Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]

There is however a ghettoisation effect - not only predicated by ethnicity or religion; any discrete group can practice this. There are some signs of this within the Polish community in Britain and to a lesser extent within the British community in Poland.

Life / Free Poland Health Care - Paying minimal to no Zus [105]

You will pay ZUS whether or not you get private healthcare. If you feel you're likely to fall ill, then yes, it's worth it. Otherwise a visit to the doctor if you need it (and as a foreigner you'll do it this way ZUS or not; Poles do too) will cost only 100zl.

History / The sketch of scenes in Poland in 1970 [7]

No it wasn't communist propaganda, it was just people's reality. The government was (mostly) communist; the people (mostly) weren't. At that time, Film makers had to work within a certains idiom however even in the soviet Union it wasn't always the same and in Poland they had a lot of freedom. Maybe as much freedom as now, perhaps even more since the market dictates artistic output even more than censorship dictated it then.

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]

Another language, as well as any cultural importance, is a real gift to any child. Once you've learnt the first two languages, learning others becomes easier and Polish is also a gateway to other languages with similar grammar.

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]


Jewish people in some places were restricted to living in ghettos (as in Venice, home of the original ghetto) and where there were no restrictions there was (and for the very orthodox still is) a rule that you have to go to the synagogue on foot, hence living within walking distance even now. Less orthodox people don't bother with that rule and even among Hasidic communities some discreetly park a few streets away.

There are some fascinating bits of history and the new museum in Warsaw (really the best museum in he country) will help spread awareness among that part of Poland's culture among tourists including those with Polish roots.

Life / Whats with going to sauna naked in Poland? [41]


It probably depends on the hammam in question :-)

The ones I know best are towels in the busier bits and not in the less busy....

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]


Quite.


Really? Many if not most people do not want to be a 'household name'. Since you suggest Polish Plumbers in 'the East End' want to be "household names", perhaps you can name one who is a "household name"


Can you name "many" publicans, farmers pensioners who immigrated to Poland and specialise in "published studies". In a word, no.


You're asking me to name myself online? I prefer not to become a "household name". .And since you've never been to Poland and don't speak a word of the language there's no point referring you to information about that sector of the Polish community who came from the UK, whether they are "household names" or not - you wouldn't be familiar with any of them or the Polish environment they live and work in. There are however quite a few high achievers even on this forum.


Indeed. Hilarious to read a 14 year old from a different continent say that all Polish Plumbers in the "East End" all want to be "household names" and should produce "published studies" and "technical patents". Made my day!

Life / Whats with going to sauna naked in Poland? [41]


Inside a sauna????

You must have been wet through and in any case part of the whole point is to let your pores open and your skin breathe!

Even in Arab and Turkish cultures where nudity is a big taboo they still strip off in the Hammam!

Life / Whats with going to sauna naked in Poland? [41]

Quite, though in Poland I've noticed that people cover up a little more than in many places.

Travel / Hotel or Apartment? Best budget option for accommodation in central Warsaw (I don't speak Polish) [8]

Ibis are fine though nota always ideal locations, there's also an Etap which is cheap though not very central, and there's the Hotel MDM in Plac Konstytucji which is very Central, good quality and reasonably priced.

Genealogy / How can the surname Drzewiecki be both Jewish and Catholic? [37]


Who said it does?

Don't confuse either of those with DNA. A Spaniard, whose ancestors had been something else is still a Spaniard.

UK, Ireland / Polish people in Wales - some questions about living in the UK [19]

One problem about moving to Wales is that the population centres are concentrated in certain areas with the rest being rural. That and very high unemployment.

Nevertheless, Poles have been moving to Wales for decades - there were resettlement camps there after the war and many Poles went to work in th coal and steel industries.

As an aside, the 'Butcher of Cwmdu' is one of the more notorious Polish migrants to Wales...
murderpedia.org/male.O/o/onufrejczyc-michael.htm

Genealogy / How can the surname Drzewiecki be both Jewish and Catholic? [37]

Hmm. You're confusing people's ancestry with their identity. To say that anyone in Spain descended from a Marrano (or a Muslim) who converted hundreds of years ago has an automatic connection to the culture of their ancestors is pure fantasy.

Food / Can you buy HP Sauce in Poland? [20]

Mini Europa closed! That must have been over the past few weeks since I'm sure it was there in pl. Wilsona when I last went past.

