Food / Jacket potatoes - do Polish people like them? [22]

Thanks for the tips and contributions on this thread, everyone.

I am going to do some jacket potatoes with cottage cheese tonight, may not sound that exciting but considering that cottage cheese can make you very ill if it not fresh and clean, it's more daring than you might think! The other one I'd recommend is a jacket potato with melted mature cheddar cheese and of course butter. Biedronka are currently doing 200g of cheddar (10 or 14 months) for 7zl (selected stores) which would be just the ticket. Otherwise, go for Cathedral City at some of the large Tescos.

Work / Teaching English in Wrocław - TEFL, fair pay? [40]

Don't offer what you aren't sure you'll deliver. Better still, don't post boasts on the thread about offering me Skype students when you never even took 30 seconds to email the example of how a typical portfolio should be presented - something you offered. It's not as if you were going to rewrite my CV, you were just going to send me a bit of text demonstrating a technique. That doesn't take 4 weeks, it doesn't even take 4 minutes. And here's a tip: when you deal with someone who you do have some respect or regard for (obviously that ain't me, just some bod on a board as far as you're concerned), how about a bit of courtesy if you can't respond to their email? Something like "Thanks I got your email, I'll get on with sending that example on just as soon as I can - might be a few weeks though, bear with me!" [Send] Took all of 20 seconds that did.

You had no intention of sending anything - as 4 or 6 weeks proves. You're right you don't owe me anything, but we all try to treat each other with a bit of common courtesy so we don't promise what we can't do and (as in my case) we don't say we can teach when we can't.

Good luck with your career, life and family in Poland, but that's all from me as I've no more to say on it here or anywhere - yes I do still have the common courtesy to let you know that if you post a reply I won't be answering it.

Food / Jacket potatoes - do Polish people like them? [22]


I've just had a look at the photos there at that web page - they've made quite hungry - and all I've got here is a Pot Noodle because I was too tired to go shopping earlier :o)

Food / Jacket potatoes - do Polish people like them? [22]


I'll be sure to look them up when I'm there, thanks.


Elegant ones eh?! In the UK it's a basic thing like (baked) beans on toast. I wonder why it never caught on (became popular) in Poland? Much of Poland is so cold in the winter, but perhaps Polish tastebuds have better ideas.

Food / Are frozen chips a cancer risk? The UK's NHS responds. [21]

Leave the skin on like wedges? We have those in the UK, they're not bad. Olive oil is good :o)

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Why would anyone want to join the euro? Instant inflation?

Food / Are frozen chips a cancer risk? The UK's NHS responds. [21]


I'd advise eating cruciferous veg for some of that, steamed, not overdone. Broccoli, brussels, kale, cabbage. Some research says tomato enhances its benefits.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Does that not increase exports? Not that I approve of IR cuts and the inflationary risks that go with it.

Don't misunderstand me - I don't know much about the Polish economy and am the first to admit it. But, I think they manufacture and then export here. Any increase in manufacturing boosts jobs, doesn't it? Of course, imports rise in price when a currency weakens.

None of that has worried the UK - whose exports remain unimpressive despite currency devaluation and printing money, and IRs at 0.50% with talk of rates dropping to 0.25% in Q4. And don't get me started on their gilts.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Thanks for posting.

I'm seeing a fair few morefor sale banners now on flats and houses. Also lots of shops to rent.
In the better areas of Wroclaw, still no noticeable increase in what's for sale, not as far as a quick look round would reveal anyway.

I was in Biskupin a month or so ago, lots of flats to rent on the many noticeboards there at the tram loop, plastered in them it was.

Is the NBP about to loosen its policy in reaction to all this? Is it wise for people to load up on debt now to buy property? Are there the definite jobs in the pipeline to pay off the mortgages?

Food / Are frozen chips a cancer risk? The UK's NHS responds. [21]


Sorry to hear that.

Is the water in Wroclaw so dodgy that so many people opt for bottled? I have never seen so much bottled water being bought in my life as I see here.

I thought that the water plant in Wroc had some new filters and the water was good. Okay, not as good as say Częstochowa but good.

Work / Teaching English in Wrocław - TEFL, fair pay? [40]


I could say they were no more likely to materialise than your offer via personal message, which I instantly accepted, of help with my CV to produce what you called "a portfolio" to show schools. What is it now, about 6 weeks later, and strangely my inbox remains as empty of that as anything else you might promise.

I'd imagine your apartment to be quite warm in the winter months. Hot air has that effect.

