Love / English girl moving to Poland with my Polish boyfriend for the first time [69]


Not very long, really, and certainly not hot, although my British friends complain that it is. But I'm from California where 30-40C is common in summer. 30 is great for me while 40 just gets a little warm.

I've been living in Gdansk for 2 1/2 years and I love it here. Poland is VERY different than the US or the UK in so many ways, but if you take the "it is what it is" approach, learn some Polish, and make Polish friends, it's a great place to be.

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]


Please tell me you don't teach English.

Life / BEFORE Poland.. what did you do then and what are your plans now? [29]

Ok, my turn.

Education. University of Washington, Seattle. BA in French.

Residences. Born in California, then lived in Virginia, California, Japan, California, Virginia, Japan (high school), Washington State (university), California (university), Washington State (university), Virginia, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Vietnam (not exactly fun in those days), Washington State, California. My father was in the navy and I was in the Marines, which is why I moved so much. I guess I've got itchy feet.

Jobs. 12 years as a Marine officer, then 25 years in sales and sales management prior to coming to Poland.

Why Poland? 1. As a US citizen, it's almost impossible to get legal residency in the older EU countries, eg France, Italy, Spain, etc. They were the countries I first looked at when I decided to move to Europe since I speak French and some Italian and Spanish. 2. I've been interested in Poland since I started reading WWII history when I was about 10. I visited 3 1/2 years ago to see the country firsthand, liked it, and moved to Gdansk 2 1/2 years ago.

Plan to stay forever? Yep. My girlfriend is Polish and we plan to get married this year or next. I met her on an internet site 6 years ago, met her during my initial visit and we clicked. She's not the reason I came to Poland, and even if it doesn't work out, I'll stay here. I have a lot of Polish friends here, and I really like the people. Lots of other reasons as well, but that'll do for now.

Did I speak Polish before I came here? Not much. I had Polish in 4 Weeks (it's not possible) and knew a little, but I've learned a lot since I got here. I now know four words in Polish: tak, nie, piwo, but I've forgotten the other one. Actually my Polish is OK, and I learn more every day.

Life / BEFORE Poland.. what did you do then and what are your plans now? [29]


I think a little more than umieć. Where were you in Japan? I lived in Yokohama.

Real Estate / IS IT A GOOD TIME TO INVEST IN POLISH REAL ESTATE? [83]


True.

Work / Average monthly salary in Poland is around 1000 PLN (few hundred bucks). [387]

The you know it should be "should not have WRITTEN". Just a small point and I don't want to start another flame war here.


I agree.

Travel / Best place to exchange money in Poland? [98]

I just go to a kantor. Since I seldom exchange money and only in small amounts when i need euros, and the rates are about the same, it works for me.

History / Is There A Polish Foreign Legion? [35]

I have a medal for exceptional duty performance from GROM (thunderbolt), a Polish special forces unit. In fact, I have two medals and a cap.

Real Estate / Just by gauging the interest in this forum says all about property in PL [36]

I live in a 50m flat in OD Town Gdansk. I have a photo of the building circa 1960. It's not a commie block and is still structurally very sound. I want to buy it, maybe after the summer, maybe a little later. I don't intend to buy it as an investment but as a place to live in for the rest of my life. Even if they're cheaper, new flats have no appeal to me because of their location and poor quality. Not for me, thanks.

Work / Teaching English in Krakow -- how to find students? [52]


In a word, no. Polish is very rarely used in my classes and then only for specialized vocabulary. How do you explain "cod"? A fish that swims in the ocean? Use the Polish "dorsz" and you've got instant comprehension. In addition to my full time work at an accredited school (degree from a university in French plus CELTA) I've got plenty of private lessons, all from referrals. I don't advertise. They don't come to me because of my Polish.They come for English lessons. Period. And most of my students who come back to my school for the following year request me by name to teach them. It's not always possible because of scheduling, but it's nice to hear that.

Does speaking Polish help me in my teaching? Yes, without a doubt. When I read or hear a mistake in English I can explain to them not only HOW they should say it correctly in English, but WHY they made that mistake. You can see the "aha" light going on in their brains. It's satisfying for me to see it, and they really appreciate it.

