Polonia / Polish community in Switzerland [10]

@atlantic, again I wish you loads of luck in your move, only do take into account what I advised regarding learning at least a little of the local language where you'll be working, even if it's an Anglo or international concern. Couldn't hurt.

Where did or do you live in New Jersey, by the way? My family and I live in Fort Lee.

Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]

Eventually the entire planet will doubtless be speaking Globish anyway, and so it's pointless to ponder:-)

Can't tell you the number of international ZOOM meetings in which I've participated lately, fellow colleagues from Finland, Germany, Japan, India, Denmark,
Poland, France and so forth, each meeting member not speaking the other one's mother tongue, muddling through doggedly, not one of which ever admitting as to much to the remote possibility of any misunderstanding on the interlocutor's part, yet blindly slogging forth, amid arguments, disagreements, until eventually nearly all give up in blank frustration, and the conference is finally over!

All this could have been avoided, productivity could have so easily been facilitated if we simply went back to using interpreters, just as we used to pre-Globalization.

Language / Will Germans be able to understand Polish enough? [77]

You said it, buster!
East is East, West is West and never the (Mark) twain shall meet:-)
LOL

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

@Paulina, I think you meant that you were referring to Germans as "nominal Christians. There I concur.

@BratwurstBoy, apparently I didn't make myself clear in my post Am sending along a private message to explain post haste!

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

@Paulina,
As to whether or not Germany is or was a "Christian" society has long been a subject of serious debate amongst historians, many of them German!

Prior to the rise of Nazism, Germany papered over her pagan roots by going to church, celebrating Christian holidays with pomp and ceremony. With Hitler, she finally got in frightening touch with her heathen heritage, and showed herself to be incapable of post-Enlightenment grass roots Christianity as truly reflected in the Biblical injunctions of "Love thy neighbor" as well as of course the teachings of Jesus Christ.

When push came to shove, way too many Germans opted to shove Jews and others into gas chambers, there being a Christian Resistance so insignificant compared to the rest of Germany, it was merely a drop in the bucket.

Even today, Germans are suspicious of and typically don't attend church, especially those under seventy, Bavaria being the exception.

Life / Why do Poles talk so badly about Poland? [25]

Poles abroad in my experience do love to complain about their country!
Sort of reminds me of the last time I was in Vienna some twenty years ago and merely asked about whether Austria in general had a particular hobby or national pass time such as baseball here in the States, to which someone responded "RAUNZEN", that is, "complaining".

Life / Is it possible to earn honestly some greater fortune in the present day Poland? [40]

Opportunities always abound...if one is willing to pull strings!

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

I'm sure. Only the menfolk in my circle of friends/acquaintances tend to proudly do their own home repairs, and without ever relying on the Pole (let alone fellow German craftsmen (Handwerker) ) to do the job:-)

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

B.B., it all depends on the age group as well as the demography of the Germans in question. My contacts are in general between 30-60, are more or less middle class (Mittelstand), and live by in large in Hamburg, Bremen as well as other parts of North Germany.

As far as the rest of the country, I would never pretend to speak with authority or to misrepresent my familiarity with German public opinion.

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

Many continue to regard the average Pole as little more than a cheap laborer Black Marketeer who gladly undercuts skilled German craftsmen by charging less for more.

Furthermore, Germans typically tease Poles for how they speak German:-)

Life / Is it possible to earn honestly some greater fortune in the present day Poland? [40]

And all I'm saying is that while it certainly is possible, don't delude yourself into thinking that in a majority of instances, the ever present role of the Black Market doesn't play some part in acquiring wealth capitalist style.

Everybody knows about "lapowki", but nobody talks about it in public.

History / Enemies, Strangers, Friends. Poles and Germans. [82]

GefreiterKania is right, at least concerning the lack of residual notions re: German superiority.

However, many Germans still do tend to look down somewhat on their Eastern neighbor. I base this on my numerous conversations with German friends and acquaintances.

Life / Is it possible to earn honestly some greater fortune in the present day Poland? [40]

As in much of the Black Market, nearly all was "possible", as long as one was not averse to the usual bribery path of smoothing the way with the respective authorities, including of course, the Church!

Little has changed, I'm sure, if at all. Much the same actually right here in the States in terms of securing (not merely gettting) a more than decently paying job, let alone amassing tremendous wealth.

Can't speak for every country. However, what has worked for centuries in places such as China, Russia, Italy or Latin America, seems to function just as easily here in the US.

Only difference here is that the Rule of Law is more superficially in force than it is in certain other societies.

Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [239]

Brilliant, jon-:)

Life / The nature of Polish jokes? [128]

The first one's a hoot, Milo!
Many thanks for sharing.

Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [239]

Random man to another as a complement about the latter's pretty daughter:

"Danka jest ladna!"

(And the man's response)

"Oh, danke schoen!"

lol

Off-Topic / What's your connection with Poland? Penpals. [595]

Hope the latter was a typo, sir!

Off-Topic / Things you can't get used to in your new country [95]

To each his own!
Without our local Polish deli/eatery,
I'd be sunk, excellent generic cook as my wife is:-)

Off-Topic / Things you can't get used to in your new country [95]

Yep jon, sounds about right.
Don't get me wrong, I'm crazy about Polish cooking,
good solid,bigos w/pyzy on the side, chlodnik for starters
all washed down with a nice local brew. This to me is pure comfort food!

Off-Topic / Things you can't get used to in your new country [95]

The Polish diet does tend to be immensely filling, and indeed quite tasty, if somewhat
bland compared with certain other cuisines, such as Southern Italian, Indian, Mexican etc.

Love / Some questions about a Polish guy and what Polish guys are like [6]

I find Polish men whom I've encountered at work to be unusually self-assured
on the surface and often get worked up about seemingly mundane issues,
which can be rather unnerving at times.

This is not to generalize of course about ALL Polish males, only office colleagues or
business acquaintances.

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

@Milo, kindly re-read my post and then it'll make complete sense:-)

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

Again, as a landing strip for US or NATO aircraft and the like,
no question Poland is of strategic importance!

News / Poland is the new military power of Europe. [275]

Poland is a strategic location, but scarcely a military power.

History / Are Poles happy with the current Polish borders? [134]

This entire discussion re: "Oder-Neisse- Eastern Germany vs. pre-WWII Polish borders" has been kicked around since ballpark 1953. The borders remain as they stand, end of discussion!

News / Poland overtakes Taiwan and the Netherlands... [17]

The Dutch continue to lead the world, at least Europe, in flower exports:-)

Food / Poland-Tea or coffee land? [165]

Must be, Maf!

Off-Topic / What's your connection with Poland? Penpals. [595]

@Alien,
'Scuse me, but Jews unfortunately all too often rationalized their suffering. Poles aka gentiles surely suffered as much, if for different reasons! Either way, wallowing in self-pity ain't my thing, never was, never will be.

Food / Poland-Tea or coffee land? [165]

When I was last in Poland, I do recall the coffee served in local eateries was MEGA-strong!! It seems though, at least in the area I was, folks usually drank their coffee pitch black and I got a bemused reaction when I asked the waitress for some milk and sugar. Sort of said without saying anything "Boy, are you a sissy! Can't even take your coffee straight!"

:-)

News / Poland overtakes Taiwan and the Netherlands... [17]

The Netherlands derives much of her GDP from energy and various medium -to heavy industries. I'd have to see the official stats on Poland with regard to her GDP. Something about what I'm reading here sounds more like boasting than fact.

While I didn't memorize the figures for Dutch trade revenue, it's got to be about the highest on the Continent, up there with Germany at least.