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Posts by Czestochowa  

Joined: 11 Mar 2007 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 22 Nov 2009
Threads: Total: 9 / In This Archive: 8
Posts: Total: 50 / In This Archive: 32 		From: Poland

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Czestochowa   
7 Sep 2009
Life / What are the best shopping cities in Poland? [4]

I'd agree with Poznan.

The Stary Browar mall is excellent. Great shops (210 retail units), plenty of cafes including some quite posh places in the outdoor area at the top.

The mall is in an old Brewery, the architecture is stunning and its very clean. Better than any I've seen in the UK/USA.

starybrowar5050.com/architektura

flickr.com/search/?q=stary%20browar%20poznan&w=all
Czestochowa   
15 Jun 2009
Life / Thunderstorms in Poland [44]

More weather shots: polish-blog.com/crazy-polish-weather/
Czestochowa   
1 Aug 2008
Life / Polish Shelf Toilets [32]

I hate these!

Those that have been to Poland will have seen that quite a lot of the toilets are of the 'Shelf' kind. If you are not familiar with this kind of toilet then let me explain. Shelf toilets are popular throughout Germany and Eastern Europe as they enable German or Polish people to inspect the contents of their poop in case they have some kind of terrible intestinal disease or worms.

polish-blog.com/polish-shelf-toilets
Czestochowa   
22 Jun 2008
Food / Woke up with a craving... [14]

you made that? are you single? :)

I've a Polish gf but she can barely make toast, her mother is an amazing cook but none of it seemed to rub of on her daughter.

Sure your not pregnant.? lol

I hope not! hate to think how the baby would get out
Czestochowa   
21 Jun 2008
Food / Woke up with a craving... [14]

I dreamt about this the other night so had to make it today!

Grilled kiełbasa, potatoes roasted with rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil, pickled red cabbage. A chilled Żywiec and I somehow managed to finish the sernik.
Czestochowa   
14 Mar 2008
Travel / Czestochowa - what is it like? [30]

There was a Ghetto in Czestochowa, not a large one but one none the less.

There is also a large Jewish cemetery. It's a bit out of the way and neglected, last year it was badly vandalized by youths who broke a couple of gravestones and sprayed swastikas on every stone in the cemetery

Kaczynski condemned the actions of those who did this in the press and some local high school kids came to help clean up the stones.

I also find Czestochowa to inexplicably have the prettiest women in Poland.

I'd have to agree with this.

The first time I went to Don Kichot the biggest disco in town my eyes were wandering a bit as I couldn't believe how stunning some of the girls were (and how little they were wearing in winter).

Needless to say my girlfriend noticed this so I had to do a quick save and say "I can't believe they wear such clothes in this weather" (there was an outside bar and it was -15), shook my head, told her she was beautiful and got away with it.

I have some photos from the club somewhere.. I'll dig them out!
Czestochowa   
11 Mar 2008
Travel / Czestochowa - what is it like? [30]

Czestochowa is ok. I knew a lot of people there which helps but I found it quite easy to make friends with the locals also.

As far as things to do it depends what you like, Cinema City shows films both in Polish and English and is very modern, plenty of bars around also. The main night club is called "Don Kichot" and I've always had fun there, lots of latin/salsa dancing, a dance room and outside bar. Plenty of nice restaurants also.

There are some lovely places 10km or so outside of the city for walks and exploring, In winter they do a great sleigh ride with horses around the forests with plenty of vodka to beat the cold.

If you want to know more let me know.
Czestochowa   
25 Jan 2008
Life / Polish Train Travel - Scary? [101]

Hi puddddddin,

I've been on the trains from Gorzow many times.. usually to Poznan. Try go 1st class where you can... usually it's only an extra 3zl or so.

2nd class was always packed with unsavoury characters usually.

BTW hope you are still enjoying Gorzow, it wasn't for me and I came back to work in London, still missing Poland a lot and am sure I will be back but maybe to a bigger city like Gdansk.
Czestochowa   
3 Jan 2008
Life / Moved to Poland - Came back after 6 months [11]

A few reasons made me move.

One was I was fed up with my job in the UK and fancied a change and also I'd met a Polish girl who was orignally from Gorzow.

I'd dated a girl from Czestochowa for 2.5 years previous to this and enjoyed my time visiting Poland and learning Polish. I met this new girl and was at a place in my work where I just wanted to get away (I worked in a high pressure city banking job).

It was like starting a new life but I was a bit too relaxed as I didn't need to work (my internet business provided a nice income without much work) so I was often quite bored.
Czestochowa   
3 Jan 2008
Life / Moved to Poland - Came back after 6 months [11]

Hi all,

I've recently returned to London after spending 6 months living in Poland (Gorzow) and thought I'd give my impressions, please remember these are my opinions only.

If you are considering moving to Poland pick a large city, I moved to a city that nobody ever goes to, and my friends/family only heard of it when it was featured on Ross Kemp's World Worst Gangs:

It was close to the countryside and I know some people prefer the quiet life but coming from London it was a little too quiet for me.

