Law / The risk of investing in Europe has risen and Poland has suffered accordingly [90]

Poland has only suffered insofar as there has been a general increase in the risk of inward investment. Poland steered a very clear and successful path for a long time but I fear that it too will be taken off down the path of loans and instability. I was discussing the Irish predicament the other day. The Celtic Tiger was very strong but has floundered due to external and, indeed, internal forces. Poland has attracted a lot of new business and secured some long-term contracts so I don't think an external whack is due for some time yet.

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

I am not a smoker. What I object to is society permitting people to become addicted through clever advertising and developing attractive options like slims and then taking it all away while pharmaceutical companies promote their inhalers and patches. WE created smokers, we did!

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

I think there should be bars for smokers as it has been part of things for quite some time. To deny them is unfair.

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

At least it's sth for free ;) ;)

You can wear a mask ;)

What is your position on the reduction of harmful emissions btw? Are you taking a stand on that too?

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

I just wonder what form of smoking they have in mind. Probably not ciggies ;)

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

Strongly implied, that's for sure!

Aw, the ashtray. That's resistance and rebellion for ya! :)

Life / Any treatment centres for homos in Poland? [455]

You are confusing 2 separate things. Privacy is the trump card for sure but that's a different dimension of the debate. Who is really going to enforce sodomy laws behind closed doors? That's another aspect.

As for choosing, you said it. They can't choose. Why punish a group for being born that way? Why suggest treatment when there is no harmful disease?

News / WHY IS POLAND STILL GIVEN THE COLD SHOULDER? [197]

Buzek to the rescue ;) ;) He will put Poland on the map for Americans to work out where it is.

News / 100 days of Komorowski presidency [41]

I'm just waiting for him to sign a huge deal with Israel. That'll happen somewhere down the line.

Life / Any treatment centres for homos in Poland? [455]

Can YOU choose to be gay, makfetis?

Life / What do Poles want, what drives them...? [58]

That drives them, Polamerican27 ;) ;)

Boorland is alive and well, that's what many want ;)

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

What I found out of interest is that there are bylaws which state that if a place is 100 metres or over, you can introduce a segregation policy like what was seen in Pizza Hut here 4 years ago. The law appears black/white but there are loopholes to be circumvented.

Also, I introduced my own dimension to things. Smoking is a form of expression and was a legally permissible activity in pubs/clubs for so long. I raised the point that graffits artists, largely helped by Banksy, got what they wanted in the form of designated graffiti walls. Smokers will likely make a play for smoke shops or use their intelligence to get round the law in some way.

The civil rights part was taken too subjectively by them. I encouraged objectivity but they were against smoking and therefore didn't care too much about the social failure dimension. By that I mean that society actively encouraged smoking for so long through advertising and it also kept it legal to lay bare the possibility that people would become addicted. Now these frickin snakes are advertising 24/7 in an attempt to wean people off of their nicotine dependence. Those pharmaceutical companies are devious sods! If I were a smoker, I would be peeved too. You can't just take away an age-old tradition of smoking and drinking in bars. Some pubs may lose out as a result.

There was more that emerged from the discussion but I will leave it at that for now. Plenty to get the teeth into.

Life / Any treatment centres for homos in Poland? [455]

Polish researchers recently completed a study (I read about it in Focus) which concluded that gays generally don't have control over their sexual proclivities and indulgences. It is a genetic thing and you can't just switch it on and off like a tap. They can't treat that which cannot and should not be treated.

Life / What do Poles want, what drives them...? [58]

Like anywhere else, a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators apply. Some want children, some don't. Some want peace, some don't. What drives them? A sense of purpose. What drives a clerk doesn't drive a bricklayer.

In general, there are those that strive to be better, to play 'catch up' with other nations like Germany and France.

Life / Remedy for a common cold the Polish way - *extract of penis* ? [40]

I'm just thinking about the method of extraction ;) ;) It could be worth going through to get at :)

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

I picked a very good day to discuss this topic. It's hot and bang up to date. I start at 18.00 and will be picking up on what hairball said above. Civil rights will form a large part of the discussion. A role play will tease out their feelings too.

