Travel / The S7 Poland a toll way - Krakow to Warsaw [8]

I think that's because the existing road is good enough - as far as I can tell, they're only using "motorway" to mean "toll road" - expressways are every bit as good as many European motorways.

Travel / The S7 Poland a toll way - Krakow to Warsaw [8]


The A1 will be completed sooner rather than later - there's your North/South motorway.

The S7 isn't desperately needed - there's already a link via the DK8/DK1/A4.

The only big problem I can think of right now is the lack of decent connection between Poznan and Wroclaw. Even the A4 to Korczowa will be finished sooner rather than later, though I have my doubts about the A2 from Warsaw to Terespol.

Travel / The British YOBs are back in Polish towns [68]


The police need to get work and deal with all troublemakers, not just foreigners.

Unless of course, you think it's a good idea for Krakow to get a reputation as being a place where you get hassled as a foreigner.

Travel / The British YOBs are back in Polish towns [68]


Thread title : "The YOBs are back in town"

Harry posted links to yobbish behaviour.

Seems quite on-topic to me.

Life / Price check: iPhone 3G in Poland [9]


I do hope you have a valid visa or will be sorting out a residency permit during this time.

Travel / The British YOBs are back in Polish towns [68]


Would be a doddle. Who is going to come and be an idiot if they know that there's zero tolerance applied to such things?

I'm actually surprised that the Polish police are soft enough to allow such nonsense to happen.

Work / 3500 Euro Gross in Poland for a family of 2 Adults and a kid, any good? [28]


I'd be very careful in this respect - companies have a bad habit of putting people into soulless expensive apartments in areas which are very unfriendly and "cold".

What I'd suggest is getting them to sort you out with a short term let for one month - and then you can find somewhere yourself. As others have posted, you can find somewhere nice quite easily and inexpensively.

Law / Shipping a non-EU car to PL by a non PL citizen (but PL Resident) [13]


Only way to get a clear answer is to speak to a customs agent who will handle the paperwork for you. They're not expensive and will save you a lot of tears and trouble.

Work / 3500 Euro Gross in Poland for a family of 2 Adults and a kid, any good? [28]


Alas, I think he's non-EU and non-American, so that route won't be open to him. I was wondering the same thing myself, but saying 2BHK points at being Asian.


Ah, you can get much cheaper than that - that's just the price for the "international schools" for rich spoiled kids of diplomats and suchlike. For someone such as yourself, there are plenty of decent schooling options available outside of that sector.


Shouldn't be a problem at all then - but I'd strongly recommend living somewhere along the metro line.

Travel / Pics of Warsaw by the Guardian's David Levene [107]


Probably because it's already been reported to death in the English media that Warsaw is 'the' city in the former East right now.

Study / French or English or Polish schools in Poznan (for age 9 and 11) [34]


One thing that I need to warn you about in the strongest possible terms.

You can expect that the public schools will do *nothing* to make it work - at best, they'll ignore the children and give them the lowest pass grade by default. They will not do anything to accomodate the children - unless you are incredibly fortunate to find a teacher that will give up his/her spare time. But that's very unlikely at the minute - due to the "unpaid" time that teachers have to do at the minute, you'll struggle to find a teacher who will do anything over and above that.

Even the concept of a classroom assistant is pretty much unknown here in the public system.

Work / 3500 Euro Gross in Poland for a family of 2 Adults and a kid, any good? [28]


If it's 14000zl a month (3500 euro - though I'd strongly urge that the salary should be negotiated in zloty and not in Euro) - then unless I'm totally wrong, he should be getting around 9800zl a month - or what, 2450 euro net? That's according to this - money.pl/podatki/kalkulatory/plac/


Depends on what you want as moderate. There's no need to pay for underground parking garage, security for the building (Poland isn't unsafe - and while guarded estates are fashionable as hell at the minute, there's really no harm in living somewhere unguarded - probably the nicest estate in Poznan is unguarded, for instance - the guarded ones are horrible places to live - could be different in Warsaw, though).

But yes, it's certainly good enough.

What I'd actually recommend would be renting a place for a month while you get the feel of Warsaw - then you'll know where you want to live and what you can afford. Poland can be incredibly cheap (a monthly public transport pass in Warsaw is 20 euro, for instance) or incredibly expensive - it all depends what you want.

Life / Getting ripped off in Poland! Is it normal? or should it be tolerated? [97]


Indeed.

On the other hand, it can be good - I've found that serious threats of legal action tend to frighten people here, whereas in the UK, we'd be all "okay, fine, let's go". Had one just a few days ago - late payment of an invoice. Asked the person why they hadn't paid, was met with a bullshit answer - and sent off the formal demand for payment the same evening. Funnily enough, the money arrived in my account a day later ;)

I'd say that the number one skill in dealing with Poles is being able to walk away from any deal.

