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Posts by AdrianK9  

Joined: 16 Feb 2016 / Male ♂
Warnings: 4 - QAAA
[Suspended]		 Last Post: 25 May 2016
Threads: Total: 6 / In This Archive: 3
Posts: Total: 364 / In This Archive: 266 		From: Chicago, Il
Speaks Polish?: Yes
Interests: Poland, Music, Cars, Racing, Investments, Real Estate, Construction,

Displayed posts: 269 / page 1 of 9
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AdrianK9   
17 Feb 2016
Work / Popular expat jobs in Poland [14]

So I've been entertaining the idea of living and working in Poland lately and I wanted to find out what the popular jobs for native expats are in Poland. I do see there a lot of IT jobs and quite a few English teaching jobs. Unfortunately, the English speaking jobs pay next to nothing from the postings I have seen.

Does anyone here have experience working in Poland in a position other than teaching/IT or perhaps know someone that does? Care to share your experience? I'd especially be interested in people's experiences in sales, management, marketing, pharma, etc. Thanks!
AdrianK9   
18 Feb 2016
Work / Popular expat jobs in Poland [14]

Thanks... my apologies by expatriate I just meant in general a person moving to another country to work there... so immigrant I guess would be more correct. Also, with native I should've elaborated - I meant native English speaker I forgot to type in 'English.' I am able to speak, write, and read fluently in Polish. Although the company I currently work for has like 35 sales offices around the world unfortunately Poland isn't one of them. They are in Denmark, Spain, England, Italy, and Russia though. I work in a pseudo call center now so believe me the last thing I'd want to do is move from a US call center to one in Poland. I make great money especially for a recent grad but it is so boring.

I was looking mostly into doing something along the lines of pharmaceutical or medical device sales or managing a sales team. I'd be open to other jobs but would prefer something in sales as that's where I have the most experience. I don't know how the labor market is in Poland for those kinds of jobs. I have gone through my 2nd interview at a company called PNA - Polish National Alliance which is a Polish fraternal organization but they also sell life insurance and annuities. They run like a lot of retreats, Polish language weekend schools, dances, and stuff like that. If I do get the job (I find out tomorrow) I think it would really help me make some contacts in Poland as my position would involve travel around the US and also to Poland. They're very close with the PiS government as well as various US politicians. If I do end up with that job, I think it would really help me network and open some doors in the future if I ever wanted to work for the Polish government or something. I guess I'll see what happens. With the company I'm at right now the only international assignment I'll have is a few weeks in Tel Aviv every year.

Management - always doable if you have the right skills, though the days of people being hired in good positions just because they're a foreigner with an MBA are over.... damn lol

Sales - easy to get if you know what you're doing. Companies are pretty much open to anyone that is willing to build a market for them, especially in the UK or Ireland. I spotted one post a while ago that offered a starting salary of 10k + commission for the right candidate. that's at least good news though since most of my background has been in sales. Just wondering, was that salary of 10k in zloty, dollars, euro also was it monthly, annual? 10k zloty plus commission a month would seem realistic and I think I could live on that since I'm single and no kids plus I'd take about $80k in savings with me just in case. 10k dollars + commission would probably only be possible for like a sales director. Also, would you mind sharing where you saw that post or perhaps any other websites?
AdrianK9   
22 Feb 2016
News / Polish magazine causes outrage with cover showing white woman being sexually attacked by 'migrants' [57]

Polish people are terrified of an Islamic invasion like in Belgium, Germany, etc. They do not believe that the migrants will assimilate and they do not want to pay to support families where there's like 10 people to one household and only 1 or 2 breadwinners, if that.

Quite frankly, I am happy Poland has this attitude. What is happening in Europe is an invasion. It brings tears to my eyes when I see beautiful cities I have visited like Cologne, Vienna, London, Paris, etc. full of ghettos. Even Churches are being told to remove crosses so as not to offend the Muslim migrants... it is sad. 100% Cultural and religious suicide.
AdrianK9   
24 Feb 2016
News / Polish magazine causes outrage with cover showing white woman being sexually attacked by 'migrants' [57]

Jews also push for their rights all the time, they are a problem as well, and yet every year hundreds of them receive Polish citizenship with no trouble at all.

That is a BIG issue that does not go reported... hmmm... wonder why? Perhaps it is because 4/5 top media outlets are owned by Zionists - the exception being Rupert Murdoch who is as pro-Israel as any of the others.. Even though the community of Jews is rather small in Poland (I believe around 20k or so) many do hold the top spots in media and government. There are lots who have changed their names to more Polish sounding ones:

youtube.com/watch?v=0IF9y5d5fe8

I am not anti-Semitic. I am 100% for a two state solution as I do believe the Jews and the Palestinians deserve a homeland just as the Poles deserved one after WW1. (Hopefully, the Kurds get one too after this whole mess in Iraq and Syria although I feel the US will once again betray them). In fact, my girlfriend was brought up as an Orthodox Jew. She even has a hardcore Jewish name (Shoshana). The issue that bugs me is the Israel-Palestine conflict. There are so many UN violations that Israel and the IDF has committed it is ridiculous. Any other country would've had sanctions by now. The demolishing of Palestinian homes in the West Bank, the indiscriminate bombing in Gaza that murders scores of women and children, the English journalist who was run over by an IDF bulldozer because she protesting the demolishing of a home, the total apartheid of the West Bank where Palestinians are not allowed to go on certain streets and zones, the fact that Israelis can carry weapons but Palestinians can not, the shooting of teenagers because they threw a rock at a tank, the total blockade of Gaza by land, air, and sea then complaining when they dig tunels - which yes are sometimes used for attacks but generally used to bring in goods like construction materials which are greatly lacking, the total disregard of UN resolutions preventing Israel from building settlements, I mean I can on and on... It is a case of an abused child becoming an abuser... I digress though as this is polish forums and not palestine israel forums..

