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Posts by esek  

Joined: 3 Jun 2008 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 19 Aug 2009
Threads: Total: 2 / In This Archive: 2
Posts: Total: 228 / In This Archive: 193 		From: Poland, Poznan
Speaks Polish?: Native Polish speaker
Interests: IT stuff, people, English language, mountain biking, other things...

Displayed posts: 195 / page 4 of 7
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esek   
10 Jun 2009
Life / Why are all Polish couriers/postmen either morons or thieves? [10]

The whole point,which Harry is trying to make, is that the Polish Post Office is a bunch of thieves. And the fact is that they are.

Let's face the truth - Polish Post is a huge company... there are some decent people, there are some not-so-decent... don't expect too much from this company - just look at working conditions, salaries there.... no wonder that service level is low.
esek   
10 Jun 2009
Life / Why are all Polish couriers/postmen either morons or thieves? [10]

Use courier companies with tracking and insurance... what's the problem? :) I lost only some parcels which should be delivered by the Polish Post, but I'm not sure where (in which country) they were stolen (parcels from US, China).
esek   
10 Jun 2009
Life / I live in Warsaw and my hot water is brown!!! [32]

niegazowane

niegazowana :-) but the water without gas is healthier, more neutral for your organism, especially recommended when you're drinking while exercising.
esek   
10 Jun 2009
Life / I live in Warsaw and my hot water is brown!!! [32]

When I moved to Poland after living in the UK I once tried tap water and was ill for a few days! That stuff kills!

It's because water chemistry differs a lot in different regions (of country, continent, globe) and your organism have to get used to it... most probably you will have stomachache in first few days, but then everything should be ok. The most important... even though you had stomachache after drinking tap water it doesn't necessarily mean that the water was bad (polluted).

Do people drink water from the taps in Warsaw?.

Personally I don't know anyone who drink tap water and I'm thinking here about Poland as a whole... some people boil it, but most of us just buy mineral water in shops :P
esek   
3 Jun 2009
Life / IKEA in Warsaw [30]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PESEL
esek   
1 Jun 2009
Life / IKEA in Warsaw [30]

On the one hand it saves having to write the serial number of some photo id on, but on the other hand, they need a PESEL.

if there is no way to get this new travel card by foreign people then this is just an omission and this is high time to tell ZTM about it and if it won't help then you should contact with local press - i would recommend tvn warszawa
esek   
19 May 2009
Life / Decently priced gym or health club in Warsaw? [17]

either no way does this place exist, or my polish is even worse than i thought. walked all around there and found nothing.
off to fitness platinum!

Hehe, this place exists as I'm there (near this gym) every other weekend :-) I just haven't been exercising in this gym :-)
esek   
16 May 2009
Life / Living in Poland without working? - Your opinion [63]

I guess that dormitory costs there about 400zl per month, food - say 500zl per month should be enough for student.... so there is still 300zl .... it's enough to buy beer and go to pub/disco once in a while :D
esek   
9 May 2009
Work / 4000 zloty Wroclaw - what kind of life can I expect for that? [20]

, in case of Wrocław total cost won't be less than 1500 even in case of a really small flat

omg, I pay 1400zl for renting ~25sqr meters flat (medium standard, not low, not high) in center of Warsaw (near metro station) - this include all bills.

edit: as I thought.. there are many cheaper flats in Poland.
esek   
9 May 2009
Work / 4000 zloty Wroclaw - what kind of life can I expect for that? [20]

For me managing means getting some food but not necessarely the most expensive cheese, going out once a week to cinema or for a beer or two, I do not need to travel outside the city that much (wont have holidays anyways), being able to buy a pair of shoes and a top on the same month etc.

Then you will survive with these money :) Just take your time and find some place to stay which isn't very expensive. Use gumtree.pl , gratka.pl in the first place.
esek   
8 May 2009
Life / Questions about Lublin [39]

Wrong... there are quite a few who meet up in pubs at the weekend and every Language School has its native English, Spanish and so on speakers, once you are there for a few weeks you will find you cannot avoid them.

Ok, I was looking (a few years ago) some native English people aged ~18-22 for language exchange so it's a different story. Only Medical University in Lublin could attract them to live in Lublin. I didn't managed to find one, but on the other hand I was looking only through internet.
esek   
8 May 2009
Life / Questions about Lublin [39]

How is the mass transportation?

It's ok... well, maybe it's not warsaw, but.... night communication is crap (most probably - only taxi it's an option if you're gonna party at night)

Are there a lot of bike paths?

Some... but there are many very nice places around Lublin (countryside) where you can ride + a few lakes.

What is the night life like?

There are discos, pubs, clubs full of young people..... but generally, Lublin sleep at night ;)

Are there many foreigners living there?

No

Do the people seem like they are in a rush all the time or more laid back?

Rush... hard to say. Some people do rush, other live slowly ;) Compared to Warsaw life is much slower there.

