The BEST Guide to POLAND
Unanswered  |  Archives [3] 
  
Account: Guest

Posts by Lyzko  

Joined: 12 Jul 2013 / Male ♂
Last Post: 8 hrs ago
Threads: Total: 45 / Live: 31 / Archived: 14
Posts: Total: 10145 / Live: 6027 / Archived: 4118
From: New York, USA
Speaks Polish?: tak
Interests: podrozy, rozrywki, sport

Displayed posts: 6058 / page 66 of 202
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
Lyzko   
9 Oct 2022
News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

What you say is typically from the Allies' point of view, Rich!
Germany operated from a different logic during the War, most of which was brought out at the Nuremberg Trials.
Considered "illegal" after '45, against the Geneva Convention etc. was deemed legal, right, and justified from '33-'45 as part of German law under Adolf Hitler. Technically, the Nazis weren't "breaking the law", since theirs WAS the sole existing law while Hitler remained in power.

The Nazis annexed conquered territories right and left. Determining what belonged to whom following the collapse of the Third Reich took years of wrangling.

And as you can plainly see, the fight is not over yet.
Lyzko   
9 Oct 2022
News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

I rather agree with that last statement, actually.
However, Poland has been making such claims for nigh unto almost seventy years and I suppose the present German administration is getting just a little tired of it!

The entire question anyway as to what constitutes "lost" property remains open to debate, according to legal scholars.
Lyzko   
8 Oct 2022
News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

My point precisely!
As you and others here are doubtless aware, way back in '52, not long after the War and during the throws of the rebuilding of West Germany at the time of the Economic Miracle, the then West German gov't. rejected Poland's first proposal for restitution under Adenauer.

I see little to any reason why under Scholz the answer would be any different.
Lyzko   
7 Oct 2022
News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

@Cojestdochlery,
It's not a question of "folding" or not folding!
Do you understand what you posted?? "To fold" means either to go out of business, go under, or to submit to.

"You're not naive, aren't you." You meant,
"You ARE naive.......",. Now the sentence makes some sense.

I'm not naive, rather curious as to what Poland intends to do after being rebuked so sharply by Baerbock.
Lyzko   
3 Oct 2022
Study / Upper age limit masters in Poland? [6]

Curious as to whether those who teach courses in English are native English speakers or foreigners who studied English in their country, e.g. India or Pakistan, but who do not speak it as a mother tongue.

In the US, many non-native university professors of any number of subjects at top schools are foreign born and often teach with heavy accents, although usually decent to near perfect grammar.
Lyzko   
3 Oct 2022
News / Famous Poles die - your memories [112]

@Cojestdochlery,
It is possible to be of Polish birth and nationality, yet Jewish by religion:-)

Ask any assimilated Jew! Were you to ask Roman Polanski, Julian Tuwim or even half-Jews such as Jan Brzechwa (author of the best-known tongue twister in the Polish language), they would all declare themselves proud Poles of Jewish heritage.
Lyzko   
3 Oct 2022
Study / Upper age limit masters in Poland? [6]

Curious as to why necessarily Poland, Srkpoli. According to your PF profile, you don't even speak Polish and so I'm not certain what your plan of action is exactly!
Lyzko   
1 Oct 2022
Language / The meaning of some Polish Diminutives [28]

Polish diminutives are also essential in cementing friendships with Poles, at least with Polish males!

I have a friend named Roman, whose buddies in Poland all know him as "Romek". A Polish cultural point is that once becoming friends with someone, calling them by their formal given name, might signal a rift between the two or might seem to one that the other is acting aloof or "uppity" towards that person.

Similarly in the States, if someone is introduced as "Thomas", normally they'll respond to "Tom" in friendly parlance and wonder why the other' person insists on being formal.
Lyzko   
30 Sep 2022
Love / What do Polish woman think about Latinos (dating, relationship) [19]

Assumptions are often based on prior knowledge acquired from relationships, both romantic as well as professional:-)

Naturally, one cannot speak for each individual Pole or Brazilian!
My comments are not meant to be patronizing, merely to observe that our exchanges here are a two-way street, that's all.

