Moving back to Poland after 20 unhappy years in Canada and USA

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look, this is a discussion forum, the point I was trying to make is that the Irish have long complained about the poles going to poland and taking jobs, the poles can equally make a point when the Irish come to Poland and make money at the exspense of the local pole. fair point.


true, I don't deny that I am of the village idiot status.

Sean thanks for taking a positive attitude and amending your comments, cheers.

I do not think it is a fair point.
Not all Irish people complain about Polish people going to Ireland and working.
Most Irish people respect Polish people for their work ethic.
We have a long hard history of immigration and not everyone forgets this.
Jobs are being lost in Ireland so things are difficult for everyone at the moment.

What do you mean make money at the expense of the local Poles?.
Do they not pay for flights, accommodation, tours, invest their money and pay the Poles?.

You make it sound like the big bad Irish, come here and work the poor Polish into the ground.
I can tell you I have never seen this.

And when someone makes money they very often make money for everyone involved.

Say an Irish person buys an apartment, they put their money in to Poland, employ Polish notarys, builders, real estate agents etc...

I fail to see what you are getting at, should Irish (in particular according to you) not invest in Poland?. why?.

I get the impression you have encountered and had difficulties with someone from Ireland.
We are not all saints or sinners for that matter.

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Sorry bolek for my harsh comments last night.
You are completely right, this is a discussion forum and I should not have named called, excuse me.

I suppose the Irish are the number one investors in Poland. They certainly are in my experience distantly followed by the Jewish Israelis.

Ive mentioned before on here that an Irish company bought a large Cement plant near Sandomierz a few years ago, i personally know some employees there and they are more than happy since the take over.

Its the same old story - greed. the Irish have made fortunes on property within Ireland over the past 15 years or so and want to do the same in Poland. For what its worth my business dealings with the Irish has been excellent, for the most part they are an extremely moral nation. Many Irish people whom i have met have a soft spot for Poles as it was not that long ago they were in a similar situation.

Hello to you too !

I was surprised that we were singled out by Bolek's post, that's all. But will start a new thread on the original reason I signed up, rather than hijack this one.

Regards,

uncle betty

LOL ... *sighs* too funny :D


i've been living here for over 20 years now myself. i think the country is great. health care is nice (it's a little screwed up here and there, but overall it's good), the scenery is beautiful, the people are just wonderful (it's true what people assume about us Canucks :P), but for some reason, it just doesn't feel like true home. maybe because i have such nice memories of home that i miss it so much or what i read on these forums, but i always feel like Poland is my true home, somewhere i can go and feel like i belong. i dunno.... that's just me. maybe it's where i live as well, everything seems so "Pottery Barn". hehe

Congratulations to bolek for not jumping at my go at him. Nice one :)

20 unhappy years. Why did you leave it that long? That's 1/4 of your life, maybe 1/5. Geez, after 1 unhappy year you should have been thinking.....

Some Poles (a small percentage) leave poland for the US (ie chicago) to work and save as much money as possible. They live in poor neighbourhoods and spend as little $ as possible on life's necessities (food, clothing, transportation, housing etc.). THey work jobs that require no education or skills - in other words, mind numbing back breaking physical labour. You can spot such people from a mile away as they often look physically exhausted, unhappy, aged and often complain about life in the US. They live and work like this for 15-25 years before returning to poland to retire.

I bet 'marysia' fits the above criteria. I cannot understand why these people give up the best years of their lives for .... WHAT??? They fail to see that a little investment in the form of a simple 1-2 year college diploma will not only provide them with a more respectable job but also one that pays more and above all makes them HAPPY.

No offence pcanuck, you made some great points and were spot on. BUT, you can't always apply logic to the Polish psyche. They have a super education system here in many ways but contrive to pick up dead-end jobs after graduating. Trust me, it's a deeply ingrained notion in many that working abroad simply presents a more viable money making option. They have the best of intentions to set up shop back home but it turns sour too easily and they become disillusioned. That's why you see 20 years wasted and not merely 1 or 2, for example, when a teacher goes abroad and wonders what they gained in that time.

None taken.


Seanus, tell me what constitutes a dead-end job in Poland? What jobs do poles pick after graduation that you consider dead-end jobs?

Personally I would say that most jobs in Poland are dead-end jobs as the work environment there is simply disgusting. For instance, employers have no respect for their employees. There was a time just a couple of years ago where employers would fire people left and right for no reason - they especially enjoyed firing people just before their scheduled retirement. My uncle told me about a bank that created a 'contest' for new applicants where they had to devise a solution to an actual problem in the bank. The applicant with the best proposal would get the job. Seems nice and creative right? Wrong! It was a scam. The bank stole the best idea and gave all the applicants (including the 'winner') a kopa w dupe! WTF?? On top of all this, the salaries are piss poor. How the hell does one work in such an environment? To me, this fits the definition of a 'dead end job.'

From what i hear and see during my regular visits to PL, foreign companies provide the best options for fair employment. I'm sure things are improving now that poland is in the EU but there is still a lot of work to be done.

When I say dead-end jobs, I mean jobs with no progression such as cleaners and mundane office jobs. Limited opportunities for CPD. When I said dead-end jobs, I had in mind the Polish attitude towards them as outlined in the various documentaries that I have posted. THEY see it that way.

My personal view is that many jobs serve a social utility function. Where would we be without our scaffies/rubbish collectors/trash disposal (Scottish word) and sand gritters in winter? Even those who work in the PO play an important role in the social fabric. Just because the job pays lower, doesn't mean that it doesn't need to be done. The same goes with troops abroad. The old adage, 'it's a dirty job but someone's got to do it' applies here.

As a final thought, I really believe that tolerance is needed. Sometimes, I have to teach lessons where I know that it'll be a tough hour ahead. Still, coping mechanisms allow me to ride the wave. There are bad parts to most jobs but as long as our characters are compatible with the job, there's no real 'bad' stress.