Plenty of people who want to know the truth that is being hidden by left wing governments, we know you're not one of them.

Europe has been invaded and it is pretty much over for Belgium and Germany perhaps for Austria, Sweden, Holland and Denmark as well - we'll have to see. Unfortunately the government refuses to publish real statistics because they are concerned it will offend the migrants. Sweden does not publish the race of a criminal (although it seems like for whites this is often an exception), Germany converts old churches to shelters and asks that churches do not display Christian iconography, schools ask that girls do not wear skirts anymore, over 100 people in dortmund (one of which was my aunt) lost their job because the government took over a 4-star hotel and converted it into a migrant shelter - my aunt worked there for over 10 years and lost her job overnight while these people get to live in 4 star accommodations with pools, spas, hair salons, etc. for FREE and now she has to struggle to pay her bills, in Holland nearly half of students in elementary school are Muslim, in France Sweden and Belgium and increasingly now in Germany there are no-go zones where even the police, fire, and EMTs are too scared to go into - these areas are notorious for breeding terrorists and harboring arms and drug dealers. The mastermind of the attack in Paris came from one of these no-go zones in Belgium. Countless seniors and people who rely on their pensions are being forcibly removed from their homes by the government so that their apartments can be GIVEN to migrants. It is sickening what is happening. Greece and Italy asked for help in securing their borders - since no one offered to help them they said screw it and let them pass through since they knew few of these migrants actually wanted to stay in Greece or Italy where God forbid they'd actually have to work and assimilate instead of getting a handout.

It bothers me that Israel tells the Europeans to be multicultural - allow more in, be decent human beings help the migrants! Yet Israel does not allow them in and is doing everything it possibly can to acquire the Palestinian territories and make the lives of those already living there a total hell. Furthermore, the Arab countries aren't letting any of these migrants in. Do you know how many refugees Saudi Arabia let in? Less than 12! Turkey and Lebanon are the only two countries actually caring for their Muslim brothers and sisters although their resources are stretched and the state can only provide so much that is why these people chose to go to the socialist liberal welfare states of Sweden and Germany as their first choice. One of the few outlets that reports on all these issue is actually a Russian state network - RT.

Atleast there is hope namely in Australia who is not letting in migrants and of course the Visegard 4 - of which Poland is a member.

I don't have a problem with people moving to look for a better life. My family and myself are an example - we left Communist Poland with perhaps $400 and 2 suitcases to make the American dream. We went from being dirt poor, not knowing the language, living in a roach infested apartment complex where nearly everyone was on SNAP and welfare and just stayed at home getting drunk and high all day to learning the language, working and saving followed by more working and saving followed by yet more working and saving till we are now able to live comfortably, have a large home in an expensive suburb, have nice cars and belongings but most importantly are happy and healthy and proud of our accomplishments. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these migrants will not assimiliate, they will just demand money and free housing. Many will not learn the language and refuse to become part of the society. Even worse, a significant percentage will attempt to change the society and laws and impose Sharia. There are 'Sharia' groups in nearly every western European country now - Sharia for UK, Sharia for Belgium, Sharia for Germany, etc. Some of the mosques are KNOWN to be terrorist recruiting centers and many of the mosque leaders openly preach the destruction of democracy and support for terrorist groups. This is not of course every migrant but at least 50% fall into the category of economic refugees looking for a handout. It is a FACT that most aren't even from Syria - even the liberal media acknowledges that. I've met plenty of Turks in Germany who are hard working family oriented good people. Those are the kind we want in Europe. Unfortunately, we are getting the very bottom of the barrel.

Poland the Visegard 4 must resist this invasion at all costs! Do not believe that this modern wave of multiculturalism is a good thing.
AdrianK9   
24 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

So there are plenty of reasons to absolute love Poland and it's people - the history, the culture, the beautiful girls, the high quality vodka, the parks, museums, and countless landmarks, the amazing scenery with everything from mountains in Zakopane to the Baltic sea port of Gdansk, etc. The list can go on and on of how amazing Poland is and how awesome Polish people are...

BUT...

What are the things you don't like? For me it's a few:

The food - I'm not a big fan of Polish food. I like placki ziemniaczane, rosol, bigos, biala ryba, and kotlety schabowe (although that's rather generic) I cannot stand some of the others like golabki (ground meat covered in cabbage with some sauce that I believe is made out of tomatoes) or galatera (basically jello with meat inside of it).

The people - there's really two categories - the Poles in Poland and the immigrant Poles living in the US or other countries. While Polish in general people are very friendly and hospitable, some are very cunning and manipulative. Oftentimes, people will pretend to be your friend to use you. Middle aged women are notorious for being gossipers and will try to 'ciagnac jezyk' which means 'pull your tongue' - basically get information from you like about your family, your income, etc. so they can gossip about it. I find that this is more common amongst Polish immigrant communities in the US more so than in Poland. In Poland, although the trend is diminishing a bit, the people think that if you are from the US that you are automatically a millionaire. While some will be happy for your financial situation, others will attempt to exploit it. One thing that also bothers me, although I do understand the reasons, is when you go to a Polish persons house they automatically put a ton of food on the table and expect you to eat it all. It is often rude if you do not. That means that sometimes you could have just came back from a big lunch or dinner to visit a person and despite politely saying No Thank you and Please, I am stuffed I cannot eat anymore many times they will nonetheless put a ton of food on the table. If you do not eat it or do not eat much they will ask you if you don't like their cooking when in reality you're are just totally stuffed. It is a nice gesture but sometimes goes way too far.

