Australia / Australian citizen wanting to go to Poland for as long as possible - needs Polish Visa [49]


Of all the places that I would advise the OP to avoid, top on the list would be the popular destinations like Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław, followed closely by Poznań and Gdańsk/Gdynia/Sopot. There are scads of wannabe "English teachers" scrambling for table scraps. The best jobs are already taken, and those require at least a CELTA, which is going to cost about $1000 US. In-company work and work during the summer goes preferentially to experienced established teachers. There's little for newbies. Few schools have any incentive to go through the harrowing process of getting a work permit, and most are reluctant to offer a real work contract, opting instead for useless "garbage" contracts (umowa zlecenie and umowa o dzieło), neither of which will help the OP land a residence permit. The few jobs to be had are mostly in lousy, low-paying schools like Berlitz, Callan, Avalon and "Direct Method" schools. It would take a lot of luck to land a real work contract in a good school for decent wages.

If there are still opportunities to be had, it is in the less popular cities like £ódź, Katowice and environs, Rzeszów, Lublin, Białystok and Bydgoszcz, or in smaller towns out in the province, particular out east, like £omża, Augustów or Tarnów, where the competition is far less intense. Furthermore, the cost of living is high in the popular cities, and the wages are not much higher than in the provinces, if at all. However, as the OP apparently has a particular destination in mind, this greatly diminishes his ability to cast his net wide and his chances of finding a suitable job in someplace far off the beaten path.

Sorry, but the boat has sailed for English teachers in Poland, especially for those who wish to work in the popular cities and who come from outside the EU. The OP is far better off remaining in Australia, where he can gain useful work experience and beef up his qualifications in order to increase his future earning potential, and perhaps earn enough to save up a significant amount of money, which will be impossible in Poland. Like I said, when you factor in the cost of airfare, the residence permit and the certification course, there's not much incentive to move from Australia to Poland.

Australia / Australian citizen wanting to go to Poland for as long as possible - needs Polish Visa [49]

Honestly, it is going to be very, very, very difficult for you to find gainful employment at a satisfying wage in Poland. The chances of your significant other finding such in Australia are astronomically higher.

Unless you have some heavy duty certificates, qualifications and experience, especially in IT engineering, your ability to find a job at all, and a good-paying one at that, is severely limited, especially if you don't know Polish very well. Basically, you'll be restricted to two options, neither of which is attractive enough to justify making the move from Australia to Poland:

1) Teaching English: pays poorly, and there are precious few jobs for non-Eu nationals. The job market for English teachers is not good right now because of the economic crisis. At best, you will make barely enough to survive, that is, if you do manage to find a job at all. Calculating in the cost of airfare, a certification course and the fees for your residence permit, and taking into account the fact that you will be paid for only seven-and-a-half months a year (you don't get paid for holidays, and there is precious little work to be had during the summer vacation), you might well end up in the red after the first year, and probably just barely break even during the second, even if you lead a very, very frugal lifestyle.

2) Cold call sales/marketing or low-level collections in a call-center. A truly lousy job that pays too little to survive on. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Sorry to pi$$ on your campfire, but the "foreign boy moves to Poland to be with Polish girlfriend" story very, very rarely has a happy ending. The guy almost always ends up dissatisfied with being unemployed or earning far too little, and the girl loses interest in a guy who can't pull his own weight.

Polish girls and "in-laws" are fine as long as you are bringing in plenty of cash, or at least enough cash to stay safely in the black. Once you dip into the red, the love withers and the hospitality dries up. They will feel no compunction in making it clear that you are no longer welcome.

Polish "mothers-in-law" are extremely skilled in making your life miserable when they are so inclined. Polish women are notoriously mercenary, and have little cash registers in their heads that keep a running tally at all times. They will know exactly to the penny where you stand. Don't disillusion yourself by thinking that your girlfriend and her mother are exceptions to the rule. As I said, the "foreign boy moves to Poland to be with Polish girlfriend" story rarely has a happy ending. VERY rarely. It usually ends up as a horror double feature.

