Travel / Visiting Gdansk - looking for ex-pat bars... [21]

The OP more recently posted here. He did not have a mishap-free vacation, unfortunately...
How come no one ever sees to pay for the bus in Poland?

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Must be a very recent trend, usually they overvalue in the hope of securing the business, as the vendor wants to hear the highest figure rather than the realistic one. Later, the asking prices drop to achieve a sale. Have a look at Property Bee or Property Snake to see what really happens to properties before they sell - the initial asking prices often bear no resemblance. That said, where there is still demand, possibly some of the hot spots in C London, the above sheer drops may not be evident as yet

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Asking prices aren't selling prices, as the estate agents used to tell me when I moaned mine was cheaper than rival homes and yet still unsold! (London 1990s)

Life / Jehova's witnesses in Poland - how to deal with them? [110]


With kindness, because like most genuinely religious people they think they are doing things to help others, etc etc. Just politely direct them to someone else if they come my way, totally respecting them as people, no problem at all.

(I am not exactly an atheist but have no religious beliefs whatsoever)

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Highly unusual - most London properties are at best 20% above what they sold for in 2007. Are you sure the agent didn't value it at .3m rather than 1.3m ? Seriously.

Law / I'm married to a Polish guy - how long to get a resident permit? [13]

V interesting stuff, especially the PESEL tip. Thanks for clarifying it,

Law / I'm married to a Polish guy - how long to get a resident permit? [13]

Thanks D. Although they do expect anyone from the EU inc Britain to get a res card if staying over 90 days, do they not?

Law / I'm married to a Polish guy - how long to get a resident permit? [13]


So do I: what is the difference between a karta pobytu (resident card) and resident permit? Is the latter permission to stay indefinitely, the former just for a set period like 3 months or 5 years?

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

Two uniformed ticket inspectors with a member of the public, today in Wrocław
(many inspectors are in plain clothes, that is non-uniformed but with an ID badge
displayed only once aboard the tram or bus)

• 
  wroclawpolandticketi.jpg
  

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]


We don't do the hi/smile to strangers in the UK either, I'm afraid. As for the older Polish ones, some are suspicious of foreigners here, I ahve heard a few unpleasant remarks in my time, some aimed at me apparently.

But what you do get here sometimes is a goodbye when someone leaves your train compartment, as if they know you, even if they haven't spoken a word to you all the trip. We don't have that in the UK.

Anyway, enjoy your beers, and very good talking with you :o)

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

That sort of L " £ " is how Polish people include the sound of our W into a word. Their W sounds like a V (it's 'voo' I think). So Wrocław is pronounced 'Vrotzwuv' or something like that. A proper Pole will probably correct me if I'm drifiting too far off course, but that's my understanding of it as the UK equivalent of a New Jersey boy :o)

Sorry, £15 would be about US$24, Tesco is a well-known British supermarket with branches in Poland, Auchan a French one.

Well, I hope you do come back to Poland one day soon - sorry about the less than good experiences but generally it's safer and better than many other places I could list.

Any other help you need - just don't hesitate to ask me - or the board's native Poles :o)

Y'all have a nice day now !

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]


Try to find a taxi firm that speaks English and will come if you phone them from a phone box rather than just getting in an Anycab. If you are staying for a little while, get a £15 cheap handset from Tesco or Auchan and a SIM card "Starter" pack for about £2 from any supermarket. Once you put the SIM card in, you have only a limited time to use the included credit, typically a month. One of the mobile phone operators used to allow unused credit for a whole year but not sure that is still applicable. My advice is not to be without a mobile while here, for £15 it's worth it rather than taking pot luck on a strange taxi.

He probably wanted your shirt so he could sell it on, people sell individual stuff in the street here willynilly anywhere, or on Polish auction sites like Allegro of course (or just to his pub or taxi mates!).