Closed mindedness - Polish people make crazy assumptions and have some really wacky ideas. They will also tell their kids crazy things like if you play with fire you will pee yourself at night. That's rather innocent kid stuff but some of the ideas they have are relevant to adult life. For example, a lot of Polish people are ultra religious and hence believe that you should under no circumstances get divorced, you should not have sex before marriage, and so on. I know several Polish women who have an alcoholic abusive husband but will never get divorced because they believe their religion does not condone when in fact a priest can annul a marriage in certain circumstance. Nonetheless, many Poles often use a rather strict interpretation of Catholicism to guide their lives. The Polish will often also make crazy generalizations especially about people and races. For example, many Poles view Russians or Jews as inherently evil. Also, they will use the word 'Russian' to frequently describe something as 'low quality' - i.e. ten samochod chodzi jak Ruski traktor - this car is running like a Russian tractor.They believe that being gay is a moral deficiency and is a threat to their homogeneous Christian society. (I personally don't support gays and I do not like that our society propagates gay ideals but that does not mean I hate gay people or will go out and beat them up. I in fact have two friends that are gay but these friends do not like blatantly advertise their gayness or pick arguments with those who have different ideas and beliefs than their own). A lot of Polish people, in both the US and in Poland, tend to be rather racist and xenophobic and I think that mentality comes from a history of partitions, war, and exploitation of the Polish land and race.

Immigrant attitude - I have noticed there is a HUGE difference between the Poles living in Poland and the immigrant Poles - at least in the US as I can't speak to those in England or other countries. The immigrants in the US tend to be much less cultured, much less polite, much more conniving and manipulative (especially the women who love to engage in gossip with others in their parish or community over a cup of coffee) and have a general arrogant attitude of 'like they own the place.' They have also acquired a very materialistic mindset while live in the US. Perhaps because they grew up and lived most of their lives through communism (of course I am referring to the middle aged immigrants in this case) and came to the US because they believed that you can become instantly rich here. I am of course generalizing - but this is something that I have seen A LOT especially since I grew up on the North side of Chicago in a majority Polish area, went to a majority Polish school, and most of the people my family would associate with were also Polish. The men will frequently work in the construction industry and the women will frequently work as maids. The men will often wear socks with sandals in the summer - something you rarely see other people do.This is changing gradually now as that generation's children is much more sophisticated and oftentimes college educated. The good thing though is the immigrants are very hard working and really strive to put their family in a better situation. Also, they are very hospitable and will always be willing to cook for your and have a meal together. The immigrants work their butts off in physical jobs so they can purchase a nice home and put their kids through college. Gradually, this attitude and behavior is changing as the immigrants from the late 80's, 90's and early 2000's has now lived here for a while and also learned a lot from their own children. The younger immigrants, those in their teens, 20's or even early 30's tend not to really have a lot of these negative characteristics. They are much more open minded and are often more educated than the generations before them. A lot have already experienced the 'Western culture' in post Communist Poland so the US culture isn't as much of a shock to them as those that came from Communist Poland to the US like 20, 25, 30 plus years ago.

That's about it for now as far as the people are concerned. Some of the things that bug me about Poland are the following:

Low wages, high real estate prices (in the city center of Wroclaw a 3 bedroom condo can go for easily $400k if not more), expensive gasoline, taxes on engine size, expensive electronics, overly fierce competition in the work place, highly educated young workforce that is either unemployed or stuck working at a fast food restaurant or security guard at a mall for 8 zloty an hour, bad roads (although they are getting better gradually), crazy drivers - speeding 140 km/h in a Fiat Cinquento down a country rode so they can pass people up (first car I ever learned how to drive by the way - 70 horsepower 3 cyl engine - oh ya baby!!), small apartments in the city, depressing looking 'bloki' complexes from the communist era, paying to use the bathroom in many places, paying extra if you buy a Coca Cola in a glass bottle in a small convenience store and want to take it home otherwise you have to drink it on the spot if you don't want to pay the extra 10 groszy or whatever it is, and that's about it = )

I love Poland, I truly do. I was born there, have vacationed there many times, and I plan to go back there and my wish is to be buried in Poland. There are good and bad things in every country and every race. In summary, Poland and it's people have countless wonderful things about them. Poland is a beautiful country and has beautiful people - both on the outside and the inside. No one can ever say that a Pole was not hospitable to them. They will invite you into their home for a homemade obiad and continue to put more and more food and drink in front of you despite your pleas because they are just genuinely hospitable.
AdrianK9   
24 Feb 2016
News / Polish magazine causes outrage with cover showing white woman being sexually attacked by 'migrants' [57]

And this is about Poland because Polish people are terrified that they are going to be the next country that has to deal with a flood of migrant Muslims. They are scared their women will be raped like in Germany, hence the cover of the magazine, that churches will have to remove crosses, that they will have to foot the bill for the families with 1 working adult and perhaps 1-4 wives and enough kids for a basketball team where the man has little to no skills of value, and then these people are going to be marching down the streets of Warsaw and Krakow demanding Sharia and more money and benefits.

So hopefully, Poland and it's government along with the Visegard 4 will be wise enough to understand what is happening to the West of them.

Also, Poland currently has a rather significant Muslim population in the East like around Bialystok. These are the old Tatars but they are fully assimilated - they work, they respect the prevailing Catholic customs of Poland, they don't try to impose Sharia, they don't rely on welfare and hand outs, and they don't rape Polish women.

