Love / Polish Pet Names For Girls. [156]

Hi, can anyone tell me how to say 'Little Elephant' in Polish? It's my pet name for my gf and sounds like it is insulting...but it isn't, she likes it! Maybe you could also write it phonetically so I know how it sounds? Many thanks!

Love / Berlin vs Poznan - fashion of Polish women [36]


Are you sure they were women? Erections mights suggest they were men. What sort of clubs do you go to?


Are these negative traits to have as a man? Should they preclude a man from attracting a beautiful woman?

Love / Polish Girls negative or positive personality trait? [267]

Jeez JC, every country has it's cesspools...is there a country that doesn't? I think you'll find that often the countries that try and hold themselves up to be somehow better than the rest are simply in denial or utterly hypocritical. And maybe I'm nitpicking a little, but isn't that profile image of yours a little offensive if it is, as it seems to be, 'the finger'?... aren't you worried that some people of the 'Polish and Catholic Culture' might feel that you are making life a little less pleasant by posting this image?....

Polonia / Poland and France cultures are similar [112]

I know many Polish people, none of whom speak French; I know many French people, none of whom speak Polish. So how do they communicate? By speaking English of course. So that's one thing the two cultures have in common! (But of course the French pretend to the English that they cannot speak English even though they all can!)

I've been to Poland and France many times but I find it hard to find any real cultural similarities, apart from the bureaucracy; and although I try to avoid the lazy habit of stereotyping people by supposed national character traits, if I do try to make such a comparison between the French and the Poles I can find no real common ground. There is a common love of food and dining but I find some French a bit anal about it whereas the Polish enjoy food for the opportunity of socialising and simply enjoying a good meal.

I think countries which have had empires (in relatively recent history) have a completely different mentality to countries which have not, and of course a lasting legacy of immigration from the countries which were previously under their control which tends to make such countries very multicultural. I think that it is easier to find cultural differences between Poland and France than cultural similarities and I think the biggest difference is in the area of multiculturalism. Although the French and English 'hate' each other (sorry for the stereotyping there) the fact is that they have a great deal in common, including much shared history, and it is interesting that each country accuses the other of the same negative characteristics such as arrogance.

Even though France is essentially a Catholic country, it has managed to pretty much separate the state from the church; what the Revolution started, multiculturalism is rapidly completing. Poles, though strongly Catholic, are gradually adopting a more relaxed (or is it resistant?) attitude to the influence the individual allows the Church to wield as in the case, for example, of divorce, but the culture of the Church is still far more overt in Poland and is still a very strong cultural influence there.

There is also the legacy of communism which I believe still influences how many people in Poland act and think, a political ideology which France has never lived under; ironic given that France gave the world the Communards!

This is of course only a personal view, but I find it hard to think of two more culturally dissimilar countries than Poland and France.....but I'm willing to be convinced otherwise!

Life / 3 reasons why you hate Poland. [1049]


I used to take it personally when a Polish female friend slagged me off behind my back despite the things I'd done for her but then I realised she and her friends do this to everyone....and each other. Now I find it funny.


Not here in the Uk when I've been to my g/f's Polish church. Jeans, t-shirts, denim skirts etc. are more common than smart clothes. Is this because they're away from Poland and feel under less scrutiny and because they have a much younger age profile in the church here than in Poland?

Life / 3 reasons why you hate Poland. [1049]


Accommodation, finding work, transport, a little financial help....purely platonic. But she just doesn't seem to see anything wrong with putting friends, workmates etc. down and spreading gossip. Now I just accept that's how she and her friends are and don't tell her anything personal. Her boyfriend's English and it drives him nuts that she can't keep her mouth shut! She creates problems with her 'honesty' then says: 'But I only tell the truth....Polish people always tell the truth to their friends even if it is painful for them.' After the first time of meeting my girlfriend she told everyone that she was 'ordinary' and 'couldn't be trusted'! I'm still with my woman and still friends with this girl....just, and on a much lower level than I thought we could be on. Ah well, live and learn.

Life / If I say POLAND, you say...? [100]

If I say POLAND, you say...?

....thirty unhappy faces staring from a tram; miserable assistants in Kefirek; Polish 'friends' who are only friends when they need something; Warsaw....

