News / Warsaw's silent march in support of 5th Commandment - Thou shalt not kill [75]


The point that I'm making is that once upon a time when marriage was the norm, there was still domestic violence. It's not necessarily associated with an unmarried state. You're the one who started this, so it's up to you to provide the proof that backs up your claim. You can't use America as an example. You would need corroborating evidence from a number of countries in order to have a case. You're constantly attacking others for presenting anecdotal evidence and then you do exactly the same thing yourself with the 'everybody knows' 'ask any policeman' routine. Not on I'm afraid. Put your money where your very big mouth is.

The other point Polonius is that stats only tell partof a story. You have to look at other factors apart from the married or unmarried state of the couples and then correlate the results to get a more accurate picture . Apart from their socio-economic group there's factors such as whether there are other issues like alcohol or substance abuse, a history of mental health problems, money worries, a bereavement in the family or other stress factors. Anger management and stress are issues for people of all social classes, educational levels etc. As you said yourself domestic violence can occur in a stable, prosperous family not just amongst the poor and disadvantaged.

News / Warsaw's silent march in support of 5th Commandment - Thou shalt not kill [75]


Not necessarily. But if you want get into stats, there's loads of information out there from reputable sources regarding the EU which is really more relevant when discussing Poland. Also bear in mind that domestic violence has existed ever since men and women began living together in whatever form and that in the USA or Ireland or Poland of fifty years ago when people generally got married, there were plenty of women knocked about by violent husbands. Being married made no difference. Anyway this tragic case from Poland has less to do with domestic violence and is more along the lines of a crime of passion. It's about hate,rage, vengeance etc and as other posters have pointed out, you are using it in a very callous manner to give you an excuse to discuss one of your, let's call it, areas of interest.

News / Warsaw's silent march in support of 5th Commandment - Thou shalt not kill [75]


Off-topic. Not related to Poland. Mods, where are you?

Language / "Pan" or "Ty" - how people address each other in Poland? [55]


Isn't it both? I mean the word 'sie' is used for you formal, you plural and they.

Language / "Pan" or "Ty" - how people address each other in Poland? [55]


You do indeed but there's nothing wrong with that. A bit of 'temperament' is a good thing, as long as it works both ways for you. It can mean an added passion for life and joie de vivre, n'est ce pas? Better than being a dull pudding of a woman.


InPolska, being condescending is my area of expertise!

Well I"d say that French culture has its own formalities which are perhaps more subtle than Polish, but they exist all the same.

Language / "Pan" or "Ty" - how people address each other in Poland? [55]


Yes Pol, I understand that. I've been listening to people talking Polish for many years now (and I'm finally beginning to understand some of it!). It's normal to use the christian name with the Pan prefix. That's why I was confused by InPolska saying that she uses people's first names, I thought she meant without any prefix which, in my opinion, would be quite rude. You simply do not use the 'ty' form with someone you've just met or indeed with anyone unless they tell you to drop the Pan/Pani. I also know about the old custom of addressing people by their professional titles but then the Germans and Austrians used to do that with their Herr Doktor etc and even Frau Doktor to the wife of the doctor. I can't agree with InPolska that it's eastern.


Why is that? Look, if you're not on first name terms with people and that person has a professional title by which society normally addresses them, then it's correct form to use it. To be honest I think it's somewhat ill-mannered to do otherwise and suggests that you yourself have issues around self-assurance. Do you feel it diminishes you in some way to acknowledge that the person is a doctor?? Interestingly in the British Isles anyway, a surgeon is always addressed as Mr and they're quite snobbish about it. They don't want to be confused with a common or garden GP, a mere MD. At one time they were addressed as Surgeon so-and-so but that's way back in the 1700s.

Language / "Pan" or "Ty" - how people address each other in Poland? [55]


But does that mean that you then address them with the 'ty' form?