In Poland there are already a few mosques in Warsaw and 1 in Wroclaw (my city). The population is rather small but they are assimilated and they get along well with the other Poles. The Poles are scared of the migrants who claim to be from 'Syria' and will create a situation like that in Belgium or Germany.

And yes, I have seen what has happened in Germany with my own eyes. My own Aunt lost her job of over 10 years working at a hotel because one day the government appropriated it and gave it to the migrants to live in for FREE. So here she is working so she can support her daughter, living in a small apartment in the old style blocks, and suddenly she goes to work one morning just to find out not only that she lost her job but that the migrants will live in a 4 star hotel for FREE and have access to the pool, the spa, and all the other amenities. They get free lodging in relative luxury, free food, a small cash stipend, access to a nice swimming pool and then during the day groups of men chant Sharia for Germany and look for women to rape. Wouldn't that upset you? While they're doing all that my aunt now has to figure out how to get a job right away so that the electricity isn't turned off, the daughter has everything she needs for school, and she doesn't get kicked out of her place for not paying rent. My aunt should just tan her skin, buy some brown contacts, put on a burqa, and pretend to be from Syria - then all her troubles would go away.
AdrianK9   
24 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

Again it's a generalization.

I was in Poland just a few months ago in Wroclaw. The reason why is because we own a plot of land about 1.3 Ha in Psie Pole. Long story short, a construction company snuck onto our land, dug an enormous hole, and put in a bunch of dirt and rubble. Anyway, this property with the house (rather average 2 story house - nice, but needed a lot of remodeling) was worth 4 million zloty when it was appraised in 2015. This was actually down about 500k zloty from a few years ago when the properties were really booming. Nonetheless, the prices for real estate are very high relative to the earnings of Polish people. Yes, there are condos that can be purchased for $30k, $80k, and even $100-$150k for a nice fairly large place. However, if you want something in a hot area that is over 3,600 square feet you will pay at least $300k. I have seen several listings in Wroclaw of very pretty homes that were $600k and even as high as $1.3 mil - they were of course cheaper than say a house in London of France of the same type but actually the housing prices for what you get in Wroclaw are rather similar to that in Chicago.

Yes, the young loved John Paul II and ignored the moral sex teachings. I was referring more towards older generations - i.e. those born in the 50's, 60's, early 70's. Those born after the mid-late 70s both those born in Poland and who have stayed there and those have immigrated to the US have a much more open world view and are not nearly as religious as those of the aforementioned older generations.

Not true as well. Anyone highly educated that's unemployed in Poland is unemployable.

Youth unemployment consistently hovers over 20%. By youth, usually this criteria refers to those 18 to 25. Yes, educated Polish people CAN get a job - but it is very difficult for them to get a good, high paying job especially if they only have a bachelors. In Poland, or at least in Wroclaw, to be a bank teller you need to have a bachelor's degree. This is why so many young Polish people leave for England, the US, and Germany. They simply don't feel that they can get a good paying job in Poland.

tradingeconomics.com/poland/youth-unemployment-rate
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

stop judging Polish people in accordance with your western way of thinking

Actually I am fluent in Polish and was born in Poland - I am merely pointing out that there is a huge difference between the immigrant Poles, at least those in the US and the Poles in Poland... I clearly stated this is a generalization - it does not apply to every single Polish lady in Chicago... I am stating what I PERSONALLY observed.
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

How did they get to be rich? by exploiting and killing people, that is how

How can you make an assumption like that? I come from a wealthy family but we made our money through being frugal, saving, investing, and hard work. We never exploited or killed anyone. If anything, now we're the evil ones because instead of living it up on credit cards we paid for everything with cash and lived in a roach infested apartment till we were able to afford better.

Also, again this will be a generalization based on my own personal observations, but it appears to me that the Poles in Poland are infinitely more cultured and sophisticated than their counterparts in the US. It's like they get dumbed down when they come here.. Przepraszam Marek, ale naprawde, twoja Honda Civic z body kit i naklejkami nie wyglada zajebiscie'
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

some Poles have embraced materialism too easily and have forgotten or abandoned tradition and nation.

So true. This was much more prevalent in post-communist Poland. There was of course materialism in communist Poland as wanting to have nice things, envying your neighbors new car, etc. is just human. The people were a bit more equal though than they are now so the materialism wasn't as prevalent. Ah I remember the trouble my dad would go through to get AC DC and Black Sabbath Records, VCRs, Levis Jeans, etc. He was a jeweler in communist Poland and my grandparents (his parents) ran a meat business which they still do. By communist standards they were pretty damn well off and had a lot of foreign currency, especially German, hidden away. I remember when I had my first Holy Communion they gave me $1,000 USD as a present. This was a lot of money at the time in the US let alone in Poland. People were shocked that a young kid could be given so much money as a gift.

The class distinction and inequality is crazy in Poland and I would argue that is just as bad, if not possibly worse than in the US. (Yes there is more extreme wealthy people in the US but at least the poor here have access to things like welfare, food stamps, CHIP, rent assistance, etc. In Poland, the welfare is tiny I believe its like 80 or 100 or 120 Eu a month or something like that. I remember reading an article about 'the only Brit' in Poland on welfare.)

Anyway, I'll use my family as a specific example from both mom and dad's side. They run the whole gambit of poor village dwellers to millionaires. Some are very well educated and others are simply extremely cunning and street smart.

Lower class - Agricultural family in a small village - My great aunt from my moms side lives on a farm outside of Walbrzych. She lives on a large pig farm. Although she does have electricity, she did not have indoor plumbing until the late 80s/early 90s. She is poor but since her and her husband run a farm and have a lot of land they are able to eat a lot of the food that they grow and the animals they raise. However, obtaining even a 10 year old car would unrealistic as would taking a vacation outside the country or being able to retire without working and continuing to run the farm. They own a Maluch which her husband actually won in some raffle or something. No formal education.