....the country which has given me a wonderful, beautiful, happy, positive, funny partner; walks through the Krakow planty at any time of the year; Wedel chocolate; Polish beer; trams (I like trams); Polish people who think smiles and politeness are not negative personality traits; Polish food; and lots more to outweigh the negatives....

Life / If I say POLAND, you say...? [100]

Magdalena

Thanks for the response Magdalena. You could well be correct about me interpreting seriousness as unhappiness. Is seriousness a national trait? I work with a young Polish man whom I am always telling to 'cheer up' and to not be so miserable; perhaps he is just serious though he also seems to be pessimistic and negative. I have a female Polish friend whom I've known for a few years and she seems to have an identical personality. I am willing to accept that maybe I'm looking at things from the wrong perspective.

I go to Poland very frequently, often to Krakow, so tend to use the same shop regularly so if the assistants in that shop are seemingly miserable then my general opinion of Kefirek assistants is perhaps unfairly based on this experience. I will take your advice and try smiling a bit more myself and see if things change.

I'm sure that they are no different to 'friends of any nationality', but perhaps because they were people in a new country they were always asking for help in everything, which is understandable, and so I always did what I could and I thought we had a friendship; but then as soon as they had established themselves the only time they're interested is when they want something. It's quite possible that people of other countries would have behaved the same so again you may well be right Magdalena.

I too have no great liking for London; and to be fair there is beauty to be found in Warsaw: we spent a lovely and memorable Sunday afternoon in £azienki Park listening to a Chopin recital. However, I suppose my negative impression of Warsaw comes from being stuck in rush-hour traffic which seems to extend well past what should be the rush-hour, the beaurocracy involving my g/f obtaining some necessary documents from a government department and the long tram-ride back to the apartment in the suburbs every evening past endless same-looking apartment blocks. Perhaps if I'd been in a different location in the city under different circumstances I would feel a bit more positive about the city.

So, I take your points in the friendly spirit you have offered them Magdalena and I will try harder to see things from a different perspective in future! As I said, the positives of Poland far outweigh the negatives by a large margin and I never tire of visiting your

country. To be honest, I could probably think of an similar number of positive and negative things about my own country, it's people and my city; in fact I'd probably be a lot harder on them than I have been on Poland!

Thank you and have a good day Magdalena :-)

Real Estate / Renting in Krakow, Poland - the safest district? fairly close to the city centre... [25]


Avoid it at night but you really should make the effort to see it while you are in Krakow. If you have even the slightest interest in history, politics, architecture, or Poland/Krakow in general you should go there just to see a legacy of communism. It certainly isn't pretty when you compare it to Krakow itself but there is something strangely fascinating about it. I went with my Polish g/f by tram on a cold wet winter's day so there weren't many people around but those that were didn't cause us any problems. I understand that there are also organised trips to Nowa Huta including at least one I have seen in Krakow which uses old Eastern bloc cars including a Trabant. Don't be put off by what people say; just don't dress like a flash tourist and if possible go with someone Polish if your language skills are limited. I've been to Krakow loads of times and to be honest it's the drunken Brits in the pubs and on easyJet that are the biggest danger.

USA, Canada / REFUSED A HOLIDAY VISA TO THE U.S CAUSE IM POLISH [323]


I think you'll find this is done by car dealers all over the world; certainly here in the UK. It isn't just a Polish thing.

From a personal viewpoint, I think that Poles have got themselves a bad reputation for overstaying their visas which spoils things for the genuine applicants. One of my girlfriend's brothers has been living in the US illegally with his family for years and her other brother outstayed his visa by a couple of years, which means if we want to visit the US to see my sister who lives there (or her brother) my girlfriend would possibly be denied a visa on account of her brothers' behaviour if US immigration keeps such records, which I suspect they do.

USA, Canada / Differences in How Polish People Raise a Child and How Americans Raise a Child [149]

I live in the uk with my Polish g/friend and I've noticed how quick Polish parents here are to take their kids to the doctor for the slightest cough or sneeze; even to A&E for an upset tummy or such things! Still, after a few four-hour waits they usually get the message. I'm sure there's some truth in the belief that such over-protective parents prevent the child developing a strong immune system as some of the kids seem to suffer constantly from minor illnesses. A Polish guy I work with can practically tell you every variation in his kids' temperatures for the previous 24 hours and rushes home during working hours for seemingly harmless ailments they have! But to be honest, without wishing to be provocative, even many of the Polish adults I know seem to be a little obsessive with the state of their health: it's never a cold or a sniffle but always a fever or 'flu and any enquiry into how they are feeling results in a ten-minute detailed analysis of their physical wellbeing! Of course my g/friend is strong as an ox, never sick, and treats illnesses, including those of her children, with a complete lack of sympathy. Is she unique?!

