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Polish humor on a snowy day

It’s different if you marry a Polish girl

The first man married a woman from ENGLAND. He told her that she was to do the dishes and house cleaning. It took a couple of days, but on the third day, he came home to see a clean house and dishes washed and put away.

The second man married a woman from GERMANY. He gave his wife orders that she was to do all the cleaning, dishes and the cooking. The first day he didn’t see any results, but the next day he saw it was better. By the third day, he saw his house was clean, the dishes were done and there was a huge dinner on the table.

The third man married a girl from POLAND. He ordered her to keep the house cleaned, dishes washed, lawn mowed, laundry washed, and hot meals on the table for every meal. He said the first day he didn’t see anything, the second day he didn’t see anything but, by the third day, some of the swelling had gone down and he could see a little out of his left eye, and his arm was healed enough that he could fix himself a sandwich and load the dishwasher. He still has some difficulty peeing.

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From the Cosmopolitan Review (and exciting news)

From the December 2009 issue of the Cosmopolitan Review, published by the alumni of Poland in the Rockies, a biennial symposium in Polish studies held at Canmore, Alberta.

Cosmopolitan Review Turns One

Work on this issue was in full swing before we suddenly realized that this is actually an anniversary issue. Cosmopolitan Review has turned one year old. Thanks for joining us on this adventure and stick around. It’s going to be a fun ride.

EXCITING NEWS: Poland in the Rockies Announces 2010 Symposium

Poland in the Rockies, the 10-day Polish studies symposium in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, is set for July 21-31, 2010. The slate of speakers is already posted on the website and it guarantees the liveliest exchange of ideas to be found anywhere between the Rockies and the Tatras.

FEATURE Americans in Warsaw

What can I say about Poland, after one month in Warsaw? That the Poles have become more American than the Americans? If not entirely accurate, like other facile observations, there’s a grain of truth here. Part of the reason is that Poles are doing well these days. By Wanda Urbanska.

REVIEWS The Polish Review

Someone once joked that the best thing about reading Reviews is that you can discuss the books at dinner parties without actually having to read them. Well, if you read the very best of the Reviews there is an element of truth in that, though do bear in mind that not all Reviews are created equal…

CONVERSATIONS A few questions for…Prof. Marek Suszko

As we reflect on the 20 years since the fall of communism in Europe and ponder what the future may hold, CR recently had a chance to ask a few questions of Professor Marek Suszko, who teaches at the Department of History at Loyola University in Chicago. He shared some insight about the positive developments that have taken place in Poland since 1989, the country’s role in the EU and its relationship with the United States.

HISTORY The Noble and Compassionate Heart of the Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijay Sinhi

Between August 1942 and November 1946, close to 1,000 Polish children and their guardians lived in idyllic settlements on the Kathiawar Peninsula in India not far from the summer residence of the Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijay Sinhi. They had come at the Maharaja’s invitation from orphanages in Ashkabad, the capital of Turkmenistan, and Samarkand … by Irene Tomaszewski.

FOOD for thought Google, Poland, cultural projections

Artist Ian Wojtowicz, a 2008 PitR alumnus, has put together an interactive animation inviting reflection about identity. TRY it (This is really cool!)

Op-Ed The Pole Position: be like Dexter and tap into your inner glee for success

Young professionals face a tough climb. They’re full of ambition, talent and determination, but the climb is often a tough one. The competition is plentiful and opportunities sparse. How than do you stand out from among the crowd? A hard work ethic and wisdom is important; but people also like working with those that they find interesting. By Filip Terlecki.

…and more.

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Polonian opportunities

Dr. John Guzlowski has posted two opportunities at his Writing The Polish Diaspora blog:

Polish-English, English-Polish Translator Needed

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Oral History Branch is looking for translation specialists for immediate consideration, in order to make their foreign-language collections accessible to researchers. The position is paid, and on the basis of a short-term consultant.

We are particularly looking for translators with excellent Polish skills. At this point, we are also accepting applications from candidates who exclusively work with the language combination English-Polish, Polish-English…

Writer’s and Artist’s Residency in Poland

Art Factory Bialystok is an international artist/writer’s residence program in the beautiful town of Bialystok, located in the northeast of Poland. The Art Factory Bialystok Writer’s Residence is open to all writers published and beginning writers seriously committed to their craft from any countries, writing in English. The residence will take place June 1-30, 2010.

The aim of the residence is to provide the time to develop a body of work, hone that work during workshop-style meetings with the other participants, as well as public readings. Moreover, the program will be enriched by several inspiring day trips to nearby towns, showcasing the cultural and gastronomical diversity of the region…

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California’s Polonia – Historical research library on-line

The Polish Club of San Francisco has published an archive of historic newspaper articles referencing the Polish community in California. These links to actual newspaper articles, some dating back to 1850, chronicle the immigration of Poles to California, major world events as experienced and interpreted by these immigrants, and the Polish art, music, and literary scene.

Good friend, M. Mroczek Morris, compiled this work. Thank you and God bless you for this contribution to our historical narrative.

