UK, Ireland / Poland continues to milk Ireland dry. [129]


Funny, I met a number of Irish emigres in Germany in the 1980's and Finland in the 1990's. Not places where English is the national language... idiot.

Two wrongs certainly don't make a right but it also makes someone hypocritical to tar everyone with the same brush.

So, the people who bleed the benefits (and it's not something I approve of, we agree there) are the ones who persuaded the Irish goverment to shaft it's own people and waste it's own money? How do they have a stronger voice than you do?

A genuine question; when Dell came to Ireland (instead of employing lots of Texans), did they just roll up and say, "Gee, this looks a nice place for a factory?" or did they get a few tax incentives, rent deals etc from the Irish Government (knowing how Thatcher's government attracted the Asian companies to Britain) and the knowledge there was a cheap workforce?

UK, Ireland / Poland continues to milk Ireland dry. [129]


It sent the Irish all over the world.

Just remember, Ireland got a LOT of money from Europe for being a poor, underdeveloped, underpopulated country. Plenty of Irish (quite understandably) emigrated. When the economy began to boom, of course foreigners were going to flock there... it's just what happens when you become a success.


Yeah, there used to be a lot of Irish doing it in Britain. Some of them were my mates.


Hmmm, so the Irish vote in a government which squanders its money... and that is the fault of the Polish people?

News / GERMANS WANT TO GERMANIZE KOPERNIK (COPERNICUS)! OUTRAGE! [1016]

Oh no! That means it works!

Not possible tho'. There's no such thing as gays in the church, is there now.

News / GERMANS WANT TO GERMANIZE KOPERNIK (COPERNICUS)! OUTRAGE! [1016]

Wow, Germany's quick to try any tactic!

Neither did the Pope...

News / GERMANS WANT TO GERMANIZE KOPERNIK (COPERNICUS)! OUTRAGE! [1016]


That would explain why I see so many neanderthals walking around with "White Power" patches.


Problematic, as I think there were still ethnic Prussians around in Kop's time, who spoke (Old) Prussian (like Lithuanian)


If it was possible to prove Copernicus gay then Kaczynski would declare him German in a flash!

Life / Why are Poles in other countries called "Plastic Poles"? [168]

They aren't respected, they are pander to and patronised. They are treated that way to benefit the school/teacher financially or opportunistically. I've worked in schools where little Jasiek or Gosia are put into higher classes, "tolerated" for forgetting their homework (cos the parents don't give a damn when we complain to them), etc, etc. It doesn't mean we respect them... we loathe them. They get zero help when they want an out-of-class proof reading or help with a letter etc.

It's fun when one of the little prats fails FCE and suddenly finds Daddy's money can't buy them everything.

On the question of ethnicity, how is it that a Black person can refer to themselves/be referred to as African American (or Afro-Caribbean) or a "brown" or "yellow" (no racism intended) person can be referred to as British-Asian, Chinese etc (when they might never have gone to China, Africa, India etc)?

In the days before passports were huge, there were often large communities in other countries who maintained their cultural identity and it was no considered unusual for them to be referred to as whatever the nationality was. It's perhaps only since the notion of a nation-state that it has become problematic.

Do Poles from Kresy get reffered to as "Plastic Poles"? Did szlachta in the old commonwealth get told, "No, you're a plastic Lithuanian, you were actually born in Poland"?

Imagine a 17th century conversation in Gdansk ...

"Hello, I'm Scottish..."
"Do you speak Polish?"
"No"
"Where you born in Scotland?'
"No, here in Gdansk, my parent s are both Scottish, as are my grandparents"
"Kurda! szkot plastyczny!"

Life / Polish movies with English subtitles [87]

A numer of recent mainstream Polish films have been issued on DVD with English subtitles.
Ranczo, Da Vinci, Angels in Krakow, Ogniem i Mieczem and loads more.

What's annoying is that British/US films issued by Polish firms such as monolith DON'T have English subtitles, just Polish lektor and Polish subs.

History / Poland's King Jan III Sobieski - the stopper of Turkish Janissaries! [64]


The man who doesn't know history is doomed to live through it again.

