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Posts by pamlarouge  

Joined: 27 Oct 2007 / Female ♀ 		Last Post: 5 Dec 2007
Threads: Total: 3 / In This Archive: 3
Posts: Total: 56 / In This Archive: 52 		From: Lodz, Poland
Speaks Polish?: Some
Interests: Writing, reading, music, religion, movies, telecommunications, culture, singing

Displayed posts: 55 / page 1 of 2
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pamlarouge   
8 Jul 2008
Law / URGENT-U.S. citizen needs help with Polish permanent residence visa app! [4]

Thank you so much for your reply!! Fortunately, I was finally able to get in touch with the Embassy's consular division (before I read this post), and they gave me more or less the same answers. Apparently, when I inquired via e-mail regarding which visa I should apply for, and how to get the applications, they misunderstood my situation and sent a permanent residence card application-hence, my confusion. Anyway, I was told that if I submitted my work-promise certificate along with my passport, a work visa app. (which can be found on their website), some photos and a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of my visa, that should take care of it. They also said it would be processed in a matter of days, not weeks. I was overjoyed to hear this, really.

As for the latter part of your post-what kinds of issues might I run into once arrive in Poland? We'll be living in Lodz, he and his family have lived there for several generations. I wasn't told to submit any health insurance information so does that mean I'm covered while I'm working there or under my fiance's policy?? I understand that it's public health care, which seems to have a lot of advantages over the American system-so if I'm working, and money is being taken out of my paycheck by the government to contribute to my health care plan...doesn't that mean I'm covered? I have traveler's insurance, and medical insurance here in the U.S., but nothing that would cover regular doctor's visits there. As a matter of fact, I managed to get strep throat when I visited him in Poland in February and, as a last resort to try and kill it, he took me to his doctor, who wrote a prescription for some antibiotics as a favor.

But I digress.

Anyway, my fiance doesn't have regular access to the internet-it's sporadic at best, but the next time he's online, I'll ask him to check out the information you posted. One other thing (addressing you, mafketis, and anyone else out there who may know the answers to these...), when will I need to renew my work visa? At the end of 3 months, should I apply for a long-stay visa??

Anyway, thanks so much for your help-I was freaking out last night as I kept coming up with more and more random information about Polish visas. So relieved that it's worked out...for now at least!
pamlarouge   
8 Jul 2008
Law / URGENT-U.S. citizen needs help with Polish permanent residence visa app! [4]

Hello all,

I'm writing in because I'm in a bit of a pickle-I'll be marrying a Polish citizen in the U.S. on August 23rd of this year-we'll be moving to Poland a few weeks after that. I've been promised a job there teaching English at a language school-the job was procured for me through his family's connections, it's a guaranteed position.

However, like I said-pickle. Due to various personal reasons, I haven't been able to get my permanent residence visa application in the mail yet. As I'm sure you all know, the application process requires me to send in my passport, along with various other papers, in order to obtain the visa. I send these, along with my app., to the Polish embassy, who then sends it to Poland. The embassy website assures me that the process will take UP TO four weeks, which means I would receive my visa and passport back before my wedding and honeymoon if this is true. However, we all know the true reality of government paperwork processing, in any country, so I'm concerned that it might take quite a bit longer, or at least long enough to screw me out of my Bahamas honeymoon which, thanks to the U.S. gov't, I now need a passport to go on.

My problem is in two parts: 1) I'm concerned that if I send in my visa app. this week (I'm still waiting on a work-promise certificate) that I won't have my passport (and the visa) back by Aug. 24th, which is the start of my honeymoon in the Bahamas. 2) Part of the reason I haven't sent in my app. is because the instructions are a mite confusing. What documents do I need exactly, for my specific case, a U.S. citizen who will marry a Polish citizen, but cannot provide a marriage certificate now, and who will also be working in Poland (I will be able to provide a work-promise certificate).

Okay, so, my question to any of you knowledgeable U.S. citizens out there who have been through the perm. residence visa process...how long did it take to process your application and receive your perm. residence visa? What problems did you run into? Any surprises? Do I need to show proof of medical insurance if I have a work-promise certificate?? Aren't I covered under Polish public health care if I'm working there legally? If I have a work-promise certificate, do I still need to send in bank statements? How much is the application fee, really-in some places on the embassy website it says processing is free for U.S. citizens, in other places it says it's $114-so which is it?

I'm considering waiting until I get to Poland and doing the paperwork there, however, I'm worried that I might miss the boat on my teaching position if I do that-classes start Sept. 15th and I'll arrive in Poland on Sept. 9th-I don't know if that will be enough time to get my application processed so I'll be legally able to work. Because the visa office of the Polish embassy in Washington is so mired in paperwork that they can't answer the phone (seriously, the non-visa office told me that-I've tried calling at different times during their office hours for weeks to no avail), I'm having some serious issues sorting through this mess myself. GAH! If anyone could provide some clear instructions, that would be great. I've looked at the Embassy website, and I've looked at the instructions for this particular visa, so please do not cite those. I'm just looking for a way to get my visa and keep this job opportunity-help!!! Thanks for any information you might be able to provide!!!!

