News / Polish parliament refuses to consider shack-up draft between both traditional and same-sex couples [96]

Yes it is discrimination but governments everywhere use the tax system to promote behavior that they think furthers the interests of the country - might be home ownership, might be tax breaks for military vets, tax breaks for students and obviously there are some lawmakers who think that marriage is generally something to be encouraged and should benefit from tax breaks. I don't have much of a problem with that.

The problem with this gay debate is that there seems to be no middle ground - I'm happy for them to get married but I'm much less sure about them adopting kids and I don't think there is enough history so far to decide that they are as good as straight couples in doing that. Walking out on my own flesh and blood would be a huge moral decision for me - I'm not sure I would feel as bad walking out on an adopted Malawi kid, in fact I might have a few drinks and decide the kid is probably still better off than he was in Malawi etc etc. Problem is that I'm a reasonable guy but having doubts about gays adopting kids is now almost seen as a position of extreme bigotry - if I was e.g. in educated company back in the US I would not necessarily own up to those views.

Work / What kind of CV for a job in a multinational company in Poland; Europass or traditional one? Address problems. [19]

I do a lot of recruiting - maybe 15 positions a year

If i wanted a Polish speaker with 2-3 years of work experience and able to work flexible hours and then sat down and found a mid 30s Italian with a couple of small kids at home and an ageing mother to care for then I would be seriously annoyed with my HR dept for not sifting that information. Make it easy for the person interviewing you, as you will get one hour of their time - the recruitment process should not discriminate but it should also allow all facts to be on the table.

no a photo is not necessary but as I said before I would check your linkedin anyway and as you should know you get about 40 percent less linkedin hits if you dont put a photo there. I dont care if you are good looking or not but a jacket, tie and combed hair can be a good sign that you are professional. - yes it depends if you are going for IT or banking.

You dont have to put your age but anyone with a bit of knowledge could work backwards to your graduation date. More important is tfhat any career gaps are explained.

Good luck but really dont get stressed about that - if you have good experience that should shine through to any employer regardless of the format of your cv.

Work / What kind of CV for a job in a multinational company in Poland; Europass or traditional one? Address problems. [19]

Either europass or traditional is fine. Make sure your linkedin is up to date - I would always check that as well as your cv if you were on the shortlist.

Not putting your address and not making clear that you don't speak Polish and have not worked in Poland would be pretty weird. If I invited you for an interview and then got a blank response when I asked you "kawa czy herbata" at the start then I would think both of us have wasted our time.

There are plenty of employers who would consider foreigners for some roles but they should be upfront about it.

Study / Between Poznan University and University of Lodz. Which is the best choice? Business study [6]

Poznan has the better reputation of those universities. both towns are ok but Poznan probably better to live in.

Law / Working in Poland while being self employed in the UK and paying tax and in there [24]

You can do that but if you are here for more than 183 days then you must pay polish income tax. You can potentially deduct from that any tax paid in the uk but its not totally straightforward.

Love / Are Polish men shy and take things slow? [118]

I think maybe he is not mature enough for you - you sound too sensible and he is still growing up. Plenty more guys available I'm sure :)

Love / Are Polish men shy and take things slow? [118]

Its not respectful to text you - he should call you ! Tell him that if you have a date with him ! Mind you i know a lot of younger people use text not call.

You still have a chance next Monday - play it cool and dont seem desperate :)

Love / Are Polish men shy and take things slow? [118]

he will not be embarrassed walking with an Asian - probably it will be cool for him ! And being with someone older would be even cooler - he will be proud of that :) so yes get over those self esteem !

Love / Are Polish men shy and take things slow? [118]

shizuka there are probably 2 things holding this guy back - that you are older and that you are his boss. So he will not make the first move. Ask him for a coffee after work, then after half an hour leave and tell him that you would like to spend more time with him again - he will sure get the message that you like him.

Good luck !

UK, Ireland / Inheritance Law in Poland and debts - how does it affect a British child? [27]

Polish law and lawyers unfortunately are not set up for any complications like marrying foreigners, getting divorced, adopting step children etc. I am trying to write a will at the moment that covers kids and assets in several countries and its not easy.

Your Polish lawyers point about surnames is a bit of a weird one but its basically correct since its a citizenship issue.

my view is that your kids as British citizens are not subject to Polish jurisdiction even if the Polish family law passes the debt on to them - if they have never been Polish citizens, nor resided there and had no claim on the assets, then what right does the Polish law have to impose debts on them ? Might be wrong however !

Real Estate / Getin Noble Bank / Dombank - it is possible to cancel mortgage agreement in CHF? [41]

I see a similar case was dismissed by the court in Warsaw today. Probably the right decision.

History / Polish mathematicians who solved the Enigma machine [86]

Its a movie made for entertainment. there is nothing to stop a Polish director making his own version of the story and marketing it.

Real Estate / How can I get an estimate on the value of a building in Lodz? [3]

Errr...go to a valuer. Or do it yourself - workout how man flats you could fit there, at what rent and what occupancy.

This sounds łike a serious financial decision so honestly you would be better shelling out a few thousand zloty for a pro than relying on this forum

Genealogy / Want to find a person [762]

It is not illegal in poland

Are you sure it is in germany - i used linkedin for lots of german business and there are plenty of german equivalents on the market.

Still there are enough poorly drafted or ill thought out data laws in europe that it would not surprise me

Genealogy / Want to find a person [762]

Quite a rare name in poland, in fact i have only really heard it in the entertainment industry - the Polish spelling is Sonia do thst might help you.

