Language / Dziadzia / Babcia - help me with spelling/pronunciation [81]


oh, I should've have said that too, sorry for being rude, mypips33 :)

Life / Polish movies with English subtitles [87]

ranjit, I really don't know your taste, so I just tell you what you can/could buy in Poland (I'm guessing you're living here like your profile says).

From my collection, films that have Eng subs listed on their cover (I haven't checked each of them, but let's hope the are no mistakes):

- Sami Swoi, S.Chęciński, 1967 / (my vote 9.5 out of 10)/ hilarious comedy, set in the post war Poland, portraying conflicts of the "old" (peasant traditions) with the "new" (communist state), great performances by leading actors, a cult movie in Poland (also PL subtitles).

- Wszystko co najważniejsze, R. Gliński, 1992 / 7 out of 10 / drama, based on a biographical book, Polish family (husband communist, - mother of Jewish origin + son), separated and deported by Russians (WWII) to Kazachstan (mother and son), their struggles with everyday life, humiliations by both Russians guards and Polish co-prisoners (because they're atheist/communist, and also Jewish).

- Dekalog, K. Kieślowski, indeed 100 bucks (also here), but it's 10 episodes (each one is ~55 minutes and it's not a TV series, though made for TV) it's basically 10 (maybe 8, depending on taste) good or very good movies for the price of 10 bucks each. (the series is rather famous, so I won't go into details, the Polish release DVD cover mentions also PL and French subtitles).

- Pornografia, J.J. Kolski, 2003, based on a book by famous (yet not much translated into English) Polish writer, Witold Gombrowicz, can't say if it's good or not, because I don't fancy Kolski so I just bought the DVD a while ago (because of Gombrowicz), but haven't seen the movie yet :(

- Pół serio, 2000, Ciało, 2003, both by T. Konecki (the second one co-directed by his scriptwriter A. Saramonowicz), Pół serio gets 6 out of 10 from me, Ciało 6.5. Pół serio is para-biographical - about a 2 young film makers that want to make their first movie, so they show their script to a producer who, depending on his mood, is forcing them to re-write the script to make it a bloody action movie, or a Star Wars wannabe, or Bergmanesque, or modern Romeo and Juliett (with product placement going way overboard), it's actually a series of loose episodes (because all those attempts at different cinematographic styles are shown in a form of 5-10 minutes pieces), not very coherent, on purpose. Ciało is close to absurd, misadventures of a dead body transported by nuns from abroad, for the funeral in Poland, the deceased was their fellow nun who died in Hungary or Czech Rep., but because of robbery the body ends up in a wrong place and subsequently changes hands several times, because there's another body in a movie etc.

- Pręgi, M. Piekorz, 2004, my vote 8 or 6 (depending on the mood) out of 10. A drama, divided into 2 parts, first the main character is a child (I like this part of the movie more), in the second part he's a 25 y.o. or so man. It's about a difficult (and phisically painful) relations with his father and later him not being able to liberate himself from the childhood trauma, but also from the father's shadow (going into his footsteps too much).

- Nóż w wodzie, R. Polański, 1962, my vote 10/10. Polański's only movie made in Poland (except of course his shorts), a psychodrama for 3 (a married couple and a stranger) on a boat. The tensions between the the older, rich husband, his younger wife and the young hitchhiker. The problem is that the Polish release (by TVP / Best Film) has a VHS tape quality of the picture, so maybe check if there hasn't been a new release with restored picture. Criterion release probably lacks some crucial dialogues in the subtitles, if I'm not mistaken.

Wojna światów - następne stulecie, 1981
O-bi, O-ba - Koniec cywilizacji, 1984
Ga, Ga - Chwała bohaterom, 1985
all by P. Szulkin, a sci-fi trilogy, of course very low budget (it was made right before/after the martial law in Poland), not great, but not bad either, has its fans even abroad, the main focus is not on the technique but rather on philosophical, psychical and social aspects of an alien invasion or post nuclear life in a closed, decimated society.

- Edi P. Trzaskalski, 2002, drama, can't really say I liked it, but it's not bad for a modern Polish cinema (which suffered a huge collapse in the 90's),

- A. Wajda was already mentioned, so I just write what foreign subtitles are available on the Polish releases of his movies I got on DVD:

- Kanał, 1957 - eng / fra / ger / rus
- Popiół i diament, 1958 - eng / fra / ger / rus
- Wesele, 1972 - eng / fra / ger / rus / pol
- Ziemia obiecana, 1975 - eng / fra / ger / rus / spa / ita
- Panny z Wilka, 1979 - eng / fra / ger / rus / spa / ita

- Iluminacja, 1972 and Barwy ochronne, 1976, both by K. Zanussi, a specific director, his films are mostly all talk, but he lacks the wit of Woody Allen for example, and the dynamics of the character relations isn't satisfaying for me, still he covers some important topics (the choices we make in our lives), in the 70's he was one of the most prominent figures in the Polish "moral dilemmas cinema" (with K.Kieślowski, A.Wajda, A.Holland).

