UK, Ireland / Corned beef & Cabbage are typically Irish? [98]


I sincerely hope you don't. Regular beef cooked in Guinness is tasty enough but it won't work with corned beef.

News / Poland and Russia in military alliance - Is that even possible? At least temporary? [69]


That's true, not so much slang as dialect. Real die-hard working class Dubs say 'the pole-ess' with stress on the first syllable.

Poetess is definitely archaic, like doctoress. I like actress and can't see anything wrong with waiter and waitress. Those are the terms I would use. We certainly continue to say actress in Ireland.

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]

With politicians it can make them sound 'coached' or worse still, glib.

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]


Well, that's because you're a foreigner, not a native English speaker. When I listened to the clip, it was quite clear to me that he said 'forgotten'. He speaks very nicely in my opinion. Once again, he has a measured, thoughtful style. Obviously you have a preference for babblers.

Fluency is not about how quickly one talks but the content and range of what one says. I have a feeling that you coach your students to sound like entrants in the Miss America pageant. 'My name is something weirdly American like Briony and I'm a major in nuclear science at some university or other somewhere in California where having long, blonde hair is more important than SAT scores. I'm really passionate about saving the planet and when I'm not doing intellectual stuff -Go Einstein! - you'll find me hanging ten off a surfboard or visiting the gel nail salon.'

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]


I have never in my life had recourse to notes when speaking.

The bottom line is that Jon is right in everything he says and you're wrong.

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]


He disagrees because you're wrong. That's also why Maf and I disagree with you. As for 'the exam', as Jon says, which exam? Are you talking about Matura? Parroting rehearsed answers to familiar topics is not an assessment of language fluency.

You disagree because like many Polish people, a) you are a nit-picker who likes to argue for the sake of it b) you can't admit you're wrong about something c) you're too arrogant to take advice, doing yourself a great disservice in the process. Instead of welcoming the opportunity to learn and thereby be a better teacher, you have to prove that you're 'right'. You're not - and you never will be.

You're also behaving like one of your own students by deliberately trying to wind people up with your nonsense about Sikorski being less fluent than Tarczyński. Spring is here - where are those seed catalogues?

Work / English teacher thinking about starting his own business in Poland - any ideas [10]

Only if you have the right teachers to staff it - and good luck with finding them.


Maybe she has indeed been 'loving' for the last two years ;) as for specking, well perhaps that's a new concept that we haven't heard about yet and she can introduce it to Poland!

The only thing that concerns me is that she seems to be unclear if she's Martha or Arthur. Profile says female, post indicates male 'his' own business. Maybe they're non-binary. See, I know which pronoun to use! :))

Life / Any good Polish films to watch? [110]

It certainly sounds like a great work of fiction - do you remember a discussion on this forum years ago where a woman was horrified because the hospital wanted to stitch her child's eyelids shut overnight because the nurse wouldn't have time to administer eye drops?? The mother offered to stay with the child and do it herself but it was against regulations, not giving the drops I believe but the staying outside of official visiting hours!

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]


No he's very fluent. He sounds natural. Native English speakers punctuate their speech with ums and ahs all the time. It's a feature of our speech. He sounds measured and thoughtful. It's his communication style. I've also seen him being interviewed when he has to answer off the cuff and he's thoroughly proficient in the English language. I prefer his accent to Trzaskowski who is a bit Americanized for my taste.


He's not more fluent. He speaks faster, that's all.

They both have great English.

Law / I got a fine in the tram (Warsaw) (please help) [10]

It would be wiser to pay it. It's only about 45 quid sterling and better safe than sorry. It will be on the system as an outstanding fine for at least a year and up to six years (with interest, so the final amount to pay will be even higher). If you come back to Poland to live, work, volunteer you will still owe the money and the debt can even be given to a bailiff to recover.

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]

You still don't understand the difference between NI and the Republic. Barney lives in the North as you were informed many times in the past. It's part of the UK. Back to high school for you. Oh, hang on, you don't have a proper curriculum. Your world history and geography curriculum seems to consist of 'America is awesome, the rest of the worlds sucks!! Yeah!! Go Americans! We're Americans! Yeah!!'

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


Yes, that's a big difference.


Ha, ha! Love it :)

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


Ireland is not the USA, nor even the UK. We're neither simple-minded and naive (like so many Americans), nor disinterested like many Brits. Let's take that difference as an example.

Here's a query from Quora where a lot of your naive American brethern hang out:

Are Irish people more politically engaged than British people?

