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Posts by Trevek  

Joined: 21 May 2008 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 12 Jun 2016
Threads: Total: 25 / In This Archive: 17
Posts: Total: 1699 / In This Archive: 1176 		From: Olsztyn
Speaks Polish?: not a lot
Interests: varied

Displayed posts: 1193 / page 4 of 40
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Trevek   
16 Apr 2012
Life / Polish interment practices...cemetary burial. [17]

Around here (Warmia-Mazury) a number of old cemeteries were flattened in the communist days (usually German/Evangelic) and turned into parks etc. That said, in many village cemeteries there are still many German graves. In some other places I've been (Suwałki, Podlasie) there are large, multi-faith cemeteries from well over a century back.

However, in many places there are still old plots. What has happened in some places is that the old headstones have been collected and turned into a kind of monument.

It's also worth noting that a few decades of Polish winters doesn't always treat a gravestone well, so they can be harder to read (if they still survuve) that one twice the age in Britain, for example.
Trevek   
11 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

Not totally... in Scotland, for example, there was a "Poles go Home" campaign and there was also a move to encourage large numbers to repatriate to the colonies (Africa, Australia etc)

marysia.co.uk/PERSONAL/PolishArmy3.pdf
angelfire.com/ok2/polisharmy/chapter7.html

addresses the question of "forced repatriations":

The historical record shows that even General Anders felt let down and betrayed by the Allies. Anders' views on the post-war settlement are discussed in chapter two but in relation to the British he wrote the following, in the English language version of his memoirs:

"They were, however, obviously sincere, and there was every reason for gratitude to them for the assurances they gave that no soldiers would be repatriated against their will, and that demobilisation would not be hurried. For me, there was, indeed, no alternative but to agree with their proposals. If I disagreed, I should have been asked, "what then ?" and have had no answer, while Britain, to her great credit, was the only country which realised that there was a moral obligation to these soldiers who had fought so long by the side of the Allies and which was therefore prepared to make provision for the future of all who would not risk returning home." [38]
Trevek   
11 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

The fact that their friends in the Red Army had destroyed what the the Nazis hadn't meant that the country was still going under massive reconstruction well into the 60s and early 70s so it's no wonder there was plenty of work around.

... and some of the bits the Nazis didn't destroy (former German industrial cities) were granted to Poland, so the industry was already there before the Sovs.
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

if the British hadn't handed Poland to the Russians on a golden plate & allowed Polish living standards to remain the same for 50 years

With the agreement and help of the US in making the decision.

I've heard British people don't like Polish.

Well, a British friend of mine who has lived about 20 years in Poland and teaches at the local university (and took his doctorate in Poland) recently had to suffer a door-to-door salesman shouting "Polska dla polaków" in his face because he refused to buy a new door. Are we to assume all Poles are the same?
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

Europe is being invaded by the third world and europeans are more concerned about the cultural differences between Americans and Canadians.

I wonder if the Americas said something similar when the Irish came over in force ;-)

But, to be honest, I don't think any discussion on this board, even if it manages to get above the mindless racism/ ethnocentrism which usually crops up, will have a major impact on anything.

If you are interested there is an Indian Canadian comedian named Russell Peters who makes fun of other cultures- he is really funny--not offensive- he makes fun of himself and his family and growing up Indian in Canada.

Thanks, I'll look him up.

Americans are louder and more in your face.

Funny, playing in a band with a Canadian and an American and it's the other way around.

I suppose Canadians are less "we're the best" than Americans because they still have a Queen in another country.
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

that's kind of what I was getting at with your "rock n roll" example. How that element of culture actually gets expressed in daily life in the U.S. is something pretty hard to define. Overall though, I think I see what you're getting at.

Agreed, but then we could also say there is no single R'n'R, I mean there are so many sub-genres and, in the early days, regional variations. They just come from a source which was formed by the "American experience" and operate with an identity known as Rock'n'Roll.

This is kind of what I'd say American culture is, it is something formed from the experience of different original/migrant cultures under the heading of "America". It only exists because "America" made it exist and evolve. It is only defined because those within it define themselves as "American" and recognise others, who may express it differently as fellow "Americans".

So, when Pip says

sorry, Canada and America are not the same culture.

, I'd suggest the main reason they aren't is because they recognise themselves as Candadian and American. Otherwise, apart from certain regional/ethnic areas, how exactly is the culture so different? Would you also say that the US culture on the Mexican border is the same as that on the Canadian border? Does the culture change noticeably and radically when you cross into Canada?

