The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by Ktos  

Joined: 4 Mar 2013 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - T
Last Post: 18 Feb 2018
Threads: Total: 15 / Live: 4 / Archived: 11
Posts: Total: 432 / Live: 188 / Archived: 244
From: Poland
Speaks Polish?: Yes

Displayed posts: 192 / page 6 of 7
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Ktos   
24 Nov 2015
Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

Says a Pole - who uses a derogatory term for a black person.... glass houses and all that.....

In Poland we use term "murzyn" to denote someone of dark skin colour, it is a neutral term, we do not use the term "niger" or "black guy/man" often used in gentle, tolerant western countries such as USA or England. In English I tend to use term negroid which is describes the type of African people who meet certain phenotype criteria that mirror the commonly known "murzyn" in Poland or in tolerant and sophisticated West simply and offensively "the black person".

Now, let's get back on topic. In order for this forum to be Polish, it is Polish people who should be teaching foreigners things about Poland and one of the things is the etiquette, and that means no use of the term "Pole".
Ktos   
24 Nov 2015
Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

Considering that everything's supposed to in English here, I'd say the primary focus is on English speaking people and their experiences with and/or perceptions of Poland.

I have an idea, let's exclude Polish people from Polish forum altogether! It is so weird that we are still here, we should let foreigners run forums about us and give them all the charge, which is actually happening. According to you there is no need for Polish people to visit Polish forum. Read this everyone and ponder American logic. This forum is run from headquarters in USA and so we have an American come here telling us Polish people that we are not needed here. What do Polish people say to this?

Yes, but ktos thinks that a Polish person being called a Pole is an insult.

In my country the expression "Pole" is offensive and since you are on Polish not English or Jewish forum Harry (whichever of the two you are) then comply with Polish standards and do not use this term when I, a Polish person, am telling you no to or else I will lodge an official complaint, I do not want this derogatory term used on Polish forum, full stop.
Ktos   
23 Nov 2015
Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

You see, again and again as a foreigner you make the same mistake, Polish are not uniform in mind and attitude like many others in other countries are, we are very much versatile, more versatile than most, we are free, we sit at the table and have tens of opinions exchanged, this the characteristic of not just Polish people but in general Slavic people. In simple words: we are same in many ways but also comparatively to many nations we are much more versatile in thought, that is why our discussions are so passionate. The more I hang here the more I see who actually knows Polish people, who understands Poland and Polish soul and only few do, the real Polish, the clever ones and the ones who lived a long life in Poland, that know it, but you have no clue. It is a pity that most members on this forum are not Polish but live in Poland and those people never understood Poland.

I will not succumb to anybody here, that many people in my country are polite to foreigners is true but once in while comes a Polish person fed up with Poland being abused and that person is me, so I do not care that you don't like it, that it's impolite to you, I do not care about you. All I care about is my country and I will not let others pass derogatory comments about Poland without a response, time to show respect for my country.
Ktos   
23 Nov 2015
Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

I do not think there is another forum anywhere where the subject country of the forum is being crucified by forum members foreign to that country and it is allowed. Foreigners come here, criticise Poland, criticise Polish culture, twist Polish history and torpede anyone who tries to defend Poland. Western encroachment is not welcome in Poland and we Polish have a right to voice our opinion about it, and where else if not on Polish Forum? We can't criticise westerners, Jews, other religions, homosexuals or Americans because we are labelled then as the hostile and hateful ones, but foreigners (mostly westerners) can jump up and down all over everything Polish, here and there and it is suppose to be alright?
Ktos   
23 Nov 2015
News / Poland's PiS party members and crime [346]

PiS therefore have a criminal at the heart of their government.

You are funny, most politicians, if not all, are criminals. It is hilarious how you get all rattled by some nit picking in Polish politics while in Poland nobody cares about trivialities as such, it is a truly western phenomenon. We are concerned about more serious matters, as for corruption, it happens everywhere. Are you sure you live in Poland?
Ktos   
23 Nov 2015
Genealogy / What are common Polish character traits? [417]

Like all European countries, we are far more laid back, loving, caring, and overall more open than our American counterparts.

