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Posts by Zloty  

Joined: 20 May 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 7 Oct 2014
Threads: Total: 6 / In This Archive: 6
Posts: Total: 16 / In This Archive: 13 		From: Warszawa, Polska
Speaks Polish?: Not yet.
Interests: European Union, Currency, Language.

Displayed posts: 19
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Zloty   
20 May 2011
Real Estate / What are possible price ranges (rent) for studio and 1 bedroom apartments in Krakow? [20]

Hi,

I'm new to the board. I just got accepted to Jagiellonian University for this fall. Looking for an apartment or studio in Krakow is a task in itself with many different sites to explore. I have a more general question. What are the price ranges for either a 1 bedroom apt or studio apt?

I found a site where there are apartment listings; just to get an idea. I found a studio apt for 1,100 zloty/month, and 1 bedroom apartments around 1,300 zl/month. It was really nice looking with modern amenities. I told this to a friend of mine. He gave me the idea that I could probably get a place even cheaper. I didn't give this much thought until he said that. So, I guess more specifically, are there descent places I could get for cheaper that 1,100 zl/month?
Zloty   
24 Jul 2011
Travel / Overland travel between Poland to Belarus. How easy? [4]

Hey everyone!

I would like to know how easy it is to cross the Belorussian border from Poland. I'm going to be studying in Krakow as of Sept. 2011 and I will want to do some traveling. For some reason, I've always been interested in visiting Belarus and since I'll be staying in a country that borders it I figured this is my chance. I read some of the visa requirements. Somewhat strict, costly, complicated and requiring a letter of invitation from a citizen or hotel reservations...or something like that. I would really like to just cross the border and go into Brest, maybe overnight or just for the day and up to a weekend. When going overland, is the border crossing easy or would I be hassled for a visa? Are visas available at the border? And I assume there are trains that go from Warsaw or Krakow to Brest?

Also, I'm not white. Unfortunately, that is something that I have to take into account when planning or discussing possible plans to go to certain foreign countries. That's just incase anyone who responds to this post may be able to add something about Belarus that I may not know.
Zloty   
28 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Moving from United Kingdom to USA. Is it worth it? [136]

The US economy is in the doldrums. Official unemployment is 9.2 percent but many economists & labor analysts believe the true number is closer to 16 percent. You might be better off in Canada or Australia...

Ditto. I'm a perfect example. No job here in the US. I'm going to Europe to find something to do! if you want, we can trade citizenships and you can be here and I can go to Europe and pay EU tuition rates and not have to get a work visa.
Zloty   
22 Aug 2011
Real Estate / Question about Poland rental property pricing (is 'administrative fee' a one-time fee?) [3]

Hi,

I have a question. I'll be moving to Krakow very soon and I'm trying to understand the pricing on rental properties on this site.

property-krakow.com/properties/show/id/1869

On this particular property, the rent is 1100 PLN/month + 300 PLN administrative fee. Does that mean that the 300 PLN is a one time fee or is that added every month and the price would actually be 1400 PLN/month? Just trying to understand that part.

-Zloty
Zloty   
2 Sep 2011
Life / What are the requirements to get a cell phone here in Krakow? [22]

Hey everyone. I just moved to Krakow today. I was going to wait to see about getting a smartphone here but I really need GPS in my life. What are the requirements to get a phone here in Krakow? Do they have any companies like Cricket in the US? I walked into the store, bought a phone, and had my service activated. It was that easy and simple. And it's prepaid. So little to no ID and address are required. Anything like that here? I live in a 'student hotel' and I don't have a bank account here.
Zloty   
3 Sep 2011
Life / What are the requirements to get a cell phone here in Krakow? [22]

Thanks for all the replies. I really want a smart phone. A regular prepaid isn't gonna cut it unless that's my only option for now. That's why I'm hoping I can at the very least get a prepaid smartphone like Cricket offers in the USA (which is what I just had). I just paid for the phone and prepaid for 1 month of service. That's it. Then I got a bill every month to prepay for the following month.
Zloty   
3 Sep 2011
Life / What are the requirements to get a cell phone here in Krakow? [22]

