The BEST Guide to POLAND
Unanswered  |  Archives [3] 
  
Account: Guest

Posts by HAL9009  

Joined: 13 Mar 2007 / Male ♂
Last Post: 3 Jul 2022
Threads: Total: 2 / Live: 0 / Archived: 2
Posts: Total: 323 / Live: 31 / Archived: 292
From: UK
Speaks Polish?: Tak, ale niedobrze = A little
Interests: Languages, design

Displayed posts: 31 / page 1 of 2
sort: Oldest first   Latest first   |
HAL9009   
19 Sep 2007
Food / What is your favorite Polish Vodka? [653]

Yaay! Żubrówka is finally widely available in Ireland :)
I bought my first bottle in the supermarket yesterday (for considerably more than it would cost in Poland!).
Before now I had to ask my Polish friends nicely to bring back a bottle from Poland...

Żubrówka is simply the best. Pycha - can you say that for booze?
HAL9009   
19 Sep 2007
Food / What exactly is Polish Bread? [90]

We're getting lots of Polish Breads in the shops here in Ireland now, even in small towns. It's baked in the Polish bakery in Dublin. Really yummy.

My favourite (so far) is Żytni Okrągły Chleb z Ziarnami - Round Rye Bread with seeds. The (carroway) seeds are very subtle. It is grey brownish and reminds me of the bread in Romania, which was also very good. A lot of these breads include rye, which isn't really used in Ireland and the UK. Many Finnish breads are rye based also. So I think that maybe there isn't a "Polish" bread exactly, but a "Central-East European" bread which is firmly based on rye+yeast manufacture.

Many Irish breads are good also. They tend to be based on soda+buttermilk. Completely different from the Polish breads.
HAL9009   
22 Oct 2007
Language / Having a really hard time with Polish cases [59]

Try these two grammar books, both free downloads. You may find them useful:

Small grammar book about the Polish language:

polish.slavic.pitt.edu/firstyear/nutshell.pdf

and

big grammar book

polish.slavic.pitt.edu/grammar.pdf

The larger book goes through the cases in some detail.

The remainder of the material on the web site is also well worth a look.

...oop, forgot the website url: polish.slavic.pitt.edu/sitemap.html
HAL9009   
18 Oct 2008
Off-Topic / What's your connection with Poland? Penpals. [554]

Caution all shipping in the eastern English Channel

Hey careful there you might get caught in a propeller and end up being led to somewhere like the South China Sea........, all those strings hanging about the world and that.
HAL9009   
16 Jul 2012
Language / Terms of endearment in Polish [222]

I call my gf moja Kamienka (=my little pebble). It's er, not proper Polish though.
HAL9009   
16 Jun 2022
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

Merged:

Is lamb available in Poland?!



Me brain's wracked lookin fer sheep!
Poland is a land of pork and poultry.

Anyone know which supermarkets are likely to have lamb in Poland, either fresh or frozen? Biedronka, and Netto don't, and my nearest Carrefour doesn't either. Anywhere within the Olsztyn, Gdańsk, Iława area, or even Warszawa (which I would go to occasionally)?
HAL9009   
16 Jun 2022
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

A rack of lamb is exactly what I am dreaming of, for the BBQ - we used to do it all the time (in UK) along with kszanka ;)
HAL9009   
16 Jun 2022
UK, Ireland / A Polish national getting a UK Passport [5]

You have a right to UK citizenship, which you will need to get before you are entitled to a passport.
Once you have your UK citizenship, you can apply for a passport.
HAL9009   
16 Jun 2022
UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

Hi Mac, I think Polish citizenship would be important to consider if you intend to buy land or property in Poland.
Once you get out of the cities, Poland is still like a bit Ireland in the 1970s. In our village, everyone goes to church except us! And local politics is rooted in clientalism and deference.

Context: I am Irish, wife Polish (UK citizen), we are living in UK for a decade. We are also considering moving to either IRL or PL for similar reasons to yours. Wife currently in PL (mother ill), we have house there which we bought a few years ago [so no worries on the mother in law front!]. We drove over in the car first, back in April - 1,800 km, and left the car there.

I am now a Ryanair frequent flyer - was in PL two weeks ago, heading over again next week for 2 weeks and a bit. 7-months net UK, 4,5 months PL, 0,5 months IRL, that's my deal for now. It works, but you need to plan it. Short frequent trips are better than longer less frequent trips. Flying is cheap. Hopefully this winter's covid won't shut everything down again.

I am just about literate in Polish, though very rusty (was a bit better 10 years ago), having studied it intensely in the noughties [when all those people with a funny language began to come to Ireland! Great stuff!]. If you have any in to Polish, you will pick it up as you go along - I find mine improving each time I go. I was in Mrówka (a hardware chain like Woodies) a couple of weeks ago buying nails or something, and I learned the word for receipt - paragon, the hard way [they ask you if you want one, and expect the customer to understand them, heh]. They speak very fast, with a funny accent in rural PL, and there are no English speakers. Second time I was in the shop, I replied 'nie', instead of 'nie rozumieum' :D

Also, very important: watch your 183 nights in UK. Add a few days as a buffer, and remember to subtract any nights you may spend in third countries, Ireland visiting rellies for example.
HAL9009   
16 Jun 2022
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

I am wondering if a butcher would be of help - in Gdańsk perhaps.
Alternatively, I might just bring some in on the plane from Ireland, might be easier in the long run!
HAL9009   
16 Jun 2022
Language / Best books to self-study Polish? [30]

'pióro' - 'długopis' :D lol, this happened to me also. Pióro is 1960s!

