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Posts by Siegfried  

Joined: 8 Aug 2008 / Male ♂
Last Post: 11 Dec 2011
Threads: Total: 1 / In This Archive: 1
Posts: Total: 100 / In This Archive: 78

Speaks Polish?: OHH YEAH!

Displayed posts: 79 / page 1 of 3
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Siegfried   
8 Aug 2008
Study / how much does a polish citizen pay to go to school in poland? [10]

First of all: hello everyone!
My first post here ;)

You can study in poland as a full time student - then you don't have to pay anything. Every half year you have two opportunities to pass the exams: first session, and then if you fail is secondary session. both free. If you fail both, then come the troubles: you may get fired(?) or you may have to pay for extra exam (if you are on 2nd+ year, on first year they just kick you out).

Additional costs are: books (if you don't like to go to library), accomodation, food.
You don't really have to buy books - your notes should be enough in most cases.

If you are good student with high grades you can get some small amount of money as reward every month- depends on the uni.

If you study as part-time student, you have to pay about 2500+ zl per semester. But if you are good, they can cut down your payment - to half or sth like this.
Siegfried   
8 Aug 2008
UK, Ireland / 2 years in London, maybe it's time to go back to Poland? [60]

Hello everyone.
I write from London, I've been here for two years... No problems, job good enough, not lonely. But for few weeks I feel really bad - if I would loose my job I think I would be quite happy coz I would have opportunity to go back to Poland. It's quite hard to explain, I came here to save money and I would never be able to save as much as here in pl, but... I've noticed a lot of foreign people who do the opposite thing I did - they are moving out of UK. Many posts about stronger polish economy etc. So I feel that I am loosing something - chances, time with family, life generally. I think many polish emigrants will come back soon and job market will be crowded again.

What do you think?

btw: I am from "big" city - Gdynia.
Regards
Siegfried   
8 Aug 2008
Love / Attending a Polish wedding on my own (I'm English) [25]

If I were you I would tell your friend about your concerns - ask them how many young people will be there. generally young ones speak english - better or worse.

Good idea would be to go there few days before the wedding - to get used a bit to the situation (but you should consider hotel or something - your friends won't have time to take care about you ;) )

please remember that you won't be the only one who feels awkward because of not knowing the language - most wedding guests dont speak english so they are gonna feel a bit awkward too. sooner you break the ice the better. ;)

generally after few vodkas you will talk with most people using strange mixture of polish, english, russian and german + spanish ;) have fun!
Siegfried   
8 Aug 2008
UK, Ireland / 2 years in London, maybe it's time to go back to Poland? [60]

Well, that was good: "stuck here". It describes my feelings pretty good... don't get me wrong - I like London (well, maybe it's not BIG LOVE but...). I am pretty sure I would miss doubledeckers, tube and kebabs on every corner ;) But this city sucks all my energy out, maybe it's time to slow down a bit?
Siegfried   
8 Aug 2008
UK, Ireland / 2 years in London, maybe it's time to go back to Poland? [60]

ArcticPaul:
yes, it may be the homesickness. I haven't been there for a year. We will see in september.
I think another problem may be that I am current working from home - God I hate it. I cannot focus on anything, I cannot finish anything, I cannot even start.

You know - one fag, second fag, tea, something goes on outside (so it's worth checking), another fag, 30 minutes of work...
terrible!
Siegfried   
8 Aug 2008
Language / "Pomagac", "robic" - I know this is wrong can anyone help me? [29]

I have (mam) dwie (two) siostry (sisters).

siostra (one) - siostry (two or more)
glowa (head) - glowy
krowa (cow)- krowy
dupa - dupy
zona - zony

etc
you just replace a with y. Unfortunatelly it doesn't work all the times.
roza (rose) - roze (roses)
dziewczynka - dziewczynki
Siegfried   
12 Aug 2008
UK, Ireland / 2 years in London, maybe it's time to go back to Poland? [60]

ParisJazz:

oh, come on, my girlfriend is here as well, we live together. unfortunatelly she works ;) even if she wouldn't I have to work 8hrs per day (in theory) ;)

I have few friends here as well, but meeting them = getting pissed (oh those britons) ;)

I think I am just moaning... ;)
Siegfried   
12 Aug 2008
Love / What's God's answer TO my gf, after cheating on me after 4 years? [65]

I don't like talking about God and his answers... too many crazy people out there... some people here voices... especially when using the phone...

blah blah blah
she cheated on you ? that's her problem, dump her and find another, better one. simple, practical solution.
Siegfried   
12 Aug 2008
Travel / Camping in Poland - are there any laws? [47]

camping is bad for you!
(but you will have a lot of frags!)

