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Posts by magpie  

Joined: 10 Mar 2009 / Male ♂
Last Post: 21 Dec 2011
Threads: Total: 6 / In This Archive: 5
Posts: Total: 133 / In This Archive: 107
From: The UK & Opolskie
Speaks Polish?: Not very well

Displayed posts: 112 / page 4 of 4
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magpie   
16 Oct 2011
Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

...from more humble working class back grounds but now have money- are the ones that have quite garish taste. (not always but frequently)

That could be true for any nationality, but for here and now it's mega true, but not only here. I know a guy in London who works with bronze, restoring statues, memorials etc. Lots of work with English Heritage etc. A good earner for him are the nouveau rich Russians whom he will make stuff like a pedestal for a bit of art work at £20,000 each. That's the cost of the pedestal, not the art work. But he reckons it could be MDF painted to look like metal. One Russian client of his has an indoor swimming, the surface is completely finished in real gold, which as a true craftsman, he refers to as "Tacky as f'ck".

The interesting thing for me is that I told Mrs Magpie about something I heard about the wedding of Posh and Becks and how they had enormous tacky his'n'her gold painted thrones at their wedding reception: The lower the education, the greater the celebration. The word 'education' can be interpreted as life experience or various other words I guess.

I showed her kitchens like these and in general, she could see what I meant.

For example, like it or not, these are upmarket kitchens:

Whereas these simply cost a lot of money:

"Dodatkowo oryginalny design foteli do siedzenia doskonale koresponduje z kuchennym designer całości."

"Różowe dodatki podkreślone różowymi elementem ściany nadają życia całości , ocieplają atmosferę tego pomieszczenia. Dzięki temu kuchnia nie sprawia wrażenia całkowicie patetycznej i surowej."
magpie   
16 Oct 2011
Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

have you seen some of the houses in Poland?

I know what you mean. I've also noticed that even in quite modest homes that you can never have too many colours in the same room either.

When I say to her friends that some houses (and shop fronts/billboards/reklama/choices of paint colours in the one room/permed hair etc) are completely over the top, I can see that some people think I must have no sense of taste or be from an underprivileged background.
magpie   
16 Oct 2011
Law / Marketing graduate from Pakistan - any way to study and live in Poland? [11]

Fast Ali, If you want to come here and study, start by looking at study in poland although your work options will be a) illegally or b) using your marketing skills on freelancer.com or similar.

BTW, the marketing industry doesn't need many people here, as it's all been done. Anything that doesn't move (very fast) has already been covered in banners: Highrise buildings, shops, fences, the infirm etc.
magpie   
16 Oct 2011
Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

Designed by Robert Konieczny. Located in Warszawa.

To me, that house is amazingly visionary and absolutely revolting at the same time. The first time I saw it I thought it was some mental Texan oil billionaire (or multi-millionaire if you are able to count) stockbroker type.

It's sort of Miami Vice meets Alabama-redneck-apocalypse-obsessed-paranoiac. I can hear banjos AND piano accordions.
magpie   
16 Oct 2011
Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

I was at my SIL's block in Lodz yesterday and had a nap in their salon-bedroom, pressumably while they sat in their closet-kitchen. When I woke up I could hear the next door neighbours arguing. It was like a friggin Ken Loach film and I couldn't get out of their fast enough. Christ it was depressing. Modern Flats are different and I quite like them, but I still prefer a detached house, or semi.

In fact, my idea is to build twins and sell the other 1/2. Something like this:

archonplus.com/house-plans/m473427302e1f3/1076/house-in-the-irises-3-t.html

I wonder how the 2,250 zł for the plans compares to paying the local Janusz-archi-draughtsman? I'd best ask one of the Mrs' cousins. One of them is actually an enormous moustache with a man attached to it, so he's probably the best one to ask.
magpie   
15 Oct 2011
Real Estate / Who designs houses in Poland? [66]

Larger developments aside, do the smaller builders design their own buildings? Or do draughtsmen do it for them? I see some wonderful houses, then there is a style and proportional nightmare like the one below, which is actually 153m3 newbuild spec home... with possibly the smallest front door in the world.

I am interested as the MIL has applied for rezoning of a bit of land and if it's successful, we will plan our house, but I don't want the to hear "My mate Janusz will do it for you" and it turns out like this.

Oh, and my step-daughter was talking about studying architecture. This might show her that not everyone considers the need for an architect.
magpie   
15 Oct 2011
UK, Ireland / Disgusting, fat and lying Polish women and Illegal immigration in UK [73]

Which reminded me of the experiment in the US a few years ago where the calorific intake of a rats remained the same as what they had always had, but they processed the food so that it was easier to digest, A la 'Ready meals' and this is what happened.

