News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

I bet 99% of his voters don't even know about JOW. Nevertheless, is it the main problem in Poland? Poles have no jobs and when they do, most often they make peanuts, a lot of them need to go abroad, the health system is lousy, the birth rate is very low, most retirees get groszy and he worries about ... JOW???? I bet very few Poles will even bother to vote in September and like a Pole told me if less than 50% participation, the results won't be counted (= a huge loss of public money).

Work / Italian lawyer - what are the possibilities to work in Poland? [13]

Yes and not only but no way in Poland! Let's be serious, Poland is a village. Also big opportunities in Moscow.

Work / Italian lawyer - what are the possibilities to work in Poland? [13]

Legal firms don't have Italian desks in Poland (I have just looked it up briefly). I know that most international legal firms in Warsaw have (sometimes big) French desks because a lot of French companies in Poland and that's the only reason. There are of course a lot fewer Italian companies in Poland and also Polish companies to deal with Italy are not so numerous and most often tiny. Also to work with Polish companies, you would need to know at least some Polish (not only to talk with them but also to understand their way of doing business). Besides, you would need concrete experience.

If you had been specialized in EU or in international law, it would have been different but your skills are too limited and too "local".

Why Poland? I would not be suprised if Italian lawyers in countries like UK, France (I used to know one Italian law firm in Paris and I'm sure that there are some in Nice and area), Germany, Belgium... If you want to get out of Italy, I think you can find something suitable (and obviously better paid in western Europe). I can not assure you at 100% but Poland is too limited... Have you looked elsewhere in Europe?

PS: I have just typed "Italian lawyers in Paris" and I have found pages thereof thru Google - it took me a few seconds. If you do same for London, Berlin, Vienna, Brussels, Geneva, Lugano (good choice ;)) you'll see the same.

PS: why don't you try in ... Switzerland? I'm sure tons of legal firms (with big bucks ;)), including with Italian lawyers since Italian is one of the official languages.

Like Dominic would say, you have not looked;).

Believe me, you have opportunities but don't look in Poland!

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

@Pol: sure my comments were a little bit hasty but what does the guy offer, if not nothing? He is against the system (but benefits from it) but so what, concretely what does he mean?

Work / Italian lawyer - what are the possibilities to work in Poland? [13]

In Poland they have no use of Italian law. The only possible way would be to find a legal firm with an Italian desk but I seriously doubt it exists (at least in Poland) and if so, the business must be very marginal.

Outside of Polish law, international law and EU law can be needed (in Poland).

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

The guy is really sick but unfortunately so many Poles cannot see it ....

Study / The quality of study in Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) / Polish in one year [20]

@Polsyr: Hi! If he's going to study in Polish, unless he is a genius, he'll need much more than a "language year" but several ;). Unless another slavic language speaker, the guy shall have a hell of a time to learn Polish.

Life / How much money should I save to move to Poland? [17]

@Davey: what kind of job is it that you need to bring your savings? ;). Normally we expect to have a salary covering our expenses ;)

edited..

Law / Norwegian lad wishing to get a car driver's license in Poland but it's expensive [13]

@Delphi; why do you want tests in .... Spanish in ... Poland? Does Poland have such a huge population of Spanish speakers? If in foreign languages, tests ought to be in languages like English, German, French and also Russian (I've noticed that a lot of documents here are also written in Russian, some in French like passports and post office docs but never in Spanish). Where have you seen documents written in Spanish in Poland???? '"lol"

News / If Poland were in the Eurozone... [39]

@Lyszko: not only the Germans but everybody in the Euro zone complains about high prices and most want to get out of the bs. The good thing is that it is probably the beginning of the end since a failure. It was a good thing for businesses but not for the small guy.

Love / Wedding witnesses in Rzeszow, Poland [24]

@Smurf: I don't know so I suggest Beaumont to check with administration. It would not be a good idea to go there all dressed up expecting to be married and the mayor (or whoever does it) refuses because they don't speak Polish. I assume Beaumont's future wife is Polish so she can call and find out.

Why not doing it the easy way? They just ask 2 employees at ratusz and after that they invite them for a drink and that's it.

PS:! I meant to send a mp to Beaumont and have noticed that she is a girl contrary to what I had thought and written. Well, no sweat! I could not guess

Love / Wedding witnesses in Rzeszow, Poland [24]

@Smurf: Thanks! So I was right ;)

Love / Wedding witnesses in Rzeszow, Poland [24]

@Smurf; "Podkarpackie", where the hell is that? Rzeszów? As said, it could be different from one place to another so best to be sure beforehand ;)

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

@Pol: when I buy basics for the week at the supermarket, until a year ago, I could manage with around 120 ZL (+ buying additional things on a daily basis) and now I do the same and spend some 70 or 80 ZL each time I go to the supermarket, what I do 3 times a week. So yes, prices have gone up.

Of course, if we listen to (any) government, all is rosy, all is great, life is cheap, salaries are high and everyone is happy. BS!

