Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]


I must say that even if it starts with training, smiling seems to come as easily and naturally to Polish people as it does to anyone else once they form the habit of it. I don't feel that the smiles I encounter are fake. I believe they are genuine. Like you, I don't expect the sales person or office worker to be beaming at me. I just expect an open, pleasant expression that acknowledges me and encourages me to interact with them.

I also find that if you are a regular customer, be it in the meat shop or the bank, the staff soon get to know you, welcome you with a smile and are quite genuine. Being Irish myself, I tend to be very chatty and I've found out all about their families, their children, grandchildren, their boyfriends/girlfriends, what they're making for lunch today etc. Lately I've been discussing Christmas cooking with people and have been given lots of kindly advice and tips. I even know where some of them live and what their pets are called :)) The funny thing is that my husband who is Polish finds it mildly embarrassing. He doens't like accompanying me into shops where I'm 'known'. He says 'do you have 'friends' in here? Ok, I'll wait outside.'! He says that kind of thing might be normal in Ireland but it's weird in Poland :) Then he just laughs and says 'you and your Irish ways'.

Life / Bilingual kids in Polish schools [30]


Or a Southern Belle, Gone with the Wind style :))


Don't know about Britain but in Irish schools Miss and Mrs have been pretty abandoned by the younger staff in favour of Ms. In my childhood the teachers were generally known by the Irish forms of their names. So for example Miss Ryan would be Iníon Ní Rían (quite a mouthful for a four year old to get their head round!) and Mrs White would be Bean De Faoite.

Life / Bilingual kids in Polish schools [30]


I know what you mean Delph. It is a bit cringeworthy and a bit like What Katy Did or Ann of Green Gables but it's a compromise between my Montessori training where the kids use only the teacher's Christian name and the more formal mode of address which is acceptable in Irish mainstream primary/elementary schools. The Principal would generally be a bit wary of the children calling the teacher just by the Christian name but they can usually be persuaded to compromise if you're an experienced teacher and can guarantee them that chaos won't ensue!

The funny thing is that the parents address me the same way despite me telling them to dispense with the Ms. It sounds borderline hilarious coming from the parents :))

Life / Bilingual kids in Polish schools [30]

Well there is a half way house between the two where you call the teacher by their christian name with the prefix Mr or Ms. It worked for me. Keeping order in a class has nothing to do with what the children call you. It's the vibe the teacher gives off. Some people have a natural air of authority about them and others develop it as they grow in confidence and experience. Some teachers never acquire it and can't keep order in a classroom regardless of what they're called.

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

You're absolutely right Terri. I always smile when I greet somebody and it's not fake, I genuinely feel like smiling. Somehow it seems natural to greet people with a smile and although I've encountered a few sour-pusses in Poland, I find that people are generally very responsive to my friendly ways despite my faltering Polish which is far from fluent. Just yesterday I had a lovely chat with an old man in the supermarket queue and he actually initiated it by commenting on my selection of veggies and telling me that I could make a lovely salad with them. I responded by telling him that I was going to make grochowa but that I like to add a bit of leek to it as it's very tasty. Typical small talk and his little old face was wreathed in smiles. When I was leaving he thanked me for the chat and we shook hands.

UK, Ireland / Racist ex-priest Międlar tries to fly from Poland to U.K. again. [293]


No, that's not so in the UK. In the UK, people from the Indian sub-continent are routinely referred to as Asian. By the term Asian, British people understand that you are referring to someone from India, Pakistan etc. There isn't really an inclusive term for people from East Asia. The old-fashioned term was Oriental but that's not used so much these days. People just use the specific nationality if they know it or if they don't, they fall back on 'not sure what he/she is, kind of Chinese type', that's the truth honestly!

However, it just shows once again, how the American members of this forum, do tend to see things from an American point of view that doesn't always resonate with those of us from the British Isles.

