Varsovian
6 May 2010
Varsovian
6 May 2010
Life / Some Poles have fine houses [68]
I love the Polish village tradition of having a bed in the kitchen. We often congregate there as a family and watch while the women cook. Cosy. Also a convenient place to lay your head when you've hit the vodka and can't make it upstairs.
I love the Polish village tradition of having a bed in the kitchen. We often congregate there as a family and watch while the women cook. Cosy. Also a convenient place to lay your head when you've hit the vodka and can't make it upstairs.
Varsovian
6 May 2010
News / Zloty exchange rates - is this just speculation? [87]
Hmmm, exchange rates.
It's so easy to be clever about them, far harder to make money out of fluctuations. I took a punt on buying dollars with pounds a few months back and ended up taking a handsome profit. I felt like hanging on a bit longer, I must admit but chickened out. Yes, I do think the pound will fall to $1:40 but lack the guts to turn down an easy profit now.
UK interest rates will be going up this year due to the govt's cost of borrowing - the markets will force the BoE's hand - but the story given will be rising inflation :)
The zloty is a funny kettle of fish and depends on the market's appetite for risk. Essentially, I only buy/sell PLN when we have what I feel are extremes. I bought euros at PLN 3.25. I wouldn't sell PLN for any of: GBP, USD, EUR at present. I thought about it a few months ago, but chickened out. Damn - yet another missed opportunity!
I find these things very stressful - I'm not cut out for investing.
Hmmm, exchange rates.
It's so easy to be clever about them, far harder to make money out of fluctuations. I took a punt on buying dollars with pounds a few months back and ended up taking a handsome profit. I felt like hanging on a bit longer, I must admit but chickened out. Yes, I do think the pound will fall to $1:40 but lack the guts to turn down an easy profit now.
UK interest rates will be going up this year due to the govt's cost of borrowing - the markets will force the BoE's hand - but the story given will be rising inflation :)
The zloty is a funny kettle of fish and depends on the market's appetite for risk. Essentially, I only buy/sell PLN when we have what I feel are extremes. I bought euros at PLN 3.25. I wouldn't sell PLN for any of: GBP, USD, EUR at present. I thought about it a few months ago, but chickened out. Damn - yet another missed opportunity!
I find these things very stressful - I'm not cut out for investing.
Varsovian
6 May 2010
Life / Some Poles have fine houses [68]
I must admit that my not unusual, family-size house just outside Warsaw is bigger than that of most people I know in England, though not all. But in England they need substantially more money than I have to achieve that.
In my wife's farming village in the back of beyond all the new houses (post 1990) are large. Brits come here hoping to find misery, yet find luxury - they want to be better than someone, rather like "pow-white trash" in the Deep South.
One of my friends here seriously outdoes me though.
Have a look: janowekdwor.pl
I'll be going for a garden party there next month - looking forward to it!
I must admit that my not unusual, family-size house just outside Warsaw is bigger than that of most people I know in England, though not all. But in England they need substantially more money than I have to achieve that.
In my wife's farming village in the back of beyond all the new houses (post 1990) are large. Brits come here hoping to find misery, yet find luxury - they want to be better than someone, rather like "pow-white trash" in the Deep South.
One of my friends here seriously outdoes me though.
Have a look: janowekdwor.pl
I'll be going for a garden party there next month - looking forward to it!
Varsovian
30 Apr 2010
Law / Student Visa NON-EU Student (an entry-visa for a Nigerian citizen) [70]
Can't they read and write in Nigeria? Doesn't the internet work? Try the Open University in England.
Can't they read and write in Nigeria? Doesn't the internet work? Try the Open University in England.
Varsovian
30 Apr 2010
News / Brown's 'Bigotgate' and the debate about Poles [63]
The background to all this is that Brits are BANNED from talking about the I word. If they raise the issue they are immediately branded a racist, regardless of the content of their comment.
That's what happened here. Brown branded her a racist for even raising the subject.
Note his use of the word "bigoted". It's revealing. His father was a Presbyterian minister in Scotland. "Bigotry" there refers to the Protestant/Catholic divide. Not that I'd expect any under-educated Brit to be aware of how Brown was probably echoing his father ...
The background to all this is that Brits are BANNED from talking about the I word. If they raise the issue they are immediately branded a racist, regardless of the content of their comment.
That's what happened here. Brown branded her a racist for even raising the subject.
