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Posts by Maybe  

Joined: 16 Dec 2008 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 5 Feb 2014
Threads: Total: 12 / In This Archive: 10
Posts: Total: 409 / In This Archive: 332 		From: UK, France and Poland
Speaks Polish?: mogę się porozumiewać

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Maybe   
12 Dec 2013
Law / Do I need a work visa before moving to Poland? [29]

Director of Studies

In the small towns the language schools are usually of the Polska B variety. The Director of Studies is usually the owners wife, who doesn't speak English. Most likely is that the Owner/Principal/Main Teacher has qualified from a private English school, will have never lived outside Poland and will be so sick of teaching the local morons that he will purely regard them as $ signs and nothing else. When a Native speaker arrives and says i want 35 to 40 zl an hour and minimum 20 hours a week, the owner will **** himself with joy. Before you even have the job you his crappy website will advertise native speaker. Once you have the job, you will work mainly Wednesday to Saturday. All will be hunky dory, except.....when the holidays arrive you will have NO work and Polish schools seem to have holidays all the time, secondly the contract you will be given will be a con, you will have minimum ZUS paid and the majority of the cash you receive will actually be off the books.

As for teaching , you will end up standing in a cold room ( to save money on heating) with an eclectic variety of students from the very bright to the terminally retarded. Unfortunately the Principal will insist you concentrate on helping the retards who don't care more atttention, because they will be the children of the local wealthy hobnobs.

To all the Expat posters, I challenging to call me....
Maybe   
12 Dec 2013
Real Estate / Any idea if any UK banks offer mortgage to buy a property in Poland? [17]

There will be some banks that do, however, it depends on your circumstances and if the property will be a primary, secondary or buy to let property.

It will also depend on where you live, where you work, where you are registered for tax purposes. Many factors. Since you can still buy properties for well under £50,000, you might consider a loan as opposed to a mortgage, depends on how much money you got, innit!
Maybe   
12 Dec 2013
Law / Do I need a work visa before moving to Poland? [29]

@Tam. You will find work much easier in the English schools in smaller towns, native speakers in the major cities aren't rare, whilst in the smaller towns they are, simple. Secondly don't worry about a TEFL qualification, it isn't worth the paper it is written on, none of them. What you can do is teach English using the direct method, this is idiot proof and you don't actually have to know what you are talking about (actually the best method for native speakers, since few are truly English teachers).
Maybe   
11 Dec 2013
Work / Wages in Poland - (Average monthly gross wages and salaries) [9]

The next link is to Numbeo, this very useful site lists consumer prices for Gdansk which is the main city in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie region ( i think).

numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Poland&city=Gdansk

For all those people wanting to understand the fiscal realities of day to day Poland for the masses, the information is out there and much of it contained within this site.

Unfortunately you have to dig through the flaming trolls, the nationalists, the racists, the nonces, f*ckwits and morons who desecrate this potentially marvellous forum with their inane drivel.
Maybe   
11 Dec 2013
Work / Wages in Poland - (Average monthly gross wages and salaries) [9]

@ Monitor thank you for the tax calculations.

Average rental prices in the kujawsko-pomorskie region for flat ranging from 30sqm to 50sqm seem to go from 850zl pm up to 3000zl,
with the average offer falling round 1300zl for a 40sqm pad. This is not including ground rent which can vary greatly.
Maybe   
11 Dec 2013
Law / Do I need a work visa before moving to Poland? [29]

You want helpful.

Why in God's name would you actively seek to live on the poverty line. Are you planning to make a documentary about being foreign, broke and stuck in an Alien country. You could title it, "Oh my God I have just gone and F@cked myself".
Maybe   
11 Dec 2013
Work / Wages in Poland - (Average monthly gross wages and salaries) [9]

Average monthly gross wages and salaries in sectors:

Source:
1. Statistical Office in Bydgoszcz; Bulletin No. 4 about the socio-economic situation of the kujawsko-pomorskie 2012, Bydgoszcz 2012.
2. CSO (GUS) Bydgoszcz; Bulletin No. 8 about the socio - economic situation in the kujawsko-pomorskie , Bydgoszcz 2013 


Sector--------------------------------------August 2012-----------------------August 2013

Food processing------------------------ 3155,13zl---------------------------3267,79zl
Industry--------------------------------------3190,97zl---------- -----------------3315,61zl
Water supply-------------------------------3281,39zl------------------- --------3518,70zl
Construction-------------------------------3216,41zl------------- ---------------3411,89zl
Trade; repair of motor vehicles----- 2865,06zl------------------------------2999,72zl
Transportation and storage----------2640,83zl-----------------------------2713,26zl

Accomodation and catering-----------2277,83zl---------------------------2656,90zl

Information and communication-----4776,35zl-------------------------------4796,57 zl
Real estate services--------------------3565,12zl--------------------- ----------3457,37zl
Supporting services and administration--- 2213,51zl-------------------- 2305,71zl

A few stats to pad out the reality.

