Travel / What's worth seeing in Poznań? [17]

I take my students on day rips to Poznań. This is our itnerary for the day:

1) Walk through Stary Browar shopping center.
2) Kościół Farny: incredible Jesuit church recently restored to its original splendor.
3) Coffee on the square or nearby, followed by Koziołki at noon sharp at he Ratusz (Town Hall), a must-see that will probably become a daily ritual. I took my very-hard-to-impress brothers to see this, and thought they would clobber me, but the loved it and wanted to come back the next day. And the next.

4) Makieta Dawnego Poznania. (animated models of the city), in the Klasztor Franciszkanów. It's a half hour show. See the Medieval City model, it's a bit more interesting than the Old Slavic Fortress model. Some shows are in English, and for those that aren't, there are headphones with English translation available.

5) Muzeum Narodowe. National museum. Excellent collection of paintings. A big hit with my students. I can barely get them out of there.
6) Slow walk to Ostrów Tumski to see the Cathedral, stopping at Plac Wielkopolski to buy some fruit at the open market. Make sure to see the Golden Chapel (it's worth paying to have the lights turned on- it makes the Gold really shine), and the crypts.

7) Either the Muzeum Instrumentów Muzycznych (Museum of Musical Instruments) or the Muzeum Archeologiczne (Archeological Museum).
8) Dinner at Warung Bali Indonesian restaurant just of the square on ul. Żydowska 1.

The best thing is that Poznań is so compact, that there is little walking involved in the above tour, and no need to take public transport.

USA, Canada / Pol-Am citizen wanting to move to Poland - documentations of my Polish ancestors? [14]

Polish citizenship doesn't have many more advantages than permanent residency. After five years of temporary residency, you can apply for permanent residency. How do you plan to support yourself in Poland?

Work / Electrician seeking work in Warsaw. Is it in demand in Poland? [16]


Both. Jobs are tight and wages are low, and there's plenty of people who are willing to work for peanuts. There's little point in moving to Warsaw if you are not going to earn a decent wage.


Her chances of finding a good job at good wages in the UK far, far exceed your chances of finding same in Poland.


Your chances of finding gainful employment are higher as an electrician than as an English teacher in Warsaw, the most competitive market in the country. There are scads of wannabe English teachers in Warsaw, many much more qualified than you. Sorry, but that boat has sailed long ago, and even established teachers are having a hard time of it. The best you'd be able to find is a lousy job in a lousy school for lousy pay under lousy conditions. Without solid qualifications and experience, the good jobs are out of your reach. If you're thinking about private teaching, forget about it. The competition is far too stiff, and the rate you'd be able to earn is far too low to make a move even worth considering.


Believe me, you are going to get tired very quickly of ending up in a low paid, dead end job yourself. Especially if you can barely provide for yourself, if at all. And she will get tired of it, too. Especially if she has to support you.

Sorry, but barring getting hired by a western company for western wages, I don't see much hope. And generally, those jobs are for highly qualified, highly experienced professionals, not for ordinary electricians. Give it a try, but don't hold your breath, and make your plans on the very safe assumption that you will not be able to find a good job at decent wages in Poland.

Basically, the ball is in her court. If she is not willing to relocate to the UK, it's probably not going to work out between you two. It might be time to consider whether this relationship has a future, and whether it is worth investing more time in. What kind of job does she have in Warsaw? And how much is she earning compared to you?

Work / Electrician seeking work in Warsaw. Is it in demand in Poland? [16]

There's a good reason why qualified electricians from Poland go to seek work in the UK, and not the other way around. Yes, the job market is a lot tighter in Poland than in the UK.

Without knowing Polish, you are going to have great difficulty finding work. Starting your own business is pretty much out of the question. You'll have to take all of the relevant exams in Polish. You probably won't be able to operate as an independent contractor.

Your only chance is to find work with a western company, probably a construction firm. Unfortunately, the construction market in Poland has slowed down, and jobs there are scarce. Consruction firms are generally not hiring at the moment. You could try to find another English speaker who already has his own company and join up with them. But that's not going to be easy.

Sorry to rain on your parade, but by moving to Poland, you'd be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. No matter how bad the employment situation may seem in the UK, it is a lot worse in Poland, expecially for someone who does not know the native language. Your chances of finding gainful employment are much higher in the UK than in Poland. Norway is another possibility you should consider.

