Life / Why so many Poles use a second hands clothes? [113]


Notice that they use only the French part of her name ;)

Life / Why so many Poles use a second hands clothes? [113]


Why didn't you come up with that answer yourself?
After all this is true in ALL countries.

Some of the most popular stores here in Canada are "dollar stores" (everything for $1.00 or not much more), salvation army and they have this "Value Village" where some people drop used items and others buy them for peanuts.

With economy being in shambles and people loosing jobs left and right, the used "whatever" stores will be even more popular. I'm not even writing about places where people go to get free used clothing and free food. On a regular basis I hear on the radio appeals for those who can to donate more, as increasingly more people are in dire need of basics. And that is in a G7 country.

Anyway, for those disgusted with Polish used clothes stores, [timeout.com/london/shopping/features/4475/London-s_top_20_thrift_stores.html] here are some for the "classy" Brits.

Food / Poland Spirytus recipes [39]

Were you really thinking that in my recipe you dispose of the alcohol and keep the walnuts?
c'mon, don't give them reasons for another Polish joke.

Life / Why so many Poles use a second hands clothes? [113]


Why aren't you ashamed to lie like that?

Food / Poland Spirytus recipes [39]



blasphemy!!!!

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]



hmm... interesting.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


No question about it. But I wasn't writing what should be but rather what often happens. I was not trained as an interpreter, so perhaps I am unaware of the catches the professionals may have.

Strangely though, I find it easier to translate from my native Polish to English, which is my second language, but I feel that, without prior preparation, some texts would simply be not interpreted properly from one language to another.

Love / Do Polish Women age well? [153]


A very thoughtful answer. And it hits the nail on the head.

Indeed, when a woman had to spend half of her time after work lining up in stores, cooked for the family, took care of the laundry, kids' homework and a mountain of other things then, even is she was able to eventually buy some decent cosmetics, she had only so much time to take care of herself.

I often think that Polish women were the true heroes (heroines might sound too ambiguous) of this country.

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]


In my experience that was the approach in Poland, but some profs did have lists of suggested topics. That would be also true in the US and Canada. Those topics coincided with the particular areas of professors' expertise and research. Some students do not care for anything but the paper so they would pick a suggested topic. Sometimes a suggested topic was exactly what some of the students would have proposed anyway.

In rare cases there was no escaping prof's suggestions. Such profs treated students' work pretty much for their own personal academic research.

I studied in two of Poand's universities and each time I proposed the topic of my thesis. Even that in itself was not just a simple proposal and acceptance. After the topic has been proposed, depending on how close it was to the professor's area of interest, it took a while to research the viability of the thesis.

In conclusion, if the Polish student who presented the situation as that of students relying exclusively professors in the selection of their topics did not tell you the whole truth.

Food / Poland Spirytus recipes [39]

not sure what you;re asking

Food / Poland Spirytus recipes [39]

At this time I decided I have already drunk almost all the booze I was supposed to have drunk. Good too keep the mind clear and put it into other things.

Food / Poland Spirytus recipes [39]

Yeah, perhaps by women.
Spiritus is best drunk straight followed by some more spiritus.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]

Translation to a given language is bound to round things up or down and it is perfectly OK to use equivalent idioms/expressions even if they do not carry the same literal meaning. Sometimes this is easy as in:

Tu jest pies pogrzebany - Dort ist (liegt) der Hund begraben

but in Englsih we'd say

Hit the nail on the head.

In most cases any of the 3 examples below would be interchangeable but they would not be literally equivalent. Moreover, in some cases, such as the study of semantics, language jokes, puns etc the difference between English and Polish/German could pretty much spoil all the fun.

Genealogy / Lubuskie Region / Rąpice Cemetery [19]

While there may be some individual difference, Poles who were forced to settle in the said territories lost their properties in the East (now Ukraine, Belorussian Republic etc). In other words, they did not get anything for free.

