What's the stupidest question asked about Poland?

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Feb 13, 09, 04:58 #241

Well, get this,
I'm not even Polish (my name is...I am an American) but my little sister who is a scientist tells me all the time about other scientists asking her "how was it growing up under the boot of the communists" or commenting as if she'd endured this....
We grew up in the US.
Likewise, during my first deployment to this wonderful country (I'm in Iraq) we worked quite a bit with Poland's GROM special operations types. One of our officers (to use the slang here) "threw me under the bus" and sent me to mingle, thinking I spoke the language. Awkward to say the least....he assumed, I guess, because of the name.

My grandfather grew up in Poland....but I didn't even know what a Pierogi was until I was 23...and my girlfriend who was part Polish had family making these things.
I was even afraid of what horrors might be inside them... so now I try to learn more and more. Grandfather took many secrets to his grave.

Well since that's not QUITE on topic, I'll step aside now.

John P.

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Feb 13, 09, 05:49 #242

California, we're talking about the discoteques.
A girl, totally surprised asked 'do you have discos in Poland'
To my remark 'Yes, and the richest ones even have an electricity' she responded 'wow, cool!'

Many fell for the story that peeps in Poland live in caves and ride camels, for there are no cars, hence no roads. I was actually going for months making up ridiculously stupid visions of Poland and a few of the peeps who were listening to it, totally fell for it.

Wahldo	Feb 13, 09, 05:56 #243
Easy_Terran: California Uh huh.. there ya' go. It's a great state but opening a book is about as foreign as a snowy day to them.

BLSThreads: 75 Posts: 166 Joined: Feb 14, 08 ♂	Feb 13, 09, 14:32 #244
My mother asked me if Poland had television...

SokratesThreads: 19 Posts: 4,464 Joined: Jan 19, 09 ♂ [Suspended]	Feb 13, 09, 15:06 #245
My mother asked me if Poland is an island ...

SashaThreads: 2 Posts: 1,558 Joined: Apr 19, 08 ♂	Feb 13, 09, 17:38 #246
Sokrates: My mother asked me if Poland is an island ... And she is from?.. :) I once was asked how far was the city of Poland from Moscow (by american)?

SokratesThreads: 19 Posts: 4,464 Joined: Jan 19, 09 ♂ [Suspended]	Feb 13, 09, 21:35 #247
Sasha: And she is from?.. :) Oh i shot her after that one and bought myself a new one. Sasha: (by american)? I will never be offended by whatever Americans come up with, they can be so unbelievably stupid its hilarius.

wildroverThreads: 180 Posts: 8,143 Joined: Jun 7, 07 ♂	Feb 14, 09, 00:21 #248
BLS: mother asked me if Poland had television I live in Poland....i don,t have one , well not on that works....

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Feb 14, 09, 00:47 #249

Sokrates:

I will never be offended by whatever Americans come up with, they can be so unbelievably stupid its hilarius.

I'm sure the favor could be returned to your own countrymen...although in fairness some areas of the US are so convinced they are superior to or more enlightened than everyone else on the planet (sorry LA and New York, love you guys...) that it shocks them that everyone else doesn't live in a hovel...even in their own country. Hollywood doesn't help. I grew up in NC...and spent years trying to convince people I did not live in a tar paper shack or want to marry my sister. and I'm an American. My mom was a schoolteacher and one of her friends' sons was a nuclear engineer on a submarine...and he ran into the same thing.
People who judge based on nationality or where you live are stupid period, not just the ones from America who do it.

John P.

De PEREIRAThreads: - Posts: 13 Joined: Feb 16, 09 ♂	Feb 17, 09, 21:53 #250
Are Polish men Alcoholics and women promiscuous !!!!!!!!!!!ir

PennBoyThreads: 148 Posts: 3,271 Joined: Dec 7, 08 ♂	Feb 23, 09, 09:46 #251
i was asked if Poland got stop signs, and also do cops in Poland have guns.

RandalThreads: 1 Posts: 758 Joined: Feb 14, 09 ♂	Edited by: Randal Feb 23, 09, 17:21 #252
PennBoy: do cops in Poland have guns Not such a silly question considering how the gun-fearing Libs have disarmed police in England. That's it, have a problem with criminals having illegal guns? Disarm the law-abiding and law enforcers... Liberalism's "solutions" are always exactly backwards.

zolllaThreads: 1 Posts: 13 Joined: Sep 7, 08 ♂	Feb 24, 09, 00:29 #253
in Tunisia u ask what u know from poland ? Answear : polsat,polish vodka,henri kasperczak

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Feb 24, 09, 01:19 #254

JohnP:

Grandfather took many secrets to his grave.

I have heard of this before, that some older generation ethnic immigrants intentionally did this so their children would assimilate rather than cling to their old culture.
Nowadays it seems it is trendy to sh!t all over the culture of where they arrive and demand special accommodation. I’m not saying the Polish are like this by many others are.

joepilsudskiThreads: 44 Posts: 2,521 Joined: Apr 27, 07 ♂	Edited by: joepilsudski Mar 4, 09, 09:19 #255
1...Does Poland have electricity? 2...Are there any restaurants? 3...Does Poland have telephones? 4...Is there 'Starbucks' in Warsaw? 5...Can you tell me how many prisons are in Poland, please write mi some...(from an actual PF poster)

TrevekThreads: 30 Posts: 2,088 Joined: May 21, 08 ♂	Edited by: Trevek Mar 4, 09, 09:49 #256
In Birmingham (England, not Alabama) I was once asked, "Poland, that's near Greenland, innit?" Also, when preparing to come to my wedding in Poland my brother-in-law asked, "Do they have beer in Poland? Cos I've only heard of vodka and I don't drink it".