If, on the other hand, you have some REAL SOLID education, qualifications and experience that might be in demand on the extremely competitive Polish job market, please let us know. Otherwise, your dream is unrealistic, and you would be much better off living in Australia, where jobs are a lot easier to find, wages are much higher, and opportunities to improve your qualifications and quality of life are much more abundant, especially for you.

One more thing: there is next to zero demand for non-EU office workers in Poland. The market is over-saturated with applicants who are much easier to hire than you. Getting a work permit for a non-EU national is a costly and time-consuming hassle that few, if any, Polish employers will be willing to deal with for a mere office worker. You would have to have some serious and unique qualifications to find work in that area. Furthermore, wages for office workers are generally abysmal.

Work / Moving to Warsaw, teaching but hoping to deviate into business environment [16]


Agree on that point. But even more of a problem is poor access to the city center. I used to live in Skierniewice, and could get to Rotunda a lot faster than my friend from Piaseczno could. If I could get back all the hours I spent waiting for him on that corner...


How many of those involve young, unqualified, poorly earning British slackers who can't make a go of it on the Polish job market? I've known heaps of British and Irish guys who moved here for their girlfriends only to move back shortly afterwards because of their limited earning potential. Usually because their girlfriends lost interest in them. All of the successful couples I know involve good earning professionals. Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław are fun cities to live in if you have cash to burn. Otherwise, they can be more depressing than Wałbrzych, Radom or Sosnowiec.


Oh, the stories I can tell would chill your blood. Once the cash runs dry, the "kły i szpony" are unsheathed, and the hysterics start. Financial security is the highest need in the hierarchy for Polish women, and that need is far more powerful than love could ever be. Anything that represents the slightest threat on that front comes under immediate, merciless and relentless artillery fire, and the arms they have at their disposal are jaw-droppingly intimidating. Their aim is also uncannily accurate. They can castrate a fruit fly at a range of fifty kilometers.

Work / Moving to Warsaw, teaching but hoping to deviate into business environment [16]

Piaseczno is a nice neighborhood, but is is a major hassle to get from there to the city, and it takes a real lot of time. Traffic is absolutely horrible, and there is no way to get to the city by public transport without transferring. The commute will have a major impact on your lifestyle, especially if you have to teach both morning and evening classes, as you won't be able to go home for breaks. Those midday breaks will wear you down in no time. It's quite possible that you will have very little time to spend together with your girlfriend during the week. You might be leavig home at 6 am and returning at 11 pm. You're probably not going to make sufficient money teaching only evening or only daytime classes.

Assuming that you will be living with her parents (more on that below), you'll have to give them at least 1000 PLN for rent and board. Anything less would be an insult. You most certainly are not welcome to stay with them for free. That is an absurd idea.

If you plan on getting your own apartment together, you're looking at a minimum outlay of 2200 PLN a month for rent/utilities. Piaseczno is an expensive area of Warsaw.

Food away from home, recreation, gym and sundry expenses will set you back about 1000 PLN a month, without a car. Having a car won't be cheap.

That means you will have to bring in at least 3000 PLN a month to break even, and probably a little more. That's pretty close to the maximum you can expect to make as an English teacher.

Having a car in Warsaw is senseless as parking is horribly expensive.

Polish girls and "in-laws" are fine as long as you are bringing in plenty of cash, or at least enough cash to stay safely in the black. Once you dip into the red, the love withers and the hospitality dries up. They will feel no compunction in making it clear that you are no longer welcome.

Polish "mothers-in-law" are extremely skilled in making your life miserable when they are so inclined. Polish women are notoriously mercenary, and have little cash registers in their heads that keep a running tally at all times. They will know exactly to the penny where you stand. Don't disillusion yourself by thinking that your girlfriend and her mother are exceptions to the rule. The "foreign boy moves to Poland to be with Polish girlfriend" story rarely has a happy ending. VERY rarely.

Remember that you will get paid for only eight months a year, and that you will have to support yourself off of what you save during the other four months. You don't get paid for holidays, and there is precious little work available during the summer.