Pam
pamlarouge   
21 May 2008
Life / Polish products for sensitive skin, are they available in Poland? [17]

Hello!

I'm moving to Poland this summer after I marry an exceptional Polish man :) I have sensitive skin so I don't use true soap products, and I generally use only bath products that are specifically for sensitive skin or for babies. In the U.S., I use Johnson's Baby Wash and any Aveeno brand products. Can anyone recommend some comparable, reasonably priced products that are available in Polish stores?? Also, could you please list exactly which stores I might find these products in? I'll be living in Lodz. Thank you very much for your help!

Pam
pamlarouge   
12 Dec 2007
Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

what is in that caused you to think that I didn't like Polish people? Was it because I thought that a Polish/Irish combo was odd?

That would be my question as well.
pamlarouge   
12 Dec 2007
Love / why wont he communicate? going crazy [90]

what is she holding on to, it never was a real relationship to begin with.
they were not boyfriend and girlfriend. i have a feeling shes making more of it than what it was.

Perhaps, but I guess the only one who can know that for sure is her. Point taken.

im just a very blunt person. i dont believe in sugar coating answers.

And I thought I was blunt... :)
pamlarouge   
11 Dec 2007
Love / why wont he communicate? going crazy [90]

calling him and him not answering, texting him with no answer either now shes going to go to poland and find him. if thats not stalking, what is it?

She said she already had plans to go before she met him, and wanting to get some absolution for what happened to her is understandable...maybe not the best idea, but understandable.

I dunno, maybe it's a bit obsessive, but I think I would have the same feelings in this situation to be honest. For some people (such as myself) it's very difficult to just let things go with no explanation and no understanding of what happened. It would make me crazy.

It just seemed kind of mean to say that, that's all. But, judging from your other posts in other threads that I've read Marek, you are the king of tough love :)

I'd like to see a thread about Marek's Life Experiences that have led to the tough love attitude. Now THAT would be a interesting read.

some people are co dependent and no matter how bad a relationship may be, they still wont walk away. its one thing if your married and dont want to walk, and another if you are single.

Okay, now I really don't think that's the case here. The girl just wants an explanation...is that so much to ask? I do agree that it's probably best to let sleeping dogs lie at this point, but I don't think there's a codependance issue in the mix as well.
pamlarouge   
11 Dec 2007
Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

I wouldn't be on this forum if I did not like my Polish heritage

Ooooh burn :)
pamlarouge   
11 Dec 2007
Love / why wont he communicate? going crazy [90]

you are now a full blown stalker for even thinking that, sorry to say

Really, Marek, there's no need for that
pamlarouge   
11 Dec 2007
Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

- Hey, Pam, no hard feelings... we're just talkin' and my function is, of course, to puzzle

Yes, I know... :)
pamlarouge   
10 Dec 2007
Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

why do I need to explain myself to you? Especially since your comments were not of the kindest in nature.

That's how I felt. I explained why many Americans don't simply call themselves "Americans." There is no singular American heritage, so many people identify themselves with their family heritage and background, despite where they were born. To say that one is American when someone asks about your background when you're in the U.S. doesn't say much. So, hence someone saying that they are Irish, Mexican, French, whatever. In our culture, being "American" has little or no meaning when it comes to identity. For most of us, our identity was heavily shaped by our family's foreign, national background. For example, my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were born in this country. However, my great-great-grandparents came from Ireland and France. Obviously, when I'm abroad and someone asks what I "am" I will say American. Duh. But in my own country, if someone asks me this, they're usually looking for a more complex answer, and that's what I give them.

It's not about being embarrassed about having a young country either-trust me, most Americans have not thought that hard about it :)

I'm not saying you didn't think about it to begin with. But, maybe if you had your post wouldn't have had some rude undercurrents. You shouldn't criticize a group of people over a cultural difference in identification, which is what this is. You seemed rather offended by the fact that Americans would call themselves this way, and, really you should understand that it's a cultural thing. Not every culture is like yours, and that's okay.

Poles are criticized for their culture on this site so much, and it's very wrong. You can't say that an aspect of another culture is stupid or fake, whether you disagree with it or not. In the global community our world has become, this kind of thinking is very small-minded and problematic. Within the context of that culture, it makes sense to those people. I'm not saying you are small-minded, or that you always think this way, but your comments could be construed that way.

I think Irisheyez summed up any other response I could have made quite nicely.

