Australia / Secret gems (Good places to have a beer) in Melbourne Australia [20]


It has it's own unique Northern charm... it will either rub off on me or I'll rub off on it. (But living 5 minutes from work is the real draw card.)


Yep. Sounds good after a hard days work. :)


Probably. ;)


Let's just say I need a man as much as I have a man... does that makes any sense?


Yeah, just don't start leaving large heart-shaped cut-outs in the classifieds... :S

Lodz..

Australia *is* a separate continent. Not part of Asia geographically or otherwise. Part of Australasia as far as an eco-political entity is concerned though...


Don't worry, we stand alone in doing that to a lot of people. :S

But really I think Australia *is* a clear example of a continental landmass... purely because it *is* a major land mass (How does 7686850 sq km sound?), and simply because it *does* stand alone as a ''large, continuous, discrete mass of land, separated by an expanse of water..."

I assume all continents have to adhere to some definition, but this seems to change relative to their relationship with other land masses they are adjacent to... which is why there are differing numbers of continents according to which definition you use...

There is some overlap with major tectonic boundaries though.. But the confusion is when Continental ''boundaries'' *aren't* incident with these tectonic boundaries... then it can become a little arbitrary as to where Continents stop and new ones begin... such as the case with Europe, The British Isles and ''Eurasia''...

So in this case, I can throw the question right back to you and ask:
Is Europe in "Asia" or is it a separate continent?

Aren't *you* in fact living in Eurasia?

;)

News / 100% TRUE! RAT MEAT PREPARED IN 3 BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN KRAKOW CLOSED DOWN ! [96]

At least it won't be a slow process...? :S

News / 100% TRUE! RAT MEAT PREPARED IN 3 BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN KRAKOW CLOSED DOWN ! [96]

They're like Grey hairs.. remove one and three appear in its place..

News / 100% TRUE! RAT MEAT PREPARED IN 3 BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN KRAKOW CLOSED DOWN ! [96]

Hey... many things are edible. The Chinese know that!

If it moves...

(And if not, give it a little push.) ;)

Australia / Secret gems (Good places to have a beer) in Melbourne Australia [20]


I decided to shorten the commuting distance to Broady, by, well, moving to Broady. :S


I've switched to Lamb.

Follow the smoke haze, got it. :)


I'll tell you when you're older... ;)


Don't be silly. You can tell her you found me in a magazine article. :P

News / 100% TRUE! RAT MEAT PREPARED IN 3 BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN KRAKOW CLOSED DOWN ! [96]

I have no problem with it... just don't charge me for rice when I'm getting mice... ;)

News / 100% TRUE! RAT MEAT PREPARED IN 3 BIGGEST CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN KRAKOW CLOSED DOWN ! [96]


That's an impressive amount of truth.

What? No-one got suspicious when they read 'whiskered chicken' on the menu?

What I want to know is... who skinned the buggers?

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]

What would you like to know...? I think that after 1000 posts (Yes I know I know, thank you, it's been a pleasure) I've fairly well expressed my personal views on a lot of things.

I just don't see why you're all strung out about some photos... personally. ;)

I don't mind you being personal, I just mind you ruining it for everyone else. But don't worry, you'll catch on... :)

Oh that, and I'm going to bed. Good night moaner. :)

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]


Ok, so you want more focus on the less candid aspects of Warsaw? But we want to see people up close don't we? People interacting with their surrounds... Maybe that's what makes this awkward.


Hmmm.


To expose something more intimate?

To avoid overt sensationalism?

To give more clarity to the subject...?


It's hard to know who's qualified to give the more balanced, less tainted view of a place... the resident or the visitor?


No, I get it... you're grumbling...


So what's the problem? If other images *can* speak on behalf of your preferred impression of the city, then be happy. If they do not exist, make them up. :)

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]


Not really... I think you'll find it points out the necessity to take a balanced view of whatever *extremes* are being presented to you... identifying *all* the main themes for characterisation of a place.

But it is true that a place has to be represented by its contrasts as well as its banalities... and finding these in some cities can be harder than others. I think he did a good job.

Though what people *are* usually interested in are the contrasts.. the extremes. Which if these photos are anything to go by project no major worrying trends for your capital city.

It seems *you* want the extremes but only if they serve *your* idealistic view of Warsaw...
Show me *your* Warsaw...
He is simply showing you his.

