The BEST Guide to POLAND
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Posts by Wedle  

Joined: 27 Sep 2011 / Male ♂
Last Post: 27 Feb 2012
Threads: Total: 15 / Live: 1 / Archived: 14
Posts: Total: 490 / Live: 110 / Archived: 380

Speaks Polish?: yes

Displayed posts: 111 / page 1 of 4
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Wedle   
27 Feb 2012
Food / Comparison of supermarkets in Poland. Which one is the cheapest? [30]

Well, what I haven't seen yet are organic products in conventional supermarkets. Do they exist or do I have to go to a special organic shop for them?

You will find organic products in some supermarkets. Carrefor or Piotr & Pawel for example. The meats in this places are also fair

krakowskikredens.pl/index_en.php
Wedle   
27 Feb 2012
Food / Comparison of supermarkets in Poland. Which one is the cheapest? [30]

In Poland the majority of native fruits veg and meats are organic by the nature of their rearing

I believe you mean 'natural' Pip - meaning they are traditionally produced, they are NOT organic as organic carries a 30-40% premium across the board.

There are loads of organic shops popping up but you will find many of these products come from Germany or other E.U. countries

There are also Polish organic products, yet the quality is somewhat suspect.

In respect of meats here, it does not take a rocket scientist to work out why the Poles have gotten so much taller over the last 25 years, when their favorite meat is chicken...

According to a farmer a know, thats bollocks,

When food smells and tastes like food should, then it is quite easy to make the mistake between ' Organic ' and ' Natural '. My Polish in-laws have quite a large sized farm. When we visit we take home fruit and vedge with us, it is not organic as it is not certified organic, yet they do not use chemical fertilizer on the land everything is done in the traditional/natural way. It taste great and smells fantastic.

If you go to Hala Mirowski and asks most of the resellers of fruit and vedge if their products are ' Organic' they will tell you 'yes' ask them for the certification and they will look at you like you have two heads.
Wedle   
16 Feb 2012
Language / The shame! I can't pronounce my Polish wife's name (Ola) [69]

but I suck the second the words leave my brain and pass my lips

If you are looking for a school, try this one: iko.com.pl/contact.html most diplomats and business people use this school. As Aphro previously mentioned, listen to Ola (hello in Spanish) and you will master ' Ola ' Good luck with it all.
Wedle   
16 Feb 2012
Language / The shame! I can't pronounce my Polish wife's name (Ola) [69]

I say it like the "o" in "boat". It drives her nuts. My

You must be an American, Ola is very easy as Polish names go.You will have fun when you meet uncle ' CZESLAW ' or aunty ' GENOWEFA '... Time for Polish lessons, my boy!
Wedle   
13 Feb 2012
Life / 200zl mandat and 3 points for not wearing seatbelts? [75]

Anybody who speeds because they can't be 'arsed' with limits, should not be driving in the first place.

If you can get that law passed, it will take 85% Polish drivers off the road.
Wedle   
3 Feb 2012
Travel / What is the weather like in Poland where you are now? [192]

They reckon it'll get down to below thirty here tonight, and then improve over the next few days. Hope tf they're right.

Personally, I quite like the extreme cold and snow, of course it is very different living in a city at -30, than being out in the boonies.As long as you are wrapped up well and have a hip flask of 'Goralska herbata' life is good.

Its when it gets down to zero, slush and rain that depresses me,this is when I start checking airlines for cheap deals to warmer or colder places.
Wedle   
30 Jan 2012
Travel / What is the weather like in Poland where you are now? [192]

six D cell version in the car

You must be regular at ' militaria' on Tamka !

the better way is to rub vaseline on them

This is exactly what was recommended to us, by the Gorals.

The cat refuses to stay out for more than two minutes.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly or cooking spray, on the foot pads of cats and dogs is a good protection, when they are out in extreme cold, they can suffer from frost bite.
Wedle   
23 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

I am not aware of any developers asking for special treatment. I think you will find that they have also lowered their costs and lowered their profit margins

You do what you have to to survive and put the Bentley on hold.

I agree. Also get rid of VAT on new build, this would stimulate the industry and create more jobs.

As I mentioned

Why should the real estate industry be singled out for special treatment, it is not like the investors behind Real estate development companies need a leg up, developers have had good times, they should have saved their profits for the bad times. like any normal business.

There are plenty of developers in Poland running round today trying to tell anyone that will listen that they have fallen on hard times,some developers can discount house prices from 2.5 Million PLN to 1.5 Million PLN to sell, it makes one wonder just what margins they operate on. I have absolutely no sympathy for Polish developers or Real estate agents during the current economic downturn, they have got to do the same as all other business owners, " adapt to the current times".
Wedle   
23 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

I agree. Also get rid of VAT on new build, this would stimulate the industry and create more jobs.

