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Posts by Atch  

Joined: 1 Apr 2015 / Female ♀
Warnings: 2 - OO
Last Post: 3 hrs ago
Threads: 22
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Atch   
16 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

hard Brexit

In the end, hard or soft Brexit will be decided by the 27 member states, not by Tusk or any one individual. As for expecting anyone to be grateful for help received from the UK over the years......I'm afraid people are just not that honourable as a rule.

U.K. would just kick out all Poles within short notice

Many of them are legally entitled to permanent residence under UK (not just EU) law. I think it would be a sad day for the UK if they began mass deportation of other nationalities, like some African dictatorship. That kind of extremism is not a feature of British politics. Whatever its faults, Britain will continue to uphold basic democracy that's for sure.
Atch   
15 Oct 2016
Genealogy / Polish Soldiers Dunblane, Scotland WW2 [16]

The Dunblane Hydro is a hotel isn't it? According to their history, the place was used as a convalescent home for soldiers during WWII and also at some point as a girls' boarding school. It seems doubtful that they'd send a unit to stay in a girls' school (!) or that an entire unit would be convalescing at the same time. So it would seem that your grandfather was there as a patient rather than as part of his unit. Patient records/lists might have survived, but there could be more than one Polish soldier there at the same time, so figuring out which one is the right one could still be tricky. The Red Cross ran most of the homes in the UK during WWII. They might have some records.

However, there may have been a brief period during the change over from hospital to school or vice versa whichever came first, when soldiers were billeted there. I found this record which gives the Polish units stationed in Scotland including Perthshire from 1941-1945. Dunblane is not mentioned as a location until April 1945:

polishforcesinbritain.info/Locations.htm#Loc_T1a

Here's something else that would be of interest to you as it gives you some general background on the Polish soldiers in Scotland at that time:

polishscottishheritage.co.uk/?heritage_item=scottish-polish-coexistence-during-the-dark-days-of-wwii

With another bit of digging around I managed to discover that the 4th infantry division of the 1st Polish Corps was in Dunblane at some point. I found that out from a list of records on the Imperial War Museum site. They came up on a google search as being somewhere in this very extensive list of photos:

iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205224236

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4th_Infantry_Division_(Poland)#4th_Division_organized_by_the_western_Allies

They didn't see any combat after 1940 and by 1946 a group of Polish soldiers were stationed not at the Dunblane Hydro itself, but nearby.
Atch   
15 Oct 2016
Life / All Things Christmassy in Poland [281]

Dundee cake is a much lighter fruitcake. The traditional Christmas cake is very dark and moist. Just adding whiskey to a Dundee cake doesn't turn it into a Christmas cake. You can soak the fruit for a Christmas cake with anything you like, but you also have to feed the baked cake with alcohol for several weeks before Christmas and whiskey or brandy is the best choice for that.
Atch   
15 Oct 2016
Life / All Things Christmassy in Poland [281]

Yes, I know, it's one of those weird Hiberno-isms that we think of Hennessy's as Irish. The Hennessy family are aware of that themselves. A grocer in Dublin told one of them that during a boycott of French goods by customers one woman refused to buy 'that French stuff' but 'I'll have a bottle of Hennessy's'! They retain very strong links with Ireland even after all this time. Frederic actually lives in Cork in the family's ancestral home Ballymacmoy House.
Atch   
14 Oct 2016
Life / All Things Christmassy in Poland [281]

Last year Polonius asked me for a recipe for traditional British/Irish Christmas cake. I thought maybe some other members might like to try making one, so I intend to share my favourite recipe shortly as it needs to be baked well in advance for the flavours to mature. I'll be doing mine before the end of the month. In the meantime, prepare ye thy tins!

You can make it in a round or square tin but the lining process is crucial. As Alan Partridge might say, I cannot emphasise that enough. Slow cooking is vital, otherwise the cake will be dry so the tin needs insulating from the heat of the oven. You need an 8 inch cake tin for this recipe.

