Travel / Old town Krakow, is it dangerous during Night time? [42]


Would you believe Roz, I've seen it!! It was at a bus stop in Willesden Lane in North London years ago. I was coming up one of the side streets, facing onto Willesden Lane and there was a bus stop with a shelter located directly across from me, right in my eyeline. There were a few people at the bus stop and one was a very scruffy, sort of wino type guy. He suddenly moved forward, walked to a grassy patch beside the bus stop, turned around facing the kerb, dropped his trousers and proceeded to answer the call of nature. It may have been a protest of some kind against the inefficiency of London Transport??

Real Estate / What do you think of my house in Poland? Pictures and description. [66]


What I meant is that I don't have any big worries about money!


What is your obsession with your muscles?? You referred to them in our last discussion as well.......I never even realised you had any until you made an issue of it.


Where did I do that? I said it was a beautiful old house which it is. Please do quote the part where I ridicule it from every conceivable angle.


No. I worked in one about a hundred years ago in Hampstead Village. But look it's easy enough to figure out the market and normal people discuss such things. Yes it's a lovely place but when it comes to selling, rural properties of that kind can be difficult to shift for the reasons I outlined, what's the big deal?


What I mean by love Yosie, is that I was lucky to have a loving mother and grandparents, then to have a happy marriage. Some people don't experience either.

Real Estate / What do you think of my house in Poland? Pictures and description. [66]


Ah no, the riches were on the wane for a long, long time. We were already well established distressed gentlefolk as my mother laughingly called it for many years before I was born.


Financially I lead an average life, no big money worries, no great riches, same as most people. And I know it sounds corny but a poor life is not one lacking in money. I've been very, very lucky in that I've always been loved, I was given an essentially sunny disposition and a happy outlook on life. I was blessed with talents and a joy in music, art, nature, a love of reading, all of those things that enrich life. To be lucky enough to be able to sing, paint a picture, you can't buy that. I remember reading years ago that if you live in an ugly place especially an urban one 'lift up your eyes to the ever changing panorama of the heavens'. To know that you can always find beauty somewhere is a wonderful thing. Some people can't find it in the world and that's a really poor life.

'Give me delight in simple joys
Craving not life's cheap, tinselled toys
And for the gifts thou dost impart
Give me dear God, a thankful heart'

Have to go and make meatballs now! Cheer up.

Real Estate / What do you think of my house in Poland? Pictures and description. [66]

Very interesting question Ziemowit (and very typically Ziemusz if I may say so!). Regarding photos, the copyright of the photos belongs to the photographer even after they are published. However he published them on the forum, thus giving the Mods the right to move them around according to where they feel they should go. I don't think that the OP has any right once he's posted the pics here to place restrictions about where on the forum they can go. I imagine, we all agree by default when we register, to whatever terms and conditions are imposed by the Mods and Admin.




Come, come now Yosie. What about your role models, you name checked the Dalai Lama at one point as 'an influence' in your world view. Remember what he says - 'try to practise tolerance and compassion'.

Real Estate / What do you think of my house in Poland? Pictures and description. [66]


I don't see what's spiteful about my comments. Could you be specific?

I don't feel any jealousy towards you. I don't aspire to own a large house in the country. I lived in one as a child and I know the pitfalls. Quite apart from the English relations, my Irish ancestors owned a great deal of land, several houses and even at one stage a plantation in Antigua. Quite frankly the ownership of all those assets were nothing but a drain on their resources and they were quite glad to be shot of them.

One relative in England acquired a very large estate in Cork from the Irish branch who mortgaged it to him when in financial difficulties. It ended up costing him an absolute fortune in repairs to the tenants' cottages etc. Here's what he wrote to his land agent 'The 500 pounds you have sent me is the first money I have ever received from Ireland. 500 pounds per decade can hardly be called a rewarding return on 60,000 pounds'. (This was around the end of the nineteenth century).

I know a few remnants of the old Anglo-Irish gentry and they spend tens of thousands ever year on upkeep and maintenance of what they've managed to hold on to.. Anyway although I love old buildings and gracious old houses for their beauty and history, I consider myself fortunate to live in modest comfort in a nice cosy apartment which provides adequately for the needs of myself and my little family. I am happy!

Real Estate / What do you think of my house in Poland? Pictures and description. [66]


I'm sure they do. They have all the pleasure of living in such a lovely place without the responsibilities attached to ownership.


Agree. That's the best way to view such a property. There's no reason it has to be sold during your lifetime. As long as you can keep it occupied, lived in by somebody, in good order etc it can always be passed on to the next generation of your family. Although hoarding wealth for future generations doesn't really sit that comfortably with your present politics!