Taxi firms in Gdansk that might speak English, eg inyourpocket.com/poland/EURO-2012-Gdansk/EURO-2012/Getting-there-by-taxi/Neptun-Taxi_98959v[ or maybe autotaxivan.pl/english.html

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]


I don't know what to make of that taxi driver - I'll leave it to the others who are more experienced on that to comment and help you. Don't forget, if in any danger, dial 997 for the police and if you don't speak Polish, say phonetically "Knee move ya poe pole sku" ("I don't speak Polish") and add phonetically "Movie-oh tillco poe an-gell-sku " - gell rhyming with hell, ie not gel - (means "I speak only English"). Might not be 100% right but works for me.

(If you prefer to speak Spanish, then it's "Movie-oh tillco poe hish-panskii")

Obviously, try to find out how to get the cheaper travel card now if you're there for more than just a few days.

Any nonsense from dodgy cabbies or similar, tell them to "go away now" * ("odd-ey-guz turrazz") and if they don't, then step away and dial 997 for the boys in blue.

*odejść teraz


Yes but it's different for you because you can probably speak Polish. All I can do to get them off my back is wave the receipt in their face. If I don't have that receipt, I would get a long confrontational situation and inconvenience.

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]


You're right to be curious actually, I used to notice that in London a lot on the bendy-buses there and, guess what, they weren't paying at all, they were taking free rides for sure! It was in the newspapers - fare dodging on those buses was rife. In the UK that's a criminal offence, obtaining a service by deception.

I carry a card that has a chip and inspectors inspect usually once a week or once a fortnight when they get on the bus or tram disguised as little old ladies (well some of them are little old ladies) and aged Magnum PI lookalikes. Once, my card lost its encoding and the inspector went into 'shout and demand the fine mode' until I produced the receipt calmly and he re-encoded the card and went away with his tail between his legs. So, if you're in Poland and buy a card to travel that has a chip or magnetic strip, always keep the paper receipt with the card.

Travel / How come no one ever seems to pay for the bus in Poland? [63]

You mean they don't validate their ticket in the machine or have a bus pass which they carry in case an inspector wants to see it? They can't not have a ticket if it's pay on entry to the bus, as the driver will just switch off the engine if someone refuses to buy a ticket and boards anyway.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

It says:
Message sending failed. Reason: The maximum number of stored user's messages is reached. You may try to contact this member by email.

But don't sweat it with the mailbox WB, as I've nothing much in the way of news on that, perhaps it's going a bit south in patches, is how it seems to me at the moment.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

@Wroclaw Boy
You sent me a PM but can't reply as your inbox is full & you don't accept emails. Am not ignoring you, I just can't reply. . :o)

Food / Where can I get the spreader/rake for making crepes & pancakes in Poland? [15]

This person makes it look very easy - it's not.
youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5HrN3J78gyg

I have owned the exact same one, for some time and the pancake sets before you get a chance to spread it more thinly, result is a mess. In this video, the spreader (not the same as a proper rake) is not being used correctly anyway as anyone can see

youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rFluc5lQTfw

Crepes (bliny) for Maslenica


Bliny and maślenica are eastern inventions... little is known of them in Poland.. the crepes that we make are called "naleszniki",a recepie from Poland that my parents always made.We fill them with whipped cream and all sorts of berries such as blueberries and raspberries.

Love / ARE POLISH GIRLS GOLD-DIGGERS? [359]




And we wonder why teachers quit the profession.


TG for that.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


I've had a licence for over 25 years but I wouldn't want to drive in Poland.


Fair enough. What with the farm and all, I guess you've got your hands full with the hen nights.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

You see, I get lonely, suffer depression etc, I don't like to be too far from things. I know your advice is completely correct, but it's just my preference as I don't drive here and all to easily feel very cut off. Of course, neighbours like the ones I have upstairs do make me want to run away as far as possible as they don't let me sleep.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

That is a drop, be nice to see that here


Are you now saying prices will stop falling and start to rise in 2013? I ask because you posted this


on another thread ( What do you pay in rent/mortgage? )

You perhaps have a better 'feel' for Poland than I do and have decided that a large proportion of Poland's existing property is owned by people outright and that they won't need or want to sell what they own much below where prices are now.

