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Posts by InWroclaw  

Joined: 10 Mar 2012 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 7 Mar 2015
Threads: Total: 89 / In This Archive: 80
Posts: Total: 1910 / In This Archive: 1693 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: No

Displayed posts: 1773 / page 27 of 60
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InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Love / Romance with a polish girl... I need help! [7]

Well, she probably knows it was you who sent the flowers. Just step back a little and let her indicate she's interested. If she makes contact but doesn't come on strong, reply after a few days and just say "As you know, I'm in Canada, let me know when you head over and we can maybe hook up and I can show you around my city".

Whatever you do, don't invite her back to your place to see your etchings.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Work / Is it hard to get a work permit in Poland? [43]

That article is rubbish, Lodz is not a deserted city at all.

£ódź is now a good city to live in, everything is or has been renovated over the last 6 years.

The Sun article was within the last year I think.

I'd usually agree that newspapers are not a good source of info, however in my home town I know a SE England shop manager borne and bred from that town and he told me The Sun article was very accurate. So, I guess you and him would have to agree to disagree. He upped sticks and left for a better life in the UK in 2009 because of that state of affairs there. But, I'll be sure to tell him that things have improved when I'm back in Britain in the near future. I know he visits Lodz every April, I'll just have to let him know it's all changed in the past 6 months or our Steve wouldn't have moved there.

£ódź has quite a bad opinion in Poland. It's because many jobs there were in sewing and after 1990 this industry collapsed

Sounds like the mills that closed in the Midlands and north of England. Many of them are still suffering now.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Work / Is it hard to get a work permit in Poland? [43]

Of course, Lodz has problems with an apparent lack of opportunities, or so some journalists claim:

In Lodz, the third largest city in Poland, the main high street presents a harrowing picture.

Why is this historic city that survived numerous wars, the Holocaust and Communism bereft of life?

The answer is simple - a huge percentage of its population has left to find work, many of them heading to Britain.

Nine years after it joined the European Union, Poland is facing a national crisis compounded by its people's determination to find a better life beyond its borders.

And their decision to up sticks and move to the UK is causing havoc in the places where they were raised.

thesun/sol/homepage/features/4728585/Polish-city-thats-moved-to-Britain.html

what i meant by not using agencies is that it's not popular to use agency to find a job for you in Poland.

I think it depends on a job-seeker's field, competence and experience. But, I get where you're coming from, and you've posted some very good links to help Steve.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Work / Is it hard to get a work permit in Poland? [43]

We don't use agencies in Poland.

Eh? I don't follow. I know of at least 1 Pole who got an IT job via an agency he applied to here. I know of another who got his non IT job via an agency. So, when you say Poles don't use agencies, is it like this fabled "Poles don't use agencies when they rent out or sell property" that I heard a lot about here on this forum? Because a quick look on Gumtree for this city will prove to anyone that the vast majority of property to let (rent) is via an agency, and probably so are the ones for sale. All I'd say is there was or is slightly less interest in using agents in PL than in the UK, or maybe it's just in this city, but agents have most of the property -- especially when it's hard to let or sell as it is now and owners resort to agents in desperation.

Cheers for the info.

Yes, Monitor is as always being helpful, and he has helped me in the past. But I would still, if I were you, seek out agencies too. The big names are around in PL including Hays, Manpower, etc.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Work / Is it hard to get a work permit in Poland? [43]

In this case they're not, there are other reasons which I have heard about and some which I can safely assume to be the reason or reasons. Either way, it's not on if the majority of employees are not Poles within such large factories here. Given the apparent numbers, it looks as if the majority are certainly not Poles.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Work / Is it hard to get a work permit in Poland? [43]

Unfortunately, isn't the skill usually that the foreign worker is skilled at doing the same job for a lower salary? That's how it is in the UK, anyway.

I get very annoyed when I see firms from Korea here employing Koreans instead of Poles. Wrocław now has a large population of Koreans and I very much doubt they're all managers. Where are the supposed local jobs for local Poles or is it taboo to ask?

