Life / Polish culture do's and dont's? [106]

DO

Pretend that you enjoy eating gherkins and cabbage, even after the 1400th time

Show surprise as a guest that the aforementioned foods are on the table

Ask what kind of cabbage it is, even though it's the same as what you have always had

Be careful not to splash yourself with some sauce or some liquid or other at the table

Put a healthy lashing of Maggi and pepper into your broth

DON'T

Show dissatisfaction with your gherkins and cabbage, be an actor

Pretend that you know what is coming next

Imply that you have had that cabbage before

Slurp too much. This is a Japanese thing, not a Western thing

Add any salt. It's likely highly salted as it is.

Love / Different Attitudes of women born in Poland towards relationships? [20]

They give themselves away too often. It's like they try to show love for you but they are really not very good at it. I have seen the same trait in each Polish woman that I've had an encounter with. They are caught up in their own emotions and the man is just sb to be there for their needy ways. Women always want to be made to feel really loved but more and more men I talk to can't handle their demands and would much rather play sport or drink beer. They hold too much inner stress and only the soppiest new-age man will let himself be treated as a punching bag.

The Polish women I've been with have brought out some of my worst emotions, they really are a handful. What's more, there's almost always a past BF lurking in the background so on go the rugby boots and into touch they go.

Work / Why is Polish workmanship so bad? [52]

I don't think we can really say that carpenters here are bad, quite the opposite. You have to be specific about the kind of workmanship and their level of experience before passing judgement.

Life / You are Polish if... [433]

you treat hypochondria as sth normal, rather than a last resort.

you have thousands of L4 forms set aside at the start of every day (doctors)

you neglect to mention how the impetus of communism in Poland wasn't solely determined by Russia but by others within home ranks.

you think you are some form of nobility (in public offices)

you can't outline the central tenets of Catholicism when asked

you value your heroes and culture very highly

you dislike being compared to Pakistanis in the UK as an immigrant group

you can freely move from topic to topic. Academic Poles are good at this :)

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

Poles develop new skills for any future return and lower their unemployment rate at home base in so doing. How's that not good?

History / WAS KATYŃ GENOCIDE? Polish officers were killed [237]

Read earlier, Joe. That's exactly my conclusion too.

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

I agree with her, Ironside. Many Poles just don't like to hear it but you admitted it yourself. She lost money and that's hardly fair given that, on the face of it, she didn't create the problems.

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

I mean that they have been able to find work abroad and make a better life for themselves. This was my main focus.

What generalisations was she making, Ironside?

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

One side or the other is lying. Sometimes it's the post office and sometimes the authority like ZUS. I refuse to believe that a letter takes 9 days to get to me, sometimes more, from the neighbouring city.

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

That's the biggest problem, money. Lawyers should not be allowed to take so much as it is almost always the case that one side caused the problems at the expense of the person that seeks out the lawyer. Sometimes both are but....

Criminal behaviour??

History / "Poland's Concentration Camp" ?? [570]

Still, I stand by my statement. There is nobody here who has the depth of research that he has. It's his life's work.

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

I know what you mean. My friend went through the same but he got a lawyer and it turns out that they had no right to threaten him in that way. He also exposed other illegalities that I won't go into.

They are also blissfully unaware of their EU obligation to furnish you with a copy in 2 languages. I had all this bumff in Polish and I didn't understand all of the technical language. Perhaps I would now but that doesn't change the fact that they are duty bound to provide you with an English version so that you have no excuse and have to comply.

My accountant also stuffed things up, twice on the same matter and thanks to my sterling wife, a Pole herself, salvaged the situation. Otherwise, I would've had to chat to the hard-nosed folk in the tax office. They need to get off their high horses and acknowledge that Poland has benefitted from the EU and that Poland is now more open to foreigners. The thing is, they are lifers in such offices and don't give a jot that other Poles abroad are doing better for themselves. Their attitude is irritating but I have had some positive experiences so there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

Absence of personal responsibility? It'd be interesting to hear some examples as I think I know exactly what you are talking about. I remember having to wait for a staff member to come and open the door so I could get in and prepare. She strolled across the market square as if she was on holiday and casually walked up the stairs. When I got in, I put the kettle on and started to photocopy my notes. The problem was that she arrived one minute before my class was due to start. I was frantically getting the notes together and it was already 3 or 4 mins into the class, thanks to her. I hung around as the sheets were getting photocopied and kept looking across at her for an apology. Nothing! Then I went and started putting the sheets in order whilst sipping at my coffee. I was doing it fairly quickly and she even had the feckin gall to tell my boss that I was just cruising as if I had had my feet up.

What's more is that it has happened 4 times and never was there an apology. The same was with my other school. Rather than risk losing my temper, I got my wife in to sort them out for lying and pretending that they hadn't said certain things. She really gave it some and the school backed off.

I call a lot of people here 'the never wrongs'. I've seen it in so many offices too but I think I've made my point.

Although I guess that I prefer to see the positive sides of life here more than you do (I don't like presumptions generally), I know what you are saying. When they say goodbye it's like they are saying feck off. I just get what I need and go and to hell with their grumpy crap. The females tend to be much worse. Pent up and stuck up little princesses. I can't think of a female who has smiled when serving me.

