UK, Ireland / Polish drink-driving murderer sentenced to 5.5 years in prison [99]


Jesus... So he didn't get killed on spot, as it was written in the article. I mean that he didn't die right away...

My cousin saw once a road accident in Wrocław, or its aftermath - the guy was on a motorcycle, I guess he was hit by a car, I don't remember. He had his belly ripped open with his intestines falling out. She said he was in such a shock that he got up and started putting his intestines back into his belly and mumbled that he has to go home.


It's not only sad, but traumatic...

@amiga500, according to the article the witnesses said that he was jaywalking (and running)...

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


Yes! :)) In Polish it's called "strzelający cukier" (literally: "shooting sugar") and in English it's "popping sugar" or "popping candy", like, for example, American "Pop Rocks" ("Taste the Explosion!" lol). We used to eat such popping sugar sold in sachets when we were kids :)

But... That's not what this riddle is about :)) It is the first ice cream with a popping candy that I've ever eaten and it looks like Nestle decided to introduce a new version of their Kaktus ice cream with a glaze also containing popping candy after the success of the ice cream in the photo. It's also the first ice cream I've ever tasted with a bubble gum flavoured glaze (and it does taste like bubble gum :)). It smells nice and tastes good (especially the strawberry flavour), the popping sugar is fun :) (you can not only feel it but you can also hear the popping), but besides that it's an ordinary sorbet ice cream on a stick.

So... What makes these Polish ice cream (it's produced by a Polish company) so special that people in Poland would storm the shops and buy them out to the point that they would be out of stock and a popular discount introduced buying limits for those ice cream? lol Why would people put even the ice cream packages up for sale on the internet for some ridiculous prices? Why this craze?? ;D


Me too. I also recognise those funny clothes which that old-fashion gent is wearing :))

Travel / Greatest Old Towns in Poland [74]

@pawian, then there wouldn't be place for much of anything else because that green patch with the pond was taking most of the space. There was a patched up, uneven road around it with pavements and that was it. It wouldn't be a proper city's main square then, but a tiny park-like area. As that lady at the beginning of the interview (that I linked to in my previous post - it's the second link) said there are concerts taking place there nowadays, including the New Year's Eve concert. I also personally don't miss that shabby looking "Nazi pool" (it was old and the city had problems with its upkeep anyway).

Also, Rafał Zamojski in the interview (in the first link that I posted) said that such were the restoration guidelines at that time - restorers wanted to retain the medieval setup of old towns and that meant almost no greenery. Take a look at the main squares of such old cities like Kraków, Warsaw or Poznań - there's almost no greenery there. According to Zamojski those guidelines are changing though, because the restorers realised that besides being true to history main squares should be also functional and people-friendly :)

Btw, even though I think that restoration was a must, I don't like how it was done, I don't like the surface of the main square and some other things. I wish they kept those trees, but put them on the sides of the place rather than in the middle. But, at least, it does look like the city's main square and I wouldn't want to go back to what was before. As I already wrote - not far from rynek right in the city centre there's one of the oldest parks in Poland:

pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_miejski_im._Stanis%C5%82awa_Staszica_w_Kielcach

There's a big pond with benches around it in that park, it's surrounded by trees (big weeping willows are my favourite :)), the water streams in the fountain are so high that when it's windy it blows a wet breeze in your face from its direction lol You can sit there and relax, eat an icecream from the sweet-shop at Staszic Street and watch kids feeding the ducks :):

m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=262469144976042&id=2029898670636227

My cousin who lives in Wrocław was always saying how green Kielce was in comparison to Wrocław, so I guess we shouldn't be complaining too much :):

youtu.be/dDQ03WxsuxU

Woah, sorry for the long post... You know what, my comment about Sienkiewicz Street in the riddle thread and my posts here made me realise that even though Kielce isn't anything special or a tourist attraction I actually love my city ;D :)))

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

I don't think those sugar crystals are big enough to call them rock sugar (?), but either way - neither ordinary granulated sugar nor ordinary rock sugar "explodes" in your mouth like the one that was put in the pink glaze of that ice cream in the photo :) So, what is the name of such sugar in English or in Polish?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@johnny_reb, it is granulated sugar indeed, but what do you call such "explosive" sugar in English?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian, no, it isn't salt, but part of its name in Polish is also something commonly used in the kitchen :)

