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Posts by delphiandomine  

Joined: 25 Nov 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - Q		 Last Post: 17 Feb 2021
Threads: Total: 86 / In This Archive: 69
Posts: Total: 17813 / In This Archive: 12419 		From: Poznań, Poland
Speaks Polish?: Yeah.
Interests: law, business

Displayed posts: 12488 / page 193 of 417
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delphiandomine   
2 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

What evidence? Unemployment in Poland, money people get, prices, the fact that after million left unemployment is huge.

I dunno, I went for a walk earlier. I didn't see much evidence of a hard life. Plenty of flat screen TV's on walls, plenty of nice cars around...and I live in the centre, not in some luxurious lovely osiedle with rich people everywhere.

I'm not saying that right now people are dying on the street but that with all that EU money and all circumstances did not really improved much.

Have you actually been in Poland recently, Ironside? Poland has changed dramatically since 2004 by all accounts - not least with roads.

I would say that during the transformation when all those big firms have been destroyed. with people in new reality it was better than it is now.

People then were working for $25 a month and the country was in huge trouble financially. People are much, much better off now - even if you don't want to admit it.

It is not about some people who struggle but about the system which is bad and asking for disaster.

Some parts aren't great, but what other choice is there? I'd destroy ZUS tomorrow and immediately stop paying pensions on the basis of pre-1990 contributions - but that would result in massive social breakdown. Is that what you want?
delphiandomine   
2 Jun 2013
History / Foreigners in Poland during Martial Law [8]

An interesting question :

Does anyone know what happened to foreigners in Poland after the start of Martial Law in December 1981? I know that many journalists had their visas revoked, but what about others? There's such precious little information on the subject.
delphiandomine   
2 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

Fortunately, I'd rather take the evidence in my face than someone that's been gone for years.

What is undeniable is that young people that don't want to work and who did badly in school struggle. Can't say I'm crying for them.
delphiandomine   
2 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

So what? We are talking about Poland.

In Poland, there's everything that people really need. Trying to pretend otherwise is a sign that you really have been away for far too long.

Policy of government is mainly responsible to that sorry state of affairs.

Blame the Government as always.

Anyway why do you ******* tell that to people who work hard all their life just to survive on bare minimum.

Bare minimum? By what standards?

You are a cocky bastard - take away your lingo and what would you do in Poland - beg?

No, I'd do something else and not whine about it. I know a Spanish guy here who took some work in a factory - he learnt the language to a reasonable standard within a year and is now a production supervisor - and the factory pays for his Polish lessons now. Anything is possible with effort.

Who the hell are you to tell people whether or not they have all they need.

No-one is going to die by not going on a summer camp, not having a nice holiday by the sea or not having a flatscreen TV.

The other ..... I have been talking to a dude I haven't seen for ten years or more. He has a good job as a driver in a good company Warsaw. He is living alone with his parents, got a car, he cannot afford to fix his car with all that money he gets.

Strange, because good jobs (such as with the various MPK companies) tend to pay very well indeed. The starting salary in Poznan is something like 2200zl net - my car went in for a major service last year, and it cost me a little under 1000zl to have quite a lot of work done, including the replacement of several parts. If he can't afford to fix his car, then perhaps his job isn't anywhere near as good as he says it is.

The other one is a self-employed electrician, he goes to fix stuff whereas there is some emergency. He drives his own car. He is on the call all day everyday, after paying all taxes and for petrol (which is bloody expressive)monthly he gets about 800 zl.

And how much does he earn do ręki? You're surely not naive enough to believe that a self employed electrician is putting everything through the books, are you? I mean - you've been out of Poland a long time - have you now forgotten that people will add 20% for a faktura here?

His wife have to work too otherwise their family would starve.

Common story in much of Europe. What's new?

Ironside, you're Polish, surely you know that many people pretend to be worse off here than they are, especially working class people?
delphiandomine   
2 Jun 2013
Classifieds / D&D Group for Expats in Warsaw needs one more player... [69]

Many thanks for your reply - although not interested in the game as such (being much more of a computer/console RPG player), I was always interested in how it worked and the stories that were told.

