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Posts by convex  

Joined: 25 Nov 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 28 Nov 2011
Threads: Total: 20 / Live: 15 / Archived: 5
Posts: Total: 3,928 / Live: 3,896 / Archived: 32 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: un poco...wait
Interests: aviation

Displayed posts: 3911 / page 127 of 131
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convex   
14 Jan 2010
News / Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport to close in September [27]

I wonder why it is scheduled for September as this is the highest season with even more air traffic than in July or August.

September is the summer month with the least movements. Is it good to lay concrete when it's cold, maybe that has something to do with it?
convex   
14 Jan 2010
News / Poland rejects H1N1 vaccine [28]

Actually, I'm not really a doctor, and there's no such thing as a Prostometer.
convex   
14 Jan 2010
Law / Polish passport for a Pakistani guy in Poland? [20]

hey evry one....i m frm pakistan living in poland last 3 years with polish wife can now i apply for polish passport kindly let me know asap GOD BLES U

All the information you need is right here
infor.pl/dziennik-ustaw,rok,2000,nr,28/poz,353,ustawa-o-obywatelstwie-polskim.html
Article 10 is relevant.

If he's learned Polish, integrated into Polish society, understands that he will be required to give up his Pakistani passport, then good deal. Welcome to Poland, you love it, you adapted to it, congratulations.

If on the other hand, he doesn't speak Polish like a champ, doesn't know about Polish culture and history, and doesn't want to renounce his Pakistani citizenship and give up his passport... Well, he's going to have to come to terms that he will never get a Polish passport.
convex   
14 Jan 2010
News / Poland rejects H1N1 vaccine [28]

This was interesting to me, as I remember doing some reading a while back about the over prescription of antibiotics here.
convex   
14 Jan 2010
Food / Burgers, why not in Poland? [54]

pork and beef and grind the meat yourself

jesus christ, pork? that's wrong, pork belongs in a lot of things, but despite it's name, a hamburger should only be perverted with bacon.
convex   
14 Jan 2010
News / The chances for Warsaw to become capital of eventual Slavic confederation? [183]

i can`t understand that most people here (by the poll) believe that Warsaw doesn`t have chances to become capital of eventual Slavic confederation

I think that Poland isn't nearly as "in touch" with it's Slavic heritage as say Serbia. Poles are first and foremost Poles, then either Europeans or Slavs with equal weight. If it were to come to pass, Belgrade would be the capital and driver of any confederation.
convex   
13 Jan 2010
Life / Fat People in Poland? [161]

America - too much Tv watching. Available foods...Not to mention you CANT walk anywhere. The layout of my city atleast it would take a day to get somewhere and even then you have do dodge highways, cars, buses, no sidewalks.....it is a number of things..

You have to have the motivation to get off your ass and buy decent food, go out for walks in the parks, not stay glued to the idiot box. The possibility is there, most people are just too damn lazy to actually do it.
convex   
13 Jan 2010
Travel / Fish and Chips in Warsaw [53]

It surprises me that you are so up for everything British but dislike our national dish :D

curry or kebab?
convex   
13 Jan 2010
Food / Burgers, why not in Poland? [54]

Can't post a link, I just mean something that actually tastes like a burger and contain some kind of steak or beef.

This is what your burger should look like.
convex   
13 Jan 2010
Work / What jobs pay 10,000 zlotych per month? and Where can i find one? :o) [101]

I've met several people from central and eastern Europe before and noticed they were really interested in how much money I was making and what kind of benefits, retirement plans, etc. I had. I barely knew those people and was kind of uncomfortable with their questions but maybe that's just a regional preference?

Considering that they're paying more for their expenses than you are in the USA, it's nice to compare. It shouldn't be threatening, your social standing isn't defined by how much money you make.

However, I think the old adage "money can't buy you happiness" is true in both countries.

Yes, but money can buy you a house. I think most Poles are asking themselves why they can't afford to buy their own property on what everyone is telling them is a decent salary.

