News / Polish Priest checks fingerprints for mass attendance [26]

Jeez .... what next ?

Maybe we'll see lie detectors in the confessional ! I can just see it now, whereby you are given a list of sins to which you have to answer yes or no etc and if the detector registers a lie then you're given an electric shock !

Work / Salary, holidays - questions to employer during a job interview in Poland [47]


I totally agree with you. It really irritates me when you see job offers advertised, but the salary is never mentioned.

It's the same when someone is selling something like a car .... they hardly ever mention the 'For Sale' price.

Study / Medical Study in Poland [22]

Check out the 'Jagellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Medicine'

medschool.cm-uj.krakow.pl

This University has a very good reputation.

Study / Medical Study in Poland [22]

Having read through the posts, I have to mostly agree with z_darius :o)


I doubt if anyone would look down on a Medical Qualification from such a prestigious University as Jagellonian.


I, and many others, would not call Jagellonian Univ a second tier system, and I don't think it's fair to make a comparison between getting a medical degree from Mickey Mouse Caribbean Medical Schools/Colleges and the world renowned Jagellonian Univ.


In general this may be the case, but when you talk about a medical education from Jagellonian then it's a different matter; hoever, z_darius correctly pointed out, there are many excellent Polish doctors/dentists etc working in Poland and also abroad and they are not employed simply because of low wages.


I would have to disagree with you on that; I have friends and family, some of whom obtained their training in Poland, that are in the medical profession working in England, US & Canada who would certainly disagree with you as well.


Very true, and not just in the medical field. It's a known fact that Poland produces excellent IT professionals and many of these have been head-hunted by foreign companies in the past; they have been head-hunted for their expertise and not for low wages :o)

Travel / Nice restaurants in Warsaw [30]

Try 'Flik' Restaurant - I have been there a few times and never been disappointed: flik.com.pl/index.php?lang=2

Travel / Best Hotel for 4 nights in Warsaw? [9]

Hiya,

Whenever I stay in Warsaw, and don't want to impose on friends or family, I have found the Metropol Hotel very good value, tasty and filling buffet breakfast, for between £55-£65 per night.

I book through vivastay.com and have found them to be quite reliable, although sometimes you need to confirm with hotel.

Polanglik

News / Nigel Kennedy on Poland (Positive and Negative Thoughts) [25]

Damn ..... I was going to watch that programme, but completely forgot :o(

I'll check to see whether it will be repeated .

Was the programme interesting ?

News / Komorowski won Poland's presidency vote? [125]

Kaczynski has a slender lead as results are being counted .... Kaczynski has 50.4% whilst Komorowski has 49.6%

Kaczynski had initially accepted defeat, but Komorowski's camp remained cautious.

News / Komorowski won Poland's presidency vote? [125]

Yep .... it's getting mighty close ...

Komorowski 51.32% against Kaczynski 49.68%

USA, Canada / To move back to Poland from the USA or not to move back....that is the question [119]

Hi Rysiek,

A lot of what has been written is very true.

The fact that you can speak the language, and have an income stream as well as funds from the sale of your US property puts you in quite a good starting position.

However ....


I have to diasagree on this comment; I am in a similar position to yourself, in that I was born in England of Polish parents - first generation born in England.

Apart from spending many holidays as a child in Poland, I have frequently been travelling to Poland for the last 10 -11 years (I am now 47yrs young!), business and pleasure, and the native Poles I meet have always considered me as Polish. On first meeting them they think I was born in Poland, probably because I speak Polish fluently and are very surprised that I was born in London and have never lived in Poland.

Being brought up in England by Polish parents /grandparents has definitely instilled the 'Polishness' in me , and we try to maintain the Polish traditions and culture.

English friends who enter our London home are aware they are entering a Polish household.
It also helps that my wife is a native Pole, and both our children (aged 8 & 6 yrs old) can speak English and Polish fluently.


I don't have Polish citizenship and I was not born in Poland, yet I consider myself more Polish than English; my wife and many people I come into contact with from Poland see me as Polish, but being born and living in England :o)

I have friends who have a very similar background to me, who moved over to Poland and lead very good lives, and have been acepted as 'true Poles'; they sold up in UK over 10 years ago, some even 20 yrs ago .... married Polish girls and live very happily over there. Quite a few make a good living from teaching English as native speakers, even without any TEFL or certificates to teach English as a foreign language.

My wife and I are waiting for our oldest child to finsish primary school and then we plan to sell up and move over to Poland permanently - we'll see what happens :o))


You'll never know unless you give it a go ..... but be realistic and don't expect a 'fairytale ending' - making such a transition will not be easy. Maybe going to Poland and living there for a year before selling up in US could be the best option. Also take into account your mum .... her healthcare and other needs etc.

