Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]


well actually as far as I know the Jelcz factory was started on a base of some German millitary factory from the times of the WWII - but the town only grew in the 70's - the first Jelcz buses were a licence from the French Berliet - I don't really know about when and how the production of the trucks started (Jelcz made the biggest trucks in Poland in those times AFAIK)

there were some buses still produced in Jelcz in a section of the former factory just a couple of years ago - I am not sure if it is still true - I think Zasada Group was co-owner if not the sole owner - the old factory terrain has been carved up to a good couple of companies - Toyota Motor has a factory in Jelcz but it is a new-built thing - Jelcz is part of a special economic zone of Wałbrzych - there are a good couple new factories built up as a consequence (but Toyota itself brings its workers from quite distant locations - Jelcz is not far from Wrocław so many people must have found jobs there when the Jelcz factory collapsed)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]

looks like a horse to me - surprised by how smooth the hide was??

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]


the animal in the photo is not an ermine either (I mean the animal the girl keeps in her hands) - I haven't seen a living ermine (I guess but maybe some things I have seen and taken for martens were actually ermines) - the animal in the girl's hands must a be some kind of mink or ferret

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]


the Lady with the weasel - by da Vinci - kept in National Museum in Kraków (a Czartoryski donation?)?

oh I don't really know what's the title of the painting in English

ok it's called Lady with an Ermine - and for a reason - the creature pictured in the painting is far too big to be a weasel (so the popular Polish name is wrong here - Dama z £asiczką)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]


a weasel - a friend of mine once found a weakened one on a dirt road (we were both 13 or 12 I guess) - taken it home and fed it for some time then released it - it was a nice pet actually - it allowed to be held in hands - I'm not completely sure but I guess I also had it in my hands - loved sucking up eggs (the weasel not me)

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

just comfy and vegs?? ;)

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

It's so much more cumftable to say vejtebles :)

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

remember (and don't start twisting away now) - we're not saying of majority of votes or PiS getting into government here - just the simple mathematical construction that PiS wins more votes than any other party (counted seperately) - I'm sure you will love your beret - and I assure you that Polish pigs are fat enough not to be able to make it into the air ;)

Food / Types of CHEESE in Poland [150]


yes - I value bland (call it mild) cheese over any cheddar stilton whatever - and i love the gummy texture of Polish cheese (I don't say cheddar is inedible - but out of 10 occasions on 9 I would rather have Polish made gouda type than cheddar - bland cheese also works much better with vegs (tomatoes, onions, lettuce, even plums) - mildew type cheese are good to be had from time time but not on a regular basis (I like Brie most)

having said that - I know there are bad sides to Polish made cheese - (the addition of phosphates among others - so the cheese is more smooth)

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]


I hope you are an honest person and you will actually do it in case PiS wins - it sure will be so much fun to read your reports about it :)

btw teflcat you will be the firts male adult person to wear a mohair beret that to be heard of :P


I pray PSL don't make it this time - though they have their 'iron electorate' - so it's gonna be tough

Real Estate / Is there any chance I would be able to reclaim my grandfathers old house in Ostrolenka? [17]

consider that the house in question is now a private property Somerset - how do you want it back then? - even if the current owners acquired the property unlawfully (which might be the case) there is such a law concept in Polish law (have no idea about the Anglo-Saxon world) as 'zasiedzenie' (I have found some English translation as acquisitive prescription but I have no idea if it is a good translation) - there are at least two kinds of 'zasiedzenie' in POlish law - one is 'zasiedzenie' in good faith the other 'zasiedzenie' in bad faith - however both lead to the acquisition of ownership rights to a property over a prolonged time - in good faith type of 'zasiedzenie' the period to become a lawfull owner is considerably shorter - I am not 100 per cent sure but for 50 years is still enough for the occupiers of ill faith to become rightful owners of a property

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]


if you vote for Gowin it's almost like you vote for PiS - had Gowin not Tusk been the head of PO in 2005 we would have had a PO-PiS coalition

