Food / Polish food at home or out? [57]

I agree with you, Eurola.

There are several diets based on protein and fat. The point is, you only eat as much of them as your body really requires. Fat provides the energy the human being needs anyway. The quantity is what matters.

News / EU tribunal overrules Polish name contest in Lithuania [150]


No. Except the Opole/Oppeln region -- where the German minority is fully recognized -- Upper Silesians assuming German nationality moved to the Vaterland long time ago. Remaining native Upper Silesians have been there at least since 15th century. Their language is ancient Slavic with strong German influence. They have own literature, they have own culture. This is denied by the "true Poles".

The problem of native Upper Silesians is they have no Pres. Komorowski to protect them, they cannot count on the support from Germany either -- since they are not German. They are Silesian.

Feedback / Why PolishForums? Give us your stories! [60]

On topic:
A friend of mine, an American musician/actor living in Poland now, has sent me a link to the thread on how the Polish was chosen a the MOST DIFFICULT language in the world. So I've just entered the PF site to check.

UK, Ireland / Are you Poles proud of your country? Then why do you keep coming to Britain? [100]

You are completely right, wwp.
In the sense Polish going to work abroad earn little money and cannot save. They are idiots.
Says one who's proud of his country and who finds numerous opportunities in the home country.

Language / What I learned so far about the Polish language. [30]

Koala, sorry, I do not agree:

Starannie przestudiował papiery.
He perused documents.

Life / Uptight Poles [262]

On topic: Has anyone heard of "jolly Germans", "jolly Swedes" or "jolly Swiss" or "jolly Fins"? Are Russians easy-going people? Why pin everything to the Polish?

There was never any religious war in Poland. On the other hand, there were many wars between countries of the same religion. The opinions of CP are crap.

Southern, Poland used to be conquered several times, I could mention the Partitions and the WWII. If you put up silly opinions, elaborate them please.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


Very true.

Only yesterday, I was passing Motel George that is around 22 km SW from the centre of Warsaw. In 1990, there was some shooting between two competing gangs there. Many people still remember this fact as something very unusual. If I drove by George together with some American and would like to tell him the story about a shooting that happened 21 years ago, I bet the comment would be "Why are you trying to tell me about something such banal? What was so special with that very shooting?"

A friend of mine and his girlfriend are working in the police. By regulations (I'm not sure what unit they work for), they need to carry concealed firearms while wearing plain clothes. Once, both of them were strapping their guns on in my presence before they went to their university for Sunday lectures. I was quite shocked seeing that, so unusual it was.

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]

There were times when Poland (especially big cities) was less safe. In my opinion, the level of safety has improved enormously. Back in 1990, most of cars were protected against theft by a lock on the steering wheel, a lock on gearbox lever, immobilizer, alarm, etc. You see no locks on the steering wheel or gearbox lever anymore. I own an old car. Very often I do not lock the door while parking in daytime in cities. Nobody is interested to steal the car or rob items (since I leave nothing worthy inside).

Back in 1990, my unfinished house was robbed and all new radiators (heating elements) were stolen. Nowadays not only the Police and City Watch patrol the neighborhood regularly; they also come and ask if there is any problem in case they see something strange. I feel pretty safe nowadays.

News / Achievements of the Tusk's Polish government [532]

Answering THE HITMAN and unanimously with pawian:

Oh was you ever on the Vistula River?
Blow boys blow!
Black priests make the W.A.S.P. men shiver
Blow me bullyboys blow!

A Yankee ship came down the river
Her masts and yards they shone like silver
What do think she had for cargo
American views that had run the embargo
Blow me bullyboys blow!

So blow me boys and blow forever
Blow boys blow!
Why blow me down the Vistula River
Blow me bullyboys blow!

;-)

News / Poland-EU: Positive and negative features? [45]

Not replying this question extensively, I see several great things at a spot:
1. Freedom of travelling, lack of borders within the Schengen group, no passport or visas needed
2. Freedom of choosing a place to work
3. Car insurance covering whole Europe; no "green card" needed anymore
4. Possibility to easily comparing prices in different Euro (currency) countries; Euro (currency) trade not loosing on currency exchange within Eurozone.
5. Access to EU funds helping development of new EU members.
6. Internet trade within EU, no import tax. You are not limited anymore to buying in your own country
7. Liberal customs law, for example any EU citizen can carry up to 90 litres of wine within Europe, no extra tax.