The only work available for non-Polish speaking English speakers in Warsaw is cold-call sales or low-level collections in a call center, which is a truly lousy job that pays very, very little (unless you have some kick-a$$ qualifications in IT).

As an English teacher in Warsaw, your lifestyle will be frugal, and savings will be scant. Don't disillusion yourself; this is not the path to riches or financial security. Forget about saving up substantial money. As I said, you're going to go through whatever you save up during the holidays and vacations, which will mostly be spent sitting at home.

Your time and energy would be far better spent on furthering your education and getting real qualifications and experience in your home country. Contrary to what you've been told, employers are little impressed by TEFL experience. Opportunities for you to improve your qualifications in Poland are essentially nonexistent.

Sorry to pi$$ on your campfire, but you should do some serious rethinking about your future and do something constructive to improve your future earnings potential and retirement income. Teaching English in Poland does nothing to further this goal.

Love / Partner wants me to come to Poland? [21]


You learned well. I've been burned a few times myself. Hope makes you do the stupidest things.


Actually, males deal a lot better with a firm and final "no" without further discussion than prolonged indecisive discussion, which they find frustrating and tiring. Women value discussion. Men consider it a waste of time. As a divorced parent with two sons and military experience, you should know that by now. It would help a lot to nip this in the bud rather than to let it fester. That way, he can constructively focus his time and energy planning how to make a go of it for all three of you in the States, rather than wasting his time making unrealistic plans for a life with you in Poland.

You do realize that flying to the States to visit your children is prohibitively expensive from the point of view of a person living in Poland? Your fiance would have to bring in a helluva lotta cash by Polish standards to pay for tickets to the States on an annual basis.

Life will be a lot easier for both of you and your kid as well if both of you are working, or can at least find a job. Even if you chose not to work in the States, you have the option of taking courses or otherwise improving your qualifications in the meantime, an option that will not exist for you in Poland.


There will be ZERO hope of mainstreaming your child in Poland. He's going to be a very lonely outsider for at least the first couple years. Like I said before, unless you are positively rolling in cash, cash and more cash, there will be essentially no services available to help your son in Poland.

You sound like an independent and experienced grown woman, and not like someone who is going to deal well with being totally financially, materially and emotionally dependent on a twenty-something momma's boy and his messed-up family. I would think very carefully about sacrificing my independence, especially to someone who is still wet behind the ears and still having problems being independent on his own.

Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against the idea of May-December romance. But it would be delusional to expect that a twenty-something momma's boy is going to be able to provide the security and stability that you and your son need to thrive. As the older and more experienced member of the pair, that will be your job, not his, and you will not be able to do that if your wings are clipped by not being able to work and speak the local language.

Having read your other posts, I think that the prospect of being trapped with and subject to his pathologically family is something that can cause real and lasting harm to you and your son. Without your own source of cash, you will be totally under their power. As will he, as they will be the ones providing his income, and his family will definitely use the fact that it is they who are, after all, paying the bills to lord over you. I can't imagine why you would even entertain the thought of putting yourself and your son in that position.

You have a lot of thinking to do, including about whether this relationship has a future at all. I agree with everyone else that your primary responsibility is to your son, and that his needs come first before yours or your fiance's. I understand your need for love and a relationship, and understand that you have already invested a lot emotionally in this relationship, but it's time to start thinking rationally and realistically like a mom and a grown up.

Wish you all the best!

Study / Universities in Poland, will studying here be cheaper than in North America? [4]

Depending on the program and university, it can actually be more expensive than at a good state or community university in Canada or the States. The degree is likely to be worth less than a Canadian or American degree, the standard of life is generally poorer, and you won't be able to work while you study. Doesn't sound like a sound plan to me. Do your research first, but, overall, I can't think of much advantage of studying in Poland instead of North America.

