smurf
10 Dec 2013
Law / Value ( € or PLN) of handmade painting on clothes [10]
post the image to imgur then take a link from there.
post the image to imgur then take a link from there.
smurf
9 Dec 2013
Travel / Christmas Fairs in Poland [9]
The one on Krakow is nice, plenty of swag to buy and gluwein to guzzle, the one in Katowice is a joke, a wee side street off the square, but when the new square is open next year (?) I'm sure they'll have a proper one.
The one on Krakow is nice, plenty of swag to buy and gluwein to guzzle, the one in Katowice is a joke, a wee side street off the square, but when the new square is open next year (?) I'm sure they'll have a proper one.
smurf
9 Dec 2013
Life / Handshaking protocols in Poland? [4]
Poland would be the same as France on that list.
And depending on the region you might have to/can kiss women on the cheek 3 times...but only if you're close family/friends.
Men don't really kiss other men on the cheek, but I have seen it on a few occasions.....again, close family.
Poland would be the same as France on that list.
And depending on the region you might have to/can kiss women on the cheek 3 times...but only if you're close family/friends.
Men don't really kiss other men on the cheek, but I have seen it on a few occasions.....again, close family.
smurf
4 Dec 2013
Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]
Can anyone be kept for 48 hours without charge?
That's ridiculous.
for 48 hours
Can anyone be kept for 48 hours without charge?
That's ridiculous.
smurf
4 Dec 2013
News / Poland progresses in PISA ranking. 5th place in Europe and 14th in World [16]
yea, that's certainly true, Finland being the biggest culprit.
the countries that rank on top prepare their students specifically for the PISA study.
yea, that's certainly true, Finland being the biggest culprit.
smurf
4 Dec 2013
News / Poland progresses in PISA ranking. 5th place in Europe and 14th in World [16]
Wouldn't pay too much attention to what's basically a survey,
theguardian.com/news/2013/dec/03/pisa-methodology-education-oecd-student-performance
Plus PISA is just a wing of the OECD anyway and the question should be what agenda is the OECD trying to push by publishing PISA reports?
And:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Development#Criticism
Wouldn't pay too much attention to what's basically a survey,
From the outset, Pisa has been met with scepticism, criticism and even outrage, most of which has stemmed from the claim that the study's findings are arbitrary. One such voice was Dr Svein Sjøberg of the University of Oslo, who claimed that a small change in question choice or weightings could result in a big change in a country's overall rankings.
Though the methodology for collecting the results might be clear, the way they are interpreted and analysed to become final results is less so. This lack of statistical transparency has also been a focal point of criticism levelled at Pisa and indeed the OECD
The sheer breadth of Pisa has also raised questions about the comparability of results within it.
At a more fundamental level, some have pointed to the difficulties of testing students in such a wide array of languages. If such a thing as a perfect translation exists (few would argue it does) it might still not be enough to control for students' differing interpretations of the same set of instructions.
There is also a temptation to grab at averages from Pisa to understand the performance of a country. Doing so would obscure the vast differences that can occur regionally within a country - such an oversight can be particularly dangerous, say critics, for understanding the true academic opportunities available in a country.
theguardian.com/news/2013/dec/03/pisa-methodology-education-oecd-student-performance
Plus PISA is just a wing of the OECD anyway and the question should be what agenda is the OECD trying to push by publishing PISA reports?
And:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_for_Economic_Co-operation_and_Development#Criticism
smurf
29 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / How to make my Polish friend's dad like me [25]
You cannot get better advice than this :)
Ah so she's your new girlfriend.
OK, bring the booze and get smashed and please record everything. Best of luck ;)
*gets popcorn
Turn up one evening with an ice cold half litre of vodka. Drink it 60/40 him/you. Pull a second bottle out of your bag and make sure he drinks at least 75% of it
The next morning turn up at about elevenish with a beer or five.
The next morning turn up at about elevenish with a beer or five.
You cannot get better advice than this :)
I may or may not be having sexual relations
Ah so she's your new girlfriend.
OK, bring the booze and get smashed and please record everything. Best of luck ;)
*gets popcorn
smurf
29 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / Mentally ill people in British society [55]
I think you need to read this thread again.
People agree with me
I think you need to read this thread again.
smurf
26 Nov 2013
News / Skins vs anarchists in Warsaw [93]
rainbow=nice pleasant, warm, welcoming, can have many different symbolic meanings to different people
plane crash=not so happy, not really going to get tourist spending their money, by all means build a monument, but I've never seen a monument to a plane crash depicting the actual crash. It would be in bad taste and disrespectful to the victims and their families.
