UK, Ireland / Do Poles in the UK pretend to be uppity because they have an inferiority complex? [60]

I think there is some truth in what the OP is trying to say. There is this 'My Polacy robią najlepsze' attitude but it does hide deeper insecurities. However, they are just a certain type and it takes all types to make up a society. As Eurola rightly said, the ones that were 'sb' tend to be uppity but would be nobody in a foreign country. I do find them funny, the way some old women hold themselves when they are just judgemental old biddies.

Kondzior summed it up in a nutshell. Most Poles are romantic in a sense (I don't mean candles here) and long for their homeland. The grass is always greener on the other side. Despite what some say, they are not there for cultural enrichment (the vast majority anyway).

Aphrodisiac is right, many are hurt and wounded. A lot don't have any idea how to be as successful as those in countries such as France and Germany. Chips on shoulders and selling sob stories.

Again, there are many who don't fit the above descriptions :)

News / Composer Henryk Gorecki has died. [28]

I hope his genius isn't forgotten. It hasn't even been 2 months since his death.
youtube.com/watch?v=chwDoQuD77g

lovely composition :)

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

It's all about set and setting and your audience. If you show an appreciation for Polish culture and are well read, they will invariably respect you. I really feel that they look up to me in a way but I wouldn't encourage them to do that. They see my intentions and they vastly differ from that of your average gypo.

News / Euro 2012: Budget cuts delay road construction in Poland [21]

It looks like a fancy drag racing track :) :) I hope they can pull off style with practicality as Poland is crying out for that.

News / POLISH CHILD ABUSING A CAT.. [74]

Tough issue that, WB. Sth deep often festers inside such cretins. It isn't as disturbing as the little toad that put his cat in the microwave. He should have been castrated and thrown into the ring with Fedor Emelianenko where a give up call is left unheeded.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

PB, I was talking in scale terms. 50k Vietnamese is NOTHING. Poland is much bigger than the UK but nowhere near as MC. A melting point consists of sizeable quantities of many nationalities like in the UK.

Crow, I hear you but there are those that still want to give and the Romas milk that. The Albos, well, they are a different matter.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

They didn't escape the attention of the Albos either. All were ousted in their ethnic cleansing program. Silesians have the decency to merely fight their corner without eliminating them.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

How can they integrate when they sit on the fringes and are so different? Poland doesn't want to create a melting pot. Far rather stick with a forced salad bowl.

News / 10,000 ISRAELIS READY TO CLAIM FOR POLISH CITIZENSHIP AND POLISH LAND! [628]

That's about the stretch of it, gobiron. They need to deal with the fact that Palestinians are also an ancient people and have lived there for a long time.

The thread question is delicate. Poles would resist them to the max!!

News / Euro 2012: Budget cuts delay road construction in Poland [21]

That's certainly not the whole purpose, PB. You are describing CCT, a hallmark of Thatcher's 1980's Britain. In the EU, you go with where the business is but CCT doesn't solely determine that. The Chinese are just cheaper labour and perhaps a roundabout way of increasing partnership there.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

Over (and over and over). Best be careful with gypos.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

The Poles know the value of needing to 'wykombinować'. They are accustomed to hard times and know where those magic trees are :)

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

They certainly have their ways and means but Poles are smart cookies, they are onto them. My father in law bought a car from a gypo and he knew what he was getting himself into. He showed that he knew his stuff and the gypo respected him. A mutually beneficial sale of a Merc :) Gypos are just people too and have different ways of going about things but you just need to be on your guard and it should be fine.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

Like sales, it's all in the presentation :) When you discover they are richer than you, the boot is on the other foot.

News / Euro 2012: Budget cuts delay road construction in Poland [21]

True, one is a corollary of the other. Modernisation cannot be done on the cheap and cuts across the board. Spending now will likely be recouped in the future due to 2012 :)

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

Oh, I agree but the ball isn't completely in their court (nor ours). It isn't like we can all say we will keep our jobs forever or give ourselves pay increases. They are often in a weaker bargaining position and we all know that bosses tend not to lose out so sb must.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

Hence the expression 'thieving gypsies' :) I had a gypsy steal my tour programme paper in Skopje, Macedonia. He gave it back later after I threatened him a little. Best not to go overboard with them as you'll have half of their family on your back.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

True, the boomerang generation doesn't apply so directly when you fly far from the nest. Life cannot be good for Poles both ways as sending money from Poland won't be easy when you earn little here and it's worth 5 times less.

