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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 53 of 60
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InWroclaw   
27 Jun 2012
Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

I see MPK/UrbanCard have different ticket prices for "City" and "City & Suburbs", Is there any map or guide so that a passenger can distinguish what is considered a suburb?

Are the suburban buses just the 6xx buses? See: wroclaw.pl/rozklady_jazdy.dhtml

What's the difference between the 'accelerated' (przyspieszone)

buses and the 'hasty' buses (pospieszne) ? Do they mean one is fast (as in omits stops) and one is express (as in takes the shortest route)?

Their ticket availability list does not make it clear to English speakers as to which ticket covers these buses.
InWroclaw   
27 Jun 2012
Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Thanks Jon.

btw plenty of C/City mild & mature at Tesco Bielany Wroc.

Also good value cottage cheese there and at Biedronka - 500g for just under 4zl

Butter on special offer at Tesco too, 3zl.

Cheese bulletin - posted 16:51 00 04 07 2012
Priority: Urgent

C/City Mature cheddar - no visible stock at Tesco, Bielany, Wroclaw.
There is, however, dairy-packed C/City Mild, 6 or 7 packs in the deli counter area by a large slab of catering-size Kerrygold.

There is no evidence of any C/City on the main cheese aisle shelf as of the date of this Notice. This could cause considerable anxiety to some members of the community, but there is no reason, repeat no reason, to believe more stocks will not be made available in the near future.

Message ends.
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

hate to burst your chocolate bubble.....Toblerone is owned by Kraft. Not Swiss made anymore.

Kraft also bought up the UK's beloved heritage choc firm, Cadbury. For some reason, although Cadbury have a factory here in Wroc, I don't know of anywhere that sells their products. I was on a flight with Cadbury execs, I should have asked. But they might have thought I was a Flake.

Just found this website which gives the cost of living in Wroclaw in US$ (or any currency probably) inc property.

You can also compare 2 cities. Even my home town in the UK is listed.

Rent Per Month [Edit] Avg.
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre 490.31 $ 424.81569.78
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre 359.77 $ 332.90398.85
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre 866.72 $ 756.59964.98
Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre 675.55 $ 583.81804.15

Buy Apartment Price [Edit] Avg.
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre 2,557.49 $ 2,279.123,461.61
Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre 1,737.89 $
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Me too, or I did have, that and Lindt. Those nasty Swiss do have some mighty fine confectionery, darn them!

Ok, back on-topic. Sorry Milky. Milky can't you change your name, it's reminding me of Lindt chocolate? ;o)

As I was saying, Wroclaw property prices seem a bit flat at the moment, but I am not checking things thoroughly now so can't be sure. When I checked a few months ago, it did seem the prices were lower than when I had a good look previously. On the other hand, if we have speculators putting ads on blocks asking for flats to buy, it would suggest some parts of Wroc have a shortage of availability. (Or, Pan Speculator wants to pay under current 'market price' and is hoping to find a distressed seller, of course.)
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

That's right. They were also kind enough to look after the money of dictators, drug lords and Nazis with no questions asked.

That's it, no more Alpen for me!
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Ah, I don't mean it in an offensive way, just that they're at the lowest point on the work ladder and salary ladder.

I know what you meant - but yes it came out a bit Pete Tong, gave me a good giggle though, it really did.


InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Biedronka? They're pretty much the lowest of the low. What gives them the right to own property, given that they didn't educate themselves, didn't do anything for it and don't do anything particularly difficult?

The employees at one of the Biedronkas I go to (great value 500g cottage cheese at 3.95zl btw) seem pretty well-educated to me. Several on the tills speak English, at least one seems fluent. Local Americans who work at a large firm also shop at that branch, they're management, not sure they or me are aware nor would agree we're being served by "pretty much the lowest of the low". LOL

The SF is pegged to the Euro at 1.20. This was not to help matters but to protect Swiss tourism and exports. Anyone care to guess what will happen if the Euro disappears?

Now stop shattering my faith in human nature, they and their govt were doing it because they are a kind, and unselfish nation, surely?

Look at the video then tell me these people are not just irresistibly warm and cuddly?

youtube.com/watch?v=n0r2GWi56E4
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Met a chap last week who is under pressure due to a CHF mortgage - he is off to the UK to try to get his income higher and leaving his low paid Polish job (shop worker). (He speaks really good English btw, I can't speak Polish!)

Referring to my post above

blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2011/06/17/polish-mortgages-a-pain-frankly
(from June 2011)

Thousands of Poles who took out mortgages denominated in Swiss francs, because of lower monthly payments than zloty loans, are now suffering sticker shock as the Swiss currency soars against the zloty thanks to growing troubles in the eurozone.

About 53 per cent of outstanding Polish mortgages are in francs - which is slightly less than in Hungary, but still enough to hurt....

I think the Swiss then pegged the CHF to help matters, not sure.
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Yes, I know people in a similar situation;they really are up sh1t creak without a paddle, because it's not going to happen in the next decade,if ever.