It is fair to tax payers....well it's not really, but it's just as fair as wasting money on fighter jets so the clowns in the Polish army can play soldiers in the desert with their yankie overlords....sorry, I mean allies :D
rainbow=nice pleasant, warm, welcoming, can have many different symbolic meanings to different people
plane crash=not so happy, not really going to get tourist spending their money, by all means build a monument, but I've never seen a monument to a plane crash depicting the actual crash. It would be in bad taste and disrespectful to the victims and their families.
It is fair to tax payers....well it's not really, but it's just as fair as wasting money on fighter jets so the clowns in the Polish army can play soldiers in the desert with their yankie overlords....sorry, I mean allies :D
smurf
26 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / Mentally ill people in British society [55]
lol
Man, you have some real issues.
Best of luck out there in the real world, you're going to need it.
Hey if a baby starts to cry in a public area and the parents just let it cry 'because it's a baby,' then you bet it ****** me off. In Church is the worst. To me, if the parents don't deal with the crying baby, it shows they are just bad parents.
lol
Man, you have some real issues.
Best of luck out there in the real world, you're going to need it.
smurf
25 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / Mentally ill people in British society [55]
I don't think you do.
I suppose you also kick up a stink when a small baby cries and you have to share the same area as it.
Right I see
I don't think you do.
I suppose you also kick up a stink when a small baby cries and you have to share the same area as it.
smurf
25 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / Mentally ill people in British society [55]
It's called discrimination, duh.
Go volunteer in a home for mentally ill people and your heart will melt, a bit of empathy/sympathy might even make you into a decent human being.
Is it wrong if say,
It's called discrimination, duh.
Go volunteer in a home for mentally ill people and your heart will melt, a bit of empathy/sympathy might even make you into a decent human being.
smurf
25 Nov 2013
Work / Polish private pension - is it obligatory to join? [13]
You need to join it, work will do it for you.
And then when you're 67 (!), the Polish government will give you one of the worst pensions in Europe.
You need to join it, work will do it for you.
And then when you're 67 (!), the Polish government will give you one of the worst pensions in Europe.
smurf
25 Nov 2013
Work / Polish private pension - is it obligatory to join? [13]
If you will be self-employed or you set up your own business then yea you'll have to pay money to Zus.
For the first 2 years, it's not so expensive, I think it's around 550zl....I don't remember exactly, but after those two years it around 1000zl and you have to pay it every single month.
And your taxes too.
Poland's a bit of a rip off.....but if you're going to be employed by a company then they pay your tax and your tax.
If you will be self-employed or you set up your own business then yea you'll have to pay money to Zus.
For the first 2 years, it's not so expensive, I think it's around 550zl....I don't remember exactly, but after those two years it around 1000zl and you have to pay it every single month.
And your taxes too.
Poland's a bit of a rip off.....but if you're going to be employed by a company then they pay your tax and your tax.
smurf
25 Nov 2013
smurf
19 Nov 2013
UK, Ireland / How to make my Polish friend's dad like me [25]
sound advice. Sto lat!
just get him loaded on vodka.
sound advice. Sto lat!
smurf
19 Nov 2013
smurf
19 Nov 2013
Work / Living in Katowice (programmer, 3000 PLN) - is it enough? [65]
Does it matter?
The point remains where there are less foreigners businesses who need them will have to pay more. Simple supply and demand.
But since that company have bases in other cities mentioned then yea he can probably live in a cosmetically prettier place, but are they offering jobs in those cities. If he's only been offered one in Kato then the answer to that must be no..
Maybe Kato having some Finns means that they'd like to have all their Finnish workers stationed in one part of the country so they can operate their shifts more efficiently
There's no requirement to be mean Dominic. Do you look down upon street cleaners/rubbish collector? No need for that at all.
It appears that you aren't as nice as you used to once be to people asking similar questions regarding Poland. The old Dominic was better.
What did you think IT support meant? It obviously means call centre work.
Anyway, having some foreign experience always looks good on a CV. The OP can always return to finish their qualifications once they return. That's his business, to be fair he asked for advice about moving to Poland, not about qualifications.
but are they full of Finns :) ? I doubt.
Does it matter?
The point remains where there are less foreigners businesses who need them will have to pay more. Simple supply and demand.
