History / The righteous among Ukrainians, massacres in "Wołyń" during WW2 [12]


Rock, scissors, paper... HELVETE!! LOL


So what's your solution? More hate?

Numerous Tsars managed to rule over the occupied territories by deflecting the hate the oppressed felt to a hate of everything and everyone different. To stir up the nationalistic and the religious fervor amongst the worker bees was a brilliant move by the Russians.

History / "Lithuania! My fatherland, you are like health.." [37]


The term fatherland has a fairly negative connotation in English, at least in American English. It reverberates of Nazi Germany and most people who use it do it in the form of satire. Of course there are exceptions but you won't hear many Americans speak about their fatherland; more likely it'll be about their homeland and even motherland. Just my take on it.

History / The righteous among Ukrainians, massacres in "Wołyń" during WW2 [12]

Once again it proves that there are good and bad people in each and every nation.

It's really sad that the Poles and the Ukrainians and Lithuanians may I add don't have closer ties today. It's true that there were atrocities committed on all sides BUT those nations have more in common than what divides them.

Hopefully one day it'll be a true brotherhood between those nations sort of like what you see between Sweden, Norway and Denmark where they like to poke fun of each other yet where there a sense of a true Scandinavian brotherhood. I have relatives in Sweden and Norway and must say I love both countries. Hope one day it'll be just like that between Poles, Ukrainians and Lithuanians, and I'm not talking about the governments but the regular folks in those countries.

History / "Lithuania! My fatherland, you are like health.." [37]


Similar in Swedish were hemland and moderland are most common, translation unnecessary. Modersmål is equivalent to mother's tongue or native language.

History / "Lithuania! My fatherland, you are like health.." [37]


I agree, poetry often cannot be translated verbatim because it then loses some of the original meaning.

I wonder what Mickiewicz would say today in our highly charged and politically correct environment when relationships are to be private or unspoken of.

Lithuanian Republic my significant other! You are as good health insurance:
How much one should tax you, IRS only can tell
Who has lost your tax return...

Litwo Znaczący Inna Moja... :)

UK, Ireland / The slow, whiny death of British Christianity [86]


Lived in the South for quite some time, best years of my life... LOL

PS. Before anyone bashes the South, I was religious in Sweden too... :)

UK, Ireland / The slow, whiny death of British Christianity [86]


No problem. Also my previous statement was meant to say:

"...You believe in what you want and I promise I won't be calling your Scriptures or your set of beliefs fairy tales..."

Religion is sort of like breathing, if you truly believe you need it to live than a discussion is sort of pointless, because we all need to breathe and if I need it than I am the one who feels it, not you. It might be irrational and totally illogical to you but not to me. I'm a very logical person by nature yet some things I can't rationalize.

I can't explain why or how or even if I really understand every word in the Bible, no way and I probably never will. However, I can tell you it helps me to become a better person, one who cares about others, one who tries to be understanding when understanding is very hard. Yes, I do draw an extreme sense of strength and hope from it, something I usually keep to myself. Those "fairy tales" are an integral part of my life and yes I'm glad I have that "air" to breathe. Just reading my own words I realize I must sound like a loco to many of you, but I'm not. Yes I'm biased here lol but am pretty sure I'm not crazy or brainwashed or ignorant.

So y'all go ahead and poke fun of Christians, show us all the fallacies, all the clues that we're missing. That's ok, I live an absolutely normal life, am not a fanatic or a religious nut. I know what I and my brothers and sisters believe and it makes us happy. You all stick to what makes you happy and I won't be calling your happiness "fairy tales".

I think that's a pretty fair deal, wouldn't you say?

UK, Ireland / The slow, whiny death of British Christianity [86]

I won't even go there plk because you and convex are insulting right now. You believe in what you want and I promise I want be calling your Scriptures or your set of beliefs fairy tales.

I might say I disagree with them or with your ideology, etc. However if you believe in something, whatever that is, than I assume that you as a free human being have the right to do so and the mind to make your own conclusions so who am I to be calling your set of beliefs - whatever they might be - "fairy tales"?