Are there any good horse stables in our near the city?

lkj.lublin.pl/
esek   
7 May 2009
Life / How to behave in Poland? General etiquette questions. [30]

Are there things that I should do, and things that I should avoid doing?

maybe a few... we take off shoes when we enter to someone's house - but it's common that your host will tell you not to do that - and then this is ok to not take them off ;)

For example, when greeting, how many times do you kiss on cheeks? I've heard its a European thing.

It's common by some people... personally I don't understand this - sometimes it's acceptable to kiss on cheek(s) when you meet your familly (female). Still... this is personall thing and depends on you - nobody (except your grand mother maybe?) will expect that.

Also, when do you call someone by 'sir'('pan') or 'ma'am'('pani'). Do you call people around your same age group by 'pan' or 'pani', or do you talk by using 'you' ('ty')?

Again.. depends on situation. When you talk to clerk in shop, postman, policeman, some stranger met on the street (say aged >20yrs) then you will rather use official form (sir - pan). In less official situations it is rather ok to call someone by 'Ty'.

Any pointers on how to behave in Poland?

naturally, this is not an Asia, Africa .... Poland is modern EU country, very similar standards to US ones...
esek   
25 Apr 2009
Life / Decently priced gym or health club in Warsaw? [17]

No prob... maybe this will help a bit:

edit:

not good... this web page can't be translated as a whole (when you click on some link in menu then content is still in Polish... but you still can use google translator to translate some sentences)
esek   
25 Apr 2009
Life / Decently priced gym or health club in Warsaw? [17]

Sure they are!

My favourite - 117zl per month for students: fitness-platinum.com.pl

it's close to 'metro Politechnika' subway station.

Other prices not for students:
165zl - no entry limits + you can exercise all the time during gym open hours
130zl - no entry limits, but you can exercise till 5PM

There is also one really cheap, but I haven't been there and it is far from city center (Praga Poludnie - South Praga) - kaweczynska.pl/sport/silownia.html it seems that it costs only 60zl per month.... nice!
esek   
11 Apr 2009
Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Unfortunately, to have a degree in Poland doesn't mean to have a good job!!!

Depends on your specialization... if you're java programmer and have a degree then you'will take sth like 7000 PLN gross .... and this is for people which doesn't have much experience yet... after two - three years you'll get 10000-12000PLN gross... quite good money in my opinion.
esek   
11 Apr 2009
Life / I'll soon move to Warsaw, Questions about early days, [5]

I am planning to stay in a hotel for first 1-2 weeks so I can search a flat. Any hotel suggestion ?

Find one which is close enough to your work place - use zumi.pl, example:

zumi.pl/namapie.html?qt=hotel&loc=Warszawa,+Domaniewska&Submit=Szukaj&long=21.0255104&lat=52.1815168&type=1&scale=5

click point A, B... in the left menu and you will see addional info - like hotel web page, phone number and so on

While I am searching a flat to rent ? Will I need someone who is native to Polish ?

Yes if you want to find good flat for reasonable price
esek   
10 Apr 2009
Work / 5000$ Gross Salary. Is it good in Poland? [37]

Perhaps, esek. There has been a dip in prices but I don't think to the tune of 500PLN per place.

I pay 1400zl (all bills included) for 22-23 sqr. meters in center of Warsaw (300 meters to metro station). It's in old building (late 70's), flat standard is neither low or high... somewhere in between. I must say it was good deal, all other flats in Warsaw center and near metro station were around 1500zl + bills...

Trust me, if you want to rent a flat in Warsaw (nice place, high standard and so on) you are gonna to pay ~2k pln.
esek   
6 Apr 2009
Work / The cost of an IT programmer in Poland? [9]

I'll be spending this summer in Poland, and while I don't know if my current visa would allow it, I am looking for some contract work and am open to any and all suggestions.

Contract work... such thing (almost) do not exist here in Poland.
esek   
6 Apr 2009
Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

Just think for example, how the hell can one complete a 4yr engineering degree while working a full time

It's simple - you work from monday to friday and study on friday evening (5PM-8PM) saturday and sunday (from 8am to 8PM). Most of things you have to learn on your own at home... many people study like that. I don't think polish universities are easier from US/English ones (well, I heard many opposite stories... not important though). What is more important - in Poland public education on master degree is for free.... moreover till this year it was one of the best method (going to university) to not to go to army ;) Since 2009 if you don't want to you don't go to army so in my opinion there will be less people studying... also in my opinion education on master degree shouldn't be free - it should be treated as investment... of course there should be many different scholarships so anybody who really care could get one.
esek   
5 Apr 2009
Work / I have a "zero" chance to succeed in Poland - I do not have a degree! [93]

I agree, no degree = no career in Poland.. well, not always, but still... on the other hand when I'm looking at English/US job ads ... maybe 10% of them require some kind of degree.... skills are just more important there.

Other thing - maybe 10% of job ads in Poland mention salary that you can get. Most of employers don't tell you how much they're able to pay you... they'll ask you how much you would like to earn instead (and that's how the cheapest workers almost always win the competition).

I hate this two things in Poland...