That's what I thought - the old romantic fantasy of life as a country gentleman. Also from what you've said in other posts, you were a different person back then. I don't think (or at least I hope) that the Yosemite of 2016 would feel morally comfortable about a family of three living in a house of 17,000 sq metres in a country where there are families larger than that squeezed into 40sq metres. It just smacks too much of harking back to feudal days rather than moving forward to a fairer society.

Real Estate / What do you think of my house in Poland? Pictures and description. [66]


Here's a theory. The realities of living in and maintaining a property of that size are very different from the romantic fantasy. Such houses cost a great deal of money to live in and maintain properly. People forget that these houses originally functioned as businesses or retreats for those with plenty of money. The families that occupied these houses usually made their living from farming the surrounding lands and had a legion of tenants/labourers plus domestic staff. Otherwise they were the villas of those with inherited wealth who also had a house in town. These beautiful houses are a legacy of a completely bygone era. And in any case though it may be paradise for a child, what about when the child becomes a bored teenager who'd rather be hanging out in the city centre with their mates? Not to mention going away to study and the lack of any local employment opportunities. So they're not the most practical or appealing option for a modern family.

Unfortunately this property, lovely though it is, seems to fall between two stools. It's not quite swish enough to appeal to a Russian oligarch, it's not modest/manageable enough to tick the boxes for a person with a reasonable income from some business that can operate from the middle of nowhere (something internet based or maybe dealing in something stock-exchange-ish!). To convert it into a hotel, health farm or whatever would require substantial further investment and remodelling. And there's the question of turning it into a viable and thriving business once you've put that investment into it. The bottom line is that with a price tag of half a million euros it's expensive. Someone who can afford that for a holiday home has their pick of locations, someone who wants it as a business has to factor in the additional costs and risks associated so........poor old Yosie could be waiting a couple of years to find a buyer. It'll be very interesting to see how it pans out.

Genealogy / Looking for info on Romani name Goman and Siejanka Goman from a gravesite in one of Poland's cemeteries [33]

Hi Kasia. I've been doing a bit of googling and here's what I've come up with. The surname Goman seems quite rare and doesn't seem to be particularly associated with Roma but it is mentioned as a Jewish name. I came across a family called Goman who've been established in Minnesota for some years and marriage records show intermarriage with Polish families. There's a very active group called the Polish Minnesota Genealogical Society and it might be worth contacting them as they could possibly at least give you some information on the surname which is a starting point.

pgsmn.org

There's a John D Goman with a brother Roger, who has written a book about the Galicia region which was occupied by Russians at some point. There's a copy of it in the Society's library.

Also, if they are accessible online, did you think of looking in any local phone books or trade directories for the town of Bytom in case there's anyone of that name still living there. It seems that in Communist times there was a policy of encouraging Roma people to settle by offering certain perks and subsidies, housing etc. (By the late 1950s this had become a policy of forced settlement). It looks as if the Goman family may have been settled in Bytom if they acquired a plot and erected an expensive memorial. Are there any kinds of census records or anything from those days that might show whether they are recorded as living there?

Of course there's also the possibility that they weren't Roma at all......maybe the gypsy princess was a nickname she acquired during her lifetime because she was a dark, pretty little thing and maybe a bit wild, a little tearaway, 'ah she's a real gypsy princess that one.......'

Genealogy / Looking for info on Romani name Goman and Siejanka Goman from a gravesite in one of Poland's cemeteries [33]


I'm the mildest tempered of people, I just think you were rather rude to the OP and disrespectful to the memory of a dead child with your flippant comments about saving a pet rat. She may have died 60 odd years ago but she lived, and she was a human being. As a teacher I've spent so many years around children and their personalities even at the age of three are quite distinct and different from each other. She was a person, she mattered and she deserves to be respected even after she has left this world, not to be used as the butt of a silly, childish smarty pants attempt at a joke.

Genealogy / Looking for info on Romani name Goman and Siejanka Goman from a gravesite in one of Poland's cemeteries [33]



Perhaps gypsies weren't 'welcome' in the cemeteries and the authorities didn't like to sell them burial plots or perhaps if they were just passing through a town and therefore weren't local, again there may have been a reluctance to sell them burial plots. Also if they didn't have the means to acquire a plot they would simply have been buried in a 'pauper's grave'.

@Ziemowit, that's a very good idea to try to make contact with Roma in the district. If her death was significant in some way then her story would have been handed down in some form over the years. After all it's not that long ago. The only thing is how do you get in touch with Roma?