On, not to nitpick, but there is a difference between polish and Polish. To the best of my knowledge, it's the only word in English that changes its pronunciation when capitalized.

Work / Teaching English in Krakow -- how to find students? [52]

I'm curious. Why did you say that?

Real Estate / Just by gauging the interest in this forum says all about property in PL [36]

True, unless to have to borrow money to do it. I meet twice a week with a senior bank officer and today he told me that several of his bank's commercial clients are having difficulty meeting pay roll because of the "crisis". They have property which they want to sell but they have no buyers because banks don't want to lend money. Do you see the irony here?

Work / Are you teaching English in Poland? [120]


Why do you say that?

News / Is Poland the only high minded country of Cental and Eastern European countries? [41]


Neither have I, and I'm American.

Travel / What to do when it's raining in Gdansk [33]

It's raining today, so I walked for an hour around the Old Town, then ducked into Absinthe for a beer. It's quiet on Sunday afternoon and the music is good, not loud. It's a good place to talk with friends or just think. Museums are always an option but I've seen them.

Travel / What to do when it's raining in Gdansk [33]


Dang Harry, I missed you again. I was in Absinthe on Friday but not Saturday night.

Work / English teaching books in Poland: villains and heroes [30]

New English File is the best. New Inside Out is pretty weak, especially the speaking exercises. Skip them and make up your own, even on the spot. Ready for FCE is OK, and they still need grammar at this point, but I always bring some outside material for them.

Travel / Poland from a Persian Tourist's Perspective [269]


Ouch. That hurt me.

Study / German v.s. Russian, language usefulness in Poland? [54]

If you're going to come to Poland, learn Polish. It's just that simple. Why would you expect to go to a country of 38,000,000 Polish speakers and hope to find someone who speaks German or Russian? That makes no sense to me.

No Polish classes in your neck of the woods? I'm not surprised, but unless you live far out in the boondocks (yep, I'm American) you must have access to a bookstore which either has or can order books to help you learn. Polish in 4 weeks is a start, although it's really weak in grammar, and unless you've studied Latin, the case system is going to be a real eye opener for you. And do a google search for online learning. BYKI, I think it's called, has some good basic pronunciation lessons.

All of these are better options than wasting your time learning German or Russian. In my area (Gdansk), German is more popular than Russian, , but my Polish friends don't like it because they say it sounds too harsh compared to either Polish or English. Russian, like Polish, is a Slavic language and there are more similarities, but there are fewer Russian speakers here than German.

And if you think you could speak either language in a shop, you're mistaken. Polish first, then English.

Learn Polish! It ain't easy but people here will love you for trying.

Life / Typical Examples of Polish Parking Entitlement (post yours) [57]

Priceless! And oh so typical.

Work / English teaching books in Poland: villains and heroes [30]

Most students who take the FCE exam do well in speaking, reading and listening. The difficult parts are writing and Use of English. Guess what we do a lot of in my classes. I use the Cambridge exams book extensively. After every exercise, say in word formation, we do a speaking exercise to practice what we've just studied. And we do a lot of free speaking exercises as well.

One good book which hasn't been mentioned yet is IDIOMS ORGANIZER, by John Wright. There's also another called Phrasal Verbs, or English Phrasal Verbs. I tried to find it in the teachers room today but someone must have been using it. I'll try to get the exact title for you.

Food / Where can I buy lamb in Poland? [89]

Very difficult to find lamb in Gdansk but from time to time a local shop can get it for me. It's just not very popular in Poland. I need a leg or two for dinner and curry for a party I'm having in mid April. My Polish friends tell me the only time they eat lamb is when they're at my flat.

Travel / Visiting Sopot for a week in late May/start of June looking for restaurants/pubs [17]

Forget about taking a ferry to Hel. They won't be sailing when you're here, so you'll have to go by train.

In Soppt I highly recommend Bar Przystan at Wojska Polskiego 11. This restaurant serves good fish at very reasonable prices, and it's right on the beach. To get there walk down Monte Cassino toward the molo (pier) and just before you get there turn right, walk along the walkway for agout 1000 meters and you'll see it on the left.

Josef K, near the train station, is an excellent cafe.

