PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by teflcat  

Joined: 29 May 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 21 Sep 2012
Threads: Total: 5 / In This Archive: 4
Posts: Total: 1024 / In This Archive: 811

Displayed posts: 815 / page 20 of 28
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
teflcat   
26 Sep 2011
Work / Looking for accommodation & teaching job in KATOWICE [78]

one of the biggest english schools, with branches all around poland.

Are you sure it's not a franchise? A driving instructor with no English paid 17,000 PLN to one of these outfits and opened a school near where I live. The logo was ripped off from the Rolling Stones.

im 19 years old and I moved to katowice on my own 1 month ago

Why not have a nice break here and then go back to MK to finish your education? If you really want to teach, you need to take a CELTA course. Poland is full of qualified Polish English teachers, not to mention plenty of foreigners like us. The market is tough and you are likely to get only bits and pieces of work from cowboy outfits. Sorry to sound harsh but these are the hard facts.
teflcat   
25 Sep 2011
Food / Orange Roughy in Krakow? [9]

It will have 149 years worth of pollutants in it. You can google for yourself which fish are the best to eat but generally the older the fish- the more chemicals it has in its body.

Good point. One of my favourite fish is Kargulena (I've seen it called ice fish on fishy websites). When it's small it has a sweet, light flavour, but if you get a large one, it has a nasty metallic taste. Scary.
teflcat   
24 Sep 2011
Work / The demand for English language learning in Poland is at an all time low [41]

Right. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. I have a very well-paid, regular 35 hours/month with a large multi-national. I do a couple of days a week and it pays a lot of bills, but I know from experience that that can change overnight. My missus occasionally gives me a hard time about taking on other work because things are going ok at the moment, but I know that accountants run the world, and any time my sweet gig can vanish instantly. As I say: eggs, basket, one, no.
teflcat   
24 Sep 2011
Work / The demand for English language learning in Poland is at an all time low [41]

They say the demand for English language learning is at an all time low.

More likely that there are too many schools chasing the same students. There are also a lot of Polish teachers now working in the private sector due to demographic changes which have seen fewer children entering the school system.

They say it is a result of the end of EU funding

Alleluya. That project really messed up the market.
teflcat   
24 Sep 2011
History / I want to meet Lech Walesa, can anyone help me? [29]

If you read my comment again, you'll see that I said "suspect". I don't know what Wałęsa thinks, but as I can't remember him saying anything at all about a panslavik federation I guess he's not that much interested. I don't speak for Poles and I don't claim to. Who am I? Just someone who lives here and talks to Poles every day about the things that concern them. In over ten years nobody has ever told me they want anything like what you describe.
teflcat   
24 Sep 2011
History / I want to meet Lech Walesa, can anyone help me? [29]

It would be very interesting to learn, what Pan Walesa think about it and what could be Poland`s and Serbia`s role in formation of Centroslavia

I suspect Wałęsa devotes as much time to this non-idea as almost every other Pole, i.e. none whatsoever.
teflcat   
23 Sep 2011
Travel / Mushroom picking in spring in Poland? [35]

We had an old Dziadek who was an expert on mushrooms,

but

He was diagnosed as death by mushroom poisoning.

Experts eh?

None of us ever ate a wild mushroom ever since

More for the rest of us.
teflcat   
23 Sep 2011
Work / Working Vs Private English Lessons Vs Starting a Small Business in Poland [33]

Those who can, must either be extremely lucky, extremely dedicated, or just extremely well-connected.

The second one for most of us. The academic term is just starting over here and, along with my state uni job, I'll be teaching in a company and also at a private language school. A well as that I never turn down a proofreading job. The result is that I usually work seven days a week but earn a decent living. It's possible to earn money in Poland, but it's hard work.
teflcat   
23 Sep 2011
Law / Starting a car junkyard in Poland [27]

I needed to scrap an old Passat a few years ago. The junkyard weighed it and gave me just over 300PLN. To be honest, I'd have paid that to get it out of my sight. The car was mostly junk but there were several newish parts and a windscreen that cost me 700PLN only the year before I scrapped it. I'm sure the junkyard took that Passat to bits and made a fair bit more than they paid. It could be a good business, especially as the numbers of cars on the road is increasing all the time.
teflcat   
23 Sep 2011
Work / Working Vs Private English Lessons Vs Starting a Small Business in Poland [33]

If somebody wants to come to Poland, let them find out for themselves

The guy did ask for advice. He obviously needs to hear the hard truth and he asked for it. Optimism is great but it often goes with naivety. I don't think anyone was pouring cold water on his plans; just warning him of the very real obstacles that await him.

Good kuck, Kazikowski. The better prepared you are, the more fun you'll have.
teflcat   
22 Sep 2011
Work / Working Vs Private English Lessons Vs Starting a Small Business in Poland [33]

So whats Better?

More thorough planning and realistic expectations.

I would like the freedom to take vacation breaks when I want.

Wouldn't we all?