Genealogy / Looking for info on Romani name Goman and Siejanka Goman from a gravesite in one of Poland's cemeteries [33]

Kasia, just had another thought. If it would be possible to look at the history of what was going on in the town in 1954, I wonder if she died at the hands of the security forces or in some sort of incident,were there any attacks on Roma or was there any civil unrest or problems in the town at the time? A local museum or one of the universities in the region might be able to help. Really the sort of people you need to talk to are archivists, local historians and academics. I wonder would the local library have anything. Here's a link :

opac.biblioteka.bytom.pl/cgi-bin/wspd_cgi.sh/wo2_search.p?ID1=GIINILNLNMKEHCORKON&ln=p

I'm very intrigued! I love cemeteries and headstones, reading inscriptions and weaving stories in my head about the people. I think it's fascinating.

Genealogy / Looking for info on Romani name Goman and Siejanka Goman from a gravesite in one of Poland's cemeteries [33]


Can't see why that's relevant to the subject of the thread. No, I haven't been there but judging from the history and images of the place on the web, it doesn't seem much worse than anywhere else. Some lovely architecture, a bit of culture etc. Of course that doesn't capture the atmosphere which may well be depressing but as I say there's no point to your comments really.


You mean maybe she was strangled or kicked to death by someone whose pocket she was trying to pick? She died in the line of duty............

Would you like me to lend you a spade so you can dig yourself a bit deeper into the hole you're working on? Actually seeing as tomorrow is St Patrick's Day and your mother was Irish (or at least had an Irish surname) I'll let you have that spade for keeps. I'm sure you'll get plenty of use from it.

Genealogy / Looking for info on Romani name Goman and Siejanka Goman from a gravesite in one of Poland's cemeteries [33]

Well said Kasia. Doug what is the matter with you?? Considering your mature years one would expect a little more common sense if not common courtesy and decency from you. Why couldn't she die a heroic death? A ten year old girl in America recently died saving the life of a younger child by pushing him out of the way of an oncoming car and being struck herself as a result. A boy in Ireland was drowned a few weeks ago saving another boy who had fallen into a river. Or perhaps Siejanka Goman died of an illness like TB and bore her suffering with courage.

@ Kasia unfortunately probably the only way of discovering her story would be to go to Bytom, find the oldest person you can in the place and ask them if they know anything. However if she was Romany it's unlikely that the settled community would have taken much notice of her. Good luck with it anyway and do post again here if you solve the mystery.

UK, Ireland / Changing Polish Documents - Moving from Poland to UK [11]

@Hopsta, your wife doesn't need a Dowód (Polish ID card) if she's going to be living in England. Her passport is adequate. She's entitled to have a Dowód if she wants one but she doesn't need one. If it expires while she's in England it's not a big deal. She can simply get it renewed next time she's in Poland if she wants to. (She can't renew it in the UK). She can get her passport details changed and a new passport issued in the UK through the Polish consulate.

Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]


Why is that? Could you explain your reasons for feeling this way?

Law / Bring Ashes of Deceased Mother to Poland [6]

Also Grazia be sure that your family checks with the airline about regulations regarding flying with ashes. I believe there's some kind of paper work needed, deceased's death certificate etc. Otherwise they might not be allowed to bring the ashes on board if they are found in their hand luggage during a security check.

Love / Polish traditions and customs in a relationship - payments [39]

Irish courts don't ask you to prove much. You don't even have to prove that you've been living apart. In Ireland, to apply for a divorce you have to be living apart for four out of the previous five years (they don't encourage quickie divorces) but the court simply takes your word for it. The court will even accept that you were 'living apart' if you were still sharing the house! You just tell them that you were no longer living as man and wife and they will take your word for it. Simple as that. As for division of property:


But as she's not a 'dependent' in that she earns her own living and there are no children, I don't see any Irish judge giving her half of a house that was owned by her husband before they married.

Love / Polish traditions and customs in a relationship - payments [39]


Forgot to comment on this. Not if you get divorced in Ireland. We don't have a community property law. The court looks at what each person brought to the marriage and one half of the couple is not allowed to profit to an unreasonable degree from the divorce. Any property or money held by either of you or acquired during the marriage by either of you remains your own. In your case, as you already owned the house and have continued to pay the mortgage without any contribution from her, there is no way an Irish court would give her half.The only way the court will split it is if one party will be at a significant loss by not doing so. In your case, with no children, you will keep your house, your wife will keep her savings and you can have a clean split.

