foreign astronomer in Poland

catfus · 23 Maja 2011

Hello everyone,

I think you might find it very awkward for somebody who is not Polish to post here, not in Polish language also, but in English. I hope that you will read/translate this topic 'as it is' with no hidden meaning.

First of all, my name is Catalin Fus and I'm a Romanian astronomer that lives in Krakow for over a year now. My website is www.catalinfus.ro and also I have a small business in refractor construction related to this hobby.

After one year here, I find Poland astro community has good things and bad things, just like everywhere else. Unfortunately, the bad things are not the ones to be expected :-).

The good things and which left me a very good impression is the fact that you have established here a nice program of star-parties that are attended by many people. I have been last year in September in Jodlow and I loved it very much. There were there many more people than in Romania at all meetings, and I loved it.

The level of equipment also here is much better than in my home country and this is definitively a big plus. You have also nice astrophotos and , as far as I have tried to understand, the level of knowledge in any discussion around is very good.

The bad things, that were not expected at all, were that during my stay here I have tried to contact in different ways the community and with two exceptions (Lukasz Kempinsky from Warsaw and Pawel Rojewski from Tchew), there were no people interested in knowing me. I doubt there are no astronomers in Krakow and that people are not organizing small expeditions for observing whenever necessary or possible.

Worst part is yet to come, after trying to get some stuff done here in Poland, I have seen that most of the Polish people are trying to cheat as much as they can when they see your not from here and that happened also with someone who is an amateur astronomer , Robert Brygala (nickname Rodom?!)...who has my money sent to him for some aluminium bars from last year and , as we speak, I have nothing in return...just 500Zl lost.

All in all, I hope things will change and I will have my bitter-sweet impression about the astro-community here turned to a good one. I have my mind open and I'm willing to know more people around here, maybe at the next star-party as the one in Bieszczady was not attended due to very bad weather.

I'm looking forward for your responses, if there will be any.

Kind regards from Krakow

Catalin

p.s. if there is anyone kind and wants to translate my post in Polish, I'll thank him/her in advance. No Google Translate :-)

riklaunim · 23 Maja 2011

If you are looking for Rodom then best would be contacting his friends. He isn't active in the astro community at the moment due to some personal issues.

catfus · 23 Maja 2011

If you are looking for Rodom then best would be contacting his friends. He isn't active in the astro community at the moment due to some personal issues.

Hi,

thank you for your suggestion!

I do not want to detail here, as I might be misinterpreted, but I have tried all my best in the communication with him, including friends. I'm sorry if he has problems, I know about that and wish him best of luck but this does not excuse his behavior, I'm sorry.

Catalin

Adam_Jesion · 23 Maja 2011

Worst part is yet to come, after trying to get some stuff done here in Poland, I have seen that most of the Polish people are trying to cheat as much as they can when they see your not from here and that happened also with someone who is an amateur astronomer , Robert Brygala (nickname Rodom?!)...who has my money sent to him for some aluminium bars from last year and , as we speak, I have nothing in return...just 500Zl lost.

I hope it was just a coincidence I do not recall that any such thing happened before

After all, if you want to have a better relationship you will need to learn Polish. I think there is a problem in relationships.

Good luck and as something you need, then let me know.

Adam

catfus · 23 Maja 2011

I hope it was just a coincidence I do not recall that any such thing happened before

After all, if you want to have a better relationship you will need to learn Polish. I think there is a problem in relationships.

Good luck and as something you need, then let me know.

Adam

Adam,

I don't know what to say, my experience in the year I lived here is the one I have described above. I have lived in another culture where personal relations are important and people are more open....I think I should not expect here the same.

Regarding Polish language, I'm trying hard but I have no private lessons and it is hard for me to speak it fluently. What I do not understand is why people that speak English do not want to speak with you in English :-)...I have met a lot of them, seriously.

Someone from Krakow wrote me in private and I have let him know that Monday, 30th of May is a nice event at 7:58 AM, ISS transits the Sun and it seems it will be just in time to see undocking the Space Shuttle, so it will be a historical moment. I'm waiting to see if I'm going alone to see it / photograph it :-)...Hopefully not!

Good luck to you too in your newest adventures, both of them :-)!

Cata

Adam_Jesion · 23 Maja 2011

Cat, give yourself more time. It will be good.

btw - share your photos from ISS session.

Adam

catfus · 23 Maja 2011

Cat, give yourself more time. It will be good.

btw - share your photos from ISS session.

Adam

Adam,

I will as I have no choice :-).

Everyone who wants to see my work can access it on my personal webpage: www.catalinfus.ro

On the front page is the transit I have photographed from Wielka Wies, near Krakow, and it was the last undocking of SS Discovery. Seeing was not good and ISS was small (27arsec) so the details are not impressive but the picture made it 3 days on spaceweather as first page picture and is featured on some French and Spanish magazines, NASA's solar picture on facebook etc.

If the weather will be on my side, I'll gladly share pictures taken next Monday.

Cata

Edytowane 23 Maja 2011 przez catfus

Janko · 24 Maja 2011

...Regarding Polish language, I'm trying hard but I have no private lessons and it is hard for me to speak it fluently. What I do not understand is why people that speak English do not want to speak with you in English :-)...I have met a lot of them, seriously.<br /><br />Someone from Krakow wrote me in private and I have let him know that Monday, 30th of May is a nice event at 7:58 AM, ISS transits the Sun and it seems it will be just in time to see undocking the Space Shuttle, so it will be a historical moment. I'm waiting to see if I'm going alone to see it / photograph it :-)...Hopefully not!<br /><br />Good luck to you too in your newest adventures, both of them :-)!...

