Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1400]

No, fuzzy, throwing salt over your shoulder drives the ghosts away who are looking over it to count each grain of salt and might possibly bring you death. Lol I read that once on origins of folk superstitions. Also, why you are supposed to cover your mouth while yawning so ghosts counting your teeth don't fall in, and some others.

I have to say, I will have to try the kidney recipe. I tried it once. Oh my good lord was the experience... Memorable ;) If you want, I can share link tomorrow since I blogged about it. I might have scarred my kids with the kidneys debacle. Good times. Lol

polishmamaontheprairie.com/2011/12/beef-kidneys-culinary-disaster.html

There you go, my kidney experience ;) Hope you enjoy.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

surnames.behindthename.com/name/gajos

4149 people named Gajos, Most are registered in Jędrzejów.

Any other info you have on that?

Love / Polish women are the most beautiful in the world! [1718]


Interesting... According to the CIA WorldFactBook, The USA is not that great with infant mortality rates.
cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html

Here's an article from 2011 discussing just that.
foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/04/13/financial-times-gets-wrong-infant-mortality-rates

And I recall that just a few months ago, it came out that once again, we had crappy rates in that catagory.

I wonder how Forbes came out w this list bc I've read others comparing many of the same catagories and coming up with different results...

Life / What's wrong with Poland? I don't see anything. [121]


Hate to interrupt this friendly banter but I must point out that, a large amount of illegal immigrants actually do pay taxes. They use a stolen SS# during the year, taxes are taken out, and at the end of the year are screwed out of filing for a tax return, switch SS#'s the following year, and repeat. So, actually the US gov't makes money off illegal immigrants, in a way.

articles.nydailynews.com/2011-04-20/local/29470037_1_sales-taxes-tax-revenue-property-taxes

Because I know you'll ask for proof when all you need to do is google "Illegal Immigrants pay taxes" and find tons of sources...

Then, of course, there are those who are here illegally and essentially enslaved. You know, sold for $6 a person in FL to pick our fruits and veggies or for prostitution. Or, forced to work in conditions where they can't leave bc the "masters" (if you will) know where their entire family lives in their birth country so they fear fleeing.

Google "Human Trafficking in the USA" or "Humans sold in Florida for Farm work" or anything else like that...

Hey, here's a question: Anyone here ever MET and TALKED to an illegal immigrant and knew their actual circumstances?

Immigration rights are actually something I follow closely in the USA, so just an fyi, it's not so cut-and-dry black & white. On either side.

Back to the topic on-hand... Sorry, but had to just say that.

Real Estate / Dzialki - allotment gardens regulations in Poland [27]

Got the scoop from my family, property tax will essentially be assessed, according to Babcia by them counting your trees, bushes, etc., according to Wujek, by size. My Babcia, for example, will be forced to pay 2,000 zl per year on her działka. That's quite a bit, I'm actually shocked that they will assess that much but hey, welcome to Capitalism, Poland.

Real Estate / Dzialki - allotment gardens regulations in Poland [27]

I don't know a single member of my family, young and old, who don't have działki. They love it. It's not just growing your own food, it's going out and being with Nature, something deep in the hearts of all Poles. Also, organic food for practically free that you grew yourself? Sweet!

I assume you mean this news: I'll look for the regulations and post when I find them.

thenews.pl/1/6/Artykul/105575,Polands-urban-allotments-under-threat

Play the voice clip to get more idea... It's in English, btw.

Travel / What is the ugliest city or town in Poland? [89]


Ouch! Clench my heart, that cut deep! OK, you are entitled to your opinion but I think Wrocław is beautiful. Then again, I live in the middle of nowhere, USA and before that, the Baltimore area.

Life / Izabela? - Advice with Polish name for a girl [36]

That's very true. For example, my name is Kasia. I was born in Poland and it's a very common name there. Considered beauty from what I always hear, but still common. But I live in the USA now and it's unique. Even when I worked in International Freight Forwarding.

I think you have to have a balance. Teach your kids the right form but also the name is not something to really brush off as unimportant.

Travel / What is the ugliest city or town in Poland? [89]

Not my beautiful Wrocław! I suppose you didn't see the stadium lit up, or hear about the themes of the stadium designs? Did you check out Wrocław's Rynek? :/

Life / Izabela? - Advice with Polish name for a girl [36]

It's not about guessing that she will become, say a park ranger versus a tv personality. But, there is a difference between a name that is memorable yet uncomplicated and can be printed on business cards and a name that isn't. Like I said, a professional workforce, versus, say burger flipping (not that there is anything wrong with that, but there's nothing wrong with wanting something else).

