History / Why will Poland always be the puppet of America? [159]

For Poles bases have nothing to do with the Iran. The missile shield would not actually defend us (Polish territory) against any ICBM from Iran. Poland would want the missile launch facility to have the presence of the American troops on Polish soil which should be to prevent the Russians from invading without anything happening. The talk about shift in power balance by the Russians is bullcrap - the missile launch base would have only a couple of missiles so it cannot be any serious threat to a launched wave of Russian nukes flying west. (there would be houndreds if actually launched). Btw in face of the financial crisis that has struck Russia quite bad noone knows what happens in a couple of years there.

PS I personally don't think Iran would be any nuclear threat to the world in the next couple of years. And the main issue between Iran and the States at the moment is the States fully backing Israel (lots of money involved as far as I know).

and last thing - yes American policies towards Poland has been cynical for quite time. I just hope for a change - no, not during Obama presidency.

History / Why will Poland always be the puppet of America? [159]

I would add Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan - Turkmenistan is somewhat less of a Russian puppet though, Nadnyestrye thing

History / Why will Poland always be the puppet of America? [159]

How is Israel an American puppet if you have little influence on their policies. Is it in the interest of America(ns) that Israel invades Liban and pushes vast swaths of the country back into stone age???? Arabs have an issue with the US for quite long (long before Desert storm) exactly for the US support of the Israel in many various ways. (in the early nineties the direct funding of the Isreal by the US was around 10 billion dollars yearly) America has nothing to gain by supporting Israel, it just antagonizes Arabs furthermore (if it is still possible). I guess you don't hope for American Empire (over Middle East anyone???) Americans have enough energy, bright minds and heart etc to remain well-off without an Empire.

History / Why will Poland always be the puppet of America? [159]

Yes, you have... too much influence over America :) ...
.. Mr Rahm Emanuel :P

History / Why will Poland always be the puppet of America? [159]

not so anymore Bunch - now that Germany, France and even Italy seem to pamper Russia
Hungary and Slovakia licking their ass

that is why Poland would want American troops on our soil in the first place

but I would not count on present cynical American administrations too much

Language / Polite forms in Polish vs English [49]

Didn't I say Polish is more direct :)

History / Why will Poland always be the puppet of America? [159]

Seanus I would point out that president Kaczynski was not so keen on acknowlegding Kosove's sovereignity in contrast to Mr Tusk. It definitely backfired soon on Americans anyway when the Osetian/ Abkhazian thing sprang up. There were some serious ethinc purges by Albanians in Kosovo to my knowlegde. Thousands of Serbs have been displaced. I have once talked with a guy who worked as a policeman in Kosovo. The whole intervention in Kosovo (including bombing infrastructure in Serbia itself - destroyed power stations and bridges) was a bold disrespect of international law and a **************. Btw most if not allegations of war crimes by Serbian army (in Kosovo) have never been confirmed. (to my knowlegde)

Language / Polite forms in Polish vs English [49]

in colloquial Polish a way to order someone to do something a bit more indirectly is to say:

weź otwórz to okno - literally take open this window (word for word)

I guess 'take to opening this window' does not give the same notions in English

weź się odpiernicz :) - hey, beat it

weź przestań - stop that

Weźmy się i zróbcie ;) - sort of 'let's get to it and YOU do it' ;) - this is humorous

there is also - no weź - stop it (sort of)

Life / Parking Fines in Poland [26]


I don't believe so. I would ignore in your place but that's me. Also depends on how much is the fine.

Language / Polite forms in Polish vs English [49]

things are simpler the Polish way; sensitivity as for politness is not allways followed by sensitivity to people's life or problems.

if we don't say much please in Polish, and as a rule are more direct with orders it is unnatural for us to start this way in English, if someone gets offended - well not really meant to offend anyone.

Life / What is the reason for POLISH jokes ? [486]


the ones I know would definitely offend anyone Jewish - well they did most of the time


a good one osiol, inventive :)

Life / What is the reason for POLISH jokes ? [486]


they are have bad hardly comprehensible English

and talk rubbish perhaps

maybe they inform better before spanking the Polish monkey

Life / Winter in Poland? [160]

sure

snow - there can be plenty of it - sometimes seriously impeding transportation (this year there was almost 40 cm 16 inches of snow at times where I live - there is always lot more snow in the mountains)

temperatures down to minus 25 degrees at dawn - many cars won't start in the morning

it is all quite fine when there's snow and a couple degrees below zero

the worst thing is when recurring conditions of snowmelt and snowfall become longer -
then it's cold, wet and unpleasant - water on the streets and on the sidewalks - it's much easier to catch a cold in such conditions than when it's 20 degrees below zero

when it is really cold (like these minus 20 degrees) you have to be careful not to get freezing burns

cold weather (freezing temperatures or snowfall) can start as early as the begining of November and may last until begining of April (though last couple of years winters ended sooner than this and the winter of 2006 only started on Christmas - first days of freezing conditions - but this situation was quite anomalous)

Language / Clever and Innovative Polish Keyboard Layout. must see! [14]

brilliant idea Pierros :)

Study / Is ERASMUS students in Poland allowed to go to another student´s dormitories? [13]

no there is no exchange of students between various universities' dormitories
I would not rely on that at least
btw where is this Kozminski University?

