PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by Luke84  

Joined: 29 Jul 2015 / Male ♂
Last Post: 23 Mar 2016
Threads: Total: 7 / In This Archive: 6
Posts: Total: 114 / In This Archive: 104
From: Chrzanow
Speaks Polish?: yes

Displayed posts: 110 / page 4 of 4
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
Luke84   
3 Aug 2015
Work / New business start-up in Poland - opinions and ideas [32]

Hello Everyone,

I live in Poland for over 5 weeks now, I like it here and I'm in the process of adapting myself to entire culture etc. Long story short - I do work as programmer - remotely so I do take British income, my wife doesn't work, she is looking after baby and start thinking about going to work anytime soon.

Now the question or bit of advise is needed please. I don't know much about business in Poland but I would love to do something, either for me, both of us or her. Do you have any recommendations? Was thinking about buying little flats and renting them out but you will never know with tenants, they can simply stop paying or ruin the place... I had some of bad experience back in UK. I would like that thread to be a list of opinions on what you guys think would be good... I can speak Polish (not as people in TV), I cannot write it tho, my wife is Polish so she can both write and speak!

I would like to know on how English-speaking people find themselves in Poland... Cheers for all replies! Luke
Luke84   
2 Aug 2015
Life / Indian Stores In Warsaw [139]

Hello Everyone, have seen lidl advert in tv, they sell some asian souces in jars: curry, tikka masala, etc! Never tried them but i will give it a go!
Luke84   
30 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Thanks Krakow Expats,

Sounds really interesting, I will certainly look at these once everything here is sorted/covered... Thank you for pointing me onto those right directions.

If you need any help with business from technical site, some ideas, programming etc etc do let me know. If it is non-profit organisation it may need some professional help which I can offer in my spare time for fun :)
Luke84   
30 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Hi tictactoe,

It is easy to setup Skype but how much fuss you will get is unbelievable, here you have mostly mature people with I would say confirmed pedigree, in skype or other chats you will find all of these from grey side of internet, I'm talking on behalf of my experience here:) At least this is old fashioned but proved to be working for 10 (maybe more) years...

Cheers
Luke84   
30 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Hi Ziemowit,

I'm sure you are right, however I love what I do for living and I won't be able to opt-out from it, also this is giving a fair income to help maintaining my family needs, at the moment I'm saving but when education for little one will knock onto my doors, I would have to cough up some money! Also I don't know for how long my wife will be out of work, but probably she would be doing some courses to start with... Again future is very unknown, I'm glad that I can work from home, I have special room dedicated for that so I can work in piece for 8+hours per day...

Hi Marsupial,

With the sport - I used to play tennis and cycle but now I'm approaching 18.5 stones and I'm 5.97" so that is a good sign where I need to start doing some exercises... There is loads of these personal fitness people in here but I never used them, I guess I need to work this out myself :) Not easy to lose some weight as I have asthma and I love "crap" food such as pizza or other similar stuff, also I do drink coca-cola constantly! I'm attached to it!

I want to try golf as well...

Need to change my bad habits first!
Luke84   
30 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Thank you Kamaz and Roger,

I have to admit this forum helps a lot, look on how many connections I have made so far, that was all by writing some miserable stuff :)

What I noticed since yesterday is you can feel nice in Poland if you have your English speaking mates, even if they are sitting in different towns or countries, that really helps. What would be good and what I found missing on this site (or maybe I'm just blind) is chat room and some listings for goods if you want to buy/sell stuff or organize/attend an event. I'm a programmer myself and I can make functionality like that, I may email our Admin and ask him if there is a way I can help in my spare time... Site like that is really needed! He have a full credit for that! Excellent idea.

Going to cycling which I like, what is the best bike to go for? I have an old Specialized bike but it's a rockhopper, apparently very good bike, but only if you are planning to jump over the mountains!!! I want a road bike which is not heavy and not with very slim tyres, I just never tried the bike like that before.

Other thing is food! I can help getting some proper English stuff through my friend who runs butcher's shop, they do supply loads of pubs/restaurants/schools etc, so I'm sure I can help getting some English made stuff but it's good to see you can buy some stuff here as well!

What I'm missing here (again don't know maybe they are places like that) is a proper Indian Takeaway, I had two favourite ones back in UK...

Can you get them here? Also never seen a lamb kebab in Poland...
Luke84   
30 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Hi befranklin,

Big city life is so different, the time spin faster there, here you can almost here your hear beat. When we went for a walk in town centre I have seen people walking by and I thought they must not have any worries, they were walking so slow, even with little dog :) I felt like the time is about to stop!

Anyway that was one of the experiences I had! In UK we have loads of rain in general so I must admit that weather is Poland is very good, there is no middle ground tho, you have all but cold days or all but hot days, nothing on the middle... She is talking to me in Polish so that helps a lot, I can communicate in that language quite well, obviously not like a TV star, may not be enough if I wanted to work here as some Poles (if not all young Poles) mastered the language beautifully! For example you are going to Play store - they sell mobile phones, sim cards etc, people will be talking like they have doctor's degree! My wife is supporting me everyday, I can see that is not very easy task for her but she wants me to feel here like in my own house (in theory that is indeed our house as we paid for it!) but just doesn't feel like it, again I'm here for just over one month! That is right, Poles have very strong character, it's like do what I want you to do or do how I want this to be done by you :) same thing!