So there is a serious connection between the foam textured food and your likelihood of having your photo in the DM. But I mean, 24 for a £1!
magpie   
15 Oct 2011
UK, Ireland / Disgusting, fat and lying Polish women and Illegal immigration in UK [73]

but why would an Australian want to enter EU

As one, I think it is to do with remoteness, wanting explore the world and often to learn about one's heritage, especially given that (much like Canadians) about 40% of people have at least one foreign born parent there, it's hardly a surprise that people might want to explore their origins. Most Australians/NZers/SA etc come to Europe or Canada which has the same reciprocal working visa, then go home. Some, like me, meet someone (a Brit in the case of my ex) and have kids so stay.

I asked my SILTB (who has never claimed benefits) and from what he says, the benefits provided in Poland are definitely not a draw card compared to the UK. Not that £64 per week is going to buy much in the way of luxuries there, either. I think her post about benefits was a nonsense created purely to shitstir and it worked.
magpie   
15 Oct 2011
UK, Ireland / Disgusting, fat and lying Polish women and Illegal immigration in UK [73]

Mind you when they get permit for Greece they get also for the UK since it is EU country.

In the long run, but not immediately. They need to get local citizenship before they can move about. I know that as an Australian who married a Brit and tried to do a contract in Germany.

If a woman is so inclined and crafty enough she could make millions of dollars this way.

Or about 137000€ based on 25 EU countries (not Bulgaria or Romania) @ 5500€ each time in each place. The other drawback for them is needing to stay married for two or three years before getting divorced, or the foreign born spouse must leave.
magpie   
15 Oct 2011
Law / How to register a new business in Poland [129]

Merged: Is this what is about right when registering a business in Poland?

I've just registered as a sole trader after my Polish son-in-law-to-be and I spent a day traipsing around the town and found the process boring, but not too painful. I can see now that the 'One Window' system must be so much more simpler that a year or so ago.

First we went to see the very helpful Jednoosobowa Dzialalnosc Gospodarcza lady, who was not only friendly, but wasn't phased at all by my foreignness. I found this quite a relief, given that we are in a town in Opolskie, not a major city. She gave me a 'Ewidencij' document, explained what we need to do next (ZUS) and that I would receive more paperwork in the mail.

Score 9.5/10

Then we went to the Urzad skarbowy and that wasn't fun. Massive room with very little in it. Three women who appeared to have as much disdain for each other as their clients and a form that one of them partially ticked for us, but some of her choices seem contradictory. No problem as it will be sorted out with the accountant next week. In and out in under ten minutes which wasn't bad.

Score 6/10 (mainly because they were so dour)

ZUS. That was surreal. We popped in to see if we could get any information booklets - which you can - admittedly it was at 14:45 which I can't help but feel to be a normal part of the working day and the place was deserted apart from one guy. He was helpful... after the obligatory 'phhhhh' noise that all public servants make when asked a question, but ended up giving us the phone number of a nameless colleague who knows all about foreigners, on a post-it note.

Score 8/10 9helped by the comedic value of the guy we spoke to)

Overall it wasn't as difficult as I had been lead to believe, but I'll feel better once I have my REGON and the ZUS stuff is out the way.

How does this compare to other's experiences recently?

Got my NIP today, that = three business days!!!! I was told it would take weeks
magpie   
15 Oct 2011
UK, Ireland / Disgusting, fat and lying Polish women and Illegal immigration in UK [73]

It's wrong, but shock horror Brits have been caught doing it too, even some fat ones I believe. Daily Mail readers are all angry and afraid of something so this sort of dribble is like taunting Peter Stingfellow's with a bottle of royal honey gel, it really gets them going. And, as usual immigrants are an easy target for the DM as they are different, and according to the DM cause property prices to be lowered, unemployment and baldness quite possibly. And it's crap.

I've retired English friend's who live in France and are typical DM readers: Even though they speak F.A. French and only mix with other Brits, they see no link whatsoever themselves and the Poles in the UK of whom they continually complain about, which I find totally bizarre.
magpie   
14 Oct 2011
Life / Are Polish people so chaotic and disorganized like Germans say? [89]

Apparently the bureaucrats are really helpful.It says so here:

opole.uw.gov.pl/1angielski/index.php

In the spirit of service for the country and drawing upon the finest traditions of reliable and friendly administration, we are a modern public institution which caters for the needs of residents of the Opolskie Province.

Apparently.
magpie   
14 Oct 2011
Work / Can I become a teacher in Poland? Can I go to college there? [7]

The US Dept of Education certifies grants and loans to go to 400-500 universities outside of the US

Has anybody seen this list, or anything similar? I'm interested to see what universities are on it/not on it.