Travel / Greatest Old Towns in Poland [74]

@JakeRyan, in case of Kielce square they actually wanted to go back to the original, historic state of the place (this is what it looked like in the past):



That pool in the photos posted by pawian was a fire retention pond built by the Nazis during occupation in the middle of the historic square with its history going back to the 12th century... I can't blame the city authorities that they wanted to get rid of it :)

In my opinion it's good that the renovation happened, because now we have a proper historic square in Kielce instead of a noisy roundabout. People weren't relaxing in that place anyway due to the traffic and the noise and that spot was dingy already. There's a proper park not far away in the city centre with a big pond with a big fountain and ducks and swans are swimming there, so it wasn't a great loss, imho :)

The renovation itself was, however, an example of Polish "betonoza" which was trendy at that time - too little or almost no greenery. Fortunately, the trend seems to be changing:

kielce.naszemiasto.pl/wielkie-zmiany-na-rynek-w-kielcach-zamiast-tylu-kamiennych/ar/c1-7590337

And here are interviews with inhabitants of Kielce - the reporter is asking whether they prefer the present day square or what was before and in general what they like and don't like about the renovation (young people seem to be complaining more about the lack of greenery):

kielce.naszemiasto.pl/kielce-kiedys-i-dzis-co-mieszkancy-sadza-o-zmianach-wideo/ar/c3-4296898

I'd like to add sth about the unfortunate changes that happened behind the city hall (the taller building on the left in the photos), but I don't have time right now, so maybe another time :)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@mafketis, the pink icing containes a certain "explosive" ingredient, but it isn't baking soda. You can see that ingredient in the icing in the photo if you look closely :)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

;D


Actually, the pink part of that ice cream is kind of "explosive" in a way lol

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian ;D Actually it is what it looks like - it is an ice cream on a stick :) The "special" part is the tricky part :))

Language / Nickname for a small boy [14]


"Kiedy dorośniesz, staniesz się bardzo potężny."

The one above is an exact translation, but this one is also possible:

"Kiedy dorośniesz, będziesz miał wielką moc." (When you grow up, you will have great power.)

Here the word "moc" (power) suggests magical powers.


"Pochodzisz ze starego rodu."


You're welcome :)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


Maybe he isn't going to participate in this thread... :/


And it's pretty :))

Next riddle - what is it and why it's so special?:

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Language / Nickname for a small boy [14]

@BoPri319, yes, I think so, however "Iskier" sounds pretty serious, adult-like and I don't know what age that boy will reach in your story, so I'd go with "iskierka" up until the age of 5, then something in between - "Iskierek" until the age of 10, I guess, and when he enters teenage years: "Iskier".

Also, as for "iskierka" - it would be normally used as a term of endearment, like "słoneczko" (literally "little sun", could be translated as "sunshine") or "skarb" (treasure).

Btw, I probably should add that giving men nicknames which are nouns of feminine gender isn't completely unheard of in Poland... I personally know of such examples probably only in case of soldiers though, like, for example, a legendary Polish resistance Home Army fighter during World War II, whose nom de guerre was "Zośka" (it's a first name that only girls are given). Also, some of the soldiers from Polish Special Forces get nicknames which are nouns of feminine gender, like "Sowa" (owl) or "Burza" (storm), there's also a guy whose nickname was "Magda" (again, a female first name). So, in theory, I guess everything is possible :)

You know, as a woman I'm not sure if a boy would mind being called "Iskra" or not... Perhaps Polish guys should comment on this, because maybe I got too focused on the gender of that noun... "Iskra" does sound cool in Polish :), but I figured "Iskier" would be less likely to raise eyebrows ;)

Sorry if I'm confusing you more than helping ;D

Language / Nickname for a small boy [14]

@BoPri319, in Polish "iskierka" (little spark) would be perfect for a hyperactive (and joyful) little kid. A mother or grandmother could call also a boy like that. And it's sweet and cute :) ("Moja mała iskierka" - my little spark). The problem would be with the boy growing older. "Iskra" would be better for a girl, that's why I coined that nickname "Iskier" for you.


Yes, I'd say so.


I don't think so...


