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Posts by aussie_expat  

Joined: 9 Aug 2008 / Female ♀ 		Last Post: 24 Oct 2008
Threads: Total: 5 / In This Archive: 5
Posts: Total: 41 / In This Archive: 39 		From: Poland, Krakow
Speaks Polish?: Sometimes
Interests: Art, books, travelling, music

Displayed posts: 44 / page 1 of 2
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aussie_expat   
9 Aug 2008
Australia / Australian Living/Working In Poland [6]

Hey, Im from Australia and looking to stay longer in Poland to be with my boyfriend
Any info regarding the residence permit or work permit
On the consulate site it hets confusing...am I able to apply for a residence permit while in Poland or must I go to a bordering country?

Any info will be so helpful
aussie_expat   
10 Aug 2008
Australia / Australian Living/Working In Poland [6]

Anything really where polish is not neccessary to the job...like cleaning, kitchen hand etc
I need a "promise of work" for a work visa and then I'll be all set to go...

Anything offers will be so appreciated
aussie_expat   
10 Aug 2008
Australia / I am planning a trip to northeast Australia in March 2008... [10]

Hey from Australia myself, Melbourne but in Poland currently

April and May are great times to visit...its autumn time so its mild weather..should still be sunny and not too hot especially in melbourne

Your plan sounds pretty good..

Hope you enjoy Australia!
aussie_expat   
10 Aug 2008
Love / This is probably going to be silly but.. I really want a Polish boyfriend [44]

You should be fine...

Im Australian and I dont really speak the language but my Polish boyfriend and his family accept me even though we can barely communicate

Polish boyfriends are great..best guys ever I have decided..really swet and caring from my experience
And be sure to be yourself...dont ever change

Good Luck
aussie_expat   
26 Aug 2008
Love / This is probably going to be silly but.. I really want a Polish boyfriend [44]

well from my experience with mine, he is pretty sweet and dont know if its a polish thing, but they seem to get into their relationships and dont treat gf/bf like its a short term thing..thats just been my experience with the poles ive met

and whats with polish people absolutelly loving babies..its almost embarrassing watching my bf cooing over a baby

thought i was suppose to be the clucky one..
aussie_expat   
29 Aug 2008
Life / People with Down Syndrome/Mental disability in Poland [26]

I worked in vision imping aired/special school in krakow so there are people who are handicapped..

But poland as a country isnt exactly set up with the best facilities to support handicapped people...all those stairs at station, and the pavements are the best either

From what a student told me at the school, its extremely hard for someone with mental or physical problems as the government doesnt give enough funding in helping parents care for the kids and according to the students, only now are carers becomig more popular, but again people in poland probably couldn't afford one

But hopefully it will all change in the near future..
aussie_expat   
11 Oct 2008
Life / 90 days soon expire - where can I go? [33]

im in exactly the same situation...
only i cant go to the ukraine without a visa so thats not an option but hoping to go to croatia/romania or bulgaria

hopefully it will work

just to be clear, the office of foreigners gave you a letter stating you applied for residency?
aussie_expat   
11 Oct 2008
Life / Passport stamped when leaving Shengen territory? [12]

I am an Australian and I have applied for a temporary resident permit in Poland as I have a work promise and am enrolled in studying polish

Anyway the office for foreigners said I needed to leave the shengen territory before my 90 days and then come back and show them my stamp

But I was wondering that if I went to train to say Romania or Bulgaria if my passport would get stamped or not?

Any clues would be great as I really need to sort myself out here
aussie_expat   
13 Oct 2008
Life / Passport stamped when leaving Shengen territory? [12]

Alright awesome, i think ill train it to Bulgaria or Romania and fly back in to krakow
Hopefully it would work

Planning on going to Ukraine however I need a visa and I dont know how long it takes for them to process them
aussie_expat   
20 Oct 2008
Life / 90-DAY VISA-FREE STAYS IN POLAND? [19]

What you should do is leave before your 90 days is up...and I think you need to be out of the shengen area for at least a day

so if you leave before your 90 days you will technically still have some days left...