For those people thinking of working in the call centre environment and "Administrative support with languages", take note of the last entry on the table above, this is what many of your Polish co-workers will be earning.

It is worth remembering that this is Gross, NOT Net.
Maybe   
4 Dec 2013
Law / I do not have parental responsibility for my Polish daughter. Am I obligated to pay child support? [30]

@OP I hear Vietnam and Cambodia one can live quite well on a reduced budget. Advice, sell everything and go discover Asian for the next ten years.

Avoidance of payment of child support can end up with an shortish HMP holiday, (a bit irritating) but much worse, she could potentially take ALOT of money from you. You are in Europe so the law can pretty much get you anywhere, I would as everyone else has said, get legal advice and quick, because she will be getting legal advice as well.
Maybe   
4 Dec 2013
Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]

@OP. You could start by starting a 'flat wanted in Warsaw' thread. Baby steps....

Regarding work the most sensible thing to do is search for call centre work, where English or your native tongue is needed. If you explain you are a student perhaps you can work flexi hours, especially given global time differences, call centres are often 24 hr. Alternatively you could start your own import export company and import Asian furniture or whatever. If you have contacts and friends back home importing exotic items shouldn't be too difficult. Think outside the box.
Maybe   
4 Dec 2013
Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]

And I assume there would not be a lot of vegetarians in Warsaw

Never assume anything. 98% restaurants have vegetarian dishes on their menu. Greenway is a well known vegetarian fast food outlet.

Since meat is more expensive than vegetables and since you must be well versed in vegetarian cooking, you food bill shouldn't be very high.

If you don't drink alcohol, smoke, do drugs, gamble or aren't a *********** then your social expenses will also be low.
Oh and if you stay single and don't chase women, because that is an expensive habit.....
You should be able to save. BUT...beware the unexpected costs.... as a foreigner in an alien land you will need a financial cushion.
A year of hard self financial discipline, a single minded approach to work in a new environment might prove very spiritually enriching if not hugely financially rewarding.....
Maybe   
4 Dec 2013
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

@InWroclaw. I concur with what you are saying regarding work. I have worked for and with Poles in Poland and nothing is straight forward nor simple. One of the few ways of getting work in Poland as a foreigner is establishing yourself within the community, usually through marriage and building your name and reputation over time and then being offered work. And having worked for Poles in Poland, I have chosen to work in the UK and commute back and forward to Poland. That way I work in England in an environment I fully understand and relax in Poland an environment I enjoy, especially to relax in. Working in Poland with a Polish boss is a form of masochism and I'm not into that.

Speaking personally as a Briton in Poland -- I found f*** all in the way of work available, and would strongly advise anyone coming over to thoroughly research what skills are in demand before investing time and money.

Listen up people to all those foreigners who want to live the dream in Poland unless you speak FLUENT Polish AND have a rare and sought after skill set, the jobs market is going to be tough, very tough indeed. Most Poles earn on average between 1700zl to 2500zl net a month, that is around £380 to £500 a month!!!! How an Indian student of little means is going to study, cope with living in an Alien land and find a job that will pay for their living and student loan is beyond me. I am sure some will do it, but it still seems a tall order.
Maybe   
3 Dec 2013
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

People need to remember Universities selling courses to foreign students don't give a flying f*** about the students. It is all about the money.

Yes the living costs are lower in Poland but there will be very, very few job possibilities. The reason Polish people emigrate in such numbers is because the majority of jobs in Poland pay f*** all, not enough to really live on, scrape by and just survive perhaps, but not live.

Indian students would be much wiser to suck up the cost of the more expensive courses in the UK and Ireland because at least they would have a chance of employment. Not only that but there are established Asian communities in the UK and Ireland so the environment would not be so alien.

Being a non-Pole in Poland is a strange experience, being a non White in Poland is strange and potentially testing.

