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Posts by ArcticPaul  

Joined: 7 Apr 2008 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 31 Jan 2009
Threads: Total: 38 / Live: 4 / Archived: 34
Posts: Total: 233 / Live: 50 / Archived: 183 		From: Wakefield, England, U.K.
Speaks Polish?: A few words (but I keep trying!).
Interests: History, Reading, Organised Crime, Travelling, Film/TV and attempting to learn Polish.

Displayed posts: 54 / page 2 of 2
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ArcticPaul   
22 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

what's the difference between Asians and Orientals? The Orient = Asia AFAIK.

Although it is technically incorrect Asians refers to Indo-Iranian groups whilst orientals refers to Mongoloid/Far Eastern races.
The majority of Brits understand this same distinction.
I know the orient starts as soon as you cross the Bosphorus into Turkey.
'AFAIK'???
ArcticPaul   
22 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

It only works with white foreigners. Blacks./Asians have a more aggressive strain and don't even mention the orientals!
Remember Bird flu/ SARS!
ArcticPaul   
22 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

In Britain the government has recently financed a series of advertisements to draw peoples attention to the possibility of Hep C because the vast majority go undiagnosed BUT most routine blood tests reveal the condition.

I have a friend who caught it by travelling on the same train as a Slovakian
Comments please.
ArcticPaul   
22 Apr 2008
Study / The reputation of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. [52]

A three week intensive residential at the Jag costs 4400 Zloty (Travel/food not included. Exam/certificate also $100-200 extra) Not bad for the Oxford/Harvard of Poland.

Two week residential at Krakow summer school is approx $650 + travel/food.

I'm looking forward to trying both starting with the 'summer school' in october.
ArcticPaul   
21 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

Can you really not get free treatment in USA?
It's obscene for the richest country on earth to leave it's citizens high and dry like that!
On E.R. they used to treat bagladies, hobo's and illegals. Is that pure invention for a feel good TV show?
ArcticPaul   
21 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

Yeah. Advice from a sexual health organisation (Gay or otherwise) is certainly a good idea. I doubt the ambulance and quarantine scenario, he seems to feel is necessary, takes place outside of North Korea, Burma or Mughabe's Zimbabwe.
ArcticPaul   
21 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

Hep C from brothels....HIV = homosexuals.

Please tell me its a joke I'm just not understanding.
This level of ignorance as we approach the 2nd decade of the third millenium is unbelievable!

Read some books. Watch some documentaries. Do what you must but EDUCATE yourselves just enough to avoid being percieved as developmentally disabled (retarded is the politically incorrect term I feel you'll understand best).
ArcticPaul   
20 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

I'd put ignorance at the top of the list for helping the spread of these blood to blood infections.
it's usually the type of misinformed jackass who thinks you catch hep c from a brothel that cause the most problems.
Know what I mean, polishwoodchuck?
ArcticPaul   
20 Apr 2008
Study / The reputation of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. [52]

The UJ (Jagiellonian) actually helped develop the test and certificates for Europe wide recognised qualifications.
Unfortunately the Jag page explaining the certs is in Polish, leading to a chicken/egg type situation.

I intend to do a 2 week intensive residential in Oct, then return to Krakow on Feb 09 for a 3 week intensive Jagiellonian course, followed by the test.

PM me if you want the actual websites.
ArcticPaul   
20 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

hep C survives far longer and in far more conditions than HIV.
If Hep c and HIV were animals hep would be a cockroach (virtually indestructible) and HIV would be a moth (ugly but fragile).

In Western Europe you'll have similar rights to USA (if not in Poland?) so maybe a journey into Germany for testing will help rest your fears.
ArcticPaul   
20 Apr 2008
Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

Poland never had a multicultural society when in fact not only it had but it made a huge impact on our national identity today

Jozef Pilsudski was also born in todays Lithuania but seems to be considered Polish.
Meyer Lansky's Polish birthplace had changed nationalities when the U.S government attempted to deport him in the 50/60's.
When a Nation has had it's borders changed as often and as dramatically as Polands it's not really surprising.
ArcticPaul   
19 Apr 2008
Study / The reputation of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. [52]

Thanls, polishgirltx. I knew of your first two url's (in fact my original post concerned the 2nd one 'polish courses .org, which I intend to enroll on in October).

I did not, however, know of the third. I look forward to checking it out.
ArcticPaul   
19 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

Yes. I seem to remember something to do with private blood donation clinics in Nevada.

As for using drugs and eating anything you want..... remember that the liver filters poison out of everything we ingest. Some drugs can do as much damage as alcohol and eating loads of high fat food is potentially damaging.
ArcticPaul   
18 Apr 2008
Life / Polish people and racism. [943]

I often find that racial attitudes are more a generational than national trait.