So there are many directions the story can follow and I react to what the players direct in this regard.

It does sound like it requires considerable skill to be a DM :)

Do you remember the Robot Chicken video that you posted a while ago? I rather enjoyed that!
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
History / Comparing Poland's communist-era slogans and propoganda with modern day concepts [23]

I thought this might make quite an interesting thread.

Patriot

A word that is commonly used today by supporters of PiS, but also commonly used in the post war era.

For example : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_Polish_Patriots

Union of Polish Patriots (Society of Polish Patriots, Polish: Związek Patriotów Polskich, ZPP, Russian: Союз Польских Патриотов, СПП) was a political body created by Polish communists and Joseph Stalin in Soviet Union in 1943. This body, unofficially controlled and directed by Stalin, became a foundation of the Communist government created by Soviets that eventually took power in the People's Republic of Poland.

And today : rt.com/news/poland-government-church-protests-323/

We Poles, we Polish patriots say 'no,'"

delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Cost of Living in Lodz [50]

Thriving is the last word I'd use to describe £ódź.

The city itself is not : the artistic culture is. It doesn't help that it's easy enough to commute to Warsaw from there.

And probably about the same as Poznań, Gdańsk and Katowice. So much for "low" rents.

Just had a look - you can get 3 roomed flats for 2000zl all in for a brand new apartment in £ódź. Not happening in Poznan.

Wrocław is definitely a better city for film buffs, thanks to Roman Gutek.

It's a good base, and with the low cost of commercial property in £ódź and proximity to Warsaw, it's bound to get better. Wrocław wasn't much better 15 years ago.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

And in most of Africa, and in most of Asia, and in half of Europe, and so on.

However working Poles have the shyte end of the bargain.

Hardly. They have everything they need.

Because you know that I'm right and you are not.

I fail to see how claiming that Poles have a hard life when evidence suggests otherwise makes you "right".
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Travel / First Time Visit To Poland (travelling from England) [14]

We entered Poland via Cottbus, what an experience that section of the road is, 40 miles of lumps and bumps!

That road is vile - most people will go via Dresden rather than endure that nightmare. It's - finally - due to be reconstructed in the 2014-2020 period.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Cost of Living in Lodz [50]

A basic, central one-room apartment will start at roughly 1,200pln per month including service charges, excluding utilities.

How many young people in Europe live in the centre of cities by themselves? Not many, I'd wager... I don't know anyone among my school peers that does so - they all share or live further out.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

Well in Poland the live for an average Pole is very heard

It really isn't. A hard life is not knowing when you'll get to eat next, or not having adequate clothing or shelter. Poland is - by world standards - an easy life.

and generally the state is discriminating against its citizens in many ways.

What are those ways?

Unless you are a part of the system, or you found yourself a nice niche. I suspect that former works for most foreigners in Poland.

What is this system?
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
UK, Ireland / Polish Qualified Electricial transferable skills to UK? [9]

It would be unfair to expect someone from a foreign country to know all these regulations straight away and for safety reasons there would have to be some type of test.

You'll know what this is, but it seems that it is doable - they need to prove their competence, they should get an "ECS card" and they need the "the Level 3 Award in Requirements for Electrical Installations BS7671". So - you're completely right - they need to prove it via some sort of test.

Qualifications obtained in another country can't / shouldn't be enough to mean that someone is regarded as competent enough to start re-wiring someone's home.

Looks like they are, subject to the above criteria. It's all about proving your skills - if you can do that, then there's no need to do anything else.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Cost of Living in Lodz [50]

The salary is 3800 PLN/ Gross. Is it good to start with this salary? It would be enough for Lodz? I am waiting for replies, Thank you in advance.

Depends how old you are. If you're a young, single person - then it's fine. £ódź is cheap by Polish standards, and it's more than enough to live a normal life. Unlike most posters on these forums, young people do tend to live with others.

