Life / Get a refund in Poland for medical expenses abroad [5]

Just for the sake of completing the discussion (better late than never) to help others who could have a similar question : I went to the NFZ office, filled up a form and attached the bills from the doctor and the pharmacy. Shortly afterwards, I received the refund on my bank account (approx. 70% refund).

Life / Get a refund in Poland for medical expenses abroad [5]

Actually, not yet, because my wife says I can't get a refund because I went to a private practitioner, so I wanted to hear from other people first, before going to an office. Will go tomorrow morning, I've got time.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

PiS may have been beaten on the mayor election in several big cities and may have lost half of the voivodeships but if, as some of you say, many PiS voters didn't bother going to vote, and considering that the Koalicja is indeed made of parties having to unite for the occasion if they wanted to score, then PiS still definitely leads the charge. They may still well score in 2019 as I doubt that .N and PO will merge then, too many seats at sejm to be lost by ambitious candidates ;)... not to count Poles fed up with E.U. totalitarianism of which PO is the representative.

News / Poland's post-election political scene [4080]

For Krakow it's not over yet. Second poll in two weeks and we'll see for whom those who didn't vote today for that old incompetent bag Majchrowski will vote now.

I hope Wassermann wins.

Food / Bary mleczne/milk bars in Poland [30]

In Krakow, I sometimes go to the one in Grodzka for pierogi or kotlet schabowy. The kotlet is served with mashed potatoes a salad of minced cabbage and carrots. I think it costs about 13zł and I forgot if this price includes the fresh fruit/vegetable juice I usually drink with the meal.

I know another one "Bar Flisak" near the Jubilat but it's not a very pleasant place.

My favorite is another one in Karmelicka called "Bar Smak" but I think it's not a traditional milk bar. It looks like a small inn from the mountains inside ;-). It is cosy. They serve the same food than in milk bars, at the same prices.

Life / Welcome to winter in Poland! (-19C tomorrow) [64]

I was surprised by winter. I woke up Saturday morning (Kraków) to find out snow. Didn't fall yesterday but this morning it was heavy snow. Back to using mountain shoes instead of classy oxfords and monks.

• 
  Took a picture with iPhone this afternoon, while walking in Planty :
  

History / Poles should emulate Jews? [153]

Nice text. But I couldn't comment, as I'm no Pole and don't know Poles well enough although I live here. One thing I see however, is how passive they can be when it comes to changing things in their native country. They will just run away abroad in search of a better life, then criticize Poland remotely. Probably a consequence of communist culture where everything sorts of "comes from above", and the feeling of being powerless as a consequence.

Love / Ten things to remember when you have a Polish girlfriend [79]


You forget the Aga and the Asia. There are billions of them.


It's on March 8th and is celebrated in many countries. It is an international day.



You're both correct. Polish women have so much class, they actually are princesses and it makes any man want to respect them. Usually with pleasure you will comply to this. But on another hand, you must also be quite affirmative as a male, otherwise they will perceive you as a wimp and stop respecting you.


You're absolutely correct and this is devil's strategy! Everytime my girlfriend put her arm around mine in town, I could expect to be quickly taken back home and raped :-) in a delicate atmosphere of perfumed candles, dimmed lights and sexy underwear.


Correct. In my case I'm essentially an all-purpose pillow.


who is usually a king-size mother in her role of watchdog, lowering your defense by cooking for you the best Polish food ever.


Actually my food was always my own but I wonder why they order so small dishes. The first time, she wanted to pay for her dish, probably to show me that she didn't want to just profit of me. But I insisted on paying. And the following times she would just order rosól while I was having a starter then an Argentinian steak. Go figure...

Actually the Poland education system is still the typical European one. She will only look smarter if you're from the U.S., where it's considered normal not to learn anything that has nothing to do with the U.S. or where the traditional cursus in average school will be 15 minutes of math and 5 minutes of geography stuck somewhere between 2 hours of football. A bit exagerating but you got my point.