Some Poles moved to the areas willingly, but the initial settlements were generally forced. The intensity of the communist driven policy Poles diminished with time, but people are known to have been resettled even in late 1960's

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]


There is no rule. Ultimately it is up to the student, but sometimes the students will work under the supervision of professors known for their specific fields of study. In such cases it's a matter of interpretation. Did the prof make the student select the topic?

If I am interested in writing a PhD on the side effects of ventolin on long term users then I certainly won't ask a prof specializing in Russian poetry to see me through the process. If I do, then I may have to write about Russian poets on ventolin.

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]


Honestly, I would not expect an engineer with a master's degree to operate a lathe for a living, unless he or she designs lathes. As for the blue print interpretations, rest assured there will be no issues at all. In fact there will be no issues with creating them either.

The practical part will still apply. A lot of professionals operate under various forms of authorizations of some guilds and it takes some time to get the experience and such.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Try to use Polish dictionaries instead of Polish-SomeOtherLanguage. That way you'll know the true meaning of words the way Poles perceive them. A caveat is that this method may diminish translation skills.

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]



What's even ore awkward is that academic degrees are sometimes skipped altogether while professional certifications are used instead.
For instance:
P.Eng. or MCSE (but no B.Sc.).
In the former case B.Sc. is implied but in the latter it isn't.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Lyzko, you are in a position to demand a refund from the publisher.

This is from Slownik Jezyka Polskiego PWN:

- rozpisać - rozpisywać

1. «zapisać jakiś tekst ponownie, zwykle nadając mu inną formę graficzną»
2. «zapisując, przydzielić coś komuś»
3. «podać do ogólnej wiadomości»
4. «przepisać wybrane fragmenty tekstu, z których każdy przeznaczony jest dla innej osoby lub grupy osób»

translation:
1. to record (write) some text again, usually in a different graphical form
2. to assign something to someone in writing
3. to announce (to general public)
4. to copy selected fragments if a text, each of which is meant for a different person or group of persons.

As you see, nothing about fingers.

The word also takes a reflexive form and this is what the same dictionary has to say about that:

- rozpisaćsię - rozpisywać się

1. «napisać obszernie, szczegółowo»
2. «nabrać wprawy w pisaniu»

translation:

1. to write voluminously, in detail (<-- this is what you should have used in the original a few posts before, but still noting about fingers)

2. to gain practice/proficiency in writing

Just when you though Polish wasn't so difficult, huh? ;)

Study / "MAGISTER" OR "MASTERS DEGREE" - ARE THEY THE SAME? [75]


There is no simple answer to your question as various factors decide about the so called "usability" of academic degrees. I don't have any direct personal experience in the UK job market or academia, but a few of my friennds were successful in both - a "magister" who got a cushy job with the Home Office, or another one who was accepted to a PhD prgram at Oxford. Generally academic circles (as opposed to the industry) are more open minded and do not assume anything negative before they ask and confirm their possible doubts.

I have some solid personal experience in the US (Ivy League) and Canada. Here are a few ad hoc cases I am closely familiar with:

- A Polish "magister" accepted to a PhD program in American Lit at Vanderbilt.
- A Polish "magister" accepted to a PhD program in English Lit At Fordham.
- A couple of Polish "magisters" offered positions of Associate Profs at various Canadian Universities, including Waterloo math department (one of the best in North America.

- A Polish "magister" offered a job with Agriculture Canada (ministry of agriculture) in a senior capacity.
- Three Polish doctors practicing locally where I live (Canada)

But also...

- A Polish "magister" trying to get into a college (below university level) was required to complete grade 12 of Canadian High School.
- Natives Poles with medical degrees had to go through many years of study, test and trial before finally getting their papers in the US, although when I still lived in Poland I met two Americans who studied medicine there. Both are practicing in California with great success and without even a fraction of the hassle experienced by Poles with the same qualifications.

Bottom line - your mileage may vary and will depend on those who decide whether your children get hired or not, on your children's qualification (mediocrity works only in countries where it has been attained), and as with anything, a lot will depend of sheer luck.

