Life / How to really meet Polish people in Poland and actually socialize with people in their Late 20s/Early 30s? [34]

Best way in any non-native country to "socialize" with the locals in their language, and not, as you post, with other ex-pats, is to do what I did when I was a student traveler, and simply avoid the company and/or contact with those from your own country. I'd go to local bars, outdoor events which don't seem dodgy, attend movies, and in essence, hang out with as many Poles as you possibly can.

If your further goal is to improve your Polish skills, that might be hard in large city, being as today far more people want to practice their English than I was last there in the late '90's, and at least basic Polish was an absolute must!

What I would recommend is to politely feign non-comprehension if your partner insists on speaking English, maintaining the "fiction" that it would be easier for both parties if you guys stuck to Polish:-)

I was last in Europe in 2008, and the ploy somehow worked.

Law / Poland's Muzzle Law [22]

Doing what, Johnny?

Law / Poland's Muzzle Law [22]

Same difference though, Maf, just different wording:-)

Law / Poland's Muzzle Law [22]

I refer you to my favorite Adlai Stevenson retort:

Woman: Senator, I believe every thinking man and woman should vote for you as president of the United States!

Stevenson: That's not enough, madam. I need a majority!

Hitchcock the director is credited with saying, "Actors are like cattle!"
So too, perhaps, the electorate:-)

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

Admittedly, W.A.S.P. tradition frowns on what are perceived as excessive displays of public affection.
For that reason, I could see why Polish diminutives would seem uncomfortable for you.

Law / Poland's Muzzle Law [22]

Damn straight, fella!

And that plain stinks.

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

I guess you're referring to those fetching diminutives, right? What's wrong with gradations of intimacy?

Law / Poland's Muzzle Law [22]

The question then remains as to why the electorate in either country want their rights slowly but surely taken away from them.

Law / Poland's Muzzle Law [22]

Concerning the current topic thread, I feel that there should be freedom of the press in any democratic society, this includes Poland, in which apparently one single "independent" judge has been harassed for wanting nothing more than to have the judicial system free from the constraints of the Sejm.

Imagine Trump dictating how he wants the bench to interpret the law.

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

Foreigners, Poles included, constantly decry the vagueries and inconsistencies of English orthography, Rich, you just can't get around it by saying that Polish inflections are somehow "worse"!

You're comparing apples and oranges, matey:-)

Work / Moving to Poland from Ireland - starting a professional life [32]

Best of luck!

Must be a bit of a culture shock from Ireland to Poland.

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

Is English spelling any saner?
Careful there, Richie, your ol' ethnocentrism is showing again:-)

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

When on the phone, I can sometimes hear others address him the same way.
It may simply be a question of correctness vs. colloquial usage, that is to say
"incorrect", if slangy, conversation.

European workmen on the whole, have a better education/schooling than their
US counterparts in my experience. I don't know this guy except as a super, but
perhaps in Poland he was an engineer and was forced to work in the States
as building handyman.

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

I call my super "Panie Rysku!" and he appreciates the opportunity to speak Polish:-)

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

And the vocative "Ryszku".

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

Yes, exactly.

Genealogy / Does "Ryszard" work as a surname in Poland? [37]

I've mostly heard it as a given name. Sometimes as a middle, but never a surname.

Work / Moving to Poland from Ireland - starting a professional life [32]

Where in Poland do you hail from?

Work / Moving to Poland from Ireland - starting a professional life [32]

If the "piwiarnie" right here in Greenpoint are any indicator, are you sure Poland doesn't really have a pub culture? Recently, we were at such a watering hole and I at least found the atmosphere most convivial:-) Then again, unlike in London, never noticed any children in the Polish version.

Language / Origin of / reason for spelling /tɕi/ as <ci> in the Polish language [11]

Swietna idea. Dobranoc:-)

Work / Moving to Poland from Ireland - starting a professional life [32]

Damn straight you can't.

Work / Moving to Poland from Ireland - starting a professional life [32]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Milo.
A Pole once told me I spoke Polish so well, no
Pole would think I wasn't Russian!
:-)

Language / Origin of / reason for spelling /tɕi/ as <ci> in the Polish language [11]

Hungarian "cz-sound" as in "RakoCZy Utca" most closely resembles Polish "c" without acute diacritical accent mark. The "cs-sound" though is closest to "ci-sound" in Polish.

Language / Origin of / reason for spelling /tɕi/ as <ci> in the Polish language [11]

I can't either.

Study / 90% of Poles have university degree? [57]

Ha-ha, very funny, Jokster:-) I graduated the same year as you probablyLOL

History / Judge Tuleya mother was in SB [74]

Merged:

Judge Igor Tuleya: Patriot or PiS Traitor?

Having compared the NYT article on the above gentleman with articles from "Wprost" along with "Polityka", I wonder how my forum colleague feel about this lone soldier of right, desperately trying to fight for judicial independence.

As always, I'd be most interested in your thoughts on this.

Genealogy / British name Russell in Poland [26]

Here I agree with you!
There are plenty of non-native given names which have become international, much better suited, for instance, Daniel, Sandra etc..

Genealogy / Eastern Germanic migration the Iron Age Goths - do modern Poles have Gothic ancestry? [8]

Indeed, the Poles have considerable German influence. After all, they are both neighbors:-)

Genealogy / Mongolian the Golden Horde - do Poles have Mongolian ancestry? [256]

Well, the valley of Neanderthal is located in Germany, if that means anything:-)

Study / New idea for foreign students - help with getting familiar with Poland [4]

Absolutely!

The thing is too that acculturating goes a lot farther than just knowing the language. Having a solid background in the local economy, job market, yes of course local customs (both spoken as well as unspoken) and even recent history, can surely make one's sojourn abroad that much more meaningful, for themselves, but also for their Polish contacts. This shows sincere interest, not merely lip service, in learning to live in a foreign country.