Try a facebook page of the pub where you met her - she might have liked or commented or attended an event.

Life / Pawn shop in Poland [6]

They are called lombard - used to be very common but now dying out. Not sure what town you are in so just google the town name and lombard.

Law / USD shooting up so high for PLN [76]

The government normally buys a load of zloty at the end of the year for political reasons - that will strengthen the zloty a little for a few days but in january i expect 3.65

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

I think like most normal people we have no use for guns. We pay tax so the police can defend us, we buy meat from the supermarket and we dont shoot wild animals for fun very much.

Law / How do I verify a Polish company's existence? [240]

If they are registered in poland, then yes. If they are registered in cyprus, malta etc then it is possible but very difficult

Life / When will SMOKING BE BANNED? (from public areas in Poland) [44]

As a former smoker who now likes the odd cigar i think they are just right. You cant moan about the patio - you have won the war about the inside of the pub so you can stay inside.

Banning it from patios would simply force non smokers to stay at home which is disastrous for business owners because guess what - people who smoke the most are the same people who eat and drunk the most.

Law / Urgently need somewhere in Poland to stay - short-term government assistance? [17]

Some horrible answers here. Would you say the same things to this lady's face ?

Yes try Air b nb but also maybe good to see what cash you have and take a short let on a flat or even ne room in a cheap town near Warsaw. That way you would have a roof over your head, could look for work in warsaw. If you can get together about 1000 dollars that should cover you for 3 or 4 months.

Good luck !

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]


I think the Poles save their civil disobedience for big things, like being the first people in the world to overthrow a communist state.

Its impossible to make taxes that are fair and at the right level for everyone and even 799 sounds a bit steep, but this is a democracy - you can't just not pay a tax if you don't like it.

Law / Can somebody explain ZUS to me? [40]

So the people who do pay ZUS dont give a damn about anyone else ? Thats a weird logic

Its obviusly a flawed system but for millions of Poles its the only welfare net that they have.

News / Bitcoin Embassy Launches In Poland's Capital Warsaw [37]

Maybe a tulip bulb would be a better analogy than gold - the price of gold jewellery in a ritzy shop is a reflection of its aesthetics and its higher than the market price per ounce

The value of a phone is that you can speak to someone realtime who is not in the same room as you. I like that.

I have looked at investing in bitcoin a few times, but the reason i dont is because i cant understand how it works, despite 20 years of finance experience - your posts about how it is mined and the reputed intrinsic value are perfect examples.

So good luck to branson, generally he will invest in anything that gets his mugshot in the paper - his last investment in poland was pretty disastrous.

Travel / Sightseeing suggestions within 2 hours travel from Rzeszow required [10]

How long would Warsaw-Zamosc drive be (assuming no snow) ?

Law / Laws on walking a dog in Polska [67]

The forester I think does have a right to kill your dog if it is endangering the ecology - not the case here.

But its also clear that you have to keep your dog under control at all times as Peter states - you have no leg to stand on and actually I have a lot of sympathy with the jogger.

One of my kids has a bad phobia of dogs (his own fault - once he wound one up and got bitten !) so I have this situation with "he wouldn't hurt a fly" dog owners several times a month.

I am fine with people letting there dogs off the leash if there is nobody around. What disgusts me about Polish dog owners is that they so openly let their dogs foul the pavements and parks. Much worse than other countries I have lived in and I think exacerbated by the fact they often don't have gardens. I seem to have to scrape their faeces off my kids shoes two or three times a week.

Real Estate / Looking for an apartment to buy in Wielkopolska [3]

You will struggle at that price range - in poznan i would think 250k would be more realistic if its a place you dont want to do any work on. Even then you will need to find some developer who is is distress.

Outside poznan it will still be tough and you should think about less desirable towns like inowroclaw or gorzow. Pleasant enough to live and visit but you wont have much to do there.

A few years ago you could buy in east germany for those prices but not any more - however push it up to 50-60k euro and you might find something in frankfurt oder or furstenwalde which are within 2 hours of poznan.

Law / Advice needed on access rights and alimony payments regarding my Polish daughter [28]

I think you are getting too much sympathy. You walked out on your family. 10 percent of your income is reasonable - when my kids were small i spent a lot more than that. You have not been there to wipe its butt and get up in the night or stand in queues at the doctor. Living in switzerland without her mum to help her might not be as appealing as you think ? Would she be entitled to healthcare in switzerland for example.

If you are not going to participate then accept the alimony and try and get some access rights. But no court in any country will force her parents to let you into their home, so make a plan B.

And yeah she slept with someone, but she was lonely, stressed and hormonal.

Life / Halloween vs All Saints' Day in Poland [48]

Some base anti-Americanism here dressed up as moralizing about "commercial" halloween v pure All Saints Day. Remarkably Des is one of the few people talking sense !

All Saints day is very commercial in Poland - go to your families rural graveyard and you will see competition for the most tasteless candles including musical ones. I do like the tradition though and the sight of them at dusk.

In the US, Halloween is not just commercial - its a genuine time to have fun with your brothers and sisters and the other kids around. Its good to sit with the family and make your costumes and I dont see whats harmful about that. Trick or treating can be fun but I dont think it makes sense in Poland where all the adults dont know whats going on.

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Causin might be a corruption of Koscin or Koscian. Neither would be notably Jewish however