I would recommend an old style Linguaphone Polish course (pre-1990), you can occasionally get them on ebay for around £25. The lessons are a bit archaic, but it is a good solid resource.

Oscar Swan's grammar has always been available as a download, one current link is here:
researchgate.net/profile/Oscar-Swan/publication/41495047_A_Grammar_of_contemporary_Polish/links/5447abf70cf2f14fb8120f35/A-Grammar-of-contemporary-Polish.pdf?origin=publication_detail

As Swan retired some years ago, the original pitsburg.edu link is dead. A google search will find his courses and grammars easily enough.

He also published an advanced Polish course, though only as a book afaik,
Oscar E. Swan, Intermediate Polish, ISBN 10: 0893571652 / ISBN 13: 9780893571658. Published by Slavica Pub, 1986

His beginner course is still available online:
......
Took me a few minutes to find it. Original website is archived here: lektorek.org/lektorek/
Lessons as downloadable pdf files: lektorek.org/lektorek/firstyear/lessons/
Polish Grammar in a Nutshell: lektorek.org/lektorek/firstyear/nutshell.pdf
Another link to the reference grammar: lektorek.org/lektorek/grammar.pdf

A bit dated now, but in an age of quick teach yourselves of little use, I thoroughly recommend the lessons in this course, and the grammars.
HAL9009   
17 Jun 2022
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

Kaufland! I didn't look there. Thanks.
I'll take a look in Ostróda and Iława next week.
HAL9009   
17 Jun 2022
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

Nearest Makro to me would be Olsztyn - It's a bit far from me, buy doable, I generally go there if I am flying out of Szcztyno.
HAL9009   
17 Jun 2022
UK, Ireland / A Polish national getting a UK Passport [5]

Technically, he doesn't.

My understanding is that he does, under the terms of the divorce agreement between the UK and the EU.

It is highly likely that he would qualify for settled status, living continuously in the UK for 45 years.
google it.
HAL9009   
17 Jun 2022
Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

@Atch
Thanks for that head's up :)

There goes my Iława strategy! I will be doing a serious recon and mapping operation there next week = find all the best shops, cheap parking etc (you can park for free all day in the railway station car park..., if you can find a space!!). Ostróda is a bit limited in its offerings, have to spread the net a bit.

I will try bringing some lamb with me on the plane then - worst case is that the security dudes will take it off me on the grounds that is is dead, or whatever.
HAL9009   
17 Jun 2022
Food / Polish bacon doesn't fry up? [70]

Yep, I'll be bringing some Irish bacon rashers with me on da Ryanair next week when I head over to the gaff in Mazuria.

We'll chew them slowly.
HAL9009   
18 Jun 2022
Off-Topic / Pop A Cork - Wine [334]

White wine: Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand.
They have perfect conditions for growing their grapes - best white wine ever. [I have not seen it in Poland though :( ] - Sainsbury, Tesco, Super Valu - IRL, UK; Monoprix Fr.

Red wine: any Médoc with a French customs label on the top of the bottle. Carrefour, Netto, and larger Biedronka. Waitrose, Sainsbury, Super Valu - IRL, UK.

Actually, most red wines with French customs labels are a good bet in Poland, come to think of it!
HAL9009   
21 Jun 2022
Language / Best books to self-study Polish? [30]

I got a reasonably good grounding in Polish a decade ago. I'll have a look for Feldstein in my usual old book outlets.
HAL9009   
22 Jun 2022
UK, Ireland / From Hertfordshire, UK to Śląskie, Poland - Are we crazy? [35]

I think you definitely should get tax advice, from a Polish tax accountant.

And if you are going to transfer tax residency, I think it would be better to do it from Jan 1, Polish tax year, rather than April 6, UK tax year.

You won't be double taxed as there is a tax agreement between UK and PL, but filing a tax return in PL is more complex than in UK, and you will be expected to do it in Polish, or pay an accountant to do it for you.

Also, if your income is UK-based and you retain your UK tax residency, it is less likely that you will be taxed in PL. However, if you engage in business when in PL, that business/employment activity may fall under PL tax jurisdiction and you may need to make a return in both countries.

There is also the notion of VAT to consider - depending on the nature of your work, you might be required to register for Polish VAT, as the registration threshold may be zero if you are based outside the country but engaging in business inside the country.
HAL9009   
22 Jun 2022
Work / Need a coffee shop or room in Warsaw with Ethernet port not just WiFi [4]

You'll be lucky! To find an Ethernet port anywhere. Old tech - I haven't seen Ethernet anywhere outside a hotel in a decade, and never saw it in places like coffee shops.

Hotels might still offer it.

I would suggest a wifi device connected to your laptop via usb, or Ethernet which will then connect to the wifi of the shop you are in.