The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by jon357  

Joined: 15 Mar 2012 / Male ♂
Last Post: 4 hrs ago
Threads: Total: 73 / Live: 22 / Archived: 51
Posts: Total: 24494 / Live: 14449 / Archived: 10045
From: In the Heart of Darkness
Speaks Polish?: Tak

Displayed posts: 14471 / page 449 of 483
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jon357   
7 Mar 2015
Real Estate / How do I rent a flat in Poland? [44]

Figure on a minimum of 1600zl per month plus 200zl for bills

And the rest. It ll depends on what the OP wants I suppose but worth remembering that anywhere with good transport links is at a premium, as are 1 or 2 room flats that aren't too small.

Gumtree is a good place to look.
jon357   
7 Mar 2015
History / Polish mathematicians who solved the Enigma machine [86]

Why would a film about Alan Turing's life be used to propagate information about the history of other countries?

A bit like saying that when the Americans made the Ron Burgundy film they should have constantly reminded viewers that television was invented by a Scotsman...
jon357   
6 Mar 2015
Law / USD shooting up so high for PLN [76]

As an exporter, an overstrong PLN would be a disaster for Poland. An overly weak PLN also causes issues with imported raw materials. The government acknowledges this.

Poland ended its monetary-easing cycle on Wednesday with a deeper-than-expected rate cut intended to curb deflation and prevent excessive zloty gains as the euro zone begins a massive stimulus programme.

tradingfloor.com/posts/poland-ends-easing-cycle-with-deeper-than-expected-rate-cut-3859188
jon357   
5 Mar 2015
Law / USD shooting up so high for PLN [76]

Very good for some of us at the moment - the dollar was far lower than it should have been.
jon357   
4 Mar 2015
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Tan Bineiwicz

Almost certainly Jan Biniewicz

Kazimeirez

Spelt Kazimierz

Pomarzanki

A tiny village. The records would be in the nearest larger town. Which Pomarzanki is it? There are several
Note to Mods: maybe pop this in a separate thread?
jon357   
4 Mar 2015
Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

In general, Poles looked polite for me

It doesn't help to confuse rudeness with formality. In shops, offices etc people in PL think they won't be taken seriously if they come across as informal and cordial. Germans can be much the same. To people from some parts of the world that can come across as rudeness.
jon357   
4 Mar 2015
Life / Being a Jew in modern-day Poland; Israeli Jew who is of Polish descent [279]

the Diaspora as is the case.

Some people prefer that - it's their life. A friend in PL who's recently joined the Gmina Zydowska went to visit, said it was interesting enough but wouldnt want to live there and takes his holidays in Egypt. He's Polish through and through.
jon357   
2 Mar 2015
Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Not really, though it could have been one of the more creative surnames given to Jewish people in Warsaw by ETA Hoffmann. As names can change over time, and just as the word Friday has an etymology, so does Piątek. That name could also have referred to five something (brothers, houses, hectares, whatever) and ended up as Piątek with time. It may also have been a variant of Piatka (a Czech and Slovak surname).

I knew a very nice lady in Poland called that (who ran a well-known childrens' charity), now sadly recently dead. She wasn't Jewish, however I've no idea if any of her forebears were.
jon357   
1 Mar 2015
Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [237]

Well since you and your Jewish/Pro-Jewish friends here are bringing up "Jews"

Actually, you brought up the issue, and very far from being the first time.

Are their ethnic joke books about Jews in Poland.

There was a fairly well-publicised legal case about it recently. I assume you keep up with current affairs and read Polish language media since you're so interested in Poland.

Jews

13 mentions of that word in one post. Must be a record.

Why do you Jews

your fellow Jewish American

Weird.

As I say, I invite you to come and see for yourself, assuming you can get a visa.
jon357   
1 Mar 2015
Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [237]

Actually MW, it was you who first raised that group of people (the butt of many a joke in Poland even today). Interesting that you don't deny that you've never visited Poland, despite posting so aggressively about the place and people. I invite you to come, and yes, you may well hear ethnic jokes - I'll happily translate them into English for you.
jon357   
1 Mar 2015
Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [237]

What's with the capitals? Online that's the equivalent of shouting. And by the way, the particular German political regime that you tastelessly mention (telling people jokes while they're being killed indeed!) ended 70 years ago.