Feel free to PM if you wish to talk at greater lengths - I see many similarities with your situation and mine - where in Poland do you plan to move to ?

Good Luck !!

Life / How Polish are you? [74]

60% on first test, whilst 100% on 2nd test

Is there a third test ?

Love / WILDROVERS FIVE YEARS IN POLAND....come to an end...! [132]

Wildrover .... we all deserve some happiness and love in our lives, and I hope you have finally found yours.

I have read your posts and have genuinely felt for you with your ups and downs; I am glad that you have enjoyed Poland and I'm sure that with the 'Love of your Life' you will enjoy Russia even more.

I spent some time in Russia in the late nineties and really enjoyed it; the people are very welcoming and friendly, very much like the Poles - they will put on a feast for their guests even though they may be quite poor.

I met the 'Love of my Life' in Wroclaw, Poland just over 10 years ago in a similar way you met yours - we also started communicating via the internet and then via phone calls before finally meeting in Krakow. A few months after our first meeting, but around 10 months after we started chatting we got engaged and now in September we will be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary along with our two children!

I have heard the Russians know how to throw a wedding reception which can last days - let us know if this is true.

Good Luck Wildrover!!

Love / WILDROVERS FIVE YEARS IN POLAND....come to an end...! [132]

Have you met her family yet ..... daughter..... but more importantly the future mother-in-law?

Food / Is Polish food still more natural than in the West? [142]


Here in England there are weekly Farmers Markets, where they claim the food is fresh and mostly organically grown.

In Poland I have noticed there are many more, and not just 'once a week' markets where fresh produce can be bought.

One of the differences I see is the price; in Poland the freshly produced markets are priced quite cheaply compared to the supermarkets, whilst in England the prices paid at the Farmers Markets are similar in price or in many cases more expensive than at the supermarkets.

There is also a great variety at the Polish Markets, and one can usually taste the produce before buying it. The meat and other produce usually tastes much better from the market than supermarket.

When in Warsaw, I love buying the fresh produce from markets such as Plac Szembeka which is Praga Południe; it's a bit of a trek from my flat in Wilanow but having friends just round the corner makes it a good excuse to pay them a visit!

UK, Ireland / Ive been in the UK for 6 days to relocate and im going back to Poland. [281]


sounds like our old friend 'noimmigration' is back ... or maybe one of his relatives.


you can witness all these behaviours on any Friday/Saturday night in London or other major city in UK from your so called 'English' :o)


so 'broken Britain' is all the fault of the Polish who came over here?


I have to agree with you on this .... ( I was born in UK but have Polish parents, therefore consider myself a bit of both, but generally feel more Polish), however I think racism is alive and well in most societies; I have lived in UK for 47 years and you will find racism everywhere. Go into areas in UK which are highly populated by asians, africans etc and you will see racism from these groups against white British.

I have friends who are Indian, African, and they agree with me.




doesn't say much about you then ... does it ?

UK, Ireland / English to Polish translator for a wedding in UK (Buckinghamshire) needed [6]

What part of the wedding do you need translated/interpreted.... the wedding vows .... speeches ??

Food / Kotlet schabowy again. I love it. [47]


I totally agree .... I never seem to get tired of it :o) I had them yesterday; today for my lunch I had liver with onions and new potatoes ...mmmmmmmmm

UK, Ireland / English to Polish translator for a wedding in UK (Buckinghamshire) needed [6]

I guess you're going to have mostly a mixture of English (not understanding Polish) and Polish (not understanding English) guests .....

It sounds a bit like my wedding, where my wife is Polish and I am of Polish parents but born in London, England.
We had the wedding in Poland, and for the reception we decided not to have the traditional English after dinner speeches from the best man, father of the bride and the groom; instead both my wife and I gave a speech with my wife doing the Polish version and I did the English.

Good luck with your wedding :o)

Travel / Andels Hotel Cracow (Krakow) [6]

Hi,

I am going to Krakow next week and I will be staying at this hotel; it's located just across a square from the railway station and is just around the corner from the big modern mall.

You are walking distance from the main market square, and bus/tram stops are just around the corner.

The hotel itself is very modern; I have eaten there before but will be staying as overnight guest for the first time, 18 -22 Oct as I'm going to the Wisla Krakow v Fulham Europa Cup game on the 20th.

I am also looking forward to visiting the new underground museum loctaed under the main square

I'll give you more feedback regarding the hotel on my return,

Polanglik

Law / I am starting a new business life in Poland (coming from Sydney) [84]

Good luck to you Zac .....

Where in Poland are you planning to re-locate to?