Food / Best Polish Potato Variety for Mashing [67]

I love how you managed to discuss your potatoe eating habits whilst staying on the topic of Poland! Yes, I would agree that spuds still rule in Poland. Please mods, may I draw a comparison between Ireland and Poland which demonstrates this point? Pick up a house wifey type magazine at random in a Polish shop and look at the recipes. They're still heavily potatoe based with maybe a bit of makaron. Pick up a magazine in Ireland and the recipes vary widely with a lot of stuff that would be considered quite exotic by Polish standards. I mean in Ireland I can go into any supermarket and pick up something like Chinese Five Spice. I can't do that in Poland.

Firstly you have to live in a city of some size and secondly you have to shop around and maybe make a special trip to a different part of town or buy online. The international cookery section in my local Auchan contains such delights as HP Sauce (!!!!) and Blue Dragon ready made sauces, not even a bit of Colman's mustard. They have Thai curry sauce but no curry paste for making your own sauce. Interestingly in the main spices section they now have packs of ground Cardamom (no pods) with Nowosc! proudly displayed on the packs. So that kind of puts it in perspective.

I suppose now the topic has strayed too far from potatoes..........but weave them together nicely by commenting that Indians use many spices in their potatoe dishes. What about samosas for example, utterly yummy.

News / Stronger Russia, safer Poland, in world that globalize - is this be truth? [53]


Yes but they don't have one.

News / Stronger Russia, safer Poland, in world that globalize - is this be truth? [53]

I saw a documentary a few years ago, where the British writer and broadcaster Michael Palin visited Russia and he was talking to some young, well educated Russians about politics. Their attitudes were quite extraordinary. Democracy wasn't much favoured, as if they feel it won't work in their culture. There was a consensus that Russia needs a 'strong leader'. It was as if they feel more comfortable being dictated to, makes them feel secure.

Food / Best Polish Potato Variety for Mashing [67]


Well not quite. Many Irish people, particularly those under forty, don't eat spuds at all or even pasta. They might eat a bit of rice but they try to stay off carbs and eat mostly salads, veg, fish, chicken. The average Irish family now eats quite a bit of rice, noodles and pasta as well as spuds. The days when people insisted on spuds with their lasagne and coffee meant Nescafe or Maxwell House are long gone!

Stick to the Poland please

Food / Best Polish Potato Variety for Mashing [67]

Well you know how much we Irish love our spuds!

Food / Best Polish Potato Variety for Mashing [67]


That sounds lovely. I might try that.

News / Our (UK) Trash tabloid has this exclusive story on the Sobibór Nazi death camp in south-east Poland [35]

Reminds me of Little Britain. Do you remember the character at the heath spa who never paid her bills? 'Call me Bubbles dahling, everyone does'.

Life / Do Polish children have a typical bedtime? [11]

Yes, in my experience the children here tend to be allowed to stay up quite late. I think it's partly because the flats are very small and as the kids may not have a bedroom, it's easier to just let them stay up than try to get them to sleep while life for the adults is carrying on as normal around them.

News / Our (UK) Trash tabloid has this exclusive story on the Sobibór Nazi death camp in south-east Poland [35]

Well, look, I'd say that this:

a) it's quite possible that graves were looted at some point. Looting happens in war time and the bodies of fallen soldiers are looted and robbed too so it's just a horrible aspect of human nature.

b) I agree that the story doesn't make it clear when the looting supposedly took place, how recent was it?
c) I don't think the story is a complete fabrication as the museum authorities are quite at liberty to come out and make a statement to that effect ie there's been no looting that we know of. They haven't done that so far and the story has now broken worldwide and is being reported by many other newspapers so if it's all nonsense then I'd expect the museum to say so at some point quite soon.

News / Our (UK) Trash tabloid has this exclusive story on the Sobibór Nazi death camp in south-east Poland [35]

Both. In some cases graves were looted many years ago and she talks about looting in the Netherlands so if it happens in Poland, it's just part of a sad and shameful pattern but that's life isn't it? You know the old saying, 'there is so much bad in the best of us and so much good in the worst of us that it ill-behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us.'