News / Goodbye Sunday Shopping in Poland - Hello Electoral Reform [246]


Well there's your problem Gumi. If you really can't see it, it surprises me. Now I'm not saying that the other lot, that is PO, are much better than PIS. They're not much cop either, but that's politics for you - somebody has to run the country. Their saving grace is that while they have their own agendas and are as self-serving as any other group, they're not fanatical. PIS is basically lead by a mentally unstable individual, detached from the reality of the 21st century, surrounded by sycophants who are happy to cream a little something of power, position, influence and wealth for themselves by supporting him.

Where is the country heading? I'll tell you. Mechanisms are being put in place to make it extremely difficult to get PIS out of power even after the golden days of the 500 a month etc are over and the electorate has become restive. Even if they can be unseated in an election (and that's questionable as they will now be directly responsible for appointing at least three of the seven officials who oversee the ballot boxes)their henchmen will be in every key area of the civic and public domain and it will take years to undo the legislation which has placed them there. Kaczyński himself has said that he expects PIS to be in power for twenty years - that's basically for the rest of his lifetime.......shades of Fidel Castro??? Interestingly, we recently saw PIS hosting a delegation from Latin America, including El Salvador and calling for greater links with Latin America.

Are you aware that Poland is on the 'buying list' as it's known for North Korean workers? North Korea actually sells workers to other countries, retaining up to 90% of their wages. There at least 1000 North Koreans working in Poland whose passports are held by their Polish employers and who receive a subsistence living allowance while working up to 16 hours per day. Now, this has been going on for years but what is PIS doing to stop it? Nothing. Funding Kim Jong's regime and nuclear weapons and colluding in human trafficking, charming.

News / Goodbye Sunday Shopping in Poland - Hello Electoral Reform [246]


Yes of course that's true. The concept of Poland as the perfect 'Catholic' model state is only part of it. The scope of change is breath-taking really. The army, the courts, the electoral commission, the press, the education system...........the really worrying thing is that with the army, courts and elections re-jigged by PIS with their supporters in all key positions, we know where that's heading.

News / Goodbye Sunday Shopping in Poland - Hello Electoral Reform [246]


Yes, that's the justification they're using but it's deliberately misleading. This is to do with religion. After all the same working conditions apply on a Saturday. Many families can't all be together on that day either, that's just the way of the world. I would be more concerned about the government ensuring decent working conditions, contracts of employment and adequate minimum wage if they want to enhance family life. This legislation is about enforcing a certain vision of what a Catholic country should be. The fact is that Sunday shopping is a part of modern Polish culture. Many people, including those families who are able to be together on Sunday, like to go to the shopping centre, meander around the shops, have coffee or lunch.

I wonder how it will affect life in the summer? What about street vendors selling ice-cream, cold drinks? Will restaurants be allowed to open? If so, then how does the government justify the fact that those who work in the catering industry will be discriminated against in this legislation as they still won't have Sundays off? So it's legislation for some, but not for all.

News / Goodbye Sunday Shopping in Poland - Hello Electoral Reform [246]


Oh they do indeed but only after 12 midday as a mark of respect to the Man Above :))


Yes it is. It's just that there's such a comprehensive and wide ranging number of new laws and reforms being made so quickly. It suggests that PIS are acting as swiftly as possible with some sinister purpose in mind. I'm warning you lads, if they carry on their merry way it's only a matter of time before the army will be on the streets to quell demonstrations and it'll be martial law all over again.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]


I would say 'each' rather than 'itch'. I know I'm being a bit picky but the 'i' in Polish is the 'ee' sound in English. I'd say the nearest you could get to it with English phonetics is p*o-ts-ick-of-each'. The stupid, bloody, censorship thingee won't let me type the 'p' word properly but we all know what it is!

History / Recommended Poland's history books [257]

Born in America, raised and educated in England. He divides his time between Poland and England and has done a tremendous amount of charitable, community and conservation work in the region of Poland where he lives. To me, he embodies what Poland sadly lost through, as you say Ziemowit, its rather unfortunate history.

