UK, Ireland / What do you like about living in Britain? [134]

all about food?

what I like about Britain:
my neighbours don't poke their noses
I'm 2000km away from my 'family'
I wouldn't get where I'm (work-wise) working in Poland (because I don't have Masters)
Recruitment process is better and more transparent than in Poland (which I've found out recently - from a cousin)
They don't expect (UK) PAs or admin support staff to have BSc (or Masters)

Most of all - despite various legislations and other things that Joe Average calls silly - UK is more balanced/down to Earth than Poland

Food? viva English brekkie, viva Friday's fish and chips and viva occasional take away!
(Jacket potatoes also on the list)

Coronation chicken is one of my fav - for the taste and colour (if prepared properly)

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]

There's nothing more frustrating than reading on PF 'there was no Poland'. There was Poland. There were Polish people. Yes, the country was split, yes, the country was governed by others but to hear on here lame explanation 'there was no Poland'?! Which woodwork have you come out of?!

As for generous bunch of replies


Im withdrawing the Polish Jew statement.
Most of them were Russian/German/Galician Jews because Poland actually didn't exist.

No idea why so many 'Polish' Americans think they've got Polish roots or belong to Polish nobility.


no? ah, yes, they come from Polish nobility; or are German Russians and anything else but Polish.


I put it in the context of Jewish community but of course the same goes for Poles, Russians, Irish, Germans - whoever was leaving Europe after Napoleonic wars,

Poles had other reasons to emigrate before anyway (partitions) - that's why States got Kosciuszko and Pulaski; most of Polish 'intellectuals' -writers, scientists etc, and nobility emigrated mostly to France and Germany after 1848.


I seriously recommend reading Polish history books. I repeat again, most of the Jews, since mid 18th century had to be named. Surname adoption happened in all parts of partitioned Poland.


Yes, they wouldn't, obviously. But then if you have Vetala or whoever making a claim that her Jewish family is noble - I don't dispute it. I don't think that anyone was checking every generation if they stayed Christian or not, or if they married into Christian families or not.

Another thing, have a look at the Warsaw digital library, looks for books dating back to 19th century. According to them surnames reflecting weekdays, months etc (so Poniedzialkowski, Czerwinski, Lipinski, Sierpinski etc) are new names which were given do Jewish converts back in the 16th century.

plk123 As it happens all over the world, some of the Jewish emigration might have not admitted they were Jews. They were persecuted one way or another in Europe over the years, and for the same reason they might have assumed/converted to RC after arriving wherever they were arriving.

The rest is not worth replying.
For those who assume they are noble because of surnames, quick check here:
wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=71636&dirids=1 (it's a list of Polish noblemen as of 1887)and another one, the same year, genealogy of Polish aristocracy

wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra/doccontent?id=70288&dirids=1

and as for plk123 and z_darius - you are welcome to use this library to read about Jewish population in Poland and in other countries but Poland between 1772 and 1918

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [374]

I don't think he is.
He's got a really hard time trying to sort out the last few years' mess.

I think he's too weak.

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]


You are really boring. I didnt apply any percentage at any point. And yes, you are correct - they weren't. But read and understand. And check the numbers of Jews who a/ emigrated, b/changed their names in 18th century under the German rule.

Polish history 1-2-1


And you still refer to Ruthenians? Wonder why... family roots?


beton; that's all i can say


correct and incorrect. Check wit Slovaks first.
And their common name was Rus. Plus variations depending on region.


yeah; and not only Jews for that matter.


My claim is that:
yes; they did; Jews didn't carry surnames until partitions - fact; read about it; if I am a moron you should be able to find out the info in a split second

the rest of your sentence is equally rubbish

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]

Sokrates
lol


Really? Given that most of Jews in Wielkopolska were given marching orders before 19th century and chose emigrating to the sacred US of A, I think you are right. It was minority. Of those who stayed/were allowed to stay and took on German surnames.


ah, 'Ruthenian'. I've noticed American like to refer to 'Ruthenian' on this forum. Ancient history - move on! Ruthenia is a Latin word for Russia so please, do not read it as some 'noble died long time ago tribe'.

