Food / Poland-Tea or coffee land? [119]

I'd say from what I've seen that Poland is equally a tea and coffee culture. I think it's the combination of Russian and German influence that accounts for it. If you visit somebody's home it's usual to be offered either tea or coffee. There are a couple of chains of retail shops that specialize in tea like Five O' Clock and Czas na Herbatę. They also sell coffees but tea is their main thing. Fruit teas and herbal teas are very popular but the Indian tea blends available in Poland are either a bit bland and 'weak' for the Irish and British palate or else they're horribly coarse like Liptons which is an abomination. Liptons used to be a fairly average British tea when I was a kid, but the weird version of it they sell here is poisonous stuff. I buy Twinings English Breakfast loose tea which is the only thing I've found with any kind of flavour and a bit of kick in it. I've had one or two Ceylon and Darjeelings that were nice too. Ahmad teas (a British company) are a big thing in the gift market. You'll find them in all the main supermarkets and they do beautifully packaged teas. For example, the Afternoon Tea collection below is on sale in my local supermarket at the moment:

uk.ahmadtea.com/collections/tea-selection-packs/products/afternoon-tea-collection-of-9-black-fruit-green-teas-45-teabags

Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [142]


Typical Polish paranoia ;)

Anyway my choice is the one with trees topped with hearts. Quite a talented little artist there. There's vitality in the picture, the trunks of the trees appear to bend, the swirling shapes on the ground suggest wind blown leaves. the trees have an almost human quality, like dancers holding out their arms.


Not really. It's about an approach to education that encourages original thinking. If you want children to produce original essays for example, you have to take the same approach right across the curriculum wherever there's an element of creativity involved. So you never give kids art work to do that involves producing identical images, even if it's in a science lesson. Stick a poster of the dangerous mushrooms on the wall for a week or two above the nature table but let children produce whatever they want to in art based around autumn, woods, fungi etc.

Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [142]


Yes, that certainly deserves an honourable mention :)) Looking forward to seeing what Pawian's choice will be, after which I shall reveal mine and we can release the white smoke from chimney.


I have to admit that occurred to me too!

Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [142]


Fair enoughski - BUT, if you want to really educate the kids about those mushrooms, then give them high quality photos of them. They can still stick them on their paintings and then they're doing a nice piece of mixed media ;) The joys f the integrated curriculum. Btw which of the background images is the most original in your opinion? If we were judging a little school competition which would you choose as the 'winner'?

Life / Mishmash facts about Poland and Poles [142]


The most striking thing about the images you posted is the uniformity of the art work and what it says about the education system- Poland is not alone in that but it's shocking really. No originality or freedom of expression allowed.

Like the song says:

'Flowers red and green leaves are green
And there's no need to see things any other way
Than the way they always have been seen'

Real Estate / Water Leak Damage in Apartment [16]


He says something about 'open ceiling' so I think there may be a hole in the ceiling.

@ Cargo Some tenants have ridiculous expectations or trash their accommodation, upset the neighbours etc but some landlords are ignorant gobshites so it's definitely not a one-sided situation. It's a pity that common decency and basic manners are so lacking in society.

Real Estate / Water Leak Damage in Apartment [16]

Fair enough but he should explain that to the tenant together with an apology for the inconvenience and maybe even a reduction in the rent for that month/s.

Real Estate / Water Leak Damage in Apartment [16]


But he's still liable to repair the damage and should do so as soon as possible. Having to do unexpected or emergency repairs goes with the territory of being a landlord. Anyway, what if the insurance doesn't pay out? Does that mean the landlord would simply leave his property in a state of disrepair? Of course he wouldn't. He'll fix it anyway, whatever happens with his claim. So why not show a bit of respect and basic courtesy to the person who is paying him for the right to live there and who has the right to expect the property to be maintained in the same state of repair as it was when he moved in.


Misplaced sarcasm. The tenant's contract is with the landlord. He has no legal standing with the insurance company.