For God's sake, never even think of moving to Poland to be with your girlfriend. Unless you have serious qualifications and have a high-paying job, you are unlikely to survive very long. Life as a couple would be far easier and fulfilling in Canada than in Poland. Where were you thinking of studying in Poland? Do you speak Polish?

The racism issue is not that bad. Sure, you might occasional here a snide comment or get a dirty stare, but most people are relatively tolerant.

What did you get your bachelor's in, and what do you want to get your master's in?

Work / Moving to Poland, will I be able to find work with a masters in Economics and an MBA? [19]


That would be the smart approach, either with Fiat or some other company. Especially if he could keep his western rate of pay.


That is likely what he would end up doing if he came here to Poland and got the job here. Entry-level sales positions are very poorly paid, and it's not very rewarding work, especially if it's cold-call sales in a call center.

Work / Moving to Poland, will I be able to find work with a masters in Economics and an MBA? [19]

Your best chance would be to get hired by an Italian or other international company that does business in Poland, and then get transferred to their operations in Poland.

Otherwise, you are going to have an extremely difficult time finding any work at all other than a poorly paid one in a call center. There is no shortage of people with masters in economics and MBAs in Poland; in fact, there is a positive glut of them, so the competition you will face will be fierce.

There is a small chance that you might be able to find work with a company that requires a purchasing agent that speaks Italian, but without Polish, your chances are greatly reduced. Again, you would have better luck trying with an Italian or other international corporation.

Bottom line: don't even think of quitting your job in Italy until you find an actual secure well-paid job in Poland. As for finding one, I wouldn't hold my breath. Good jobs are far and few between here, and, like I said, the competition for them is fierce.

Love / Partner wants me to come to Poland? [21]

Just to be clear about it. Plan A isn't very realistic either, though it's a heck of a lot better than Plan B. Sorry, Rsavy, but you don't have very much to offer on the Polish job market, which is a whole lot more competitive than the American job market. If it weren't for the kid, I would say go ahead and try your luck if you want. But with the kid, I don't see how you would be able to make a go of it in Poland. I can't think of a single way in which you moving to Poland would not be a big step down from living in the States, especially for your son. And by "big", I mean "really, really big".

If your fiance is not willing to live with you permanently in the States, then you have a real problem. You'll have to talk that out together and decide whether you have a future together, and whether marriage is actually a good idea.

Love / Partner wants me to come to Poland? [21]

Plan B is totally unrealistic, for a lot of reasons:

1) The chances that you will find gainful employment in Poland are nil. You won't be able to support yourself, never mind a child.

2) A certificate in Ultrasound Technology will not open up any doors to you in Poland. Besides, jobs in the medical field in Poland are notoriously poorly paid.

3) His chances of finding gainful employment in the States are astronomically higher than your chances of finding such in Poland.

4) Support services for your son will be sorely lacking unless you are rolling in cash.

5) Your combined family income in absolute dollars will be far below what it would be in the States, and this will not be offset by the lower cost of living.

6) As a stay-at-home mom who does not speak the local language well, you will be incredibly isolated.

7) Not only is Poland a cold country, but Białystok is the coldest city in Poland.

8) Białystok is "Poland B", the equivalent of the economically disadvantaged Deep South of the United States. And if by living "around Białystok" you mean outside of the city, you should be warned that Polish village life is particularly tough on outsiders.

9) If the perspective in-laws tend to be "dramatic and hysterical", and your perspective MIL is "neurotic.... in a for real way", you will probably want to maintain a very healthy distance. A large ocean is a good buffer. Polish in-laws are fine if you yourself are bringing in lots of cash and are total master of your own situation, but they can make life hell if you are dependent and trapped, especially if you are stuck out in the village. Never agree to live with them, even for a short period. A further warning: there is a real possibility that they will use the fact that you have a "retarded" son as a weapon against you.

10) You will have no opportunities for self-improvement and further education in Poland, and even after you learn Polish, further education is unlikely to translate into appreciably increased earnings potential.

11) Learning Polish ain't easy, and you will receive very little help or support from native Poles, who are not used to foreigners learning Polish. You won't be up to conversational level for four or five years at least.

