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Posts by JonnyM  

Joined: 9 Mar 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 15 Mar 2012
Threads: Total: 11 / In This Archive: 9
Posts: Total: 2607 / In This Archive: 2054 		From: Warszawa!
Speaks Polish?: tak

Displayed posts: 2063 / page 23 of 69
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JonnyM   
25 Dec 2011
Life / Polish holiday tradition - granny dumping? [13]

Some call it 'granny dumping', others call it respite care for people who dedicate a very large part of their lives and emotions to look after someone who is often physically or mentally demanding. After all, we aren't talking about hospitalising someone who can say "No, I feel OK".

Mind you, at Christmas?
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
Food / Can I buy Christmas crackers in Gdansk? [15]

Yeah right - Have you seen airport security now-a-days?!

I once had dogs sniff my bags in a sh1thole in Yukatan and they were flicking though pages of books. I was terrified there was a bit of weed I'd forgotten. But generally if they look at all they're looking for specific things. Minute amounts of gunpowder aren't among them and Christmas crackers should be OK.
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
USA, Canada / Where do most Polish-Americans identify on the political spectrum? [142]

When does that come into effect? And what is the exact regulation?

Still going through the system - it had been slowed down by the Berlusconi government. Likely to happen quite quickly (in an EU sense of quickly) now. The area of concern is the 'new' EU countries with their restrictive voting rules and Italy which gives votes (and Schengen passports) to Americans and Aussies who have never even been to Italy. Whatever happens, it won't be as free as the Dutch system or as restrictive as the Polish - and non-residents everywhere are likely to have their voting privileges curtailed. Incidentally the Polish government has been fined again over the voting procedures.
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
USA, Canada / Where do most Polish-Americans identify on the political spectrum? [142]

We're Polish regardless.

Unfortunately you aren't.

Who cares?

Well - some PolAms have the vote (until the new EU procedures come into effect) in Poland so it would make sense to actually know what the various parties are about.
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]

Boxing day is in Canada but not in the USA where it's back to work as usual

Even this year when Christmas day falls on a Sunday?

In Poladn trees stay up until Jan. 6 or even Feb. 22 if they survive that long. Public Xmas decorations never come down before Feb. 22 (Candlemas'), the last day of the Chrsitmas season.

They all come down in the UK on 6 Jan (it's bad luck otherwise) but in Poland I've known Christmas trees in office buildings to stay up until Easter.
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
Life / You are Polish if... [433]

- you take your blood pressure at home;
- you blame the air pressure for the way you feel;

An Englishman says "I'm tired and thirsty, I must have beer", a Frenchman says "I'm tired and thirsty, I must have wine", a Pole says "I'm tired and thirsty, I must have diabetes".
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
USA, Canada / Where do most Polish-Americans identify on the political spectrum? [142]

However, there could be another reason: it could be that as the NA Polonia who vote in Polish elections will not be affected in the slightest by the lunacy of PiS, they are free to indulge themselves and vote PiS on the basis that PiS has good traditional values (such as the mandatory serving of golumpkis or pierogies as school dinners twice a week, etc).

And fortunately their votes are only counted in the Warsaw region, where the overwhelming majority of voters wouldn't touch PiS. Essentially the PolAm vote doesn't count for anything.
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
Law / Sending Western Union cash to friends in Poland - questions [25]

Well, if you're sending euros from a SEPA country (eurozone plus a couple of others countries such as Poland, Switzerland.;) to another SEPA country, the cost is normally zero. If you want to send PLN to Poland, send euros to the recipient's bank account, then the recipient takes it from the account in cash and exchanges throught a kantor. Much cheaper than western union..

If you're sending it from outside the Eurozone (i.e. most of the world) it's rather different. And if the banks use an agency, you have to pay the agency fee. Western Union is still cheaper. And much quicker.
JonnyM   
23 Dec 2011
Law / Sending Western Union cash to friends in Poland - questions [25]

Does Western Union there report it to the tax service?

No. No problem. Western Union only know the name (and will need to see the person's ID) but they don't report anything to the tax office unless they are told to.

The person collecting the money will need to give the amount (and what currency it's in), the control number your name and the country you're sending it from. No address is necessary in Poland. They will of course record the person's ID number when collecting the money.

And if so what are the triggering amounts that would cause them problems?

If it was a bank, 15000 Euros would be the triggering amount. Western Union probably have to follow that rule, however I used them the other day to send something to Poland and I don't remember their website mentioning it.