My Father says the most racist things but refuses to even accept they ARE racist statements or he is a racist.

I wonder what the average age of the Daily Express or Mail reader is?
You don't see many under 50s reading them.
ArcticPaul   
18 Apr 2008
Life / Hepatitis C in Poland...please help. [59]

v99

before you dive in for a bi-opsy and go worry yourself half dead about paying for interferon know this.
1. It clears up naturally in many cases (I do not have the stats but it's considerable.
2. Some people live with it for decades and never even know they have it until a routine test shows up the antibodies.
3. Interferon has had hit and miss results in the past but research into genotypes is shedding some light on the reasons for this and the potential success/failure of treatment.

So maybe you have time to finish your time in Europe before you seek ttreatment as an absolute prority.

Good luck, mate.
Not that you'll need it.
ArcticPaul   
17 Apr 2008
Genealogy / Polish surnames - Origin and Meaning [26]

The peasants names (Spade, Sparrow) reminded me that CAPONE is Italian for capon. A castrated chicken!
It's not surprising Alphonse had something to proove!

Maybe. The word for hospital in polish is szpital. I think in german it is something similar.

That you for that, Polonius3. I'm always interested to learn anything about my surname. maybe I have Polish relatives?

Pawol Szpital.
ArcticPaul   
17 Apr 2008
Study / The reputation of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. [52]

yes, UJ is a very good university with a great reputation... and University of Warsaw offers great courses also...do you think about studying there? what's your major?

I don't have one.
I'm a 34 yr old warehouse worker looking for a two week intensive Polish language course.
The courses in Warsaw seem more reputable (Jagiellonian excluded) but who wants to spend their vacation time in Warsaw?
Krakow would offer the history and culture I love if I can find a language school that gives me confidence.
ArcticPaul   
15 Apr 2008
Study / The reputation of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow. [52]

This Uni offers a variety of Polish language and culture courses that are considerably more expensive than the bulk of other similar courses advertised.
Does anyone know what the reputation of this place is like?
From the little I have read '...established in 1364....second oldest university in Northern Europe....'it sounds very professional. Like a Polish version of an Oxford or a Cambridge uni.
ArcticPaul   
15 Apr 2008
Genealogy / Polish surnames - Origin and Meaning [26]

Polish Surnames: Do they all mean something?
I met someone called Gruszka (sp?) and, in my dictionary's definition, it meant 'Peartree'.
Also Wałęsa (possibly the worlds most famous Polish surname) means 'wanderer' or something similar....I don't have it with me as I write this.

British surnames usually stem from a persons occupation or place of origin.
Example. Spittle (my surname) has a dictionary definition of 'Saliva' (I know! Lovely name!) But the origin is Spittler. Or a type of Inn keeper a few centuries ago.

Hospitality is a derivative.
My surname is most often seen spelt 'Spittal'. It's exactly the same root but English spelling was only standardised around 120 years ago. It's just luck that I was in a part of the family that chose the same spelling as the bodily fluid.

It's even worse when one considers my initial is 'P'.

Often a persons surname will be a place. John Wakefield, James Newcastle, Jennifer York....

Do Polish surnames follow a similar history?
ArcticPaul   
10 Apr 2008
Study / Polish language courses....Suggestions wanted. [12]

I am considering registering on the polish courses 13 nights, intensive Polish language course in Krakow.
Monday to Friday we have 5 x 45 minute lessons daily, evenings we have films/cultural events. Saturdays we have excursions. Sundays are for resting.

Its less than 400 euro for the tuition and a shared room. 60 euro extra for as single room. Flights, transfers and food are not included.

Anyone who knows about this course (or any similar residential programme) would be helping me a lot by volunteering any info or advice.
ArcticPaul   
10 Apr 2008
Language / Learning Polish, good for beginners? [29]

Can you afford £20 for a weekly lesson?
Learning Polish by yourself from books, tapes, internet sites etc will be very hard.

In additiion to lessons (which usually come with e-mails containing attachments of pdf files - to be printed and used during the lesson. Pdf files to be printed off and used as 'homework'. And audio files to help with pronounciation) you'll need a good Polish-English, English-Polish dictionary, Basic Grammar by Dana Bielec, 301 Polish Verbs (I forget the author).

You can find a study partner at myhappyplanet.com and a teacher at myngle.com.

Despite the difficulties of pronounciation, coming to terms with a 32 letter alphabet (including 9 vowels) the real problem is the grammar.
Case endings, genders, pronouns....concepts alien to English speakers are everywhere!