Life / What makes a "real" Pole? [33]

Identification with given events plays a major part. Language, as Torq mentioned.

News / Composer Henryk Gorecki has died. [28]

That's a blow for the music scene here in Silesia. My dad tipped me off a couple of months back about him. I was just thinking about his music yesterday as it was played as the intro to another song. His magnus opus was mentioned in the BBC article and is well worth listening to. It's the kind that sticks in the head.

Nice thread, Trevek. I hope more people discover his music as it is inspiring to budding artists.

News / Smoking ban in Polish bars and restaurants (AT LAST!) [400]

I'm doing this as a Speaking Extra task next Monday. It should produce some interesting opinions. I don't have the Groucho Marx crowd in (whatever it is, I'm against it).

Life / Are Poles bigots and xenophobes? [205]

I knew a Pole who was once. Oh, really? I knew a Pole once who wasn't (imagined conversation between fishwives). It sums it up really.

What I will say is that it'd be more prevalent were Poland to be swamped like other European countries have been. Otherwise, they have their lives to get on with.

Life / Are Poles bigots and xenophobes? [205]

Some are and some aren't.

The students I teach are cultured enough but I see many boors around outside of teaching. There is no way in God's Earth that they stand at podiums preaching the virtues of tolerance. I've heard some appalling instances of it which shouldn't be mentioned here.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

Yeah, I've tried it. More than drinkable. Polish breweries have some hidden gems that are only now beginning to see the light of day.

Life / Any treatment centres for homos in Poland? [455]

I think the loser treatment centre will come before the homosexual one.

Love / Polish women world's second most flirtatious [75]

That's a fair point. The Poles are more sincere and, indeed, frank with their emotions than Brits, for example. Go to nightclubs and you'll see some flirting but mostly by guys. The girls tend to dance and then chat amongst themselves. Guys tend to be friends and brought along only to gas to and get an earbashing ;) ;)

Love / Polish women world's second most flirtatious [75]

Snap! Many that I've seen are about as flirtacious as a dead frog without a drink or 4 inside them. Maybe it's just because I'm not looking for it but they just like to chat in pubs and that shouldn't be mistaken for being flirtacious.

Love / Such a Very Sad Loss.. fighting the battle with a Polish lady to see my daugher. [56]

Pat19 gave you sound advice. Take care of no1 here as you will be stung otherwise. Putting all your eggs in one basket with a woman is almost destined for failure.

Work / Venezuelan person asking for some advice about a job and a working visa in Poland [20]

If in doubt, ask Chavez ;0

Seriously though, the above posters have pointed you in the right direction.

Love / Being Taken For A Idiot by my Polish girlfriend? [37]

It's the age-old brocard/adage, 'give people an inch and they'll take a mile'. Substitute mile for yard in America, I think. Gratitude has now become grabitude. The gift of the gab is the gift of the grab for many (thanks Morrissey for that).

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]

I found the MC element to be a little too much. I mean, we have to accept what is to a certain extent but, judging in scale terms, there needs to be a cutback as immigrants are everywhere. I felt like I was in an experimental city where they had thrown all sorts together and told them to mingle. Gliwice is the other way, too one dimensional. Ah, the need for balance and a happy medium. Well, the desire anyway :)

As I thought, the UK (Scotland anyway) is a nasty mix of too many immigrants, snobs and junkies. I saw all these elements all too clearly. Junkies with their hands outstretched for change, snobs with their noses up and ignoring all around them and immigrants, well, generally being ubiquitous.

I really don't see much progress in any front in the UK. It's a stagnant cesspit which is a prime target for being further stripped of its assets.

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]

Not Tillydrone, delph, Ferryhill and Holburn :) Anyway, I must skiddadle. Offski for now but let's continue it later, delph :) Teaching beckons :)