History / Khazar migrations to Eastern Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine [106]


This one's been going on for a while. Some people have returned however most of that generation have died now and their kids/grandkids/great grandkids don't necessarily identify as Polish (and are often mostly not by blood now and certainly not by language or identity).

Those who wanted to return should have been helped in this, however there can't now be many still alive,

History / Polish Army Day [82]

The main road out of Warsaw going north has been closed entirely for the past two hours. Apparently for rehearsals for Army Day, however there haven't actually been any rehearsals at all. Meanwhile, buses don't run, shoppers can't get back from the shops and people who live on culs-de-sac off it can't get in or out. Shops and businesses on the road can't get customers and disabled residents have to make a detour. Yet no actual movement at all, no rehearsal, no soldiers.

If they must close one of the country's biggest roads, perhaps it's better to do it on Sunday morning when most people don't leave their houses rather than late afternoon/early evening on Saturday, normally a busy time.

Good to see the road empty and quite though perhaps not so good for those who live on it and want to get home.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

And the wonderful thing is that however strongly he feels or pretends to feel, he can do nothing at all about it.

History / Did Poles living in Germany support Hitler's rise to power before World War II? [151]


I doubt it, given that the fascists considered them to be 'untermensch'. Especially though not exclusively those Poles of the Jewish faith.

Then again, there were conservative Rabbis who encouraged their congregations to vote NSDAP because they thought the ridiculous crap about 'kinder kuche kirche' outweighed the thuggish street violence and endless rhetoric against Jewish people.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

Quite obsessive really

Real Estate / Deposit not returned [5]

Agreed.

Poland pre-war (and afterwards) had it right with housing associations often connected to professions. As did Britain with (member-owned) building societies. Better than renting from the city who often get it wrong and better than renting from bottom feeding 'landlords' most of whom are about as far from being a 'Lord' as it gets.

Real Estate / Deposit not returned [5]


Normal enough in PL. You may as well cut your losses and forget it. If you're still angry, write to the tax office telling them, how much you paid your landlord, how long you were there, and (if you've got such a thing) proof of payments. Include a copy of the contract if you still have it.

Unfortunately Poland doesn't have a system like the UK where deposits are held centrally and any landlord has to prove their claim if they want to keep all or part. And if such a system existed here, landlords would do whatever they could to illegally get round it.

Given their reluctance to part with money, it's best to time your departure discreetly so the deposit acts as the last payment. They hate that but wouldn't think twice about doing it themselves.

History / Khazar migrations to Eastern Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine [106]


AD730 is long enough for anything to be real and if a 'lack of 'flesh and blood' links troubles you, reflect that in the 1300 years since then, there have been thousands (millions even) of marriages with people from the rest of the community, so yes, their descendants are certainly 'flesh and blood'.


Indeed, however racists will be racists.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]


It's natural at a low level, rather than the basis.

Of course the war and the consequent rise of production costs is a huge factor in the current crisis and won't go away as soon as r*SSia is defeated.

History / Warsaw Rising 1944 - National Disaster or Triumph of Spirit ? [515]


Or parasol too. They're similar but different things in English.


Fascinating people. I hadn't heard of them until you mentioned them here. Exceptionally brave. Were they connected to that bomb in the nightclub?

News / Referendum to decide about exotic immigrants in Poland [559]


One reason that there needs to be increased societal involvement in child welfare. The parents don't always know best.


Better that poor families have some money rather than none; it increased the chance of one of it going in the right direction.

News / What should Poland do with the problem of Belarus? [1800]


Except they don't have a 'bromance' and Premier Tusk is a strong critic of the arch-reactionary Putler, as is the rest of the party he led.

He's always been a critic of the authoritarian Lukaszenko too.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]

Crikey, uipierdliwy or what?

The war is a universally accepted causative factor in the current inflation crisis.

But hey, a wiseguy thinks there are conspiracies.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]


I wouldn't mind the orgasms but the hair/makeup, the uncomfortable shoes and the misogyny would put me off a bit.


It's fine there and people are decent. The OP's sister should b fine.

Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]


They didn't. Nature did and it's only decent to allow mistakes to be mitigated.

Life / Gas / Benzyna prices in Poland [29]


You don't.

Governments have a tendency to sell off the family silver.

