Life / Where are the second-hand stores in Krakow? [14]

There is a Susan Ryder shop in Warsaw though.

Law / An Unpaid Fine For J Walking Issued By Police In 2007. Still on my record? [15]

I had to pay 100 PLN. As far as I know there is a difference - moneywise - between J-walking an ignoring the red light (which I did).

Actually I got a letter from my bank that the tax people requested to block my bank accounts untill I paid up. That was almost a year later.

Somewhere I read (maybe other long-term residents can confirm this - Delph or Harry?) that you have a 3/10 chance you not paying your fine will be ignored.

It did not work with me.

Law / An Unpaid Fine For J Walking Issued By Police In 2007. Still on my record? [15]

I got fined two years ago 100 PLN for ignoring a red light on a pedestrian crossing (I was walking, not driving). I tried to ignore it, but last year the Urząd Skarbowy caught up with me and I had to pay, niestety :)

Travel / Restaurant reviews in Poland. [86]

Actually I think the expat places in Warsaw are not that good. Very pretentious and prices inflated.

Life / What is with Polish and their indoor plants? [26]

I do not see the problem here :(. Having plants at home is not exactly a Polish specialty. Without it a house would look bare I think....

Work / Got a job offer (involving Hungarian and Romanian languages) in Krakow. Potential salary? [28]

As for Luxembourg, I agree with you for the French/German/English part. Question is how many of them (by the way a very agreeable and friendly country) live in Poland? Dutchmen speaking French? I still have to meet them.

The thing is, are they in Poland? I know quite a few HR people here in Warsaw and they tell me that the combination Polish/Dutch/French/German/English is very rare here.

I agree with you though that getting a well paid job only on being multilingual is impossible. But combined with let us say logistics that is a different picture.

Work / Got a job offer (involving Hungarian and Romanian languages) in Krakow. Potential salary? [28]

Languages actually do make a difference. Especially the "rare" combinations. Try to find someone who speaks Dutch-English-French-German.
I wish you luck :)

Food / Best Farmer's Market in Warsaw area? [14]

Bronisze is on the road to Poznań. On the right side, not far after the city border. (At a major road crossing, left to Piastów, right to Babice) You cannot miss it, it has a huge revolving neon sign.

You will have to pay to get on the parking though. By bus is also an option, but it is strefa 2.

Food / Best Farmer's Market in Warsaw area? [14]


Correct name is "Bronisze". And yes it is an experience :)
Interesting thing is you can buy there as a private person as well - but in wholesale quantities :)
But for prices much lower as in the retail.

Work / Got a job offer (involving Hungarian and Romanian languages) in Krakow. Potential salary? [28]


Yes they actually did. It was hanging on the message board near the entrance.

History / Fascinating account by von Moltke-Prussian chief of Staff: Poland: A historical Sketch. [30]

Tribute should be paid I think to Helmut James Graf von Moltke - a genuine hero in the German anti-Hitler resistance.
I visited his family residence in 90's a few times. Kreisau / Krzyżowa (the Von Moltke family residence) is now dedicated to Polish/German reconciliation and a passing memorial to a great man. A moving place.

Work / Got a job offer (involving Hungarian and Romanian languages) in Krakow. Potential salary? [28]

Saw today in my local Biedronka (not a company famous for high salaries :) ) that they hire people for 2150 PLN a month. Agreeably that is for backbreaking thankless work - but that means that the OP is offered a ridiculous wage. I do not think the cost of living in Kraków is much lower as in Warsaw.

And these posting hare hanging there very regularly, meaning they 1. Cannot find people for that salary or 2. People quit very fast. I guess it is a combination of the two.

Study / Is the University of Warsaw good? [26]

Classic example :)))

History / Polish aristocrats - would be better off if we had Polish magnate families? [69]

That goes for all of them behind the Iron Curtain. And for example Austria banned all aristocratic titles in 1918.

Law / Possible to convert to Turkish driver's license to Polish driver's license? [17]

As far as I know an IDP is valid for a year and later you will have to get a Polish one. A Turkish one is interchangeable for a Polish (=EU) driving permit.

Still my question...why the OP wants to change his DP for a Polish one?

Law / Possible to convert to Turkish driver's license to Polish driver's license? [17]

Since you are not EU... 1. driving school, 2. driving exam. 3. License.
Why are you in need for a Polish license by the way?