Ive never overstayed the 90 days and have been flying to Uk for a week and then returned..and have done this like twice I think and I was never questioned..but then again I never knew about the 180 day period until now! But yeah, the passport control never said anything to me so I thought the 90 days just started again!

I suggest applying for a residence permit (which i have done)
much more easier for future and in the end saves all those trips every 90 days...
aussie_expat   
20 Oct 2008
Life / 90-DAY VISA-FREE STAYS IN POLAND? [19]

Why is it that the lady at the office for Foreighners told me to leave the Shengen Area for a day or two and then when I come back in, to register myself at the local council...she said nothing about waiting for the decision elsewhere....

How frustrating..clearly no one knows how the system is suppose to work, and if the do they dont seem to follow the rules...
aussie_expat   
20 Oct 2008
Life / 90-DAY VISA-FREE STAYS IN POLAND? [19]

Well I did all that, will my application and there was no problems when she read through it...well heres hoping for the best

I have left before my 90 days...so I should technically have another 20 left
Lets hope I encounter no problems on the train back
aussie_expat   
20 Oct 2008
Life / 90-DAY VISA-FREE STAYS IN POLAND? [19]

Yeah that whats I''m hoping..I bought my documents in polish as well as my admission letter in polish
I'm hoping *fingers crossed* that everything will work out
Although Im hoping I get a stamp on the train back otherwise, it wold be like Im in shengen area but with no record
aussie_expat   
20 Oct 2008
Life / 90-DAY VISA-FREE STAYS IN POLAND? [19]

God I, going to look really cool begging for a stamp lol
Fun times ahead...although Bulgaria isn't in the shengen area an they didn't even stamp out passports when crossing over. Luckily Serbia stamped otherwise there wouldnt be a record of me even leaving the shengen zone

Maybe Ill catch a bus from serbia to hungary or romania to hungary
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Life / I am in Poland on a tourist visa and have been here for 2 years.. [53]

I am kind of in the same position...
I came last September as I was a volunteer, and always left Poland before the 90 days as Shengen wasn't in place yet..but after it came in I still never overstayed the 90 days and flew out to non-shengen countries like Ireland/Uk and I have never had any problems...however if you have overstayed the 90 allowed for the shengen zone the UK will refuse entry as they are very strict

Apply for a temporary resident permit (which I did) but you will have to leave the Shengen Area and you need to state the reason for applying either school or work..as you already have a job there should be no problem in getting a work promise/contract

Anyway I suggest flying home and applying at the polish consulate there..that way you are out of europe and you can see you mum, just fly out of non shengen countries as airports are risky

Hope all will work out for you
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Law / Resident Permit/NIP? [8]

Okay..so im an expat and I have applied for a residence permit as I have work promise (teaching english and enrolled to study the lovely yet difficult polish language..however I was wondering if I am able to start work while waiting for my resident permit to come through or not?

And also I'm reading things about NIP..can someone please elaborate on this and whether I need this before my work pays me or not...

Any advice would be good
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Law / Resident Permit/NIP? [8]

Yeah I'm at a private language school. so maybe I'll ask around and get some help.
Thanks for the feedback...as I was really wondering about the whole issue of working whilst awaiting for the decision regarding resident permit..but Im confused as to how long it takes to get the card..from some I heard 3-4 weeks but the lady said 2-3 months at the office for foreigners...but seriously, is a job going to wait that long?

I guess its just the polish way...

But can I apply for a NIP even if I haven't got my resident permit or do I still have to wait for that too?

Why are things so unclear and hard to work out!
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Law / Resident Permit/NIP? [8]

Oh my god...
The thought of it gives me a headache
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

Ok, So I'm Australian but half Chinese and Irish and dating a polish guy, and at times it feels like his family doesn't accept me (they are pretty traditional)...its bad enough that I don't speak much polish but I understand heaps (and can always here the mum and gf talking about me in polish) but yeah...his mum and brothers gf always refer to me as "Ona" which I find a little rude...because in Australia I remember if I referred to someone as "she" the teacher would tell me off...is it maybe a culture thing?

