Genealogy / I am looking for an African guy in Krakow, I dated [73]


Following on from this:
Was he working in Kraków?
Was he a student?
Is it likely he may have gone home?
If you are sure is still in Kraków, we can't find them without more info...name and shame girl!!!!!

Work / Average IT salary in Poland [60]


It depends the industry. From what you have told us so far, that wage is hugely above what most people would be earning. You would be able to live a very comfortable life with those payment terms.

Life / Are Poles suspicious of Facebook? [50]

Seriously, you have made up 3 (that you've told us about) profiles on Facebook. That is against the terms and conditions for a start. But really, if you are going to accept friend requests from random strangers you are either a)a fake profile yourself looking for "friends" b)someone who is wanting to boost their list or c)not caring at all about your privacy. I have a relatively open profile but I only accept people I know and I am careful about what I post!

Maybe your little experiment (OP) says that Polish people are using facebook properly, unlike you who is playing the system.

Travel / Best way to get to Krakow Business Park? [27]


I work pretty standard office hours. In the middle of winter, the sun comes up as I am getting into the office at quarter to 8 and it's down well before half past 4 when I leave.

Travel / Best way to get to Krakow Business Park? [27]


Come on, I live 10 minutes away from my work and in winter it's dark when I get up and dark when I finish.

Travel / Best way to get to Krakow Business Park? [27]

Having a look at the map, there is more than likely a small bus company that will run the route. However their websites are sometimes hard to find and not very up to date. It would be a good idea to talk to the company and ask if they know anyone who commutes by public transport from Katowice. Or you can try your first week commuting via the bus station in Kraków (it will be time consuming, but it will give you an opportunity to talk and learn about possible other routes), then attempt a few different ways. I would even say that you can get the bus to Kraków bus station (it's not so close, unfortunately), but then on the way back to Katowice, try another route. There is a main road running through Zabierzów that connects with the A4 to Katowice, there must be a bus that goes along there.

Good luck.

History / Poland unit in England - can anybody recognize this military uniform? [10]

The epaulets look quite navy in shape. But alas with the condition of the photo and the knowledge that he was in Africa then it could be any number of hot weather uniforms or, as you say, Naval dress white.

But very interesting topic, I am curious about the conclusion!

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]

1. Hippo
2. Rhino
3&4. Feeding time (or else that fox (fennec fox?) has a nasty cough!)

Life / An Englishman wanting to watch TV in Poland [51]

I would also recommend FilmOn for free-view channels. Just get an HD cable running from your laptop to the TV and you're laughing. Maybe not for Sky though.

As for:


I have only been in here twice and both times the staff were incredibly rude and place was very dark and dingy (and not in an "atmospheric Kraków" way). I personally wouldn't back up this person's recommendation. There are plenty of other places that have Sky.

Life / New to Poland (Bydgoszcz) - cost of living there [46]


Yes, unless you enjoy coming home from work and sinking a bottle of champagne or cognac before bed every night.

Law / I have recently been scammed in Poland. My company accounts frozen. [58]


Just the way it was worded was along the lines of "It's not Poland's fault" without addressing the issue he was posting about. As I said, I read it as him not being comfortable wanting to do business in the same place after such an experience, not that he was blaming Poland at all. Maybe I read too much into it too. :)


Exactly, by them breaking their contract they have broken your trust, that's a hard thing to deal with. I can see why it would be the last straw.

Food / arab restaurant in poland ? [8]

I would imagine that, given the price of Lamb and Mutton in Poland they would be quite an expensive option. I remember when I stayed in the middle east that Lamb and Mutton were pretty much staples of many of the dishes. But I do agree that Middle Eastern cuisine is rather marvellous!

Law / I have recently been scammed in Poland. My company accounts frozen. [58]


I did not read it that way at all Pawian and I think you are being rather misleading with your choice of quote to use. I read it as him having had a bad experience and wanting to leave the place where it happened, as I'm sure many people would after being the victim in such a scenario. If I was to say that my house got broken into and I wanted to move somewhere else, I am not doing it because I believe my house to blame for this, but rather the feeling of edginess living there as it has happened. Do you think Sean will be happy dealing with other sub-contractors in the same region (especially knowing they have multiple companies) in future? He will always have that sense of betrayal and I think moving on somewhere else is a way of dealing with that feeling, not accusing all of Poland of wanting to cheat him.

This thread is not Poland bashing, it's just talking about his experience, don't jump on the defensive horse mate.

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]


Kraków Zoo?

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]

Picture one rings a bell. The red buildings in the background make me think of Politechnika, however the wall in the foreground made me think of the Jewish cemetary just behind Starowislna, near Galeria Kazimierz.

Give us a clue!

Food / What do non-Poles think about eating the following Polish foods? [1303]


This! I have actually had a pleasure of some really good meals out in Kraków recently. It seems a lot of younger chefs are willing to step out of their comfort zone and experiment with different techniques. I think the opening of the EU has done wonders for the quality of restaurants here. Obviously there is still a way to go, I hear about combinations not really working all that great. Also lots of chefs in better restaurants are trying to serve "posh" dishes using expensive, out of season ingredients.

