Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


Yes, & Richard E Grant & Joanna Lumley...

Music to the ear and pronouncing English properly are NOT the same thing. Many so called upper class/cut glass accented speakers may sound sophisticated, mellifluous or whatever but many are simply not pronouncing sometimes even the simplest words properly.

On average, an educated middle class Scot for example speaks better English than their counterpart in England. True.


And the irony is, the biggest culprits by far are the English themselves LOL

Food / Help me like Polish food (recommendations) [48]


Talk about damning it with faint praise!

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

They are definitely not though.

Travel / Cheapest eating places in Warsaw? [27]


Hang around for a while and those words will haunt you!

: )

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

IME experience Poles tend not to really understand the cultural concept of accents in English.

EVERYONE has one. Really, within reason, there is no right or wrong accent, just intelligibility.

Travel / Cheapest eating places in Warsaw? [27]


Yep, tried it and as a non-Pole I can tell you that it is another v good budget choice.

Same kind of idea, big helpings of nourishing and simple but good quality fare.

Travel / Cheapest eating places in Warsaw? [27]

Wow - I knew they were cheap but that's even cheaper than I thought.

Just remember xpertize, these are not restaurants or even cafés and they operate differently. E.g. service doesn't really exist and you are expected to return your plates & cutlery to the kitchen "hatch"

It's like somewhere between a café and a school canteen. Usually staffed by grumpy old women.

But don't let any of that put you off - quality (if basic) wholesome food and lots of it. And of course, great value.

Travel / Cheapest eating places in Warsaw? [27]


Better than many restaurants IME.

Life / Attending my first Polish Wedding and Celebrations [18]

Hi Nozz

I'm Irish. I'd say there will be a fair bit of minor unfamiliar elements to the proceedings. If it were me, I'd just go with the flow and not try too hard. The Poles will probably find your occasional bemusement endearing and entertaining enough as it is : )

You'll have a good time. The whole thing will probably last two days by the way...

Food / POLISH RECIPES! [287]

There's an Irish county that has a similar vibe:

Hi - Coleslaw Wicklow, pleased to meet you.

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]


Where do you mean - in Poland?

History / What do Poles owe to Russians? [193]


Don't agree. Whilst I agree that most Poles seem to know very little about e.g. Latvia they have still formed an opinion, an impression. All the Poles I know are quite dismissive of Latvia (and Belarus, Lithuania) based on very little knowledge. I'm not saying it's right or fair, it's just the way it is in my experience.

Same thing with "westerners" and Poland, I agree, a lot of the time the attitude could be described as negative but not nearly as negative as you might think (e.g. the barbarian comment). They just aren't interested and have vague notions of bleakness and relative poverty.

But really, what I'm saying is that I find it strange that you seem to think westerners should care about Poland. Maybe I have you wrong but it appears that you have an exaggerated opinion of the significance of Poland.

Look, I'm Irish and I am under no illusions - most of Europe probably knows very little about us and cares even less - I expect and accept that though.

Do you think the average Dane gives a sh1te about Portugal? Or the average Spaniard knows or cares one iota about the Czech Republic? Nope.

It's not just "the west" v Poland - everyone does it.

But in fairness, to the average westerner, yes, Poland and her neighbours feature even lower on the radar which is unfortunate but it will change.

But sorry, off topic, so in a very broad answer to the thread question I would say that on balance, the Poles owe very little to any country. Yes there's what about this & that but so far in her history, Poland seems to have had a fairly raw deal from many sources. So there. Nothing owed. Clean sheet

: )

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]


NOBODY tips like North America : )

Well, I can't speak for all of Europe, but as far as I know the European norm is to tip in restaurants (unless the service is bad) but tipping in bars is kind of unheard of in my expereince. It really seems to be an American thing.

History / What do Poles owe to Russians? [193]

You are missing the point a bit Pawian.


You should assume it, because it is, sort of.

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]

To be fair, automatic tipping for bar staff is rare outside the states and Canada. It's not just the Poles who don't do it.

