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Expats/Immigrants in Poland: Needy, Greedy or contributor. Which one are you?


delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Oct 2011 /  #31
But what is the cost base ? I'm guessing PLN 30 for heat and light, PLN 10 for showers and lets say PLN 30 inc ZUS to have a janitor open it up and stay on site for 1,5 hours.

Heat and light shouldn't be 30PLN in a new school. Showers? No need to use them. As for the janitor - they're normally there anyway for other things, and very often, they're often retired people working part time anyway - and so, cost very little. And also - this 100PLN is during school hours.

There's no way that it costs a school 100PLN an hour to actually rent a hall. And we don't mention how schools will rent entire classrooms at a very low price to 'friends'. Or in Poznan, how several school directors took kickbacks from a certain language school ;)

As for the school not being worried about poor kids - if they actually believed in education, they'd be hiring the place at cost price.
Englishpoznan  4 | 99  
3 Oct 2011 /  #32
You must live in a different Poland to me. Loads of second hand stuff here in Krakow, there is shops that buy clothes by the kg for instance.

these are not charity shops in any sense of the word!
woodgey  - | 28  
3 Oct 2011 /  #33
I find the majority of expats/immigrants I meet here in Poland fall into three types

I try to earn as much as I can to give to my Polish wife and children. How does that sit with your 'classification'?
OP Wedle  15 | 490  
3 Oct 2011 /  #34
I try to earn as much as I can to give to my Polish wife and children.

We all do that, unless you are firmly seated in " needy "

How does that sit with your 'classification'?

I am not here to judge.
antheads  13 | 340  
3 Oct 2011 /  #35
yes cms but my point is that in western europe social democracies it is the goverment role to provide these sporting facilities to their citizens, and it is subsidised by the taxpayers. Because poland pretty much adobted a american free market model various goverment departments did not fufill that role, and no money was spent on sporting facilities. Schools have no ideological or community motivation to provide cheap facilities to the community. Hence the position we find ourselves in.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Oct 2011 /  #36
Schools have no ideological or community motivation to provide cheap facilities to the community.

Which kinda goes against their whole raison d'etre, doesn't it?

The attitude by schools towards the community they are in is despicable in many cases - I could happily tell you a few stories about school directors receiving bribes to block initatives that would actually benefit communities rather than private language schools.

To be fair, the various Dom Kultury do a fantastic job in general - but schools should also be playing their part. Still, as long as school directors aren't professionally trained and promoted, there's no hope.

I even know one case in Poland where a fully qualified football coach offered free football classes to a school - only to be asked for 50PLN/hour. Insane - especially as the children would benefit from someone with specific (high) skills in that area.
FUZZYWICKETS  8 | 1878  
3 Oct 2011 /  #37
this is total bs.

we're ALL in it for the money. unless you're independently wealthy, you do what you do because it's lucrative, or at least pays the bills.

the day you can't make good money anymore in Poland is the day you all leave. people follow work.
sobieski  106 | 2111  
3 Oct 2011 /  #38
Not true. I gave up a stable 17-year job in Belgium to come to Poland because my wife simply refused to emigrate. Nothing to do with "needy". Would "love" do perhaps?

I am not interested in expat haunts here in Warsaw...A good way to do that is NOT to go to the places InYourPocket propagates :)
woodgey  - | 28  
3 Oct 2011 /  #39
I am not here to judge

You're the one who wrote up some half assed classifcation for immigrants that places them outside society. We live and work here - we are society. There's no point us justfying whether we contribute or not.

Dude, work your issues out.
Foreigner4  12 | 1768  
3 Oct 2011 /  #40
we're ALL in it for the money.

totally not true in my case, my wife doesn't want to leave her family and I'm just waiting until things get bad enough that she see's the opportunities for us simply aren't here.
peterweg  37 | 2305  
3 Oct 2011 /  #41
we're ALL in it for the money. unless you're independently wealthy, you do what you do because it's lucrative, or at least pays the bills.

Agreed. I live in Poland, the concept of 'expat' is foreign to me. Its my home.

I've not met (well, spoken to) any non-Poles since I moved here two years ago.

It has got nothing to with earning a living. I'll go where the money is or starve like everyone else.
FUZZYWICKETS  8 | 1878  
3 Oct 2011 /  #42
foreigner4 wrote:

totally not true in my case, my wife doesn't want to leave her family and I'm just waiting until things get bad enough that she see's the opportunities for us simply aren't here.

you're being forced here against your will, as is sobieski (wife wouldn't move) which is an exception to the rule. let's be logical here.
Foreigner4  12 | 1768  
3 Oct 2011 /  #43
okay, let's start by deleting the language you've used on my behalf.
I want us to go home but she wants to be close to her family. I am waiting it out. If you choose to interpret that as being "forced" then I'm afraid we cannot continue the conversation.
PWEI  3 | 612  
3 Oct 2011 /  #44
Contributor when I came to Poland but these days far far less so, these days I'm pretty much none of those things.
Gustav  1 | 50  
3 Oct 2011 /  #45
The 'classfication' can be even simpler...

'Serious' guys learn Polish and work in their field

The rest make a collection of excuses and teach....

The attitude by schools towards the community they are in is despicable in many cases - I could happily tell you a few stories about school directors receiving bribes to block initatives that would actually benefit communities rather than private language schools.