And when I do something that is different it is always questioned by everyone (like why am I toasting the bread when its fresh?) to *shock horror* "She's not catholic?" as well as many other things

S anyway, just wondering what other people experiences are of dating a polish person are and of mixing in with the family (the good and the bad) cos sometimes...I feel like banging my head against a wall

Any tips/advice would be great

Would kinda like to have abit of relationship with the family
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

Yeah thats what I thought

I don't look that asian...people only really notice when I tell them, but you can see that I'm mixed

Don't know about winning their trust lol

Had some situations such as bf not finishing school which they think I should be responsible for but really, I can't tell him what to do!? To goddamn who knows what...I think me just being from another country is a big thing with them

And theres always the fact that I made the ciocia a nun cry with my mere presence
(I swear I didn't do anything..its a long story..but yeah, she cried..in public..Think I will be going straight to hell)

Ah well, maybe I'll get a handle on the language so to argue with them?
That should be alright, all poles like a good argue!
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

Ah well bless me then with dating a guy whose family comes from a small place and are devout catholics and traditional

I am blessed lol
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

Thats true..its just gets me down as in my family we have chinese, japanese, jewish, and australian and I know if he came to my place he would be accepted with wide open arm but thats coming from a very multicultural country

Not only did I make the nun cry, but I also made her never to want to return to the family home during vacation and she actually moved to another family members home

*secretly makes me laugh*
But I have a straight face when discussing this with my bf
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

I reckon..the issue was that I stayed the night there..even though my bf asked for permission which was granted (though its not her home), we slept in different rooms and she didn't even see me the first night! But as I was still there te next day..that seemed to be an issue!

Maybe I should've told her "Przepraszam"...
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

Oh im defintely polish on that front!

I can outdrink my bf and his mates

But his family isn't the drinking type...only wine is accepted, and only with sunday lunch
aussie_expat   
21 Oct 2008
Love / Dating a Polish guy..acceptance in family? [45]

You should've been there when I was being practically interrogated by the nun!

Nun "Are you parents catholics?"
Me "No"
Nun "But isn't your father Irish?"
Me "He's an athiest"
Nun "So you're not catholic?"
Me "No"
Nun "But you've been blessed yes?"
Me "No"
Nun "Oh..."*alarmed look*

Ah gotta love the traditons that run deep!
aussie_expat   
22 Oct 2008
Life / Do some folks have no shame? Krakow experience. [43]

Hahaha

I saw exactly the smae thing..only on the steps leading down to the Wisla River across from Jubilat

I was pretty shocked and thought prehaps my eyes were playing tricks on me but no, my bf noticed too..only he didnt seem as shocked as I was
aussie_expat   
5 Nov 2008
Work / Teaching English without a degree and any experience in Poland. [14]

I teach english in Krakow without a degree, however I teach using the Callan Method which the school trained me in..so maybe try for a school that using the callan method as well as traditioanal, and you can always do conversation

As for experience, I know some native speakers who have had no experience what so ever and they are teaching but maybe try and do like a volunteering in teaching prehaps as I had been a volunteer as an assitant in teaching english here

But the TEFL course would be good to do to help in understanding the grammar and how the language works as many native speakers have problems in explaining how the grammar works

Good luck!
aussie_expat   
14 Nov 2008
Travel / Food & drink availability in Krakow [5]

Try the supermarket Alma..there is one in Galeria Kazmiersz
Its more expensive then Tesco and Carrefour but they have fresh lasagne sheets, fresh bean sprouts, snow peas and some other goodies

Also try the International food store in Galeria Krakowska..it sells mainly goods from asia but they also have imports from the Uk and America so they mogth stock what you need