Why are you considering moving to Poland in the first place?

Food / A snack at Bob Beans - could sure use some info. [4]

Dollars to doughnuts it's because it too hot for them. Fava beans are a cool-weather crop, and do not tolerate temperatures over 80 degrees fahrenheit. Google "growing fava bean in (wherever you live)" for more specific advice. In Poland, the strategy is to plant them as early as possible in spring so that they mature before temperatures get too high.

Law / Non-Polish Fathers rights for child in Poland [19]

The only person who can answer your questions is your own lawyer. You're wasting your time asking a bunch of unqualified clowns on some internet forum for professional legal advice, and it is exceedingly unlikely that any of the answers you will receive here are at all accurate or useful in your particular case.

Work / Want to move back to Poland after graduating high school to study more [7]


A very likely scenario. The most probable, in fact, and the one you should base your plans on.


By your age, you should have at least a general idea. Speak to your guidance counselor. That's what they are paid for. There are good vocational tests that will help you decice.

However, avoid the following: humanities (literature, history, philosophy, etc.), psychology, sociology, teaching (except for science and math), journalism, political science, economics, business, administration, marketing, law and tourism and recreation, UNLESS you are a top student and go to a top school. There is a glut of graduates in these majors and finding work in these fields is difficult because of the competition. A degree from a second or third rate school doesn't mean much on the job market, whether in Poland, the States or anywhere else, especially in these majors.

The more science and math, the better.


Nope. You can a great education for very little at state colleges and universities. Berkeley, UCLA and UCSD cost almost nothing for California residents, for example. Even out-of-staters only have to pay for the first year until they establish residency in California. Do your research. Not all of the top schools are expensive private schools.

Also, a degree from a unversity in the States will help you a lot more in Poland than a degree from Poland will help you in the States.


Most young people have some difficulty striking out on their own. But most of them survive just fine and become stronger individuals.

Work / I'm Bangladeshi - Want to work and live in Poland - MotorCycle Mechanic [4]

Just about impossible. Forget about it.

Life / Is 10500 monthly is enough for a family to live in Warsaw Poland [136]


Baloney. You'll live VERY comfortably. Even by western standards.

Study / Living in Poland for students - is any chance to earn money and pay tuition fees to university? [13]


A million to one, or more. Might as well play the lottery. Forget about it. There is no hope.

Genealogy / Chadaczow - Searching for town or village that might have had name changed [5]

You can see exactly where the village is using google maps. Just type in "Chodaczów" and it will show you exactly where it is. It is east and a good stretch from Kraków. Nearest larger town is Rzeszów. It lies east of Rzeszów halfway between Leżajsk and Jarosław.

I found out about Maria from a simple Google search with "Chodaczów" and "Bucia". It's in this link:

tryncza.eu/gazetka/echa9.pdf

Which should download as a pdf file. That's all it says about her, though, that he was 99 in 2012 and would be celebrating her 100th birthday in May the next year.

Dollars to donuts, she doesn't know any English. Dollars to donuts, if she has any great-grandchildren still in the area, they can at least communicate at a basic level in English.

If you want to find out more, write to the parish priest here:

Proboszcz parafii MB Nieustającej Pomocy
Chodaczów 112
37-306 Grodzisko Dolne
Poland

and here:

Proboszcz parafii Św. Jadwigi Królowej w Jagielle
Jagiełła 103,
37-203 Gniewczyna £ańcucka
Poland

I couldn't find any e-mail addresses for them.

Might be worth finding a friend to translate the letter into Polish first, though. Not all priests know English, especially in the countryside.

Hurry up. The clock is ticking.

CHECK BACK IN A WHILE FOR MORE INFORMATION

This person has done some geneological research on the area and mentions that he also has information about the Bucia family there. Contact him as well:

Arkadiusz Ogryzek
kosiarz111@interia.eu

He might be able to help you.

His post to a geneological board can be seen here:
genealodzy.pl/PNphpBB2-printview-t-10114-start-0.phtml

Genealogy / Chadaczow - Searching for town or village that might have had name changed [5]

It's spelt "Chodaczów", and Wikipedia has an article about it:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chodacz%C3%B3w

Maria Bucia, from the next village (Tryńcza), was 99 years old last year, and still may be alive. You probably have other family there, but if you want to know more, Maria is the most valuable resource that you can imagine and you should consider pumping her for information before she goes. When she does, a very large amount of valuable information will be lost forever.