News / Our (UK) Trash tabloid has this exclusive story on the Sobibór Nazi death camp in south-east Poland [35]

G -what-ever- you-call-yourself, what are you in such a lather about? These things do happen you know.

'looting at Holocaust sites is a widely recognised issue amongst museum and memorial custodians'. quote from Holocaust Archaeologies: Approaches and Future Directions By Caroline Sturdy Colls

Food / Best Polish Potato Variety for Mashing [67]

Yes, my husband used to eat the mashed potatoes with onion and zsiadłe mleko when he visited his great grandparents farm. He still likes to eat that combination in summer sometimes. He also loves potatoes with koperek.

Food / Best Polish Potato Variety for Mashing [67]

Bless me Father for I have sinned. I disobeyed my husband and bought Amerykanki as suggested by Polonius. (You see what a bad influence you are Polly??) Anyway I didn't mash them because we didn't want mash that day, but I have to say they're the best so far. Nice flavour and not as soapy as the other varieties. Not in the same league as Irish Roosters but a reasonable substitute. Honesty compels me to admit that my husband was with me at the time, so I didn't really disobey him, I was given the green light but that's alright - I put he disobedience on account and save it up for another occasion. I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities! I will report again when I eventually get round to mashing them.

UK, Ireland / Why do UK people look down on us? Maybe because plenty of Polish people work in the sex and cleaning industry? [51]

Roz is right. The subject of the thread is British attitudes towards Poles. You can't discuss the subject without focusing on Brits. However Roz I wouldn't bother wasting any more of your time and intelligence on it. It's just more tedious rubbish.

Life / Can I sell my used clothes in Poland? [21]

You could donate them to the Sue Ryder shop in Warsaw. It's the only charity shop, as far as I know, in the style of the British Isles where the proceeds go to help people in need. But I'm sure if you approach a priest he could advise you about how to get them directly to the needy.


Shizuka doesn't sound like a Western name. And actually Ktos Westerners are far more charitable than Poles. That's not Poland's fault, that's a legacy of Communism and the type of society it created and hopefully it will change in time,but it is a fact that ordinary people in the West on the whole do far more to fund raise, donate, volunteer and directly help others etc than Poles.

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]


Oh indeed, so he dismisses the reflective life of prayer led by the contemplative orders? That doesn't sound like JPII to me. They withdraw from the world in order to pray for and ease the burden of those who choose or are obliged to live in that world. And what you're doing Polly is not evangelising.

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]

Yes, but this is nothing to do with feminism. This is to do with language and how it constantly evolves. Loan words, foreign expressions, techno jargon etc. Personally I find text-speak as I call it with all that 4u, etc far more cringe inducing.

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]


No, it's a much older word than that. Human beings have existed for quite a long time Polly.


You poor, precious, sensitive darling. You should really lock yourself away in a monastery so that you're not further contaminated and I'm sure the missus as you refer to her would be happy to go to a nunnery, after all she couldn't be left in the world to be contaminated. God love her, the poor woman what she has to put up with.........

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]


They are free to choose their own work so there's no fidgeting. They generally find something they want to do and settle to it. As for the unruly ones, they also find something to interest them and the work calms them. If a child can't settle I simply have the child sit with me. I I might say 'you're wandering around and annoying people, stopping them from doing their work which they don't like. Now if there's nothing you want to do I shall have to ask you to sit with me for a while as we can't have you disturbing busy people.' If I have time I might do an activity with them. If not they'll have to sit there and watch whatever I'm doing which they usually enjoy. Sometimes I might be giving a lesson to another child and the fidgety one will actually take a great interest it, just as an observer.


That doesn't happen in Montessori schools.


Also doesn't happen.