Note his use of the word "bigoted". It's revealing. His father was a Presbyterian minister in Scotland. "Bigotry" there refers to the Protestant/Catholic divide. Not that I'd expect any under-educated Brit to be aware of how Brown was probably echoing his father ...
Varsovian
30 Apr 2010
Life / WHY DO POLES USE ENGLISH WORDS IN CONVERSATION? [396]
Are you all politicians?
The original comment was about "bekon" which is absolutely NOT boczek! Bekon comes from lean pigs, boczek is 90% fat.
As any fule kno!
Are you all politicians?
The original comment was about "bekon" which is absolutely NOT boczek! Bekon comes from lean pigs, boczek is 90% fat.
As any fule kno!
Varsovian
23 Apr 2010
News / Michał Kamiński - referred to not by name on the UK Leaders Debate but ... [47]
I wanted to narrow it down to exactly who he was meaning, to show how behind the times Brits are.
I wanted to avoid the climate debate - v. sterile
I wanted to narrow it down to exactly who he was meaning, to show how behind the times Brits are.
I wanted to avoid the climate debate - v. sterile
Varsovian
23 Apr 2010
News / Michał Kamiński - referred to not by name on the UK Leaders Debate but ... [47]
Yep Clegg, the Liberal leader (stinking rich thanks to a Russian investment bank grandfather), attacked Michał Kamiński of PiS, a Conservative party ally in Euope, though he omitted his name.
Why did he omit his mane? Perhaps because he would have been sued? Or was it perhaps because others had earlier accused Kamiński of anti-semitism and then had to shut up as a whole bunch of prominent Jews came to his defence?
Must be another of those conspiracy things ...
David Miliband, who remarkably got overpromoted to be the Foreign Secretary, has previously said how "physically sickened" he was by current Polish anti-semitism. On a completely unrelated subject, his grandfather left Poland around 1919, heading west and is referred to as Belgian. David M.'s father, Samuel, became a well-known Commie. His grandfather's brother took Polish independence as a sign to head east, and his family became leading Commies and had a great time all the way through Stalinism and beyond.
There are some lovely people around in politics.
Yep Clegg, the Liberal leader (stinking rich thanks to a Russian investment bank grandfather), attacked Michał Kamiński of PiS, a Conservative party ally in Euope, though he omitted his name.
Why did he omit his mane? Perhaps because he would have been sued? Or was it perhaps because others had earlier accused Kamiński of anti-semitism and then had to shut up as a whole bunch of prominent Jews came to his defence?
Must be another of those conspiracy things ...
David Miliband, who remarkably got overpromoted to be the Foreign Secretary, has previously said how "physically sickened" he was by current Polish anti-semitism. On a completely unrelated subject, his grandfather left Poland around 1919, heading west and is referred to as Belgian. David M.'s father, Samuel, became a well-known Commie. His grandfather's brother took Polish independence as a sign to head east, and his family became leading Commies and had a great time all the way through Stalinism and beyond.
There are some lovely people around in politics.
Varsovian
23 Apr 2010
Polonia / Poles and Austrians, do they get along? Vienna districts? [30]
Austria is in a pickle.
The economy is in a mess.
The public finances are in a mess.
The banks are in a mess - under the banking rules of any normal country Raiffeisen would be bust thanks to Hungary and Ukraine.
They face being overtaken by the uppity Czechs - which would be the ultimte humiliation for them. Poles do sort of register on the Austrian radar as manual labourers, thieves and prostitutes. If no longer in fact, then in the popular imagination.
Don't forget there was a Polish criminal operating in Austria called Solorz-Żak. He also stole from Polish emigre organisations, had 16 passports and passed information to the secret police. Today he runs the Polsat TV station, is involved in dirty business dealings aimed at trying to steal ownership of the ERA mobile phone company and is mega-rich.
Xenophobia is rife in Austria, but they're not as bad as the Germans.
One funny story - a Polish mate of mine who I occasionally go skiing with in Austria was approached by his elderly landlord, who told him of his disappointment at not getting to Poland during the war!! Stayed in Sweden and killed nobody!! You don't know how to take stuff like that ...
Austria is in a pickle.
The economy is in a mess.
The public finances are in a mess.
The banks are in a mess - under the banking rules of any normal country Raiffeisen would be bust thanks to Hungary and Ukraine.
