History / Poland is great Mother of all Slavs from Baltic to Balkan [177]

BB has a point, Seanus, if you consider around 30,000 Scottish families in Poland/Prussia in 17th century, Armenians, Dutch, Jewish (assimilated or not), German, Lithuanian, Old Prussian, Russian, Ruthenian, Swedish and whatever else floated into the gene pool, it's rather hard to use the term 'pure'.

Aftyer WW2 Poland was considered the most mono-ethnic country in Europe, but it was a bit of paper shuffling. Minorities like Lemko, Hutsul etc were (on paper) largely assimilated, whilst German minorities were often polonized.

History / Poland is great Mother of all Slavs from Baltic to Balkan [177]


I hear what you're saying, BB. You mean there's just as much German genetics in both countries?

History / Poland is great Mother of all Slavs from Baltic to Balkan [177]


Even tho' it is part of the Church of Rome, not the Slavic Orthodoxy?

Life / Fat People in Poland? [161]

I think my wife respects me.

Life / Fat People in Poland? [161]

In Poland you don't see large females in the streets of Poland because they'd be naked, as shops only sell clothes which an anorexic barbie doll wouldn't fit into. Also the clothes are too small for normal people, so Polish girls have to reveal their midrifts and buttock cleavages all year round.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


Probably because it isn't a good idea to keep highlanders and moutaineers waiting for drinks... or to p155 them off when they've been drinking.


Even once... it's amazing how many dressings resemble human fuids. Anyone read 'Trainspotting'?

Interesting point about fast service and tips; I once told a server to keep the change in a McD's (in UK) and he thanked me but said he wasn't allowed to take tips.

Is that a world-wide McD rule?


So, am I to understand it is basically a tax dodge. A restaurant has to pay tax on sales but not on service, hence the service is added as a kind of 'invisible'?

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


But there's the rub. If you just tip automatically and not for good service, then there is no incentive to give good service. The waiters will just continue to be dour, the service slow and the change kept automatically.

I once worked as a barman in a cocktail bar, where some of the staff made a large amount on tips alone (as well as a wage). We got it by working hard, entertaining the customers and making them feel happy (and grateful). We didn't get tips just for turning up for work and keeping them waiting.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]

Personally, I only tip for decent service.
And don't say 'dziękuję' until you get the chage, or they'll take it as a "keep the change".

Genealogy / DOLOVITZ - LAST NAME; NEVER SEEN IN AMERICA [11]

It might just be a simple matter of a clerk writing the name down incorrectly and he was stuck with it.

Looking through old record books I often see a name spelt different ways when a different person writes it.

My wife had a case in her own family when 2 brothers ended up with different family names because the priest spelt the same name differently.

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [255]


depends who the foreigner is. I've met some highly educated foreigners with a stunning level of English, who would blow some of the neds I've met out of the water.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


Yeah, it's never really bothered me (except when the speaker has been holding an empty glass or a bottle).

Mind you, did you ever read this one?
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-497496/English-bitch-Insult-landed-Irishman-living-Wales-court-racial-harassment.html

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]

and I'd read my lines a bit more carefully before making comment:-) I said some of the programmes. example: "Mind Your Language" or, my personal favourite, "Love Thy Neighbour".

The latter is deemed particularly offensive by some because of the white character (Eddie) frequently using terms like "King Kong", "Sambo" and "Nig-Nog" (and the black charcater returning the compliment with "Honky" etc). However, the programme was made to show the stupidity of racism, and the women in the series (wives of the men) are shown as sensible people who get along well, despite their idiotic husbands.

Something even more interesting is that "Love Thy Neighbour" was one of the first British shows to pay the Black actors the same money as the white actors.


I'm not suggesting anyone should take any word out of any language, I'm just pointing out some of the arguments and problems connected with the discussion (academically trolling, perhaps?). Personally, I never thought 'paki' was racist, I always thought it was just an abbreviation of 'pakistani', like 'brit' is short for Briton. However, I'm not the one who was getting called 'paki', so I wouldn't have known if it was offensive. I have been called a 'brit', 'a tan', a 'limey', a 'pom', 'island affe', 'rosbif' and 'f*cking English bastard' before now.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


This could also be said about the works of Joseph Conrad. There has been a lot of discussion about whether he was "racist".

Work / Teaching English in Zakopane, is it safe? [45]

Kayterr,

Just a slight 'warning', I'm not sure how common Black people are in Zakopnae, but I've observed a few things in North Poland which might be worth mentioning:

Black/Asian people are often figures of interest in many places. People don't see them that often, so they are likely to stare (a lot). If you are from a place where you are used to being one of a crowd, and people are used to seeing Black people, it can be a bit of a strain to find yourself being constantly looked at.

I mention this because I've been involved in a couple of projects where we had Black dancers/project workers come to our area up here and found it quite stressful to be observed and scrutinised as if they were from Mars. I had to explain to some of these guys that they would be going into villages where many people had not seen a Black guy 'in the flesh' and had definitely never met one.

This might sound obvious but the result can be hilarious (local villagers dressing up in their sunday best and taking a walk so they could 'see Black people'). In another situation one of the dancers got offended because one woman took his hand and looked at his skin.