Love / Wedding witnesses in Rzeszow, Poland [24]

@Smurf: it could be different from one place to another so best that the OP and wife check on it before arriving to city hall all dressed up ;)

(my witnesses were Poles so no problem of the kind)

PS: when and where did you get married?

Love / Wedding witnesses in Rzeszow, Poland [24]

I don't know about witnesses but as far as getting married, for sure if foreigners don't know Polish, they have to have sworn-in translators. When I got married in 1990 in Poland, I could speak maybe 3 words of Polish. At first, they were reluctant to carry on with the ceremony and then they thought "what's the hell?" and I got married without understanding anything. I just said 'tak" and everybody was happy. Well, it was in 1990 and everything was upside down then but now, they do things by the book.

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

I have noticed that usually always buying same things every week, my groceries bills have gone up a lot these past few months.

However, no pay increase in years. If I make more money, it's simply because I work more hours ;)

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

@Harry: No, I'm not tell people what to do but seriously aren't there better things for a family to do than to spend their weekends pushing carts at Carrefour (I know some who do)? What about taking kids to the movies, to museums, to art exhititions, to proper restaurants, to sports events and when weather is nice to parks, to the zoo, to swimming pool and the like? I happen to shop alot on weekends (for a lot of reasons) and I understand that kids would prefer be elsewhere. Yesterday I had to go to Castorama and as early as 9, they were whole families with screaming kids. I am sure kids would have peferred be elsewhere than at Castorama ;). You may say, they went to Castorama for a couple of hours, probablly but there are famililes (I know some) who can spend whole day with their kids in such shops ;).

@Delph: Yes, it must be freedom
Back to the topic please

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

There are none in my neighborhood but since I travel around Warsaw every day I quite often see the situation, for instance in Praga and Wola. I don't know the name of the street (I was on the tram and did not look) but recently I saw 3 of such shops next to each other (I wonder how they can make a living ;)) in Praga. For instance, how many of those joints around Wiatraczna Rondo (they all all opened 24/7 - according to what they advertize because personally I don't know ;). In other Polish towns, it's the same...

News / Have PO (Platforma) operatives in Poland fallen into a panic? [332]

@Delph: for students of course great but as to married people on top of that with kids, they would probably prefer to be with their families.

I am schoked at the number of Poles whose family distration on week-ends is to go to ... Carrefour ;).

@Harry; there are occupations that are needed 24/7 (police, medical staff, transportation...) but they do not include cashiers and shelf stockers of Biedronka, Carrefour or Auchan...

Basically, if CHOICE ok but not ok if no choice (or if salaries are so low that people HAVE to work all the time).

@Harry; in Poland there are plenty of liquor strores opened 24/7, sometimes there are even 2 or 3 of them next to each other ;). Tesco is also opened 24/7. The question is: is it necessary? Who needs buy booze and food 24/7?

Yes, some occupations are needed 24.7 but they are not so many

Life / Is Warsaw the most developed city of Poland? [5]

@Jeremy: Hi! first of all, is it going to be an "expat" or a local job? If local job, what and how much money? If local job, obviously better in Lyon (I don't know Lyon but I know France).

Warsaw is in fact like a (big) provincial city of France and of Westen Europe.

As to transportation, contrary to CMS who does not live in Warsaw (but I do), it is not so convenient and so cheap in Warsaw. I use public transportation several times a day (sometimes up to 10 times) inside and outside Warsaw and my comments: crowded (most often I cannot sit), not well organized when leaving Centrum with symbolic schedule, and not so cheap and proportionally more expenseive than in France considering the difference in salaries (in France 1.80 euros with a much more developed transport system and around 1.10 euro in Warsaw .

If LOCAL salary and conditions not worthwhile financially and do come only if you want something different, to have a sort of vacation. In my opinion, unless you have the net equivalent of let's say 2,000 euros (in Poland you don't have all the benefits you have in France), it is not worth it. Proportionally life is more expensive than in France and more generally in Western Europe so unless 2,000 euros not worth coming.

Also a huge advantage in Lyon over Warsaw is the geographic situation. When in Lyon, you can spend weekends (I know it costs money but it's possible and people do it on regular basis) skiing in the (French, Swiss and Italian) Alps in winter and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea (France and Italy) in the summer. The climate in Lyon is needless to say better. In Warsaw, you don't have more than let's say 2 weeks of nice weather per year (today it looks like it's going to rain), winters are long and worst (for me) is the lack of light for several months (in November night comes around 3.30 and it is ... depressing).

And of course, food and restaurants are the best in Lyon ;)

PS: a lof of foreigners (including myself) say that "Warsaw is a big village", although now spread out (a lot of areas would be considered "sububs" in France), it's very limited (compared to Western Europe) and we seem to always meet the same people... Well, this is provincial life (to which I am not used).