There is a wealth of great ingredients in Poland, just because you don't have langoustines followed by dry aged steak on your menu doesn't mean it's a bad menu. Give me a good dish of pork or game from nearby. Give me traditional Polish flavours, but that doesn't mean I want sour cabbage and kotlet schabowy with potatoes (although, I am happy enough eating that too).

I am interested to see what happens in the next few years in Poland, there was a mini revolution in Scotland where eating out at a decent restaurant changed from Italian to traditional Scottish and it's really impressive what people can do with a bit of inspiration.

Travel / Poland in photo riddles [3134]


Is photo 2 the solidarnosc building on Plac Szczepanski?

Law / Is there much demand in Poland for real ale? [38]


This is pretty much exactly the type of site I was hoping for. Good work InWroclaw, a bottle of Cardno Ale shall be winging it's way to you...when I get round to buying and making stuff.

Real Estate / Stronger zloty - potential driver for Poland's property market [42]


WOOOOOOO, I love gambling!

Life / Etiquette in a Store and Market Queues in Poland [146]


I have noticed younger people seem to think it's crazy but older folk just ignore it. I think the retired community are not in as much of a rush as us youngsters.

I laughed the other day because an old woman tried to skip right to the front of the queue saying "but I only need to buy one loaf of bread", to which the girl she was trying to skip in front of said "and I am only buying this lettuce, plus I can count coins". It was a bit cheeky of her, but I had to giggle, because it is a nightmare when you have an old dear paying and taking about 4 years to count out the exact amount of grosze to pay for an item.

Life / Etiquette in a Store and Market Queues in Poland [146]

You need to perfect the "I have lots of things to weigh and there is no hope in hell you are getting in here" eye. Works every time and they shuffle off to the next weigh station.

All this pushing in queues and stuff used to annoy me when I arrived but you need to adapt. I will try and give people personal space, but if someone tries to skip in then you just need to sternly point out that the queue starts behind you. The other day I was at Biedronka and just put my stuff on the belt when a guy came back and said "I was in the queue, look there is my bag of tomatoes (on one of the sweet displays near the register) and I only have them and bread to pay for". I couldn't help but laugh slightly at his brass neck, then just told him I only have one item and the display is not the belt. He wasn't pleased, but he didn't really have a leg to stand on.

The key is to be polite and act as you would back home normally, but don't hesitate to be firm when need be. Simples!

Law / Is there much demand in Poland for real ale? [38]

That would be awesome, I will send you a bottle of the result!

Life / Polish natural remedies and homeopathey better than English [84]

To be fair the science there is pretty sound, although the castor oil isn't really needed and mint leaves don't have THAT much menthol in them. But it works along the same lines as Ice Sprays you get. Menthol gives a cooling sensation and that will help stop it swelling so much.

In saying that, ice would have worked better.

Life / Polish natural remedies and homeopathey better than English [84]

Because you can't sue a plant?

Food / The great British baked bean in Poland [26]


You definitely should, I discovered it back in the UK when I got hoops on special in the co-op and they were nothing like Heinz, cost almost nothing though so I was happy to play about with spices and seasoning until I got it good. You never know, you might get a blend that is even BETTER than Heinz!

Law / Is there much demand in Poland for real ale? [38]


Really? I have never seen them here in Kraków and I have never tried to make my own beer. That said, I think it's something I might enjoy (I like cooking and drinking beer...that's a qualifier no?). Have you tried the sets? Any good?

Also, if anyone knows a good online brew shop in Poland, I'd be interested.

Food / The great British baked bean in Poland [26]


This is a common problem with supermarket own brands. I am not a huge baked bean fan, but I do love me some Spaghetti Hoops. The key is in the seasoning, it's the same basic sauce, but different companies have slightly different seasoning profiles. What you want to do is heat it up on the hob, then adjust the seasoning to suit, tasting as you go. I generally find that salt and sugar are all I need to get a Heinz like flavour. Experimentation is your friend here.

Work / About taxes ("Umowa o dzielo") and minimum wage in Poland [30]


I worked for a while without a PESEL and it was fine, but I never got sick and never wanted to buy anything that might require credit. I am currently working for a company where I get private healthcare, but prescriptions are still extortionate. First thing I did once I had a contract for a flat was got a PESEL and it has made life much easier.

Life / Getting pretty tired of the postal service here in Poland [58]


And there's your answer. I haven't had much problem with ordering things from Allegro and using regular post. But if you are sending items of any value between countries why would you not use registered post?

Life / Polish natural remedies and homeopathey better than English [84]

I would say that it's good the doctors are advising certain things to eat and drink with natural treatments. However I would be wary, by all means increase certain anti-oxidants and things in your diet and eat healthily with natural ingredients. But be careful substituting homoeopathic treatments in place of prescription meds. Natural remedies should be just that, remedies. They are not tested and dosed to be up to the safety standards of prescription medication and sometimes may not even contain a small percentage of what they are meant to.

Again, I am not saying not to use natural treatments, but use them a remedy or as a preventative measure in meals, etc. Don't think that they are a good replacement for modern medicine.


Doctors in Scotland often recommend a hot toddy when you've got a cold. I mean, there's nothing you can do to cure your cold so you may as well make yourself comfortable!