Travel / Why do you visit Poland? [222]

@Devang: not only in Poland but also in whole area (the Czech are much worse), people are not overwhelming smiling and "merry" (I don't want to say "gay" ;)). At first. I was very shocked but now am used to it and whenever I go to the West, especially to Southern countries, I am shocked to see people so full of life...

I suppose the climate and also the life conditions have big impact...

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

@Rozu: "black street butcher", that's the idea of abortion for the Church ;).

When a woman wants (because of a lot of reasons) to have an abortion, she shall HAVE an abortion and best to have it in a safe medical environment.

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]

@Tictactoe: it's the reason why!!!! ;)

News / Poland is being robbed - Kukiz [37]

@Jon: "lol"! This guy (Kukiz, not Jon ;)) is really sick in his head. I cannot believe some people are going to "buy that". Fortunately this guy is going down very quickly and after this summer, he'll be forgotten...

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

@Pol: of course, having an abortion is no "fun" and not like having a hair cut ;). However, when abortion is legal, women aborting are better taken care of, whether physically and psycholically whereas when it's not legal and done on the kitchen table by a NON doctor, the consequences are of course dramatic and can lead to death. This is common sense.

Since abortion has always existed and shall always exist, best it to do it in medical environment rather than on a kitchen table by a butcher.

Work / Job prospects in Warsaw, Poland with top-10 MBA [25]

@Dominic: You also refer to "savings potential" but you know, in Europe, we don't see things the way you do in the US. In Europe (at least in most countries thereof), people receive free education, free health care, and can expect some kind of protection from the State and therefore are not so anxious about their savings. In Europe (even in Poland), people do not need to take mortgage to finance surgery or save at children's birth to finance their college education. Of course, in Europe the average person means to have some savings for rainy days but it is not as crucial as in the US.

I personally save a little bit every month (for rainy days). I have a private medical insurance (Luxmed 760zl/year) and in case of an operation or big health problem requesting hospitalization, I do it in the public sector, for which I do not pay anything....

Also, like just written above, in Europe, people have paid holidays (usually between 5 and 7 weeks), maternity leaves and other benefits Americans would never dream of (they believe that such social benefits are ... "communist" ;) so let the Americans struggle! ).

I agree though that Poland is not among the best place to be in terms of work and other things...

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

@Jon: no, when they cannot get it done in Poland (or don't want to do on their kitchen table), Polish girls go to the Czech Republic (close and "cheap"). There a lot of private clinics in the Czech Republic near the border with Poland and Polish girls go there for a few hours....

A lot of girls in Poland have had abortions. Pure hypocrisy!

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

@Jon: I remember. Her name is Alicja Tysiac (= thousand, I no longer have Polish in my language bar). She is now with SLD and was running in the municipal election.

And as a woman, I "love" when law (not only in Poland but in a lot of places) says that abortion can be possible in case of ... rape. It would be some kind of a joke if topic was not so serious. How the h... can a woman prove she got raped? In most places, it is very difficult to prove rape and also a lot of women do not bother reporting because of police's and justice's attitude.

Once again, example of hypocrit bigotry!

In countries like Poland, women with no money and no connection shall continue risking their lives on their kitchen tables....

News / Abortion still under control in Poland [2986]

@Jon: not to mention all the nuns and the women who got pregnant by priests!!!

All those bigots are pure hypocrits.

Genealogy / Do I have any Polish physical traits? [48]

Most Poles look like they could be from anywhere in Europe. Nevertheless I have noticed too that some men have very flat heads. Those I have seen were in remote areas and in very poor circles if in towns so probably the result of alcoholism and reproducing oneself within the family....

News / A devestating verdict on the Polish church [279]

Thanks! I'll read it when more time.

Love / Polish women and fertility [28]

@English: matter is not to have 6, 8, 10 kids but at least to have a birthrate that prevents population decline (the case in Poland). The reason why Polish women don't have many kids is related to poverty (low salaries, small apartments, no help from State). The lack of State's nursery schools doesn't enable women to have kids and a carreer at same time. Not everybody has babcia around or money to pay for a niania.

Polish population's decline ought to be a concern among politicians...

Love / Polish women and fertility [28]

I assume that Irish State helps families financially whereas the Polish State does not.

Love / Polish women and fertility [28]

@Polsyr: 100% ok :)

@Levi; since obviously you don't know any of these countries and not only Poland, you once more say anything. In countries like Switzerland and Germany, for instance, with very low birth rate, the situation is completely diffrent from Poland. As Polsyr has pointed out, a lot of people in Poland (including of course women) work under what is called in Poland "garbage contracts", under which they have absolutely no social rights whatsoever so how can they think about having kids? When working otherwise, they have low salaries, big risk of being unemployed (benefits are purely symbolic and very limited in time). Most Poles are badly accommodated (how to raise a family in ... 35sqm???). There are no public care facilities and no financial help for families. On top of that, Poles are very pessimistic about their future so NO kids.

The Polish government whoever are in office have no family politics. I remember when Tusk was PM, they were talking about issuing cards to families of min. 3 kids entitling them to reductions at the cinema and the zoo ;);). Sorry, this is total bs and there is much mure more to consider when raising kids than cinema and zoo entrance tickets ;).

Since obviously you don't know anything about Poland, you compare apples and oranges ;(

Love / Polish women and fertility [28]

@Jestes: If you try to "quote" me, I used the word 'niania" when talking about afford (read messages before answering ;)).

Like I said, in countries like Switzerland, situation is different but as I know Switzerland, I can say that they are all not rich (when making less than 5,000/month extremely hard to raise family) and also I seriously doubt that there is welfare over there...

