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Posts by Moonlighting  

Joined: 28 Apr 2007 / Male ♂
Last Post: 5 Jun 2021
Threads: Total: 31 / Live: 13 / Archived: 18
Posts: Total: 234 / Live: 122 / Archived: 112
From: Native Belgian, living in Krakow since 2010.
Speaks Polish?: Tak.
Interests: Movies, cooking, classic French literature and my job (running an IT business in Poland).

Displayed posts: 135 / page 4 of 5
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Moonlighting   
26 Jan 2010
Life / Horribly cold in Krakow at the moment , how do you cope with such temperatures ? [124]

Horribly cold in Krakow at the moment , how do you cope with such temperatures ?

I don't cope. I freeze. This morning I went to finish the painting of my new office. It was OK doing the job as the radiator works. But going from my home to my office was awful. I'm not used to such temperatures. I have the impression that everything (not just me) is functioning slower... ;-)
Moonlighting   
1 Jan 2010
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".
Moonlighting   
1 Jan 2010
Language / Which preposition for 'at'? [58]

he/she/it (on/ona/to) był/była/było

Allow me to correct a small mistake: he/she/it (on/ona/ono) był/była/było
Moonlighting   
30 Dec 2009
Language / Anglos don't distinguish kasza from Kasia? [22]

There is no difference at all in pronunciation between "ó" and "u", but there are associated spelling rules to learn.

Thanks. Well can you list these rules, because I couldn't find them in my grammar book. That would be something helpful. ;-)
Moonlighting   
30 Dec 2009
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" ?
Moonlighting   
29 Dec 2009
Law / Settting up ''self-employed'' status in Poland [9]

paiz.gov.pl/en

This is an official website. Full of useful economical facts about Poland. In the "Polish Law" section, you will find all the regulations for setting up a business, paying taxes, and of course immigration law.
Moonlighting   
20 Dec 2009
Life / Winter in Poland? [161]

Actually I just arrived from Western Europe to settle down to Krakow. It's freezing now. I temporarily live at a friend's house in the suburb and must sometimes wait for a bus for very long minutes. All this weather condition actually makes me very tired. In the evening, I already feel sleepy at 9 o'clock. The cold and the very fresh air ;-) I'm was not used to such stimulating climate in my country. However it's only -10 C. Another guy from my country who settled near Warsaw told me the temperature now where he lives is between -20 and -15 C.
Moonlighting   
28 Nov 2009
Language / Short Polish<->English translations [1033]

[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
Moonlighting   
25 Nov 2009
History / Poland and Muslims (Tatars and others). [81]

if you ate a kebab, there is a big chance that you actually got some kind of ratshit, sperm, asbestos, cockroaches, human feces, HUMAN PARTS, rotten meat, salmonella or any other ingridient you really shouldn't have in your food.

Hej ;-) Although I generally agree with your analysis of Muslim immigration, I think you should refrain from posting things like that about kebab. In all European countries, food served in shops or restaurants is submitted to occasional inspections by local or national authorities. If such problems sometimes arise (like having pieces of cat in your Chinese dish, or meat used past the preservation date independently from the recipe's nationality), it is far from being the general rule.
Moonlighting   
25 Nov 2009
History / Poland and Muslims (Tatars and others). [81]

Yes we are, but compassion doesn't mean that we must be naive. Not only we have a heart, we also have eyes and everybody saw the problems that Muslim immigration caused in Western Europe and we don't want to see the same happen in Poland.
Moonlighting   
24 Nov 2009
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 ;-).
Moonlighting   
22 Nov 2009
Love / India guy Polish girl [57]

It's fascinating to see the impact of love. Probably the best way to discover another person's culture. Polish cooking and culture have delights. I bet you were a vegetarian if you're Indian, and you eat meat now? Hehe ;-) Beware that this girl doesn't eat YOU ;-) Well, good luck anyway. But be carefully, it gives you wings but the landing could be more of a crash if you misunderstand her intentions about you. Anyway, you should enjoy as much as you can those moments spent with her, as it seems they bring you a lot of positive things...
Moonlighting   
17 Nov 2009
Life / How Polish are you? [74]

This quizz is ridiculous. I got 65% although I'm not at all of Polish descent, nor is anybody in my family. Probably it had to do with the improved knowledge of the language, using it with friends, and practicing catholicism.

There is a second Quiz

I got 100% at that one.

Well, I'm getting better at knowing Poland. My move to Krakow next month shouldn't be a big problem ;-)
Moonlighting   
23 Oct 2009
Food / Problem to find "cream" in Poland [23]

I thought you were talking about vaseline.