History / Chance of Lwów once again became coming part of Poland [344]

Same question: Chance of Breslau becoming again part of Germany. So ?
Or Allenstein, Gruenberg, Hirschberg...Take your pick.

Law / Being taxed as an EU citizen (when working in Poland)? [7]

I thought it depends on your place of residence. Delph correct me if I am wrong.
EU legislation says you pay taxes and social insurance in the country where you officially reside.
I reside officially and in reality :) in Poland but have a split contract (Belgian / Polish). For the Belgian part I get paid everything (including the employer's part) and I have to transfer that part and to ZUS and to US. Complicated affair because every month the amount differs.

News / Car theft in Warsaw (the most popular cars among car thieves in Poland) [54]


Source is "Życie Warszawy" from yesterday which has its information from the Warsaw police.

Travel / Avoid being ripped off by some exchange outlets in Krakow and elsewhere [44]

I do not agree. Tourists can just ignore the kantors, take money from any ATM and have a good time.

News / Wal-Mart coming to Poland? [146]

I am living seven years in Poland, and coming here since 1989 - so I have a an idea :)
Yankee food... hmmm McDonalds or Starbucks? TGI and Pizzahut?
Wall Mart is a disgusting symbol of what we do not want.


Poland is very much "Mitteleuropa". It was never part of the wild East. Someone once quoted "Europe ends at the Bug". I think that is true (but we could omit a certain spacious commie-time residence in Żolibórz)

In Vienna 1683 and Chocim 1673 Poland proved it is a part of Europe.
Wal-Mart seems to me to be the ideal chain for Russia, Ukraine and other wild parts of the world.
Maybe we could ask - quoting Jeremy Clarkson in some way - the Polish air force for a strike on all these dreadful redneck chains here in Poland? Just an idea :)

Travel / Avoid being ripped off by some exchange outlets in Krakow and elsewhere [44]

To be honest I find this whole thread a bit surreal. I mean, how many ATM's are there in Kraków or for that matter at Floriańska?

Put your debet card in, get your money...sit down with a beer and enjoy the scenery.
Wasting your time comparing kantor rates is so mean. It reminds of these guidebooks (do not know if they still are published) "Europe at 30 USD per day" or something like that.

If you have to spend half your holidays penny-pinching...what is the use of going on a holiday whatsoever? For sure you could save a few złoty somewhere in a kantor somehow, but what is the point?

Admire the Rynek, walk through Planty, admire the Flemish tapestries at Wawel..., get healthy in the salt mines...so many things to do.
Kantor hunting????

News / Wal-Mart coming to Poland? [146]


Germany is a decent, civilized European country. Walmart did not work there because the redneck retail methods do not work over there.
The plastic "have a nice day" is perceived in Western Europe as indeed plastic.
But I am afraid the Poles, with their weird fascination for everything Yankish will shop there. I hope not.

UK, Ireland / Brits or Poles more eager to try new foods? [17]

Being Flemish I have an outsider's view, but I doubt if anybody in Europe besides a part of the Poles can stomach "karp".

In the seven years I live in Warsaw I could not. And I am grateful my mother-in-law serves salmon on Christmas Eve :)
Also "galaretka z octem" :((((

News / Car theft in Warsaw (the most popular cars among car thieves in Poland) [54]

I would have thought Toyota to make it first on the list, seeing half of Warsaw driving in a Yaris...
I guess few years ago Fiat probably was first.

News / Visegrad Battle Group under the command of Poland [261]

Nobody in Poland gives a fig about Serbia.

News / Did George Soros want to destroy Poland with his economic shock therapy? [87]

Next thing you will be quoting the protocols.

News / How NOT to do European Politics, part 94: Ziobro slams PO domestic policy in EU parliament [11]

If you want to keep Radio Marija as an electorate, way to go. I think rydzyk was making a fool of himself lately in the EP - on the invitation of PIS (and in the process conforming everybody else's view that Poland is a bigoted country).

By the way it seems that the archbishop of Gdańsk saw a nice business deal scuttled because local PO torpedoed the enlargement of his "garden" for peanuts? The breathtaking arrogance of the church here in Poland never stops.

History / Is Jozef Pilsudski the king of modern Poles? [138]


Dmowski was an antisemite who thought Poland belonged to the "birthers". Piłsudski was - for all his shortcomings - a cosmopolitan and the true Father of modern Poland.