Life / Life in Poland for American who likes women, beer, hates Tories and is concerned about the weather [19]

The post does come across as a little weird, especially the bit about Tories which is a rare word for Americans to use (and there's no shortage of dodgy politics in Poland too). Wanting to go to PL for the weather and the beer is a bit of an odd thing as well...

UK, Ireland / English/British rudeness - what do Polish people think about it? [168]

That or secretly enjoying it.

Life / When will SMOKING BE BANNED? (from public areas in Poland) [44]


Spot on. Nobody I know who has a doctorate smokes. Every unemployed person I know smokes...

I smoked heavily for years and in the end just had enough of it - the effect on the human body is appalling. Inhaling burning dries leaves twenty or so times a day does destroy your lungs and is an addiction. I've nothing against drugs per se - I favour not banning anything (up to and including heroin and cocaine) from sale to over-21s however there's a strong case for restricting tobacco to Amsterdam style coffee-shops...

Life / When will SMOKING BE BANNED? (from public areas in Poland) [44]

One thing about the post with the quote from the dziennik ustaw or wherever saying it's banned in public places; the Polish parliament isn't always very good at drafting laws (this is an ongoing issue) and leave a lot open to interpretation. I very much doubt that the law in question defines a public place. Certainly there are plenty of bars in Warsaw with smoking rooms and a few others that just get the ashtrays out late in the evening.

Though even as an ex-smoker I don't really mind as long as there's some ventilation and prefer the situation in Warsaw to that in the UK where they went too far - even having no smoking cabins at Heathrow which must be a pain for heavy smokers who have to change planes there between long haul flights but don't have a visa to go through the barrier - if I were still a smoker I'd probably go through Schipol or Frankfurt instead, both of which are less anal about the ban.

Work / Are there any jobs for Americans in Poland? [46]


Plus their own economy has tanked, with huge youth unemployment. Given the age of so many, it'll doubtless make for plenty of international marriages.

History / Roman Dmowski-Patriot, Nationalist, Anti-Semite? [252]


Not much doubt that his chum RE Park was. And Dmowski was quite open about it.
books.google.co.uk/books?isbn=0762310111
americanjewisharchives.org


No

Life / Brazilian moving to Gdansk and need some help with finding a flat to rent and also a good school for daughters [33]


Try Wrzeszcz, easy to get to the old centre on the SKM and fairly pleasant.


The main online real estate portal is domiporta.pl - I think they have an option for selecting English.

Law / Which is the best city in Poland to open a kebab shop? [56]


Not much money there - and as I remember a ton of competition. Warsaw is a better bet though the real estate prices are higher. It's a trade-off really. You'll get a lower margin but probably sell more. Be careful though, a chain called Kebab King are opening large shops round town.


And also without people living upstairs - the smell from those places can be nauseating. Enough to drive someone to drink

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [455]


In pretty well every country (except perhaps North Korea) a significant number of people hate their political leader, especially after they've been in office for a while.


Not a respectable source.

UK, Ireland / Five Polish Students Died along the Somerset Coast in 1994 - what happened? [14]


If it happened, it certainly is. Local newspaper archives, especially pre-2000, are not always online.

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [455]

You do realise that a. elections are every 5 years, b. he leaves office in a few weeks and c. his predecessor was the worst one Poland has had.

Genealogy / Surname Cybert. Is it Welsh or Polish? [11]

More likely Anglicised than Polonised, given the spelling.

Life / Brazilian moving to Gdansk and need some help with finding a flat to rent and also a good school for daughters [33]


Or the advert is spurious. Look on Gumtree, check the box that says 'wlasciciel' (not agent) and google the phone number to make sure it doesn't show up as a real estate agent.

Terri is right about negotiating and yes, it's a good idea to let your employer help.


A bit cheaper than that though it depends what sort of place you want to go to - some can be more expensive. Food etc isn't especially expensive there are you can live cheaply or not.

The Trójmiasto (you can't really talk about Gdańsk alone - the conurbation spreads up the coast) has everything you might be looking for.

Law / Old Polish money banknotes - what's their value today? [415]

Worth considerably less than their weight in dung - plenty of posts in this thread about banknotes from that period.

History / Secrets of Polish Freemasons at the National Museum, Warsaw [9]

That's not my quote

Anyway, where did Paderewski keep his "baphomet statues"? On top of the piano?

There's also a similar but much smaller exhibition running in Poznan at the moment.

Life / Activation of purchased Poland Orange/T-mobile/Play mobile data / SIM card? [19]

You won't lose it and their website has instructions to top up. The receipt should be self-explanatory though, even if it's in Chinese.

History / Secrets of Polish Freemasons at the National Museum, Warsaw [9]

Some friends (quite a few in fact) have been and say it's worth seeing. Probably the only museum exhibition where the entry is hidden somewhere inside and you have to find your way in. Full of surprises.

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Food / Methods of cooking Klopsiki? [11]

I usually fry them and have seen others do that. Remember that good klopsiki should be quite moist and in Poland they are fried at a fairly low temperature most often in solid fat. They should be paler in colour than, say, Italian meatballs.

In the oven, they could easily dry out unless well covered.

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [630]

I wouldn't think so. It's just very crude textspeak. Certainly written by someone young and jokey in tone.

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


No bad thing at all.


Sometimes we forget how different life was back then and how ideas have changed.

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [630]

The message is very straightforward. Maybe the best thing to do is to ask him (or more probably the recipient) yourself and if he's happy with you knowing I'm sure he'll tell you.

Work / Language Teachers - do you feel respected in Poland? [86]


Price is the bottom line nowadays and you are more likely to get that sort of person pitching up in PL today than a few years ago since wages have been driven down post 2004..

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


That is so funny to hear. You are, however, entitled to hold or pretend to hold whatever opinion you choose, however bizarre.


Who? What about Ivy? Didn't you say you'd written a book...


Now what about about


, Honest?

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


Do you think that Polish people often feel they want to discuss life their own country with each other in a foreign language like English? There are a hundred and one forums in Polish for that, some of them quite good.

Amazing that you're using so many of the same phrases, words and textual characteristics as 'Honest'. Rather similar to Puzzie too.

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


Yes. Two posts worth.


What "line up"? Why do you think people in Poland queue in an orderly line for public transport?


So why the capitals, which are shouting?

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


You know, I grew up around Polish people, knew many even before I moved to PL, and I never, ever heard the stereotype


.

It must be something in America. We certainly don't have it.

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


Prove they don't, angry guest poster - and first, prove some of your wild assertions about British etc.

Life / Internet providers In Poznan? [6]


Ask your neighbours what they use. If you live in an apartment building it should be cabled up already, perhaps by more than one provider (I don't remember whether or not they do that in Poznań) ask the caretaker which company most residents use.

Life / Polish people are the most ignorant people in the world! [335]


Do you realise that this is 100% the rule in Poland among both young and old. Nothing to do with 'ignorance', that's just the way it is.


You'll be waiting a long time.

Always strange when guest posters launch into nasty aggressive rants.

Work / Language Teachers - do you feel respected in Poland? [86]


If you mean teaching qualifications, then it's a paradox since by the time you're qualified, you'd no longer be a teacher would you are you. You could read up on "pupil teachers" however they haven't existed (in your country or mine) for decades.


What about history, economics, English, art, cookery, geography?


For teaching, the key is ability to teach. Or more pertinently the ability to get people to learn. Teaching qualifications, if awarded properly at least give the tool kit.


Perhaps because you haven't figured how much more of the big picture they see...


I take it your familiar with the famous quote from Mother Julian...