Life / The Polish Wedding - What is it Like in Poland? [338]

I am currently writing a blog and I just recently wrote about my experience going for the first time to a Polish wedding...

polishmamaontheprairie.blogspot.com/2010/12/once-upon-polish-wedding.html

If you enjoy reading it, feel free to check out my other posts, perhaps even spreading the word!

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


I have always felt that celebrating Nationalist pride is in a way celebrating your ancestors, honoring them, even those from centuries past. I don't see anything wrong with that. As long as you don't hurt or offend someone else, it does no harm. You can't know where you are going until you know where you came from.

I feel saddened to hear that some think that because I was taken from Poland as a young child that I am no longer polish. As if they are better than me because my parents wanted to protect me. That's not right, either. I celebrate my heritage and part of that celebration includes celebrating what I have in common with intelligent amazing people... And some very rude ignorant people who are just mean and hurtful.

Why all the animosity in this forum? If you all hate each other so much, why not go do something else more constructive? I joined to learn more and discuss what I know about my heritage...

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


So then you are saying that American or the US, specifically, has no heritage... Or Sicily... Or England... Or Jamaica... Or... I could keep going. And I know my heritage and love it.

Why do you attempt to be so hurtful? It's wrong. I want to promote the Polonia here as part of my writing career yet I cannot direct people to this forum bc all the threads here seem to end up having at least one person who is hurtful in some way, either through ignorance or purpose, with racist, sexist, or other comments. It's such a waste of time here...


Thank you, that was very sweet of you....

Life / The Polish Wedding - What is it Like in Poland? [338]

Every country and culture has some sort of ceremony in their weddings to show the woman has become a wife. In the US they throw their garter. Or do you think it's only the "villagers" there, too? Stop trying to turn helpful threads into negativity.

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

polishmamaontheprairie.blogspot.com/2010/12/polish-grandmother-babcia-busia-buzia.html

It's not a social class thing, it's a generational & American vs. Polish thing...

Language / Spelling "aunt" in Polish [142]


They are actually Americanized forms...

polishmamaontheprairie.blogspot.com/2010/12/polish-grandmother-babcia-busia-buzia.html

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]


:) The blog post actually discusses which is the correct one 1. used by Poles 2. is in polish dictionary and also discusses the other American variations and why they are incorrect.

Yes, the correct one is Babcia.


I completely agree. It's great to keep your heritage alive, it's wonderful. But I do suggest that whatever someone's heritage is, they read about it in it's correct and current form and appreciate that when someone who is directly from there, they might know a little more. Just like a Parisian would know more about French culture than I, who's grandmother lived there for a couple of years, and I speak a bit of French and went once for the summer and I don't get upset about it.

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]

At least she is trying, and not just walking around not knowing any and yet thinking very adamently that Busia and Jaja are how you say Grandma and Grandpa and that Poles only eat Purrogeez and Kehbosah (lol)...

I have to agree w Stallion, she as a person in the media could learn better Polish, though. Unless she froze up or mind-blanked bc she is in front of the camera. Idk...

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]


Can I just comment that when someone is uneducated, they tend to only speak one language, the local dialect? Therefor, the only language they would speak would be their own, so if they are Polish, they would know the correct word for grandmother, as it would be the only word they know for it. So, they would be expected to use their own language correctly, as it is the only one they know and use...

I think part of the whole issue of why a Russian sounding word was also adopted into the pseudo-Polish used in the US, is that many Poles seemed to be ashamed (for who knows what reason) to act Polish, just as the Irish did and the Germans did and all other ethnic groups did when they came over in waves.

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

So, I think all the people who speak Polish here are saying, it's Babcia. It doesn't matter what you think it is, what you grew up calling your grandmother as a third generation Pole. It's nice you try, but it's Babcia.

Btw, I have also 5 Polish-English Dictionaries here ranging from the 70's to today for my husband, (some printed in Poland under Communism, some after, some from the US now and some from the US in the 70's, etc.) and nowhere is there Busia, or other varieties...

And if you go to a website that translates Polish and English, like poltran.com or babylon, etc. Busia does not show up. Babcia does... Hmmm, since they are done by Polish speakers, I think it's.... Babcia.

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]


Well, with the racial slur used there, I'm going to assume you mean they are stupid and uneducated Polish people.