Travel / What are the best countries to live in? [161]

And you won't have any better luck if you're waiting for a taxi in Dublin ;-)

youtube.com/watch?v=l7FXmbf3-Yw

Travel / What are the best countries to live in? [161]


Waiting for a taxi in Ireland:

youtube.com/watch?v=60af74MjaCs

As the lad says 'ah sure what would you want to go home for?'

Absolutely best country in the world :))

Life / Poland - what is your brand? [39]


Those are the ones! They call them pralines, not kugeln in Poland. Speaking of kugeln reminds me of the Mozart Kugeln, very popular in Poland. Not a favourite of mine though I love marzipan but who could resist the packaging!

• 
  rebermozartkugeln.jpg
  

Life / Poland - what is your brand? [39]


It contains powdered milk - a big no, no in my view - it's not proper chocolate.


For me it would have to be Cadbury's Twirl - oh, the divine yumminess!!

It has to be Cadburys produced in Ireland though because the recipe is different and it's really, really good quality, proper chocolate made with lovely Irish dairy milk. I used to love Tiffin, do you remember it Jon? And the Cadbury's Turkish Delight bars, not the Fry's ones.

I like German chocolate better than Swiss. Lidl actually do some very good chocolate. But I love those Lindt chocolate ball thingees filled with more chocolate. I forget what they're called now.

Travel / What are the best countries to live in? [161]

The problem with that question is that it's quite subjective - and unless one has actually lived in the place, you can only imagine that you'd like living there. You can't know that you would until you do!

According to the United Nations Human Development Report the top ten best places to live are:

1 - Norway

2 - Ireland (tie)
2 - Switzerland (tie)

4 - Iceland (tie)
4 - Hong Kong (tie)

6 - Germany
7 - Sweden
8 - Australia (tie)
8 - Netherlands (tie)
10 - Denmark

And trotting along behind are:

13 - UK
17 - USA
35- Poland

The UN's HDR is one of the top resources for determining which countries have the happiest, healthiest, and most stable populations compared to everywhere else in the world.

USA, Canada / Moving to Poland from Canada [39]

I notice the OP hasn't returned to this thread and who can blame her.

@PlantMamaPol, the advice to listen to on this thread so far is from Jon (Brit), Maf (American) and me (Irish woman married to a Polish man). We all have the experience of living in Poland as 'foreigners' and adapting to the culture. Lenka is also a sensible person but as she's Polish, she obviously sees things from a different perspective ;) As for the rest, take them with a giant pinch of salt.

USA, Canada / Moving to Poland from Canada [39]

I'm afraid it must be pointed out as the OP has young children, that Poland is the most polluted country in Europe and the air quality is extremely toxic in many cities.

notesfrompoland.com/2020/10/13/dangerous-levels-of-air-pollution-in-polish-childrens-bodies-finds-study/

Work / Teaching English in Poland....CELTA or TESOL certificate? [66]

Ha, ha! :)) Because, oh innocent one, that's a simple fact of life :) You don't have to be drop-dead gorgeous but it helps ;) Seriously though, we're always judged on our appearance to some degree. Being well presented, well groomed etc never hurts and in a job where you're being hired to deal with a random selection of adult learners who vary in ability and motivation, your 'people skills' will be more important than your academic achievements. When you walk into the classroom for the first time, if you look 'nice' and friendly that often matters more to your students than your PHD.

Work / Teaching English in Poland....CELTA or TESOL certificate? [66]


Absolutely typical - not just in the TEFL world but in Polish business culture in general. They usually ignore unsolicited emails; they're a bit better at answering if they've had some dealings with you already, but not always. A phone call is always better or ideally a face-to-face meeting. It's usually easier and quicker to get things done in Poland if you visit in person.


At entry level, it really varies. A lot of the places hiring just want cheap labour. They don't want to pay higher rates for more highly qualified or experienced people. To be honest if you're nice looking, whether male or female, with a pleasant personality that will be as important as what's on your CV.

Work / Teaching English in Poland....CELTA or TESOL certificate? [66]



That ad, or one very similar, has been on there since before the pandemic in various forms! The vibe I get from Prowork is that they have a couple of bogus too-good-to-be-true ads on there to suck people in and then they try to offer candidates something not quite so good.