I have in mainstream schools but any teacher worth her salt puts a stop to that very swiftly. Any bullying in my class was always pretty mild, trivial stuff and I nipped it in the bud immediately. You have to be a very good observer of children and spot what's going on before it gets established.

It's hard to understand I know, but if you get the children into Montessori when they're three years old and you have three years with them until they're six, by the time they get to seven, they will not bully anyone or give trouble to a teacher. Of course I'm talking about proper Montessori schools not half-baked things that use the name and don't really practise the method

"The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined, is that of the difference between good and evil; and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility, and evil with activity, as often happens in the case of the old-time discipline." Maria Montessori. Great woman Montessori.


What are you talking about? I never mentioned humankind. Oh yes, I did, way back posts ago. What's wrong with it, it's a perfectly valid word in its own right.

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]

Every sensible person knows that the term 'man' simply refers to the human race and is entirely neutral.

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]


Yes that's a disgusting practice which I'm glad to say we never had in Ireland to my knowledge but which my husband tells me was the norm in Poland and may still be for all I know. He told me about a custom of sending round a statue of Our Lady I think it was, together with a list of all the households in the parish. The statue had to be kept in the house by each parishioner for a few days and then they had to make a donation and put the amount they were giving on the list. Imagine the shame some people felt at only having a small amount to give and the fact that they probably had to go without some item of food or something else essential.

There's a book you might enjoy Johnny called 'To School Through The Fields:An Irish Country Childhood' by Alice Taylor. Irish children in rural areas, like yourself walked many miles through the fields in all weathers to school in an unheated schoolhouse. Children were generally expected to bring a sod of turf for the fire and in some schools those who didn't do so were given the leather or the stick by a harsh schoolmaster.


The only downside is when teachers don't understand the philosophy behind it and start to mess with it. If you follow the method correctly it works for everyone. The reason for that is because Montessori wasn't a theorist, she didn't come up with ideas based on how she thought children should behave or how they should learn. She observed thousands of children over her lifetime and designed her philosophy and her learning materials based on the childrens' natural behaviours.


Yes it's a man-made system but divinely inspired. Dr Montessori was a deeply spiritual person. She was a devout Catholic but she respected all religions and spent six years in India. She had an experience similar to that of Froebel when he was returning from the Napoleonic wars when she encountered a mother and child begging in the streets of Rome and knew that her life must be dedicated to such children. She began her work with the deaf and mentally disabled. She then went on to bring her system to the street children of Rome in the first Montessori schools. She was nominated three times for the Nobel peace prize which not many people realise. Anyway she was a very special person.

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]


No, that wasn't me. Absolutely not. That term was used by someone called, I believe called Old British Bird (I think she was a guest poster). She used the phrase 'evil old man in a dress' and I asked her if she was referring to the pope or priests in general. I think Rozumiemnic has also used that term 'man in a dress' but I can't be absolutely certain. I don't regard priests as evil nor do I think of them as men in dresses so I would never use such a term.


No. I trained through the Montessori system, no incentives, no rewards. You might find this interesting:
examiner.com/article/rewards-montessori-classrooms-come-from-within-the-child

Life / "Survivor's report" from a children's mass in Poland [62]


It's actually you that I was nit picking Johnny though I wasn't doing it to be awkward. I'm not bothered at all that he quoted scripture accurately. It's the intrepretation he places on it that interests me. He sees it as supporting the Catholic sacrament of going into a confessional and confessing to an old man in a dress as you refer to it. But you don't see it that way, so that's why I was interested to know what it was you felt he'd nailed.


Now who's nit picking?! Splitting hairs Johnny old boy. You and Pol have opposing views about confession and that's the long and short of it. He believes he needs to confess to a priest, you don't - and neither do I, yet I still identify myself as a Catholic, it's a funny old world isn't it.

By the way I don't know why people go on about men in dresses. Very few priests wear a soutane nowadays, though I've noticed they still do in Poland and the nuns wear traditional habits as opposed to civvies.