Travel / Is Warszawa Centralna train station that dangerous? [8]


I would have thought that during the day time especially when people are around going to work you should have no trouble at all. If you come out of the train station you can get on a number 175 bus that will take you right up to the airport building. There was a time, some time ago now, when the place had a lot of Romanian gypsies hanging around trying to beg for money. I did hear that prostitutes were hanging out there but probably at night. You will need to be careful as in any city abroad not to make yourself stand out as a foreigner and attract too much attention. In fact, you want to be careful more in the train itself rather than at the main railway station. I have heard of someone being robbed and then killed by being thrown through the window of a train compartment. On another occasion, a brother of a friend was traveling home from Denmark and was drinking something in his compartment. He left to go to the toilet and on his return he continued to drink his juice only to find that it had been spiked whilst he was out of the compartment. He woke up much later to find himself stripped down to his underpants-they had stolen everything, all his clothes and all his presents. At first, the police thought that he was drunk.

History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]

It is probably where the Polish gets its expression trzymaj kciuki za mnie from.

History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]

Yes, it was very very hot when I was there. We even went swimming in a lake nearby. We took a night train from Moscow. I think the place was called the Engineering/Economic Institute a long walk from the main square. I would like to go back and see it all again. That would be nice. Nice cheap ice creams, funny really as nothing changes, I still think of nothing else but my stomach!


I would like to come back and see the old places again but it is very expensive. I bought a Russian grammar book for a pound today at the A3 car boot-a very good American publication. Maybe I should try and get back in to all those Russian verbs again but life is to short to waste.


I bought some Georgian wine in a foreign currency store called a 'kashtan'. Took it home and it was dreadful.

History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]


Yes, I know I saw it at first hand on the streets of Kharkow in the Ukraine.

In fact as a P.S. I am lead to believe that quite often the people buying the foreign currenecy on the streets and in hotels were government officials who wanted to collect as much foreign currency as possible on behalf of the state.

Work / working as teacher in Warsaw [15]

There always was but it should be quite easy if you are from within the E.U. Obviously if you hold an American passport, for example, you will need a sponsor I would imagine.

History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]

No, I do not know if it was illegal for Poles to hold foreign currency only the Russians were not allowed to hold foreign money. I simply found the situation and the Poles mentality idiotic.

History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]


I always remember coming out of one of those places, it was the one in Krakow. An old man came up to me and tried to buy my American dollars and I just answered him in Russian. He was not very pleased and said something like "very, very clever" in a sarcastic tone. It did the job though and I got rid of him.


It is a word taken from the Russian. A kulak was a Russian peasant farmer in the old times of the Tsar. Ask Truhlei, he should be able to explain in more detail that I even could.

Work / working as teacher in Warsaw [15]

If I am right, the CELTA is a newish qualification, produced through a marriage of the former RSA (Royal Society of arts) and Cambridge Examination Board. There is also Trinity College London (which I did in Guildford in 2000) I think that both are very similar with six hours of tuition in the classroom. The Trinity TESOL is supposed to be better in a way as there is a teaching children component but in such a short course every aspect is taught in very limited quantities. I can not even recall anything to do with children on my course.


I may not always be up to date but I will only ever comment on something where I have had personal experience. I do remember when I was staying in Warsaw, I visited a language school called the Anglo school of English. I can still remember the address, I think ul. Popieluszki 7 or 9, I am not sure now after all these years. I do not know if it still exists, I imagine that it would in some sort or other. It was run by a family who had lived in Australia and then decided to return back to Poland. It sends out danger signals in itself that anybody would want to return to Poland after living in Australia. Anyway, I was taken to the school and had a chat with the owner of the school but it would not be my cup of tea at all. The Polish teachers would be employed to teach grammar and English teachers do the conversation classes. What teacher would only want to teach conversation is beyond me! They call it their own unique dual system of teaching. I can not remember how much they offered to pay me but when I was back at the flat in the evening the man of the house where I was staying laughed. He said to me,"my mobile phone bill per month costs more than that!" I would give Poland a 'big berth' if I was a teacher of English!

Actually, as a P.P.S., if I am right it used to be called the Trinity College Preparatory Certificate and it was offered by International House in London in Piccadilly. A factory of foreign students came and went and the English guinea pigs spent their hard earned cash giving all these lessons for free in return for their certificate. Not my thing at all. It is rather a shame that new developing countries such as Poland could not be allowed to become more naturally Polish in their own way rather than having to become more and more like the west with silly television programmes such as the Polish version of 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and the Polish version of 'Blind Date'. That is why, in part, Poland has gone down hill. It is not one thing or the other but rather a sad mixture of its own old ways with a vaneer of western culture superimposed over the top. Not a place for me to live in at all! Why a Polish person must be successful in English to gain a matura and a place at university in my mind is nothing less than cultural blackmail and I for one would have nothing at all to do with it.

Work / working as teacher in Warsaw [15]


No, when I was in a small village near to Czestochowa, the English Language teacher was a Pole, who did not even have a First Certificate. A few years ago now mind you, maybe they have tightened things up since? I was also in a place called Krasnik and I visited a local school where the shortage of English Language teachers in the State School System was so acute, that they were hiring young Ukrainian girls from Kiyev to fill the places. I know because I myself was there in the school, I met the teachers and I met the children and I met the School Head. Do not say that I am talking crap-I know Poland very well indeed and in my time I have been almost everywhere. In fact, I have probably seen more of Poland than a lot of Polish people living in their own country.