Middle class - family in a suburb/small town outside of Wroclaw - My cousins live on a farm in Prusice (outside of Wroclaw) and my uncle works for Dolpasz which I believe is a fertilizer company. They are I'd say middle to upper middle class. They have a large multigenerational home, a decent bit of land with a small amount of ducks, chickens, rabbits, goat, geese, etc. They have an older car and most of their belongings are rather old as well. However, they are a very happy family and they do not have to worry where their next meal will come from. They have enough to survive on but they are unable to afford say like a BMW 3-series or a new 60' Samsung. They are able to afford taking local vacations in Poland but a vacation to like Paris or London would be a bit of out their reach unless they saved for it for a long time. The parents are not educated but all the children have graduated college and are working in entry level post-college jobs.

Middle Class #2 - Major in the military - My uncle is a Major in the land forces. When I was a child he took me to his base and I got to ride in a BMP, shoot the ak-47s, sit in a MiG 29 (on the ground of course), etc. I have a ton of pictures from this and it was one of my best memories as a child. Anyway, he lives with his family in a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment in the bloki. He is a very intelligent individual and invented a revolutionary kidney dialysis machine for which he was awarded quite a bit of money as many of the hospitals in Poland and around the world use it. However, after purchasing this condo in the bloki and supporting his childrens' education he has little left. He is of course happy though but his salary as a major does not allow him much luxuries in life. He has an 'average' car and a clean cozy condo but is by no means living in luxury or wealth. My uncle has a magister degree and his children have gone to colleges in Poland.

Rich Class #1 - My grandparents from my fathers side are very wealthy but they do not display their wealth at all. They began amassing wealth during communism as they ran a meat business and of course meat was rationed out. They were able to sell their meat for foreign currency or trade it for items that were rare at the time in Poland like Japanese stereo equipment, Levis jeans, records from the US, etc. They now own a deli/convenience store, metal fabrication shop, a stall in the bazaar (targ) where they sell meat, a hair salon, and several residential properties. Although they do not really display their wealth and live in a pretty average home in Oborniki Slaskie (outside of Wroclaw), they are able to afford quality foreign items that would be too expensive for an average Pole. For example, they are able to afford to travel to the US and Western Europe whereas most Poles will stick to trips to Ukraine and the Black sea, the Balkans, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries that aren't as expensive. They own a turbo diesel Honda CRV (which is a small suv), an older Mercedes 300TD station wagon and also a Mercedes Vito which is basically like a cross between a minivan and a cargo van. The Honda SUV would be considered a luxury item for most Poles. They would be able to afford a million plus dollar home and the newest Mercedes or Bmw but they like to keep a bit lower profile. My grandma still wears her clothes from the 70s and even pantyhose that has holes in it because quite frankly she doesn't care and is more focused on running the businesses. She is more the brains behind the operation. They do not have any formal education but are very very business savvy.

Rich Class #2 - My uncle owns a large hotel in Tychy called Hotel Piramida. It is I believe 9 stories and is shaped like a glass pyramid. This family is definitely in the 1% of Poland. They have a variety of foreign cars like a Land Rover Range Rover and a Porsche Carrerra as a summer car. The uncle was able to afford to send his children to London for a better education. They are able to afford just about anything whereas for an average Pole sending their kids to a private school in London would be a thought that doesn't even occur. My uncle is not educated but his children are.

So there's the whole gambit. I have more examples but you get the point. Like in every society, there is rich and poor. In Poland the inequality is very high when compared to the Nordic Countries or even some of the Baltic Countries. Poland is kind of that middle ground where the people tend to make lower income than say like in England, Germany, and Sweden but are more equal and make more of an average income than say those in Ukraine, Albania, or Russia. We are classified by the CIA as an 'upper middle' income country. Here is a small chart of average GDP per capita - I personally think this is rather high but then of course a person like my uncle who owns a hotel probably makes as much as like 100 people like my poor great aunt.

data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD

dolnoslask what city are you from? I am from Wroclaw and have family in Oborniki Slaskie, Trzemnica, Prusice, and Walbrzych.
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

Adrian, just a small suggestion : this forum is pretty much united by a common loathing of Party members that took advantage of their connections during Communism to amass

No one in my family was in the Communist party and the only person with any contacts in the government is my uncle who is a Major.
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

You are correct, that is unless a bribe was paid or meat was given to them. Also, this was done in secret and not in the open. Bribes were very common in those times and would range from a small bribe of several dollars (or the equivalent) so that the doctor sees you right away or writes a note excusing you from work to a 'medium size bribe' of perhaps $50, $100 or so to allow for goods from Western Germany to be brought in without being confiscated, to a substantial several thousand dollar bribe to obtain a visa to leave Poland.

It is kind of like the cinkciarzy - the individuals who openly traded and sold dollars and marks. The authorities knew what they were doing but would usually look the other way, especially if a small bribe was paid.
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

You honestly think they were anything other than SB agents?

Yes, I think I know my own family pretty well. It was not just my family. However, yes I do not dispute that you had to have political connections to have a good job, get a visa, etc. or at least give up a pretty substantial bribe. They have known some local politicians maybe at like the equivalent of alderman but it's not like they were on a first name basis with Gomulka or something.
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

Yes I am comparing the cost of gasoline and electronics in Poland to that in the US - it is much more expensive. I believe in Holland gasoline is the most expensive out of the EU countries.

