Life / Moving from India to Krakow for employment - suggestion for good location to live with family [22]

Append the words "for the wages offered" to the end of your post and you have it.

The pay this individual is receiving is far below the amount a Pole or EU national can earn. It's also boring, dull and dreary drudge work that has been outsourced because no one wants to do it. Besides being boring, it is also not the type of work that leads to career advancement. It's a dead end job to anyone who doesn't have another motive, in this case, to enter the EU work market. These guys aren't attracted by the job or the wages, and they certainly aren't attracted to Poland. Very few, if any of them will spend more than a year or two in Poland. They are attracted by better, higher paying jobs in the West, and for them, spending a couple years in a $hit job in Poland is a price worth paying. The outsourcing company knows this and that they can offer substandard wages.

In any case, it looks like the job market for Indians and other third worlders is drying up. Probably because Ukrainians are taking a lot of the jobs, but also because the government is making it harder to get work permission and visas for non-EU citizens. And also because the outsourcing companies have moved their operations to India.

Life / Moving from India to Krakow for employment - suggestion for good location to live with family [22]

There are dozens of threads on this forum that contain the answers to your questions. Use the search function to find them.

Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]

No. The waiting period was officially over when that term was first used, and the day started at sundown, not midnight. The word vigil comes from the Latin word for staying strong, powerful, alive, active or awake, and is related to the word vigor, violent and virile, all of which have something to do with strength, power, force or liveliness. The English words awake and watch are derived from the same Proto-indoeuropean root. As is the word wait, which used to mean to stay awake before it took on its modern meaning. Your connection of wigilia and waiting was etymologically correct, but semantically an anachronism. The Old English word for 'wait" was abidan, from which we get the Modern English word "abide".

Life / Why is Polish Christmas on the 24th? [87]

Yes, it does. It's a direct loan word from Latin, and refers to the monastic liturgical prayer times that take place every day from after Vespers at the sundown to just before Matins and Lauds at sunrise. The Christmas vigil is the second most important vigil of the year, after Easter. Usually, monastic vigils that involve literally staying up and praying all night long take place on major holy days.

And no, it has nothing to do with "waiting". It means "staying awake", such as to keep watch over the flocks at night.

On a side note, the timing of events for Easter, and to a lesser extent for Christmas, reflect the fact that the liturgical day used to start at sundown in the Roman Catholic Church. So wigilia is called that not because it occurs before Christmas day, but on Christmas day itself by the old reckoning. That is also why the tradition of eating a big meal on Christmas eve started, because fasting was no longer required. The tradition of eating no meat at that meal started later once the start of the liturgical day was moved to midnight and the evening of Christmas eve was now technically in a period of fasting and abstinence. It's a bit of a botch job, historically speaking.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

Not at all likely. In fact, pretty darn far-fetched. No, I'm not going to make you defend that choice. I've said everything I could say.

Sorry, but it looks as if we are going to have to agree to disagree.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]


Oh, no, it isn't. It's an extremely good educated deduction based on lots of good evidence and sound reasoning, far stronger that "a mere guess".

And the fact that you can't find it on the internet is totally irrelevant, as I explained.

If you have a better guess, then shoot. My second guess would be Obrzędkowski, but I find that far less plausible, as I explained. What are you suggesting it could be?

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

@kaprys

I don't know what point you are trying to make here, or what you are objecting to, if you are objecting to anything.

Oprzędkowski is a totally normally formed typical ethnic Polish name, and the fact that it did indeed exist is attested to with practical certainty by the fact that there is a Polish-American family that uses the name Opszentkowski, which is a totally normal Polish "by ear" misspelling that follows all of the rules of Polish phonetics. And by the fact that names based on the same root exist on Stankiewicz's list, like Oprzędek and Oprzędków, which are still used by Poles in Poland today, as a quick google search will reveal.

Whether the name survived in Poland or went extinct is beside the point, as we are talking about whether the name existed about 100 years ago, and not now. As is the fact that you can find no record of the name on the internet. You wouldn't expect to find rare names that are long extinct on the internet. The only mention of people of that name could well be in church or civil records, if they survived the war and the ravages of time.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

I agree, but there are other Polish surnames that end with -ów, so it's not totally impossible. And Oprzędek is indeed on that list, if I recall. Oprzędkowski sounds much more normal than Oprzędków, I have to agree.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]


Just checked. Oprzędków is there on the list, right after Oprzędkiewicz. And I agree that it sounds more like a place name, rather than a surname. But Stankiewicz includes it on his list in that form.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

No, but Oprzędków is. Oprzędkowski is not at all far-fetched at all. It's pretty much the only possibility, and the degree of certainty is pretty close to 100%. Like I said, the name is either exceedingly rare, or now extinct in Poland. Probably born by a single small family, possibly all of whom either emigrated or died without issue. If Oprzędków doesn't sound odd to you, there is no reason why Oprzędkowski should.

