Language / "Zaraz wracam" - Why not "zaraz wrócę" ? [32]


Yes, I am fine thank you, and you?

Therefore, zaraz wroce is correct meaning I will be back in a minute.

Language / "Zaraz wracam" - Why not "zaraz wrócę" ? [32]

It is rather the same thing as prosze kawe and porosze kawe where even poprosze kawe can in fact be used now in the present tense although technically speaking it is a one off future action. When I am in the kitchen making a cup of coffee and my wife says to me 'ja poprosze kawe'. Here Zaraz wroce would be technically correct as you will be coming, in the future, in this dirrection, as a one off act.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


The collapse of Communism as seen in Berlin with the collapse of the Berlin Wall was really the main feature of the last days of communism in Eastern Europe not so much Warsaw and the Poles.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


Why did you not tell me, we obviously went to school together!

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]

The Poles are not paying back their debts or they would not be able to squander so much money. Obviously, international banks have written off the debts.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


It is different, Poland is poorer than most countries because the poles do not understand fiscal thinking and do not respect money. They never have and they never will. End of story.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


I would like to meet the Poland that can survive without foreign loans.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


Oh really, as far as I was aware, Poland is one of the most bancrupt countries in the World. What is the state of Poland's debts today? As far as I was aware, they still owe us billions in unpaid loans.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


With respect, the meat and oranges story was not my story at all but I do remember buying meat in Poland with ration cards, they did indeed exist, I even used one a long time ago in Gdansk around about 1984.

Time goes by so quickly and it is not worth while me visiting all of Poland all of the time to keep up with the latest trends but very little changes quickly in Poland.

News / What's the stupidest question asked about Poland? [414]


What is wrong with that? The Poles lack everything. When I was in Gdansk a little while ago, I agreed to go to the butcher shop and buy some meet. They cut me off a little white food ration slip with which I could buy the meet!

Language / Usage of Polish Instrumental Case? [22]

Yes, as an example, ja jestem anglikiem-I am an Englishman, is in the instrumental case.

Travel / Vacation in Great Polish Masurian Lakes area (Mazury) [37]

June might be a nice month as it would already be summer but the children are still going to school.

UK, Ireland / Poles leave Britain to return to Poland [89]


It is an English expression for the Germans and comes from World War 2. The Germans produced a really good fuel container which the British had not seen before the desert campaign and the British started to copy it and so it was called a 'Gerry can'.

Study / Gdansk / Tricity; university - information [30]

In actual fact there are lots and lots of universities in Gdansk as well as many medical schools. I did visit once or twice the University of Gdansk Language department that is or at least used to be at Oliwa in those days. It seemed a nice place and some of the students dropped out of their studies. Apparently, as it was the university of Gdansk the certificate was not recognized overseas and had therefore limited value. Mind you, I am talking about the days during communism in the mid 1980's. In those days there were considerable numbers of Poles learning Russian in order to become language teachers in Polish state schools. I do not know of classes held in the English Language but I would have thought that you would be better off searching for English spoken classes in England. Why Poland?

Language / "Na" and "W" , when to use? [15]


Me? When did I write that?


In fact in true Slavic linguistic language 'do' meant as far as something and 'ku' taken from the Russian word 'k' indicated direction towards something. This use of 'do' all the time seems to me to be very lazy and I hate it.

Language / "Na" and "W" , when to use? [15]

It is also ja ide na poczte-to the post office, and ja ide na dworzec centralny-I am going to the main line station. Some nouns take 'na' and others take 'do' but after twenty two years I am not too sure of all the rules.

Australia / Just got home to Australia, but I miss Poland! [47]

Shows how little you know then. Wait until they reach forty five and take a closer look!

Australia / Just got home to Australia, but I miss Poland! [47]

When I was in Sydney last year, there were plenty of lovely ladies on Bondi Beach.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

How many hours of work does this all involve?

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

I do not know what the polish zloty is worth but 3000zl per month is still near on nothing. Just think that a Pole in England is entitled to a free council house and put the whole thing in to perspective!

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

I have been talking to a Polish man from Wroclaw today as he has been employed on a temporary bases at my place of work. Besides from telling me that there may even be really two million Polish who have gone overseas recently to find work we turned to the subject of employment in Poland. He told me that teachers of English in Poland earn £300 per month and even he said for such a poor sum of money he would not consider it for himself. How can someone work for a month and earn less even that Job Seekers Allowance is in the U.K.? You are never going to buy a house or a flat or bring up a young family on that sort of mony, are you?

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


That is not a compulsory requirement.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


Yes, I looked it up in my dictionary and worked it out.


I think it is all a bit degrading myself earning money spreading the power of American imperialism around the world, not that I am left wing though it might sound it!. I like individualism and difference and no longer want to go to hundreds of McDonalds around the World.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

What does that mean then?

I am pleased that I have made the situation clear. I think the course cost around £520 in 1999 but I imagine that it would cost more like a £1000 today, which I would not pay for such a piece of paper. It was good fun at times and I met some interesting people but none as far as I know ever went on to do anything with it as a job.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


No, I am no expert and that is for sure!


I was refering to Czech and Hungarians attitudes in the classroom. I was a student in Guildford in the academic year 1999/2000 as an evening student and some of us did a TESOL Trinity course for fun. There were very few Polish then as they could not work legally but au-pairs from the Czech republic and Hungary could work in England for two years on their visas. We gave free lessons to our guinea pigs as we had to do controlled lessons, the equivalent of six hours for the final certificate. For the students who volunteered, it was simply a free lesson and an opportunity to sit and talk in Czech with your fellow countrymen for an hour! It was all for free and it was obviously not the same thing as working overseas, which I would never ever do.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


So why do it, may I ask?

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]


I have never been a teacher of English either in England, Poland or anywhere overseas for that matter. I have never quoted pay rates in Poland as I have no idea of current levels today in 2007 but I do know that 2000 zl per month is the usual maximum wage for most jobs in Poland plus anything on the side for private tuition if you are a language teacher. No, do not listen to me as I have no interest whatsoever in working in Poland as a teacher, politician, policeman, nurse or anything else fore that matter.

Work / Advice on Teaching English in Poland [709]

It must be an interesting life style whilst you are young with the thrill of adventure. Overseas teaching experience and meeting new people and being paid at the same time. Can't be bad! I suppose the only down side is you do not pay in to a pension scheme and you have little security of tenure unlike other state jobs.

Language / Polish/Ukrainian words similarities [209]

I only know Kharkov and the lovely countryside en route. I remember the following morning looking out through the windows of the train and it was wonderful countryside. I was only in Kharkov and it was for a month so I am not able to comment on any other place. It is quite expensive to visit Russia from England but in those days everything for us was free as we were students. I suppose that we were really lucky as the one month programme in Kharkov was followed in a later year by a five month stint in Moscow as I was also at the famous (or at least it was then) Pushkin Institute in Moscow in 1984.

Love / Polish girls attitudes towards sex. [568]

I have never noticed that Polish girls are more 'free' than other races though I do remember in Moscow many years ago when I was a student we had a girl from London who's parents were Polish and she had traveled to Poland before coming to study in Moscow. She obviously had relatives in Poland and had traveled quite extensively throughout the country before starting her undergraduate studies at the London University. She hated her experience in Poland and said that all Polish women were sluts. "Believe me, they are all very 'free'. Just make sure that you are not used, that is all they do. They just use you." Words of advice indeed!