USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


Yes, I know the money and goods were being sent to Poland, but I'm asking - how was it brave? People abroad did not risk ANYTHING. If they were so brave, why didn't they come back and do something real in the country?

Not belonging to the party could def. cost you your career. Protesting in the streets could cost you your life (Poznan 1956, anyone?).

Jeez, I start to believe that delphi is right about Polonia...

USA, Canada / Polack/American Polonia/Plastic Pole "culture" [568]


Far easier when you couldn't be put into prison for this, wasn't it? Whereas at home it was rather brave even not to sign in to the party.

Anyway, my parents kept illegal papers in their home during the marital state. Kind of risky with my mum pregnant - once two men in long, black jackets knocked at the door and terrified her nearly to death. But fortunately these were just Jehowa witnesses, and I wasn't born in prison. I was also told that "Czterej Pancerni" is a bunch of rubbish, I was taught not-so-appropriate songs ("ja myślałam, że to śmieci, że to gówno drogą leeeeci, a to Sowieci, Sowieci..."). I was far too young to listen to Wolna Europa, but my parents and grandparents did. And they went to Kabaret Tej shows, if you have any idea what this was. I still remember "Mury" being played on TV early after regaining independence and I will never forget, though I was only 7, my parents joy when Wałęsa won the election.

The changes came from within the country, the Solidarity started here, not abroad. What exactly did our government-in-exile do to overthrow the regime?

USA, Canada / Polish Food - 40 flavors of pierogies in the US [113]


Oh dear, now haven't you made fool of yourself, have you?

You owe me pierogi for dinner! :P

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


Well, I'm Polish, though not a schoolgirl, and I prefer British accent to American one. I find American English particularly ugly!
Of course Cambridge exams are standard in Poland, I wasn't even thinking about American qualifications, went straight for CAE.

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


I can imagine that 1300zl net would be very tough for a foreigner!


They don't depend on it, but it's the done way of doing things. For instance, all the guarded parking lots - the people working there are either on early retirement or on disability pensions.

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

My dog was certainly worth more then many humans I know. Why would I care about soma random strangers more then about my own, beloved dog?

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


It is, unfortunately, true. Polish farmers have terrible attitude towards animals. The dogs are often chained, starved, kicked, left without water during Summer heat.

People in the cities tend to be a bit better, but still often they get rid of their dogs when they want to go on holidays. A friend of mine found a dog in a forest, tied to the tree, with a bin bag on its head.

Of course, there is also plenty of well loved animals in Poland.

News / Santander buys the third largest bank in Poland (Bank Zachodni) [11]

It's not a real picture, because they have quite a widespread network of "agents" - who offer many BZWBK products. Disaster for Wroclaw/Poznan though - Santander will almost certainly cull many of the back office jobs.

UK, Ireland / driving in england on a Polish license [10]

No no - points can still be awarded if you have a valid PESEL. As he's on a Singeporean licence, he'll have the obligation to exchange after 12 months anyway - or (if he can get away with it) have to possess a valid IDP.

One reason to change your licence is that it does make life much easier - no-one is going to question a Polish (or indeed, EU) licence, but a non-EU licence might very well be a cause for trouble.

History / When will you Poles give back German land and the cities which you robbed? [557]


We will, once Germany gives Poland back every single item they stole during the war and occupation, and when they give back the lives of those killed during the war and in the concentration camps. Oh, and when we get our stolen eastern cities back.

Not possible? Oh well, I guess we will just keep them than.

USA, Canada / PolAms -- do you regard yourselves only as 'white Americans'? [187]


Oh, people have the right to vote whomever they choose, but Polonia could really think better about it and stop interfering in our politics. You choose Kaczyński and feel good about your patriotic self, we have to live with this paranoid idiot.


He didn't say that. He said that people did not emigrate from Poland, because Poland didn't exist. They might be Polish - but I would argue the 100% part. In todays world, only really isolated nations might claim to be 100% something. for example, what is 100% British nowadays?

And anyway, if you feel so Polish, you should learn the language. I would be ashamed if I had kids abroad and they wouldn't speak perfect Polish.