As for Polish food (and Eastern European cuisine in general), it's hearty and has some interesting surprises like the soups but disappointingly bland if you're used to British food - the same few ingredients cropping up. Poles in the UK like things from home that suit their taste and vice versa - hence the increasing amount of British foodstuff on sale. Marks and Spencer's food hall in Warsaw seems to have a mainly Polish clientele though, so perhaps people are catching on to it - the bakery especially.

Making brown sauce though is fiddly. Tabasco is easy enough to make, providing everything's sterile, however brown sauces like HP and Yorkshire Relish are products of the industrial revolution and don't lend themselves well to making at home. Better to stock up in the UK or Germany.

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]

They're freezing the exchange rate however this is risky in itself and only a very temporary thing.
wbj.pl/croatia-to-aid-its-franc-borrowers

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]

Not a hope - the amounts involved are too large and it's in any case very much in Poland's favour to have a weak zloty.

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]

Not however in Poland and in any case there are moves afoot to bring back such people of British citizenship, whatever their actual nationality may be.

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]


Too many in Poland - the foreign currency mortgage bubble was on a much higher scale than in Hungary or Rumania.


Easy to sell to the gullible and/or the greedy at first, then thy became so popular that ordinary folks (who'd grown up with hyperibflation, didn't trust the zloty that much, had always known a rising housing market and were interested in finance and investment) got taken in by the lower interest rates as well.

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]


That's a meaningless phrase.


So everyone who is hardworking and enterprising is a "household name"? That's hilarious!!!!


So a shopkeeper, a financial analyst, a language school owner, a publican, a builder, a computer operator, an old-age pensioner or a farmer should have "published studies" or "technological patents".

I know you're only 14 or 15, but that must be just about the daftest thing I've seen here in 6 years.

And doesn't detract from the confirmed fact that only 0.0002% Brits claim unemployment benefits from PL - the rest are by and large highly productive and have a larger than average income (with correspondingly higher tax/ZUS) - basically an elite section of society who contribute far, far more than they take.

Genealogy / How can the surname Drzewiecki be both Jewish and Catholic? [37]


That's a source for something else entirely - people's historical genealogy. To say that all descendents of people who either convetrted in the middle ages of became for a while Marranos are Jewish is a bizarre fantasy. I prefer the census returns, which show less than 1%.

There are no longer such a thing as 'crypto Jews' in Spain. They have had religious freedom there for a long time and no need to hide religious observation. Other people have "nasty divorces" too, by the way.

Travel / Any kantors in Warsaw that will accept coins? [4]

Try here: kantor-zoliborz.pl

They do mention CZK coins on their site however you might ring them first since kantors can be unpredictable and expect to get a worse rate than you would for coins.

Easy to find on ul. Popieluszki (click on the link called 'mapa dojazdu' to see exactly where) easy by tram or a very brisk walk from Metro Plac Wilsona.

20CZK is about 3zl max. Why not save them in case you go back to Czech or drop them in the collection box at the airport?

Metro Marymont, by the way is a slightly better bet than Metro Plac Wilsona - not much in it.

That's the only place I've ever seen that advertises that they'll take coins from obscure currencies. I might have a look down the back of the sofa ;-)

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]

In saying they didn't have a clue, the banks are really to blame for seductive advertising. For myself, I've always been over cautious with credit (never had a loan or mortgage, only recently got a credit card) and didn't go for it - though it was tempting for a while. Now it reminds me of Black Monday back in 1991ish when people in my office who were already overstretched for credit were crying at their desks because it looked like they could no longer pay their mortgages/loans and eat as well.

I know a guy, decent but naive, noticeably lower than average intelligence, a fairly badly paid unskilled job who was given credit to buy a new-build flat in Mokotow (and riskily kept on his old flat, also mortgaged) both in Swiss Francs. As I say, I sympathise with ordinary people who were taken for a ride by banks. If somebody had asked at the time what his views were on the CHF being tied to the Euro, he wouldn't have understood the question.

For better informed people who just hoped to get rich from a buy to let flat or live in a posh one that needed a mortgage higher than they could really afford and who were aware of possible currency fluctuations, I have less sympathy - it was basically speculation.

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]

That's certainly an 'interesting' point of view, especially as the regular posters (I suppose it does seem "round the clock" in your time zone) are all gainfully employed, mostly in very well-paid jobs. Boasting is never good, but you might be surprised at how much some Brits on here earn. I suspect most have never claimed the unemployment benefits that seem to fascinate you so much.

