Off-Topic / To ALL IMMIGRANTS ("expats") to Poland on this forum... [124]

How can you be proud to be Polish if you've never lived in Poland and wasn't born in Poland?

Plastic Polish, perhaps.

Law / Professional Poker Player seeking Polish Laws on Gambling help. [15]


The opposite, in fact. Online gambling has been outlawed, though there is no technical reason why you can't play. Tax is high as well - I can't remember the figure, but if they catch you and force you to pay, the penalties are huge.

Why not move to the UK? No tax on gambling winnings!

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


It's to be expected though, America is considered to be cheap by Western Europeans. No wonder they find Europe expensive! And given that the dollar has been exceptionally weak for a while now, things will be expensive for them.

Service in Europe will always be dire to Americans - it's a different attitude and approach to life. To an American, if someone doesn't instantly jump out and make you feel like you've made a new best friend, the service is immediately dire. Europeans on other hand tend to prefer more discreet service - and will rate over familiarity as bad if they don't know or care about the person.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


The problem is that American English has simplified to the point where you have well and truly mutilated the language. How can it be in any way acceptable for educated people to mix up tenses without rhyme or reason?

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


Is this the done thing in America, or just because you're interested in aviation?

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]

Maybe in the land of fiddle-dee-dum, waiters see the cash. But in most of Europe, in many restaurants, you leave a tip of 20% paid for on the card, the waiter is highly unlikely to see the 20%. Likewise, even cash tips are very often put into a pot - you can see junior staff ending up with a small percentage of what they were actually tipped.

I know one restaurant where the waiters see 100% of the tips left for them. But the prices are high for the food, and the owner (and restaurant manager) makes it clear that he charges high prices in order to pay fairly. It's actually great marketing to be able to clearly say that tips left are for the waiter - people see it as honest, and staff aren't left relying on tips. Funnily enough, the place is always rammed - and he's getting away with charging absolutely ridiculous prices.

The same owner always takes his chequebook everywhere - and writes personal cheques to staff for tips rather than cash (which can be extracted) or service charges. They have to pay tax, but they're at least guaranteed 80% of the tip.

One particularly filthy practice in the UK, and is spreading, is the habit of adding a 12.5% service charge that isn't a service charge at all, but rather a "bump up owners profits" charge. They don't mention it in advance, which means its unenforceable - but they rely on the shame of customers not to create a scene in a restaurant.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


Normal (sharp) practice in Europe - anyone with sense demands a removal of the service charge and asks the waiter what the policy is there on tipping before tipping. The problem is complicated by different countries having different rules - but by and far, service charges are there to exploit the staff, not to reward them. Generally speaking, if you can, the best thing to do is to avoid anywhere that has a compulsory service charge.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


That's absolute lunacy!

Now I understand why the American IRS is so loathed - that's a terrible deal for servers, though I suppose if you work in a place known for highrollers, you can easily get 20% tip on a $500 bill and be 5-8% up on the taxman. But it strikes me that someone can easily end up really badly off if they work in a place frequented by Europeans.

The UK system is much better in this respect - either there's someone appointed to collect all the tips and share them out (and sort out the taxes on them), or the individual server has the responsibility to declare the tips. Depending on how the restaurant works, they might use the tips to bring wages up to minimum wage.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Is that your inferiority complex showing again?

First you criticise non-natives as somehow being inferior (even when many of them have a far superior grasp of English than yourself), and now you criticise better qualified native teachers and linguists as being "absurd and pointless".

Are you even qualified in any way to teach? Given the amount of mistakes that you make in writing, I doubt it.


Your opinion doesn't count, because you're not qualified to comment.

I find it particularly interesting, as would anyone with a real interest in the English language. You can't be much of a teacher if you're not interested in the nitty gritty details. And you wonder why native speakers have a bad reputation in Poland?

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


It's a good reason never to return to a restaurant where you didn't leave a tip - there was obviously a reason for not leaving one, and you should use this as a reason not to return for at least 6 months.

There's an interesting blog post here - it's a bit out of date in terms of minimum wage, but it's still relevant in terms of "I DESERVE"

Is this an uniquely American thing, where servers feel and demand that they should get 15-20% as standard? The funny thing is that many of these servers appear to be making very good money - no doubt because of their carefully cultivated demand that they should always be tipped regardless of how they do.

Blimey - look at this - findalink.net/tippingetiquette.php

The list of tips are just...!!

The strangest thing to me is the way that American-operated things like cruise ships and tours will give you envelopes with "suggested tips" - which is all but demanding that you give them what they say. And they wonder why Europeans will blow them off?

f stop - you'll probably be able to give a better insight into this than most. What's the idea behind making restaurants (and thus servers) pay tax on income that they're assumed to get? I get the idea that Americans are big tippers - but if you have a large party that comes in and spends upwards of $1000, are you really liable to pay tax on that, even if they don't leave a tip? And if so - literally - WTF?

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Riiight Mark.

It would seem that you can't count milk either ;)

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


Even more reason to never tip them - if they're malicious with their service because they didn't get a tip last time, then they're not professionals and even more should be left on minimum wage.

