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Posts by Alltimegreat1  

Joined: 23 Jul 2016 / Male ♂
Last Post: 30 Sep 2017
Threads: Total: 16 / In This Archive: 14
Posts: Total: 67 / In This Archive: 53

Speaks Polish?: no

Displayed posts: 67 / page 1 of 3
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Alltimegreat1   
23 Jul 2016
Life / Air pollution in Wroclaw and Krakow [12]

Hi everyone. I am very glad to have found this forum. I have a lead for a job in Wroclaw right now that will very likely turn into a job offer. I'm currently based in Frankfurt and have no experience living in Eastern Europe. I really like the Polish people and their food, however I have heard very bad things about the air quality in Polish cities especially in the winter. Renting a free-standing house will be my plan to avoid neighbors' second hand cigarette smoke. I read that Krakow is one of the worst in the world in terms of air quality. Would Wroclaw be any better? Would there be any particular areas of Wroclaw like the town center that are largely free of coal burning or wood burning? Thanks in advance for the help!
Alltimegreat1   
24 Jul 2016
Real Estate / Best residential areas in Wroclaw to live in? [27]

Merged: Nicest areas of Wroclaw

Could someone with knowledge of Wroclaw please tell me what the nicest regions of Wroclaw are? We're looking to move to a neighborhood with nice new houses and/or apartment buildings where the neighbors have good jobs and are family friendly. Ideally, this would be an area with clean air, meaning a very low level of cigarette smoking and wood/coal smoke from neighbors' chimneys and factories. Any ideas?

Is there such a thing in Poland as a non-smoking apartment building where no smoking at all is allowed anywhere on the premises?
Alltimegreat1   
25 Jul 2016
Life / Polish people and Politeness [84]

Merged: Politeness/Rudeness in Poland

I must say I'm getting quite sick of living in Germany. Most people I meet here have an incredibly arrogant and rude attitude and consider themselves absolute experts on all affairs foreign and domestic. I don't want my son to turn out to be this way. I'd love to move somewhere else to escape this, even if it meant getting the same salary as I do here. Now I may have an opportunity to do exactly this in Poland.

Are Poles rude like this too? Everyone I've ever met from Poland has been friendly and down to earth and has not attempted to instigate a political argument, but I don't know too many Poles.
Alltimegreat1   
25 Jul 2016
Life / Polish people and Politeness [84]

I speak fluent German. Once they realize they can speak German to me, they are able to express their ignorant opinions more easily.

I'm not shy about getting into an lively discussion, but I don't see the point in arguing about politics or current events with every person I meet. I'm from the US. Germans could not be any more ignorant about life in America, yet they see it as their duty to constantly state their opinion about it. Most of these people have never even visited. What's more, Germans are incredibly sensitive and defensive about any perceived criticism of their own culture or system. They also have their backward views about air conditioning or moving air making people sick. As a result, indoor temperatures in Germany are usually about 25+ degrees C, even in the winter (with no ventilation). Could this really be any worse in Poland? Do Poles always insist that Poland is better than the country of the person they're talking to?
Alltimegreat1   
25 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

What is it like working in Poland? Are employees expected to do lots of overtimes like in the US/Canada? Or more like Germany/France 9-5 and go home?

The company I'm speaking with is offering me a "permanent contract" after a 3-month probation period, which they said is standard. I'm wondering what "permanent" means for a Polish contract. Does it offer the same employment protection as in Germany (for example), where it's extremely difficult to fire anyone after the prob period? Thanks in advance for the input.
Alltimegreat1   
25 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

Thanks, my company will be taking care of all that for me. Any thoughts on the "permanent" employment contract? I just saw some nice apartment ads in Wroclaw offering air conditioning! That's impossible to find in Germany.
Alltimegreat1   
26 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

So you're saying an employee who has passed the three-month probation period can still be fired or let go for any reason, but the employer has to provide a one-month or three-month notice period? That doesn't sound like very good job security.
Alltimegreat1   
26 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

Point taken. In other countries with similarly high taxes like Germany, however, simply sucking is rarely sufficient for dismissal. I would expect high taxes and high job security to go hand in hand.

Could someone with experience working in both Poland and Germany give their take on this please?
Alltimegreat1   
26 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

Looks like they'll be making me an offer of around €5,000/month, which everyone keeps saying is like 5 or 6 times what the average Pole earns. Nevertheless, 5k is not really that much in a country like Germany, and especially not in the US. Prices in Poland aren't really that much cheaper than Germany I've found by researching. About 1/3 cheaper I'd say, which is nowhere near enough to justify the low wages being talked about on this forum. I'm really willing to give Poland a shot, but I'd need about €7,500/month to be worth it. We'll see what happens.