PPS: If I had the choice, I'd go to Lyon:)

PS: do remember that 25 years ago, Poland and the area were the pits and inspite of tremendous progress (foreign investments and EU money), Poland is obviously still behind Western Europe (logical). Warsaw is by far the most developed city in Poland and without the exception of 3 or 4 more cities (Wroclaw, Krakow, Gdansk, Poznan), the rest of Poland (B as it is called) is a bit like Westen Europe in the 1950's.

News / If Poland were in the Eurozone... [39]

@Jolly: having private companies hiring people for 1euro/hour although they make profits while selling their goods the same price as the others and it is also unfair to other companies which play the game.

Even in Poland this could not be so ...

PS: have you worked for 1e/hour? ;)

News / If Poland were in the Eurozone... [39]

@Jolly; it is exploitation since I suppose that the private companies hiring people for 1e/hour sell their products at real market prices (just like those companies hiring prison inmates). It is also exploitation since jobs exist but employers get away with murder. Why not having people work for REAL salaries since the jobs exist?

Nevertheless, my friend refused to work this way (in Australia, they have good conditions and much better than in Germany) and her - German - husband agreed with her. All Germans are not in favor of these slavery measures but unfortunately most behave like sheep (we saw the result some 80 years ago).

News / If Poland were in the Eurozone... [39]

@Jolly: I canNOT say the exact date. All I can say is that the girl is 100% reliable. I was a friend of hers when she was in Warsaw (1999-2000). Before she and her husband had lived in Moscow and in Berlin. Of course I cannot give you chronology ;). However, expecting people to work for peanuts is obscene and a disgrace more especially in a country which pretend to be rich (inspite of so much poverty). And as to the new minimum wages in Germany, it's far below what is in neighborhing countries and here again a disgrace. 1 euro an hour is even below the rate in Poland.

No matter what you call it, it should not exist.

Nowhere in the EU people work for this kind of bs. Probably not even in Rumania and Bulgaria (but they don't pretend to be rich)!

Study / I got accepted into a university in Gliwice, Poland! [38]

@Doug! Hi! My goodness ..... 23 years in Kato!!!! You really deserve a medal! ;). I spent 2 months there in 1990, 4 months in 1998/1999 and since 1990 I have gone there often or a few days (my husband was from there) but there is no way I could have lived there. I agree they have done a lot (thanks, EU's euros ;)) in the center but outside of 2 or 3 (small) streets in centrum, it's still the pits. Let's not even talk about pollution. 2 weeks ago, last time I was there for the day, I cleaned my face after a few hours and the cotton disk was .... black (in Warszawa it is never so ;)) so imagine the crap people there breathe every day. Respiratory diseases go galore there ...

I saw Katowice for the first time in March 1990 and I was under shock. You must have been there at the time too. Yes, you deserve a medal!

One good thing though re Katowice: I find people very friendly and very talkative (in comparison with Warsaw for instance)

Love / Wedding witnesses in Rzeszow, Poland [24]

Hi! Like I said, do contact language schools and most probably you'll find one or 2 English teachers available.
Good luck!

Study / The quality of study in Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) / Polish in one year [20]

@Gr4: Poland is not a multi cultural country, is very conservative and catholic so when people are "different", things are difficult. You won't be physically agressed (unless going to rough neighborhoods) but expect dirty looks and comments and not to be welcomed ;). Personally I would not want to live in a place where I am not welcomed. Since you speak English, go to UK instead, you'll feel more comfortable, people are open and tolerant since used to live with others (Poles are not used to live with different people).

Study / The quality of study in Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) / Polish in one year [20]

@Gr: you seem to be a nice guy but please realize that Poland is a homogenous country so not very open. Some people shall tell you that that there are a few students including from Africa but 1. they stay with each other and 2. Polish society is not limited to universities. It may be very difficult for you as being "different". Personally, I have a (blond/blue eyed) nephew in couple with a girl of African origin (so she's black - they have one kid and they live in France, although small place in south 0 problem) and I would never invite the two of them here as the girl would not feel comfortable.

Best to chose a western European country used to seing people of all colors, all religions where you'll be better accepted.

Study / The quality of study in Warsaw University of Technology (Politechnika Warszawska) / Polish in one year [20]

Sure but in order to get a job, you need to have an employer to prove that he cannot find anyone else for the job. Not only Poles but also citizens of EU countries can work in Poland with ho formalities.

What is your nationality?

Besides, if studying in "English" and interacting with English-speaking Poles, you won't have much time to study Polish and believe me, it's not something to be learnt quickly when not knowing any other slavic language.

Also, you don't know Poland, why do you talk about settling permanently? ;)

Study / I got accepted into a university in Gliwice, Poland! [38]

@Dougpol: you cannot judge the life quality of a place simply by the bands who come once in their lifetime play for an hour or even less ;). Katowice is the pits and Gliwice a rat hole...and no reason to end up there when coming from abroad unless coming from similar place ;)

@Beaware: even if it's true, do not give names! This could be dangerous for you.