Where I'm from, Scotland, we have our problems with customer service in places but the level is noticeably higher. More so in Edinburgh I'd say. Scots are proud but if I am to be fair, I really heard very little bragging in my 24 years there. It hit me immediately here how they assume that Polish food and beer is automatically better. The thing is that I have travelled to 21 countries in the last 8 years and it has been my priority to sample beer in all those countries (I don't drink that much, just taste them). Although I like Polish beer, it is not in the top 10 of the 35 or so countries I have tried beer in. I say 35 as I have obviously tried beer in countries I haven't been to (Belgian, Singaporean, Chinese etc etc). When I tell Poles that, they are visibly displeased but it's just preference. I prefer the Japanese look, for example, and they can't accept that either. It really struck me initially but now I just shrug.

Oh yes, and somehow they believe that doors are held open. My confidence was restored as one actually did but 9 times out of 10 they don't. At least here anyway.

Life / Ripped Off in Poland? - Expose here: [185]

Surely you wrote that with the older generation in mind, beelzebub. Did you really find younger Poles to be all those bad things for the most part? Poor attitudes? Other than arrogance, what else?

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

I think it goes without question that some Polish teachers are better than British teachers, especially when it comes to the somewhat dubious process of hiring native speakers. Some highly incompetent ones are picked up. It's less of a gamble to hire a Pole and they also must undergo more observations. There is more than a shred of truth in the fact that quite a few native speakers tend to drink too much and are lacking in methodological awareness. I'm not saying we should be like Harmer and overanalyse but some appreciation of the group dynamic is needed.

Furthermore, if we are to tailor their skills to the needs of the industry, we can see that a knowledge of CPE is not needed. The 4 Polish teachers who work at the school I work at don't teach the higher levels on a regular basis, just in case those students try and get clever and catch them out. I have faith in their abilities to do so, though. Likewise, I don't teach the lower levels though I could given that I've taught absolute beginners in 3 different places.

TIT, I make it my business to teach them new things. Teaching is a selfless business oftentimes and I'm happy to give them pointers and new language.

Oh, thanks for the compliment, Dariusz :) :)

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

TIT, I've worked in more than teaching schools here so my skillset is more rounded than you think. Proofreading, voice recording and some translating work make up the rest of what I have done here. They had no reservations about hiring me.

Nice to have a rounded CV, lovely jubbly. You sound like a troll that used to write here. Your 'lacking' style gives you away, TIT.

Life / Polish culture do's and dont's? [106]

Oh yeah, that should be a no-no in any culture. Thankfully, they do it sparingly but it does get on my wick. I understand them in a way if they are asking for confirmation from their partner.

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

You see, TIT, Dariusz had the decency to get things back on track and I thank him for that. How I have influenced my wife is my business. Travel and language are the 2 main ones.

Dariusz, it's the language aspect for sure. Many oldies just don't use English, especially in smaller towns. They don't feel comfortable connecting with non-Poles.

Life / Polish culture do's and dont's? [106]

I never understood the frantic rush to get it done. That's the kind of thing you did in primary school.

Life / Polish culture do's and dont's? [106]

That's the one! You ask them not to say the answer until a certain level of info comes from their partner but still they jump in like know-alls. It's such a childish way!

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

My questions are above and I won't edit them. Run them through a translator if you don't understand.

Dariusz, what does Conrad have to do with Polish employers being afraid to hire foreigners? Please make use of the PM facility.

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

What on earth does this have to do with Polish employers? Many Poles acknowledge that Conrad was as dry as the worst hangover mouth.

Back to the thread.

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

We can turn the question on its head and look at how foreigners would be afraid of working for Polish employers. I couldn't imagine working at an administrative centre here or other corporations. It would take a long time to adjust to the way of doing things and getting used to attitudes. It's hard to become an insider.

Work / Why Poland employers are afraid of hiring any foreign nationals? [171]

Yeah, let's agree that mixed systems are the best. The JET system in Japan was highly effective based on blending the combined experiences and knowledge of locals with native speakers.

It's as I always say, some Polish teachers are good and some aren't. Too many people discuss this and that til the cows come home but you can really summarise so many things ever so succinctly.

International dialogue is the prime example of pure and utter BS!!

Language / Use of A/An/The ...... Articles [186]

Or Tower Bridge when it could easily be The Tower Bridge. Yorkshiremen complicated it further. Look at Peter Kay. 'I was going up motorway, listenin to radio, browsin tinternet', LOL

The definite and indefinite articles to aid Polish users of PF

I have noticed that the level of writing amongst Poles here is generally of a high quality. However, I have noticed misuse of the indefinite articles, 'a' and 'an', and the definite article, the.

OK, here's the first test:

The tiger is orange and black

Is it referring to one tiger or many tigers here??

Language / Use of A/An/The ...... Articles [186]

It is generally insignificant but sometimes an article really helps and is needed. I still can't get over the fact that some say 'a chairs' or 'a books'. Are the fundamentals left out here?

History / Early begginings of `democracy` and Polish contribution to it [8]

This is where Poland is streets ahead of its neighbours to the east. Compare Poland to Belarus and Russia, there is no comparison.

Life / How Safe Are the Polish Cities? [179]

Safety is another good discussion. Personally, I feel safe here. Poles don't seem to have the 'you are big and I am big so let's fight' idea unless they are drunk and lacking reason. Lead a quiet life and don't tread on toes and all will be well.

Life / Polish culture do's and dont's? [106]

Spot on, Trevek. There has to be an inner calm and that comes through spirituality and not necessarily through the RCC. A norm in their culture seems to be to get to the end of sth without thoroughly going through it. I'm thinking specifically about teaching tasks which I set. I time my activities and get frustrated when they kill them so quickly without feeling the nature of the task.

Life / What can citizens do to make Poland a better place to live? [125]

I still think this is a good thread. Many people talk of change but they can't put their finger on exactly how which makes them little better than the government IMHO.