But since that company have bases in other cities mentioned then yea he can probably live in a cosmetically prettier place, but are they offering jobs in those cities. If he's only been offered one in Kato then the answer to that must be no..
Maybe Kato having some Finns means that they'd like to have all their Finnish workers stationed in one part of the country so they can operate their shifts more efficiently
that's pretty tragic
There's no requirement to be mean Dominic. Do you look down upon street cleaners/rubbish collector? No need for that at all.
It appears that you aren't as nice as you used to once be to people asking similar questions regarding Poland. The old Dominic was better.
What did you think IT support meant? It obviously means call centre work.
Anyway, having some foreign experience always looks good on a CV. The OP can always return to finish their qualifications once they return. That's his business, to be fair he asked for advice about moving to Poland, not about qualifications.
smurf
19 Nov 2013
Work / Living in Katowice (programmer, 3000 PLN) - is it enough? [65]
I live in Kato, yea it's not Paris, but it's slowing improving.
The new city market which should be completed in a year or two will improve it a lot.
The addition of the party street on Mariacka has livened up the place too and the new train station/shopping centre in the middle of the city has added a breath of fresh air.
As you're Finnish I presume you've been offered work in somewhere like Capgemini?
It's mind-numbingly boring work man, you'll be answers the phone to angry Finns all day long, trying to help them fix their modems/Internet connection etc.
I've known 3 Finns that have done that job and they've all ended up hating it and moving away.
However, you will be well paid, the last guy I knew working there got about 6500zl per month
Not speaking Polish won't be a problem in your job, but in daily life it may hinder you quite a bit. Nobody, I repeat, nobody over the age of 40 speaks English here.
So things like tax office are a huge pain in the balls....but the thing is you'll be working with many other foreigners so they will be able to help you out and point you in the right direction.
Silesians are quite conservative too so most of your friends are likely to be other foreigners, the locals are nice and all, but they aren't very open to meeting people, it takes a long time to become their friends.
The place is very, very grim in winter, but great in summer and spring, the park in Chorzow is brilliant in the summer and you're only an 45min drive from the mountains.
On the plus side, the food is great, so is the beer and the women are beautiful. And once you get to know some Poles and gain their friendship, they are very loyal, caring & hospitable friends.
Also, because Kato doesn't have so many foreigners you can demand a higher wage, avoid the other cities if you want to make a lot of money, they are already full of foreigners.
I live in Kato, yea it's not Paris, but it's slowing improving.
The new city market which should be completed in a year or two will improve it a lot.
The addition of the party street on Mariacka has livened up the place too and the new train station/shopping centre in the middle of the city has added a breath of fresh air.
As you're Finnish I presume you've been offered work in somewhere like Capgemini?
It's mind-numbingly boring work man, you'll be answers the phone to angry Finns all day long, trying to help them fix their modems/Internet connection etc.
I've known 3 Finns that have done that job and they've all ended up hating it and moving away.
However, you will be well paid, the last guy I knew working there got about 6500zl per month
Not speaking Polish won't be a problem in your job, but in daily life it may hinder you quite a bit. Nobody, I repeat, nobody over the age of 40 speaks English here.
So things like tax office are a huge pain in the balls....but the thing is you'll be working with many other foreigners so they will be able to help you out and point you in the right direction.
Silesians are quite conservative too so most of your friends are likely to be other foreigners, the locals are nice and all, but they aren't very open to meeting people, it takes a long time to become their friends.
The place is very, very grim in winter, but great in summer and spring, the park in Chorzow is brilliant in the summer and you're only an 45min drive from the mountains.
On the plus side, the food is great, so is the beer and the women are beautiful. And once you get to know some Poles and gain their friendship, they are very loyal, caring & hospitable friends.
Also, because Kato doesn't have so many foreigners you can demand a higher wage, avoid the other cities if you want to make a lot of money, they are already full of foreigners.
smurf
19 Nov 2013
News / Krakow -- the third most polluted EU city, "equivalent to 2500 cigarettes a year" [9]
People living in Krakow are so far up their own asses that they are well used to breathing in pollution :D
People living in Krakow are so far up their own asses that they are well used to breathing in pollution :D
smurf
18 Nov 2013
Real Estate / Renting in Krakow, Poland - the safest district? fairly close to the city centre... [25]
You will when you move to Krakow :)
have fun
and do not like drink , smoke , parties all the time
You will when you move to Krakow :)
have fun
smurf
14 Nov 2013
Law / Registration of right hand drive cars in Poland - possible? [82]
Surely there'll be some workaround;
you can register a RHD, but you must change it to a LHD, isn't that what's already in place?
