Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Financial means come and go at different times in your life. Sometimes the means are there and sometimes they aren't. Life is about timing and you should never be scuppered through not having at one moment or another. People change as do circumstances. Hope tainted with realism has been the traditional preserve of a Pole for many a year.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Guesswho, my point was about wealth and material drive. We all know that art fits the personality of some better but competitive families will push their kids into directions which may not suit them. Better to stick with a path that suits you than wake up and live a 'oh sh*t, it's Monday' nightmare all over again.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

There is no doubt about that, warsz. However, people slot into roles in society and sometimes that role doesn't bring wealth. Why do you think that many don't become lawyers and doctors? That's not their calling in society and they know that. You go with what you know and you wake up with that reality in mind. If that means you struggle, so be it. Poles know how to deal with that ;)

Life / Who is poor in Poland? [720]

Maaarysia has a fair point too. She is a balanced poster and I applaud her for that. Poor is a relative concept but I fear that some settle for it given relative standards. However, they adjust and get on with it. Those in places like Rostocza are happy just to make egg sales and live off of the proceeds of sale. My wife was there and she couldn't believe the conditions they lived in. She is from Zabrze which is hardly the centre of wealth either but it's all a question of relative scale. Poles are not homogeneous (not to the level that they think) and I'd only hope that they help out their fellow Poles by not being snobbish and acknowledging the role of poorer people in the economy too. People have a role and bank balances are FAR from being the be all and end all of things.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Well, all power to you if you fail to see the connection and my point. Right, African kids don't struggle and we should never enter into scale. Marked for future reference. My point is that sometimes there is nothing there to bail you out. Society can only provide for so many people and some must fall by the wayside unless they learn to swim and, these days, swim well.

Life / Who is poor in Poland? [720]

Great points there, Its. Poland needs benchmarks/yardsticks. Some are aware of the concept of milestones in projects but they don't have an American's sense of urgency or what needs to be done. Without that know-how through having worked in that environment, you will face an uphill battle of operating within the constraints that you know. Don't break outwith the mould and you will never know how life can be when done differently.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Guesswho, that wasn't my point. It's more what you are drawn to. Some people are aware that they need to meet certain targets in order to live the lifestyle that they carve out for themselves. Wealth doesn't dictate personality exclusively.

Bzib, PMT again? You are not in my league when it comes to debating skills so take a hike.....

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

And that's how many get by here. They stick to modest soups, cars and property options.

Guesswho, it's more a matter of personality than wealth. Some with immense wealth still live cheaply by choice.

Life / Who is poor in Poland? [720]

Havok has overstated the point but I see what he means. The characteristics he shows have a fair bit of validity. Defensiveness too. The problem is that many Poles will stay poor as they don't know how to truly make money.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Some choose not to follow set paths, guesswho. I've never been one for the high life and many Poles would do well to realise their financial constraints too.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Well said, Penn! Ireland is a cautionary tale for them. Capital and wealth is often an illusion. Sometimes easy to get but very hard to maintain/keep. I'll never be truly rich as a teacher but I know how to save and set aside for a rainy day (for the black hour as they say in Polish).

Some people are born to be certain things and knowing who you are and enjoying that reality is often much more precious than living the disgruntled life of a Westerner who seeks comfort in the latest technological gimmick or to outstrip his neighbour. Poles, stick to your rugged ways, dig your heels in and never lose sight of the priorities that made you who you are!

Oh, Bzib, you regard my comments as useless? May I recommend glasses? Be thankful for what you've got was my message. How dare you offend Africans. Go and live there and see how they cope.

Life / Struggling young Polish couple - try to solve their problem [176]

Pgtx, budget/tighten belts. I'm sorry but why shouldn't that be the case when most Africans live in poverty? If a couple is that adept at living then they will find their own ways. As many other posters have commented, Poles have to reject the decadence of Western life and play to their strengths. Poles are rugged people and can survive on much less than most Westerners could even imagine.

