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Posts by jon357  

Joined: 15 Mar 2012 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 31 Jul 2025
Threads: Total: 73 / In This Archive: 51
Posts: Total: 24819 / In This Archive: 10045 		From: In the Heart of Darkness
Speaks Polish?: Tak

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jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

Such people would probably prioritize contacts with those with the same first language

This is fairly normal. The OP is looking for people very much in a similar situation to him. anyway, He could do a lot worse than look at the various links.

And then there are long term resident native speakers (comme moi) who just aren't interested in socializing in English

Comme moi aussi. No need to after three decades in Poland; everyone we know is Polish, and if they speak English, don't speak it to me. We tend to avoid expat gatherings (whether for English-speakers or for people from my OH's original country), however I do know that some people find them invaluable, particularly things like Internations.
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
News / Is pro-opposition Open Dialogue Foundation a cover for Russian interests [99]

If you'd said that about the Defence Ministry under "Mad" Antoni Macierewic

Macierewicz, and links he may allegedly have with Russia as discussed in the media and in books, are a huge concern now. He hasn't denied the allegations at al, and this issue will only grow and grow.

Instead he rants about the "Kosher Courier" and types out tall tales he's heard on Radio Maybach and TVPiS.

Quite.
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
History / For what the Germans owe Poland one trillion U.S. dollars? [299]

I agree. In my opinion, this is just another attempt by Kaczyński to create distrust between the two nations.

It's not so much about Germany, more about getting people (his potential supporters) worked up into a rage in Poland.
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

Or eating beef or lamb rather than adapting to pork and chicken.

Dominic, that comment is just plain silly. The OP is from England. We do actually eat pork and chicken in the UK (quite a bit even), and every supermarket in Poland sells beef. There are cows in Poland. Even lamb, never a favourite in Germany, Poland etc) is available now.

Knowing some English =/= wanting to hang out and socialize with native speakers

I think you missd the point here Maf; we weren't talking about Poles who want to speak to people in English; we were talking about expats who speak English as a first or second language.

Another link for the OP, a blog called English blog for parents in Wrocław
englishmuminwroclawtown.wordpress.com
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

If we go with your figure of a total of 4000

The article's, not mine. The figure (as the article implied) is likely to be higher now.

And not all of them speak English. Most probably don't.

Most probably do.

If the OP thinks he is going to find an "expat community" in Wrocław, he is in for a rude awakening.

You didn't check the Internations group or the facebook pages then...
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

Of course it is. Get rea

I doubt many people are likely to up sticks to a city based on a small article printed on a local website. And in any case, the OP has moved there. Perhaps he was persuaded by your marketing! Or more likely moved there for a whole set of other reasons.

Very few Ukrainians speak English.

It's always good, Dominic, to read something before commenting, for example the bit:

Plenty of people from many other places

You may not have had a great time there; hopefully the OP is already enjoying himself and he'll doubtless (especially if he has a look at the two links provided for English-speaking expat groups) meet some other couples with young kids.
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

That's marketing material.

No it isn't. One is from an international site, the other just quotes stats and gives an analysis - I doubt anyone would be 'marketed' to by a short article!

Ukrainian

Much of the population there have their origins in and around Lviv. The Breslauers mostly had to leave after the war. Now there's a new wave of eye-candy from Ukraine. Not that this is any reason to move to or not move to that nice city. Plenty of people from many other places, most of them English-speaking as either a first or second language.

But it's very far from being anything like Prague,

So is, well, anywhere except Prague, and the OP isn't in Prague is he, nor is he asking about a tale of the two cities. He's looking to meet others in a similar situation to him. Internations is a very good starting point for that, as is the facebook page for expats in Wroclaw.
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

foreign residents not just expats.

Nice to see that at long last you're finally beginning to understand the distinction...

Have a thorough look at the article, Wulky, (pop it through Google translate) and see what it says about Wroclaw becoming an increasingly attractive destination for people from other countries. And it is; it's a good city to immigrate to.

Here's a nice article about someone who has settled in Wroclaw:
expatfinder.com/poland/expat-guides/interview/khaled-masmoudi-expat-in-i-live-in-wroclaw-poland/5125
jon357   
4 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

Closer to the topic of the thread, there's an interesting article here. The figure for expats are three years old - they've probably doubled since then. It mentions how attractive Wroclaw is as an expat destination: wroclaw.pl/en/foreign-residents-on-rise-in-wroclaw
jon357   
3 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

The quality of life

Quality of life is excellent in Wroclaw. It's one of Europe's nices cities, and increasingly an expat destination.

"quality of life" is practically synonymous with savings potential.

