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Posts by InWroclaw  

Joined: 10 Mar 2012 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 7 Mar 2015
Threads: Total: 89 / In This Archive: 80
Posts: Total: 1910 / In This Archive: 1693 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: No

Displayed posts: 1773 / page 44 of 60
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InWroclaw   
15 Sep 2012
Work / Can an English person work in Poland without speaking the language? [13]

When I was interviewed by one English school here they told me I had two distinct disadvantages - not having CELTA and not being able to speak Polish so that I could explain English to students.

Prior to that, I'd thought not speaking Polish was not a bar.

It certainly reduces opportunities - I assume with beginners. But surely beginners get taught by Poles, just as when I was at school I was taught German by an Australian and Brit, and French by a Brit and a Frenchwoman.

Yet schools here who probably didn't like the look of me or wanted to bargain the salary down pointed out my lacking Polish would be a drawback and showed me out.

Curiously, one school told me they weren't interested in certificates as that meant little - they were more interested in experience. To that end, they wanted me to give loads of hours free to prove myself. I didn't feel that was something I wanted to do - 1 hour I'd do, but not 10.

Native speakers seem to be 10 a penny here in Wroc at the moment - check any bus shelter and the classifieds. 30zl an hour for one to one in an ad seen here at Hallera Street.
InWroclaw   
15 Sep 2012
Real Estate / Wrocław has some of the highest rents in Poland [7]

Not heard that before, but I do get the drift, good stuff :O)

Looks like the high rents are due to demand.

Had an ad on Gumtree seeking a flat at what used to be a reasonable rent - not one response.

Put some offers in on some flats, rejected. Seems pretty buoyant for landlords if the flat's half decent.
InWroclaw   
14 Sep 2012
Law / Is there much demand in Poland for real ale? [38]

I don't like them, but I'm open to suggestions if anyone can recommend very light ones?

I'll try to remember what I liked last time I was drinking some - not sure I'll be able to for obvious reasons! a VERY light one, hmmm...?

I could be interested in that, send me a pm and I will give you my contact details I am based in Warszawa.

I hope I can come to any mass tastings, purely for professional purposes of course!

delphiandomine
Try Edge, I don't remember it if I did try it but I think it's a Brewdog creation.

Also Summer Ale, Old Chestnut and maybe Hylder Blond. Best get to a tasting before buying though.

Not sure what light or very light means with a real ale, I'm not that expert at them. I think you lose the flavour perhaps. But this sounds like it did well and might meet your tastebuds

Flor-ale 3.8%

SW Sussex CAMRA beer of the festival 2011! A delectable light blonde, with delicate floral hop notes, using only Maris Otter low colour malt. Pleasant sweet finish. Perfect springtime refreshment.

princegeorgebrighton.co.uk/ales-of-sussex/

I like the sound of delectable light blondes, I have to say...
InWroclaw   
14 Sep 2012
Law / Is there much demand in Poland for real ale? [38]

hi can anyone help.is there much damand in poland for real ale.

Frankly there would be if you were in my living room. I don't like all real ales but I generally am very happy to try any at least ten times at any one sitting.

There are some microbreweries here in Wrocław I believe, just as there are in the UK, and the supermarkets sell make your own home brew kits. Whether that's any indication of demand I don't know. A person has to have tried real ale to know what they're missing (yes I know that not all are anything to get excited about, but generally they're pretty good compared to typical beers)

For any lurkers who have no idea what we're talking about, please see [camra.org.uk/page.php?id=14]

Why isn't all beer real?

Real ale is a natural, living product. By its nature this means it has a limited shelf life and needs to be looked after with care in the pub cellar and kept at a certain temperature to enable it to mature and bring out its full flavours for the drinker to enjoy.

Brewery-conditioned, or keg, beer has a longer shelf life as it is not a living product. Basically, after the beer has finished fermentation in the brewery and has been conditioned, it is chilled and filtered to remove all the yeast and then it is pasteurised to make it sterile. This is then put in a sealed container, called a keg, ready to be sent to the pub.

The problem is that removing the yeast and 'killing off' the product through pasteurisation also removes a great deal of the taste and aroma associated with real ale. Because there is no secondary fermentation occurring in the container (i.e keg) in which is held, there is no natural carbonation of the beer so gas either carbon dioxide or a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen has to be added to "fizz up" the beer. This creates an unnaturally fizzy beer rather than the gentle carbonation produced by the slow secondary fermentation in a cask of real ale.