Law / Official translator at tax office in Poland. May I refuse? [4]

Never failed for me yet.

News / "Poland: a country getting to grips with being normal at last" [23]


Timothy Garton-Ash is a fantastic guy - and in my opinion, far better than anyone else in English at describing Poland.

He was there when there was a fight to register "rural Solidarity" - and that's something that's pretty much ignored by Western commentators.

Life / Polish patriotism, what does it mean to you? [46]


I'm not surprised that Poles despise Polish-Americans of the 3rd/4th/5th generation - the examples here (racism, blinkered view of Polish life, attempting to stir up tension with our neighbours, etc) show us just how utterly out of sync they are with Poland.

It's certainly true that their version of patriotism seems to be rather confused - despite claiming to be Polish, the ones on this forum seem rather unwilling to actually do a damned thing to help out, apart from stirring up racial tension.

Travel / Easter in Poznan. Will everything be closed? [14]


To be honest, nothing really. There will be some bars open, but I doubt anything will be happening that would be remotely worth checking out.

Real Estate / Returning Polish expat wishing to purchase property in Poland [4]


Nothing special, they just need to follow the normal Polish route of property purchasing.

The gmina isn't going to care less - they're a Polish citizen.

Travel / Easter in Poznan. Will everything be closed? [14]

Pretty much dead, I'd say - don't waste your time.

Study / French or English or Polish schools in Poznan (for age 9 and 11) [34]


(edit)

Yes, agreed. The problem is that most native teachers don't actually have the papers that gives them the right to teach in an accredited institution. As I recall, one of the big problems is the requirement for teachers to have an MA - which is contrary to the English speaking world's practice of a BA plus some sort of post-BA qualification.

I'm also not so sure that they're paying that well either - I know at least one of the international schools here is paying people according to the Polish public school salary scheme.


Aren't they just likely to tell him to put his children into private school or homeschool them?

I can't imagine there are many foreigners moving to Poland in his situation.

Life / Polish patriotism, what does it mean to you? [46]


Haha.

Right. Were they among the ones who sold Poland to Russia because they didn't want the peasants obtaining any rights?

Life / Polish patriotism, what does it mean to you? [46]


It's okay - neither are you.

Study / French or English or Polish schools in Poznan (for age 9 and 11) [34]

It seems that some subjects are taught double, but others are taught only in Polish.

I just cannot imagine how these children can cope in public schooling - and from talking to a few people, many school directors may be unwilling to admit such children in the first place.

Study / French or English or Polish schools in Poznan (for age 9 and 11) [34]


There is?


Exactly, especially as you can earn far more in a private school. Even one of the international schools has an Indian guy teaching English - needless to say, it's not what I would call a "native speaker".

It's not so much an issue for Polish children, but for foreigners, the educational opportunities here are really lacking.

I sound like such a pessimist, but I just cannot imagine putting children (who have already got used to the liberal Canadian approach) into the Polish system for more than a year.

Study / French or English or Polish schools in Poznan (for age 9 and 11) [34]


I don't *think* any of them exist here - if they do, they're going to be so popular that I really cannot imagine him getting a place for his children. Even then, double language is still going to present the problem of (most likely) poor English language instruction - I know only the II LO (High school, age 16+) has in any way decent education - but that school has huge problems with student happiness.

I'd say that either way, he's looking at a 40k PLN/year investment to educate his child to a satisfactory level.

News / MORE ANTI-POLISH SENTIMENT IN GERMANY [280]

Exactly.

These same "Polish Patriots" who so valiantly defend "Poland and her honour" are the same ones who won't actually come here and improve things for us. Meanwhile, Germans come here quite happily to volunteer and help.

News / Anti semtism at Polish Congress [57]

Thankfully, the ones ranting about Jews are the ones who are on the edge of society anyway.

Funnily enough, at least on this site, the vast majority of those who rant about Jews are plastic Polish Americans - not the Polish people.

News / MORE ANTI-POLISH SENTIMENT IN GERMANY [280]


At least then people would have something genuine to complain about. Right now, it's all in their minds.


He tends to have huge problems understanding the European mentality, combined with a rather unhealthy obsession about Jews and Russia.

I invite him to come to Poland for a year to volunteer with some children. I'll sort out his residence permit for him, and he can come to Europe and find that we can insult each other quite happily without anyone getting upset.

(back on your bike, MG!)

News / Anti semtism at Polish Congress [57]


The only Jews that run things exist solely in the mind of paranoid people.

Law / Textile City/ Area in Poland [5]


Pretty much.

Lodz is the capital of textiles, but the industry there has more or less died now.