I have a question, to those who use Busia, are you all in the east coast, or Chicago or another specific place? I wonder if it is a particular area of the US that uses it more than others. In MD, I know the Polish Americans who lived in a particular section of the city once nicknamed "Little Poland" called it that.

It's interesting. There is a huge cultural gap between the Polish American and Poles coming to America. H-U-G-E...

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]


That's nice, how you use it and how you view yourself, but the word you are using is a racial slur and offensive to those of us who are Polish. It's as bad as the n***** word. Doesn't matter how you use it, it's still a racial slur.


I'm not going to argue what you were told by who, but as a person born in Poland, just like the others who either are or were born in Poland, it's Babcia. I have no idea why in your neck of the woods the Polish descendants (bc they probably aren't 1st gen Polish, I'm going to assume) say that word is Ukrainian, and the pseudo-Russian word is Polish...

Idk, but I'm currently looking for a study in lingustic history of the American word Busia, I'll post it when I find it.

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

Des Essientes
Do you know if they always lived there in terms of the family once they left Poland, or did they at some point as a family live anywhere else, either in the US or abroad, prior to settling in those areas? I'm really curious about this.


CP is not my friend, he is a person on this forum. He is also not interested in my opinion or any others who are offended by that racial slur. The moderator had to clear a thread because he made that slur and it was explained why it was considered offensive.


Go to an African-American function, say the "n" word, and see what happens. They are not insecure, it is merely an offensive word. Everyone knows that. P****** is also offensive, in the same exact way, yet many don't think it is bc Polish Americans use it. Well, Poles straight from Poland are offended by it. I don't understand why when someone says "Hey, that offends me, it's a racial slur" the person saying it gets offended, as if they were addressed with a racial slur or something themselves. It's a racial slur, it's offensive, you don't say it. End point.

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

Interesting... Baltimore is a city where I've noticed the older 2-4th generation Poles used the words Busia and Dziadzi or Jaja...

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

You are right, Cheehaw, you know better polish than we do...

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]

No no, I won't argue, you are right. Sorry, I'll call my grandmother in poland right now and call her Busia bc I've been wrong all these years... I'll be sure to let all my family over there (over 100 members) know that we are all wrong... Didn't wake on the wrong side, btw, just letting you win this discussion.

Life / Babcia or Busha - any social class difference? [359]


Trust me, this board is NOT an example of modern day Poland.


SHOK

poltran.com/odp.php4?q=1&direction=2&word=BUSIA
en.bab.la/dictionary/polish-english/busia

Margaret, I assume you are from Poland, as I am, but you and I must be secretly Ukrainians who's people 100 years ago pretended to be Polish (because people like to change their family culture and turn their backs on their way of life for centuries in order to take over a country, I am sure Ukrainians would love to hear that, that they secretly envied the Poles so much that they did that, sure) and we just don't know as much as people who's family left Poland (supposedly Poland) 100 years ago.

I need to know the source of this "history" as well.

And you know, the only person in my very very large family (on both sides) who ever says Grandmother in Polish was my living grandmother, none of my cousins, cousins cousins, uncles, great uncles, etc. ever used that word or had this very same discussion with me about why Americans call it Busia.


You are basically using racial slurs, calling me NOT Polish, saying you know more about a country and culture that you have never been to than I do. Wouldn't you get offended if an Italian guy who has lived in Italy all his life who's one greatgrandmother came from the US, or whatever other country your family is also from, and said they knew more about the US or whatever than you? AND called you some derogatory name about being American, like Mutt, or something? You would get offended too.


I researched it, for one, to reclaim my Polish passport, 4 generations back. I don't say one family member in my family is Polish, I'm saying they all are. Again, over a hundred members, and I count also the in-laws who are not even related to me. You can't claim your polish passport unless you have Polish Blood, not someone living there who's related to you. It's not like getting a US passport. If I was, say, Greek, lived in Poland, left to some other country, had a kid, I couldn't get them a Polish Passport. Because they wouldn't have Polish Blood.


No, but like I said, I have 5 FIVE from the 70's to today, are they ALL wrong?


I love how MY Polish heritage is questionable, but your's from 4 generations back in the US (when I have met many people here who call themselves 100% Polish although one or even grandparents was Slovak or Hungarian or Ukrainian or whatever, not to say they all are, I'm just saying they all aren't) is written in gold, no doubts at all.

Okie dokie, now, please share your history lesson...

