet occupation" ? [221]


No, very far from it. During the Stalin terror, it was close in spirit if not in law. Since then, no.

Law / Advantages of getting Polish citizenship [24]


Was she a Polish citizen?

Real Estate / What do I need to buy a house/flat or property in Warsaw? [12]

Warsaw is mostly flats, so houses are disproportionately expensive unless they're a long way out of town. Prices are comparable to provincial England outside the South-East, except for the city centre which is expensive. No special rules if you're a British citizen unless you want to buy a farm or a forest. The buyer instead of/as well as the vendor pay the agent. Have a look at gumtee.pl for some ads.

News / Icy blast cleans the streets of the homeless in Poland.. [63]


In a block I used to live in there used to be the occasional guy sleeping at the top of the stairwell. I personally never minded, given that it was -20, but other residents usually had them removed.


The tents and perhaps opening up the basement of a few public buildings.


Very litle. Younger, cleaner homeless guys sometimes pay 10zl to spend the night in an internet cafe - it's worth giving them a bit of change.

Study / Shocking! Test standards in Polish schools. [165]

Check it a bit more carefully (and make sure you're checking the right GCSE band) - unless they've dumbed it down there is always a literature component in the higher band. And you might be interested to know that some Polish kids do not achieve a pass grade.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


That's actually the very last thing it was. Its economic resources depended entirely on serfdom, slavery by another name, and the centres of political power were always dominated by the same few families.

The quote by 'Polishnobility' (a misnomer if ever their was one) most certainly does not stand. Can you perhaps cite anything to suggest it was as "culturally developed" as other states of comparable forensic GDP?

Study / Shocking! Test standards in Polish schools. [165]


The course actually involves them studying Pollsh literature in English translation, so not by any means an easy option.

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


Normal.


Read:




Indeed. The History of the Pol-Lith Commonwealth is fascinating, and at times it was a European power. But to overstate its importance just makes people cynical about the constant Moania-esque lansowanie when they dig a little deeper.Especially when they learn about its slow and self-destructive degeneracy and decline.

UK, Ireland / Polish Doctor in UK discriminiated and bullied against gets millions. [28]


Are you in the union?

History / Was the Polish/ Lithuanian commonwealth a European power? [111]


Pretty well true. Deeply unstable, little built heritage compared to other states of comparable size and collapsed into disarray.


Something of a loaded, trollish, comment.


Kind of like propaganda which nobody believes

Law / 'Karta Pobytu' & long-term visa [27]


That should be OK. Your husband's employer should use the services of an immigration lawyer. They aren't expensive and can speed it up and make it simpler. Even if they don't it should be alright, given that he has a work permit and a 120 day visa. He should start the process immediately he arrives, since the waiting time can be lengthy. If I may ask, what is your husband's current citizenship?

Study / Shocking! Test standards in Polish schools. [165]


Yes. Big in foreign cities that have British Schools.

News / Icy blast cleans the streets of the homeless in Poland.. [63]


There's something in that. It doesn't help that a rough sleeper is also likely to be very underfed, have low blood sugar, and a very weak constitution. The life expectancy of a homeless person is sadly very low.


This is true. There are also all sorts of other little scams that Poles perpetrate on each other.

Life / Winter 2010/2011 in Poland, is it going to be bad? [114]


When I arrive back, I'll have gone down nearly 60 degrees in the space of one day. And all my warm clothes are a long, long way from the airport :-(

News / Icy blast cleans the streets of the homeless in Poland.. [63]


When homelessness comes, it comes suddenly. Now Dworzec Centralny's been tarted up, I wonder where people will go at night to keep warm.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


The same situation applies to the Russian Residence. A can of worms if ever there was one. as far as I know, the lady would actually prefer her family home back - she's wealthy anyway and the house is of course prime real estate.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]

That whole same argument is going on about part of the Russian Embassy premises too - the bit at the back corner on the Gargarina side where the residence is.

But because it's diplomatic property they can't kick Russia out. This means the government has to compensate the heir: an elderly lady whose father owned it. No idea if she's Jewish or not.

Off-Topic / Book: Gogol's Taras Bulba [37]


A great book - Gogol was a wonderful writer who captured the spirit of that time and place.The American film of that name is fun too.Interesting to compare him with Tolstoy - there are similarities in their approach to rural life, but their perspectives on Poland are interestingly different. One or two of Lermontov's poems remind me of that - especially one set to music by my fellow Warsaw resident, Glinka.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


I was thinking precisely the same thing.

And in this case, there can be no doubt caused by missing heirs or lack of documentation. The people who moved into those properties at the communists' behest should think about packing up pretty soon.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]


Yes. The effect was the same. They had to be given asylum in other countries and still can't return to their houses :-(

News / Poland and the European Union Fund Allocations [59]

Poland is the biggest net benefactor of EU funds.

Life / NEED HELP TO PICK CELLPHONE PLAN IN POZNAŃ (Abonament) [10]


That's what you pay for the phone (the actual hardware) if you have the 2 year monthly billing contract.

Life / What is the school bus security standard in Poland? [18]


Exactly. Par for the course.

The OP is an American, where 'school bus' has a very specific meaning, tradition and appearance. Unlike Poland where kids walk to school or use normal public transport if that is possible.

Study / Shocking! Test standards in Polish schools. [165]


Pretty normal really, Millions round the world.know words like software, download, router etc but don't know how to spell cat.


Or give them regular workplace lessons - less expensive nowadays than you think and tax deductible!

History / "Young Poles movement" in the 18th century? [4]

It is usually called 'Young Poland'. It was a fin de siecle artistic and literary movement analogous to late Nineteenth Century British Aestheticism, though there are marked differences - especially in the nationalistic and patriotic influence influenced by the partition of Poland. Kraków was the heart of Young Poland, however there was a presence in each zabór. The name is probably derived from the Young Germany movement, though some sources see a reference to Jugendstil which was at its height then. This may just be a happy coincidence.

Young Poland produced some of the country's best loved music, literature and fine art.Szymanowski, Malczewski,kasprowicz, Mehoffer, Wyspianski, Staff and Boy-Zelenski are heavily associated with Young Poland.

History / Why are Jews pestering Poland for "proper" WW2 monetary restitution/reparations? [750]

Exactly, though Ford was in many ways one of the good guys. The purpose of this (offensively titled) thread is about righting old wrongs that happened to the Jews as a people because they were Jews during the holocaust- the macabre mechanics of Nazi genocide and nitpicking about the domestic policies of Israel must never be allowed to distract from that.