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Posts by Softsong  

Joined: 2 Sep 2007 / Female ♀
Last Post: 16 Sep 2014
Threads: Total: 5 / In This Archive: 0
Posts: Total: 492 / In This Archive: 240
From: USA, Myrtle Beach
Speaks Polish?: No
Interests: History of Poland, psychology, music

Displayed posts: 240 / page 4 of 8
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Softsong   
21 Mar 2011
UK, Ireland / Poles in Ireland by Peadar de Burca. They "turned their backs on a country that gave them" [195]

My ex-Polish boyfriend moved to Ireland during the boom, and he and his wife are still there. They are very happy and bought a new house last year, and welcomed their first child a few days ago. When they arrived in Ireland they had another couple for roommates. Now they are on their own. No working 22 hours or sharing with 19 other migrants.

They like that they were able to make a great life, and yet it is close enough to go back home to Poland often.

In 2008 I visited them in Ireland and the country is as green as they say. It does rain at inconvenient times, but the weather goes from rain to sun and back again in short order. And the climate is relatively mild.
Softsong   
20 Mar 2011
Travel / Is Poland worth visiting? [35]

I think the important thing is if the song (or book, film...) was made for your countrymen or for foreigners.

I had not thought of it that way, but yes. That makes sense. Now you have me curious and I will probably look up those other songs. However, I'll never know what it is they said. I only know a few words in Polish.

As for your English....it is very good. Any little imperfection adds charm. I love accents. And I especially love Polish accents. How cool that you want to share your country and life with English-speaking people and have made a song in our language. And it is nice for us to hear that you are Polish, not English, not American. :-D

I sent the video to many of my friends and everyone was very positive. In fact, a sociology professor with a PhD from Alabama who is also a musician enjoyed the slide guitar. He has also expressed the thought that maybe he will visit Poland one day. See? It has had a good effect.
Softsong   
20 Mar 2011
Travel / Is Poland worth visiting? [35]

In all fairness to the song, how many songs do you know that include negatives about a place? Usually when we sing about something, we extol the virtues. So, I think the song is great just as it is. :-)

I grew up in the USA, but I enjoyed every minute in Poland. The roads, everything. If I wanted to see lots of interstate highways, I would stay home. Instead, I traveled down some dirt roads in the countryside (thank goodness for GPS), that looked a bit like the dirt road in the video that turns to a snow covered scene.

Being from the north in the USA, I am used to people being a little distant in public till you get to know them. I did not find anyone rude in Poland. Once three years ago, in Gdańsk, I was lost walking and noticed a reluctance to help me, but it was more like people were busy during rush hour and had other things on their mind.
Softsong   
19 Mar 2011
Travel / Is Poland worth visiting? [35]

Thanks for posting the video.

P.S. Love listening to the slide guitar.
Softsong   
19 Mar 2011
Travel / Is Poland worth visiting? [35]

Thanks! I'll check it out!

Now I remember the name of the place I was thinking about. Biskupin.
Maybe next time I am in Poland I can ride the train at Jędrzejów.
Softsong   
19 Mar 2011
Travel / Is Poland worth visiting? [35]

I liked your video. Thank you for sharing it with us. The song is catchy, and the pictures show the contrast between the cities, countryside, seashore and mountains.

The video is heartfelt, and makes me feel happy. It is well done with an endearing touch of homespun.

Is the train the one that is at the ancient lake settlement?
Softsong   
17 Mar 2011
Genealogy / Family name Kustosz [13]

Genealogy is BIG in the USA now. Some of us began way before it became so popular. A TV series that ancestry.com sponsors follows famous movie stars and other people finding their roots.

So, yes, other people besides Poles search for their ancestors, and better yet, cousins on the other side of the pond.

You can verify if there is a connection when you also find out the names of your grandparent's brothers and sisters, or your great grandparent's brothers and sisters. Most people only know the straight line they descend from. So, if you know the branches of your straight line, you can confirm that they are related.