In Gdansk visit Pikawa on ul.Piwna. Greta coffee, great pastry, nice decor, reasonable prices.

The best pub in Gdansk, if not in all Poland, is Absinthe in the Old Town. It's not a club or a disco, and sometimes the music gets a little loud after 22.00, but it's a magic place.

Pick up a copy of Gdansk in your pocket. Free at most better hotels. I get mine at Scandic (old Holiday Inn) across the street from Gdansk Glowny (main train station). It's got lots of good information about restaurants, pubs, cafes and things to do in Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia.

Sunbathing may or may not be an option when you're here. The weather in May can be unpredictable, and last year it was cool and it rained a lot. But if you go to Bar Przystan and it's a sunny day, you can eat lunch, have a beer if you're so inclined, and then step onto the beach. It's maybe 50m to the Baltic which is going to be a little cold when you're there.

Want more info? PM me. I live in Gdansk and like to help visitors when I can.

USA, Canada / Getting a VISA to USA by a Polish person nowadays [339]

peterweg is right. The US is terrible. As he so rightfully points out. the food is crap. There are no decent restaurants anywhere, there's no ethnic food available (well, maybe the one Mexican restaurant in Sacramento, which I've probably eaten in), and the supermarkets don't have an almost unlimited variety of fresh fruit and vegetables year round, not to mention the different cuts of meat that you can find everyday in, say, Poland. If you think otherwise, you're an idiot, just like the rest of the people there.

And he's right about the scenery. Dull, drab, boring. No Grand Canyon, no majestic coastlines, no mountains or forests like in Washington's Olympic Peninsula or in the Rockies. No Yosemite National Park, which people all over the world have said is one of the most beautiful places on earth. No Zion or Bryce in Utah. Nope, they're all fakes created by Hollywood, just like the moon landing in 1969.

It's true that the people are myopic idiots. All of them. There are no good universities in the US, whether public or private. No great world renowned medical centers like the Mayo Clinic. No Nobel Prize winners. Frankly, no culture either. No world famous writers-hell, nobody in the US knows how to write. It's just more Hollywood hype.

I really have no idea why people still live there, and I can't even come close to comprehending why so many people from all over the world want to go there. The place is a wasteland. Somalia's better.

Work / International House - Kracow school - any chances of being offered a job there [59]

If you want to teach in Poland, do your CELTA here. I did mine in Warsaw at Bell three years ago. It was a little more costly than IH, but still cheaper than what it would have cost me in the US, and I made some good contacts while I was there, including the person who gave me my present job. I have friends who did their CELTA at IH, and they all said good things about it. I don't know what the current state of affairs is.

USA, Canada / Getting a VISA to USA by a Polish person nowadays [339]


You completely missed my irony, and frankly, responding to your senseless posts is a colossal waste of my time. You obviously have no idea what you're talking about,and you wouldn't know fresh fish if you bought it off a boat. Goodnight, and goodbye.

USA, Canada / Getting a VISA to USA by a Polish person nowadays [339]


Unions. A concept which is way past its time. Just look at the UAW and you'll get an idea of what's wrong with them. The UAW played a big part in wrecking the auto industry in the US.

Work / English qualifications to start Teaching English In Poland. Is degree of some sort needed? [123]


Emigrate, not immigrate. I'm American. My books use British English, so that's what I teach, but when there's a difference between British and American English, I explain both. Neither is better and they need to know the differences.


Not true at all.


To whom? My students prefer American English to British English because they say it's easier to understand when spoken. Americans don't swallow consonants like the British do. Their words, not mine.

Language / Polish in 4 Weeks CD-ROM [46]

Polish in 4 Weeks is a decent start, but it's pretty weak on Polish grammar. Get a copy of 301 Polish verbs by Lara Janecki. Priceless. Also Hurrah po polsku 1. It's also got a CD, but it's entirely in Pollish, which is a good thing if you're serious about learning.

Work / English qualifications to start Teaching English In Poland. Is degree of some sort needed? [123]

Maybe you meant it as a joke, but it's not far from the truth!

Lots of different regional accents in the US and in the UK. Variety is the spice of life although it must make students crazy.