History / Whats the French Huguenots history in Poland? where did they settle Poland? [16]



Those two statements are quite different. The second one is more accurate but still a bit of a stretch. As Ironside says the nobility comprised only a small percentage of the population. Nobility always tended to favour the established religion and generally the religion followed by the Monarch was that of the nobility as clearly that was in their best interests, financially, socially etc. The Huguenots themselves only accounted for about 5% of the French population.

But in any case it's misleading to say that 'Huguenots were nobles'. Some of them were, but as a whole they were largely middle class and associated with skilled crafts and trades as their history abroad shows. I think you'll find this interesting:

oldbaileyonline.org/static/Huguenot.jsp

History / What is Poles opinion on Intermarium (Międzymorze)? [188]

I think the Slavic countries are all too 'young' politically and economically to cope with the administration and logistics of a union. Also perhaps they are a little too alike to co-operate with each other effectively. Slavs can be a volatile lot, they tend to be quick tempered and harbour grudges. I don't think the word 'compromise' is really in the Slavic lexicon. It would probably all start off with great bonhomie and shoulder slapping and sharing the bread and salt and end with none of them speaking to each other for the next fifty years.

News / Poland, Slavic world and India - The Way of Business [5]

I have a feeling this thread will end up being merged but you make a good point. There could be a section of the forum for business/commercial activity in Poland. It's a good idea.

This might interest you, Indian-Polish Chamber of Commerce:

ipcci.pl

History / Whats the French Huguenots history in Poland? where did they settle Poland? [16]


They weren't nobility. They were prosperous, industrious,middle class business men, craftsmen and artisans.


They came to Ireland. There are still people in Ireland with Huguenot surnames and there is a beautifully preserved Huguenot cemetery in Dublin city centre. The people today who bear Huguenot names are largely Catholic as they gradually intermarried with the locals.

Life / Pomeranian/Fluffy Dogs - where to buy in Poland? [6]

Just be sure that you will be in a position to offer this dog a permanent home, especially if you adopt one from a shelter.

News / Polish Wigilia on UNESCO's world heritage list? [30]


Well it is for at least a half day as indeed are most shops in Poland on the 24th. However in the UK on Christmas Day, the 25th when Christmas is celebrated, shops are closed all day and only a handful of MacDonalds are open.

News / Polish Wigilia on UNESCO's world heritage list? [30]


As does Christmas Day in the British Isles. You're implying that Brits spend their Christmas in MacDonalds and have no traditions.

Look, it's like this. For practising Christians in Britain and Ireland, the festival is a combination of religious observance and 'merry making'.

So the widely observed traditions are: midnight mass on Christmas Eve or a Christmas Eve service of Carols such as The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College, Cambridge. All over the UK churches have similar services. Home to bed following midnight mass, up at the crack of dawn.

If you didn't go to midnight mass then it's off to church. Many Anglicans attend both the midnight service and Matins or a communion service on Christmas morning.

Presents are opened on the morning of the 25th. When I was a kid, our Christmas stockings were at the end of the bed when we we woke up with small gifts which we could have straight away, then off to mass, and the main presents when we got home, watch the Papal blessing on telly.

Christmas lunch, usually turkey or a roast fowl, traditionally accompanied by cranberry sauce, a roast honey glazed ham, followed by Christmas pudding always set alight before being carried aloft to the table, mince pies and brandy butter etc. Christmas crackers are pulled and hats donned. General hilarity ensues, here we go a wassailing!

Afternoon nap, telly, maybe a walk, then afternoon tea and the ceremonial cutting of the Christmas cake (rich fruit cake iced with marzipan), then it's often board games or some kind of party games anyway, many Irish families would have a sing song, music, etc. Stay up until all hours. Bob's your uncle.