One thing I actually dislike is the way that many places will share the tips among everyone - why on earth should I, if I've just tipped the big breasted blonde waitress $50, see her share it among everyone? I've heard the justification that the bartender and the chef should be rewarded too - but to me, this is complete nonsense.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


And something that Americans fail to understand is that Europeans, by and far, will not reward over familiar service. In fact, anyone trying too hard to earn a tip will instantly find themselves without one with me - I don't want someone to pretend that they're my best friend, because they're not.

If anyone expects a tip from me, then they get none. It's that simple.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


Isn't the US Federally-mandated minimum wage set at $7.25 an hour?

dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

I'm really not getting it. There's a minimum wage, mandated at $7.25 an hour. Why should I tip in this case?

Sorry, but your attitude really comes across as terrible, especially if employees are guaranteed to go home with minimum wage. Plenty of other people earning the minimum wage aren't getting the chance of tips, so why should you get them as a right?

I can't help but think that this is more about servers thinking that they deserve good tips as a right and not as a privilege - and if so, maybe it's time they were taken down a peg or two.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


I was hearing a shocking story about some tour company who would 'accidentally' leave your suitcases on the bus when offloading them at the airport - and the bus would drive off, with your bags. Why? Because the people in question didn't tip the tour guide enough money. That's a shocking attitude to have, and even more reason to not tip people unless the service was of a stellar quality.

What happens in America if the servers don't meet the minimum wage for their shift? I presume employers have to make it up anyway - so why bother tipping if they're going to receive minimum wage regardless?

Sorry, but anyone who acts like a tip is their God-given right is always going to receive nothing from me. Unless of course, they're French.

Life / Giving tips in Poland [235]


From what I've heard from Americans, there is no agreement whatsoever - in fact, it's a very powerful tool against poor service staff. I understand that the American culture is that you should always leave a tip - but for Europeans, tips are very much the reward for good service and shouldn't be given freely.


Places in the UK often add on a 15% service charge to the bill - which goes towards the owners pockets. Anyone with any sense deducts that charge immediately - and gives a tip in cash, after clarifying the tipping policy with the individual.

Trying to hold the customer hostage for 15% of the bill is just going to irritate people - simple as.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


A particular trait to America is the horrible way that they mix tenses in writing without rhyme or reason - and the worst thing is that it's practiced by educated people.

(Seanus, ever tried teaching Scottish English grammar to people? For some reason, it seems to make sense to Poles)

Life / Polish Organizational Skills [83]


The problem is the management courses are mostly absolutely rubbish in State universities too - the content is often woefully out of touch with the demands of modern business, containing all sorts of useless modules. Thankfully, the private universities do a much better job of course content.

As for the attitudes - I think at least part of it has to be blamed on the foreign owners. Look at Tesco and how dire they are for customer service in Poland - sure, the staff have to shoulder some of the blame, but why isn't Tesco instilling British standards into the store?

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Why not? I often argue with people over the best way to say something in English. I think you're also forgetting that language is fluid - of course people will argue about the correct way to say something. I find the way that certain English people stress words really annoying, especially people from London. Yet they would say that I'm wrong.

If you don't believe me - why does "The cat wants out" sound perfectly fine to my ears, yet terrible to an Englishman?


If we want to talk about inefficiency, why do I have to say "A small couch" - three seperate words to be remebered, including an article - whereas in Polish, I can just say "kanapka". If you ask me, Polish is more efficient - much less nonsense and much more ways to vary something without having to bolt on endless words.


I'm really wondering what kind of morons that you're associating with. Of course, there's often two or more ways to say something in a language - that's absolutely normal. Let's look at the way that Americans and Brits will describe something - very often, it's completely different. That's inefficient.

Anyway, you're not qualified to comment on Polish, seeing as you're only at B1-B2 level. When you pass the State C1 exam, then we can talk.

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


How old are you, 7?

Do you even have the B2 certificate from the approved Polish State examination in the Polish language? If not, then you're clearly not at B2 level either and therefore not qualified to comment by your own criteria ;)

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


You could ask many well educated English speakers and they wouldn't have a clue. I can't talk for the rest of the world, but grammar isn't taught in British schools. I'm struggling to believe that the Aussie and Kiwi systems are different in this respect.

And as for the way that Americans use English - please, the vast majority of them can't even use tenses correctly!


I'd say that the native Pole was frankly an idiot. I've just asked two native Poles the same question and they both gave me the answer without a moment's hesitation.


There are quite a few examples where a Polish word can change slightly and convey quite a lot of meaning, whereas the equal in English would take a whole sentence. Most natural languages are quite inefficient in their own way - heck, look at the way that there is no such thing as Standard English as defined by academics - how inefficient is that?!


It's difficult, but hardly ridiculous. English grammar is far more ridiculous - the lack of standards is a great example as to why, when most languages have accepted authorities on the language.