I took classes before for resume writing and interviewing (didn't we all in high school?) and a large corporation's local office sent their HR director to talk to us. She said that one of the things she watches for is someone's name and how they introduce themselves with it. Example: "Hey, ha'ya doin'? My name is (insert unmemorable name here)". Versus "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is (insert a slightly unusual but not freakish name here)." Part of it would be your self introduction, of course. But it can't hurt to have the conversation naturally flow to "Oh, that's an interesting name. (and then person typically repeats it because it's a bit unusual or whatever)."

Anyway, that's what I remember being told and to me, it makes sense. Maybe it doesn't to others. But we are all different and entitled to our own opinions. I was just sharing my own opinion.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

There is also a mountain peak called Kuh-e Dambok in Iran.

Damböck is also a German name, something to consider in your search.

The fact that two mountains bear your last name might not mean that's where you are from, it might mean that someone from your family tree named that mountain for whatever reason. Climbed it, claimed it, bought it for mining, etc.


There are several Polish Americans in Baltimore area with that name as well and I believe they were from Belarus (formerly Polish territory).

Life / Izabela? - Advice with Polish name for a girl [36]

I just spoke to a friend of mine who's German and her husband's Korean. Their daughter is Wiktoria, no issues and she is 7 years old. Go with a name that will benefit her in the professional force. Want an uncomplicated mainstream not special name? That's the type of job she'll be perfect for. Want her to be remembered and work in a professional field? Pick a name that will work in that situation. People who are educated, tolerant and professional will have no issues with the name Wiktoria.

Life / Izabela? - Advice with Polish name for a girl [36]

My name is actually Katarzyna. I love it. I don't care anymore about people who can't handle my name. I feel sorry for them, really. It's a great clue as to how worldly and/or intelligent someone is based on their reaction to my name.

I get issues once in a great while with government documents but that's their problem, not mine. They correct it and we both move on in life. Also, the government workers are much more used to "ethnic" names than you might think.

Another thing to consider, when she starts dating, her name will help her weed out the racists/morons/lazy bums/uncultured boys from the real, intelligent, cultured tolerant men. Another bonus? It will help her stand out in her job interviews and at work, in a positive way. You could also imagine that if she gets a job dealing with people from other countries, that she will automatically be given bonus points by those customers who will associate her with being more travelled, etc. than they would with a woman named "Amy" or something like that (speaking from the international freight forwarding perspective).

Genealogy / Want to find a person [762]

Sorry, but there currently is no white pages for Poland online. Unless a person wants to be found in Poland, you won't find them. As rightly should be because otherwise people have no privacy and therefore no rights. And then crazy stalkers can find them. -.-

Genealogy / Want to find a person [762]


It would be better if you found out through genealogy search who his relatives are, such as brothers & sisters, and looked that way.

You can also share the name here and maybe someone knows... Good luck!

Genealogy / Help with Polish Surnames and Variants Klepacki and Blasczyk [15]

Genealogy isn't a quick hobby, that's for sure. lol I wish you luck. Because there is no privacy in the US and you are searching in the US, I know if you keep looking, you will find them. It's impossible not to find someone in the US.

Here's a question: Do you know what church they attended in NJ? Try contacting them? Try searching NJ Polonia Newspaper archives? polishroots.org/ Try this site, it gives links to quite a few places to search in the US for someone who's Polish. Also, did you create a public family tree yet? That way, if someone else is searching, they'll see it and contact you.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]

Some interesting points made.

OK, let's say the term Murzyn is not racist. That those who are creating the dictionary translations are people who have a poor grasp of both the English and Polish languages (or have some sort of agenda for doing this, or even, perhaps just copying and pasting from the same answer). In that case, one of two things need to be done. Either linguistics experts orchestrate a correction of this and clear the air once and for all. Or the word is deemed racist and we use a different word from now on.

Side note: There are some who want to portray Poles as being a racist people, perhaps to rewrite history or to keep political ties with other nations strained. In my opinion, to rewrite history since there were some who published books and presented themselves as sociological and historical experts in an attempt to rewrite history, as early as during WWII. That effort to rewrite history has not yet ended. Examples: Particular newspapers continually using the term "Polish concentration camp". I don't feel like going into detail about that as it's off-topic.

