Travel / Fortune Tellers/ Astrologers in Warsaw [27]

I also do free online astrology. I say to my clients (all of them):
1. I can feel that you are worried about something. Is that right?
2. Does the name John (or cultural equivalent) mean anything to you?
3. I can see health problems in someone close to you.
4. You have recently travelled.
5. Everything will be better after you have gone through a period of some uncertainty.
Pretty amazing, eh?

Travel / Fortune Tellers/ Astrologers in Warsaw [27]

Look in the horoscope section of your newspaper and save yourself a lot of money.

UK, Ireland / Polish woman living in England is moving back to Poland. How much money do I need? [87]

Not as sick as me!
Good luck aniaa. I hope your luck (and your health) improves.

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


I think that's about the size of it. Still troubling, though.
A couple of years ago I saw a cyclist lying by the side of the road, on the grass verge. Several cars in front of me drove past, but I stopped, and so did (by coincidence) a doctor former student of mine, who was coming the other way. The cyclist was unconscious and still more or less sitting on the saddle, but there was no obvious sign of injury. Hearing voices, the gentleman awoke and assured us that he was "just drunk" and asked us to leave him to sleep it off.

Love / 'Seks po polsku' - the sex lives of Poles: [45]

Do Polish men have more sex than their wives?

Travel / OLT Jetair (flight to Wroclaw) [38]


More sarcasm? Must be the thrill of impunity that being a moderator gives you. Just pointing out your rudeness. It may have been good advice, but when you advise someone you get a better response when polite.

Travel / OLT Jetair (flight to Wroclaw) [38]


I think that comment should go to the bin for being p1ssy and sarcastic.

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1303]

Raw eggs on raw meat. Not for the faint-hearted. You need to drink vodka with this to kill any bugs. That's the theory anyway. The Turkish version of steak tartare is called Çiğ köfte. They make it with hot spices. Highly recommended, especially with Raki, their Pernod/Oozo type booze.

UK, Ireland / Polish woman living in England is moving back to Poland. How much money do I need? [87]


Agreed. 3000 net, and no foreign holidays, just the basics.


I spend that on petrol.

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

A great deal of the animosity we see on PF comes from one side, largely but not entirely made up of PolAms, who cannot stand any criticism of Poland whatsoever, and others, like me, who cannot stand the self-delusion which is exhibited by the others. A case in point. Some time ago people got very hot under the collar when it was mentioned that cheating is endemic in Polish educational establishments. Everybody in Poland knows this to be true, but the deniers claimed that it was not a problem. This descended into farce as some denied that there was any cheating at all, one member accusing me of not knowing what I was talking about because I am not Polish. In fact I do know what I am talking about as I have been teaching here since 2000. This is just one example. The people who deny that bad things happen here think they are patriots. They are not. They juat make Poland look silly. Which it is not.

Language / Terms of endearment in Polish [209]

My name is Peter, or "Pipek" on the pillow. Christ on a bike.

Food / Babcia Lipińska's naleśniki [7]


Different animal, although those are also yummy. Google Images for naleśniki z mięsem , or something like that.

Life / Free Poland Health Care - Paying minimal to no Zus [105]

Yeah, like the truck driver thread should have been, on the first page. We wish.

Genealogy / Do I look Polish? (my picture) [375]


I don't look anything like you but you could be taken for (as I have been) Russian, Danish, Polish, Spanish, etc. If only some people would accept the reality that Europeans are, to say the least, a marvelous stew of genes...

Life / Free Poland Health Care - Paying minimal to no Zus [105]


That sounds like the OP's question has been answered.

Food / Babcia Lipińska's naleśniki [7]

All true, but my ma-in-law's naleśniki with minced beef knock any crepe or blini I've ever had into a Polish cocked hat.

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


Not at all. Not from those two. I just didn't understand how you could compare them with a) an extremely difficult Japanese poem type, and b) the greatest 20th century writer in the English language (whose work is, contrary to popular opinion, not that difficult with a little help. OK, Finnegan's Wake is nuts, but otherwise JJ is more accessible than most people are aware).


OK. kondzior's post does resemble the Cyclops episode in Ulysses, when the character known as the Citizen rants about Jews.

