History / Dutchmen in Polish history ! [17]

The Dutch were very numerous during 16th/17th century. At one point Polish king was going to kick them out but james V! of Scotland wrote to him asking for them to be allowed to stay.

History / Norman Davies - the Brit who loves Poland and becomes one of Us [250]

I seem to recall reading that one of the reasons Davies doesn't focus so much on Jewish history is that he feels it is already well covered by other specialists. What I did find interesting was in one discussion about pogroms in £odż (I believe) at the turn of 19th/20th century, he asked how it could be called a 'pogrom' when it also targetted other ethnicities, like Ukrainians. Of course, that earned him some backlash.

History / Norman Davies - the Brit who loves Poland and becomes one of Us [250]


I have a copy of the Blue Book issued by British government, containing correspondence between germany, Poland and Britain. At one point the British ambassador asked the Polish administrator of Gdansk why he didn't seem bothered by the obvious German military build up in Gdansk and the arrival of several detatchments of wehrmacht and waffen SS.

The gentleman allegedly replied, "It takes more than a few tourists to win a war".

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]

sorry, thought you might, it was for the benefit of others too.

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]


it was a bad pun (word play) on French and saying 'swasn't nuff quickly (thinking of French)

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]


No, it's 1=6, so 3 = 9


Such a 'tongue' in cheek remark!

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]


I'd just put it down as 'oral' and 'written'. A potential employer is perhaps more interested in your spoken ability anyway, as passing a written test doesn't mean you can speak. You can then explain it at the interview (only don't use your swearing abilities!).

Just put ; English Language written exam: 6
English Language Oral (spoken): 6 (although considering some of your jokes on the other thread saying you got a 6 in oral would probably get you the job...)

From an educational point of view (like if you want to enter a uni) they should know these things.

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]

Admit it, Justysia, you only started the thread so you could tell the world about you 6, didn't you;-D

Congratulations, little miss smarty pants ;-)

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]

I don't know if this thread is of any use but someone asks a similar question:

thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1042354

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]

You snuck in on me there, Seanus!

UK, Ireland / British Equivalents to Matura Results [30]


GCSE is more like a Gymnasium exam for 16 year olds.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GCSE

In most of the British system the GCSE determine whether you'll go on to do A levels (more like the Matura)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Level_(UK)

Maybe also look at the International Baccalaureate (need a degree to spell that!!!)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IB_Diploma_Programme

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_secondary_school_leaving_certificates#Europe

No idea how they compare or how to translate the grades. Sorry.

Language / Can you recognise the nationality of foreign Polish speakers by their accent? [43]

My boss is a native English speaker and he doesn't change his accent when he speaks Polish... as a result I find it hard to understand him when he decides to try and show me up for my poor Polish (funny, I have little trouble understanding NS of Polish).

My colleague always laughs that me and the other 'immigrants' in work tend to go up an octave when we speak Polish.

Genealogy / Family name: Mucha [19]


How about Blackpool registry office/church records? perhaps Polish servicemen's associations in UK could help.

Work / Girl looking for job speaking English apart from teaching English. Ideas? [30]


no idea, I've just done a few one-offs for private recording specialists doing local jobs. I tended to ask a few hundred, depending who it was for and for how long.

It was a while ago, tho.

I've also done things like cultural presentations and performances with local culture houses and schools. Asked a couple of hundred a time (or the box office). Sporadic though.

Genealogy / Family name: Mucha [19]

to be honest, I don't know. probably someone else will have an idea.

If you mean 'the name' as in 'the family' then church records and state archives are useful (although it might be harder now it's in Ukraine and church records might be hard to trace).

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]


I've read articles in UK where Pakistani and Asian muslims have been critical of Somalis and objected to them worshipping in the same Mosque. I don't know how widespread it is but it's interesting.

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]


Of course not, because only the host nation could possibly be racist.


That's true.

