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Posts by patrick  

Joined: 3 Aug 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 29 May 2012
Threads: 6
Posts: 113 		From: Poznan
Speaks Polish?: Yes

Displayed posts: 119 / page 1 of 4
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patrick   
4 Aug 2011
Love / American marrying Polish woman in Poland - Church problems [79]

I'm curious if coppermouse is going to have to go through the church's "marriage classes". You know, learning about sex and that people who use contraceptives hate children. Maybe it's an afterthought since he may already be married as this thread is a few months old. I really had to grit my teeth sitting through those classes, but I did it for my wife's Polishness. It had nothing to do with belief in God.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
Life / $3,000-$4,000 a month - would we have enough money to live in Poland? [273]

Monia my wife is Polish, my kids were born in Poland and I lived and worked there for eight years, so yes I think I can say a thing or two about it. There's no way that I would say "Poland you suck!" I had some really great experiences there. Whenever I'd go home to the States, I'd also get irritated at things there. Six of one, half a dozen of another.

The discussion about education is too subjective, really. All Poles I talk to prefer their system, and all non-Poles prefer their own system. Hard to have a good discussion. The one thing that was annoying about having this discussion was, though, that it was next to impossible to get a Pole to give the advantage of knowing the capital of every country. Yes we can cite stupid Americans on YouTube and of course George Bush, but is your average Polish doctor, teacher, policeman more capable in their duties? I've been looking for the answer to this question for years.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
UK, Ireland / Polish opinion of England as a country and the English nation [64]

You know its true yanks. America has the best and the worst of everything and i mean everything!!!!

I like that, and I'm American. Very well put and so true.

I lived in Poland for eight years and had really great "mates". The lads from the isles were really super. However, in Saudi Arabia I can't say the same. I only have one word to describe them, arrogant. I think the Brits in Saudi can't deal well with life without a pub.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Moving from United Kingdom to USA. Is it worth it? [136]

This is so darn subjective. Of course Europeans are going to say "Don't go!" While Americans are going to say "It's great!" I've lived in Poland and the States and am now on a third continent wondering where to settle. And the answer is......the States. It comes down to familiarity. I am sure that Poland has some wonderful things to offer, I just haven't discovered all of them. Besides, I'm not Polish and therefore don't know how to survive and be satisfied/happy. Of course I can be happy with my family and friends, but day to day life? Forget it. Gasoline - $7/gallon. Teacher - $4-500/month. Western European prices. ??? salaries. I don't even know what to compare it to.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Moving from United Kingdom to USA. Is it worth it? [136]

Fuzzy you make it sound so simple. I am planning on moving back to the States with my Polish wife and kids and am tempted to move the desert southwest. Prices for houses are ridiculous, but I just can't help but wonder where the dark shadow is. You can't tell me the atmosphere of those communities with whole streets that have been foreclosed on is exactly positive. I just imagine urban decay. Am I watching too much network news?

I am originally from Pig Knuckle, North Dakota and even though things are very stable and wholesome there, the isolation and cold kind of take the luster away from it. My family is still there, hence the draw. Minnesota is a good second choice and houses are cheap there too.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Moving from United Kingdom to USA. Is it worth it? [136]

Yeah Fuzzy I know, but I am taking my kids (6 and 4) into consideration. I see the upper midwest as being much more family-friendly with my family in the area, good schools, low crime, positive environment. Yes, to each his own.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
Love / American marrying Polish woman in Poland - Church problems [79]

the local Polish priest was very unhelpfull and rude.

Imagine that; somebody was unhelpful and rude.

The Polish marraige classes were a hoot

Do you speak Polish? Did you understand when they were teaching you about sex?
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
Life / $3,000-$4,000 a month - would we have enough money to live in Poland? [273]

I doubt they know anything about history of Europe as we are taught

To tell you the truth Mona, I doubt they know much about American history.

