PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by Foreigner4  

Joined: 18 Nov 2007 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 5 Sep 2013
Threads: Total: 12 / In This Archive: 8
Posts: Total: 1768 / In This Archive: 944 		From: tychy
Speaks Polish?: yes and no
Interests: sports, politics, the economy, history, writing, yadayadayada

Displayed posts: 952 / page 19 of 32
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
Foreigner4   
16 Nov 2011
Love / Does your Polish partner suffer from disposophobia [46]

My wife is Polish and is a hoarder.

I think it stems from documentation or rather the need to hang on to documentation for everything here. Any time I have decided not to hang on to a stupid sheet of paper because it seemed so trivial a thing to have documented, it has come back to bite me in the ass. I believe that has permeated into the thinking some people have with regards to other things in life.
Foreigner4   
14 Nov 2011
USA, Canada / Moved back from Canada to Poland:). Here are the reasons why. [868]

I have two hockey playing strong girls that could kick the panties off any of these sucky boys.

This is very much a typical NA female trait: "my kids are tougher than your kids"...maybe focus on how constructive your children can be be as opposed to destructive.
Foreigner4   
5 Nov 2011
Work / So I received an offer from a Poland language school - what's your take on this? [59]

Aha, I wrote that in totally the wrong way.What I meant was that the client might not have a choice - they could have been told "you're getting a teacher from x school and that's that".

No worries, I was offended at first but then remembered what you'd written earlier so I chalked it up to few words missing here or there: )

TPSA?
I used to run classes there in 2005 and the middle man (L2 [squared]) paid me 75 per 60 after tax...I think it was L squared, anyhow, after some time they decided to change it to 75 before tax without consulting me so I ditched them:/

it's not your problem if the client doesn't pay the school.

I taught for one outfit in Katowice that tried passing the buck to me with that excuse...holy smokes did they get a wake up call. Those people still hate me to this day...but when they actively disrespect someone then someone has little choice but to employ the next best motivator:)
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

I'd say go with your first idea. At the beginning of September, if you're still doing this, you can increase your price by what you have gaged people will pay. Good luck.
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Real Estate / Banks in Poland selling fewer mortgages in 2011, down 49% [285]

The infrastructure in those 2 countries are very different due to population dispersal and geography confines and extents...apples to oranges imo.
That may account for a difference in property taxation
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Real Estate / Banks in Poland selling fewer mortgages in 2011, down 49% [285]

Sorry if it's been discussed here but a friend of mine told last week or 2 weeks ago that there is talk of a 10% property tax coming into effect in Poland.

If your property is valued at 200K then you'd have an annual 20K tax to pay. Is this for real? Has anyone else heard about this? Is this really old news that I'm way behind on?
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Work / So I received an offer from a Poland language school - what's your take on this? [59]

in my opinion what this language school charges is none of your business

we'll agree to disagree on that: )

I always lived by the philosophy that the more contacts you make, the more work you can find.

we'll agree to agree on that: )

Thanks everyone. I gave them a tentative agreement which highlighted a few things that cannot be changed down the road. They're hesitating- no skin off my back either way: )
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Work / So I received an offer from a Poland language school - what's your take on this? [59]

That's my hope too. They're trying to contract the work to me so the way I see it, they have most likely promised something which they are having problems delivering on. I finally am legally allowed to operate my own school, which I am doing, so I am not terribly keen on answering to anyone other than the client. We'll see what happens.

I think the faking work thing is due to the bureaucracy here. They look like they aren't doing much but really they're hurrying up and waiting to do things... that being said, in my experience, your description perfectly fits Polish methodology directors for esl schools in Poland
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Work / So I received an offer from a Poland language school - what's your take on this? [59]

I wouldn't consider this "helping the competition"; it's business, and you get paid. Having said that, you're in a strong position to negotiate a higher wage, especially if, as you say, you're the only NS in town.

oh i'm not there are 3 others who have had their own businesses longer they won't take the classes. The other native speakers here are entertainers, they can't run 1-1 classes with directors and such- they're clowns.
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Work / So I received an offer from a Poland language school - what's your take on this? [59]

1-1, Friday mornings.
They don't have a school in the city where I live so it's more the strategy behind my dilemma. I don't believe in taking classes with a school and then "stealing" the client later- it's dishonest and it's slimy and I look down on that sh*t.

So the big question I have for myself is whether or not I decide to help the competition gain better standing for the sake of 65/week. I don't think they can get another N.S. here for cheaper who can do a good job. Anyone who's willing to come from farther away for less is obviously desperate and likely not going to give a good lesson...but large schools don't really care about quality do they? That being said, I'm not real busy on Friday mornings.

I'm not saying they charge 90/hour, I'm saying there's no way they charge less than that. I'd be surprised if it were <110.
Foreigner4   
4 Nov 2011
Work / So I received an offer from a Poland language school - what's your take on this? [59]

A language school contacted me. They want a native speaker for a business where I live. They are only offering 1 class a week in which I travel to the client. They don't want to go higher than 65/hour (before taxes). In my experience, language schools charge businesses nothing less than 90/hour. My wife wants me to take it but I kind of feel like telling them it's too low. My other thought is that I have a school so why should I help out a competitor.

What's your opinion (based on experience)?
Foreigner4   
2 Nov 2011
News / Emergency Sirens and warning systems being tested where you live in Poland? [8]

Well, is it?

I have noticed over the last week or three that the public emergency sirens (or whatever you want to term them) have been tested rather regularly. It's odd because in the last 10 years, I have never heard the system tested so regularly. My family, friends and students have noticed this too.
Foreigner4   
31 Oct 2011
UK, Ireland / What do you like about living in Britain? [134]

You wouldn't expect Polish people to make decent Indian food, so why expect the Chinese to make decent English-style fish and chips?

I don't think anyone read what he wrote and interpreted it as him expecting it. Merely disappointed that it has come to that (in his experience).

When I was living there, what I liked most was being able to strike up a conversation with anyone at anytime anywhere.