@janbe, as I said in my earlier post, if you don't have any training or experience in teaching/working with children, try to avoid it if you can. Cut your teeth with adults. Incidentally, as you're Polish by nationality, do you speak Polish? If so, why not look for some other kinds of jobs, not just teaching? There may be better opportunities for you in another field.

Work / Teaching English in Poland....CELTA or TESOL certificate? [66]

Gosh Jon, what a good person you are to write such a detailed reply - hope the OP appreciates it :)

Not much one could add but I'll just say in my experience intermediate level speakers are the most difficult group to teach. They have the basics but there is such a long, long way to go and always something new to learn. They can get a bit overwhelmed and it can be hard to keep them motivated and feeling that they're making progress.

I would also advise against teaching children under twelve and in particular pre-school kids (unless you're already a qualified elementary/kindergarten teacher) as it's a whole different set of skills and most private schools focus on parental expectations rather than following the child's needs/developmental level. If you want to teach children, get the CELTA for young learners and then try to get work from somewhere reputable like the British Council.

Work / Teaching English in Poland....CELTA or TESOL certificate? [66]

I agree with Jon. Go for CELTA or Trinity. Btw, things like language acquisition and socio-linguistics may sound impressive but they are of no practical use when you're teaching. I've studied linguistics myself at third level and while the subject is interesting, it's of very limited value to a TEFL teacher. The three modules you mention are simply pointless padding designed to stretch the course out and thus charge you more for it. The CELTA will give you an intensive training in the practical knowledge and skills you need to do the job.


Highly unlikely. They might give you some extra hours if they're available.

Life / Energy - Poland [71]

Fair enoughski :)

But as for water loss from mines, no I'm not confusing it with coal power stations. Most water used in coal mining can't be reused or put back in the system and then there's evaporation of water during mining operations. I don't remember the details because I read it ages ago and I'm not going to consult Dr Google as Jon calls him/her :))

It's a funny thing but I often wonder how many of us would be able to sustain any of these debates if we were down the pub with no smartphones :)

Life / Energy - Poland [71]


One of them is about 50km away from a coal mine which I don't think is very far considering the size of Poland.


I can only speak for Ireland and we're a weird lot - we don't like the term 'drought'. That would be far too extreme. It's called 'a dry spell' ;-)

Life / Energy - Poland [71]


Well there are a couple of coal mines in Małopolska and there are a couple of hydro electric power plants in the region too.


Depending on the way it's used a lot of it is lost in the cooling process.


Oddly enough, the total annual rainfall is the same but there are longer dry periods and there is a fair amount of water mismanagement - so we're back to the old incompetence thing again.

There are serious environmental issues in Poland, air quality, drought, destruction of the ecosystem - all these things will eventually impact the country economically and it won't take many more years either for that to happen. Meanwhile PIS fiddles while Rome burns.

Life / Energy - Poland [71]

In fact you don't even need dams - there are different ways to generate hydro electricity. But the right kind of natural geography makes a big differrence to the amount of energy you can generate through a hydro electric facility. It's a clean source of energy but it's not without impact on the environment. But that's true of any civil engineering project.


Ironically one of the reasons for drought in Poland is the amount of water used by the coal mining industry. Actually some hydro plants in Poland are located in mining regions so I wonder if it would be possible to re-employ former miners in the hydro field?

Anyway, hydro power on its own is not enough to supply all the nation's electricity. A mixture of sources would still be needed.

The major stumbling block to addressing sustainable energy issues in Poland is, as always, the politicians (and I include all parties in that) who spend half their time engaged in petty bickering, squabbling, exchanging personal insults and seeking to discredit each other. As for PIS the other half of their time is spent trying to create the impression that they're actually doing something by fiddling around with things that have already been done eg reforming the education system, reforming the courts, reforming abortion laws - all retrograde actions, cheap, quick, easy. No real thought, effort or planning required. Lazy, lazy, lazy and incompetent.