Transparency is really important right now, especially as salaries are volatile. It allows people the information to be diligent and prevent themselves from being taken advantage of.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
History / Have Poles blood on their hands? :) [496]

Do you have a source for this quote actually?
I only find this saying but not the original source....

commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File%3AA-Hitler-08-22-1939-at-Obersalzberg-on-extermination-of-the-Armenians.pdf&page=2
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

that sounds about right, is that the dealership in Psie Pole or Fabryczna?

Fraczak across from Korona. I think the one in Fabryczna is only for trucks.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

New roads? Yes and they're built to the same standard as German ones, if you meant that new projects are shoddy then thats outright bull.

The why the hell do they keep rebuilding the road to the A4 in Wroclaw? How about the yearly "fix the massive gaps that have developed"?

Nope. enough money to repair (somewhat) already bad roads from communist time but not enough money to strip them off and build new ones

What is being done with those €68 billion in structural funds other than to control the zloty?

Quite fast.

That's interesting as I understand that the project has been put on hold. Not much going on when you look out the window..

Now google who's managing it now:))))

We were talking about construction. It's always been Polish owned.

Also use google once more for current management and co-investor:)

Again, it's 100% Polish financed, and German built.

Based on your non-existant experience?:)

Didn't really care to comment on the concrete examples? Fine, here's a one for you. MB in Wroclaw, I don't mind shaming them. I had to get the rear end on my SLK replaced (shock loading), took it to MB in Wroclaw, a new rear diff was sent over from Germany. Managed to install it and I picked up the car. A couple days later, notice there is oil on the trunk lid. Took it back in, and MB says they have no clue. They tear it down and stick by their guns and try to tell me that it wasn't broken in properly, and that I needed to get a new rear end. I'm livid, I pack up the rear end and fly to Germany to meet with the AMG area rep that I bought the car from. He manages to see it right away, MB PL failed to fill the rear end with enough oil. Metal ended up grinding on metal, and the gears got a bit hot. He makes a call, three days later my car is good to go with full apologies. That's one, I have one about aircraft maintenance too if you want to hear that.

Could you please point out that poor quality produce? You know specific brands? Or would you like to see pictures of Wrocław directly after the war and after we rebuilt its centre for an example on Polish Quality?:)

Sure, the apartments built on Reja in Wroclaw are horrible, the ones that were built by Odra in Biskupin could use a level. The PZL SW-4 is a junk, and the gliders that PZL are known for, ahem, build quality issues.

Uhuh you realise its not the NBP that kept the zloty low? In fact BNP has nothing to do with?

You do know that RPP is part of the NBP right? I'm sure that you also know the role that interest rates and bond sales have on currency.

Have another read, just because they changed the taxation form doesnt mean the tax got lower and as far as i'm aware no it did not drop down.

You do realize that we're talking about tax rates relating to FDI, we're talking about corporate tax rates, right?
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

Thats not quality mate, thats the lack of money and proper legislature. Good roads are expensive and we're still a poor country.

What lack of money? Those projects are running at the same costs as equivalent construction in Germany. Are substandard materials being used? Enough money to rebuild the roads every couple of years, but not enough to do it right the first time?

Any examples?

I was talking about realestate developments, and yes, I've got some first hand examples of cracks magically appearing in walls, the apparent lack of skills with a level when creating balconies, the magic "disco lights" in rooms across the nation... As for non skilled labor, you're right.

both of the Galerie were built by Poles, they were owned partially by Germans but we're buying them out as we speak.

How's that skyscraper working out by the way?

Right, you mean like Dominikanska which was built by Hochtief, managed by ECE? 100% Polish financing

Or do you mean like the airport where JSK has the project? Also, 100% Polish financing, the Germans are just building it.

Or Pasaz Grunwaldzki....nevermind

Maybe it's Plac Grunwaldzki, the round about that you're talking about? The one that took twice as long to build as the shopping center and seems to have stonework done by a drunken autistic kid?

