Life / Is there anywhere in Warsaw I can contact regarding my missing parcels? [11]

It still hasn't arrived, and it's the birthday in question :-(

If it doesn't come in a couple of days, I'll get on to barclaycard to do a chargeback.

Travel / Information on Gliwice needed [41]

It's a nice enough place but unfortunately one of the most polluted cities in Europe :

Pernik, Bulgaria
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Krakow, Poland
Pleven, Bulgaria
Dobrich, Bulgaria
Nowy Sacz, Poland
Gliwice, Poland
Zabrze, Poland
Sosnowiec, Poland
Katowice, Poland

UK, Ireland / "These Scottish are only here for the free booze" - Bestman speech at a Polish Wedding [18]

Although they tend to like long speeches in PL, I would suggest keeping this one short, even very short.

Language / Do English-speakers sound funny when we speak Polish? [49]


Often very good. Remember, Germans are more likely than Brits to spend time in Poland and to speak Polish. Some speak it very well, albeit with a distinctive accent. Be thankful they didn't ask if you're French :-)


People often assume this about me.

As I mentioned, people in PL, especially outside the capital, aren't used to hearing people from further west speak the language which leads to all sorts of assumptions.

Language / Do English-speakers sound funny when we speak Polish? [49]

None. The term is usually stress-timed. A simple matter of Isochrony. Polish is not stress-timed, although Russian is, which is why it sounds more mellifluous..

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

Delicious and sold in PL for years. Double Diamond was the nicest but I haven's seen it for a long, long time. There are Polish Pale Ales too now.

Language / Do English-speakers sound funny when we speak Polish? [49]


Yes, other way round :-)

Always worth checking before pressing post...

Language / Do English-speakers sound funny when we speak Polish? [49]

That's the thing, novelty. Remember, a lot of Poles have never heard anyone from abroad speak more than a few words of their language, whereas someone from the English-speaking world usually has.and frankly only has to switch on their tv.

Polish is stress-timed like Italian, which is why it can sometimes sound impatient, formal and unfriendly, whereas Enflish is syllable-timed like Arabic, which is why it can sound emotional, laid-back and imprecise to them.

Love / Polish girls are outstanding in terms of their moral conducts as compared to western girls. [29]


That might say more about the type of women you associate with than the entire 20 million female population of Poland.

By the way, I don't think that Polish women are any more or less moral than in any other country in Europe.

Travel / Transport options for Gdansk to Hel in Mid September? [4]

Yes. There are several trains a day. They take about 2 hours: rozklad-pkp.pl/bin/query.exe/pn?ld=s27&OK#focus

Language / Polish names spelling and pronunciation [24]


Exactly.

It isn't precise, and it doesn't help that the OP doesn't say where he's from, but a step in the right direction (if he speaks UK English) would be

Language / Passive constructions in Polish [5]

Neither of those are passive structures.

But in answer, yes, Polish does have passive forms.

Study / Information about Zespol Szkol - in northwest Warsaw school - I'm Chinese [4]


Do you know which Zespół Szkół it is? There should be some more details, maybe a number.


Yes, there are lots.


A nice place.

USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]


In the country I originally came from, this stereotype just doesn't exist.

USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]


Remember that not everyone from one country is the same and Poles are no exception to this. Many of those who left for America were looking for a better life. Others did not leave because they had a perfectly good life at home. Of those who emigrated a certain percentage were from relatively unsophisticated rural communities. Others of course were not, however some were more visible than others.

Perhaps this helped to give rise to the stereotype which would doubtless be different had the cultural and educational makeup of emigrants and the communities they ended up in abroad differed.

Work / urgent help with umowa - my boss wants to cancel the contract before 1 month notice period expires [7]


I've never done one myself (but I was once threatened with one) however as far as I know, it's more an office where you file a complaint than a courtroom.

I suppose it all depends on a. how much money is involved, b. how much the OP needs that money, and c. if there's a point of principle involved.


