Work / JOB in Wroclaw for a Business Student fluent in ENGLISH/FRENCH/RUSSIAN/ROMANIAN [56]

why are you so doubtful of her language skills? I have a friend who speaks Polish, English, French and Italian- all fluently. My sister in law speaks Polish, English, Russian, German and French- except for the french they are all fluent. My husband speaks Polish, English and German all fluently.

for some it is easier to learn than others.

Elena, I would suggest going to individual language schools on your own and see if you can find something that way.

good luck

USA, Canada / Would Polish schooling and academic diploma be acceptible in Canada? [5]

opa.on.ca/

try this. It should have everything you need to know, if not- somebody from here could probably be of more help.

Life / Poland's population predictions [59]

I don't get it? why wouldn't he be?

My daughters best friend is a Polish born Vietnamese girl. She speaks three languages and her parents own a shop in Warsaw- they came over about 15 years ago. Very good work ethic.

Life / Poland's population predictions [59]

actually, I was thinking of the Ukrainians. Vietnamese come here, for the most part, legally. They do well because they have good work ethic and they tend to stick in their communities.

The Canadian number is a bit off. Also, does this number include those with dual citizenship?

Life / Poland's population predictions [59]

does this stat include undocumented people??

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]

wait a sec, Praga was not, for the most part, destroyed during the war- there are still loads of beautiful streets with pre war architecture. Saying that the population was 0 after the war is not true at all and is greatly exaggerated. There are also areas in Filtry, Mokotow, Zoliborz and even centrum that have not been leveled. After the war they were occupied by residents of Warsaw- probably not the original owners but from Warsaw just the same. 30,000 people left after the war is probably more or less accurate- zero is not.

Life / The Blame Game (Have you ever noticed that a Polish person is never wrong!?) [205]

I do agree with some of your observations and others I don't. I have experienced a "never wrong" moment first hand. I was parked in a parking lot, had just gotten out of my car when a woman pulled up beside me and opened her door. The wind had taken the door out of her hand and it smashed into the side of my car. She then proceeds to scream at me because the wind took the door out of her hand- yes this was my fault and I wanted her door to smash into my car.

There was no apologies, no concern, nothing. --it was my fault.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


Yes, sorry for the spelling- I spell it phonetically and always forget about this ó- thorn in my side. I love this festival.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]

and Montreal was the best ;) mais bien sur!!

actually, what gets me about Warsaw is the lack of zoning. In most of the western world cities are defined into residential, industrial....etc etc- but Warsaw and much of Poland doesn't have this. The city is so mixed up.

I like finding hidden gems in Warsaw. I love ul. Pruzna and its strength. I love the streets in old Mokotow that give you a sense of how life used to be. i like the new town and its character and I even like the palace of culture which reminds Warsaw how far it has come.

Warsaw is initially an ugly city- but its history and stubbornness and character make it a great place to live. But I stand by my statement that there is no way any city in Poland is ready to be considered for this list- not yet.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]

I like Poland, I really do. I am not bashing the country or Warsaw, however, it is just naive or stupidity to think that any major city in Poland would make it to this list- yet. Perhaps in about 15 years but not now.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


exactly. there is no way Warsaw could ever be in the running for the worlds best cities to live in. Public transportation is a joke. Time and time again, developers are able to construct osiedle's or blocks but don't have to worry about infrastructure- such as roads or plumbing. At any point during the day- pulawska to piaseczno is a traffic jam. Same with the road through Lomianki. There also used to be a light rail track that ran from konstancin to warsaw- this is no longer- for some reason.

all modern cities should have some sort of direct line from the airport to the city centre- not Warsaw.

you would think that with all the EU funding Poland got they would be able to fix these problems.

Tricity is connected with a great train that is totally efficient. There is a train that runs hourly from Gdynia to Hel. Warsaw is the capitol and it is a bloody mess.

The street that I live on was just repaved and a bike path was created along with new plants and trees and bus shelters. It looks great. However, people here don't grasp the concept of bike path- so they walk on it and the new bus shelters are being used for places to sit and drink beer.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


loads of people live in Piaseczno and Lomianki- Some of the houses here are massive. I used to live outside of Piaseczno- I couldn't take it after 5 years --we got flooded 2 times and the traffic is a nightmare. So we sold and went east.

There is space between both lanes on Pulawska for tram lines, there is also an existing train track that runs through. For some reason the city or conglomerate of Piaseczno is not focused on that- they just keep building houses and there is no infrastructure to support the people there. But this is much of Warsaw- build as fast as you can, sell and then let the owners worry about plumbing and roads.

On the list is Vancouver. This is the most amazing city in Canada. Pacific ocean and mountains- it is a dream.

It has the most expensive housing I have ever known. Would not want to live there.

It is the most amazing city ever. You are also buying a lifestyle- being able to ski, windsurf, bike all in one city is amazing. Mild winters, not too hot summers--the only thing you have to watch is the bears.

Very true , 40 square meters flat in downtown costs 415 000 CAD - thats so friendly and liveable , haha for who , may I ask ,families with children buy a house and share it with another family ( like in any third world country )

How much does a 40 m2 flat in downtown warsaw cost- mind you, you don't have the view of the ocean or the mountains.