Like is there a limit or number of transfers that would have them flagged for being checked up on?

See above. If the person collects the money from a branch of a bank that has Western Union facilities, that bank might have their own rules about payments. How much were you thinking of sending?

I am not sure how a money transfer is considered by the Polish tax service...if its income etc and is reported by the Western Union or bank to the government.

In theory gifts should be declared by the recipient (as Sa11y says, the darowizna rule allows smaller ones to be tax free under some circumstances) however declaring gifts is the personal duty of the recipient when they fill in their tax return. Sending by Western Union should be OK and you shouldn't worry.

I never understood why anyone would use Western Union for money transfers.. Their prices are extortionate compared to most banks..

Speed and relative privacy. And actually not extortionate if you're in certain countries where Western Union is cheaper than the banks. Or if your bank isn't a correspondent bank to the one you're sending to. Plus of course the contents of a Polish bank account are not private, and if the person owes some money to the state (for example ZUS) their bank account may be frozen.
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
News / Amnesty to Illegal immigrants in Poland [102]

Only in western (sick) countries has the ethnicity and blood become meaningless.

It's how you identify. DNA is nothing.

You can say what you like but I am 100 percent Polish where I go or live

And you turned your back on Poland - effectively spitting on it at one of the most crucial moments in its history. An immigrant from Vietnam has more say about Poland than you do.

exterminated

We've heard that word before. All to often about the recent history of Poland. Which you abandoned.
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
News / Amnesty to Illegal immigrants in Poland [102]

my own people.

Who quite frankly you abandoned to become an immigrant half the world away. Whether you're black or white is irrelevant.
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
News / Amnesty to Illegal immigrants in Poland [102]

I agree with you. Poland should do what Dubai does and NOT make foreigners in the country as citizens.

You do realise that Poland has 30 times the population of Dubai and a fraction of the GDP per capita?

They have more loyalty to their ethnic background then to Poland and only ended up UNDERMINING Poland.

Stuff and nonsense. Poland's borders shifted so much that the only group to have been disloyal, the Germans, found that Poland had come to them rather than the other way round.

In this case, the vast majority are the ones who are going to pay for elderly Poles in the years to come.

Exactly.
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
News / Amnesty to Illegal immigrants in Poland [102]

Remind me to tell that to the 14 immigrant scientists in the UK who got Nobel Prizes. Oh, and my doctor too, who is an immigrant to Poland. Plus all those French managers in Saska Kepa paying millions in taxes between them.
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
Life / You are Polish if... [433]

That's true.

But it doesn't taste the same. Pepsi is more sweet while Cola have more sour taste.

Try it blindfolded and see if you can guess which one is which!

That one is right. I wonder where other nations keep their home bins?

In the UK, by the door.

Ceratainly it doesn't taste nice but it's healthy. You will used to it! :)

I gave up eating it a decade ago!

You would also agrue if there was a thread "You are English if..." ;)

Someone once did a very funny series of postcards called that ;-)
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
Life / You are Polish if... [433]

a.k.
You've just proved several of his points!
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]

you will probably find vodka on some tables, but only enough for a couple of toasts.

I was once at a wigilia meal in Podlasie where the oldest man there, a retired engineer in his 80's suggested a toast with brandy. His daughter immediately objected saying it 'wasn't Polish'. Mind you she was also a bit sniffy because the barszcz had green beans in rather than ustki.
JonnyM   
22 Dec 2011
Life / You are Polish if... [433]

I'd add

-You will not admit that Russia has countless artistic and cultural achievements
-You will not admit that Pepsi is just as good as coke and tastes pretty much the same
-You have a mobile phone that retails at more than your monthly income and you can not afford to use
-You keep your rubbish bin under the sink and only under the sink
-You believe raw grated cabbage slowly decomposing in water tastes nice
-You stampede at the airport departure gate because you're worried that if you get on last you'll have to stand
-You clap when the plane lands
-You think a Big Mac is the spiciest thing you would ever eat.
JonnyM   
21 Dec 2011
History / In Memory of victims, who had their lives cruelly taken at Treblinka Death Camp in Poland [104]

the significance of Der Stürmer, its authors, contents and readers, for the understanding of the attitudes toward Jews in Germany.

Only in so far as The Sun, its authors, content and readers are necessary to the understanding of the attitudes towards homosexuality in England - an interesting footnote, at best a short chapter in the story, but not the heart of the matter.