Work / Is it normal for companies/schools in Poland to be rude? [116]


And this can be traced directly to the Ministry and their idiotic over-proscribing of absolutely everything.


No native would waste their time teaching full time in a State school - what's the point, when the salary is pathetic, even for so-called diploma teachers? The requirements to teach a foreign language in a State school are also hysterically amusing in terms of being pathetically low.

The Polish education system needs a radical overhaul - starting with getting people in a position to be employable after finishing high school, instead of the ridiculous situation where people need letters after their name to open the post and make tea.

Travel / Poland-My 9-day experience [239]

Hahaha, I know someone who went on holiday to Bradford, I still can't work it out :D

Food / No Vernor's ginger ale in Poland? [29]


You don't have that dreadful alcoholic liquorice, do you?

Travel / Poland-My 9-day experience [239]


Well, he says he's leaving...we can only hope ;)

Travel / Poland-My 9-day experience [239]


Torq, Fuzzywickets is nothing but a bitter American who can't actually afford to have a decent life here - so I wouldn't worry about his opinion. He can't even afford to eat in cheap restaurants in Wroclaw, so his opinion is rather null and void ;)

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


Come on WB, I wasn't talking about European teachers!

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


Indeed - any good teacher with half a brain can easily have a much higher standard of living here than in the UK. Of course, the good times won't last forever, but for now - anyone who is smart enough to save money and then reinvest it are the ones succeeding here.

Equally so, there are teachers who work all year, only to blow their savings on flying back home for the summer/winter. They tend to be bitter, resorting to posting anonymously on internet forums to complain about the country - yet their posts betray exactly what's wrong with them - they have a rubbish standard of living in Poland (because of the need to save to go home in summer) and see other expats and Poles enjoying a much better life.


Even in my case - I can drive from Poznan to the Czech Republic in about 4.5 hours maximum. Could I do that in the UK? Hell no.


Ties back in with what I said above about certain teachers - they aren't qualified enough to succeed in Poland (because ESL teaching, long term, requires investment in qualifications, money that they spend elsewhere) in terms of getting a good, stable job. But the ones that do invest in themselves are the ones doing well - and these are the ones not eating Polish food every day!


You said, clear as day, that you eat Polish food everyday and that ethnic restaurants are too expensive. Anyway, you already posted all over Dave's ESL that you can't afford to even own a car here, so it's all coming rather clear, isn't it?

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


I'm not the one eating Polish food everyday because I can't afford to eat at restaurants ;)

So..what's it like going nowhere in life?

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


I suspect there's a lot of people like him - willing to move anywhere in the world for the right job at the right price. Poland's just a stepping stone really for them.

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


It's obvious as to why - he isn't educated enough to get a university teaching job (or even a school teaching job), so he's stuck in the private sector. He doesn't earn enough to open his own school, so he's effectively going nowhere in life here.

Certainly explains all the bitterness and anger towards the country - he has nothing to offer it, so he's condemned to a mundane existence where he eats nothing but Polish food every day.

(life must be really tough if he can't eat at Marche!)

Law / How can I get Polish citizenship after been married to a Polish spouse [75]


If you're married, then you have the right to reside anywhere in the EU with your wife. You aren't exempt from requirements such as needing a work permit, however. And no, a permanent residence card still won't give you EU access on its own - as it implies, it's only for permanent residence in Poland.

As I recall, it's 3 years and 6 months before you can apply for permanent residence on the basis of being married to an EU citizen. And you need to be resident in Poland.


Is that a mistake? :)

Life / What are the things which cause culture shock in Poland? [164]


The contrast in Paris is huge and terrifying. The sheer poverty and hopelessness of the suburbarbs vs the wealth of Paris proper is...mindblowing.

Likewise London - look at the poverty of Tower Hamlets compared to the wealth of the City - then look at how far apart they are.

Anyway, the one thing that amazes me and still amazes me is the way that the Polish state has absolutely no interest in education, yet continues to fund a monolithic public university sector that seems to specialise in the creation of worthless courses.

Travel / Can I take a bus from Szczecin to Wroclaw? [14]

It can be really hit or miss - though anyone expecting much from something called "cheap railway lines" shouldn't complain :P

Usually though, it's not bad, apart from at peak times.

Travel / Can I take a bus from Szczecin to Wroclaw? [14]


About 5 hours if I recall correctly, either by InterRegio or TLK.

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]

Oh yes. The British and Australians do this too, but Americans are almost certainly to be found in the strangest of places. Heck, you can even find a black American Jehovah in Glogow!

Travel / Can I take a bus from Szczecin to Wroclaw? [14]

Take the train!