If you follow Polish culture, indulge in it and if you go to sleep at the end of the day thinking of yourself as Polish and wishing Poland well and if you place Poland and Polish interests as first above those of other nations or ethnic groups then you are Polish and nobody else, full stop.

Seems to be a general Slavic thing though - which makes it all the weirder that they're not very good at customer service.

Like I said before, you do not understand Polish character, customer service is sometimes good other times hopeless to rude, this because we bring our true selves to the workforce and no work is pleasant, the customer is a pest, and this is true sometimes as well, a customer is a pest half the time. The current face of customer service is a remnant from communism where boss was absent and people took serving more lightly, worried about low pay who would bother about some customer? In capitalist countries the pay for customer service is low as well, it is even more unpleasant than in Poland (e.g. one is not allowed to even sit on a chair when serving) but in some places the boss strictly requires a false positive facade (smile,chat up the customer, be polite) so the customer comes back and buys goods again = money goes to the pocket of the boss/owner. So in western countries the customer service is falsely pleasant, pleasantness is there so that customer feels welcome and buys goods again and again instead of going to the competition. However, in cases where competition is scarce you see the full face of western hospitality in business, people are rude, and in some countries it does not matter whether competition is great or small, customer service there is just plain arrogant (I experienced the most horrible customer service not in Poland but in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Italy and few other countries). Also, I may add that if Polish appear less smiling it is not a bad customer service, you don't have to be falsely enthusiastic to be a good customer service person, I enjoy our true Polish customer service, for, we do not show fake emotions like westerners while serving.

Also, you are mixing business hospitality wit social hospitality, there is a difference. You just don't understand Polish people.
Ktos   
23 Nov 2015
Real Estate / Can foreigners buy land, house, or apartment in Poland? [60]

We Serbians are practically Poles.

Yes, you are welcome if you are Slavic, for, I think this way you will blend in easier than non-Slavs. I welcome all Slavs to Poland. This is better than grimacing German or American investors who only want to change our infrastructure to suit their western needs, no thanks.
Ktos   
18 Nov 2015
Life / Famous Polish people (that we have actually heard of) [231]

Chopin
Copernicus
Polanski

Chopin was not half French, his dad was French which only means he had a French background. His mum was Polish, she even converted to Catholicism, she was a Polish Jew but she felt as none other than Polish. Chopin was Polish. My only disappointment with him was that he never dedicated a one composition to Poland or anything Polish. However, he was Polish.

Copernicus was also Polish, he was born to Polish dad and German mum, which only means he had a mixed ethnic background. He was born in territories belonging temporarily to Germany where Polish community believed it was still Poland under German siege (the city of Torun) - Polish never truly gave it up and Copernicus considered himself Polish.

Polanski was born in France but as a three year old moved to Poland. His ethnicity is a strange one, he never said that he is Polish, Jews consider him to be Jewish and many Polish think so too, he also appears to be more interested in France. He does not show any affiliation with Poland other than some film or business related activities. I consider him to be Jewish with French affiliation.

So Grzechu, you are right only in the last instance, for, two out of three are Polish, one is a Jew.
Ktos   
17 Nov 2015
Life / What do Polish people think of the Asia and Middle East? [86]

Most Polish are not racist, the great majority is not, we are one of the friendliest and most tolerant nations there are on the planet as far as treatment of other nationalities is concerned. There are not many nations like our one when it comes to tolerance and hospitality towards a stranger. However, Asians are not the friendliest or most helpful of people. They are more loyal to each other than us Polish people, they are helpful to one another but not to other nationalities nor are they tolerant or hospitable to others, at least not the way Polish people are. I have met many Asians throughout my life and this is the reoccurring issue - lack of consideration for other nations.
Ktos   
17 Nov 2015
Language / "Poles" or "Polish people" - which is better to use? [200]

I've never heard anyone say that, and frankly it says more about you than the word. Does a Finn, a Turk, a Kurd, a Jew, a Breton or a Basque say the English language word for them is offensive?

