Language / Give me some reasons to learn Polish [126]

to be able to laugh at Cezary Pazura:
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wdDt33cCipk

Australia / Poles in Australia - money for start, chances for a job, costs of living (Brisbane, Bunbury) [50]

Melbourne is outrageously expensive though. And surfing beaches are much closer around Sydney

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]

I don't know any of the Americans you're talking about. Even those sitting pretty with their work health insurance are concerned about their kids not being able to get their own, and skyrocketing health costs.

Even the doctors know there is something seriously wrong here.

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]



yea, yea, I'd rather be treated by a person who became a doctor because he wanted to help the sick, than by one who became one to get rich.

Hippocratic oath my foot!

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]


Ha! I forgot about state taxes! Just so nobody will be confused, all states have federal income taxes, and if some do not have state income taxes, they do make it up in other ways, such as sales or property taxes.

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]


I can only assume you did not read the article.

Love / Fresh, wholesome country lass in Poland - getting married and going back to the US [167]

I think you do a valuable service to this forum, by bringing interesting and controversial subjects up for discussion. The problem is that very often your take on these subjects is so extreme and intolerant, that it brings out extreme, knee-jerk reactions in others.

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]

In my opinion, big chunk of the problem is the fact that Americans think that always being in debt is an acceptable, even preferable, way of life.

I don't know if this is a Polish thing or not, but all of my family hates being in debt and we all push ourselves until everything is paid off.

Healthcare - I don't even want to go there. Dumbest country in the world as far as that goes.

fascinating article on health costs in US. Most interesting is the disparity of prices and patients' inability to compare costs:

USA, Canada / Would like to move back to Poland from New York after living in USA for 20 years. [155]

Dayumn, girl! Chicago must be a very expensive city if you can't make it there on 100+K!
Come to Florida! ;)

History / How do Poles feel about what the French did during the first few stages of WWII? [30]

reminds me of this, oft quoted here Mark Twain "I would rather have a German division in front of me than a French one behind me."

Love / Fresh, wholesome country lass in Poland - getting married and going back to the US [167]


that's the point - he does not want to pay them a wage. He was aghast at how much a live-in housekeeper makes!
I actually feel sorry for these women, promised to inherit everything after he dies by a supposedly frail old man.. then they discover that they need rescuing themselves!

One more thing I wanted to add for the fresh, wholesome country lasses out there: a live-in housekeeper makes about $500 a week. A private room and board are provided, usually a family car as well. She also gets time off, for which she does not have to account to anyone.

Love / Fresh, wholesome country lass in Poland - getting married and going back to the US [167]

my elderly father, who travels to Poland often, and is active in variety of Pol/Am organizations, shows around pictures of his lavish East Coast estate and reels in lovely Polish ladies, who dream of an escape to easy life in the USofA.

However, after of a year or two of servitude, the lovely lady inevitably runs like hell, realizing that the life she had in Poland was not as objectionable as she once thought.

He's currently looking for his 6th Mrs. Ex, and I have no doubt he'll find her. But I have a gnawing fear that one of these days, a lovely lady he picks will figure that a dead husband might be more profitable than disgraceful divorce.

The moral of this story is that finding them might be easy. Keeping them, and keeping them happy, is the real challenge.

News / Palikot - too liberal/modern for Poland? [197]

Those all sound reasonable. What exactly is "declarations instead of certifications"?

News / Shops in Poland to be closed on Sunday? [208]

I always thought that for those professionals that serve working people, like even dentists and doctors, evening and weekend business hours make more sense.

Life / First communion - it's that time of year again in Poland! [109]

about the original subject: there are many worse reasons to throw a party than the child's first communion. I'm not a fan of lavish parties, but I have been caught up trying to plan a few that I hoped all the guests will fondly remember. As far as monetary gifts, I'm not a fan of those either, but often they are a kind gesture to offset the hosts' costs.

Life / Why are Polish so obsessed with Russia [46]


wait.. great Russian empire??

Life / Is it True that People in Poland Dislike Charity? [13]

Excellent posts, Rysavy and PTA.

Life / Is it True that People in Poland Dislike Charity? [13]

In my experience, Polish people spread their money among their family much easier than Americans do. We are much more willing to give money to members of our own family than strangers. It may be a generalization, but my mother, who watches Judge Judy etc., is often amazed at parents suing children, or children suing parents, or siblings suing each other over money.

Genealogy / Searching for Terence William Meadows [19]

Polishforum at its finest!

Life / Planning a first time leave towards Poland soon,need advice! [10]

NJ cost, I have an unrelated question for you: .. every once in a while I run into people that do not use space after punctuation. Up to now, I assumed that they didn't know or didn't want to, but now I'm wondering; are there languages where that is not a rule? I know it is a rule followed in English, Polish, all the Latin and Germanic languages I've seen... so, why don't you use space after punctuation?

Travel / Poland Baltic Sea holiday [30]

when I was young, we used to go to Baltic, where my father fished for eel. I regret not paying attention how he actually did it, I just remember how gross those things looked..

Anyway, is any of this still going on? And how does one catch them?

Life / Hey, Nice Airport Wrocław! Or! Day #1 for an American Ex-Pat in Poland. [128]

Please, Jason, don't let the cantankerous ones (to put it mildly) discourage you from posting on this thread.
I'm sure you have a silent majority of readers that hope you will keep reporting about your experiences in Poland.
I think this is what most of us are here on this forum for, despite appearances to the contrary.
If you are posting somewhere else as well or think about starting a blog, please, let me know.

Law / Bank accounts taxed by up to 10%. Can it happen in Poland? [150]

I'm hoping that this precedence will only hit the banking systems that where established to provide tax havens.
If it starts hitting savings of 99%, they should start moving their money to their own credit unions.
Here is a credit union that some members of my family were involved in starting. I have not been following, but anyone knows how they're doing?

en.psfcu.com/Overview_20.html

Real Estate / The current property boom in Poland is a bubble [342]

good grief, grubas, you gonna have to find yourself somebody else to fight with..

I like the thought that the economic downturn did not get to Poland because Poles are too stubborn. :)

Real Estate / The current property boom in Poland is a bubble [342]

You must not be aware of Poles refusing to lower their real estate prices, even though they're loosing money... You think this is driven by their optimistic outlook? ;)

Real Estate / The current property boom in Poland is a bubble [342]

that is funny - good old Polish stubbornness needs to be factored into the model of Polish property market!

Life / Hey, Nice Airport Wrocław! Or! Day #1 for an American Ex-Pat in Poland. [128]

good thread.

Life / Men in Poland in the forest? Just men? [133]

Then why are you asking friends in New Zealand if that's a good idea??
You have completely skewed idea of what is valuable in life. You think that family is hell and you are proud of paying some unfortunate fool 1zl per hour to do labor for you.

Are you sure you're not American??
You might be pitying family of 3 generations crowded in one flat, but believe me, they are pitying you right back: all that money and no family around you.

Life / Men in Poland in the forest? Just men? [133]


lol any of those friends signing up for that wonderful deal?

Real Estate / Best and worst months of the year to find a flat to rent in Poland? [39]


That is puzzling. My knowledge of Polish business practices might be a little outdated, but is it possible that the landlords are holding out for bribes, or a good faith payments of some sort?