News / How will BREXIT affect the immigrants in UK and Poland. [1114]

This really is a f*** up of gigantic proportions !

Perhaps one option is to start secret negotiations with the EU again and see what concessions they would offer in the light of the referendum. If the UK can achieve SIGNIFICANT concessions then perhaps it might be worth calling a second referendum. I agree this will be very unlikely though :(

Regarding the topic it's sad that people who have lived in the UK for decades are now conscious of speaking Polish in public. My mother always says there has always been an underlying dislike of Poles from the time she came to the UK (1950's)

News / How will BREXIT affect the immigrants in UK and Poland. [1114]


I don't usually agree with you but I have to agree that in the absence of any Brexit strategy then leaving the EU can only be bad news for the UK. Having said that we have to be careful about disagreeing with other people's opinions as we should all admit that none of us have a clue how this will unfold.

News / How will BREXIT affect the immigrants in UK and Poland. [1114]


Completely agree with you !!!!!

I voted to remain although I sympathise with some of the concerns of the Brexit supporters. I ended up choosing to ignore the hyperbole and focus on the facts and soon realised that the Brexit campaigners had zero facts they could offer as they didn't know what would happen if we left the EU. Sadly, my fellow Brits were all too happy to vote for the country to leap into the darkness

I don't think many politicians involved in the campaign have done themselves proud. The Leave campaign persuading the electorate that everything will be better and not afraid to use Immigration as their trump card in order to win the votes. Cameron trying to play down fears that Turkey will be assured of EU membership soon but when I read his speeches from 3-4 years ago he was very clear that he wants Turkey to join as soon as possible.

I fear for the future. Our leaders cannot try to legitimise racism and then put that genie back in the bottle once it has served it's purpose and yet the paradox is that we REALLY needed an open and frank debate on immigration. I'm not sure that can happen now.

There are wider implications as we seem to be moving towards an era where the electorate are tired of the old political establishment and are prepared to support populist and nationalistic politicians like Farage and Trump.

The UK deserves what it gets by ignoring the aggressive growth of Islamic culture in the country and venting those frustration on white European migrants instead.


Wrong actually. A referendum has no statutory power. It is basically like a big opinion poll. Parliament could choose to ignore the results...........though that could be political suicide. It's not impossible though.

News / Poland directly threatened by ISIS. Do Islamists planning terrorist attacks in Poland? [390]


The Muslim community are part of the problem.

When the Charlie Hebdo murders happened in Paris I didn't see the Muslim world react with rage that a group of terrorists had killed innocent civilians in the name of their religion but when someone prints a cartoon then the whole muslim world is on fire with indignation and demonstrations in the streets !

If the so called "peaceful majority" do nothing to quell the violent minority then they are guilty by association.

Travel / Best place to exchange money in Poland? [98]

right so I'm wrong to dismiss banks as a possible option ?

I always thought a kantor was the best place to go....generally.

If someone can't speak Polish is transferring money in a Polish bank a difficult process ?

Travel / Best place to exchange money in Poland? [98]

Merged: Advice for best exchange rates

As the title suggests what would you recommend ?

Buy in kantor ?

Use machine in Poland ?

Buy at home ?

Other ?

Language / The shame! I can't pronounce my Polish wife's name (Ola) [69]

Some of you might be surprised how hard it is for foreigners to get their mouths around certain vowels.

Americans i.e. the OP rarely use the "o" sound you find when saying "Ola". The example of "hot" was misleading by a previous poster as Americans pronounce that word almost sounding like "hat".

I have a Polish friend who speaks fluent English but still cannot master elongating vowels e.g Sheep sounds like ship or Two sounds like tu

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]


It is true that many we now have almost a class system amongst immigrants or children of immigrants. Muslims especially look down on Romanians and quote often lump all Eastern Europeans together.

I have to contest your statement that "A lot of the immigant population will of course be voting with Boris, Farage et al for OUT" as anyone without a British passport cannot vote in this referendum (unlike local elections)

News / The world's most beautiful library is in Poland. [5]

Maybe I'm not getting it but the design leaves me somewhat underwhelmed. It looks like a local Empik store

UK, Ireland / Should an English website in UK have Polish translations? [12]

Difficult to say.

Are Poles the only minority group of any size in the area ?

It depends what the website is for. If it's to help the local community then perhaps it could be a good idea but if it's to report crime etc then it could be interpreted negatively that Poles are being singled out as the minority most likely to be the perpetrators of crime.

In my local area there is a fishing lodge which is licence only-the police plastered posters all over the area warning people not to fish in the lodge but the poster was written only in Polish which pi**ed me off a bit !

Life / Streaming online Polish TV [85]

If you have an Android device or a Window computer then install Kodi and load the relevant add-ons to watch Polish tv

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]


You're joking right ?

The Brexit campaign is largely based around xenophobia i.e. leaving the EU would supposedly allow the UK to control it's own borders which would mean less migrants coming to the UK. Many people in the UK who are sympathetic to leaving the EU are dumb enough to believe that leaving the EU will result in the Poles, Romanians, Hungarians etc leaving the UK.

I find myself increasingly frustrated with the fact that we have been presented with a referendum but no politician can give the people a clear idea as to the consequences of either decision-they simply DO NOT KNOW. Instead we have the British public having to decide how to vote based on rhetoric coming from both sides of the argument.

There should be other factors to consider such as the economic impact and the broader argument of sovereignty but these factors would be difficult enough for the common man to understand even if they were clearly explained to us.

One topic that will grow and grow over the coming years is Turkey's application to join the EU and many people are favouring a Brexit as a result.

Travel / Optimal order of Warsaw-Gdansk-Krakow for train travel September [8]

The thing that's complicating your plan is that you are flying in and out of Warsaw.