I am not interested in how other nationalities feel about their nationality being verbally abbreviated in this way, I am referring to how Polish people and I, as a Polish person myself, may find such word offensive even if it was not intended to offend.
Ktos   
17 Nov 2015
Language / "Poles" or "Polish people" - which is better to use? [200]

The term "Pole" is derogatory to me and many other Polish people I know but it is not meant to offend or belittle anyone because westerners use a lot of colloquial terms in every day life as well as in some formal media outlets. In Britain, for instance, even in the media the British tend to, sometimes, refer to themselves as "Brits". So in British culture to say "Pole" is not meant to offend a Polish person. In general, westerners use abbreviations and informal terms much more often than Polish people and they use them in formal settings to a some extent as well, whereas Polish people almost never do that in similar circumstances.

I personally prefer to hear "Polish people" rather than "Poles" though - it sounds more respectful and proper to me.
Ktos   
17 Nov 2015
Life / Famous Polish people (that we have actually heard of) [231]

And many times poles have posted the names of obscure famous Polish people who are famous only to Poles.

Those obscure famous Polish people, as you nicely put it, are famous only to us Polish, that's correct but it seems it is a tragedy for you, because they are only famous in some Poland not in USA or Germany - the "important" countries. I feel for you. However, you should direct your complaint to your western educators who failed to recognise the worth of those great Polish folks who have contributed to Polish state in one way or the other and whose contributions would have been appreciated by other nations if only western world was not so shallow and took interest in other cultures and for once adopted less egotistical view when reviewing achievements of Eastern Europeans.
Ktos   
13 Nov 2015
Love / Polish girls vs Ukrainian girls: Who do you think is hotter? [152]

Western foreigners can only dream on about Polish or Ukrainian girls. The only reason smart Polish or Ukrainian woman would be vaguely interested in the man from the West is because he was rich. There is nothing wrong with that, women want security and at times a Polish men and I'd say Ukrainian men can not offer that, so the women may be inclined to take the opportunity and accept advances from a westerner, but it is not because he is a "better" man, just his pockets offer more financially secure lifestyle, that is all. So whether one is hotter than the other it does not matter, they do not want you westerners, they just need your money for survival and even despite that, those women still reject most western men hahaha, who think get the surprise of their lives hehe.
Ktos   
6 Nov 2015
History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

Well my husband is Polish and he certainly wouldn't share that view.

Your husband does not represent Polish people. It fostered criminality??? Crime was the lowest in Europe at the time of communism in Poland, police was stationed at every corner, you could walk safe at night knowing there is a policeman around, remind your husband of that, I remember. It fostered paranoia?? Yes, communist government spied on people through phone lines, but today the government is doing the same through phone lines, internet, cell phones and tv units, I prefer the old way, your husnabd should wake up to the reality of today's world in Poland. Apathy was never in existence in Poland, we are the opposite of apathetic, we are always engaged in political affairs and more aware of what the government is up to than you in the West - it is therefore harder to brainwash us, except your husband. Like I put it, your husband is not the most informed or the best judge of political or social systems.
Ktos   
5 Nov 2015
History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1080]

I do myself prefer the word Central, more than Eastern, cause "Eastern" makes me think of communism, you know, as the part of Europe that was beyond the Iron Curtain was called Eastern Europe...

Does not matter what it makes you think or what you associate it with, culturally Poland is an Eastern European country whether you like it or not or prefer otherwise. You are confusing communism as political force with communist influence on culture - two different but related things. Communist system's influence on the mindset of Polish people has been phenomenal, for, on one hand, it did not succeed in brainwashing Polish people as it has in China and, on the other hand, it enabled Polish people to stay away from western falseness and hence fostered natural, healthy behaviours. "Iron Curtain" is a negative connotation, a false one, I would just leave "Curtain" and it's great the way it has been, we are lucky that we were behind the "Curtain".
Ktos   
30 Oct 2015
Life / Can someone tell me about the reason behind being gay in Poland being wrong [148]

