Life / What the idea of a black person is to Polish people? [14]

Well, Poland has VERY few people of color.... so naturally natives are curious when they do see a black person. As has been said before, some might be racist, but I suspect most are just curious and surprised.

Like you said, even if we were all purple, not everyone would accept each other. But imagine if you saw a purple person walking down the street. You'd be certainly be curious wouldn't you! Now, I know this sounds TERRIBLE to say... after all there are no naturally purple people, while a dark skin color is very normal and natural. But, to the majority of people in Poland who have probably NEVER seen a black person in the flesh (unless they visited England or the US or France or another country with a sizeable black population), it's just DIFFERENT.

I know when I visit Poland, even I'm surprised to see a black person simply because it's so rare in Poland. And I live in the U.S. in a very ethnically diverse city.

Genealogy / Americans of Polish descent. How many of us are on Polish forums? [216]


I don't know... I think there are certain things you can't erase from your personality, psyche, and memory. I wasn't born in Poland, and I've never lived there, although I've traveled there VERY frequently. I lived in many countries, but spent most of my time in the U.S. Being Polish was, is, and will always be a part of my identity, although to be completely honest, there are huge pockets of the Polish culture that I do not relate to in the least. But I am Polish because that is what I am. That is my blood. That is my family. That is my heritage, my ancestors, stories, memories, and legacy of my familial and ethnic heritage, and what my ancestors fought for. I am very proud of my family tree and my heritage and I can't and I wouldn't want to erase that simply because I was born elsewhere and because I grew up in and live in a completely different country. To me, being Polish (or any other ethnicity, for that matter) isn't about pierogi vs. burgers, or cheering for soccer vs. football, or waving around red and white vs. red white and blue. It goes much deeper than that, and because it DOES go so much deeper, this depth allows me to embrace certain characteristics of my other country, without them clashing. I guess I feel both Polish and American, equally, but on different levels.

Life / Professional feminists' of Poland meet-up [631]


Zimmy, would you hire a female long-haul trucker, oil rig operator, roofer, welder, bomb disposal technician, hazmat diver, timber worker...etc?

If you were given the choice between a female roofer and a male one, which would you choose? And why?

I have to say, for myself, I would choose the male roofer. Why? Because it is a biological fact that men are physically stronger than women, therefore making most men more suitable for roofing than most women. Of course, there are some scrawny men out there and some muscular women, but in general I would hire a man over a woman. This isn't sexism... it's capitalism. The best service or product for the best price wins. (There are actually women roofers, by the way... and a lot of women do go into those jobs, at least in the U.S. There are also plenty of women who want to and go into the military).

However, it is also a scientific fact that while women may not be as physically strong as men, they have the same mental capabilities. Therefore, I would hire a lawyer based on his or her record and intelligence, rather than gender. This may mean that I hire a female lawyer over a male one (in the US there are now more young female college graduates than male). Again, this isn't sexism... its capitalism. The lawyer with the best record and the superior intelligence wins, even if she happens to be a female.

By the same token, I would hire a female nanny over a male one. Of course, there some men out there who are much more nurturing and intuitive than some women. But, in general, women tend to be more nurturing than men, so in the average case, I would choose a woman. Again... capitalism.

Yes, there are plenty of crazy, man-hating feminists out there, and I do agree that the modern feminism in countries like the U.S. is bordering on the crazy. But the basic premise of feminism is to judge people by their abilities, not by their gender.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

It seems like it would be something like "of the Owl," "from the Owl," etc.

"Sowa" (pronounced "Sova" is owl in Polish).

"Wuł" (which would be written as "Wul" in the English alphabet) means Ox, so I guess it COULD also mean that, but I think that is stretching it because then "so-" would not make sense. So I'd put my money on something to do with the Owl.

Life / To Poles: some food for thought [31]


I think the better question is why are humans like that in general. Why are humans so afraid of others, so afraid of having less that they must put down and discriminate others? So afraid that they must generalize an entire group of people, rather than being open to each individual they come across and treat them on their own merits?

News / Israel opposing potential new Polish law to criminalise term 'Polish death camps' [1538]


Not quite.

There were two plans: 1) to murder all of Europe's Jews, 2) to expand German territories, and thereby exterminate the Polish nation and culture; first murdering the intelligentsia, enslaving the rest of Poles, and forcefully assimilating Ayran-looking Polish children into German families: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_crimes_against_the_Polish_nation#Ethnic_cleansing_through_forced_expulsion

Life / Why are Polish people so strange & unusual? [51]

youtu.be/j0Mz_IqpZX8