If you are 'Ruthenian' you lived in a certain geographic area. Get over this.


c - by whom? and why?
D - no idea; I know my great visited (I stress - VISITED) USA
E - I dare to say you are unable to conceive a single one


where did I apply, at any point, to all of the emigration?

You are full of shite, pardon my language

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]

you are right there - it was my assumption based on the numbers

BUT, i didn't go as far as you putting it in percentage and assuming further away

what I assumed was that IF your predecessors emigrated from Poland (or any other region that used to be Poland) within a certain time frame there is a huge possibility that your roots are Jewish or poor.

And that's what I stand for.

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]

twister

I gave figures of Jewish population since late 18th in my town (increase from 0 to X), not saying anything about Polish or German population
it's not my assumption - it's yours

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]



The same conditions were applied in 18th century Prussia. Poor Jews were being gotten rid off while the rich ones were left in Prussia whit an 'upped' status.

Great you quote a very interesting article, but please read it to the end.
Not 'everyone' and not 'every'. As the article states, misinterpretation on part of Jews. They assumed they'll become noble if they become Christian.


then start reading some of th books and other documents here:
wbc.poznan.pl/dlibra


my region was the initial one; I started to check others - link above;
all Poles - where? in America?


You said 'facts and figures' so please do refer to them first before you start assuming I'm talking BS.
And yes, based on what I saw and read, I'd dare to say that most of Polonia (old Polonia) is of Jewish descent.

the WBC holds a huge number of books, documents, reports, population lists etc etc which date back to 16th century. And cover pretty big part of Poland, including Silesia in some cases.

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]


very - believe me

I discovered an online library not long ago and started to go through some of the books they stored online...I found that my region/town/surrounding area didn't have any Jewish population until late 18th century.

But, doing a school project about German occupation in my town, I found out that there was a strong population of Jews prior to the war. Not huge, but pretty strong. For example, if I can remember numbers correctly - 177-something (year) - 0 Jews, 179-something - 56, 18-something - over 100, and it grew.

Other towns and cities noticed similar increase...from null to hundreds - and Im talking late 18/beg of 19th century. Some of this is documented which makes interesting study.

Can't say much about south Poland, Galicja etc; but for the north Poland there are plenty of docs.

Life / Kissing on the cheek in Poland. Lips for lovers only? [39]

old/er aunties maybe?
mine were the same; and uncles too...but they were around 80 :)

Genealogy / Is your line of the Polish family noble? [74]

I've noticed that you are doing a lot re: genealogy here
but I would like to point out few things that most of Polish Americans should be aware of:

1. if your family has Polish roots/other European (Russian, German) you can easily assume that your European roots are Jewish
2. if so, you'd have nothing to do with Polish 'nobility'
3. if your predecessors emigrated to USA between mid 19th and early 20th century they did so because a/ they were Jewish, b/they were poor

4. if your surname is the same as a place in Poland, it's not because you come form a 'noble' family; it is because a/ poor people usually assumed names of their landowners or places they were born; b/because Germans 'named' them during the germanisation process (since mid 18th century in west/north west Poland); this naming was based on a/ place you were born, b/ occupation

Worth noting is that Jewish population in Poland didn't use any surnames until 18th and 19th century. But once Poland was divided between Russia, Germany and Austria there was a requirement for all, and most of all Jewish population, to have surnames.

So, if your name is Czajka or another, don't assume you come from Polish nobility. The surname, in most cases, was taken on because of the law introduced by those who ruled Poland since 1772.

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [374]


yep, I agree

like backward so called Poles in America
Why the heck some of them assume they have a right to say anything about Poland is beyond me!

Life / Kissing on the cheek in Poland. Lips for lovers only? [39]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheek_kissing

apply regional variations but in Poland - generally - adults don't kiss on the lips.

The PolAm you refer to Polonius, is the weird one obviously

Language / what's the difference between... "spierdalaj" vs "wypierdalaj" [6]

ugly; very ugly language

Wypierdalaj (stad) - get out/get the fuck out of here
Spierdalaj - get lost/get fucking lost

UK, Ireland / The number of Anti-English Poles... [228]

highly unlikely
except for hotels and restaurants :)

Over 96% declared to be Polish in Polish Census in 2002. Brits didn't make the list and Americans came 13th.