Cons I see right on the spot:
1. The Brussels bureaucracy...
2. ...Enforcing quite stupid laws, such as smoking ban, for example

News / Achievements of the Tusk's Polish government [532]


No, this from a traditional sea-shanty song called "Congo River" ;-) The original song is a witty description of an American slave-trade ship.

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Ggg_uGoMuzM

Polish speakers: Jedna z naszych polskich wersji ma takie słowa: "Skąd wiesz, że statek to jankeski? Zbroczone krwią pokładu deski" ;-)

Polish version:

Law / Weapons laws in Poland. Carrying a concealed handgun? [918]


We are not scared of guns here.

We simply don't need any guns here. Well targeted "kłonica" can be very damaging to your opponent and no danger you shoot your own foot with it ;-)

On the week on my last stay in Houston, some drivers got into a hot argument, then one of them pulled out his gun and shot the other right in the head. If you are so proud of it Havok, keep your views on you side of the Atlantic Ocean.

News / Poland-EU: Positive and negative features? [45]

One more reason I like the EU: After Poland's accession to the Union, the price of any alcoholic beverages imported from EU dropped down immensely. Not that the domestic vodka were expensive... Vodka price in Poland.

News / Poland-EU: Positive and negative features? [45]


Neither. With the low price and high quality of domestic beer and vodka, the price decrease meant nothing to most of Polish consumers. Yet, European wine, whisky, liquors and the like stuff are simply easier for buying for people who want drink such stuff. I'm so glad I can buy Sheridan's at far lower price than it was pre-EU, Spanish or Italian red wines are cheaper, my friends who prefer whisky are happy, too. Czech Becherovka, Hungarian Unicum (herb liqueurs) are available at approximately the same price as where these are made. The ban on Absinth has been relieved.

On the other hand, Bourbon, Tequila, Carribean rum etc. are still expensive since these are imported from non-EU countries.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

I'm sure all of you know this EU directive:

The European Union Commissioners have announced that agreement has been reached to adopt English as the preferred language for European Communications, rather than German, which was the other possibility. As part of the negotiations, Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling shows some room for improvement and has accepted a five-year phased plan for what will be known as EuroEnglish (Euro for short).

In the first year, "S" will be used instead of the soft "C". Sertainly, sivil servants will reseive this news with joy. Also the hard "C" will be replaced with "k". Not only will this klear up konfusion, but typewriters kan have one letter less.

Source: unknown

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

Ze drem vil finali kum tru and evrivun vil be hepi! ;-)

In the early era of home/personal computers, I was thinking it could be possible to give up the "ogonki". Later, Microsoft decided to support local languages; the Polish is not the weirdest, having only 9 lowercase and 9 corresponding uppercase diacritic characters. Think of whole alphabets, such as Chinese, several Japanese, Cyrillic, Hebrew, Arabic, etc. Even Czech language sports as many as 15/15 diacritic characters. The whole top row of the keyboard (where we normally type digits) is occupied with local characters on Czech and Slovak keyboards.

Next, why don't the French, Spanish, Scandinavian, German give up their local characters?

Yes, I was thinking giving up the local characters would be easy. Then I realized that a person reading text does nor read the characters. Whole words, sentences, even blocks of text are being read. The human reads pictures, not characters. The word "miłość" (love), the word "szczęście" (happiness) lose their impact without the right characters. Back in 1990's, some people in Poland were writing on Internet in a lingo, using totally phonetic transcription and making spelling errors on purpose. Their text were completely unreadable. Worse is, a lot of Polish youth write poorly. As reading makes the "pictures" commemorate, I myself sometimes write "młodziesz" instead of "młodzież" (youth) and then I feel awfully...

News / Achievements of the Tusk's Polish government [532]

Palikot is yet another lunatic and populist if you ask me.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

Or,
może = "maybe", perhaps, also "(s)he is able to" from "móc"
morze = the sea, the same pronunciation as "może".

