Magdalena
26 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
huh? bizarre in what way?
try finding out about the bizzare (to British ears) system used for school admissions.
huh? bizarre in what way?
Magdalena
25 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
I am likewise intrigued.
Please give me specifics of British citizens deported from Poland because of health reasons.
I am likewise intrigued.
Magdalena
25 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
And how is this Poland's fault? Or the Polish immigrants' fault? They did not organise mass demonstrations demanding this. They arrived in the UK and to their pleasant surprise found out that English is not required. If the British authorities were not so nicey-nice about this, Polish immigrants would be speaking English like pros by now. I already said that earlier. Must be growing old. Grumble grumble.
Poles living in the UK are clearly not expected to learn English, hence some British road signs being in Polish.
And how is this Poland's fault? Or the Polish immigrants' fault? They did not organise mass demonstrations demanding this. They arrived in the UK and to their pleasant surprise found out that English is not required. If the British authorities were not so nicey-nice about this, Polish immigrants would be speaking English like pros by now. I already said that earlier. Must be growing old. Grumble grumble.
Magdalena
23 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
You have the right to a sworn translator if you're the accused or witness in criminal proceedings.
Is there any criteria?
You have the right to a sworn translator if you're the accused or witness in criminal proceedings.
Magdalena
23 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
Yeah, the authorities should provide a sworn interpreter.
Does anyone know if one has the right to a translator/interpreter in Poland?
Yeah, the authorities should provide a sworn interpreter.
Magdalena
23 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
The last I checked, the official language of Poland was - surprise, surprise - Polish. I think if someone decides to live in Poland (or any other foreign country), they should make the effort to learn the language as well. And don't give me examples of how the British authorities are bending over backwards to supply interpreters to Polish (and Chinese, and Greek, and Ethiopian...) migrants, as it was their own misguided idea, nobody expected it and nobody forced them to, and if NuLabor hadn't come up with this multikulti ideology, most immigrants would be fluent in English by now (which of course they aren't).
The last I checked, the official language of Poland was - surprise, surprise - Polish. I think if someone decides to live in Poland (or any other foreign country), they should make the effort to learn the language as well. And don't give me examples of how the British authorities are bending over backwards to supply interpreters to Polish (and Chinese, and Greek, and Ethiopian...) migrants, as it was their own misguided idea, nobody expected it and nobody forced them to, and if NuLabor hadn't come up with this multikulti ideology, most immigrants would be fluent in English by now (which of course they aren't).
Magdalena
22 Jan 2010
Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]
I only get sick on buses, no problems so far on trains :-)
long train journeys
I only get sick on buses, no problems so far on trains :-)
Magdalena
22 Jan 2010
Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]
And what's so funny about that?
BTW - it's HALKA, not HALINKA ;-p
And what's so funny about that?
BTW - it's HALKA, not HALINKA ;-p
Magdalena
22 Jan 2010
Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]
Yeah, there is a reason. I for one hate sitting that way. It makes me feel slightly nauseous. If the ride takes longer, the nausea rises in proportion ;-(
people here really hate to sit with their back to the engine. Must be a reason.
Yeah, there is a reason. I for one hate sitting that way. It makes me feel slightly nauseous. If the ride takes longer, the nausea rises in proportion ;-(
Magdalena
22 Jan 2010
Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]
Are these perchance the seats clearly marked "For the disabled, elderly, or mother with children"? ;-)
woe betide anyone who sits there!
Are these perchance the seats clearly marked "For the disabled, elderly, or mother with children"? ;-)
Magdalena
22 Jan 2010
Law / Polish Cop Took My Car Registration :S [143]
I am half Czech, and though living in Poland, I was a Czech citizen for most of my life. So I had a Karta stałego pobytu, and I do remember that it
1) did not include my photograph, and
2) clearly stated that it was only valid together with my passport.
So yes, as many of you say, carrying your passport with you is more or less necessary for ID purposes in this case.
I'm surprised they didn't push the passport thing further to be honest, especially if he was clearly not an EU citizen.
I am half Czech, and though living in Poland, I was a Czech citizen for most of my life. So I had a Karta stałego pobytu, and I do remember that it
1) did not include my photograph, and
2) clearly stated that it was only valid together with my passport.
So yes, as many of you say, carrying your passport with you is more or less necessary for ID purposes in this case.
Magdalena
19 Jan 2010
Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]
Would you care to elaborate? I am Czech and have studied Russian for 8 years - I did not see any major similarities apart from the obvious fact that both are Slavonic languages.
