Yep. This is really a habit of the British/Irish/Americans I think. Most countries are not like this from what I can see.
Moving to Poland (from the UK) to take a teaching position. Tips?
That's probably true!
rabidbavib - | 20
6 Oct 2010 / #33
If I have to ask for reszta? in a resterant the waiter doesnt get a tip, they know the thankyou thing is a scam. make em skwirm!
MaciekJ
19 Oct 2010 / #34
Hi SidWolf,
I don't know about teaching contracts, but maybe my impressions of Poland can be useful. I'm a Pole by birth, but I've lived most of my life in Montreal, Canada. I've been back in Poland (Warsaw) for a year now to study.
One of the things I still haven't gotten used to is that people tend to be a degree or two 'rougher around the edges' than in Montreal. If people don't return a smile, if they don't say sorry after they bump into you, if they don't bother to help you out when they see you're struggling in Polish - don't take it personally; it's not you, it's them.
But other than that it's really pretty much a 'western' country now, just like any other ( shops, clothes, cars, etc) although half a century of stunted economic development still shows as do unfortunately some corollaries, like high alcoholism rates.
The toughest part is likely to be the bureaucracy if you have the misfortune to have to deal with it. Unless you fall on the odd helpful functionary, it's really labyrinthine and a royal pain the ***. If you do have stuff to arrange in government offices, get a Pole to come with you, it'll make all the difference in the world, though it certainly won't guarantee speedy resolution :).
Well that's the stuff off the top of my head, anyways. (Oh yeah, for food: you can find pretty much anything you want if you look hard enough, although for some mysterious reason it's impossible to find good fresh fish in Warsaw...)
Anyhoo, all the best to you.
I don't know about teaching contracts, but maybe my impressions of Poland can be useful. I'm a Pole by birth, but I've lived most of my life in Montreal, Canada. I've been back in Poland (Warsaw) for a year now to study.
One of the things I still haven't gotten used to is that people tend to be a degree or two 'rougher around the edges' than in Montreal. If people don't return a smile, if they don't say sorry after they bump into you, if they don't bother to help you out when they see you're struggling in Polish - don't take it personally; it's not you, it's them.
But other than that it's really pretty much a 'western' country now, just like any other ( shops, clothes, cars, etc) although half a century of stunted economic development still shows as do unfortunately some corollaries, like high alcoholism rates.
The toughest part is likely to be the bureaucracy if you have the misfortune to have to deal with it. Unless you fall on the odd helpful functionary, it's really labyrinthine and a royal pain the ***. If you do have stuff to arrange in government offices, get a Pole to come with you, it'll make all the difference in the world, though it certainly won't guarantee speedy resolution :).
Well that's the stuff off the top of my head, anyways. (Oh yeah, for food: you can find pretty much anything you want if you look hard enough, although for some mysterious reason it's impossible to find good fresh fish in Warsaw...)
Anyhoo, all the best to you.