As for the extramural studies and 50 hours of study... what??? 50 hours is nothing. Perhaps in a secondary school.

But then, there are two different levels of study. One is for those who indeed get to the bottom of things, so to speak, and are really consumed by the subjects of their interest. And there are studies for those who have already achieved a degree pf professional success and now they merely formalize most of what they already know in practice and work towards getting credentials. I met a a guy just like that here in Canada. 20 years of experience in the field (electronics) so his studies was pretty much a walk in the park. He completed a 4 year curriculum in 18 months.

There are also no rules about the duration of graduate degree studies. A lot depends on the subject of the thesis. If one studies (as an example) social trends of some sort then good luck seeing them trends in any meaningful way in one year. If someone has a mountain of material to go through for the purpose of a thesis then even 200 hours a week won't help. It is possible to get Master's in a year and without research of any kind, but that often is rather learning than studying. Kinda, sorta a high school with thicker text books to be read by the sudents.

Extramural studies are pretty much the name of the game in most developed countries these days, as life and realities changed in the last few decades. Those already employed supplement their education with various course in community colleges and guess what! In terms of career goals this often counts more than a PhD who graduated 20 years ago and didn't take any course since. Education is not a one time deal anymore. The world is moving on and very fast.

I don't know much detail about your children so it's hard to tell how much time they have before decisions are made. If they are in their infant years then such detailed plans may be a little premature. In, say, 15 or 20 years things may change quite drastically and the question might (just might) be whether Poland recognizes Isalmic education dominant in UK universities ;-)

History / 'Battle of Britain' won thanks to Polish aces !! [158]


13 Group covered the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and was commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Richard Saul.

603 was a part of 13 Group and indeed, it was later moved south.

History / 'Battle of Britain' won thanks to Polish aces !! [158]


These are not the numbers claimed by the squadron members but confirmed by a British historian, and they are about 1/3 of the claimed ones. So no, there is no, I did not fall for any exaggerated claims.

The superior skills of 303 pilots were later confirmed without a shadow of the doubt. On 11 April 1942, when an aerial gunnery contest was staged within No. 11 Group RAF, the three competing Polish squadrons—303, 316 and 315—took the first three places out of all 22 air squadrons, 303 Squadron coming first by a very healthy margin (808 hits, while 316 Squadron scored 432 hits, and the best British squadron 150 hits.

Now, one might want to stop and pause here and think how the arrogance of the British stopped Poles from participating sooner in the Battle of Britain.

UK, Ireland / The best way for a Polish person to learn English? [46]

A formal course with recordings. To speed things up and to minimize any guesswork you need to learn the rules of the language. You're likely to figure them out without manuals eventually, but manuals make the process faster. Living in and English speaking country will allow you to get instant feedback and verification of what you learn.

Songs are a great suggestion. Learn the lyrics, sing along.
Above all speak aloud as much as you can and ask your English friends to correct your vocabulary and pronunciation.

Don't be afraid to experiment with your tongue, and I don't mean muff diving or sticking it out at people. One of the initial obstacles in learnign a foreign language is the articulation of sounds, some of which you will find to be somewhere between unnatural and ridiculous (for instance the spit inducing "th")

History / 'Battle of Britain' won thanks to Polish aces !! [158]

Since you like statistics and interpolations (per capita and similar) let's do just that:

This is the list of the 4 top scoring squadrons during the Battle of Britain. The numbers are ONLY absolutely confirmed kills. 303 was allowed to join the Battle very late into it.

Squadron - Kills (days in combat) - Kills Per Day
603 - 57 (59 days of combat) - 0.97 kills per day
609 - 48 (59 days of combat) - 0.81 kills per day
41 - 45 (59 days of combat) - 0.76 kills per day
303 - 44 (17 days of combat) - 2.59 kills per day

But of corse we have those two non-Polish pilots among the best within The 303 Squadron. 'sokay. We'll deal with that accordingly and throw in some extra benefit for them. So lets subtract non Polish scores and then let's get insanely wild and assume that kills by all 4 non-Polish pilots within 303 were 50% of all confirmed kills by 303.