Life / Do you think that Polish people are rude? [951]

Of course you are, you didn't say "excuse me,".

Life / Why is cheating at schools in Poland accepted?! [155]

Probably more than a few responsible there...

Life / Why is cheating at schools in Poland accepted?! [155]

Wrong direction...

Life / Why is cheating at schools in Poland accepted?! [155]

A Polish colleague is heavily involved with Cambridge FCE testing. He claims that the FCE listening papers have had to be revised and multiple versions used in each new sesion because students have been recording the test on mobile phones and selling on the internet/ passing on to friends.

Two biggest culprits... Greece and... GUESS WHERE!

Food / How to find Halal Food in Poznan (Muslim food in Poland) [55]

Thanks, interesting.

Food / How to find Halal Food in Poznan (Muslim food in Poland) [55]

A serious question, is kosher food considered OK as halal?

Life / Polish culture do's and dont's? [106]

Don't forget to buy a ticket for the bus two weeks in advance because the driver probably won't have any to sell you and will ask why you didn't know you would be travelling that time and that day.

Buy a ticket for your luggage, even if it is on your knee.

Don't expect any mercy if queueing for the post office.

Don't stand behind someone at the cashpoint but do expect people to stand right up your @rse at the post office counter, usually sighing heavily.

My boss told me not to talk to people with my hands in my pockets. He also suggested not whistling whilst walking along the street.

Don't pour your own vodka in a house, let the host/hostess serve you.

If you are a Brit, don't laugh when someone tells you Sopot has an amazing pier.

If driving, it is customary (if you are obeying the speed limit) to use the hard shoulder to allow others to pass you (whichever direction they are coming from).

AM I CORRECT IN THINKING YOU SHOULD UNWRAP FLOWERS BEFORE GIVING THEM?

AM I ALSO CORRECT THAT YOU SHOULDN'T SHAKE HANDS OVER A THRESHOLD?

Don't say 'dziękuję' when paying for anything until you get the change (they'll take it as a 'keep the change').

UK, Ireland / What do you hate about England and English people? [142]


Maybe he was thinking about the Russian and Ukranians (although their christmas is at the beginning of January).


The Scots took England over in the 1600's. The whole concept of "Great Britain" was invented by that Scottish king who went down to England and took the English crown, then filled his court up with Scots (no, not Tony Blair!). James VI.

He then proceeded to kick the cr@p out of various of the Scottish islands, as well as a few folk in Ulster.

Study / American Muslim girl thinking to go to Medical school in Poland... [87]


He's a Polish champion strongman. Imagine the Incredible Hulk, but white.

I live in north Poland and although there are not many Black people around here there are a few, African, Afro-Polish and even Americans. What I have found (I'm white but I've been involved with Black people visiting Poland) is that people can be very curious if they haven't seen Blacks before (in the flesh) and have a tendency to stare from curiosity (not necessarily malice). (I've even found myself doing it, and I'm from Britain and grew up with Afro-Caribbean schoolmates). Some people can find this rather hard to deal with, especially if they are not used to being in a place where they are in a minority (I don't know what your experience of this is).

Two extreme examples I experienced involved visiting actors/dancers from France and UK. Two boys from London came over and just couldn't stand the staring. We had to explain that people just weren't used to seeing Black people. In another case a French dancer came to visit a local theatre company and they took him into one of the most remote villages in Suwalki (far north). People were friendly, polite but VERY curious (never having seen a Black guy in the flesh) and he found the attention VERY hard to deal with.

Many older women wear headscarves in Poland, particularly those from Eastern Orthodox churches (I think that's what a babuska is).

UK, Ireland / Polish Beer In The UK [98]

When I was working in Paignton a couple of years ago one of the off-the-track pubs served Lech and Okocim at a couple of quid cheaper than the local brew.

News / "Poles want cut on foreign workers" - (in Poland obviously) [47]


Agreed. But if you let people in to do the job because there aren't enough Poles to do it then you can hardly suddenly say, "actually we don't want you now because we've all come back".

Life / Why do people think that I'm Polish ? [92]


It also worked on whether the communist goverment wanted people to stay to do the work in the fields/factories. There was a quote from one offical who had to sort through these designations about not wanting "German meat dressed in Polish gravy".

