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


I think you're being deliberately obtuse. It was you who suggested that and I was responding to your statements:




Now on to other things.


Now you see I would think the opposite. As an Irish woman I would find Irish men much more respectful towards women than Polish men (my own kochany mąź excepted of course!). Polish men lech over women quite a bit in my experience. You don't generally see Irish guys cruising and kerb crawling on Saturday afternoons, calling out to lone females through their car windows, Latino style 'Hey baby, wanna have some fun?' yadda yadda, you know the vibe. And as for the old fellas, Holy Mary, Mother of God, I was gobsmacked. Never mind all that opening doors and kissing hands, the way they stare at women and give them the up, down, head to toe inspection.


No problem, but I do find the 'why' of things interesting.


Now that's interesting. I wouldn't consider Italy to be the 'West' anymore than Spain or Greece or many other Mediterranean countries.

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


I understand completely. I'm Irish but my husband is Polish. We met in Ireland and one thing he could never get used to was the 'how do you spell that?' not just for foreign names but for Irish ones! You know in Ireland we have so many variations of spellings for surnames and even place names and nothing is spelt the way it sounds. Polish phonetics are a beautiful thing!

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


Well I think Russian men being Slavs would be less inclined to look down on women of another Slavic nation. Despite their political history Poles and Russians seem to like each other on the whole.

I'm just wondering -and don't have a fit, I really am just wondering - did Western men get that impression because of the women from the Eastern bloc who ended up working in the sex industry? A few daft, ignorant guys hear about them or encounter them and they tar all Eastern women with the same brush 'they're all tarts' etc. And it is a sad fact that during Communist times really attractive, well-educated young women were sleeping with tourists for things like a few cartons of fags. I know it hurts to acknowledge that but it did happen. So an image is created that is hard to shake off. It's the same with women from Thailand for example. I know two guys married to Thai girls whom they met quite legitimately, one met his wife in Ireland and the other was living in Thailand when he met his, but people automatically assume that they 'bought' their wives on the internet.

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


Dolnoslask, I think you've pretty much answered your own question in a way. Your parents' generation grew up in a different Poland where they had the role models of Polish gentry and intelligentsia. The loss of those two elements and the loss of your parents and their peers who were exiled from Poland, together with the influence of Communism results in the Poland you see today.


Yes but change is cyclical in nature. The wheel will turn full circle and come round again and things change for the worse but also, given time, for the better. I think many of the Polish people in their thirties and forties are a bit of a lost generation but the ones coming up now, in their teens, there's a lot of great young people out there so don't despair.

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


That's a fair point.


Fair enoughski!


I would say a bit of both.


Paulina, certain kinds of men the world over say terrible things about women of all nationalities. It's not a Western/Polish thing but I understand why you feel the need to challenge such comments and it's right that you should do so.


So, there you go. There's the issue you're bringing to the table. As I say we all have them. It's part of being human.


Speaking of Polish character traits, I would say tact and diplomacy are not on the list! And long may it continue - vive la difference as InPolska might say!

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


How old is he? We've had men work on our place and they were drinking while they worked but they were all older guys, fifty plus. They definitely weren't drunk, just sipping beer while they got on with their tasks and their work was good. I was mildly astonished but my husband says that drinking beer in hot summer weather and vodka on cold winter days was quite common on building sites as recently as the 1990s so I suppose with people of that vintage (excuse the pun!) it wouldn't be considered odd.

Whether he's Polish or not doesn't really come into it. If you don't feel comfortable having the guy work for you, then that's that.

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

Paulina, goodness me, you're in a right old state aren't you?


But no more so than loads of other posters on this forum including some Poles. What about our friend Ktos for example?


We all bring our own 'issues' (awful word but useful) to discussions. InPolska has hers as a result of her life experience and you have yours, the above statement being an example. You feel strongly that Poles are disrespected in some way here on this forum and probably in general too. You're extremely touchy and quick to pick up on anything you perceive as anti-Polish.


No, but your comment was dismissive of another human being's pain. People say a lot of over the top things on this forum but it's all very superficial. So let's talk about something real.

I don't feel that comfortable discussing another member's personal life but did it occur to you that InPolska's attitudes to Poland and Polish people are coloured by the fact that she settled here because she married a Pole. Then he passed away prematurely. There comes a point where your life is so firmly established in another country that returning to your own is too big and uncertain a step to take and that was probably the case for her. She had to face the loss of her husband and either uproot herself from her life or make the best of things here. That's what she decided to do but I would say that she feels some bitterness towards the hand that life dealt her and is not completely happy with her choice ,so every little irritation that she could ignore or laugh off assumes greater significance for her.