As far as I am aware there is nothing that homosexual men do in bed that heterosexual couples don't do

A quote from Roger 5 (it was not a quote from NocyMrok - I quoted it wrongly) here is missing the point, for a heterosexual people it will be considered gross, maybe for homosexual couple heterosexual act will be considered gross as well, the point is different sexual orientations repel each other, so that open minded approach is also required of homosexuals to understand heterosexuals and their rights.
Ktos   
30 Oct 2015
Life / Can someone tell me about the reason behind being gay in Poland being wrong [148]

Yeap, we can't take away the rights of one all of a sudden just to bring about the rights of the other. Someone used an argument that sole parent children come out adjusted to life just fine if not better than children in nuclear family, however, sole parent families are not manufactured, these happen because of various circumstances and the situation is not desirable for a parent, it is not a product of choice but necessity or accidents. Whereas the right of gay parents to raise children would mean officially allowing for a child to be deprived of one mum-dad dynamic.
Ktos   
30 Oct 2015
Life / Can someone tell me about the reason behind being gay in Poland being wrong [148]

I agree with you 100%. They should not manifest their sexuality so aggressively, things like accepting differences takes time and one can not shove sexuality down other people's throats especially since to a heterosexual a homosexual acts seem gross, it is beyond one's control, it is just how one feels and you can not blame a heterosexual for that because then it's like blaming homosexual for being the way they are - same thing. However, since majority of population is heterosexual a homosexual has to compromise and introduce their sexual orientation in a more subtle manner. On the point about adopting children, well, how would you feel if you had two dads and were deprived of mother's care, that is not right a child needs a balance of the sexes, father and mother. A child has rights too.
Ktos   
30 Oct 2015
Life / Can someone tell me about the reason behind being gay in Poland being wrong [148]

[Almost all of the LGBT people I know would very happily keep their sexuality in the bedroom if they were not discriminated against on the basis of their sexuality.

Hahah. so the sole reason why homosexuals display sexuality in public is to teach discriminators a lesson? Good one English man.
Ktos   
30 Oct 2015
Life / Can someone tell me about the reason behind being gay in Poland being wrong [148]

"my brother is gay but in Scotland very open about sexuality but my friend who is Pole has cousin who is gay and lives happy over here because it was not accepted in Poland i presume x" - You presume? So this homosexual man ran away from Poland, changed countries, just because (as you fancily presume) he would not be accepted in Poland as gay???? Everyone in Poland reading it, welcome to the IQ level of the westerner who views Poland as the dark age hole, yet another academic genius of the West, that is how they view us hahahah. In your beloved Scotland people laugh and make malicious remarks about gay people all the time, giving them hard time but in an open field most Scottish behave as if everything was normal, that is their false tolerance.
Ktos   
30 Oct 2015
Life / Can someone tell me about the reason behind being gay in Poland being wrong [148]

To all those jumping on Poland again: Poland is no different if not better when it comes to tolerance of different sexual orientations, and that is despite any religious affiliations. Unlike close minded people in many other countries Polish can think for themselves and yet maintain religious ties, something that people in other countries are unable to do, examples include Islamic states and Israel as well as many western countries, for them it is either religion or tolerance, then can not marry the the two the way we in Poland can. Also, in western countries homosexuals are not tolerated, only openly their sexuality is not discussed in negative fashion but behind closed doors the hatred of average westerner towards gay person is greater than any of that in Poland, fake western facade, that is all it is, not tolerance.
Ktos   
29 Apr 2013
Life / Traditions in a Polish Home [10]

Correct Lenka. You can bring flowers - yes, chocolates - yes and also a cake or cookies but more expensive ones or presentable ones. And yes, we take our shoes off although generally no one really asks you to do that (I do, I give guests new clean slippers to wear) but you are expected to take them off. Of course you take your own shoes off as well, I don't know of anyone in Poland who walks around their house with shoes on despite the cold weather and nowdays lack of central heaters here and there as it used to be during communist and early capitalist revival years (energy bill went up like a rocket recently!).
Ktos   
26 Apr 2013
UK, Ireland / London is Poland's 24th largest city [85]

OK, there are all sorts of assertions made on here about Poles in the UK so I thought it may be helpful to post up some primary-source data. Some of this will prove counter-intuitive for those fond of stereotypes.

