Posts under Culture

Kombinowanie continued

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Nov
2
2009

So, let’s go back to the issue of kombinowanie for a few more minutes. Turns out that the person who claims that Poles are a cheating, scheming and otherwise dishonest bunch also reads this blog. Oh, hi! Small world, isn’t it? Thank you for providing us with such an interesting discussion topic!

And to another reader - thank you for pointing out the fact that I didn’t explain the really first thing first about this word. So, in order to rectify that oversight from the other day, here it is:

  • kombinowanie (noun, neuter, plural: kombinowania, though I don’t think many people would use the plural form) – and that’s the noun version of kombinować.
  • kombinować (verb, imperfective; the perfective form would be wykombinować) – wangle, maneuver, get things sorted out, cheat, scheme, arrange something, etc…

And here are some examples of kombinowanie that should be easy to grasp (even for my very honest American readers, wink wink).

Personally, I have seen tons and tons of kombinowanie in the US. Heck, you want to see kombinowanie as an artform the American way, then go to any jury selection process and see how people kombinują to get out of performing their civic duty.

Another example of kombinowanie is trying to get a reasonably priced sublet apartment in Manhattan. That’s when kombinowanie turns ruthless, even by Polish standards. Anything goes (short of murder, but then again, who knows?) – lying, cheating, scheming and bribe giving (and a few other things that I shouldn’t mention on a PG-13 blog).

But I think that basically kombinowanie starts in school, and that’s a proven fact the world over. Proven how? Show me a bunch of 13 or 14 or 15 year olds who are NOT trying to get out of some undesirable school activities by any means necessary and you’ll see a bunch of witless pushovers.

So, actually, I don’t think that the totalitarian regime of the communist days had much to do with the Polish kombinowanie way of life. If you read how those really ancient guys like Mieszko and Chrobry got to be princes and kings and otherwise mighty and powerful guys, then it’s obvious that kombinowanie (and this time definitely including murder) has been with us, Poles, for a lot longer than the last 50 or 60 years. In fact, you can even say it’s kept us alive through the centuries, it’s helped us survive wars and other calamities.

And what happened if we ended up stuck (no doubt of a result of kombinowanie of other powers) with a witless wonder of a ruler who couldn’t kombinować even if the very survival of his country depended on it and concentrated on building pretty palaces instead? Like Stanisław August Poniatowski, for example? Everybody knows.

So yes, kombinowanie may be our way of life, and I don’t think it’s more prevalent in Poland than in other countries (it seems to me that in Asia and South America it’s physically impossible to get anything done without some very skillful kombinowanie). We are just a lot more honest about admitting to actually doing it.

PS. Do you still see any goofy computer language in my posts on this blog? I am using a new computer and a new internet provider (microwave wireless something something) and I hope there will be no more glitches.

 
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Poles and kombinowanie

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Oct
27
2009

Today we will tackle something that is a bit controversial. Or maybe not, I guess it all depends on your point of view. But we’ll see.

I really don’t like sweeping generalizations, though that doesn’t stop me in making them myself from time to time, to be perfectly honest. So most of the time when I hear such a general comment, I just take it with a grain of salt. But when those sweeping generalizations begin to include me, well, that’s a whole another story. It’s personal then, and for me that’s when the gloves come off.

But yeah, what kind of generalizations are we talking about here? You know, those broad comments that encompass perhaps an entire nation or an ethic group, like that the French are generally rude (not true) and the Americans fat (again, not true). So why am I getting all worked up about it today? Somebody has told me recently, and to my face no less, that Poles are a conniving, dishonest bunch that can’t be trusted. As a proof of those national characteristics, the person used the famous Polish art (or is it a skill?) of kombinowanie.

Now, I know those comments have been around for centuries, and I know that Poles made kombinowanie into a whole new art form in its own right (that much is true), but when someone says it to my face, that makes it personal.

