Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

Ooooh, Milo! You're in a mean mood today, mateLOL

Language / What is your biggest problem with Polish language? [158]

I respect your opinion.
Even with Polish ESLers whom I teach, many too claim they are "advanced" speakers for whom the briniest of grammar teasers pose
little to no difficulties, tongue twisters happily included.

When I correct one, she nearly flew into a hissy fit claiming that her teachers in Poznan never corrected her
English as I did here. Turns out, her teachers were all native Poles:-)

So much for being completely honest with oneself.

Genealogy / Ancestors from Galicia - does this mean you are Polish? [19]

Yes, that's right.
After all, Lemberg was called by her German name long before she was "re-named" Lwow, later L'viv!

Language / Polish vs English tongue twisters [45]

If you think "W Szczebryznie chrzasc brzmi......" is tough for non-Poles, just you folks try "Theopholis Thistle, the successful thistle sifter, sifting a thread of unsifted thistles through the thick of his thumb...." or "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" five times fast and you'd all agree that English has about the "craziest" tongue twisters around!

LOL

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

Can't argue with ya there, Atch! Your assessment of yours truly seems right on point.

For the bazillionth time though, if I returned to Poland, I'd be tickled pink to speak with Poles in English if they preferred, only to allow them to practice.

As soon as they get tired, naturally we'd switch to Polish:-)

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

Oh, Rich, you couldn't be more mistaken!

Sure, you'll always run into some uppity folks out there in la-la land who'll ask you "patiently" (though of course, NOT so patiently) to kindly stop speaking their native language because "obviously" you'll never know it as they know English.

Don't listen to 'em!!

This was the gently advice I was giving littepoland.

Genealogy / Second gen Polish-American with little exposure [45]

@littlepoland,

You'll find that even a cursory knowledge of Polish, as in knowing the local tongue anywhere in which you work, visit, or study, will greatly enhance your stay!

While the other posters here are quite right that English is widely spoken, indeed learned in school now, throughout the country, always remember that the locals are no doubt as eager to practice their English as you are your Polish:-)

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Because, as with Conservative/Republicans, they are ideologically rather logically driven.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

We know, Dirk, we know, Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve. We've heard it before,, the old refrain.

G-d forgives all sins, asking of others also that they forgive their neighbor.
I don't believe in the death penalty though, no, not even for murder.

It is up to the Allmighty to create life as well as to take it. Man may punish, yet the rest is up to Him!

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

A typical perversion of the Holy Scripture, Rich! Even I know that:-)
Religion is not some chic center, a drop-in place for "fun".

Heard of somebody who heckled the pastor during a sermon, "Yo, padre!
I don't come to church to be hassled!!" (Followed by several choice invectives)

My response is simple: "Yo, dude! You don't wanna be hassled...STAY HOME!!!"

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Who are you to judge such matter, Ironside?
Are you Christi Incarnate?? "Hate the sin, not the sinner!"

Translate THAT into Polish, what don't you. Sure you even understand it in English?:-)

Christianity teaches love and forgiveness for all earthly transgressions. I'm Jewish and know more about Christian teaching that you do. Where did the Catholics get it from in the first place?

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Not a humbug, paw, it's a "hanba", more to the point, "wstyd" (a disgrace)!

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Raw deal for some, pal.
One needn't be gay to be most dismayed by Duda's backward decision.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Fancy words, paw, too fancy for me.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Not his best picture either.

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Promises, promises:-)

News / President Duda rules out homo marriage in Poland as banned by the constitution [172]

Poland, though an arch-Catholic country, is curiously behind other Catholic nations in this respect!
I'm thinking here of Spain:-)

Work / Is starting a language school doable in Poland [9]

As far as I've read, Poland has a surfeit of language schools, not even talking here about the Berlitz variety.
What former students who are now studying in New York tell me, most are fly-by-night holes in the wall, not worth their salt.

