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Posts by smooth_jazz  

Joined: 21 Jun 2007 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 7 Jan 2008
Threads: Total: 7 / In This Archive: 7
Posts: Total: 71 / In This Archive: 66 		From: Germany
Speaks Polish?: very little but I am learning
Interests: reading, writing, watching movies, learning Polish, going to the pub

Displayed posts: 73 / page 1 of 3
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smooth_jazz   
25 Jun 2007
Life / Moving to Wroclaw from California, need tips [30]

Merged: Moving to Wrocław from the US

Hello all,
I'm an American and I'm looking to move to Wrocław next year in September and I was wondering if anyone has any helpful hints or information on what I need to do to live and work there? I am currently living in Germany but I don't have any German work visa's or anything which might help me in gaining documents from Poland.
smooth_jazz   
25 Jun 2007
Life / Moving to Wroclaw from California, need tips [30]

Well right now I am working as a computer networking technician. I saw that Google was opening an office there in Wrocław but they want someone who also has server experience. I am also still learning Polish, I should be very proficient by then though in that aspect. I am willing to work any type of job though, I have loads of experience in the restaurant industry. I know it's not going to be easy but I'd like to get my foot in the door first, and then maybe be able to find something better later. I have a very serious girlfriend who lives there and it would be really great to be able to live together.
smooth_jazz   
19 Jul 2007
Study / Working versus Studying in Poland [5]

I am American and I'm in the military living in Germany at the moment, but will be getting out next September and want more than anything to settle down with my girlfriend in Wrocław. I have a lot of credits from attending American universities but I haven't finished. My job in the military is working as a computer networking technician, and while I have some experience, I don't have any certifications. My ultimate goal is to be able to settle down permanently in Poland. I am looking for some advice on how to best start this process, should I apply for a visa to work in Poland and try to get a job, or should I try to finish my schooling and apply for a student visa and try to go to a university there before searching for employment? As of right now my Polish is not so great but I am studying very intensively and hopefully by the time I want to move there I should be close to fluent or at the very least good enough to get a job. Also, I don't even really care about the type of job I get initially, I just want a "foothold" first and then later I can look for something better. Any advice?
smooth_jazz   
19 Jul 2007
Study / Working versus Studying in Poland [5]

If you marry her then that's not a problem.

Yes I know that getting married will solve the staying in the country problem but it won't help any if I can't get a job. It does seem like teaching English is something a lot of people opt for as a job. Is it because there is such a demand for it or because they can't get anything else?
smooth_jazz   
19 Jul 2007
Study / Working versus Studying in Poland [5]

Thanks for the advice. Actually I do have an associates degree in information technology/computer telecommunications, whatever you want to call it. I don't know if any of this would apply to another degree or not. To be quite frank I wouldn't even really care about having to start over in school. My main concern is being able to stay in Poland and having some source of income to support me.
smooth_jazz   
22 Jul 2007
News / Polish religious pilgrims crashed coming back from a pilgrimage [62]

I agree this is such an awful tragedy, and we will never understand why it happened. My heart really goes out to the family and friends affected by this. Unfortunately in instances like this words do little to comfort. And on something such as an internet forum that is all that can be given, when a hug would do better.
smooth_jazz   
24 Jul 2007
Language / If The Polish Language Is Too Hard >>> Sing Instead [18]

I am currently studying Polish and while I haven't found it to be difficult yet, I am always looking for other ways to help with learning. Does anyone have any suggestions on cd's to pick up?
smooth_jazz   
24 Jul 2007
USA, Canada / Americans who call themselves Polish - how do you feel about that? [112]

My family heritage is completely German on both my mother and father's side of the family. I always used to describe myself as being German, meaning that I am of German heritage, not that I am really German. Then I moved to Germany and I made the mistake once telling a German that I was German. I will never make that mistake again. I am definitely not a German, I am a Texan of German descent. Maybe these people are the same way I was, they say they're Polish meaning their family originated from Poland.
smooth_jazz   
25 Jul 2007
Life / Gift for name day in Poland. My girlfriend's is Anna and today is her day. [17]

Hey everbody, today is my girlfriend Anna's name day. I am away from her at the moment and can't be with her. In reading about name days it seems that most people celebrate them more than they do their birthdays once they reach a certain age. She says it's nothing really important or special but I can sense something in her voice, that maybe it's more important to her than she's letting on. Do you guys recommend anything special or sweet I could say to her, maybe in a text message? We talk on the phone everyday and of course I will tell her something then but I want to send her a message in the morning before she goes to work.
smooth_jazz   
25 Jul 2007
Life / Gift for name day in Poland. My girlfriend's is Anna and today is her day. [17]

Its 02:21 in Germany so technically its tomorrow for you but today for us..

Yes you are right and it's that time also in Poland. But at the moment I am not in Germany I'm in Bahrain until the end of September.

