Life / What's the story with Nergal? (Singer from Behemoth) [40]


Black metal as a genre shows as much respect to religion as religion has shown to humanity. That is why religion is treated with utter contempt, and it's a sentiment I can agree with.

I've also found musicians from the metal genre (such as Varg Vikernes and Gaahl) to be far more articulate in expressing their thoughts than musicians who play, for example, jazz.

Behemoth (and genre-mates Vader) are one of the few Polish exports I'd heard of before I moved here, and I'd like to believe that Poles will show as much solidarity for Nergal as they've done for other Poles in tragic circumstances.

Language / Do Poles prefer US American or UK English language? [147]

Generally this wouldn't be a problem, but if your profession is based on providing English to a client (I'm not just a teacher*), then that client needs to know what they are getting for their money.

If we rephrase the original question to "Which English are Poles prepared to pay for? US or UK?" it becomes very relevant. There are many differences between UK and US, and it is unprofessional for a teacher or trainer or consultant not to make the client aware of both.

Unfortunately, in my observation, teachers from the US aren't aware of the UK-style systems, simply from lack of exposure (you won't learn them from Monty Python or Mr. Bean), whereas teachers from the British Isles at least have some idea of Americanisms, from the sheer number of films, TV shows and music that country produces. That's not to say a US teacher CAN'T teach UK English, it's just much less common.

* I'm not a gigolo, don't ask for my full-night prices

Language / Do Poles prefer US American or UK English language? [147]


The British Council does that already; FCE and CAE-based coursebooks are the norm in private language schools and even state high schools all across the country. Oxford, Cambridge, Longman and Express Publishing do a roaring trade in English language materials here, and they are British English with a token chapter on Americanisms (subway, sidewalk, color/flavor) for the business traveller.


The form of English spoken by most Americans is not International English at all. I've had to stifle rage, then alarm, then hilarity watching an American try and teach a class on Perfect Tenses to Poles who handed him his own arse on a plate. Leaving aside specific vocabulary differences, there are entire types of structure which British English has as a norm, and American sees as aloof, yet when it comes to International Business and Finance, or Journalism, or Academic Writing, it's those British structures which are the norm.

I'm more a descriptivist than a prescriptivist, but the "me and my friend went..." and "me too..." that the Americans have brought in will do Poles no favours if they use them in business communications; and they're not just learning English for fun, like they are Spanish.

That aside, Poles have mastered that American "r" that sounds like a trained seal clapping. ARN ARN ARN!

Life / Polish authors, books & literature. [95]

I read Lem's Cyberiad in English, and I'm using the Polish versions to try and improve my Polish as a sort of comparative method of reading.

My girlfriend is constantly pushing me to get my Polish to a level so that I can read Marcin Swietliski's Jedenascie, Dwanascie and Trzynascie.

But I have read two of Kapusczynski's volumes in English (The Shadow under the Sun, and Imperium) and I find him almost painfully boring. He's beautifully descriptive, but he's so florid that I find I really don't care about any of the people or countries or situations in his stories, I fall asleep before he gets to the point (which is always the same; the horror, the horror.) He's like Joseph Conrad's character of Marlowe, but without the element of suspense. Sorry. Maybe something's been lost in translation.

Gombrowicz's Ferdydurke had me almost crying in laughter, however; mostly because, in 80 years, the Polish education system still hasn't changed.

History / Is there any part of Polish history that's at least a bit glorious? [196]

In two pages, there've been very few posts that mention Poland's victories or charitable actions, or protections of minorities. Instead there's been fingerpointing (Brits are worse, Russians and Germans are worse, the Yanks are worse.) That's not the point. You don't justify a terrible action by saying someone else did something worse.

I will happily accept valid points about Britain's dirty history, but this continual claim that "the West sold Poland" gets tired after a while. After six years, millions dead, a whole empire collapsed and the western economy ruined, what exactly did you want Britain to do when Stalin said "I want Poland." Start another war?

To try and drag this conversation out of Harry's hands, how about Grunwald? And this period when Poland was the most diverse nation of religions in Europe?

UK, Ireland / Buying a Polish vehicle in the UK [28]

I would suggest the whole reason they are trying to trade the vehicle in is because there is something wrong with it.

In terms of registering the car or being the owner, as a foreign entity (without all the appropriate Polish identity or company numbers), once you have the car in your name you will find it impossible to sell it again; certainly impossible as a valid road vehicle to be used in Poland. Unless the owner can present to you export papers proving it has been de-registered in Poland, I wouldn't go near it with a 10-foot kielbasa.

What car is it, out of an interest? A Toyota?

History / History of Poland in 10 minutes. Really worth seeing! [134]

Au contraire. It was a running discussion among the entire office this week (70+ Poles, 3 foreigners) what they would have done had they been alive on Aug 1st, 1944. And they've all heartily enjoyed expressing their intimate knowledge of Katyn, Dywizjonu 303 and the Polish-led Operation Market Garden.

This isn't a complaint about the obsession with WWII, but I certainly don't agree that Poles don't like discussing that war among themselves.

That EXPO 2012 video is wonderful too.