Personally I associate the word "świetlik" with light only. It would be maybe better for a child full of internal light and probably rather gentle and not a hyperactive kid. That's my take at least...

Language / Nickname for a small boy [14]

@BoPri319, bear in mind that the Polish word "iskra" is of feminine gender, so not everyone would call a boy like that. I guess it could be "Iskierek" when a little boy and "Iskier" when he would grow older. Such word doesn't exist in Polish, but I can imagine it as a nickname.

A "firefly" is "świetlik" in Polish. A diminutive would be "swietliczek".


"Little spark" would be "iskierka".


I'd go for the sparky version then :)

Off-Topic / What's your connection with Poland? Penpals. [595]

@drzewoskidean, welcome to PF! :)


I recommend looking through the thread "Poland in photo riddles - part 2" - you can learn a thing or two and it's fun :))

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


OK, so I'll try to answer to the best of my knowledge since probably noone else will - I remember reading in one article that it was general Petelicki (the founder of GROM) who decided that GROM will continue the tradition of the Silent Unseen. One could say that they were the first Polish Special Forces, so I guess it made sense :) Here's a more detailed account of how GROM badge came into being, written by Paweł Moszner:

dobroni.pl/artykul/historia-odznaki-korpusowek/565616


For those interested there are more details concerning this at GROM's internet site:

grom.wp.mil.pl/en/pages/traditional-heritage-2019-07-02-g/

grom.wp.mil.pl/en/pages/symbols-2019-07-02-e/


At first I thought that it might be Szczecin, but there are some lovely buildings in Gdańsk and that white one in the backround looks really pretty... Also, Gdańsk's coat of arms has red backround so it could be Gdańsk flag on it (although I can't really make out what's in that flag). So, my answer is Gdańsk.

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


Yes, exactly! :) GROM badge is modeled on the parachute badge of Cichociemni. Also, at the back of that badge of the Silent Unseen there was an inscription: "Tobie Ojczyzno" (For you, Homeland) which GROM soldiers adapted as their motto:

elitadywersji.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/CC-Jozef-Zajac-znak-spadochronowy-768x722.jpg


It was that nosediving eagle from GROM badge :):

pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichociemni#/media/Plik%3AZnak_spadochronowy_AK.png


I think it's because none of the guy's who has been answering recently in this thread was brought up in Poland... Even when I was much younger and had no idea about military I still knew what GROM's symbol is. Some guys and boys have GROM posters on their walls :)) That's why I thought it's going to be too easy and I added those additional questions... lol


Pawian, would you be willing to answer this part? :)


I don't know, but that's a cool lamp :)) It looks somewhat familiar for a reason, but I don't think I've seen it live, probably in a photo... Is it in some Northern city?

News / Poland to get the newest version of M1A2 Abrams tank [90]

In this article general Różański describes all the issues Poland will have with Abrams:

o2.pl/informacje/czolgi-abrams-dla-polski-general-rozanski-wylicza-problemy-i-ostrzega-6661103764945536a


What about men? ;D


Indeed lol


Maybe they think that thanks to such military purchases Americans will shut up about TVN and other stuff? 🤨

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@Milo, nice one, I wouldn't have noticed that those street lamps are shorter than usual :) So I guess it must be some big street near the Chopin airport?


Meh, pawian, you're too impatient - I was going to give them some hints, it's part of the fun ;) Also, maybe not everyone noticed my post - you could give them at least 48 hours... :))


But doesn't "grom" mean "thunder"? Bolt/lightning bolt is translated as "piorun/błyskawica", right?


GROM's special operator at that time. Btw, he's the guy that headed the group of experts who wrote that report about faulty Grot rifles issued to Territorials.

OK, since pawian rozwalił system :)) (he identified the badge and answered all the questions correctly) I'll add another question, so other people would still have a chance to guess something :) Pawian, I'd like to ask you not to answer this one for now ;)

The GROM badge (the photo is in my post #838, right after the photos of mushrooms ;)) is contemporary, but that peaking eagle on the badge is a copy of a historic design from the times of WWII. The difference was that the eagle in the original design wasn't clutching a lightning bolt, but something different.

So, my questions is :):

Who wore that eagle before GROM special operators and why GROM soldiers decided to have it as their symbol?

