Work / Teaching English in Gliwice. Schools? Can I start after September? [28]

Yeah, I've been to Poland, but that was back in 1996. I know a lot has changed cause I hear a lot about it from my family. My mom was back there for a month back in November for the first time since '96 as well and didn't really enjoy it. Said people are too wrapped up on how they look, no one smiles, people put on their best to go to the grocery store, dog **** everywhere, no one shovels the sidewalks and the roads don't get plowed, etc... Basically all the stuff you read about in the "Life in Poland" section.

I have no illusions about what it is and isn't. We have three satellite dishes on the top of our house so we can get TV Polonia, Polsat, and ITVN. I watch Polish news once in a while and all I see is a bunch of people complaining. I don't expect to walk off the plane into some kind of paradise, that's for sure. I remember my time in Poland very well, and although we did take trips to Krakow, Zakopane, Prague, and Vienna, I remember the whole Slask area being one city after another, a giant industrial area.

I'd probably be staying with my aunt. She's widowed and has a nice flat in Osiedle Gwardii Ludowej, so West side I guess. My grandma stays in Osiedle Sikornik. My uncle has a house on the southern outskirts of town as he has become some kind of part owner/architect here: zur.com.pl. It's a very nice house and he has two cars, but he was just here with us for a month this summer and success has changed the man.

When he was here in '95 and I was there in '96 he was fun-loving and a great guy to be around. Now he's very arrogant, selfish, and thinks very highly of himself. He's almost impossible to hang out with. I remember driving him back down to the airport in Chicago, and how to him, all of the cars around us on the highway were **** except for the Audis and BMWs. Oh, and he won't drink anything but Johnny Walker Black because everything else is swill. I think the "new Poland" has definitely changed him for the worse. It's unfortunate.

Aside from that, I have myriad cousins spread out all over that area, so, that's where I'm coming from.

Seanus, thanks man. I'll definitely shoot you a PM once I figure out a little more about my plans.

Work / Teaching English in Gliwice. Schools? Can I start after September? [28]

If you read my original post, you would see that I specifically wrote that I am not one of these guys looking for chicks and beer.

I have no plans on getting involved with a Polish woman, or any woman for that matter, any time soon. Therefore, I probably won't be getting hosed by one.

My trip to Poland would be about getting away, seeing family, and trying something new. What's so wrong about that?

Work / Teaching English in Gliwice. Schools? Can I start after September? [28]

Well, I'm not really counting on my CO experience to go slapping students into shape, lol. I'm not exactly Captain Hadley from The Shawshank Redemption. I just brought that up cause after I introduced myself and asked my question, this scottie character shows up and goes on a rant about maturity and adversity and all of this, but unless his high-powered perception can reach through the internet and read my mind, he has absolutely no idea of what my maturity level is or how much adversity I've faced in my lifetime, hence, the response I gave.

I sense that maybe some just don't like Americans in general? If I'm wrong, please correct me.

As far as not liking what's going on in this country and wanting to get out, well, all I can say is that my parents came up in Soviet Occupied Poland, and it pains me to see these communist gangsters take over the government and turn congress into the new politburo, while Chairman Obama watches from above. Whatever, if you don't agree you don't agree, that's all.

Thanks again to those that have been helpful.

P.S.
As far as qualifications go; I've also been reading an ESL message board as of late, and some of these teachers' grammar and spelling is so atrocious it makes you wonder if they had a service write their resumes for them? I'm not even kidding.

Work / Teaching English in Gliwice. Schools? Can I start after September? [28]

scottie1113

Boy are you a piece of work. Let me inform you pal. I was married for seven years, and lost everything including my son in a divorce. The reason I don't have my degree is because I dropped out of school and went to work as a corrections officer for the State of Minnesota, in a maximum security prison, at the age of 21, in order to provide for my family.

And in case you didn't read, my parents are from Poland. I have more family in that area than I can count, and I speak Polish. Do you?

You are a piece of ****.

Not to mention my first name is Wojciech. How's that for Polish, fuckstick?

Work / Teaching English in Gliwice. Schools? Can I start after September? [28]

Maybe it'd be best to just get my CELTA in Krakow when I get there? But if you're saying that these Callum teachers bail all the time, I guess that would be an option. Thanks for the help, and I'll definitely keep the PM thing in mind once I get closer/have more specific questions.