And personally, some of the most dishonest and untrustworthy people I’ve met in my life were single males between the ages of 22 and 32, university educated, no less. Does that mean that I’m going to pass sweeping generalizations that all single males between the ages of 22 and 32 are dishonest pricks? Of course not. So it really bothers me when narrow-minded people apply such generalizations to whole nationalities and ethnic groups.

I explained as much to the person I was talking with, and his response was “but you guys (meaning Poles) have a bad reputation everywhere you go.”

Oh really? Is that true? Am I that out of touch with how the Polish people are perceived by foreigners?

And is “kombinowanie” really all that bad? I’m as good at it as the next Pole, and yet I’ve never used it for nefarious purposes. Quite the opposite in fact.

But what is that “kombinowanie” anyway?
Some of my fellow countrymen will tell you that it’s one Polish word that can’t be translated into English. I disagree. It can be translated, but how you do it depends on the context.

The verb “kombinować” can mean many things. It can be used as in “to scheme”, “to fix”, “to sort out”, “to arrange” and so on. You get the idea. Nothing wrong with a little “kombinowanie” itself, it’s why you want to kombinować that might be perceived as less than honest by some people.

So yeah, we are the masters of kombinowanie, but does that immediately mean we are dishonest and untrustworthy as a nation?
Your opinions please. Honest opinions, of course.

PS. I apologize for the recent lack of comments from me, but we’re moving again and have internet issues.

 
Posted under Culture, Vocabulary
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Kapuśniak - Cabbage Soup

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Oct
24
2009

There are many definitions and examples of comfort food – I’m pretty sure that every culture has its very own typical dishes that fall into this category. And one thing is certain, when you’re sick you crave that yummy, comforting goodness. And I am and I do. But what do I crave? Kapuśniak (cabbage soup).

Now, maybe not exactly your typical Polish comfort food (but what would be? Schabowy and potatoes plus surówka?) but kapuśniak is what I want to eat whenever I am sick.

The only problem is that I can’t make a really good cabbage soup if my life depended on it. Why? First there’s this issue of whether to use fresh cabbage (świeża) or sauerkraut (kiszona). I like my kapuśniak sour, but not too sour. So what are the correct fresh/sour proportions? And second, what about the soup base? Mine never tastes like it should. It always has that “nouvelle” air to it instead of an honest, hearty and satisfying down to earth kapuśniak flavor.

My dad makes the best kapuśniak on the planet and I love it, even though he likes his with fresh cabbage. However, I have never mastered this kapuśniak making skill and hence I am stuck with improvising whenever I feel like eating a bowl of cabbagey goodness.

And to be completely honest, I’ve had no idea that cabbage soup is (was?) one of those newfangled weight loss fads. Really? We, Poles have been eating it for at least a thousand years, so it’s nice to see the rest of the world catching up.

OK, but back to the original question. How to make my kapuśniak taste right the Polish way? Because right now, I make it somewhat like this:

  • shred a bunch of cabbage
  • open a jar of sauerkraut
  • cut up some veggies
  • get a couple of those bullion cube thingies or a can of ready-made consommé (I’m not the patient type to boil some bones for soup stock)
  • some bacon and a couple of bratwursts
  • random seasonings and spices (read: whatever’s available)

It’s still good and quite tasty, but nothing like my dad used to make.
So, how do you make your kapuśniak?

PS. And by the way, how does this old saying go? Po kapuście d..pa chluszcze. (something like: after eating cabbage soup, stuff spouts from your behind, except that it vaguely rhymes in Polish), so be careful. And the d-word is considered vulgar, so there.

 
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Not Going Back to School After All

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Oct
9
2009

Remember my excitement about my return to school? Well, after all, it’s not going to happen. And so right were those of you who said that I should have picked a school in the UK, or elsewhere. Ah… But I guess I needed to learn it the hard way all by myself.

So what happened? Well, turned out that I couldn’t study the one field that interested me (and which was the reason why I chose that particular school in the first place – WSSM in Łódź) on-line. Why? Apparently that particular course is financed by the EU and the EU regulations require for students to be physically present in the classroom and to sign the attendance roster personally. Which, if you want to know my opinion, smacks of discrimination against people with physical disabilities and limited mobility, but that’s a whole another story.