I would suggest flowers, interflora

I gave her flowers back on her birthday which was in June but I think it may be too late to get her anything now. I will have to go and look. I thought about getting her a necklace that has her name on one side and on the other is her name in Arabic. They are popular where I am at right now. But I couldn't find a design that I liked and she seemed like it was nothing special, but now the more I think about it the more I think I should get her something.
smooth_jazz   
25 Jul 2007
Life / Gift for name day in Poland. My girlfriend's is Anna and today is her day. [17]

is was the first I have ever heard of such a day. Very interesting and a fun thing to know to share with others. :)

Yes on Polish calendars there are names for every day and they are in honor and in memory of patron saints.

behindthename.com/namedays/lists/pol.php
smooth_jazz   
26 Jul 2007
Work / How hard is it for an American in Poland? I'm computer networking IT / salary [12]

I was just wondering if anyone can give me some success stories of an American who isn't of Polish descent moving to Poland. I really want to move to Poland next year to be with my girlfriend but I'm afraid of not being able to get a residency permit and/or not being able to find a job. I am and have been for the last 4 years, a computer networking technician in the Air Force. I also have lots of experience working in restaurants and working as a chef. I tell my girlfriend, who is afraid for our future, that I am never going to give up and that I will make it work, but sometimes it can be scary to think about.
smooth_jazz   
26 Jul 2007
Work / How hard is it for an American in Poland? I'm computer networking IT / salary [12]

I hadn't even thought about the shipping of things to be honest. Are there a lot of rules? I am willing to part with a lot of what I have when I make the move, and I am only going to be moving "up the road" as I am living in Germany at the moment. Thanks for the head's up and the info. So where in Poland are you moving to? I want to move to Wrocław.
smooth_jazz   
26 Jul 2007
News / How Poles truly feel about their situation in Poland and being in EU? [76]

im just gonna miss the zloty when its exchanged for euros

Is anyone worried about going to the euro? I know when Germany went to the euro, for instance, something that cost 5 marks in the super market now cost 5 euro, yet if your salary was say a 1000 marks a month it became 500 euro a month. Is anybody worried about everything getting a lot more expensive than it is now?
smooth_jazz   
26 Jul 2007
USA, Canada / The things Polish people do in the US [46]

I'm not Polish, and I open boxes to see what I'm buying, but only the kind that can be closed again like Polska mentioned, and yes I inspect my eggs too. I also open shampoo or soap bottles and squeeze it slightly to push the air out and get a whiff of what it smells like. One time though I did squeeze it a little too hard and ended up with shampoo on my nose. ;-)
smooth_jazz   
27 Jul 2007
Work / How hard is it for an American in Poland? I'm computer networking IT / salary [12]

Yes but you would be surprised Ranj. I don't know about the German Polish border because I've never driven across it, but for example you can drive from Germany into Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, and Austria, as easy as if you are driving between two states in America, there is a sign on the highway that is about it. No stop, no check, you just drive right on through.
smooth_jazz   
28 Jul 2007
History / Memories of the Polish communist era [115]

I know this is not really on the mark of what you were looking for but there is a pub/dance club in Wrocław that is kind of a tribute to communism (Actually I'm not sure if it is memorializing it or mocking it) . It is called PRL and it has all kinds of old poster and pictures on the walls including portraits of all the worlds famous communitst leaders. They also sometimes have old communist television shows playing on various t.v.'s throughout the pub. Anyhow it is my girlfriend's favorite pub and I kind of like it too.
smooth_jazz   
28 Jul 2007
Love / I'm missing my Polish baby (long-term relationship).... [27]

Haha, love is such a good thing isn't it? I haven't seen my baby since the 20th of May and I am supposed to get back to Germany around the 26th of September. Then I have some stupid appointments I have to take care of and then I'm off to Wrocław for three weeks!!! :-) I am also going to load a lot of hugs and kisses upon her. My flight gets there early morning and I already told her that first day I'm back we're not leaving the bedroom. ;-)
smooth_jazz   
29 Jul 2007
News / How Poles truly feel about their situation in Poland and being in EU? [76]

You know I think it's kind of sad, because this thread really has the potential for some very stimulating conversation and getting to see things from different perspectives and gain some insight, and instead people start being abusive and start arguing. I hope this thread and ones like in the future can stay on topic better and not get off track by people's hate and narrow minded views.
smooth_jazz   
29 Jul 2007
Love / I'm missing my Polish baby (long-term relationship).... [27]

was just talking to BW today and realized it cost me 24 cents per minute to call his cell in Poland, but only 2 cents per minute to call a land line....

For me to call Anna at home it's 1 cent a minute but to call her cell phone it's like 31 cents a minute so yeah it depends on the type of phone you are calling to.
smooth_jazz   
29 Jul 2007
Love / I'm missing my Polish baby (long-term relationship).... [27]

Your ISP could've easily just upgraded their equipment and could be having issues with it or it could be a degradation in the fiber in the ground. Sorry that's my tech geekiness coming out, comes along with the job I guess. I know what you mean though, my internet back in Germany is great, I have a 6 mb connection but here in Bahrain I'm sharing a dsl connection with other renters in my apartment building and it's so slow and I don't always get good reception on my phone. And if I am talking to my girlfriend on her cell phone in a bus or a tram, it just gets worse.