Ask Our “Man in Warsaw”
Q: One of our customers e-mailed photos of a collection of historic Polish postage stamps and wanted to know what their value might be. Can you help?
RAYMOND BITTNER, [email protected], Polish Art Center, Hamtramck, MI,
A: I have forwarded your customer’s e-mail message and stamp photos to Grzegorz Marzec, an expert philatelist who knows all the ropes. In his opinion those stamps may make nice personal keepsakes but are of no monetary value. In future you can contact him directly by phone at: 011 48 602 487 488 od e-mail: [email protected]
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SUGGESTION: Be sure to fly the Polish flag a bit lower than the American flag. THOMAS SOSNOWSKI, Pontiac. MI, [email protected]
A: When you mention patriotic occasions, your advice that the Polish flag should be flown a little lower than the American one is indeed in accordance with US flag etiquette when both flags are flown from a single flagpole. If there are two flagpoles of equal height side by side, the US flag should be on the viewer’s left. When the two flags are crossed and displayed on a wall, the US flag should be on he viewer’s left, and its staff should be above that of the Polish flag. By the way, the next big occasion for displaying both flags is 11 November – America’s Veterans Day and Poland’s Independence Day.
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Q: What were the economic conditions in Poland after gaining independence? Did the country face any significant challenges?”
Via Quora (online Q&A site)
A: Poland exited the Soviet bloc and entered the Free World in 1989 with 640% inflation. As a result, a two-million-złoty banknote had to be issued, and a mere $39 sufficed to make one a złoty millionaire. Under the influence of Soros disciple, Jewish-American economist Jeffrey Sachs, Poland’s economy was subjected to “shock therapy.” Many state enterprises got shut down or sold off for a song, Millions were thrown out of work, and food shortages plagued the nation. But the de-nomination of the złoty (4 zeroes got removed) did bring down inflation, although it took until 2010 for it to drop to a manageable 2.58%.
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Q: I once read that Jakub is the Polish equivalent of James. Is that true?
MARK PIEKARZ (via Facebook)
A: Absolutely! Polish has only the one first name Jakub for both Jacob and James. Nicknames for Jakub include Kuba, and Kubuś. (Winnie the Pooh got translated as Kubuś Puchatek. St James Cathedral would be Katedra św. Jakuba.
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Q: A good friend of mine, Al Kania, is looking for a copy of Celebrating Your Polish Heritage: a How-To Guide. I could not find it at Hippocrene.
MARK KOHAN, [email protected], Polish-American Journal, Orchard Park, NY.
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Q: I came across two books you wrote, however, I can not find a vendor that sells them. I am highly interested in purchasing these books. Can you please direct me to a vendor?
A: In reply to both above questions, out two cookbooks – Polish Heritage Cookery and Polish Holiday Cookery – were indeed published by Hippocrene Books of NYC, but are now available only through Amazon. Polish/Polonian Heritage and Lifestyles is the actual title of the book described above as “Celebrating Your Polish Heritage.”
JESSICA CAPALDI, [email protected]
A: In reply to both above questions, our two cookbooks – Polish Heritage Cookery and Polish Holiday Cookery – were indeed published by Hippocrene Books of NYC, but are now available only through Amazon. Polish/Polonian Heritage and Lifestyles is the actual title of the book descried above as “Celebrating Your Polish Heritage.”
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Q: What is the legal way I can travel and work in Poland, and what are the requirements?
NASINMONG JEREMIAAH YENDUKWA
A: You did not indicate where you are from, but there are Polish embassies and consulates in most every country. That is the place to contact for all up-to-date information on travel arrangements, residence cards, work permits and other relevant bureaucracy. Good luck!
Q: I make soup often and I haven’t seen a bouillon cube in decades. Supermarket shelves are lined with ready-made broth or, more often, I use Better Than Bouillon, a concentrate that comes in a myriad of flavors. In my refrigerator I have Roasted Chicken, Roasted Beef, Mushroom, Fish, and Vegetable. I use them for soups and sauces.
CHRISTINA “KRYSIA” GUTT; Rochester, NY, [email protected]
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A: I know store-bought bouillon is available as stock cubes, granules, powder, liquid concentrate and ready-to-use liquid bouillon. Regardless of its form, this is a highly “chemicalized,” processed food which for health reasons should be used sparingly if at all. When I mention the cubes it is to advise using ¼ or less than what the manufacturer indicates. That applies to all the other forms as well.
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Q: Since I do not speak much Polish, I wanted to surprise dad who was born in Poland and sent him an email message for his birthday: WESOLY URODZINY. Someone told me that was wrong but dad was grateful to get it and did not see anything wrong with it. Who was right?
PROUD BUFFALO AM-POL
A: Yes, elderly parents are usually grateful for any attention or friendly gesture and readily turn a blind eye to grammatical imperfection. For the record, no Polish speaker would express birthday wishes the way you have. The most common way is “Wszystkiego najlepszego w dniu urodzin” (All the best on your Birthday). “Sto lat” can always be added (may you live to be a hundred!).
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Q: Enclosed are some Polish-related memorabilia related to Ignacy Jan Paderewski and General Władysław Anders and his Second Polish Corps that captured Monte Cassino in 1944. Could you check to see if there is a market for such items n Poland?
THOMAS SOSNOWSKI, Pontiac, MI, [email protected]
A: I do not recall receiving any such mailing. If you airmailed it, you should have sent it by registered mail. That way the post office is legally obliged to put a tracer on any lost mailing. Over the years, I would say that one in every 100 or so airmail letters goes astray somewhere between America and Europe.
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Q: We have this picture which goes back generations. We call her Black Mary. What is its history?
TOLWAY FAMILY (from Buffalo now living in Florida)
A: One legend claims this icon was painted by St Luke the Evangelist on the table-top of the Holy Family’s home in Nazareth. In actuality, this medieval Byzantine icon was probably brought to Poland by the Pauline monks of Hungary who in 1382 established Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa. In 1430, the monastery was pillaged by the proto-Protestant Hussites from Bohemia (Czechia), one of whom slashed the icon with his sword. As a memento, the slash marks have been retained on all reproductions of the icon. In 1655, the Swedes invaded Poland and got as far south as Częstochowa but failed to capture the monastery. enhancing the icon’s miraculous reputation.
PLEASE AIRMAIL POLISH/POLONIAN-RELATED QUERIES TO:
Robert Strybel
ul. Heroldów 25/36
01-991 Warsaw, Poland
or e-mail them to: [email protected]