Maybe you are *feeling* these pictures a little too much?

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]

It's like this..

There are two versions of the truth.

happy Indian slums..



Not so happy Indian slums..

What slums?

Two sides of every story.. ;)

What are you going to do? Change the picture or change the reality it captures...?

(And by the way... no-one ever goes to India for their holidays...) ;)

Australia / Secret gems (Good places to have a beer) in Melbourne Australia [20]


You're lucky I live in the slums and can't get on a bus to rip your face off... ;)


Broady's fine... I think! How to compare it to.... hell!? Jokes! It's racially diverse and full of intriguing shopping centres... :S

Speaking of hell... I should be frequenting Hell's Kitchen in the next few weeks or so. If I can find it! I'll look for a barfly with dragon wings and a firey temper? ;)

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]


Care to post some of your own pics and re-focus our minds a little...?

Are you bothered by the truth or the fact that it can be captured in pictures...?

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]


What's your problem? They are photos. You know what that means? It happened. Whether it was photographed or not.

Deal.

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]

I think they stimulate interest and are reasonably compelling..

It's not meant to be art.

Travel / How safe is Krakow for a single girl ? [35]


What are you on (about) man?

Love / Are Polish mothers-in-law monsters? [91]


It's ok... it shows you care. :)

Love / Are Polish mothers-in-law monsters? [91]


It depends how their children raised them...

Travel / How safe is Krakow for a single girl ? [35]

It isn't... it's much safer to go out at night as a double act...

History / 6th annviersary of JPII's death [6]

Oh, well then that marks 6 years since I lived in Krakow. I was there when it happened... had nothing to do with it mind!

It also marks the anniversary of the orange revolution in Ukraine, no? That occurred around about the same time...

They made him a saint yet?

News / MORE ANTI-POLISH SENTIMENT IN GERMANY [280]


Quoted for truth!

Petty

Squabble

Wonder bums.

;)

Feedback / A Personal Request to all PF members [119]

Listen, all I can say is that we are all changed by the people we meet and the places we frequent. That is kind of unavoidable. But I think anyone who has been fortunate enough to visit Poland, be shacked up with a Pole, marry one, or have Polish in their heritage, would know as well as i do that there are good and bad aspects of the place, and they *are* somewhat uniquely Polish... that can sometimes get lost in translation...

And by way of shared human experience, your issues become mine by default, through the penetration of human consiousness. We immediately take on the issues of others because we are able to project ourselves into their shoes... but we still wear our own and live through our own experiences...

So if we have gone through life with a certain country or group of people entirely off our radar, does it mean we are entirely ignorant about them? It may just mean that own reality hasn't brought us in contact with them yet. Shame, yes. Poland's so great. :)

At the end of the day, does it matter what people think about Poland, if they base their opinions on rumour spinning and stereotypes..? Honestly? No. And who's opinions are valid anyway?

(Oh god, I *am* complicating this aren't I?) Oh well, I can't be stopped now...

But then what? How long should someone stay in a certain country to pick up an ''accurate view of it''? Some people dislike (for whatever reason) their native countries too, and simply can't wait to leave... *ahem, immigration, ahem*. (And then love them years later forgetting the bad bits.)

Truth is, there are many lives being lived in every country. You could end up living a not so nice existence as a visitor *or* a native in any particular place, and this can end up jading your view of that place, when in reality every place is ok unless you're trying to realise your aspirations in it.

Is this more accurate than someone simply retelling their negative impressions of that place after only a weeks visit?

And I don't mind to complicate things, because, really, everything's *rather* more complicated than we at first think... if you think about it. ;) But I can see how you may not agree, as you are the original poster with the strongest view on this.

You don't need to reply, I know I'm a headache... aneurysm, whateva!

Australia / Polish community in Sydney, Australia [93]

The latter

They will change and be changed. (And *definitely* no castration jokes!) ;)

Of course... they will learn how to drink, ski and do without with dignity. ;)

Yes and no... depends how much of it we *want* to keep?

Life / Is there something like a "Polish culture" or Polish national identity? [49]


Keep it simple.. I like it. Though I would say less Wodka. ;)

To the OP. Here you have people who like to think they identify with Poland... The louder they are about it the less they usually know in detail.

My opinion.

Ask some Babcias. They have lived their whole lives there. Poland is its history so the older the person the more informative in my view... Though whether they would like to talk about it is another thing...