Answers:

Yes. An effect of the single transferable vote and the multiple seat constituency is that it ensures that all shades of opinion get listened to.

Yes. The Irish voting system is fairer and more democratic than the British system which means that the Irish are more invested. They know that their vote counts which is an incentive to think things through a little more thoroughly and work out how to make it count in the best way. Secondly, being a much smaller country it's more personal, more of the population actually know politicians or have been informed about them by family or friends.

I would say that we probably are, if only because of our electoral system, which is far more proportionate and fair, and the ongoing constitutional necessity to hold referenda. The use of the Citizen Assembly is a recent innovation which has broadened political participation. It also seems to produce more measured debate and better results.

Probably more engaged. DEFINITELY significantly more politically savvy, in the majority of cases anyway.

I'll stop there because I honestly don't think you have the attention span for more but I've done my good deed for the day in helping to keep your diminishing brain cells active.

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


They ARE the ruling mob, you big eejit. They were two Ministers of the government. When did you last meet a secretary of state in the USA?

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


Poor old Novi, all you got in the USA was 'leave a message'.

"Minister of State and Galway East, Anne Rabbitte, was delighted to host a productive public meeting "Working for Rural Ireland" with the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD on Tuesday May 23 in the Athenry Community Hall.

The meeting was a productive session in which various topics were discussed and concerns of farmers and their families in Galway were addressed by Minister McConalogue and Minister Rabbitte.

The presence of two Ministers was greatly appreciated by the public, who were eager to voice their opinions on issues around farming and other key concerns, such as housing."

Of course sometimes the government asks to meet us in case we're a bit 'unhappy' about something:

farmersjournal.ie/minister-asks-to-meet-farm-organisations-on-scheme-payments-and-nitrates-782460

Lovely Ireland :)

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


People like him really are a tiny minority.


Yes but they're pretty different to the Irish. And the less charming members of their fraternity have already been charged with various offences ranging from hit and run drunk driving resulting in the death of the victim, dangerous driving, assault, smuggling and all kinds of everything.

breakingnews.ie/ireland/ukrainian-woman-charged-with-dangerous-driving-causing-death-faces-additional-charges-1581495.html

thesun.ie/news/9981104/hit-run-cork-uncle-paudie-palmer-claudine-keane/ This local man later died of his injuries.

independent.ie/regionals/wexford/wexford-district/wexford-motorcyclist-remains-critical-as-man-appears-in-court-in-relation-to-second-crash/a1886429872.html

donegallive.ie/news/crime---court/960930/ukrainian-refugee-in-court-over-glenties-crossbow-incident.html

donegaldaily.com/2023/11/15/ukrainian-refugee-returned-to-dublin-after-alleged-west-donegal-assault/

independent.ie/regionals/kerry/news/courts/assault-charge-against-ukrainian-refugee-who-is-esteemed-surgeon-kerry-court-hears/a1967066579.html

sundayworld.com/crime/courts/ukrainian-refugees-appear-in-court-charged-with-operating-illegal-cigarette-business/a671452288.html


There are small towns in Ireland where literally half the population is now Ukrainian. That concerns me more to tell you the truth.

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


I have no idea. You could write to him and ask him. He's not especially 'pro-immigration'.

jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie‎


You mean refugees and asylum seekers I presume, as opposed to the issuing of employment permits for migrant workers? No, it seems to be a shambles and the government has already starting making lame attempts to tighten it up a bit. They'll have to. General election next year.

Don't worry too much though, they have the Ukrainians learning to play Ireland's Call on the fiddle and being forced to do Irish dancing in their droves. We'll make Gaels of them yet.

• 
  
  

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]


Well, that's not true. We have an opt-out. Ireland is not bound by EU law in the areas of immigration or asylum, but where the EU makes a legislative proposal in these areas, Ireland has three months to decide whether they wish to opt into discussions. If they do not opt-in, they are deemed to have opted-out, and discussions simply go ahead without them. Any legislation which is adopted then binds the other Member States - but not Ireland.

Law / A Complicated Child Support Question (Polish citizen / UK) [24]


That's not really a judgement, Paulina. That's a fact. Young people in the UK today remain 'children' a lot longer these days despite the surface maturity and sophistication, than the generations who left school at sixteen and started working. The OP may feel that if she doesn't have some kind of help from her parents, she can't do it. I know she can. It was an affirmation, not a judgement.

Anyway, moral and legal expectations are two different things. Kids have a moral right to expect that their parents will do what they can to help them, but in the UK there is no law that states parents have to fund their adult child's study. It's only because of the family support law in Poland that the question even arises. I wonder what she would do if she were a Brit?