Ah! I see.
Yeah, the contracts are for like 2 years or something like that. I'm going to have to get a residence permit, but from what I know it will be valid for 1 year at a time. So I will shift focus to paying for the phone outright and forgetting about a plan. I will be looking on Play's website. Thanks so much for the info =)

Now I have another problem. The language. I went to several stores and no one could speak English.
I will be learning Polish ASAP. I wonder if it's possible to get Android in my life before I learn enough Polish to be able to buy it in on my own.
Zloty   
4 Sep 2011
Life / What are the requirements to get a cell phone here in Krakow? [22]

I don't know, Peter. Do I?
All the people at the cell phone stores (Play, t-Mobile, Orange) say they don't speak English. I went to a Saturn store and one person spoke a little and directed me to someone else. Then that person directed me back to that same person. So it kinda sucked.

I don't want to simply buy a regular phone. I want a smartphone. I want Android back into my life. It's probably a little more complicated than buying a phone and sim card then just buying credit for it. There's internet involved. Also, I want to understand exactly what I'm paying for and how much of the service I'm getting. I had a HUGE problem with a cell phone company in France a few years ago when I was there studying. I don't want that sh** to happen again. That's why I was asking here if there's somewhere in Poland that's like Cricket in the USA. Buy a smartphone and prepay for the plan. So, you tell me, do I need Polish to do what I want to do? If not, I'm all ears because I really want to do this.
Zloty   
7 Sep 2011
Life / What are the requirements to get a cell phone here in Krakow? [22]

Thanks, Peter. That answered my question. I wanted to know if it's possible to buy a smartphone and just add internet credit to it.

delphiandomine and unique_username, I think you missed my question and the whole point. Your off-topic obnoxiousness was not needed.
Zloty   
8 Sep 2011
Work / Can I become a teacher in Poland? Can I go to college there? [7]

I can only answer your "Can I go to college there?" question. YES! That's what I'm doing now. I'm going to a university in Krakow and I'm not even of Polish descent. So it's very possible. I'm doing a Masters program taught entirely in English. The US Dept of Education certifies grants and loans to go to 400-500 universities outside of the US. In the tab where you choose the state you want to go to school in, choose 'Foreign Country'. It's a long list. I only remember my university, Jagiellonian, coming up; as far as universities in Poland. I suppose you can get financial aid if you're at least a resident of the US...? I'm not sure.
Zloty   
20 Nov 2011
Law / Online Polish banking (in English) [27]

I have Alior and they have English translations for all of their pages, including when I'm logged into my account. It's nice.
Zloty   
20 Nov 2011
USA, Canada / Sending money to Poland from the USA? [48]

I used Custom House. It's a company that Western Union recently bought. They charge $22, give you an exchange rate that's good for 30 seconds (then automatically refreshes), then they draft your American bank account and transfer Zloty to your Polish account. The whole process took 5 business days.

I used them to pay my applicaton fee for the university which I am studying now...and after I arrived I used them to transfer the remaining balance in my American bank account to my Polish account.

I submitted the transaction on Sept 30 (when the rate was about 3.33) and I got a 3.27zl rate. It was nice =)
Zloty   
6 May 2014
Life / Beauty supply stores selling wigs in Warsaw? [4]

Hey Everyone!

Anyone know how I would search for beauty supply stores in Warsaw? I tried "wig" or "peruka" in Google maps and came up with limited results. I assume that a city this big would have beauty supply stores with wide selection of wigs, which is what I want to find. Or maybe someone can tell me a certain district or the name that these stores might share in common?

Thanks! :)
Zloty   
6 Jun 2014
Life / Need an English speaking dentist in Warsaw? Avoid this place! [6]

dentistica.pl

I can at least tell you to avoid this place!

Initial consultation went fine, although quite pricey. I was given an appointment for a few weeks in advance. On the day of my appointment, I went into the office and they told me that I do not have an appointment, and maybe there was some misunderstanding. I was offered a maybe appointment for next week, then a guaranteed appointment 3 weeks in the future. I said "no thanks" and left. Also, the services are quite pricey. Choose somewhere that has actually scheduled an appointment for you and not a "maybe".

Bottom line: Avoid this place.

Happy hunting! :)