History / Polish aristocrats - would be better off if we had Polish magnate families? [69]

You mean like the aristocrates treating their serfs as dogs?
And look at all aristocratic rebellions, the "Golden Freedom"....the magnates were selling out Poland every time they could.
In Western Europe - yes we did not have a Golden Freedom - selfish magnates paid with their heads. In Poland they got estates from the partitioning powers.

UK, Ireland / Con Air UK: Flights take Polish criminals home - the cost to you is £25million [30]

Yes but what can you do? Shoot them at dawn or something like that?
Better they are languishing in Polish prisons without the comfort they have in the UK prison system.

Law / Advantages of getting Polish citizenship [24]

Actually as regarding traveling, as a Belgian from birth I can travel to vastly more countries as a Pole (nu superiority here, just statin the legal facts) without visa, exluding the nasty ones.

I cannot vote for presidential or national elections here (BK lost one vote here). For the rest what I can see as a hindrance is buying land. As far as I know Poland still poses restrictions on EU citizens buying land?

Law / Advantages of getting Polish citizenship [24]

As I do not aspire a career in BOR or GROM, I guess security clearances do not mean a thing :)
Although isnt't there the problem with real estate - meaning when you want to buy a agricultural land or something....that foreigners cannot do that ?

Life / HOW MANY CHINESE LIVING IN POLAND? [29]

The weird thing is that there are supposed to live a swarm of Vietnamese in Poland (especially here in Warsaw) but I never see any of them.

Except in all these Vietnamse bars and to be honest - when I am standing in a traffic jam and some big BMW/Mercedes is passing by the drivers are always Oriental.

There is also a town near Warsaw called Wola Kosowska where all the Vietnamese & Chinese are doing their cheap product business (as in Maximus in Nadarzyn)

Travel / Silesian tram network [5]

I am train buff myself so I understand your fascination :)
I am not living in that area myself, here in Warsaw though public transport is in general very safe.

Food / What's your favorite Polish beer? [870]

Did anybody try Lomza?

Love / All the good Polish men for dating are taken? [111]

I do not think it is a good move to look for a partner on sites likes this one. Part are weirdos, and another part are on this or for fun (just to poke controversies), or to share information about Poland.

Life / Second hand English bookshop in Warsaw [7]

I know that, I live in Warsaw :)
But I would like to find another secondhand English bookshop. Redding's often had novels which are not available anymore in American Bookstore & co.

News / The chances for Warsaw to become capital of eventual Slavic confederation? [183]

Ukrainians are East Slavs.

Language / Site I've been using to learn Polish--what do you people think? [18]

You cannot learn any language from a website or a book. Grammar is a cold and merciless aspect of any language. Not any website can teach you that. Take evening classes... get frustrated, and later gradually more satisfied as you master the basics and later the medium level of that horror called the Polish language.

In my experience the only way to do it.

Life / What is the cheapest electronics store in Poland? [17]

Media Markt and Saturn are both part of the same company - the German Metro Group.

News / New cross war in Warsaw [530]

PIS first tried to use the Smolensk tragedy in the elections, hence the Wawel burial - against all Polish traditions (LK can hardly be called a national hero). Now the cross thing - ammunition for the parliamentary elections?

How long can a national mourning continue - for a president who was besides grossly incompetent and partial also unpopular ?

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]

I meant - Why Dell moved its production? Only because of financial reasons. Not because of the facty that Polish workers suddenly are so more experienced as Polish ones.

Another example. Philips Lighting. Once moved its production from Belgium to Poland. A few years ago the production in Poland was closed and moved to the Far East.

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]


Good example is Dell having moved everything to Lodz. Why? Because Polish workers are so much brilliant as Irish? Not really.

News / The chances for Warsaw to become capital of eventual Slavic confederation? [183]

Exactly. Ethno restaurants. Only everything ethno was bombed, murdered and flattened by the Serbs in the 90's with gusto.
As I remember Banja Luka was the location of a genuine massacre by Serb mercenaries on innocent Bosnian civilians ?

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]


Not to mention they put here sour cream on their salad and bread crumbs on basically every warm vegetable :))

Actually I thnk median salaries do not tell the whole story. There are really very big income differences between the different parts of the country. Salaries in Warsaw are much higher than for example in Augustow..But so of course is also the cost of living.

As I know the average income in Warsaw is around 3.000 PLN. But I am at a loss how you can lead a decent life here on that salary, bearing in mind a lot of people earn a lot less than that.

Work / Some opinions about current pay rates (normal pay per hour for housekeeping in Poland)... [19]

We pay our Pani Jadzia 150 PLN for ironing and cleaning. She is here approx from 07:00 untill 19:00. She is coming here for like 12 years, and is basically part of the family. If we go on holidays she comes here to sleep over and take care of our cat. In this case we pay her per 24 hrs 50 PLN + once per week the 150 PLN for the cleaning part.

Travel / Is it safe to travel to Poland? [194]

I would like to add CH Arkadia here in Warsaw as one of the criminal hotspots, and this since yesterday. Left my shopping trolley from Carrefour unattended for 5 minutes when I went upstairs to Marks & Spencers. When I came back, it was gone...

Somebody was very much in need of its content (washing powder, white cheese and catfood) :)
Disgraceful :)

News / Will Komorowski be Poland's worst ever president? [72]

You mean like PIS who happily made a coalition with Lepper and Giertych - one a dumb populist, the other one a convinced nazi?
Presidents in general have to represent their country to the outside world and not behave like primitives. Her BK is a good choice I think. At least he knows Poland is a part of Europe

Law / Driver's licence - How to exchange British one to Polish legally? [34]

No, your driving licence (since you come from another EU country) is valid in Poland as well. (though I am not sure abour the UK and Irish ones - righthand driving). I am driving on my Belgian licence here without problems.

By the way, can somebody confirm that even with another EU licence you get points deducted? Belgian licences do not have points, but I heard this is connected to your PESEL ?

News / Komorowski won Poland's presidency vote? [125]

I hope it is true. Poland was on the abyss of a bigoted Radio Marija sponsored era - once again. It deserves better.
At the moment PIS is parading Maria Kaczynska with her children - disgusting

Life / Does anybody care about the elections in Poland? [26]

JK would have enough powers to make this country the fool of Europe. Bigoted, Radio Marija-sponsored. Thinks the world ends basically at Plac Wilsona. Has a paranoid vision of seeing enemies everywhere. Has a cherished tradition of double-dealing. Made backroom deals with Lepper and Giertych.

In all Western countries the president represents the country in the outside world. I do no think JK would show an image of a modern Poland.

Life / Does anybody care about the elections in Poland? [26]

Yes I know this. In our local gmina here in Warsaw people were waiting for hours to get the documents to vote - presumably - on the seaside. But it is not a topic between people, as far as I can see.

Anyway, good. BK needs every Warsaw vote there is.
Also there are almost no billboards around. Could be because the candidates had little time to prepare themselves.
Yesterday was the big debate on TV - I read today about it in the papers -. I wonder who watched it to be honest. BBQ time I think it was for half the country.

News / Poland's successful big business? [5]


What makes you think if they would be Polish-owned they would be more efficient/honest ?
What is the difference if KGHM would still be state-owned?