Bottom line: there just ain't no way in hell that this will work out, and it's practically certain that it will end in major disaster. You might be able to pick yourself up, brush off the dust and carry on, but will your son be able to?

Language / Best Polish Translation Website? [13]


No. It's a matter of having a human brain, which works far, far better than any computer will for the next 100 years at least.


Not in your lifetime, nor in your children's lifetime, and probably even not in your grandchildren's lifetime, even if they're not born yet. The problem is that we know only a microscopic fraction of a percent of a percent of how the human brain works, and it will take a long, long time to build up that knowledge. Even in a century, we will still have huge gaps in our knowledge of how the brain works.

Real Estate / Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz? [24]


Ask your company's office in Warsaw to find someone to help you. Or, if you're going to go it alone, go to a reputable real estate agency. Ask your future coworkers.

News / Poland has the most dangerous roads in Europe [34]


I agree. I've driven in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the drivers are just so gosh done polite to each other and, especially, to pedestrians, that it makes driving for everyone a sheer pleasure. I actually loathe driving in Poland, and wouldn't even consider buying a car here for that reason.

Life / Electrical wiring in Poland - color codes [23]

Quite frankly, all that is better left to a qualified Polish electrician who knows exactly what they are doing and exactly how to do it in accordance with local code. I can't for the life of me figure out why you would want to mess with that yourself. The money you'd save would be trivial.

Study / How difficult is to be accepted as an international Undergraduate student in University of Warsaw? [6]


It's quite possible, that in spite of the reduced costs, the degree will not be worth the investment. English language programs at Polish universities tend not to have a good reputation.

The OP is a serious student, and would probably be better off studying at home in Brazil, or in another South or Central American country. They may also be eligible for scholarships to study in the States or in another English speaking country. Poland should not be at the top of this person's list, even if cost is taken into account.

I'm interested in what the OP is thinking, not what they may be thinking.

So let me repeat my questions to the OP:

What, exactly, do you want to study? And why, exactly, so you want to study it in Poland, of all places? And why not in Brazil, another South or Central American country or in an English speaking or German speaking country?

Study / How difficult is to be accepted as an international Undergraduate student in University of Warsaw? [6]


I expect living costs in Brazil are comparable or cheaper. Plus there are lots of other universities in South and Central America where that would also be the case. The question was why, specifically, Poland? Poland is far from an exception as far as living costs are concerned, so that is not a valid reason.

Study / How difficult is to be accepted as an international Undergraduate student in University of Warsaw? [6]

Why, exactly, do you want to study in Poland, of all places? Frankly, I would be wary of any program taught in English in Poland. They are generally of poor quality, and the diploma you get might not be worth much on the job market.

What, exactly, do you want to study?

Life / Want help! Need to buy English novels but can't seem to find any good ones [8]

Learn to use chomikuj.pl, torrentz.com and emule, and download the books in PDF form. I can't remember the last time I bought a paper book. Almost anything I want is available for free online. For me, pdf's and ebooks are a blessing because I have poor vision and can't easily read paper books any more. On screen, I can set the font as big as I want so that I have no trouble reading it. You can also print out and bind pdf's and ebooks, and it is often cheaper than buying the book in conventional form.

Classic literature like Alice in Wonderland is in the public domain and can be legally downloaded, copied and distributed. There are PLENTY of sites on the web on which you can find classic literature to download for free. Do not use any that require you to send an SMS. You will regret it.

Another place to look is alegro.pl. There is a surprising large selection of English books at low prices.

If you need a nice paper copy to give as a present, well then learn to use amazon. The days of conventional bookstores are numbered, especially niche ones like English bookstores in foreign countries. You're going to see a major shift toward electronic books in the coming years, and also toward internet sales. You snooze, you lose.

Real Estate / Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz? [24]


You'll be arriving in the middle of winter, so it will be easy to check whether the windows are tightly sealed or letting in a lot of cold air. A native Pole who has experience renting apartments will know exactly what to look out for.