History / What do Poles owe to Russians? [193]


Maybe not - but why should they be? Reasonably educated people arguably should be, yes, at least a little.

But what do you think the average Pole thinks about Latvia for example? I'd say they couldn't give two sh1tes about the country.

By and large, the average western European on the street just considers Poland as "one of those countries, y'know, like Lithuania, Estonia or wherever"

For many people they almost all blend into one nondescript mass of former Soviet, bleak, relatively poor countries with cold winters.

I'm not critcising Poland, I'm just saying that you're right, quite a lot of people aren't actually interested at all.

Or as I said, maybe about as interested as the average Pole is in Latvia.

But you are doing yourselves a disservice by assuming the unruly barbarian image - I really don't think Poles are seen this kind of way at all, really, it's just basic indifference/non-interest.

Life / British working communities in Poland [12]


True. In Ireland, ALL the Poles I know are professionals (engineers, architects, IT specialists etc).

The popular image of Poles here tends to be of a professional, not a tradesperson.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]


Ha Ha!

Great fun! Was there a few times when I lived in London. Do they still do the funny/v brisk/rude shtick?

Reminded me of an army mess or something - always busy too.

From memory, the food was pretty good - cheap too and if you don't mind a chipped cup and the waiter telling you to hurry up or whatever, a great night is possible (best enjoyed while slightly drunk)

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

Oh here we go.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]


Well, not China if that's what you're saying.

Various Chinese restaurants across 4 or 5 European countries over twenty years or so - the US too occasionally.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

Noodle soup - maybe. But for me Chinese is a bad example as I find much Chinese food bland too. Needs to have ginger or garlic or chilli or at something strong in it for me - like Szechuan, as you say. A lot of it I simply find too insipid.


Sauerkraut fair enough, but any Polish mushrooms I've had were pretty tasteless.

Talking of soup though, Polish chicken soup, sorry no offence but it really is the most bland and pointless thing I've ever tasted.

Water + oil + salt with noodles - that's what it tasted like to me (and this was on a few separate occasions/locations)

Anyway, don't mean to complain about Polish food - I'm OK with it usually but I still maintain that it is pretty bland. Many non-Polish PFers seems to agree - can we all be so wrong?

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]


Well, within reason. Poor quality versions are bland, yes, but a really good pie or fish & chips doesn't need any seasoning at all IMO. Personally I don't put anything on the chips I get - then again, I drive 8 km to get these beauties : )

The other thing is, the average British or Irish person doesn't eat this kind of thing very regularly. It's often referred to as "British food" which is silly - it's like saying pizza is "Polish food"

It's just popular British take away food.

Poles however do seem to eat actual "Polish food" very regularly.

Life / How can I make Poland a better country for all? [10]


Is this supposed to be your contribution to making Poland a better place?

I'm not being critical, I just don't really get it.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

Well, you would think, but blandness has mostly been my experience. It's an accusation very often levelled too as I'm sure you know.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]


I really think this is the cause of a lot of the so-called blandness issues.

Mom/granny cooking. That is of course, cooking that "largely did not have access to the ideal ingredients most of the time and had to make do" type cooking.

Genealogy / How common is it for other people of Polish origin to discover they are actually Jewish? [127]

Jesus talk about an alarmist headline!

What about "I have red hair - is this contagious?"

You can be Polish and Jewish you know, they are not mutually exclusive

Love / Polish men like Latin girls? What do u find attractive in a girl physically & emotionally? [29]


Unusual preference it must be said.

Pervert!

; )

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


This, is just absolutely CLASSIC.

E.g. see here:

"Thread of IMPORTANT QUESTIONS. Don't be affraid to ask..."

Edit: oops. access denied for some reason - although it worked initially...

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


Of course you do, but the dogs on the street can tell you that Warsaw couldn't possibly be anywhere near the worlds best city to live in, whatever your opinion might be.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


My first instinct was not to take this as a measure of ease of access but connected in a sense that they are not culturally isolated, or isolated in terms of doing business etc, they are in touch with the rest of the world, that kind of thing - but who knows?