Haha finally! These figures are not surprising to me at all, English enjoy!
Ktos   
24 Mar 2013
Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

talking modern politics? right? is there a chance of tyranny right now? if attacked from foreign angle I wonder how supportive EU would be?

I agree with Barney, when time comes we will stand up and defend ourselves, if we have enough of tyranny we will overthrow it, and we don't need guns for that, government guns wouldn't stop us if we really wanted to take government.

As for the comment by Rysavy all I can say is that Polish people can defend themselves better than any other group of people I know.Normally we say this with modesty but I see that on this forum it does not work, most western people misinterpret Polish modesty as incompetence. So I say again, we are always well equipped to defend ourselves well. We are not French, we don't listen to our government and watch our country fall down and not do anything, in crisis we rise as a nation together and no one needs to tell us what to do because we know what needs to be done, we need to defend our nation, with any means possible. Owning a gun by Polish civilians has got nothing to do with our ability to defend ourselves against foreign powers.

There are different ways of fighting tyranny. Take the banking system for instance, those who own banks have the world's politicians in their pocket, the best way to weaken their influence over governments is to stop using the banking system, withdraw many from the bank, deprive them of income and those greedy filthy creatures will not have a foot to stand on. Besides, the most powerful enemies of people are the invisible ones, those who hide in the shadows, many bank owners belong to that group as well as rich families who own media, estates and financial sectors around the world, in most cases they are Jewish but not only. Many Polish businessmen as well as politicians and Polish Jews belong to those invisible groups. I bet they come out of shadows when public raises and then they make mistakes, we don't need guns to flash them out, just smart ideas.

ZIMMY: People have a right to bear arms and to defend themselvesIn Poland?No. They don't. Nor is there any mass movement wanting such 'rights'.

Jon is right but he put it rather awkwardly; we, Polish people, have a right to defend ourselves but whether it is this type of weapon or another does not make a difference, as I explained in my previous post. Besides, we don't have a history of people running around with guns on the streets, it would awake killing instincts in many people, it would also make police work that much dangerous, what a stupid idea. There is no movement in Poland postulating any gun ownership rights, we are not interested, we never were. So those of you who keep ranting about it, get a grip, we do not need to all a sudden copy everything others do, this gun owning nonsense included.
Ktos   
23 Mar 2013
Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

[quote=ZIMMY]You agree with the above tyrants yet you disagree with this guy: """A free people ought to be armed." – George Washington

Yes, free people can do anything don't they? What free people? So you are not truly free until you own a gun? Aha. If one is so free why does one need a gun in the first place? Would you also like those "free" people to carry other weapons as well? Weapons like lasers maybe? As if we didn't have enough weapons already, people kill each other in most imaginery ways and you want to improve the situation by allowing people to kill each other in an even more efficient manner? I don't think we need more or more efficient weapons like guns, which instead of protecting will create chaos. You think only responsible people will get their hands on the guns?
Ktos   
23 Mar 2013
Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

[quote=AmerTchr]And it's your country so that's great that you live somewhere you are comfortable.I am a little curious about your point about everything being "close". I would expect your crime rates in cities to be higher than in small villages and rural areas. While people on ranches and farms tend to have weapons for rodents and hunting needs, violent crimes and murders particularly tend to be higher in "close" conditions as well.I would also observe that the Poles I talk to do not seem very trusting of each other or at least no more so than any citizen of any other country where I have lived.

That's my very point, we don't need guns in Poland.

As for me living in another country it's another matter, life is more complicated for us Polish.

Talking is not enough then, you have come to Poland sometimes and see how people behave and live. There will be mistrust but there are situations when you can still feel fine as compared to many western countries where it is not safe, it is a country of many contrasts.