UK, Ireland / Polish Orientated rentals website in Scotland required. [5]

The only one I can remember is the Thomson Directory, a blue book. It should be freely available and I'm sure they'll have a website.

Not sure about the Polish element though.

Life / 800 thousand Polish women are victims of domestic abuse yearly [180]

It's hard for me to imagine the figure being that high. I surmise that a large part of that figure is verbal abuse after drinking. There is a fair element of frustration and unrest and it could manifest itself that way. It needn't be solely physical abuse.

Love / How can a black man get a Polish women [248]

Certain people can manipulate and alter demographics you know ;) ;)

Wasn't it strange that the SARS virus broke out in China in 2003? That scuppered my trip to Shanghai, goddamn it.

News / Poland..wake up to a multicultural world [1059]

I agree, nunczka. Vafunkoolo was just making a statement without any attempt to be PC. Whether or not we agree with it is a different matter.

Randal is right in that being too PC is a future and even present danger. Still, we have got the message.

Love / How can a black man get a Polish women [248]

It was a little strange but I guess he had his reasons. It flies in the face of many publications which have been independently verified. There are videos on Youtube.

Love / How can a black man get a Polish women [248]

That would be Ahmedinejad, Randal. I don't agree with him on this one.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

I agree that the earlier stages give the students the most benefit. It grounds them in matching and the tempo of the language. I gave a demo lesson to a good teacher on how best to teach stage 1. You need energy and rhythm. That was it, going with the flow. Holding the attention of the students is another critical thing. This is why I feel for the newbie who started today. The students expect certain standards with certain teachers. They can see when you are off the boil or slightly distracted. This isn't the case in methods where the TTT is significantly less. You can 'goof off', provided you generally keep the thread. STT is the order of the day in non-Callan environments. There's more scope for diversity but in Callan it can be rigid.

Some of the higher level answers were funny. Some even attempted the 'If you were in the middle of the jungle....' as a full throwback at the teacher. I knew that word for word, how sad.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

I know the owners of Speed. They treated me quite well overall. Knowing Callan is useful in Poland, it can open up some doors. I was invited to do extra classes in Britam but I handed them across to my co-trainer at Callan. He was more interested in the method as I had lost heart. It's not something I'd gladly go back to. I prefer discussions and classical teaching which my current school gives me.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

Some of them may employ Callan as a method. Britam do here. Others may do. You will get a grounding in the grammar which you can use elsewhere.

History / Jewish love towards Poles [389]

If they're not careful, they'll be spreading more than love! Not so 'magic'

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

The EU is founded on certain pillars. It is a very varied entity. Well, the two are not mutually exclusive, HB. Gordon Brown reaffirmed his commitment to Europe in a recent speech but being European to Eurocrats is going the full hog. Brown is not taking on the Euro for now but other forces will determine his future decision.

Industry, well, that came about through the creation of the common market. This was particularly prevalent around John Major's tenure (ex Conservative PM in Britain). He was a prominent figure in the Maastricht negotiations, along with Norman Lamont who was then the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It's a pity that we didn't have the expertise of Kenneth Clarke around that time(former Tory and now occasional Bilderberger). He was a Tory but a good politician.

Seminal cases lay the foundations of the EU. Costa Vs ENEL established the supremacy of EU Law. Dassonville the freedom of goods/trade. Van Binsbergen, the free movement of services within the EU. We also have different levels of legislation. Directly applicable Regulations, Directives with direct effect and Decisions which are not binding.

I'm not sure how new this info is to you, HB. It was rammed into me at Uni. I did my Honours year (final year of the first degree) and postgrad year on it.

Seanny, it was about the constant striving towards union, predicated on solid pillars and after the creation of the common market. It was the European Economic Community (EEC), then the European Community (EC) but Union was seen as a more complete name for the processes that had been undergone.

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

Basic History really. Well, tracing it back yes. The ECSC was the most noteworthy form of solidarity between France and Germany. I think it was largely coincidental. I mean, Stalin's death wasn't exactly on the cards for 1953. The EC was what Britain joined in 1972/73. It took us 15 years to become part of the new European fabric. The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 brought about the EU. The Amsterdam Treaty drafted in some new measures but it still remained, and will remain, as the EU.

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

One was as bad as the other. Stalin only ruled for 8 more years after the end of WWII.

We have America to thank for winning WWII, I will always maintain that. Still, it was a WORLD War after all. America paved the way for the modern EU. France and Germany came together just at the time of Stalin's death actually. Stalin passed away in 1953 which was when the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community) was founded. It was the predecessor of the EEC which was formed in 1957. Then the EC, then the EU.

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

Germany was one formidable power!! HB is right, Tehran and Yalta sealed Poland's fate. It was a kind of present to Uncle Joe for his stalwart efforts.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

Precisely, that's another naff thing about it. You are supposed to pick up from where the last teacher left off. To hell with that, one teacher was so damned lazy that she always left me a stack of revision. Having had time to think about the method, I feel that it isn't really useful in practical situations for the most part. I can't imagine the students using it in any meaningful way.