I'm struggling to see what you find odd about it. It's unusual, that's true, but there isn't anything "non-Polish" about it.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

Look at Stankiewicz's list for names with the same (totally Polish) root like Oprządek, Oprzędek, Opzędków and Oprzędkiewicz. There is nothing non-Polish about it:

stankiewicze.com/index.php?kat=44&sub=547

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

The name is a totally normal ethnic Polish name and could have been (mis)spelled only by a semi-literate native ethnic Pole from Poland. No other language or alphabet but Polish was ever involved, whether Russian, Yiddish, German, English or anything else. The proper spelling would be Oprzędkowski, but Opszentkowski is pronounced exactly the same when read aloud in Polish. There is a smaller chance that it could be Obrzędkowski, but that would involve four spelling mistakes in the same name,three of which do not change the pronunciation, but the fourth of which (p instead of b) would. The existence of the surname Oprzędków on Stankiewicz's list pretty much makes Oprzędkowski the only realistic option.

In any case, the name is either exceedingly rare or extict in present-day Poland.

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]


On further thought, I have concluded that the name contains not two illiterate "by ear" spelling mistakes, but three, and that it would be properly spelled "Oprzędkowski", from a place name like Oprzędków, Oprządków, Oprzędkowo or Oprządkowo. The place name is derived from the word "oprządek", which means "yarn wrapped around something, like a spool or stick".

Stankiewicz does not list that name, but he does list names derived from the same root like Oprządek, Opzędek, Oprzędków and Oprzędkiewicz

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]


On further thought, I have concluded that the name contains not two illiterate "by ear" spelling mistakes, but three, and that it would be properly spelled "Oprzędkowski", from a place name like Oprz

Genealogy / Opszentkowski means what in Polish. [28]

First of all, in standard Polish, it would be spelled "Oprzętkowski".

It comes from a place name like Oprzętów or Oprzętkowo. It means some from that place.

The place name is derived from the word "oprzęt", which means "the daily routine chores associated with taking care of the animals on a farm", like milking, feeding, watering, letting out to pasture, locking in at night, mucking, etc.


No. It is an illiterate spelling by a native Pole. The pronunciation of both the correct and the incorrect versions are identical. So it was spelled "by ear".

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]


Print this thread out, seal it in a envelope, open it after twenty years have passed, and read what you have written. Then you would know why. The people who have responded to your posts here are all older professionals who have lived and worked for many years in Poland. We are now where you will be in twenty or thirty years. We can see 20/20 what you won't be able to see until you get a lot of life experience. That is why I told you to seek advice from competent adults.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]


That was my first thought as well until she said her folks lived in the States.

I don't think so, because their parents had to cosign on those loans and would be responsible for paying them off. Yes, it is possible to defer or reschedule the loans, within reason. The agency is quite accommodating in case of genuine hardship, as long as you don't default.

I think it's a case of her realizing her degree is worthless,and that she needs major reschooling and cannot afford to do that in the States. She is probably going to ask mom and dad to cover her payments while she goes to school for free in Poland. When she makes it big as a lawyer, she will be able to pay them back. They just might go for it. I doubt that his folks will, though, and I'm guessing that he also has debts to pay off.

Feel sorta sorry for them. Like she said, they were young and naive when the picked their majors, and they got lots of advice at the time, good and bad. They made a foolish mistake and ignored the good advice.

Anyone who advises young people to study worthless majors should be tarred and feathered, and held personally responsible for the debts these students run up.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]


That pretty much seals the deal. Poland is out of the question if you have that kind of debt to pay back. Wages are far too low, and the cost of living is quite high compared to wages. On Polish wages, you will be paying that back until you are old and grey.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]

Why do you want to move back to Poland? Why would your husband want to? You haven't said anything about that.

A golden rule is that if you are not able to make a go of it in a rich country with tons of opportunities and a very high lifetime earnings/savings potential like the US, then you certainly aren't going to be able to make a go of it in a poorer country with much fewer opportunities and a much lower lifetime earnings/savings potential like Poland.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]


I don't always agree with Delph :) but I have to agree that this is a much more realistic plan if you have your heart set on law.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]

@oczko1993

A job is not the problem. A job that pays enough to support yourself and your family is, especially if, as your nick suggests, you are only 24, will be going to school full-time, and have to take care of a toddler, too. That doesn't leave much time over for work, so whatever job you get would have to pay quite a bit for the limited hours you do work. A lot depends on the degree you currently have, but there are precious few high-paying jobs for 24-year-olds in Poland.

Actually, you're not going to be able to make it unless your husband is earning a decent wage.

Lawyers in the family is a start, but only a start if they do not own their own successful practices. If they can't actually hire you for your first job, then it would be wise to consider an alternative career. Have you gotten a promise from one of your relatives that they are going to hire you when you finish school?

You seem to be seeing the silver linings but ignoring the much larger dark clouds. Poland is not a easy place to earn money and build a career, which is why so many young Poles leave the country for better opportunities abroad, and very few people from richer countries moves to Poland unless they have qualifications, skills and experience that are readily saleable on the Polish job market. You are way too optimistic. Disturbingly so. Optimism and Poland are a dangerous combination. Abundant caution, risk-assessment, cold hard realism and several workable back-up plans are more likely to result in success.

What is you present degree in?

