Law / Weed laws in Poland [25]

Of vastly different attitude and culture vs. police in Poland, I remember in the 90s in Canada, I witnessed a friend get caught by a police officer while smoking a fat J on board a ferry heading to Victoria. The officer made him throw it in the sea and gave him a lecture how irresponsible it was to smoke in place where kids can potentially see.

Life / Why are Muslims seen as a deterrent to Poland? [565]


So do I (as well as towards organized religion in general). The decentralization you mentioned earlier is a very important aspect. If you have time, try to research Islamic philosophies and how they evolved. They are really vastly different from one another and many don't recognize or don't acknowledge the others.

Johnny, you are assuming the worst possible behavior. I think it is the duty of everyone involved to make sure that newcomers are correctly integrated in society and not cordoned off in closed ghettos.

News / The wave of designer-drug poisoning (dopalacze) in Poland [48]

@delph and for the drunk votes of course :)

Love / Visiting Polish Girlfriend at her family. How to greet her family members? [7]

@Ayoub87; do they speak English or another language that you can use to talk to them?

Be modest. Don't talk too much. Maintain eye contact with the person who is talking to you.

If you are not sure how to greet someone, offer a handshake and allow them to decide if that is enough or a kiss on the cheek is necessary. It will be either one kiss or three kisses (never two, never more than 3).

"Political correctness" can be lacking amongst older people here in Poland. If you hear questions or comments that sound offensive, rest assured they are NOT meant to be offensive.

If you don't eat pork or don't drink alcohol, then your girlfriend should make her family aware of this in advance to avoid a situation that can embarrassing for both parties.

If you are bringing a present (a bottle of olive oil for example) then you should present it to her mother.

Most people in Poland remove their shoes when they enter their homes. Ask your girlfriend how it is in her home and be prepared to remove your shoes if necessary.

During your first meeting with her parents, do not hold her hand or physically express affection in front of them.

Life / Why are Muslims seen as a deterrent to Poland? [565]

I am sure that those that have lived in Saudi Arabia would say there is more to the country than that. While I agree it can be socially (and literally) dry for expats, some have come back with long lasting friendships (typically with other expats they met there) and many have come back with enough savings to do something with their lives :)

Life / Why are Muslims seen as a deterrent to Poland? [565]


To the contrary, for the most part I see positive feelings amongst this specific group, especially those that have lived in Egypt, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq or Iran. The main exception is those that lived in Saudi Arabia - some feel negative and some feel positive.

News / Does democratic Poland guarantee it's LGBT citizens respect for human and civil rights? [1169]


Please don't get feminist and feminine mixed up. One got nothing to do with the other. A man can be a feminist for example.

News / The wave of designer-drug poisoning (dopalacze) in Poland [48]

@jon357; I bet if we calculated the economic and social cost of alcoholism to Poland, including treatment of overdoses and treatment of addiction, plus welfare and social care for drunks that aren't able to work and/or aren't able to take care of their own kids, we'd find it astronomically higher than all illegal drugs COMBINED.

Life / Why are Muslims seen as a deterrent to Poland? [565]

@johhny_reb; asking questions or making statements? You sort of dictated your own answers on this from the start, but here, let's take a look.

There is more than a billion Muslims in the world of many vastly different cultural backgrounds. You can't reduce them all to one simple "Muslim Culture", just like you cannot reduce all Christians to one simple "Christian Culture." Most Russians are Christian, but you will find that they are culturally and socially different from Irish, Canadian, Lebanese or Argentinian Christians.

I am under the impression that the average person in Poland doesn't think about this subject and doesn't really care.

Those that do are either nervous (typically after listening to certain media) or curious.

Poles that have lived with and interacted with Muslims generally tend to feel positively about them.

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]


Care to answer me instead of running around like a headless chicken? Or you got nothing useful?

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]


I won't even comment on how impossible to enforce that would be.

But some simple social analysis might help you understand why that can't happen.

You are saying that Pani BS will make a law that limits how much profit a bank can make? Let us imagine that was possible and enforceable (which is isn't).

Now imagine bank owners reacting as follows: we will not only reduce our profits, but we will make them ZERO. Every taxable Groszy we earn will be donated to charity, let's say your favorite institution, the Church.

Is there any law that says they can't do that? No there isn't.

Now banks have entirely deprived the government from all tax revenue from banks, and the Church certainly will not pay tax on donations that they receive.