RandalThreads: 1 Posts: 758 Joined: Feb 14, 09 ♂	Mar 4, 09, 17:02 #257
Did Poles invent pole vaulting? And is it their national sport?

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Mar 15, 09, 15:52 #258

Usually people ask where it is, or is it in Europe. One guy was trying to convince my sister that Poland is not in Europe cause we don't have euro and that Poland was once part of Yugoslavia O_O
Sometimes people ask if they can come to Poland by car because they think that we don't have roads.. When I was in Asia, one guy when he heard I'm from Poland said that we must have a lot of polar bears..I thought he was joking ;)
Many times when I say I'm from Poland, people say "Aaa, Holland", so now I know I shoul spell it very clearly like 'Poouland" ;)

Mr GrunwaldThreads: 34 Posts: 2,354 Joined: Dec 16, 08 ♂	Mar 16, 09, 10:12 #259
alicia: One guy was trying to convince my sister that Poland is not in Europe cause we don't have euro and that Poland was once part of Yugoslavia :O No idea what to say...

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Mar 16, 09, 17:59 #260

Iza87:

I'm still wondering why some countries don't pay enough attention to geography lessons..

Americans have very poor geography lessons. They don't know much about Europe. That's why such questions appear. Honestly for me, I'd be very embarrassed to ask somone about this: about electricity, phones, communications, home stuff, noses, etc and what appeared here in this thread.
Polish education is on very good level and we need to learn about whole world what is our advantage. And if someone asks about such silly and dumb questions about Poland is simply idiot for me who lives in backwardness and obscurantism. Before asking let's they learn some basic things about geography. Just horror!

RandalThreads: 1 Posts: 758 Joined: Feb 14, 09 ♂	Mar 16, 09, 18:06 #261
Pomorzanka: And if someone asks about such silly and dumb questions about Poland is simply idiot for me who lives in backwardness and obscurantism. Before asking let's they learn some basic things about geography. Or maybe you should just gently correct them. How would you feel as a visiting Pole if Americans treated you this way over minor ignorance?

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Mar 16, 09, 18:11 #262

Pomorzanka:

And if someone asks about such silly and dumb questions about Poland is simply idiot for me who lives in backwardness and obscurantism. Before asking let's they learn some basic things about geography. Just horror!

You seem a bit hot under the collar about it....I suppose all of us are asked "silly and dumb" questions about our countries from tme to time. Certainly I have been about UK. Well at least people are asking questions. no need to judge so harshly.

RandalThreads: 1 Posts: 758 Joined: Feb 14, 09 ♂	Edited by: Randal Mar 16, 09, 18:13 #263
niejestemcapita: I suppose all of us are asked "silly and dumb" questions about our countries from tme to time. Certainly I have been about UK. Well at least people are asking questions. no need to judge so harshly. This is all I meant.

niejestemcapitaThreads: 3 Posts: 666 Joined: Jan 3, 09 ♀	Mar 16, 09, 18:14 #264
Randal: Huh? Nope. not u randal, Pomoronczanka

RandalThreads: 1 Posts: 758 Joined: Feb 14, 09 ♂	Mar 16, 09, 18:15 #265
niejestemcapita: not u randal Yeah, I edited when I realized... :)

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Edited by: Pomorzanka Mar 16, 09, 20:51 #266

It's my opinion and I have right to say smth like that. I'm sick of such question "Do you have tv?", "Can you read?", "Moscow is a capitol of Poland?", "Do you have hot water?", "Can you this, that and bla bla bla".. come on!! it's not middle ages. And I think that everyone asked with such questions will behive like me. A bit of knowledge will not harm anyone. A little bit! It's too much? Seems that yes. And I as Polish woman I am offended.

niejestemcapita:

Well at least people are asking questions. no need to judge so harshly.

I can't be kind if I see something like that. How you would feel if these all questions would be about your country?

niejestemcapitaThreads: 3 Posts: 666 Joined: Jan 3, 09 ♀	Edited by: niejestemcapita Mar 16, 09, 20:54 #267
Pomorzanka: I'm sick of such question "Do you have tv?", "Can you read?", "Moscow is a capitol of Poland?", "Do you have hot water?", "Can you this, that and bla bla bla".. come on!! it's not middle ages. And I think that everyone asked with such questions will behive like me hmmm yes could be annoying I see.........well I suppose u just have to laugh at such stupidity, if u can.

Olek SThreads: - Posts: 25 Joined: Mar 10, 09 ♂	Mar 16, 09, 21:58 #268
The same questions are asked by Turks about Kazakhstan. Do you have TV? How did you come to Turkey? By bus or by train? Also one Mongolian guy has received the same question and his answer was on horseback. :)))

JampatThreads: 1 Posts: 11 Joined: Mar 17, 09 ♀	Mar 18, 09, 03:30 #269
When I reveal that my last name (Merecki), is straight from Poland, people often ask why the Polish charged at tanks with cavalry, which is absolutely not accurate. Poland fought hard against two of the mightiest armies on the planet at once, and I wish I could link people to the Battle of Wizna when they ask that question.

EurolaThreads: 6 Posts: 2,647 Joined: Dec 2, 06 ♀	Mar 18, 09, 04:02 #270
Jampat: people often ask why the Polish charged at tanks with cavalry, Really? They know that? Nobody asked me about it..and most of the people I work with have College/University degrees. I guess, they don't teach that in College, maybe is just a word on the street. Kick their a## next time. Lol.

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