I laughed when I read 'ruski czolg' lol. Yes that certainly would imply that an item is strong. Some of the Polish contractors in the US will use the term '.... zrob/zrobonie po Rusku!' Meaning that something was done to cut corners, perhaps not as quality but with lots of ingenuity nonetheless. One particular example I can think of is 'lanie cement po Rusku' which I guess is an easier quicker way to pour concrete? I don't know, I'm not an expert contractor but I'll ask my dad next time i see him.

Another thing that I'm not a big fan of in Poland is paying for things I'm not use to paying for like using the bathroom and pokrzywa aka nettle. That crap is everywhere!

And yes, Polish people loooove to complain but I think that is just a human thing.

Another thing that kind of bothers me is the poem murzynek bambo... really? you're going to tell make a kid's poem about a black kid in africa running up a tree and scared to take baths so his blackness doesn't wash out lol. at least though they do call him a 'koleszka'
AdrianK9   
25 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

Yes, I believe I saw some nettle in my mom's tea cabinet. I think it's used for like upset stomach.

There is also a great shampoo made out of nettle that they sell in the US but is a Polish product. Makes your hair feel great and only costs $4-$5 for a 1 liter bottle.
AdrianK9   
26 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

That's another thing we can add to the likes and dislikes of Poland...

I love how Poland and Polish people (especially the older generations) have so many natural and homemade cures. A lot of these are in tea form.

However, sometimes this can go a bit too far as many Poles (again, more so common with older generations) have pseudo-scientific beliefs especially when it comes to health.

For example, many older generations of Poles state that you will get sick if you go out in the cold, you can get sick if you don't dry your hair completely. Stuff like that. Perhaps, yes if you go out in the cold without proper clothing or go to sleep without totally drying your hair it can lower your immune system making it more easy to catch a bug. However, I highly doubt that just being cold will make you sick.
AdrianK9   
26 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

Are you stupid or something? I am not old but I have respect for elderly wisdom unlike in USA where older people are thought of as useless waste of space.

It is my fault then for not using better examples. I was merely stating that oftentimes the elderly will be gung ho about psuedo-scientific beliefs especially about health even if there is science to prove that their ideas are false. Nonetheless, resorting to name calling and making an assumption about such a diverse nation with over 300 million people and their treatment of their elderly is stupid. Yes, the nursing home industry is very large here and many people do unfortunately put their parents in a nursing home to make it easier for themselves. I think this is terrible. My parents are the 2 most important people in the world to me. I would rather hire a nurse to stay with them and the only way I would put them in a nursing home is if they wanted to go to one which would most likely only be because their health is so bad that they need to be under constant medical observation. I pray to God that this never happens.

Yes, you can get sick if you go out in the cold and you feel cold, that is what the elderly Polish mean.

Being cold and feeling cold will not directly make you sick. However, there is a strong correlation between being cold/feeling cold which CAN lower your immune system (again not automatically WILL lower your immunse system) and also CAN creates an environment more hospitable to the rhinovirus which will then make you sick as the rhinovirus tends to prefer dry nasal passages.

In my statement I wrote that they believe you 'WILL GET SICK' while in yours you wrote that you 'CAN GET SICK.' Well, yes that is obvious that you CAN get sick if you go out in the cold and are cold because your immune system is lowered. However, many (again, not all) elderly Poles believe that going outside and feeling cold WILL automatically make you sick.

webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/cold-and-flu-iq
smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/there-scientific-reason-cold-weather-could-cause-colds-180953817/?no-ist

'If you'd like to get technical, a cold can be called nasopharyngitis, rhinopharyngitis or acute coryza. Often, it's an infection with rhinovirus, but more than 200 other viruses can cause the coughing, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing that we call the common cold.

Also:

Cold weather also does not cause colds -- at least not directly. Despite its name, the common cold is not caused by cold. "It doesn't have any effect at all," says Tallman. "There's no correlation." In fact, you may be more likely to "catch your death of cold" indoors

Also, Iin Polish weather if you don't dry your hair completely you can indeed get not just sick but very sick, even slightest miss can create serious problems if prolonged exposure to cold endures and hair is not completely dry.

Yes, if you don't dry your hair and go outside in the cold weather you CAN get sick and you CAN get hypothermia. Again, doesn't necessarily mean you will get sick but the chances are higher. I wrote about not drying your hair before bed - not being outside. Yes, you CAN get sick from not properly drying your hair indoors because it creates an environment more hospitable to bacteria/viruses that cause the common cold making it harder for the body to fight back, but again it does not mean you automatically will get sick like many elderly Poles believe.

Even my mom tells me 'Adrian nie siedz na zimnym betonie bo zachorujesz'

Tale: You'll get sick if you go out in the cold with wet hair. The truth: Exposure to viruses-not skipping the blow-dryer-causes cold and flu. "Scientists have studied this really well," says Vreeman. "They've put cold viruses in the noses of two groups of people.Nov 6, 2011

health.com/health/gallery/0,,20306931_5,00.html

abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluQuestions/cold-flu-wives-tales-debunked/story?id=14884135

webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/cold-and-flu-iq
This article even argues that you catch colds once your immune system is lowered. Yes, the cold is caused by a virus, most commonly rhinovirus but of course there are others. By giving a virus, or bacteria like in the case of influenza, a hospitable environment i.e. a lowered immune system, dry nasal passages, etc. increases the chances of your body not being able to fight off the virus/bacteria and hence getting sick. It doesn't necessarily mean it will always happen - your immune system can be weakened and you can still fight it off just like you can be perfectly healthy and rested and still catch a bug and get sick. However, creating a hospitable environment for the bacteria/virus increase your chances of getting sick and your body being unable to fight.