News / Polish Wigilia on UNESCO's world heritage list? [30]




That's because Christmas in the UK is celebrated on the 25th. The main meal and celebration at which extended family gather takes place on the afternoon of the 25th. However there are many families in the British Isles who gather on Christmas Eve. Socialising on Christmas Eve is a tradition in the British Isles but it takes different forms. and often involves going out or meeting up with friends. For example I know a teacher in her thirties and every Christmas Eve she and six of her old school friends meet up for dinner. They've done it every year since they left school and have continued the tradition even though most of them are now married. Christmas in Britain and Ireland is very much a time of reunions and gatherings of different kinds.

Work / Regarding demand of physiotherapy in Poland [20]

You would need to contact the Polish Ministry of Health. Their website has a section about recognition of qualifications but only for those who trained in other European countries. However it will give you some idea of what's involved before you speak to them:

mz.gov.pl/en/healthcare-system/health-personnel-and-training/recognition-of-professional-qualifications/recognition-of-other-medical-professions-qualifications-obtained-in-or-previously-recognized-by-other-eu-member-state-including- member-states-of-european-economic-area-and-switzerland

Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

Ok I took a quick look at the British College website - it's a total waste of your money in my opinion. The English on their site is not that of a native speaker and there are no details at all about the staff. The 'message from the Principal' is simply signed 'Principal', no name, nothing and has various errors in syntax. In the English of a native speaker, this place is what we'd call a mickey mouse operation. If you're going to spend money coming to Poland try to study something finance related at a reputable college.

Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]


Why do you want to study English philology? To be honest, your level of English is not good enough to do a Masters in the subject. You'd be better off sticking with accountancy and taking some kind of MBA or advanced qualification in the field where you already have experience and qualifications.

Food / Christmas pudding in Poland [22]

If you can get hold of a couple of jars of mincemeat you can make a fairly ok express pudding but that's about as hard to get in Poland as the actual pudding.

Jon dear I have a lovely recipe for you. It's nothing less than the genuine Drury Lane Twelfth Night cake (how did I get hold of it you ask...........) Anyway I'll pm it to you, tomorrow if I have time. As nobody took the slightest interest in my Christmas cake I'm mortally wounded so this is for your eyes only.

News / Poland refuses to give jobs to British [19]


Remember the perv in the park in Dirty Harry "My name is Alice and I'll do anything for a dare' :D


He doesn't even speak English by the sounds of it.

Food / Christmas pudding in Poland [22]

Hi Sylvio. If you make a pudding now it won't have time to mature properly so it won't taste quite as good. It should really be made several weeks before you want to eat it. Also (sorry Smurf!) to get the really authentic taste the fat used should be suet, that's the fat from around the kidneys of the cow. So for next year, order a couple of packs of Atora dried suet on the internet. Anyway for this year, yes, like Smurf says, just use marg. Loads of recipes online. Try Delia Smith. I'm not a big fan of hers but her cakes and puds are good:

deliaonline.com/recipes/international/european/british/traditional-christmas-pudding

You don't need Guiness, you can use any porter like Komes or Żywiec. You can use any alcohol you like in a pud, much like the cake, you can use sherry, port, rum, whiskey, brandy. Christmas cake and pud are very forgiving and you can substitute ingredients very easily. So knock yourself out! Good luck and smacznego :))

Food / Christmas pudding in Poland [22]

Alma used to do one, can't remember which brand, an outrageous price it was anyway. Alma are now closing all their stores in Poland by the way. You've left it too late to order via the internet but for future reference you can get several different Christmas puddings from The British Cornershop.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

At the moment they do. Who knows what the future holds? I'm not suggesting that it'll turn into a complete facist dictatorship but it could end up being a bit of a mess like Italy. Poland is not politically mature yet if you understand me. There's no reason why Poland can't be a middle ground poliitcally neither right wing nor leftie liberal but unfortunately that's not in the Polish nature I think. They like clear cut opposites.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Yes I knew that Dolno. The date was definitely chosen deliberately to make a point. I think the point being made was that in their view, a generation on, democracy is under threat again,(not that Poland was a democracy then of course but you know what I mean) Poland is in danger of turning full circle and is gradually becoming a police state with a totalitarian government.