Why should the real estate industry be singled out for special treatment, it is not like the investors behind Real estate development companies need a leg up, developers have had good times, they should have saved their profits for the bad times. like any normal business. Cut the profit margin and operate like any normal business does, in my opinion the government needs to raise the standards of developers and real estate agents to protect home buyers. The sh1t that some developers get away with in Poland is beyond criminal.
Wedle   
21 Jan 2012
History / Battle of Warsaw/Miracle at the Vistula in Poland [12]

has very little to say about the Battle of Warsaw.

Absolutely nothing to say about the Battle of Warsaw,its about the Warsaw Ghetto, as I mentioned earlier I bought some books for my friends 17 year old son to get an understanding of Poland around the war period.
Wedle   
21 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

Not everyone wants to be rich, some people know their place and they are happy to be workers, unless you are at the top of the tree, there are very few industries yon can get wealthy being a worker, therefore severe the umbilical cord and take the path of risk. Greed with a 'conscience' is good in my book. Its the business 'psychopaths' that need stringing up.
Wedle   
21 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

, you cant easily create coal or oil.

Although if we take Poland with it's massive coal reserves, it is quite strange the country has entered into agreements with foreign oil companies for the production of shale gas, which will cause massive damage to the Polish environment. Why don't they pursue clean technology of Underground Coal Gasification. Poland have the scientists and the technology already exists, it only requires improvement. With clean UCG Poland becomes a major player in the energy sector.
Wedle   
20 Jan 2012
History / Battle of Warsaw/Miracle at the Vistula in Poland [12]

I'm sorry but I couldn't find the bibliography and can't help any further with other works. All the best.

Ozi Dan, thanks for your efforts, I picked up the books delivered them to him, I finally went with:

1. Warsaw 1920 Lenin's failed conquest of Europe - Adam Zamoyski
2. Bloodlands Europe between Hitler and Stalin- Timothy Snyder.

and a must read

3. Mila 18 - Leon Uris.

Thanks once again.
Wedle   
17 Jan 2012
News / Poland fines singer for bashing Bible [159]

A false comparison. She was giving her opinion on a book.

She was also giving her opinion, when she told journalists she had found her faith again after her boyfriend survived his cancer ordeal. If I am correct. she used the words ' divine intervention'.
Wedle   
12 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

Well we have our bet for 20% this year and then the other 25% over another 2 or 3 years.

Is your bet PLN-PLN or Euro/GBP/CHF - PLN as the base for write down?
Wedle   
9 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

you don't know this until it happens.

In theory, Pip is correct.

How can you call a bubble until it has popped, you may believe that Poland is going through a ' Economic bubble' this is not a property bubble as truly defined, you can say ' The USA went through a property bubble because it has popped. I would like to know, how much has the money supply increased by, in Poland since 2003 and are we in an illusionary period of wealth in Poland?

Any idea?
Wedle   
9 Jan 2012
Real Estate / Residential real estate values go down in Poland [455]

especially since the real estate prices are continually going down

"In the next 12 months the average price of an apartment will fall 4 percent," Bartosz Turek, an analyst at property agency Home Broker told the daily Puls Biznesu.

thenews.pl/1/12/Artykul/81760,Property-prices-seen-falling-5-10-percent-in-2011
Wedle   
7 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

Excellent point, its is the force that you will meet with, when Pols believe you are denying them their history or culture, they have lost so much over the centuries now they are unprepared to let go, we could use Radek Sikorski and his recent comments on Poland's inclusion within Northern Europe, this has been met with vehement criticism from all levels of society in Poland. In many countries it would have been considered a 'rallying call' or 'back to business comment'.
Wedle   
7 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

God forbid saying the same thing to a Pole abroad though - we all know how they only choose to respect the bits they like.

I quite often visit the UK, therefore it is quite easy to stay in touch with the reality of what is ' moving on ' in my country of Birth. I can imagine it would be very difficult to stay in touch with reality, if you only used the internet,newspapers or others peoples point of view as your source of real information. With time all tradition and values become more modernized with the next generation, this is what is called progress. Some people are willing to accept it, others believe nothing will change unless they change it, then one day they must wake up...

Your home is your possession, and one which you have worked hard to acquire.

Agreed, many of us have worked very hard to purchase our property here in Poland, with no leg up from family.

I'm told that opium sales also go up during recessions.

This may also be true, I have no source or statistics, people will find a solace or escape in many different ways.
Wedle   
7 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

It also works both ways Pip, if foreigners choose to settle in Poland, until the point they have been given Polish passports they are guests of the country and should therefore act accordingly and respect the tradition and values of the host nation, as a good guest should. If I invited someone into my home I expect them to follow the rules of our home, if they are rude or made negative comments about our family traditions,beliefs or values, they would be asked to leave and NOT return.

I don't think people are returning to religion because of the economic times but rather as a way of returning to the culture- less McDonalds- so to speak.

