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Posts by Frank  

Joined: 14 Aug 2006 / Male ♂
Last Post: 22 Nov 2016
Threads: Total: 23 / In This Archive: 19
Posts: Total: 1,183 / In This Archive: 978
From: Ireland
Interests: Travel, cars, gr8 food!

Displayed posts: 997 / page 1 of 34
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Frank   
14 Aug 2006
Work / Pay, salary in Poland. [54]

what about ireland then?this country became rich because of the eu help but ALSO because its own people coming back from overseas and investing their own money in bussines in ire.prices of houses,flats are rising very quickly in poland because a lot of foreigners investing in our country (especially in big cities)in small towns and rural areas prices rise slowly or remain at the same level

If I may add guys, living in Ireland, I feel I can clarify a few points for contributors.

The Irish question/situation is quite a complex one and probably unique within the western world. It joined EU in 1973 same time as UK, ok, got grants /aid etc, not a lot of improvement for say...10-15 yrs. then someone got the idea of luring big multi-nationals to the country to set up factories...esp the US..huge money poured in ( on top of EU grants), low corporation taxes...and most importantly....spoke English!!!!

Following so far? This then takes us up to the early nineties still things difficult, unemployment high..........still 12/13 percent ( had been 20% like Poland). The Irish had a habit of sending huge amounts of profit/money to off shore accounts, hiding it not paying tax on it...then the Goverment caught on, no longer acceptable to do so , court cases, fines so money began to stay in the country....jobs began to get better paid, people stopped leaving, people came back....houses got dear............Celtic tiger began to roar....louder and louder............profits began to flow...government got huge tax revenue, still getting aid from EU ( its running out shortly!!!)

Could this continue....?.....GDP going up by 10/12 per cent...no they all said......but the main driver in the last 5/6 years has been the building boom........its still going on...not sure when it will stop...ok.....growth now at 5/6 per cent but that is still double the average!!!

In just ten years.....1/3 of all house have been built.........in the Republic.......which is ten times the number in the UK!!!!!!!! Ths has been the main driver for wealth creation since the mid-nineties!

Amongst all this has been the Irish attitude towards risk/taking a chance......something Polish people perhaps need to change in their countries mentality............first steps have been taken.........joined EU...grants coming in....people going over seas to work....now its up to goverenment/leaders to spark the best ever phase in the life of all Polish people......it requires bravery/vision.....taking risks.....can Poland do it?
Frank   
14 Aug 2006
UK, Ireland / BEWARE when coming over UK [363]

Local workers are expoited too.......unless you know your rights, and have good English, it can and does happen, fortunately its relatively rare; especially if you join a union in those areas where its more common, ie catering/building, its a form of insurance!!

Having said that am sure the Soviet system expoited more than a few Polish people and I am sure in Poland, were jobs are hard to come by, Polish people are exploited too!!

After all.....are 160000 Polish people in Ireland all wrong and 400000 in the UK?
Frank   
14 Aug 2006
UK, Ireland / Stop the exploitation of Polish workers in the UK [101]

HHHhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm.....of course it happens......to locals and non-locals, worse to some than others, but there are minimum wage laws, plus if you sign a contract then you have a degree of protection in law.

Yes, do join a union if you can, its essential really......a type of insurance lets say!

Which two groups of workers are the most heavily unionised in the UK?

Doctors and airline pilots......100% in a union, both earning wages at the top end of £80-100,000...ask yourselves why!!!!

You will only be exploited if you allow yourself to be exploited, ask some questions, go on recommendations.....be suspicious!

It only takes 5% of employers to be less than scrupulous and everyone has a bad name!
Frank   
14 Aug 2006
Travel / Accommodation in Wroclaw [27]

There ya go...do search and compare prices from several sites....some quote cheaper for one hotel than the next site!!

hotelspoland.com

staypoland.com

cheapaccommodation.com/Wroclaw/3-star-hotel/

inyourpocket.com/poland/en/

PS Any savings you make....I am on 10% commission....:)

That was a joke!
Frank   
14 Aug 2006
Travel / 1st time in Poland [78]

Heres a useful guide....unlike most of the posts on this thread...good luck and enjoy your stay...

inyourpocket.com/poland/warsaw/en/
Frank   
15 Aug 2006
Travel / pickpockets or gangsters in poland? [49]

Stop picking on the UK our stats are only that bad because of the Pakis and the Irish (pakis bring our literacy stats down - Irish make us look like we drink too much and once again the Pakis are thieving sex pests who drive our crime rates up!!)