Yes you are, because the last one is one the most important: she has a religion. Poland is catholic, and king-size mother will make sure that you follow the rule, or are something as close as possible to it. I know well 4 Polish girls: one colleague from work, one true friend, and two girlfriends. In each case, we developped a good relationship, with fun, comments on our private life etc.. but it's ONLY after having a conversation about religion and they learnt that I' a catholic as well and I sometimes attend church that they really became fully open, relaxed and trustful. The difference before/after was striking. I experienced it again last week with my new girlfriend. We know each other for a few months. The same evening where she put the religion into the conversation was the evening where we kissed for the first time. Maybe the generation accounts for something. She is in her early/mid thirties and i'm in my late thirties.


Thanks for posting this! ;-) And congratulations on your wedding. All the best for both of you...

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]

Sebastian

Poland has great things, which justify the visit of many tourists every year. I'm not Pole but migrated from a comfortable Western-European country recently for professional purposes and I can assure you that I love living in Poland, and I love Poland which I discovered 3 years ago. Every country has its ups and downs. Be proud of the specificities of your native country but don't spit on the neighbour, I think that's the rule of a sane self-appreciation.

Life / Why Do You Love Poland? [907]


And that's the problem. You should have accepted to eat pork in order to show respect to them, not the other way round.

Language / Anglos don't distinguish kasza from Kasia? [22]

Wow, I just notice today that you replied to my message. Thank you very much, and sorry for the delay.

Language / Which preposition for 'at'? [58]

Indeed, but the list you mentioned is a list of personal pronouns, therefore it should be "ono".
"To" is a demonstrative pronoun and belongs to the series "ten / ta / to".

Language / Which preposition for 'at'? [58]


Allow me to correct a small mistake: he/she/it (on/ona/ono) był/była/było

Language / Anglos don't distinguish kasza from Kasia? [22]


Thanks. Well can you list these rules, because I couldn't find them in my grammar book. That would be something helpful. ;-)

Language / Anglos don't distinguish kasza from Kasia? [22]

So, there is a difference??? Argh.... Still many efforts to come ;-)
By the way Polonius, now that we're at it, is there a difference between "u" and "ó" ?

Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1040]

[Moved from]: "At the occasion of" in Polish

Hello,

I would like to know how you say in Polish the expression "At the occasion of...".
Someone who is learning Polish told me it was "Z okazji + [noun of the occasion in dopełniacz]". For example, I need to write to somebody:

"At the occasion of Andrzejki, I would like to tell you..."

Thanks in advance

Work / Teaching English in Zakopane, is it safe? [45]

kayterr

Hi. You say you don't have experience as a teacher. What makes you think you will be a good teacher then? Don't you think the students have the right for professionalism? I hope for them that you will be good, but I'm always amazed to see on these boards the quantity of people who want to teach English in Poland, as if being a teacher was the most obvious or easiest job to do.

To be more on topic, I'd like to say that some village or mountain people will dislike anyone who simply is not a local. I have a Polish friend whose parents own a lodge in Zakopane. They are from Krakow and like to come and spend a weekend in their lodge from time to time. Constantly they are the victims of pettiness from some neighbours, who for example move stones in front of their gate to block the way in, or will deflate one of their car's tyres during the night ;-). Village people who don't like them just because they come from "the big city".

So there could be several reasons why people will not like you. But you will also meet people who will be positively interested in your difference. So don't bother too much. Be as good a teacher as possible, enjoy the nice walks in the mountain and the delicious country food. And if it turns out badly, just come back ;-).

Food / Buying alcohol, wine in Poland. It's very difficult. [85]

mauro, depends on where you buy.

My experience in Krakow:
1. "Alma": walk freely in the alcohol department, pick up whatever you want, go to cash desk.
1. "Kaufland": walk freely in the alcohol department, pick up whatever you want, go to cash desk.

OK, you don't have a car, but can't you take a bus or something to another place? You'll buy 2 or 3 bottles and bring them in a bag. Such a terrible effort?

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

I'm really annoyed by all that political correctness. Soon, each language and culture will have to loose their identity and references just because it annoys some minority. When it's not some minority, it's another one. Can't people just accept who they are?

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

Thanks Rafik. It's clear now :-)

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

Do both words mean "fucking off" (wypierdalać and spierdalać) ?

Is one a perfective form and the other one an imperfective form ? (which one)

Is it written "spier..." or "śpier..." ?

Thanks for these precisions. They are necessary if I want to learn the language correctly...

Life / Electricity in Poland: plug and voltage? [73]

Thanks for the information. The picture helped !