History / Poles in the Crusades to the Holy Land [75]

Poles were not participating. Had enough trouble with border conflicts. Imagine moving the knights down south - who would mind the border?

UK, Ireland / The more subtle differences: Ireland/Britain v Poland [310]


and the Germany, our biggest export market.

You can't help to sound patronizing, can you? If it was not for them, we would still have the stores, coffeehouses and shopping alley of the pre-war. That's if you want to speak in 'if it was not for', which I gues is suppose to mean that I should be greatful or something and dare not talk back? Right?

Trade exchange is just that - investor are buying something in order to make profit, not in order to give Poles coffeehouses. Most of the profits are not staying in Poland, btw, they usually pay taxes in their own countries - but that's OK. We're all here in the UK to pump some money back.

UK, Ireland / The more subtle differences: Ireland/Britain v Poland [310]

well, that's just like the Brits. Imagine this - before Rome civillised them, they lived in mud huts. See Anglos mentioned anywhere here?

...not. It's Roma, Italia, Germania, Sclavinia. In the British isles they were still drinking hot water for tea.

Life / The Polish people have a strange attitude to cats and dogs? [84]


no, he's answering a stupid qustion with mockery. you're answering mockery with your little mythology. why would he not live where he decided to - and be able to mock it? no reason - apart from strange people who believe that other people shouldn't travel.

Life / The Polish people have a strange attitude to cats and dogs? [84]


only the dalmatians. and we sell the meat to the Vietnamese.

Work / I'M SO SURPRISED BY THIS SALARY FOR IBM in WROCLAW 3000 ZL gross [135]


that's right we had - but to tell you and interesting thing, I knew people who earned that much themselves, as one person, and still told me 'I'm poor, I only have 3,5 grand per month, that's not sufficient! you, on the other hand, are rich and should pay the bill'. I thought that they should think again.

so - here's the secret - we made our salaries be enough, people thought we were rich.

sure you can do it, but I recommend house sharing.

Work / I'M SO SURPRISED BY THIS SALARY FOR IBM in WROCLAW 3000 ZL gross [135]

depends what you are used to. I used to have 1700 net, boyfriend the same, and had an apartment and a small car, eating out twice a week, movies twice a week. obviously no pûrn site subscriptions or even World of Warcraft, but a trip to a different town every weekend to swim in Warta for example is the type of thing we would do.

Polonia / Contemporary German upbringing - Polish view [11]


heh... wanna bash wills?

History / What happened from 1650-1795? [68]


pfff.... what now. :(
guilty as charged.
at least there's a legend, so one point for us.

all the mess was started with the death of the last Piast. Instead of having a queen from the Polish house, we had one from the Anjou house - one generation later. No big deal, but what has happened had given a lot of power to the ministers. Court being 'szlachta' anyway, the fault is all 'szlachta's' in general.

it wasn't a bad time. those were the days of several wars at once (medals, fiefdoms...), hero-worship (Sobieski), our type of decadence (as remains in the place names Mała Wólka i Wielka Wola). It was all very colourful.

the placenames are connected to this story. There were two panowie, one was proud, the other was quiet. They dared one another to games, the last one of which was to ride a sleigh in summer. The proud pan spread salt on all the fields, and sleighed. The quiet one spread salt on his yard, and sleighed there. Next year nothing could grow in Wielka Wola, and the peasants went to the dwór, which is called rabacja (opposite of pogrom, because it doesn't come from the upside, it comes from the bottom).

History / What happened from 1650-1795? [68]

Yes, of course they are here - I just don't think that they are dangerous. If I remember well, we have a voting attendance of about 40-60%, depending on what's being voted on. Silent minority is too busy working to be involved.

So - be well, and be at peace. We won't harm you.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4501]

Hołod is not a Polish word, it's Ukrainian for Hunger.

Poles witht his last name, can be found for example here: nekrologi-baza.pl/nazw/str_h6.html

History / What happened from 1650-1795? [68]


Not really, no.
Even in 19th Century, there were more political streams in Poland than one - why the so-called West chooses only one, Dmowski's, for their view of Poland, is a mystery to me. Perhaps people have a hard time holding more than one contradicting things in memory at the same time, but that's how politics is.

Look at the US, you've got the Biblical Christians contrasted with gay movement, contrasted with Libertaians, with West Point families, with Mid West working people etc. They all have a different view of what life should be. I could easily say that 'it's a shame that in the US hate still runs rampant, becuase the KKK is as active as always' (I've even seen them on Jerry Springer).