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

What are Catholic values, WP? You see, if you are to separate one group from another then that separation has to have some meaning. For example, what values does a Catholic Pole share with a Catholic Spaniard? To what extent is their religious conviction meaningful? Be careful not to transcend into the realms of spiritualism as this is a religious question.

Work / Some cold, hard facts about teaching in Poland for newbies [101]

That's the key! Keeping records of what I've done and with whom has assumed paramount importance. You need to keep them happy and part of that involves you showing that you are organised. I don't teach with any alcohol now and that works two ways.

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

In general? I get on well with many but there are many smartasses and ******* too. My general impression is positive.

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

The Japanese are far more of a Borg collective but that's changing. You can see the same sociological phenomenon there as here. Namely, the difference between the shinjinrui (younger generation) and the rojinrui (older generation). Young people are becoming freer in their thinking so, like it or not, there is a wedge there.

I think this may be a Gliwice thing but people here tend to be very boring. It's the same bland food they talk about and they tend not to stay out at all late. I think life might be more energetic in bigger cities.

Work / Some cold, hard facts about teaching in Poland for newbies [101]

Chatting is too tiring for you, For4? I know what you mean. I need to assign tasks which serve as a breather. I had a 2-hr translation session where a student talked endlessly and I also had to translate on top of that. Couple that with the weather being muggy and it's pretty clear how I felt. Teaching is draining which makes planning your time all the more important.

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

Ask a specific question and you will get a specific answer, David.

AM, their taste buds are branching out through travelling but they are still pretty bland and samey when it comes to their palate.

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

So I'm supposed to judge 38 million people as a collective despite them having different travel experiences and genetics? Come on ;)

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

Who is "us"?

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

Mike, what's your game? Have you lived in Poland before? How can you comment? Poland Weekly in America isn't a great source ;)

Work / Some cold, hard facts about teaching in Poland for newbies [101]

I have combined classes like that before. I have charged between 50-70PLN in so doing.

My rule is that they must cough up if they cancel on the same day. Teachers need a safety net too.

They don't take corrections, For4? You mean don't take them well or plainly blank you out when you try it?

Life / What do you generally think about Poles? [62]

I think they like to know what others think :)

They are more mixed than they like to think. Solidarity can be associated more with biscuits than with rapport between people.

Love / My Polish girlfriend's mother called her a prostitute because we live together [113]

Instant solutions are proudly brought to you today by 'Trolbert' :)

Some people here need to learn when to stick their beaks out of sth. The problem often stems from boredom and having nothing constructive to do. When coupled with excessive conservatism, there is a huge problem.

Love / My Polish girlfriend's mother called her a prostitute because we live together [113]

My Polish mother-in-law couldn't be more supportive! She is a gem of a woman who looks far more for commonalities than be instantly dismissive based on nationality or anything else. I think you just got an overly traditional and bigoted one, OP.

Language / CELTA assignment question - the form of "It suits you" and "It fits you" [23]

There are contradictions when talking about TTT and STT. On the one hand, they love to hear a native speaker chat away about sth and they question them but, on the other hand, the preference is for maximum STT during the lesson. I try and strip it down to the bare minimum which means corrections, giving a model, setting tasks and facilitating transitions between the lesson phases etc etc.

Work / Some cold, hard facts about teaching in Poland for newbies [101]

That's true! I had a scenario whereby a guy's company paid him through but they naturally insisted on the issuing of an invoice. Most private students don't but it's standard courtesy to ask them first.

News / Warsaw is the natural capital of Europe, not Brussels [67]

David, I meant their earliest efforts were foiled by the Soviets. There was a Constitution but it was dismantled as the Soviets disliked what it represented. That's what I meant.

News / Warsaw is the natural capital of Europe, not Brussels [67]

It means not for a long time, David ;)

Life / Who is poor in Poland? [720]

At the same time, you can't just waltz into a corporation and start calling the shots. A dose of reality is needed and some are destined to be poor. As Morrissey once said, "once poor, always poor" (Interesting Drug)