Politics? Oh no! Posted by Anna on Mar 3, 2010
Today we have another guest post from Adam. And brace yourselves, it’s about polityka – politics. Before I started writing for Polish Blog, Anna instructed me to never ever mention politics in my posts. I understand how this topic might be problematic and even uncomfortable. People have different views, and we wouldn’t want to discourage…
Documentary Film About Wisława Szymborska Posted by Anna on Mar 1, 2010
Have you heard about his new documentary about Wisława Szymborska? I haven’t had a chance to watch it, so I can’t give you a proper review, but from what I’m hearing and reading about it, it certainly sounds very interesting. It’s titled – “Sometimes Life is Bearable”, directed by Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska. Now, I’ll be the…
Two Ears and Two Eyes Posted by Anna on Feb 25, 2010
I was writing something yesterday, in Polish, as it happens, and I almost had a nervous breakdown. Why? Plural forms of “number + noun” combinations are enough to drive anyone insane, even a native Pole. And it all looked so simple! I was talking about body parts, more specifically, those body parts that come in…
Being Cool (episode 2) Posted by Anna on Feb 22, 2010
Today Adam continues his very fascinating story of the emergence of “cool” in Poland in the 00s. Today we will follow up on being cool and the language of youth in the noughties. It was apparent from episode one, that fashions in this country do change quite rapidly. A new word could suddenly become hot…
Surviving the First Hello Posted by Anna on Feb 20, 2010
Another totally awesome post by our resident guest blogger – Adam. We will get back to being cool in Poland in my next post. This time, inspired by the adventures of some newbies to Poland, I would like to tackle the issue of being polite. The rules on how you behave vary from country to…
Środa Popielcowa – Ash Wednesday Posted by Anna on Feb 17, 2010
So…. Karnawał (carnival) is over! No more parties, no more dancing, no more drinking until you fall down under the table. It’s all about somber (and sober) penance now. Yes, today was Środa Popielcowa (Ash Wednesday), and in a country as Catholic as Poland that is indeed an important observance. The beginning of Wielki Post…
Sympathy for “Sympatia” Posted by Anna on Feb 15, 2010
Valentine’s Day (walentynki) came and went and I hope it was a pleasant occasion for you with czekoladki (chocolates), kwiatki (flowers) and romantyczna kolacyjka (romantic dinner). (Yes, all of the above are diminutive nouns, but that’s how we would say it). What this Valentine’s Day made me realize was how confusing the word “sympatia” is…