News / New European Council's report: "Poland oasis of racism, xenophobia and homophobia" ... [343]

True. And yet the very fact that people seen as "different", although by any standards clean, circumspect in their behavior, and reasonably polite, are verbally attacked by strangers simply for being overheard speaking a foreign language, surely remains cause for concern, be it in Poland, Ferguson, Mo. or Flushing, Queens:-)

News / New European Council's report: "Poland oasis of racism, xenophobia and homophobia" ... [343]

Merged:

Muslim Girls Complain of Polish "Racism" On Holocaust School Trip

According to yahoo news, a group of young Muslim women from Germany were verbally accosted while on a Holocaust study trip to Poland today! As some where speaking Farsi, locals could be heard (in English) making abusive remarks about their wearing traditional garb and speaking in their native language. So far, this is only their side of the story:-)

Curious as to our members reactions.

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [89]

Just another note. Continentals often take their main meal of the day for lunch, whereas, like the Americans, Brits usually will have either a small sandwich and coffee or a light snack for midday, leaving their main meal for supper aka dinner. Not sure though where this casual attitude towards eating arose.

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [89]

Wasn't aware of that, Delph. Wonder why.

Food / Poles have a more loving attitude to food than here in the UK [89]

The English also felt themselves relatively stigmatized in terms of their culinary talents, well into the latter half of the prior century! Although having moved light years beyond fish 'n chips, tankards of ale, roast beef and the like, it was still quite common for any respectable English country estate to employ the requisite FRENCH cook to prepare meals fit for royal vs. mere plebian consumption:-) On the other hand, very native Wensleydale, Stilton with a nice local port can satisfy even the most finicky denizens of her Majesty's Table, I've no doubt.

Wasn't in Poland for long enough, but have always heard how seriously Poles tend to take especially their produce, above all apples along with other types of typically Northern fruit such as plums, pears etc.

Travel / Why do you visit Poland? [223]

Old thread, new take on last post. Couldn't help note with curiosity the placement of Auschwitz right next to the Kopernikus Museum along with other "tourist" attractions.

A noteworthy juxtaposition, I'd say:-) After visiting a death camp, what does one do for an encore......dab one's eyes a little and move on?

Guess I just can't see celebrating human tragedy while on vacation.

Language / Polish case question (Mężczyzna jest zimno? or Dziewczyna jest zimno?) [71]

@(smoke)ender,

In fact German has a similar case/word order situation much as Polish:-)

Language / Polish case question (Mężczyzna jest zimno? or Dziewczyna jest zimno?) [71]

Roundly concur:-) A number of other languages as well, as you mentioned, contain ambiguous word order in which case determines meaning, yet the endings can be read both ways!

Life / Comparing Poland and Romania [108]

Ceascescu so utterly ruined Romania, both economically as well as culturally, that she can't even be compared with Poland! Even under Communism, later Solidarity, the Polish economy exceeded that of Romania, essentially almost a third-world country until relatively recently.

Love / What do Polish girls think about dating Asian guys? [134]

If you want to impress them right from the start, learn at least a bare minimum of Polish! Doubt any know Chinese, though the more educated will probably know some German and might be conversationally fluent:-)

Powodzenia! Viel Glueck!

News / Why Poland has no problem with terrorism [64]

Poland might not as yet have a problem with terrorism per se; she sure as heck though has an enduring problem with anti-Semitism and xenophobia! In that way, Poland is not too far different from her neighbors in Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Germany:-)

Although the roots of the problem are doubtless different from country to country, certain countries such as Spain and Italy do have different ways of dealing with it, and they don't necessarily involve torching asylum-seeker shelters or attacking innocent strangers on the street, merely because of their complexion, accent etc.

On the other hand, I have heard some similar talk from run-of-the-mill Italians concerning Sinti-Roma in their midst.

Life / Study material for Driving License in English [3]

Why are you taking a driver's test in English? Wouldn't it have been easier to either have someone reliable translate the required documents or learn enough of the language yourself prior to taking the exam?

No offense, but it seems counter intuitive:-)

News / Why Poland has no problem with terrorism [64]

I've got to go along with ya there, Johnny! Merkel's been deadly for Germany and even for Europe. The Far Right however is by turn sooooo yucky, to say the least, her "dictatorship" remains the lesser of the two evils:-)

Life / Why is circumcision not practiced in Poland? [701]

In fact, circumcision is not only not confined to the Jews, but actually, much as with the original practice of keeping kosher, is highly sanitary, since the layer of foreskin is technically unnecessary to begin with. Jews, as with Muslims, have a relatively low rate of contracted venereal disease, compared with certain other groups:-)

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [586]

That many Jews during the war years owe their lives to Good Samaritans in Poland, Polish Christians who, like Wojtyla, understand the tenets of their faith, I can but roundly applaud!! This is factual history and something of which every Pole can be darned proud!