Would you care to elaborate? I am Czech and have studied Russian for 8 years - I did not see any major similarities apart from the obvious fact that both are Slavonic languages.
Magdalena
16 Jan 2010
UK, Ireland / WHAT IS SO SPECIAL LIVING IN U.K [90]
The home of so many things traditional, you mean. I don't particularly associate the UK with modernity, any more so than Germany, France, the USA etc. What came as a great disappointment to me upon arrival is that Great Britain has allowed so many of its traditions to go down the drain over the years. It is, in all respects, a crumbling empire - without the empire. And with an Orwellian twist.
Yeah, it's true that many Poles came to the UK simply because it suddenly became possible. Don't blame them - the restrictions earlier in force were absurd in their ferocity. If more people had been allowed in over a long period of time, they would have spread the word that the UK is not quite the paradise it seemed to be from afar. ;-)
the home of so many things modern
The home of so many things traditional, you mean. I don't particularly associate the UK with modernity, any more so than Germany, France, the USA etc. What came as a great disappointment to me upon arrival is that Great Britain has allowed so many of its traditions to go down the drain over the years. It is, in all respects, a crumbling empire - without the empire. And with an Orwellian twist.
Yeah, it's true that many Poles came to the UK simply because it suddenly became possible. Don't blame them - the restrictions earlier in force were absurd in their ferocity. If more people had been allowed in over a long period of time, they would have spread the word that the UK is not quite the paradise it seemed to be from afar. ;-)
Magdalena
15 Jan 2010
Love / English boyfriend coming to visit me in Poland [55]
Actually, you couldn't be farther from the truth.
I come from the downtrodden intelligentsia, my family has always struggled, and whatever I have now (not a lot of it!) I have worked very hard to achieve. Not that that has anything to do with the topic at hand.
From your posts i would say that your family had and has money
Actually, you couldn't be farther from the truth.
I come from the downtrodden intelligentsia, my family has always struggled, and whatever I have now (not a lot of it!) I have worked very hard to achieve. Not that that has anything to do with the topic at hand.
Magdalena
15 Jan 2010
Love / English boyfriend coming to visit me in Poland [55]
I was quite young at the time, but I remember having access to most kinds of food from traditional Indian to European. I even had mok-mok (very similar to kołduny w rosole!) cooked by a an old Tibetan lady at a small stall somewhere in the Himalayas (again, was too young to properly register the place name and all).
Funny, but I actually like Indian cuisine a lot more now than I did back then. I guess as you grow older, you learn to appreciate the variety the world has to offer ;-)
I also bathed in the Ganga, so am officially absolved of all sin in this life, ha! Or rather of all sins committed up until that moment, I guess. Not so good, after all...
How was the food there?
I was quite young at the time, but I remember having access to most kinds of food from traditional Indian to European. I even had mok-mok (very similar to kołduny w rosole!) cooked by a an old Tibetan lady at a small stall somewhere in the Himalayas (again, was too young to properly register the place name and all).
Funny, but I actually like Indian cuisine a lot more now than I did back then. I guess as you grow older, you learn to appreciate the variety the world has to offer ;-)
I also bathed in the Ganga, so am officially absolved of all sin in this life, ha! Or rather of all sins committed up until that moment, I guess. Not so good, after all...
Magdalena
15 Jan 2010
Love / English boyfriend coming to visit me in Poland [55]
gimme gimme gimme! I could sure use the money ;-)
I believe you are now entitled to some form of EU grant;)
gimme gimme gimme! I could sure use the money ;-)
Magdalena
15 Jan 2010
Love / English boyfriend coming to visit me in Poland [55]
1. If you offer them the hotel money you will have offended and embarrassed them so thoroughly they might never speak to you again. At least this is how it would work for me and mine.
2. Why don't I count? I've only lived in England for a couple of years and no, I am not one of those idiots who pretend to be British. I love being Polish and Slavic :-)
BTW, I spent a couple of years in India as well, does that mean I am now Asian? ;-p
Offer them the hotel money instead and then see what they say!! any way you dont count youve lived in England so long youre probably embarressed to even speak Polish in public.
1. If you offer them the hotel money you will have offended and embarrassed them so thoroughly they might never speak to you again. At least this is how it would work for me and mine.