What Pani BS will do then? Tax the Church? Ban banks from donating to Church? Even better, bank owners will react by closing banks all together, throwing away thousands of Polish jobs and handing all the banking business of Poland to foreign banks, and there is nothing Pani BS can do about it.

That is what happens when people get elected on populist propaganda, promising things that are literally impossible to achieve.

Love / Want kind of Present my Polish girlfriend's Mom would appreciate? [19]

@Ayoub87; I suggest a bottle of good quality olive oil from your region. A friend brought me a bottle from there years ago and I still remember the taste and smell.

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]


Common sense evaporated in May. How do we know it won't be the same in Sept? Some schmuck will tell them what they want to hear and voila, get all the votes.

Polonia / Polish Community - Dubai or Abu Dhabi [53]

Hi Adam;

Do you have any international work experience, outside Poland?

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]


Fair enough, although not relevant. By the way, what I said above was not my own opinion, but rather something mentioned in the same article.

What have you got to say for PiS's illogical economics?

Work / There are English speaking jobs in Poland. [9]

Unlike I had originally planned, service is proving to have a bigger potential in Poland than sales of new equipment. Keep in mind, it is manual yet highly skilled work. But I just noticed the thread is about English speaking jobs and, well, not many English speakers offering the same services in my field besides myself.

Work / There are English speaking jobs in Poland. [9]

My work is semi-manual when I service or startup equipment for example. From time to time you need to get down and dirty :) That's my favorite part!

Food / Why Poles not like rice? [81]


Oh la la... And BREAD!

Work / What is deducted from a salary in Poland apart from Income tax? [155]


I agree with this statement 100% based on my own experience with many Polish engineers or engineering graduates of Polish universities.

I add my own story to that. I was a guest lecturer (one time only) at one of the top technical institutions in the country, and when I told the students that I would like to personally take them for a field visit to do some practical work, their jaws fell down and everyone signed up. They were genuinely excited. They were badly missing practical education. This happened in 2014, not in 1989.

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]

Yes most of the people that I know say they would change jobs readily if something "better" came up, and many of them are actively seeking new opportunities.

On the other hand, such people can potentially be labelled as flaky (not stating my opinion of such labelling, just saying it exists).

News / Boom for food exports from Poland [17]

"Iran deal great news for Polish farmers"

Source:
thenews.pl/1/10/Artykul/213657,Iran-deal-great-news-for-Polish-farmers

Opinions invited.

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

"Governing party approval rating ticks up"

Source:
thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/213752,Governing-party-approval-rating-ticks-up

I guess people are learning that Pani BS presented illogical economics.

Notice PO approval ratings highest amongst educated people.

Law / Jobs and Economic Status in Poland [64]

"Twenty-seven percent of working Poles have changed their job over the past six months, the highest percentage in the EU"

Source:
warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/32386/news

Comments invited

Food / Why Poles not like rice? [81]

I think rice is gaining popularity here. Especially rice prepacked in ready to cook sachettes which you simply put in boiling water for 15 minutes and then remove.

Genealogy / Rybinski surname; Seeking my Polish father 26 years later - from New Zealand [8]

I wrote to you. I believe you can reply.

Genealogy / Rybinski surname; Seeking my Polish father 26 years later - from New Zealand [8]

I live in Warsaw and I have family in Auckland. Feel free to sign up for the forum and contact me via private messages. I would like to know more about your situation.

Law / What happens to my Poland residence status if I get a divorce / separation? [4]

If you have a demonstrable source of income, plus a legal title to your place of residence, then you can for a new residence card under alternative basis regardless of your marital situation. But there are many small details and you should ask a professional.

News / There is no Poland without the Church! [178]

@Polonius3;

But a scrap of paper makes some people more Polish than those without a scrap of paper :)

News / If Poland were in the Eurozone... [39]

Adding my agreement to what delph said above, especially about Tusk having done the right thing. But regarding the decision that was finally reached, I am not sure if there is any real will in Greece today to change, and without change, there is no way Greece will continue to function as a state.

Even if they had left the Eurozone, their state treasury is broke, so any newly introduced Greek currency would have no value, so someone paying in GRN (let's called it that) would be for all practical purposes passing on paper that is exactly worth its value as paper.

News / Does democratic Poland guarantee it's LGBT citizens respect for human and civil rights? [1169]

@InPolska: it is not hatred, it is confusion...