Global Voices Online

Ever wonder what a day in the life of someone living in Poland would look like condensed into a 10-minute video? Neither did I until I came to Poland. The Blog from Poland set up a webcam from a Warsaw city window. Can you spot the shiny, yellow and red city bus? Using Google technology, you can see a Warsaw city street corner in real-time.

Continuing with the amateurish spectacles, the beatroot reports on a misguided plan by The Lublin Musical Theatre group to stage a performance on the grounds of a former WWII death camp. Alas,

…much to the surprise of the organizers, there were protests. Lots of them. From Jewish groups.

In the comments section, however, DBN wonders where the Polish version of the ACLU is:

Hmm, no protests from the “enlightened liberals” about the “hinderance of free speech”.

Though they were enraged when a university didn't let them exhibit t-shirts with slogans, such as “I had an abortion” or “I jerk off” during a human rights film festival, that dealt, amongs others, with the genocide of the Chechens.

Arguing for a bit more restraint roman comments:

Who comes up with these hair-brained schemes? What part of the word “solemn” don't they understand?

From hair-brained ideas to a brush with the hairless heads of the purported ‘no future' youth generation in Poland, P3 fears that the burgeoning punk culture in Poland is on a crash-course with disaster; even “in a country that prides itself on character and with a government that prides itself on morality.” Is it really the case of a dearth of male role models, or just good old-fashioned teenage rebellion? P3 laments:

Where are this country's strong male role models these kids so desperately need? What kind of people are teaching in the high schools? Where are their parents?

A real tear-jerker…and to help wipe those dampened peepers dry (albeit, only if they are peering from an expensive ride), those same public enemy teens are quite the (self) enlightened ‘public servants,' according to The Warsaw Crow. In the Polish version of “Pimp my Ride,” city youth have been spotted risking life and limb (believe me, on Warsaw streets it's not hyperbole) selling and fitting select vehicles with windshield wipers:

They look for men who can be convinced that their 3-tonne pride and joy suffers from fluid distribution issues. The very instant a target shows a moment's doubt he is stripped of his existing wipers. Lips are bitten and faults are pointed out.

On the Polish language blogging front: somebody's finally worrying about a high number of young, qualified Poles leaving the country to seek their fortunes abroad. The city of Wrocław, having apparently run out of skilled construction crews and half-competent plumbers, is launching a billboard campaign in London to persuade the Polish immigrants to come back and live at Wrocław. Oops! comments (POL):

They forgot to sign the poster: “With regards - Polish Tax Office.”

We shouldn't worry, however: Poland will not become completely deserted. In place of young professionals leaving by hundred thousands, we'll be getting coach-loads of western tourists, looking for some of that former soviet block exotics - not to mention cheaper healthcare services:

Poland is currently one of the bigger tourist magnets: we're 11. on the list, before not only Czech Republic & Croatia, but even such tourism giant as Turkey.

That’s the Poland blogopshere update! Until next time - Do widzenia!