To use the comparison of Ukrainians, Germans is not a solid comparison because of the language difference, for one. However, in some cases, like Lemko, Hutsul etc, they were defined as Polish or Ukrainian at different times of the 20th century. Likewise, Mazurians and Warmians have skated the thin ice of being "German" or "Polish". Likewise, what happens when someone talks of "Slavonic culture"? Usually the idiosyncracies are overlooked in the search for a common culture.
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

There is but it's not what you make it out to be.
When you write that American culture is rock'n roll, what do you mean by that exactly?

Not so much much that American culture is rock'n'roll, rather than r'n'r is an element of American culture.

Well, all these styles are hybrids of other styles which have developed from American society, so original R'n'R came out of a meeting of a variety of other cultures (Black, Latino, White Southern rural), just as things like Blues developed from rural Black and White music, which transformed again when it moved into industrialised northern cities like detroit.

The popular cultural aspects of America reflect the social in many ways.

Of course, I haven't been to America, although I have relatives in Canada :-)

The thing is, when people talk about a "national culture", quite often it doesn't exist as a homogenous thing. I mean, you could ask, "What is Polish culture?" but the answer will differ at least slightly in different parts (so in warmia-Mazury they don't eat as much sheep cheese as in the Tatra mountains... indeed, there are hardly any sheep in WM). Likewise, the industrial culture of places like Śląsk are almost non-existent in places like Suwałki.

So, it doesn't take much to consider there isn't a single "American Culture" which is reflected across the board, except, perhaps, in some philosophies and ideologies (although that would be varied too).
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
Life / Polish word for 'queue' [18]

Personally I was gasping with horror when I saw English not washing their hands after walking out of toilet. I guess it's a matter of cultural difference then. Diversity.

I'd be pretty shocked too, as it certainly isn't a cultural thing (I know hardly anyone who doesn't do it). Maybe it's that the state of some public toilets in Poland they thought it safer not to chance washing their hands.

As for queueing, my "favourite" is when there is a whole line of people and one person says, "I\ve just got a question..." and the assistant stops serving to deal with that one person!
Trevek   
7 Apr 2012
News / Controversial exhibition of Hitler's Art in Szczecin, Poland [14]

''About 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps,"

Agreed, as the actor who played Mr Miyagi spent his childhood in one.

However, I said "Holocaust", which, if some historians are to be believed, you DO have to be Jewish.
Trevek   
7 Apr 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

Poland does not need immigrants.

Funny, in 17th and 18th century, Poland was doing pretty well from Scottish and Dutch immigrants, as well as being pretty multicultural in itself. Multiculturalism as a reality works... as a political policy, perhaps not so much.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't both the orthodox and protestant church (or their church services, respectively) made illegal in Poland-Lithuania and Poland during certain time periods?

Well during the counter reformation Poland refused to play and a lot of protestants came to Poland to escape persecution.
Trevek   
2 Apr 2012
Language / How similar are Polish and Romanian languages? [75]

I can tell you one thing, oldest letter of Romanian language was written in Serbian language,

Isn't Moldovian just like Romanian with a cyrillic alphabet?
Trevek   
2 Apr 2012
News / Controversial exhibition of Hitler's Art in Szczecin, Poland [14]

It is just another stupid decision. Why put it there? It is bound to annoy people?

Even if this was a joke, as suggested, then why shouldn't it be exhibited in Poland?

If the items had some kind of link with szczecin, why shouldn't they be shown there? I mean, there are museums to Auschwitz etc... and a Holocaust museum in USA, where there weren't even camps...

Why should an exhibition about AH be so contraversial, it's not like it would be glorifying him, is it? I mean... If I look at a painting by AHJ am I going to start getting a strange urge to raise my right arm and shout "Seig Heil?"
Trevek   
30 Mar 2012
Language / How similar are Polish and Romanian languages? [75]

as well as a sign of national identity and an ancient link to scriptures

I believe there is something in the Scriptures about the Tribes of Isarael returning and all speaking the one language (rather than the babel).

Glad you and I agree on the Irish "question".
Trevek   
29 Mar 2012
Language / How similar are Polish and Romanian languages? [75]

Maybe some Paddy can explain why the Israelis succeeded where the Irish failed to turn Gaelic into a living, main language.

Gaelic is a living language. It is also an offical language in Eire, used in education and government.