InWroclaw   
14 Sep 2012
Food / Where can I get free yeast to bake with in Poland? [11]

you are probably right, I really don't know that much about the commercial baking. Enjoy!!!

Thanks again, got it at another Spolem! 84 gr, not even a zl!

If you like decent, crusty bread, remember it's quicker to prepare it at home than to queue at a decent bakery!

Auchan have the fresh yeast - same price as Spolem btw.

Just want to recomment Gdansk Mills' flour - makes a great brown loaf (type 1850 flour).
It's called Gdańskie Młyny Pełno mąka Ziarnista pszenna. It's inexpensive and it's pretty much the dog's wotsits.
InWroclaw   
14 Sep 2012
Food / Where can I get free yeast to bake with in Poland? [11]

I don't know if fresh yeast in any good for baking bread, but let me know how it turned out:). I use it as peeling on my face.

I thought that was what bakers use, they can't afford the dried stuff as it's quite dear if you bake often.

OK, just seen your edit, thanks for checking it for me!

Społem sell it. Look where the cheese is.

Thank you, didn't see it when I was there earlier; perhaps different branches have different stuff sometimes. :o)
InWroclaw   
13 Sep 2012
UK, Ireland / Calling a friend from UK to Poland. Cheap option? [13]

Use Lyca mobile - get a free SIM from them or for £1 in Poundland or 99p in 99p Stores.

Calling Poland is then 1p or 2p for landlines (per minute) - full details here lycamobile.co.uk/en/internationalrates

(Moderators may want to merge this with the main thread on the subject)
InWroclaw   
13 Sep 2012
Food / Where can I get free yeast to bake with in Poland? [11]

Brilliant, thank you very much Strzga :o)
I will look out for it later today.

Strzyga, when you say grocery shops should I assume you mean excluding supermarkets? A large Carrefour didn't stock anything but the dried stuff.

Should I try convenience stores on residential estates or Spoem etc? No luck so far locally.
InWroclaw   
13 Sep 2012
Food / Where can I get free yeast to bake with in Poland? [11]

In the UK, you can sometimes get free yeast from a supermarket's bakery department, to bake your own bread with.

Because bread is relatively inexpensive in Poland, I'm guessing people don't bake their own bread that often here?

The dried yeast here in the shops is not terribly good value, so I was wondering where I can get free bread yeast - if anywhere.

I would request it at a bakery, but they would probably ask me if I was taking the Piast...
InWroclaw   
13 Sep 2012
News / HIV on the rise in Poland [7]

"Since 1985 about 16 000 infections have been detected," the National AIDS Centre's Anna Marzec-Bogusławska told the TVP public broadcaster.
"There are some people who are unaware that they are living with the disease, of course. It is estimated that 35 000 persons are carrying the virus. On average, three people a day test HIV positive in Poland," she adds.

InWroclaw   
13 Sep 2012
Life / Poland and every aspect..... Please help me learn and understand the realities? [108]

If you walk through a doorway in Poland and then hold the door open for someone else coming behind you, why don't they thank you? This used to p1ss me off but I know Polish people are generally very polite, so it must be something else. I know this may seem trivial when compared with elected kings, etc. but it intrigues me.

Sorry about that, that was me the other day, I couldn't remember the word in Polish for thank you - yes as embarrassing as that is to admit on a public forum! By the time I had remembered, the person was already up the stairs in my block.
InWroclaw   
10 Sep 2012
UK, Ireland / Poles becoming British subjects [39]

It's called ESTA - you need it even if part of the US visa waiver
esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/WebHelp/ESTA_Screen-Level_Online_Help_1.htm#ta2
InWroclaw   
10 Sep 2012
Love / Are polish guys always looking for girlfriends? [5]

For whatever reason it might be, am sorry to tell you that he just isn't interested. Have a break from dating, then move on to someone else who is into you.
InWroclaw   
9 Sep 2012
UK, Ireland / Poles becoming British subjects [39]

Yet - real Poles chose to do so. Could it be that they're more well informed than you are?