USA, Canada / Differences in How Polish People Raise a Child and How Americans Raise a Child [149]


It's an easier decision for a woman in that case. What would a husband do?...what should a husband do? What would I do? Wife or child......tough decision. Mind you, if I knew what a b***h my wife would turn into it would be the kid every time ha ha.

p.s she's my ex-wife now; and she was a truly s**t driver. Just for the record......

UK, Ireland / Proof of Address (my Polish gf moving to the UK) [14]

When my g/f moved here from Poland we were living with my parents and all that was needed for her NI number was her passport or ID card and a letter from my father confirming she lived at the address and, if I remember rightly, some proof that the address was my father's e.g utility bills, bank statements etc.

As far as the bank goes, she went to HSBC and opened a 'passport account' (an account with a card for withdrawing cash from HSBC atm's only with no overdraft facility; also I think there is a monthly charge on it of about £6; after 12 months you can then apply for a normal current account) which required the same evidence of identity and address. Also, she was able to get work immediately with an employment agency even before she'd got her NI number through. She had to go for an interview with the NI office and I think the first thing you should do is phone them and get the correct information.

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


It is very rude to disagree with people who make sweeping generalisations about a nation or a race. Please be more polite in future Charlie99.

Love / Polish Girls vs Russian Girls [813]


A threesome with a Polish girl and a Russian girl would be pretty steamy then.....

USA, Canada / What do the Poles hate and love about the U.S.? [170]

I love the fact that the US is 3,000 miles from Europe which means the majority of Americans who have made the effort to come here to study or work tend to be the more open-minded and intelligent ones (I'm not including the loud 'see-Europe-in-a-week' American tourists). I can pretend that the idiotic politicians, movie stars, rappers, religious nuts, rednecks et al exist only in a little world inside that TV sitting in the corner of my room....

Oops, just realised that this thread is aimed at Poles, which I'm not (English, actually) but maybe Polish people have a similar view as mine...? I'll post it anyway... ;)

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [70]



It is one of the things that I love about being English and British that there is such a diversity of accents and dialects in these isles. I have spoken to people from numerous countries, including some Polish friends, who say that regional accents are less identifiable where they come from which I find both strange and a little sad. You shouldn't view a regional accent as a negative thing or as being the result of a poor education. You will find that the vast majority of people are hugely proud of their regional accent and see it as part of their personal identity. I don't even think it is any longer much of a handicap in career terms as it once might have been as I believe that people are now judged on merit when it comes to recruitment. Even Oxbridge is full of regional accents as a result of positive recruitment of students from comprehensive schools who have achieved the required academic standards rather than having simply attended the right 'Public' (actually meaning private) school.

Most British people are fiercely proud of their cities and counties and a regional accent gives people a feeling of belonging and identity and the idea they could lose their accent as a result of some government-led homogenising of speech taught in schools is utterly laughable.

I know it can make understanding English more difficult for visitors/workers from abroad but you need to realise that what is an inconvenience for you is part of the British self. I hope it never changes.

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [70]

I never said that we Brits can understand each other any better than the foreigners can! Plenty of times I've been completely lost by something someone from my own country has said! But I wouldn't want it any other way. When I was 16 I moved about 30 miles (less than 50km) to the next county and had the **** taken out of me for my funny accent by my new schoolmates! By the way, don't get me started on whether we Brits should do away with miles and adopt kilometres...ha ha...never!

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [70]

Wroclaw Boy:

It's impossible to argue against using the metric system: more logical and easier to use in every way; however, it's this identity thing again. The younger Brits have grown up with the metric system and consequently, with the pressure of the EU for us to conform, the days of pints, miles, stones etc are numbered but I feel that just because something is easier and more logical it shouldn't necessarily be replaced as once again it is losing a little bit of history and identity from our everyday lives. If the UK is to fall in line with the Eurozone system of measurement (and I can see why it makes sound commercial and economic sense) why not apply this to other areas such as language? English is the world's lingua franca, so why not insist that it becomes the official language of Europe (and the world, perhaps) and systematically replace all other languages? Okay, I'm saying this a bit tongue in cheek, but why have languages with masculine/feminine/neuter and all of the subsequently crazy and seemingly unnecessary declensions when you can use a language which does pretty well without these things?