I can see your angle on a culture-less McDonalds society, it reminds me of a true story about an English guy in Warsaw, every time he would pass the McDonalds with his two boys, he would shout out ' its the devils food ' this became a family joke,his boys are now 11 and 17 and do not eat Mc Donalds, the English guy is a agnostic, so it was not about religious beliefs.. In respect of economic uncertainty and increasing church attendence's. Recession turns peoples lives upside down. It helps them realize that they don't have a sufficiency unto themselves. Not having a job, not being able to pay the monthly bills, wondering where the grocery money will come from, these are all things that cause even those that are furthest from God to question their own self-sufficiency. They come to a point where they realize that they can't do it by themselves and seek a higher power.
Wedle   
6 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

The thing about priests in Poland is that they represent a cross section of the male society.

The above is a fair point, I am not going to suggest for a moment that all priests are good ones, there is enough factual stories to prove that some priests over the years have abused their positions, in 2012 who can you trust, can we trust politicians, bankers,doctors,lawyers,accountants, 20 years ago if you qualified in any of these professions, you would be considered a pillar of your community, a forthright person. It is even worse in the USA, you can actually get ordained online: themonastery.org/?destination=ordination
Wedle   
6 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

Ha! My friends moved to Skierniewice and the wife came home from work to find the priest interrogating her husband about their household income and standing there with a calculator telling him how much they have to pay. And some people actually fall for that!

I think a lot of people talk sh1t about what the church expects, I have also heard that it is a ' shame on you ' to give anything less than 20 PLN per family when visiting church on Sundays. As a family of four we give the small change we have in our pockets, normally between 5-10 PLN. We assist other families through the church, who have real needs, not because we feel morally bound to do it, more because we want to do it.

I have also been at dinner parties and having drinks with Polish people, when they start to joke about what the priest requested, I have never experienced that in Poland so I can't confirm or deny, although I think mostly it is just ' tall stories'.

Not in my block - there's a crowd of coffin dodging old bags and their long-suffering husbands who come with him.

We have had different experience's in Poland, your experience sounds more like being on the receiving end ' Hyacinth Bucket ' from keeping up appearances.
Wedle   
6 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

Half of the people who let them do it aren't remotely religious but don't want gossip and an earbashing from the priest's post-menopausal fan club who come round the block with him while he's doing it - more to see inside their neighbours's homes than any act of faith.

I don't know what you are talking about here JonnyM, it is only the priest that visits your home, there is no gathering,someone in the building arranges the time for the neighbors and he visits everyone individually, it is a private blessing for the household only.
Wedle   
6 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

Is 50zł still ok or should I offer more, inflation being what it is and all?

As I understand in Poland,you give what you can afford there is no set fee.
Wedle   
6 Jan 2012
Life / K+M+B-2012 - formula on flats in Poland [63]

he'd know how quickly this inscription is becoming a thing of the past.

I think 2 to 3 out of 10 is quite accurate.

I live in a high end Rezydencja in Warsaw there are a total of 22 Villa apartments, the residents are made up of Polish intelligentsia, foreign diplomats and business people. At least 60% have the blessing ' Christus Mansionem Benedicat ' on their doors. Furthermore I have just returned from the Stare Miasto with my family, after visiting church for the Epiphany service, we spoke to the priest and he informed us that all over Warsaw the services have seen larger than average gatherings. So lets just keep to the facts, more people are actually coming back to the church especially in these times of economic uncertainty, just because you have not seen the blessings on the exterior doors, does not mean the houses have not been blessed, the local priest will visit over the next two weeks, and will conduct a blessing of the house while there, so some people choose not to put the inscription on their doors.

So for you non Polish Atheists in Poland, ask yourself a simple question, how many Polish family homes have you visited and not seen, some form religious insignia ? I do not know one.Then again I do not mix with people who are involved in trendy lifestyles and are fashionably against the church...

Such piousd practices including the opłatek sharing, blessing of Easter baskets and blessing of newlweds-to-be by their parents before heading for church are enriching, heart-warming touches that set Poland apart

Polonious3, you are 100% correct, Polish traditions are what set Poland apart from other countries, although Poland is very materialistic as well.
Wedle   
4 Jan 2012
History / Battle of Warsaw/Miracle at the Vistula in Poland [12]

I'm not sure if there's a 2nd edition of WERS

The original was written about 30-35 years ago, I read somewhere a revised edition had been released

Michener's "Poland"

I will read some reviews on the above and maybe I can find a couple of pages on line to get a brief, thanks for the feedback any other ides I am all ears,
Wedle   
4 Jan 2012
History / Battle of Warsaw/Miracle at the Vistula in Poland [12]

What's your interest in it?

I will be in the UK next week and I am looking for some books on 20th century Polish history for my godson, he is 17, a complete History of Poland (Davies) is too comprehensive,the books I have chosen on my shortlist are as follows:

White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 and The Miracle on the Vistula or Warsaw 1920: Lenin's Failed Conquest of Europe
Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin Timothy Snyder
No Greater ally Kenneth K Koskodan

Is there a second edition of
White Eagle, Red Star: The Polish-Soviet War 1919-1920 and The Miracle on the Vistula?