The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by MyMom  

Joined: 13 Aug 2011 / Male ♂
Last Post: 11 Oct 2011
Threads: 6
Posts: 137

Speaks Polish?: tak

Displayed posts: 143 / page 3 of 5
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MyMom   
16 Sep 2011
Travel / Best places to visit in Poland [87]

What are you interested in? History, architecture, lakes, mountains, post industrial wasteland, prostitutes, getting drunk and running naked?
MyMom   
16 Sep 2011
Law / Opening a Mini Market Store in Poland. Starting cost / Expected monthly income? [22]

I think that market is dominated by stores like Biedronka, Żabka, Intermarche, Netto - all part of large network, which gives them huge competitive advantage. Those articles are very grim:

I did see an interview with guys that succeeded nonetheless, they gave some hints, but can't find it now ;)
MyMom   
16 Sep 2011
Life / My impressions on Poland I: The People, Politics, The Countryside and Infrastructure [39]

but out of curiosity why do you think that Poland was socialist and not communist?

I do think Poland IS socialist. Redistribution of income, welfare system, state owned enterprises, priviliages for certain professional groups, heavy employment law accompanied with fiscal discrimination of those who work for themselves, government subsides, etc. Still, there are more socialist countries in EU than Poland.

Regarding the time before 1989 - I don't really want to engage in the discussion about terminology here.
MyMom   
16 Sep 2011
Life / My impressions on Poland I: The People, Politics, The Countryside and Infrastructure [39]

Current USA problems have nothing to do with it not being socialist enough.
Also had a chat with some Swedes and Germans, ambitious, young enterpreneurs - they all said the taxes were killing them. Maybe if you are a social parasite...

The socialism in Poland pretty much amounts to: some groups are privileged, while others are left to themselves or even discriminated against, all according to political agendas. That's your socialist paradise in practice.
MyMom   
16 Sep 2011
Life / My impressions on Poland I: The People, Politics, The Countryside and Infrastructure [39]

Well, there is a DVD of a very beautiful concert that David Gilmour & Rick Wright did in Gdansk...There were certainly a lot of Poles at that particular concert.

Look at this:
lp3.polskieradio.pl/topnotowanie/
That's the most famous Polish all times hit chart (of radio channel 3) - compiled based on the votes from listeners. There are 5 Pink Floyd songs in the top 20.
MyMom   
16 Sep 2011
Life / My impressions on Poland I: The People, Politics, The Countryside and Infrastructure [39]

But you don't live here do you? You heard from somebody that this is how life is.

I do live in Poland, you on the other hand comment on the situation in both Poland and USA, while at the same time you said you are Canadian...

The fact is- in this country everybody has access to healthcare regardless of income.

Jesus Christ. People are waiting months (not 2, 3 months - more like 6-10 months) to get an appointment with a specialist when they are seriously ill. That's the idea of a public healthcare in a poor country.

you have to be kidding "some groups are privileged, while others are left to themselves or even discriminated against, all according to political agendas." this is the u.s to the letter- this is the very core of America.

So in both systems, capitalism and socialism, there are privileged groups. Looks like former Warsaw pact countries are a bit behind despite this apparent similarity to the USA.

you don't hear a lot of problems in Scandinavian countries- their taxes are higher, but they get other things in return- two years maternity leave and health care comes to mind. Plus a lot of other benefits.

I do hear a lot of complaints from Scandinavians. Especially those who are ambitious and entrepreneurial, those who finance that socialist paradise.

America is for the wealthy. Unfortunately the middle class make up the majority of its citizens and they are suffering the most at this moment.

Funny how we virtually have no middle class in Poland, at least not according to American standards. BTW go to some small town in lubelskie and ask people how many of them make "średnia krajowa" (country's average pay).
MyMom   
17 Sep 2011
News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

The state election commission failed to register all their candidates on time. Seems like they have a strong case. And due to some loophole the party can't protest this until AFTER the elections.
MyMom   
17 Sep 2011
Life / Who are the Polish singers (Classical or Folk songs) [11]

Yes, Kazik Staszewski and his father have brilliant lyrics. Budka Suflera and Dżem also, although they are probably not what Lwowska wants.
More soft and poetic - Martyna Jakubowicz:
youtube.com/watch?v=pwO4y5FN7BA
MyMom   
17 Sep 2011
History / Poland Lithuania - current relations [124]

Poland is the sole reason why Lithuania today even exists.

Yep, without Poland they would end up just like Prusowie.
MyMom   
18 Sep 2011
Language / Word usage: wybierać and wykręcić [12]

Wykręcić comes from the word kręcić which means spin and so it originated when phones had this wheel thing to choose the number - at least I think so :)

There is also an idiom "wykręcić komuś numer" which I would translate as "do something which is unexpected and rather unpleasant for somebody else".