Food / Looking for a Pickle Soup Recipe - Polish ogórkowa [28]

she must be looking for cucumber pickle soup - it is very popular in Poland just as cucumber pickles are (the fermented sort - no there is no alcohol in that - it's milk kind of fermentation)

yes the best thing is to google the recipee - i have seen tons in English

Language / Polish or any Slavic language key to any other Slavic languages? [126]

I met a Russian guy couple of years ago in London - we had a talk - I used to learn Russian at school and thought I was not bad at it - then while talking to the guy the words that were coming to my mind were Czech not Russian ;) I haven't been using Russian for years though and I watch Czech TV quite often

to complete the picture
I once met Czech people in southern Italy - they were for work there as I was - I tried to talk to one of them in Czech and hmm thought I was doing well and then he said - why don't you speak Polish - we will understand. :P) (passive knowlegde of any given language is very different from active usage of it)

prijatno? oczień prijatno :) ;)

as for scandinavian languages - well in many cases they follow the pattern of English (wasn't English once heavily influenced by Nordic people? so maybe it's English following Nordic patterns) jeg vil gaa i maandag - I will go on Monday.

hehe I'm not sure what I've written in hmm Danish is correct :P

btw there's a whole bunch of slavic words that have been borrowed from Nordic languages (Gothic for that matter)

Travel / Mushroom picking in spring in Poland? [35]

there are spring mushrooms - bum most are hmm unusual

Language / Use of A/An/The ...... Articles [186]


Bulgarian does have sort of articles similar to the Danish language case

it is guessed that it is due to Turkic influence (Turkic not Turkish - Bulgars where nomad Turkic tribe who came from Black Sea Steppes to present day Romania and Bulgaria around 7th century (anybody correct me if I am wrong) they became slavicized quite soon)

Study / Gdansk / Tricity; university - information [30]

if you state that you are going to work on weekends then there should be no obstacles cause there are no lectures and no excersises on weekends (well this is valid for home students - but I guess its the same for foreign students)

one room appartment in Gdańsk will cost you at least 600zl a month (usually it gets more expensive) depending on many factors - well this may change in a couple of months due to the closure of some big businesses in the Tricity

Study / Gdansk / Tricity; university - information [30]

all right - anything around 1000 zl is fairly easily available (but looking further can get you a bit cheaper accomodation)

this can turn quite problematic for you - working in the afternoons - most universities don't bother to arrange things in this way so that students can work in the afternoons

but you may be lucky to find your schedules to fit your needs

so you have to wait and see 'til you're already there - schedules aren't usually prepared much in advance in Polish higher education institutions - but inform yourself at the source - I can be for a surprise here

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

Anserine from anser latin for goose

Life / 80% of Polish people are boring or can't party, why? [179]

I am boring and I can't party

Life / Reliable Weather Service In Poland? [25]

it often is (not always)

anyway some basic meteorological knowlegde and a couple of sources can inform you quite precisely about the weather - I advise pogodynka.pl radar pictures for incoming rainfall and satelite images to see weather there is gonna be sunny or cloudy

wunderground has got model weather maps that include estimated amount of rainfall which is quite reliable in 3-4 days prospect so you can make some outdoor activity planning ahead

Travel / Travel by Motorcycle in Poland (cost, distance, risk?) [47]


I was once such a buffalo though only for a day - I got dizzy from the alcohol vapour from the bucket I was standing at - the bucket contained said grass blades in alcohol and I was supposed to put a single blade in every bottle that was going in front of me :)

Travel / Travel by Motorcycle in Poland (cost, distance, risk?) [47]

absolutely seriously - I have worked for Polmos Wrocław once in my student times; a couple of anecdotes remained ;) for examples stories were told there that in the early seventies after years of constant use huge raw alcohol tanks they got there were emptied for inspection and possible repair and on the bottom of one of them they found a body of a Russian soldier from the 40's (Wrocław was German before war and seized and occupied by Russians in 1945)

Life / 80% of Polish people are boring or can't party, why? [179]

I have no desire to change these things :) hehhe

Genealogy / Robert, bobka, stosh, iggy, kasia? - What is my name in Polish? [32]

Irene in Polish is Irena

Language / Future tense with bawić się [34]

Idę pod kino - I will go up to the cinema (and will not necessarily go in) - hope it make sense in English what I have written

Language / Future tense with bawić się [34]

pod kinem - next to a/the cinema, by a/the cinema, pod kino - (in)to the vicinity of a/the cinema

W drodze do szkoły codziennie przechodzę pod kinem.

pod Kołem - in vicinity of Koło (a town in the middle of Poland), pod Koło - (in)to the vicinity of Koło

of course the most basic meaning of pod is under - pod stołem, pod stół - under a/the table - pod stół used when you move something (or yourself) under the table

there are some idiomatic structures - 'pod kluczem' for example ('locked')

'pogoda pod psem' - nasty weather literally under a dog