Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


Well you heard wrong! ; )

Obviously not everyone can speak English, but many do and usually pretty well.

Not sure about Italy though - I would imagine there is a bit of the French syndrome there.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


Depends on the country though. Often they are doing themselves and their country a favour in terms of tourism revenue.

E.g.The economies of Spain, Portugal for a start would have collapsed a long time ago if English wasn't as widely spoken as it is.

Law / Wish to start an Indian Store in Poland [34]


Are you sure Poles would go for it?

I've almost killed Polish people here with curries that I've made - and they weren't hot.

They don't seem to be that accustomed to spicy food from what I can see.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


Way above basic. Mid-intermediate at least, probably upper.

UK, Ireland / Polish question: what's with the Germans, Brits? Foreign groups in Great Britain. [46]


Yeah, that's what I was getting at.


But that's what I was really thinking : )

UK, Ireland / Polish question: what's with the Germans, Brits? Foreign groups in Great Britain. [46]

But that's fashion created by Germans as opposed to german fashion ; )

Seriously! I'm not being pedantic, I took it to mean street fashion.

Paul Costelloe and Phillip Treacy are well known Irish designers but you would have to look very carefully to see the average Irish man or woman wearing their stuff!

UK, Ireland / Polish question: what's with the Germans, Brits? Foreign groups in Great Britain. [46]


Sorry, but what the hell is German fashion anyway ?!

Regarding the substance of your post, taking a wild guess here, three words:

Two world wars.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


In theory, yes. Not in practice generally.

I've met loads of Americans and have spent time there. Very few can speak anything but the most basic Spanish. My Spanish is possibly "mid-intermediate" let's say, but it's far better than the average American level as far as I can see.

This applies to non-hispanic Americans by the way and those not living near the Mexican border.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


I agree and I do.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


Well I think so, yes - do you not agree?

Take Ireland: crap weather, expensive, no outstanding attractions to speak of yet people come here in their millions - and it's not jsut the native English speakers. If we can reinvent the country this way I'm sure Poland can.


Other than to encourage tourism, no reason.


I know : )

Well I mentioned France was different earlier on. A few reasons:

France doesn't need to try very hard - it will always get tourists. Beautiful country with great food/wine culture and mostly good weather. Having one of the world's top city destinations helps too.

Many tourists in France are middle class English who generally can speak some French.

Actually many French people can and do communicate in English - they just won't if you don't make any attempt in French whatsover. The French are much more pleasant and accomodating than they are often depicted.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]

I don't think that even Americans expect that "almost everyone" will speak English in Poland.

Their expectations however are infinitely more realistic than the reverse situation of course.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


Sorry, don't know what you mean - can you explain?

I'm not talking about within the industry by the way, just that if someone from X country goes to Y country it is likely that the common language used to converse between tourist and host will be English. That's all I'm saying.

Do you think I'm wrong?

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]


Not to each other but generally yes, to people in their host country.


Not my experience at all. The French are a bit different though.


Well I'm not criticising anyway.

Life / In need of good Polish jokes about Polish culture, people, etc [226]

I like this "joke"

An Englishman, Indian, Irishman, and Frenchman are having meal in a multicultural restaurant.

The Irishman orders some stew so the Englishman laughs at the “savage paddy”.
The Frenchman orders some French food. Paddy Englishman laughs at the “frog bastard.”
The Indian man has a curry and the Englishman calls it “Paki muck.”
The Englishman drinks warm flat beer and eats his charred roast beef ( real fuggin’ food innit) and then tells Paddy jokes, Frog jokes and Paki jokes, before molesting the waitress (for a laugh), attempting to glass "the fackin' Paki" and ending his night by puking into the table and sleeping in his own vomit.

Travel / My visit to Poland - Likes & Dislikes. [137]

Like it or not English is the international language of tourism as well as business - whether a visitor to Poland is from LA, Helsinki or Bucharest their language of communication is going to be English.

If a country wants to develop as a tourist destination - and Poland probably has a potentially greater source of income here IMO - people who do (or could) derive any of their income from tourists need to speak at least some English.

Of course if people don't want repeat visits from tourists, that's fine. Poles should not feel under any pressure to speak English - it's Poland and Polish is the language - but the simple fact is that a lack of spoken English will stunt tourism revenue.

Real Estate / Polish system for flats/apartments. Owner have to pay a rent? [11]

Ah well this explains something anyway. I was pleasantly surprised to see that some residential areas that looked "a bit rough" to me were all very clean, neat and tidy. Maybe as much to do with the fact that the cleanliness is paid for as mere civic pride then!