Let's not forget that all those English grammar books are all based on an interpretation of what they think English is - it's not based on any standards whatsoever. I find the American habit of barely using grammar and mixing tenses appalling; an American might very well find my use of "outwith" to be horrific. Some language!


Most native speakers of languages will find their own grammar ridiculous when they're forced to think about it - nothing new there!

UK, Ireland / "Strange " English language.. [255]

I know of at least two non-English speaking natives who have an incredible level of English to the point where if I didn't see their ID card, I wouldn't believe they were foreign. Certainly, they know English far better than 99% of neds!

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Schools in general, particularly those in wealthier areas.

I had a discusson once with someone involved with student support in a university - who told me that she personally detested all the dyslexia claims, but because they were backed with medical 'evidence' (which just so happened to be provided by a specialist dyslexia unit that had a vested interest in diagnosing as many people as possible) - she could do nothing but give them what they were entitled to.

(our favourite spammer is back, I see - wonder why he bothered to learn Polish and has a Polish wife if it's so dreadful?)

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]

There is a school of thought in English that dyslexia doesn't actually exist - the problem is that the dyslexia lobby is quite powerful - combined with many schools pushing the 'dyslexia' label onto virtually any person who has poor spelling abilities and you have one big mess. I believe it exists, but nowhere near on the scale that apparently exists.

Polish is no different - it's being used as an excuse to cover up failings in children. After all, if you don't meet the norms, then something must be wrong with you - and this is where the attitude problem lies.

Apparently one of the biggest social problems in schools in the UK nowadays is the fact that many "dys-something" children are in the bottom classes in school. Fine - but these children take up all the attention of the educators, meaning that genuinely poor learners are being ignored and left to rot - which is wrong!

Language / Polish was chosen the HARDEST LANGUAGE in the world to learn... :D [1558]


Hardly. It's being abused in the Western world thoroughly. If it was a real disease, why did no-one suffer from it in the 1980's?

History / Yalta Conference and Poland [78]


From how I understand it, Russian supply lines were ridiculously overstretched in the race to Berlin - compare this to the Western Allied lines which were much more stable, combine that with quite a few countries internally hostile to the Soviets (Poland and Finland immediately come to mind, but the Baltic countries could also be relied on) and a Germany humiliated (and being threatened with partition) and there may just have been an opportunity to finish off the Soviet Union. It would've almost certainly required swift, decisive action - and crucially, they would've had to nuke the Soviet Union to end communism there. Anything less would've just been suicidal.

I'm just not convinced most countries in the 'free' world had an appetite for more warfare - and as I said, quite a few countries were more than content with Germany divided and the Iron Curtain going up.

History / Yalta Conference and Poland [78]


There was absolutely no appetite on the part of the UK or France to carry on, Germany was broken and many other players had plenty of issues internally - look at how close the Communists came to taking control of several countries! Sure, the Red Army was exhausted and was there for the taking - but America would have had to do it alone. Given that at the same time, they were facing the prospect of a potential land invasion of Japan, it seems unlikely that anyone wanted to bother with the Soviet Union.

The *only* thing open to the Allies was the bomb - a clear message to the Soviet Union that they either withdraw or face immediate nuclear bombing would have worked.

Real Estate / House prices in Poland to drop more or rise again? [228]


Certainly.

You can't afford to buy a property in Krakow, so in your somewhat damaged mind, you think that by spamming online about property prices falling, people might believe you and bring prices down to the point where you might be able to buy.

Or are you just bitter that you're going to be pushed out of your area as it becomes gentrified?

Life / Feeling ashamed of my Polish heritage. [237]


Maybe you're not too aware, but anyone can leave Poland if they want. There's only two countries out of 30 in which Poles can't work freely - Germany and Austria. Why do they stay if it's so bad?

If you don't want to be Polish, then formally renounce any Polish citizenship that you might have and change your last name. Job done.

UK, Ireland / Warning to British people visiting Poland!! Don't get drunk and smash the place up! [447]


Compare this to the UK where drink spiking is rife. People in Poland actually leave drinks lying, unlike in the UK where you'd have to be an absolute moron to do so.


American then. Or possibly Asian.


Strong lager will do that to a man. Three pints of Warka Strong to someone who can't handle his booze is quite a lot. Anyway, it was two pints above, now it's three - was it actually ten?


Well, if he was struggling, fighting the police and being an general arse, what better way to deal with him than to strip him naked and tie him to a bed? It's much better than being up in court the following morning on a drunk and disorderly charge.


True, it's not like the UK, where the police routinely beat protestors, where the police routinely harrase innocent photographers under 'terrorism' laws and all sorts of other fun things that the British police get upto. I mean, the Great British Police would never dream of putting drugs in black people's pockets when doing a search, just to bust them, would they?

Oh wait.


Are you sure he wasn't taking drugs? Not uncommon for foreigners to go somewhere and to try and score drugs. Of course, blaming others is a good way to excuse your behaviour when high on drugs.


Right, because all foreigners in Poland are well behaved. The fact that he can fairly knock back the booze suggests at a drink problem on his part, and goes quite a long way to explain why he was taken to the drunk tank.