I found a good book about well-educated, young and pretty Polish woman who chose to work in Chicago as a modern slave. This book is "fresh" very new and very well written, unfortunately only in Polish. I would recommend it for these ppl who speak Polish of course and are wondering why young and well-educated Polish folks accept modern slave position all over the so-called first world.
Maati...can you give us a flavour of this book, why she decided to do it, what being a "slave" meant, who was her owner...or was it just a work of fiction?
Democracy is not perfect.......................but its better than any other sort of government!
If you buy into it, its expensive to maintain, expensive from a moral perspective, and a heavy responsibility on those who put themselves froward as candidates.
I would recommend it for these ppl who speak Polish of course and are wondering why young and well-educated Polish folks accept modern slave position all over the so-called first world.
The only reason is usually connected with money. Go abroad work hard ( even below your education, experience) earn,,eave,save...and come back.
From my observation well-educated people do it if they go abroad for short time-1-2 years. If they go for longer thet try to "move on" and look for better job, do some courses, trainings.....
Buit again Polish can do it in Europe as we are in UE in USA if someone doesn't have green card or amercian citizenship ....he can't do much. Little depressing I suppose....
If that type of money gain was possible for citizens of 1st world they would go into "slavery" themselves. If you happen to be 1st world citizen ask yourself would it be tempting to work temporarily in other country and make 10 times as much? For many it is tempting.
I am not sure, if she was earning 10 times more. I was in the States when I was very young (19) and I was earning $7,50/hour in this sandwich bar, I wrote about before in different thread. US Dollar is so weak now, at that time it was a little stronger. Living in Warsaw, I get more than in the States as a modern slave and I do what I like. My job is quite creative. I am a languages teacher. Sometimes I work for culture institutions. That woman has a similar graduate degree to mine. And she is also a literary critic living in Crakow... She could get even better job than me...
As for the book- I will try to write about it more later, I must go now.
And I DO NOT criticise anybody. Just wanted to share a different perspective...
There's nothing wrong with going abroad and having an adventure for a year, but real life has to start sometime. A career path is a career path, wherever you live.
Maati, there lots and lots educated, polish slaves in Chicago. I don't blame the ones who want to make a quick buck in a year or two and go back, but some are here 5, 10, 15 years!! Na domkach: taking care of children or some elderly sick person.
No language. No life. Just this "needy" family left in Poland who thinks that money grows on trees. They want cars, furniture, expensive clothes or just cash.
And the "slave" stays another year longer, and then another... Sad.
No language. No life. Just this "needy" family left in Poland who thinks that money grows on trees. They want cars, furniture, expensive clothes or just cash.
And the "slave" stays another year longer, and then another... Sad.
Maati, this was the case in the 50's, 60's even 70's for single ( older) Irish men who went to England, they weren't educated, did manual work, never really intregrated or moved up the ladder, ie couldn't afford to buy a house, always rented accommodation, never improved themselves.
So they were stuck, living hand to mouth, just able to meet their living costs and a lot of them became victims of a drink culture...it was all they knew.
So I am sure there will be instances of this too even today in UK/Ireland...not everyone who comes over is smart, progressive and can speak English, some will arrive with regrets...and leave with regrets........but you take your chances!!!.....!!
An interesting point here is that many ‘first world’ workers are quite happy in Dubai [etc], they have many restrictions [not quite slavery, but they forgo freedoms they have at home] because the money is so good
I was refering to these folks from PL, who have univ. diplomas, can speak languages etc. and for most of their life abroad they are working as truck drivers, baby-sitters, in cleaning services etc. etc. They are wasting their potential and good education for $5/hr.
"No language. No life. Just this "needy" family left in Poland who thinks that money grows on trees. They want cars, furniture, expensive clothes or just cash. [b][/b]"
I know many young and educated ppl who do not have "greedy families" in PL. They speak English, French, German etc. and they still are working as low-paid slaves there(where they are now). This is what I am talking about.I mean, for Polish truck driver it may be fun to work as a truck driver in the UK or US. For somebody young and talented , who was studying for many yrs. here to get his Masters or whatever, it is the road to nowhere...
Ask Polish waiter/waitress next time what kind of diploma she has and why she's/he's wasting her/his life ...
Ah.....you mean their qualifications are not translated into EU equivalents...if thats the case, then the fault of the government plus universities...!
But they REALLY wasting their lives...?.....think about it..........carefully.....
This is what I am talking about.I mean, for Polish truck driver it may be fun to work as a truck driver in the UK or US. For somebody young and talented , who was studying for many yrs. here to get his Masters or whatever, it is the road to nowhere...
Ask Polish waiter/waitress next time what kind of diploma she has and why she's/he's wasting her/his life ...
I think that main reason for it is luck of confidence.There is something about us Polish,our history , upbringing that we often feel worse.....Fortunately it is changing slowly now....
I think that lots of these graduated waitresses gave up as they assume that noone give them better job.
I don't really know how it is in different countries but I find UK open and tolerant for educated , open-minded people from all over the world.
There is nothing wrong with a humble begining and any job which payes the bills. However, the educated ones should always strive to do better. I know a young girl (21) who was attending university in Poland, but now she cleans houses. She doesn't even go to school in the evening to learn more english.
Yet, she wants to stay here. What kind of future is she going to have?
If she was university student, she must speak English. English is obligatory in high-schools and universities. I had English classes in kindergarden, primary school, high-school, university etc. And I'm 26. My English should have been much better...but still, I would not like to clean houses etc.
Nope. Her English is very poor. And, yes she had English for 3 years. Her 'school" English is not good enough to have a conversation. Besides, Americans speak different than the British English taught in Poland.
I understand she had French in middle school. (unfortunately).
What kind of "university" she was studying at? We have American and British teachers in languages schools... American English is much easier than British English !
I had English classes in kindergarden, primary school, high-school, university etc.
I never attended college, highschool or university, and only followed an english course for a year in lower school, but I like to think my english is decent. - watch my big head! :) -
so okay, I may have a potentially offensive opinion here, - and I know I make spelling mistakes from time to time! :) - but I think english in general is very easy to learn?
maybe it's a bit of a silly question, but I often wonder how native english speaking persons vieuw their own language?
Some Americans make fun of the way British speak and I bet it is mutual! :) The pronunciation of many words is different (sounds harder and "choppy" in British, but slower and more "mumbled" in USA) and when a foreign person who learns British hears the same in American English, it sounds like a new word they don't know.
And who is to say that Americans do not use it properly? Or the British?