Surely you would report such occurrences to the anti-corruption authorities at the earliest opportunity??

That is if your stories are actually true....
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Oct 2011 /  #46
Surely you would report such occurrences to the anti-corruption authorities at the earliest opportunity??

Like they'll do a damn thing about it - school directors are politically appointed and thus protected from such things.

But if you want to find out more - I can give you the names of schools, and you can try and hire a room for English classes. When they refuse, you can go and examine just who is advertising in the schools...
PWEI  3 | 612  
3 Oct 2011 /  #47
Gustav
'Serious' guys learn Polish and work in their field

The rest make a collection of excuses and teach....

And for those whose field is education?
OP Wedle  15 | 490  
3 Oct 2011 /  #48
You're the one who wrote up some half assed classifcation for immigrants that places them outside society. We live and work here - we are society. There's no point us justfying whether we contribute or not.

There is always one.

There are people who have responded to this thread who are very much in society, they contribute, create jobs, pay taxes and work towards a more efficient Poland. You mentioned in post 36 " bring up your children in Poland " do you bring up your children to be child ambassador's of Poland?
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Oct 2011 /  #49
And for those whose field is education?

God forbid that someone might have a vocation for something!

He might have a point when it comes to some of the jokers that post on here (Bradders for instance) - but there's quite a few serious people involved in education on here, too.
gsdgsdg  
3 Oct 2011 /  #50
And for those whose field is education?

They should still learn Polish language before starting to teach.
PWEI  3 | 612  
3 Oct 2011 /  #51
Looking at who they invite to come to Poland, the Polish government clearly disagree with you.
OP Wedle  15 | 490  
3 Oct 2011 /  #52
They should still learn Polish language before starting to teach.

Why please explain?
gsdgsdg  
3 Oct 2011 /  #53
I was taught English by a Polish teacher ("anglistyka" graduate) in high school. I can't imagine being taught by somebody who can't understand and answer my questions in Polish. It takes years of study before a student can ask descriptive questions in English about some nuance and understand descriptive answer, so that there is no misunderstanding.
PWEI  3 | 612  
3 Oct 2011 /  #54
It takes years of study before a student can ask descriptive questions in English about some nuance and understand descriptive answer, so that there is no misunderstanding.

Lucky then that the students I came to teach had already had many years of studying English.
scottie1113  6 | 896  
3 Oct 2011 /  #55
They should still learn Polish language before starting to teach.

Students want to learn English in English. That's how I learned French. A good teacher knows how to explain it so students understand. You won't hear Polish in my classroom, except for an occasional word or two. Let's say we're talking about food. How would you describe cod? It's easier to have students look for it in a dictionary. Bingo. Instant understanding.
Gustav  1 | 50  
3 Oct 2011 /  #56
And for those whose field is education?

Quite. But as you well know few of the guys here left university with the faintest intention of teaching English.

Therein lies the point- plenty of guys on PF are kidding themselves along that they aren't needy- that they didn't come here for a girl and took any job going (nothing inherently wrong with that - definitions of romance are subjective) but can't read the front page of FAKT or phone up the local plumber to come and fix the toilet (surely the very definition of needy- unable to function without others)
FUZZYWICKETS  8 | 1878  
3 Oct 2011 /  #57
scottie1113 wrote:

Students want to learn English in English. That's how I learned French. A good teacher knows how to explain it so students understand. You won't hear Polish in my classroom, except for an occasional word or two. Let's say we're talking about food. How would you describe cod? It's easier to have students look for it in a dictionary. Bingo. Instant understanding.

of course. not to mention, what do you do when your class consists of 2 poles, a japanese girl, a german girl, a korean guy and a French woman? how EVER would you teach all them without knowing ALL their languages? silly rabbit.
delphiandomine  86 | 17823  
3 Oct 2011 /  #58
Quite. But as you well know few of the guys here left university with the faintest intention of teaching English.

I left with the intention of becoming a school teacher of children - and here I am. The country was irrelevant (although ideally it wouldn't be in the UK, and it isn't).

Therein lies the point- plenty of guys on PF are kidding themselves along that they aren't needy- that they didn't come here for a girl and took any job going (nothing inherently wrong with that - definitions of romance are subjective) but can't read the front page of FAKT or phone up the local plumber to come and fix the toilet (surely the very definition of needy- unable to function without others)

I bought a flat in Polish, that'll do me in terms of language ability. Being able to deal with the Notariusz in Polish was by far the most difficult thing I've ever done in a foreign language. Thankfully, I can read the front page and arrange appointments - the only thing I have trouble with is that my writing is pretty rubbish, but I put that down to a lack of practice.
OP Wedle  15 | 490  
3 Oct 2011 /  #59
needy- unable to function without others

Very good point.
FUZZYWICKETS  8 | 1878  
4 Oct 2011 /  #60
i was, at the very least, partially a contributor. 4 years paying into ZUS, never used a dime of it on myself.

The teachers at my schools as well as several other poles that I knew that would get bogus doctor notes or drag out their "illnesses" and stay out of work as long as possible because Poland's socialist system is willing to pay for it year after year.....yeah, certainly paid into that.

if i had a dime for every time i heard, "aahhhhh, pojde do lekarza i powiem mu ze mam goraczke, dostane kilka tygodni wolnych....."

serio sluchaj.....

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