Real Estate / Kredyt Hipoteczny and Alimony [23]


Only on fixed rate mortgages and it seems to be more like 3% and frequently zero.I checked a few sources to find this information so perhaps things have changed since your last experience of mortgages.

polishmortgage.pl/2018/07/12/mortgage-prepayment-penalty-in-polish-banks/


As Cargo says it depends on how many years you want to take the mortgage for. As well as how much you earn, the bank will consider what kind of employment contract you have and how long you've been employed there and also how old you are. If you're nearer 40 than 30, you have fewer years left to pay off a debt so you'll get less favourable terms. Make an appointment with a few banks to see what their offers are. It's quite straightforward and quick. You'll know within a few days what you can theoretically borrow.

Work / Hi, I am Indian and will be shifting to Poland (diploma in Mechanical engineering) [47]


People sometimes get the impression that Poles know German as a second language and that you can get by in German if you visit Poland. For example this from Wikipedia:

There are German speakers throughout Poland, and most of the Germans live in the Opole Voivodship in Silesia. Bilingual signs are posted in some towns of the region. In addition, there are bilingual schools and German can be used instead of Polish in dealings with officials in several towns.

Of course that's somewhat misleading information for strangers because it doesn't really make it clear that this is for the convenience of those of German descent who live in a region that has strong historic links with Germany.


The company you're working for may provide free language lessons once you arrive in Poland or may make a contribution towards the cost of lessons. In the meantime you could use a free internet resource. I can't suggest any particular one because I learned Polish in Poland, not via internet. The only thing I can definitely recommend is that you learn how to pronounce each letter of the alphabet in Polish because the written language is phonetic and once you know the sounds you can read and correctly pronounce any word you see. Also buy a phrase book which contains lots of useful basic phrases.

Work / Hi, I am Indian and will be shifting to Poland (diploma in Mechanical engineering) [47]


German is not spoken by Polish people in everyday life and most people don't know any German at all. You need to learn basic Polish, not German, especially if you want to live in Poland for a few years.


You should concentrate most of your efforts on doing a good job for the company that hired you and perhaps they will renew your contract.

Real Estate / Getting a mortgage loan with girlfriend [18]


Well, you see that's what happens when you decide to have children with somebody. Having children is a huge financial commitment and in Poland you are liable to support your children until they are finished with full time education which means you may have to continue paying child support well into their twenties.

The truth is that regardless of what legal steps you take now, you will inevitably suffer some financial loss if you break up with the mother of your children at some point in the future. Why don't you just arrange 60/40 ownership instead of this 20% refund business? That would cover your deposit contribution if you decide to sell in the future.

Btw you're not the only one taking a risk here; she is also putting a lot of trust in you because if you disappear one day she will be legally liable for the entire mortgage debt.

Real Estate / Getting a mortgage loan with girlfriend [18]

Remember that regardless of what you sign with a notary, if you break up it may not be a simple case of selling the house and splitting the proceeds. Your girlfriend may want to stay on there with the children and may not have the funds to repay you part of that 90,000. The other way round it is to be 60/40 owners with you having the larger share of ownership.

I suggest you ask this guy. He's a mortgage broker. A bit of professional advice at this stage may cost a little extra but it's worth it in the long run.

polishmortgage.pl/2019/01/21/joint-mortgage-in-poland/

Off-Topic / Advice about a job offer abroad [8]


I wouldn't do that at this stage. It makes you look either pushy (too forceful) or needy/desperate which isn't good either. Wait until the beginning of next week and then you could call them if you feel you must. Presumably you made it clear to them at the interview that you were very keen to work for them - and if you didn't, you've learned a lesson to make sure you do next time you have an interview with a company you like!

As for Job A, I wouldn't relocate to another country to work for a company that I'm not so keen to work for. If you can financially afford to take a risk on getting option B and keep jobhunting if you don't get it, that's what I'd do. There are zillions of job opportunities out there. It's a big world. Don't sign the contract until next week anyway.

In Ireland, we have a saying 'What's for you won't pass you by' - in other words if you're meant to have Job B, you'll get it and if you don't it means that something else is meant for you :)) Good luck, hope it works out for you.