EURO 2012 - Go Poland!

During the first and inaugural game on Friday, June 8th, Poland had a great chance to win the match with Greece.  The great UEFA website tracks all the scores, dates, and venues.

The first half was awesome!  Poles were masters of the pitch, like energizer bunnies.  Robert Lewandowski with an assist from Jakub Błaszczykowski, both playing for Borussia Dortmund, scored a goal, and the game became dramatic.  Sokratis Papastathopoulis got a red card and Greeks where left with 10 players.  

Things changed during the 2nd half.  Greeks had nothing to loose and they attacked strongly with Dimitris Salpingidis scoring an equalizer at 50th minute.  

But wait!  The game got even more twisted in the 69th minute when Polish goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczęsny got a red card for a foul on Salpingidis in front of the goal.  Out for Szczęsny, in for Przemysław Tytoń, penalty kick for Greece.

And the miracles do happen!  Tytoń denied the penalty kick by Giorgos Karagounis.  Instant hero.

The final sore remained 1-1.  Poles could win this match but just couldn't get it together during the 2nd half.  I hope they learn from this performance and get ready for Russians on Tuesday.  

For the football lovers or soccer lovers in US, you can get a great Adidas Euro2012 Repliq Ball White/black Size 5.

EURO 2012 starts today!

EURO 2012 aka UEFA European Championship is starting today, in Poland and Ukraine, with an inauguration ceremony at the National Stadium (Stadion Narodowy) in Warsaw (Warszawa).  The ceremony will be followed by the first Group A match: Poland vs. Greece.  


Go Poland!  My score prediction is 2:1 for Poland.  Will see.


If you have an AT&T service, or whatever other service listed on the site, you can watch live feeds on the ESPN website.  This is a great way to follow this third largest sporting event in the world, right after the Olympics and FIFA World Cup.  


16 European teams in 4 groups will compete for the 2012 European Championship.  


Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Group B: Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Portugal
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England


Poland and Ukraine completed an astonishing number of projects despite the worldwide recession and Euro financial troubles.  Even though Ukraine is not a member of EU, the country led to EURO 2012 to be organized together with Poland.  


Thank you for that Ukraine, Poles know about your commitment.


Despite some unfair reports from BBC and other Western media, Poland is ready for the challenge.  New roads, hotels, train stations, and above all, friendly Poles welcome all the teams and their fans with open arms.  Polish traditional bread and salt welcome was a huge hit and a surprise to many foreign teams.  Italian team was greeted at the Krakow airport, Irish team had a welcome ceremony in Sopot (near Gdansk). 


But the best welcome, not surprisingly since he was born in Poland, went to Lukas Podolski who plays for German team.  On June 4th, Podolski turned 27 so during the practice in Gdansk, 11,000 Polish fans sang the traditional Happy Birthday "100 lat" (live a hundred years).  Check out the video from the event.

If you are the lucky ticket holder, enjoy your time.  Thanks for visiting Poland!

President Obama appologizes for "death camp" blunder

After a worldwide outrage over President Obama's "Polish death camp" remarks during the Presidential Medal of Freedom award ceremony posthumously recognizing Jan Karski, Polish resistance fighter who made the West aware of the German Nazi death camps, the official apology letter from Barack Obama was finally delivered to the office of Polish President, Bronislaw Komorowski.

As reported on my previous post, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor, tried to control the damage issuing a video statement to assure the world that President Obama simply misspoke during the ceremony.  However, in his letter to Obama, Polish President asked for an official statement of apology from President Obama.

The letter from May 31st, 2012, was posted on the Polish President's website.  Copy of the actual letter is included below.

Thank you for your letter of May 30.  I was proud to honor Jan Karski with the Medal of Freedom, our nation's highest civilian honor. My decision to do so was a reflection of the high esteem in which the American people hold not only a great Polish patriot, but the extraordinary sacrifices of the Polish people during the Nazi occupation of the Second World War.

In referring to "a Polish death camp" rather than " a Nazi death camp in German-occupied Poland," I inadvertently used the phrase that has caused many Poles anguish over the years and that Poland has rightly campaigned to eliminate from public discourse around the world. I regret the error and agree that this moment is an opportunity to ensure that this and future generations know the truth.