You offer to pay a native Pole who has experience renting apartments to accompany you. It will be well worth the money spent. Like I said, trying to do this on your lonesome is going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Finding someone to help you will not be all that difficult.

Also, whether the person helping you is doing so for money or out of the kindness of their heart, do not let that kindness go unrecognized and unrewarded. Make sure that the person is fairly compensated for their time and effort. After all, they are saving you a world of trouble and a lot of money, in the end.

As a last resort, you can always go to a real estate agency and have them find you an apartment. They will charge you about one month's rent for doing so, and the amount of rent you will have to pay may be somewhat higher. You'll have to make the decision as to whether the extra outlay is worth it or not. Most larger agencies have someone who speaks English who can help you.

Real Estate / Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz? [24]

@]FlaglessPole

Generally run-down and decaying. Charming only if you find decayed elegance charming. Nowhere near as pretty as Kraków or Wrocław, and not as vibrant as Warsaw. The main drag is called ul. Piotrkowska, and when I moved here 11 years ago, that was a pretty fun street. I lived nearby in Skierniewice, and actually preferred spending time in £ódź than in Warsaw. Since then, they opened huge shopping malls at either end, and that killed off the life from the city center (sorry, but malls don't excite me in the least). Now, I feel sort of depressed walking along the street. A lot of my old hangouts have closed down. It also didn't help that for eight years during that time, £ódź had a truly ghastly mayor. It was hit hard by brain drain and an overall exodus of young people, either to nearby Warsaw or to the western EU countries, more than any other large city in Poland except perhaps Katowice. There are visibly fewer young people on the streets than in Warsaw, Kraków and Wrocław, in spite of the university. With the faster train connection, more residents are commuting to Warsaw for work and culture.

Some people like the grimy character of the city, and do find it charming. I personally prefer Wrocław (which is where I now live). I guess it depends on your background. If you're kitchen-sink working class from a dilapidated industrial city, I guess you'll feel at home.

Real Estate / Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz? [24]

I have friends that live nearby just off of Rojna Street. The area is a safe residential neighborhood with lots of big highrises. The area around the Przedszkole is where you should be looking, as close to work as possible. And as close to Aleksandrowska Street, so that you can do all your shopping and have easier access to the city.

Real Estate / Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz? [24]


That's on a VERY long street, some 5 or 6 km long, so that doesn't do much to pin down the location of your workplace. The east end is about three km from the city center. The west end is out in the suburbs. It's a very busy street; commercial on the north side, and residential on the south side.

Your best bet is to ask your future colleagues where would be the best place to live. Really, give up all plans of doing this all on your lonesome. You definitely need the help of a native Pole, and a long-time resident of £ódź who knows the area. And you have to visit the area in person in the company of a native to get a good idea what's possible, and what's not.

Study / British Council CELTA in Krakow, how would you rate it? [60]


Poor to nil. There is a huge glut of wannabe English teachers in Kraków, Warsaw and Wrocław, the cities that attract the most foreigners. The best jobs are already taken, and you will be competing with scads of other foreigners, many of which will be more qualified than you, for the table scraps, often in cr@ppy schools. My advice would be to forget about these cities, and probably Poznań and Gdańsk/Gdynia/Sopot as well, and try to find a job in a smaller city off the beaten track out in the provinces, or take your chances in the cities out east (Rzeszów, Lublin and Białysok), or in the less touristy and less attractive cities (£ódź and Katowice plus surroundings).

Generally speaking, the boat has sailed as far as language teaching in Poland is concerned, especially in the big, attractive cities.

Real Estate / Recommend good residential areas in which to rent an apartment in Lodz? [24]



Can't agree more. Never sign the contract without first making sure that the apartment and the neighborhood meet your requirements, and without going over the contract carefully with a native Pole. Don't try to do this over the internet; it's not going to work. As I said before, it would be best if your future colleagues found a suitable place for you. In any case, when looking for an apartment, always have a native Pole with you to translate and explain.

