Posts under "Culture"

New National Stadium opened in Warsaw

Posted by Kasia No Comments
Jan 30 2012

Polish football fans have celebrated the launch of the biggest stadium for this year’s Euro 2012 finals with a free music festival and fireworks display.

Thousands fans arrived on Sunday and were given the chance to see Polish pop acts including VooVoo i Haydamaky, Zakopower, Coma, T. Love and Lady Pank.

The 50,000-seat arena, which will also host a semifinal, was built on the site of the old 10th Anniversary Stadium, which had stood since 1955 and welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1983.

The opening of the new stadium — originally planned for last June — had been repeatedly put off because construction experts and firefighters were finding work incomplete or needing improvement, including faulty outside stairs.

Take a look at the November blog:

Foldable roof in National Stadium in Warsaw

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Director of Auschwitz museum has died

Posted by Kasia No Comments
Jan 27 2012
Kazimierz Smoleń, a former prisoner of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, passed away on The International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of the Holocaust.  He was 91 years old.

Kazimierz Smoleń was born on April 19, 1920 in Chorzów Stary. He was sent to the concentration camp for underground activities in Chorzów in one of the first transports of Polish prisoners. He was given a number 1327. Kazimierz Smoleń was also imprisoned in Mauthausen.

After the war Kazimierz Smoleń graduated from law at the Catholic University and worked for the Main Commission for Investigation of Nazi Crimes. He appeared as a witness and an expert in many trials of war criminals, inter alia in Nuremberg and Frankfurt.

He was a co-founder and a director (1955-1990) of the State Museum Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was also a long time secretary general and deputy chairman of the International Auschwitz Committee.

He once explained his decision to return to the camp to manage it as a way of honoring those who were killed there:

“Sometimes when I think about it, I feel it may be some kind of sacrifice, some kind of obligation I have for having survived,” he said.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Irena Jarocka has passed away

Posted by Kasia No Comments
Jan 26 2012

After more than 40 years on the international stage, Polish singer Irena Jarocka has passed away in Warsaw.

One of the best known hits of Irena Jarocka was “Odpływają kawiarenki” (Sail Away Cafes).

Irena Jarocka debuted in 1968 at the festival in Sopot. Her first hit was the song “Gondolierzy znad Wisły” (Gondoliers on the Vistula River).

Over the years, Irena Jarocka sang such well-known songs as “Motylem jestem” (I am a Butterfly), “Kocha się tylko raz” (You Love Only Once), “Odpływają kawiarenki” (Sail Away Cafes), “Wymyśliłam Cię” (I Created You), “Beatlemania story”.

She also starred in the movie “I Am a Butterfly, or a 40-year-old’s Romance” and in the Mrozek’s play “Beautiful View”.

She won many prestigious awards at international festivals and recorded many albums. The last of them were “Małe rzeczy” (Little Things) released in 2008 and “Ponieważ znów są Święta” (Because the Christmas Comes Once Again) in 2010.

She performed in eight languages with such stars as Mireille Mathieu, Charles Aznavour, Michel Legrand and ABBA. She has recorded for the world’s largest studios, such as Phillips, Supraphon, Warner Brothers, Cristal-EMI, Melodia, and Polish Records.

She emigrated to the United States in the 1990s and she took a break from performing for several years, before gaining speed anew, particularly after she returned to Poland, where she always felt most inspired. Over the years she released several albums through such major labels as Universal Music Polska “Little Things” – a collection of ballads and pop songs. 2010 proved to be a productive one for Irena Jarocka, both from a musical and a publishing standpoint. She released a two-CD compilation with the artist’s great hits in new arrangements.

Jarocka will be buried in the Catacombs of Old Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw.

A memorial service for Irena Jarocka is being held at the Stanisław Kostka Church in Greenpoint, New York (607 Humboldt Street) on Sunday the 29th of January at 5:00 p.m.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Nie, dziękuję

Posted by Kasia 1 Comment
Jan 24 2012

Many times you were probably in a situation when you had to refuse something, say “no” in a polite way.

