The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by hardrain  

Joined: 30 Mar 2018 / Male ♂
Last Post: 7 Mar 2020
Threads: 1
Posts: 9
From: USA - NW CT
Speaks Polish?: no
Interests: reading, writing

Displayed posts: 10
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hardrain   
30 Mar 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

I just got my Ancestry DNA results back; huge surprise:

It turns out that I am mostly Polish -- 38%. Next is Slovakia at 20% and French at 18%. Russian a scant 5%; English at 8%. Ireland 8%. Belgium/Lichenstein 3%.

It gets confusing in Europe. My grandfather was born in Belarus -- and Tarasovic is a Russian name. But the DNA says Polish. There were many catholic Polish people living in Belarus - 40%, so it appears my ancestors were one of them.

So being Polish is cool. Damn, we were constantly being controlled by Germanic states or Russia - back and forth. Both Russia and Germany made a mess in Poland and being occupied by either was horrific. But the Poles are a proud race! Did you know that the kingdom of Poland and Lithuania were an empire in the 1600s? They then dominated the Germanic States and Russia - having occupied Moscow in 1610.

Of interest: Poland under King John III were the main armies that kept Islam from spreading to Europe when they stopped them at Vienna. Poland is right now one of the only European nations (along with Russia and Slovakia) to deny the current invasion of Muslims from Syria - choosing instead to preserve their Christian Culture and deny the marauding invaders from committing the atrocities that are happening right now in Sweden , Germany and France (but don't get reported.)

Poland is one of the few European nations that does not have gun control. People are allowed to protect themselves. Isn't it interesting that Poland also has the lowest crime rate in Europe!
hardrain   
30 Mar 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

I would love to come live in Poland. I am a US citizen so it would take some doing. I am a high school English teacher.

I love the "Don't Tread on Me" point-of-view that many Polish citizens share with US citizens (50% of us, anyway) who understand what is happening in the world. Anyway thanks for responding! -
hardrain   
30 Mar 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

From the research, the DNA results from ancestry.com are considered accurate. Yes - people do it for "fun," but I don't.
If I have the gun control issue wrong, I do apologize. I certainly do not live in Poland so I may have overstepped there. If I did, it was a result of simply being so ecstatic about being of Polish blood....there is a history here. So, I can dial it down..but I am writing on one of the happiest days of my life. More to come....
hardrain   
31 Mar 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

No...not trolling. And yes, I know that I am suspect here because I am an American. And yes, I am an English Teacher but I speak virtually no Polish.
hardrain   
31 Mar 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

@kaprys
My grandfather came here in 1917 from Belarus. He spoke Russian and Polish. He always said he was Russian.
Yes, I do see this can be a cranky place, and I suspect that Americans are not welcome because every other country basically hates us too, so why should Poland be different. I get that. So sorry for the first post - I am here to learn.
hardrain   
1 Apr 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

Thank you Ziemowit - yes, My grandad was from Belarus and left there in 1917 when all the commotion was going on - but as you mention that was part of the Poland-Lithuania commonwealth so the DNA says Polish stock. I am going with that.

I am researching the criteria for percentages and hope to report back on it. It is all new to me. But the Polish-Americans I know in my part of the worlds are proud and hard working. I am going with that.
hardrain   
24 Jun 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

Joker - Yes - I do find being of Polish decent very fulfilling. However, I wanted to read and post on this forum but I was met with such hostility that I decided to move on. Why post just to be insulted? .My grandad was a Pole living in Lithuania, He came to the states in 1927 when he was 14. Thanks for responding!
hardrain   
24 Jun 2018
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

Well, thank you very much. But I am out; I do not need the angst and vitriol.
hardrain   
7 Mar 2020
USA, Canada / So happy to be Polish-American [43]

Perhaps true; I was happy to join the forum, but then the vitriol like this made it not worth it at all. It's all hate, have a nice day.