LOl....so Shelley........whats it like being a presumptious racist?
Frank   
16 Aug 2006
Travel / 1st time in Poland [78]

Gee.....lot of steroetypes being talked about here.................................all individuals........so each has his own experiences......................please stop slagging off each other.....it detracts from the board............................

Polishmancan....there are links on that guide to other cities........have been trying to up-date my firefox browser......lost ALL favourites for the moment..........bloody computers....:(
Frank   
16 Aug 2006
Travel / pickpockets or gangsters in poland? [49]

Why should people behave as if they are bereft of all civility, respect?

Say those sorts of things in your work, mixed crowd when you are out...and see what response you get........no longer acceptable........so last century......
Frank   
16 Aug 2006
UK, Ireland / Stop the exploitation of Polish workers in the UK [101]

Its now the law in Ireland too, parents whose children are back home in an EU country can claim an allowance for child care, which is quite substantial compared to wages in Poland.

But can't remember the exact amount!
Frank   
17 Aug 2006
Travel / 1st time in Poland [78]

Yes, I agree guys, take away/throw away traits in modern society are responsible for many problems, partly due to raised living standards/expectations.

Ergo, both parents must work to keep up with everyone else, at the expense of children being raised by other people, no time for real parenting, too rushed, everyone is sucked into believing the advertisers......but ultimately its down to people taking the easy option and being lazy!

Western Europe could learn from Poland!! Some older, traditional values are worth keeping!
Frank   
16 Sep 2006
Travel / Isn't Warsaw a Sh*thole? [20]

Well...it aint great in places.......it has a long way to go, to become a truly visitable place to put on your list of capitals to visit.

But Europe has lots of less than brilliant capitals, ie Bonn, before Germany was re-united; London indeed has lots of negative aspects, Brussels isnt too hot either, the list goes on.......

But we all have to remeber its was virtually destroyed 60 yrs ago, plus has been submerged in communism for 60 odd yrs too.......................give it time........it will improve!
Frank   
16 Sep 2006
UK, Ireland / TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE/DISLIKE IN UK [51]

Mixer taps.........???...............I mean come on guys....get back to the thread......dig deep, come on!
Frank   
16 Sep 2006
UK, Ireland / TELL US WHAT YOU LIKE/DISLIKE IN UK [51]

.....this is now micro-topic........the mixer topic stuff.............Wroclaw......lovely city by the way!

Am in Ireland..........BTW, 'em, hard to say......there are lots of choices in London etc, economies of scale, things too do, but too congested.................

Also the English are tolerant.................but too a point, as long as you dont interfere in their lives!
Frank   
17 Sep 2006
Travel / Isn't Warsaw a Sh*thole? [20]

LOL.............but boredom is in your mind.....lol........part of what really makes a city is the vibrancy of it population, ergo, it WILL take time for Polish peoples attitudes, way of doing things, views of life to change.

Being original, confident, selfish, cocky, brash, can't care less ways of thinking aren't natural Polish traits(?).

Again, giving it time, plus money, will make all the difference.

There was a time when the only thing Dublin was known for was its beer and pubs...NOTHING else!!!

But Ireland and the Irish, always had a different attitude to life.............ask Polish people who have gone their, there is a huge amount of irreverence, risk taking, live for today - not tomorrow! In Poland til recently, you knew tomorrow and every day after was going to be the same........again...and again......................just wait for the spark!!
Frank   
17 Sep 2006
UK, Ireland / Poles in Ireland - integration? [41]

Cato, thats great, but here in our small county we already have a Polish page ( in Polish too) in our local paper( Fermanagh Herald), plus our very own Polish shop, how come things are relatively slow in the great metroplis that is Dublin!!!....lol

Still, yer man had a point re meeting them.....as all the Polish locals are walking to and from their work, go on take a risk, ambush them in the street, much more personal than this forum, plus you might get a useful reply, as you can see the muppets on here haven't been very helpful!!

Come on where are all the Polish people to help this gal out????!!!!
Frank   
19 Sep 2006
News / The 4th annexation of Poland - Watch LIVE now! [75]

Lots of variety in the arguments, some good points, some a little paranoid, some a bit pointless and personal, which dont have any place here guys....honestly!

