Life / Why do so many Polish strive to be accepted by the West? [78]

If Poland drifts even further from Western aka democratic values, it will drive itself into the ground! As a Polish acquaintance of ours said several years ago after the PiS got elected, "Poland has re-elected the same party which nearly destroyed our country during the '90's."

History / 75th anniversay of Dr Janusz Korczak's death - a true Polish hero [26]

Quite true, as did once upon a time, Poles and others adopt Latin-sounding surnames to appear scholarly! Nevertheless, "Goldsztajn" sounds far less Polish than "Korczak", wouldn't you say?

Life / Why do so many Polish strive to be accepted by the West? [78]

I fail to see the distinction. The path away from the West is the same type of deluded thinking which once plunged Germany into two (LOST!!) world wars.

Life / Bilingual kids in Polish schools [30]

Bilingualism is a mine field. On the one hand, the true bilinguals who grew up in a country and who's parents spoke the source language at home whilst junior learns the target language seamlessly in school as their primary language of instruction, and without a trace of first-language interference, are as rare as precious gems!

Sadly, many delude themselves into thinking they are bilingual because they "feel" so easily comfortable chatting/texting away in English, for example Scandinavian, Dutch, and even German teenagers these days. The fact is, they are anything but bilingual; they may know both languages fluently, yet scarcely with native competence in either language. I know this from experience having lived abroad.

Life / Why do so many Polish strive to be accepted by the West? [78]

Compared with Russia, Poland has "Westernized" much more, both in terms of her acceptance of the Latin alphabet as well as Roman Catholicism, neither of which was by Occident (pardon the pun!). Considering how much Poland has contributed to European culture, from Kopernikus, Chopin right on up through the 20th century and beyond, it's no wonder she feels herself proudly part of Western Europe! Russia remains Eurasia, therefore a sort of bridge between East and West, a part of the other, while not belonging completely to either one.

:-)

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

Better honest grumpiness than dishonest smileyness any day of the week!

History / 75th anniversay of Dr Janusz Korczak's death - a true Polish hero [26]

@kaprys,

Korczak was his pen name because his original surname sounded overtly Jewish!
:-)

History / 75th anniversay of Dr Janusz Korczak's death - a true Polish hero [26]

Ethnicity, ktos?? Kindly explain, please. The fact that it was an exclusively Jewish orphanage might well have been sheer coincidence. After all, Janusz Korczak wasn't the name he was even born with; he changed it to sound more Polish, you knitwit!!

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

The issue is more to the point whether or not it is always encumbent upon one to smile in Poland when greeting somebody. To this, I add that when I was first in Poland, I did in fact find restaurant and even hotel staff a bit on the dour side, businesslike, completely professional, but more than bereft of the usual annoying small-talk, non-stop chatter ("Hi, Mark! How's yer day goin' so far?" etc. ad nauseum) which drives me to distraction here in the States.

I found Polish "grumpiness" kind of refreshing in fact, as I've said several times before:-)

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

Why???

Try beautiful, unspoiled nature (some of the last wilderness on the European continent!), gorgeous women, high quality produce, a fairly high standard of living, not to mention centuries' old cultural traditions along with music, art, architecture as well as literature, plus some of the most inventive cinema this side of the Vistula!!

That's not attractive to some down-on-their-luck Third Worlder, lucky to have ever had even an outhouse, a roof over their head or a decent job???!!

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

By making yourselves in Poland so damnably attractive to "others", shouldn't y'all therefore expect they'll be breakin' down the doors to get a piece of the action too??!

Think you're being a bit unrealistic about the expectations of foreigners from poor countries coming to Europe hate to say it:-)

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

This perception of Americans though, is by and large true, at least for most of the mega rich!