Work / Au pair in Poland, how much should I earn? Taxes and insurance. [13]

Here in the US an au pair is a glorified maid, baby sitter, etc. It's often very busy work. (Unless of course she works for a friend of Tiger Woods, gets introduced to Tiger, marries him and several years later divorces him after his cheating becomes a tabloid fodder. Now she's a very rich former au-pair. ;)

Good luck to you, be careful and have back-up plans just in case.

UK, Ireland / The slow, whiny death of British Christianity [86]


That is your perspective, one I disagree with wholeheartedly. That's ok though.

Love / Maintenance for child born between Irish/Polish parents. [60]

Based on your first post I knew you had it in you. Yeah focus on getting the child support, (ok child maintenance for you anglophiles :) and put him in your past, that's where he belongs, every time you think of him he's stealing your time from you. He's shortchanging you and his kid but one day he'll realize he shortchanged himself the very most. A sad excuse for a man.

UK, Ireland / The slow, whiny death of British Christianity [86]


You wouldn't had you been raised there. Most people would rather be called stupid, selfish or mean than Christian ...and I'm probably understating that sentiment.

Love / Maintenance for child born between Irish/Polish parents. [60]

Inka - I sincerely sympathize with your plight and hope for the very best for you and your baby and yes, for the baby's father too (for him to realize how wrong he is). He seems to be a total jerk and I'm sorry it took this long to realize it.

However, your postings are very quickly turning from someone who's asking for advice to someone who hates. Remember that hate eats people from inside out. So do what you can to get the money your child needs but stop yourself when your angers is spilling over, it will change you as a person and yes, your child will notice that too. Just my take on it and again I truly hope you will get all the advice and help you can get, just try to keep your emotions out of it (I know it's very hard) because he simply isn't worth you and your child deserves so much more.

UK, Ireland / The slow, whiny death of British Christianity [86]


Probably islam; this is not a slam against that religion but rather an acknowledgment of the growth of islam all over the world while the western world, as we know it, is slowly and willingly becoming a world of non-believers and/or converts to Islam. Christians are slowly becoming a minority in their own countries.

I understand that many of you rejoice over the fact Christianity all over the western world, yes including the US is in decline. I don't mind people who don't believe or people who believe in other Scriptures but I don't understand why some jump for joy over it. There's a thread where someone was lamenting the decline of the UK as a nation, in my view religion is yet another link holding a country together. Again, I'm not talking about forcing people to believe, those were despicable days. However I like traditions and I also cherish my and other people's beliefs.

Genealogy / Von Straski, Polish surname? [22]


Pretend nobles. :)

Genealogy / Von Straski, Polish surname? [22]


Well, fair enough but if your assumption is correct then Poland must have had the highest percentage of nobles in the entire world. :)


Agree 100%

The Swedish Malmberg, Holmberg, Nykvist, Svensson, Sjögren, etc. all imply someone who came from a specific place or relation to someone. However, only the af specifically signifies a noble name. Magnus af Trystorp would be one example. Many, in fact the majority of other noble names were "regular" names where the person just happened to be a noble. In the Polish language -ski would be the equivalent. From what I understand there are no specifically noble names in Polish.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Swedish_noble_families

Genealogy / Michniewicz Zygmunt. Terminally ill and looking to contact old friends and colleagues. [20]

Trudy,

Tata means dad so they must have been related or were poking fun at each other. I hope you'll find your friends.

Don't know what kind of illness you have and don't know whether you're religious or not, what brings you hope and what brings you joy. I will keep you in my thoughts and my prayers to give you strength and hope. Please check your PM - private message.

Genealogy / Von Straski, Polish surname? [22]


I don't think that's correct. Yes, in the middle ages in the Germanic areas Von in a person's name indicated nobleness. Van was the Dutch and Af the Scandinavian versions and they too were reserved for the nobles.

Ski in a Polish name however was never reserved for the noble bloodlines. It could mean that but often it didn't. Probably a myth created by those who's names end with a -ski. :)

"...Adjectival names very often end in the suffixes -ski, -cki and -dzki (feminine -ska, -cka and -dzka), and are considered to be either typically Polish or typical for the Polish nobility. However, this is not exactly true,exactly as in France or Germany where not all people with a de or von in their names were formally nobles: the adjectival suffix -ski, -skii or -sky is found in many other Slavic languages, and in Poland, the adjectival form of a name was not reserved to the szlachta..."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_name

Could the original name have been Von Strauss that's been slavisized for whatever reasons?