Life / POLES FIND CZECH FUNNY! [42]

Sorry mods/admin - should have checked for an existing thread.

What prompted me by the way was when I attempted to translate some of Zetigrek's post in her Mr Poland thread - so apparently żenua is "zen" in Polish but the translator initially autodetected the language as Czech, and provided "woman" as a translation!

Well they do have certain zen-like qualities I guess ; )

Life / Passing your Polish language and culture to your kids [74]

+1

Especially if they learn both from a young age - they won't even notice that they are learning.

The Poles I know in Ireland all have kids that were born there - and they are all bilingual. In fact one is about to add French and Gaeilge to their skills - God help them.

Life / POLES FIND CZECH FUNNY! [42]

Thread attached on merging:
Do Poles find the Czech language funny in some way?

I've heard this before a few times. I've heard it (czech) described as like Polish but as a baby would speak it or like Polish but with strange old fashioned and sometimes "arseways" (for want of a better word) expressions and turns of phrase.

Can anyone confirm?

I believe that among Slavic languages Polish and Czech are the two that are the least dissimilar anyway.

Life / Polish "prog" music? I'd be interested to know about bands etc. [30]

Nice stuff MareGaea!

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


Do you get stares though?

A pole told me that it was a saying in Poland that if you see a red haired person you should pinch yourself - i.e. that you are probably dreaming!

Life / Polish "prog" music? I'd be interested to know about bands etc. [30]


It's a loose term in fairness. Pink Floyd were arguably the best known - but they would definitely be on the commercial side, great though they were. Floyd, ELP, Yes, Genesis were the big guns. The likes of King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator, Camel were more cultish.

If the songs are long, have lofty concepts, flirt with strange instrumentation, feature virtuoso musicianship, have wierd time signatures, aren't that hummable and don't have many female fans - it's probably prog.

These days it just mean any wierd experimental rock that isn't metal I suppose.

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


I know, fair enough. I was half joking BTW. It just seemed ironic that's all.

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


Ah yes, I see the post now. It must be. Fair enough on ukonly's part in this instance I say.


Err..so you do the same to a different country yourself? ; )

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


Who? where?

I don't understand.

Your experience was awful. The simple truth is that racism appears to be very much alive and well in Poland. Most Poles will agree (I'm not Polish)

In terms of race attititude, think of 70s Britain where e.g the B/w minstrel show was regarded as normal humour. 'Darkie' was considered ordinary slang, not as offensive by those who used it. It's this kind of world. Black people are still exotic and most Poles have little experience of them and can sometimes react in a suspicious or hostile manner - it's human nature.

I'm not excusing this disgraceful behaviour at all - far from it, but just commenting on it.

Yet, it is important to realise, for what it's worth, that not all or even most Poles are like this.

Language / Does anybody know of a list of Polish-English False Friends and True Friends? [60]

Thanks Zetigrek, that's great - very helpful!

(Although I would question whether a couple are really true friends e.g. słońce or
sprzedawać ? maybe you are seeing/hearing something that I'm not (!) however, certainly not complaining and these words are good to know anyway)

Life / Polish "prog" music? I'd be interested to know about bands etc. [30]

Thanks for the links McCoy - great stuff.

Prog can be very smug alright. Personally I just like the angular wierdness aspect. I hate most jazz so if it's jazzy prog I generally won't listen, although one big exception here is KingCrimson who stray into the jazz arena occasionally but I love them.

Re cold music - I know what you mean MareGaea but there is a different coldness to the prog I like - mathematical, unsettling, dissonant etc. The coldness of wanky jazz funk is just instantly forgettable for me - elevator musak.

Must check out those bands then!

Life / How to Politely Refuse a Drink in Poland [72]


LOL - classic! Straight from a sitcom.

Life / Polish "prog" music? I'd be interested to know about bands etc. [30]

Yeah that's exactly what I'm talking about jwojcie.

I've heard a little Riverside - very good. Anyone else you know of?

News / Poland hosts lowest proportion of foreigners in the EU [115]


Ok as you wish, just done that.

Neither come off well. By group if you mean so called "radical" clerics I suppose they come off worse - nothing wrong with that and I stand by it. You do realise I'm not referring to muslims in general?

To accuse so called christians of adding fuel to the fire and making a bad situation worse isn't very flattering either.