Of course, some South Koreans earn a pretty good wage at home, with a major car firm there paying super-fantastic wages and yet the workers still strike for more

globalpost.com/dispatch/news/yonhap-news-agency/130822/hyundai-kia-workers-rank-near-top-salary-lag-productivity

They get about US$80K a year (yeah you read that right) but their productivity isn't all that good. They just got another 5% awarded btw.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Language / Is Polish an easy language to learn and is there a way of learning it easily? [105]

I live in Poland and want to pass for native Polish, google translate is useless to get to this standard.

Why, are you hoping to be recruited by a foreign secret service? I'd hate to lose my native accent and identity. I'd not want to be mistaken for anything other than my native self for all the sushi in Partynice.
InWroclaw   
28 Oct 2013
Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]

Personally, not met anyone whose wages are up 20%. In fact, temp contracts are the order of the day, and one large financial co has made all manner of cuts incl business travel.

As for prices rising, not here, not so far anyway. Which is unsurprising, as wages are massively out of kilter with the prices already. The market might get a boost from foreign money, though, that I wouldn't rule out.

Anecdote I know, but posting anyway.

On another thread, Harry warned a poster in the summer of 2013 that property hadn't stopped falling yet (about 6 momths ago, I can't find the thread, it was a short one).

A flat on an estate in my area was 499K 6-12 months ago. It was quite big. I don't think it ever sold. I posted about it somewhere here.

Across the road (20 metres away), same estate, very similar or identical spec. Same size or larger, good interior. Now 400K. (It should sell now, probably, although my own view is it's still 100K over-priced.)
InWroclaw   
26 Oct 2013
Life / Need the best Poland data sim card provider for use in personal unlocked wifi device (mifi). [21]

Probably best off with Play or Virgin Polska which I think also works in a dongle/laptop USB modem.
1GB valid for 14 days from first use 19zł (you can buy one at a Play kiosk in many shopping malls/centres)

play.pl/oferta/internet/internet-na-karte/

Or Virgin (buy a SIM for 5zł at a telephone vendor's kiosk or in many supermarkets, then top-up with 15zł or 20zł and enter a code to turn it into 1GB of internet use plus I think 100MB free. However, coverage is probably less comprehensive than Play. (Good customer services at Virgin, though.)

virginmobile.pl/chce_przejsc_do_virgin_mobile/oferta/pakiety_internet/

I tried T-Mobile and had a very poor experience, so can't recommend.
InWroclaw   
21 Oct 2013
Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]

Good thread, great question.

A small (15m2) studio flat on Powstancow in a block was circa 40-50 thousand PLN in 2001. The same one, even now in this supposed stagnation period, would probably be 160-200K PLN.

Are people making a lot of money on property, hence the very expensive cars I see all over the place? Or are they successful business people in other sectors, plain and simple? Because I see so many new and expensive cars here, it's like they're giving them away for free.

The other explanation is the same as the UK: people have used their property as a loan security, and withdrawn money to buy these cars with that money. All over the place, huge Mitsubishis, Audis and Beemers. Yet wages are 40K PLN per annum??!
InWroclaw   
17 Oct 2013
Work / Job at HP in Wroclaw, what salary should I expect and Is It negotiable? [29]

If you're talking about the above role or similar, I'd have thought 11K was only possible in Warsaw, and maybe not even there.

All of which makes me scratch my head at how come property prices are so high in Wroclaw -- even after supposedly cooling off. 450K PLN for a 2-bed 65m2 flat in a reasonable area! That's 90K GBP. Salaries are only 15K-20K GBP per year for a COUPLE. WTF!
InWroclaw   
17 Oct 2013
Travel / How does wizz air compare with ryanair? [32]

Thanks for this info, very useful to know! I wish I could book with them now because the screamers always gravitate to where I'm sitting when I fly on other airlines.
InWroclaw   
17 Oct 2013
Life / Poland: The land of -isms [63]

I do believe there's an issue with racism being culturally accepted here, but I don't believe that Poland is such a terrible place for racist incidents.