You line it with a double layer of baking parchment and then do my granny used to do, take at least four thicknesses of newspaper, wrap it round the outside of the tin and tie it in place with twine or cotton string. The newspaper needs to come up a bit higher, about 2 inches, than the height of the tin to shield the top of the cake from excessive browning.

You can also start gathering your dried fruits. They need to be soaked in brandy or whiskey (Irish only please, Hennessy's Cognac or Jamesons). I once tried French brandy and it just haven't the potency of Hennessy's. Also I wouldn't touch Scotch whiskey on principle!

You need:

250g raisins
250g sultanas
250g currants
125 gr mixed peel
250g glace cherries (chopped) I've never been able to find them in Poland :(

About two days before you plan to make the cake you place the fruits in an airtight container and chuck a wine glass full of brandy or whiskey in with them.

In the next instalment I'll give you the full ingredients list and the method. The actual making of it is easy peasy. It's the baking process that's a b*stard as you can never be sure how it will come out, but sure that's all part of the joy of Christmas and if it's a complete fiasco you can always console yourself by polishing off the remains of the brandy or whiskey.
Atch   
14 Oct 2016
Language / Need Help Translating from Polish - a Figurine [18]

No, kochanie! Bardzo dziękuję Wulkan. I think I get the joke actually because also the 'być' should be 'jest' shouldn't it? I just thought maybe it was some form of clever grammatical gymanstics that I wasn't aware of. Often I think I've said something with correct grammar because it seems so obvious and then Mr Atch corrects me, and it turns out that it's yet another exception to the rule. Polish is an absolute head wrecker. Actually something that really cracks me up is Polish rap music, the sound of the streets - but with perfect grammar!
Atch   
14 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / How might Britain`s withdrawal from EU affect Poles there and here? [474]

Resurrecting this thread in view of the court case now underway in England regarding Brexit. Maybe it's time for a new Brexit thread? Interesting that just as this case commences Tusk has commented that Britain can change its mind and doesn't have to leave the EU. Of course, his comments are a bit meaningless as he doesn't back up what he says by reference to British law which is the deciding factor.

Just to sum it up quickly the crux of the challenge as I understand it, is that regardless of the Referendum result, the Prime Minister doesn't have the right to trigger the leave mechanism without the approval of parliament. The government will present its case on Monday. It seems they will argue amongst other things, that parliament doesn't have to vote on Brexit because the Prime Minister is constitutionally entitled to invoke the Royal Prerogative ie use the same absolute power that once rested in the monarch, in certain situations. Also I think they covered themselves legally with the European Union Referendum Act which was passed by parliament prior to the Referendum on the understanding that the outcome would be respected. Very interesting to see how this court case unfolds. Personally I think it's unlikely that the High Court will upset the apple cart.
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
News / Poland -- Europe's only counterweight to Russia [271]

Actually you're the one who's wrong Levi. The population of Crimea was largely Tatar from its earliest times as an established settlement until the nineteenth century. Crimea was never especially Slavic. The world and his wife were there over a number of centuries, including the Greeks, Romans, Huns, Khazars and Goths. There was a form of Gothic spoken in parts of Crimea from about the 9th to the 19th century! Life and history is just not that simple Levi.
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Love / I'm a Polish girl (my boyfriend is British) and I'm proud [58]

Well, at the risk of taking this thread too far off topic (bless me Mods for I have sinned) both the UK and Ireland are very anxious to preserve the Common Travel Area. The problem is Enda Kenny is a complete wuss, but maybe he'll be gone by the time we get down to the nitty gritty of negotiations, not that there's anyone of much use to replace him. I think it's very emotive because so far Ireland has largely seen only benefits from EU membership and now for the first time, we're seeing a very big negative. Something that was 'ours' long before we joined the EU, which we negotiated with Britain and which has worked for our two nations for nearly a hundred years, is at risk of being taken from us. It brings home the fact that EU membership does compromise one's sovereignty.

back to topic please
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Love / I'm a Polish girl (my boyfriend is British) and I'm proud [58]

@ Roz do you mean you don't agree or you don't know what I'm on about, to use that lovely bit of vernacular.

