The KrakCast

Yeah, it was two weeks ago but the drama surrounding the production of Polish television's New Year's Eve concerts was more interesting than usual this year. Did the boss of TVP know that he paid $300k to the, um, author of "Swalla"? How many Boney M's are there, anyway? Is "Cyberhooker" a fair way to describe Cleo?  You decide. 

We start 2022 (kind of late) with news about what Dr. Mike and Andrzej Duda have in common, the manager of the Polish national football team wants a change of scenery, new and more severe penalties will save drivers in Poland from themselves, private student dormitories drive neighbors crazy, creative photography in Krakow's Rynek and a new solution to getting caught for being on a bus without a ticket. 

In our last episode of 2021, we talk about Christmas in Poland with the help of a Holiday Quiz that asks important questions on topics like carp, presents, real vs. fake trees and murderous rage. Merry Christmas, everybody! 

The last news of 2021 starts with the WORST AIR IN THE WORLD, increased penalties for traffic idiocy, the UK helps to build the Polish border fence, a soldier defects the wrong way, top names in 2021, contactless payments for (hopefully) contactless toilets. 

Dr. Mike is back (sorry about that) as we chat about Speedos, 40 years since martial law in Poland, dirty furnaces, half of Poland earns less than 4,700zl, szopki, the war on graffiti, the Lumberjack returns to McDonald's and someone thinks Łódź is "exciting". 

We're not just talking about "computer" or "parking" or "weekend". There are lots of words and phrases used in everyday Polish that make us wonder why the Polish word isn't used (and if there even is a Polish word). Also, can we agree that whoever thought of "Brain Park" has no brain? 

After discussing the national threat level and introducing our special guest, we move on to Poland's chances to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar ("Cutter"? "Gutter"?), what happened to Krakow's prostitutes, tickets for the maskless, a B-list Polish celebrity gets canceled, January 1 means higher prices in Poland for some reason, a new model for apartment renters and a Picasso is sold in Krakow.  

Who knew there was so much money in flour, auto parts and whatever Tauron does? A recent report from a business magazine reveals the biggest companies in the country based on their turnover. You definitely know some of the names and you definitely don't know others. Listen as we look at the top ten both locally and nationally. 

After Gabi finally finishes describing her intense love for Justin Beiber, we talk about how the music scene in Poland has completely transformed in the last 20 years but, for various reasons, the live music situation in Krakow could be much better (with all due respect to Josh, who is a local legend of the stage). 

It's like Italian with a slightly harder edge and a dash of Portuguese. Or something. Romanian is a romance language but far removed geographically from its language cousins. Join us for a conversation about how that happened along with some crucial information about your mother's onion. 

After a discussion of Uber prices, we get Gabi's take on the abortion debate in Poland, Donald Tusk's need for speed, a proposal to enable employers to check your COVID status and Poles are spending big money on nice cars (and parking spaces). 

Why do so many U.S. tv & film productions have a Polish maid? Why are Polish characters always working class and never some rich aristocrat? Join us for a discussion about how it often seems that "Poland" is an easy shortcut for "the part of Europe that isn't rich and cool" for casting directors in Hollyweird and how Poland is viewed as a national "brand". 

The abortion debate is back in the headlines because of a tragic death, the Czechs are mad at a Polish coal mine, thanks to the EU for higher earnings, 20zl becomes 100zl, McDonald's tries to be cool and more McD's talk. 

Yes, we know Halloween was two weeks ago but what we saw confirms what we've suspected for years — Halloween has become a thing in Poland. From parties for adults to trick-or-treating for kids, listen as we discuss how it grows every year and will continue to do so. 

The news this week starts with time off work for half the population, the situation on the Belarussian border gets even worse, the Independence Day march in Warsaw, the broken stairs behind the bus station, 60,000 new cars on the streets of Krakow and the Polish national football welcomes...Matty Cash?

If you're worried that you won't know how to introduce yourself at a party if you find yourself in Iran, you're in luck! Our friend Daniel from Tehran joined us to tell us all about Farsi, also known as Persian, and the many ways it's both similar to and very different from more familiar European languages. Join us for a chat about this fascinating language and learn the best way to REALLY offend someone on your next trip to Iran. 

After a discussion of upcoming holidays and the time change this weekend, we finally get into the news, including the throwdown in Brussels, Krakow's metro system idea is not quite dead yet, everything is more expensive, the cost of Christmas decorations, Zabka delivery and Dr. Mike is a terrible tipper. 

Sometimes Hollywood movie titles aren't translated at all, sometimes they're literally translated and sometimes they get completely new (and bizarre) titles that make you wonder what the hell they were thinking. "Szklana pułapka"? "Elektroniczny morderca"? Listen as we discuss where they get these titles from and how much alcohol was involved. 

Zbigniew Pietrzykowski was an extremely accomplished boxer long before he stepped in the ring with the man who would become arguably the greatest sporting icon of all time. Professor Patrick Vaughan from UJ joins us to discuss a film project that documents the life and career of this fascinating but overlooked part of Polish sporting history. 

When you think about places with a large ethnic Polish population, Brazil probably doesn't come to mind. In fact, a city called Curitiba in the far south of that nation is home to one of the largest Polish communities in the world. Listen as we speak to someone from Curitiba and learn about its Polish past and present.