Anyone with the most basic education should know their dates of significance to Poland's recent history in particular. Just like any low-life thicko in Ireland has heard of 1916 and broadly understands its significance, nobody in Poland should be unaware of the country's historic milestones. If they are then that's a failure of past governments and society in general.

News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

The BBC said it was 50,000! I'd say the real number is probably somewhere between the two extremes so Jon could well be right. Do you really believe the police give the exact figure Dolno? Sorry just realised that was the Saturday march and Jon was talking about yesterday which I saw estimated somewhere at 60,000. I don't know about that but Mr Atch couldn't get his tram home from work due to the disruptions and had a fair old walk.

Love / My Polish Girlfriend Broke Up With Me Very Suddenly, Did She Use Me? [23]


Hi there LGO. We need a nickname for you - LifeGoesOn is just too long! How about Phoenix, you know, rises from the ashes, and you will :)

Anyway as to the question. There's a certain level of prettiness that results in that behaviour. Not stunningly beautiful, that can put guys off, they tend to think 'there's no way she'd be interested in me', so often the really gorgeous girls don't get that much attention. The girls who are just 'pretty' and seem approachable along with it get a lot of attention from guys. So they know how easily guys are seduced by their appearance and they feel they can get away with any behaviour because their looks are enough to keep the guy interested.

I saw a very interesting programme years ago where this 'pretty girl' syndrome was being discussed and one of the theories was attractive looking people, particularly women, don't need to develop their character as fully because their looks carry them a long way. So they tend to remain a bit childlike and self centred. Certainly when I was working in recruitment years ago, I was able to place attractive looking girls in jobs, that they really weren't well qualified for, because of their looks, especially if it involved working with clients or the public. I know because employers told me a few times that they'd chosen the candidate because of her good looks, dress sense etc. whereas some poor girl with a typing speed of 120 words a minute but legs like tree trunks or the slight suggestion of a moustache on her upper lip, got left in the slush pile!


Well she was probably happy at the time so she was being her best and sweetest self.


Now, now, stop that, she was never perfect. She just appeared to be.


Well that's not so. It would be more accurate to say that without fluent Polish, you would find it difficult to get a job in your field. The language is definitely a stumbling block. Although Polish companies are very keen to employ people with English, they really want Polish candidates with English as an extra. For the most part the language of communication is Polish and the English of Polish professionals varies. Many of them don't speak fluently though they can read and understand pretty well. So they're generally going to hold meetings etc in Polish and you would be way out of your depth. Now the only time you would be considered without reasonably good Polish, is if you were a very senior engineer with many years of industrial experience and had something to offer that they had been seeking and couldn't get from a local applicant.


Of course she's absolutely wrong.

Now a final word of advice, before I go about my business for the day - Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat and 'My Lady' may be getting a bit bored with her current choice of boyfriend. This is the time of the year when tempers fray and it's well known that couples often break up over Christmas and New Year. It's also the time when we get all sentimental and warm and fuzzy and forgiving to those who've trespassed against us........... So, if she's in England, then it's quite possible that you may hear from her over the holidays. Enough said. I don't think I need to tell you what to do, or rather NOT do. But, I will anyway! Do not under any circumstances be tempted to meet up for a drink or anything like that, you know where it will lead. New Year festivities are a dangerous source of ' oh a new year, a new beginning, we can start again and make it work'. And by the end of January she's back with the last boyfriend or moved on to another one.


You will for a quite a while. It was your first love so it really hurts. Just take it a day at a time. And with each day that goes by, it becomes more and more in the past and you get stronger. Very few people end up spending the rest of their life with their first serious girlfriend/boyfriend, so you're not alone. It's just another rite of passage in life that most people have to go through. That's actually made more of a man of you than the sex part, that's just a form of aerobics really isn't it? :D Maybe that's why My Lady has had so many partners, if she wants to be a personal trainer she needs to stay fit!


You're very welcome Phoenix - any time. Glad to be of some help. God Bless.

