Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [187]


Aaah, you simply meant that large green container to throw bottles in - I saw it in one of my textbooks. :):) Yes, fun, my kids also loved the sound of crashing bottles inside.

Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [187]


Oh, I miss them a lot. Once in communist times, when I wanted to have my own extra money, I collected bottles in streets/parks etc and sold them in bottle banks. That was my first job for money as a young boy - I was about 11-12 years old. Those banks were closed down after 1989. Pity.

Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [187]

At last - bio waste will be segregated. 10 years ago I said I envied Germans who had started doing it much earlier. Today I can do it myself - we produce a lot of such stuff from our veg and fruit which can`t all be eaten by our rabbit, e..g, pineapple skins. I had to fix an additional bin in the sink cupboard but it is a great idea, anyway.

remember

· Green for glass
· Yellow for plastic and metal
· Blue for paper
· Brown for bio waste (such as uneaten food)
· Black for other

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Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [187]

The beginning of May means 3 days off for most Poles.

1st May has always been Labour Day, officially celebrated by all communist states in times of Cold War. Poles also attended it - sometimes willingly, sometimes forced. When Poland regained sovereignty in 1989, the authorities didn`t annul the holiday. Even today left parties call their members and supporters to take part in demos.

2nd May is the day of the Polish flag - a new holiday introduced after 1989.

3rd May - Constitution Day, to celebrate the first constitution in Europe and second after the USA. There are mass services, parades, performances, wreaths etc.

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Life / Owning a house in true countryside of Poland - stories [692]

We won`t be going to the countryside for the long weekend as usual because it is too wet. I tried to do some gardening today but gave up soon - the ground is slippery and clayish. The rain is going to continue tomorrow and later. Great , but faced with staying in here or there, we prefer here.

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1450]

Yes, sauerkraut carrot salad is OK, though I prefer green salads with more ingredients.

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1450]

Of course, nothing wrong. But I must have acquired a new taste and that is why I gave chicken liver up. An old Polish wives` tale says/ said that people change their tastes every 7 years.

Study / Various education and school issues in Poland. Opinions, stories, controversies. [1006]


Yes, I could certainly do with more money, as everybody. :):) It is always better to have more than less, will you disagree? :)

As for time off, I don`t complain. Quite a lot of it during the year. Let`s see the 2019 schoolyear

September, October, November, December - very busy except for 1-2 November - All Saints` Day and 11 November - Independence Day..

Christmas and New Year- 11 days off.

January - Epiphany on 6th is a bank holiday.

In mid January - 2 weeks of winter holidays (changeable each year)

February, March - very busy, Easter came in April - 6 days off.

In May there are bank holidays on 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Corpus Christi on Thursday (moveable) and Friday after it is off too.

The school year always ends on Friday around 20th June and begins on 1st September (mostly).

In theory, it is a lot of free time. In practice, teachers are often employed to deal with various organisational tasks, eg recruitment procedures during summer holidays. I proved several times to my colleagues and head teacher that I am a lousy paper pusher so they usually leave me alone and I can enjoy off time in full. It is good to be a teacher. :):)

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1450]


We already talked about flaki/tripes here, what about other giblets? Once I fancied chicken liver and used to eat it twice/thrice a month, but I haven`t had it for about three years now.

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Life / Owning a house in true countryside of Poland - stories [692]


Yes, freedom is wonderful but sometimes I feel uneasy - especially in winter time - not a man or another living creature within 500 metres around and snow everywhere - driving there is pure lottery because the country lane is not cleared.

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Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

You are both right, it is the same one, and the order doesn`t matter.


To know sth very well.

it`s been sucked out of one`s finger.

Life / Owning a house in true countryside of Poland - stories [692]

Thanks God it has been raining since yesterday. I had always liked rain but even more after getting that property. I lost a lot of newly planted trees and bushes due to drought which afflicted southern Poland (and all Poland in general) in recent years. Two last months were also very dry, but the weather has changed at last and seems to set in for a while.

The caretaker in my school is a country guy who still cultivates his farm and keeps small farm animals so whenever we meet during breaks, we talk about gardening and farming. We are the only ones who look forward to rain - all my colleagues complain, just like the British. I don`t share their negative views so I say nothing and enjoy wet weather in silence. :)

It is a worrying situation becauset Poland is generally a dry country. I have never had a problem with water on the farm because the well has been fully functional after I cleaned it. But each year I see the level of water is lower than before. In other regions farmers are even deprived of that and on drought days they are also forbidden to use public water supply. They lose a lot of money when crops die. Experts are alarming that mild winters with little snow and little precipitation in later seasons might turn large parts of Poland into a desert one day.

Such maps are published each year and the situation has been repeating since 2015.

Drought 2018 lasted for a few months

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Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


Yes, apart from my gardening hobby, I know it from primary school books which I use sometimes. :)


Yes!

(to apply) the method of stick and carrot.

Life / Prejudice about Poles; Poland has changed [39]


That`s utter bs, in 1960s in a communist country with close police and secret police control over the society, incuding criminal circles, such a series of thefts happening to the same foreigners within 2 days was simply impossible. You are imagining things against historical reality of the times. Besides, how can you remember after 50 years the food you ate was OK? Have you never relished tasty stuff afterwards?? :):)

Life / Owning a house in true countryside of Poland - stories [692]


Yesterday it was the anniversary of the meltdown. I am reading articles about it. Poland fared quite well, the radiation wasn`t as dramatic as you suggest. Besides, why are you linking to an article from 1986 when there was Cold War and Western press did everything to attack communist Poland? What is more, naturally they didn`t know as much as we know today.