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Pączki day is almost here

From TimeOut Chicago: A very Fat Tuesday

Calling paczki doughnuts is like calling Lady Gaga a bit flamboyant. Paczki (pronounced —poonch-key—) are fried rounds of spongy, eggy, yeasty goodness, and while many cultures have their own takes on them, no one goes bananas for them like the Poles, especially the week before Lent. Follow our paczki primer for a deep-fried Fat Tuesday…

Smacznego! Enjoy!

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At Albany’s Polish Community Center

  • Friday, February 12: Polish-American Buffet 4-8pm.
  • Sunday, February 14: Tony’s Polka Band, Polish-American kitchen, cash bar 2:30-6:30pm.
  • Sunday, February 21: Capital USA Dance, Ballroom; Ballroom; Ballroom! (and refreshments). Music by Dan DeBennetto. Lessons by Eric Singleman. Class 6:15-7pm; Dancing until 10pm. Members $9; Non $12; College $5; Free under 18. Contact James DeForge at 518-233-0957 or by E-mail.
  • Sunday, February 28: Community Ballroom Dance, 6:30 – 10pm. Every fourth Sunday of the month and open to all Ballroom Dance enthusiasts. Enjoy a Cha Cha dance lesson at 6:30pm by Eileen Spadaro. General dancing begins at 7pm with music selections by Gary Burgess. At 8:30 pm, Thomas and Katherine Hourigan will dance a ‘Slow Waltz.’ Cost: $10 includes the lesson.

The Polish Community Center is located at 225 Washington Ave Ext, Albany NY 12205. Call 518-456-3995 for more information.

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Chopin’s 200th

2010 marks the 200th anniversary of Fryderyk Chopin’s birth. In honor of the occasion iTunes is highlighting Alice Sara Ott’s album of Chopin waltzes. You can take a sample listen at the iTunes website.

Fryderyk Chopin was born March 1, 1810 at the village of Żelazowa Wola, in the Duchy of Warsaw. He was regarded a child-prodigy pianist. He left Poland for good on November 2, 1830 for a trip to Italy. The outbreak of the Polish November Uprising seven days later, and its subsequent suppression by Russia, led to Chopin’s becoming one of many expatriates of the Polish Great Emigration.

Settling in Paris, Chopin worked as a composer and piano teacher, while giving few public performances. Chopin remained an ardent Polish patriot throughout his short life. For the greater part of his life Chopin suffered from poor health; he died in Paris on October 17, 1849 of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Chopin’s compositions, of which there are over 230, were written primarily for the piano as solo instrument. Though technically demanding, they emphasize nuance and expressive depth rather than sheer virtuosity. Chopin invented musical forms such as the instrumental ballade and was responsible for major innovations in the piano sonata, mazurka, waltz, nocturne, polonaise, étude, impromptu and prélude.

Alice Sara Ott, a German-Japanese pianist, was born in Munich in 1988. Her second compilation, noted above, is a series of complete waltzes by Frederic Chopin.

The following is Piosenka litewska from Chopin’s Polish Songs, Op. 74

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Supporting a commemorative stamp in honor of Lt. Colonel Matt Urban

New developments have recently taken place in the effort led by the Polish American Congress (PAC) to have a commemorative stamp issued for Lt. Colonel Matt Urban. Background information about the effort is available at the Congress website

In the recent exchange of correspondence between Anthony J. Bajdek, Polish American Congress’ Vice President for American Affairs and the United States Postal Service, Terrence W. McCaffrey, Manager, Stamp Development, United States Postal Service advised that the Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee has recently reviewed the proposal for a commemorative stamp honoring Matt Urban. “I am pleased to inform you Lt. Colonel Matt Urban is now under consideration for possible future stamp issuance. (…) Currently, the 2010 and 2011 stamp programs are completed, and stamp subjects for the 2012 program and subsequent years are being selected” he wrote.

To date, the Polish American Congress has collected thousands of signatures in support of the issuance of this stamp. Per USPS request, all those petitions are going to be forwarded within the next month or so to the USPS for the Committee’s review. After that, the collection is going to return to the PAC.

Among the signatories are many veterans of World War II, one of whom, for example, is Walter Stanko of Swansea, MA who served in the U. S. 9th Infantry Division with Matt Urban. Walter has collected some 5,000 signatures of Americans living in the Naragansett Bay area of New
England. The Polish American Congress was also advised that additional petitions and letters might be sent at any time.

Before submitting its current collection, however, the Polish American Congress seeks to gather as many additional signatures as possible to “freshen up the bouquet” and show the community’s support for the effort.

Please help us to honor the memory of Matt Urban (1919-1995), who is tied with Audie Murphy for being the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II. Murphy was honored with a USPS commemorative stamp in 1999-2000.

To make that happen, please download the petition, collect as many signatures as possible and return the form(s) to the Polish American Congress.

Time is now of the essence, so please make sure to return the signatures by March 15, 2010 to:

Matt Urban Stamp Campaign
Polish American Congress
1612 K Street NW, Suite 410
Washington, DC 20006

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