2. Why don't I count? I've only lived in England for a couple of years and no, I am not one of those idiots who pretend to be British. I love being Polish and Slavic :-)
BTW, I spent a couple of years in India as well, does that mean I am now Asian? ;-p
Magdalena
15 Jan 2010
Love / English boyfriend coming to visit me in Poland [55]
Of course a hotel is better. Place yourselves in the parents' position for crying out loud! It's funny how voluntarily extended traditional Polish hospitality is now being used as a tool to kinda blackmail this particular family into compliance: if they don't want to have a complete stranger in their flat, they are un-Polish and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves! :-/
I for one (Polish) would rather have my daughter place her friend in a hotel, and then would ask him over for tea - if I decided I liked him I might consider a dinner invitation next time. Why I should feel obliged to unconditionally offer bed and board to a complete and utter stranger is beyond me. Especially so if I lived in a cramped flat!
Of course a hotel is better. Place yourselves in the parents' position for crying out loud! It's funny how voluntarily extended traditional Polish hospitality is now being used as a tool to kinda blackmail this particular family into compliance: if they don't want to have a complete stranger in their flat, they are un-Polish and should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves! :-/
I for one (Polish) would rather have my daughter place her friend in a hotel, and then would ask him over for tea - if I decided I liked him I might consider a dinner invitation next time. Why I should feel obliged to unconditionally offer bed and board to a complete and utter stranger is beyond me. Especially so if I lived in a cramped flat!
Magdalena
14 Jan 2010
Life / What I miss and don't miss about Poland [64]
They would have, if they could. The difference is that in the past, such kids would either drop out of school or be removed from mainstream education, whereas now, in the era of No Child Left Behind and All Must Win Prizes - these kids are kept in schools until they practically kill somebody.
Do you really beleive kids always brought knives, guns and drugs to school?
They would have, if they could. The difference is that in the past, such kids would either drop out of school or be removed from mainstream education, whereas now, in the era of No Child Left Behind and All Must Win Prizes - these kids are kept in schools until they practically kill somebody.
Magdalena
14 Jan 2010
Life / What I miss and don't miss about Poland [64]
I do not for one second believe that a greater percentage of kids today is "feral" or "vicious" than was several generations ago. I know a lot of contemporary teenagers, and they are - simply put - good people. Apart from that, I can still remember being a teenager myself, and most of the kids I used to know weren't werewolves either! I think you're just growing old and grumpy, Polonius! ;-p
They can be unruly and vicious or more unruly and vicious, depending on their mood.
I do not for one second believe that a greater percentage of kids today is "feral" or "vicious" than was several generations ago. I know a lot of contemporary teenagers, and they are - simply put - good people. Apart from that, I can still remember being a teenager myself, and most of the kids I used to know weren't werewolves either! I think you're just growing old and grumpy, Polonius! ;-p
Magdalena
14 Jan 2010
Life / What I miss and don't miss about Poland [64]
How about they are just normal kids with bad and good days? Do you really enjoy classifying and pigeon-holing everything and everyone?
Maybe it's a just an act and deep down they are the same kind of swiney slimeballs as their Brit or Yank opposite numbers.
How about they are just normal kids with bad and good days? Do you really enjoy classifying and pigeon-holing everything and everyone?
Magdalena
12 Jan 2010
Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]
literature - literatura, restaurant - restoran (sorry about the poor transcription), etc. etc. Borrowings are a natural part of any language. Russian has its fair share of them, just like English, French, German, Polish, Japanese... you get my drift. I don't get this uproar about there being "too many English words in Polish" - how about too many Latin words in English then? BTW, most of your so-called English borrowings in Polish are actually borrowings taken straight from Latin and Greek, as Strzyga has already pointed out.
People who get so excited about knowing some English that they actually replace Polish words with their English equivalents are quite another matter - I don't like those. Ponglish horrors such as "konto personalne", "płacić taksa" or "być bizy" make me see red. Interestingly, the people who express themselves in this manner usually have a very poor command of both Polish and English.
it has it's own Slavic words for Polish 'literatura', 'restauracja'
literature - literatura, restaurant - restoran (sorry about the poor transcription), etc. etc. Borrowings are a natural part of any language. Russian has its fair share of them, just like English, French, German, Polish, Japanese... you get my drift. I don't get this uproar about there being "too many English words in Polish" - how about too many Latin words in English then? BTW, most of your so-called English borrowings in Polish are actually borrowings taken straight from Latin and Greek, as Strzyga has already pointed out.
People who get so excited about knowing some English that they actually replace Polish words with their English equivalents are quite another matter - I don't like those. Ponglish horrors such as "konto personalne", "płacić taksa" or "być bizy" make me see red. Interestingly, the people who express themselves in this manner usually have a very poor command of both Polish and English.