Work / Teaching English in Wrocław - TEFL, fair pay? [40]

Perhaps also place your ad here

Work / Teaching English in Wrocław - TEFL, fair pay? [40]

I smell a rat.

Language / Polish word "no". Is it a slang word? [22]

Innit dates back to the 70s or 80s. Over the last 10 or 15 years, it has become more commonly used, particularly in London.

imdb.com/title/tt0648655/

Work / Finding work in Warsaw / Poland as an English private tutor [63]


His is right for him as he has what he wants - the income.

Mine is right for me - no pretence, and not taking money from student customers while aware my own knowledge is less than it should be.

What is right for the students depends to a great extent on what they expect of a teacher and how well they assess a person's skills while being taught by that person. If the students realise the score and are happy with the trade off, I guess it's fair enough if they're paying peanuts for the native's time.


Ooh, cheeky!

Language / Polish word "no". Is it a slang word? [22]

For anyone browsing this thread new to Polish, it sounds to my ears at least a lot like the French for no, non.

Work / Finding work in Warsaw / Poland as an English private tutor [63]

I think you got a fair cross-section of advice from a lot of people. But, perhaps I'll be the second person to help you out and help the students you say you are teaching somewhere in Poland: check your spelling, because on the thread below and in just one short paragraph, quite a few spelling errors were obvious. If you're tempted to do printed handout sheets, run them through a checker first.


Before you point out the errors in my grammar and my spelling, it doesn't matter half as much because remember I'm not a teacher. Yes I was thinking of becoming one but realised I can't do it adequately as my knowledge of grammar et al is insufficient.

Work / This student Polak has a job, at last. [9]


Not terribly easy to get work as an extra in the UK anyway - though it is easy to lose your money by paying a "registration fee" or "fee to be in the book for casting agents to see"

I recall going to a well-known extras agency and even they tried that. "You'll get more regular work if you pay and go in the book" they said.

I replied "I'm quite patient, when I have earned some money from extras work via the non book method, I'll then use that money to go in the book. I don't want to fork out £80 now, I'd rather use the £80 I earn and reinvest that to go in your book."

I don't recall ever hearing from them after that. Was about 15 years ago that I had the interview.

They do on occasion find work for people but they find a lot of money for themselves by taking £100 off each applicant that sends their photos in. How many of those applicants even earn the £100 back in a year I never found out.

There is a genuine extras agency that doesn't take any fee unless you earn, and their book is only open for a short time each year - usually around about now. Personally I'd jump at the chance of £100 for a "boring day" doing that, but that's just me, I always did find film and TV production fascinating and wanted to be part of it. It's not everyone's idea of a living, I know.

Work / This student Polak has a job, at last. [9]


In Poland, the pay for extras is about 40 to 50 zl for a morning's work as an extra (background artist), maybe 100 zl for the day.

Law / The cost of vehicle tax in Poland ? [5]

Driving a 2 litre automatic Nissan (clean driving licence, held for 25+ years) the cheapest quote was Liberty Direct at 1100zl or about £200. About a third less than I pay in the UK where I have the max NCD.

Classifieds / English speaking AA meetings in Wroclaw? [23]

Useful to know, I didn't know there was one. I should think being in a new city and country away from home, alcohol can become an escape and then can become a problem. It's impressive to discover that there's a support group in Wrocław for it.

Map for anyone who needs it
maps.google.com/maps?oe=UTF-8&q=pl+%C5%9Awi%C4%99tego+Macieja+5,+Wroc%C5%82aw&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x470fe9dd021b0cd1:0x58633080573fba27,Plac+%C5%9Bwi%C4%99tego+Macieja+5,+Wroc%C5%82aw,+Poland&ei=fdxdUMibIoyDhQfK6IHoBg&ved=0CCAQ8gEwAA

(if you have a paper map, it may be indexed as plac sw.Macieja)

My old map suggests the 144 bus goes there, and trams 7, 21, 31, 40. Nearby are buses C (Express, not standard ticket) and the 128.

Not to be confused with: starter24.pl/index.html :o)

Life / Where can I buy cardboard boxes in Warsaw? I will be moving stuff from UK. [13]

I don't think Ochrona will take kindly to me rummaging in their bins but I'll give it a shot :o)

Life / Where can I buy cardboard boxes in Warsaw? I will be moving stuff from UK. [13]

Anyone know if Ikea in Poland still do the boxes? Or if there is a place where one can find some free, I need one or two tea-chest sort of size or a bit bigger (Wroclaw, not Warsaw).

Work / Teaching English in Wrocław - TEFL, fair pay? [40]

I see some posts are missing.