"peaking eagle"

Sorry, it should be "nosediving" :)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


That's cool to know :)) I'll pay more attention to the trees around where I'll be finding them next time :)


True, it does look different... We found quite a few mushrooms on that day, so it's possible I lumped them all together.


I know, but I figured that maybe our own photos would be more difficult to guess :P


Thanks, because I'm curious about the level of knowledge of our PF patriots too ;)


It looks like an ordinary street to me with ordinary street lamps... It seems rather big... Is it Warsaw?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


Would you be able to tell which one is it if I posted the underneath part of the cap? The first photo is that one I posted as the riddle photo and in the second photo is another one I found in the same place, as far as I remember.


Huh, that's interesting, I didn't know that :)) I found that maślak (and others - it was a whole colony :)) under a conifer in a high grass, but I don't know what kind of tree it was exactly... It was in my grandma's forest (who's an avid mushroom picker, btw :)), so I guess I could ask her whether there are larches growing over there...


Thank God ;D because I have no time to dig through CDs with my photos right now ;P


Zakopane (Krupówki) :))

Today I'm going to post a riddle to celebrate a certain anniversary :) It would be too easy if I posted simple "What is it?", I guess, so I added some questions with different difficulty levels. If you know an answer to just one or two of them then post it, maybe other people will answer the rest.

1. Basic level: What is it?
2. Average level: What is the anniversary all about?
3. Advanced level:
a) who designed it?
b) when was it designed? (which year)
4. Super advanced level (I guess lol): Why the colours - red and dark navy blue?

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Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian, yes, correct! :)) It's a wild mushroom called maślak in Polish, in English it's called slippery jack or sticky bun, because of the cap's slimy surface. The bottom of the cap looks like a yellow sponge with little holes. They're great for a mushroom stew :) From what I've noticed they grow in well hidden places near conifers, often near the edge of the forest.

I think it could be this one to be more precise, judging by the look of the cap:

pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ma%C5%9Blak_ziarnisty

I'm not sure though, for me all of them are just maślaki :P ;)

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@Oathbreaker, it isn't a placek, but it's edible :))

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]


I guess noone else will answer it, so... It's in Kielce and it's called Sienkiewicz Street :):

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sienkiewicz_Street,_Kielce

It isn't an ordinary street though, it's a promenade around 1270 meters long and a sort of heart of Kielce going through the city centre - the smaller streets leading from it can take you to different spots nearby like the square, the park, the Kielce Cathedral, the Palace of the Kraków Bishops, Toys' Museum, the Planty Street where the pogrom in 1946 took place and the only regular cinema left that isn't in a shopping mall - kino "Moskwa" ("Moscow" cinema lol). We were having high school "movie days" at that cinema :) Sienkiewicz Street used to be the place where you would go shopping (I bought my prom dress in one of the boutiques at that street :)) and hang out before all the shopping galleries were built and before the square got renovated. But after Galeria Echo and Galeria Korona were built some shops on the promenade went bankrupt. It's still a nice place to have a walk though and a convenient spot from where you can sightsee Kielce :)


I don't know about that, I've guessed it only because I live there, I'm not sure if people pay attention to such stuff when they sightsee... I guess I'd have to look for photos with street lamps :))


Yes, that one was difficult, so something easier this time :)

What is it?:

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Travel / What is the weather like in Poland where you are now? [211]


It's 32.8 where I live now, but earlier it was 34.2 and not on the sunny side even... And not humid at all - only 30% humidity :/ Another week long heat wave is starting ;(

I want to live in the North now ://

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

Yeah, I'd recognise those street lamps everywhere ;)))

Travel / Poland in photo riddles - part 2 [1680]

@pawian lol
Maybe I'll leave it for jon357, if he appears...

Life / Polish Music. [303]

@Milo, that's not funny, it's tragic when you come from the city to the countryside to experience some peace and quiet, get a sun tan, relax and your uncle (also from a city, btw) is blowing Disco Polo from his car radio into your ears for hours ;/

Study / Various education and school issues in Poland. Opinions, stories, controversies. [1006]

@Milo, you wrote yourself that teachers (and school in general?) should educate. I'm not saying that patriotism is bad. But educating would mean only teaching history, for example. Not patriotism. That would mean teaching a neutral version of history rather then from the point of view of the Polish nation, I suppose. Without the emotional bias (patriotism).