Magdalena
11 Jan 2010
Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]
Parts of Dziady really rock though. I especially liked the parts taking place in Salon Warszawski and in Moscow. And Wielka Improwizacja is awesome! Quite apart from who Adam Mickiewicz was, and what he did right, and what he did wrong (I actually rather dislike him as a person).
:-)
Dziady
Parts of Dziady really rock though. I especially liked the parts taking place in Salon Warszawski and in Moscow. And Wielka Improwizacja is awesome! Quite apart from who Adam Mickiewicz was, and what he did right, and what he did wrong (I actually rather dislike him as a person).
:-)
Magdalena
10 Jan 2010
Language / że & iż [16]
In order for the Poles to be able to borrow "iż" from Czech, the Czechs would have to use it. They don't, and as far as I know, never did.
I said that the "iż" is a borrowing to Polish from Czech.
In order for the Poles to be able to borrow "iż" from Czech, the Czechs would have to use it. They don't, and as far as I know, never did.
Magdalena
10 Jan 2010
Language / że & iż [16]
Not true. The Czechs use "že" as well. ;-P
"Iż" is a borrowing from the Czech language
Not true. The Czechs use "že" as well. ;-P
Magdalena
6 Jan 2010
Language / Too many English words in the Polish language! [709]
Well, I do "know" English well enough, and PL - ENG translation forms at least 50% of the work I do ;-p
Do we really live on the same planet?
Europeans "know" English well enough to translate INTO a language which is not even their mother tongue???
Well, I do "know" English well enough, and PL - ENG translation forms at least 50% of the work I do ;-p
Prior to 1990, in the relatively good old days of pre-globalization madness, the role of the translator/interpreter served the ends of communication, cost be damned.
Do we really live on the same planet?
Magdalena
4 Jan 2010
Work / Education in Poland - system and structure [118]
I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Kids of all ages learned to get along and cooperate. There used to be no stronger ties of friendship than those from primary school.
Actually, I thought your opinion was based on something more substantial.
what kind of sensible establishment has 7 year olds in the same school as 14 year olds?
I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. Kids of all ages learned to get along and cooperate. There used to be no stronger ties of friendship than those from primary school.
Actually, I thought your opinion was based on something more substantial.
Magdalena
4 Jan 2010
Work / Education in Poland - system and structure [118]
And what was wrong with that system, pray tell?
They did improve things by abolishing the 8+4 system,
And what was wrong with that system, pray tell?
Magdalena
4 Jan 2010
Language / The Polish language - it's bloody hard! [210]
Or rather other unwilling inhabitants of the Nazi empire. Those who could remember the Habsburgs are all long dead now.
Then again, the latter holds true for most Eastern Europeans, particularly the Czechs and Hungarians, along with other former 'Hapsburgians'.
Or rather other unwilling inhabitants of the Nazi empire. Those who could remember the Habsburgs are all long dead now.
Magdalena
26 Dec 2009
Life / Lack of Spacial Acuity in Poland [69]
Have had a million similar experiences in London... Someone just keeps walking straight at me, and looks me straight in the eye all the while! And when I try to dodge, they dodge in the same direction, so impact is unavoidable ;-(
BTW, did you ever notice that in Poland, one side of the pavement is for people going up the street, and the other side of the pavement is for people moving in the opposite direction (totally unspoken agreement ofc)? Can't remember which side is which though, I've lived abroad too long I'm afraid! But it is true, and you can check it. So when you walk up the wrong "lane", people bump into you because they feel you shouldn't have been there in the first place and expect YOU to move out of the way. And of course to the untrained eye it doesn't look that orderly at all, it's just that people do usually manage to manoeuvre around each other without major hell breaking loose. Did you notice that it's not really all the pedestrians walking into each other all the time, it's usually a problem only the foreigner seems to be having?
Have had a million similar experiences in London... Someone just keeps walking straight at me, and looks me straight in the eye all the while! And when I try to dodge, they dodge in the same direction, so impact is unavoidable ;-(
BTW, did you ever notice that in Poland, one side of the pavement is for people going up the street, and the other side of the pavement is for people moving in the opposite direction (totally unspoken agreement ofc)? Can't remember which side is which though, I've lived abroad too long I'm afraid! But it is true, and you can check it. So when you walk up the wrong "lane", people bump into you because they feel you shouldn't have been there in the first place and expect YOU to move out of the way. And of course to the untrained eye it doesn't look that orderly at all, it's just that people do usually manage to manoeuvre around each other without major hell breaking loose. Did you notice that it's not really all the pedestrians walking into each other all the time, it's usually a problem only the foreigner seems to be having?