I visited all three cities two years ago but flew into Gdansk and then out of Krakow. Is this an option or is it too late now ?

Travel / Starbucks in Wawel Castle, Krakow. Is this a joke or true? [42]

Merged:

Has the Lady with Ermine painting been moved permanently to Wawel castle now ?

Used to be at Czartoryski Palace and was a great venue for it. Not sure if it's been moved permanently.

News / Referendum in Poland about so called refugees. [56]


Good question.

If they have failed to prove their refugee/asylum in Sweden then they must have lied about their country of origin so how on earth is Sweden going to know where to send them to ??

I can see it now "yes, you are right. I do not come from Syria. I actually came here from Germany/England. I really hope you don't send me back there"

News / Referendum in Poland about so called refugees. [56]

A referendum is not required.

What constitutes a humane obligation to allow non-EU foreigners to repatriate in Poland ? The fact that they are economically less well off than Europeans ? Maybe we should all find out where our local millionaire lives and turn up at their mansion and demand the right for a better life ?

Of course, if they are genuine refugees fleeing a war torn area then every country should do their share. The problem is most of them have mysteriously lost their ID papers and equally mysteriously is that they do not want to live in the first safe country they land in but prefer to choose where they want to live...............

Life / Polish culture versus rotten West [279]

It's a symptom of the "global village" that we all live in. Cultures are becoming merged, blended, diluted and in some cases will disappear.

Is it me or did the world seem better when I was younger ? :(

UK, Ireland / What are these ex tenants from Poland doing? Crammed into apartments - scams? [18]

It's not exactly rocket science is it ?

Polish men share space in houses and apartments to save money. It's cheaper that way then to buy a house or even rent somewhere on their own. Poles are in the UK to make money and this is one way of doing it.

Polish couples on the other hand will generally try to find their own place once finances allow.

The sub-letting thing is quite commone-I know a guy who paid £ 550 rent for a terraced house and then let every room out. Not only did this provide him with free accommodation but he made a tidy profit of £ 400+ a month. Once thing the Poles are is resourceful :)

News / Wizz Air to start new routes between the UK and Poland [13]


I wonder if the location of the UK airport could be a factor. London airports might be cheaper than say. Liverpool or Manchester

Travel / I'm so bored in Poland! [129]


I'm not entirely clear if you are in Poland on vacation or you're living there but nevertheless.......

Boredom is a state of mind. I know people who also complain about boredom but it's because they don't do anything !

Cut down on the beers...........seriously.

News / Wizz Air to start new routes between the UK and Poland [13]

Agreed. The headline price may appear attractive but once you start adding luggage and taxes then I nearly always pay around £ 180 - £ 220 for return flights to Poland.

Not sure what you mean about "northern England" as I couldn't see any new flights from this area ??

News / Polish priest sacked by Vatican for being openly gay [54]


Hmmm. I think the word "homosexual" from that bible passage can be interpreted many different ways.

According to the bible, adulterers and therefore divorcees are thought of pretty badly but the CC seems to have an ambivalent attitude towards them with many church goers being divorced previously.

I think many good priests would turn a blind eye to the sexuality of their parishioners.

Life / Why are Polish people such hypocrites about immigration? [36]


Correction. We are ALL hypocrites but that doesn't stop us from being right occasionally.

In this case I don't agree that Poles are being hypocrites. The Polish emigrees moved abroad to build a better life for themselves and their families by embracing the culture and work ethic of the host country. This current wave of economic migrants do not share that philosophy as has been proven time and time again in other European countries where people from an Islamic culture have arrived.

Ironically, Muslims in the UK often complain about the influx of Eastern European immigrants.

Life / Expats` opinion on alien immigration to Poland - for or against? [87]


Aha. So the journey to safety is considered more dangerous than staying in their war ravaged country ? I expect you will respond by saying how many migrants have died in the Med trying to reach Europe but my response to that would be that Europe is not the only land mass where safety can be reached. There are many Arabic/Islamic countries that do not require dangerous sea crossings.

Life / Expats` opinion on alien immigration to Poland - for or against? [87]


Ok. I don't entirely disagree with you.

However, I think you are over simplifying matters.

Life / Expats` opinion on alien immigration to Poland - for or against? [87]


but most of the "refugees" are not from Syria and therefore it is arguable if many of them are even refugees. Why are there so few women too ?

Life / Expats` opinion on alien immigration to Poland - for or against? [87]

there is a perverse type of hypocrisy here in that so many muslims are clamouring to settle in the West yet once they are here they clearly resent Western values (yet not so much that they would actually want to go back to their ancestor's homes).


And here is another credible source confirming that hospitals were used as far back as Roman times
vhi.org/hguide_beginning.asp
and another
britannica.com/topic/hospital

You clearly have an agenda you are trying to push.

I have read the page you link to and your comment that "hospitals were a Medieval Islamic development" is very misleading. The article you refer to writes about the development of hospitals in Islamic countries during the medieval times but your comment is very clearly trying to claim that hospitals were developed during Medieval Islam.............which it clearly wasn't.

Nice try though and please keep them coming........

Life / Expats` opinion on alien immigration to Poland - for or against? [87]


Nice try.

Twenty years ago I would have listened with an open mind.

The peaceful spread of Islam in Europe and America has lost it's advantage of surprise as there are many countries that have witnessed first hand how this will all play out.

Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, England, France have all seen how muslims first arrive and settle and actually integrate pretty well during the first generation of settlers. It's only subsequent generations that become more hardline and more orthodox-burkas are only a recent development here in the UK.

You can try to soften up your target countries by extolling the virtues of Islam in relevant forums and Facebook pages but the rest of us know all we need to know.