It sounds a bit strange when you use "wykręcić" refering to mobile phone.
Wybierać simply means choose and is ok to use for all kinds of phones.
MyMom   
18 Sep 2011
Language / Word usage: wybierać and wykręcić [12]

jestem zmierszany kiedy dostaję te situacja, rozumiem oba znaczy 'dial'. czy mogesz wyjaśniać ich stosuj poprosze.

To jest dla mnie niejasne. Rozumiem, że oba znaczą "dial", ale czy mógłbyś wyjaśnić ich stosowanie?
MyMom   
20 Sep 2011
News / Polish national lotto lottery (today 20 000 000 PLN to win) [16]

It has been such a huge part of reality that it deserves a mention. And today the jackpot is 20 000 000 PLN, so whoever guesses the 6 numbers will get 18 mln (10% tax) provided that he doesn't have to share the winnings with other lucky people. The highest winning ever was 24 636 124 PLN from April 2010.

There are also other kinds of lotteries from Totalizator Sportowy but the classical pick 6 numbers out of 49 is perhaps the most popular due to the high winnings possible. Although they are probably quite low in comparison to western european lotteries?

I will always remember my grandma who would buy her coupon every week on Saturday for 1 PLN :) Now the price is 3 PLN :(
youtube.com/watch?v=GnFEJesfUuE
:)
But don't worry, Polish Lotto is not Bulgarian Lotto, where you have the same numbers within one week :D
If someone wants to employ statistics to improve his chances he can visit wygryw.pl or one of many other sites dedicated to lotto :)
MyMom   
20 Sep 2011
News / Polish national lotto lottery (today 20 000 000 PLN to win) [16]

The chances of guessing 6 out of 49 numbers is about 1 to over 13 million. That means that if approximately one third of the whole population of Poland buys the coupon, only one person among those 13 million should be lucky enough to win.

That's right. Due to the low probability very few people would bother with it, but the jackpot is progressive - if nobody wins for a couple of drawings then we have situation like today, which looks very tempting for your average Jan Kowalski.

There is no way whatsoever to improve your chances of winning by employing statistics, so studying and applying past statistics is a waste of time.

You are right that it is impractical but the law of large numbers is still valid, even if you can't quantify it.

So if you call these winners "lucky people", be aware of the other side of the coin, the one which lotteries do not tend to advertise.

Those stories are really interesting from psychological perspective :) But you sound like winning a lottery is the worst thing that can happen to a man :) If you have a few mil to spare - I will be happy to prove you wrong :)

Unfortunately I haven't ever heard about the fate of any Polish lotto millionaire. Probably the first thing they do is disappear :)

It's 25 000 000 PLN already. From my estimation it looks like over 9 million Poles bought the lottery ticket last time and it will be more tomorrow.
MyMom   
20 Sep 2011
News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

Merged: Polish parliamentary elections 2011 will take place and will be cancelled

The marginal party Nowa Prawica (New Right) had submitted the required documents to the election commission on time. The election commision registered their candidate lists for 20 districts but failed to register the remaining list, which prevents Nowa Prawica from having candidates in all of Poland. Nowa Prawica protested but today the Highest Court decided that the protest is "too early" since the law strangely allows such protests to be submitted only after the elections. Since Nowa Prawica has a strong case (they had no influence on the way the election commission works) the most likely outcome is that the elections will have to be repeated.
MyMom   
21 Sep 2011
Travel / The worst months for bike riding in Poland? [8]

Which months of a year you can not enjoy bike riding in Poland?,, I mean because of the weather.

December, January, February for sure not, unless you are very hardcore.
November and March - you better have appropriate clothing.
MyMom   
22 Sep 2011
UK, Ireland / Grateful Polish photographer stitches up his Welsh hosts [96]

It didn't take long for you to start talking about antisemitism, did it? Is there any thread in which you won't mention Jews and antisemitism? Because surely a thread about British drunks in Cardiff is as good as any to talk about antisemitism.
MyMom   
22 Sep 2011
UK, Ireland / Grateful Polish photographer stitches up his Welsh hosts [96]

Does the OP really think these photographs are unacceptable because a Pole took them, but they would be OK if a Welshman had? If so then that is a shameful double standard.

I would call that racism.
MyMom   
22 Sep 2011
UK, Ireland / Grateful Polish photographer stitches up his Welsh hosts [96]

If Poles are more classy, sane, moral, responsible etc. than the westerners (which I am not sure about) then it's certainly not because of communism. Communists killed and destroyed the best Poles and it had to have consequences.
MyMom   
22 Sep 2011
News / Polish national lotto lottery (today 20 000 000 PLN to win) [16]

I also bought it a few times and never won anything :D It would be silly to expect a win, but it never stopped me from mentally picturing how I would spend the money ;)

Anyway, this Saturday it will be 35 000 000, and from my estimations it looks like over 13 000 000 people bought the lottery ticket last time. What bothers me is where do the earnings end up going.