As an Irishman, I do have a different perspective - relatively speaking Ireland (the Republic of that is) has only been independent since 1922.......only 800 odd years, of Normans, plantations, famine ( 1840...8 million people lived in Ireland, 1900.....only 4 million) English and British rule.........have we disappeared...no....is Ireland......benefiting from EU member ship absolutely yes, and by speaking English and taking RISKS........and more importantly....learning how to play the game........who to speak to in the EU, who to form alliances with.

You wont be annexed at all...............its only in your minds!

Cast off all your old doubts and fears..........you will be very surprised how your proud nation will grow over the next decade..........I look forward to Poland once again taking its rightful place in the centre of the European union, but it requires hard work, diligence and bravery...........................Poland has an abundance of all three...good luck!
Frank   
19 Sep 2006
Language / Television to learn Polish/English. What should I be watching? [33]

Wroclaw...maybe you'll read this, our regional TV station called Ulster TV in N Ireland is doing a programme about Wroclaw on Thursday nite coming, 7.30pm local time about the mass exodus of people from your city and the mayor wanting them to come back.......!!

It is beautiful, and unique...has lots going for it.....hope to visit again in November!
Frank   
7 Oct 2006
UK, Ireland / Poles in Ireland - integration? [41]

Yeah,where did she go; ah well,she was just using the members here for her own ends,not really interested in contributing, just taking - c'est la vie as they say in downtown Wroclaw...:)
Frank   
14 Oct 2006
Life / I'm Going to start a Revolution In Poland [10]

Good point Kowalski.........its the same in Ireland - a healthy/unhealthy disregard for all things governmental/rules etc! A throw back to British rule and an even tighter grasp of the populace by the catholic church.............................after thought.........who are the catholic church?????...and where are they now......in Ireland that is......

Good sometimes...but not others....ie both countries kill more on the roads than they should!!
Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Real Estate / Apartment purchase in Poland [226]

I had done a search on buying property on the board, but not found as much useable info as I had hoped, therefore can I ask people who have experience of buying an apartment in Poland to relay their experiences to the board on the template format below?

I am particularly interested in non-Polish purchasers, given that we don't really speak the language and this makes the experience so much more difficult!

Overview - this should consist of, your gut feeling as to how the process went from start to finish, who you had to deal with and how things have finally turned out, and would you do it it again!

Where you bought - exactly where, why, advantages/disadvantages.

Price you paid - for the property, agents, solicitors, other parties

Who did you buy from - was it a private sale, via an estate agent, or notary - again advantages/disadvantages. Which is safest for non Polish speaking buyers.

Time scale - from initial search, arranging appointments, getting papers signed, delays, reasons for same.

What to look out for - this basically means, that there are certain golden rules you must be aware of through the whole buying experience, ie what to check, what to look for, what not to do any other nuggets of information only insiders would know about!

Finally, if you have links of use, please post them at the end.

Many thanks for your help in advance!



Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Real Estate / Apartment purchase in Poland [226]

Wroclaw, so you can cut out the estate agent, whats their status legally in the whole process, fees, etc?

What percentage go for straight private deals?
Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Real Estate / Apartment purchase in Poland [226]

Wroclaw itself, some where around the Rynek, or in one or two selected areas just north of the centre....ie within a five minute walk.

Whilst in the city itself , I don't believe I saw an estate agents office along the lines we have here in UK/Ireland.

I have the allegro site you've listed, thanks.

Any other thoughts, info, again personal experiences are best.
Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Real Estate / Apartment purchase in Poland [226]

Guys, a big thanks so far, plus all the links will act as a part resource for future posters!

Yes, Wroclaw am looking for an a apartment in your very own town.......!

Ideally, I am looking for a recently renovated or good order apartment in a stylish building, 60-70 sq metres.

But am interested in the ins and outs of the whole process, plus ideally they say you're best to go accompanied by a Polish person, if thinking at all about buying, makes it all so much more buyer friendly.
Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Life / Irish man wanna move to Poland [60]

Not at all, its just that they are exclusive to the Emerald Isle......not allowed to export them even to new neighbours.........:)

Secondly, you never find an Irish man in an Irish pub abroad.......or...even leprachauns......
Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Real Estate / Apartment purchase in Poland [226]

Spiritus.......you wouldnt be in Manchester/Bury area are you?.....:)....
Frank   
15 Oct 2006
Real Estate / Apartment purchase in Poland [226]

You mean to make a payment to purchase?

Ideally a bankers draft, or an electronic bank transfer is even safer.

If its as a deposit, I believe you require 20% of price ( stand to be corrected), perhaps travellers cheques would be handier assuming they are widely accepted in Polish banks.