That leaves us with 22 kills in 17 days by Poles i.e. 1.29 kills per day. Ergo, Polish pilots of 303 Fighter Squadron were the most effective pilots during the Battle of Britain.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]



You certainly don't appear to be a dedicated foreigner trying to learn Polish.
As Strzyga says, the use of "rozpisywalem" in this sentence does not make much sense.

See, in English you can speak poorly and still be understood. Not all of us aspire to recite Shakespeare's sonnets appropriate for a given occasion. Likewise, few tourists to England, or elsewhere, will find Beowulf in OE of much use in a fast food joint, or anywhere else for that matter.

A learner of Polish has a far steeper hill to climb before becoming comprehensible. Comprehending others is even a steeper hill. English in its grammar and structure is fairly simplistic. Polish is complex. Neither is better or worse. One is easy, the other is not.

It is possible to get by in English knowing about 1000 words plus a tense or two. Learn 1000 Polish base words, a tense or two and see how far you'll get.

History / 1612 new russian epic movie. Polish troops in Moscow. [25]

Have you seen the movie?
It actually has unicorns :)

"1612" was commissioned by the Kremlin, and co-produced (and partly funded) by Viktor Vekselberg, a Putin-friendly oligarch with a fondness for symbols of national pride.

Released on November 4th, the National Day of Unity, the film shares its title with the holiday's origin: the 1612 victory of a unified Russian army against Polish invaders. The similarities stop there, however, and critics of the Kremlin have said that the film resembles Soviet propaganda.

theotherrussia.org/2007/11/05/in-%E2%80%9C1612%E2%80%9D-unicorns-meet-tsars

After centuries of being screwed by Asian tribes left, right and from behind the Russian decided that a slaughter of a few drunk Poles was the defining point of their history.

For those looking into good movies on Russian history I recommend Andrei Rublev by Andrei Tarkovsky. One of the greatest movies but it's not an easy watch so it is not be suitable for those brought up on the usual Hollywood car chasers.

History / remember, forget, forgive, blame ... Holocaust Memorial Day in Poland [231]


I'm not sure how to break this to you but smart engineers achieve things. Nazi engineers destroyed what others created and eventually left Germany smaller then she was before WW2? Some engineers, huh?

History / remember, forget, forgive, blame ... Holocaust Memorial Day in Poland [231]


Meet the co-founder and the first president of the Federation of Expellees.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Kr%C3%BCger

History / remember, forget, forgive, blame ... Holocaust Memorial Day in Poland [231]


I agree.
Your problem is that it is illegal for you to have an honest debate about all the facts and scope of the holocaust. You could face prosecution in Germany for even trying to get to the bottom of facts.

We don't know how many people were direct victims of the holocaist. Was it 10 million? 30?
All we know is that the ww2 holocaust included Romani, Jews, ethnic Poles, Soviet civilians and prisoners of war, people with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses etc.

Language / 'ucha' [23]


Frankly, I have not idea about the usage stats, but you are right. The -ucha ending tends to point to something rather derogatory (dziewczyna - dziewucha) but, like with real estate, it's all about location, location, location i.e. context:

For instance:

Derogatory:

(if I don't like parsley, looking into a bowl of soup): Znowu pietrucha!/Damn it, parsley again!

Not derogatory
(shopping on the produce department) Ale pietrucha!/What a big parsley (root)!

Not derogatory among friends:
Zadzwonie do Darucha (I'll call Darek) could indicate a degree of intimacy/friendliness.


oopsie, you're right


Not sure it works like that.
Sometimes you do want to offend. Sometimes you want to use a certain style and not offend. I guess this particular topic is pretty hectic and somewhat peripheral (as in not so critical) and not all nouns would lend themselves to its application. The usage of -ucha may as well be one of the best tests of the speaker's fluency in Polish :)