It so happens i'm a project manager as well as leading our company promotion campaigns and i never met a foreigner contemporary here in Poland, in fact there's very few foreigners at all here

I've worked with three large banks and a construction company here and not once have I come across a Polish program manager. But that's just my experience.

stories on how Poles suck at everything and everything thats done in Poland is done by good white men from the West

I'm not saying that Poles suck at everything. I just think that it is difficult to find good quality work in Poland. Cheap is abundant, quality isn't. It is getting better, but right now there is still a very prevalent "promise everything and under deliver" thing going on. Hell, Lot even takes their planes to Germany for their C checks.

Care to elaborate? Just last month FT was praising Poles for their wise currency handling but you seem to "know" something quite opposite:)

Yea, it's really wise actually. I've praised NBP on this before. By keeping the zloty low, it keeps wages and investment costs for foreign investors low. That way, managed to ride out the "crisis" with a devalued zloty. It was a great move. Business won't have any interest having the value of the zloty move any...hopefully the lack in purchasing power will be made up with the new jobs.

Huge tax breaks?

I must have misread.
paiz.gov.pl/index/?id=cfbc6c5cfb8a3e10fab12aa3512153df
The corporate tax rate has also dropped down to 19% for 2009.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

Thats because of a certain stereotype that existed and still does exist in the West, but the Market is not governed by stereotypes but by the raw gain, on every possible field the best workers out there are the Poles

I look at the terrible locally built roads, the substandard craftsmanship of the new developments, the fact that most every large construction project is handled by a foreign company (hey, I just read that Monostal is getting the boot in Wroclaw and is being replaced by Max Boegl...), almost all program and project managers that I know in Poland are foreigners, software coming out of Poland is terrible... I see the difference in quality at the dealership when my car gets worked on, all the Polish aircraft owners take their planes to German or Czech shops to get work done... I think there is a huge difference between "It's a good job for the price" and "It's a good job". It's getting better, but lets be serious, Poland is competitive because the government is throwing in everything but the kitchen sink in order to keep the zloty (and labor) low and keep the FDI coming in through special economic zones and huge tax breaks for creating cheap labor jobs.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

I associate Polish labor with a lot of things; honest, hardworking, cheap. I've never managed to attach "quality" to that list.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

Well it is really if youre a UK citizen with a family to support being undercut by cheap Polish migrants.

Open those borders up, I'd much rather pay an Indian 1000zl a month to work construction than the overpriced polish labor that one has to employ around here.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
News / Should Poland Remove Visa Restrictions? [285]

In our current democracy you do not have this fear.

I think he's referring to people like Theo van Gogh, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Geert Wilders, Kurt Westergaard...
convex   
12 Jan 2010
Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]

back (slightly) on topic...

Glassdoor has 80 something salaries for jobs in Poland
glassdoor.com/index.htm
convex   
12 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / Moving back from Canada to Poland, yes or no? [39]

So much stuff in Ireland is hideously priced

housing is expensive (that's correcting itself at the moment). Rooms aren't really that expensive, and supermarket shopping is a bit more than over here.
convex   
12 Jan 2010
Life / Fat People in Poland? [161]

People have to remember Americans and Brits were not always fat!

Just an interesting tidbit from back in 2006

There are now more overweight people across the world than hungry ones
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4793455.stm
convex   
12 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / Moving back from Canada to Poland, yes or no? [39]

I doubt if any money saved over 6 months will have do much for you in Poland.

Depends on where I suppose, a couple of grand goes a long way in some places.
convex   
11 Jan 2010
USA, Canada / Moving back from Canada to Poland, yes or no? [39]

if you take away living costs etc

what is the big difference in cost of living? housing is a bit more expensive. anything with labor costs included (dining out, drinking in bars, etc) is much more expensive. buying food is marginally more expensive. If you just go over to bunker away some money for 6 months, seems like a deal.
convex   
11 Jan 2010
Food / Polish culinary dislikes [83]

There is decent kvas? It really must be an acquired taste. I've given it a try every time hoping that something might have changed, but alas...
convex   
11 Jan 2010
Work / Salary expectations in Poland [373]

Polish people who work in England, Germany are driving the new cars and buying new homes here.

Just out of curiosity, are Poles working good jobs in the UK? I know the pay in Germany is crap for the service and labor jobs that most Poles are doing there.