I know a guy who passed out drunk in the client's parking garage with a bottle in hand and needed to be taken to the hospital. He wasn't fired.
Alltimegreat1   
26 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

What the hell is the point of having a 3-month probation period at all if an employee can be fired just as easily thereafter?
It's unlikely that Mr. Trump follows Polish Forums, but if he did, he'd tell you you're hired.
Alltimegreat1   
26 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

Kündigungsschutz it's called. Kündigungsfrist is the notice period the employee must provide when quitting.
There are a number of Germans who abuse the rule, taking 6 weeks or more of paid sick leave every year in addition to their 6 weeks vacation. It's nearly impossible to fire some who is lazy but thick skinned and can withstand harassment aimed at making him quit. The system in the US us ok, no protection but really high pay. Poland unfortunately seems to have the worst of both worlds.
Alltimegreat1   
26 Jul 2016
Life / Working life in Poland [18]

Russia has a 13% flat income tax, one of the best in Europe. Poland has a marginal rate of 32%. That's a huge difference, especially given that both countries are fairly poor.
Alltimegreat1   
27 Jul 2016
Life / Price/wage ratio in Poland - shocked! [16]

I'm shocked at seeing how low the wages are in Poland given that prices and taxes are not really that much lower than in Germany. Is there any Eastern European country out there still with extremely low prices across the board (rent, groceries, clothes)?
Alltimegreat1   
31 Aug 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

I would be grateful for some advice about how to get around in Poland. My family and I have a vacation to Poland coming up soon. We're flying into Warsaw Chopin and from there plan on taking a train to Mragowo in northeastern Poland. What is the best way of going about this? Should we take a train from the airport to the Warsaw Central Station and then buy a ticket to Mragowo from there? Is there a good website with information in English about train connections and prices? Thanks in advance for the advice.
Alltimegreat1   
31 Aug 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

Thanks for the information. We're going to look into getting a car. I'll have to ask whether a child carseat is provided by the rental car company.

What about the best way to exchange euros for zlotys? Is there a bank at the airport with an ATM?
Alltimegreat1   
1 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

Why is that road so dangerous? We will be driving during daylight hours on a Sunday. What is the safest route to drive to get to Mragowo. I'd be willing to take a longer route for better safety.
Alltimegreat1   
1 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

OK. Is it easy to catch a bus from Olsztyn to Mragowo? Do the buses leave from the Olsztyn train station? What bus service is the best and how can I see the departure times and prices? Thanks!
Alltimegreat1   
1 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

The problem with booking in advance is that we can't be sure about when we'd arrive in Olsztyn. The flight could be delayed or our train from Warsaw to Olsztyn could be delayed. I'd rather pay a bit more for the flexibility. Based on your experience, what would you say is the maximum a bus ticket from Olsztyn to Mragowo could cost per person if purchased at the station immediately before departure?
Alltimegreat1   
1 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

My god those are some low prices. If the absolute worst case scenario involves having to pay €16 for a ticket that should cost €1 or €2, I think I can live with that. Thanks so much for your input. Now I just need to figure out which bus stop in Mragowo to get off at for Hotel Mercure Mragowo.
Alltimegreat1   
1 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

A nice and fairly new 100 square meter apartment in a nicer part of Frankfurt can easily get over €2,000/month. It would be rare to find places that expensive in Berlin.
Alltimegreat1   
1 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

Which restaurants in Mragowo do you recommend? We're looking for good-quality traditional Polish food (but no fish).

Jon: What bus stop should we get off at? Are there several in Mragowo?
Alltimegreat1   
3 Sep 2017
Travel / Travel Within Poland - from Warsaw airport to Mragowo [49]

Based on the all helpful information I've received here, we plan to first withdraw money at an ATM at the Warsaw Chopin airport, then take a subway/bus to the Warsaw Central Station, then a train to Olsztyn, then a bus to Mragowo, and finally a taxi to the hotel.

Any tips on what bank ATM at the airport to use and where it is located?

Can anyone give some advice about how best to get from the Warsaw Chopin airport to the Warsaw Central train station? We will have a good amount of luggage and a child with us, so I would guess a subway might be more convenient than a bus. Any tips on which subway line to take and how to find the departure platforms in the Chopin airport?
Alltimegreat1   
3 Sep 2017
Travel / Activities for Children in Warsaw's Old Town [3]

We're spending a few days in the Warsaw old town next month and would like to include some fun activities for a 3-year-old child. Any advice?