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What's the stupidest question asked about Poland?


freebird  3 | 532  
5 Jun 2009 /  #271
You speak french there right?"

it's an obvious mistake, the answer is "you do French there right?"
;-)
RyanJF  1 | 18  
5 Jun 2009 /  #272
My wife was asked the other day where she was from. She said 'Poland' very clearly.

Not exactly about Poland here, but I remember a time when I was a sophomore in high school and we were discussing World War II, and the subject of the importance of Italy during the war was brought up. After a bit of discussion about the mass-rape of Italian citizens by British soldiers (I figured we were being a bit biased continually talking about Red Army atrocities and whatnot), some kid said:

"Hey, wait a minute, I thought Italy was a city in France?"

He was dead serious - it was rather sad, really.
theblueenigma  3 | 188  
5 Jun 2009 /  #273
'Is Poland in Europe?'

That seems a reasonable question for someone foreign to enquire. Afterall Poland only entered the EU 5 years ago, although listening to some here one would think Poland was one of its founders.

but you have microwaves over there?

Whats so stupid about that ? While the rest of the world had mocrowaves years ago, Poland didnt and a lot of consumer products were only made available years after communisim fell. Most countries could afford to buy microwaves a decade before you guys could.

Which language you speak in Poland,

Not sure why that seems dumb either. Afterall before you joined the EU 5 yrs ago you werent allowed to travel so easily and thus very few European people even met a Polish person nevermind heard what dialect they used. There are no notable Polish people in the international media, none in entertainment etc and Polish culture etc wasnt known so its to be expected that a lot of the world knew nothing about you, or your language. Only except perhaps the pope was Polish. You must remember that until very recently Poland was considered along the same lines as Belarus internationaly, you still have a lot of catching up to do in peoples minds

an I get a direct flight or will I have to change at Moscow?'

That doesnt seem particularly stupid either considering there were little or no direct flights into Poland from the likes of Ireland before Poland joined the EU and people usually had to change elsewhere, so its normal to assume that might be in a neighbouring country.

but my little sister who is a scientist tells me all the time about other scientists asking her "how was it growing up under the boot of the communists" or commenting as if she'd endured this....

Why is that stupid, many people in their 20s were alive during communisim ? It seems very reasonable someone foreign might ask what it was like to survive through communisim.

A girl, totally surprised asked 'do you have discos in Poland'

20 years ago you had no 'discos', and as 20 yrs isnt a very long time to be coming out of communisim I dont consider that to be a very stupid question, ignorant perhaps.

people often ask why the Polish charged at tanks with cavalry

Im impressed they asked you that actually

and also do cops in Poland have guns

Thats not stupid either, cops dont have guns in the UK or Ireland.
LAGirl  9 | 496  
6 Jun 2009 /  #274
It shows how some people are very stupid dont even know were Poland is or what language they speak. my Polish friends love me because I know loads about their country.
Easy_Terran  3 | 311  
6 Jun 2009 /  #275
20 years ago you had no 'discos', and as 20 yrs isnt a very long time to be coming out of communisim I dont consider that to be a very stupid question, ignorant perhaps.

Crap.
20 years ago we had something called 'dancing' (prenounced dan-tzing). We had those even 50 years ago. Asking if there are places where people are dancing with each other (and that's what she meant) is the most retarded question I have ever heard.

Apart from 'do you have cars over there' of course.

Im impressed they asked you that actually

Why? War propaganda (I think it was a German one) trying to ridicule Polish armed forces often did spread that crap where in fact Poles used the cavalry to charge against vulnerable against that attack German artillery.
Switezianka  - | 463  
6 Jun 2009 /  #276
Afterall Poland only entered the EU 5 years ago, although listening to some here one would think Poland was one of its founders.

So what? What does EU have to do with it, anyway? We already were in Europe 900 years before the idea of EU emerged.

very few European people even met a Polish person nevermind heard what dialect they used.

Before 1989 travelling was restricted, but after it there was no problem obtaining a passport. Polish people have travelled freely all over the world for 20 years. What changed after EU accession was the time of crossing the boarders - before EU, you needed a little customs clearance, and now you just wave your ID and go.

There are no notable Polish people in the international media,

Hmmm...
As far as I know, during the 80s, there was a lot of stuff about Wałęsa in international media. And, of course, there was the pope.

none in entertainment etc and Polish culture etc wasnt known so its to be expected that a lot of the world knew nothing about you, or your language.

Well, I don't have access to Korean culture and entertainment, neither have I met any Korean tourist crossing the Polish boarder freely, but I know that in Korea they speak Korean and not, e.g. Chinese.

