| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
zaneth
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 545
Location: Between Russia and Germany
|
 Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:18 am Post subject: Hitching across Poland |
 |
|
Hi folks,
I live and teach in Russia, which means I'm chronically broke and a long way from home. I was thinking about trying an alternative way of getting home for a visit. Hitch to Frankfurt and then take Air Hitch to the states.
Anybody have any thoughts on how hitching across Poland would be? I thought of going Moscow, Kiev, Lvov, Krakow, Leipzig, Frankfurt (to avoid Belorus). [edit: hmm, looks like visa restrictions to Ukraine haven't been lifted yet. Through the Baltics then.]
Will a combination of English and Russian get me by OK in Poland?
Anybody need an interesting guest speaker in exchange for a meal and place to sleep? |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Gowump
Joined: 05 May 2004
Posts: 70
Location: Poland
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:38 am Post subject: |
|
|
| From my experience, Russian will be ok if you meet up with an older Pole, and English might be ok if it is a younger one. Polish friends of mine hitched across Europe last summer and had no problems with getting rides and language, etc. If your travels through Poland take you into Radom, approx. 200km North of Krakow, I have a place for you. Radom is not the nicest of cities, but the beer is cold and it is quite cheap. PM me if interested. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
CityKitty
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 3
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Where are you teaching in Radom? I had a bad Radom experience and left under something of a cloud..... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 6:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| Will a combination of English and Russian get me by OK in Poland? |
Most people under 30 who have an advanced education know English.
As far as Russian. I would first ask, "Ruskiego?" or simply "Ruski?"
As a lot Poles learned Russian but often purposely forgot it.
I think you'll be fine just be aware that some people may resent a foreigner expecting them to know Russian. As a lot of Poles do not like to be associated with the powerful nieghbor that took over half of their country from them and then dominated them for half a century. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
CROGO
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
Posts: 46
Location: Krakow
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 5:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Many older people may understand Russian, but if you must speak Russian I would suggest that you apologize for it first. I know this is true in Western Ukraine as well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zaneth
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Posts: 545
Location: Between Russia and Germany
|
| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 7:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Sounds like the Baltics. I start with English so people know I'm an English speaker, then switch to Russian and they're relieved to have a common language.
Also, I think the problems between Russia and Poland precede the Soviet Era. I seem to remember there have been some involuntary territorial exchanges in the more distant past (though I doubt I'll be speaking to any of the survivors). |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
|
| Posted: Mon May 02, 2005 11:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I think the problems between Russia and Poland precede the Soviet Era |
Unfortunately this is all too true. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
zezeltin
Joined: 30 Sep 2004
Posts: 5
|
| Posted: Mon May 09, 2005 7:33 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yeah approach the use of Russian with caution. But Russian banter can turn to mocking the Russian language quickly with Poles so I wouldn't be nervous. Try English first.
If you're hard up for a place to stay in Poznan, PM me. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