Now InPolska doesn't show much empathy or understanding of others herself, but it has to start with one person. Why can't you be that person? If all human beings would try to see things a bit more from each other's point of view they can move away from pointless arguments that lead nowhere and actually achieve something. I hope you're not really as upset as you sound but being married to a Pole I know how you guys can carry on with the dramatics. I think it's the old blood of Genghis Khan coursing through those Slavic veins......just teasing you, ok, before you have a fit!

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]


Wouldn't agree with that at all. I don't vote in elections anymore, only in referendums because Smurf that's really the only time that your vote makes an actual tangible difference that you as an individual can measure. That's really the only time that democracy becomes a reality. The rest of the time it's an illusion.

Now I agree that democracy despite its flaws is the best system we've come up with but the bottom line is that all you get with your vote is the chance to give a particular party the power to run the country. After that they can do whatever they like and deliver or fail to deliver on their election promises etc. and there's sod all you can do to remove them from the position of power you gave them until the next election rolls around. And in the end, we all muddle along anyway.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]


Roz when in Poland have you seen them drive up on the pavement to overtake a traffic jam? I've seen it more than once and on one occasion I was a passenger in a taxi which did precisely that. Also in Warsaw once I saw a car get from one side of the road to the other by going across the pedestrian crossing!! I've also seen someone reverse into a lamp post when pulling out from a parking space because of course he was taught not to check his mirrors.

Law / UK driving license mess in Poland [72]


Have to agree 100%. Poles can't drive and that's a fact. Now of course they're not all as bad as each other but in general the standard is extremely low. My Polish husband had his first driving lessons in Ireland (British style instruction, defensive driving etc). Then he had to come back to Poland and went for a few lessons. He was horrified. His instructor taught him to cross his hands on the wheel and scolded him for checking his mirrors! He was also reproached for reading the road ahead. Watch Polish drivers. They have no observation skills - and as a result they can't brake effectively. The bus and tram drivers are a great example. It always seems to be a surprise to them when they see a bus stop - 'oooh what's that? That wasn't there yesterday, or was it??'. Travelling on a bus in Warsaw is like being on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise during a Klingon attack, with passengers staggering and being flung from one side of the bus to the other, bouncing off seats and doors. I've watched the drivers of cars as they approach crossings ; they rarely glance in the direction of the pavement, they normally just stare straight ahead.

Anyway we returned to Ireland my husband had a few more lessons there and passed his test on the second attempt. He loves and cherishes his Irish licence!

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


Well now firstly she's not outrageous. She says a few things that are a bit over the top at times. She comes across at times as patronising, superior, self satisified and often contradicts herself but she's not a bad old stick really. She's emotional, impulsive and too quick to respond at times without really thinking about what she's saying but so what......

She definitely wasn't looking for sympathy regarding her health. She only mentioned it in passing in a discussion about food and diet.

As for your comments about her husband, quite frankly, it is you who are outrageous. Do you really think that the pain of losing someone you love can be measured in such simple terms. My own mother died six years ago and I still get tearful sometimes when I think or talk about her. I still love her you see Paulina and I miss her presence in my life in a thousand small ways.

It's about having empathy Paulina, for others and realising that not everyone is just occupying a fake 'character' on the internet but that the people behind the posts are real, flesh and blood human beings.

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


Guys give this woman a break. I'll probably be warned again for being off-topic but being a decent human being is more important than rules and regulations. She's widowed, she's had cancer, cut her a bit of slack.

Feedback / Why are threads deleted or send off topic list? [60]

It wasn't erased. It was moved by the mods I imagine to the random sports news section in off-topic where I replied to it. Cheers.

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]


You're in Australia Ktos, yes?


How have you been treated there?

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]


I've answered you in off-topic.

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

Ktos what has happened to you recently, that you're so upset? Because I think it's quite significant that you've been a member here for well over two years and all this stuff is just coming up now. So I would imagine you're raising it because something has happened outside of this forum that's the final straw for you and this is how you're dealing with it. You sound as if you feel you've been taking crap from the world for a long time and you've had enough.

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

Ok, so to answer the question posed in your original post, according to the owners/administrators it's a:

'service for both English and Polish language users'
'encouraging fruitful discussions among independent groups of Polish and non-Polish people located in every part of the world.'

So as I understand it, it's a forum for anyone of any nationality who can speak either English or Polish and has an interest in things Polish.

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]


Ever called a black man that to his face? Maybe you did back in the nineteenth century and got away with it. And by the way,they call themselves black 'say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud'. You need to listen to James Brown. Next step in your therapy.

