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Posts by Trevek  

Joined: 21 May 2008 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 12 Jul 2016
Threads: Total: 26 / Live: 21 / Archived: 5
Posts: Total: 1,700 / Live: 1,420 / Archived: 280 		From: Olsztyn
Speaks Polish?: not a lot
Interests: varied

Displayed posts: 1441 / page 4 of 49
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Trevek   
31 May 2012
Life / Require a few pointers on Do's and Dont's in Poland [25]

Don't say "dziękuję" ("thank you") when paying for something until you get your change... it means "keep the change".

Other than that, I'd suggest following the normal conventions of most countries. Don't go into churches with short shorts.

I live in northern Poland and we have a number of Arabian students. Some of these have Polish girlfriends and walk publically on the street with little or no problem.
Trevek   
30 May 2012
News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

You haven't really got the concept of holding a major sports tournament, have you?.

I have, but it doesn't mean I have to accept sloppy, bigotted journalism. I'm also old enough to recall when England fans were considered the scourge of Europe and were targetted by foreign police even if they were innocent (Italy, I seem to recall).

My wife is Polish and she agrees that what is said is true (and she hates football), but she also says it is exagerrated and very selective.

Look on Youtube for the film of Rangers fans booing Boruc for crossing himself. So, on the strength of that am I supposed to believe any catholic going to scotland will return in plaster? Poland and Ukraine are seen as primeval racists but does Sol say that any black person going to a match against a French team will receive racist abuse?

Of course, there is a problem which needs addressing, but is it as serious as the one the film makes out?
Trevek   
29 May 2012
News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

Too thck to realise that the Euro 2012 is not being played in London. London is in Britain, not POLAND or UKRANINE

So it's OK to have riots, elect far-right parties to Euro-parliament, have religiously bigotted football fans who enjoy scrapping as long as Euro 2012 isn't being played there?

To me this is just a case of British "journalism" jumping on a minority situation so it can have a bit of a buzz and feel superior, whilst ignoring a lot of the problems in UK.
Trevek   
29 May 2012
News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]

To be fair, you really wouldn't get UK fans shouting racial abuse from the stands in a football match, at, for example, black players, or attacking a group of Asian students who are supporting the same side. Or any side. There is such a mix of people here, that kind of blatant racism doesn't happen.

Funny, it happened not too many years ago... bananas chucked on the pitch (something I heard of at a French match too)... Oh, and don't forget how lovely and unbigotted the rangers fans were when Boruc crossed himself.
Trevek   
23 May 2012
Life / Polish dentistry cost - 230 zl for one tooth cavity filling [99]

I've had a few done and they generally cost about 1500 zlotych (around 300) for the root-canal work and the crown etc. Possible to get it less (about 500 zlots for the crown alone -about 100 quid).

I'm in Olsztyn.

Depending on the lab, it can take a few days to a week for the crown.
Trevek   
20 May 2012
Law / Penalty points on driving licences in Poland [26]

Aha, thanks. I have had cops on the spot wave the licence away when we asked about points, but this is a speeding camera job!

My worry was that it is an EU/UK licence, not just a UK one.
Trevek   
20 May 2012
Law / Penalty points on driving licences in Poland [26]

Does anyone have any idea about what happens if you get driving points in Poland and you have a UK (EU) licence?

As I understand it, the Polish system allows about 20 points before disqualification, whereas the UK system allows only 12.

If, for example, you get 6 points in Poland, would they go on a UK licence as 6 points, or is their some kind of exchange rate, where you'd get less but of the UK type? Also, how long would they stay?
Trevek   
1 May 2012
UK, Ireland / Scotz barszcz magazine [10]

Merged: Scotsbarszcz is back! Latest edition

The on-line Scottish-Polish magazine "Scotsbarszcz" is out again:
Trevek   
18 Apr 2012
Life / Why is circumcision not practiced in Poland? [701]

you can't argue the necessity for it with that angle. it doesn't hold water.

I think the angle it is at dick-tates if it holds water. Shaking it makes sure it doesn't.
Trevek   
18 Apr 2012
Life / Why is circumcision not practiced in Poland? [701]

Medical science has proven the health benefits of circumcision yet Poles refuse to practice it?

Washing is also pretty effective. I suppose you think little boys ears should be cut off because they don't wash them and get ear infections?
Trevek   
18 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

There's a chapter in "For Your Freedom and Ours" (history of 303 sqn) For-Your-Freedom-Ours-Kosciuszko.

which examines this. It points out that Teddy kept making jokes at Churchill's expense and seemed to think it made him matey with Uncle Joe. Stalin apparently just sat smiling at his two rivals weakening their position infront of him.
Trevek   
18 Apr 2012
Life / Polish interment practices...cemetary burial. [17]

I was thinking more in the cities, like Olsztyn. There is a park on one side of the town which used to be the evangelic cemetery. There is also a German and Russian war cemetery which was destroyed but has recently been restored, if only symbollically. There are a few WW1 cemeteries in small villages which were destroyed but have been restored recently (containing Russian and German graves)

That said, in a few villages I have been the German cemeteries have been left to go to ruin, if not "helped" a little, but are now being cleaned up in a few places (and not in others).
Trevek   
16 Apr 2012
News / Poles are able to forgive their enemies - how noble. [68]

Quite noble of Wałęsa. Or not?