News / Referendum to decide about exotic immigrants in Poland [559]


And condemn their unfortunate kids to the same life as their feckless parents? Poland isn't the third world.


I'm the same, however I don't want to be surrounded by generational poverty, see drunken beggars or be robbed by kids left to their own devices by both their parents and society,

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]


Learn manners.


You still don't get it, do you.

That or you're just trying to argue pointlessly for the sake of it.

If you think the world's Central Bankers are all lying and a retired factory worker knows something that economists don't, so be it.

News / Referendum to decide about exotic immigrants in Poland [559]


Yes, and a complete tw@ too.


Every living predecessor of whatever party from communists right through to conservatives all signed a letter asking for his removal.

Nevertheless, his political views are far from unique in that ultra-conservative current in Polish politics that longs for the values of the past and looks east rather than west.

News / Referendum to decide about exotic immigrants in Poland [559]

No, however there's a traditional element in that political current (Macierewicz is the obvious example though there are others) that traditionally think Poland should be facing east rather than west.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]


Say it ten thousand times. It still doesn't alter the fact that one of the largest driving factors in the current inflation surge is r*SSia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the consequent crisis in fuel/raw materials supply.


So if half the currency in Poland were withdrawn from circulation by the NBP, do you think inflation would suddenly go down?

News / Referendum to decide about exotic immigrants in Poland [559]


Quite right too. Anyone in a country under any circumstances should receive healthcare free at the point of use and any child in a country regardless of parental origin is the responsibility of all of us, you, me and Pawian included.


That's hardly "giving your beloved Ukrainians" anything. It's a sound investment in the future to protect Poland against a country who considers Poland to be their 'near abroad' and has invaded Poland at least 5 times in the last two centuries.

The Polish government have done the right thing.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]


For once you're right.


So you agree with me, that the crisis supply of fuel for energy and raw materials like packaging or the product itself caused by the war is a strong contributing factor in inflation.


What do you think all plastic and most agricultural fertiliser are made of? Pixie tears?

It's all made from fossil fuels, from the shrink wrap round the pallets, the contents of the pallets themselves and the wrapper on lorry driver's Mars Bar.

Life / Gas / Benzyna prices in Poland [29]


Hard to disagree with.


No reason they should make a profit at all. It was better in public ownership when any surplus went to running schools, hospitals and the police/army. Or failing that, at least have it in the contract about how much they can make in profit or sell it for.

Petrol is sadly an essential and right now Orlen are indeed ripping the public off. They're not quite a monopoly however at least in the U.K. there are discounters, often belonging to supermarkets, where the prices are a bit lower.

Life / Gas / Benzyna prices in Poland [29]


6.46zl a litre for 95 and 6.88 for 98

Prices in the US are generally lower due to actually producing it. Traditionally prices are lower in Poland than the U.K. (far lower distribution and running costs) however today's price in the U.K. is actually lower than today's price in Poland.

There's some difference between regions and the Poland and U.K. prices are both for the region around their respective capitals.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]

And a massive surge in manufacturing costs and other overheads due to oil supply.

News / Russian criticism of Poland - Soviet war memorial removal [332]



Exactly. If despising torturers, genocidal mass murderers, looters and rapists is "irrational", then I'll take irrational over rational any day of the week.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]

The above post is of course the opposite of reality.

But hey, Rich thinks he knows more than the people who actually have to deal with economic trends.

Life / In Poland on holiday - need help with bad case of homesickness [108]


I feel that too, however I'd not say haunted. More an appreciation of where you came from based on a newly gained outside perspective.

Life / In Poland on holiday - need help with bad case of homesickness [108]


You can integrate with one country without weakening links with another.

It's isn't 1930 when contact with home involved a short wave radio and a three week wait for letters to arrive.

London and Warsaw are closer than London and Inverness or Warsaw and Szczecin, and there's no pressure to assimilate or reason to do so.

In my city in the U.K. there are thousands of people who came from a Poland post-2004. Some choose to integrate, most don't and don't need to. Those who integrate either have a hobby which brings them 8th contact with people, a partner they met in the U.K. or they were still school age when they came. The younger ones are sometimes more British than Polish however there is no pressure on them from society.

Water finds its own level and all,of us migrants find our niche. Either assimilating, living in an expat bubble or most often on a continuum between.