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

I may give it a go if I'm here in October, thanks Wroclaw

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

Are you saying it's not easy to find work teaching English in the cities? I would have to agree - unless the person has CELTA or that Masters under their belt. And maybe not even then?

FWIW: locally here, someone is charging 30zl an hour for English 1 to 1. I would love to know if they get students. Not one tear off strip has been taken from it, and it's just sitting there stuck to a bus shelter until that man I once saw comes along and rips all the ads down and bins them.

If they do get students, I would be very happy with 30zl an hour. I have an English qual but of course nowhere near the high bar many schools in the cities are setting,

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

This school blc.pl

apparently says


So, if you don't have a CELTA, just show them your Master's in English - I know most people in the UK have a MA in English, don't they :-D

Language / "Taka prawda" - What does this Polish phrase mean? [19]


Not as far as I recall, Wroclaw, I hear it on Tok FM and TVN etc,


Yes.

;o)

Law / PESEL number form. Could you tell me what this means and what I need to fill in? [8]

I am guessing - but sounds like it wants your existing social security number - if you don't have one in Poland then from your home country.

Language / "Taka prawda" - What does this Polish phrase mean? [19]

Thanks Magdalena, that sounds very likely to be it, great stuff! :o)

Language / "Taka prawda" - What does this Polish phrase mean? [19]


I definitely hear it on the TV and radio, it's just that I am obviously mishearing it. I will try to listen more closely and return to the thread then, or I will try to find a recorder and play it back to you and Poles I know here to discover what I am mishearing.

I wonder if it's "Tak na prawa"? or tak 'no' prawa ?


Yes, you're correct.

Language / "Taka prawda" - What does this Polish phrase mean? [19]

At least I'm not just hearing things :oD

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]


Painful.

I assume that they don't like blocks of cheese - they don't have equipment that can tell it's cheese and not semtex? I'd better only buy slices then, otherwise I'll be right cheesed off.

Language / "Taka prawda" - What does this Polish phrase mean? [19]

Thanks Greg, that's a good addition to my phrase book even if it doesn't sound quite like the phrase as I'm fairly sure there's an N in it, I am thinking of taping hours of programming just to record someone saying it so I know for sure what the phrase means!

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

Auchan has among the highest ratings for standards if you check this review website
jakoscobslugi.pl

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

Thanks Harry, they assume it's an explosive block do they!! Yes I do indeed take hard cheeses in my bag, I will do as you say :o)

When I was stopped last time, I was sans cheese btw, they just decided I looked a well dodgy geezer :o)
"You're looking for drugs?" I asked cheerfully. "Explosives!" came the abrupt reply with "Stand there!" Still makes me chuckle.

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

They certainly need to sit down and think hard about where they're going with some of the stuff there, it is a worry, and yes I share your concerns.

Interesting to read these views on the subject of alarms sounding as peope leave a store - both sides are here.

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]


That article is year 2000, AFAIK they have changed things now, but I could be wrong and if I am then am happy to stand corrected as am all for civil liberties and innocent people being treated fairly,

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]


No, security in a retailer's premises in the England and Walescan lawfully briefly detain you for suspected shoplifting, that's the law. They have to call the police, however, if they detain you. They have a special room for it in most shops. Otherwise every shoplifter would just leg it.


inbrief.co.uk/employees/being-a-security-guard.htm

The alarm is, AFAIK, considered reasonable grounds. But I could be wrong. That was what I understand as reasonable grounds - don't shoot the messenger.

If shoplifting is established, many shops then opt for a banning order on the shoplifter, but some go to FPN or court etc.

Where there's an innocent mistake, such as in the post above, not much you can do really except hope they have the decency to apologise. I've never heard of them giving vouchers out as a sorry etc.

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]


When that happens in the UK and it's a false alarm, you'd be lucky to get any apology at all. Under these circumstances, they hopefully double-checked it was the bag.Once they established it was, if it was, then if I were your wife I'd have asked them to search the bag at the checkout area in front of witnesses. With the bag empty and passed through the detector, if the alarm didn't sound then it would be something in her bag which still had the tag attached or a RFID chip on something like a travelcard or payment card. If the bag once empty still sounded the alarm, there is a small (approx 8mm x 15mm) tag stuck inside the bag which was the original anti-theft tag when your wife bought the bag. Take it out to avoid this hassle again. Last but not least, tell Auchan by letter that their ochrona need to improve or risk alienating customers at that branch (at the branch I use, they're usually fine with me, when I rang the alarm once we all laughed as I pretended I was going to sprint for it, their member of staff had simply forgotten to remove the round tag from a baseball cap). I know it can be humiliating though - so I do empathise, it's just I tend to laugh these things off usually when they happen to me. I was pulled up an searched at an airport for explosives last year - yes they just picked me out of 100s or 1000s of passengers and swabbed my luggage! Very abrupt to me too. Again I laughed at the drama!

Just remembered, at another Polish supermarket they were doing clearance pans, the girl at the pile of pans priced it after weighing it and stuck the price label and barcode on my pan. When I got to the checkout, security surrounded me at the request of the cashier - for it seems the label was not matching the item and I would have been paying about a quarter of the correct price. It was their own staff's fault, nothing to do with me, and I was escorted to the service desk by security in front of lots of customers, but again I laughed it off and chatted to the guard who spoke a little English and we talked about destinations in Ireland. I just don't let them get to me.