I found it difficult to intergrate with the locals, I tried a number of times to go out to bars/clubs and meet people but the local places seemed to cater for the drink focused elder community, I found a distinct lack of younger educated people around as many have migrated to the UK - Maybe it is different in other Polish cities.

Keep Busy!! I found it very difficult to fill my time, even though I have an internet business and filled some spare time with a little private teaching I found myself with too much spare time.

There will be things you miss about your home country, first few months were all new and I didn't think about them but after a while I started pining for a good Thai meal, a copy of the Times, Match of the Day and some indepth conversation.

As much as I love Polish food I sometimes find it rather heavy and miss some light Asian cooking.

I did have a great time don't get me wrong, but to live out there permanently would be difficult unless I'm in a major city like Krakow or Gdansk with a busy work life and an active social life.

The food was good and it was a cheap place to live, the experience was great but I didn't find exactly what I needed there but I'm sure others can.

Best of luck to those moving out there.

£agów (40c that day) in summer:

Łagów 40c in Summer
Czestochowa   
7 Nov 2007
Law / Do EU members need RESIDENCE CARD IN POLAND [29]

crasyman77, how long have you been in Poland now?

I'm coming up for 3 months and don't have a Temp Residence Card yet. I'd like to know if I can leave Poland for a few weeks and then come back and if my 3 months start again?

This Residency Card business confuses me!
Czestochowa   
23 Oct 2007
Travel / Bus from Poznan to Gorzow Wlkp and Vice Versa - help please! [3]

Not tried the bus yet, be interested to know how it went. I've been on the train it takes just over 2 hours with a change in Krzyż.

It was about 50zl first class (First class just applies from Krzyż to Gorzow).

I've taken a taxi a few times, the guys in Poznan tend to quote me silly prices but can be bargained down to 250zl and the guys in Gorzow just offer 250zl without question.
Czestochowa   
26 Sep 2007
Law / Poland Residency Card Facts [3]

Hi,

I need some accurate answers to a few questions if anyone can help.

I've now been living in Poland for about 7 weeks, I'm applying for a residency card but think I might encounter problems, I've recently started working online and my earnings are in Dollars/Euro/Sterling, I don't have signed accounts or anything like that just numerous deposits of various amounts going into my account.

They also ask for the number of times I've been to Poland, when and where... I know how many times roughly but can't remember the exact dates as it has been 10+ times over the past 5 years.

I've not submitted my Residency card application yet and my questions are what are my options when 3 months is up? Do I need to leave the country for a certain period of time? if so how long?

Will I encounter problems applying for the Residency card with no "offical" payslip from any company/accountant etc just a print out of a bank statement.

Thanks
Czestochowa   
6 Sep 2007
Life / Try it - move to Poland! [33]

I run an Internet business.

I was in the UK until recently but with my bills topping £1k a month I thought I could enjoy a better lifestyle here, as long as I have an internet connection I can pretty much work anywhere.

We've (my girlfriend is Polish) now got a nice flat in Gorzow and the money goes a lot further here. It does feel like I'm on a permanent holiday though which is a little worrying for now.
Czestochowa   
27 Jun 2007
Travel / Disposable Phone and Money Exchange in Poland [5]

Using your visa card you will most likely be charged a fee for a foreign transaction and receive a worse rate of exchange. Sometimes It can be quite significant especially the exchange rate difference.

When you spend on a credit or debit card abroad the exchange rate is based on the Visa or Mastercard wholesale rate which is normally good.

Unfortunately, if you read carefully the terms and conditions of your card, there will be a reference to 'foreign usage loading'. This is a commission that your card issuer charges when you buy something abroad.

The amount varies between card issuers and can be as high as 2.75%. So if you are buying something worth $100, using the credit card to do this could add $2.75 to the cost. Factor in the exchange rate sting and it can be 5% more expensive to use a card than cash.

Although if you are just using it at gas stations etc for a week it won't amount to a great deal.

Once you land only change a small amount at the airpot, the rates there are usually not very good, so I'd suggest getting enough to get you to where you want to go and a bit spare and then finding a local Kantor once you arrive at your destination.

The many "Kantor" exchange kiosks are usually the best bet for exchaging cash, you can sometimes negotiate a few groszy in your favour depending on how much you change. Just look out for the signs.

Most card types are accepted, Visa, Mastercard, Visa Plus/Electron both in ATM machines and in stores.
Czestochowa   
27 Jun 2007
Work / got a pay rise to 4500 netto not bad [4]

Did you get the software testing gig?

Do you speak Polish?

I move to Gorzow next month, not looking for any more testing work but wondering how you get on? is it what you thought?
Czestochowa   
26 Jun 2007
Travel / Laptop Insurance in Poland [2]

Can anyone point me in the direction of a firm which does this?