News / What will drive Poland after 2020 - when Eu funding dries up? [96]



There was no automatic freedom of movement for the new accession states when they joined the EU in 2004. Ireland, Sweden and the UK were the only three EU members to open their borders in 2004 allowing Poles and others to work legally.

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

Another Brexit legal challenge - this time with Ireland as the defendants! The whole Brexit thing is becoming quite surreal. An English QC has raised the 70 grand he needs (through crowd funding) to bring a case against the Irish state, yes the Irish state if you don't mind. Basically using the Irish high court as a back door to the European court. The unmitigated cheek. The thinking is that we won't want to get involved in the matter in any depth so we'll pass it on to Europe.

According to the Irish Times, 'The case has been taken to Ireland in order to be heard by another EU member state, with a similar legal system to that of the UK. It will argue that Article 50 may have already been triggered and so other EU nations have broken the rules by not engaging in negotiations with the UK about withdrawal'.

The Irish government is joint defendant with the European Council and the European Commission. What really infuriates me is the fact that this QC chappie, who's making use of us (bet he's never even been on holidays in Ireland) made some ludicrous speech about the people of Ireland deserving a government who will look after their interests. Bog off and keep your nose out of our affairs, thank you very much. Brexit is not our fault, we didn't vote for it and we don't need a British barrister telling us how to run our country or what we need from our government. Ah, I feel much better now!

It might be time to start a prawdziwy Brexit thread here???

Language / Polish inscription in a book for a loved one [35]


Well my grandparents used that word to describe a somewhat effeminate man and I'm certain you're not that! As for niminy piminy it isn't widely used, probably not in the last hundred years anyway, I just love vintage English expressions.


It's a bit of fun though isn't it? The old parry and thrust of the verbal exchange!
By the way as an ultra-refined lady (almost niminy piminy in fact) I would personally be delighted if I discovered through the grapevine that a gentleman was making tentative enquires about the correct way to inscribe a book to me and I wouldnt' think he was being at all indiscreet. (If I were single that is but I already 'gots me' a lovely Polish husband) Anyway as I said best of luck.

Language / Polish inscription in a book for a loved one [35]


EuroBrit, you surprise me, you do really. Niminy piminy is an English expression (as in UK) meaning exaggeratedly prim or refined. I first heard it many years ago in Notting Hill Gate, used by a teenager actually, though in fairness her Pater was a proper toff :))


Or people who don't know you either it would seem! Are you sure you don't have Irish blood ' you'd want to be very careful now, you wouldn't want people knowin' your business'.


Well it is a very public place and sadly respect is in short supply around here to boot. I don't understand why you didn't just make up a name, something similar in spelling for the purposes of getting the grammatical case. You do come across as terribly stuffy and serious, perhaps you are, but you're probably a very nice person and I wish you the best of luck with your lady. By the way I also would think that 'ukochany' is over-egging the pudding a bit. It can translate as 'beloved' and only an established couple would tend to use that phrase.

Language / Polish inscription in a book for a loved one [35]

Actually Mafketis is one of the nicer, more polite and reasonable people on this forum. Just make a random visit to any thread and see the vile insults flying through the air, the tears, the tantrums. It's like a South American soap opera.

By the way, you do come across as a wee bit precious and niminy piminy with all that 'discretion' business. Either that or a teenage girl 'OMG! I can't say the name on the forum, what if someone we both know is on here and says 'oh so-and-so fancies you and is like, really into you', I'd just die!!'. I mean apparently you've already embarked on some sort of 'thing' with the girl, so it would hardly come as a shock to her. I don't know, maybe she's as precious as you are and she'd be horrified that you asked a question on the old interweb. In which case you're probably ideally suited so it's a happy ending in any case :)

News / What will drive Poland after 2020 - when Eu funding dries up? [96]

No it isn't. Nothing has been agreed. People who satisfy the requirements for permanent residence in the UK will of course have the right to remain. Other than that, no official guarantees have been given. And what do you mean by all parties? Do you mean the other member states of the EU and the UK? All of that has yet to be hammered out.

