Life / Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference? [51]


Sorry, I got it wrong, it was "membrane". I imagine this is like a layer of film/plastic 'folia' to stop the weeds coming through. (laminate is totally different en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laminate


Well, he did suggest they may not have understood. I like the idea of someone asking to find out these things, rather than just blindly assuming some ignorance.

Life / Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference? [51]


In Poland almost all gardens seem to be fenced. My in-laws were surprised when I said I didn't want a big fence around our garden (I'd prefer a hedge)... we still got one though (not that it stops people parking in front of the gates or the snow-plough dumping snow across the gateway).


I shouldn't imagine so if it has laminate underneath, and he did say he'd asked them nicely.

Life / Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference? [51]


But what has this got to do with a simple question about whether this man's neighbours are being impolite?

I don't follow royal orders any more than you could say Poles follow the vatican laws because the former president was a hard core catholic.

Life / Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference? [51]


Presumably, if you'd told them you were a subjected minion of monarchism they'd have let you go.

A student of mine cross an empty road on a red light around midnight. The cops caught him and made him go around the crossroad crossings, waiting on all lights, about 6 times (took him 15 minutes). Nice to know that at the other side of the city nobody needed a policeman as they were too busy watching teenagers cross on green men.


As I said, in Poland drivers regularly ignore zebras and cross when there are pedestrians on the crossing... rain or shine. And cars often run red lights (in both countries, but I see it more in Poland). I mean, if you stop for a pedestrian (as you're supposed to) they wave you on because they're too scared to cross when there's a car there. If they are crossing and see a car coming, they step back from the centre island, stepping right back into the roadway rather than wait on the centre island...


Are his/her neighbours royal that he shouldn't be upset? As has been said, the queen has never walked on the lawn of the house, so it isn't a problem.

Put it this way, if a brit went to the toilet on your doorstep. would you congratulate them for shedding their monarchic fetters?

Life / Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference? [51]

And all this gives them some form of superiority to walk across a guys lawn when they have been asked not to?

In Britain I can walk across a zebra and not fear I'm going to get hit by an audi driver overtaking a stopped vehicle. In Britain i can cross against a red light and not stand like a stuffed dummy in the rain waiting for a pedestrian light to change. If that's the downside of monarchy, then bring it on.

Life / Walking on other people's property in Poland - cultural difference? [51]


Actually, she can't. Even in previous centuries members of the royal family had to pay tolls on some private bridges, roads etc.

What are you smoking? The question is about walking on someone's property after you have been asked not to AND causing damage.

If I walked into my Polish neighbour's garden or field without permission I'm sure I'd be asked why I was there and have it made clear I wasn't welcome to do this, just as someone would complain about someone parking across their drive or in their space in front of the house.


Hmm, maybe true... but can you tell me what happened to Poland in the 200 years after Poland lost it's monarchy?

Life / Charity Shops in Poland - where are they? I've got some old clothes [13]


It does seem a bit ironic that she's better known in UK when she was made "Baroness Ryder of Warsaw" for her aid relief in post-war Poland.


Really? I'll tell my friend about that. His dad was a pilot in the RAF and his mum worked in the same unit as Sue Ryder (apparently she often dropped in for tea when he was growing up).

Life / Charity Shops in Poland - where are they? I've got some old clothes [13]

There's a Sue Ryder shop in Warsaw, maybe they can tell you.

Or try Caritas (sp).

Genealogy / Displaced Persons Camp / Work camp and concentration camp difference [86]

This article is about Serbs in a DP camp in Shropshire. However, there is also a Polish community nearby, perhaps there are connections.

shropshirestar.com/latest/2009/04/01/new-home-in-shropshire

arrse.co.uk/military-history-militaria/20447-mso-baor.html

News / Polish President Lech Kaczynski and gov officials die in a plane crash in Russia [686]

Considering the condition of the First lady and her identification by things like her nail varnish, I'm amazed that the president bore any resemblance to himself when he was alive.

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]


Yep, my thoughts too.

Always got me when the big G zapped a guy for trying to steady the ark of the covenant when it was about to fall.

I wonder what he'd have done to the Israelites if it HAD fallen... mega zapping all round, I guess.


They're Old Testament.

I always thought the reason the Moabites (I think) were considered killable by the Israelites was because of their stained bloodline (the bedtime story bit). I just noticed that all the quotes about Lot being righteous are about the pre-beddy-byes bit.

Study / Medicine study - good Polish University for international students; study in English? [38]


Olsztyn also has great experience of foreign students. The medical school is about to start teaching a large number of saudi Arabians and has an English language teaching section (to study medicine in English)

europe-md.com

Travel / Why does everyone seem to hate LOT Polish Airlines? [380]


It used to be that you could fly on a LOT/BA flight and pay considerably less for a seat on the same plane if you bought it via LOT rather than BA. Rather strange.

Travel / Why does everyone seem to hate LOT Polish Airlines? [380]


I have a workmate with a similar background. Thankfully there must be a genetic hitch as he more than buys the round.

My Dad was Scottish, Mum is a geordie and I was brought up in Shropshire... not quite sure what it makes me, but I do like a pint of mild!

As for LOT, haven't flown them since they stopped being cheaper half of BA.