Work / Volunteer Visa (teacher position in Poland) [6]

Long stay visa of the type that you are applying for. Just go to the embassy/consulate with your passport and the letter of invitation, and they will put a visa sticker in your passport.

Travel / Youth Cities to enjoy in Poland [6]

Same here in Wrocław. Was driving with a friend during "rush hour" yesterday and she said how much she likes summer because the traffic is light. The tourist crowd is predominantly older Germans. Young tourists are usally from Italy, Rumania and the Netherlands. I don't see as many Brits as I used to seven years ago.

Work / Volunteer Visa (teacher position in Poland) [6]

Where are you from? If you're in the States, the visa is granted the day you apply. Unless things have changed, the whole process takes about 30 minutes, most of which is spent filling out the application. Just make sure you have the photos taken in the right pose.

Study / Living in Poland for students - is any chance to earn money and pay tuition fees to university? [13]

Agree. Don't waste your time. It's not gonna happen.

Law / U.S. Citizen Moving to Poland - opening business? [36]

Came here on a sabbatical, and liked it so much I decided to stay for another year, and then a third, and so on. I made a lot of great professional contacts here, and some very close friends, too. Although I'm not making the money I used to make in the States by a long shot, I have a lot of freedom about how I do science, and I can dabble in things I never would do if I remained in the States. I've done a lot of interesting stuff since I've been here in all areas of biology and medicine. I'm also filling a big need helping Polish scientists get their work published in good journals. I also mentor highschool students who want to study in the west, and that's personally satisfying as well. I've gotten students accepted to top schools like London School of Economics, Stanford, Brown and Bates, among others. Getting one student ready to study diplomacy at Georgetown, and trying my best to get one into Harvey Mudd.

By the way, I was walking in the town square in Wrocław with a student once, and heard these two people walking behind us speaking English with a thick valley accent laced with plenty of henna's. Turned out they were from Dickson City, and we did know people in common. That is a small world.

I see you're coming to visit Poland soon. I've answered on your thread. You'll enjoy Poznan. Cool town square, and everything worth seeing is really close together. Plenty of good food, too. The Indonesian restaurant right off the square on ul. Żydowska is a personal favorite (it's called Warung Bali). The animated model of the city in the Franciscan Monastery is a must see (there's actually two models, and they're both worth seeing). The National Museum has a great art colection. And of course, the little goats on the tower of the town hall at noon are great. Walking around Malta, Poznan's Central Park, is cool, too. Although I advised you not to go to Gdańsk, there's plenty to see there, too. Take a boatride to Westerplatte, where the first shots of WWII were fired.

Travel / Opinion on which cities in Poland to spend the most days in. [21]


Again, with only seven days, these three cities are not a good idea. The train trips from Warsaw to Gdańsk and from Gdańsk to Poznan are going to consume a lot of time. Best to cut Gdańsk and spend more time in the other two, with maybe a day trip from Warsaw to Kazimierz Dolny or £ódź.

If you're hellbent on seeing Gdańsk, too, take a night train and get a sleeping berth for both trips. Otherwise you're going to waste the better part of two days on travel alone. Flying won't save enough time to make it worth the hassle.

Travel / Youth Cities to enjoy in Poland [6]


Leave out £ódż, and spend more time in the other four, if you have 15 days, or in three of the other four, if you only have ten days. Yes, those would be the best "youth" cities, but only after the semester starts up at the beginning of October. Until then, a lot of the students leave these cities and go to their hometowns. However, all of those cities also have a lot of young tourists during the summer and fall, from Poland and from other countries.

If you absolutely are hell bent on seeing £ódż, you can easily do it as a day trip from Warsaw. It's only two hours away by train. Other easy day trips from Warsaw include Kazimierz Dolny, and from Kraków, Auschwitz and Zakopane.

Law / U.S. Citizen Moving to Poland - opening business? [36]

Eleven years. Went to Prep and the U. If your house in Shamokin was standing in 1977, I was in it. I used to work during the summers for PG&W as a flat rate inspector, and I personally inspected all the homes in Shamokin.