Iluminacja has the following subs - eng / esp / fra / ger / pol
Barwy ochronne - eng / esp / fra / ger

Just remember that the mentioned films are the ones I own so it doesn't exclude English subtitles in other movies, but here's a list of my DVDs without subtitles, to save you some time searching (I'm referring to recent years releases of course, mostly 2003-2007, currently you can buy Dvix movies on merlin.pl or other online shops, cheap, 10 bucks for a DVD with usually 3-4 films, it's said the quality is good, because it's some improved dvix format, but I don't have any of them, so I don't know if it's is really DVD quality and if they have subtitles):

Rozmowy kontrolowane
Miś (Polish cult classic, comedy)
(both by S. Bareja)
Przesłuchanie, R. Bugajski (great drama, 10/10 from me)
Nie ma mocnych, S.Chęciński (his sequel to Sami swoi, not so succesful, but not bad, the third part, Kochaj albo rzuć sucked)

Wodzirej, F. Falk
Pociąg
Matka Joanna od Aniołów
Faraon
Austeria
(all 4 by J. Kawalerowicz)
Życie wewnętrzne, M. Koterski
Dzień świra, M. Koterski
Dług, K. Krauze (I only have the VCD, so not sure about the DVD)
Mój Nikifor, K. Krauze
Pułkownik Kwiatkowski, K. Kutz
Kiler edit: I forgot I only have a cheap 4 złoty version, sold witha newspaper, so maybe the regular release does have subtitles
Seksmisja (another Polish cult classic, comedy, as good as Sami swoi or Miś)
(both, Kiler and Seksmisja, by J. Machulski)
Eroica. Symfonia bohaterska w dwóch częściach
Zeoowate szczęście
(both by A. Munk)
Rejs, M. Piwoski, also a cult comedy, but rather hermetic, too difficult for a foreigner, unless he knows something about Polish reality (in the seventies), but I would recommend S. Bareja's comedies first (those form the 70's and also TV series Alternatywy 4, as a kind of introduction to the absurds of the everyday life in the communist times. Unfortunatelly, I'm not sure if any Bareja's movies have subtitles.

Tato, M. Ślesicki
Matka Królów, J. Zaorski

Life / Polish movies with English subtitles [87]


I've always considered Polański a Polish director, but the original poster asked about "Polish movies"
it's the producers who aren't Polish (plus the language) that makes it a "foreign" movie for me :)

as much as Jerzy Skolimowski's "30 Door Key" (based on Gombrowicz's book Ferdydurke), but made in English (using the English translation of the book)

Polonia / Ever been to Sweden? [185]

I was to Sweden twice in the early 90's, but if I start posting my thoughts and impressions, it may come out too close to Michal's rants about Poland 20 years ago, so I just say I didn't like the country/people at all :(

News / Poland - Third World Country?? [300]

Avalon, you clearly lost your mind!
offending Poles and some Polish TV, while you don't know the rules of the UEFA Cup :)
THERE WAS NO PENALTY SHOOT OUT!
first leg result 1-1 (in Munich)
second leg 1-1 (in Getafe), hence the extra time, which ended with 3-3, and Bayern advances to the next stage thanks to away goals (they scored 3 in Spain, while Getafe only 1 in Germany)

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

For pronunciation problems use this: ivosoftware.com (try both male and female voice)

Real Estate / Substantial amount of agricultural land in Poland - what to do with it [23]

I don't know Pacyna (nor Podatkówek - spelling?), but Żychlin is almost exactly 100 km west of Warsaw (Kutno is about 120km) and it lies at the train line Moscow-Warsaw-Poznań-Berlin, also not far from the road Warsaw-Poznań (I can't call it motorway, because it's just one lane in each direction, but still it was the main road on that route for decades), but the new highway goes a different way, I think, more to the south (it goes close to £ódź and then back north-east in the Warsaw direction)

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]


probably "pierdol się, szmato"
"fuck you, slut/bitch"

Language / Polish Lessons Units [189]


it's pedał, but you're correct about the other ones, they come from the Latin (or Greek)

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [606]


It's not a crime, but rather a misdemeanor, so you don't get arrested for such things automatically.
Police can sue to a court, if they feel offended (just as anyone can sue you if you call him nasty things in public, maybe even in private, not sure), but it's hard to prove you meant something evil (you cannot technically f*ck the police, only a specific policeman/policewoman), so it goes with the constitutional law of freedom of speech (you simply expressed an opinion, those words had the meaning "I hate police, they are evil bastards and should suffer").