Love / Polish traditions and customs in a relationship - payments [39]

Skubus, there was a great American psychiatrist called William Glasser. He only died I think last year. Anyway the guy had common sense by the bucket load. He used to say 'if you keep what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting'. It's as simple as that. If she doesn't want to go to counselling and you don't want to leave her then nothing will change and you will just have to accept that's your marriage. That's what you've chosen and that's what you'll get for as long as you both want it that way.

Love / Polish traditions and customs in a relationship - payments [39]



Skubus, sorry but you really shouldn't be considering having a child with this woman. I hate to say this, but there's a strong possibility that if your wife gets pregnant, she will have the child, take her 90 grand and walk out of your life. That much money would set her up quite nicely in Poland. Furthermore she will feel that the child is 'hers' because she almost literally bought and paid for it ie paid for the fertility treatment. Polish women have a reputation for trying to keep fathers out of the childrens' lives once the marriage ends and if it's 'her' child, this will be even more so.

Love / Polish traditions and customs in a relationship - payments [39]

Do you mind me asking Skubus, how long have you known her and how long have you been married? Did you not live together beforehand? Did you never discuss money or share expenses before you got married ?

If she was putting her salary into a joint savings account for you and her as a family, with an eye to the future and kids, then I could possibly see her point. However I would say that it's quite common for Polish women to be rather distrustful of their men and she may be saving her money as a form of insurance to fall back on if the marriage doesn't work out. She benefits from being provided for by you but retains her independence because she has her own nest egg stashed away. I know it seems weird from an Irish perspective (I'm Irish) but to jest Polska and people think differently here. I could be wrong but I find Polish women have a very different outlook on life and relationships than Irish.

Travel / Misery /PRL era tourism in Warsaw [25]

@InPolska regarding Wiatraczna, I wasn't addressing you. It was an observation for anyone else who might be reading the thread and not know the district. I have no wish to converse with a woman who displays the manners of a backstreet Parisian brothel keeper.

Travel / Misery /PRL era tourism in Warsaw [25]


Wiatraczna is in Praga Południe.


Sezam? Oh, I loved it, especially the upstairs part with the household stuff. Some of it was terrible quality but they had nice crystal and china and such a mish mash of stock, it was very quaint. You could potter around there for hours. I got a lovely cast iron frying pan there about ten years ago. I still have it.

Language / Polish vs Russian: Which language sounds cooler? [21]

Prefer the sound of Russian. So does my husband, who's Polish. He says that when he was a child he loved listening to the Russian women in the market near his home. There are many similarities but Russian sounds more musical to me.

History / Teaching our kids about Poland's History [57]

Sorry but as a teacher of primary school aged children I would have to say that the Adam Zamoyski's book, excellent though it is (I have it on my own bookshelf) is completely unsuitable for the average child of that age. The child of ten is generally still a developing reader and even if fluent with an outstanding vocabulary, the intellectual concepts are beyond even a very bright child of that age. An extremely literate, well read child might be able to dip in and out of it but I'd say it would be more in the range of a fourteen to fifteen year old - and then only a very keen reader with an interest in history and genuine curiosity to learn about it.

Feedback / What made you join Polish Forums & whats attractive here? [29]


Crimes against Royalty would have been a treasonable offence at one time so I would take it to mean that being French is seen as a treasonable offence.

Off-Topic / Since (stupid) stereotypes (about other countries) galore... [10]

She's a hybrid. She's basically a mish mash of French, Spanish, Dutch and some other thing I've forgotten.

Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]


Never a truer word was spoken.


Plus fat people and women who buy cheap underwear in supermarkets - quelle horreur!

Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

Seriously now InPolska, your tone of voice when you speak about the lower classes in Poland is usually contemptuous. I'm afraid you sound like an intellectual and cultural snob. Being the linguist that you are, you must be familiar with the German phrase that translates as 'the tone makes the music?'

UK, Ireland / Why English do not like Polish? [417]


Except for the fact that by your own admission you can never hang on to your Polish friends - why would that be I wonder?


That's InPolska's answer to everything. Become a 'leengweest' like herself. Or alternatively people could learn to paint in oils, embroider, bake light and fluffy sponge cakes, ride a horse, build a garden shed, change their own spark plugs and engine oil.......the possibilities for extending one's horizons are endless and are not confined to languages and travel.

'But why should I wish to do such things? If I want a painting I will buy it, if I want a cake I will buy it, if I want a garden shed I will pay someone to build it for me, in any case I DESPISE garden sheds!! As for spark plugs and engine oil, if I owned a car (the public transport in Warsaw is a disgrace not like la belle France and the other fifty countries I have lived in), why should I wish to make my lady fingers filthy with engine oil?'