Real Estate / Moving to the Katowice area soon! Safe neighborhood for an Irish man? [38]

buy an old cheap used car in Poland instead - you can pay not much really but don't expect it to last - and you won't have and old avarage car vandalised unless in some really bad neighbourhoods (but I'm not really familiar with Katowice or Śląsk in general)

Life / Polish water safe to drink? [50]

in some cities yes - but not all cities - some cities have excellent tap water (Częstochowa, Opole, Olsztyn, Bielsko-Biała) - the worst thing is when a city draws it's watter supply from a major river by filtering through the valley sediments


exactly

Life / Polish water safe to drink? [50]

tap water is not good in every average city in Poland - I wouldn't drink tap water in those areas of Gdańsk that draw water out of shallow Wisła valley wells (you of course guess that the water in fact comes from Wisła and is only filtrated naturally through the ground which doesn;t eliminate chemical contamination mostly) - and I think it is most of Gdańsk that has water from Wisła - I know Wrocław invested heavily in carbon filters and extensive installation to ozonate water and in the result tap water in Wrocław at least tastes good (but I still wouldn't drink the water on regular base - I have reasons enough to believe it is not even enough to clean water of most chemicals for it to be really good for your health) - however AFAIK Wrocław is the only city in Poland to have serious carbon filtering installation

your manager already advised you tap water in the dormitory is not good drinking water - and occasional brown coloration is not your most concern (though it is of health concern as the porous and geleaous iron hydroxides that form this coloration are like a sponge and harbour a lot of chemical impurities the water carries) - if I were you I would definitely go for buying my drinking water in 5 litre bottles in supermarkets (it's plain water not carbonated) - the bottled water comes from areas where there are no major pollution sources that are outside of major river valleys - in fact most of that plain table water sold in supermarkets comes from deep wells - and the price of that water is not a real burden too - a 5 litre bottle costs around 3 PLN and for a single person it's enough for some 3-4 days (even more if you drink less) - if you want to stay on even healthier side buy a small (max. 1l) bottle of mineral water every day - there is a good variety of mineral water in Poland - you can have only mildly mineralised waters or water really loaded with minerals of various composition - suit your tastes

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

it seems your father's path to Anders's army (Polish Army in Italy) was a complicated one - he must have been conscripted into Wehrmacht early (in 1941 most probably or even earlier) - then captured on the eastern front by the Russians in time to be allowed to join the Polish Anders troops in Russia (i can't remember that that well but it was formed sometime in 1942) - then he must have left the Soviet Union with Anders army in 1942 - the Polish troops were in such a bad shape that it took good couple of months before they became combat ready - they were transfered from the Middle East to Italy and fought in the ranks of the British VIII Army

I was convinced that your dad got captured by the Allied forces in Italy as were thousands of Silesian conscripts from Wehrmacht of whom many were offered to join the Polish army in Italy and many chose to.

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

one point is worth mentioning jochemczyk - the Silesian conscripts in Wehrmacht were all spread out in German units (maybe a couple of guys per company/battalion) - there were hardly any (if any at all) Silesian units in Wehrmacht - the German military believed they would defect en messe if whole units were formed of them - and they were right

btw Silesian Wehrmacht POW's in Russian hands became the major part of the 'Polish People's Army' that was formed in Russia in 1943 - again most had no qualms to fight Germans for a change

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Hd_DuEU6Mvg

I wouldn't call that supermarket music - when was it last when you listened to 'Shepherdmoons' and 'Watermark'?

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]


well they had a choice - they could have stayed in allied POW camps if they felt strong allegation to Germany or for whatever reason - Polish army only recruited those who wanted to join (we are still talking about Slavic Silesians)

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]


yes, I do believe in that - in a way it was pretty easy for me to believe in that as I experienced related things and the teaching I introduced you to is just a small part of large body of teaching I find reliable based on my personal experiences - but one thing should be said - believing in things is not enough - I can believe rock music is harmful to my soul but can still listen to it occasionally - simply believing is not heeding - they say even satan believes in God (and they also say even satan can be saved - it's a matter of revising some choices)

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]


yes it is - it's not me who came up with that - and I liked jazz before - the mechanism why rock or jazz music gives you pleasure is explained here:

the article is lengthy but the explanation is there (just be patient and read on)

ok I this is the most telling bit but I recommend you read the whole article

The basis for this new musical culture is music based on the syncopated beat, which breaks the rhythm of life. This forces the spiritual light into the lower chakras, where it is released in a violent action. As explained elsewhere, the chakras are designed to release light, and therefore it feels good when light is flowing through them. So even if light is forced through the chakras, the flow of light will still produce a pleasurable sensation. This is what causes people to feel pleasure during a violent release of light, whether this happens through rock music, certain forms of sex or other activities that force the light through the lower chakras. When a man is raping a woman, he feels pleasure, but I am sure you agree that doesn't make rape right.