I am simply saying that many times elderly Poles believe that being cold/having wet hair/etc. will automatically make you sick. That is not the case, but it does raise the chances of getting sick.
AdrianK9   
29 Feb 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

"progress that we need to adopt".

I don't think this is the case 100% of the time - maybe with people that are more Euro-centric.

Whenever I travel to Poland or many other parts of Europe I find that actually the U.S. is behind the times in many regards. I find that Polish people are actually very sophisticated.
AdrianK9   
1 Mar 2016
Life / What don't you like about Poland or Polish People? [117]

cygańi

Not a big fan of the meandering groups of aggressive street beggars and pick pockets in my city. Makes me sad though that instead of sending their kids to school they basically force them to beg for change all day.
AdrianK9   
9 Mar 2016
News / Nike company breaks Polish child labour policy [7]

I was cutting 2x4s and hanging drywall before I even had hair on my balls, I don't see what the big deal is... Quite frankly, I think it made me a hard working and more ambitious person because of it and helped my family out financially at the same time.

I can understand though how people think it's cruel or a bad thing and that brings up a good question, what is better? A child working in a factory making a meager wage so he and his family don't starve or a child and the family starving because he can't find a job and his drunk dad refuses to work? In the 1st world we look as child labor as evil but in the 3rd world child labor is looked as a blessing by the locals - of course their situation is being exploited though by 1st world corporations.

Boycotts have a rather limited effect unless they are sustained for long periods of time. It's actually illegal for certain institutions to boycott certain country's goods in England. This policy was apparently implemented without any vote or debate by Parliament too.
AdrianK9   
11 Mar 2016
Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]

I would immediately go to the Dutch embassy/consulate and explain everything that's going on. Hiring a defense lawyer may be a good idea. I am very sorry to hear that - I had a lot of problems with the Polish police also on my recent trip.

In Wroclaw, they're doing some work in my neighborhood, Psie Pole, on the Wisla river. I guess they're building canals or something. Anyway, the city hired a construction company who snuck onto our property and dug an enormous hole. We have a 1.3 hectare property that has a nice 2 story home on it and a large apple orcharch, or at least use to. Anyway, the company dug up a hole literally large enough to fit the foundation for a factory or one of those old communist bloki. The hole itself is probably approaching a hectare. All the apple trees are totally destroyed. My aunt was actually the one who found this out because she was driving next to the property and called me to tell me what was going on. I called the police but all they did was take down the driver's information of the dump trucks and excavators and their license plates. However, they allowed the work to continue and my property continued to get damaged and more and more rubble was being illegally dumped onto the property. I flew to Poland and hired a lawyer. We worked with the police who not only was totally lazy and seemingly refused to do anything, the higher-up officers began to not answer my phone calls. So I had to go in person and after a while they would hide to avoid me. They literally were like hiding and avoiding me so they didn't have to do work. In the 2 months I was in Poland they basically just started an investigation and had some license plates/ids written down. Even though I had every document showing this was my property they still didn't press charges against the company. I had to take a bunch of time off of work, spent $10,000+ on my trip, hotel, airfare, lawyers, food, etc. on top of the income lost as only about 1/4th of my trip was paid for by vacation time. This was barely a vacation. I don't think I've ever been so stressed out and frustrated in my entire life.

On the plane ride back though, as I was reading a magazine, it dawned on me that it would be a good idea to talk to the media about this and perhaps you could too. Exposing police ineptitude would be a good story. I have had several interviews lined up for next time I go to Poland about my case. I would recommend you make yours as public as possible - especially if you are innocent or there is little to no evidence to prove your guilt. Definitely hire a lawyer though and talk to your consulate. If your facing some serious charges and you are in fact guilty and the police can prove it, then I would think about taking every necessary step to avoid prison.

I am truly sorry for you - I know first hand how much of a pain it is dealing with the Polish police. Good luck to you buddy.
AdrianK9   
11 Mar 2016
Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]

I was in the US when this occurred. My aunt notified my about this as she was driving by and asked if we sold the property. I was really worried at first that maybe I forgot to pay the property taxes or something and our property got repossessed. But yeah, 100% true story. It makes me so sad because that home survived WW2 and a shady construction company managed to destroy it within a month because they were too lazy and too cheap to drive the 45 minutes to the proper disposal site. It's been a nightmare dealing with the police. Here, they would've stopped the work and probably arrested people for trespassing, damage to property, and illegal dumping. The police did NOTHING. As soon as the police left the dump trucks came back and continued dumping. They stopped once I came to Poland but who knows what's going to happen with this. All I know is that the home that I was planning on retiring in is totally ruined. I can't even sell it because no one will buy it. The property was assessed about a year ago and was worth 3.8 million zloty which is a substantial amount of money. I didn't care about that though because I was planning to live there and not sell it. Now my dream of retiring in Poland is over unless the property is either fixed or the they pay for the damage they did. I don't expect to like win the ghetto lottery - i.e. sue them for millions. However, I do want them to either fix the property (which will probably cost over $1mil dollars because of the damage) or buy the place for a fair market value. I haven't cried since my grandmother died when I was like 16 and when I saw our family home I cried. It literally looks like the place was bombed I mean they dug a hole 10 feet deep and filled it with rubble. It's been a nightmare and it's still far from being over. The sad part is I know the company that did it, I have pictures, videos, witnesses, testimonies (ironically, one of the drivers from the company is actually a family friend but of course he had no clue that this home was ours since no one lives there and he even agreed to testify in court), and despite spending thousands of dollars and 2 months out of work, I left Poland without even a complete police report because of the cops' laziness... insanity..
AdrianK9   
11 Mar 2016
Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]

Jesus dude that is a crazy store - I would get your witnesses to write a statement, get a good defense lawyer, and most importantly contact the dutch embassy. That sounds like a huge pain and even worse if you left the country they may issue an international warrant. Although you never know out of sheer laziness and ineptitude.