Israel had the situation where there were many people coming into the country who spoke different languages and needed a lingua franca. As many/most Jews would speak some Hebrew because of its use as a ritual language then it probably wasn't too hard to start using it as a day to day and administerial language. gaelic, on the other hand, was/is competing with English which the vast majority of Irish already spoke in some degree. Also, many Irish spoke no Gaelic at all so it was harder to make whole generations suddenly start speaking it when they could already communicate with other Irish people in English.

Couple this with the probable (?) lack of interest in Gaelic following the years of degredation/persecution under british rule, leading to it being considered a rural peasant language and something to be ashamed of.

(and I'm not irish).
Trevek   
29 Mar 2012
Travel / Any Halal Restaurants in Krakow? [34]

A bit far to travel, but there is actually a Halal kebab place in Olsztyn. The owner is Egyptian and has a certificate from the Imam in Warsaw to certify he uses Halal.
Trevek   
23 Mar 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

No we don't. We don't want become another UK with a lot oriental restaurants and pubs but no hardware shops.
Where buying a door lock is pain in the @$$ in the city with 200k inhabitants.

Don't worry Peter, I doubt Olsztyn will get many. Olsztyn now has an international reputation as a place full of racists thanks to pizza boy.
Trevek   
16 Mar 2012
News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]

Interestingly, the disparity seems to be dropping these days. My old uni is now 8000 for a year, but only 9250 from international students.

Interesting indeed. Is that non-EU? Of course, with the tightening up on international student visas and the drop of UK students, they probably have to keep the prices lower for non-EU.
Trevek   
16 Mar 2012
News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]

It's likely that some training is needed but honestly are these highly skilled positions they just can't fill no matter what? It is more than likely the pay is just too low.

True... but in Britain they call it "The-british-don't-want-to-work-syndrome" It translates as "they don't want to work for crappy money so we'll hire migrant workers who do".

It is more than likely the pay is just too low. It really is time that employers here started paying employess a wage that reflects the cost of living in Poland. Employers and business owners have always tried to pay as little as possible and then complain about the state of affairs in "THEIR" country but never spread the wealth. You think that changes or stays the same with immigration?

Well, it can change with migration into a country... the wages in a UK factory that I worked one summer (as a factory hand) hadn't moved in something like 5 years (probably because they worked with temps and the migrant workers would accept minimum wage). I have British friends who had to lower their prices because "we can get three Poles for your price"

I have spoken with people in Poland who find some firms do a crap job... then complain that they can't get the workers these days.
Trevek   
16 Mar 2012
News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]

With all those people leaving Poland, why would many people want to move there?

To fill the workplaces left by Polish emigres. I've heard of several firms complaining they can't get good labour.

I once taught English to managers in a big international firm in Poland. They said they had to get engineers from Lithuania "because all the Polish engineers are serving beer in London".

And British universities have been conducting educational fairs in India throughout the year (Why the hell they want Indians,who dont mix well,Dark skin to STUDY IN THEIR SOPHISTICATED IDIOTIC COUNTRY?

Becasue foreigners pay upto 4 times more for their course!
Trevek   
14 Mar 2012
UK, Ireland / Polish is an official language in the UK? [68]

It may or may not be a genuine sign, but considering all the Poles in the UK, there is NO excuse for such mistakes these days;

Well, how about this mistake in Wales:

The English is clear enough to lorry drivers - but the Welsh reads "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated."

When officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, they thought the reply was what they needed.

Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said in Welsh: "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated".

So that was what went up under the English version which barred lorries from a road near a supermarket.

"When they're proofing signs, they should really use someone who speaks Welsh," said journalist Dylan Iorwerth.

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7702913.stm
Trevek   
13 Mar 2012
History / A little reminder for those Brits that ***** about Poles [143]

They should have bombed German military installations as they promised.

Well, they bombed German naval targets on September 4th and continued sorties, even bombing the Ruhr and Monchengladbach in early 1940

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_bombing_during_World_War_II#The_Western_Front.2C_1939_to_June_1940
Trevek   
12 Mar 2012
History / A little reminder for those Brits that ***** about Poles [143]

There are many words in the dictionary to describe your goverment before during and after world war 2.
I'd choose vile.

As is your right (and it's nicer than many other words some would use).

However, you might also consider that Churchill didn't just have Poland to worry about... he had a whole empire to try to save. Not that makes him any better or worse for his actions, just helps explain them a little.