Met a chap last week who is under pressure due to a CHF mortgage - he is off to the UK to try to get his income higher and leaving his low paid Polish job (shop worker). (He speaks really good English btw, I can't speak Polish!)
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

2010 or last year I was on a tram and two burly inspectors got on, I vaguely remember some people couldn't get a ticket out of the machine or it might have been that the validators weren't working (I just can't remember as it's a while ago). After realising the problem, they both sat down and talked cheerfully to each other, then alighted two stops later at Powstancow/Hallera and walked somewhere else, probably to another tram.

I see MPK/UrbanCard have different ticket prices for "City" and "City & Suburbs", Is there any map or guide so that a passenger can distinguish what is considered a suburb?

urbancard.pl/en/category/listing/category,2-.html
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Author is a land agent, no? Doesn't that come under the category of 'barber says now is the time to get your haircut'? Just sayin'.
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

where is the source?

Please pay attention at the back! Already posted. And are you chewing gum there missy?
ober-haus.com/files/lt/files/reports/Ober-Haus%20Polish%20Cities%20Apartment%20Price%20Index%20May%202012.pdf

matrix.wikia.com/wiki/The_Source

LOL

Compared to pre-crisis peaks:

House prices in Warsaw are down by 13.63% (13.53% in real terms).
In Krakow, house prices are down by 11.80% (13.2% in real terms).
In Lodz, prices have fallen by 17.87.% (17.67% in real terms).
In Tri-City, house prices plunged by 25.22% (26.62% in real terms).
In Wroclaw, house prices are down by 31.91% (31.81% in real terms).
In Poznan, property prices plummeted by 44.08% (44.18% in real terms).

From the website globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Poland

Would still like the MoM.
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

Asking prices or sold prices? The pdf says 'transaction prices' so I assume that means what they sold for.
And what about Wroclaw, anyone advise where I can reliable figures on sold prices for Wroc?
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

asking them if they need a mortgage or any credit.

Might mean nothing, but I think it was Eurobank (red livery) that were giving leaflets out (in the street) offering loans and mortgages last week, from memory it might even have been 100% not 90% LTV
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

prices are going an average of 1% throughout the country,,sure,prices are going up in places but the average is going down.

You posted February's.

Here is May's
ober-haus.com/files/lt/files/reports/Ober-Haus%20Polish%20Cities%20Apartment%20Price%20Index%20May%202012.pdf

If I read correctly, it says drops are (month on month)

Warsaw down 1.2%
Cracow down 0.8%
Poznan down 1.0%
Gdansk down 0.9%
Lodz down 1.2%

However - I have no idea who the data providers are and how accurate they are.

Also, anyone know if I can find Wroclaw's figures there?
InWroclaw   
26 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

it took us over two months to get approved for a mortgage

How many properties have you bought, then? ;o)

Rising prices is certainly not the impression I get in Wroclaw at the moment, but of course as I am no longer looking to buy in the immediate future then I could be out of touch. However, the prices for a new build near Wroclaw's Bielany does not strike me as cheap, being just over the 5100 mark per sq m2. I would have thought it would be sub 5000 by now if thing were looking slow. Of course, they might discount to that figure if a person negotiates properly.
InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

I did say:

I hope it doesn't mean someone is looking to buy a flat in the block there

I don't pretend to know the Polish language at all, never have. Am sensible enough to not assume I know what something says without looking for some other way to verify it. Nothing wrong with that approach, it's how people learn things, been going on for billions of years.
InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

broken machines are a valid reason to walk to the next machine.

Ahem

I walked to the station only to find out that the machine was broken, so I ask for a ticket in the Kiosk to be told they don't have any! Uh oh, back to my home where there's another shop with the possibility of purchasing a ticket... nope, none there either.

InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

This ad with tear-off strips is stuck to a newspaper stray at a block of flats neighbouring my street. I hope it doesn't mean someone is looking to buy a flat in the block there because they're already going to buy to let landlords filling places up with noisy and selfish tenants. Area has gone down in the past year for sure.

Ad wording:
"Kupie mieszkanie w tym bloku. Zainteresowane osoby prosze o kontakt 6 .."
Google translates it to something that makes no sense in English.
InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

did not matter to them. 103zł spot fine or the police are called.

