News / About fifty injured after two trains collide in Poland [73]

No Monia. The usual line was closed as part of the scheduled A154 modernisation programme. Though human error (as in most other Polish transport accidents) seems likely at the moment, as Boletus suggests, there could be several reasons.

News / About fifty injured after two trains collide in Poland [73]


Yeah, yeah, yeah. Twisting and turning to try to evade the issue that this, like most other transport disasters in Poland, is somebody's fault. Sad, when so many died.

Life / If a Pole says something it must be wrong - a prejudice? [25]


This is true. I once heard a neighbour blaming the parking problems on our street on a particular ethnic minority (despite the street having been built after they all had to leave). Anything but blame another Pole.

A small but telling symptom of the denial culture here is a meal I had in a restaurant a few days ago. We waited ages for the starters and when the waiter finally brought them, he brought the main cause less than 3 minutes later. When I reminded him that we'd only just got the starter, he said it wasn't his fault; the kitchen had sent it. Easier to say that than either do his job properly and tell the kitchen to do it again at the appropriate time or at the very least apologise profusely.

Life / If a Pole says something it must be wrong - a prejudice? [25]

Damn right especially since the thing he brought wasn't what I'd ordered anyway.

A shame really because if anything I generally overtip. It was Sphinx on Nowy Swiat - on the one hand not exactly classy, on the other hand supposedly quite hot on staff training.

Twice in restaurants here I've had food brought that is absolutely clap cold - they just forgot to heat it. On neither occasion did anyone apologise.

It's part of the culture here - they'd rather cut their own heads off than admit they're wrong.

Life / If a Pole says something it must be wrong - a prejudice? [25]

Or perhaps you'd prefer to expand on what you're saying.

Life / If a Pole says something it must be wrong - a prejudice? [25]


Have you noticed this here in Poland?

Thought not.

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

Casanova. Who of course lived in Warsaw, more or less on the site of the building where Heaven Sauna and Folk Gospoda are now. Maybe @goldenliberty, you know the site? Another famous (and near contemporary) libertine (Cagliostro) who expressed a very different view of Polish women lived not far away.

Life / If a Pole says something it must be wrong - a prejudice? [25]

A neologism but a lovely word.

Loaded with meaning though...

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


I didn't quote him - somebody else did, and having read his diaries he just seems like some sort of sexual compulsive. But at least he lived in Warsaw, which is interesting slightly.

Genealogy / Popular Polish First Names? [152]


Is she a friend of tania Tanya z Astrakhanie?

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


It does make it an interesting part of our history here in Warsaw.

Did you know that in the 18th Century, rich young European men used to go through Warsaw on the Grand Tour on their way to Moscow but never actually get there because of how good Warsaw was and how pretty (and accommodating) the girls were?

Genealogy / Searching for info on my Grandfather, Kolata [17]


Probably different places, unless someone got the handwriting very wrong. Try googling them.

edit

Zembrzyce is a village near Krakow (then in Galicia). Jembrzyec doesn't show up. You don't mention if your grandparents were particularly literate (which many perfectly normal people weren't in those days). Could it be a misspelling of Zembrzyce?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zembrzyce

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

Adam Zamoyski

Life / I need to go to the Polish Police station (received a shipment with nothing inside) [6]

Good advice. I'd add that taking a friend who speaks Polish well is your best option. If they need to find a translator it would probably mean a return visit some time in the future. There may well be an English speaker there but that doesn't mean they'll translate a signed statement for you.

Genealogy / Where is the orthodox cemetery in Podlasie? [12]


There should be a Polish Orthodox cemetery there - there's a pretty big Orthodox church and monastery.

Love / Anglo-bride at left? Polish bride at right? [9]


Or just that way round.

History / Wrocław's Train Station: Not A Happy Place. [39]

Wschodnia in Warsaw is renovated after a fashion, Centralna looks clean now, but Zachodnia still has the same eighties feelinh. By far the coldest and creepiest is Kielce. Wroclaw station is atmospheric, but somehow Katowice is more so.

News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]

If anything, a safe, stable and investable Africa is very much in the West's interest. And I can assure you, Libya wasn't that great.

History / Wrocław's Train Station: Not A Happy Place. [39]

Most of them were ordinary people, including children, none of whom could have done anything to stop the behaviour of their dictatorship.

Thinking about it, that area round the back of Zachodnia Station in Warsaw. (a part of town that has seen more than its fair share of human misery and has the plaques to show it) especially the bit between the bikers' club and the park by the old tram sheds is quite an atmospheric place

History / Wrocław's Train Station: Not A Happy Place. [39]


Talking about railway stations and border changes, Ostrow Wielkopolska is a little town with a huge railway station - presumably it was the frontier until 1915.


Have those rumours started again?

Law / British managers superior to Polish [52]


The area rebuilt for the Olympics is bigger than central Warsaw.


Did Poland need to build them?


A huge regeneration - all on time and under budget.


Yes.


Double yes. Foreign supermarkets who import from PL are very used to suppliers doing this.

News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]


And all the infrastructure aid doesn't.


Mostly trash


+1

News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]


Really.


Now that is a disingenuous question if ever there was one. Though anyone who says:


and


is necessarily skewed.

Travel / Driving from Krakow to Wroclaw to Gdansk in June (roads and driving time info) [11]

Buy them at the station.


I wouldn't be surprised if the fares don't skyrocket during that period.

History / Poland did reasonably well in land terms out of the postwar settlement [270]


Pretty well true.

Law / British managers superior to Polish [52]


Given the complexity of all that, they do it very well indeed.

News / What is the population of Poland's non-european minority? [142]


Really?


You do realise that aid isn't the same thing as charity.


A classic comment from someone who has no real point - only noise.

Travel / Cheap flights from Warsaw to other European countries? [11]


Try the Wizzair website. Also Air Poland.

You might find though that prices are higher around Easter.

Work / Briton teaching freelance - and the law in Poland [21]


Yes


No


Yes


It depends on the basis on which you are employed - but tax is 19% and you should pay social insurance too.


You should remember that working for free or 'just a couple of beers' is taking work away from people who do it for a living and that agreeing to work for such a low rate allows employers to keep lesson fees low.

Law / British managers superior to Polish [52]


See above.


You should. Maybe the metro would have reached Dw. Stadion in time for Euro 2012.