Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]


No, I wouldn't go that far. After all, the textbooks/comics that we read reflected pretty accurately the events from our history. It was more about cultivating the memory and remembering the past as a warning for the future.

And we all (or almost all) learnt German at school as the third language.

Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]


I agree with the logical part. ;)

But jokes aside, the "ugliness" of the German language is perceived by connotation. We all watched tons of films where Germans were the baddies and we learnt to associate evil with the German language. I had this problem when I started learning Deutsch but it passed after a couple of months of listening exercises (I used a trick of selecting audiobooks with female reading voices and watching YT channels with female teachers).

P.S. But still, if a male voice shouted "Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung!" behind my back at midnight, I'd probably run for cover. :)

Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]

There is even a translation of Hottentottenstottertrottelmutterbeutelrattenlattengitterkofferattentäter possible, but I'm not sure if I would like to see it in print. :)

EDIT: Hmm... or should it be Beutelrattenlattengitterkofferhottentottenstottertrottelmutterattentäter?

Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]


Try "Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung" (but not in presence of the elderly, not to inadvertently cause a heart attack). :)


That's Szczyż (with "ż" not "z" at the end) - I know the guy! :) And it's a surname, so it can be both male and female.

Off-Topic / Terms of Russian Surrender [116]


Not very likely.

If Ukraine is accepted into the EU, and eventually becomes a reasonably wealthy country, people will just get on with their lives. Well-fed people who are treated fairly don't start uprisings.

Love / Cheating from spouses. Is cheating very common in Poland ? [116]


There's quite a few cities competing for the honorary title but, being a capital of Pomeranian Vojvodship, I suppose Gdańsk has the right to call itself that.

However, if you are looking for a conservative, Catholic wife, you need to go to the Kashubian interior. Forget big cities. Look in villages around Kartuzy, Kościerzyna, Sierakowice etc. Ladies there are still unspoiled and you can find some real beauty there. Good luck! :)


Some women like both these things, as I can attest. :)

Off-Topic / Terms of Russian Surrender [116]

This thread needs updating.

So, now when Prigozhin overthrows Putin and somebody else takes his place (Navalny? Kasparov?) do the terms of Russian surrender remain the same or should we propose some changes? Surely we can't be as harsh on - let's say - Гарри Кимович, as we would be on Putin. Your thoughts?

Love / Cheating from spouses. Is cheating very common in Poland ? [116]


...or in Kashubian interior. :)

Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]


Yes, but it used to be Elbe River (Łaba)...

... as educational comic books taught us in our childhood. :)

How ironic in Polish history that these days we have hostile Slavic nations to the east and friendly Germanic nation to the West. And what am I now supposed to do with all the old comic books?

Also, notice how Aryan the Slavic warrior looks like and how slightly Semitic is the Germanic one; all the subliminal messages that we got as kids - unbelievable.

News / Poland Sports News [1079]

They made it very difficult only for themselves to qualify now. This is completely and utterly incomprehensible.

Or maybe some sort of scandal with the bookies, mafia involved or something... I don't know. Mind boggles.

And against MOLDOVA! After TOTAL domination in the first half. :-/

In this decade Moldova won only against Liechtenstein, Andora and Latvia. And now Poland...

News / Poland Sports News [1079]

I have been watching football for over 30 years and I thought nothing would surprise me...

Poland led 2-0 at half-time, with 70% posession and total domination over Moldavia. In the second half they just stopped playing and lost 2-3. I've never seen anything like that in my life - a team comes from total domination into playing ZERO football. Players from Juventus, Napoli, Barcelona - top class professionals, looked like a bunch of kids. Un-be-lie-va-ble...

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Yes, some people would like us to believe that "capital has no nationality" whilst it so often turns out that it has.