Or, you can really get into it and take Y-DNA samples to see if males of a common surname are related. :-)
Softsong   
17 Mar 2011
Genealogy / Family name Kustosz [13]

I was in Ostrowite, Poland this past July!

It's a lovely little village on a small lake with it's own post office. The main town near Ostrowite is Rypin. (If it is the same Ostrowite). Sometimes there are a number of small villages in various places throughout Poland with the same name.

My grandmother lived in a nearby village called Przyrowa. The whole area is dotted with glacial lakes and rye fields.

Right now, there are some beautiful lots for sale on the lake. If I could move back to Poland, this is where I would make my home.

Here is a google map showing you the location of this Ostowite which was part of Russian-Poland at the time your ancestor emigrated.

maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Ostrowite,+Poland&aq=&vps=1&sll=53.065564,19.36203&sspn=0.044665,0.175781&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Ostrowite,+Rypin+County,+Kuyavian-Pomeranian+Voivodeship,+Poland
Softsong   
8 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

Well, I may take you up on this someday Harry and Delph. I would love to volunteer at any of those places. I'm a mixed breed (Polish and German descent) third-generation American and I never claim to be Polish or German. But I do love Poland. You can have a fondness for a country, even though you know you belong to another one.

I've been to Poland three times and each time my heart swells with love for the people and the land. I have been tempted to retire there. Not sure how it work out being that I am not an EU citizen. Or how my small social security from the States would work out, if there was a way for an American to stay there. I suppose there is some basis that I could get either German or Polish citizenship based on my ancestry, but then I would be a "traiter" to the country of my birth, if I were to listen to your reasoning. And it would be hard for me to leave my grand kids behind in the USA. Their lives are here.

And this last time in Poland, I did help. It was not a tourist trip, but a trip to all the places where my family once lived and I contributed to the upkeep of the local cemetery, and the church. Not much, but I am a grandmother with two grand kids to support. But to have Poland in my heart, why should I have to brag about something that I did for Poland? It is enough to have an interest in, and good wishes for Poland, IMO.

I also believe isthatu2 has a good point, that here in the States those further removed from their roots can be the most vocal and yet the most uninformed about current things in the old country. It's an understandable thing though. It seems that a lot of these threads degenerate into who loves Poland more. I would love to see it more that anyone who has an interest is welcome here. Granted there are those whose "love" of Poland is a rant about other countries, and they seem racist. There is nothing that says we have to like them as individuals, but why make all people feel that they have to pass some kind of test to be interested in Poland.
Softsong   
8 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

The thread did veer off topic, but I believe that the majority of people on this forum would agree that getting "everything back" is more trouble than it is worth.

There are always some who would want to pursue it, but the course of wisdom is to leave things as they are with all the neighboring countries of Europe getting along peacefully.
Softsong   
7 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

I wonder if any polls exist that measure the level of racism of amongst Polonia

There must be as sociologists study just about everything. I am looking but so far have not hit on the right search. I did find an article about Polonia that touches on the subject.

"...... Poles, Slovaks, Russians and Jews mingled together quite often. Poles are present also among other exotic immigrants just like in takes place in Detroit. It is amazing how well Poles and other nationalities can coexist together here in America whereas their mutual history in Europe was sometimes so violent."

culture.polishsite.us/articles/art49fr.htm
Softsong   
7 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

I always knew, you're a little hippie, (lol)

Yeah...kind of. lol

But, in school there was no choice! It was part of our assembly hall program. It was cool though to have famous people visit and lead the group.

I had a hard time being accepted there, at first, too. There was about 3% White students in the school. I was always threatened to be beat up after class. But the kids in my own class came to see that I was open-minded and they would walk me to the bus stop and tell the others that I was o.k.
Softsong   
7 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

Would you agree that there is far more racist rubbish posted here by Polonia than by Poles?