Try harder and find a more up-to-date source to convince me.

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


I added it after seeing it was a problem to guess that sole "pip", but normally we don`t say them, pip is enough.


Yes, I was looking for and hesitating over a proper word for about 5 minutes.


Very interesting, I will surely remember it now. The beneficial effect of the forums. :)
PS. I must know vocabulary because students constantly enquire how to say sth in English. Rarely am I at a loss. :) Fortunately, they haven`t asked about seeds in fruit yet.

to be salt in sb`s eye

History / Poland in a Slavic Union/Alliance/Federation? [335]


Yes, especially, after the seizure of Crimea and hybrid war against Ukraine, Forget it - no Slavic Union is possible for many decades now. There has been none for centuries (except the short time in 15th century), there will be none for next centuries, either.

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]

Oops, I had searched for "vaccinations" and didn`t find it. :):)

News / Poles march against Mandatory poisoning by vaccines [202]

Merged:

Anti-vaccination movement in Poland is rising. Right or wrong?

I was provoked to start this thread when I read that President Trump encourages Am parents to vaccinate their kids. That`s nice. I have nothing against vaccinations - I read somewhere that most evil things ascribed to them are urban legends.

But more and more opponents claim vaccinations bring about more harm than benefit. In result, the number of non-vaccinated children also goes up in Poland. In drastic cases, parents even "abduct" their newly born babies from hospital to prevent them from being vaccinated.

Doctors are alarming some forgotten diseases will be on the rise again, yet movements against vaccines do not relinquish.
stopnop.com.pl/poland-calls-the-whole-world-to-protest-against-the-compulsion-of-vaccinations-june-3rd-2017/

When young, in my neighbourhood I sometimes saw a young man who walked in a peculiar way, as if his both legs had been broken in a few places and hadn`t healed properly. I was always terrified by the sight, and the word Heine Medina disease (polio) became a synonym of ultimate suffering to me.

The article shows the number of anti vaxxers has been growing steadily in Poland.
thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/350637,More-parents-refuse-to-immunise-their-children-in-Poland

The Polish government site about history and need for vaccinations
szczepienia.pzh.gov.pl/en/stories/mandatory-vaccinations-in-poland/

See the graphics showing vaccination periods in Poland
szczepienia.pzh.gov.pl/en/immunization-schedule/

Parents who took their baby from hospital to avoid vaccinations were later acquitted by the court.
busy.org/@ladyrebecca/polish-parents-on-the-run-from-the-vaccine-police

However, reading about polio vaccine, I learnt that 3.8 kids in 10 million get infected with the disease after vaccination. So, vaccines are not so safe after all.

Love / Polish women care about traditional values [40]


Fortunately, less and less Polish women are so stupid. Dropping such a useless husband is really easy today.


Yes, it is better to kick him out of home and even family than to endanger their mental health through the daily contact.

Love / Why do Polish guys stare a lot? And what does that mean? [14]


Anything is possible. He might be a typical male who behaves like that because he finds a woman attractive and can`t refrain from staring. Also, he stares because you might remind him of somebody he knew in Poland, even his sister. But he might also be a psycho cannibal who looks at you as a dish - such guys are often reserved and shy. Who knows? Let us know how the situation develops.

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


I see. But it is still the same, whether a pip or a stone, it is one word in Polish.

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

:):) No, rather not, I checked it twice. Pip is the seed inside some fruit, e..g, plums, cherries, right? So I got it right. You say: it is a pip for/to me.

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

Do you mean it doesn`t exist and I made it up? :))

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


Hey, I provided a clue but the riddle with that pip is still unsolved! :):) When is it used exactly?


It is about false promises which can`t be fulfilled and you fully realise they are false. Was it originated in 1940-1050s when the Soviet pseudo scientist Lysenko played tricks with plants genetics?

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1450]

Yes, exactly, but as Dougpol mentioned, it is all processed and cured pork. . The non-cured one is available but not too popular.

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1450]

Actually, that pineapple wasn` t a joke. I sometimes eat fresh pineapple with fatty meat dishes because the fruit contains beneficial bromelain which helps in better digestion of protein.


Yes, but Lyzko and me simply can`t resist.


Let` relive those wonderful moments again. As Milo said, life would be so boring without them.

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Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

Sorry, no. The pip means that seed inside fruit. You say so when. e.g., you are going to somehow take part in an approaching situation.

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1450]


I told you I have a sweet tooth! As far as I remember, we ran out of my fav honey mustard then, so I used the pineapple because that sweet dark beer wasn`t enough. What, do you expect me to have sprinkled that sausage with sugar? :):):)


Yes, I sometimes have crazy tastes,. Whenever my poor wife saw such stuff, she used to go out of the kitchen. :):) Now she is accustomed.

Guys, the truth is simple - pineapple was to counterbalance that unhealthy piece of meat. :):)

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]

Yes, it is the same thing.

What does this comment mean?: - it`s a pip.