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]

What country is that??

Feedback / Is it Polish forum or foreign forum? [159]


Yes that occurred to me too. My own husband is Polish and couldn't think more differently than Ktos about pretty much everything and when I presented his views of Poland, Ktos dismissed them immediately as they were only the views of one person, not all Poles, which is precisely what all our views are on this forum, just our own, our personal views based on our personal experiences.


You've been succumbing quite contentedly until now. A member for nearly two and a half years and hardly a peep out of you and now suddenly you've found a voice. Obviously you're a bit bored, at a bit of a loose end at the moment so diddling around on this forum until something better comes along or maybe you've had some personal crisis and you've gone a bit doo-lally. In that case my sympathies - honestly, we've all been there in our own small ways at some point in our lives - but there's better forms of therapy than this place.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


Do I glimpse the ghost of a sense of humour?? Living in Ireland must have done that for you.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]

Very interesting Ziemowit. Thank you very much.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


In that case you must be as daft as a brush.........but I think you're just proving the pudding by telling little porkies in order to be awkward again.


Exactly. Anything of any value has already been said here and now it will degenerate into a second rate ping-pong tournament of back and forth, same old, same old with a thousand permutations and combinations of the same thing being said over and over. Eventually after about a thousand posts it will peter out until some eejit starts a similar thread (without having checked the forum first). Then the mods will merge it into this one and the whole thing will start all over again. And the absolute worst part of that pattern is those who join a thread without reading anything that went before which is one of the reasons why we get people repeating stuff that's already been plucked, roasted and the meat picked off down to the bone.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


You're an awkward little devil aren't you. You know quite well what the poster means:
Language: the Polish language belongs to a different group to those of Western Europe, it's a Slavic language.
Religion: Roman Catholic as opposed to Orthodox.
Alphabet: Roman as opposed to Cyrillic.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


InPolska you come from a country that has exactly the same formalities as the Polish language, addressing people with vous rather than tu just as Germany has du and sie. I don't think the average German business man trots up to a client with 'Tchuss' - I think that's the word for 'Hi' in German. You know what I mean anyway.


What are you so cross about?? I'm not presenting a dissertation you know, I'm just chatting with other human beings and that's how people chat.


Maybe you shouldn't. Maybe you should accept that their culture is different and respect their cultural norms. Cheeky.

moved answer:
@Atch: not only grammar is very different in these 2 languages (normal ;)) but also people don't address others and don't talk about them the SAME way.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


Well my husband is Polish and he certainly wouldn't share that view. He thinks it fostered dishonesty,criminality, paranoia, apathy, hostility towards and suspicion of strangers. He's just old enough to remember the last years of the communist regime and how it was to live under it. Soviet communism was a tremendous evil that caused great misery to hundreds of millions of people.

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


Ok, fair enough but in Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s older women born in rural areas still wore the headscarf when they were working outdoors. My grandmother was one of them. She grew up on a farm and even though she had lived in the city since she was about twenty, and was a very well dressed lady who always wore a hat and gloves when she went out shopping or visiting, she donned a headscarf and boots when working in the garden and her dresses were always long. If you saw a pic of her in that garb she could easily pass for an Eastern European 'peasant'. So thirty or forty years ago, it was a common sight in Ireland, just as it is in parts of Poland now. However I doubt that the younger generation will continue the practice any more than they did in Ireland. As the older generation dies out so will the custom of the headscarf.


But they paint eggs in Germany too. Does that make Germans more eastern in their culture??


Spot on as Jon would say. They are a mixture.

By the way InPolska you mention their 'mentality' quite a lot. In what way do you see the Polish mentality as Eastern (taking communism out of the picture, we're all aware of the old Iron Curtain vibe that still prevails to some extent, but that has nothing to do with being a Slav).

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]

When I first saw the bit about older womens' underwear I thought 'Oh God, some weirdo' but no, it was just yourself under a guest name, what a relief! I' m interested InPolska, have you spent much time in countries further east?

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


They certainly did in Ireland and you can't get any further west than that! It evolved from the shawl that was worn round the head. You're starting to do your 'I am so vereee French and superieur' thing. Remember ma petite, the other children don't like that.......

History / POLAND: EASTERN or CENTRAL European country? [1090]


Some do, they have those broad faces with high cheekbones and the deep set eyes but lots of them don't look like that at all.



I think she means because it was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and absorbed a lot of German influences. I had a friend at school whose grandparents were ostensibly Czech but they were pure Austrian in all respects, right down to the Sachertorte!