So if you think in terms 'top 5 foreign languages in Poland', English won't be one of them :)
pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mniejszo%C5%9Bci_narodowe_i_etniczne_w_Polsce

Travel / Visiting - Mazury? what else besides the obvious? [15]

found the website; didn't know about them.
well, I always recommend Mazury to anyone going to Poland. It's well visited by Germans obviously, but doesn't seem as popular or appealing to others.

Krakow, Gdansk and Warsaw are the main destinations for tourist and I know Poland has got so much more to offer so I'm happy to 'promote' other regions.

I remember something else - old railway bridges in Stanczyki: zabytki.ocalicodzapomnienia.eu/zabytek-2-7-1-202.html
In case any of you

Travel / Visiting - Mazury? what else besides the obvious? [15]

thanks,
Will compile a list for them:)

UK, Ireland / The number of Anti-English Poles... [228]

that happened; I know it's hard to believe but it's true.
I've known one thing tho - all English (teachers usually) encountered similar problems before and after 2000
So i do feel sorry for foreigners, Brits mostly, in Poland because I think Polish system doesn't provide equivalent of British services. Be it medical or anything else.

Travel / Visiting - Mazury? what else besides the obvious? [15]


I really, REAlly, forgot all about it. NE Poland and small voivoidship, yes?
Shame on me

UK, Ireland / The number of Anti-English Poles... [228]

you better double check it

Love / Inside polish women's psychology and mind [109]

no idea what to say to be honest
good and bad - as usual :)

Love / Inside polish women's psychology and mind [109]


welcome to my club then...and others, I guess

Love / Inside polish women's psychology and mind [109]


it wasn't me; it was pgtx :)

as for me, yes, I am a mother, and I have one of those troubled/rebellious teenage children - the arty type :)


and you make this statement based on what?

UK, Ireland / The number of Anti-English Poles... [228]


tell me about it. I still have a Polish passport (ok, temp one) but I was initially refused to be seen by a doctor in a hospital (emergency) because....I didn't have Polish ZUS.

I told them I have mt Polish passport and Poland has got agreement with the Uk since 1990s. about exchange of medical healthcare and they were saying - no, no,no

cos i didnt have 1/ EHIC card (didnt need it before 2004); 2/ no ZUS number. 3/nothing whatever they asked me for

the funniest thing - they did have my records as I was in tihs hospital 3 times before

Love / Inside polish women's psychology and mind [109]


my cousins tried until their boy came long. Third one lucky ;) I'm pretty sure they'd try 'until'


and probably many others, including me; but i got even somehow and cant complain ;)

and yes, I am a mother :)

Love / Inside polish women's psychology and mind [109]


it's an idea; idea she has about being a parent
this idea may change as soon as she gets pregnant - I've had similar ones :)


wait till she's 16/17 :)

Language / Free and accurate Online Polish-English / English-Polish translator? [49]


done that for hives (subject from this forum) which where translated as 'ul' (correct) - beehive
but in med it was 'pokrzywka' :)

Language / Polish and other slavic language differences [60]

Sorry for the comparison but you are like my father - was it Czech, Slovak, German or Hungarian, or even Dutch on one occasion - he just had to :)

But the question still stands - clifborder4fm - what do you study? and why Slavic?

Love / Inside polish women's psychology and mind [109]


PF ;)


feeling like regressing as well :)


nope; not everyone; I have a troubled teenager (still teenager because under 20) but tell you one thing: as much as I didnt want to/couldnt imagine my life as a mother, and was telling my family and friends 'I will never get married, I will never have a child; maybe a dog" that much I've changed my mind when I've had my child.

It's easy to make your mind up without knowing a single thing.


In their minds. But overall I agree with you.

Language / Free and accurate Online Polish-English / English-Polish translator? [49]

I found the google language tool pretty good to be honest. Not in other languages (Russian).
The google one is created by users also, but only after approval; some words and phrases( more obscure) may be a bit 'off' but over all it's not bad