Although history books highlight mostly well-known individuals whose names are etched onto pages, it is important to recognize the countless forgotten names without whom these prominent figures would not be who they were. Just as every architectural marvel requires architects, builders, suppliers, and craftsmen, every king relies on their subjects, and every tradition depends on the individuals who nurture it.
Each one of us has a personal history that intertwines with the broader narratives of society, nation, culture, and civilization. We carry the legacy of our ancestors while simultaneously contributing to the ongoing creation of history for our descendants. Consciously or not, actively or passively, we all weave a tapestry of history.
A few days ago, while driving on Route 2 towards Sultan, my Spotify Daily Mix playlist suddenly played a song I hadn’t heard in years. It was Republika’s “Biała Flaga” (“White Flag”), and the first verse was “Where are my friends?” (“Gdzie są moi przyjaciele?”). When I got home, the song was still in my head, and I kept asking myself this question: Where are our friends?
We left them behind when we moved. They left us behind when they moved. There were a few friendships from high school that survived our turbulent times and all the departures. Some lasted for years, but we stopped responding to their Christmas cards, and they stopped sending them. Some just faded away as we had nothing in common and nothing to say.
Then we ended up in Seattle and heard about the Seattle Freeze.
False friends in language, much like in life, can lead to misunderstandings. These are words in two languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings. For instance, the Polish “konfident” means an informant or betrayer, while the English “confident” refers to someone who is self-assured. Being aware of such false friends helps avoid miscommunication, ensuring that we use words correctly in different contexts, whether in everyday conversation or professional settings, and makes cross-language exchanges smoother. Read the article and turn false friands to your conversational companions.
Jak zainteresować dzieci takimi postaciami jak Chopin, Moniuszko czy Paderewski? To nie lada wyzwanie! Ale Polskie Wydawnictwo Muzyczne i autorka Katarzyna Huzar-Czub znaleźli na to świetny sposób! Sięgając po książkę „Impro Frycek – czyli Chopin, jakiego nie znacie” dostajemy wesołą, rymowaną opowieść o Fryderyku Chopinie. Bez nudy, bez suchych dat, ale za to z mnóstwem ciekawostek, dobrej zabawy i solidnej dawki wiedzy! Bo przecież „kto słuchać by chciał o pianiście, co od dziecka był grzeczny
It is February and winter is in full bloom. A snowy blanket covers our Pacific Northwest, and it’s so beautiful! But with cold weather the season comes for colds and flu. Since COVID-19, we don’t take colds and flu lightly. We want to be safe and prepared to enjoy life like the rest of the year. There are many methods and drugs to help with sore throats, runny noses, and more severe symptoms. I’d like
Years ago, when I lived in Montreal, the city would come alive once a year, with everyone getting out and moving. Since 1971, Canadians have been joining the ParticipACTION movement to promote physical activity, strengthen their health and well-being. The idea was simple: instead of staying home and passively participating in sports by watching athletes compete on TV, we all went out to actively participate in sports of our choice. In that spirit, I would
At the annual meeting of the Polish Home Association held on January 26, 2025, Lidia Jasklowska has been re-elected as the PHA President, Erik Lidzbarski as the Senior Vice-President and Roman Rogalski as the Treasurer. The following candidates were elected to the Board of Trustees:Jerzy Augustyniak, Olivia (Miasik) Blandy, Wanda Cieslar – Pawluskiewicz, John Golubiec, Mark Golubiec, Pawel Krupa, Irena Kulik, Jola Paliswiat, Ala Pawluskiewicz – Wobbrock, Katarzyna (Kasia) Pietrzyk, Henryka Posluszny, John Rodgers, Andrzej
Starting this week, our new team will be sending a weekly newsletter and publishing Polish news on our website and on Facebook. We have exciting news about the Seattle Polish News service. Besides the usual Events, News and Ads sections online and in the newsletter, there will be new sections: Reviews, Editor’s Letter and Short Stories. Stay tuned, visit our website and Facebook, share your feedback and most importantly ask your family, friends and other
Long time Polish community member, Grazyna Kapa, passed away peacefully after a yearlong battle with cancer on December 31, 2024. We invite you to join us in a celebration of her life! Remembrances: Funeral mass for Grazyna – Tuesday, February 4th at the Holy Rosary Church in West Seattle at 11:00 a.m. with a rosary being held at 10:30. Reception will be held on February 23, 2025, at 12:30pm-3:30pm at the Polish Home Association on