However, I really have a hard time believing that there is really any tangible difference when it comes to people doing their jobs. I am not saying that Polish doctors, teachers and etc. are less qualified, hell maybe you're right that they are more qualified, but what difference does it make? Do you really think that you'd have to worry about the competency of an American pilot, electrician or dog catcher because he doesn't know the capital city of every country? I am not advocating that ignorance is okay, but what's the sense in beating kids' brains in for 12 years? By the way, I taught at a Polish university for eight years, so I have some insight.

Maybe I should start a new thread as this seems pretty far off topic from the original post.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Moving from United Kingdom to USA. Is it worth it? [136]

Got to go with pip on this one. I am much more for a safety net system as Canada has, not because I am a freeloading loser, but because I would sleep a little better knowing that I wouldn't lose my house and all my money if my family or I got sick.

Americans are addicted to having choices and there's enough people with money to keep the current healthcare system going.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

First of all, let's try to keep this from sinking into a hissy fit. Uspokój się!

My Polish wife, two kids (4 and 6) and I are living outside of Europe and the States, and have to return in a year to one of these places. Taking my kids' education into consideration, I choose the States.

Here comes the barrage of "Are you stupid?" and "Americans are rock heads!" and the like. Okay, okay, okay.

I agree that your average Polish high school graduate has much more information in his head than your average American graduate, but what's the value of knowing the capital city of every country in the world? Do Polish doctors, firemen or janitors carry out their duties in a far superior way? Are Poles more cosmopolitan or empathetic to the citizens of the world? I want my kids to enjoy their education and not have it rammed down their throats.

I would ask that this question be addressed within the confines of the Polish and American systems. I am not talking about European education. I consider Polish education different than the German, British, Swedish, etc. systems.

I taught at a Polish university for eight years, so I do have some insight about how Poles are taught.

Again, let's keep the pathology down to a minimum as I am genuinely curious about the pros of the Polish system, and am not saying that Poles are stupid or their system is useless.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

if you go back to Poland your kids will benefit from an excellent education

That's my question LK; what's so great about it? I know my kids' heads would be packed with information in Poland, but what good is it? Again, is a Polish nurse so superior to an American one? Is a Polish cab driver so superior to an American one?

I know it's a feeling of accomplishment to work hard and see what you have, but what does it mean in the end? Is a Pole a better person? Does he have better sex? Does he make more money? Is he more willing to help people in need???
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

but u are the one who worked at the top level of education here, so please say if u agree or not.

My university students were sharp, and generally speaking Polish lecturers were very qualified. When I started teaching in Poland, native speakers got more money at the university but I was glad when that changed because my Polish colleagues were good and deserved better.

if you go back to Poland your kids will benefit from an excellent education almost for free compared with what you ll have to pay for them to attend good schools in the US.

Don't be so sure. See the following link. Higher tuition fees are coming to universities in Britain. It's only a matter of time til this hits other places in Europe.

guardian.co.uk/education/2011/aug/04/fewer-students-expected

Does he have better sex?

No surprise; my wife gets an A in sex. :)
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
Love / American marrying Polish woman in Poland - Church problems [79]

I didn't ask any questions, but I did comment that a discussion would be more beneficial than a lecture. When I did that, people in the class ganged up on me and said how informative and worthwhile it all was.
patrick   
4 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

a pre-war inteligensia member who you might have an inteligent chat with on every subject.

I think this just may be a reason.
patrick   
5 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Moving from United Kingdom to USA. Is it worth it? [136]

Las Vegas and Phoenix are cheap, cheap, cheap for real estate (provided of course you can get a job).

I'm in the medical field, so I could probably get a job.

I can't help but imagining urban decay in Vegas. Do I want to put my young family in that kind of environment? Yes the houses are dirt cheap and the weather is great, but...?
patrick   
5 Aug 2011
Language / Double meanings, Polish slang and embarrassment [49]

'g' in the second word is pronounced like a 'k'

I love when my wife talks about Sting, but calls him Stink.

