Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [334]


Correction, it was one year ago! He's still a little spring chicken :)

Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [334]


I have a great aul memory for people's personal business (or do I?) and I remember that Alien celebrated his sixtieth not that long ago (or he was soon to do so), so it's probably not a zero birthday. But our Alien is a bit of a bon viveur anyway so I'd say champers on the birthday is par for the course :)

Edit: just checked and it was two years ago and he had the same champagne!

Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [334]


Many Happy Returns :)

• 
  ee2923520b0034ded6c3.jpg
  

Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [334]

Can't beat a bottle of Bolli :) That's was our wedding champagne, Bollinger Special Cuvée. It's a very nice, affordable champagne, far nicer in my non-expert opinion than Tattinger or Moët & Chandon.

Was it your birthday Alien?

Food / Polish Golabki (Golomki) Recipe [41]

A bit like how the 'z' at the end of words is pronounced 's'. Are you a fan of Professor Miodek? I love his work. He did a great explanation of how the pronunciation of jabłko has been corrupted over the years and how it should be pronounced.

Language / Why is the Polish language so difficult? [309]


No, you didn't. I've heard it from other people - my own husband for one. I must ask him where he first heard it. I think it was at school from one of his teachers. It was a bit different, more along the lines of the grammatical complexities being a way of preventing spies infiltrating because it would be impossible for an outsider to every sound truly native.

Language / Why is the Polish language so difficult? [309]


That theory is not new. It's been around for years - how come you've only heard about it now??

Off-Topic / Let's talk about shoes [296]


I have them in white for summer; they look quite acceptable - and I have red ones with sheepskin lining and gold embroidery for winter. I prefer open back because they can slip on and off quickly. I only started wearing slippers in the house during the day when I came to Poland.

In Ireland I followed in my granny's and mother's footsteps - literally - by having house shoes. That was quite common in their generations. We also had them in school. You had to change into your indoor shoes which had rubber soles in order not to mark the parquet floors in the convent. Everybody had the same. It was part of the uniform.

USA, Canada / Why Americans don't allow men to be in briefs at the beach/swiming pools? [90]


Not hard for me to believe at all as I am one myself - and I have no interest in looking at strange men's nether regions, thank you very much. But then, I'm Irish and the beach means something different for us. Mostly we prefer to go somewhere quiet with few people. The 'seafront', the bit nearest the town/hotels/shops etc. is for families mostly.

USA, Canada / Why Americans don't allow men to be in briefs at the beach/swiming pools? [90]


Shoes maketh the man. Remember in Silence of the Lambs when Hannibal Lecter says 'you're just one generation away from white trash with your good bag and your cheap shoes' :) You see, she bought an expensive bag because she thinks that's what people will notice and didn't understand the importance of shoes. I once saw a documentary where the sales assistant in a very upmarket London shop said that she never judges customers who appear scruffy. She glances at the shoes and that's how she can tell if they have enough money to make a purchase.

USA, Canada / Why Americans don't allow men to be in briefs at the beach/swiming pools? [90]

And shoes! They're another of your favourite things aren't they :)

USA, Canada / Why Americans don't allow men to be in briefs at the beach/swiming pools? [90]

Can't believe there are sixty posts about men's knickers........ it's bad enough that the OP started it. I mean really, the things that people obsess over. Coal and man panties.

News / Polish Silesian Autonomy movement [67]


You really wouldn't want to pay too much attention to Sinead. No, we weren't paid anything during the Famine or at any time to not speak Irish to our children. People did speak Irish at home in the nineteenth century and up until the middle of the century most children were educated through Irish in the hedge schools (except for Dublin and the surrounding counties within the old Pale area).


Strangely enough there are quite a few fairly fluent Irish speakers in Dublin. There was debate about the state of the Irish language recently where an audience member, a young Polish woman who has grown up in Ireland, spoke of how glad she was that she learned Irish in school as a compulsory subject. (Some people would like to see it as optional).

"The young woman who spoke from the audience in the Upfront programme, and who was born in Poland and raised in Ireland, could see the moral and spiritual utility of a native language in its native place. She expressed the same sentiment that Irish people feel. She could feel the importance of language and culture, and she said that it made her feel connected to this country which she now calls her home."

"What the Polish girl in the audience in RTE recognised is what Patrick Pearse recognised. A nation's language nurtures its soul. Tír gan teanga, Tír gan anam. Perhaps it is this spirituality and nationalism that is disliked by the neoliberals. After all, that is a rival sense of belonging to the "our liberal/European values" nonsense of fluctuating globalism that our leaders are committed to."

News / Polish Silesian Autonomy movement [67]


The middle classes in Ireland in urban areas are quite keen on Irish actually. There are also some hardline, working class Dubliners who support SF and who send their children to exclusively Irish speaking schools as a kind of political statement.


I don't think so, not in Ireland anyway. Heaven and earth have been moved to cultivate an interest in reviving the language but it's never been very successful, largely because of the terrible teaching methods used in schools from primary level upwards. It puts people off for life in most cases.

News / Polish coal will be back [129]


Why nuclear? Why not hydro-electric, solar and wind power?