Półka = a shelf
Polka = a Polish woman
polka = the dance of polka
pólka - little fields
Try writing just "polka" instead of "Półka/półka". Confusion ahead.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

My points are:
Get rid of Polish diacritics, confusion ahead.
Get rid of Polish diacritics, all the literature needs to be "translated" and published again.
Get rid of Polish diacritics, foreigners will NEVER learn Polish.

moze bo moge?
morze poniewaz morski?
Where's the logic between "z" -> "g"? ;-) Yes, "ż" -> "g" is justified.

History / Were Nobles during Commonwealth constituting the Nation of Poland? [37]

I think the the origin of all nobles was the caste of warlords and warriors, all over Europe.
Bear in mind: Any male szlachta member was expected to fight in wars, unless he was a priest or a civil official. This is why any szlachcic was expected to wear a saber in public. The fact they were also landlords or farmers is secondary thing. The ownership of the land was meant as the source of means for the szlachcic, so he could raise his squad (poczet) and set off to war. At least talking the Golden Era.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

Lyzko, the confusion is already there, in this thread ;-)
I say -- elimination of diacritics will CREATE confusion.

As you might have noticed, I'm quite interested in the Silesian language and culture. Now, the Silesian authors use Silesian alphabet, combining some Polish and Czech diacritic characters and eliminating other. Honestly, reading Silesian written that way is harder for me but I get their right pronunciation easier. Before, they were writing in some sort of phonetic Polish - easier to read but losing that specific Silesian timbre, pronunciation.

You say "żyć" in Polish (to live)
You say "rziyć" in Silesian (the ass)
The pronunciation is different as long as you speak Silesian.

News / Poland-EU: Positive and negative features? [45]


I wish Ukraine joining the EU.
Still, even without Ukraine in the EU, I can enjoy Ukrainian beer like Obołon, buy Ukrainian "kvas" here, enjoy the pepper and birch Ukrainian vodkas. I'm afraid what happens when Ukraine joins EU ;-)

News / Poland-EU: Positive and negative features? [45]


Bratwurst Boy -- the negative side of joining the EU for Poland is constant increase of cigarette prices until they will reach the German level.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

You are mostly right Lyzko. Still, I remember my disappointment when my Dad took me by airplane to Kraków when I was a small kid. I listened so intently to hear any local dialect or slang - and there was none. I felt so unhappy because of that... No joking, this is how I felt that that time!

OK, the Poznaners love throwing their "tey" in (no meaning, I think) and they have some regional words. Your Kraków teacher spoke not really any regionalism, it was wrong pronunciation (I mean, if one pronounces "g" in "także", the "g" must not be stressed). I hate something else; uneducated people (often from some countryside regions such as Podlasie) confuse "bynajmniej" with "przynajmniej", and the simply love using "bynajmniej".

przynajmniej = at least
bynajmniej = not at all.

Wrong: Ona jest brzydka, ale bynajmniej bogata.
Correct: Ona jest brzydka, ale przynajmniej bogata.


Who, I?
You deserve some challenge, Koala ;-)

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]


You mean "tedż"? ;-)))))))

Whatever linquist say, you neither pronounce "g" nor "k" in także. The sound is indefinite, in between, unstressed. You also do not pronounce "jabłko" but "japko", otherwise it resembles old English actors pronouncing the "r" theatrically :-)

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]


Very interesting, gumishu, that's a regional thing and not any new, right?

Koala, I am sorry but...
Once Kora said on the TV: "Mam dobro dykcje" and she was completely right. Kora is a Krakower.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

Sorry, z_darius: I will not have you as the Polish teacher. Move to Poland, start speaking among the Poles. Then I may listen to you.

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

Absolutely agree with you, Koala.

News / Poland-EU: Positive and negative features? [45]

Bzibzioh, you have described Ukraine as a gangster-country yourself. You are not the person to tell others they went to the low level.

What is wrong in Ukraine? Quite decent country. Have you been there?

Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

z_darius, you cannot learn the living language from books. Take my word on that.

1970? I was 9 then. 41 years have passed since and I speak Polish every day. Sometimes I even write song lyrics.