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


theexpeditioner.com/2010/02/17/how-many-americans-have-a-passport-2

Interesting article, especially the comments - Americans really only get two weeks holiday a year?!

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


Haha, I'm taking life as it comes. I don't see the point in wasting my time thinking constantly about how I'm going to leave in the future - what's the point?

Anyway, every country has benefits and drawbacks. I'd like to consider Germany in the future - but all the rules? Gaaaaaa...

Life / Who's Leaving Poland? [138]


How many people commit to spending their entire life in one country? Not many. Bit of a stupid question really.

The truth is that few people really become integrated with the host country regardless of where they go. Look at how many people from the UK went to Spain "for good" - only to pack up recently because the country is screwed.

In regards to ESL teachers in Poland specifically, the problem here is that you hit the top of the profession very quickly (in monetary terms). The only real option to progress is to either open a school or to pursue a university career - or diversify completely. I know a few expats in Poznan who are doing very well for themselves, who are very happy here - but that's because they took their money from teaching and invested it, rather than throwing it down the drain on flights home.

Ultimately, the ones who are happy here are the ones who are going forward in life. The ones who are stuck at the same level financially, who have a prospect of another 30 years earning the same salary (adjusted, of course) really do tend to become bitter.

Life / What are the things which cause culture shock in Poland? [164]


I'm wondering where you're actually eating, because I know plenty of ethnic restaurants that taste like the real deal.


Aha. You can't afford to eat in those restaurants, so that explains why you're bored by the food.


Uh...why don't you make your own if you can't afford the good restaurants?

Sure, there's not the cheap diversity of food found in other countries, but what can you expect when Poland is hardly top of foreigners list of countries to go to?

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


Can I ask why you accepted such a pathetic rate? Seems rather strange that a native teacher would willingly accept such a poor salary. I've walked away from 40-45zl an hour recently.


This sounds odd. You don't have to pay ZUS in Poland, it's not compulsory - you can have a so-called "umowa o dzielo" in which there are no obligations to ZUS, but equally so, no pension or healthcare. If you had a different contract, then the school has obligations to pay their share of ZUS and they cannot "transfer" this obligation to the teacher.

In all honesty, many of the problems native teachers have is simply a result of their own inability to think for themselves. I certainly wouldn't sign a thing in Polish without having it thoroughly checked first.

Real Estate / Buying a flat in Krakow; prices are still falling? [200]


He is bitter, that's why he keeps posting about it ;)

Food / WHY IN POLAND PEOPLE DON'T USE ICE? [142]


Still in denial about the fact that you didn't even know about the presence of bacteria in unserviced AC systems, huh?

Some biologist!

(were you sweeping the floors in the lab, perhaps?)

Law / Advantages of getting Polish citizenship [24]


For EU citizens, next to nothing really. Most people are now recognising that EU citizen + residence permit is equal to a Polish citizen, though I suppose it might help with obtaining security clearances.

Food / WHY IN POLAND PEOPLE DON'T USE ICE? [142]


And you don't know about the bacteria and mould that grows in unserviced AC systems? Wow. No wonder you ended up in Poland teaching English.

News / Poland 2010 ( A bad year ) [27]

Hardly. I'd call the systematic persecution of AK members worse, or the total economic collapse in 1980-1981 as much more of a disaster. The fact that post-war Poland lost many of the elite from pre-war is also a disaster. Or the 1997 floods were also catastrophic.

The plane crash, while significant in a symbolic way, didn't actually change anything - Poland is no worse because of it.

News / Poland 2010 ( A bad year ) [27]

The flood wasn't anywhere near as bad as 1997 was. It could have been, but it wasn't a major disaster. Many of the people flooded owned property on flood plains, so they got what was coming.

The crash? Didn't really change anything. In fact, it proved that Poland could cope with the loss of a lot of their top officials, which is very reassuring.

Food / WHY IN POLAND PEOPLE DON'T USE ICE? [142]

My my, says the man who paid over 3000zl to spend a few days by the Polish seaside. Now that's dumb! Then again, I don't expect anyone else from someone who thinks that employed people have to pay the self employed rate of ZUS.

Anyway, I would expect a so-called biologist to know that Legionella bacteria can be found in AC systems that aren't cleaned properly (how many are, I wonder, especially in Northern Europe?).

I guess the term "big, dumb American horse" would seem appropriate here.

News / Poland 2010 ( A bad year ) [27]


Indeed - in fact, the only bad thing about the whole situation is that Kaczynski hasn't changed at all - and now we're going to be "treated" to about 500 days worth of mental collapse on his part, leading to another loss in the Sejm elections.

News / Poland 2010 ( A bad year ) [27]

I can't wait, finally, we have a Prime Minister and President on the same political page!