You must remember that until very recently Poland was considered along the same lines as Belarus internationaly, you still have a lot of catching up to do in peoples minds

Well, Belarus had never been an independent country until 1918; then, after a year or two, it became a part of the Soviet Union and regained its independence only after the fall of Soviet Union. Poland started being an independent country in 966. After a few hundred years, it lost its independence and regained it the same year that Belarus declared its independence for the first time. And since then, it has never been incorporated to any other country. So if one thinks that the status of Poland as an independent country is the same as Belarus, then one is just very ignorant about the European history. Stable, independent Belarus is something new in Europe, while Poland has been there for some time.

20 years ago you had no 'discos',

What do you think, people of PRL didn't party? Of course there were discos! Maybe they weren't always as cool as the Western but in those times nothing was as cool. You have a strange idea about Poland before the fall of communism. We even had a big rock festival in PRL in the 80s, mainly associated with punk today.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarocin_Festival
Eurola  4 | 1898  
6 Jun 2009 /  #277
What do you think, people of PRL didn't party? Of course there were discos!

WE sure did, the light ball turning at the ceiling and all. What I experienced in Poland as a kid, teen or a very young woman, I find comparable in The USA for people my age.

Only people who listen to the western media think we didn't. Poland was always very open even from behind the 'iron curtain'.
polishredneck  2 | 9  
6 Jun 2009 /  #278
a freind of mine think that all polish people drive old cars like the Yugo and nobody speaks english in poland, he also thought poland was in russia
theblueenigma  3 | 188  
6 Jun 2009 /  #279
Maybe they weren't always as cool as the Western but in those times nothing was as cool.

No of course not, Im not silly :) I was speaking generally and offering an explanation as to why a lot of people would think there were no 'discos' etc. People associate communisim with Poland, and most associate communisim with restrictions of lifestyle. I dont have any strange idea of communisim, or the idea of Poland after its fall. I live in Poland and have studied Polish history and culture extensively. I was merely offering up some logical reasons why many people not familiar with your country might think as they do.

So what? What does EU have to do with it, anyway? We already were in Europe 900 years before the idea of EU emerged.

That has a lot to do with it, because Poland is a relatively new member of the EU and people generally associate Europe with the EU.

you needed a little customs clearance, and now you just wave your ID and go.

Im aware of that :) My point being that there were nowhere near the amount of Polish people abroad as there are today. In Ireland for example there were virtually no Polish people here until EU membership, so nobody had ever the opportunity to meet or listen to a Polish person speak. Now of course I and most educated people would have known the Polish people speak 'Polish' but its not surprising that a lot might not as they had no exposure to the language or pupulace.

As far as I know, during the 80s, there was a lot of stuff about Wałęsa in international media. And, of course, there was the pope.

I for one never remember anything about seeing Poland ever mentioned in the international media. Other than of course the Pope, whos picture still hangs in every Irish home today :)

but I know that in Korea they speak Korean and not, e.g. Chinese.

Thats a valid point, and while ignorance is never excusable I do try and understand it.

while Poland has been there for some time

I assure you, there are many, many people who are very ignorant of history. With the widespread dumbing down of education now throughout Europe, I suspect ignorance will flourish

Apart from 'do you have cars over there' of course.

'Crap' indeed but an ignorant assumption easily explained nevertheless. Ireland my native country was the same under British oppression, but we still danced and drank :)

Poles used the cavalry to charge against vulnerable against that attack German artillery.

Considering that most of this generation know little or nothing about history, fictional or otherwise I find it refreshing that they know Poland was even in a war !

my Polish friends love me because I know loads about their country.

Arent you the same lady who recently commented that "Oh My God Polish men are the best lovers in the world, they are the best at sex in the world, Oh My God" because you were in love with your boyfriend ? Im not surprised your Polish friends love you, Im sure they are very flattered also ;)

WE sure did, the light ball turning at the ceiling and all

Ha,ha the disco ball, I remember nthem in Ireland, few of them still around actually :)))
Grzegorz_  51 | 6138  
6 Jun 2009 /  #280
20 years ago you had no 'discos'

You've got no idea what you are talking about. Actually this thread is about people like you.
Switezianka  - | 463  
6 Jun 2009 /  #281
people generally associate Europe with the EU.

??????
Are people really that ignorant that they can't tell a political union from a continent?
And what, do they think e.g. Moscow is in Asia?

Now of course I and most educated people would have known the Polish people speak 'Polish' but its not surprising that a lot might not as they had no exposure to the language or pupulace.

Niechaj narodowie wżdy postronni znają, iż Polacy, nie gęsi, iż swój język mają! (May all the other nations know that the Poles have not the language of geese but of their own - Mikołaj Rej, Renaissance writer).