It's important to realise that it isn't 'racism' in a hate way (bigotry), rather a very intense curiosity. people will be nice and charming, but VERY curious.

Of course, this might not be the case for you, but perhaps something to bear in mind.

Have fun!

Oh, you're not vegetarian, are you? Zakopane is not the best place to be one...

TREV:-)

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


Isn't Jag university one of the oldest in Europe?

As for the OP's idea that the modern state of Poland is somehow something he should be ashamed of... duh? How is a modern state of play anything to do with 'heritage'?

Come on, look at Italy's premier and then talk about shame. Look at UK/US premiers who just love going to war and lying to their populace...

UK, Ireland / Warning to British people visiting Poland!! Don't get drunk and smash the place up! [447]


Yeah, problem is we spent a lot of it oppressing our own, too!

Life / 3 reasons why winter is the best time of the year in Poland [58]

One reason is because less British stag parties want to run around naked in -25.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]

The problem is, what happens if the situation changes?

In Britain it was not really considered a 'problem' in the mainstream until the 1980's, I'd say. Look at some of the TV programmes which were made in UK, especially in late 1970's, which cannot be shown now.

An example in Poland would be the jelly sweets I've seen on sale called "Nigger Lips". No way that would be allowed in UK or US (in NY you aint even allowed to use the 'N-word'!).

At the moment it might seem like gnat-straining, but how long before someone tries to bring some kind of legal action either within Poland or within EU? Don't kid yourself that it might not happen.

UK, Ireland / Warning to British people visiting Poland!! Don't get drunk and smash the place up! [447]


Apparently they've moved to Riga, in Latvia.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


This has been mentioned. However, there is also the point that it depends how the subject of the word feels the word describes them. "Nigger" might be just a word, but for many it doesn't matter what kind of intonation or context you use, it is still an unacceptable word.

The thing is, the status of Murzyn may change. In UK it was once considered offensive to call a Black person 'Black'. Now it is commonly used and the term, 'coloured' is considered offensive by many. Likewise, in US it was once offensive to call Blacks 'Africans' (so I'm told) but now 'Afro-American' is the accepted title.

The problem for Polish words is that there is not a big enough Black population to really raise the argument.

Life / Why so many Poles use a second hands clothes? [110]


Don't forget the Sue Ryder shops.. suerydercare.org/pages/our_founder.html

Life / Why so many Poles use a second hands clothes? [110]


it's worse if they haven't been washed...


Well Britain is jam=packed with 2nd hand shops, so it's not just Poland. A lot of the time people buy suits, cos they'd never wear one any other time, so why pay a fortune for one.

A lot of kids and students buy 2nd hand because retro is in and the fashions of yesterday are cheaper in a 2nd hand than in H&M. It's also cheaper to buy something 2nd hand and modify it ( see; cut it to bits) than buy something new.

It might also be that a lot of 2nd hand stuff comes from abroad and the fashions (at least until recently) were a bit more interesting.

History / 'Battle of Britain' won thanks to Polish aces !! [158]


True. I mean, as if the German blitz on Britain, which was where 303 saw a lot of action, is off-topic in a thread about B0B then lord knows what is on topic. maybe get rid of all the stuff about the Americans too...

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]


Probably wasn't aware of how it worked. Hasn't got his masters yet. Could be a shock going to another uni then!

Genealogy / William Alexander, 1850, Krunicza, Prussia, Poland [11]

Is it actually possible that he was of Scottish descent himself? There were a lot of Scots in Poland over a few centuries.

Check out a website called Electric Scotland:

electricscotland.com/history/world.htm

and see the books on Scots in Germany, Prussia and Poland.

Travel / How do I go by ferry from south of England to Gdynia? [15]

Aren't there ferries from north england to sweden/ estonia? Just a trip across to gdansk then.

These guys suggest via amsterdam

dfdsseaways co.uk

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]


No, he was applying to a uni outside Poland and was surprised when I told them what they wanted from an applying student.

In UK, you would approach the uni and make a suggestion about what you wanted to study. The uni would then decide whether they a) thought it was a viable project, b) whether they had anyone who could supervise you.

Example: I applied to three universities to do research about wrestling in the Balkans. One university wanted me (from a sports-sociology angle), the second said they had nobdy who felt able to supervise it (even though they had a south-east european study department) and the third said yes from an anthropology dept. While they didn't have a specialist on sport or macedonia, they did have specialists on turkey and islamic culture.

Problem started when i then changed my study to Polish theatre and they had nobody with a clue about Poland...

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]

Interesting thing. While reading this thread, I was asked by a student applying for a PhD abroad to look over his application. I was surprised that he didn't know that he had to propose a subject for his doctoral study and write out a study proposal, research outline etc.

He said that in Poland the doctoral candidate is often given a subject by a professor. Is this correct?

History / 'Battle of Britain' won thanks to Polish aces !! [158]


Your welcome. I was interested to find the USAAF didn't come into being until after WW2, before that it was a part of the army (not unlike the RAF, which was Royal Flying Corps until 1918).


Interesting. Thanks.

History / 'Battle of Britain' won thanks to Polish aces !! [158]

Typical yank! Couldn't wait until the war started and then didn't rush to get involved!

(seriously, was that Spanish civil War/)