Life / Etiquette in a Store and Market Queues in Poland [146]

I just returned from shopping at my local neighborhood Lidl, and I experienced a frustrating part of Polish life - somebody parked their shopping cart in a check-out aisle and went to pick up more stuff. Since there was plenty of space ahead of his cart, this shopper had obviously been gone for a few minutes - so, I jumped in front of the cart and placed my three items on the belt.

Soon thereafter, a guy (mid-20's) showed up and asked that I relinquish my place in the queue. I refused. A few words were exchanged, and he bumped me a few times with his shopping cart, but it didn't escalate into anything major. I'm sure he wasn't pleased, but it is my opinion that the guy left the queue. I understand the opposing viewpoint - he was arguably there first - but I believe my point is equally valid (if not more so).

I have lived in Poland for nearly 5 years and have never done this before, but this apparent lack of consideration for others is starting to annoy me. Is anyone else frustrated with such 'traditions' in Poland? I am also growing weary of the person who jumps into a newly-opened check-out lane and invites his/her friend(s) to cut in line ahead of everyone else (and they always seem to have separate orders). These are typically young people who are doing this, so I don't believe Communism is to blame here - just a lack of courtesy and consideration of others. I plan to start voicing my displeasure when this happens in the future.

Opinions?

Law / Allegro - Search by Postal Code missing [4]

I noticed that the new Allegro format seems to have omitted the possibility of searching within a certain area (say, within 10 km of a specific postal code). Am I missing this, or did they remove this option when they updated their format? Thanks!

Law / Invoice Question and Bookkeeping Records in Poland [4]

I have a simple question regarding bookkeeping: if I submit an invoice in March and receive payment in April, in which month should I include the payment in my records? Thanks!

Life / Electrical wiring in Poland - color codes [23]

I would like to install a wall lamp (kinkiet) in my bathroom, but I have never done any electrical wiring in Poland before - what are the color codes of the in-wall wiring used here? I see 3 colors - black, blue, and white (could be light grey). My lamp has brown, blue and green/yellow wires.

I'm guessing that the white wire from the wall is ground and will be connected to the green/yellow wire on my lamp, but I wanted to check before proceeding. Logic seems to indicate that brown will be connected to black and blue to blue - am I wrong?

Thanks for any and all constructive input!

Food / Favorite Pierogarnia in Krakow [5]

What is your favorite pierogarnia in Krakow? Mine is a little shop close to Nowy Kleparz, just north of Aleja on ul. Sląska (see map below). They have wonderful krokiety (my favorite - mushroom and cheese) as well as good naleśniki and gołąbki. There was another near Starowiślna, but I recently discovered that they have closed shop. They prepared great mielony as well as a fried apple cake that was delicious. I'm sorry to see them go out of business.

I hope some of you fellow Krakovians can give the rest of us some good advice on where to buy tasty Polish food. Smacznego!

https://www.google.com/maps?q=%C5%9Al%C4%85ska+2,+Krak%C3%B3w,+Polska& hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=50.073847,19.933684&spn=0.009282,0.01869&sll=50.07523 7,19.93216&sspn=0.009282,0.01869&hnear=%C5%9Al%C4%85ska+2,+Krak%C3%B3w ,+ma%C5%82opolskie,+Poland&t=m&z=16

Food / Which type of sausage in Poland is closest to an American kielbasa? [23]

Hey Poles in America - no doubt you have tasted what Americans call Polish sausage. I'm curious - from which type of kielbasa do you think ours was derived? I realize that this might be sacrilege, but I miss the taste of an American Polish sausage and would like to find something close here in Poland.

My best guess is Śląska, but I haven't tried all the varieties here. Any opinions?

Food / Butcher Shops in Krakow with Good Beef [11]

Can anyone recommend a good butcher shop in Krakow? Specifically, a butcher shop with good cuts of beef? I want to prepare steak this weekend - perhaps a ribeye or porterhouse.

If this is too tall an order, then how about a place to buy frozen steaks? Perhaps some imported meat - any suggestions? Thanks for all constructive input...

News / Bills introduced in American Congress to lift visa requirements for Poland [5]


This certainly caught me off guard - is it possible that one of these bills might actually pass? Since President Obama wants it, I can't imagine Republicans allowing it to become a reality...certainly not in an election year.

Food / Semolina in Poland (kasza manna?) [4]

I found a recipe that called for semolina - unfortunately, the closest I could find was kasza semolina at a local health food store (surprisingly, neither Alma nor Bomi seem to carry it). So I bought it and tried it in my recipe - unfortunately, it didn't turn out like it was supposed to. My dish (roman gnocchi) was much less solid than the photos and description indicated.

Is kasza semolina different somehow from semolina? And what about semolina flour? Are these things so diametrically different that they can't be used interchangeably? If so, where can I find semolina and semolina flour in Krakow? Thanks for any and all constructive input!

Food / Pastel de nata in Krakow [5]

Does anyone know a bakery in Krakow that makes pastel de nata? They are also known as Portuguese custard tarts. I've never tried them, but I'd like to - they look delicious! Thanks...