Love / Asian woman dating a Polish guy [19]


Well then why not ask your sister about Polish men?

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [282]

Don't know about that but McDonalds Irish fries are healthier than American ones, just spuds and sunflower or rapeseed oil, sometimes dextrose depending on the season of the spd. The American ones use different oil and have loads of additives.

US ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, natural beef flavour), Dextrose, Sodium acid, Pyrophoshate, Salt. Fried in vegetable oil blend with citric acid, and dimethylpolysiloxane).

Genealogy / Born to Arab parents in Poland [13]


That won't happen. Governments in the developed world don't blacklist people on the basis of their appearance or their ethnicity. Listen to Jon. He's a sensible and kind person :)

Genealogy / Born to Arab parents in Poland [13]

I remember the picture you posted of yourself when you were a little boy and you looked like a little sweetie pie, if that's any consolation :)

Study / Best Polish Primary school in Wroclaw for Foreigners [17]

Here is some information that might help you. The UK national curriculum would place your daughter at Key Stage 2 and either Year 5 or 6 of that, depending on whether she's nearer to 10 or 11 years old. The link will show you what your daughter should have attained or be studying in Maths at that point. You can check and see whether she's getting this tuition in her school. You can do the same for English.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7da548ed915d2ac884cb07/PRIMARY_national_curriculum_-_Mathematics_220714.pdf

If you feel unsure about whether she knows everything she should in Maths and you think she's not being tested adequately, you can test her yourself at home. Just do it in small chunks, not all on one day! and make it a fun time together. Make sure to have some drinks and snacks that she enjoys and make it a relaxed family time.

For example, if you're wondering about her mental arithmetic and knowledge of tables. you can play a little game 'take a number for a walk' - give her a number eg. 7

Your number is 7 - add 5, (pause while she does that in her head)
multiply by 10 (pause)
divide by 2 - what have you got now?

I used to do it with a whole class of children and we would keep it going for a lot longer than three calculations. In Ireland we start them doing that when they're about seven years old with simple adding and subtracting of single digit numbers. So by the time they're ten they can do more complex calculations.

Study / Best Polish Primary school in Wroclaw for Foreigners [17]

I've taught plenty of kids from that part of the world too :)


Ah now, there's the problem - neither fish nor fowl as we say in English ;) You can't mix curriculums willy-nilly. You have to be extremely competent to pull that off and not have a mess on your hands. How many hours per week is she getting in Maths and English?

Would you consider naming the school she presently attends? I could take a look at their website and give you an opinion. You could PM me with it if you prefer.

Study / Best Polish Primary school in Wroclaw for Foreigners [17]


But that's your personal view, rather than an objective one. From your use of the word 'shifting' I have a feeling you may be from India and having taught quite a few lovely children from India in my time, I know the concerns of Indian parents about their children's academic development and how their view is often influenced by the Indian approach to education.

In the British system, the holistic development of the child is very important. Literacy and numeracy are important but are only a basis for all the rest. The very word 'educate' comes from the Latin 'educere' meaning 'to lead out'. An expansion of the mind. Rather than pouring information and facts into the brain, rather we should encourage a lively, enquiring mind, a balance of skills and development of reason and critical thinking skills.

Finally on a purely practical note, if the school she's in is following the British system it will serve her better if you should be considering sending her to university in the UK at some point.

Study / Best Polish Primary school in Wroclaw for Foreigners [17]

Well, if she's already attending school in Poland (you didn't make that clear in your original query) and based on the fact that she's happy in her present school, it's actually far wiser at her age, not to move her. If the only reason for the move is financial, then I'd look at other areas in your household budget where you could make a saving. It usually means a sacrifice or compromise of some kind but it will be worth it.

Also, academically, if you are not sure about whether you will remain in Poland, it will be better for your daughter to follow an international curriculum. The Polish one at primary level is not that great and won't prepare your daughter well for continuing her education in another country later on. Poland is still very much a post-Communist country in many ways and that's reflected in its education system including the mess of 'educational reform' instigated by PIS a few years ago and now further ill-thought out reforms by the new government.

Also, she is following a particular curriculum now which she can pick up again elsewhere if you leave Poland.

Children need as much stability in their lives as possible so if you can leave your daughter where she is, do :)

Study / Best Polish Primary school in Wroclaw for Foreigners [17]

In that case Edi, I would say that a school near your home where your daughter can mix with her schoolmates during holidays etc. is probably the best route to take. Depending on what your daughter's interests are you should look at trying to get her to join one or two group activities/clubs where she can also develop a bit of a social network but don't overload her with extra-curricular activities.

I changed primary schools myself three times when I was a kid and the social isolation aspect is the worst, even when it's in your own homeland, let a lone a foreign country. It can impact a child's academic work too if they're unhappy so ironically, a 'good' school is not always the best option, sometimes a friendly school is more important.

Hope you find the right place for your little girl - wishing you all the best!

Study / Best Polish Primary school in Wroclaw for Foreigners [17]

There are very few, if any, members here with children, living in Wroclaw. But here is a link to a ranking of public and private primary schools in the city with reviews from some parents and past pupils. Use Google's 'translate this page' facility to read it if your Polish is limited.

waszaedukacja.pl/ranking/wroclaw/szkoly-podstawowe

I was a primary school teacher in Ireland and though it's very different there, some of the same basic principles apply as far as your child is concerned.