I'm in the UK now and moving into a flat in Poland in August, can I add it to contents insurance or do I need to cover it as an extra?

Any help appreicated!
Czestochowa   
14 Jun 2007
Work / 3000 PLN netto this a good pay [11]

It varies greatly.

I work as a contractor mainly for banks/finance firms testing new systems/upgrades.

So say a bank has a new online banking website and wants to make sure it works before releasing it to customers I will make plans on what needs to be checked, write instructions or "scripts" to follow and then complete testing on the site going through all the functions and finding errors and working with developers to fix these.

Some projects take a few days others take many months, I could also be testing the performance of a program (user connections/CPU usage etc) or the security (checking any loopholes to prevent hackers/virus etc)

Testing now is often automated so I'll use various programs to run the tests automatically and then check the outcomes.

It's not something you can just walk into really, unless you are simply following a script someone else has written and recording the outcome. nowadays you need a little programming knowledge, SQL, Unix etc to get a good job.

If you want to know anything further just let me know...
Czestochowa   
14 Jun 2007
Work / 3000 PLN netto this a good pay [11]

£700 a month doesn't go very far in London.

Figure bills of £100 a month
Travel £100 a month
Food £50 a week

So already you are close to spending £500 a month.

Depends what you are doing exactly in the software testing industry... A permanent position should pay minimum £30k+ and a contract should be minimum £250+ a day in London.

Poland I'm not sure of the pay scales for Testing as I've only worked as a Tester here in the UK but 3000zl a month with no rent to pay seems like your money will stretch a lot further.
Czestochowa   
14 Jun 2007
Travel / Poznan in July during one month [8]

Only change what you need for that day at the airport.

I was at Poznan airport yesterday and the rate is a lot worse than you will find in the many "Kantor" (money exchange) places around Poznan.

I was changing Sterling Pounds

Airport Rate was 4.9zl for £1
Kantor Rate was 5.4zl for £1

So change enough to get you a cab to the centre and change the rest at a Kantor
Czestochowa   
25 May 2007
Life / Moving to Poznan in August [4]

A few here...

Rentals:

poznan.gumtree.pl/poznan/poznan-mieszkanie-wynajme_4411_1.html

Rentals and Buying:

nieruchomista.pl

Buying:

homesonsale.co.uk/index.php?page=search&s_res=OR&stype=any&q=poznan&ci d=6
Czestochowa   
22 May 2007
Law / Residency Status Questions - EU citizen and Poland [7]

I've been reading up on the forum and a few websites about entry requirements for living in Poland.

I can't seem to find the information I'm looking for so hopefully someone here can help or point me in the right direction.

I'm moving to a small town near Gorzow in July for at least a year, (I'm English). I will be working for myself online managing a few websites I currently have as a sideline here in the UK.

Now as an EU citizen how long can I stay in Poland for? Do I need to leave before 90 days? Can I nip over the border to Germany and re-enter if so? or can I stay as long as I like?

I've been trying to open an account with MBank.pl but have been told I need a Polish Residency card or complete a declaration that I intend to stay for a certain amount of time so it seems there is some documentation I need.

So to sum up, how long can I stay? Do I need a Residency card? And any info on this declaration document.

Many Thanks!
Czestochowa   
25 Apr 2007
News / Man from Zakopane who cut off his own genitals [53]

DOCTORS at St. Thomas's Hospital have failed in their bid to re-attach a man's penis after he chopped it off at a nearby London restaurant.

The man rushed into the kitchen of Zizzi resataurant on The Strand on Sunday evening, grabbed a knife and sliced off his penis.

"This happened in a matter of seconds and was obviously extremely frightening and distressing for the many customers and staff in the restaurant at the time," said a spokesperson for Zizzi.

"Everyone was screaming and running out as he jumped on a table, dropped his trousers and popped his penis out. Then he cut it off. I couldn't believe it," said a witness quoted in The Sun.

So far police have not identified the man, or his motive, but it might not be a coincidence that in French, 'zizi' means 'willy'.

Czestochowa   
23 Apr 2007
Travel / How much złoty would be enough to last 3 weeks in Poland? [25]

Yes Visa Electron is widely accepted in both ATM's and in shops/restaurants.

Does your 3 weeks include hotel or travel costs?

I'll be spending 6 days in Poznan & Gorzow and am taking £250 (for spending only) cash and my cards but I intend to do a bit of shopping
Czestochowa   
5 Apr 2007
Language / How do u guys learn polish? [20]

I'm learning on my own at the moment, I've a few assorted books and some software. The best software I've found so far is from byki.com

I've been to Poland 10+ times so picked up quite a bit on each of my visits.

I'll be attending the Sopot Polish school for a few months this summer to get myself to a good enough level to manage for the rest of the year (I'll be staying on in Gdansk or possibly Gorzow for a while).

I can just about get by with my level of Polish at present but need much improvment and learning the verbs is a nightmare!