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]

do you mean that RMF FM and Radio Zet are state sponsored? nah

btw contemporary music is overrated - the true Music is Mozart Haendel and Enya ;)

to be true actually I would have to state that off-beat type of music (most pop, all rock, jazz and blues) is a spiritual poison - if anyone of you are into spirituality

(I can give you hints where to search for into on that)

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]

the last decent Polish bit I heard was this ;)

youtu.be/mw-boSbDiKg

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]

DP (displaced person) problem arose when the concentration and labour and POW camps in Germany (and not Italy) got liberated by Allies from what I can gather -

but maybe you are right about those Silesians though I seriously doubt it - I know from a particular book that some surely did fight after joining the Polish army in Italy - maybe you can find Bohdan Tymieniecki book or memoirs in English (the guy was a tank commander and he writes about Silesians who were transfered to his unit - one particular became his gunner as he had served as a gunner in the German Panzerwaffe before) - I don't know any English source on that (and actually no detailed historical Polish source) and I'm not in a shape to start a search now

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]


that actually sums up what a musical void Poland is - her best talent have to sing foreign songs and in foreign tongues - croggers you really should have chosen Bulgaria and not POland ;) (Bulgaria is a proper Slavic country)


well, it's a public secret that Violetta Villas was actually born Wilhelm Chałupa ;)

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]

I guess our Liverpudlian friend will now succumb to despair and move out of this musical inferno Poland is ;)

Life / Do Polish people have a good ear for music? [90]

the last Polish person who had an ear for music died 2 years ago (and she was very old already) ;)

I think it is now pretty clear for you why you have never heard of a Polish musical group never mind a singer :P

Life / Help me find this Polish band and song.... [117]


youtube.com/watch?v=f6wB4a98gmg

the video contains the melody you just need to wait for a while

it's siwy koń, siwy koń, malowane sanki, pojechał, pojechał do swojej kochanki (or pojadę ja nimi as they sing)

perhaps you can google the whole lyrics when you type 'siwy koń, siwy koń, malowane sanki' + 'tekst piosenki'

siwy koń - grey horse
malowane sanki - painted sleigh

History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]


After realising that a lot of Polish speaking Silesians who were earlier drafted into Wehrmacht (often as your dad being blackmailed to sign a Volksliste) were taken prisoner of war in Italy Polish army in Italy (forces under command of Władysław Anders) made an effort to offer these guys joining the Polish army and many eventually did (I can't remember but I guess it was more then 10 000 people) - and it is true that those who returned in early after the war to their homeland were imprisoned by the communists (even in the Auschwitz camp), often tortured and some even killed - some where also sent to Siberia

Language / How to overcome the difficulties on learning Polish consonants ? [5]

if there is a will there is a way

the thing is is it actually worth it to master Polish pronounciation to the point of not sticking out as a foreigner when speaking Polish? - I think it's not worth it most of the time - the reason is: I guess it is possible to perfectly imiatate Polish pronounciations even (if people can perfectly imitate birds and other fauna why not POlish) for an Anglophone but I'm pretty sure it requires loooooots of effort and and imaginative effort at that

History / History behind Poland and Turkey's Relationship [120]


an average Polish citizens knows kebab, remembers Turkish woolen sweaters and Turkish jeans (early 90's) and knows Turkey is a beautiful country with brilliant seaside and lots of historic places

some remember from history lessons that there were wars between Poland and Turkey

Language / Polish grammar made easy [23]

Polish grammar made easy - eh - you can't make Polish grammar easy - you can explain it more accessibly or transparently but making it easy? nah

Life / Gifts from Poland (I'm returning to my country after a year in Poland) [37]


again Solidarność cream fudges are the best - they are the most mild (ie not too sweet) - you won't find Śliwka nałęczowska solidarnosc.pl/index.php?option=products&task=list&cid=23 in discount stores - look in sweet shops and delis

Life / Polish comedies created by Bareja, are they understandable for non Polish people ? [12]

there is a one genial scene in the movie that happens when the main prothagonists drinks in a pub in Hungary and retells to some Hungarian lad he's drinking with (the Hungarian is already dead drunk) the story of Otello (he was at a 'Otello' spectacle in a Budapest theatre that day) - he grabs the waiter's neck to show how Otello strangled Desdemona and the panicked waiter (a Hungarian too obviously) gives back the change from the notes he just received from the Polish guy

... - the scene starts at 1:45 more or less

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1410]


Estonian? :)


they are petunias - quite commonly grown in Poland (I don't know about elsewhere) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petunia

Real Estate / Renting flat/apartment with dog Gdansk? [24]

but not in your day-to-day newspapers and their classifieds websites

Jars77 when you contact the owners just ask if it's all right for you to keep a dog (and state the breed and how big it is) - in some cases the owners will object, in most cases they won't

Life / Help with Polish address - the correct way of putting that on an envelope? [29]


yes line by line - and yes the last line is most probably a 'fake' postcode - it doesn't mean a thing in terms of addressing in Poland and there is already a postcode 25001

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]

i'm not into funniness in politics - well actually politicians could have a sense of humour but I'm not the fan of Mr Palikot's sense of humour

btw you were supposed to go to bed, pal - I don't need to get up early - you do - good night then

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


hehe good job - rather a big push from media - remember those who want to create a political movement in Poland and don't have a support of the TV's just won't make it - and if you think Palikot and his bunch are anti-establishment then think again

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


you like whom? Urban and Nie? well - de gustibus.. hehe - if you don't know what you like I will point it out for you - (if it is really Urban that you like) - it is cynicism - I wonder if you like Palikot too

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]

with doubts about what? about wethere he was a traitor of whether he was a hero? not being able to believe that people can act heroically? do you yourself feel betrayed by Kukliński? why actually if so? I pretty much think you have read or listened to Janusz Korwin-Mikke too much in your life - maybe you don't believe Kukliński was risking his life? or maybe you think he was a double agent? or maybe you think he was a genuine defector but the information he fed the US was false because it was fed by some Soviet intelligence cells? see a broader picture and what fits there

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


oh my - would you risk your life (and that of your family) for even a couple of million bucks - Kukliński had a pretty comfortable postion - higher officer in the center of Polish army staff - you may lack in belief in higher principles or possibility that people can sacrifice for others - just read up - and try to imagine yourself in the guys situation