UK, Ireland / Warning to British people visiting Poland!! Don't get drunk and smash the place up! [453]

That's true. There are often unwanted side effects :( Still, we fought the good fight and emerged relatively unscathed.

To go back to the root of the thread, I sincerely hope that some Brits get their act together. Some respect for a cultural centre!

UK, Ireland / Warning to British people visiting Poland!! Don't get drunk and smash the place up! [453]

It happens in Scotland but I don't know if I would call it rife, I just don't know. We are that stingy that many would think it to be a waste of good drugs ;0 ;0 ;)

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

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Most Poles, like Scots, like to complain about things whether they are wrong or not. The fact is that Tusk is a quiet PM and hasn't made too many blunders in his political career. It could be much worse. He is aware of the issues that need treatment, he just needs to put the apparatus in place a bit quicker. Politics isn't the sole determinant of heritage, far from it. Scotland has it better, we have ample heritage and aren't governed too badly at all.

Try to focus on the plusses of which there are many. It sounds like you are prepared to be realistic and that's a great start!

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

I think you fooled even yourself with that one ;) ;)

So it's all about the babcias, is it? Wow, talk about going nowhere fast.

Language / It is not possible to translate names into English or Polish! [52]

Some you can translate and some you can't, it depends on their origin.

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

Ah, but it is 'axiomatic' that it is the winter wonderland, LOL ;)

The market squares are dead and people suffer from SAD due to the nights drawing in early. Maybe that's why he called it a 'wonderland' ;)

It looks like he has managed to cut&paste the content from a book. Happy babcie? Now I know he is on drugs or having a laugh.

Where was the mention of the yellow snow? Or the red snow after nights out?

Commie blocks never come alive. Tell your GF to switch off the multiple vibrators ;)

I'm just waiting for those icicles dangling over you to drop and then we'll see how magnificent they are as multiple 'kurwas' are shouted.

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

1) Lots of places to eat those warm foods that WB referred to. Esp chaty.

2) I get to look like the Michelin man, wearing my big jackets that puff up my build ;) ;)

3) I get cooled down nicely after sweating my a** off running around a really warm gym.

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

Well, there's a bit of both. Snow brings a nice look to things and covers some ugly buildings ;) ;) However, it is treacherous underfoot for old folk. I wear shoes with grip and I still hit ice patches. It took the council a day and an age to put grit down and they did nothing to combat the slippery sludge that followed the slight thaw.

Still, the ski slopes are pretty but Scotland offers much of the same, albeit on a smaller scale. I imagine the Nordic countries to offer a lot by way of alpine sports and let's not forget that Austria, Italy and Switzerland have more challenging ski slopes than Poland. Let's just say that Poland is very nice and idyllic in winter but drop the 'winter wonderland' and implication of the best, crap.

Life / 3 reasons why you hate Poland. [1049]

The polluted air tends to be more in Silesia where I live. I don't imagine other cities to be that bad, esp in relation to other European cities.

Just remember, there are equivalents in English. Szcz is like shch in fresh cheese.

Life / 3 reasons why you hate Poland. [1049]

Rodrigo has some good things to say, Hitman. Maybe he was being sarcastic but my guess is that you pounced on the first wrong thing he said. Sorry but that's typical behaviour and you gave yourself away.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]

True enough, sth like zakręt/curve. Still, the word is known in different countries as a bi*ch.

Genealogy / What are common Polish character traits? [425]

1.The women are good looking and have nice shapes.
2.The Polish people are very religious - usually Roman Catholics.
3.They are hard workers.
4.They feed you well.
5.Polish women are generous.
6.They don't spend money crazy.

From Kochan above. Some are good looking, yes, and generally are shapely.

Only the stats. Many are non-practising and even more don't even know what a Catholic is.

Some work hard and some don't

Some do and some don't

Some are and some aren't

Yes they do ;) ;)

Language / "Poles" or "Polish people" - which is better to use? [200]

My Taiwanese-American friend openly used the work Pollock and she definitely didn't intend to be pejorative. She is not that type of person. She used it as an adjective to describe Poles, two of which are her best friends.

Love / Do Polish Women age well? [153]

Some do and some don't. Not that well overall I'd say.

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

Plagiarism costs, Ironside ;) ;) Right enough, though. Some are and some aren't.

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

He was reading from the back of a matchbox, let it go ;)

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

I can believe that. Some people get skittish when they see sth outwith the ordinary (their ordinary). I have lessons on this and I don't go too deep as it would just confuse them too much.

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

Good point! At Aberdeen Uni, for example, an MA is an undergrad.

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

Especially vocational/generic courses like I did which encompassed work experience and expert tuition.

The quote above is by no means valid for all courses. In a few courses, the Honours year is seen as the year of specialism. In Law, for example, most of the essential subjects in my course were in the final year.

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

Revised Highers are not way below A levels at all.

A Masters Degree in Scotland tends to be undertaken after the successful completion of the Honours year. You should have a 2:1 or above from your Bachelors/undergraduate. They can be either taught or research based.

History / Polish historical myths - to break or not to break them? [257]

Communists likely didn't accept rebellion either.

History / Polish historical myths - to break or not to break them? [257]

Then why not discuss the issue, rather than launching on in there? I don't think the Czechs were overly pleased with those tactics.

Language / Polish words difficult to translate into English [66]

To scheme can be slightly negative, yes. You can only really describe it, it's hard to directly translate. They know how to 'work the system'. That's kombinować too.

Loser is often just loser in Polish.

Language / Polish words difficult to translate into English [66]

to scheme?

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]

Well, that's nonsense really. Cześć, dzień dobry and dziękuję are learned early days. How is it that I can be left alone with my wife's parents who don't speak English, and chat away freely? Many foreigners speak Polish with varying degrees of success and you just need to think about it when your fluency goes off the boil.

Travel / Photos from Poland [258]

Wow, some of these photos are quite sth :) Just keep the 'bloki' photos out of here :)

Poland really is so beautiful in parts.

History / Can anyone from Poland tell me about Auschwitz and The Ghetto? [625]

What was the word you used?? Oh, yes, it was "stories". You wanna hear my story about the time I saw a pig fly by my window? No, didn't think so ;) ;)

Can you show me the photos of those smuggling things in and out? Isn't it funny that diary accounts often don't check out?

Let's smuggle people in to be shot, LOL ;) ;)

History / Can anyone from Poland tell me about Auschwitz and The Ghetto? [625]

It depends how much they wanted to cover their bases ;) ;) Security was said to be very tight so I was just wondering if sb can inextricably tie those books to an Auschwitz smuggle.

Auschwitz is not 9/11 where there is ample footage upon which to base conclusions. Remember, hearsay is admissible to different levels in common law jurisdictions.

Thomas?? I've lost count of how many times I've found articles to be inaccurate.

History / Can anyone from Poland tell me about Auschwitz and The Ghetto? [625]

And where is the proof that they were smuggled out?

Travel / Poland wildlife and similar wild life where you live. [246]

Polish for woodpecker I think