Not sure how to answer this, but in general people who are fearful and/or less educated tend to be racist. If you are in Poland and not worried about people coming for your jobs or whatever you think will happen as a result of immigration, you may not think to post racist stuff.

If you have a tenuous thread on your economic situation and you see someone coming into the country where you live, it is easier to demonize them as being bad because of your own fears. I no longer live near major centers of Polonia. So it would be hard for me to give first-hand experiences.

Some here on the forum have made the distinction between large centers of Polish immigrants in the USA who are still Polish citizens, those who have naturalized and still live near other Polish citizens in the USA, and those who had a Polish ancestor and could live anywhere in the USA. It would be interesting to be able to compare their attitudes. But like with any other thread on PF, the answer usually is that it is hard to generalize. There are very open-minded people and closed-minded people in all walks of life.

Maybe some Polish-Americans think that they will be better received on PF if they show just how "Polish" they are by how anti-anything else that has ever threatened Poland they are.
Softsong   
7 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

Thanks for the additional information skysoulmate. Very true about racism. I remember how when I lived up north, neighborhoods could be broken up by hinting that Blacks were moving in.

I actually lived through the mandated integration of the public schools in NYC. Where neighborhoods were Black and the students all Black, a certain amount of White students were bused into the Black neighborhoods from adjoining neighborhoods. I would be listening to Harry Belafonte lead civil rights songs in our auditorium, as we all joined hands singing "We Shall Over Come." I really began to forget that I was a descendant of Poles and Germanic people.

When I moved down south, I did see a few KKK parades in South Carolina. But, yes, for the most part, the KKK is seen in a very negative light by most people north and south.

Fear makes people do strange and hateful things from time to time. Thank goodness that era is over.
Softsong   
7 Mar 2011
History / When will Russia and Germany return the things they took from the Polish in Poland ? [49]

I have not researched the KKK, but generally speaking, I doubt most Polish immigrants (at least the ones from the early 1900's) would join such a group.

Most immigrants come to the USA in the north where of course racism exists, but the KKK was most active in the south.

Interesting question though, maybe I'll dig around and look. O.K. The KKK formed largely in the 1920's and in addition to being against Blacks and Jews, they frowned on immigration. At that time there was the belief that northern Europeans were superior to eastern Europeans and southern European immigrants. Plus the KKK was Protestant. Therefore, not only would it be odd for a Pole to join this group, they would be considered undesirable and not allowed.

ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Imm_KKK/anti-immigrationKKK-page1.htm
Softsong   
7 Mar 2011
Genealogy / Aleksiewicz Surname - Looking for my ancestors [10]

Here is a map that shows where people with a certain last name are concentrated in modern Poland. I searched for Aleksiewicz, you could also put in the variant name of Alexsiewicz in the search field to get an idea where to look in Poland.

moikrewni.pl/mapa/kompletny/aleksiewicz.html

That is what I did with my surname of Bubacz. This can be helpful if the surname is relatively rare. Since the name Bubacz was most highly concentrated in the Poznan area, I went to the Poznan Marriage Project to search for a marriage record. I knew the names and date of birth of the bride and groom as well as the names of their parents, so if they were from the Poznan area, it would be easy to find the right record. I lucked out after searching for years in the USA to find some record to get me across the ocean to Poland. None of the ship's records, or naturalization records told what area they were from other than Prussian Poland.