I will also second her thought that many Americans talk about their background because they are proud of it. Most of the Polish-American and Italian-Americans I know are very, very proud of their heritage, and they want people to know how it has influenced them.
pamlarouge   
10 Dec 2007
Genealogy / strange Polish mixes [116]

When I lived in North America (US and Canada), I met lots of people calling themselves Irish, even though they actually were Americans and Canadians.

Actually, Puzzler, it's very common for Americans to refer to themselves this way. It happens most often when they have never traveled out of the country, or to Europe, specifically. It's not uncommon for you to meet Americans whose parents or even grandparents were born in the U.S., but who call themselves a different "nationality." In these cases, they obviously don't mean that they come from that country, it's just a way of stating their heritage and background. It's not wrong or "fake"-it's just a culturally different way of identifying ourselves, because the majority of the people one meets in the States (depending on where you are, of course) are not foreign, so most people don't feel the need to explain that they are not "from" that country. Might want to think about that a bit.
pamlarouge   
5 Dec 2007
Work / How much for a private English lesson in Poland? [10]

Are you looking to give lessons or receive them? If it's receive-I'm an English tutor, and I do online sessions via Skype. You can PM me for more details if you need to.
pamlarouge   
2 Dec 2007
Love / Poking tongue out at a Polish girl - is it considered rude/offensive? [37]

Well, I haven't run into that situation with him yet, he doesn't care about being right either (this is why I love him!) so it hasn't been an issue.

:)
We're both really good about respecting the other's opinion, and we both try hard to understand the other's point of view if we do disagree. So far, it's been very successful, and we've had some hard talks about subjects where we held very different opinions. I think we've had success because we're both willing to compromise. You can't compromise in every situation, some things you have to stand firm about. But I think in most situations you can find a middle ground...both people just have to be willing to look for it.

One more thing I forgot to add, really, it doesn't matter if you don't completely understand the other person's reasons for thinking it's your fault. A lot of times you just have to respect the fact the reasons they have are legitamite reasons for them-you don't have to understand those reasons for them to be legitamite. So, if my boyfriend was hurt by something I did, even if I thought it was silly and that I was in the right, I would still apologize. Sometimes it's better if it smooths things over. You just have to weigh whether or not your pride or reasoning for standing firm is worth the happiness in the relationship.
pamlarouge   
2 Dec 2007
Love / Poking tongue out at a Polish girl - is it considered rude/offensive? [37]

e old fart likes a bit of a rant every now and then, about how things are and how things should be.

I've noticed that!

And I regularly say "I'm sorry! It's my fault"...and I often end up saying it to my boyfriend. Being right is less important than being happy
pamlarouge   
2 Dec 2007
Life / Where to find CHEAPEST International phone rates in Poland? [7]

Try voip discount. They offer 300 minutes/week of free calls to landlines and mobile phones in the U.S. You only have to pay a small connection fee (like .05 cent American dollars) for a call, and after you use your free 300 per week, then you pay .015 c/m. Go to voipdiscount.com. They have a system like Skype where you download a program, but the voice quality and stability of connection is better than Skype, if you ask me. Also, if people from the states want to call you in Poland using voip discount, it's the same free 300 m/wk. with more than that costing .015 c/m plan for them to call your landline, and .07 cents /m for a mobile phone. My boyfriend lives in Poland and I've spent a lot of time scouring the internet for the best deal for both of us-this is by far the best I've found. Hope it helps!
pamlarouge   
1 Dec 2007
Life / English man is getting married in Poland - Polish Church issue [37]

I'm planning on getting married to a Polish man in the near future. From what I've read on the forum so far, it's much easier for us to get married in the U.S. (I'm American). However, what would be necessary for us to get married in Poland? Neither of us are Catholic, so there would be no church wedding.
pamlarouge   
23 Nov 2007
Love / WILL HE OR WONT HE??? [24]

move on and find another guy.

ditto-there's definitely a guy out there who wants to have the type of holiday with you described by Jambo :) go and find THAT guy...
pamlarouge   
14 Nov 2007
Love / friendhship with polish girl [63]

I'm sorry but I find it very hard to believe that this girl would just completely ignore you for no reason. Maybe you did something to offend her unknowingly, or maybe she sees that you disapprove of her behavior (going out, etc., which I agree with Jambo is not wrong, but I can understand why you are concerned) and she's not sure how to act around you. I know she's not saying hello to you (you've certainly emphasized this enough)-people don't just go from one extreme to the other with nothing to prompt them. Instead of complaining about it on here (although we're all happy to help and give advice of course, don't get me wrong) why don't you talk to her? If she's really your friend and you really care about her like you say you do, you'll do the right thing and give her the benefit of the doubt by talking to her. Don't assume anything, because you know what happens when you do that... :)
pamlarouge   
12 Nov 2007
Love / friendhship with polish girl [63]

But that's just the vibe I'm feeling.

