Life / Want to become an expat to Poland? Consider your options before going abroad. [18]

"Polactwo" by Rafał Ziemkiewicz talks about this attitude.

A synopsis from wikipedia:
"Author tries to explain what happened with Poles after fall of communism and the toxic influence of tens of years of communism and destruction it brought to Poland. He tells about destructive force of people gathered around Adam Michnik - a thesis which he follows in Michnikowszczyzna. Zapis choroby book. He tries to describe the reasons and effects of low self-esteem of Poles as a nation, who regard themeself low in sociological studies.

According to Ziemkiewicz, the reason are processes that shaped the society through the years of partitions and communism. He says the social situation is similar to that of other post-communist countries, and also post-slavery societies."

I think (I hope) this attitude will change, but it will take time. I do see a huge difference in attitude between most young people and most people of older generations, so that's good. The complaints about this kind of attitude don't seem to hold much water if you're hanging out with a bunch of 20-30 year olds. The younger people also seem to have more pride about Poland and being Polish than many of the older people do, too, so that's promising as well.

This why I LOATHE communism/socialism - not just as political/economic system, but as a psychological and mental system that entraps an entire society into feelings of helplessness, hate, jealousy, bitterness, and victimhood - thereby leading to lack of integrity, ambition, creativity, and pursuit of excellence. And with the EU, the idea is always that *something* or *someone* else will make things better for you, when the truth is only you can pull yourself up by your own britches. And in order to do that, you first have to value yourself and have pride in your achievements and in your heritage. Communism fell in Poland in 1989, but the mentality doesn't change over night.

I don't know if not giving work to people who don't speak the language is that bad... I mean, how would they communicate with clients and with their bosses and team members if they can't speak the language? If someone wants to emigrate to another country and get a job there, the least they can do is show their host country a nominal level of respect and learn its language!

Travel / A good 1 day trip from Warsaw [6]

Kazimierz Dolny is beautiful with a ton of history. It's definitely worth the trip. Also, ruins of the Janowiec castle are just across the river and open to tourists, and Naleczow, a very pretty and historic resort town, is nearby. Naleczow may actually be a bit closer to Warsaw than KD is.

However, note that it takes 2 hours by train from Warsaw to Pulawy, and then 45 min-hour or so by city bus from Pulawy to KD, as there isn't a train station in KD.

HOWEVER, if you take travel a bus (halobus, etc there are tons of different companies), you can go straight from Warsaw to to KD, and the whole trip should take about 2.5 hours. It's more convenient then dealing with the trains and then the city bus, and it's probably cheaper too.

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]


Jews lived in ghettos because they were persecuted. Also, in the past, isolation was the ONLY way to survive as a culture... and survive they did. 3000 years strong. If they didn't, Judaism would be extinct in the world today. So I guess it depends on how much you value your roots.

So to the original poster:


I would say it's important.

These days, it much easier to maintain your culture while still being a part of your host country. Jews don't live in ghettos in the US. They are a thriving and integral part of the community, yet still are able to maintain their identity.

Heritage is not that hard to maintain. If the parents know the language, they should teach it to their children, as well as teach some history and culture. Further generations won't be as "authentic" as people living in Poland, or any other country of origin, of course, but you can always maintain something.

Maybe it's easier to maintain one's heritage in the US, though, since it is a nation of immigrants where it's more or less expected that at some point, your family came from somewhere else. And so the stigma of being from somewhere else or not "fully integrating" into the mainstream culture isn't that great.

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]


Community is not the same thing as a ghetto. It does not force the isolation of a group. Living within walking distance to a synagogue is a religious matter rather a matter of isolating oneself. There are many conservative and reform Jews who managed and still manage to be contributing, productive members of society. There are also many orthodox Jews in the US who abide the mitzvot and are still part of the society. Staying true to their religious traditions (as long as they are not impinging on other people's rights) is NOT isolation.

Life / Importance of awareness of Poland's heritage and culture among Polish children abroad [24]


I definitely think people should be made aware of their history and culture. However, one must also be modern and understand that things change. I don't think it's good to be 100% stuck in the past. Respect the past and strive to understand it, and allow it to inform the present and the future, but don't allow it to control the latter two.

I am genuinely curious about this claim that somebody is claiming Poles and Slavs are "newcomers" to Europe, hence not true Europeans I've never heard this before. Who is saying this?