After reading comments how Polonia feels patriotic and how they know best what's good for Poland - well, I'm not very inclined to like them at the moment. I'm not trying to tell you what's best for America, am I??


Well, you could finally decide who you are, you were called Asian on these forums, now Russian, what's next?? So who was the Scottish guy coming over for PolishForums meetings in Poznań? :D

Life / Cost of Utilities in Warsaw. [23]


Got mine too - this is for two people living in a 65sqm flat, who run all sorts of electrical stuff and who don't pay any particular attention to energy usage. Two months - 271zl. And that's with several electrical things running 24/7, along with someone running a business from home - so all the usual things are on constantly, such as a printer and computer.

Travel / My (short) Poland experiences - bad luck? [142]


There are ugly and beautiful spots in Poland, like everywhere.


Try to talk to some Brits about the UK, or French about France, or Italians about Italy... shall I go on?


It's more that people are not used to he variety of nations you get, for example, in London. It will change, with time.


Well, we don't smile to every single passer-by - that's just so fake! But "silent"?? Never noticed that!


And that is simply not true - service happens to be terrible less and less often. And we still get the benefit of your local friendly shop! Also, my fiance gets by in his brokne Polish and people really appreciate the fact that he's making an effort!


I really think you've got a huge chip on your shoulder yourself. People in the cities have their own business to mind and in the villages they are just curious.

Travel / Hard Candy - Krakow, Poland - reviews? [131]

The great thing here is that all these guys are posting on here, admitting that they were stupid enough to go to a bar with some girls that showed interest in them "randomly" on the street!

USA, Canada / PolAms -- do you regard yourselves only as 'white Americans'? [187]


It's no doubt the work of the same people who voted for Jaroslaw Kaczynski because he's a TRUE ANTI COMMUNIST POLISH PATRIOT.

The American Polonia are frankly a disgrace, and this act just confirms that. The fact that I was watching an American TV show with someone with the last name "Marchewka" - no doubt Polonia, yet she pronounced her name as "mar-chew-ka" like an English speaker would....gah.

Sorry, but if you claim to be Polish-American, then you should be fluent in Polish (not just in listening/speaking) and you should actually have spent a decent amount of time in Poland. Holding a Polish passport and voting Jarek doesn't make you Polish!

History / Boycotts of Solidarity's anniversary celebrations. Poland's Solidarity - Now and Then? [16]


It's a sign that Solidarity these days is nothing but the small minded, self interested "worker" faction from the 1980's. There's certainly hardly any intellectuals around!

Solidarity did themselves no favours whatsoever by aligning so closely with Kacynzski - all they've done in the process is make Tusk et al more determined to destroy their grip on certain elements of Polish society. Their day has gone.

It's my view that if this same faction was offered power in 1989 at the expense of non-members, they would have taken it - indeed, I don't believe that many of them wanted an end to communism, but rather they wanted some of the perks and privileges for themselves. If the money was there - I suspect Solidarity would have been bought.

Life / Need Help Finding a Specific Polish Novel [9]

Quick google gave me the result of "Lenka szuka ojca". I've never read it, but the author is apparently Russian. Can it be it?

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

Completely and utterly out of sync with reality though - just like the BC as a whole.

Life / Do you collect mushrooms in your country? Poles in Poland do. [69]

Do not pick up smardz under any circumstances!
It's rare and protected by law!

Study / Learning Polish at Adam Mickiewicz University [11]

I've heard the same thing, in particular, that the courses are geared entirely towards students and not for the "man in the street".

From what I know, the Polish philology department also has a very heavy focus on grammar - great if you want to study the language in depth, but useless if you want to actually learn it without being discouraged.

To be honest, Poznan is a rubbish place to learn Polish.

UK, Ireland / Are the working class in the UK now shunned in the 'new' Poland? [53]


I suppose, if you run an online "business" that isn't registered in Poland (hello, Urzad Skarbowy, I'd like to make a report...) and which isn't successful at all, I suppose you can expect to earn 1/4th of the amount in Western Europe.

