Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

I have declared my flat (and garden) to be an independent state.
In my country, everyone smiles big, cheeky, genuine smiles!

Life / Do Polish People steal a lot? [330]

In one year of having Polish temps in the company, the total list of things stolen by them looks a bit like this:

1 broken sharpening stone,
1 Tescos bag load of potting compost,
Innumerable brain cells (they supplied spme vocka for the summer barbeque).

There were probably about 20 different temps in total over that period.

Life / Do Polish People steal a lot? [330]


The debate is about as worthwhile as 'Why do people think 'a lot' is one word?'

Language / Polish or any Slavic language key to any other Slavic languages? [126]


What about English English and Scots English? They have at times been considered seperate languages. Until the two countries became one about 300 years ago, it was considered two seperate languages.

I get the impression there is far more diversity within English than in many of the Slavic languages, and that the differences between some of them is really quite small. The biggest difference between Croatian and Serbian seems to be the different alphabets they use.


What else would you call a pigeon?

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

The best beer is the one you're drinking.
I'm drinking Specjal. Out of a can.
I prefer bottles.

It says pelny on the can, but it doesn't look it to me.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

Why place vegetarianism and health in the same sentence without a negation particle in between?

Healthy food means a balance of foods. Humans have always eaten meat, and it is the best way for us to continue.
I eat fresh food, local food, tasty food, good food. There are plenty of vegetarians who eat sh1t.
Vegetables don't supply all the nutrients we need - most of the methods of bulking up these nutrients to natural levels require the consumption of unnatural products with bad flavour or no flavour.

Pills or bacon?
Hmmm! Not too tricky, that one!

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

So much of what we eat comes from animals.
Even dairy products result in the deaths of animals - how else do you make a cow produce enough milk?
This either leads to veganism, with which we would never appreciate any good food, or all wither away through lack of energy,
or omnivory where we eat a bit of this, a bit of that, and accept our place in the animal knigdom.
How many animals could we keep all over the countryside if there were no animals there for our nutrition?
Cows, sheep, pigs - they all have cute faces.
They also taste good.
Just don't talk about eating donkey.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]


Like beans?


So?

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]


True, but how do you produce sufficient to provide enough milk for the market?
There needs to be more calves than can be kept for milking.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

Humans are meat and vegetable eating animals. We evolved to hunt and gather.
Farming is an ancient practice and can substitute the natural hunter-gatherer diet well.
Fast-food and vegetarianism are as bad as eachother.
Neither give balance to the nutrition we require, the satisfaction of food or the tradition that makes every culture and every individual different.
Be a vegetarian, but don't make other people vegetarians - you deny their rights to be the human animals they are born as.

Food / How many Poles are vegetarians? [52]

Edit / addition: Why does something like this end up at the top of a page? -

I slept with a vegetarian a few times. Never agiain.
Must have been the beans!

She's the one who missed out on all my fantastic cooking.
Vegetarian recipes: I have only one - ratatouille.
But it's better with minced beef, chicken livers and bacon in it!

Genealogy / Polish Surnames Anglicized? [48]


Why did anyone pick such a dull colour?

Actually brown is the colour of all the best things:
wood, beer, chocolate, tobacco, meat, tea, coffee...

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [451]

What's creepier?
A naturally big hooter - the sort just made for detecting the different notes of fine wines and cheeses,
or a strangely, sinisterly small snifffer that looks like it couldn't spot a gas-leak?

My nose is medium-sized and therefore detects the aromas of quality cheeses, yet is also slightly sinister.

I've just realised how different a story my avatar tells!
Pass the wine!

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [451]

big nose - big handkerchief

Genealogy / Do Polish people have big noses? [451]

If your nose is too small, you'll have difficulty wearing glasses - an essential for making yourself look more intelligent than you really are.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

Poland is situated between Laalaaland and Tinkywinkyland.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

There are stupid questions, but it is often better to put the questioner at ease by not making them feel stupid.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

Wasn't it Mark Twain?

Someone beat me to it.
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.

Life / Poles are not racist [873]

There does seem to be more racism from Polish people. Maybe this is partly because of the lack of ethnic diversity in Poland and much distrust of their two biggest neighbours. I met some otherwise nice people in Poland, but their opinions about black people set them back some way in my opinion. They had never met any black people in their lives.

Life / Poles are not racist [873]


Not everyone is a saint. There are good and bad people of all colours, shapes, sizes and persuasions. Two wrongs don't make a right.

If an individual does wrong, you blame the individual, not everyone who has the same colour eyes or the same shoe size.

Life / Poles are not racist [873]


One of the very best. Whether it's good or bad, you'll probably find it in London.

USA, Canada / American people attitude towards Poles in the USA [98]

This discussion is about American attitudes to Polish people in the USA?
If we widened the debate to include Canada, might someone actually mention the Western side of the Atlantic for a change?

Or perhaps add a little more of a historical context.
How were Polish people seen in America before the end of Communism?
Did things change much?

USA, Canada / What do Polish people think of the USA [287]


I always thought that the young Elvis was quite a simple man with a talent.
He could sing in the style of the black singers he heard when he was growing up.
I didn't think he was taking the p!ss - he loved music.
Imitation as a form of flattery, or not?

Off-Topic / Are Polish Christians here? [134]

You have to sin in order to confess.
If you have nothing to confess,
you're obviously not trying.

- A non-Catholic

Life / Why are Poles always so miserable? Why do they never smile? [512]

Everyone smiles when they see a donkey because donkeys are cool.
That includes Polish people.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

I can't remember what it was called, and I only drank it this evening.
It claimed to be Polish, yet also had the words Sweden and USA on the bottle.
It was supposed to be a porter, which I normally assume to be somewhere between stout and ale,
but this stuff was like molten lead in a bottle.
I had to climb some stairs after drinking it, but the weight made this a real struggle!

I've found it - Witnica Black Boss Porter.
Evil stuff.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]


It made up for the fact I hadn't eaten enough dinner before going out.
It was just a bit of a shame that at the beer festival, there were about 70 beers from outside of the UK, but only two Polish beers.

The other was Witnica Wit Mocny. This one was also quite powerful.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]


I wasn't amazingly impressed, but I'd try it again.


Only one: High & Mighty Beer of the Gods.
I didn't try that one.
Most of the foreign beers were German, Belgian or Dutch.
I normally stick to the British ales at these events.

Off-Topic / Are Polish Christians here? [134]

There are very few Christians who adhere to what the Bible says.
If you were to follow everything, there would be no priests and church hierarchy.
There would be no shaving of beards or eating of shellfish and so on.
Some things would be better, some things would be worse.
Beards don't suit me and I like eating little sea creatures.
I do believe in love your neighbour, and that you shouldn't steal or kill.

Off-Topic / Are Polish Christians here? [134]

I'm not against the concept of church, even though it is not a part of the Bible.
Every religion needs some sort of organisation.
Churches at their best, do much for communities.
There are those whose beliefs are not strong, but being part of a congregation gives order to life and keeps people together.
But, on the other hand, it can be devisive.
I prefer to believe in what I believe in and leave being part of the community (at whatever level) to the secular world.