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Posts by jon357  

Joined: 15 Mar 2012 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 15 Aug 2025
Threads: Total: 73 / In This Archive: 51
Posts: Total: 24830 / In This Archive: 10045 		From: In the Heart of Darkness
Speaks Polish?: Tak

Displayed posts: 10096 / page 263 of 337
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jon357   
19 Jul 2013
Life / English Speaking Doctors (Psychiatrist) in Poland? [14]

No. Warsaw.

Luxmed (I believe they're connected) operate centres in Poznan. The one on Roosevelt'a is a good bet for English speaking staff, however the helpline should be able to advise:

luxmed.pl/en/for-patients/lux-med-group-medical-center s/lux-med-group-medical-centers/mc-poznan.html
jon357   
19 Jul 2013
Work / Why are so many PF member in Poland working in education? [19]

It staggers me the amount of people coming to this forum thinking they can find employment in Poland without language skills. Not impossible if you work for a foreign company, or if you have specific transferable skills which are needed in Poland, but I'm sure people think if all else fails, they'll try teaching.

Agreed. Poland is great for a holiday, and for me great to live in. It's by no means easy though and the peaceful forested place that someone comes to in summer can become a hellhole in winter - especially if they're short of cash.

This idea of 'teaching' if they can't do anything else is bad enough in markets like Thailand or China - in Poland it's got much harder, with the learners more demanding in terms of quality and very well qualified, well experienced and highly competent teachers chasing the same work - especially in the bigger towns.

Poland without language skill

Scary. And some people barely bother to learn.
jon357   
19 Jul 2013
Life / A Polka station in Poland? [27]

Don't get me wrong - I don't mind American easy listening stuff like Polka music - great fun sometimes and for somebody who isn't a kid, more palatable than 90% of the stuff on Top of the Pops. The harmonic structure makes it easy to dance to as well.

Nothing wrong with more challenging music though either. I wouldn't say that a lot of Polish rap is particularly full of anger though - some of it is smooth and jazzy. I loathe rap in general, but actually rather like some of the Polish stuff. And it's a hundred times better than the only other homegrown Polish musical trend, disco polo.
jon357   
19 Jul 2013
Life / A Polka station in Poland? [27]

monosyllabic grunts straight from America's slums.

Like polka music?

Maybe there's a case for an online stream of it, but it's too obscure in Poland to be worth applying for a broadcasting license.
jon357   
19 Jul 2013
Work / Living in Lublin (as a teacher)!? [36]

Second, I am much more qualified than the so-called native speakers.

I think you'll find that a lot of native speaker teachers are far better qualified than you are. True that only a few have doctorates, however higher degrees and teaching diplomas are common.
jon357   
19 Jul 2013
Work / Why are so many PF member in Poland working in education? [19]

This has already mystified me since I am active on this forum. Is it because they like it, the flexible working hours, never a dull moment, the pay...Or was it a last resort, because they did not find anything else? Which I suppose not, because as far as I understand you have to do teaching courses before you arrive in Poland.

There was a boom about 15 years ago to learn English and salaries were good - that brought many people from the UK, some of whom have settled down, with a partner and often kids and made PL their permanent home. Some of us from elsewhere in the EU have become Polish citizens and those who arrived a bit later soon will be.

Many still work in the same profession - some have moved on.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
Travel / Worth visiting Warsaw? [20]

Stare Miasto?

Yes. Really nice just to walk in. Some good restaurants and old-fashioned bars too. Also an amazing pizza place, cheap as anything. Only does 2 types of smallish pizza and only sells barszcz and mineral water to drink. In a little back street in the old town, but always full of people sat at long tables.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
Travel / Worth visiting Warsaw? [20]

Y'know Toruń's a city where it seems that anyone who goes there, raves about it. I think I'm finally sold on going for a visit!

One of the nicest starówki in Poland!
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
Law / Obtaining Dowód Osobisty on my Karta Stałego Pobytu? Or do I have to obtain Polish citizenship first? [17]

It's important that the legal basis for him being in PL has remained the same for 10 years - most people can't manage that, largely due to the incompetence of the bureaucracy causing gaps plus various loopholes that the government exploit.

Nevertheless, those of us who've met the conditions do it easily. We can expect a rush from late next year, after 10 years of EU membership.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
Travel / Worth visiting Warsaw? [20]

Prague, Vienna and Budapest, then Warszawa comes up severely lacking.

It does indeed. Warsaw was never anywhere near the same league as those cities and Krakow/Gdańsk a step further down. Warsaw does still have a lot of charms though and the museums etc are excellent.

For a first time visitor wanting to go outside the capital, Gdańsk is amazing and Toruń worth a detour.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

It's extremely mild and has a more "polish cheese" type texture,

That's the problem with it. The Polish factory-made texture which means it doesn't melt properly.

Having said that, I've bought it when that's all there is in the shop. For cooking, you can mix it with Lithuanian Dziugas to improve it.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
News / Gazeta Wyborcza of Poland losing readers [301]

Rz is definitely a PIS mouthpiece.

It tends to follow the market and since no other respectable newspaper will touch them they can see a niche in the market.

real language of love

And absolutely apt for so many PiSuarzy.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
News / Gazeta Wyborcza of Poland losing readers [301]

You live in a different world, so quality and respected might mean something different to you than to most people.

The normal, educated, cultured world in Warsaw in PL. A certain type of pooterish suburban folks may huff and puff at anything out of their comfort zone, however GW's readership stats, both in the print version as well as online show that plenty of people do still like it.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
News / Poland Parliamentary elections 2015 [1060]

But what students do not need at all, is a PIS ideologically translated version of their history - which obviously would be full of distortions, not to tell plain lies.

They tried it and they failed.
jon357   
18 Jul 2013
News / Gazeta Wyborcza of Poland losing readers [301]

Even lemmings are turning away

It's still the most popular quality paper and their website doesn't lack hits. The most respected too, with its only critics being denizens of the loony nationalistic fringe.
jon357   
17 Jul 2013
News / Poland Parliamentary elections 2015 [1060]

spiritual and cultural vacuum

I don't think Europe is a cultural vacuum at all - Poland certainly isn't. 'Spiritual' is neither here nor there.

Poles are not Scots, and not everything is about dollars and cents.

Stereotyping again?
jon357   
17 Jul 2013
News / Poland Parliamentary elections 2015 [1060]

Spot on. The previous one was interested only in indoctrinating kids to a particularly reactionary point of view.
jon357   
17 Jul 2013
Travel / Worth visiting Warsaw? [20]

Poland capital - There are some lovely bits of Warsaw - and a lot of culture too.