£ódź ain't a pretty city by any stretch of the imagination, but it has a sort of sad, dirty charm, if you're the type of guy that likes to pet dying puppies. It's population is skewed toward older and poorer people because the young and talented have left in droves because of lack of opportunity.

It also has a thiriving artistic culture due to the presence of the film school and so on. I know quite a few people living there who enjoy it - low rents, artistic scene and without the general "oh, daddy bought me this flat in the centre of Wroclaw but I'M SO POOR' types to be found elsewhere.

I really don't understand all that youth from some western countries wanting to come to Poland for less than 1,000 euros a month.

Given that you're a made woman who got her money by marrying into the right circle rather than earning it for yourself, perhaps you should be less judgemental?

It is certainly far preferably to come to Poland for that money than to stay unemployed in Spain/Portugal/Greece/etc. Even your own country has problems with youth employment - are you suggesting that being unemployed in Le-Toilette-Sur-Bains is better than living in Poland?
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
News / PO-PiS again neck and neck [248]

Why? Why should predictions of PiS winning get to dominate PF?

I notice you're also silent on the matter. Expecting another loss, are we?
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
News / PO-PiS again neck and neck [248]

We feel the need because of people like Polonius posting constant rubbish about the "rise of the 4th Republic" and so on.

Unless of course, you wish to explain to us how PiS will win an election with 30% of the vote. I mean, I'm waiting for a reasoned, well thought out proposal on how Jaroslaw Kaczynski can become the Prime Minister and win the vote of confidence in the Sejm. It seems that you're in a small minority that actually believes that Jaro can win - even most posters on PF have long accepted that PiS can't form a government with him as the leader.

It seems to me that PiS have deluded themselves into believing that they can attain a majority.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Advice needed on Dental implant in Poland [119]

Is it still worth it cost wise travelling from the UK to Poland for dental treatment, considering the cost of flights and hotel bills?

I can recommend : dentopolis-poznan dot pl

Prices are on the website.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

Because I don't think people from Western countries 'look down' on Poles to the extent she imagines.

You know, sadly, they do. You can see on these forums that many Polish-Americans look down on Poland for not being conservative enough, for not doing enough to stop immigrants, for not doing this, for not doing that.

Then you get our countrymen - some like Harry and Jon are really passionate about Poland, but there's plenty of miserable others who spend their lives moaning and whining in expat bars about how Poland doesn't do this and doesn't do that.

And then you go on the internet and read what British people say about Poles. Some have positive opinions, but some are incredibly rude and patronising.

Until recently, few people in the UK had any opinion (good or bad) about Poles. They were not people we came much into contact with.

Agreed. These days are different, however.

Imho, Poland is obsessed with comparing itself with 'the west'

It's quite understandable - for so long, they were longing to have the same as the West had. It is/was exactly the same in Eastern Germany.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Why aren't Polish dope-promoters prosecuted? [15]

Thank god most people don't share your horribly narrow minded view of the world is all I have to say.

PF mods didn't seem to share his view too ;)
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

I'm only surprised you haven't heard what Pauline has to say a thousand or so times before.

What do you mean?

I don't always agree with her, but I can't understand why you think that Paulina (and others) have an inferior complex.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

So there's only a difference in mentality about the things you say there is but all Poles think alike when you say they do about what you say?

"in general".

I find Poland a remarkably upbeat country, all things considered.

What Paulina says on this thread is very, very interesting.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

when a foreigner says anything you might perceive as being critical of all of Poland.

Because no such thing exists.

The difference in mentality alone between Poznań, £ódź and Lublin alone is massive.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
News / Shops in Poland to be closed on Sunday? [208]

I had enough. EVERY post that is off- topic goes to the bin.

This one won't be, promise :)

Not more important, but more exploited. At least that's my guess.

