News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]


There are white Jamaicans too.

And Beethoven would be considered mixed race.

Genealogy / Is Poland Germanic or Slavic? [58]

It's in Wielkopolska.

Life / E-books in Poland? [10]

You need to know the format they're in and convert them to .mobi using software (usually easily downloadable). Or read them as a document on Kindle, if your Kindle model supports that format. The Kindle Fire will let you read pdf.s as a document.

Genealogy / Is Poland Germanic or Slavic? [58]


No; it's Slavonic. Though it has some words of German origin.


Only if they actually are German. A lot of people moved after the war to North Western Poland from places much further East . There is a German minority in Silesia and parts of Wielkopolska.

Life / Cost of Living in Lodz [50]


It isn't great. I suppose it depends on who you are, if the job's entry level (in which case it's OK) or whether you're a bit older. It's better than average for £ódż, but the average for £ódż isn't great. It is however a fairly cheap city.

You won't have any problem opening a bank a/c - they usually give Visa Electron in Poland. I'd think about the shared company flat - how much is the monthly fee?

Life / Cost of Living in Lodz [50]

There are threads on this already:

phrase=cost+living+poland
phrase=lodz


Not really - it isn't a great salary, even for £ódź, however it's a little more than most people get:

moja-pensja.pl/miasto/727,zarobki-w-%C5%81odzi
lodz.naszemiasto.pl/tag/srednie-zarobki-lodz.html

News / Poland's economic future? [294]


Jealous of what? The highest per capita road deaths in Europe?


Pretty well everywhere.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]


Maybe the ones in the photos you've carefully chosen. The vast majority are sadly lacking and in many cases dangerous. The number of road deaths per thousand (a statistic that even the government here would find hard to falsify) is a tragic reminder of this.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]


That doesn't either ring true or take into account the quality of such roads.

Law / Poland's ZUS - how much to register and later deregister? [17]


You have to buy stamps. Not many.


You do need to register with GUS and get a document to take to the Urzad Skarbowy - there's a few threads here about it.


Twenty quid?

Law / Poland's ZUS - how much to register and later deregister? [17]

Perhaps at town hall level. I doubt it would put even one person off.

You certainly need to pay a small amount at GUS.

Law / Poland's ZUS - how much to register and later deregister? [17]

I certainly never paid that, however it may well have changed.

Law / Poland's ZUS - how much to register and later deregister? [17]

That looks like the regulations for setting up a Polish branch of a company already registered abroad - a different kettle of fish.

Life / Polish equivalent of CLR? (Calcium Lime and Rust Remover) [10]


White vinegar. Works and costs almost nothing.

News / Poland's economic future? [294]


No. They don't give orders. It's more about sharing experience.

Reminds me of Vaclav Havel's famous speech where he said "Entire branches of industry are producing goods that are of no interest to anyone, while we are lacking the things we need"

freerepublic/focus/f-news/2822384/posts

News / Poland's economic future? [294]

No, not a word of that is true. Poland's economy is a net producer, some of the firms there that went bankrupt were simply uneconomical to run. The same happened in Czech.

And btw, the Bilderberg meeting is just a talking shop

Work / Drug test in HCL Poland? [7]

No. It isn't.

Unless perhaps you're an airline pilot or a train driver and even then...

Love / Why should I support my partners sister and boyfriend? [23]


Agreed. At best it sounds a mess, at worst it sounds like a pressure cooker waiting to explode. Either way, it's like something from the Jeremy Kyle show. David needs to sit back and try to distance himself from whatever he rightly or wrongly feels about the situation. For his own good


Yes. Stay far away from this family.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]


Like carrots and tomatoes in the C18? There were restaurants in Warsaw long before that. Try harder next time. The reason why Polish food isn't popular abroad is that it just isn't interesting enough to go beyond niche restaurants.

USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

The concept of eating out is far from new to Polish culture - thee have been restaurants in Warsaw for centuries.

Law / Cheapest BUSINESS bank account in Poland for a small business? [12]

I used Nordea for a long time - both a business account for a limited company and a personal account which I also used for another business I had. They aren't free, however transactions are very cheap and service is generally good.

Law / Cheapest BUSINESS bank account in Poland for a small business? [12]

Remember the cheapest isn't always the best.


No. Many people, especially misinformed locals, will tell you this but they are wrong. If you're a sole trader (even one who employs others) you can use your own a/c. You do however need to tell the Urzad Skarbowy (and I think ZUS) the number of the bank account you will use. I have done this.

UK, Ireland / Calling all Brits! Travel in England advice [32]


Don't shoot the messenger, but there are a few Wetherspoons' in London. Pretty we'll every other town has at least one too. Love them or hate them, they are very cheap.

Plenty of special offers, relatively child friendly and usually very clean.

Work / Drug test in HCL Poland? [7]

HCL is an IT company.

The pre-employment medical tests in Poland are defined by the government and for an office job they do not include drug testing.

Worth checking, if you're worried, how long your drug of choice stays on your bloodstream. Most do not stay long.

Life / Eating out in Poland, is it expensive? [28]

Yes. In Cambodia it's Pnomh Pen or nothing really. But, its a nice city with everything you might need, there are beautiful beaches and very importantly the language is much easier than Thai.

History / Walesa says without meeting Mrs Thatcher in Gdansk Solidarnosc wouldn't have won [51]

That generally goes for all conservative parties, I-S. Thatcher and Heath were at least the first party leaders from outside the ruling class.

With Walesa he started off good and got nuttier and more right wing as time went on.

Law / Are European Union Funds available for people wanting to start a new business? I'm based in Poland. [16]

They do exist however they're notoriously hard to get and the terms and conditions can be discouraging. Also the amounts are finite and oversubscribed. The best thing is to visit their office on Marszalkowska, a few doors from pl. Unii Lubelski and make an appointment to discuss it. If you're in Wawa that is - otherwise it would be your regional office.

Life / Eating out in Poland, is it expensive? [28]

Think about Cambodia. Nicer than Thailand. If you like to eat out well, Poland isn't that cheap, not in Warsaw anyway. And Cambodia is booming now but still cheap as chips. Nice people too.

History / Walesa says without meeting Mrs Thatcher in Gdansk Solidarnosc wouldn't have won [51]

Indeed. And both of those two became utterly delusional eventually.

History / Walesa says without meeting Mrs Thatcher in Gdansk Solidarnosc wouldn't have won [51]

Both Thatcher the milk snatcher and Wałęsa have one very striking thing in common. Nothing they did, none of the reforms they were part of, turned out remotely how they wanted or expected.