In your assessment of Poland, you probably see only the national flag waving, but it's due to the racial and violent issues the West has suffered not so long ago. People were killed for having sex the wrong way, for Chist's sake! So all you see around you is what you are tuned in to see. If you look at them again, PiS, PO, SLD, AWS, SD, Solidarnosc, PLS, all that lot proves to be unformely red, socialist and demo-beaureaucratic.

Life / Stereotypes: Do Poles believe in fate? [18]


in that case you're in for a lot of bad luck! the spitting, that is, not sure about the rooster.

Life / Polish specialty items - what souvenirs should I bring home to friends/family? [20]

Pieguski and Michałki - the Brits are enchanted with those. They hold llong conversations over the ingredients.

History / Prophesy - Poland from sea to sea. [57]

there's a long article. somebody read it and tell me what's in it.

translate.google.com/# - translate to english

Life / Ecco Walkathlon. What a contrast - the modern Poland versus the primitive loonies. [17]

I do too... but I prefer to marvel in my soul and let people go uninformed... it feels even beter, so try it sometime OP!

Life / What's currently in fashion in Poland? [44]

Which reminds me - I need to come to Poland and do some shopping. Two years ago I bought a purple knitted tunic and boots, and I was hesitating to wear them this year... but I've just had a pair of very rich customers here at the cafe, and the lady wore just that - but her boots were brown.

Life / Diaspora, what do you miss from Poland? [15]

i think that the fall is in full colour just about now. fresh misty mornings, red leaves, trip to the targ to pick up the harvest fruit.

News / Does it seem to you that Russia loves Poland now? [35]


Me neither.
Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst!

History / What happened from 1650-1795? [68]


That's sweet of you, BB.

Now how do I please you? I know. I'll tell you a nice story about the 40s:

One of my boyfriend's Grandpas was 9 years old when the Wehrmacht came and camped out in their village near Kłobuck. They were stationed in the wooden houses and had a field kitched by the Sołtys's barn. The German soldier who was stationed with Grandpa would give the boy rides on his horse and would share his soldier food with him. Which was very much appreciated as the supplies were low.

Not much more was remembered by the kid from the war, so there you go. Positive.

Life / Fascination of Poles with German Laundry Detergent [16]

That's all ok, untill you go abroad and try to find Sidolux - that made me appreciate Polish stuff.

I can only get some cheap (rather:expensive) fakes, like Pledge or Pronto. Every thing is dirty. Only Cif works around the house here.
And I started adding baking soda to every laundry load, to get the fresh feel, because ev erything was always musty.

The funny thing that in the UK the purple couloured chemicals work best - mabe they are a novelty and the chemical companies must add more cleaning agent to make them sell???

Overall, I can appreciate Fairy and OzKleen here. But I still buy Ludwik whenever I can.

History / What happened from 1650-1795? [68]


what? Vichy? Old news.

But I really was wondering why we Poles get to be the antisemites of the world, while other countries were administative and open Jew-opressors. If you make up a map with places in Europe where Jews and witches were hurt - and compare it to Kielce and rest of Poland, we come out pure as newborn babies.

History / What happened from 1650-1795? [68]

russdom.ru/node/3323

I think they mean here that Russia and Sweden had some business together.

Life / Poles - what other nationality would you say you are most like? [125]

I think we're like the South Africans. They don't seem awkward at all.

Language / "A" and "I" usage in Polish language [22]

alexw68


it's been there since the 19th, and is generally used to mock the political barratry we are forever prone to.

pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C5%82o%C5%84_a_sprawa_Polski - Słoń a sprawa polska

RPG a sprawa Polska - a seminar invariably held in each of the RPG conventions. Followed by panel discussion 'Superiority of Fantasy over the SF, or otherwise'.

forum.gram.pl/forum_post.asp?tid=58281&pid=29 - Naprawa gwarancyjna a sprawa polska

Love / THE POLISH DISEASE, wanna marry a Polish girl ? read on... [197]


that's clear then - you got fat and expect her to pay your beer bill and smell you in bed.
get a job.

Language / "A" and "I" usage in Polish language [22]

I wonder what you make of this:

Człowiek na księżycu a sprawa polska
Man on the moon and the Polish Cause