In my humble opinion, I'd guess that workers in smaller shops are more open to being exploited. They have longer hours, they are unlikely to be able to actually take proper breaks from work and they're absolutely unlikely to be able to take holidays at their convenience. The PIP (and others) would also have far less interest in them - who cares about small shops when you can go and bust the big chains (and get publicity for doing so)?

And could you, delph, tell me why shops in Belgium are closed on Sunday and none of you has any problem with that and Harry isn't insulting Belgians because of that?

Honestly, I think it's every bit as idiotic. Belgium has (like most Western capitals) problems with unemployment among youths - the shops being open on Sunday might help a little bit with that. And yes, the idiotic Sunday trading laws in England are also - in my view - completely stupid. Trust me, I've called Germany more than enough names when in Berlin for the weekend and praised how so-called "Catholic" Poland has far better laws.

I don't know if you've ever been to the border towns, but they are packed on Sundays with Czechs/Germans/etc. There are some huge shopping areas in places like Zgorzelec and Lubin designed specifically to cater for them - I was in Zgorzelec a couple of Sundays ago, and the place was absolutely rammed full of Germans doing their shopping.

I know noone, absolutely NOONE, who would like working on Sundays!

Who wouldn't like the extra money? :) I was never really bothered by what days I had free, except always wanting to be free on Fridays because of parties on Thursdays.

As for Polish labour law, I've just watched an interview with a Polish trade unionist on Polsat Biznes channel. He said 52% of employers in Poland brake the law (big foreign companies included).

Quite believable, but like Harry says, the PIP often specifically go into workplaces to find idiotically small faults. I used to work full time teaching in Allegro when they had one such inspection - and they were (according to the law then in place) breaking the law by not having any windows that could be opened. The fact that they had two separate climate control systems wasn't enough - they wanted windows that could be opened, even though they were in a tower block...

I had to deal with them in my work as well - they really were nitpicking over some exceptionally stupid things. I'm quite surprised that it's only 52% that are breaking the law in this respect.

Btw, did you know that Polish word for Saturday - "sobota" - comes from Jewish "Sabbath"? I don't think I realised that! lol It's the same with Spanish sábado, Italian sabato, Czech sobota, Russian суббота (subbota), Croatian subota.

No, I didn't, but interesting :) Shows the massive influence that Jewish culture had, I guess.

I know ordinary Poles, Harry, who work in factories and supermarkets, etc. and who put up with all kinds of exploitation and are afraid to even complain to trade unions in fear of losing their jobs.

One of the problems in Poland is with the labour code itself. It's completely understandable that if you have umowa o prace and have to put up with some rubbish working conditions - you'd rather have that than work under umowa zlecenie in a better place. Having said that, I also know how Solidarność behave - and they cannot be taken seriously.

I can't work out why trade unions would be against people working, however...
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
Life / Poland's expats' colonial mentality? [176]

Yes, it is 'a common problem'. You have an inferiority complex. You perceive a hierarchy of nations, and you perceive yourselves to be somewhere near the bottom of this hierarchy.

Actually, this isn't true in the slightest. While Poles might be fatalist in general, they are also very proud of their country and the history. Even if you talk about WW2 (which was - by all accounts - a total disaster for Poland) - there are some elements that they are incredibly proud of. They're also very, very proud of the fact that Poland survived through two centuries of being controlled by foreign powers.

Even nowadays, people aren't seeing themselves as worse than Western Europe. The only ones that think that are the ones who have never been there - and they probably say it because of the political brainwashing that they are suspectible to.

As far as I can see, the only real Poles living in Poland on this forum seem to be optimistic people. You can't take into account Poles that live abroad - their opinion is all but worthless, just like my opinion of the UK.
delphiandomine   
1 Jun 2013
News / PO-PiS again neck and neck [248]

It would be nearly impossible under the Polish system to get such a double majority.

It amazes me that despite it being clearly obvious that PiS cannot break the 30% barrier regardless of what they do, the rank and file members still continue to support Kaczynski's leadership. End result? The other parties will always find a way to agree to keep PiS out of power.