Furnishings vary from apartment to apartment. You have to see what is in the apartment to decide; some apartments are provided with good furniture, others with cheap old junk that's dirty or falling apart. Chances are that you will have to by a desk and desk chair.

1500 to 1900 PLN per month is about right for a one-bedroom apartment in £ódź, all bills included, except internet/TV/phone. Generally, the cheaper the apartment, the less desirable it is, either because it is run down, or because it is in a bad location. Be careful to check out the windows and the heating. An old apartment with bad windows can cost a fortune to heat in the winter. Nice, new apartments in desirable neighborhoods are going to cost even more than 1900 PLN. Depends on what level of comfort you want.

The prime consideration for picking a neighborhood is proximity to your place of work. A cheap apartment may be no bargain if you have to spend two or three hours a day commuting to work. You'll also be probably happier as a foreigner living nearer the town center, rather than in some god-forsaken housing estate on the periphery, so aim for a location between your place of work and the town center, but with easy access to both, especially your place of work.

Be very careful of apartments that are well below the market price. If they are, there is usually a good reason for it, and you should make sure to ask exactly why. It can be something like intolerably noisy neighbors, or bad plumbing.

Also, make sure your apartment has a good clothes washer. Laundromats are few and far between in Poland, and they are very expensive.

Work / Is it possible for a street musician to make a living in Warsaw? [6]


That's Phillip. He's been here for at least seven years. And he's out there every day, summer and winter, rain or shine.

He is, or was, somehow involved with the English radio station in Wrocław, called Radio WrocLove, and, I think, with the English language paper, as well.

Basically, I gather that he's out there singing more because he loves to sing than because of the money he makes. I remember waiting for a friend at pręgierz once and watching him sing in front of Feniks for more than an hour. A few people went up and talked to him, but no one put any money in the hat. I don't think his singing pays all his bills, but he seems to love it.

Overall, in Wrocław I've observed a big drop in the number of buskers and other street entertainers over the past few years. The only ones I remember seeing this year were that pesky Gypsy band, and a few down and out college students who can't play or sing worth a damn, and usually hang out in the pedestrian underpass on Świdnicka. And Phillip, of course.

Related: Rules and laws for Street Artists in Poland?


General rule is to get authority permission for public places, or regular permit from owner for private object.

Polonia / Do you know any Polish Language teachers in India? [44]

Only a few words are helpful, certainly not "many", and many of the words that look similar have evolved different meanings in German and Polish. Many of them are hard to recognize, because they were borrowed not from the Hochdeutsch that you are learning, but from another variety of German called Hansa-Plattdeutsch, which, curiously, is a lot more closely related to English than to Hochdeutsch. Polish borrowings directly from Hochdeutsch are minimal.

As for your example, the English (and Plattdeutsch) equivalent is "flask". "Bottle" is not a native English word. It's borrowed from French.

Law / Does anyone know the process to get long-term residency (stała karta pobytu)? [9]

The process is exactly the same as getting the temporary permits. The only difference is in that the permission granted is permanent, and not temporary.

Study / Are there any German or British universities in Poland? [21]

It shouldn't have been. It's pretty clear that the OP's English is severely deficient.

Polonia / Do you know any Polish Language teachers in India? [44]

That doesn't mean that the languages are more closely related. English has a lot of words from French, Latin and Greek, and is no more closely related to any of those languages than to Polish or Kannada. A German speaker is not going to learn Polish any faster than a Kannada speaker will, a Pole will not learn German any faster than they can learn Kannada. And a Kannada speaker that knows German is not going to learn Polish any faster than a Kannada speaker who doesn't.

Study / Are there any German or British universities in Poland? [21]


I can't imagine how you would be able to do the research for a real Ph.D. at a serious school with your level of English. I'm assuming that your Polish is not all that much better. I can't see you plowing through two, three or four hundred pages a day of heavy academic prose, day in and day out, year after year. Never mind writing a dissertation. And I can't imagine you being able to do so for at least another two or three years, that is, if you really start studying English very intensively now.

Frankly, I have no idea how you got a masters.