I live in Wrocław now. It's a great city and the whole Lower Silesia area is really interesting. You'll like it here.

You might want to contact Barbara and John Alaszewski to find out more about starting a business in Bolesławiec. Read about them here:

discoverpl.polacy.co.uk/art,life_in_poland_8211_the_blue_beetroot,3677.html

This is their e-mail: johnandbarbara@o2.pl

It's worth flying out to Poland and staying a couple of weeks in the area. That will help you get oriented and make contacts.

Between Marian Piasecki and this couple, you'll get lots of good leads into business possibilities in the area. Like I said above, the tourist potential of the area is an oyster just waiting to be opened up. You could really make a difference and a good living to boot. Good luck!

Language / When to use biernik? When to use dopełniacz... Narzędnik? [4]

No there is no easy distinction. learning how to use them correctly is difficult even for advanced students and takes a lot of study and practice. These cases are all explained in detail in grammars of the Polish language, like Oscar Swan's. He has put a short version of his grammar on his website here: polish.slavic.pitt.edu/firstyear/nutshell.pdf

Study / What is the best medical school in Poland? [33]


I have to agree with delphiandomine here. While there are good medical schools in Poland, their English programs are of very low quality. You may end up wasting years of your life getting a diploma that means little if anything on the job market. My advice would be to forget about studying in Poland, and get your degree in the States. If you're good, you can get financial help, and even a full scholarship. That's what I did.

As for the rest of your question, the best cities are, in approximate order, Wrocław, Kraków, Poznań, Gdansk, Toruń and Warsaw. The second tier would include Szczecin, Białystok, Lublin, Rzeszów, Katowice and £ódź. An American would have no problem adjusting to life in those cities. The best medical school, however, is in Białystok. I'm always impressed when I visit the medical school there. In my opinion, it's the only medical school in Poland that comes close to American standards. However, like everywhere else, the English program there is a joke.

There is no haggling in Poland, and Polish shopkeepers are honest in dealing with foreigners.

Travel / Opinion on which cities in Poland to spend the most days in. [21]

You only have six full days, far too little for three cities. Cut Gdansk, and spend four days in Warsaw and two in Poznan. That way you won't waste too much time on travel. The train from Warsaw to Poznan takes only about three hours. If you must add a third city, pick Wrocław, which is only two and a half hours away from Poznan by train. Or take a day trip from Warsaw to Kazimierz Dolny. If you go to Gdansk, you will spend a lot more time on travel.

Work / What type of career can you find in Poland after completing Business School in the US? [18]


I meant management and administration courses as part of the engineering degree. But if he is planning on getting an MBA or such, then you're right. They are worthless if they do not come from top schools.


Yes, they do earn very little compared to the States or Western Europe. I have friends in the medical field that live in Wrocław and Poznań, but work in Germany. The diploma will be recognized, but you will have to sit for Polish exams and have to go through "nostrifikacja", which is aggravating and time consuming. Another thing to consider is that Polish medical facilities are primitive compared to their high-tech space age Western counterparts. I remember being toured around a hospital laboratory here in Wrocław and being shocked that the equiptment I saw them using would be considered museum material in the States. Also visiting my the house of my friend, who is a doctor with a lucrative in-home private practice, and seeing his table covered with chickens, eggs and various produce- payments by patients who could not afford to pay in cash. Definitely recommend against anything related to medicine if you want to live and work in Poland.

All in all, whatever he studies, the OP is going to have to take a major pay cut if they want to work in Poland, and the lower cost of living is going to come nowhere close to offsetting that.

Work / What type of career can you find in Poland after completing Business School in the US? [18]

Yes, those are the most promising for finding a job. Whether the job pays well depends very much on your qualifications and experience. In reality, you won't start making decent money until you advance to project manager, so your education should prepare you for management and administration.

Logistics is also another area of engineering that is promising, though, as above, the decent wages are reserved for project and regional managers and above.

I have to agree with Monitor above about other branches of engineering. Civil engineers are having a difficult time right now because of the bust in the construction business, and that is not going to improve soon. Research-oriented branches such as materials engineering are not useful for finding a job in Poland because research and development are hopelessly underfunded, and there are more than enough engineers to supply the needs of the market. Other branches of engineering are also very competitive.