A we all know, the Polish people suffered terribly under the brutal Nazi occupation during World War II. In pursuit of their goals of destroying the Polish nation and Polish culture and exterminating European Jewry, the Nazis killed some six million Polish citizens, including three million Polish Jews during the Holocaust. The bravery of Poles in the underground resistance is one of history's great stories of heroism and courage.

Moreover, there simply were no "Polish death camps." The killing centers at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Treblinka, and elsewhere in occupied Poland were built and operated by the Nazi regime. In contrast, many Poles risked their lives - and gave their lives - to save Jews from the Holocaust.

That is why I paid tribute to Polish victims of the Holocaust during my visit to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in April. It is why I was honored to pay my respect at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier and the Monument to the Heroes of the Ghetto during my visit to Warsaw last year. An it is why, during the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 201, I commended the government and people of Poland for preserving a place of such pain in order to promote remembrance and learning for the world.

I know well the bonds of friendship between our two countries. I was proud to welcome you to the NATO Summit in my home town of Chicago, which is home to the largest Polish community in the world outside Warsaw. As President, I have worked with you to strengthen the enduring ties between our nations so that our alliance is stronger than it has ever been.

Poland is one of America's strongest and closest allies. We stand united in facing the challenges of the 21st century in Europe and around the world, and I am confident that, working together, we can ensure that the unbreakable bonds of friendship and solidarity between us will only grow stronger in the days and years ahead.

Part 1

Part 2

For years, Polish government and Polish diaspora organizations around the world, pursue the historic truth and stomp out any attempts of World Word II revisionism shifting the blame for the Holocaust, killing millions of non-Jewish citizens, death camps, concentration camps, and work camps from Nazi Germany to then-occupied Poland.  

1939-1945 was a very painful period of Polish history, hopefully, this well publicized mistake will spread awareness throughout the world.

The nation that doesn't preserve it's true history, it's on mercy of its adversaries.

President Obama stepped in it

For many Americans, Jan Karski, a Polish courier who escaped occupied Poland in 1942 to spread the horrible truth about the Holocaust to the Western World, is an unknown figure of World Word II.  Alex Storozynski, President of the Kosciuszko Foundation, summarizes the story of Karski in his recent article at Huffington Post.  

Twelve years after his passing, President Obama awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Jan Karski during the ceremony at Washington, DC.  Jan Karski is already recognized as The Righteous Among The Nations at Yad Vashem along with over 6,000 Poles who saved many Jews during the war.

Shockingly, President Obama's remarks during the ceremony about the "Polish death camp", sent waves of outrage throughout the Polish community living abroad and Poles in Poland.  Even though, the Whitehouse apologized for the mistake, the damage was done.  For years, Western media is basically trying hard to change the history by using the incorrect naming convention for the German Nazi death camps operated in Poland during the WWII.  The influence of the media misinformation, is slowly working its poison throughout the American society.

To officially clear any inconsistencies, the proper name for the death camps was approved by UNESCO.  Wiki article explains the correct naming:

Concerns about the use of the term Polish death camp led the Polish government to request that UNESCO change the official name of Auschwitz from "Auschwitz Concentration Camp" to "former Nazi German concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau"^{[13][14][15][16][17]} in order to make clearer that the concentration camp was built and operated by Nazi Germany. On 28 June 2007 at its meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO changed the name of the camp to "Auschwitz Birkenau. German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945)."^[18][19] Previously, some media, including Der Spiegel in Germany, had called the camp "Polish".^[20] The New York Times regularly refers to Auschwitz as Polish rather than German.^[21]

Polish-American organizations fight with that misinformation every time a major newspaper or a TV station incorrectly use the death camp name.  However, for some unknown reason, the "Polish death camp" name is used more and more frequently in articles and publications.  Let's not allow this blatant mistake to shadow the real culprits behind the Holocaust - the Nazi Germany.   

Remember, over 2 million Poles died in the WW2 alongside 3 million Polish Jews.  The numbers speak for themselves.

No way! It's a highway!

Contrary to all of the negative press and constant rant of the opposition party, Law and Justice, Euro 2012 visitors will be able to drive to Warsaw on the newest Polish highway– A2. On Tuesday night (May 22nd), 7 kilometer part of the highway between Konotopa and Pruszkow was opened to the public. Take a look at the video. 