Catalin, move to Warsaw! Once we had a nice talk in Jodłów, you showed us Venus before sunset. I'd love to meet you again.

As regards English, people are shy frequently about their knowledge and don't speak, although they understand. Give them time + some encouragement, and they start speaking. Look for younger generation, they are better in it (sorry to say).

I hope, the problem with "bad investment" will solve as well. Maybe it was just unlucky circumstances.

Collegues (Rodom @ his friends), good memory as regards money is very important - do not allow bad opinion on all of us

Koledzy (Rodom i jego przyjaciele), dobra pamięć w sprawach finansowych jest bardzo ważna - nie pozwólcie, byśmy wszyscy mieli złą opinię!

Edytowane 24 Maja 2011 przez Janko
Błędny nick

catfus · 24 Maja 2011

Catalin, move to Warsaw! Once we had a nice talk in Jodłów, you showed us Venus before sunset. I'd love to meet you again.

As regards English, people are shy frequently about their knowlege and don't speak, although they understand. Give them time + some encouragement, and they start speaking. Look for younger generation, they are better in it (sorry to say).

I hope, the problem with "bad investment" will solve as well. Maybe it was just unlucky circumstances.

Collegues (Rodom @ his friends), good memory as regards money is very important - do not allow bad opinion on all of us

Koledzy (Rodom i jego przyjaciele), dobra pamięć w sprawach finansowych jest bardzo ważna - nie pozwólcie, byśmy wszyscy mieli złą opinię!

Hi Janko,

it is the second invitation in 24h, so I'll gladly come!! Just have to pack, get the family in the car and on the road we are!! :-))

Joking aside, I'll make a trip to Lukasz Kempinsky in about two weeks so I'll be around Warsaw if you want to talk during 10-12th of June. I'll gladly meet you :-). I have built a Classical Cassegrain , 250mm f/20 and we are meeting to 'evaluate it' .

I hope also the problem will be solved but I have close to Zero hopes :-).

Regards

Cata

Edytowane 24 Maja 2011 przez Janko
Mistake in nick

Pawel_Maksym · 24 Maja 2011

Hi Cata nice to see Romanian brother among us!

I hope that Your problems with some of our forum-mates will be solved soon - if not just give us know and we'll fix it in Slovian style, trust me :compress: !

BTW in Romania is quite strong community of occultation observers - do You know them?

About our national disadvantages - yes we are less open and trustful than in southern coutry but thanks to that we are better friends after longer period.

So welcome on our forum and see You on one of our Zlot - Sky Party.

Starry Sky,

Pawel Maksym

PS

If You'll be in central Poland remember to visit www.bukowiecobservatory.pl

catfus · 25 Maja 2011

Hi Cata nice to see Romanian brother among us!

I hope that Your problems with some of our forum-mates will be solved soon - if not just give us know and we'll fix it in Slovian style, trust me :compress: !

Hi Paweł,

nice to meet you and I'm glad I have received many 'welcome' messages!

Time will resolve this problem, one way or the other...we'll see :-)!

BTW in Romania is quite strong community of occultation observers - do You know them?

Well, if you give me some names, I can tell you if I know them or not. My friends from Bucharest are usually going out in a group of 8-10 people, maybe more. I do not know for sure if you are talking about them or not.

About our national disadvantages - yes we are less open and trustful than in southern coutry but thanks to that we are better friends after longer period.

Hopefully I'll see that :-)!

So welcome on our forum and see You on one of our Zlot - Sky Party.

I'll gladly come if I will know about it! You are talking about different meetings than those initiated by astropolis?

Regards,

Cata

gregohr · 25 Maja 2011

You are talking about different meetings than those initiated by astropolis?

Hi Cata,

I do not actually why, but Your name was on the list of participants of star party in Zatom (took place in March 2011)- I think it was Rodom's idea (enlisting started in October 2010- and then Your name appeared, perhaps You were talking to him about it then?). In the end You didn't come... nevertheless- we are going to meet there again in Autumn- here's the link for enlisting: LINK

I know it is far from Krakow, but maybe You would be interested...

Adam_Jesion · 25 Maja 2011

Cata, our event will be Sept. 29 (4 days). You're welcome.

Official entries in June.

catfus · 25 Maja 2011

Gregohr and Adam, are you talking about the same event? Zatom , between 29th September - 2 October?

I'll have to check if this event is superimposed to some events in Germany that I have to attend because of my business, if not, I'll gladly come.

It is possible that Robert put me on the list but I didn't knew it. I had a discussion with him about this star-party but as I have seen is 7h+ driving distance, it was not possible for me to come anyway and I choose to go in Bieszczady instead if weather allowed it.....it didn' :-( so this year , until now, it is 'bez-starparty'.

Regards

Cata

Adam_Jesion · 25 Maja 2011

Gregohr and Adam, are you talking about the same event? Zatom , between 29th September - 2 October?

Honestly, I do not even know what it is (Zatom star party). At this time in Poland there are many different star parties so you have a choice.

gregohr · 25 Maja 2011

Zatom is different party (altough term is the same), generally we found this place because Bieszczady are far from our region- and it is more than driving 7h from Krakow (pals from Czestochowa drove about 9h last time).