It's easier to get convicted for a jail (or rather a fine to pay) if you call someone "murderer", "thief", "traitor" etc., but then again it should be directed to a specific person, not an institution. So saying "police killed Bambi" is much safer than saying "Police officer, sergeant Smith killed Bambi", because in that case the Mr. Smith would feel offended and if you don't have a proof he did it (or at least that he might have killed the poor Bambi).

Special protection against verbal offence is reserved in Poland for the President of the Republic, but not the Police.

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


"Ashes and Diamonds" = Popiół i diament
"Man of Iron" = Człowiek z żelaza
"Kanal" = Kanał
"The Decologue" = Dekalog

Language / Idiomatic Polish [65]


I think you meant "jaki pan, taki kram" :)
but that's not colloquial speach, it's rather one of those sayings that are sometimes used (it's not a proverb, I think, but close to one).

some euphemisms for the verb "umrzeć" ("to die")
przekręcić się (to turn around, roll over)
kopnąć w kalendarz (to kick [in] the calendar)
wyjechać nogami do przodu (to leave with the legs forwards - in a hospital the nurses are usually superstitious, so when they transport you to the operation room, they almost always position the bed on wheels with your head in the direction of the movement, while transporting a body of a deceased the legs are in the direction of the movement)

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]

Silesia isn't, but Katowice (together with Gdańsk) are on the first two places, Warsaw is only third (in recent statistics, Warsaw was always 1st before), anyway the differences are very small (like 50-100 złotych/month), and I think the average was about 2,900 zł gross/month for those 3 cities, so I'm not sure how 2983,98 zł can be average for the whole Poland, but probably I got the numbers wrong - they said those numbers in a recent TV news program and I wasn't really paying much attention :)

Love / Polish Girl & an Arabic Guy - at first it was hard, but now it's great! [46]


believe that's what most of them do when they are abroad, I met several Muslim guys from Arabic country during my university studies, and they didn't have a problem with drinking alcohol, going to discotheques and other things. They may be shy at the beginning, they behave like they were taught at home, but when they realize most of their fellow Muslim students (who have been abroad for a longer time) are doing these forbidden things, they start to.

Food / Sauekraut and Peas served at Wigilia [15]

kapusta z grochem (or groch z kapustą - but in this order it has also a figurative meaning - a mess, mish-mash)
normally sauerkraut = kapusta kiszona/kwaszona, but for this dish you just use the word "kapusta" (cabbage) without adding "kiszona" (fermented)

Life / LPG fuel - car conversion cost and process in POLAND [19]


You may need some extra research before making this decission, because a few months ago there was a big fuss about a new tax on gas (LPG), which would put it's price too close to thepetrol prices.

Owners of garages doing conversions were complaining that they were losing clients very fast, because after some basic calculations the new prices made the conversion a bad deal, you wouldn't be able to earn much on the petrol/LPG price difference, so the costs of conversion would make the whole thing not worth it.

But I'm not sure if that new tax has been really introduced (or is going to be soon), or maybe not. Besides petrol prices are also increasing, so maybe it's still worth to use LPG even with the new tax?

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [606]

Mam nadzieję, że się będziecie smażyć w piekle.
(it means: "I hope you fry/burn in hell", that's what generally people think of hell, eternal flames, but if you explicitely want to use the word "to rot", then it would be "Mam nadzieję, że zgnijecie w piekle.")

Law / How to have Certificate of authenticity of Polish driving license [14]

You don't get certificates to passports, ID cards, driving licenses, they ARE a certificate.

Your questions are rather chaotic :)
So let me get things straight:
1/ You're a foreign citizen (with a Polish driving license)
2/ You are staying in Poland
3/ You have/want to exchange your license

Then you should go to the office that issued it (called Urząd Komunikacji - there's usually just one in most cities, but in big cities there are more, you need to go to the one in the right district).

Edit:
Nevermind, I just found your other thread: so I'm afraid you might have chosen some "semi"-legal ways to obtain your Polish driving license, then I can't help :(

Language / The Polish language - it's bloody hard! [210]

no :)
it's kurde (kurna too, but it's rare)

Language / WHICH AUNT IS THE WUJENKA IN POLISH? [9]

In modern Polish everyone is just "wuj/wujek", we hardly use those older terms like stryj, stryjenka, wujenka, at least not my generation, and I'm almost 40 :)

But you're wrong here. Sisters (both on your fahter's and your mother's side) were called "ciotka/ciocia", so in your case she wouldn't be stryjenka, but ciocia and her husband - wuj/wujek.