History / Recommended Poland's history books [257]

The nice thing about Zamoyski's book is that he's actually Polish and he loves Poland which gives him an insight that is lacking from any foreigner, no matter how knowledgeable, but as historical subject matter, he's able to look at Poland objectively so you get a pretty fair and balanced account from him.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]

I have NOW! That's very funny. I wasn't aware of this. Very good for my Polish 'listening' practice:))

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]

I posted this back in August:


I just read that yesterday Her Nibs confirmed that there will be changes in the government within the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see whether Himself will actually step into her shoes. PIS is really going to step up the swing to the Right, I believe.

Language / Polish gravestone translation [45]

If you live near the graveyard, have you tried going there in the dark and shining a torch on the stone? The inscription will show more clearly.

Life / Hanging out with Polish Banda street people in Berlin [9]

I skimmed over the first couple of of paras quickly and I think it's that PolishUltras guy the one who's obsessed with 'hooligans' and organized crime gangs.

God, what an unmitigated eejit. He's talking some rubbish about Polish guys who live on the street in Berlin and don't want to go home even though they have families who want to help them - all very well until you hit forty and the rheumatism starts to kick in.

News / Poland supporting potential new EU members - Georgia and Turkey [32]


Unless Poland is planning on exiting the EU then I don't see how it's a smart move. The European Council has just decided in the last day or so to cut Turkey's accession funding due to the fact that they don't satisfy accession conditions regarding democracy and rule of law.

News / Austria's swing to the far right on Poland? [229]


Actually there are plenty of people in Poland who DO want the welfare state. The popularity of the 500 PLN a month initiative would suggest that. The subsidy for having more children is actually a form of income support and income support is welfare. It's a cash hand out which will encourage the poorest people, who can least afford it to have more children whom, without government assistance, they can't afford to support, as in clothe and feed. It's too early yet to say what the outcome of the scheme will be but in the long term it could end up increasing misery and child poverty.


All EU governments send aid to Syria so that's hardly a big deal. It doesn't absolve them from their further obligations as a member of the EU.

News / Poland on course to end European winter/summer time [19]


Personally I'm not bothered one way or another although I love dark winter mornings, it's weird I know but I do. In fact one of the things I miss in Poland is the darkness of winter mornings in Ireland. I find the idea of even brighter winter mornings quite depressing. However the point is not about the merits or otherwise of DST but the fact that Poland will become the only EU country to fail to observe it and be in breach of an agreed EU policy for no real purpose other than for the sake of showing that they can be.

News / Poland on course to end European winter/summer time [19]

Yes, but time zones and DST are not the same thing. All those countries you mention still use DST. Poland would be the only country in the EU to not co-ordinate with others, so for six months of the year Poland would have the same time as some countries but for the other six it wouldn't - that seems rather messy.

Incidentally I discovered that this matter has already been officially debated as recently as a year ago in the EU. Seven countries wanted to abolish DST and the matter was discussed by the European Commission. The conclusion was that there was not sufficient evidence supporting a removal of DST, and if a change was to be made, it would have to be harmonized. The Commission also stated that it hadn't received any official requests on the issue from any member states.

So it's still a question of Poland simply deciding that they will pick and choose which bits of EU policy they adhere to and will ignore anything they don't like or that doesn't go in their favour. It's also sending a message to other EU members that you can go ahead and take EU law into your own hands. Pushing boundaries like a naughty child, that's what it boils down to.

News / Poland on course to end European winter/summer time [19]

The PSL who put the bill forward claim that daylight saving time adversely affects people's health but I took a look at a selection of the research which has been done and there's no very compelling case for abolishing it. But even if there were, the correct approach is to raise the matter within the EU and canvass other members as to their views. The decision of one member to depart from an accepted norm affects everyone so it's at the very least a basic courtesy that you would extend to your partners. Then if there is enough support, I'm sure there are channels where it can go through a process of discussion.

