Life / What do you live in, apartment, house, car? [19]

Although I don't live in Krakow all the time, I have a flat in an old building near the centre. It needs renovating, but the location is what sold it to me. One thing though, every time I switch the TV on, I cannot have any other electrical item, as the fuse blows straight away. As yet no central heating, no re-wire, no new water pipes, no new floor (it creaks in parts). Climbing into the small square bath is enough exerciuse for a week. But one day - it will be wonderful and be home.

Life / What should be done to make life in Poland better and more enjoyable? [94]

>>>>>>The last point is one I despise too. I come from a polite society where people don't shove each other around rudely. I just started shoving back...harder. Funny how they take exception to it when they are the one getting pushed.

...small suggestion. Go to a gym, get super fit and then PUSH. If anyone does object, just look at them with a vicious stir in the eye as if to say 'you're talking to me?' - they'll not do it again.

Feedback / Why do people post on polish forums [27]

or on the otehr hand, maybe, just maybe, to pass some knowledge/advice/criticism (call it what you will) to others.

Travel / Help with travel to Gdansk [30]

Many people (and I mean many) speak English, so yopu will have no worries on that score. Find airlines that travel to Gdansk and take it from there. Best time to travel is now, certainly noe tin the winter.

Work / BA in Business Admin, will this help me become a teacher in Poland? [15]

You need some teaching qualifications, but if you are lucky some schools will take you on.
This means CELTA/DELTA _ many threads on this forum of where to study these.
Otherwise it means pounding the streets, CV/Resume in hand and selling yourself to the DOS. (Directors of Studies/schools). The other option is to teach privately - there are many threads on this forums of how this works/doesn't work and what success (if any) people are having. But remember, in a time of crisis there is less money floating about. Many will say that this is the best time to learn - but somewhat difficult if you're out of work and have no money.

The other option is to email all the firms in Poland, where your Bus. Ad. degree might come in useful. However, they will be looking for something which you can 'add' to their firm. Also get on the books of agencies in Poland, who may just find you a suitable job.

Teaching is not the only option, but if you want to become a teacher...

News / Polish transfer of Family Estate in Will? [14]

sadieann-
you may have poblems with making sure that the will is watertight. Best to seek out the services of a Polish lawyer. Remember that you may have to pay tax on any inheritance and that's just for starters. Generally, wills can be contested, but the excluded party has to convince the court of their claim.

Love / How much is sex important for Poles in Poland? [25]

Funny, go on any gumtree websites and see what is happening nowadays.
Anyone would think that 'sex' was invented yesterday, the way people absolutely devour new experiences. Need I say more?

Genealogy / Looking for relative in Warsaw - Lipinski [8]

Best bet is to go on 'nasza-klasa' and search. Have you any idea how many Lipinskis there are in Warsaw. Start searching nasza-klasa.

Law / How much it cost to open new small kebab shop in poznan, total investment [10]

Find me one person in the Universe who can tell you that. How does anyone know how big the place is?, do you have staff?, what hours will you be open? will you be selling anything else? What type of place and where?"

No one can tell you these things. Its like saying "How much does a house cost in Warsaw?"
Answers please.

Law / How much it cost to open new small kebab shop in poznan, total investment [10]

First of all you have to have permission from the Town Hall to open the shop as a kebab shop. You have to have plans drawn up and become a company to operate. Try sorting this out first before you start thinking about profit.

One thing is always important - location - you need to buy/rent a shop - try doing that without hassle and remember you need to have people who will buy your kebabs.

There are so many things wrong with your idea that you simply have no idea.
Go to the Town Hall, Tax Office, and don't forget VAT, ZUS etc.....sort all this out first.

Work / Would it be hard to work in Poland if I don't speak Polish? [17]

You don't need any Polish to teach English in schools. However, what you definetely need is a CELTA/DELTA qualification to be able to do that. Schools will not generally take you on without experience and an idea of how to teach. You expect payment - they expect quality.

Have a scan through 'Warsaw Voice' - sometimes they advertise jobs there. Be creative. Why should WE tell you how to find jobs when everybody else is chasing the same jobs themselves.

Real Estate / Selling in poland, how do i get money to USA paying little or no taxes? [8]

It all depends how many years you have owned this home. After five years (I think) there is very little (if any) tax to pay - someone may correct me on this.

Unless you absolutely and desperately need the cash, consider renting it out. Prices of houses will go up in the future and the best time to sell is when they're at the highest, which is not now, when prices are at their lowest.

Genealogy / Help finding a telephone number of a friend from Krakow and Poznan in Poland [25]

But always remember, that your biological father may not wish to see you, may not have known of your existence, may have a new family....these are the things to consider.

Love / WHAT TRAITS DO POLISH WOMEN LOOK FOR IN A MAN? [48]

My my point of view (I am a hetero woman)
1. libido
2. libido
3. libido
4. libido
need I go on.....

Life / What should be done to make life in Poland better and more enjoyable? [94]

and another thing, whilst I'm thinking....

McDonalds ' the equivalent of 'Have a nice day' - is this culturally and linguistically acceptable in the Polish language... I only go to McDo for coffee- and I swear they put something 'very unusual' in that - (one day I will have the coffee analysed, as soon as I can find somebody to do this), but the insincerity of 'have a nice day' really gets me.

Life / What should be done to make life in Poland better and more enjoyable? [94]

>>>>Technically they could add 'proszę pani' afterwards as in "dwanaście złotych, proszę pani" but that sounds a little .... obsequious.

...but technically, I would like to be addressed as 'Pani' in a shop, but I take your point that saying 'prosze' would be culturally inappropriate when a non-interested youngster sitting at the till murmours the price under their nose without even looking up at the shopper.