                                       Video: youtube.com

Remaining stretches are almost ready for the traffic and they will be opened for Euro 2012, although the work will complete in October 2012. For Poland, this is very exciting time. The country is getting new highways that will connect West and East and North and South. Even now, getting to Warsaw from Berlin by car is a very smooth ride.

Good job Poles. Keep those shovels digging and those bulldozers plowing.

UPDATE: On May 27th, another part of the A2 highway, section D, was completed.  It's a 18 km stretch connecting Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Pruszkow.  The general contractor, Strabag company, claims that they took a hit on the contract and had to spend additional money to complete the project.  In any case, besides some last minute details, motorists are using the road already.
ANOTHER UPDATE: On June 1st, section B was approved for usage.  The 17 km part connects Bolimowo and Hipolitowo.  It was built by consortium lead by Mostostal Warszawa.  Drivers are still waiting for a final go, but the road is read.
Still waiting for A and C!!!  You can make it!  Put some windex on it!

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: It's official: you can drive all the way from Berlin to Warsaw (Warszawa) on A2 motorway!  On June 7th, part A and C were opened to the public.
It was a huge undertake for Polish government to finish this project on time for Euro 2012.  But the great news is: the highway will be used by everyday Poles to quickly move around the country, which in itself, is a great accomplishment.  Fantastic job!!!

Anyone wants to comment?  

Polish May 3rd Constitution Day Parade - Chicago

They did it again! Today, the Polish Constitution Day Parade, in celebration of signing of the Constitution of May 3, 1791, marched on South Columbus Drive in downtown Chicago. It's a great celebration of this important document (second such Constitution in the world after US) and a way to remind Americans that Poles are a huge part of the Chicagoland and the United States. Check out my slide show with some parade pictures. 

What really impressed me was the abundance of Polish language schools, represented by students, teacher's, and parents. Polish schools from all over Chicago and surrounding counties showed up in great number. Considering the cold temperature - thank you for your commitment.  It's a great feeling knowing that the second and third generation of Poles are learning the language and, most of all, the Polish culture. Knowing from a personal experience, the kids sometimes don't see the benefit in learning any of the above, but later in life they look back and cherish their memories and the time spent in Polish schools. 

Is Polish language irrelevant in the world? Far from it. There are 38 million Poles living in Poland with 21 million of immigrants and their descents living abroad. With the business opportunities in democratic Poland, tourism, and rich culture, Polish language is very handy. Not to mention the European Union integration, immigration, and business.  Besides, if a person learns one language, learning another is quite easy.

Happy Constitution Day! Maybe I see you next year in downtown Chicago.

Poland is ready for EURO CUP 2012

After years of preparation, construction, and political bickering, Poland and Ukraine are ready for EURO 2012 European Football Championship.  And by football, I mean soccer - just to be clear with US readers.  The tournament kick-off begins on June 8th in Warsaw with the final on July 1st in Kyiv.  UEFA president Michel Platini, is still unhappy with the state of new venues in both countries and hotel room prices in Ukraine.  I presume, bitching is his job.

Poles and Ukrainians, on the other hand, are ecstatic.  Poland gained four great stadiums, new roads, and new highways that will serve for years to come.  All of the host cities completed all the construction projects for supporting infrastructure: train stations, new bus lines, new hotels, parking lots, and metric ton more - yes I used metric system to make a point.  Some claim, Poland escaped recession with all that money spent everywhere.  For the Eastern European countries to accomplish project of such proportions - is a success. 

Will regular folks enjoy some profits and stack of zlotych (Polish currency) serving the tourists?  They sure will.  Since the hotel room are gone long time ago, there are plenty of private rooms and apartments for rent for the tournament.  Some accommodations are tight but who would complain about the room having a blast with kielbasa and high octane beverage enjoying Polish hospitality?

Check out the fast motion videos from the construction site of the National Stadium (Stadion Narodowy) in Warsaw.   

Host cities in Poland: Warszawa, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Poznan
Host cities in Ukraine: Kyiv, Lviv, Donetsk, Kharkiv