This generation are widely dispersed and culturally disjointed in my view... but that is part of understanding current Poland too so cannot be discounted...

Good luck! :)

Australia / Polish community in Sydney, Australia [93]


Well you wont find many fellow Monotremes here... The odd Platypus maybe. ;)


What if you prefer Dogs? :S

Australia / Polish community in Sydney, Australia [93]

Oh please Patrycja... you think I wasn't offended by ''Renegade's'' outlook on Australia...?

The tricky thing is I didn't know which group of Aussies to identify myself with... :S Which is what made the premise of his argument meaningless in *my* view... I could be both!

I guess it's up to the individual to believe one-sided comments or not or to listen to anonymous and baseless views without any verification or understanding of the individual's postings...

Point proven. Thanks.

I personally thought his comments were Kaka.

Fact is, like many countries, here you live amongst others from many different backgrounds AND nationalities... it's hard for some people...

Feedback / A Personal Request to all PF members [119]


By the same token, do you think I can do anything about the reputation about my country through a forum...? No, but I can stand alone as fitting into a perceived stereotype, or escape it through my own distinct actions, beliefs, attitudes...

It really depends on the character spilling the views and the characterisation given by the interpreter.
We're dealing with human beings here first and foremost. Not everything you think can be interpreted through a veil of Polishness surely...? Just as what I say about Poland may be more indicative of my own cultural background than yours. ;)

You're asking people to hold general views about something when they may specifically be coming here to state and explore distinct and polarised views on purpose...

I mean if you think this little forum can harm the reputation of your country then I think you're a little paranoid. Don't worry, we all love Poland... one way or another... That's why we're here... one way or another. :)

I repeat. The views here say more about the individuals than the country in question. That's why we have usernames... we aren't interested in anonymous comments, we want to know who's behind them...

Because an intelligent person knows that no-one can speak for a country, let alone someone else's ultimate opinion about that country...

Feedback / A Personal Request to all PF members [119]

Or on a more intrinsic level, It's for those who want the book but not the cover...

Or am I completely off topic...?

Cause in response to the OP, I would say you can't divide sentiment as a byproduct of Polishness... it's no determinant of anything, especially as many here have, more or less, experienced life elsewhere. If they hadn't, why would they be attracted to a Forum exploring the views of an *international community* about Poland? This is the World Wide Web honey... likes it or not, views rarely exist on a macro scale to protect the image of any one person, any one thing, or any one country as a monopoly over any other...

And in response to Lodz... The Dalai Lama has been trying for 50 years... what makes you think you'll have more success where requests for tolerance, kindness or compassion are concerned? :P

But by all means you can try! But wouldn't it be boring if *no-one* injected a bit of cynicism into these dodgy affairs...

Is kindness something you can extend or truly interpret above any other sentiment...? Just keep in mind we are projecting ourselves at all times. So really what we say here says more about ourselves as individuals than about any economic or historic affairs, affairs of state, sexuality or regional Polishness per se...

Don't take it to heart basically.

Feedback / A Personal Request to all PF members [119]


You get all the best bits without any of the crap. You get to be who you want to be. And ironically, it's less confrontational than real life.

It's kind of a dream world... with illusory characters - the line begins to blur.

It's the church and it's the dungeon, the righteous and the ugly. The soap box and the launching pad as well as the green field of imagery and perception. It allows one to paint with colours more vivid? It's for those who don't like to waste time with the rigidity (and the rules) of reality. ;)

But hey, who knows! ;)

But yes, there is a danger of not being able to divorce yourself from this world... cause it only exists in yer head.

How much can one *feel* towards another without never having seen or met them...? It's the ultimate in emotional projection but exemplifies the power of words and empathy...

We humans are evolving. And this is for many an easier domain to function in in an increasingly complex world... There is a compelling argument for escapism these days... maybe always...?

Australia / Secret gems (Good places to have a beer) in Melbourne Australia [20]

Noted. :)


Aren't they everyone's...?

I like a bit of dinge, dirge and filth with my fresh beer and bass. :D Affordable... I like to settle in for the night. :)


You mean you want to keep them secret. ;)


How do you get there? ;P


Uh-yeah... mistake of a rookie. :S


Sounds promising!


Duly noted. :)


Are you trying to lose my thread?


Uh-no. I didn't work on it *that* hard... ;)