Also, the term Caucasian is not really being used anymore since Blumenbach's term was deemed as not quite correct.
straightdope.com/columns/read/2041/why-do-we-say-caucasian-to-mean-a-person-of-european-ancestry

Regarding America's use of the "N" word and Negro, my own glances around linguistics history books & sites have shown that it was offensive as early as the 1800's. When America was developing her own version of English. And when we were using blacks as slaves.

I found a book about it called A Little Book about Racism ("Mała książka o rasizmie") by Mamadou Diouf, which might prove to be an interesting read.

Last point, regarding the dictionary translations of Muczyn. Some come up, not with Negro or a version of that, but with Blackamoor, which from what I see in the definitions, is considered offensive.

Life / Jerzy Kosinski - Polish author and liar [127]

Oh, I see, you are right. It is Being There that he allegedly plagiarized. My mistake. I still think it would be interesting to compare the two.

Boletus, that's an interesting article about it. Just because someone changes parts of a book or one character, however, does not mean it is no longer plagiarism.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]

Just because a word has not yet been invented, doesn't mean that the word used is OK. For example, in American history, what was a black man called for a shamefully long time? The "N" word or a varient of it, Negro. The terms African American and Black person were later created and are considered the acceptable terms. I hold faith in Polish people that they, too, will find a replacement word for Murzyn which is deemed acceptable.

I really wish a linguistics expert were here regarding this.

Life / Jerzy Kosinski - Polish author and liar [127]

I thought it was The Painted Bird he was accused of plagiarizing?

Life / Jerzy Kosinski - Polish author and liar [127]

It would be interesting to read The Painted Bird and Kariera Nikodema Dyzmy (The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma) and compare them side by side to see if the allegations of plagiarism are true.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


Then I'm simply not understanding anything that you wrote, it seems.

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]


Why would it be appropriate to use a word in the figurative sense only if it is used in singular form, but if used in plural form, it's inappropriate? That makes absolutely no sense. I'm going to conclude that, given certain points made on this thread, I will henceforth make a conscientious effort to no longer use the word as it seems to be offensive.

Life / Jerzy Kosinski - Polish author and liar [127]

I've heard of Kosinski before. Not in a good way.

Language / Spelling "aunt" in Polish [142]


I beg to differ. Most Polish Jews don't call themselves Polish Jews. It's not that they all have disappeared. It's that they call themselves Jewish instead of Polish Jewish. I say this based on meeting many Jewish people who would later quietly tell me that they were Polish Jewish, when people would not be around and we would start talking in Polish together or talking about common dishes we love or the "Ch" sound in our tongues ;) With me, it's always been a little secret that they know and eventually share with me once they get to know me and see I'm not some crazy person.

Babushka is Russian, btw. And the reason I assume the German Jewish grandmother reacted strongly to the Polish word was because she was German Jewish, not because she was Jewish.

Nice to see a few Chicagoan on here, btw.

Genealogy / Help with Polish Surnames and Variants Klepacki and Blasczyk [15]

ellisisland.org/shipping/FormatTripPass.asp?sship=Normannia&BN=P00283-4&lineshipid=624&shipid=

I found a 4 y o on the Ellis Island records with your Grandmother's name. But the information is all different. However, if that's her, there are 3 others with her family name who you might be interested in.

Genealogy / Help with Polish Surnames and Variants Klepacki and Blasczyk [15]

To the OP, I want to also point out that many ethnic Poles were moved from the now Belarus & Ukrainian areas to other areas of Poland when the border shifts were done. So, you might find current family elsewhere but if you are looking for your family's town of origin, that can make things a bit more difficult.

Did your grandparents come over together? If not, when did your grandfather come over? I don't know much about Cossack geneology and how that would work but that might help someone else.

Genealogy / All Future Polish Genealogy Researchers: Please Read before you start a thread [45]

Got it. Thanks for clarification.

Language / Spelling "aunt" in Polish [142]

So, the "ant" I get, you probably are in the Northern area? Since in the South, it's more likely to be pronounced "Aunt". But I was actually asking why you hate the word "Ciocia" or the title of Aunt/Ant/Ciocia. I'm actually confused by your sentence structure which word it is that you hate.

Genealogy / All Future Polish Genealogy Researchers: Please Read before you start a thread [45]

So, to clarify, bc I am not aware of what was discussed, people should list the occupying country of that time in their inquiry, yes? Which, putting aside pride, is what would be on documents and therefore, what the searching party would need to know? Am I correct?