I agree with Kronx, I'm feeling the same vibe. It all sounds a bit fishy, and I think there's some jealousy that you might be feeling over these "new" guys. If she's offered to repay you a number of times for your help that's showing gratitude. If you honestly didn't want something in return, be it eternal gratitude, her feminine attention, or something else entirely, then you wouldn't be complaining about her so-called ungrateful behavior. I think there's more to the story here. And I also agree that she wouldn't just ignore you for no reason. Maybe you've offended her by mistake, or perhaps she realizes that you DO want something in return, despite your refusals in the past and she's not exactly sure what it is that you want. Imagine her situation, I'm sure she has picked up on the fact that you are not comfortable with her going out with other men, and that probably makes her uncomfortable in turn, especially if you two have been just friends up until now. I would suggest you sit down and have a long, non-confrontational talk with her rather than assuming she's just hanging you out to dry, because there's definitely more going on here than you're telling us.
pamlarouge   
11 Nov 2007
Love / hi ya, im stasha from chicago, in love with a man from warsaw ;) [37]

he’s been given many chances to walk and hasn’t.

I've known guys who have stayed with women they knew they didn't want to be with, even ones they didn't even like, simply because it was easier than breaking up with them. Sometimes they'll just stay in the same situation because it's less painful than going through the sticky business of ending a relationship. But you know him better than we do :)

im strong to talk...but weak at the knees to lose him... :(

Don't be afraid. I hope that this guy isn't just not that into you (and I don't mean to sound harsh by using that phrase), but it seems like a real possibility...if that does turn out to be the case, then he certainly doesn't deserve you. I've been with guys like yours, and I promise that when you find a guy who really wants to be with you, he will show you that in every way possible, despite any extenuating circumstances. Guys can really go the distance for the women they love when they are motivated to do so. And you really don't know what you're missing until you've found the right guy :) So, worst-case scenario, at least this situation has given you the opportunity to maybe meet someone new who wants to show you how much they love you.

As I said, though, I hope that you're guy gets his act together, and if backing off for a while doesn't cause him to, then probably nothing will. Be strong! I know it's hard, especially as a women, to just let things sit for a while. Women like to talk about things and fix them by communication, but some things just need time and silence, unforunately. I'm sure things will turn out for the best either way. :)
pamlarouge   
8 Nov 2007
Love / hi ya, im stasha from chicago, in love with a man from warsaw ;) [37]

I agree that people become more independant as they get older if they stay single, which is why Stasha's guy might be having issues adjusting to a relationship (even after 2 years) because he was alone for so long before. The older we get the more we become set in our ways-it's hard to change as time goes by, even if you want to.

Also, most girls don't like listening to men complain and rattle on about things either, I was just making the point that when you're in a long term relationship, you put up with certain things, make allowances, etc. It's not always easy, but it's worth it if you've found the right person. Did she say anything about going on and on about work? I didn't read anything like that. Maybe I missed it.

i will agree thats more or less normal to do, but who says all people are normal?

Duh (showing my age there!). I'm not saying all people are the same, and that everyone fits the norm...but I do think it's a lot more likely that this is a case of the rule and not the exception.

Thanks for your input on long distance relationships....but in my situation it's the only option. So we're both happy to get what we can until we can be together for good. Long-distance relationships definitely don't work in the long-term, but like I said it's a temporary arrangment. Bottom line-it's better than nothing (and please don't lecture me that it's not), and even if it doesn't work out, at least we'll know that we tried. I believe it can and will work, and so does he, and having the right attitude about it is half the battle. Getting sad and discouraged about the situation is what kills it.

Anyway, I appreciate your opinion, but I'll keep my own on the long-distance thing, thanks :) it's the only thing I can do for now

But you are really cute too. So you guys make a nice couple. I know Polish guys could be really sweet. What kind of acenstry are you? Irish??

Thank you :) I'm Irish and French on both sides-the red hair always gives me away :) Your profile says you are from New York-what exactly is your background? Ok, I know, Latina, but more specific? :)
pamlarouge   
7 Nov 2007
Love / IDEAL POLISH GUY [25]

(sigh) where to begin? I only know two Polish guys, and I'm dating one. So I guess he would be the ideal-intelligent, charming, physically attractive, and always the gentlemen. Can't wait until I'm in Poland next year so we can be together all the time :)
pamlarouge   
7 Nov 2007
Love / hi ya, im stasha from chicago, in love with a man from warsaw ;) [37]

Yes, that's him. No, I'm not Polish, and I speak no Polish...but I'm trying to remedy that. I'll be visiting £odź in February, and then I'll be going there in September to stay.

He's really cute.

I know, right? To be honest, he's definitely the hottest guy I've ever dated, so sometimes I look at him in disbelief and think, "is that really mine?" :) But, trust me, his looks are just one thing in a long line of awesome qualities.