Those examples of TV shows don't actually talk much about Poland or its inhabitants (and you do seem to mention Poland a lot and frankly give a very bad impression despite never having been to PL). I wonder if you'd be interested in visiting so you can hear (assuming you can understand Polish) the types of jokes that Poles tell about other nationalities including, yes, the Germans.
jon357   
1 Mar 2015
Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [237]

although of course the 'dumb Polack' joke is more of an American thing I suppose.
Here we have/had the 'Irish' joke some of which were downright offensive.

It's entirely an American thing as far as I can see - I've certainly never heard one in the UK. Some of the Irish jokes that were well enough known are also told in Poland about other groups.
jon357   
1 Mar 2015
Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [237]

Quite. Roz's summary, "sound unhinged" does fit very well - especially after that post about the Nazis.

Interesting how someone who has never been to Poland should describe others as having an anti-Polish agenda. Pure paranoia and very unhealthy too. And what's with the Jewish thing?
jon357   
1 Mar 2015
Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [237]

Obviously you're entitled to your opinion, however it just isn't true. Those joke have been around for a long time and Poles tell them about others too. I don't suppose you'd appreciate that, not having been to PL, however we do hear them often.

But hey, stick to your

subhuman intelligence hate jokes against Polish people which the Nazi Germans told Polish people when they were murdering them.

however weird and creepy that sounds.

And no, there are no 'links' about telling jokes to murder victims - in fact the internet didn't exist in those days. I can pop to the Kolporter and mail you a current joke book though...
jon357   
28 Feb 2015
Real Estate / Getin Noble Bank / Dombank - it is possible to cancel mortgage agreement in CHF? [41]

I agree. These were risky financial instruments on a par with derivative trading. If the OP is interested in taking part in a class action I wish him luck. Not so much on behalf of the buy-to-letters getting risky mortgages on real estate they want to make a profit on, but for those ordinary homeowners who were seduced by mortgage brokers wanting their commission and bank sales staff with targets.

The Financial Times called the Polish Swiss Franc Mortgage Fiasco an "act of collective insanity". It may be possible to force the banks to do something, especially if there's a political will to do so, however going through the courts in Poland always takes a long, long time. I do wish the OP well though.
jon357   
27 Feb 2015
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

Carrefour at Arcadia have lamb now however the quality isn't great and the price is high. Ok once in a while.

Flying back from the UK with a suitcase full of meat for your freezer (it doesn't go off in that short time) is another possibility.
jon357   
27 Feb 2015
Life / Superstitions in Poland [60]

Some do some don't. The number of dishes varies and tends to be a family thing.
jon357   
23 Feb 2015
Language / Busha and JaJa [140]

Wulkan, what you say is interesting. It probably isn't American slang any more than words like "gotten" are slang. "Gotten" is used over there, was current in England During a period when people were emigrating to the U.S. and is not used now. This 'busha' thing (busia would be better really) probably comes from babusia. Not used so much now, but perhaps curret in parts of Poland at the time of mass emigration and still used as a family word by some Americans whose ancestors were Polish.

But yes, I've never, ever heard it used in Polish.
jon357   
28 Jan 2015
Travel / Being Transgender and visiting Wroclaw [467]

It's not like in Germany. You can get beaten for looking different. But chances for that to happen during one trip are rather low.

Her sister won't be the only transgender person out and about in Wrocław. There are more than you think in Poland and I don't foresee any problem.
jon357   
28 Jan 2015
News / Parliament in Poland clears way for nuclear plant [78]

Permanent result - weakened lungs

Yes - coal smoke is very dirty; even if it's anthacite and with modified chimneys. What you say about lungs is true it's the same for me but a different coalfield. In my case South Yorkshire.

I remember when I was living in Poznań a few years ago there was something so familiar (right in the centre where I lived by the Stary Rynek) that took me right back to the past. I couldn't put my finger on it at first then suddenly it clicked. It was the smell of coal smoke in the air. A killer and takes years off people's lives. Poland's life expectancy in part reflects this. That and the preserved pork products.
jon357   
19 Jan 2015
Food / Poland's best cheap beers? [72]

and I need the price as eel

I can give the price as fish if you like, but eel is a bit slippery.