1) Don't worry about the language. The child has basic language skills already and daily exposure, especially among other children (they really do learn from each other) will be a big help. Don't worry about academic progress for the time being.

2) The smaller the school, the less daunting it is for the child. Apart from being less overwhelming, the class sizes are smaller and the child has a chance of a bit more time and attention from the teacher. You don't say how old the child is, but if they're new to school, then the smaller the better is definitely the case.

3) If you can get a school near to where you live that meets those requirements it's preferable, as friendships formed in school are easier to develop and maintain if children live near each other.

Food / Polish Golabki (Golomki) Recipe [41]


It's pronounced 'go-wom-b-ki' When you say it quickly you'll hardly hear the 'b' sound. The important thing is it's a 'wom' sound, not a 'lum' sound in the middle. Impress your boyfriend not only with your cooking but with your Polish pronunciation :))

Jon's recipe is a good basic one. True Polish cooking contains simple, rustic ingredients, no bells and whistles but every family in Poland tends to have their own version with slight adjustments. I use a mixture of pork and beef, I grate the onion rather than chop it, I add an egg to bind the mixture and some finely chopped cabbage from the left over leaves and stalks. (You won't use all of the cabbage because some of the leaves will be too small.) I also add chopped fresh tomatoes to the sauce, but you could used tinned ones.

Choose a medium sized cabbage rather than a very large one as you'll get more usable leaves from it. The larger cabbages have very big outer leaves but the inner leaves tend to be pretty small and very thick as do the stalks. I was advised on choosing the right cabbage by an old guy down in the fruit and veg market who said this was the size his mother used - and he was right!

They're really easy to make. Most Polish dishes are pretty straightforward but tend to be very labour intensive and time consuming.

History / Slovakia - Poland's neglected neighbour? [63]


He's a former Communist Party member and is seen as pro-Russian. That might make some people a bit annoyed. According to Irish media, he "has been accused of swaying his country's foreign policy in favour of Russia".

Having served four terms as Prime Minister his time in office "has been marred by corruption scandals and controversial reforms."

He also said that if Putin came to Slovakia he wouldn't have him arrested under international warrant and has urged Ukraine to cede territory to Moscow.

News / Northern Lights in Poland [42]

Amazing to see them so far south! You may have another chance tonight Paulina, sometime around 11:30pm Polish time.

They are seen regularly in the northern counties of Ireland during the winter months but only when we have clear skies - which isn't that often! Where my sister lives, local people watch the forecast, word spreads around the community, those without a car or who don't drive are offered lifts and everybody heads off to the best viewing points. We sometimes see them a shade of bright green, very apt!

Food / Polish cakes made in Poland [102]


No you're thinking of cack which means sh*t. There's also an expression, to be 'cack-handed' which means doing things badly, especially manual tasks.


I also worked in a place in London which shall remain nameless where we had two tea ladies who came morning and afternoons with the trolley. They were called Lil and Jean :) and they kept tight control of the biscuit tin. Jean was marginally less scary than Lil. It was Rich Tea and Digestives usually but occasionally there may have been Hob Nobs. We weren't allowed to have a kettle in the actual office space so if you wanted a cup of tea outside the official times, you had to go the kitchen and request one which meant bearding Lil and Jean in their den. Requests for tea received at best a frosty reception and at worst, one was scolded and harrangued throught the tea-making process. Happy memories!


Oh yes, now they're very nice. Lovely flaky pastry.

@Jon, here are the Lincoln Creams, a Jacobs biscuit - I don't remember Gypsy Creams but they had cream in the middle and they were just too sweet for my taste.

• 
  images.jpeg
  

Food / Polish cakes made in Poland [102]


To me they're what we in the Isles would call 'trifle sponges' and we would never eat them as a biscuit. Ours are oblong in shape and they're used for making certain kinds of cakes or desserts like trifle especially because they soak up sherry or other liquid very well. Not a fan of herbatniki either. They are mostly too sweet and not very good for dunking! I know, they're supposed to be crispy but dunking is one of life's great pleasures.

[quote=jon357]At home, it was mostly Rich Tea or 'Nice" [/!quote]
Same here. Rich Tea was considered 'a plain biscuit' but I liked them. I still do. Very comforting with a cup of tea if you have a headache or have had an upset tummy. You can get Rich Tea fingers in Dealz. Not as satisfying as the proper round ones but any old port in a storm! Nice were very sugary and old ladies seemed to love them. I remember them being served to old lady visitors with a glass of sherry.

Did you have Lincoln Creams in the UK? I really liked those. They were another sweeter plain biscuit considered suitable for the weekday biscuit tin. We only had 'sweet' biscuits with cream fillings on Sundays.

The only biccie that I truly detested was Marietta. No greater disappointment as a child than going visiting with your mother, out comes the biscuit tin and you're offered a Marietta :( I suppose Arrowroot were worse but they never really caught on in Ireland.