News / The sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw and Krakow on weekends! [30]


My feeling too. When JPII last went to Kraków they banned cream cakes for a day, to prevent food poisoning.

Work / Polish qualifications, what are they worth ? [137]

I used to work with a lady here who had a 2:1 from Nottingham. She was able (this was the back end of the nineties) to have it officially recognised as a Magister. Mine, which is from a better university and a decade before seemed much harder and more intense than some of the Magister degrees here. Incidentally, my university also did licentiate degrees.

News / Komorowski, acting president, is a shower! [51]

Same here. Even last weekend in the buildings round my home people were taking advantage of a day of work by going to the pub and even having parties. I suppose different people react to things in different ways.

Work / Polish qualifications, what are they worth ? [137]


Yet so many of them are desperately poor quality.

News / The sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw and Krakow on weekends! [30]

I put this on the other thread about it. I don't think it's a particularly longstanding tradition - just something like the bit of nonsense about not allowing alcohol to be sold near churches - bizarre when the religion in question has alcohol at the centre of its main ritual:

In any case, 30% of people will have a well-stocked cocktail cabinet, 30% wouldn't think of alcohol from one month to the next and 30% will get some beforehand if they anticipate using it. The 10% who'll have problems are the chronic alcoholics, already suffering from a recognised and pernicious illness. And a day without will not cure that; it will only cause problems. Them and the owners of small struggling bars.

News / The sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw and Krakow on weekends! [30]

According to this:

gadu-gadu.pl/5460363426476255017/weekend-warszawa-i-krakow-bez-alkoholu

it's all Saturday. Time to pop to the off-license. I wonder what the logic is behind it if indeed there is any.

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]


They've already had protests apparently. Now if Jaroslaw stands...

Travel / Białowieża National Park in Poland [461]


In Warsaw tomorrow, in Krakow on Sunday.

As far as I know only during and immediately after the ceremonies. But the bans are usually quite vaguely worded and it's up to bar owners to interpret them.

Travel / Białowieża National Park in Poland [461]

And when the official mourning finally stops, the politics will start...

News / The sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw and Krakow on weekends! [30]

I think the ban on sales is during the day, from 8 or 10. When they've banned it before, for Papal visits, they didn't suddenly stop at 12. And there are always a few places that don't observe the ban and stay open.

edit
Looking at the original article, it says this:


Suggesting it's a public order issue. Bars might be open later.

News / The sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw and Krakow on weekends! [30]

In any case, 30% of people will have a well-stocked cocktail cabinet, 30% wouldn't think of alcohol from one month to the next and 30% will get some beforehand if they anticipate using it. The 10% who'll have problems are the chronic alcoholics, already suffering from a recognised and pernicious illness. And a day without will not cure that; it will only cause problems. Them and the owners of small struggling bars.

News / Is it possible that Polish president was assasinated? If so then, by whom? [921]


Have you ever posted anything that isn't rude and aggressive?

News / The sale and drinking of alcohol has been banned in Warsaw and Krakow on weekends! [30]

Amazing really - equating mourning with total abstinence. Heavy drinkers will just buy it the day before.

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]


Wherever he specifies beforehand.

Law / How to get a private NIP number in Poland (for a foreigner) ? [28]

I've been in that situation and didn't need a notarised document. You can just pay yourself as directors' drawings. One benefit of that is that the witholding tax is only 19%.

The only reason I can see that your situation has arisen is that the Akt Notarialny doesn't make provision for that which sounds a bit odd.

Life / Bilet, controler and the Poland Police. [78]


Depends which city


It used to be like that in Warsaw (except the bribe was 20zl) - often they'd prefer the bribe to the fuss of doing it properly. Now they've cleaned up a bit and don't take bribes.

Life / Bilet, controler and the Poland Police. [78]

If you lose your ticket you have to pay the fine. Simple as that.

It's only 120 zloty and (or 80 if you pay within a week) anyway, which isn't the end of the world.

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]


Made in large part by Jarosław who is an extremely shrewd political operator.

Language / Kowalski+Kowalska=Kowalscy [12]

Thanks too.

One thing about learning Polish is that there are always surprises.

Language / Kowalski+Kowalska=Kowalscy [12]

What about a name ending in 'zki' like 'Zawadzki'. Or a name derived from non-Slavonic roots like 'Miller' (as in Leszek)?

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]


They were in shock at the whole giant tragedy and mourning the death of the president and the other famous and distinguished passengers. Not necessarily the individual as a politician.


Remember his party lost the general election.

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]


Quite.


Yes.

I wonder what Jarosław's role in the decision making process was...


People's wishes should always be respected. There is something of a precedent for this in Poland - I suspect the protocol is different if the person receives a State Funeral.

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]

Wasn't there some controversy because Czesław Miłosz wasn't buried there?

News / Kaczynski to be buried at Wawel ?! [289]


Yes. In the aleje Zasłużonych would be appropriate for a president who died in office. I suspect that some of the other passengers will be buried there. Perhaps they want to make a distinction between him and the others.

Travel / Stag Parties in Kraków [119]


Some people are using the term 'post-national' now. A very new phenomenon but I suspect it's growing especially as the EU develops.

Travel / Stag Parties in Kraków [119]


He never told me they have a discount scheme!

Anyway, I'm off to my local (Piotruś on ul. Nowy Świat - 7zl without a discount card and not an English speaker in there) if any of the armchair warriors want to find me.

Travel / Stag Parties in Kraków [119]

Is it more than 9zl now?

And I bet you know which football fan I mean :-)

Travel / Stag Parties in Kraków [119]


You should see Bar Below in Warsaw. I've only been twice a few years ago and it didn't seem a bad place, but the only expat I see regularly goes there for the football. He says it's full of Brits paying 9zl a beer, grumbling about their divorces and trying to shut the outside world out. Culture shock's only supposed to last a few months!

UK, Ireland / Polish workers humiliated at the Laurens Patisseries - protest [45]


Even nadgodzine overtime shifts at places like Zabka? Those extra few zlotych are quite important to the people who do them.

The need for food shops to be open that day was proved by the queues at minimarkets and off-licences that didn't close.

Travel / Stag Parties in Kraków [119]

I once saw a stag party from Brum spending all day in Champion's Bar (at the Marriott) playing pool. They'd got on a plane, flown to a capital that was new to them and chose to spend the whole day in Western-style bar. May as well have stayed at home.