UK, Ireland / Former minister admits UK messed up on immigration [78]

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But the EU has already accepted the British letter saying they will leave and have given them a concrete date to do so and a transition period with an end date (which the British are now trying to leave as open ended).

Only problem is the British are now in chaos - they have reduced immigration alright, thanks to the collapse in the pound then its not attractive any more compared to Spain, France or Germany. However the side effects of that are disastrous and already costing British families and the British govt dear - the govt might fall this week because they still cant decide how to manage Brexit and still cant be honest with the voters about the huge clusterf**k it will cause.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

Since you don't live here and you don't have any kids to be corrupted then I don't really see why you are so angry about that.

I'm not so sure myself about them adopting kids but if they want to have a march and argue for equal treatment then that is totally fine. Certainly rather that than 60.000 football hooligans tanked up on Warka and speed - that is one thing nobody would let their kids anywhere near.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

There are some bizarre things in this thread but the idea of building a cement factory in a few hectares site in a residential district of Wroclaw is pretty much the weirdest.

USA, Canada / Would you live in California, USA? [240]

Yes - foreign language restaurants like the Red Apple buffet to have English only menus and no more folk dancing

Law / Tax treaties between Singapore and Poland [3]

There is a double tax treaty and so you should get a reduction of your final Polish amoint next april when you file your return.

But see an accountant with the specifics of your case

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

You could not buy a house in those days without Ministry of interior permission.

You could not get a work permit for any old job - only in cases where there was a need or a missing skill, teaching English would be one such skill. It is an extremely valuable skill as it is help produce a management class in Poland who have been able to absorb lessons from the west and help develop Polish businesses that can be global.

The Marriott brigades that you denigrate were also people that had missing skills - economists, accountants, bankers, lawyers et cetera. The legacy today is that Poland has probably the strongest economy in the post communist world.

You have simply no idea what it was like to try and make a living in those times.

Doug seems a pretty well adjusted guy - If you're only method of valuing people is by the money they have then that is a sad and dispiriting way to view the world

If you think it was easy to make money in those days, maybe join Crow in Serbia and double your existing millions since that is a pretty good approximation of what poland was like in 1992.

Life / What is customer service in Warsaw like? Poland. [8]

In Romania it is not. I visit often. However I do think that Romanians responds to tipping much better and recognise regular customers much better.

In Bulgaria there aren't hardly any shops I've only been a few times but I don't remember it for outstanding service. In general however the people are extremely friendly.

Life / What is customer service in Warsaw like? Poland. [8]

Once I arrived and my luggage got lost on the way the next day I knew that if I got to the shop I could buy a set of clothes and get back to my hotel and change in time for my meetings.

It was freezing about -7 and at 925 I was camped outside the door of a store obviously waiting to spend money, But rather than let me in

the security guard just paced up and down outside the door until it was 931 and then the mgr unlocked. Just one of literally thousands of examples I would have a poor service in Poland.

Life / What is customer service in Warsaw like? Poland. [8]

Service in stores is terrible in all 3 places, Nothing to do with being Slavs and everything to do with the legacy of communism and the slow inroads made by modern retail (which only started 20 years ago and didn't really get going until 2004).

Work / Notice period when terminating a work contract in Poland as an employee - four weeks or one full month? [4]

If it refers to one calendar month then its one month. if you talk to them and agree it then they would probably not have a problem if you left earlier (though of course you would lose a few days pay). Have you got unused holiday ? if so then that probably solves your problem

News / Poland, The Starbucks report. [42]

Dirk - a genuine question, not trolling, How are you able to short shares in such small quantities ? Last week you also talked about shorting Deutsche (and fair play if you did that you would have made a few bucks).

In Europe that is almost impossible unless you have serious liquidity (millions not thousands) and even then the costs are very high, with extra fees to the broker. I don't know why the US would be any different, unless you were able to trade on your margin account ?

USA, Canada / Would you live in California, USA? [240]

I thought you were a scientist and that once the UB had helped you to emigrate you got on your famous train with your science deree.

How abiut there is no better alternative to the capitalist system which has been invented and tested.

I am also generally a capitalist but if the best that mankind can come up with is are Amazon, Trump Tower, VWs dodgy emissions and Kanyes Golden toilet then that is pretty depressing.

News / An article: NATO is the American occupation of Poland and Europe, by Mateusz Piskorski [233]

Yes that is how NATO works. Latvia might be an expendable country if like you you are supposedly sitting happily retired in Illinois However if you are Polish, and your family is here in Poland, then very much want to Latvia to be defended because if it is not then might be the next target?

I don't know but I want law the US in Syria, and I think they don't know themselves. That is not a NATO action.

Seems to be a free for all now - there are Iranians, Russians, turks Americans and probably a few others all testing their weapons. I guess something like the Spanish Civil War or Angola was.

News / An article: NATO is the American occupation of Poland and Europe, by Mateusz Piskorski [233]

Yes ! No point intervening unless you can make a situation better !

Life / My Last Link To Poland Died - Why Leaving Poland Was My Best Decision [249]

Bangladesh started as part of Pakistan in 1947 - was called East Pakistan until 1970 when they had an extremely violent fall out with West Pakistan.