Travel / Ryanair travel by air - subtle scams to be wary of [98]


We all love low-cost airlines when everything goes well, but when there's a problem passengers are made to feel like cattle. Or worse.
The first and last time I flew with whizzair was from LHR-WAW. The flight was delayed for a couple of hours. OK, stuff happens, but there were no staff around and no information. Finally we were put on a plane with no livery, and with staff whose uniform bore no insignia. It must have been some kind of standby plane and crew for hire when airlines needed them. OK again; we were just glad to board. The cabin crew came round offering drinks. I asked for a coffee and water. No hot drinks on this flight. OK, just water. Sorry, no water. What? I asked the flight attendant if it was legal to transport pigs without water. ffs

Love / What strange/unnerving/funny things do your Polish wives do? [153]


Didn't you play hide and seek as a kid? Where's your sense of fun?
Most of my sentences at home begin with the words, "Where's the...?"
As others have said, it's not about Polish women in particular. Hey, if women were as easy to read as men, we wouldn't find them so fascinating, would we?

Having said that, when I find the cold beer I was looking forward to drunk but not replaced...oj.

Life / Free Poland Health Care - Paying minimal to no Zus [105]


It's expensive until you break a bone or get some nasty disease. Then you'll be glad of it.
I had a CAT brain scan six years ago. How much would that have cost in, e.g. the U.S., or privately here in Poland?

News / Could be in prison for 10 years for trying to bribe the Polish traffic police [39]


Is that a wise place to keep cash Harry? It could well be construed as an attempt to bribe a cop when you hand over your docs.

News / Could be in prison for 10 years for trying to bribe the Polish traffic police [39]


Ah, now I understand. Sorry kondzior, I had no idea.

News / Could be in prison for 10 years for trying to bribe the Polish traffic police [39]


I don't want to curtail your freedom. I just don't want you driving head-on into me when I'm out driving. As you know, other road users make mistakes, and if you are driving at a reasonable speed, you can avoid an accident, but if you are driving very fast, your ability to do so is compromised.

Hey, we are none of us above opening the throttle on a nice bit of road. I've collected enough points and fines myself over the years. Just take it easy in built up areas. After all, how often do you see trafic cops between towns?

News / Could be in prison for 10 years for trying to bribe the Polish traffic police [39]

In the last decade levels of low level corruption have fallen dramatically in Poland. Some people even complain that you could get things done more easily in the past, when officials were more open to bribes, but the change is another step forward in Poland's maturing process as an open society. Bribery and corruption kill civil society, and can literally kill people. I don't want to pre-judge the building collapses in Alexandria, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if planning laws were circumvented. I have lived in countries where it seemed everyone was open to bribery and these places were unhappy and falling to pieces in every sense.

If someone tries to bribe a cop and gets severely punished, I say good.

Life / Are Polish natives intolerant of foreigners who do not properly speak the language? [30]


After several days of madness on the crying truck driver thread, this is the final straw. I'm taking a break for a while. Yes, I know, "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out". I hope the insanity and denial simmer down a bit when the strange weather is over. As for my faith in Polish legal experts...dead.

UK, Ireland / Crying Polish truck driver on British roads is Internet hit [269]

In February I got nabbed in a typical traffic cop trap. I had just passed the green town sign on a wide and empty stretch of road without houses and footpaths and was decellerating. Out jumped the cop with her lollypop and in I pulled. I supplied my documents, waited for my 200PLN fine and six points, thanked the very pleasant lady officer (it's a British thing) and went on my way. And I'm not a professional driver. No tears, no knife. We all know that the only reason some are defending this utter arse is that he is Polish. That's the plain, simple, pathetically predictable truth. Grow the f up.

Food / Is Polish food still more natural than in the West? [142]


An acquaintance told me that chanterelles/kurki were enormous after Chernobyl.
"You didn't eat them, did you?" I asked.
"No, we sold them to the Germans."

I remember a Cumbrian friend telling me about the affected sheep in his area, and about people trading in them behind pubs as it was illegal to sell them.

Classifieds / D&D Group for Expats in Warsaw needs one more player... [69]

Shouldn't that be who?

Life / The Polish Wedding - What is it Like in Poland? [338]


300/pair, I'd say, for middle income folks. We were given money, and of course cash is always welcome, but a well-chosen gift will be with them forever.

I know you said they've got everything for the home, but how about this. I gave friends high quality salt and pepper mills about twelve years ago. They told me recently that my gift is the only one they use on a daily basis. Good quality linen napkins or tablecloths will last a lifetime. How about a fine picture frame? Have fun.

Life / Are Polish roads really this bad? [237]


Sure you're not exaggerating? I'm out on the road every day and I don't see one or two accidents and month; maybe per year.


Any stats for that? My last speeding offence got me six points.