Bearing in mind that you know absolutely zero about his financial circumstances, professional background etc. He would do well to click on your user name and check out some of your other posts.

It didn't take long for the OP to hit up against this problem.

Rubbish - they've just arrived and he's asking a typical 'new arrival' question!

The OP might like to join Internations, ythe expat network - there are plenty of members, doubtless a fair few with young families. There are also socila media groups (I think Facebook) for expats in Wroclaw, and that could be a good way for a new arrival to meet people in similar situation.
jon357   
3 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

You missed the "and probably a lot less" part.

Actually, almost certainly more.

few of those make it longer than a year or two because of the lack of good employment opportunities, abysmal savings potential, and social isolation on the part of the non-Polish speaking spouse.

You'd be surprised, Dominic, even very. Some of us do actually make a go of things in Poland - your experiences are not those of others. And make money too, not that you know anything about their financial situation; they are asking about meeting other people with young families.

For instance, I know a Polish-Italian couple who use English exclusively at home

Exactly. I know French-Polish families who do the same.

And yes, employment opportunities are increasing in Poland and the quality of life is excellent. Plenty goes on in English to in the cities - I've seen this increase so much over the past couple of years.
jon357   
3 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

100 kids of all ages

That's a fair number and doubtless growing fast. When I moved to Poland I doubt there were even 10 such in Wroclaw. I also suspect there are now a lot of families with a foot in both countries.
jon357   
3 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

Dominic describes Poland when I first came here, but it bears absolutely no resemblance to the Poland of today.

That is my assessment too. Things are massively different now in the bigger cities, economically, socially, culturally.
jon357   
3 Aug 2017
Life / English family in Wroclaw! [70]

There are also plenty more out there with kids in ordinary schools

Today, EU entry was over 13 years ago. Plenty of returnees in Polish cities with a British or Irish partner and multilingual kids.
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Russian double agents in Poland? [25]

A lot of concerns have been raised about the authoritarian publication Głos. particularly the composition of their board, including a government minister (who was editor in chief) and a gentleman called Robert Lusnia.

"Yet Macierewicz has some secrets. For years he has been editor-in-chief, co-owner and author of the far-right newspaper Głos (Voice), which he also founded. It had few readers, so few took notice of its contents. And in recent years Macierewicz has kept quiet about his role there, as if wanting to keep it that way."

forward.com/news/world/345781/when-natos-man-in-poland-ran-anti-semitic-paper/
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Is pro-opposition Open Dialogue Foundation a cover for Russian interests [99]

reductio ad absurdam. Millennia ago they had seen through the cheap tricks you are still trying to use to confuse your audience and derail the discussion.

They also cointed the term 'prima facie', and this is prima facie example of that. The thread title's inflammatory and mendacious - you pose a question that is nonsense, since there's no question of wrongdoing by the foundation involved, and you did it purely to malign an absolutely blameless organisation that you personally dislike. Not for the first time either - you have started three similar threads.

And as for 'cheap tricks' - well, Po...
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Is pro-opposition Open Dialogue Foundation a cover for Russian interests [99]

But in exchange for getting generously bankrolled

They aren't. They fund projects rather than get "bankrolled". You're scraping the bottom of the barrel even more than usual with that factoid.

may serve as dirty-money laundries or to infilitrate the host government's structures.

Or make take up Morris Dancing, get abducted by aliens or set up a cannibal restaurant. They don't.

Money-laundering indeed. Next you'll be accusing them of organ theft.
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Is pro-opposition Open Dialogue Foundation a cover for Russian interests [99]

Like making fun of conspiracy theories except one finds them at every turn.

One finds steaming dog turds on every street corner, and they have the same nutritional value and tasty flavour as conspiracy theories.

In this case, the Foundation mentioned in the thread is entirely above suspicion and completely transparent. Without this, they would not be able to do the very high level work they do.
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Russian double agents in Poland? [25]

It's entirely cloak and dagger. There are some very awkward questions raised in that article.

The policies of PiS do fit in quite nicely with those of Russia.

They dovetail perfectly. An authoritarian regime on Russia's backdoor.
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Russian double agents in Poland? [25]

No, I mean the real traitor

For serious issues like that, you actually need proof and sources, not your usual hysteria and emotion.

Real things, like the content of the article that you know in your heart is credible, and which you're desperate to avoid discussing.
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Russian double agents in Poland? [25]

traitors

You mean the treason mentioned in the excellent article? The self same treason that hasn't been denied?

Try harder, I-S, if you're capable.,.
jon357   
2 Aug 2017
News / Russian double agents in Poland? [25]

Any proof of that? No, however you'll try to bring that up since you're afraid to address the specific allegations, as usual.

Allegations that won't go away.