And to be serious I don't see any reason why foreigner should recognize the sound of Polish language, but it's really an ignorance not to know, especially for a European, that there some Polish language in Poland. Polish is not one of 300 languages spoken in an African country with a former colonizer's lang. is he official one.
niejestemcapita  2 | 561  
6 Jun 2009 /  #282
the Pope, whos picture still hangs in every Irish home today :)

really? Even in Jews and Methodists and Church of Ireland ppl?...:)
theblueenigma  3 | 188  
6 Jun 2009 /  #283
And to be serious I don't see any reason why foreigner should recognize the sound of Polish language

I of course know the difference, but I didnt always. For most foreigners there is little or no difference between Russian and Polish, they consider you all accents from this side of the world similar.

You've got no idea what you are talking about. Actually this thread is about people like you.

No it isnt :) I have an idea what I am talking about, and I know that the nightlife in Poland during communisim wasnt comparable to that elsewhere. Please dont take it personally, I was just offering an explantion as to why people have ignorant assumptions

Are people really that ignorant that they can't tell a political union from a continent?

Yes, sadly that is the mindset of most people. They equate Europe with the EU.

really? Even in Jews and Methodists and Church of Ireland ppl?...:)

Well, Im sure he has a place in the hearts of the 4% of jews, methodists and COI also :)
niejestemcapita  2 | 561  
6 Jun 2009 /  #284
4%

yeh probably..I really didnt realise this figure was so low..:)
theblueenigma  3 | 188  
6 Jun 2009 /  #285
I was curious so I googled it and I was wrong :))

Catholic 86% (I thought it was much more, so the popes pic hangs in 86% of Irish homes hehe
)
Church Of Ireland 3 %
No religion 4.4%
Not stated 1.7%
Other religions 1.4%
Christian unspecified 0.7%
Muslim 0.8%
Presbyterian 0.6%
Orthodox 0.5%
Methodist 0.3%
polishredneck  2 | 9  
6 Jun 2009 /  #286
also, alot of people think im jewish cause im polish, plus they cant pronounce my last name! lol
PlasticPole  7 | 2641  
6 Jun 2009 /  #287
alot of people think im jewish cause im polish,

That's happened to me based on my last name too. It's not jewish it's polish but lots of people think everyone with a polish last name is jewish. It's been my experience in the US.
polishredneck  2 | 9  
7 Jun 2009 /  #288
oh man! going through school was the worst! HEY JEWISH KID!, and all the teachers, during roll call and everyone who seen my name asks how to say it, even the cops when i get pulled over,.. uh mr. uhhh how do you say that? is that a jewish last name the cop says, but hey good conversation makes good freinds and it gets me outta a ticket so im happy, its just aggrivating to correct someone a million times when they cant get my name right and the worst part of it is they really do insist!
Bzibzioh  
7 Jun 2009 /  #289
Niechaj narodowie wżdy postronni znają, iż Polacy, nie gęsi, iż swój język mają!

(May all the other nations know that the Poles have not the language of geese but of their own - Mikołaj Rej, Renaissance writer).

or

"Let it by all and sundry foreign nations be known that Poles speak not Anserine but a tongue of their own."
PlasticPole  7 | 2641  
7 Jun 2009 /  #290
its just aggrivating to correct someone a million times when they cant get my name right

Yeah. They annoy me too.
Nathan  18 | 1349  
7 Jun 2009 /  #291
And what, do they think e.g. Moscow is in Asia?

I don't think, I know it is there.
Switezianka  - | 463  
7 Jun 2009 /  #292
Let it by all and sundry foreign nations be known that Poles speak not Anserine but a tongue of their own."

Yeah, that's better. LOL, I didn't even know the word 'anserine'.
jump_bunny  5 | 236  
7 Jun 2009 /  #293
Most of people who know me, they also know I used to live in Poland. One of them asked me whether Polish people eat home made cheese as you cannot get any from the shops...
terri  1 | 1661  
7 Jun 2009 /  #294
....I hope that you asked them 'what is cheese?'
gumishu  15 | 6169  
8 Jun 2009 /  #295
Anserine from anser latin for goose
Agricola  - | 6  
22 Jun 2009 /  #296
FISZ Polar bears - Poland

ROTFL at that. I'll surely use it <giggles to self>
enkidu  6 | 611  
29 Jun 2009 /  #297
I don't think, I know it is there.

For future reference:

Yep. Moscow is an European city.
Sasha  2 | 1083  
30 Jun 2009 /  #298
enkidu

Oh... friend pls take it easy. Nathan is mentally challenged. :(
1jola  14 | 1875  
30 Jun 2009 /  #299
Bluenigma,

We don't really get offended. I hope you don't either when people associate Ireland with terrorism, potatoes three times a day, drunkeness, brawling, and James Joyce, of course :)
Chris77  2 | 22  
27 Jul 2009 /  #300
My friend - Hey Chris!! You've been to Poland a fair bit! Have you ever seen a wooden wedding??

Me - Huh???

My friend - Yeah you know, when two "Poles" get married!! :-))

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