As far as dentistry and other medical fields, forget about it if you want to work in Poland. The pay is very poor unless you own your own private practice, which takes a great deal of investment capital. You would be much better off working in the States or Western Europe, particularly Scandinavia.

Probably the most realistic way of getting decent wages in Poland is to find a job with an American company and get transferred to Poland with American wages. the fact that you speak Polish fluently and have citizenship offer you a distinct advantage.

Whatever you do, make sure that you have a very firm basis in sciences and math, including critical thinking. That puts you on a completely different plane of existence than mere mortals, both in school and on the job market.

Travel / Live cameras over Poland [21]

It's Polish. Spiż means brass or bronze.

Work / How is the Warsaw job opportunities for international students? [43]


You may be allowed to, but the chances of actually finding work as a foreign student from outside of the EU who does not speak Polish is essentially zero. Poland is a country that people emmigrate FROM to find work, not a country that people seeking work immigrate TO.

Agree with Monitor that your chances are better in Russia.

Law / U.S. Citizen Moving to Poland - opening business? [36]

Because of the particulars of you case, you should make an appointment with someone at the Polish Embassy in New York to discuss your options. You're unlikely to get a satisfactory answer here. There are special visas for businessmen and investors.

Rather than starting your own business, it might be better to invest in or become a partner in an already established business. As you probably know, Bolesławiec is famed for its porcelain. You could, for example, start a business in partnership with the local porcelain factories to import and promote their wares in the US.

Another possibility is connected with the touristic potential of the Lower Silesian area, which offers a lot but is tragically underexpoited and underdeveloped. It could do with a lot more American tourists. Lower Silesia has the highest density of castles and palaces in all of Europe. My own family was impressed when they came here to visit me. I can give you a good contact there: Marian Piasecki, who owns and operates the Park of Miniature Castles and Palaces in Kowary. He's a truly amazing and inspiring individual, and, even if you don't partner directly with him, he can give you tons of ideas and leads about the tourist industry in Lower Silesia. You can contact him by e-mail here: poczta@park-miniatur.com

As for getting residence, that's probably not going to be a problem. The person you want to talk to is Tomasz Bruder, the director of the Department for Alien Affairs at the Urząd Wojewódzki in Wrocław, which is where you woll have to apply for your residency permit. He's a cool guy and very helpful, one of those rare civil servants that is a true servant.

I take it you've visited Bolesławiec. If not, do some thorough research and visit. Check out what businesses are already established and evaluate your possible future role in the local economy. An ambassador is going to be much more impressed by concrete and realistic plans than by vague ideas, even is they are backed up by a stack of cash.

You do have a ton of possibilites open to you. Do your research and come up with a solid plan, and nothing is going to stand in your way.

Good luck!

PS: $500,000 buys a heck of a lot of house in Bolesławiec. I mean, like a luxury house, even by American standards. Be careful of investing in real estate until you know the local market well. It might be wise to rent before then until you do your research. There are a lot of unscrupulous operators in that business. Also, work through a reliable local intermediary when buying real estate. Find someone you can trust, and don't do anything before then. The last thing you want to do is get stuck with an albatross that you could not possibly sell except at a huge loss.

Life / Moving to Krakow (and other questions) [23]


Or you will need either specialist expertise in some field like computer science, or proven sales experience to make decent money. For an unqualified, uneducated former office worker who only speaks English, a job that pays decent wages is pretty much out of the question.

Law / U.S. Citizen Moving to Poland - opening business? [36]

Too many unknowns here to give a useful answer. How old are you? Are you single, or do you have any dependents? Do you have any degrees or professional certificates? If so, do you have any relevant experience in a professional field? Do you speak Polish, and at what level? Do you plan to find work in Poland? I notice that you own a lawn care business. How big is it, and will it guarantee you sufficient income to live in Poland? You mentioned buying a house in Poland. Cash down, or how do you expect to finance it? WHERE do you want to live in Poland? Most of all, why exactly do you want to move to Poland? (Because you have family here is not an answer to that question).

Like I said, your questin is far too vague to even begin answering.

BTW, I'm originally from up the line in Dupont. When I was a kid, long long ago, my dad used to take us to Shamokin to watch the cute little trains.