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]

is PO government any more competent - letting shipbuilding industry down the drain (with some PO members actually scavenging on it), not being able to create good documentations and then proper financing for the motorways for EURO 2012 - key elements will be missing - should I mention some exorbitant promises Tusk made before the previous elections - like a laptop for every pupil in Polish school? During his expose in 2007 which broke all world records of duration (over 3 hours) Tusk promised almost everything to everyone (they around 100 individual more or less specific promises were included ) - Tusk personally criticised Kaczyński on the issue of installing more speed cameras saying that only someone who does not drive daily makes such policies - then during 3 years of PO government the number of speed cameras doubled

more competence? - there is almost 1:1 ratio of privates to officers in Polish now fully profesional army - there is not enough money simply to hire more people - National Reserve Service has been created to amend the lack of obligatory service (during the last years of this so called obligatory service less than 50 per cent of those elligible were actually drafted) - the NSR (Nardowa Służba Rezerwowa) is so badly thought out and implemented they have never reached 50 per cent of the human force they were envisioned for - there is one general in Poland per less then 1000 soldiers - you would think they do have decent wages - and you are right they do - the beaureaucracy in the military is almost unbelieveable - there is 1.5 of a beaurocrat per 1 soldier in the Polish army (250 000 on MON wages while the fighting force consists of around 100 000 people) - minister Klich anounced reductions of the military beaurocracy in 2009 (if not earlier) - but actually did very little if anything to further that goal

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]

actually I am not assuming that much about you pal - I'm only sort of assuming you live abroad (I believe I have seen you writing about it one day here on the forum) - ok I'm also assuming you don't follow Polish politics on a daily basis (especially through the TV) - and my point is it really makes a difference - you have your prejudices against Kaczyński - well, it's allright - but I still believe you are not able to grasp much of Kaczyńskis sense of humour - not because you are not sophisticated but because you don't know the man well enough - you just take everything you read about Kaczyński and what Kaczyński says as dead serious I presume

btw do I claim is a witty, bright merry guy? - not very much I'd say - but stating Kaczyński has not got a sense of humour is just false - I can positively confirm he has one - sure there will be millions of people who claim otherwise (but then I believe most of them are prejudiced or don't have enough exposure ;)


now you are assuming quite a lot about me - I respect Kaczyński even though I have seen him make incredulous political mistakes (on the verge of a political suicide and actually quite recently) - but no Kaczyński is not my beloved leader - and I don't think he's a genius of politics either (those mistakes - plenty of them - like saying things he really thinks sometimes without much consideration that are easily turned around against him)

I respect Kaczyński because I believe he's sincere in his attempts at making Poland a better country (and the most logical way to do it is to make it to the government don't you think) - and I respect him because I tend to agree with most of his diagnoses of Poland's ills

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

he doesn't need to - he only votes for PO so that PiS can't govern

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I am not 100 per cent sure now but I believe that 'Longman's contemporary English' dictionary has the same phonetic transcryptions for both words - I was just once going through the dictionary and found the word mourning (which was not familiar to me then) and got interested

I guess it can be different in Irish English though - don't the Irish still pronounce the 'h' sound in 'where', 'when', 'whale' (as the Elisabethan English did)

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]

boletus

oh my oh my - you are looking at the facade - and you are pretty easily scared seems to me - don't the deeds speak more than words (apply this rule to £ukaszenka bit, PO opposition address)

brothers as president and prime minister - don't you trace a humorous note to this - you live too long abroad boletus and don't get to see Polish politicians often enough - it is just the way Kaczyński's sense of humour works )

If for one you would claim that Kaczyński loves power for the power itself I would pretty much disagree (even though some note of it is recogniseable in his personality) - but Kaczyński has a vision of a better Poland, Poland of more equal chances, Poland with effective state that serves the population and not enslaves them, a more just Poland - now compare that to the words and actions of Donald Tusk - in my eyes Tusk is almost power for the sake of power incarnated - you need to follow him more to know that I believe (not only in written form) - I can't see any vision of better Poland by Tusk - all I can see is mischief (scratch mischief - my English is far from perfect - deception doesn't sound perfect here but I officially OK it for now )

News / Are Polish newspapers causing problems for Rom? [35]

I didn't mean locals in this way - rather natives to the Isles

News / Are Polish newspapers causing problems for Rom? [35]