Life / My Last Link To Poland Died - Why Leaving Poland Was My Best Decision [249]

Its a simple error to make - Bangladesh was created as a muslim state and non muslims left to live in India.

News / An article: NATO is the American occupation of Poland and Europe, by Mateusz Piskorski [233]

The NATO troops were there in recognition of their obligations that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

the USSR went there illegally to prop up a Commie regime and play geopolitics.

I dont think either has been a huge success

Off-Topic / Help for Stalker - threats from an ex-boyfriend [19]

I dont have any answer to what she should do about this jealous guy but I do know that if this is in Poland then the police will have zero interest in such a matter,

There aren't any laws governing such behaviour in Poland and it would really be seen as a personal problem.

If he is making physical threats to her then she should probably start with the companies HR department and go to thw Police. If he is just threatening to show her selfies then she should rather ignore it and tell her friends that he is being a pathetic dick and to ignore him.

Life / My Last Link To Poland Died - Why Leaving Poland Was My Best Decision [249]

Oh god let me guess

- the priblem with Poland is the EU and or immigrants
- maybe Poland should be closer to Russia and Putin who at least commands respect
- Orban has got the right idea
- all of the above

If you are a genuine person then enjoy New Zealand - I am sure its great

News / An article: NATO is the American occupation of Poland and Europe, by Mateusz Piskorski [233]

So if say Germany said that NATO should be dissolved, thanks for the memories but we Can stand on our own 2 feet now - and then started a nuclear program, what do you think the US reaction to that would be?

As for EU imports to the US those are things that you either need or want - you have demonstrated perfectly why major powers should act as guarantors of free market and open trade.

You might be a professor but when you got your doctorate why didn't they teach you how to use an ATM?

News / An article: NATO is the American occupation of Poland and Europe, by Mateusz Piskorski [233]

US total defensive and is 700 bn - this is not just for NATO, it covers all territories including defence of the US itself

US exports to the EU are 290 billion. US S&P 500 sales of European divisions are circa 450 billion.

So yes that is a lot of coke.

I like the US defence umbrella - it's awesome to be protected by all of that modern firepower and technology, will come in handy against the rustbucket Russian ships and planes if ever its needed.

Still Putin is smart - why waste money on weapons when you can employ some poorly paid youths to spin propaganda from the basement ? Well they are busy typing Putin is sunning himself on one of his yachts. Unless of course he is wrestling with a bear, scuba-diving or scoring the winning goal in a hockey match

News / An article: NATO is the American occupation of Poland and Europe, by Mateusz Piskorski [233]

No - a peaceful Europe is in the interests of the US. Basically doubles the size of the market for US companies, in the 50s this might of been Coca-Cola or General Motors, these days it is Amazon, Google and Apple. What is more ending the global ambitions of the UK. Germany and France also is better for US security.

If the voters of the US wished to then of course they can withdraw from protecting Europe - but that will probably lead to a nuclear armed Germany. Is there anyone would like that?

USA, Canada / Would you live in California, USA? [240]

Surely your method of dividing debt by number of people is a huge double or even triple count - lots of personal debt is to corporations, lots of cstate debt is to corporations or even back to households and pension funds.

Surprised an experienced engineer would make such an obvious mathermatical mistake

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

Its not obligatory at all - you are entitled to not like your country.

What club are you talking about where people say kurwa ? If its a Polish club that would be a curious choice for you to attend if you have dedicated your adult life to forgetting Poland.

If its a club like a disco that would be a curious choice for an old timer whos been married for 40 years

Why go to a Polish deli if you find Polish food disgusting?

Classifieds / Quran translation - I am from UK and looking for a muslim Polish man in UK [75]

Thanks ! I kinda wanted the phyicsl book - like to go offline at the weekend a bit. But i guess i can print out the pdf.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

I think you can add that to the list of things that nobody bothered giving any attention to before the vote !

With Medicover we have generally had a positive experience - but it's not always like you can just turn up and see someone, you might have to wait for five days and sometimes longer for an appointment. The advantage for me is that I am often working in other countries in the region, and they also have facilities in Hungary and Romania. But I am also in the ZUS systems - for instance when one of my kids had a severe problem with his leg and he went to a state hospital brackets after being seen by a Medicover doctor)

I had an operation on my knee once here and that was not covered by Medicover - I just went to a private clinic and stayed two nights and I was very impressed by the service.

Classifieds / Quran translation - I am from UK and looking for a muslim Polish man in UK [75]

Hey Sig ! Its you again.

So yes I do have a question - where can I find a good edition of the works of Pakistani poet/philosopher Iqbal ? - I looked in a few places in London this week without success. Of course I could do Amazon but its never as much fun as browsing a bookstore.

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

Cant remember what we pay here but i think its about 3000 zloty per year for a family of 5 with Medicover. My wife looks after it so i kind of lose track of the amount. Plus my ZUS payment in my dzialalnosc gosp of course !

Travel / Poland - never again [593]

I thought you were a millionaire ? Surely if you cant afford insurance then there must be something badly wrong with the Us system - what hope does the average Joe have ?

USA, Canada / Why do Americans (and Canadians) hate Polish people? [226]

Ok so you cant speak Polish. Question is whether you can speak English? I have never met anyone who has used clinged instead of clung. The imperfect version is of course I was clinging.

Maybe you are more comfortable in Russian?