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]

I know, I was trying to be funny... Guess I failed at that :)

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


Yeah, don't think that restaurant was around way back when. The charter company we used many years ago was fritidsresor.se and when I click on the English language version it takes me to Thompson's website, looks like it's the same company now. With connections and all you could fly from DFW and land in London 12+ hours later and catch your Malé flight from there... :)

thomson.co.uk/destinations/indian-ocean/maldives/maldives/holidays-maldives.html

PS. Seanus is right, a boat trip is not advisable in that region.

Now let's go back to bashing, or complaining about the UK, so refreshing it's not my country this time! LOL

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


You go grrrl! :)

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


Yeah, I too was scratching my head, why do all those Chinese, Japanese, Nepalese, etc. have a problem here? I guess we call the region the Middle East (formerly Near East).

"The Middle East (or, formerly more common, the Near East)[1] is a region that encompasses southwestern Asia and Egypt. In some contexts, the term has recently been expanded in usage to sometimes include Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and North Africa. It's often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern and the derived noun is Middle-Easterner..."

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East

Love / How do we know that Polish guys really serious in their relationship? [16]

Plg - I wish the best for you both and I also agree with the advice you've gotten here so far. Meeting him in person is probably the only way you'll really know and even then there are no guarantees.

You both live far away from each-other so it won't be easy. Don't know where you live but based on your English i'm guessing the Philippines maybe? Either way, i checked a 2-week round-trip ticket from Warsaw to Manila and back and also from Warsaw to Shanghai (Pudong) and back (2-week stay). Manila is slightly cheaper but not by much, you're talking $1,300 - $1,700 plus taxes and fees.

If you were to visit him instead add $50 or so on average. More choices out of Europe and therefore slighlty lower prices. As you can tell it'll be expensive no matter what you do. Wish you the best.

I'd say that if you feel very strongly about him than try to find a way to meet. In worst case it "simply" won't work out and one of you ends up with a very expensive mini-vacation. :) In a best case scenario however the sky will be your limit.

'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Life / My first impressions of Poland, long time ago [37]

Wow, I'll have to ask my mom why I've never heard it before? Feel cheated... :)

Life / My first impressions of Poland, long time ago [37]


I know you wrote it because of the first poster's screen name but what does this mean? I understand what it says but is this a kids' song or something else?


Trunk? I think they call them boots in Queen's Country. :)

USA, Canada / Better life in USA or Canada? - expats opinions and your comparison [143]


Was joking, that's all.

USA, Canada / Better life in USA or Canada? - expats opinions and your comparison [143]

Day after tomorrow Kosova?? :)

Love / Maintenance for child born between Irish/Polish parents. [60]


You're welcome Inka. I live in the States and have to say that we have our share of rotten dads too so I'm not sure if his attitude is necessarily Polish or simply an attitude of a jerk.

Unfortunately it's because of men like him that the courts are so biased against us men because often we are all lumped together as bad parents by default. Courts pretend to be unbiased but I've seen a few friends of mine treated like dirt simply because they wanted shared custody, something their cheating exes didn't want.

Either way, yes I too think you should get legal advice on this just in case. Sounds like this guy will do whatever takes to avoid taking his responsibility - what a weasel.

PS. By "child maintenance" y'all mean child support, right?
Maintenance? Must be a British term, I'm thinking of a car tune-up when I hear maintenance. You say potatoes and I say taters. :)

Life / Things we enjoyed as kids in Poland [140]

Yes, until 7 or 8 when we moved to Sweden, then I moved to the US (my family still lives in Sweden).

Life / Things we enjoyed as kids in Poland [140]


Yes, yes, that's the one.
Still remember the music and some lyrics
Deszcze niespokojne
... sad,
a my na tej wojnie
ładnych parę lat.

Do domu wrócimy,
w piecu napalimy,
nakarmimy psa.
...

Powrócimy wierni
my czterej pancerni,
Rudy i nasz pies....

wow, still remember...

...of course, Hans Kloss too.

Don't remember the name but there was also a program about hobbies i think and one day they talked about flying gliders and other airplanes and i think that's when i was smitten.

Very cool thread