Well, at the beginning, I told my gf that we needed to buy "krem" for the recipe. She laughed and explained the difference of vocabulary. Of course that evening I massaged her body with krem. And with smietana another day. She enjoyed the combination of hands and tongue ;-).

creme fraiche is known not to curdle while heated (contrary to Polish sour cream) - that's why it is widely used in French cuisine as an ingredient in sauces and soups (and in many other recipes)

Exactly! And that's the problem I had while cooking in Poland, besides the difference of taste.
Moonlighting   
22 Oct 2009
Food / Problem to find "cream" in Poland [23]

£ukasz, you probably have the answer. I'll try it next time I'm in Poland.
Thanks to all for your replies.
Moonlighting   
22 Oct 2009
Food / Problem to find "cream" in Poland [23]

OR,
I already tried that, and even some where it was written "sos". But that's not it. Maybe in Poland you have a different method to prepare cream than ours...

Maybe another example. If you were to put cream in your coffee instead of milk, sothat it becomes "gęsty" but still tastes rather like milk, which product would you use? That's in fact the one I need... ;-)
Moonlighting   
22 Oct 2009
Food / Problem to find "cream" in Poland [23]

Hi,

Everytime I'm in Krakow and want to cook dishes which I cook on a regularly basis in Belgium, involving "cream" (or "creme" in French), I just can't find it in shops!!! I tried various "smietana" but they are never what I want. What I'm looking for is that very liquid cream we use for sauces, and also for soups sometimes, in such cuisines as Belgian, french and Italian, and probably a good deal of other european countries.

All the "smietana" I buy in Krakow never have the required taste. They're a bit sour or taste a bit like cheese. No! I didn't mistakingly bought kefir or maslanka. It definitely reads "smietana" but it's never what I want. The only solution I found is to buy cream in Belgium and bring it with me everytime I go back to Krakow.

Would it be, by any chance, called another name than smietana?

Thanks
Moonlighting   
13 Oct 2009
Love / My recent experience with a Polish girl. [231]

The truth in these kinda scenarios you're never gonna get.

And this is typical female behaviour (although probably they won't admit it). Tough for us but we must accept it.
Moonlighting   
13 Oct 2009
Love / My recent experience with a Polish girl. [231]

..and ofcourse you're always free to disagree with me!

Considering what you wrote, I don't think I disagree with you ;-)

I just notice that since I registered on PF and read through the Poland Relationships threads, what I see most is stories where people want to use Polish mentality as an explanation for failure, while it is merely caused by a behaviour of retarded teenager.

Come on, when you read stories like "We knew each other for 3 weeks and I gave up my job to move to her city or country to be together, but she dumped me after 1 week. Now I'm lost. Is it normal for a Polish girl to blah blah blah" or "We chatted on MSN but never met in real life. However we had decided to get married. Then suddenly she stopped chatting with me. Is it normal for a Polish girl to blah blah blah". Yeah, right... ;-)
Moonlighting   
13 Oct 2009
Love / My recent experience with a Polish girl. [231]

Yes. Anyway, friendship after love doesn't exist. They are too different. When it's over, it's over. When a contact persists, the dumped partner somehow keeps having expectations, is desperately hoping, and eventually wastes his/her time. Barr_2009, your ex doesn't want you anymore. MOVE ON! Rozumiesz? I know, it hurts. But we've all been through that. So can you.

Why do I have the feeling that most stories ending with full report on PF have to do with people who are just naive or without experience ? :-) Then we have "The" question: Is it normal for a Pole to do this/that ? Grow up, people!
Moonlighting   
18 Aug 2009
Polonia / Poland and France cultures are similar [112]

That's a hursh thing to say? what about the rights that women got during this revolutions? how we outgrown our 100 centuries old habits and customs to create modern society?

I was thinking to other things that women rights. I was rather thinking of what happened during the last 20 years, not during the last 50 or 100 years. It is a big difference.

You belong to the ones who think that society "progressed". For me, progress means "improvement", not just doing things differently than in the past. You are happy that the modification of society helped solving some social problems which were critical 50 or 100 years ago, and granted more liberties to some citizens. I agree with you about the facts. But this modernization you praise also generated new problems which grew up in critical proportions as well. Things changed but overall society didn't progress. I consider that it is regressing, declining... Probably we will never agree on this issue. ;-)
Moonlighting   
18 Aug 2009
Polonia / Poland and France cultures are similar [112]

I'm Belgian, native French-speaker. Knowing both France and Poland really makes me wonder in which way they are similar. Except maybe for the fact that Mickiewicz and Kieslowski both spent a part of their career in France ;-). Anyway, when I read things like the following...