Had that have been me, I would let them call the police, and I'd show the police the broken machines. In my own opinion, broken ticket machines are a valid reason to not have a ticket.
InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

My friend lives in Wroclaw and claims he never pays for tickets

I get checked 2 or 3 times a month at least. Someone else i know who travels through the centre a lot gets checked once a week, sometimes twice. Almost whenever I go through the center, I get checked. I have been checked near TVP Wroclaw on the 126 bus, checked at the old railway station on a bus, checked dozens of times in the city's main streets on trams. I've seen people travelling without a ticket get paperwork from inspectors quite a few times. Personally, I wouldn't risk it, but at the moment I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford a season ticket - I know not everyone is in that happy position.
InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
News / Poland's Economy Is Booming! The EU's Success Story? [711]

Really but that's not what you said in your previous posts

In his post above he states that it's attractive due to the cost of labour (eg low pay, 'cheap workforce'). Unless he has previously said the workforce is not cheap, then that does not make him a liar. I too wonder how the salaries can remain low if the cost of housing remains where it is, and the price of essentials such as food takes proportionately much more out of a Polish wage than it does in other European countries like Britain, Germany, etc.
InWroclaw   
25 Jun 2012
Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

I've learnt something - the website below says that in Wroclaw a passenger has to buy a ticket costing 1.50zl for a "large" bag such as a backpack and, I would assume, a large suitcase. I can't recall that being a requirement on any bus that I know of in the UK - so that could easily catch a passenger out in Poland and bring about a fine as it is not a widely known convention among non-Poles that I have spoken to.

wikitravel.org/en/Wroc%C5%82aw
InWroclaw   
24 Jun 2012
Travel / Massive thanks to Poland for the Euro time! [19]

Mile Buiochas & mise le meas

I had to Google the above to discover it is the Irish language of Gaelic and a form of greeting and sign off. Never heard it before today!
InWroclaw   
24 Jun 2012
Life / Non-Polish natives mastering the art of selling at the markets [3]

I have been to Wrocław's large Sunday market quite a few times. Some of the new clothes stalls are manned by people who from their accent and appearance seem to be non-Polish natives, namely Romani, Indian and Asian.

I can't help but admire that they already have a pretty good command of the Polish language! Some have only been in Poland two years. I wish I could speak Polish even a quarter as well as they do! Also got to admire that they arrived in Poland with very limited resources (or none) and have managed to acquire sufficient knowledge to obtain stock to sell, deal with the Polish market organisers, and then start selling there week in and week out (or they're always there when I visit, anyway).

I guess the same can be said for those who moved to the UK throughout history and had to become self-employed or market traders because they found getting paid normal employment to be less than straightforward. But somehow I admire it more here, perhaps because Polish and the system in Poland is so much more complex and less foreigner-friendly than Britain's.
InWroclaw   
23 Jun 2012
Language / Jas Fasola = Mr. Bean, why? [12]

There is also proverbial "glupi Jas" (stupid Johnny). Not to mention Jas is also a certain type of bean.

Yes. GT is based on translations provided by the users and in this instance, the programme recognises the whole phrase, not just single words.

Thank you both.
Kondzior, I'm beginning to understand now why they (Polsat) chose 'jas' rather than Pan.
Strzyga, I thought that might be the case!
InWroclaw   
23 Jun 2012
Language / Jas Fasola = Mr. Bean, why? [12]

Jas = Jack, Jackie
Probably, the Rowland Atkinson character represents the English Everyman, the ordinary bumbler, much like Doodles Weaver or especially Lucille Ball ("ILove Lucy" etc..) here in the States.

Thanks for the Jack explanation.
You mean like John Doe? No, he's not called Mr Bean for that reason in the UK, where the programme originates from.

From Wikipedia:
The title character, played by Rowan Atkinson, is a childish and selfish buffoon who brings various unusual schemes and contrivances to everyday tasks. He lives alone in his small flat in Highbury, and is almost always seen in his trademark tweed jacket and a skinny red tie. He also usually wears a digital calculator watch. Mr. Bean rarely speaks, and when he does, it is generally only a few mumbled words which are in a comically low-pitched voice..[13]

Mr. Bean often seems unaware of basic aspects of the way the world works, and the programme usually features his attempts at what would normally be considered simple tasks, such as going swimming, using a television set, redecorating or going to church. The humour largely comes from his original (and often absurd) solutions to problems and his total disregard for others when solving them, his pettiness, and occasional malevolence.

Sounds like a character based on something it should not be based on at all.

The utterly unfunny Mr. Bean

+1 Although he has laughed all the way to the bank, big time.
InWroclaw   
23 Jun 2012
Language / Jas Fasola = Mr. Bean, why? [12]

Poland seems to really like the UK comic creation, Mr Bean. (I won't ask why as I don't want to offend).

I am unclear on what "jas" means in Polish, and I also note that when I use Google Translate and enter "Jas Fasola" it translates to "Mr. Bean" (because fasola means bean, of course) but if I type in "Jas Banan" it translates to just "jas banana", if I type in "Jas Groch" I still just get "jas peas", etc, you get the idea...

Does this mean someone has programmed Google Translate to recognise "Jas Fasola" as the common Polish name for the TV series, "Mr Bean"? Or is there another explanation?

Anyone from outside of Poland who might be confused - Mr Bean was a fairly popular British TV comedy, but Polish TV does not call it "Mr Bean" and has chosen instead to title it "Jas Fasola", presumably to encourage more slapstick humour appeal to a Polish audience.