People will buy houses that have a rental suite in it. It is not two families sharing one house. It is one house with an apartment in the basement. When you buy a million dollar home- you often need to suppliment the mortgage payment. I wouldn't say living in a 250 m2 house with a rental suite is like living in a third world country. Not like Poland where a family of four lives in a 35 m2 flat with the mother in law and two dog.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


I believe Berlin makes the claim that it is the greenest city in Europe. I can believe it- it has loads of trees and greenery.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]

I think the list is pretty accurate. Melbourne is gorgeous. My best friend has been living there for over 12 years- it really is a great place to live. I can attest to Vancouver- this is where I hope to be in the not too distant future. I have also traveled extensively- Warsaw, in my opinion, does not deserve- YET, to be on the list, or even considered. There are too many simple logistical factors that hold it back. Public transportation being important- and Warsaw's is seriously lacking.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]

I like Warsaw too- it is a great city and it has achieved a lot in a short amount of time, however, there is no way that Warsaw would ever be considered for that list in the distant future.

Travel / Mosques in Krakow? [131]

The tatars were muslim, no?

many people don't know that the guy that blew up the building in Oklahoma city was a radical christian extremist- surely he doesn't represent christianity as a whole so why should muslim extremists that blew up the twin towers represent all muslims.

there is a mosque about a 10 minute drive away from my house in Warsaw. They seem pretty peaceful to me.

Life / Worlds most liveable cities (Krakow or Warsaw don't even hit the radar screens) [104]


you have got to be kidding.

Streets are not clean- people dump their garbage where ever they want and their dogs sh*t everywhere.
ghetto, seriously- have you been to praga?
Poverty--have you been to praga?
sports facilities are laughable- they are getting better but they are still few and far between -there is like one ice rink in all of Warsaw- and the one in Promenada doesn't count.

transportation system is a joke. 1 metro line, seriously- this is not a transportation system.
the trams within the city limits are good when they are not stuck in traffic. the city could extend them to the outskirts like lomianki and piaseczno- but of course this makes too much sense.

staying in a country for your summer holiday is not living in a country.

I wouldn't want to live in Toronto either- but it is not a huge village- it is a massive conglomerate of suburbs. I would only live in Toronto if it were in the core- the outskirts are like any typical north American suburb. It has some amazing neighbourhoods but they are really expensive.

On the list is Vancouver. This is the most amazing city in Canada. Pacific ocean and mountains- it is a dream.

Law / Is running a business in Poland very profitable? [33]

Retail in Poland is an enigma- there doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason to what will fly and what doesn't. TK Maxx does well- it does well everywhere in the world but I think it is so successful here is that Poles LOVE name brands.

I have never been to a Primark, but it looks good to me. I would never buy expensive clothes for my kids and I don't wear name brands- I really like Old Navy.....but unfortunately it isn't here--I would shop at Primark if the quality was good.

I think the few Polish retail chains, like Reserved, will not be effected so much by Primark. They have good sales and they have built up a following- also, in the cities there is enough population to support it. But I agree that a large percentage of the market do want cheap products.

Travel / Where to meet English speaking teenagers in Warsaw? [15]

what about the American school of Warsaw or any of the other English speaking schools- British school, International European school. Maybe you could find a group through them.

Travel / Getting from Krakow to Warsaw [99]

The Warsaw to Krakow intercity train is great and they run often- I think like 3 times a day- maybe more. The fairs I am not sure of- I want to say close to 80 pln but I could be wrong. There is also first class and second class prices- second class has two extra people in the section.

Love / Expecting a baby with Polish partner - "multi-cultural pregnancy/parenting"? [45]


my oldest one didn't but my youngest one did. It depends on the child.

USA, Canada / Gift idea for something uniquely American that is difficult to find in Poland? [67]

honestly, your sports t-shirt, jersey idea is probably the best one yet.

Travel / Gdańsk- where to stay in the centre? [12]

I have actually never stayed in a hotel in Gdansk- my husbands family comes from Sopot- so we always stay there. Sorry I can't be of more help. There are loads of great restaurants and hotels- really you can't go wrong, but as for hotels I really don't know. sorry.

Travel / Gdańsk- where to stay in the centre? [12]

what is your budget? Seriously, if you walk around in the old town there are loads of restaurants and pubs to choose from. There is also a wicked place called Browaria Gdansk which is a short walk from the old town. It has its own micro brewery, restaurant and hotel. The beer and food are good- I think the hotel is pretty pricey but it looks nice.

USA, Canada / Gift idea for something uniquely American that is difficult to find in Poland? [67]

you can get california wine here. I would think a t-shirt with something on it.

Work / What kind of job can I find, can I make descent money in Poland? Coming from Canada. [33]

Go back to Vancouver, get an education, then come back.

Law / Difference between an expat and a immigrant (or permanet resident) in Poland [41]

there is always a twist, isn't there.

If somebody wants to call me an immigrant- they can, I have no problem with it but I don't think it is what I am. I will probably become a citizen but at this moment I am a permanent resident. (I am Canadian, I come from a long line of immigrants)

I didn't immigrate to Poland, I came here for work, specifically my husbands. Now I have a business and we are settled- but I still don't know if we will stay or go.

Life / Have many Poles had enough of one another? [198]


and if everybody in Poland had this stupid idea than the economy here would be in the toilet- just like the u.s.

Life / Have many Poles had enough of one another? [198]

because Poles dont like german products, especially food.

totally not true.

I can tell you that there are companies in Warsaw that are expanding- I know this because they are looking for office space- which also means that they are usually looking for more staff.

As for smaller towns- it is similar all over the world.

And as for you recently leaving Poland, you should know then that you blink and there is a new building being constructed in this country.

Law / Difference between an expat and a immigrant (or permanet resident) in Poland [41]


you really are an *******. whatever. I am not a snob.

Permanent residency is the status I have. I have a little Polish card in my wallet - this is the status I have. I am not a citizen of Poland.

Why don't you know if you're staying?

Because we just don't know. I can't see myself living in Poland for the rest of my life. Our goal is to retire young and spend time in Canada and time in Poland. I think my kids will also go to Uni in Canada- this could also be a factor when we get there.