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

@Dougpol; unfortunately the people you are referring to are tiny minorities in Poland. When going to not only Poland B but also outside of Poland A cities, most (including younger) Poles are unfortunately like Polonius says they are....

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

@Jon: I don't know what they chew.... but when I happen to be in such areas, I feel like on another planet ;).

On Friday I was in Kce and had to go to Saint-Steven (in English) parish. I have counted 8 masses on Sundays (+ a few each of the other days). In one of how many churches in Katowice, they need 8 masses every Sunday. I believe it's the same everywhere in Poland.

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

@Dougpol: Witam! As to your "many young people", do consider all those who have voted for Kukiz and those who regularly vote for Korwin-Mikke and consorts = quite a bunch! ;).

Contrary to what you seem to claim 'Polish youth is not a "homogeneous block".

the "problem" is not catholicism, or any other religion, the problem is extremism. People may believe anything they want as long as they don't impose their views to others and tell them how to breathe, how to get dressed, what to think, what to eat, what to read, how to f..........

Food / Why Poles not like rice? [87]

Rice is eaten more South of Europe. In Poland and most of Europe, people eat potatoes and that's it. Personally it fits me as I LOVE potatoes and cannot put rice into my mouth without vomitting it right away. If I had to travel to Asia, I would be very uncomfortable (probably eating in international hôtels and at McDo ;)).

Food / Why Poles not like rice? [87]

Of course, some Poles eat rice but basically like in most of Europe, potatoes are the thing. I've met 2 or 3 Poles who don't like potatoes ;).

(For instance, tiny rice production in Camargue region, in South-East of France, is more than enough to cover the rice consumption in all France - this is to say that rice is not the thing in Europe). In Spain, Italy, Greece, they eat more rice though but it is not the no.1 priority in their diet.

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

We don't need do be catholic to live in Poland. Poland is not a theocracy.

Law / Weed laws in Poland [25]

@Relent: Hi! If in very liberal England, some things are not permitted, why should you think that in most conservative Poland it could be otherwise??? ;)

I personally believe that best to allow drugs, abortion, ... so things are under control. In places where drugs are legal, problems are fewer.

Forbiding things does not make them disappear but simply creates more problems.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

@Polsyr: Yes, gun ownership + alcoholism = for sure population decline in Poland ;).

More seriously, Europe cannot be compared to the US. I'm sure that 99% of Europeans don't want guns allowed like it is the case in the US where every day in the news, we have crazy situations, a 3-year-old killing his sister because the father had left his gun on the coffee table or a teen-ager shooting everybody Inside a cinema because his girl friend had left him or kids receiving guns for their birthdays or at Xmas;). Examples go galore. The US were built by violence. In Europe, people are different and let's say more civilized. We expect the police to protect us and the police do. I personally want to walk safe in the stree, in shops and wherever I go without being scarred of getting killed or wounded by a nut carrying guns around.

The US are a violent country (I heard on tv 2 days ago when Obama visited a prison that inspite having 5% of the world's population, the US have 25% of the world's prison population, with a mich higher rate than Russia and China).

We don't want this in Europe and in Poland.

@Johnny: get informed! In Switzerland, they have to keep their guns locked in and the use is strictly controlled. This is so because Swiss men are to spend some time (I am not sure how much time) in the army each year. I have been numerous times to Switzerland, in particular Geneva and Lausanne and I have never seen people carrying guns there.

You live in the US and obviously don't know anything about Europe so don't impose us your American views! :)

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

@Polonius: "funny" because I took public transportation today in Warsaw and everything as usual. 40,000? Are you sure there were not 400 (or 40)?

PS: nothing in the news! Can you give a link please?

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

@Jonny: So you have never lived in Poland and as to your "Polish penpals", I suppose they are of your kind ;).

I have lived both in Europe and in the USA. Here, in Warsaw, I live alone and my flat is on the ground floor and I am not scarred. I even sleep with bedroom window opened. How many people in the States have bars on their windows? I happen to walk at night. In the USA there is not way we can do that. I have seen a lot of people in the US leaving lights on downstairs when sleeping upstairs. I've seen people in the USA advising women not to put their whole first names on their mail boxes and in the phone book and of course after dark, nobody walks in the US. I spent 8 years in the USA and I have personally known 2 persons who were killed (1 of them was found dead in a forest). This goes on and on and on ... IWhen taking the metro at night in NY, Philadelphia or Atlanta, I was scarred. In Europe, of course things happen but not as often and people are not obsessed by security because they know they are safe.

In the US there are a lot of nutcases and giving them guns only make things worse. How many times each year there are shooting in schools and in public places in the US? At very least 1 per week in the US and no more than 5 in all Europe per year

No matter what you want to believe! The USA are the most violent society in the world.

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

If in the paper, probably not on the first page ;). Even if 40,000 (which I doubt), out of 38/39 million Poles, it means very little.

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

@Polonius; thanks but was not the top news in Warsaw (;)).
Very strange that Warsaw was not disorganized. Was it today?

Classifieds / Random Classifieds Ads Poland [261]

There is fabric at stores like Ikea and Leroy Merlin (wide range and much better than Ikea). As they have portals, you may order but personally I think it would be better to see, to touch the fabric before buying it...

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

@Atch: No, I don't have anything on my windows and nobody in neighborhood does (it's in Ochota). When I say I keep my windows opened, I only opened the top part so nobody could enter. Neighborhood is very quiet and safe (sort of a small village).

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

@Johnny: As I said, Europe is not the USA and vice versa. Europeans don't need and don't want guns ( only criminal may) and that's all. Comparing the USA and Europe does not make any sense.

PS: I know quite a few Americans (of Polish origin) who have chosen to settle in Poland in order to raise their kids in a peaceful environment.