They face being overtaken by the uppity Czechs - which would be the ultimte humiliation for them. Poles do sort of register on the Austrian radar as manual labourers, thieves and prostitutes. If no longer in fact, then in the popular imagination.
Don't forget there was a Polish criminal operating in Austria called Solorz-Żak. He also stole from Polish emigre organisations, had 16 passports and passed information to the secret police. Today he runs the Polsat TV station, is involved in dirty business dealings aimed at trying to steal ownership of the ERA mobile phone company and is mega-rich.
Xenophobia is rife in Austria, but they're not as bad as the Germans.
One funny story - a Polish mate of mine who I occasionally go skiing with in Austria was approached by his elderly landlord, who told him of his disappointment at not getting to Poland during the war!! Stayed in Sweden and killed nobody!! You don't know how to take stuff like that ...
Varsovian
19 Apr 2010
News / Polska A ['educated'] scoffs at Lech Kaczynski [24]
Along the lines of
"Piłsudski's happy now - he's been dying for a cold Lech"
[Lech is a popular beer, for those who don't know, and Piłsudski is in the Wawel crypt too]
Along the lines of
"Piłsudski's happy now - he's been dying for a cold Lech"
[Lech is a popular beer, for those who don't know, and Piłsudski is in the Wawel crypt too]
Varsovian
19 Apr 2010
News / Polska A ['educated'] scoffs at Lech Kaczynski [24]
I heard two sick jokes today about Lech Kaczynski.
This is what educated Poland thinks - they're embarrassed by the outpouring of emotion caused by the death of an embarrassing non-entity.
They're also embarrassed by the agricultural sector, the peasantry, the Church, much of Polish literature ...
When teh intellegentsia loses its heart, the country faces long-term decline. See what happened to the USA ...
I heard two sick jokes today about Lech Kaczynski.
This is what educated Poland thinks - they're embarrassed by the outpouring of emotion caused by the death of an embarrassing non-entity.
They're also embarrassed by the agricultural sector, the peasantry, the Church, much of Polish literature ...
When teh intellegentsia loses its heart, the country faces long-term decline. See what happened to the USA ...
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
News / Komorowski, acting president, is a shower! [51]
Mind you, at least Poles aren't as thick as Brits.
Gordon brown leads them to disaster and is as dense as hell and the Brits are still wondering about whether to re-elect him.
Brits are sick!!
Mind you, at least Poles aren't as thick as Brits.
Gordon brown leads them to disaster and is as dense as hell and the Brits are still wondering about whether to re-elect him.
Brits are sick!!
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
Work / CV for polish job market [17]
You're mad!
Take a holiday and look for a job. Don't chuck a job in and hope you'll find something new.
Living in Poland is just like living elsewhere - you need money.
You're mad!
Take a holiday and look for a job. Don't chuck a job in and hope you'll find something new.
Living in Poland is just like living elsewhere - you need money.
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
UK, Ireland / Polish workers humiliated at the Laurens Patisseries - protest [45]
Human relations are just that.
No-one is stopping people from commemorating. No need to seek confrontation.
Human relations are just that.
No-one is stopping people from commemorating. No need to seek confrontation.
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
News / Komorowski, acting president, is a shower! [51]
The key thing about Polish democracy is that it is designed so that members of parliament are loyal to their party leader - not to the people who elect them. Hence, once elected they shun the people!
The key thing about Polish democracy is that it is designed so that members of parliament are loyal to their party leader - not to the people who elect them. Hence, once elected they shun the people!
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
Food / Oils and fats in Polish foods [34]
I know there have been some studies into diet in Poland.
Try looking for Zatonski.
Otherwise search for keywords like "fat - diet - Poland" - and most importantly "et al"
et al usually gives you links to scientific papers
and do tell me if you have any luck!
I know there have been some studies into diet in Poland.
Try looking for Zatonski.
Otherwise search for keywords like "fat - diet - Poland" - and most importantly "et al"
et al usually gives you links to scientific papers
and do tell me if you have any luck!
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
UK, Ireland / Female health in Britain - Polish view [105]
I haven't been bothered to read previous posts, so forgive my laziness if I'm repeating anyone BUT ...