You're entitled to be wrong too, you know!

Latins in general are known to be hot-tempered and impulsive, owing as much to their diet as to the weather. Their history too was defined for numerous decades by grinding poverty. Certainly this will leave its stamp on a nation's character, won't it?
Lyzko   
28 Sep 2022
Language / Helping Non Polish Student studying in Public School [32]

If Poland wishes for students from abroad to have the freedom to study, thereafter to work, in their country (or to return home), this ought to be THEIR choice, not ours.

After all, the US has sponsored uncounted numbers of foreign student to study and work, with full knowledge that the US-taxpayer will eventually have to foot the bill, right?

When I studied for a semester in Germany, I was being sponsored by Columbia University in cooperation with the West German government at the time. Having completed my matriculating coursework, I returned to the States.

I don't see a problem with Poland or any country sponsoring foreign student or pupils, so long as they eventually learn to speak the target language.
Lyzko   
27 Sep 2022
UK, Ireland / How do the Polish and People with Polish Ancestry feel about British Royality [61]

@Milo, wishful thinking on your part, I'm afraid:-)
In fact, I'm in touch with Poles, often directly from Poland or here as non-citizens on a work visa! While it's true that I'm not in contact with Brits to the same degree, I DO have frequent contact on-line with colleagues either from or presently living in the UK, specifically, Hampstead outside London.
Lyzko   
26 Sep 2022
UK, Ireland / How do the Polish and People with Polish Ancestry feel about British Royality [61]

The Poles with whom I've come into contact seem to find all the Pomp & Circumstance rather amusing, frankly.
Then again, Polish culture has plenty of politesse in its daily ritual, or at least it had, notably the now dying art of the "hand kiss", not even a kiss at all!
Lyzko   
26 Sep 2022
History / The British Royal Family and Poland: Any connection? [70]

I concur, jon!
In the States, the government and company names are invariably singular, in the UK, plural. Oh, there's lots of other stuff from when I first went across the Pond which threw me straight for a loop the first time I encountered it, admittedly strictly in usage, not vocab.

Knew enough even my first time over as a greenie teenie that "LIFT OUT!" means "ELEVATOR BROKEN!" and so forthLOL
Lyzko   
25 Sep 2022
History / The British Royal Family and Poland: Any connection? [70]

@jon,
All I can add is that when I contrast the way average middle-class, even more proletarian, Americans speak nowadays, I can practically fall asleep waiting for the point, for something interesting or concrete.

When I was in school during the late '70's, boy oh' boy would our teachers let us have it if we even started to ramble, and not only in English class!

General written English too is often riddled with basic errors, from official banking correspondence to notices in our public laundry area. It's so embarrassing, don't you think?
Lyzko   
25 Sep 2022
Language / Helping Non Polish Student studying in Public School [32]

An acquaintance of ours and a former teacher in Poznan, currently in Forest Hills where we used to live, told me that certain classes where she used to teach fourth grade did try to cater to non-native Polish pupils, although of course the class was conducted only in Polish!

This might either have changed (although Magda and I spoke only a few months ago on Zoom) or have been just an exceptional case, I honestly couldn't say for certain.
Lyzko   
24 Sep 2022
History / The British Royal Family and Poland: Any connection? [70]

Appreciate the information, as always!

Admittedly, pronunciation, as with language, does change and yes, I surely noticed a change between the Queen's early broadcasts compared with her much later ones, although to a Yankee ear, almost imperceptible.

We must both confess as well that the impact of the "Swinging '60's" certainly obliterated that which was once deemed highbrow and the like.

Nowadays, everyday life has become so boringly homogenized into a veritable Mulligan's Stew of all ethnicities under the sun, seemingly speaking the same dumbed down Globish, one almost yearns for the choleric pomposity found in Rumpold of the Bailey or that ilk.

Here in this country, I'm still flabbergasted that "Frasier" lasted as many seasons as it did, brilliantly farcical as it was.