What is particularly worrying is that it has cross party support so it's not simply a question of blaming PIS. It says something about the Polish parliament and the Polish political scene as a whole when everybody is in support of a reform for which there is hardly a pressing need and which is in direct breach of EU policy, especially at such a sensitive time when Poland is increasingly perceived as being in conflict with all and sundry.

News / Poland on course to end European winter/summer time [19]

Abolishing daylight saving time may seem like a small issue, but I think it's very significant.

Firstly, should the law pass,which it has every chance of doing with its current unanimous cross-party support, Poland will once again be in breach of EU policy, deliberately and quite unnecessarily defying an EU directive and being the only member state to operate on a different time.

Secondly, in becoming the only EU member state to abolish daylight saving, they distance themselves from their neighbours and instead of operating on the same time as their trading partners in Germany, they choose to operate on the same time as Russia.

It seems once again that it's a case of Poland being awkward merely for the sake of it and their way of sending out a message of 'independence'.

Incidentally, due to a legal precedent, an EU member who breaches a directive, may have to pay damages to companies or individuals adversely affected by it. So let's hope that if it goes ahead, it doesn't result in law suits by those whose businesses may be affected.

News / Tusk turning his back to idea about Intermarium (New Commonwealth), seeing only EU as future for Poland [124]

Poland weren't offered a loan. They asked for it - back in 2009 and were granted a credit facility, should they need it. Declaring that they no longer need it is a bit of well timed bravado designed to show how confident the government is in the economy ie we don't need the IMF, we don't need EU funds, you can all go and swivel on it.

Here's the PIS plan as I see it. Carry on their merry way and keep the voters happy until 2019, this may mean watering down some of their more draconian measures for a while, keeping Jo Public happy is their number one priority at the moment. Cosy up to China and the UK, the US obviously and a few other useful trading and finance partners. Get voted back in in the next election (that's a rarity in Poland but it has happened once in the history of elections in Poland since the fall of Communism so there's a precedent) and THEN the fur will begin to fly. They will get increasingly authoritarian and less interested in keeping Jo Public happy and then the intention to Polexit the EU will be announced.

News / Poland's deputy minister Szmit resigns due to fatal road accident statistics... [11]


Yes I've noticed that too. It's very odd and what's this business of the green man which is a safe crossing signal for pedestrians also acting as a filter light for cars turning at the junction. It works on the premise that cars can go across when the man is green provided it's safe to do so ie. nobody on the crossing, but cars barely wait an instant unitl the pedestrian has moved a couple of paces before crossing behind them. It also means that pedestrians and motorists approaching the crossing as the man turns green tend to race each other to get across first and pedestrians don't have full and unimpeded access to the crossing because if the pedestrian arrives at the crossing when a car is using it they basically have to wait for the car to cross before theycan by which time the green man may have turned red again.

News / Tusk turning his back to idea about Intermarium (New Commonwealth), seeing only EU as future for Poland [124]


It's a poverty sticken country. Of course it's cheaper than Poland. Read about the orphanages of Belarus if you want to know what kind of place it is.


But if you lived there you would. There are far more than there were ten years ago, though most of them are probably on short term contracts for employment especially in IT or are students from fairly affluent backgrounds.

Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

Yes, agreed. I haven't seen it in my nearest branch for ages and per kilo it was very pricey. Also I wouldn't eat any cuts other than a leg of lamb as they don't butcher it properly. The cuts don't compare to the British and Irish way, you can't get a decent lamb chop or a lamb shank. Oh, I could weep :((

News / Tusk turning his back to idea about Intermarium (New Commonwealth), seeing only EU as future for Poland [124]


Don't be silly. All you have to do is look at Putin's beady little eyes to get a glimpse of his character, an unwholesome creature without a doubt. And not everybody relies on television to form their opinions. Some of us read and quite widely, not just bits and pieces on websites. As for visiting Russia, that's no use at all, one would have to live there to really know the country and that I'm not prepared to do.