Yes, I am talking crap-to me it nice!


I think that Austrlaia, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S.A. and Ireland would all count as 'native speakers'. It might take a little longer to get the visa though. Mind you, if I was from Australia I would go to somewhere like South Korea and earn twice the money for doing half the traveling.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]

A lot of people have now been to Poland and know all about it. There are people near Czestochowa who used to live in Canada and returned to Poland. Mind you, I would not do a thing like that myself.

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]

Do I ?

What has any of this to do with National service in Poland anyway?

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]

Yes, I know what you are saying and understand that there is a difference in spelling but I can not look every word up in my Polish English dictionary as it would take me for hours. I do understand that my spelling is not always the best, even with the automatic help of spell-check.

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]

The ground floor from what I can remember. I think that the Woolworths store was closed, I am not sure as it was many years ago.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]


I will also add that my American cousin, who lives now in Las Vegas, has traveled the whole world and has run trade delegations in China and in other places all over the world all of his working life. There are a lot of well educated men in the United States and well traveled people too and to say that they think that the rest of the world lives in huts is really very stupid of you. You are obviously not very well educated. I have read quite a lot of things on this forum and I can see why most people soon give up and leave. Even in the few months I have been reading entries so many good people have resigned and gone for good. All that is left are a few lonely single women. Anyway, I am off to the kitchen 'u nogi' to make myself a strong cup of tea, it to me nice!


I have met hundreds in Poland and no, to tell you the truth, they are not very nice as you must know yourself, otherwise you would be living in Poland yourself and not have an American zip code as an address for the last twenty seven years.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]


I have no intention of trying to shut you up. I have no interest whatsoever in anything a Polish woman has to write. In my experience they all talk rubbish.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]


At least I will be famous for something then.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]


How the people are so fickle and two-faced for one.


When I was in Moscow I heard nothing else. "Churchill sold Poland to the Russians". I was reminded of the fact at least three times a day.

Work / working as teacher in Warsaw [15]

Where is MRU? You may find legal difficulties if you can not work within the EU legally. Poland is always looking out for anybody who speaks English and will employ even Poles with First Certificate to fill their classrooms with 'teachers'. I am not sure about today as my knowledge is a bit out of date but certainly that was always the case years ago.

UK, Ireland / Foreigners: Please don't buy the English Land! [83]


Surely this is just a natural extension of international free trade.

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]

Yes, she finished or at least studied economics before working as an au-pair in Germany and then married and stayed on as a mum! We have no contact now, this was years ago. Yes, we are dominating the world retail business. I am thinking of a Harod's take-over bid but please do not say anything before the papers release the storey on Monday.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]

I know Poland very very well indeed. I have tasted all its nasty little secrets.

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]

There is nothing nice about Szczecin as it is, I have relatives from Szczecin working behind the sweet counter in Woolworths in Berlin! Says it all.

UK, Ireland / Foreigners: Please don't buy the English Land! [83]


I for one do not speculate in Poland as I am not allowed to as I do not have Polish citizenship. Also, I never asked any Polish people to come to my country.

USA, Canada / Chicago as the city Poles chose to settle in America [44]

Chicago has more like one and a half million Poles now and Chicago was built where it is because of its location on the seaway. It grew as a centre for tree felling and cutting.

Life / Army National Service in Poland [95]


It is rather rich from you living in Szczecin. I have been there, several times. A dreadful place! Need I say more?

Language / To sa truskawki , To jest chleb. Difference between the two? [22]

I thought the question was-what is the difference between jest and sa i.e. the verb byc in the singular and then in the plural form. Co to jest za does not figure in the original question anywhere.

USA, Canada / Advice for Polish girlfriend getting tourist visa to visit America? [45]


Exactly, so you are saying the same thing as I am. So why criticize me all the time? You do not want to live in Poland and I certainly would not want to even for a hundred dollars tax free per day.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]

Obviously you really love Poland. How many thousands of miles have you traveled to get away from the place? Dziesiec tysiesy mil?


The word kmoit was not even your word so if you can not think of anything original stay silent.

News / How does Poland imagine other countries see her? [84]


As they are always going on about the war, I imagine that they do see themselves as very central in Europe. As you start to visit the country, which no doubt you will be doing in the future if your relationship continues is that the Poles never take responsibility for anything. There are no birds sing at Oswiecim-that is the fault of the Russians. Their Syrenka cars is the fault of the Americans and the boarder is the fault of Churchill and so it goes on with them.

USA, Canada / Advice for Polish girlfriend getting tourist visa to visit America? [45]


No, I agree that America is not heaven on earth but is it not true to say that there are one and a half million Poles in Chicago alone? There must be something there for the Poles for there to be so many. If he wants to stay in Poland so be it but he will have language problems (perhaps) and where is he going to earn his money, except for teaching English? Otherwise, the Polish themselves will take first place in the queue for available posts. I agree that if you really get on with someone and 'love is in the air', then I suppose that I could be happy almost anywhere-it is relationships that count at the end of the day.