News / "Poles want cut on foreign workers" - (in Poland obviously) [47]

A couple of years ago there were so few people to do the crops that they were threatened with rotting in the field. Even Lepper considered getting Ukrainians in to do that.

News / "Poles want cut on foreign workers" - (in Poland obviously) [47]

I find it so funny. I've taught English at a number of firms in Poland. Some complained that they had to get foreign workers. When I asked why there were no engineers in Poland I was told, "Because they are all working in bars in London!"

In some cases I've either heard of or been involved in, work contracts have either been shoddily carried out or delayed for ages because there weren't enough skilled workers to do the job.

C'mon guys, you can't expect a million or so people to disappear abroad and have their jobs kept open for when they return.

History / Unusual soldier (The bear - named Voytek) [71]


Try the Polish Servicesmens associations, but maybe also somewhere like the Sikorski club in Glasgow.

UK, Ireland / English teenager refused service at Polish shop [87]


Sorry, I was being ironic. There's a warehouse clothes shop I refuse to shop in because of the snotty cow who works the till.

Actually the tax office ladies love my helpless look and do things for me.


Oops, missed that. Mind you, in Poland soft is anything under 99% proofage.

UK, Ireland / English teenager refused service at Polish shop [87]

The shopkeeper has probably had trouble with schoolies shoplifting.

Mind you, she says she stopped to 'buy a drink'... what kind?

Of course, I've never been patronised or belittled in Poland for not being able to order something word perfectly in Polish. Even the bus driver who couldn't understand two words beginning with a 'b' and an 'n' (bilit normalni, bilet normalny, bylyt normalni... not sure how many other two words one might possibly use on a bus) suddenly understood after 3 minutes of obviously sincere incomprehension) when I shouted "Jestem głpui cudzoziemiec i nie mowię po Polsku!" "Ah! Bilet Normalny!"

Life / What can citizens do to make Poland a better place to live? [125]


Exactly. I mean, would you chance your safety to the reactions of a Polish driver? (don't be offended, I know some very nice Polish drivers).

What amazes me is that some of these people serious do not seem to notice a rather large chunk of metal moving towards them ON THE ROAD. They don't even seem to notice that the road is there (with no crossing). It's like they are wearing blinkers (in some cases they are, wearing hoods etc).

What worries me more is when some of these people, who are apparently myopic and unaware of their own surroundings, are unable to acknowledge a large moving piece of metal... get into their own car and drive!

Life / What can citizens do to make Poland a better place to live? [125]


How about if you step off the pavement into the road while there is a car on it?

There are blind spots if th pedestrian is on the other side to the way your head is turned and happens, just for a second to be in line with the frame of the windows (and as I said, it was dark and he was in black).

Life / What can citizens do to make Poland a better place to live? [125]


To right! I was reversing around a bend and some guy just walked straight behind me (on the road) and set off my reverse beepers (tell me if I'm too close). It was dark and he was wearing black (and had his hood up, probably his I-pod on) and had no idea that drivers have blind spots etc. Another time I reversed off the path and there was a guy standing next to my drivers side. I asked him if he didn't notice that he was standing in the road and that there was a large car moving towards him. "Jest moja droga!" he rplied.

The thing with drivers which gets me is when you are trying to come out of a parking space and, rather than wait 20 seconds for you to get out and drive away and leave the way clear, thy try to push their car through the 20mm gap, thus blocking your way and theirs (and the guy behind them who moves when they do, so they can't reverse either).

Life / What can citizens do to make Poland a better place to live? [125]

Learn to drive! Seriously, people ask me how I find driving on the right hand side of the road. I don't have a problem... it's all the idiots driving on the left who are the problem. Audis overtaking 3 or 4 at a time in the face of oncoming traffic.

Also, try waiting a second for another car to move before trying to squeeze an entire car into a 1mm gap.

Pedestrians... try remembering a car can't always see you before you walk across the back of a reversing vehicle.

Life / Olsztyn life; I'm Indian and I like the place [43]


Already 2 McD's... the rot is spreading