I wonder if there is a statute of limitations in Poland? In the US for a crime like that it wouldn't go to court because it's over 2 years old. Only murder doesn't have a statute of limitations. I think you may just be wanted for questioning - I don't think you have an arrest warrant otherwise they would've picked you up already.

I'm not bsing delph... I have pictures of this I can even share - both old pictures with my parents in their 20s when they lived in that house (which was my grandmas and she gave it to me) and current pictures with the apple orchard totally dug up and the property in ruins.

Are you sure that its a matter for the Police? It probably isn't being a 'civil matter'.

It is both a civil matter and criminal matter. Criminal in the sense that the company trespassed, damaged private property, and illegally dumped. Civil in the sense that I'll have to sue them for damages to my property. First I have to get them prosecuted for the criminal so it's easier to win the civil case. It's going to be a very very long process though. I am so sick of this already I'm ready to give up on this as I simply can't afford to just keep taking off work and fly to Poland for month's and keep bugging the police to do some work. They wouldn't do anything over the phone when I called from the US so I pretty much had to go and even once I did the police didn't do anything. They didn't even make a single arrest or charge anyone - all they did was write down some info, take some statements, and that's it. It's been about 4 months since I first found out about this and still no one has been even charged or anything. If I were the owner of the company I would disband it or declare bankruptcy or something to avoid prosecution and a civil case - they certainly have enough time for it.
AdrianK9   
14 Mar 2016
Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]

Was the property not secured?

I can gladly send you pictures of this incident. And yes, I am in the process of doing that... I have not exagerrated anything in this story
AdrianK9   
14 Mar 2016
Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]

Since you don't believe me Delph - here are some of the documents from the lawyers and pictures... I have over 2 dozen I can share... I had to redact some of the names and addresses of my lawyer and myself...

Sygn. akt RSD 186/16 Wrocław, 29 lutego 2016 r.

adwokat Tomasz XXXXi

pełnomocnik z wyboru

pokrzywdzonej -------
Komisariat Policji

Wrocław - Psie Pole

we Wrocławiu

WNIOSEK DOWODOWY

Jako ustanowiony pełnomocnik z wyboru pokrzywdzonej, na podstawie art.

167 § 2 k.p.k. w zw. z art. 169 § 1 k.p.k. wnoszę o zwrócenie się do firmy XXXX

S.A., 02-119 Warszawa, ul. Pruszkowska XX o wskazanie jej podwykonawców,

którzy w okresie czwartego kwartału 2015 r. oraz stycznia i lutego 2016 r. zajmowali

się usługami transportowymi w rejonie ul. Pełczyńskiej we Wrocławiu, albowiem z

zeznań świadka Ivo XXX wynika, że prace na tamtym terenie wykonywała

właśnie wskazana firma, korzystająca z pomocy podwykonawców, co w

konsekwencji wymaga ustalenia tych podwykonawców i sprawdzenia, czy to nie oni

(co jest przecież prawdopodobne) dokonali zniszczenia ogrodzenia znajdującego się

na nieruchomości pokrzywdzonej położonej przy ul. Pełczyńskiej XX oraz samej tej

nieruchomości.

Łabuda Razowski Wojciechowski adwokacka spółka partnerska

also from the lawyer

adwokat Tomasz XXXXX

pełnomocnik z wyboru

pokrzywdzonej XXXXXX- KasperXXXX
Komisariat Policji

Wrocław - Psie Pole

we Wrocławiu

WNIOSEK DOWODOWY

Jako ustanowiony pełnomocnik z wyboru pokrzywdzonej, na podstawie art.

167 § 2 k.p.k. w zw. z art. 169 § 1 k.p.k. wnoszę o zwrócenie się do firmy Skanska

S.A., 02-119 Warszawa, ul. Pruszkowska XX o wskazanie jej podwykonawców,

którzy w okresie czwartego kwartału 2015 r. oraz stycznia i lutego 2016 r. zajmowali

się usługami transportowymi w rejonie ul. Pełczyńskiej we Wrocławiu, albowiem z

zeznań świadka Ivo XXXX wynika, że prace na tamtym terenie wykonywała

właśnie wskazana firma, korzystająca z pomocy podwykonawców, co w

konsekwencji wymaga ustalenia tych podwykonawców i sprawdzenia, czy to nie oni

(co jest przecież prawdopodobne) dokonali zniszczenia ogrodzenia znajdującego się

na nieruchomości pokrzywdzonej położonej przy ul. Pełczyńskiej XX oraz samej tej

nieruchomości.


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AdrianK9   
14 Mar 2016
Law / File complaint against Poland's police [97]

The worst one... Keep in mind this use to be a beautiful apple orchard with 100s of trees... a big 2 story home utterly destroyed and all the land with it too... that was going to be my retirement. Quite frankly, I don't care if you believe me or not Delph the fact of the matter is I'm not BSing. I did have a local person look out for this property but he took advantage of the situation - I was letting him live there for free in return for maintaining the place which of course he failed to do. I will never purchase a property in Poland again unless I'm living in it or can stop by and see it at least weekly.

Yes, I expected the police to at least charge the people for trespassing and damage of property. I mean the cops literally saw them creating this mess but all they did was take their IDs and write down their license plates. This has been a horror.


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