If that turns out to be correct and property prices do start rising next year, it will definitely rule me out from ever owning my own home in a Polish city unless I were fortunate enough to secure a well-paid position in Poland. Unlikely with my language skills - most Poles try not to laugh hysterically when I try to speak their language (bless 'em).

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


Thanks MoOli & Peterweg for replying on this.

Leaflet in the door at the flats I am at from the same co who manage. They say "Cena w bud. A-1 4399 zl/m2 brutto" on the leaflet (Wroclaw outskirts, from my limited knowledge I would say it is to Wroclaw as Baldock is to Watford)

I think prior to that, cheapest poster I had seen was 4735 m2 for a development not yet built after I enquired.

UK, Ireland / Recommend a courier/transport - Poland to UK [7]

Thank you

Hello, me again!

Anyone recommend a good transport company from Wroc to Essex or the SE of England? I have approx 60kg to go (3 large boxes incl a TV and microwave).

Please PM me if you don't want to post on the thread.

Thank you.

Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]


How is that done in Poland, actually?? I have often thought it may be a good idea and was looking at agricultural land in the UK about 5 years ago when it was affordable. I thought no foreigners were allowed to buy ag land/farms until 2016.

Food / Where to buy British mature Cheddar Cheese and salted butter in Poland? [289]

Apart from Gouda (or Dutch Edam), I don't know of any cheese there that is similar to Polish cheese. You might want to try a very cheap English mild cheddar, or experiment with some of the mild cheeses that Sainsbury and some supermarkets have, Leerdammer etc.


I'm a secret lemonade drinker myself ;o)

Mature Cheddar Bulletin
------------------------------
For PF Eyes only
classified

Tesco Magnolia Park Wroclaw does not have C/City - only the other brands which are more expensive and to my taste not as good.

Tesco Bielany Wroclaw may still have some C/City - see post above.

That ends this message.

Love / ARE POLISH GIRLS GOLD-DIGGERS? [359]

The term you seek is actually money-grubber. It oftens gets corrupted to money-grabber, even by the media.

merriam-webster.com/dictionary/money-grubber

mon·ey-grub·ber noun \ˈmə-nē-ˌgrə-bər\
Definition of MONEY-GRUBBER
: a person bent on accumulating money
- mon·ey·grub·bing \-biŋ\ adjective or noun
See money-grubber defined for English-language learners »
First Known Use of MONEY-GRUBBER
1840

Food / Where can I get the spreader/rake for making crepes & pancakes in Poland? [15]


It's 80zl in Tesco Bielany Wroclaw, 2 left (yesterday) if you want one. Slightly more upmarket one with a lid, about double that in Jula.

Food / Where can I get the spreader/rake for making crepes & pancakes in Poland? [15]

:o)

In case you want to make them thin: batter should be quite watery, almost like water. You can pour the batter into the pan or use a soup spoon ("ladle"). To get the batter to reach the pan's sides/edges - move the pan around while keeping a firm grip on the handle, you can also gently shake or vibrate the pan to get the batter to go to the edges of the frying pan. A proper pancake pan is better than a multi-purpose frying pan. When frying, take care not to let a non-stick pan get too hot before you put the batter in as this can be toxic (fumes etc, see link below). Keep pancakes warm by putting them in an oven at 100C after frying. Not too much oil - just brush the pan with oil, no more than that is needed for each pancake.

goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/cooking-tools/cookware-reviews/nonstick-cookware-safety-facts

Food / Where can I get the spreader/rake for making crepes & pancakes in Poland? [15]

Hmm. well that's a pitfall I shall now bear in mind, you could have averted disaster for me with that tip, thank you!