Catsoldier, there are pairs of voiced/voiceless consonants:
b - p
d - t
g - k
w - f
z - s
ź - ś
dź - ć
ż - sz
dż - cz

Did you miss "rz" as "sz" as in "egzemplarz"?
patrick   
6 Aug 2011
USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

I keep seeing these posts with the suggestion that kids have to go to a private school in the States to get a decent education. It's been 25 years since I was in high school, so I don't want to assume things are like in 'the good ol' days'. However, I went to private Catholic school for 12 years and really didn't see the advantage comparing with my friends from the public schools.

In the big city, maybe. Bit we will probably live in a small city/town (100,000) and from what I've read the schools are excellent.

Any insight?
patrick   
7 Aug 2011
Travel / Watch out for airport personnel stealing stuff on regional Polish airports. [64]

It may be whole nother thread, but I had two packages go missing from the States thanks to (in my opinion) Poczta Polska. However, I think that PP was trying to fight this, because a later package arrived and the next day the local postmaster dropped by to see if we got it.
patrick   
8 Aug 2011
Travel / Watch out for airport personnel stealing stuff on regional Polish airports. [64]

Yeah you're right Thug. When I used to go home in the summers to the States, I always found stuff that pissed me off too. It's easy when you live in a foreign place to slip into that mentality of thinking that the locals are somehow bad or stupid, when in fact people are just people. I need to give Poland a break. I had a lot of good times; hell I got married and had two kids there.
patrick   
11 Aug 2011
Travel / Whats your favourite Polish city and why? [132]

As far as any city's central rynek goes, Poznan is my favorite. Krakow and Wroclaw have great architecture, but are too spread out. Warsaw's is simply too small and unimpressive. The Stary Rynek in Poznan in the summer is just like a beehive; it has a special buzzing energy to it at night. The rest of the city is pretty hopeless.
patrick   
15 Aug 2011
Life / Have many Poles had enough of one another? [198]

Having said that, I've come across a couple of really helpful clerks that were kind enough to spell procedures out to me on a step-by-step basis. I thank them for that! A proper thank you :)

I've had this experience too and it's nice. However, I just can't shake the jerk who yelled at me at the Urzad Skarbowy or the bank teller who won't make eye contact.
patrick   
16 Aug 2011
Real Estate / How bad was it? '' a 'luxury' apartment with electricity and heating" [21]

I began studying Polish in the States in 1997. This was at a large university and the textbook we used had some remarkable dialogues in it. Frequently we read about the life of Pan Orlowski, the director of a company in Warsaw. Pan Orlowski had a 'luxury' apartment with electricity and a heating. What kind of impression could a person get of Poland upon reading something like that? Was it really that bad in the 70s and 80s when that textbook may have been written? I lived in Poland from 1999 through 2007 and can't say that I saw anything quite that drastic. That being said, when I bought an old apartment in the city center, I had to heat it with the fireplace because there was no heat. That's kominek and not piec.
patrick   
16 Aug 2011
Life / Poznaniak = Tightwad? [8]

I lived in Poznan for eight years and frequently heard how people there are very concerned with money. I never really saw it though, but that's probably because I never lived anywhere else in Poland. Any truth to it?
patrick   
16 Aug 2011
Real Estate / How bad was it? '' a 'luxury' apartment with electricity and heating" [21]

That textbook was published in 1983 and can still be bought new on Amazon for $35. I applaud the author of the book for getting a textbook out there when there probably weren't too many, but man what kind of image is he sending about Poland?
patrick   
16 Aug 2011
Real Estate / How bad was it? '' a 'luxury' apartment with electricity and heating" [21]

Maybe you should make a comment at the Amazon site about such moronic information contained in that book ,I think you should .

There are plenty of books out there with moronic information, but I really doubt that Amazon is going to start yanking them just because.