Still, practice is practice and you have some beer money now.

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

Wow, isn't this a forum after all? It seems like some Americans just see it as a tussle which must be won. What's with that?

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

Yeah, if other countries perform heinous acts which offend others then burn those flags too as a symbolic gesture.

I was focussing on America as it is the title of the thread.

Life / Is it difficult to survive in Warsaw without any Polish knowledge? [30]

Many are in the same boat. It's a tough nut to crack but good luck. Persistence pays sometimes.

Life / Is it difficult to survive in Warsaw without any Polish knowledge? [30]

You have online resources you know. They'll give you the basics.

Life / Is it difficult to survive in Warsaw without any Polish knowledge? [30]

True enough, Randal. Even when I went to Seoul, just for 3 days, I learned how to say good day and thank you.

I find it natural to just pick up a few words and use them. To be otherwise would just be ignorant.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

A tenner an hour is around 50PLN, that's more like it. It's as the old expression goes, 'pay peanuts and you get monkeys'. 25PLN is pants!

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

I heard from a really cool and smart guy that Poland was meant to benefit from an American scheme but the Americans pulled the plug. This made many angry. Pretense and pretext, the hallmarks of the American administration. Come on Obama, you can take things forward!

So enlighten us then, or do you wish to discuss something Polish?

Sledz, some take drugs, many work hard, there is a crisis. Many drink coffee and eat fast food. Many go to gyms. There is very little mystical about America. You make it out like it's something special.

Burning the flag is justified if we consider what American troops did to the Afghans over there. Even Richard Perle described it as unjustifiable. They slaughtered them and also transported them without water in cattle trucks. They had to lick the sweat off of one another as they had no other option.

What about Gitmo? Torture is not a sure-fire method of extracting the truth, it's just for venting. Obama did well in closing it down.

The number of innocent deaths from America and their proxy, Israel, defies belief.

News / Poles are coming home [35]

Well, it hasn't really bit if that's what you mean. I've gone down a bit but am still well afloat. As a couple, my fiancee and I are quite solvent.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

Yeah, be firm as they will play that card with you. Truth be told, some managers here are more stingy than Aberdonians, no word of a lie. They feel that the world owes them a living and they will bleed you dry and justify all manner of sins.

Expectations is another point. I was discussing this with my fiancee last night. Many Poles see their education as somehow superior, rather than just different. I see this defensive arrogance all too often. I don't like to see that but I do think the education level is quite good here and that they are underpaid. Having said that, they have to accept it and move on, create their own luck and conditions. Inflation has gone up 3.3% and I've noticed price increases. People are scrapping and it's 'fight or flight', 'swim or drown' in these times.

News / Some Poles burning American flag [299]

I think talk of revolution is a bit OTT though I don't live in America so it's hard to say. Civil rights will be the next hot potato. HB was right to say that Americans didn't accept civil rights infractions but sometimes they aren't even aware of the encroachments into their freedom. The key word here is awareness.

Well, Joe and others actually discuss issues which helps to confirm or negate what I have read. You don't know what goes on in all channels of government either, laddie.

It was you who said how shady politicians are in Chicago, that gave me a clear enough picture.

Coming from a twat from tv nation itself. Go back and live in your bubble, your movie life.

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

Harry and MrBubbles, exactly right. It has been said that everybody got a pay rise except the teachers. I fight for every amount, I have to as I am only on 48PLN per hour gross. 39PLN in hand. The corruption is quite incredible, my fiancee knows about it as she exposed a guy, caught him red-handed in his own lies.

I agree, delphi. Exploiting them to the max is worth doing. Don't suggest to them that you are in a position of dependence. There's always something else that you could be doing.

Private business is worth seeking out. Cash in hand is the norm for most teachers.

Food / Why do Poles just not "understand" healthy eating ?? [82]

As he said, Panda food.

Just like the average man, really. He eats shoots and leaves, LOL

Work / Interview at a Callan School [204]

Spot on, Mr Bubbles. I'm loathe to accept these people syphoning off the profits by cheating. Contracts are absolutely vital, even if they aren't worth the paper they are written on concerning some provisions. You need some form of rights.

Explain to the guy that these things should be sorted out before any teaching starts. It's impertinent to even assume that you wouldn't need a contract. Trust me, they'll screw you somewhere down the line. These people are professional schysters, worth the watching!

Food / Why do Poles just not "understand" healthy eating ?? [82]

You guys don't have gaucamole chips? I know that gaucamole is usually separate. Wasabi chips are awesome. I pigged out on them in Hiroshima. Hours at the internet cafe.

Food / Why do Poles just not "understand" healthy eating ?? [82]

Even on gaucamole chips? ;)