Anyone who learns a foreign language will sooner or later come across expressions whose meaning does not derive literally from the individual words. Their meaning is metaphorical, established, and understood only within that particular language. These are idioms, fascinating word combinations that, for me, are the colorful embellishments of language, cultural codes, and at the same time, a record of how our ancestors viewed the world. Idioms literally translated into a foreign language can also
For some time now, Seattle Polish News has been looking for a new editor-in-chief to take over the news service from Ryszard Kott. However, this search has been unsuccessful and so it’s time to say goodbye. Unless somebody steps forward soon, the service will be discontinued starting from beginning of January 2025. The Seattle Polish News is an independent news service serving Seattle and the Pacific Northwest since 2002. Since the beginning it has been
Każdy, kto uczy się języka obcego, prędzej czy później natrafi na wyrażenia, których znaczenie nie wynika dosłownie z poszczególnych słów. Ich znaczenie jest metaforyczne, ustalone i zrozumiane tylko w danym języku. Są to idiomy, niezwykle fascynujące związki wyrazowe. Dla mnie są barwną ozdobą języka, kodem kulturowym i jednocześnie zapisem, w jaki sposób nasi przodkowie postrzegali świat. Idiomy dosłownie tłumaczone na język obcy dostarczają także dobrej zabawy. Nie jednego Amerykanina można wprawić w osłupienie twierdząc, że
„Marzenia to moja siła napędowa. Nie bójcie się marzyć!” – te inspirujące słowa Aleksandra Doby, głównego bohatera książki Łukasza Wierzbickiego „Ocean to pikuś”, stanowią doskonałe podsumowanie ducha tej wyjątkowej opowieści. Aleksander Doba, znany na całym świecie jako pierwszy człowiek, który samotnie przepłynął Atlantyk kajakiem, staje się w książce symbolem odwagi, wytrwałości i niegasnącej pasji do realizacji marzeń. Łukasz Wierzbicki stworzył dzieło, które jest nie tylko wciągającą relacją z wyprawy, ale także pięknym hołdem dla wyjątkowej
The Polish Home Association is happy to announce the opening of an Art Gallery in the Polish Cultural Center. We are creating a forum for artists associated with the Polish community to present their art and to popularize and promote art in our community.
The Seattle Polish News has finally a new editor-in-chief. Bohdan Raciborski volunteered to run our news service in 2025. He replaces Ryszard Kott, who created the Polish News Seattle in 2002 as an independent news service and has served as the publisher and the editor-in-chief ever since. The service has four other editors currently, namely Anna Kamińska, Anna Raciborska, Nandhini Sundaresan and Anna Kułakowska. Ryszard stays as the SPN publisher for now. Bohdan knows our
As usual at the Christmas season, you can preorder the holiday cold and hot foodstuffs from Sebi’s. Pickup is on Saturday, December 21 or Monday, December 23. The preorder form and other details can be found here.
To whom it may concern, Syrena Seattle is preparing for an exciting new concert season in 2025. With beautiful new costumes in the making, we are thrilled to present our next program, which will feature traditional dances from the Łowicz region of Poland. We would like to extend an opportunity for you to support our operation and at the same time promote your business by partnering with us. Below, you will find the sponsorship levels
Local artist, Wendy Rader-Konofalski, is back for the November Edmonds Art Walk which takes place every third Thursday of the month. Come and see her and her artist colleague, Becca, on Thursday, November 21st from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Their exhibit is on the inside wall of the Epulo Bistro at 190 Sunset Avenue, Suite B between Epulo and the Cascadia Art Museum. There will be new art this month along with greeting cards
Polish News looks for a new editor-in-chief to take over our news service from Ryszard Kott. If you are interested in joining Seattle Polish News, or discussing what it would involve, please contact Ryszard. The Seattle Polish News is an independent news service serving Seattle and the Pacific Northwest since 2002. Since the beginning it has been published by Ryszard Kott; he also served as the editor-in-chief for all this time. Several people have contributed
Polish folk costumes designed by Basia Niesulowski are offered for sale this Fall Bazar at the Polish Cultural Center. Please visit Art by Basia shop on Etsy for costumes, paintings, drawings, cards and other gift ideas. Or visit Art By Basia on FB for more examples and information.