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]

I think it is quite possible that central and east europeans are bringing a form of racism into UK simply because, as we've seen, the concept of a multi-ethnic state like UK is unusual for them. However, it is interesting that a lot of racism in UK also comes from immigrants themselves. The fact a Sikh was the first 'ethnic' to join BNP is rather telling. Likewise, I have heard of non-white racism against and between other non-white groups (Africans and Asians).

A few years ago I read in a British newspaper produced and aimed at the Black (afro-carribean) community that allowing huge waves of new EU nationals into UK was deliberate attempt to "re-whiten UK".

The rhetoric on both sides is similar, isn't it?

News / Lech Walesa gives warning over 'dangerous' Polish candidate [60]

Of course they're all guilty... they're politicians, they must be guilty of something.


using the logic you used against me... you are saying nobody should be believed innocent because the courts could be wrong... and therefore nobody should be found guilty because the courts could be wrong.

Hang 'em all, let god sort 'em out.

Life / Small change in shops in Poland!? [95]

I always found it funny how the plastic system in Poland was more advanced than in UK (giving PIN in little machine etc) but cashback hadn't been introduced. Obviously using plastic and having no cashback reduces the need for small change.

Work / Girl looking for job speaking English apart from teaching English. Ideas? [30]

If you can find it, voice-over work or narration for things like tourist tapes, English language cassettes and radio is possible. I've done a bit but it was few and far between. It might be something to look for and offer services to publishing/recording companies.

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]


Gliwice is one of the places where many Lemko people were sent during Akcja Wisła (1947).
Plus, there might even be a few Germans still lurking...
The secret multi-cultures...


Gypsies in some parts of Europe look extremely Indian. maybe that's why the Polish seemed strange... maybe it isn't Polish. If they need translators they might be Gypsies from elsewhere (Romania, perhaps?)

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]

Probably because those countries are multicultural from a history of being dominant colonial powers. The cultures in Poland are perhaps more 'homegrown'.

The thing is that for years Poland was portrayed as being 'the most mono-ethnic state in Europe' (Neal Ascherson, "The Struggles for Poland" and Chris Hann, an anthropologist, both make this point) but it was actually full of small cultures which both religiously and linguistically, as well as ethically, differed from the idealised image of Roman Catholic Polish. It wasn't until late 1990's that there was even a conference about it 9and a book) as many of these minorities had just kept their heads down.

OK, the cultures may not vary THAT much in many people's eyes (not the way a pakistani muslim and a little England CofE white person do) and I do get your point, but it is a mistake to think Poland is not multi-cultural in the sense of having different cultures.

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]


Since when has Poland ever been conventional.

My point is that it may not be "Multicultural" but it is multi-cultural. Not homogenous in the idea of all in one box. Agreed, there is perhaps a dominant culture prevailing.

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]

Post-war soviet myth!
Poland has always been multicultural (as has japan). The cultures just weren't always as obvious.

Example, even around me: Germans, Ukrainians, Bialorussians... not hard to find Jews, Tartars, Russian Old Believers, Lemko, Hutsul, Boyko, Greek, Balkan

Genealogy / Family name: Mucha [19]

There's a rather well-known (and media insipid) actress/celebrity called Anna Mucha.

There's a few more famous people on here (some also have English pages)
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucha_(ujednoznacznienie)

UK, Ireland / Are Polish people importing a new wave of ancient racism into the UK? [402]


No, it's the Sikhs.

News / Lech Walesa gives warning over 'dangerous' Polish candidate [60]


Wow, I wonder where you got that from. I never said that at all. Neither did I say I had never done any research or read any articles... I comment on some theatre performers who were harrassed during the 1970's and 1980's by the security forces and you say they have nothing relevant to say... You also patronisingly assume that is all I have read or all I have gleaned from conversation with people over 12 years in Poland (sorry, never been to US).


The way you are distorting comments and making rather presumptious comments kind of shows how things can be distorted. Perhaps your SB friends could learn from you.

News / Lech Walesa gives warning over 'dangerous' Polish candidate [60]


I might also comment that living in Britain, where a number of people were jailed on flawed/false evidence for a number of years for Irish Republican activities, I am well aware that just because something is 'official' doesn't always make it true.