Polish Blog A daily dose of Polish life

Sticking to a Communist theme (those wanting more saucy volleyball shots will have to wait a bit) here are a few pictures from 1980′s Poland.

For those that have been in Poland in the winter know it can get quite cold, I remember being told by a woman that she once spend 2 days queuing at Christmas to get some ham.

These days we have people queueing a few hours to get their hands on the latest iphone or Harry Potter book so try to imagine waiting in line for a couple of days in a temperature well below zero to get food for your family. Hard to picture isn’t it.

One thing I hear a lot of from those around at the time and those who visted was the lack of toilet paper. You has to queue for ages to get a couple of rolls of goverment issue grey paper. None of your pastel coloured, double plied fragranced rolls of these days!

If you visited Poland you always took a few rolls with you as even in the best hotels at the time there were shortages.

Queue for toilet paper

Meat Shop

Communist Poland - 1984

Now obviously my apartment is full of plasma tv’s, pinball machines, pool tables and a hot tub but what did a typical apartment look like during Communist times.

Something like this:

From the comments on this post I deduce that most of my readers don’t want to hear about Milk Bars, Communist Buildings, Polish Food, Dramatic weather shots in Poland or UFO Hotels in the Polish Mountains.

Instead, most would like to see Ania Baranska in a tight top and pants. As some 4000+ have arrived here today searching for terms such as “Anna Baranska sexy” and “Ania Baranska photo” I feel obliged to keep you all happy.

Whilst I’m feeling generous if there is any other Polish female player you want to see, leave a comment.

Ania Baranska

Ania Baranska

Ania Baranska

Ania Baranska

The 263 strong team Poland sent to Beijing is one of their largest squads ever participating in the Olympic Games, expectations are high in Poland with members of the public expecting medals in double figures being won during the games. The first day Cuba beat the Polish women in the preliminary match of pool A. In the men’s gymnastics, world champion Polish vaulter Leszek Blanik scored 16.7. In shooting the last one to make the eight-shooter final was Sylwia Bogacka of Poland. In badminton Poland’s Przemyslaw Wacha, currently ranked 13 in the world, enjoyed a 2-0 win over Estonian Raul Must, playing in his first Olympics.

On the second day of the Beijing Olympics the Polish male volleyball team beat Germany 3-0 while the male handball team were victorious over host China 33-19. Poland’s record breaking Otylia Jedrzejczak competed in the 400 free style but failed to qualify to the finals. In other news, the Polish women’s archery team were defeated by France 218 – 211 after advancing to the semi finals. On the tennis court, Marta Domachowska lost in two sets with Cwetana Pironkowa of Bulgaria 3:6, 4:6.

Poland is represented in 24 disciplines in Beijing with track and field athletes with the largest contingent of the Polish squad. According to Irena Szewinska, the winner of seven Olympic medals and a member of Poland’s Olympic Committee this is where we can see many Olympic attempts with three female hammer throwers and Sydney Olympic gold winner Kamila Skolimowska at the top of the list as well as  hammer thrower Szymon Ziólkowski, an Olympic gold medal winner in Sydney.

Still no gold, silver or bronze medals for Poland yet.

I’m quite a fan of the Polish Women’s Gymnastics team, mainly for the same reasons I’m such a Volleyball fan. Unfortunately there is only one female member, Marta Pihan.

Born on July 23, 1987, in Szczecin, Marta Pihan began training at age 7 and engaged to marry Roman Kulesza. Kulesza was a finalist on high bar at the last three European Championships.

“I don’t know when I will finish and what I will do after,” she said of her post Olympic agenda. “Now I think about Beijing mostly, and about my wedding.”

Marta Pihan

Marta Pihan

Poland has some pretty cool and crazy street art, especially in Warsaw.

Let’s take a look:

Poland Street Art - Warsaw

Poland Street Art

Poland Street Art - Warsaw

"Have more respect for women or I'll gonna shoot that bi*ch!"

Aleksandra Klejnowska came 5th in the 2004 Olympics in the 58 kg weightlifting category and is now looking for a medal in Beijing. She recently won the European Championship so lets hope she can carry on her good run.

I look a little bit like this sat on the toilet the morning after a plateful of Kaszanka’s.

Aleksandra Klejnowska

Defending champion China beat back the challenging Poland 3-1 to clinch a second win. The 1.96-meter middle blocker Zhao Ruirui led the Chinese squad to upset the rivals 22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-22 in the deafening cheers of more than 15,000 home fans. Zhao contributed the team 17 points while Polish wing spiker Katarzyna Skowronaska impressed the spectators by scoring the highest 26 points.

Poland V China - Olympic Volleyball

Natalia Partyka serves by nestling the pingpong ball in the crook of her arm, just above the stump, then tossing it into the air.

The 19-year-old, who was born with a right arm that ends just below the elbow, is part of the Polish team at the Beijing Olympics – and the first table tennis player ever to compete in both the Olympics and the Paralympics.

“I’m not thinking too much about that but it’s like a dream come true,” she said. “It’s a new beginning.”

The teen from the picturesque seaside city of Gdansk will return home this fall to begin college, where she will major in physical education. But she has big plans for the future.

“I always wanted to play table tennis and I love to play and I would like to play as long as possible,” she said, setting her sights on the individual and team events at the 2012 London Games.

Natalia Partyka

No medals yet, hopefully some on the way soon!

But which one?

Everyone in Poland is going Volleyball mad at the moment, will the women win the Olympic gold? Would Donald Tusk venture out to China for the final? But no one has asked the most important question… until now. We all know Poland has the most attractive women’s team but which one of them is the most attractive player?

This would of course make them the most attractive woman at the Olympics. Place your vote for your favourite in the comments and the winner gets a post with losts of photos for her fans to enjoy.

Is it Agnieszka Bednarek, Malgorzata Glinka-Mogentale, Anna Baranska ??? You Decide!