The problem is that nobody bothered to inform me about this requirement during my initial meeting with the school’s president (rektor) and two of their academic staff. I made it very clear that I was interested in studying intercultural communication (which happens to be that EU financed course) on-line and I was told that, “no problem, we can arrange that.” But, no, they can’t.

Why nobody at WSSM thought to read the fine print on their EU agreement regarding this course BEFORE I submitted my application and paid the admission fee (wpisowe), I really don’t know.

Needless to say, I am very unhappy right now. Nah, that’s an understatement. I’m more than unhappy, but since this is a PG blog, I will try to control myself.

What the school offers me now is to study anglistyka (English philology - because intercultural communication is one of the minors offered in that department) virtually (on-line), but that’s not an acceptable solution for me.

If I wanted to study straight English, I could have applied to any other school. There are more private schools in Poland now than you can shake a stick at.

Now, of course, one of the academic staff fuming with righteous anger tells me that there is an inaccuracy in how I describe this whole situation. Frankly, from where I’m at, I don’t see any inaccuracies. I am not interested in where the school’s limitations come from, that’s none of my business. I’m only interested in the fact that I wasn’t informed about them when I was handing over the money. And that’s definitely my business. Or was the school that desperate for my wpisowe money (admission fee)? And yes, I will try to get that refunded anyway.

I’m really sad and sorry that it turned out that way. I’m still determined to go back to school and study intercultural communication/relations. But it won’t be at a school in Poland. Unfortunately.

Anyhow, how’s that Polish złota jesień (golden autumn) coming along?

 
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How to Write Dates (po polsku, naturally)

Posted by Anna Ikeda
Oct
3
2009

I was writing a semi-official letter the other day, and even before I managed to get to “Szanowna Pani“, I was already stumped. Not that it’s anything usual, me getting stumped, but it’s been happening with amazing regularity lately.

Anyway, my MS Word automatically fills in the current date according to the American system: the month comes first, then the day, then a comma, and then the year. And suddenly, I was sitting there in front of my laptop deep in thought, not entirely sure how to properly write it in Polish. The key word here, of course, is “properly.”

Dates in Poland are written in several different ways.

- rok (year), miesiąc (month), dzień (day),

- dzień (day), miesiąc (month), rok (year),

- as numerals: 3.10.2009, or 3.10.09,

- or like this: 3 X 2009

- sometimes there’s a lone “r” following the year: 2009 r.

- with the month spelled out, and so on…

- and if we’re going to spell the month, does it decline, or not?

You see where I’m going with this, right? Such a simple, everyday thing as the current date left me scrambling for some heavy-duty Polish language help.

And what did I learn? That when it comes to the correct date format(s) in Polish, pretty much anything goes, except (hey, of course there would be an “except” – after all this is Polish we’re talking about here, and everybody knows we live for “excepts”):

- the date format should be appropriate to the text (official, private, etc),

- if you choose to write the month as a Roman numeral, it’s a mistake to write the date like this “3.X.2009 r.” There should be no dots before and after the Roman numeral,

- and, yes the month does decline. So, we need to write “3 października 2009 r.”, and not “3 październik 2009 r.”

- and finally, the date should follow this order: day-month-year, or year-month-date (for official correspondence), and unfortunately, it means that you can’t begin with the month, as my MS Word insists on doing.

The “r.” is short for “rok” (year) and if you feel like it, you can spell out the whole word. But of course, it declines as well. So it’s “3 października 2009 roku” and not “3 październik 2009 rok”. But if you don’t like that “r”, you can skip it altogether and write “3 października 2009” or “3.10.09” or “3.10.2009”.

So, how did I finally write it in my letter?

2009.10.03 for easy filing of official correspondence that nobody bothers to read anyway.

PS. For my native Polish readers who, I’m sure, will feel the need to tell me that my info is incorrect, or not entirely correct - this post was written based on advice taken from PWN’s “Poradnik językowy” and my conversation with a polonistyka professor at a very prestigious Polish university.

 
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