What? Did you mean to say those who DO control us tend to destroy us?

Life / Cosmetic surgery in Poland... [40]

Without seeing the examples you mentioned, it's hard to tell what is the reason for the price discrepancy.

However, the higher prices could reflect things like airport pick-up, food and board, etc. since foreign patients are less likely to have the option of a family member or friend picking them up after surgery and resting at home. Keep in mind that the doctor usually needs to see you at about a week after surgery to make sure everything is healing well. Also, you're not supposed to drive or fly or really do much of anything besides lay in bed at least for a few days after your procedure, and DEFINITELY not the day of, since you'd still be on medication. You'd have to stay somewhere during that time. Clinics that cater to an international clientele usually have facilities where you stay for those few days after your procedure, and that of course costs extra.

Life / Cosmetic surgery in Poland... [40]

Yeah, that's a little bizarre. I'm sure you can pay in zloty - it would be beyond bizarre and illegal if you couldn't. THAT would be discrimination, because they'd be discriminating against the person him or herself. I can see how *technically* they could get away with charging a slightly higher price in a different currency because you're paying extra for the exchange rate fee and they could technically tack on a "administrative/service/convenience fee for handling different currency." That's what I'd think; I could be wrong though. Just say you'll pay in zloty.

But do keep in mind that those prices are usually estimates (at least in the US), since variables such as how much anesthesia they end up giving you, or how long the surgery *actually* lasts may vary from person to person.

Is there a European Plastic Surgery Association, or something like that you can check around with? I wish you luck and hope you figure it out and get a fair price!!

Love / My Pole bf is flirting with an old friend from high school [12]


Nothing better is going to come along if you still allow "the old" (i.e. him) to be in your life. The whole thing seems a bit odd. It seems like you guys maybe have been having issues if you reacted so strongly to this conversation between the two of them. In my opinion, his texting with his HS friend is a bit odd and too flirty for my tastes, so I'd have to wonder about his character to begin with. It just doesn't seem like you and this guy are truly on the same page regarding your commitment to each other. But if you want something better, I think you have to rip off the bandaid at once, instead of letting it linger and fester and hoping it will fall off on its own and that the new guy won't notice or won't mind your current messy love life. I know it feels kind of scary because you feel like being in a "meh" relationship is better than being alone, but in my experience it's better to make a clean break of it.

Genealogy / Why Polish aren't white?? [272]

Americans who think "white" only refers to "white Americans" are generally a couple tacos short of a combination plate. "White" refers to "caucasian," which.... surprise, surprise... comes from Europe. If you're a caucasian European, you're white. Probably whiter than many "white" Americans, since even many white Americans do have small percentages of African ancestry (particularly in the South). This demographic is also the most likely to be racist against African Americans. Oh, the irony.

Unfortunately, critical thinking and the ability to make connections has been a dying art in the US public school system, so I suppose it's no surprise that some Americans fail to make a connection between "caucasian Europeans born in Europe who THEN moved to the US" and "white Americans."

Although, I will say, that the WASP (White American Southern Protestant) is a cultural concept, and since it includes a race identifier, it may be the source of some of the confusion for some Americans.

UK, Ireland / Single Polish women in Northampton? [5]

Probably those that overwhelmingly Catholic countries tend to have, seeing as both Poland and Italy are majority Catholic.

Language / Polish word 'musisz' = need in English? What about 'potrzebujesz'? [11]

It depends on the context, and the two words ARE similar with subtle differences, but generally I think of "musisz" as you need to DO something like in "You need to fix your car." and "potrezebujesz" as you need something like in "You need a car." You COULD use "musisz" in the "you need a car" sense, but you can't use "potrzebujesz" in the "you to need to fix your car" sense.

Language / Zmarła czy zdechła? What is proper to say in Polish in a case of an animal death? [12]

Let the poor badger have some dignity, if not in life, then at least in death!

Language / Polish dative case: Why do you use "mu" in this sentence instead of "go" [9]

"Mu" refers to something being done to him. "Go" is more of a pronoun.

Powiedz mu że nie może tak mówić. --- Tell him that he can't talk that way.

Nie lubę go, bo nie lubę jak on mówi. --- I don't like him because I don't like the way he talks.