Also, I know it is logical to have a monetary system which is common throughout Europe but, economic and financial arguments aside, I miss going to other countries and using coins and notes that are different to the ones I use at home; it's part of the fun of being 'abroad'. It's a reason why I like going to Poland: it's own currency gives it a sense of identity lacking in other countries within the Eurozone; and it's part of the British identity too even though we have lost the shillings etc. and use a metric system, but at least the coins and notes are identifiably British.

Don't worry, all of us dinosaurs will soon be extinct!

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [70]


Perhaps 'better' in a BBC-newsreader or schoolroom English kind of way; but a language is a working tool which has evolved over perhaps thousands of years and can contain elements of other languages (Celtic, Latin, Germanic, Scandinavian in the case of Britain) which have left their mark to varying effect and impact in different areas. Why set out to systematically erase the resulting variations of language which exist within a country? To me, it would make Britain a poorer place to live. Would the British want to follow the example of the French where a committee decides which words are acceptable to include in the 'official' language; or perhaps imitate the Fascist model whereby people who do not speak BBC English are persecuted and forbidden to use it?

I accept that crude or lazy speech or speech which is the result of a lack of education are undesirable; but speech which is the result of the evolution of elements of a language within a regional area is a legitimate form of the language and the acceptance of such shows a tolerance and appreciation of history and human development which I for one would miss greatly.

Travel / Best way to get from Krakow to Katowice for 10.40 am flight.... [9]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've just found out that I can book a Wizzair bus from Krakow on the Wizzair site at the same time as I book my flight. It picks up from a few locations in Krakow and costs less than £15 one-way. Not the cheapest way I suppose but it gets me to the airport for 09.00.

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [70]

"You might not actually know this but very few Brits actually know how to speak their own language. You would have (taught) thought that with time the regional differences would disappear, but partly as a result of poor education policy this hasn't happened."

...or write it? Sorry, couldn't resist it. ;-)

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


'..a delivery van was parked outside yesterday and my wife couldn't get past it as it was blocking her access to the road.'

Ha ha, my Polish g/f is amazed that cars park on the road here in the UK. She wonders why they don't park on the pavement to leave the roads clear so cars don't have to drive around these obstructions. A certain logic to both arguments; maybe just a cultural thing.

Love / They seem nice, but could Polish girls be "gold diggers"? [196]


Both legitimate words which mean pretty much the same thing.

UK, Ireland / The Daily Mail - coverage of the Polish people [161]

I now only ever glance at the headlines of the DM without venturing further as past experience has shown it is a paper which simply focuses on negative portrayals of people: politicians who don't toe the Tory line; workers who have the temerity to stand up for their rights by, for example, taking industrial action; ethnic minorities, which they portray as a threat to 'the British way of life'; sections of society such as single mothers and gays which are easy targets; but there are many more who suffer the wrath of this feeble-minded paper which does nothing to open people's minds but does everything to hang onto a readership which simply looks to have its own existing fears and prejudices confirmed.

To be honest, even if the DM toned down its coverage of Polish people in Britain it would make little difference as the same one-view attitude would still prevail amongst its readers. It's a paper best treated as the joke it is; it has no influence and worse still it has lousy sports coverage. I'd say if the DM is anti something dear to you then it should probably be taken as a compliment.

UK, Ireland / The Daily Mail - coverage of the Polish people [161]

Nothing has changed: look at the front page of today's Mail on Sunday....

Food / Does beer have any "real" expire date? [39]

I've just drunk some Czech Budweiser which was 14 months old and it tasted fine. There's no such thing as bad beer.......

Work / Quiet Place to teach English in Krakow ? [24]

I don't want to appear too negative but in what way are you qualified to teach the language? 'english' should have a capital E; did you mean quiet? helping friends and family to learn a bit of a language is fine, but when you start taking money for it you need to have a pretty good understanding of it to justify it.