OP has an interesting username. Wonder if she's read 'I'm OK, You're OK'.

Law / A Complicated Child Support Question (Polish citizen / UK) [24]


And you didn't get any. I'm a grown woman, giving you a piece of, shall we call it, motherly advice, which seems to be conspicuous by its absence in your life at present. Clearly money isn't the only thing your parents left you short of. Some training in basic manners wouldn't have gone amiss either.

It will serve you far better in life, if you learn to reject unwanted advice, given out of normal human concern for a young person in crisis, with more grace and courtesy than you demonstrate presently.

As Oscar Wilde so perspicaciously said, 'youth is wasted on the young'.

Law / A Complicated Child Support Question (Polish citizen / UK) [24]

Ok, here's my take on things. Quite apart from the financial need you're in, you may feel very hurt by the actions of both your biological parents. But you mustn't let that preoccupy you or consume you. You need to deal with life the way it is, not the way it might have been, should have been, should be. It is what it is. With respect, your dad sounds like a waste of time in terms of helping you out. He doesn't want to know.

Move on with your life. You have youth, health and intelligence. Years ago, when there were no grants or subsidies for third level education tens of thousands of young, working class people from families with no money to spare, put themselves through university, working full-time and going to college in the evenings or weekends. Your generation has grown up with more of a sense of entitlement and an expectation that parents will at least partially fund your education. But you can do it yourself. Like I said before, it takes longer, and it's not easy but it can be done. Be independent and in a few years you'll be proud of what you've achieved.

Your uni probably has some kind of counselling service for students. Find somebody to talk to about what you're going through and also look at any other support organisations in your area. The more people you talk to you the more likely you are to find help. It may not be financial help, but you need some emotional support too, as you feel a bit sidelined by your mother due to her second family and rejected by your dad. That's very tough for you to deal with.

There may be a way of changing your study path that will be easier emotionally and financially, so do consider that.

I really wish you the best of luck with everything.

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]


No, it is just a cultural difference. People have been heating plates in the British Isles since long before microwaves. You have to be careful with bone china, but stuff like delft could go into the oven, gas or electric, on a low heat and come to no harm. Our everyday dinner service was made from something similar to bone china but not quite as fragile. That could be heated in the oven, no problem. It was pretty old too. Was probably made in the 1930s. You just warm them gently, you don't put them in on a blazing heat.

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]

Be careful of your esophagus. I remember reading that, I think it was Turks, maybe Arabs in general, have a higher rate of cancer of the esophagus and there was a link to drinking very hot tea.

News / European News and Poland Thread 3 [1013]

Both Barney and I have answered your questions in the past on a variety of issues about which we know much more than you - which is presumably why you asked us. You never listen to us. So, although I will continue to express my opinions when I feel like it, I'm not wasting my time on you. Slán leat agus go raibh míle maith agat.

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]

Jon, do you remember when you were a kid, having to wait for the food to cool, it was so hot - and being told to take it from around the edge of plate??

Law / A Complicated Child Support Question (Polish citizen / UK) [24]


Is that a typo? Surely you don't have two kids at nineteen years of age.

As you're very young and only in the second year of your studies, would it be possible to change to a part-time degree? That would give you more time for studying and ease the financial burden perhaps? It would take a bit longer but you have time on your side. As for your advanced degree, you shouldn't go straight into a Masters anyway after your undergrad. Get some experience under your belt in your field and a bit of money saved up.


Yes. You have an entitlement to sue for support as an adult child if you are studying. However getting him to pay, if you get a judgement in your favour, is another matter. Could he afford it? Whatever he earns, divide it by six to get the sterling amount.

Food / Taste of food in Poland vs other countries [186]


We always did that when I was a child. As you say, the methods varied, usually in the oven in our house. Food served on unheated plates was considered as an example of lazy/shoddy housekeeping. If you visited somebody's house and the dinner was served on a cold plate there would be raised eyebrows.

Life / Polish authors, books & literature. [94]

In the words of Samuel Beckett:

"You must go on. I can't go on. I'll go on."

That's life in a nutshell.

Off-Topic / Apropos of Nothing [18]


I'm afraid that ship has sailed :) I've always been as blind as a bat. I have contact lenses of course but there's only so much science can do!

Well, I think it's ok for women to wear trousers - they can still look feminine but you shouldn't be siting on the tram trying to figure out whether the person opposite is male or female.