Teaching privately should provide me with a decent income, plus the time freedom. I.e. When the holiday season comes around, I go with it, and put tutoring on hold.

You make it sound so easy. Good luck.

The problem with this option is initially building a customer base.

Right. Took me years.

starting a small business. It will give me a decent income. Only downside is the time needed to nurture a new small venture. However, I'll be able to take a break together with the holiday season, if I want.

Your optimism is enviable. Hey, good luck to you, but I think you need to do a lot more research.
teflcat   
22 Sep 2011
USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]

Tip. The Marriot Hotel runs a shuttle minibus to the airport (WAW). It costs just a bit more than a cab. Look out for it returning from the airport. Once I arrived hot and sweaty at Centralna carrying a couple of cases. I crossed the road to the Marriot and a porter literally ran to meet me and put my stuff into the shuttle. I wasn't a Marriot guest but they are all business and service. As it happened, I was the only passenger, so I rode like a Lord's bastard to the airport for 25PLN. That was a few years ago, but I bet it's not much more expensive now.
teflcat   
22 Sep 2011
UK, Ireland / Grateful Polish photographer stitches up his Welsh hosts [96]

Like you, I prefer to live in Poland, but to say that, "Poles...are still better people than Westerners." ? Blanket statements like that make you sound more unreasonable than I know you are.
teflcat   
22 Sep 2011
Law / Is having private students in Poland legal? Or a registration as self-employed is required [30]

The smart move is to prepare for your classes, do a professional job and tax? what's that? If you feel it sensible to trust politicians then you should pay tax. If you think they're ripping tax payers off then why allow yourself to be ripped off?

I got the impression that you evaded income tax from the above quote. Sorry if I misunderstood.
teflcat   
22 Sep 2011
Law / Is having private students in Poland legal? Or a registration as self-employed is required [30]

I'm open to debate on the matter but we do in fact pay plenty of taxes outside of income based taxes already.

Would you evade those other taxes if you could?
Yesterday I paid my income tax for last month. Now, you might consider me a fool for squandering my hard-earned 880PLN but I consider it money well spent. Hundreds of thousands of civil servants, including teachers, police officers and other emergency service staff, road maintenance crews, including snow-clearing gangs in winter, parks and gardens workers, etc. need my tax so they can get paid.

You've made you point that you choose not to pay your income tax, but I am yet to be convinced that I should do the same. Sure, politicians are useless and sometimes corrupt, but two wrongs don't make a right.
teflcat   
21 Sep 2011
Law / Is having private students in Poland legal? Or a registration as self-employed is required [30]

everyone should declare his/her income and pay taxes like in Northern Europe (Finland ,Norway, etc) because one day or another, citizens from countries which cheated for ages are on the edge of bankrupcy.
Don't you think?

Absolutely right. Schools, roads, hospitals, cops, etc. need lots of money. Nobody likes paying tax, but that's the price of having a civilized society.
teflcat   
20 Sep 2011
News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

remember (and don't start twisting away now) - we're not saying of majority of votes or PiS getting into government here - just the simple mathematical construction that PiS wins more votes than any other party (counted seperately)

Er...no. We're talking about

PO - 31%
PiS - 32%

Who's twisting?
teflcat   
20 Sep 2011
News / Poland Parliament elections in October 2011 [944]

btw teflcat you will be the firts male adult person to wear a mohair beret that to be heard of :P

Not a problem. It will protect me from anything all those flying pigs might drop.
teflcat   
20 Sep 2011
Food / Types of CHEESE in Poland [150]

Scope out some Biedronkas.

I stopped using Biedronka when I heard about their gross exploitation of staff, so I haven't been there for a long time. But...cheddar is cheddar, so I'll put the working class solidarity to one side for ten minutes and nip in there. btw I know their employment practices have improved of late.
teflcat   
20 Sep 2011
Food / Types of CHEESE in Poland [150]

I can find it no problem here.

Lucky man. Here in the borderlands it's as rare as rocking-horse sh1t. When Lidl has it's annual British Week I grab as much as I can - eight kilos last autumn.

Once in a while I find a bit in a deli called Bomi, in one of the shopping centres in B.Stok, but they want 55PLN/Kg for it.
teflcat   
20 Sep 2011
Law / Is having private students in Poland legal? Or a registration as self-employed is required [30]

and what are the chances of getting in to trouble with the law if you just accept cash in hand?

Why don't you just register yourself and pay tax? Don't abuse this country's hospitality by evading your responsibilities. If you had an accident today, you'd be given emergency treatment free of charge. Give a bit back to your hosts

You don't need to worry about VAT; it doesn't apply to teaching. Yet. If you ran another kind of business, you'd have to have sales in excess of 150,000PLN before you paid VAT.

I knew a black woman teaching english there used to pay with a bill so I am not sure will take your word for it

A black woman! Wow, that's relevant. This honest person gave an invoice, as she was obliged to. Nothing to do with VAT.