Do you have kids? this I think is very important as once you have your family you cannot risk in life anymore, if you do have kids - how old they are? are they in pre-school age? If so - you will be fine! Other thing to ask yourself and check is: do you both have enough savings to keep you going for couple of years, what is your/her profession, where about in Poland you want to settle, is it difficult to find a job in what you do, how your salary will compare to expenses, have you got somewhere to stay? We were very lucky as house I had in UK, I bought for only 170K, and my mortgage was paid off within 7 years, when we sold the house in UK we got over 350K for we had fair amount of money to get us started here, also I was lucky to take 80% of my work to Poland which again helps a lot. My wife doesn't work at the moment as she is looking after little one and house, however she wants to have her own money at some point so maybe by next summer she will be looking for some job.

If you will have any questions about anything, please do drop me a line, I'm happy to share what I can :)
Luke84   
29 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

I didn't know that you cannot buy them here, I'm too new :) already see what I will be missing but I need to concentrate on good sides of my existence perhaps :) yummy - that picture really talk to my belly! So far I had 4x take away kebabs and about dozen of pizza's delivered to my home... Another month to go and I will be on "must have" diet!

On other token my friend runs butcher firm is Surrey and they do sell pasties and other stuff, I can ask him and perhaps I can organize something if you guys are interested? Do let me know, they really have quality stuff...

Thanks again guys
Luke84   
29 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Oh wow, so I need to be really careful with that, Do you know any restaurants, places which you can recommend? I don't really want to live like a king, I want some quality life for my little one (she is almost 1 year old now), I know we have time but I'm now thinking about some private education for her, again I don't need much from life, is OK on what I achieved so far, I'm glad I can work remotely and I have some savings, I'm happy with my life overall. My wife is really trying hard to make my life easier here, but I think the problem and fear is within me, somewhere inside, I don't have especially big problems with language, de facto - my polish is OK, I can go to shop, buy whatever I want, I can go to post office, restaurant, I can start the conversation with random people but I just feel very isolated. I don't know if that is this culture shock! I had some polish friends back in UK, and all of them were saying - if you have job and money, don't have mortgage and you do have your own place to live you are sorted. I don't feel sorted, I feel isolated like a stranger. I do like fresh air, I do like these all quiet nights you can just walk in your garden, I love food here, fresh fruits, etc etc Only social part of my life is sacrificing, I never though that element will have such a big impact on my entire life :) I like that forum, I registered only today, and I can see there is so many friendly people who I can talk about some crap I would never mention when I was living in UK :)

Thanks to everyone on that forum for that.
Luke84   
29 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Thanks Kamaz, how do you watch BBC? Do you have some VPN as I'm unable to connect to UK tv, I really like your reply - you are so optimistic, 5 years is a long time and you made it, so what is your hobby? you drive 4x4 off-road? I have 4x4 (bought for wife and little one) but I'm scared to take it for that purpose :) it's one of those soft 4x4's even if it's seems huge and unbreakable. What other hobbies do you have? Have you got any kids?

Thanks Dougpol1, I need to look at my options, I do like cycling as well... Krakow is very expensive tho, have been in small restaurant, had nothing on the plate and bill come close to £30 (that doesn't include any alcohol)
Luke84   
29 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Hi Jon,

Czech Republic sounds nice but as a holiday, we already bought a house in Poland, my wife moved into that house 9 months ago and I followed here. Today postman brought a letter from UK with my pension scheme to sign, funny enough envelope was empty :( so another fantastic experience... I already told wife on why we don't compromise (she didn't like UK to start with) and not buy a place in US (maybe OHIO)instead where the weather is good and people are nice and friendly. Here you have this feeling that everyone is talking about you, when you ask help in shop they feel like they don't need to help you, I don't know - I hope it's only my experience and no one else feels that way. With hobbies I'm trying to find one :) I work a lot, I'm a programmer so this is my hobby in a way. I bought PS4 console but with little one around I was able to switch that on twice :), in UK I had many friends so was attending some events quite often... Here I don't know anyone and have this feeling that people don't like me, never felt this way in UK, even my in laws are not my fans :) I found a place close to Krakow - there is little golf club (maybe not little:) - quite huge) and I'm thinking to join the club, but I never played golf in my life, perhaps I need to try it first... I'm only 31 and feeling like my life is already gone...

delphiandomine

You are probably right, what you can suggest to someone like me? Do you live in Poland as well? How are you finding it? I can speak polish, maybe not as people in TV :)
Luke84   
29 Jul 2015
Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Hello Everyone,

Few words about me, I have just moved to Poland (currently here since 27th of June), I have nice house, polish wife, little daughter but I don't have any friends, and already missing UK where I grow up! I can speak polish - I would say well, but I start feeling that I'm very lonely and don't want to socialize much, anyone feeling same? Anyone here?