Stryj was only father's brother, stryjenka that brother's wife. I know it's sexist :)

Love / How to seduce Polish girls: Tips and advice [118]

edit, no joking on people's love affairs :)

Language / Polish slang phrases - most popular. [606]


I'm not an expert on "cool" kids talk, so I can't guarantee I'm correct about this, but I think it means "easily, taking something with ease, without stress" (in my youth times we were saying "na luzie")

(from English "light" as easy)

Language / Listening to music and learning Polish [45]


sample 01 is probably Justyna Steczkowska (I don't know the song, but I looked for the lyrics and it's a 19th century poem by Cyprian Kamil Norwid, and from google it seems that Justyna Steczkowska made a song of it). Here's the poem:

"W Weronie" ("In Verona", Romeo and Juliette theme)
1
Nad Kapuletich i Montekich domem, Spłukane deszczem, poruszone gromem, £agodne oko błękitu -
2
Patrzy na gruzy nieprzyjaznych grodów, Na rozwalone bramy do ogrodów, I gwiazdę zrzuca ze szczytu -
3
Cyprysy mówią, że to dla Julietty, Że dla Romea, ta łza znad planety Spada - i groby przecieka;
4
A ludzie mówią, i mówią uczenie, Że to nie łzy są, ale że kamienie, I - że nikt na nie nie czeka!

Edit:
If you want the English translation of the poem, you can find a video with the same song performed by Wanda Warska, she sings in Polish, but there are English subtitles:

W Weronie - Wanda Warska
youtube.com/watch?v=wsuRbAKgtF4

Sample 02 is Zakopower:
"Poziom adrenaliny" ("Adrenaline Level", about Tatra mountains
W Zakopanem, w Kościelisku, Dzianinie
widzi mi się, widzi mi się
W Chochołowie, w Bukowinie, na Klinie
i tak, i nie; i tak, i nie

Syćkie te dziedziny dźwignom ci poziom adrenaliny
Syćkie te dziedziny dźwignom ci znacnie poziom adrenaliny

Skrajny Granat, Kazalnica, Świnica
tu świstocek, hań kozica
Wierch Kasprowy, Pośredni Goryczkowy
wybijom ci śporty z głowy

Tynkowe Kominy dźwignom ci poziom adrenaliny
Tynkowe Kominy dźwignom ci znacnie poziom adrenaliny
Tynkowe Kominy dźwignom ci poziom adrenaliny
Tynkowe Kominy dźwignom ci znacnie poziom adrenaliny

Food / What exactly is Polish Bread? [67]


no such thing as average Polish bread anymore, too much variety (many bakers use those nasty "Western" raising agents too). Check the ingredients yeast = drożdże. If you buy unpacked bread (no label then), ask "Czy w tym chlebie są drożdże?" (use ivosoftware.com to learn the pronounciation of this sentence).

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


Here are some older threads, from this forum, with recommendations:

https://polishforums.com/archives/2005-2009/life/see-movies-18357/

https://polishforums.com/life/movies-english-subtitles-21467/

If you browse the Polish Culture section, maybe you'll find more threads.

Law / Obtaining PESEL, ID Card and Passport in Poland [39]


PESEL is a 11-digit number, where the first six digits mean your date of birth (in the order YY-MM-DD), so if you're born in 1981, May 17, your PESEL would be 810517xxxxx

Travel / Mobile Internet in Poland (traveling for a couple of months) [17]

are you sure it's OK just for 1-2 months?

I found other offer from Plus:
...

Life / Polish films... where to find them? [51]

That's new to me. I download some volleyball matches from rapidshare, and it's really nothing like you say :)
You choose a link with file, then the option "free download" (no need for a Premium User paid account) and wait about 90 seconds, put in a code (4 characters - letters and digits), if you're lucky and they're having happy Hour you don't even have to wait those 90 seconds.

After the file is downloaded, you need to change your IP address, for me it's quite easy, I re-start the router and I can download the next file. Only sometimes the new IP is too close to the previous, so you have to repeat the process.

Food / Confusion over flour names in Poland [46]

An older (and very short) thread about flour types in Poland: https://polishforums.com/archives/2005-2009/food/maka-flour-help-krupczatka-14348/

Food / Your all time favourite Polish Dishes! [108]

Voted for Placki Ziemniaczane, but Barszcz and Pierogi (all of the vegetarians types) come close, too bad you can choose only one option in the poll :(