Love / My Polish Girlfriend Broke Up With Me Very Suddenly, Did She Use Me? [23]



Do you see the contradiction there? You are still attached to her. But even if we pretend for a moment that you're not, you'll fall right back under her spell and be back to square one within a couple of days. You're just too young and starry eyed to avoid that. You're kidding yourself that you can be cool headed and cynical and hold something of yourself back. Of course relationships don't have to be like that. It is possible to be a romantic and loving person without getting walked all over but it'll take you a few years to work out how to do that and certainly you can't do it with this girl. If you let her back into your life she will continue to treat you the way she did before, it will end the same way and you'll feel more of a fool and more bitter than ever.


You didn't love her. Raging hormones gave you the impression that you did. When you're very sexually attracted to somebody it allows you to create a picture of them in your head as not just desirable but wonderful in every way. You see them as a wonderful person. That's why the shock is so terrible when they behave like the monster they actually are :D Ah well, she's not a monster. She's probably just a bit shallow, selfish and maybe somewhat calculating.


Expecting that when you finish your engineering degree (which is considered a prestigious qualification in Poland, Panie Inżynier) that you would have the potential to earn a very good salary.


I don't mean to sound snotty but she was working in a warehouse is that so? What's her educational level? I think Dominic B will be with me on this one, that generally people who are not academic, don't partner well with people who are. They can't understand the committment and work needed to complete a degree and they're impatient with it. And later on if you're pursuing a demanding technical profession there would be no understanding on her side of what that entails.

Life / Opłatek, not presents, epitomises the true Polish Christmas spirit [85]

Come on now Smurf. Tis the season of goodwill for all, whatever your beliefs. We need an excuse to be nice to each other!

Anyway Polly is referring to the tradition in some European countries that the Christ Child brings the gifts. It's quite sweet really. I know you find the whole religion thing not only nauseating but a bit worrying (the indoctrination of children aspect and all that). However having taught so many very young children, it's very touching to see how much they love Baby Jesus. I'd much rather see children being 'good' because they want to be like Baby Jesus and he'd be sad if they were naughty, than because Santa is 'watching'. That in itself is a really weird concept. I was actually terrified of Santy when I was a kid!! I mean I loved him but I was really afraid of the idea of him coming into the house in the night, it seemed so spooky. I used to crawl down to the bottom of the bed and hide under the covers, from where my mother would rescue me, and myself (and we'd say at home) in a lather of sweat, between terror and over heating :D

Language / Perfective vs Imperfective - grammar [150]

I think that what Chemikiem probably means Lyzko is that many people would be more likely to say 'the dog pee-ed or wee-ed on the rug'. Or we might say 'the dog wet the floor' in Ireland. We certainly say that when a child does it. We also use the euphemism 'had an accident'. I remember once when I was teaching I approached a mother after school and said 'I'm afraid Alex had a little accident' 'Oh Jesus!' she responded. 'Where is he? Is he in the hospital?' Woops!

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

Well I think Tusk is pretty much pro-Europe and won't want to see Britain pull out of the EU. But Poland is not especially keen on the EU or on Britain either! I don't think it would bother Poland to see Britain come out of the EU as long as Poles in the UK don't suffer but I think Poland would certainly want to see the UK get a good deal in terms of the free market etc simply for Poland's benefit in terms of trading with them. I believe that Poland itself doesn't really like being in the EU because they perceive it as impingeing on their self-determination and sovereignty. They'd probably quite like to see it break up. Britain leaving would pave the way and Poland ,if they went the same way at some point, would be happy to strike a trade alliance with Britain in the future. So I think Poland will want to work on fostering very good relations with a post-Brexit Britain.

UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

In case anybody's interested, British MPs have voted by a majority to back Theresa May in triggering Article 50, effectively pre-empting the result of the Supreme Court case which is currently underway. Does anyone see a touch of the old Whitehall machinations in the style of Yes Prime Minister?! A clever move, because she has now basically already secured parliament's approval so the result of the court case becomes somewhat irrelevant.