...here is what I want to answer :

Some French are thinkers, intellectuals and attentive to details. They indeed have a fifferent structure of thought because their culture articulates around Cartesian logics, which differs from Slavic culture.

France and Poland both have good cuisine. I prefer the Polish one which I found to be healthier.

Both Poles and French are very instructed. Each coutry in its part of Europe had a large cultural influence on neighbouring countries.

Poles are often friendly, more than the French who often looks down on others by excessive self-esteem, oftent thinking they are superior to the rest of the world. Which, of course, often makes them the joke of the world and not the most desired people.

I find Polish women more elegant than French ones, and Polish people in general not so big-mouthed, warmer and with better manners.

I hope Poland doesn't fall in the same trap as Western Europe did and will NOT have a sexual/racial revolution, like the ones which damaged our society. I hope the only transition I hope they will go through is an economically one allowing low salaries to increase.

Anyway, I learnt something with the time. When I'm in a foreign country where I try to speak the local language (often with a little French accent which I cannot always manage to hide), I immediately specify that I'm Belgian and not French. Immediate effect: I'm better welcomed ;-)...
Moonlighting   
14 Aug 2009
Life / How do Polish people see homosexuality? [152]

I think a good way to discuss homosexuality would be to stop for a while all those religious considerations and raise the question whether human homosexuality is "normal" or not from a scientific point of view. Some time ago I discussed it with a friend who is a professional psychotherapist working at the University Hospital in my city, in Belgium. She told me this:

Human homosexuality is the result of a genetic flaw combined to a psychic trauma.
1. First of all, it is a genetic "accident" having to do with chromosomes that will set the risk for a Human to become a homosexual, as potentially he will instinctively be attracted by same-sex persons.

2. There is afterwards a psychic factor which will work (or not) as a catalyst which will make the person definitely be "actively" homosexual. It will work or not depending on how the person will react when she builds her sexual identity through his experiences (since childhood) and also the way society behaves in return to her -- and society also includes parents. There are patterns where, for example, a homosexual male very often is a man who had an "abusing" mother and a "missing" father. It is not 100% of the cases but it's the vast majority.

Anyway, the consequence of all this is that human homosexuality can in NO WAY be considered as something "normal", something "natural". It is important to specify "human", for some other species do naturally reproduce through "intercourse" between two same-sex individuals. Humans don't, period! An other consideration is the requirement, in order to get a better balanced child, to have him grow up with a reference model for parents made of a male and a female, not two males or two females.

I take the opportunity to talk about transsexuals. When a person feels so bad as a man or a woman that she wants to change sex, it is again certainly not something to be considered normal. After surgery, several patients commit suicide when they realize that their problem is not solved and they are not happier than they were before. Of course it's not solved! Those cases are simply for psychiatry, not surgery...

When it comes to whether homosexuality should be socially normalized or not, for example by granting gays and lesbians the right of getting married or raise children... As far as I'm concerned, I'm against such rights because I consider that the role of the State is to keep a consistent society through sets of laws allowing the majority of people to live together in a consistent way. I'm tired of all those minority activists who want to turn society upside down sothat each individual could fully and selfishly live his specificity, especially for something as "twisted" as homosexuality.

In the times of political correctness where everything different than the average should be accepted as "normal", it would be good to remember that homosexuality is a medical problem before anything else. And religion has nothing to do with it.
Moonlighting   
17 Jun 2009
Life / Which on the list of Polish girl's names do you like the most? [67]

I take the opportunity to ask which Polish female names today may sound ridiculous or strange or funny or too popular or old-fashioned or pretentious...

For examples: I had a colleague in 2007. Her name was Maja and she thought it sounded old-fashioned. As for my girl-friend in 2008, she thought that the name Kasia was too popular and said she was glad not to be called that way, and she wouldn't call her daughter like that either.

So what's the trends and perceptions about girl names in today's Poland?
Moonlighting   
1 Feb 2009
Life / Tips on tipping in Poland [45]

On the other hand, the wages in Poland are much lower...so I would feel some compulsion to tip on top of the "service included".

Actually I left a big tip once in Krakow when I was by myself in a restaurant. My Polish wasn't good enough and the young waitress spoke a bit of English. My bill was something like 34.90 Zł and I paid with a bill of 50. I wanted to tip the waitress because she had been very helpful, efficient and was probably a student willing to make pocket money so I wanted to leave 5.10 Zł in order to round the bill at 40 Zł.

I told her "Take five ten". Then with a big smile she thanked me and gave me back a coin of 10 Gr! Obviously she had understood "Take fifteen". But I didn't say anything, as this would have been embarrassing both for her and me. Anyway it was just a tip once in a while so I wasn't upset at all. I'll just ensure everything is correctly understood next time. :-)