The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by Teffle  

Joined: 26 Aug 2010 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 8 Dec 2011
Threads: Total: 22 / Live: 4 / Archived: 18
Posts: Total: 1318 / Live: 338 / Archived: 980 		From: IRL
Speaks Polish?: Nie - odrobineczke

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Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
Food / Polish Pizza !! The best in the world? [330]

I've had pizza in about 7 or 8 countries - including the obvious for this thread, Poland & Italy.

For me New York pizza was easily the best. IMO Italian wasn't any better than Polish as it happens.
Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

I guess Polish perception is quite logical, as it is in CE then everything west is WE

OK so where does Germany fit in - if Poland is central is Germany suddenly west or is it central too?

Must be central according to the other crtiteria, but I doubt you would ever hear a German talking about "western Europe", as if they were not also part of it.

See?

: )
Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

"Plastic Pole"

Nah, I'm not completely sure of the rules for this little term but I believe that having ACTUAL Polish parents may exclude you from the club!

And on topic, when Poles stop talking about "The West" I might consider relocating poland to central Europe - deal?

; )
Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

we're

OT and don't mean to be rude, but are you actually Polish SC?

I mean born there to Polish parents for example? Only reason I ask is that you seem very...er... anglicised and I was surprised to see you use the term "we"

Hope I don't come across as cheeky by asking this, but I'm just curious.
Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

I can see how they might be annoyed.

Personally, for me it's Eastern Europe and probably always will be.

If an individual Pole I know objects to the term I would accomodate them but in general, since so many Poles talk about "The West" in such a 1950s non-specific way, I couldn't really give a sh1te if Eastern Europe annoys them ; )

It's certainly to the East of centre anyway whatever way you look at it

: )
Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1400]

Never understood the great wild Polish mushroom thing. I love mushrooms generally and maybe I've been unlucky, but the only wild mushrooms I've had in Poland were preserved and looked and tasted like rubber in phlegm. Really.
Teffle   
14 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

Please GIVE ME A BREAK

So we can assume then that any report/chart or whatever that shows Poles or Poland in a positive light will also be ridiculed & dismissed by you too - yes?
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

A tooth removed (without fuss, but with painkillers) is about 80-100zl privately in a normal, clean dentist.

Begs the question too, could I maybe get a really good deal, say 10zl, in a perversely abnormal & totally filthy dental practice if there was loads of fuss involved?
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

OK, but thats obviously teeth tourism.

£58 would be expensive for a Pole on a Polish salary - no?
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

OK, thanks.

By the way, just on dental costs being prohibitive, relatively speaking, the cost of a simple extraction at €80 - €100 (I know it can vary, but roughly speaking) here in Ireland is about 17-18% of an average weekly wage.

How would that compare in Poland?
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

So as you see the role of a patient is also important.

Of course, all I'm saying is that it's not impossible that poor dentistry may also be to blame.

Also, as I've said, people/kids seem not to visit the dentist regularly here in Ireland either. Pretty sure kids eat more sweets here too, but according to the chart, much less problems.
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

Would you say that high amount of cancer is the fault of oncologists?

Not necessarily, but if it's a particular chronic problem, documented and well known to the population and to medical professionals and given that early intervention dramatically improves prognosis and if immediate environmental factors can be ruled out, but the problem still persists, then it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest there may be something remiss in the healthcare system - would it?
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

There is no health system

I meant general health, hospitals, doctors etc

So basically, you think poles don't go to the dentist regularly?

As I said, neither do Irish people as far as I can see but they are much lower down the table.
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

Tell me what's the link between bad teeth and dentists? I see no correlation.

Good preventive dentistry - if they go that is.

When I was 12 none of my teeth were decayed but I was obviously lucky. In general kids don't wash their teeth after every meal, eat too much sweets and visit rarely dentist (probably only when tooth starts to ache or someone from the family is visiting a dentisist so takes kids just by the way).

Well I was the same, most people I know too.

If there was a lot of illness or disease or whatever would you not question the healthcare system?

I'm not saying there is a direct correlation but it's not outlandish to suggest there is at least some link.
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

How could it be measured?

By the quality of a nation's teeth maybe? Oh wait a minute ; )

My dentist told me that in the summertime most of her patients are foreigners from Germany and Sweden. Health tourism is a fast-growing sector in PL.

Of course, relatively speaking, dentists are expensive in Germany & Sweden.

Certain products & services are cheaper in Northern Ireland than they are south of the border - and vice versa. People cross the border in both directions to avail of these - not because they are any better (or worse for that matter) but because they are cheaper.

Look, I'm not being awkward teflcat and I have no expereince of Polish dentists myself but so far, we have:

Supposedly worst teeth in Europe
Three posters (inc a Pole) saying how bad polish dentists are

Doesn't look great.
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

In my experience Polish dentists are very good

Well, you say they are good but then seem to go on to illustrate that they are cheap - not the same thing.

Anyway, cheap for a tourist is not the same thing at all.
Teffle   
13 Sep 2011
Life / Poland: worst teeth in the world? [98]

She often complains about the poor quality of the dentists in Poland,

Funny. I hear the opposite regularly - that Irish & British dentists are Sh1te and that Polish dentists are fantastic. Same for all healthcare.

Nice chart for ammmunition though - thanks Chrysalis : )

The difference between American dental health and UK dental health is about appearance. In the US attention is paid more to having straight, white teeth.

Totally agree - and surprised that this point isn't made more often.
Teffle   
31 Aug 2011
Life / Do you collect mushrooms in your country? Poles in Poland do. [79]

In many countries/areas people just left their produce (mostly vegetables and fruits) on the side of the road with a box to drop money

It's common in Scandinavia. To be honest, I think many people, in many countries would take advantage of this set-up though.
Teffle   
31 Aug 2011
Life / Do you collect mushrooms in your country? Poles in Poland do. [79]

Strange but I have never seen wild oyster mushrooms.

It sounds strange to me too.

I don't really do it (mushroom picking) but oysters (in Ireland anyway) are known as one of the so called "safe four" i.e. relative amateurs, whilst obviously employing some common sense and caution, can identify and find them all over the place.

Incidentally, the other three of the safe four are, I think, morel, puffball and chanterelle.

Oysters are really pretty common here.
Teffle   
31 Aug 2011
Life / How far apart do Poles stand when they talk? [46]

It's one thing saying European v American in terms of personal space but there are considerable differences within Europe too.

E.g. I'm Irish and we tend to stand a fair bit closer and have considerably more eye contact than e.g. our British neighbours.

Meditteraneans for me, are a bit touchy feely and pretty up close and personal but not so much that I feel uncomfortable.

IME, Poles, I think, are fairly close to my own concept of personal space - e.g. I have been introduced to and sat beside friends of friends (Polish) with our bodies kind of touching which seemed fine all round. I'd imagine the average American wouldn't like this and the British mightn't be over the moon either.

Surprised to hear from some posters that Poles need relatively more space than the average European.
Teffle   
31 Aug 2011
Life / 3 reasons why you hate Poland. [1049]

Three things:

1) Service

2) Staring

3) Unrealistic jingoism/narrow mindedness/black & white thinking (it's all linked)

But as mentioned, "hate" is pretty strong. More like "very annoying aspects"