In your case, your bride and groom were born after the time period covered by the Poznan Marriage Project, but I searched for the name Aleksiewicz/Alexsiewicz to see what parishes in Poznan had people with this last name.

bindweed.man.poznan.pl/posen/search.php#search

Results for 'Aleksiewicz'
Exact matches:

Found 4 exact matches

Catholic parish in Grodzisk Wielkopolski [Grätz], entry # 21 in 1838 score: Groom: 100%

Thomas Aleksiewicz (26)

Rosalia Kandulska (25)

Catholic parish in Grodzisk Wielkopolski [Grätz], entry # 32 in 1869 score: Bride: 100%

Joseph Golczak (23)

Susanna Aleksiewicz (24)

Catholic parish in Rajsko, entry # 18 in 1843 score: Bride: 100%

Paulus Błaszczak

Catharina Aleksiewicz

Catholic parish in Słupca, entry # 38 in 1865 score: Groom: 100%

Laurentius Aleksiewicz (21) father: Nepomucenus, mother: Rosalia

Antonina Byczkoska (20)
Approximate matches

Catholic parish in Ociąż, entry # 3 in 1833 score: Bride: 79%

Simon Borkowski (27)

Francisca Aleksiewiczówna alias Liskiewicz (20)

Catholic parish in Dębowo, entry # 18 in 1869 score: Bride: 75%

Antonius Grzybowski (24) father: Andreas, mother: Marianna

Agnes Alexiewicz (24) father: Joseph, mother: Marianna

Catholic parish in Słupca, entry # 17 in 1835 score: Groom: 75%

Nepomucenus Alexiewicz (40) father: Thomas, mother: Helena

Rosalia Rewers (25) father: Simon +, mother: Victoria Kornat Additional information: wdowiec po Zofii Gładyszewskiej

Catholic parish in Słupca, entry # 10 in 1839 score: Bride: 75%

Vincentius Constantinus Pawłowski (46) father: Simon +, mother: Constantia +

Agnes Elmer nee Alexiewicz (39) father: Alexander +, mother: Catharina Additional information: wdowiec po Agacie Chmielewskiej/wdowa po Piotrze Elmer zm. 1817

Catholic parish in Słupca, entry # 20 in 1849 score: Bride: 75%

Joseph Chojnacki (24)

Rosalia Alexiewicz (35) Additional information: vidua

Catholic parish in Słupca, entry # 13 in 1858 score: Bride: 75%

Stanislaus Podgorski (28)

Magdalena Alexiewicz (18)

Catholic parish in Słupca, entry # 14 in 1864 score: Groom: 75%

Adam Alexiewicz (21)

Ludovica Jarecka (24)

Catholic parish in Wronczyn, entry # 9 in 1855 score: Bride: 75%

Stephanus Kryzaniak (29)

Eleonora Alexiewicz (25)

I found Regina Dąmbek by her married name of Regina Aleksiewicz in the Social Security Death index. The index is free. For a fee, you may apply for a copy of her original application filled out in her own handwriting. The application usually lists the names of her parents. Once you know her parent's names, you may find the above information on the Poznan Marriage Project of more value to you. :-)

ALEKSIEWICZ, REGINA 29 Sep 1893 Mar 1969 75 03466 (West Chesterfield, Cheshire, NH) (none specified) Vermont 008-38-9235
Softsong   
6 Mar 2011
History / Slavic vs Germanic thinking.... and the philosophical differences [251]

Well if it makes you feel better he was in his 40s-50s

Sooner or later it happens.

Well, I am a little chubby, but I have hair like Stevie Nicks so I guess I am in no danger of being bald anytime soon. :-)

softsong and I are friends.

Yes...we are. There are only a few people I dislike. lololol
Just kidding guesswho. I must be in a silly mood today.

((((((((guesswho))))))))
Softsong   
3 Mar 2011
Travel / The best surfing beaches in Poland? [12]

When I was in Gdańsk, the surf looked pretty flat. I'm not a surfer, but my sons are and so I noticed. There are some spots though along the Baltic, and here is a site that shows the most popular:

wannasurf.com/spot/Europe/Poland/
Softsong   
22 Feb 2011
History / If Poland didn't exist, how did citizens become Polish? [57]

*Blushes* Awwwww....I love it! Thanks!

I know what you mean though. I love the South in the USA, but the first time someone called me Ma'am when I was merely twenty-something, I felt ancient!