Well, don't know where you're from, but speaking personally - the areas I grew up in, worked in, etc (London & SE/E Anglia/Wessex)

---- they have pretty much gone down the drain in most respects except property prices which rose out of all proportion to common sense/local wages. Where I currently live when in the UK - was quite upmarket - now it is suffering in the same way. Sh*thole - many towns and cities can be defined thus, yes. But OK - the better parts of Surrey, better parts of Sussex, some parts of Dorset, some other fortunate spots - still not too bad.
InWroclaw   
9 Sep 2012
Law / Car Insurance in Poland (A/C) [32]

You have mis-translated my question. I was asking if what I heard was true - IE (that is) that if a car is insured in Poland, any EU licensed driver over 26 is covered/protected by the insurance policy on the car.
InWroclaw   
8 Sep 2012
Law / Car Insurance in Poland (A/C) [32]

So, am getting confused now.

Are some of you saying that not all insurance policies allow any driver, or that not all insurance policies allow any driver under 26?

I am over 26, and have a UK licence only.
InWroclaw   
8 Sep 2012
Law / Car Insurance in Poland (A/C) [32]

Tell me about 'em!

Nearly got run over this morning on a crossing by a driving school car, instructor abruptly slammed the brakes on when the rather lovely young woman behind the wheel treated me as if I were invisible. Story of my life with women, but that's another show ;o)

(I just waved and laughed, really got to have a SOH in Poland!)
InWroclaw   
8 Sep 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Thank you for posting that, Avalon.

The Telegraph 10 Places link - it says "6: Poland (figs for Warsaw). Year-on-year fall: 8.19 per cent"

But as you rightly say, there are conflicting messages in other reports.

FWIW locally to me, seems a bit depressed but the prices so far are mostly fairly sticky, even so.

People are telling me, however, that they are feeling a bit of an economic pinch at the moment.

I think I am also seeing prices rising in some groceries I buy.
InWroclaw   
8 Sep 2012
Law / Car Insurance in Poland (A/C) [32]

Sounds like I, as a Briton with a UK DVLA licence, can just very easily drive a Polish person's car if they (foolishly!) agree to it? All I need do is carry my licence, and the car insurance document and car registration document, and Bogdan's your uncle.
InWroclaw   
7 Sep 2012
Work / English qualifications to start Teaching English In Poland. Is degree of some sort needed? [123]

Some turned it into a registered business and some didn't.

A person here can't test the water without registering as a business and paying the monthly 350 (?) approx in zus anyway, can they. If a lang school took me I'd hope they take me as an employee so I don't have to register as a business. Of course, you don't want to hear this but they have asked me for either a BEd or CELTA!! I have neither and so they say do widzenia! (These are the schools I know of, I haven't been to every backstreet etc.)

I joined the forum but I still don`t know what it [CELTA] really is.

A course aimed at showing tutors how to teach English to adults. Certificate of Education in Language Teaching to Adults,
I am not saying it's good - but seems the main schools here insist on it or a B.Ed or similar. (The DELTA is Diploma in,,,)
InWroclaw   
7 Sep 2012
Work / English qualifications to start Teaching English In Poland. Is degree of some sort needed? [123]

lack of attention posting from a phone

Just pointing out the below error for the sake of Polish students of English, in case they copy that phone error you made in their own English.

the market makes it's own decisions

Should be its.

:o)

Edited to add anecdote:
Just remembered, bumped into an American chap today in a shop, he told me he teaches English in his spare time here but makes the time to fit the students' needs. Said to me "Never known it so quiet, getting far less students than before, had to drop my fee."

I didn't get a chance to ask him if he's qualified, well I didn't feel it was beeswax to ask really. I didn't ask his fee either, But anyway, that's what he said, and we were in Lidl so belts may be getting tightened.
InWroclaw   
5 Sep 2012
Work / English qualifications to start Teaching English In Poland. Is degree of some sort needed? [123]

You're completely correct, and I can honestly say I am the last person to take someone's wage and not deliver. If I can't deliver, I don't need to be told to go. I am equally fair to myself: if I do not see the way ahead clearly, I will not risk a large sum of my own cash by assuming a golden future as an English teacher. Am very far from assured I can do it - I don't take it lightly and if and when I see I have the knack of explaining my native language to Poles who speak some English already, I'll reach for Mr Capital One and give him a damn good thrashing. Until then, he can sleep in my wallet, safe in the knowledge that, unlike Mervyn, I know I can't print money and it has to be accounted for, and invested, wisely.
InWroclaw   
5 Sep 2012
News / 2000 tonnes of asbestos in Wrocław? [12]

A London building I had to visit for training was being used while awaiting the asbestos people. It had lots of thick polythene and tape everywhere to keep the asbestos from entering the interior - hopefully. This was a govt building btw.