Did some altercation develop? I know some of you weren't happy to hear the probable (at the moment) truth - that £1000 on CELTA could be money right down the drain and you should do a little case study here in Wroclaw to see if those who do the course earn 1/10th of their money back a year after commencing work as tutors. Add to that the need to pay ZUS every month whether you earn or you don't (£50 approx) and it needs thought before splashing out that sort of cash.

There are a few people on this forum, I think 'Harry' must be one of them, who seem to be very knowledgeable and experienced English teachers with a following and clientele built up over many years or decades. There is a world of difference between the likely demand for a very proven product or service with years of momentum and word of mouth behind it, and a newcomer with a bit of expensive paper in one hand and an ad on Gumtree in the other.

For most of us, £1000 is not found on trees (well it is for Mervyn King but that's another show), and it is quite reckless to make it sound like you just do the course and then find students and a livelihood like night follows day. Although some of the better colleges here demand CELTA or DELTA from teachers, they still have enough applicants to make it a distinct possibility that the CELTA will not earn its keep unless you're very persistent, thick-skinned and quite patient.

Other cities might be a different story - I would caution anyone from running over here with their CELTA and expecting to find students. With or without the CELTA it's not at all easy at present. I suspect a lot of students will be far more swayed by 20 zl an hour offers than a CELTAite at 40 Zl an hour. That's human nature usually. To obtain a client base willing to pay good money takes a very long time I should think, unless you're one of those people who can charm the birds from the trees and get customers in 6 weeks as someone who PMd me claims to have done sans CELTA in another town.

Do not underestimate the luck factor as well as the certificates - nothing in life is ever so easy that you just slap money down, do a month's study, get a certificate, and get a decent income just like some course brochures might suggest for obvious reasons.

Work / Can an English person work in Poland without speaking the language? [13]


Yeah yeah - I'll be really interested to see which posters who follow the advice to chuck a grand at a CELTA course come back here and post a progress report 12 months after finishing the course - I wonder what tiny percentage wil be able to say they even earned back 1/10th of the outlay. Mug's game at the moment IMO. Open your eyes.

Love / Polish ladies in Poland not interested in US men? [5]

I think it's more a case of the fact Polish people get married younger than Britons or perhaps Irish people. I think I saw a stat which suggested Polish women wed at an average 24, that's 5 years or more before Brits.

Of course, if you're the right age then it's not too late - some Polish women are indeed very easy on the eye. However, they do usually have a boyfriend, and I don't think they're short of men here although I know some women protest that they are. Every time I'm out shopping and see a good looking woman she's pushing a trolley with obviously a family shop in it, or a man built like a Marine is not far behind her and is usually her bloke, rather than her macho but gay room-mate. Yes, maybe that's just my experience or just the large supermarkets of Wrocław but that's honestly what I've noticed when I look around every time. I don't even get the impression there's a singles' scene here - nobody past their early 20s seems single, it's sort of old fashioned like that. despite the obvious modernity and all the rest of it. Perhaps singles' events are more subtly advertised or held than in the UK.

Here, seems to me the unaccompanied women in the city centre are usually visitors or on business trips - from Germany or Italy or wherever else.

But, Krakow could be overflowing with single women for all I know, in which case I hope you meet someone special and all goes well.

Work / Can an English person work in Poland without speaking the language? [13]


Warning - before coughing up £1000 on a CELTA course, check out the competition. Currently natives are offering to teach in big city (ie expensive) Wroclaw for 30 an hour and now tonight someone's slashed it to 20 zł an hour for one to one tuition. You have to be very sure the CELTA will lead to a teaching job in a decent school or one to one before unloading that sort of cash into the sweaty palms of the colleges who may paint a more rosy picture of things than the reality. £1000 on a course means you have to earn about 5000 zeds to break even. If teachers are now happy to do it for 20 zeds an hour - well, you do the math.

Not saying it's impossible to make a go of it - but it's not as easy as it used to be. Add to that the talk of the Polish economy deteriorating/slowing down for Q4 2012 and possibly beyond, and a proper business plan needs to be in place before committing big bucks to CELTA or anything else IMHO. On the positive side, some posters on other threads or a small number who have in recent months PM'd me here on PF maintain they are doing very nicely and have more students than they can handle even sans CELTA. Whether that's word of mouth or the luck factor I cannot say. (None of them are in Wroclaw, however.)

You can also draw your own conclusions from the fact that an ad for a native speaker at a school right out on the edge of Wroclaw has drawn over 60 visits/hits in a couple of days. It's a quite hard to reach place, no salary is stated.