Language / Polish dative case: Why do you use "mu" in this sentence instead of "go" [9]

I think so, yes. It is the dative case, and so the indirect object. I'm not a Polish linguist, I just am fluent in the language, so keep in mind that I wouldn't be able to tell you everything in necessarily in all the proper grammatical terms.

the "go" in "I don't like him..." is the object.

The way I see it from a non-grammatically-based view is that "mu" does not necessarily require the person to relate back, while "go" is either a pronoun or DOES imply that he will relate back. This probably very confusing so I'll give examples.

Daj mu ---- give him
Pokaz mu ---- show him
Zatancz mu ---- dance for him
Powiedz mu ---- tell him

Wiezmyj go ----- take him
Zapytaj go ----- ask him
Zaczep go ----- stop him (as in on the street)/ get his attention
Zachecz go ----- interest him/encourage him

As you can see, the "mu" involves something being done to "him," and this action can be completed without any reaction from "him." It is the indirect object in the sentence.

in the "go" examples, "he" MUST react to the action in order for the action to be completed. I.e. If he does not show attention, you haven't gotten his attention. If he is not encouraged, you haven't encouraged him. Even in the "ask him" example, whether or not he responds to you is not relevant, because in order for you to successful ask him, he must reaction to question - whether or not he ultimately makes the decision to A) ignore you* B) tell you he doesn't know or C) answer your question. (*He can't ignore you if he hasn't first heard your question and then made the conscious decision to ignore you).

In these examples, the "go" is the object in the sentence.

I dont know if any of this made sense, hope it did help some!

USA, Canada / Is there any chance that I can go right now to the US and start a life over there? [19]

You should try to apply as a foreign student to college in the US. That way, you can still experience living in the US without completely turning your life around, and if you decide you don't like day-to-day life in the US, you can go back to Poland without really losing much or wasting time.

It's harder for foreign students to get into US colleges than it is for US students, but if you do your research regarding what colleges you have the best chance with, are able to pay tuition and living expenses, and have the right grades, test scores, letters of intent etc etc etc, you may have a chance. I'd reach out to your family and friends in the US to help you with that, as well as the Polish Consulate in the US and any Polish organizations (particularly student/academic) in the US to help guide you.

Food / Perfect Pierogi? (keen to perfect the recipe) [12]

Merged: Mushroom & cabbage pierogi Polish recipe

Does anyone have a recipe for authentic mushroom & cabbage pierogi? Thanks.

Food / Perfect Pierogi? (keen to perfect the recipe) [12]

Thank you! :)

UK, Ireland / Where to find friendly Polish people in London? [16]

zetigrek, yes, there is quite a bit of variation in Caucasian race, hence differences in GENERAL phenotypes of people from various European countries. A red-headed, blue-eyed, freckled Scot looks very different from a dark-haired, dark-eyed, and olive-complexioned Italian. Let's not be obtuse and act like Europeans are one big indistinguishable homogeneous blob.

Life / Why are Polish people such hypocrites about immigration? [36]

Priya, in the interest of improving your personal sanity and quality of life, I suggest you refrain from going to Poland or interacting with Poles. That way, your life will be free from their terrible ways and you will be much happier. Once you have accomplished that, it truly is best to let things go and move on with one's life.

Life / Why are Polish people such hypocrites about immigration? [36]


Again, just avoid them. Trust me, you'll be much happier when you don't force yourself to interact with people whom you hate.

Also... I wasn't aware they were moving to India en masse! But either way, my advice stands.

Love / It seems everyone is so isolated here in Warsaw [11]


He wants free/cheap/low effort.

To the OP:

Yes, Poland is that land with those mysterious, incomprehensible creatures called "females" that just wander aimlessly around town, mewling coyly at horny men who don't have the personality, social skills, or money to get a woman to actually like them as a person and want to date them.

Sorry buddy, Roosh V lied to you.

Love / How is the engagement / courtship tradition in Poland? [3]

Poland is definitely more conservative and traditional than most of the West, but generally it's not as conservative as what you describe.

But at this stage of the game, you it only matters what HE is like, not what general trends are. He seems nice and courteous, so I would think he would be more respectful and traditional when it comes to dating and courtship.

In any case, it really is best to take the person as an individual, rather than trying to figure out what the country as a whole tends to be. Everyone is different. Some guys are more aggressive and less respectful and traditional, and some are more. He seems like the latter. What is his family like? How religious is he? What are some of his interests and views? What are his manners like? Etc.