Next time anyone does that I will simply say: "Przepraszam, pani cos murknela pod nosem, nie doslyszalam dokladnie ile to ma byc" - maybe then I will be able to make them say the price clearly.

>>>Only in the hoity-toity places in Britain do we say 'Sir and Madam'.
Yes, I agree with this too. Generally I would not expect to be called a 'Madam', when I am paying for goods at the till.

Love / Need help figuring out a polish guy [55]

To me, he was a really nice young man. Don't think he will see you again, - you should have held out until the second date. A girl, who sleeps with a man on first date gives him the notion that she does this with everyone, and no man wants to have a girl that does that. Explain to him (that is, if you ever see him again) that this was a one-off, passion got the better of you.

He was just very weel brought up - how many other men would make you breakfast....start counting...

Life / What should be done to make life in Poland better and more enjoyable? [94]

EVERYBODY should be taught how to smile, say hello, thank you, welcome, - just the usual pleasantries.
I was at a well-known shop recently and when the young man on the till smiled at me - I was all fingers and thumbs - didn't know how to behave - this is such an unusual sight.

And another thing adn this really is a bugbare of mine - why is it that in English, when you are in a shop and they tell you the price, they always say 'please' - e.g. Two pounds please. In Poland they just shout the price at you without a please, thank you or kiss my ar.... This really angers me. Same in pubs, restaurants - why can't they say PLEASE.

I sure promise that next time someone does this - I will point this out and create a racket and some of my Polish expressions are awesome.

Study / any tips for Asian exchange student going to Kraków? [3]

Firstly, I'm sure it's only a typo, but it's 'UJ' not JU...
secondly, acts and behave as you would do in any other normal country.
Find a school to learn Polish - although you'll do fine with just English.
Sort yourself good accommodation adn don't get cheated.

Love / What are the perceptions of polish towards homosexuality? [106]

Why then do you have to advertise the fact?
There are plenty of girls linking arms all the time when they walk down the street and nobody calls them lesbians. If you are in an 'intollerant country' as Poland still is towards anyone who is not the same as the majority, whether gay, lesbian, coloured, with piercings, with different coloured hair, with skirts that are too short, with skirts that are too long, - I could go on and on - then you have to behave.

There are clubs, places to meet for gays and lesbians - you just have to find them - in there you might not feel that everyone is staring and pointing their fingers at you.

Love / What are the perceptions of polish towards homosexuality? [106]

Homosexuals as people are no different to heterosexuals. I, as a hetero woman would rather spend time with homosexual men - at least I am certain they will never try to get me drunk and then try to rape me.

If it is just the actual practice of how homosexuals have sex - then half the population of women are homosexual - as they allow hetero men to have sex in exactly the same way. So what exactly is your problem with that?

Language / Things Polish people who speak English language say [180]

*'I have 15 years' is a standard mistake- because in Polish 'mam' is the equivalent to 'have' and people mistake 'Ja mam 15 lat' for '*I have 15 years'

Life / Why build a supermarket with 20 checkouts with only 3 till staff? [46]

The best way is to complain to the Manager- and ask him to give you an estimate of how many people are out of work (unemployed) in Poland and why is it that they cannot get more staff on the tills. Then obtain the Head Office address and somebody to write to and send a letter. If that doesn't work go the the Papers, I am sure that they could do a story on Tesco or any other supermarket.

How to lose customers - make them wait. Personally, I always walk out of a shop if I am not served within 5 minutes. Full shopping trolley left where it causes the most inconvenience. If more people did that, then perhaps they would realize that "this is NOT the quality of service people expect".

Language / PRONUNCIATION OF ENGLISH WORDS IN POLAND [24]

It isn't only in hotels/motels where translations from POlish into English raise a smile. Next time I'm in Poland I'll get some evidence - translations of menus make me giggle sometimes. And yes, you would think that these establishments could spare 20-50PLN for a native to give the translation the once over. Evidently not. We ought to have examples of the best 'translations' listed here.

Language / FUTURE OF VOCATIVE IN POLISH? [14]

But vocative, as I understood is equivalent to someone shouting for that person or thing, so you would say "O dziadKU", "O Matko", " O KrzysiU", "O Dzialkowcu" - or am I missing somethng?

Travel / Best connecting airports to Poland from the UK? [9]

I use Easyjet from Liverpool - never had a problem. There is an excellent connection from Manchester direct to John Lennon.

Work / Media Jobs and Higher Education [4]

You have to search really hard at Warsaw Uni to find a course purely in English for your interests. Go on their page and see what they offer, then suggest yourself as a good choice for them.

You can always teach English as a foreign language in schools.

Life / Parking on the sidewalks in Poland - why is it allowed? [8]

sorry, I was mistaken, I think it states -1 metre-only, maybe someone can actually quote us the law - or what they can find out from the police.

Life / How much Zloty to have an average life in Poland? [98]

>>>>8-10zl for beer? Bloody hell...
I've been paying 9.50-10 PLN for beer in Krakow for a long time - grant it it is in the centre Rynek, and I could get the same beer for 4.50 down some cellar, but now and again, surely, we are entitled to sit and watch the world go by.

>>>>I was thinking that Poles were over communal living
...everyone WANTS to be over the communal living - but not many can afford it, it is not through CHOICE but necessity and that is the difference.

Life / Parking on the sidewalks in Poland - why is it allowed? [8]

I think the law as it currently stands is that "as long as 3 metres of sidewalk remain clear, then cars can park". You will find this everywhere - one of the quirks of Polish life.