The skinhead threat in Russia is very serious for foreign non white students, many of them live under self imposed curfews.
In Poland the situation varies, but be aware being Foreign white or not will always attract attention and in large cities there will always be the threat of street violence. Try to avoid football matches and always avoid skinheads.
Maybe   
25 Nov 2013
Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]

@OP since you are going to be hitting a new and alien city perhaps a flatshare with other young professionals would the way forward. This would instantly give you people around you who may be more than willing to help you figure out your surroundings. Obviously this will cut down your rent.

not taking into account that you will have to also pay, on top of the listed rent about 400 to 500 PLN building maintenance fee (czynsz) per month.

Sterling advice, this fee is a hidden b@stard. Often the new build apartments have a lower Czynsz than older buildings....and older building need more maintenance and be warned if you move into a cheap flat, especially in a large old block be aware there will be many people who don't pay their share of the Czynsz which causes all sort of strife.

With regards to eating on a budget if you can find a local "Milk bar', you should be able to eat healthily and not have to bother doing lots of shopping and cooking. I'm not sure how many 'milk bars' exist in Warsaw but no doubt other posters will help you. If you do shop try Lidl.
Maybe   
24 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / Mentally ill people in British society [55]

@OP. wow.....where does one start! I would advise you learn a little more about this topic before you start posting on the forum.

You are entitled to have and voice your opinion, however, the concept of segregating people because they are different from you and offend you sensibilities is a dangerous path to tread.

Hitler segregated, Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and the mental incapacitated, after segregating them and convincing the public that because these groups were different that they were lesser beings.

He went and F8CKING GASSED THEM!

if they are sitting in a cafe, and a mentally ill person who is sitting with their carer, starts to yell loudly and knocks his bowl of soup or whatever else, on the floor, then starts to swear at his carer. You just have to sit there and be like, ah it's okay, they are insane, and keep eating your food while that person's carer also acts like it's normal, and often ignores it. I mean what kind of a civilized society is this?

The person you would have witnessed almost certainly was autistic. Yes it can be upsetting and disturbing if an autistic person flips out near you, that I understand. The majority of the time these poor souls are in institutions, however, to lock them out of sight is inhumane, they have as much right to life as an able bodied and able minded person.

I have dealt with people who have suffered from mental illness, drug induced psychosis, those on the autistic spectrum and those with dementia. I have no experience of the mentally incapacitated. The term Moron was actually a medical term created to describe the mentally incapacitated, unfortunately the word has now become misused, so I use the term Mentally Incapacitated. This is very different from being mentally ill. However, the confusion starts with the fact that the Mentally Incapacitated people may well suffer from a mentally illness as well.

Everyday you walk around London you are surrounded by people will mental illnesses, addictions, OCDs however, they act like 'normal' people . The people to whom you refer are Mental Incapacitated or autistic. BIG difference.
Maybe   
22 Nov 2013
Work / Moving to Poland to work at a company (Warsaw or Lodz). Average expense per month? [57]

I have a (graduate) friend who works a major city for a Global company using English as their workday language and gets 2300zl netto.

Mortgage 900zl
ground Rent 400zl
Bills 400zl
Phone 100zl
Petrol 400zl
food 400zl
so that is 2600zl a month in outgoings. 300zl more than their earnings.
They supplement their wages by giving private lessons.

Rent, bills are usually 25% of one's income sometimes much more...
Maybe   
22 Nov 2013
Law / KPMG Investment in Poland report 2013 [4]

Interesting read, thanks for posting, not bad English either, well done.

Happy to oblige, a relief to see there are others on the forum who appreciate such data.

With regards to the 'not bad English either" comment, were you referring to KPMG or myself Old Bean?
Maybe   
22 Nov 2013
Law / KPMG Investment in Poland report 2013 [4]

kpmg.com/PL/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Documents/Reports-Secured/Investment-in-Poland-2013-protected.pdf

The link above leads to the 2013 Investment in Poland report. The report is easy to read and has alot of interesting data.
If you are interested in what the professionals are saying, as opposed to the lunatic conspiracy fringe which exists on Polish forums, please click the link.
Maybe   
21 Nov 2013
Life / Is there social housing in Poland? [6]

In Poland I often see small dwellings almost like barrack buildings, where really disenfranchised poor people live. I assume these properties are allocated to the tenants. My question is, are the buildings council owned or state owned or are they rent/leased from private landlords. Is the system similar to the UK?