A. UK healthcare is OK, not excellent.
B. Pay your money in the Warsaw area and you get better.
C. UK women die of heart attacks during birth because they are TOO OLD and TOO FAT.
Humans are programmed to die at around 40. Healthier modern living (i.e. lack of famine etc) makes most of us live beyond that. BUT birthing is tough, and women are programmed by nature to stop doing it around 30. The dumbo girlie mags (no, I'm not talking prn - something far less cerebral like "Chat") tell women to have "fun" before having kids, i.e. to ensure that grandma is just a concept you read about in fairy stories.
Feminism sucks for the very reason that it is THE driving force behind delayed age at first birth. Ask any woman who is dying of breast cancer if she, with the benefit of hindsight, would have had kids earlier. What an irony: FEMINISM KILLS WOMEN FOR "FUN".
I haven't been bothered to read previous posts, so forgive my laziness if I'm repeating anyone BUT ...
A. UK healthcare is OK, not excellent.
B. Pay your money in the Warsaw area and you get better.
C. UK women die of heart attacks during birth because they are TOO OLD and TOO FAT.
Humans are programmed to die at around 40. Healthier modern living (i.e. lack of famine etc) makes most of us live beyond that. BUT birthing is tough, and women are programmed by nature to stop doing it around 30. The dumbo girlie mags (no, I'm not talking prn - something far less cerebral like "Chat") tell women to have "fun" before having kids, i.e. to ensure that grandma is just a concept you read about in fairy stories.
Feminism sucks for the very reason that it is THE driving force behind delayed age at first birth. Ask any woman who is dying of breast cancer if she, with the benefit of hindsight, would have had kids earlier. What an irony: FEMINISM KILLS WOMEN FOR "FUN".
Varsovian
13 Apr 2010
News / Komorowski, acting president, is a shower! [51]
(I recommend you sign up to New Poland Express e-zine - it does a good weekly round-up of Polish news in English)
Anyway, in last Friday's edition I had a letter published about the workings of Polish democracy.
In the UK you can meet your MP to discuss local matters. For example, my Polish girlfriend had visa problems in the 80s and my MP sorted it even though she was Labour and I am not.
So, after the Polish Post Office stopped supplying a delivery service in my neck of the woods I emailed my poseł - K jak Komorowski. No answer. I emailed again - no answer.
This is the plonker who, 24 hours later, was acting President and will be Platforma's shoe-in as the next President.
I feel like running for President myself!!
(I recommend you sign up to New Poland Express e-zine - it does a good weekly round-up of Polish news in English)
Anyway, in last Friday's edition I had a letter published about the workings of Polish democracy.
In the UK you can meet your MP to discuss local matters. For example, my Polish girlfriend had visa problems in the 80s and my MP sorted it even though she was Labour and I am not.
So, after the Polish Post Office stopped supplying a delivery service in my neck of the woods I emailed my poseł - K jak Komorowski. No answer. I emailed again - no answer.
This is the plonker who, 24 hours later, was acting President and will be Platforma's shoe-in as the next President.
I feel like running for President myself!!
Varsovian
2 Apr 2010
Life / I'm British in Poland and I think that it's time to go back to the UK! [240]
Errm - I can't remember how it is I've got a pesel, NIP, karta pobytu
Haven't got a credit card though - we only need one for hire car deposits and we use my wife's. I could get one, but as I don't need one ...
Errm - I can't remember how it is I've got a pesel, NIP, karta pobytu
Haven't got a credit card though - we only need one for hire car deposits and we use my wife's. I could get one, but as I don't need one ...
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
History / Why did Hitler kill so many Jews in Poland? [261]
Why come out with all that convoluted clutching at straws?
He equated the Jews with the Jewish-dominated Bolshevik Party of 1918-22 - the years when he formed his political ideas.
The Commies, led by Jews, tried to take over Germany and failed thans to right-wing paramilitaries.
Simple. The he tried to rationalise all this with science. As we know with the global warming brigade, scientist will do what they're told as long as there's money involved.
Why come out with all that convoluted clutching at straws?
He equated the Jews with the Jewish-dominated Bolshevik Party of 1918-22 - the years when he formed his political ideas.
The Commies, led by Jews, tried to take over Germany and failed thans to right-wing paramilitaries.
Simple. The he tried to rationalise all this with science. As we know with the global warming brigade, scientist will do what they're told as long as there's money involved.
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
History / Hitler had Parkinson's - had to accelerate his war plans [17]
If only he'd survived - New Labour in the UK would make him apologize and he'd have to do 150 hours of community work.