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]


But perhaps that was considered noble because of the social rule of safeguarding guests (especially ones who are angels).

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]


That might be a bit hard to swallow.


Didn't he get punished for his daughter's bedtime story?

I think that's where the moral bit comes in... (mind you, I always felt the Big Guy was a bit hit and miss with his holy judgement at times)

Travel / Why does everyone seem to hate LOT Polish Airlines? [380]



Typical, save a Scot a couple of bob and they're your friend for life...

Life / The Art of Complaining by Polish people [47]


But often they do. Complaining loudly is often because you feel nothing would get done anyway.

I tried to teach my students to write letters of complaint and they just looked at me and asked why anyone would bother. They were dumbfounded to hear that, yes, I had actually got a few refunds for things with a decent letter...

"Ah, but that was in Britain, wasn't it?"

Study / Going to Medical School in Poland (University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn / and others) [51]

Olsztyn has one too. You're in the lake district... great place for the summer.

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [450]

Well, in the past it has been checked...

corbisimages.com/Enlargement/HU036561.html

News / Polish Miracle-Die Welt [12]


This last month that is certainly true because it was election time and they all wanted photo ops... shame it only happens around this time!

History / POLES NOT KEEN ON REPRODUCING? WHY ARE THERE SO MANY GERMANS AND RUSSIANS? [67]


Could be because their mothers were all sh@gged by Poles.

Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]


Are you suggesting there are no illegal aliens in US?

The Jews in Ireland were mainly urban so probably more concentrated in places like Dublin. They were mainly merchants etc, so it would make sense for Joyce to have an urban Jewish character.

wiki:There was an increase in Jewish immigration to Ireland during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1871, the Jewish population of Ireland was 258; by 1881, it had risen to 453. Most of the immigration up to this time had come from England or Germany. In the wake of the Russian pogroms there was increased immigration, mostly from Eastern Europe (in particular Lithuania). By 1901, there were an estimated 3,771 Jews in Ireland, over half of them (2,200) residing in Dublin; and by 1904, the total Jewish population had reached an estimated 4,800. New synagogues and schools were established to cater for the immigrants, many of whom established shops and other businesses. Many of the following generation became prominent in business, academic, political and sporting circles.

The Jewish population of Ireland reached around 5,500 in the late 1940s, but has since (2008) declined to around 2,000, mainly through emigration to larger Jewish communities such as those in the United States, England and Israel. The Republic of Ireland currently has four synagogues: three in Dublin, one in Cork. There is a further synagogue in Belfast in Northern Ireland.

History / Vikings in Pomerania (near Gdansk area)? [19]

Try this one: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomsburg

Jomsborg (German: Jomsburg) was a semi-legendary Viking stronghold at the southern coast of the Baltic Sea (medieval Wendland, modern Pomerania), that existed between the 960s and 1043. Its inhabitants are known as Jomsvikings.

Try this one:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomsburg
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendish_Crusade
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vineta
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegv%C3%ADsir

Genealogy / Jewish Roots of Poland [638]

Or the line in the song "Waxies dargle" which goes 'I went up to Cable Street to the Jew-man money lender'.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jews_in_Ireland


Yep, Limerick had it's own pogrom.


Yes, but Ireland was under the English crown at the time of the expulsions. There was no such expulsion from Scotland. Infact, many 'English' Jews may have moved to Scotland after the expulsion.

Certainly big community in Glasgow.

In order to avoid persecution in the Russian Empire, Jews settled in the larger cities of the UK, including Scotland, most notably in Glasgow (especially the Gorbals), although there were smaller populations in Edinburgh and to a lesser extent, Dundee, Aberdeen, Greenock and Ayr. The Russian Jews tended to come from the west of the empire, especially the Baltic countries, and in particular Lithuania.

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]


No, "pinned"

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]


Apologies to Galtee for suggesting otherwise ;-)


I shared a flat with some Malaysian-Chinese and they only ever ate processed slices (cos it's all the have at home, they told me). One day one of them asked why I had a block of cheddar, rather than the slices... when he tried it he found out. Next thing was he waanted to know which ones to try and how to know which was good.

Polish cheese I'm eating is either traditional Gouda/Edam etc OR rather bland local stuff (Zlote mazur?) or something.

That said, my neighbour's dad occasionally brings me a splendid goat's cheese.

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]


Hahahahaha!

Try a Shropshire goats cheese called "Long Mynd".

There is well matured stuff out there if you care to look. It's just that British cheese is so good that people eat it all before it has time to mature.


Galtee? Do you mean this stuff?

theirishshop.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10

Well, firstl it's Irish and secondly it's no exactly real cheese. You'll be saying mcD's put top notch cheddar on their burgers next.

Have you tried Double Gloucester, Wenslydale, Cheshire with Fruits, Apple smoked Cheddar, Cheddar with Guinness, Red Windsor? Some pretty muscly Northumbrian cheeses out there too.

History / Poles in the Crusades to the Holy Land [75]


and the Cathars in France (not as far to travel and most English knights already spoke French)

History / Poles in the Crusades to the Holy Land [75]


True, weren't the pushes east also considered crusades? the Northern crusades were after the main part of the Holy Land crusades (the Teutons had realised it was all going to go belly up and had looked for new pastures)