OH SORRY I COULDN'T RESIST!
urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=camping - take a look at second meaning
Siegfried   
15 Sep 2008
Life / When in Poland, should I be British or Scottish? [104]

Dazza:
It's more like we don't really care - in our opinion there are two countries on british isles: Ireland and England. I wouldn't recognize Welsh even if he would kicked me in the a* ;)

to be honest I wouldnt recognize Scot as well (maybe proper one in kilt(?)).
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Life / Experience more in Poland than any other Country [10]

Kazikowski:

Ha, it's a bit strange - many poles think of Australia as a promised land ;) And you want to move in opposite direction ;)

Do you speak polish? it would help you a lot? one thing you should consider: I am currently in London and I just came back from holidays in Poland. You can expect prices similar to those in UK, with twice smaller salaries. But generally it's ok - you can live quite comfortably.

btw: I always dreamed of going to Perth for studies ;) Shame that I couldn't ;)
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
News / Poland has the highest shopping IQ [46]

oh, come on.
don't make me laugh!

poles don't have money... do you know why in every polish magazine in uk there is so many bank adverts?

because poles DO save.
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Travel / An English person in Poland, some random thoughts [5]

I gave 5 zl to a crippled old lady aged about 90 begging in the street, and a well-dressed Polish lady stopped me and told me I shouldn't give her anything.

She was right - you shouldn't give her anything. In my home town - Gdynia, I saw luxury car coming to pick those old beggars. Anyway - you choice.

In 9 days I only saw one internet cafe, so it wasn't easy for me to write home or check anything. I only used the internet three times: twice in private houses and once in the tourist information centre.

this is a bit strange, but I've noticed it as well - probably nobody uses those cafes, everyone have broadband at home.

The number of Poles that still smoke

Well, personally I hate those neonazi smoking bans - cigarette prices are high, goverments make a lot of money selling them and they treat smokers as dogs ("go smoke outside, we dont care its winter")

Regards
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Language / What is the most annoying thing about non-native Polish speakers? [90]

you can say cześć to person you know well - friend, co-worked, neighbour.
You should say do widzenia to older people, your boss (if it's official meeting) etc.

you can use both if you cannot speak polish at all, if you are intermediate, you should use proper one.
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Law / Got my Polish residency [22]

welcome!

we are looking forward to your first impressions (as foreigner living in pl)
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Study / United States Education vs. Polish Education [19]

Well,I don't know anything about US but here are some of my thoughts about pl vs uk:

primary schools:
better in pl, polish kids coming to uk dont have any problems (except language), more: they are better than the native ones

college:
have no idea ;) probably similar to primary schools

universities (based on my discussions with people who graduated good london univs):
polish univs are based more on learning books and then passing the exams. If you are studying physics, don't expect dealing with hi-tech equipment (this is general rule - univs, except few, dont have money for good equipment). Better situation is with IT: all you need is computer, so we can produce good specialists.

I think that western univs produce real experts from one discipline (or part of it), where in poland you know a lot about many things but you are not real expert in one thing.

when I joined my company here in london, i didn't know much about industry I am working in. but I got few promotions rather quickly, while there were few english graduates which didn't last even a month (plus one "expert" who last 1.5 month).

and I dont have diploma from top polish uni (BSc, University of Gdansk, part-time)

regards
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Study / United States Education vs. Polish Education [19]

here you have a link to article about it:
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-489793/Top-class-England--Polish-boy-goes-home-better-education.html

I've seen few articles like this plus I helped my neighbour's son with his primary school homeworks ;)

btw: what kind of education you are interested in?
I think polish technical univs are quite good.
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
UK, Ireland / Integrating Polish people into the British society [150]

well, I don't understand what are british expectations towards poles...

here are the brilliant daily mail thoughts:

a) we are lowering the wages.
this is good point but on the other hand we tak jobs nobody else wants to do - farming, waiting, etc.

b) we are taking-over british jobs, so nationals are unemployed
take a look at the first point, plus I recently had conversation with my english work mates - they told me that it's not like english people are moaning - it's another foreigners - australians etc who lost their jobs because we are cheaper and more efficient. it's just the business

c) we are taking a lot of benefits
I never took a single penny. on the other hand: how much can I gaet for a child weekly? is it big money? and how much taxes do we pay? let's say it's 1 000 000 poles in uk, average salary 24k. please count the taxes + living costs.

d) we are not integrating well
oh come on... I think poles integrate very well, I have english friends who actually call me to go out ;) I like english breakfast ;) most of poles learn english (with different results but still)

e) now we will take all the money and go home
hmm.... what should we do? should we left money here? account numbers please ;)

So, I am average Pole here in uk. What England can offer me?
-health care?
-low living costs?
-cheap housing?
-great pound to zloty ratio? (hehehehe)
-safety?
-big salaries?
-nice chicks?
-good food?
-newspaper bashing?

you will soon see a lot of poles going back home or moving somewhere else. I can bet you won't miss us :>
Siegfried   
6 Oct 2008
Life / Experience more in Poland than any other Country [10]

hahaha
I have to tell you that it's like this anywhere you go - I moved to london and I felt like you, but after two years spent here - it is "perth scenario" now. plus it's raining a lot ;)

squirells and rats instead of snakes, dead fishes instead of sharks ;)
But my co-worker(from Australia as well) had the same attitude: "something is going on here in london while Australia is sooo boring"

as we say in poland: grass is always greener on the other side of the fence ;]