Yes, I agree, in some places it almost seems to be acceptable somewhat. Again, it reminds me of backwaters in the UK in the 70s and 80s.
InWroclaw   
17 Oct 2013
Life / Poland: The land of -isms [63]

Anyway....that's that. My ticket booked and I'll be home soon. Thanks for your input. Best of luck and goodnight.

Sorry to read of this.
But simply, forget about them, those idiots will probably grow up and change their attitudes in time. In some ways, Poland's attitude to "outsiders" reminds me of the UK in the 1970s.

That said, the majority of people seem OK. I have observed some racist stuff and swastikas here and there but probably no worse than Watford was 10-20 years ago. In the end, they just show how daft, inexperienced in life and generally unworldly they are with their stupid remarks.

Whether you return and stay in the UK or come back to Poland, I hope all goes well!
PS FWIW I usually feel like an outsider here too but I don't care at all, except I find that it's very hard to land any sort of reasonable job which makes it worse of course because it limits interaction and integration significantly for me (although that's true for Poles as well).
InWroclaw   
16 Oct 2013
UK, Ireland / EXCHANGE RATES BETWEEN POLISH ZLOTY AND BRITISH POUND [73]

Anyone throw any light on the zloty's strength against the UK pound (or GBP weakness against the PLN) despite Polish IRs being so low now? Is it because of an upbeat view on the economy of Poland, or some other reason?

I would have thought it would be a minimum 5.50-6zł per GBP, with Poland's IRs so low. Obviously, I must be wrong.

Anyone brave enough to forecast? I no longer am. I have been proven wrong on the 5.50 minimum I'd expected (at least for now it seems).
InWroclaw   
16 Oct 2013
Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

Well, you are so clever and funny that if you're not in Vegas you're wasting your life, but actually (if you can read English) I said that it was because I do not trust the landlord to return my deposit, due to new information that has come to light, not because I can't afford to pay it.

I didn't have to pay much for the lawyer anyway, because it was such a quick and easy bit of advice they only took 25zł and they also pointed out so many safeguards in the law that the landlord would definitely be breaking the civil code if they remove me or break in and take my things. Anyone who says otherwise would seem to be a joker and should join you in Vegas.

And yeah the lawyer did read the agreement and laughed at why I was concerned.
InWroclaw   
15 Oct 2013
News / Lech Walesa vs Immigration: Brits humiliated him at London Heathrow Airport [105]

Speaking as a Brit. I'm ashamed. But, speaking as a Brit again, I seem to have felt fairly continuously ashamed about the ways we deal with our neighbours...

Yeah but I've been treated like a dodgy person at UK airports a few times and I'm a Brit of very good standing, clean record etc. One of the rudest to me at a UK airport was a Polish girl who was a guard, ironically enough.
InWroclaw   
15 Oct 2013
Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

It is quite nice, but it's mild. Auchan do a deli mild which is a bit cheaper and also good. But mature, tart cheddar is what I need. Not farmhouse as that's too strong, but a good mature. In Wroclaw, it's something not in abundance, that's for sure.

Did I really say that it was quite nice? I can't believe I posted that. Just bought it again and it like cheddar in its crumbly nature but nothing like it in taste. Polish people reading this should be made aware (uwaga!) that real cheddar, even mild cheddar, is 10x better, if not 100x.

Tesco has Cathedral City mild, mature and extra mature back in stock in Bielany Wroc. However, the price has risen to, in my view, excessive levels.

Although they say they're not having a British Week as such again until maybe 2014, Lidl will have 2 different mature cheddars from 25/11 or this weekend, at under 7zl for 240g (stock sells out fast).

The Poland-made cheddar by a well-known brand tastes nothing like real cheddar IMO. If Biedronka sell their mature (PL produced I think) cheddar again, however, it's worth a punt.

That ends this cheese flash.
InWroclaw   
15 Oct 2013
Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

You have spoken to a lawyer this morning on the phone.

Lawyer/lawline said: withholding the last month's rent does not entitle the landlord to enter without court consent. Lawl. said all contracts they knew of were governed by the civil code and that the LL could not enter in the way one of the posters above described, period. Lawl. added not heard of any other sort of residential tenancy unless I meant a licence such as used in storage warehouses. I assume it was a lawyer, I am going to meet with another lawyer later today to check and show the contract.