I mean the old Common Travel Area etc. We'll be fighting very hard to keep it and apparently all the EU members have been and will continue to be briefed on the importance of it, but it will be hard for other EU nations to accept the Irish having special rights and privileges within post-Brexit Britain. Also there's our trade links which are in serious danger. That's one area where we can't broker any special deal or retain our present system which suits us both so well.
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Love / I'm a Polish girl (my boyfriend is British) and I'm proud [58]

Hi Roz! Yes I like that as well. We are neighbours after all and there is a bond between us. Actually the whole Brexit thing is really raising all that in a big way. We're like a couple who had a long and volatile marriage, a legal separation with initial animosity followed by a mellowing but now we're facing the final divorce decree. Of course in a truly bizarre twist, the citizens of Northern Ireland will be both British and EU citizens. How is that going to work in practical terms I wonder?
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

Nd the site u give is not exist.

Kmm, it most certainly does exist! I looked at it just five minutes ago and it is possible to check availability of rooms etc. I clicked on one of the hostels and it has lots of dorms , 6 and 8 beds per dorm, so that's a shared room.

By somebody at your university, I meant somebody on the staff. There is an office in all universities with administrative staff.

Getting your visa late is no excuse for being so disorganised. You should have done your research about jobs etc months ago. The answer is no, you will not be able to find much in the way of work if you don't speak Polish.
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

Kmm, do you mean that you can't find a room anywhere, that they're all booked, or do you mean that you can't find anything in your price range? You've left it very late to book something if you're coming next week but you should be able to find something. If you don't manage to book anything in advance, then make a list of the hostels (not hotels) you can afford and you'll just have to go to them in person and hope they have something free, maybe a cancelled booking will come up. If you're coming to study, then maybe somebody at your college may be able to help. But to be honest, Poles are not that quick to offer help, especially to strangers, they tend to just shrug their shoulders and say 'what do you expect me to do about it, it's your problem'.
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

Gosh Terri you're always such a Negative Nelly.

@Kmm, Hostels have shared rooms and dormitories and are usually the cheapest accommodation available.

hostelbookers.com/hostels/poland/warsaw
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Love / I'm a Polish girl (my boyfriend is British) and I'm proud [58]

What adjective can be used to include residents of the UK and Ireland (as well as the Crown Dependencies)

But why would you need a single adjective to encompass Ireland which has been for most of its history,an entirely separate and sovereign nation? I don't have a problem at all with the geographic term the British Isles, but I am not British and will not accept being referred to as such.

That is akin to suggesting that there should be a single, commonly accepted term to describe all residents of the American continent be it the USA, Canada or any of the South American countries.

Incidentally in official documents drawn up jointly by the British and governments, the term used is 'these islands', so if that's good enough for us and our neighbours then it can be good enough for you, you cheeky foreigner!

British and governments

Woops! I meant to say British and Irish governments.
Atch   
13 Oct 2016
Love / I'm a Polish girl (my boyfriend is British) and I'm proud [58]

the Irish

Lyzko I really am surprised at such an ignorant comment from you. The Irish are not British. If you are referring to Northern Ireland, then you should say so. The people of Northern Ireland are divided broadly into the indigenous Irish people who are no more British than Poles were ever Russian or German or Austrian, and the descendants of lowland Scots who were planted there during the 16th and 17th centuries. They have largely intermarried with each other and have not a drop of Irish blood in their veins. They call themselves British but everyone born in Nothern Ireland is legally an Irish citizen.

Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders, whose separate political as well as cultural and social identities were forged long ago:-)

And there you reveal that you are after all, a typical American. Long ago indeed. My dear man, four hundred years or so does not count as 'long ago' in Europe. Ireland's social and cultural identity has been forged over thousands of years. The Gaelic culture was already long established when the English arrived on our shores in the 12th century.
Atch   
10 Oct 2016
Study / How much money do I need to have in my bank account at the time of applying for the students visa? [6]

No, it's not true. The law has changed and foreign students no longer have to pay the full amount in advance.

thepienews.com/news/poland-ends-full-upfront-tuition-requirements

Eddie, for information about visa requirements you should contact the Polish embassy in Kampala.

Phone+256-772-774876
Fax+256-413-41247
Emailekamuntu@mtti.go.ug
ekamuntu@parliament.go.ug
bernokakongi@yahoo

To choose a business degree just try googling. Most of the universities in Poland have some information in English on their websites though it's not always that detailed. Here's a useful link to get started:

eduniversal-ranking.com/business-school-university-ranking-in-poland.html

However good and cheap, well that's always a problem. Poland is not as cheap as you might imagine and apart from tuition fees you have to support yourself, pay your living costs etc.
Atch   
9 Oct 2016
Language / The "end piece" of a loaf of bread in Polish [80]

like your preconception that Polish cuisine has no cake tradition?

God give me patience. What would I be trying to prove? I just said that I found it odd that cake, pastry and dough are covered by one word. I mean dough is hardly the same thing as cake now is it? If I offered you kawa and ciasto, how would you feel if I served you a lump of dough? But I would be quite within my linguistic rights and indeed, I may say, I would be sorely tempted to do so :)) it would serve you jollly well right.

Sorry if you felt I cast aspersions on your 'cake tradition'. I know you have cakes, many cakes, I just don't like most of them very much.

cáca

in Greek caca means 's.h.i.t'

But the Irish cáca is pronounced 'caw-ka' like the caw of a crow.
Atch   
8 Oct 2016
Language / The "end piece" of a loaf of bread in Polish [80]

for each of which there are separate words in your language? :-)

Well I only know French, German and Irish, each of which have separate words for cake, pastry and dough. For example in Irish dough is taos, pastry is taosrán you can see the connection there) and cake is cáca, biscuits are brioscai and so on.
Atch   
8 Oct 2016
Language / The "end piece" of a loaf of bread in Polish [80]

very different cooking traditions

Yes I do understand that. I think pastry is not really a part of traditional Polish dishes is it? The 'pie' is a very British thing. Also the way in which meat is butchered so differently in Europe is something very hard to get the head round. I really miss being able to buy a nice joint of beef on the bone for roasting.

czereśnie and wiśnie

To me they're just two different varieties of cherry, one being slightly sweeter than the other. I think the sourer one is lighter in colour. I made jam in the summer using the darker one. It didn't set very well so I used it to sweeten rhubarb crumble. I had much better success with the raspberries and the plums gave the best set. All very yummy though!
Atch   
8 Oct 2016
Law / Major Issue with Poland's Residence Card! I have Polish wife, but no job, passport, I'm seeking for asylum. [9]

The OP should really be asking these questions of the office that organised his card or the government department that's handling his application for asylum. Also when he got his tymczasowy thing, he would or should have been given a booklet (available in several languages including English) which is issued to all refugees/asylum seekers and sets out amongst other things, conditions regarding work plus a list of contacts for organisations that provide support for applicants. I could understand his difficulties if he spoke neither English nor Polish, but if his wife is Polish, I don't see why she can't make a few phone calls or toddle along to the relevant government office and get the necessary information. The language is obviously not a problem for her.
Atch   
8 Oct 2016
Language / The "end piece" of a loaf of bread in Polish [80]

Thanks very much for the explanation Kpc. That makes more sense, ciasto as dough in that context ie French dough but then again, why is there no separate word for dough? Why is it interchangeable with cake?