I'll never forget how the EU drove Polish shipyards to bankruptcy by demanding that they return state subsidies whilst German and French shipyards had been receiving state subsidies for ages without any consequences. I remember how shocking it was for me to hear from Janusz Lewandowski that "in the EU some countries are allowed to do more than others" (all animals are equal but...) It was a huge disillusionment for many people in Poland, but still it didn't put Poles off supporting the EU (92% of support for EU membership must be one of the highest in the entire Union).

Life / Why do Poles talk so badly about Poland? [25]

@Paulina @Lenka

Well, that's probably because you work with honest, upright people - like yourselves - who have nothing to hide from the tax office. Apparently, I move in morally lower circles and judge everyone by these low standards. My apologies. :)

Life / Why do Poles talk so badly about Poland? [25]


Common sense.

Usually people make quite a lot "on the side", in the grey zone without bragging about it for obvious reasons (the almighty Urząd Skarbowy and all that). Also, it's better for people not to envy you too much to avoid anonymous letters to the abovementioned US. :)

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

... buuuuuuut, if you keep losing to Poland it can only improve our relations. :)

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Quite right. I don't think many people in Germany still have any old Übermenschen delusions (well, not in racial sense anyway ;)). And if they do, they wouldn't be our dream tourists anyway. :)

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Exactly. There is a wide economic, educational and cultural cooperation, and we are in the same political (EU) and military (NATO) blocks. There will always be differences but there's just not much space for any real enmity anymore.


... or Italy. If I'm ever in Germany it's only in transit to one of these countries and I very rarely stop for tourist purposes (well, if I drive to Italy, I usually stay for one night in Ingolstadt but that's it). If it wasn't for my wife's fear of flying we would most likely never even set foot in Germany. *blushes* So, no - it's not only Germans. Poles are equally to blame in this "lack of interest" affair.


Indeed. And it will only get better with time. :)

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Unfortunately it works both ways, we can't blame only Germans.

For Poles in general, the only real interest in Germany is among the lower classes, people who consider emigrating there permanently or temporarily to earn money. If a Pole is slightly better off, he/she is much more likely to be more interested in Italian or French language or culture, there are people who love Ireland, UK, Czechia or Hungary; also Spain, Croatia, Greece and Turkey are popular tourist destinations but if someone says that he is going to spend his holiday in Germany, they are going to get a lot of strange looks.

I suppose it's still the consequence of WW2. I am 44 and I remember what my grandparents told me about the war and occupation; I grew up with those stories, so it's still a personal thing for me. Younger generations might have a different attitude, hopefully.

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]


Who? Iron and Amiga? That's only two. :)

This thread is not about PF members.

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

The fragment I read in Odra (a literary monthly) was quite interesting. As for the entire book, I'm waiting for the Polish translation.

I like the title. Not sure if we have already moved from Fremde to Freunde, but at least we're not Feinde anymore.

News / Poland Sports News [1079]

Thanks, BB. A lucky win for us; your team played better football.

News / Poland Sports News [1079]

Full Time, 1-0 Poland.

Not the best game by Biało-czerwoni but luckily we play Moldova on Tuesday, so it should be a bit easier.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


Jon is neither Polish nor a right-winger.

Poland has no intention of annexing anything. As for nukes... *shhhhhh*... officialy we don't plan to get them.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


Yes, they had a slight advantage in the last three centuries or so but what's three centuries? An eyeblink.

Now, the time of Poland is coming again. :)

News / Poland Sports News [1079]

German team is in a bit of a crisis recently, but they don't look too bad in this game.

News / Poland Sports News [1079]

1-0, Kiwior :)

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]


This, young Jedi, you will for yourself figure out have to.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Bobko

As usual your analysis is 50% surprisingly correct, 50% exaggeration, and 50% bullsh*t.

But you are slowly gaining deep knowledge of Poland. Stick around. :)

Off-Topic / Russian Views On Poland and Vice Versa [370]

Obeying orders is soldiers' job.

As long as they don't commit war crimes, there's nothing extraordinary about it.

As for legality of an invasion, it's not for soldiers to decide.