This make a lot of sense as the first (and ideally only) step.

Work / urgent help with umowa - my boss wants to cancel the contract before 1 month notice period expires [7]

The Labour Courts in Poland are cheap, quick and effective (the opposite of the rest of the court system). The employer probably wouldn't expect you as a foreigner to go to them however I know an English Teacher who did and he won. Take a Polish speaker with you if you aren't confident with the language.

Work / Is it a good sign if a school seems desperate to hire me? Small town Kęty [15]


Almost certainly


That can sometimes be a good thing

Interesting to know not necessarily the name of the school or the town, but the general area. You might also want to check the job discussion fora at Dave's ESL cafe - you may find that someone there knows the school.

Genealogy / Why the escape in the 1800s ? Searching for my family roots. [25]

Try Chocimski and Milczarek.

Life / How and where do I return empty alcohol bottles in Poland? [17]


Not very much. Less than a zloty as far as I can recall. Maybe it's gone up nowadays.


I don't tend to buy beer in bottles much so don't really remember, but the words you should be looking for are something like "Zwrot kaucji"

Genealogy / Trying to find old friend from Lubin, Poland [7]

"Orlowsing". - Try Orlowski.

Life / How and where do I return empty alcohol bottles in Poland? [17]

Just take them back to the shop you bought them from. Keep the receipt (I once had my local shop swear blind that they'd never stocked some I'd bought from them 2 days earlier). Only beer bottles though and not wine or vodka, and not all beer bottles (it says on the label if you can return them).

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

Often. It's OK. Nothing special, a standard European lager, fine to drink, not as bad as Żywiec and a bit more flavour than Lech. Not quite as good as Zubr, about the same as Okocim, Królewskie or Tyskie.

People don't bother saying the 'Jasne Pelne' bit when they order in PL, just 'Warka'. There's also a 'Warka Strong' which is what the name suggests :-)

Study / Intensive Polish Course - the best schools in Poland? [21]

The acronym CLIL has a specific meaning within education and there are probably thousands of references to it: try googling Polish lessons Katowice and you might get a closer result.

An unfortunate choice of name for a language school really. Probably impossible to trademark too.

Travel / How many days should I allow for a trip to Gdansk and a visit to another city? [6]

A couple of days for Gdansk is good. 3 if you really want to see everything. Warsaw is worth a visit during the rest of the time.


Pleasant enough, but essentially rather boring suburbs with beaches.


A nice but industrial town, Sopot too, but not industrial. You can see both in a day.

Life / Is there anywhere in Warsaw I can contact regarding my missing parcels? [11]

Hope so, though it's a birthday present and the big thing is that it arrives. The cost is less than a day's pay; it getting there is priceless.

Life / Is there anywhere in Warsaw I can contact regarding my missing parcels? [11]


Indeedy doody, however UK debit cards also offer chargeback - they just don't advertise the fact.

Travel / Abandoned / Derelict places in Poland to visit [22]

This might be useful for you: inyourpocket/poland/krakow/sightseeing/Abandoned-Krakow.

Also the Liban Quarry:

Life / Is there anywhere in Warsaw I can contact regarding my missing parcels? [11]

I'm worrying myself now, since I just bought something from Amazon Marketplace (a sort of cross between Amazon and Allegro) and the only dispatch option was standard parcel post. And the contents are desirable and stealable.

I had a credit card forwarded in an envelope recently (not the one it came in, but a plain brown one) and it never arrived :-(

History / Restoration of Poland's Monarchy? [40]

[quot= Barbastelle]Wow! But then that must make them not so special >_<[/quote]
Most were nothing special at all, and to describe them as 'nobles' is stretching things. They were basically the caste who elected the monarch and had some rights that others didn't. In theory, they were all equal. There was however a problem with all this:


All were equal, but some were more equal than others. This frustrated the whole system and there was endless politicking between oligarchs.