Trevek - welcome to Poland - the world of quality journalism (btw in Polsat news the people were clearly identified as travellers and it was explained that even though they tend to live like Gypsies they are not Gypsies at all but rather locals)

Law / Organisations that deal with domestic abuse within families in Krakow? [10]

I don't think she is gonna report it unless someone can make her feel safe

Law / Organisations that deal with domestic abuse within families in Krakow? [10]

krakow.naszemiasto.pl/kontakty_adresy/31318,centrum-pomocy-ofiarom-przestepstw-i-patologii-spolecznych,id,t.html

I have no experience with such institutions whatsover but maybe it's worth trying - maybe they have places for people in need of a safe roof over their heads like your friend - I just don't know

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I don't know if it's only me but I notice a considerable difference in the way 'r' is pronounced in American and Irish English - and for me the Irish version is so much more pleasant (/charming/beautiful/etc/etc ;)

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


seriously?? I thought they are the same in any thinkable dialect of English. Good mourning anyone btw ??? ;)

Work / JOB in Wroclaw for a Business Student fluent in ENGLISH/FRENCH/RUSSIAN/ROMANIAN [56]

Elena why don't you try to arrange for a 'staż' or 'praktyki studenckie' - a temporary low paid job for a student or a graduate - maybe Akademia Ekonomiczna can help you with that (or the student association) - it's not a 'real' work contract, your employee does not have to hire you afterwards - but if you prove during this time to be a valuable asset you can end up with a permanent contract

there was and I guess still is an AIESEC branch at Wrocław's Akademia Ekonomiczna - they could perhaps be of some help - and what is more you get to know people - which may be helpful in the future

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]


I think it's the only mistake - it should be American trillions


oh, I never had a chance to see your response - but don't worry - I don't claim I don't make mistakes - I have made plenty - it's not mistakes that should be feared

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]


now tell me what you think about me and everything I say here - I can tell you something - there was once a discussion here with Bratwurst Boy about how many troops the Nazi Germany had to keep in the occupied Poland to pacify it (say to prevent an open uprising) - my GUESS (a bit though out but a guess) was it had to be around half a million (500 000)- I hadn't hidden the fact that it was a guess - Bratwurst Boy ridiculed me and said he thought 50 000 would have been enough - then I finally got a source on that and my guess was pretty accurate -

so just don't underestimate my guesses pawian :) - btw I usually guess on the things I haven't a clue or the faintest idea about

boletus


where? point it out please

News / Poland hosts lowest proportion of foreigners in the EU [115]

yes please - more Vietnamese, some Chinese, lots of Belarusians and Ukrainians, some Moldavians will do, I don't mind Chechens, Ingushetians and Georgians - the Armenians choose Russia anyway - I would be cautious with Russians - Turks just enough to have a couple of kebabs and shoarmas around (aren't shoarmas actually an Arabic thing?)

News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

I hope you have a puncture on the way to the polls then hehehe :)

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]


I found some figures, all right -

now translate these figures into PLN (the 1990 budget earnings were ca. 200 Polish billions of złotys then (200 American quadrillions I guess) - dollar costed around 10 000 złoty - so you have a budget of around 20 billion dollars (20 milliards of dollars) - I don't take into account the deficit run by the state treasury that year cause I haven't found it but I guess it couldn't have been more than 10 per cent of the state incomes/earnings - the top figure of 10 billion of dollars that were presumably malversated in Bank Handlowy operations were then more than 40 per cent of the actual budget of the Polish state (with the lowest 5 billion dollars accounting to some 23 per cent of the budget of 1990) - so my GUESS was actually quite accurate


btw how have you come up with the idea I can be a Plastic Pole - really made me wonder

News / 4th Polish Republic may re-emerge [244]


what sources - I just shared my guess that back in 1989 10 billion bucks was some 1/3 of the whole Polish budget - and I said it was not an educated guess - so what sources do you want - I am the source of the guess if you ask ?? :)

I may be wrong - I have just thrown a figure that I liked (or like that ;) - if you are critical towards it back it up somehow ;) - I don't claim the figure's right - but you directly claim it's wrong - back it up then

or maybe you don't like the statement that 10 billion bucks is like Polish yearly budget deficit - then it is you who need to check your sources