Ciasto as a biccie I already understand although again it seemed odd to me at first, the same word for two very different things. Many biscuits are not at all cake-like. I know the difference between herbatniki and ciasteczki but it does seem to me that there are biscuits which are in neither category, not quite substantial enough to be ciasto but not quite small and crispy enough to be herbatniki, but they have to be ruthlessly forced into one or the other!
Atch   
8 Oct 2016
Language / The "end piece" of a loaf of bread in Polish [80]

cakes and pastries are referred to as wypieki (sweet baked goods).

What I find very odd is that there's no Polish word for pastry. Everything is ciasto 'cake' in my understanding. Thus puff pastry is 'ciasto Francuskie' which literally means French cake. It's not very specific is it and French pastry is often used for savoury dishes so it seems odd to refer to it as cake. Also what would you call shortcrust pastry? Ciasto Angielskie? Steak and kidney pie made with English cake!
Atch   
8 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / P60 UK Upload - Brexit and Polish people's contribution to the British economy [48]

After Brexit people will have to apply for citizenship or leave, probably be given it free

All of this is pure assumption on your part. People who acquired the right of permanent residence under EU law will not be required to leave after Brexit, nor will they be forced to obtain British citizenship. That would be illegal. In a democratic society such as Britain it is not acceptable to retrospectively revoke peoples' rights. Changes in residence laws will only affect those who come to live in the UK post-Brexit or who haven't been there long enough pre-Brexit to acquire permanent residence. Also your assumption does not take into account those from countries outside the EU who have ILR (indefinite leave to remain). Britian will not create a two tier system, discriminating against EU citizens with permanent residence rights in the UK, whilst allowing those of other nationalities to remain.
Atch   
7 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / P60 UK Upload - Brexit and Polish people's contribution to the British economy [48]

And what gives Poles superiority over other nations ?

They wouldn't be a special case. This applies to all EU citizens who might be affected by Brexit.

like I said

Get a citizenship and you can stay.

Yes but what you say, is merely your opinon. The law states otherwise. People who have the right to permanent residence have the choice of applying for citizenship but they don't have to and they are entitled to reside in the UK permanently without it.
Atch   
7 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / P60 UK Upload - Brexit and Polish people's contribution to the British economy [48]

Realistically a lot of them don't have much to go back to. Many Poles in the UK come from economically depressed parts of Poland which have changed little during the years they've been away. Those who have jobs, businesses, homes, children born in the UK may not feel so inclined to give all that up. It's natural, if people feel unwanted, to get emotional about it and declare 'ok then we're off' but when they've cooled down a bit and considered the alternative, they may well change their minds.
Atch   
7 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / P60 UK Upload - Brexit and Polish people's contribution to the British economy [48]

Tic Tac I don't think you've read the whole thread. EU citizens who've been five years in the UK have the right to permanent residency and cannot be kicked out. And that's not just EU law. It involves various international agreements to which the UK is a signatory and which are independent of the EU. Actually it's not just EU citizens either.
Atch   
7 Oct 2016
UK, Ireland / P60 UK Upload - Brexit and Polish people's contribution to the British economy [48]

I doubt very much that Britain will require Poles to leave. I'm pretty sure that at the very least those Polish nationals who have been living in the UK for 'x' number of years will be safe, also I think any families with children attending school or college will be ok. Theresa May is not Idi Amin.

Ok, just checked it out and according to senior civil servant Mark Sedwill, he was saying, as far back as July that any EU citizen who had lived in Britain for five years and has the right to permanent residence cannot legally be asked to leave:

"I think for people who have the five-year residence, we have in effect had a guarantee".

"It is not for me to do so (give a personal guarantee) but in the end Parliament does. It is set out in law. The current law it is clearly the case."


But for the rest, it's dependent on Brexit negotiations. However it's not clear whether he meant people who had five years residence at the date of the referendum, five years when the exit process is triggered or five years when the final exit takes place.