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]

If your husband is going to get a job with an American company or the foreign service, that will only happen if he does so BEFORE he goes to Poland. Chances of landing a good job like that AFTER he gets to Poland are slim to none. The competition for jobs in the Foreign Service is incredibly fierce. American companies generally hire only very experienced upper management or administrative professionals, or senior technical specialists or consultants with 20+ years of experience. There aren't many opportunities for junior or even mid-level personnel, unless they speak fluent Polish.

As for a law degree, forget about it unless you have abundant close (preferably family) contacts in the field in Poland, and are a top student at a top school. Otherwise, the degree is just about useless. There is a huge glut of law school graduates in Poland (as there is in just about any other country, including the States), and most will never work a single day in the profession.

You really do have to sit down with some competent adults and make some realistic plans. You're deep into niebieskie migdały territory. Poland doesn't treat silly dreamers kindly. It chews them up and spits them out. Gdybywanie is not going to feed you and your family.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]


No point in trying to soften the blow here. The OP needs a good swift kick in the pants more than anything else. Thanks.

Study / Magister Prawa after 4 year Bachelor from USA [2]

What is your bachelors degree in? Actually, it doesn't matter, because there are no undergraduate degrees in law in the US. You would almost have to start your studies from scratch in Poland, the same as any other recent lyceum grad,

Also, law degrees are among the least useful degrees you can earn anywhere, unless you already have abundant and close (preferably family) connections in the field, and are a top student at a top school. There are plenty of law school grads putting cans on the shelves on the night-shift at Biedronka.

If you are going to study, make sure to study something useful. That is, something that will enable you to find gainful employment. Dollars to doughnuts, that isn't going to be law.

Work / Polish citizen with American husband in Poland ~ work ops? [55]

Where were you planning on moving to? That makes a big difference.

With no useful qualifications, experience or any knowledge of Polish, your husband's options are very limited indeed. Teaching and call-center work are the only options, and both pay poorly.

Good teaching jobs at good schools have become hard to find. and go to people who are "in the know". Most of what is easily available for newbies without qualifications and experience is at "method schools" (Callan, Direct Method, Avalon and Berlitz). These jobs are lousy and pay peanuts, and even the experience gained while working for them is worthless as far as getting a job at a better school is involved.

Call-center jobs are easier to find, but the work is horrible: cold-call sales (lead generation), low-level, first contact debt collection, or marketing surveys. The pay is very low unless you have real qualifications and experience in IT, or a proven track record in sales. If your plan is for your husband to support you and your kid while you go back to school, that is almost certainly not going to work out. It will be four or five years before he is speaking decent Polish, and without that, he is going to be stuck at the bottom of the job pecking order.

What is your degree in are you planning on going back to school for? Unless it's something that is very valuable on the Polish or international job market, you would be wasting your time.

Sorry, but the Polish-girl-misses-her-family-and-wants-to-move-back-to-Poland-hoping-that-her-non-Polish-boyfriend/husband-is-going-to-find-gainful-employment story rarely has a happy ending. It's usually a recipe for disaster. Nothing in your post indicates that your case will turn out otherwise. The fact that your husband has no saleable qualifications or experience that are worth anything on the Polish job market and does not speak Polish considerably reduce your chances of making it work.

My advice is to focus on making a life for yourselves in the States, reschooling as necessary to obtain qualifications that are actually worth something on the job market and enables both of you to support yourselves and your families. Employment and educational opportunities for your husband are astronomically higher in the States than they would be in Poland, and it is very difficult to see how throwing that away and moving to Poland is going to improve your life as a family.

You are married and have a kid. It's time to stop thinking like children and start thinking like adults, and to do that, you are going to need serious advice from qualified adults.

Work / Salary & cost of living in Warsaw, Poland [29]

There are lots of threads on this forum with answers to all of your questions. Use the search function. (merged)

Work / Studies In Poland, is it easy to survive on part-time jobs? [259]

Polish is one of the most complicated and difficult languages to learn in the world. It will take you years to learn just the basics. Five months is not enough. And no, you cannot work while taking a language course. There are no jobs for Indian students in Poland.

UK, Ireland / Receiving money in the UK from Poland in foreign currency via bank transfer [9]

@WielkiPolak

It is. The fees that Transfer charges are generally much lower than the fees that banks charge.

Law / Consul asked me why I want to go to Poland. Would my student visa get refused? [13]

The most obvious reasons are either that you submitted documents that were not 100% genuine, that something you said did not agree with what your documents said, or that your documents did not agree with each other. Or that you gave an evasive or implausible answer to a straightforward question.

Things are not looking good. This refusal and the detailed reasons for it have been entered into the VIS database. If you apply for a visa to any Schengen country in the future, the consul is obligated to check the database, and when they do, they will see exactly why you were refused for this visa, and will be very reluctant to issue you a new visa.

Sorry, but you are going to have to make plans to study elsewhere than in the EU. There is no point in appealing. To appeal, you have to prove that the consul acted contrary to the law, and that is going to be nigh impossible.

Genealogy / Slavs are descendants of Sarmatians? [600]


No, it doesn't. It comes from the Turkish word for "to wrap", and the word is a Turkish Turkish word, not one borrowed from another language.