Euro 2012 challenge

On the subject of EURO 2012, I just read an article on TurkishPress.com about how big a challenge it is going to be for both Poland and Ukraine to get the infrastructure in place for the big event.

It was an interesting read I must say. I know what things look like in Poland. After all I spent there 20+ years and even after 2 years and a half here I know what must be done over there. The part of the article on Ukraine was more interesting. I am sure they are facing even a bigger challenge than the Poles.

I have never been to Ukraine myself; I can imagine what it is there like from stories heard and if this country is in any way comparable to Lithuania... well then it is going to be a tremendous task ahead of them. I hope no Lithuanian or Ukrainian will take an offence here at me comparing their countries...


Anyway, the reporter who wrote this caption under the photo on the right made a mistake...

"Ukranian Football Federation Chairman Grigory Surkis(L) kisses his Polish counterpart Michael Listkiewicz after both countries were chosen to co-host the Euro 2012 tournament at a ceremony in Cardiff, Wales.
(AFP)" (source: TurkishPress.com)


The thing is Listkiewicz is the grey-haired, taller guy! His photo (on the left) was taken from here.

I can understand when reporters mistake the Polish president with the Polish prime minister. They are identical twins after all; though not to know which one visited Mr. Blair in UK and which one went to Germany to pay a visit to Ms. Merkel... well... was not very professional.

But then ... to mistake Mr. Surkis and Mr. Listkiewicz? A bad reporter's day to say the least.

A little note on Lithuania:
One of the things I was really impressed by in Lithuania were trains. I went from Vilnius to Riga on an overnight train. It was old, huge and black with steam coming out of the chimney. Inside an employee was putting coal into the furnace. This was the nicest train trip I had - in a warm, relatively comfortable compartment. It was better than a Polish train and it was incredibly punctual with the arrival at the destination not one minute late or one minute early. It will not be much of a consolation though for a football fun travelling between Poland and Ukraine - 22 hours' trip would discourage anyone and make attending most matches simply impossible.


Source of this photo - here.

EURO 2012

In Poland every fan of football is so happy and proud with the fact that Ukraine and Poland are going to host the Euro 2012. I can understand this perfectly. Poland will build new roads. There will be new stadia built. There will be more work and maybe some of the disillusioned Poles will go back to Poland to get jobs at the construction sites.... just joking ...

Someone must do it though. Maybe Ukrainians will immigrate to Poland to help them out down there...

Polish government complains there are not enough people to work in Poland but they hardly do anything to encourage their citizens to come back.

The situation of the Poles in Ireland is both complex and complicated and would merit a separate post. Or posts.

Still, here I want to mention something else.
Because EURO 2012 will take place in Eastern Europe, the English published a quick guide for English fans. Below are some excerpts and here is the source.

Ten Polish Phrases You Might Need

Dzien dobry - Hello.

Do widzenia - Goodbye.

Na zdrowie! - Cheers!

Piersi - Breasts.

Ile kosztuje befsztyk? - How much is the steak?

Ile to kosztuje? - How much does it cost?

Gdzie jest toaleta? - Where is the toilet?

Jaki jest Twoj numer telefonu? - What's your phone number?

Jestem w ciazy - I'm pregnant.

Wyjezdzam jutro. Powodzenia - I'm leaving tomorrow. Good luck

Five Famous Poles
- Nicolaus Copernicus was the first European astronomer to formulate a modern heliocentric theory of the solar system. But who would have guessed he was Polish?

- Marie Curie, born Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity, the first twice-honored Nobel laureate (and still today the only laureate in two different sciences), and the first female professor at the Sorbonne.

- Pope John Paul II reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City from October 16, 1978, until his death more than 26 years later. He is the only pope to have come from Poland, and was the first non-Italian pope since the German Adrian VI in the 1520s. He was also a decent goalkeeper.

-The North Pole is the northernmost point on the surface of the Earth, where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface. Father Christmas lives there.

- Lucyna Cwierczakiewiczowa was a Polish writer, journalist and author of the first Polish cookery book, in 1858. Doesn't ring a bell? That's probably because you know her by her more commonly used name of, erm, Lucyna Cwierciakiewiczowa. No? Ignoramus"

End of quote

My opinion? I am mad at English people's ignorance and lack of good taste. I do have a sense of humour and I love laughing but I feel offended here as a Pole. Have they intended this to be funny? Or informative in any way? I do not see anything funny here or informative, really.

No more comment on my part.

England - out of the pitch please.

Source of the image.
Source of the top image: here