Fukushima, Alfra Romeo and us Jews - not!. Or not yet anyway

One of the more curious aspects of the recent set of Japanese tragedies has been the inability (I caution against suggesting unwillingness) of both the Left Wing UK press and their friends in the Islington ‘chattering classes’’ glitterati to place the blame on Israel. I mention this because as a regular reader of  The New Statesman et al.  (http://www.newstatesman.com/politics ) I've become accustomed to all manner of global ills being laid at Israel’s door.

As an unashamed Yid I’m not ........

Living in Poland. The good, the bad and the ugly

Having lived in Poland for around 5 years I could write a small book but you would be so bored after the first page you would lose the will to live. So, here’s a brief summery.

THE GOOD

Countryside

Once you get out of the city the countryside is beautiful. To the South you have the mountains which is a popular ski resort. In the East you have the most unpopulated part of Poland but with fantastic lakes. The North gives you Gdansk, Sopot the Baltic coast and miles of sandy beaches. The only down side is that Baltic waters are bloody freezing.

Where I live in Szczecin which in the North West I am surrounded by national park and 90 (yes 90) lakes.

People

The people are very friendly once they get to know you if a little reserved. Older people are still slightly suspicious of ‘foreigners’ and bureaucracy (more of that later)

Food

Great food once you get used to the differences,  It’s not all Sausages and Cabbage. The staple meat is Chicken and Pork (sorry my Jewish readers). Beef is not very good and Lamb is mainly in the South. Lots of fresh fish and vegetables.

Cost of living

Yes it is much cheaper to live here but not as cheap as it used to be. If you compare prices to the UK remember that the average salary here is 1/3 of the UK and VAT is 23%

Music

They have some great music here and it’s not all pop or heavy metal. What’s very popular is jazz and Latin American. Unfortunately due to the language difference the music doesn’t export very well. The bad news is that they’ve just started X-Factor here, not one of the UK’s better exports.

THE BAD

Bureaucracy

It drives me crazy. Government departments employ three times as many staff as they need so to get anything done you have to visit three departments and speak to three people.

The roads

They are being improved so around 10% of the roads are pretty good. For the rest they are either very bad or lethal ! If you think the potholes are bad in the UK, here you don’t damage a wheel you lose your front suspension. My front shock absorbers last around 2 years. Drivers are about the same as UK if a little more careless.

Language

In a word …. Impossible !

THE UGLY

Buildings

During the second world war many of the Polish cities were either destroyed or badly damaged. For example, Szczecin where I live was carpet bombed in 1945 and 60% destroyed (thank you RAF). After the war they had to built tens of thousands of flats and quickly. The flats they built were ugly pre-fabricated blocks with no planning, if there was a space build flats. Since then most of them have been renovated but they are still bloody ugly.

Older buildings

There are some amazing buildings but a lot more money is needed to renovate them.

That’s about it except for one more thing. The very best thing about living in Poland is my partner. She’s warm, supportive of a crazy Englishman (me) , intelligent, funny and very good cook. I am a very lucky guy !

Polish Roast duck with apples recipe

Extract ....

"It is as simple and easy to roast a duck at home as a chicken. This popular, traditional Polish dish goes down nicely with a bottle of dry red wine"

Get the recipe HERE

 

What's the difference between the Chief Rabbi in France and the Cardinal of Paris ? The Cardinal speaks Yiddish !

"There used to be a joke in Paris . What is the difference between the Chief Rabbi in France and the Cardinal of Paris ? The Cardinal speaks Yiddish!"
Jean Marie Cardinal Lustiger was buried yesterday. He died this week of cancer. He was born almost 81 years ago to Polish parents who ran a dress shop in Paris . When the German army marched into their city, his parents sent him and his sister into hiding with a Catholic family in Orleans . Their mother was captured and sent to Auschwitz .

In 1999 as Cardinal of Paris , Jean Marie Lustiger took part in reading of the names of France 's day of remembrance of Jews who had been deported and murdered. He came to the name of Gesele Lustiger, paused, teared and said, "my Mama!" The effect in France during a time of revived anti-Semitism was electric.

He was just 13 and in hiding when he converted to Catholicism, not to escape the Nazis he always said, because no Jew could escape by conversion, and not of trauma, he said. Among his most controversial observation , I was born Jewish and so I remain, even if that is unacceptable for many. For me, the vocation of Israel is bringing light to the goyem. That is my hope and I believe that Christianity is the means for achieving it.

There were a great number of Rabbi's who consider his conversion a betrayal, especially after so many European Jews so narrowly escaped extinction. Cardinal Lustiger replied, "to say that I am no longer a Jew is like denying my father and mother, my grandfathers and grandmothers. I am as Jewish as all other members of my family that were butchered in Auschwitz and other camps."

 
He confessed to a biographer that he had a spiritual crisis in the 1970's provoked by persistent anti-Semitism in France . He studied Hebrew and considered emigrating. He said, "I thought that I had finished what I had to do here and I might find new meaning in Israel ." But just at that time the Pope appointed him bishop of Orleans . He found purpose in the plight of immigrant workers. Then he was elevated to Cardinal, the Archbishop of Paris .

Jean Marie Lustiger was close to the Pope. They shared a doctrinal conservatism. He also battled bigotry and totalitarianism. For years, Cardinal Lustiger's name was among those who was considered to succeed John Paul. Without putting himself forth, the Cardinal joked that few things would bedevil bigots more that a Jewish Pope. They don't like to admit it, but he said, "What Christians believe, they got---through Jews."

The funeral for Cardinal Lustiger began at Notre Dame Cathedral yesterday with the chanting of Kaddish, the Jewish prayer for the dead.
Sometimes there are profound inconsistencies in our world.

The salt beef was plentiful, of good colour and texture and – utterly tasteless.

"Disappointing. Especially as I've eaten here so many times previously. Yes it’s still clean, parking is easy after 6.30pm and service is fast. And the portions are big. However all 4 of my Viennas were cold. The latkes were, as always, spot on.

How litter and graffiti can poison our minds by turning us more racist and homophobic

"Researchers said disorder makes the mind crave structure. One way to create order is to put other people into neat boxes based on their skin colour, religion or sexuality"

MORE

Józefa's Polish cucumber soup

Extract ....

"This popular Polish soup (zupa ogórkowa) can be made from scratch as my grandmother did, or you can use a good quality ready made stock instead"

Read the recipe HERE

Józefa's Polish cucumber soup

Debunking stereotypes: Poland, Terrible cars, roads, drivers ?

Extract ....

"Poland has a poor reputation when it comes to getting behind the wheel. But moves are afoot to change that. 

Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson once suggested the real Lech Walesa stood up to the Soviet Union was not because he wanted to free his land from the shackles of communism, but because he wanted a new car"

Read More HERE

The Polski Fiat in Krakow, Poland

How to cook perfect borscht

Extract ....

"Barszcz, barščiai or borscht - whatever you call it, does it need meat, or are simple vegetarian versions truer to the spirit of the dish? And (deep breath) which country makes the best ?"

Read more HERE 

Felicity's perfect barszcz

 

A Jewish renaissance in Poland

Extract ....

"In Kazimierz, once the Jewish heart of Krakow, signs of a revival are everywhere. There are restaurants with Hebrew lettering, a new community centre where students drop in for a Sabbath meal, and even a Jewish kindergarten"

Read more HERE