So, it's all as clear as mud :D

Just checked the tenancy agreement, it says all official comms by registered letter. Nothing about email or carrier pigeon :o)
InWroclaw   
15 Oct 2013
Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

Spoken to a legal person this morning on the phone, I presume a lawyer, and they don't know what the poster above is talking about when he says that the landlord can enter etc. The phrase used by the lawyer was "The landlord will be in all kinds of problems if he enters the flat without court permission."

So I am not sure what to make of this conflicting advice.

Monitor, thank you for posting all the links and summarising what it said. From what I heard this morning, the landlord has no right to come in at all unless they can somehow prove it's an emergency. As I am in dialogue with them, they have no basis to assume that.

SeanBM, the reason is very significant information has come to my notice which suggests my trust in the landlord was misplaced. I would have no confidence in a deposit return.

Its very difficult legally for the landlord to evict, break in or change the locks. I know because I have been in the landlords position before.

Doesn't mean to say he won't do it though - some of these guys can be quite arrogant.

That's also what the lawline also said, while emphasising it was not legal to do so, however.
InWroclaw   
15 Oct 2013
Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

Its a civil matter.

So, what is it that someone posted about unlawful eviction, whereby a Polish tenancy contract has to have an evict-to address or else an eviction is unlawful. An eviction becomes immediately lawful if the rent isn't paid? Without a court order? I am surprised. Very unlike the UK - it appears a tenant here has no rights at all. As you're a landlord, I supposed you'd know. Thanks for posting.

According to the law you must pay every month. You cannot simply inform that you're not paying for the last month. Any dispute can solve court. Despite of that he cannot simply change locks. If he hasn't done that yet you may change locks 1st :)

Thanks for posting.
InWroclaw   
14 Oct 2013
Life / How can I change 100 PLN bank notes for smaller currency? [17]

Never had this problem anywhere in Poland

I have, in one of the discount supermarkets when I just bought 8 or 9zl of stuff and wanted to change a 100. But, it's fairly unusual for them to roll their eyes, especially if coins are offered with the note.
InWroclaw   
14 Oct 2013
Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

Hmm yes but I don't want to pay the last month's rent because I have found out the LL knew all about the problems here before and yet (surprise surprise) feigned ignorance. So, I have very little confidence in getting my deposit back. In fact, the LL never even mentioned it when I submiited my notice, just told me to hand the keys to the agent when I leave, not a murmur about my deposit ever, as if it doesn't exist.

Any more advice on where I stand on this from a legal perspective if the threat is carried out?

I am reluctant to go to the shops in case it is not just an idle threat although I know warnings such as that often are just that.
InWroclaw   
14 Oct 2013
Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

Despite notifying the landlord that I would not be paying the final month's rent for the flat, the landlord did not respond. This was probably because many viewers (by that I mean prospective tenants who were due to see the flat). Half didn't turn up and the other half didn't want the flat. I'm guessing that prior to this point, the LL didn't want to lose my goodwill in admitting the viewers at whatever times the agent dictated, and of course when no one turned up and I waited in for 2-3 hours, neither the agent nor LL even apologised.

Yesterday the LL SMS messaged me to say that I can "bet on the locks being changed when you go out shopping and your stuff in the car park" if I don't pay the last month's rent and instead insist my deposit be used.

Isn't that completely illegal or even criminal, even if I haven't paid the last month's rent (I am 4 days overdue). I have a written tenancy agreement.

My LL is relatively wealthy, so I am not sure what's possible, i.e. break in and evict me before the end of this month, and then worry about it later.

Is it not a police matter if I get this harassment or indeed they actually send the boyz round to do it?
InWroclaw   
14 Oct 2013
Life / How can I change 100 PLN bank notes for smaller currency? [17]

As someone else said, not usually a problem, just give them coins plus the note.

EG

Suma 3.52
Hand them 100.02 or 100.52
Or hand them 103.52 and see if they give you a funny look! :D

(This procedure simplifies the change they give you into notes or notes plus 1 coin.)