If only he'd survived - New Labour in the UK would make him apologize and he'd have to do 150 hours of community work.
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
History / Hitler had Parkinson's - had to accelerate his war plans [17]
It was tough finding a decent link - this shows an amazing lack of interest in the subject.
rcpe.ac.uk/journal/issue/journal_35_1/Hitler's_medical_care.pdf
Most hits on Hitler's health concern testicles and hormone injections - a reflection on modern society.
It was tough finding a decent link - this shows an amazing lack of interest in the subject.
rcpe.ac.uk/journal/issue/journal_35_1/Hitler's_medical_care.pdf
Most hits on Hitler's health concern testicles and hormone injections - a reflection on modern society.
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
History / Hitler had Parkinson's - had to accelerate his war plans [17]
In 1937 Hitler envisaged war in the mid 1940s.
Obviously the Munich triumph emboldened him, but to what extent did his Parkinson's lead him to accelerate his plans? He had to act fast before he became eligible for his own euthanasia programme!
Ever notice him giving a Nazi salute? I mean look really closely? The left hand clutches his belt ... to stop it shaking. Where were Hitler's wartime speeches? Didn't happen.
His half-Jewish doctor (Morrell) diagnosed Parkinson's and gave him the standard treatment for it for the day, as well as amphetamines and vitamins. Speed badly affected his judgement, but gave him the energy he craved.
Perhaps he was high on the day he stupidly declared war on a United States that wanted to fight Japan only.
High Hitler!
In 1937 Hitler envisaged war in the mid 1940s.
Obviously the Munich triumph emboldened him, but to what extent did his Parkinson's lead him to accelerate his plans? He had to act fast before he became eligible for his own euthanasia programme!
Ever notice him giving a Nazi salute? I mean look really closely? The left hand clutches his belt ... to stop it shaking. Where were Hitler's wartime speeches? Didn't happen.
His half-Jewish doctor (Morrell) diagnosed Parkinson's and gave him the standard treatment for it for the day, as well as amphetamines and vitamins. Speed badly affected his judgement, but gave him the energy he craved.
Perhaps he was high on the day he stupidly declared war on a United States that wanted to fight Japan only.
High Hitler!
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
News / Sikorski or Komorowski for president? [32]
Komorowski refused to answer an email from me - one of his constituents. It's not part of Polish political culture to listen to the people or get involved in your own constituency.
Obviously, Sikorski lost the primary - not one of the Platforma crony in-crowd. A plague on all their houses! At least he has an intelligent wife - roundly hated by PO because she's Jewish!
Komorowski refused to answer an email from me - one of his constituents. It's not part of Polish political culture to listen to the people or get involved in your own constituency.
Obviously, Sikorski lost the primary - not one of the Platforma crony in-crowd. A plague on all their houses! At least he has an intelligent wife - roundly hated by PO because she's Jewish!
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
Life / Polish TV licence (abonament) - almost no-one I know pays [36]
I was harrassed because I was the only one on the street not to have a licence! No great philosophy behind that. They just assumed I had a telly and came to check me out. Size 10 footprints in the flower bed as they peered in through the window.
I was harrassed because I was the only one on the street not to have a licence! No great philosophy behind that. They just assumed I had a telly and came to check me out. Size 10 footprints in the flower bed as they peered in through the window.
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
Life / Child Adoption in Poland? [138]
A friend of mine adopted a 2 year old child 3 years ago. Mother and kid are doing just fine. The problem is the 16 year-old son, who got overlooked in the whole process and is trying hard to "find himself".
A friend of mine adopted a 2 year old child 3 years ago. Mother and kid are doing just fine. The problem is the 16 year-old son, who got overlooked in the whole process and is trying hard to "find himself".
Varsovian
31 Mar 2010
UK, Ireland / BBC DOCUMENTARY: ANYONE WHO IS POLISH & RECENTLY LEFT THE UK? [33]
Ha - there are a few in my village, but they are hardly likely to read anything - whether it is written in English or Polish! Also, seeing as this request was written by a person called Elena I assume she doesn't speak Polish.
Still, she might be lucky ...
Ha - there are a few in my village, but they are hardly likely to read anything - whether it is written in English or Polish! Also, seeing as this request was written by a person called Elena I assume she doesn't speak Polish.
Still, she might be lucky ...
Varsovian
30 Mar 2010