As far as "drugs and loose women" are concerned, it would be inappropriate to discuss either with you given your age; it might potentially be seen as 'grooming' and I would suggest you direct your internet activities in a more wholesome, age-appropriate direction.

However. Those residents of Poland who came from Britain are certainly a highly productive group of people - none of them receive unemployment benefit, as the original article confirms and most are higher than average earners, especially in the capital.

Perhaps one day you'll get to visit and find out for yourself. Meanwhile, you may enjoy the same journalist's previous article on Brits in Warsaw. As a demographic, they do tend to be high achievers.

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]

Indeed I was, and as usual you were wrong, either deliberately or just through ignorance. Jobseeker's Allowance is not, repeat not, available to people who are not available for immediate work in the UK.

"As I was saying" disability payments, pensions etc are something people have paid for themselves and deserve. You'll also notice the bit in the quote you managed to find about people being eligible for locally provided benefits in the country they're going to: something that tens of thousands of Poles in the UK have availed themselves of but so far only 1 Brit (out of 4,500) tried to get.

Which proves my point perfectly. Thanks for providing the quote and hopefully you enjoyed trawling the web for it.

As I say, Brits in Poland put plenty into the state's coffers but as the original article shows take nothing out.

How old did you say you were? Last time you were ranting you let slip you were 14 - perhaps you're 15 now. My, haven't you grown!

Food / Can you buy HP Sauce in Poland? [20]

There's a Kuchnie Świata in Wrocław (ul. Legnica 58 according to their website. Looks like you're half way between Wrocław and Dresden (a good bet too).

Probably the best thing is to stock up next time you're in Wrocław. There are a few other goodies in that shop, but it isn't especially cheap.

This might be a better bet: britishshop.pl/en_GB/index

britishshop.pl/pl/p/Oryginalny,-brazowy-sos-HP-285g-HP-Original-Sauce-Classic-285g/277
(11.99 zl). These guys even have Camp Coffee!!

Also here:
aledobre.pl/238,Oryginalny_sos_stolowy_255_g_HP.html

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]

Blimey - shafts of wisdoms here!!

Obviously we all defer to the extensive experience that only a teenager can have in respect of the labour market in a continent you've only looked at on a map (plus your remarkable insight into "cash only jobs" which would come as a surprise to most people familiar to the way things work in Poland) however it's worth mentioning that unemployment benefit (or jobseekers' allowance as it's now called) does not easily allow people to live abroad and indeed comes with very stringent conditions.

There may well be some (but only some) people living in PL who receive an old age pension, military/police pension or disability benefits from other European countries; that is their right and choice, since they've paid into the system for it.

Basically, a highly productive demographic group within society.

However that's an irrelevance and a red herring that you were trying to introduce. As the article says, Brits in Poland do not claim from the state. Rather, they contribute far more than they take out. Most British people in PL by the way, pay higher rate tax and proportionately more indirect taxation than those born there.

As for busking, tattoos, booze, drugs and cigarettes, that's something for you to experience when (and if) you're a grown-up.

Real Estate / Swiss Francs Mortgages in Poland [71]

Yes, swings and roundabouts.

The Financial Times a couple of years ago called the Poland/CHF mortgage situation an act of collective insanity. It's always a risk taking out credit in a currency you don't earn (I earn in USD, have a credit card and in GBP but spend PLN and invest/bank in both) so I'm aware of the risk and have gained/lost at various times, but a mortgage on your (the bank's?) home in the currency of a far richer country, just to get a lower %???

It was pure speculation; hugely risky and like many risky investments, it went tits up.

I sympathise with those who lost, but ultimately it was a big risk that they knowingly took.

Life / Brits on benefits in Poland? [38]

The


that Bieggers amused us about? 1 out of 4500! Not much of a number is it...

Now the number of British citizens paying at least double the median amount of annual income tax would be a much higher number. As would the net ZUS contributions from which that one solitary claimant (worth repeating: 1/4500) wanted to claim. Not that he received any cash in the end.

And why "slumming it"? Obviously Bieggers never having been to PL can't be expected to have first hand knowledge of the country we live in, but it isn't as bad as he thinks. Certainly not "slumming it".

Genealogy / The Name "Kasis" [7]

It does sound like Kasia transcribed or read incorrectly from an old document. Be aware though that Kasia is a diminutive of Katarzyna rather than a 'stand alone' name.