Law / Non-EU country citizen on tourist visa - could anyone help me with Karta Pobytu? [63]


Five years of residence, with a full checkable work history is the basic requirement. As I remember, you're allowed six months break in that time in total in regards to employment.

Time spent as a student doesn't count towards this total - you need to be in full time employment.

Travel / Hostel in Kraków (clean, inexpensive, central location, fast commute, quiet) [18]


Errr, it was Hostel Yellow we were in, you mixed up the colours :D

Law / Advice please - Getting monies from a Poland employer who refuses to pay [41]


Absolutely awful advice you've given there - whether or not you're serious, the point is that you're unlikely to get anywhere whatsoever with such an approach. In fact, all you'd do is succeed in them refusing to pay up - and I can't imagine any court in Poland finding such an approach to be reasonable.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Honey, what are you talking about? Can't you even read?

In very, very simple words: they have Dutch or French citizenship, as they are not the first generation living abroad and they didn't apply for the Polish one. Can I be more clear than that? Bigger letters maybe?

My family was fighting against communism. I've never voted any left wing party. I'm living in this country, working for it and paying taxes. How dare you offend me like that? Do you want to see my diplomas? Do you want to show me your own - if you have any? Have you ever heard such a difficult word like "democracy"? You know, it means that people are actually allowed to have different views on things, as opposed to dictatorship. You know, it's scary to think there are more people like you out there in my beautiful country.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


Exactly, people that haven't achieved anything in their lives, are very bitter about it and keep blaming anyone but themselves for their failure.


No idea, probably weren't interested in it. They are Dutch/French, not Polish.


Really? Oh dear, I'd never guess :D
You really don't understand irony, and you can't post anything without reffering to abuse. Such a typical PiS voter.

I pointed the fact that I don't vote in American elections to show how unfair it is that people, who are essentially American can vote in Polish election. American Polonia are Americans with Polish roots, not Polish! Especially second or third generation. I don't understand why we give citizenship to grandchildren of people who had Polish citizenship.

Just to give some example - my kids will have dual citizenship - Polish and British (after their British father). Their children will only be Polish, because my children, born in Poland, will not be able to pass British citizenship on. Poland should do something similar.

I just love when someone who barely speak Polish and hasn't done anything for this country talks about patriotism. Best example - all those Americans claiming that "busha" is a legitimate Polish word for "grandma" in some other thread. They don't speak Polish, the few words they know are mangled and wrong, but they know best!

And now excuse me, I have to go to work to pay ZUS and taxes for all those benefits scrounging PiS voters.

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]


I didn't enjoy anything that Polonia would like to send me, for the simple reason that I didn't get anything from them.
I was getting gifts from my Dutch and French family, but they don't have citizenship any more. Also they are not idiots, so probably wouldn't be voting psycho Kaczyński anyway.

I stand by the view that if you don't live in the country, you don't have (moral) right to force a president on people living here. It's just cheeky. I don't choose your American president, so why do you think it's okay to choose mine?

As for PO and PiS electorate - you can't deny that Kaczyński voters are in majority uneducated, from small villages, old. And you can see this even on their meetings - crude faces of simple people so full of hatred, such good Christians physically attacking journalists or anyone else with different views... Like here:


So sad...

USA, Canada / US Polonia 70% for Kaczyński [343]

People that are not planning to come back to Poland, have never been to Poland or have been out of the country for more than 10 years should not be allowed to vote. Why are they allowed to decide what happens in the country they have never lived in? They have no idea what's happening in Poland and quite frankly, it's none of their business. Some of them barely speak Polish any more, but oh, they are SO patriotic! I don't want to be affected by the decisions of people who actually live over the ocean and just feel sentimental about the "old country". Come and live here and than we will talk!

Travel / What to do in Wroclaw! [49]

Go to the zoo :)

News / Is it possible that Polish president was assasinated? If so then, by whom? [921]


And I would hope that the Russian military would be present for the arrival of the Polish President and others.

Do people, for instance, really believe that the American military wouldn't be nearby whenever a foreign head of state turns up?