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [586]

Au contraire, Pierre! I'm not making him out to be any such thing:-) In fact, I trust you are familiar with Leopold Socha, Lwow resistance fighter who fought side by side with his own comrades in defense of his fellow Jewish Poles.

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [586]

Great Poles as well as "friends of the Jews" were the late Jan Karski who alerted the world to the impending Holocaust, and of course, Lolek Wojtyla, later Pope John Paul, and a true friend of the Jews as well as of all mankind.

We can all look up to their shining examples in this cynical age!!

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [586]

@Ironside,

There are too many inaccuracies and weaknesses in your presentation to enumerate, friend. We'd like to help you and we like you on a personal level.

Maybe dinner once a year.

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [586]

Collective remorse about the slaughter of over a million Native Americans by W.A.S.P. Westerners not related to me either by blood or even intermarriage, Ironside??

Anyone except for a bonehead would immediately draw upon their knowledge of (factual) history to see that the analogy is scarcely comparable:-)

As a third-generation American, I certainly feel as appalled and ashamed as anyone would about such as well about the African-American experience. On the other hand, nobody in my family, once removed or remotely distant, participated either in slavery or mass lynchings. Therefore, once again, an analogy by some Euro-smarty pants couldn't hold water either!

Collective guilt regarding crimes committed by fellow countrymen from the same gene pool is hardly the same as a sense of national shame that others unrelated to me committed such heinous acts.

History / What do Poles owe to Jews? [586]

More to the point of the thread is rather what do Poles owe THEMSELVES as consciencious, dutiful Christians to help them assuage any residual feelings of collective remorse.

Germans weren't the only ones. Let's spread the misery around a little:-) Nobody, even the Jews themselves, were blameless angels during the whole nasty mess!!!

Love / Do Polish date Spanish people [50]

"Matrimonia italiana", a concept made into a movie with Mastroiani and Loren in the early sixties. Illustrates this point completely.
GREAT film too!
:-)

History / Wartime Rescue of Jews by the Polish Catholic Clergy. The Testimony of Survivors. [22]

I'm the first to assert that Poland can be mighty proud of people such as the unnamed, unsung heroes of the War, fellow Christians, who risked their lives to rescue their fellow Jewish citizens, in fact their brethren (merely of a different faith) in the common fight against Hitler.

News / Polish diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski has died [53]

More bilge from the far "wrong"LOL Brzezinski was raised a good Catholic and has zero Jewish or non-ethnic Slavic roots whatsoever. Because you dislike someone, is calling them a "Jew" equivalent to an insult??! Who's a racist now?

:-)

History / Polish hero discovers Jewish roots [25]

Christianity's roots ARE Jewish, Ironside, remember Jesus?? Therefore, you don't know what you're talking about:-)

News / Polish diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski has died [53]

What have you got against Brzezinski?

News / Polish diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski has died [53]

From your lips to G_d's ear.

History / Polish hero discovers Jewish roots [25]

Perhaps why until today, Russians will ask someone for their "nationality" as separate and distinct from their "ethnicity":-) And not only in Russia. In Germany up until the past ten years maybe, someone born in Germany of foreign-born parents was not considered of German "nationality"! In the US, the opposite is true.

News / Polish diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski has died [53]

Clearly, this thread shows that one is never a prophet in their own times...they must often wait for posterity to judge them by their rightful merits.

News / Polish diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski has died [53]

The Good Samaritan remains one of the more disquieting parables in Christianity, sadly, often used in order to justify anti-Semitism, as Jesus is said to have excoriated the Hebrews for not reaching out to help the man, whereas the Samaritans did:-)

More fuel for the fodder.

News / Polish diplomat Zbigniew Brzezinski has died [53]

That's it, revile Brzezinski for being a good person. His father too, like with the late Jan Karski, was a bona fide humanitarian, when it gave the least in remunerary return, yet counted most in terms of spirit. Here's to the spirit of the real Christian ethic, May she live on in those who dare walk in their footsteps. Tough act to follow, folks!