Well, their daughters are good friends, aren't they?

A friend of mine was a British paratrooper (he was English). He fought at Arnhem. After the war he was captured by the Russians, hiking across red Germany and spent 7 years in gulag.

A few years ago, he told me of riding his motorbike over to Arnhem and partying with some other veterans. I asked if they were fellow paras... "Some, but most were Waffen SS... what a great bunch of lads!"

Funny thing was, he'd never work on a communist vehicle (he was a mechanic) or even ride a communist built motorcycle to the day he died.
Trevek   
16 Apr 2012
Life / Polish interment practices...cemetary burial. [17]

Around here (Warmia-Mazury) a number of old cemeteries were flattened in the communist days (usually German/Evangelic) and turned into parks etc. That said, in many village cemeteries there are still many German graves. In some other places I've been (Suwałki, Podlasie) there are large, multi-faith cemeteries from well over a century back.

However, in many places there are still old plots. What has happened in some places is that the old headstones have been collected and turned into a kind of monument.

It's also worth noting that a few decades of Polish winters doesn't always treat a gravestone well, so they can be harder to read (if they still survuve) that one twice the age in Britain, for example.
Trevek   
11 Apr 2012
Love / Do Polish people like Scottish people (friendship or relationship with a Scot)? [56]

What do Poles and Scots have in common?

One of the major figures in Scottish history, Bonnie Prince Charlie, was great grandson of Jan Sobieski 3rd.

There were also around 30,000 Scots living in Poland in 17th century.

Whilst the Braveheart film was very much Hollywood script it was based around historical events, even though they were inaccurately portrayed.

That's an understatement. The battle of Stirling (Brig) was totally misrepresented and the whole thing about the sh@gging the princess!!!
Trevek   
11 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

Not totally... in Scotland, for example, there was a "Poles go Home" campaign and there was also a move to encourage large numbers to repatriate to the colonies (Africa, Australia etc)

marysia.co.uk/PERSONAL/PolishArmy3.pdf
angelfire.com/ok2/polisharmy/chapter7.html

addresses the question of "forced repatriations":

The historical record shows that even General Anders felt let down and betrayed by the Allies. Anders' views on the post-war settlement are discussed in chapter two but in relation to the British he wrote the following, in the English language version of his memoirs:

"They were, however, obviously sincere, and there was every reason for gratitude to them for the assurances they gave that no soldiers would be repatriated against their will, and that demobilisation would not be hurried. For me, there was, indeed, no alternative but to agree with their proposals. If I disagreed, I should have been asked, "what then ?" and have had no answer, while Britain, to her great credit, was the only country which realised that there was a moral obligation to these soldiers who had fought so long by the side of the Allies and which was therefore prepared to make provision for the future of all who would not risk returning home." [38]
Trevek   
11 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

The fact that their friends in the Red Army had destroyed what the the Nazis hadn't meant that the country was still going under massive reconstruction well into the 60s and early 70s so it's no wonder there was plenty of work around.

... and some of the bits the Nazis didn't destroy (former German industrial cities) were granted to Poland, so the industry was already there before the Sovs.
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
History / Which countries are Polands friends, which are Polands enemies? [75]

if the British hadn't handed Poland to the Russians on a golden plate & allowed Polish living standards to remain the same for 50 years

With the agreement and help of the US in making the decision.

I've heard British people don't like Polish.

Well, a British friend of mine who has lived about 20 years in Poland and teaches at the local university (and took his doctorate in Poland) recently had to suffer a door-to-door salesman shouting "Polska dla polaków" in his face because he refused to buy a new door. Are we to assume all Poles are the same?
Trevek   
10 Apr 2012
Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

Europe is being invaded by the third world and europeans are more concerned about the cultural differences between Americans and Canadians.

I wonder if the Americas said something similar when the Irish came over in force ;-)

But, to be honest, I don't think any discussion on this board, even if it manages to get above the mindless racism/ ethnocentrism which usually crops up, will have a major impact on anything.

If you are interested there is an Indian Canadian comedian named Russell Peters who makes fun of other cultures- he is really funny--not offensive- he makes fun of himself and his family and growing up Indian in Canada.

Thanks, I'll look him up.

Americans are louder and more in your face.

Funny, playing in a band with a Canadian and an American and it's the other way around.

I suppose Canadians are less "we're the best" than Americans because they still have a Queen in another country.