Language / Spelling "aunt" in Polish [142]


I'm not really sure what you are saying here. I really don't understand your statements, I'm thinking you were being sarcastic, but it's a funny thing about the written word, sarcasm tends to get lost.

To be clear, I have met Polish women, as in from Poland, with accents, who married men in other countries who have been called "Babushka" right in front of me. Which is weird. And I'm not sure what that has to do with Ukrainians or Jews in your statements?

And I've met many Jews in my travels and work dealing with foreign embassies and export and never felt any hatred from them towards myself or other Poles. Idk...

Language / Spelling "aunt" in Polish [142]

Gotcha. That's my point, it's not polish "babushka"... :)

Language / Spelling "aunt" in Polish [142]

z_darius

Bravo, z_darius, well said!

News / Polish People STILL denied US Entry [96]

If you are a U.S. Citizen, you can contact your Congressman regarding this and support:

S.497
Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2011

opencongress.org/bill/112-s497/show

and

H.R.959
Secure Travel and Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2011

opencongress.org/bill/112-h959/show

It takes 5 minutes of your time. And it would actually make a difference.

~Kasia

News / Polish People STILL denied US Entry [96]

That would only be true because people like to complain and do nothing to actually make a difference. It's not dead yet. If people take 5 minutes, instead of say, watching tv or something else like that, and contact their Congressman and actually speak up, it could happen. But sitting back and complaining where your Congressman cannot hear or be held accountable for ignoring your wishes, well yes, then it won't happen.

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." ― Confucius

News / Polish People STILL denied US Entry [96]

popvox.com/bills/us/112/hr959/report#nation

Map of supporters. Note FL and New Mexico oppose it, two states long known for their xenophobia. Just sayin'.

News / Polish People STILL denied US Entry [96]

You're a pessimist. I respect that. Anyway, people can contact their Congressman if they want to. I added the info above for anyone interested.

Love / Polish women are the most beautiful in the world! [1718]


*Spit coffee* LMBO!!! Yeah, can't argue with that.

Genealogy / Looking for any and all information on Dabrowski/Dombrowski from Poland [88]

Dabrowski is a very common Polish name in the Baltimore area. As well, Dombrowski and Dobrowski (but pronounced Dombrowski). When I mean common, I mean, in the Polish community there, for a while it was as common as Johnson or Smith today. From what I recall, many came over preWWII. If you drive through the Polish Catholic cemeteries in Baltimore, you will find countless graves with that name. With just a last name and nothing else to go by, it would be impossible to find out more.

Life / Popular and Practical Cars in Poland [49]

In regards to the prices of shipping and to placing items in cars while shipping, I have to say that the information given is completely incorrect. As a person who used to work in Export and who's specialty was Europe, containers and cars.

Life / Popular and Practical Cars in Poland [49]

You have to contact a shipping company/freight forwarder, and you have to know the year, make and model of your vehicle, the port of origin and the port of destination. Those factors play a huge impact on the prices. Also, prices change month to month. So, accurately, I also cannot quote you prices.

Just like if I told you an airline ticket to Poland is $400. From where? To where? When (is this May 2008 or tomorrow at 8am)? What flight? What airline? Is it roundtrip? etc. And, like an airline ticket, because the prices change, the price for the same exact vehicles going from and to the same location might not cost the same because they might be booked at different times.

And I didn't post "I know better than you and I'm not going to tell you". I posted that the prices being told above are like my example of a airline ticket to Poland.

If anyone is interested in learning facts and tips about shipping a car, they are welcome to contact me or read the blog.

Law / Opening a Polish Bank Account by a foreigner in Poland. Recommendations. [299]

Call or email a Polish bank and ask them. Or your local Polish Embassy/consulate office. This is a legal/accounting question.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


Perhaps your particular circle does, but I doubt highly ALL Poles in Toronto do.

Anyway, it's funny that nobody here has mentioned the origins of the word "Muszyn" in this thread. It means "Muslim" and at the time of the Muslim attempted invasion into Europe, Muslims from the Middle East were about the darkest that Poles had ever seen or imagined. Thus, the name has been used to describe anyone of dark skin color. So, perhaps, yes, it is racist.

Bambo sure as h*** is. Is that even still around in Poland? I've never seen it there myself. I thought it was from around the same time as when whites in America were painting themselves in shoe polish except an extremely large area around their mouths in black and white films and making fun of blacks. Btw, did you know Mexico has an equivalent of this as a children's tv show now? Idk how long it's been around though.