Travel / Going to PL in April, I hope that the people I meet are as great as I know already [4]

If you're prepared to be surprised, and you accept those things that are (for whatever reason) different, you'll have a great time. Americans are generally liked in Poland, and since you speak the language they'll see you as a Pole who's come home.

Good luck!

Life / $3,000-$4,000 a month - would we have enough money to live in Poland? [273]


I never had a problem having two cats in a flat. But of course if you don't mention it, it won't be an issue at all, even if the owner later notices. If you do mention it, it might become a very big issue, whether justified or not. This is a very Polish thing.

The landlord shouldn't ever access the flat without making an appointment anyway, in which case you can pop the pu$sies in the piwnica for an hour.

Language / An email translated from Polish to English using translator [24]

It's almost certainly a mistranslation of 'Pan', which nowadays means 'Mr, sometimes 'master'', but is also used, for historical reasons in religion, as a translation of 'Lord'..

USA, Canada / Not everyone that lives or comes from America is RICH! [300]


And they depend on Saudi who hate Ba'athism and Libya who like it for money. An uneasy place for them to be. And now they have a military government who are close to the latter.

USA, Canada / Not everyone that lives or comes from America is RICH! [300]


You mean the guy who's just been forced out of office by popular demand.


Now why do you do you think a heavily oil dependent country is "helping" countries in the most oil-rich region in the world? Altruism?

Genealogy / KUCZATY - Help to find Lost relatives [3]

The village is called Koncźyce Wielki, 223 is the house number

Life / Anybody from Sanok? Good, bads, uglies? [10]


It looks lovely. Good luck with the new opening in May.

Life / Using heating oil in your car in Poland, what are the risks? [11]

I think the chance of them finding out is very slim - the police wouldn't even be looking for it, and it would be a matter for the Tax Office (more concerned with suspicious over rather than underuse of petrol), who have set fines, rather than the police. But I'm just guessing. In the UK, you just record how much you use and remit the taxes - what I'm not guessing at but know for sure is that this isn't possible at the moment in Poland. You should be careful of whoever does your przeglad techniczny grassing you up for a reward, especially if you live in a town rather than a big city. I'll check with my friend from the tax office if he comes on gg tonight, but I suspect he won't know anything because it so rarely happens.

A guy I know, an upstanding pillar of the community, converted his old Mercedes to run on used cooking oil. Very cheap, but it smells like my granny's kitchen and made a crunching noise when it moved. A bit like granny.

USA, Canada / Moved back from Canada to Poland:). Here are the reasons why. [868]


Let's make it 30. ;-)

Life / Poland's population growth problem [44]


They had a fixed budget of money, which ran out very quickly, and maternity leave in PL is already good.

Travel / Is Gdansk worth a visit in Poland? [33]

It is much better in summer and not very nice at this time of year.

Travel / Is Gdansk worth a visit in Poland? [33]


Gdansk is very worth a visit. Try to stay in a hotel near the old town since the Tricity is very spread out. Krakow is great too, but personally I like Gdansk, especially in summer - I've spend a week or so there every summer for years. This time of year though, Krakow or Wroclaw might be a better bet.

There are some links and advice about Gdansk in this thread here

News / Poland building an empire (instead of a nation)? [67]


And any focus on the above is likely to be too small, while people just moan among themselves rather than be pro-active. Nevertheless, the Poles did reject the isolationist PiS/LPR/ Samoobrona government before it had completed its first (and last) term


Indeed, and Lithuania and Ukraine are still neighbours and Russia is still a superpower. Co-operation with neighbours is many times better than ignoring them.

Travel / A good kebab place in Warsaw? [45]

There's a nice one on ul. Hoza, sort of opposite the night shops. Turkish owned and really very good. Very friendly and good food. The sad thing is that it's usually empty (but no queues) whereas the one nearby on Marszalkowska, by the Centrum Czeskie is undeservedly popular.

Avoid the one over the road next to the Vietnamese restaurant - very nasty indeed.

Genealogy / I have a story about my Polish ancestor but no name. [7]

A lovely story. Like a lot of family legends, it may have grown a little over the years, and the reality may be a little less romantic. But still interesting.

Agnieszka is an extremely common woman's name in Poland - maybe your best bet is to try a Hungarian forum, looking for Anton Szabo. Details about the region of Poland might help.

As for records, a lot of Poles served under (and against) Napoleon, so it would be hard to do anything without a surname. Court records too, not least because WW2 was so destructive in some parts of Poland that many paper records were lost.

Polonia / Polish-Chechen relations [19]


I'll have a look at your link. My opinion on that group was formed by people I've met - perhaps you're right and it's indeed time for a rethink.