Surely there'll be some workaround;
you can register a RHD, but you must change it to a LHD, isn't that what's already in place?
smurf
14 Nov 2013
Law / Registration of right hand drive cars in Poland - possible? [82]
This is hardly going to get the go ahead is it?
Surely whatever Minister is is charge of road safety won't allow it.
This is hardly going to get the go ahead is it?
Surely whatever Minister is is charge of road safety won't allow it.
smurf
5 Nov 2013
News / Anybody watch Adam Michnik on Lis this evening? [50]
You can't blame children for the sins of their parents.
You can't blame children for the sins of their parents.
smurf
4 Nov 2013
Life / Is 10500 monthly is enough for a family to live in Warsaw Poland [136]
How heavy is that chip on your shoulder mate?
It must really weigh you down.
Translation
How heavy is that chip on your shoulder mate?
It must really weigh you down.
smurf
4 Nov 2013
Life / Phone callers doing surveys asking what equipment you have in Poland [7]
There was one going one for a few years back at home where people with Indian-sub continent sounding voices would say they were from Microsoft and would tell you that you're computer was infected. Then they'd ask for some codes/computer language mumbo-jumbo and access your PC from their location.
You know how the rest goes.
Same was with a Slovakian/Slovenian tele-scam.
Ireland intl number is +353, one of the above countries is very similar. So the person sees a missed call from +355, automatically thinks it's +353 and calls it back, unaware that it's a permium 10Euro a minute line.
Telemarketers stopped calling me a long time ago, everytime they'd call I'd only speak in English and they got so sick or me not speaking Polish to them they've stopped :)
There was one going one for a few years back at home where people with Indian-sub continent sounding voices would say they were from Microsoft and would tell you that you're computer was infected. Then they'd ask for some codes/computer language mumbo-jumbo and access your PC from their location.
You know how the rest goes.
Same was with a Slovakian/Slovenian tele-scam.
Ireland intl number is +353, one of the above countries is very similar. So the person sees a missed call from +355, automatically thinks it's +353 and calls it back, unaware that it's a permium 10Euro a minute line.
Telemarketers stopped calling me a long time ago, everytime they'd call I'd only speak in English and they got so sick or me not speaking Polish to them they've stopped :)
smurf
24 Oct 2013
Work / RELOCATING TO GDYNIA, Poland - salary question [42]
That simply isn't true.
Considering how much time you seem to have on your hands you would think that you would have read the last sentence.
I survived, but it was crap money and I had my missus to help.
Awful offer, so it is. To tell him it isn't is doing the chap a disservice.
Plus that other poster was single and had totally different circumstances.
Quoting me out of context from another thread is quite idiotic in fairness.
Reckon a lot of money could've been made then.
in bigger cities like Warsaw, Gdańsk , Poznań,Kraków it's around 2,500zł netto.In every other city is around 1700zl-1200zl but majority have 1200zł
That simply isn't true.
bad day?
Considering how much time you seem to have on your hands you would think that you would have read the last sentence.
I survived, but it was crap money and I had my missus to help.
Awful offer, so it is. To tell him it isn't is doing the chap a disservice.
Plus that other poster was single and had totally different circumstances.
Quoting me out of context from another thread is quite idiotic in fairness.
1990 in Poland would've been an interesting place
Reckon a lot of money could've been made then.
smurf
24 Oct 2013
Work / RELOCATING TO GDYNIA, Poland - salary question [42]
I bet this place was mad back in the early days of capitalism ;)
Although that was 16 years ago
I bet this place was mad back in the early days of capitalism ;)
smurf
24 Oct 2013
Real Estate / What is the załęże district of Katowice like to live in? [8]
It's probably one of the roughest areas in Katowice. Avoid!
It's probably one of the roughest areas in Katowice. Avoid!
smurf
23 Oct 2013
Work / RELOCATING TO GDYNIA, Poland - salary question [42]
You don't understand the words 'sh!t money'?
OK, try again, no do not relocate for that awful salary. I'd be insulted if someone offered me such a low wage.
I'm not sure I understood your answer
You don't understand the words 'sh!t money'?
OK, try again, no do not relocate for that awful salary. I'd be insulted if someone offered me such a low wage.