Author: myPOLcast

POLcast is an English language podcast, a colourful audio magazine delivered directly to your smartphone, computer or tablet. POLcast is created for everybody interested in Poland. If you have a Polish customer, colleague, girlfriend or grandmother - you will hear something helping you to enrich these relations. Each episode brings you interesting interviews, historical facts, trivia and more.

This story was featured in: Episode 5 Zig Misiak (born Zygmunt Marian Misiak) Listen to the full Interview (for POLcast show we have to cut, but this longer story is truly fascinating!): As President of Real People’s History Zig has been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, The Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers, Shining Star Award, the George and Oliver Siebel Award, and Life-time achievement award for his contributions and support of the Six Nations, to name a few. Zig, with his friend Raymond Skye, co-authored the Six Nations Iroquois Program Teachers Resource Guide now in hundreds of schools across…

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The 2016 Book Expo America will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago from May 11-13 and will feature Poland as its country of honor. To celebrate this special occasion, the Polish Book Institute is hosting a delegation of ten of the most interesting authors, poets, and literary artists at bookstores and special venues across the City. Don’t miss these free programs from Tuesday May 10 through Saturday May 14. Read more

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In this episode: Why a young, successful British singer sings about Polish history and everybody loves it. How is it to grow up in a Polish-Persian family. How a Polish pharmacist invented a process which produces gasoline. Why the Polish language is special when it comes to talking to your lover. About Poland export specialties: vodka, beer and… bison.

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This story was featured in: Episode 4 Katy Carr is a Polish-British singer, musician, songwriter and aviator. A multi instrumentalist, she plays a vintage electric Wurlitzer piano, ukulele and banjolele. POLcast’s Margaret P. Bonikowska spoke to Katy just a few days before she left for Poland, in February. Here is the longer version of our conversation: Born in Nottingham, England, to a Polish mother and a Scottish father, Katy Carr is a highly respected British artist whose music gets rave reviews in mainstream British media. Her third album “Coquette” was called “simply a masterpiece” and her music has brought her…

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In this episode: Polish idioms Canadian jazz musican and his incredible story that joins art, family mystery and Poland (part 2) Cabbage – the Polish way An extraordinary four-legged soldier Can you guess this sound from Poland?

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This story was featured in: Episode 3 Wojtek the Bear – a hero of World War 2, a Syrian brown bear found in Iran and adopted by soldiers of the 22nd Artillery Supply Company of the Polish II Corps. He was later officially enlisted as a soldier of the company with the rank of private, and subsequently became a corporal.[1]During the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek helped move crates of ammunition. The most recent statue of Wojtek. This bronze statue of Wojtek in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens was created by the sculptor Alan Beattie Herriot and unveiled on 7 November 2015. It represents Wojtek and a Polish Army…

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In this episode: Husaria – about our logo Canadian jazz musican and his incredible story that joins art, family mystery and Poland Why the Polish language is so difficult How best to see the whole of Canada: by cycling from the Pacific to the Atlantic Can you guess this sound from Poland?

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This story was featured in: Episode 3 and Episode 2 Ron Davis is a renowned Canadia Jazz musician. classically trained jazz pianist and composer based in Toronto, Canada. After studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Davis went on to study under Darwyn Aitken. He is known for his wide-ranging musical interests, and has published nine recordings under his name. The most recent one, Symphronica (2013; Acronym/Universal Music), is a fusion of jazz and classical music performed with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra under conductor John Morris Russell. Interestingly, Ron is also a former French professor and lawyer. Ron is married to Italian-Canadian jazz-pop singer-songwriter Daniela Nardi and…

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this story was featured in: Episode 2 Few people have done this, even fewer women. 7,200 km from the Pacific to the Atlantic on a bike takes incredible strength, perseverance and skill. Anna Sienicka, a homeopath from Toronto, a holistic practitioner, author, lecturer, the founder of Toronto’s Wholistic Care Center and a Health Coach with expertise in Women’s Health, accomplished this! She says: “I made an 18-year-old dream of mine come true. I packed up my bike, my son and my parents and I cycled 7,200km across Canada.  Yes… from one coast to the other in less than three months!” Her journey began on…

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In our first episode we explained how we came up with our name POLCAST Pol…and all that jazz Today a few words about our logo – a wing over the microphone. Why the wing? There are numerous symbols of Poland – the eagle, the stork, amber and also hussaria. Winged Hussars, were one of the main types of the cavalry between the 16th and 18th centuries.   Adopted from Serbians in the 14th centrury, the name is Hungarian. Considered the elite of the Polish cavalry, they were recruited from the wealthier Polish nobility. Remember the story about coffee and Battle…

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