I can't help thinking that's only a part of the story. The future of one's children must play a part for a lot of people, but there seems to be a human desire to believe not only that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence (and for Chechens in Russia it almost invariably is) but also to follow it.

And then they get here and discover the streets aren't paved with gold.


More an example of man's inhumanity to man. Things as dreadful as that are rarely isolated incidents - I wonder what horrors led up to it...

Polonia / Polish-Chechen relations [19]


There is a big distinction. Dodgy link or not, yours is a brainwashing cult which, constantly recruits, solicits money off its 'members' and tells them what they can or cannot believe and who they can or cannot sleep with. And some of your posts could frankly be reprinted in their in-house magazine without much editing (though they doubtless edit everything). All the one-world stuff, and marriage between people from whatever cultures. I posted a list of their tactics here once. You should seriously think about getting out before it's too late. People who are not members of your cult (or as you call it, religion) are at often least as happy, healthy, well adjusted, fulfilled as you, if not more so, so why pay all the money, attend the 'meetings' and go away for the 'weekends'?

The Chechen woman however was prepared to risk everything for a better life. Remember the TV footage of the war in Grozny? The siege of Beslan. Those people (only a million of them left) are desperate. What makes someone take such risks, and is the life she had a chance of making in Poland so much better than the one she was leaving?

I don't think so. Those people who cling to rafts from Cuba tothe US aren't leaving because Cuba is a hell hole (it isn't by any means) or the US is paradise (those folks are frankly not going to be buying a home in the Hamptons or joining a country club) - it's because of a whole complex set of factors. Sending money (only sometimes - immigrants don't often get much), improved quality of life (not always), ambition (doing a lower status job). No. There must be something more to it.

Polonia / Polish-Chechen relations [19]

You'd be surprised at the size of the Chechen community in Poland. I had a friend who was a Chechen. After 15 years here the government decided to send him back, after having build a life, family and career here. Goodness knows what they expected him to do for a living when he went back. He died though, from a heart attack probably caused by stress, so The government didn't have to do anything in the end. A really nice guy.


This from a cult member, part of an extreme sect who allow no deviation from the organisation's official line.

The fact is, that the woman took an extremely dangerous, irresponsible and foolhardy decision. Instead of dragging up a story from years ago, it's better to examine what she was fleeing from and whether there were any alternatives.

Love / What do Asian boys think about Polish girls? :) (and vice versa) [150]


No. They're way too busy fighting off the girls in Wroclaw.

Law / Question about the drinking laws of Poland. [45]

Exactly, at 17 somebody can get married or serve in the army, but can't have a beer. Yet drinking ages are rarely lowered because the 16-18 age group aren't exactly flush with enough money to be interesting to the brewery market.

Love / What do Asian boys think about Polish girls? :) (and vice versa) [150]


No he doesn't. It's brown, so he smears it on his body to attract girls.

Food / Ajerkoniak anyone? [4]

It can be an extremely nice drink, but remember only to drink it when it's very fresh. If it looks like it's been open for a while, or kept in someone's cupboard, give it a very wide berth.

Law / CRB checks in Poland? [26]


There is only one British Council - you're probably thinking of local authorities.


Yes, you can. Is his sexuality really your affair, unless you're sure he's abusing minors?

UK, Ireland / Why can't the poles speak english, if they want to work in England? [35]


For the same reason that most British people in Poland don't speak Polish well - sheer idleness and disrespect.

UK, Ireland / UK passports if resident in Poland [19]

With a Dowod Osobista

Law / CRB checks in Poland? [26]

No. A Certifykat Niekaralnosci (the nearest thing to a CRB check) isn't necessary for private lessons.


It doesn't work that way in PL. It's just a certificate that the person has a clean record. Even then, some old offences wouldn't show up after a certain period has elapsed.


Well, obviously the person being looked atfer has the choice, rather than the family members, but in this case the guy wasn't a pothead - just unlucky.

Law / CRB checks in Poland? [26]

One problem is that the Polish one is just a register of people who've been found guilty of something in court. So somebody acquitted on a technicality of child abuse would have no problems working in a kindergarten, whereas a friend in Warsaw was recently denied a job working with the disabled due to being busted for less than a tenth of a gram of weed a few years ago. Hardly a menace to society.

Love / Polish traditions and parents (I was dating this Polish guy..) [72]


Not nly the over 50's. For the first couple of years that we were together, my partner (37) and I (43) spoke only German together.

News / Poland goes bankrupt? [110]


Have you paid back your share of the EU subsidies to PL, as you said you would? Hurry, because if Poland really is going bust (despite all economic indicators to the contrary) you'll very soon not be able to.

Life / Can I use Blackberry Messenger for free in Poland? [10]


Yes, but Blackberry isn't popular in PL.


Banned in UAE - Saudi were talking about banning it but Blackberry is hugely popular there.