Today I will try to give you some examples of refusal in a different situations you may find yourself in Poland.

Shopping at the store, when you are approached by the sales representative asking if she/he can help you with anything, sometimes you just feel like just looking around and you do not help…What do you say then?

Nie, dziękuję – no, thank you

Narazie tylko się rozglądam – I’m just browsing right now

Dam pani/panu znać, jeśli będę potrzebować pomocy – I will let you (polite form pani(f)/panu (m)) know if I need help

Nie dziękuję, nie potrzebuję pomocy – No thank you, I do not need help

If you are purchasing something and sales person will ask you about additional insurance, you may use these phrases:

Nie, dziękuję, nie potrzebuję dodatkowego ubezpieczenia/gwarancji – No, thank you, I do not need additional insurance/warranty

Wezmę tylko podstawową gwarancję – I will take only basic warranty

While walking  in public, you may be approached by a person doing gallup poll (ankieta) for some company. You may not feel like talking to anyone, so you can just simply say:

Nie, dziękuję – no, thank you

Dziękuję, ale nie jestem zainteresowana (f)/zainteresowany (m) – Thank you, but I’m not interested

Well, there are a lot of homeless people everywhere in the world. Probably everywhere, while you walking ,you may see a person like this begging for money. In this case decision is yours. But if you want to refuse, just say:

Proszę zostawić mnie w spokoju – please leave me alone

Another situation is when you want to refuse someone who is trying to invite you on a date:

Dziękuję, ale nie jestem zainteresowana (f)/zainteresowany (m) – Thank you, I’m not interested

Jestem zajęta (f)/zajęty (m) – I’m taken

Mam chłopaka/dziewczynę – I have a boyfriend/girlfriend

Mój mąż nie byłby szczęśliwy z tego powodu - My husband would not be happy about it

Moja żona nie byłaby szczęśliwa z tego powodu – My wife would not be happy about it

…and hopefully they get it!

YouTube Preview Image

If there are other situations you may think of and I missed them, please let me know in comments below.

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

Visiting Krosno and its’ neighborhood

Posted by Kasia 1 Comment
Jan 21 2012

Today I wanted to give you some ideas what is worth seeing if you are in Krosno area. A charming town in southern Poland, Krosno is primarily known as a big glass-manufacturing center. It also boasts numerous historic attractions, including splendid medieval churches and ancient tenement houses. A number of cultural events give Krosno its special atmosphere, the best known of which are the cyclical Krosno Theatre Festival and the open-air events of the Mountain Ballooning Competition (A mountain Balloon Competition is one of most beautiful and most spectacular events in Poland. The party has international character), Karpaty Climates and Krosno Fair. The town makes the ideal stay over because of its proximity to major routes leading to Slovakia and Hungary.

While sightseeing the town of Krosno you should visit its beautiful churches. Erected in the 14th century, the Gothic parish church was reconstructed and extended in the 17th century. Its interior features several gems, including a main altar from the 16th century, baroque stalls, tombstones and sculptures. Notable for its fine stucco decorations is an early-baroque chapel, built in the years 1647-1648 by an Italian architect. Last but not least, the 15th Franciscan church is also well worth a visit. Yet another of Krosno’s treasures, one that definitely deserves a mention, is the huge bell known as “Urban”. Weighing 5 tonnes, it is one of Poland’s biggest bells.

Besides historic monuments, the town has two interesting museums – the Museum of Craftsmanship and the District Museum. In the latter visitors will enjoy a rich collection of antique paraffin lamps as well as collections related to archaeology, history and the folk culture of both Krosno and its surroundings.

Once you have seen all there is to see in Krosno, you can proceed to some distinctive places in the region of the Low Beskid and Pogórze, such as the spa towns of Rymanów and Iwonicz, the open-air museum devoted to the oil industry in the village of Bóbrka, Odkrzykon Castle and the “Prządki” stone preservation.

Did I miss something?Let us know if you have other suggestions for the must see in Krosno!

Do następnego razu… (Till next time…)

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