News / Poland's geopolitical problems [34]

Hear, hear Ziemowit! If you don't correct, they'll never learn:-)

As to the thread title, Poland is geopolitically damned if she does and damned if she doesn't! Historically, Poland has had to bear the brunt of some pretty harsh and bellicose neighbors, Germany to the West, Russia to the East. One heck of a pickle to find oneself in, I'd say.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

Being even sharply critical of a country, needn't mean one is that country's enemy. Often times, we criticize those we love, or at least like, in the hopes that they can do even better.

I love the original ideals of America, at the same time being deeply critical of the aftershocks from the Reagan Era which have infected our great land like a cancer, now metasthesizing non-stop under this current president!!

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

As to your last sentence, I honestly couldn't agree more! On the other hand, do you want to risk throwing the baby out with the bathwater?

Something to consider:-)

Life / Do you support Poland's frisk and search policy? [10]

So long as it's done discretely, I'd have no problems with it.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

Long meat cues daily at the market, non-stop chain smoking and drinking along with poor environmental management of air pollutions as well as other toxins, hey, they'll do it to ya! Communism didn't make it easy for most people.

Off-Topic / American Jew Voice in Poland [93]

You make them sound like ex-Woodstockers of the '68 generation aka yippy-dippy idealists who prefer communes to urban living and associate any hint of rules or standard or discipline as tantamount to faschism. Am I right, sort of?

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

And yet Poland may too have to swallow a bitter pill for the luxury of her long-cherished isolationism in the ongoing battle for the fight against diverse populations in her midst! Provincialism, no matter how picturesque, sometimes comes at a high price!

:-)

Off-Topic / American Jew Voice in Poland [93]

How then do you feel about KOD, Dirk diggler?

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

I think, that as with many educated, skilled Northern and Eastern European nationals often being forced by necessity to work below their level, a degree of resentment builds up over time which can then translate into arrogance when in situations in which many feel as though they are being condescended to by people far beneath their educational or professional background:-)

Off-Topic / American Jew Voice in Poland [93]

Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel!

Imagine making New York City (once again) the capital of the US! It's looney. First of all, Jerusalem is currently claimed simultaneously by the Palestinians as theirs, whereby Tel Aviv remains far less polarized.

News / Should Poland traitors face the death penalty? [105]

"Lefty yappers", @Ironside?? Don't you mean "Leftist...." Anyway, I'm a righty, always have been. Some of us are ambidextrous, unfortunately, I'm not one of them:-)

Language / Harmless old-fashioned Polish swear words/phrases [159]

I was watching "Noz w wodzie" with only Polish subtitles recently and heard the main character scream at the young hitchhiker who nearly ran into him, "Strojak!"

Figure is roughly translates as something along the lines of American "You jerk!", or the like:-)

Off-Topic / American Jew Voice in Poland [93]

For historical reasons, Jerusalem aka Jerozolima, always WAS and spiritually still IS the capital of Israel! However, the reality of treaties, agreements and geopolitics typically interferes with such idealism:-)

As usual, Trump's just being outrageous once again and trying to throw the proverbial monkey wrench into an arena he doesn't, indeed cannot, understand: DIPLOMACY!

News / Should Poland traitors face the death penalty? [105]

If we all ended up killing whomever we disliked or disagreed with, there'd be no one left, lads!

Life / Getting two beers instead of one - have this happen to you in Poland? [9]

Probably, accent differences might make it a challenge for a Gdansk native who's never left their city to understand a Goral speaker from Zakopane...stone cold sober too!

:-)

Life / Getting two beers instead of one - have this happen to you in Poland? [9]

If you are ordering in Poland, for that matter, almost anywhere in Europe, always remember when gesturing to the waiter or barkeeper, make sure your thumb is completely covered by you index finger, otherwise (as we do it in the States), it'll look as if you're ordering two beers instead of one:-)

History / 75th anniversay of Dr Janusz Korczak's death - a true Polish hero [26]

@Ktos et al.

Anyone who gives their life to save others, both known as well as unknown to them, is a hero!

Language / Harmless old-fashioned Polish swear words/phrases [159]

Actually, I recall hearing it once prior, but in a different context:-)