Love / How would Polish people react to a forginer in Poland? [36]


Polish people need not be embarrassed that they can't speak English - if they are living in Poland. I know some do, but they shouldn't really. Some of you will insist it is the language of international business - but not everyone's in business and a job that needs lots of English.

Many Poles understand more English than they can speak (or have the confidence to speak). So I usually answer Polish people in English and an attempt at my awful command of Polish. When they hear my awful Polish (something like, "Yes, bus it does not come in the present, it was to be here 10 minutes in the history") they then, out of pity, have the confidence to speak English and make a lot more sense than I do.

(Yes I also get pleasantly stared at when I speak English on a phone or to someone, so I try not to in public.)

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]


Spot on.

Love / How would Polish people react to a forginer in Poland? [36]

For me it's fascinating to see how Poland is evolving, and discovering that it's different to the way it might be perceived abroad.

Generally speaking, every Pole I meet here is very pleasant to me, almost always. Had some nasties, of course, but very few.

Amazed at the supermarket checkout today when yet another cashier spoke fluent English at speed, like it was her native tongue. Poland's success should be assured with young people who seem educated and not work-shy. Speaking to another young Pole today, she told me a lot of Poles are returning from the UK to Poland now in her circle of friends and from what she has heard.

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

Are you sure that was Auchan? No hassle at all. Great customer service every time - so far (two years of shopping there).


You have a sense of humour.


Am I allowed to say good riddance?

Love / How would Polish people react to a forginer in Poland? [36]

In the cities, there are increasingly more people whose appearance suggests their heritage is not purely Polish. Nobody seems to give them a second glance, one way or the other.

Here, in Wroclaw, every day I see people who appear to be from Korea, Vietnam and similar regions, and some run businesses and others work in factories or offices. There are also people of African appearance, Indian appearance, Middle Eastern appearance. Of course, go to the city centre and you will find they are just visitors, in the suburbs and supermarkets you will find a small number who are residents too.

Other cities, such as Krakow, probably are even more cosmopolitan for whatever reason.

That said, when I speak English, strangers around me still stare and listen because as yet foreigners are still a minority in this city. In that resepct, it reminds me of Essex in the 70s and 80s, where even a Manchester accent got a person noticed!

(Should be noted that in popular culture such as television comedies new settlers or "foreigners" in Poland were portrayed even 10 to 20 years ago. You will find persons of black or oriental appearance born in Poland. Poland is already more multi-cultural than some posters on this forum realise. There are for example new mosques being built and perhaps small communities of Syrian and Iranian people living in Poland, from what I see on the news.)

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

Thanks WB and Pip etc for the posts on LM, good to know where to shop confidently and not worry about hassle if there's a problem later,

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

It's Leroy Merlin. I've always found their staff helpful, but never had to return anything to them - and it is the returns policy I am interested in primarily. They are a global firm, but not in the UK. They too, like Auchan, are French.

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

Yet again, excellent customer care when I returned a possibly defective electrical item to Auchan. Superb standards with the customer put first, no quibble or nonsense. What a contrast to the other shops and supermarket, like night and day!

News / Nude females in Legnica centrum [5]

One of the proper minds here will come along and tell us why, but my guess is that because the endings of the other words in that sentence changed, so it becomes 'ladies'.

Google translates W Legnicy tańczą nagie panie to The naked ladies dance Legnica

W Legnicy nagie panie
apparently means
Naked ladies in Legnica

W panie
apparently means
The ladies

but

i panie
apparently means
and Mr.

So you can see why people call Polish very difficult :o)

I haven't a clue, but a book I have says: "panie translates as ladies (plural)"
It says pani is the singular for a woman.

Life / Thinking of a move to Wroclaw, Poland [13]

Merged: Wrocław - city of violence & xenophobia? Politicians write a letter...

[quote] "We can win the title of" impunity rudeness, xenophobia, hatred and violence " ... Local politicians to ask the President about the escalation of racist behaviour....Outrageous events of recent days - a racist attack on the family of Jose Torres and members of the National Rebirth of Polish nationalists' banners ... begs the question on whether Wroclaw's authorities should not protest and take decisive steps to prevent this type of occurrence? ...

Translation might have errors.

News / Gangland-style shooting in Wrocław? [12]

I don't know, sorry. One of the more knowledgeable posters will answer, hopefully.

Certainly see some dodgy types around, and a neighbour won't walk out at night unless I escort her, so maybe it's not that great even in this much better than average Wroc area I'm in.

Law / Rights of a consumer when dealing with faulty goods in Poland? [65]

Interesting to read that, Polishmama. There are some places here in Poland that respect customers and are not embarrassing shysters. IO just have to learn to not deviate and buy elsewhere.

Sorry you had that experience with your purse - yes it does seem like some store staff are trained or instructed to give customers a hard time. I have seen others suffering similarly here. I only buy from certain shops now if it's a costly purchase.

Probably most of the traders at the Sunday market at the old railway station behave better than some of the stores here - I bought an electrical item from a secondhand stall at that market and when it didn't work properly the stallholder returned my money calmly, with a smile and with no hassle at all. Considering he didn't speak any English and I don't speak any German or Polish (his languages), getting a refund inside of 2 minutes was pretty impressive. I had no receipt and he was just honest enough to remember my face and what I had bought a few weeks earlier.

Perhaps independent traders are the best bet in Poland, the ones with modest premises and honest prices.