I try not to be but we have to keep the focus (says he listening to warped ambient music). The Poles benefitted so they must ride the wave and accept the rougher times. We are all at the mercy of certain forces that determine important things.

Language / How to remember Polish words? [23]

Try mnemonic techniques. My co-teacher wrote a Master's paper on the efficacy of them and I corrected it. She was exploring them for English words but also had a small chapter on Polish words. Go with associations. It's like a PIN number, you have some kind of mechanism to remember. I can recall the musical notes EGBDF. Every Good Boy Deserves Football (or Fanny was the adult version, LOL). Seriously, mnemonic techniques work for many.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

Well, I dislike the lack of thoroughness of tabloids. Wouldn't it be good if stupid people read broadsheets and smart people read tabloids? There might be more of a meeting of the minds.

I second that. Right now, I suppose a Polish person is getting strife in the UK for sth or other but I'm not gonna go and write an article on it for personal gain. What a carry on!

Note the word 'for' :) :) They aren't entirely innocent either, Seanny ;)

Oh yes, when in Poland, talk like a Pole. Wait, I'm not a Pole..... ;) ;) I'm very aware of not sinning.

Hmm...I've just had a read of my post. On topic enough but let's try and keep more on track, lads.

News / Euro 2012: Budget cuts delay road construction in Poland [21]

I wouldn't trust the figures here at all, PennBoy. They'd love us to all believe that they are dipping deep into the coffers to address perennial problems due to their increased revenue through tax. There is much distortion but this isn't strictly a Polish phenomenon, of course.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

Pumas and flood might have put them off ;) ;)

The last Romas I saw were playing guitar and accordeon in the streets. They played well so I threw them down some money. That was in Zabrze.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

I believe in sensitivity, perspective and tact, Seanny. Knowing some people's natural jumping to hair-raising responses based on differences, the tabloids should know better than to stir the hornets' nest and stoke the embers. We know that such things happen in some places but money doesn't pass hands between us, now does it? Profitting from the loss of others is just wrong. Politicians use all manner of tools and it's sick.

As ever in my commentary, I feel for innocent people. I'll be damned if I get singled out for being a Scot here as a revenge attack. Such injustice would burn and they'd be hurt badly for it. Leave innocent people alone and let them earn their livings.

Language / How to lead conversations with older people? (Polish course participant) [5]

This is a good question. You should use formal register with them but I am of the belief that respect is earned and they shouldn't have their profile elevated automatically. They have to be modest too as we are all just people. In Japan, they have keigo (respect language) but a teacher should be modest and say kyoushi instead of sensei. Your being foreign is a good cover for you but try and stick with the formal way unless told otherwise, e.g my father in law is 60 and he insisted on me using the Ty form with him (będziesz, jadłeś, potrzebujesz itd). It took a bit of getting used to but he prefers it.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

Digs against their Polishness, Seanny. Nothing more, nothing less :)

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

I remember my wife escorting me off from outside a local nightclub rather quickly as trouble was brewing. This was about 5 years ago when my Polish was so-so. Local Polish bouncers were ready to lock horns with local gypsy hard nuts. She looked like a gypsy that night with how she was dressed and didn't want to become embroiled in it. I knew the bouncers so she wasn't in any danger but it was set to go down in a big way so she didn't want to be there. There is much animosity between 'dresiarze' and 'cygany'

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

Fundamentally racist? That's a bit OTT. The BNP has been on the rise due to a rejection of governmental policy more than the Poles themselves. If there wasn't free movement then there would obviously be far fewer Poles and thus they wouldn't be so visible. Easy, right? Then there wouldn't be (m)any bad feelings against them. It's simply that they are there and seen to be 'stealing' jobs. It has little to do with their Polishness, it's simple people looking for simple forms of attack. Truth be told, most Brits know diddly squat about Poles. Even with me it's a work in progress at times.

News / Roma flee home after threats in Silesia [28]

Gliwice is number 10? It's focussed on select areas only. It's generally safe to walk around here. There are quite a few NS types in Katowice and that's why the crime rate is high. Besides, it's depressing!

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

Milky, I can't remember the exact documentary but maybe it was 'The Poles are Coming' which is available through Google Video. Part of it was to show through an expose how unions are actively discriminating against domestic labour. Wade through them as they are worth watching.

UK, Ireland / I worry about the Poles working in the UK [77]

We have to take the bad with the good in life and just get on with it. We work with the energy and tools that we have and even have to reinvent parts of our self in order to adapt. Complaining doesn't get us very far as even the unions are lining up on the side of the foreigners. It's a dead end for many. Therefore, what does that leave?