I agree that you really should scope out the area first, before deciding to open such a school. Decide too which languages. If it's English....GOOD LUCK!! You'll likely be drowning in competitors, probably many from the UK, now that Brexit is a reality:-)

Perhaps a school offering Asian or other "exotic" languages might have a chance to succeed, and a pretty good one, I'd wager.

Food / Which foods are generally disliked/unpopular in Poland? Which non-Polish foods are slowly gaining popularity? [180]

..whereas technically they're "rYbaki", although crustaceons rather than fish:-)

News / Poles say a big YES to our European Union [996]

Poland probably won't even be affected by the Brexit, save perhaps for Polish nationals residing permanently in the UK or those who have become UK citizens.

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [241]

Only the late Queen Mum:-)

News / First Coronavirus case in Poland? [30]

Only that there is a tendency to demonize a group of people as a convenient target without bothering to scope out all the relevant evidence to support such a claim.

As you might recall, Jews were accused by the Nazis, among others, for bringing the Plague aka typhoid, to Germany....in order to "infect" the Aryan Race!

That turned out to be a lie, filthy conditions in many of the ghettoes and shtetl notwithstanding.

China is known for questionable hygienic practices, granted. Nonetheless, does that mean that all Chinese are filthy?

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [241]

Spot on, Milo!

We do find common ground on occasion, don't we.

News / First Coronavirus case in Poland? [30]

I've read though that a virus can "travel" from one site and then be picked up by someone, not necessarily
from the "source area", but who happened to be there by sheer coincidence, maybe a tourist....and not
a Chinaman either:-)

I'm not a scientist either and so what I'm saying is naturally speculation on my part.

News / First Coronavirus case in Poland? [30]

China though is not the root of the problem.
Historically, they have long been known for tricky and slipshod sanitary practices, they'd be the first to admit it!

News / First Coronavirus case in Poland? [30]

Prejudice is an even more pernicious malady, guys. At least for Coronavirus, there's a cure....if you catch it in time!

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [241]

My son rightly pointed out that I came of age in a slightly better economy than he. As such, I did what most self-respecting fathers would have done in my position - I used some of my connections where I worked to cut a deal and have the realtor give Steven a slight "break" on his first year's rent. The rest, I reminded him, was up to him. But if ever he needed some honest advice, I would always be there. You see, this stuff goes on all the time, only people normally don't talk about it. Anyway, I'm proud I was able to help. At least it gave the boy a feeling of independence, right?

Worked like a charm:-)

Motto here is that there is often a cover story to the erstwhile "I pulled myself up by my own bootstraps!", Horatio Alger routine.

Frequently, as George Jefferson from the now long defunct TV series would have said, Thing is, somebody done give 'em the boots and the straps!" lol

Everybody's situation is different.

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [241]

Again, if parents are ready, willing, and financially able to send their kids to school, a "good" college like one of the Ivies, who am I to stand in moral judgement?

On the other hand, as a father, I'll be damned if I'd spoon feed my boy after he'd legally old enough to provide for himself proper! Not that I haven't helped when and where I could. However, Steven soon learned neither to accept nor to expect "handouts" from dear ol' dad!

Love / 20% of adult Poles are single and live with Mummy! [241]

I think that parents who have the means to help their children are morally (although NOT legally!!) obligated to do so! Any father who'd allow his son to suffer in a lousy economy, as if things were exactly as they were during the Great Depression, ought to have his parenting license revoked....as soon as he gets one:-) After that, have his head examined.

However, surely all young men who are over the age of 25 for certain, should make every attempt possible within the limits of the law, to seek adequate domicile for themselves, and of course, secure a bare minimum of employment.

This is though more the Anglo-Saxon way. Countries such as Italy, Greece, and Spain have traditionally encouraged their children both sons as well as daughters, to live at home and even raise their families where they themselves were born, should they be lucky or privileged to do so.

Neither way is ideologically right or wrong. Yet times change and parents must accept that some things cannot, indeed should not, be as they once were. There was plenty about the "good old days" which wasn't good.

Genealogy / Online access to public / parish records search in Poland? [20]

I see.