I am considering moving to Poland in the next year or two, but this will be decided by a number of factors. At the moment I live in London with my wife and two kids (9yrs & 8yrs), but a move to Poland, (Warsaw the most likely destination as we already have a network of friends/family there as well as some property), has alway been in our minds.

Family comes first for me also, so I have to decide whether the education the kids receive in an International School in Poland will compare well with getting an education here in UK.

It will be good to hear about your exploits in Warsaw - I am often in Poland so maybe a meet-up in Warsaw or Krakow is possible.

Law / I am starting a new business life in Poland (coming from Sydney) [84]


It's not actually 'going back to Poland' - I wasn't born in Poland nor have I lived there permanently, but I have travelled there quite a bit and also visited my friends & family many times. My wife is a native Pole and both our children are bilingual.

I am a trained psychologist, but have also been involved in property, but it's most likely I'll get involved in teaching English and translating work; I have many friends who have been doing this for over 15yrs and I am already doing some translating work so will expand on this.

I'll also see what else comes up; as I said I am fluent in both languages, have made a number of business contacts in Pl already, so will see what opportunities there are.

Apart from this, I will still receive a healthy income from renting property which I have in London and Warsaw.


I have already visited the British and American Int schools in Warsaw, and am aware of the fees and also the standard of teaching these schools provide; I had a few friends who taught at the British School and having checked the staff recently have recognised some acquaintances from the past.

The next 18 months here in England will be crucial and various things will determine whether we make to move over to Poland ... either Warsaw or Krakow.

I will be in Warsaw in just over a weeks time to visit a few friends, and enjoy the Christmas spirit which is still alive and kicking and not restricted by the political correctness brigade that is rife here in UK!

Law / I am starting a new business life in Poland (coming from Sydney) [84]


the longer the better ....

Law / Opening a Polish Bank Account by a foreigner in Poland. Recommendations. [299]


I don't have a PESEL, at the moment I don't reside in Pl, but I was able to open a Bank Account with ING, but had to do this in person in one of their Pl branches.

If I remember correctly I had to show 2 forms of ID, British Passport and a UK driving licence was sufficient.

History / A little reminder for those Brits that ***** about Poles [143]


Hi there Wroclaw!

What were you doing in my neck of the woods? I live in Chiswick but frequently go down the Fulham Palace Rd on the way to watch my footie team Fulham.

I have only been to the Spitfire Restaurant once, and that was a couple of years ago - from what I remember the barszcz was pretty tasteless and the main course was ok but nothing to rave about; the fact I can't remember what I had probably says a lot. The szarlotka (apple pie) for desert was not bad; I also had an Irish Coffee which was basically coffee laced with whisky and covered with cream from an aerosol can - not really what I call a proper Irish Coffee.

I haven't been back to the Spitfire, and that in itself should tell you that I wasn't impresssed with the food. Maybe it's got better over the years.

Are you no longer living in Pl? What are you up to these days?

Polanglik

Law / British managers superior to Polish [52]


What about the re-building of Wembley Stadium? The old Wembley closed in Oct 2000 and it was supposed to be demolished in Dec 2000, and the opening of the new Wembley Stadium was planned for 2003.

Demolition finally got underway in Sept 2002 and the old Wembley stadium was finally demolished by Feb 2003; the new stadium was scheduled to be ready for the 2006 FA Cup Final, but further delays meant that it wasn't ready till a year later to host the 2007 FA Cup Final.

I agree the roads/transport in Poland are less than perfect and it will take some time to get the infrastructure right, but I think Poland has come a long way in the last 20 yrs and will only get better.


it's not question of 'hiding' ...... those who lived or had family living in post-war Poland can't forget what it was like under communist rule; if Poland had been a free country like Britain after WWII , I'm sure things would be much different today.


true, .... but it's something to be admired and respected

News / Don't go to Poland ... because you could end up coming back in a coffin [313]


Fortunately not everyone has this impression of Poland; Poland has many things which it needs to improve, but to label Poland as 'the land of Nazi's' is totally out of order and outright offensive!

If my grandfather who fought in two world wars was alive today (he'd be111yrs old), he would give a right good kicking to anyone who dared call his beloved Poland a land of Nazi's; small elements of society do not make a land!

Hooliganism is a problem in Poland , as it is in many other countries, and not so long ago was a major problem in England;

England didn't cover itself in glory with last years summer riots and they definitely weren't a good advert for the Olympics.

USA, Canada / My story. Born In the USA - do I have a chance in Poland, my Mother Country? [69]

Chris,

I wish you all the best in your journey to a new life in Poland - I know of many Brits (with Polish roots) who moved to Poland and they tell me they don't regret the move;

It's almost certain that I will be moving my family over to Poland, probably Warsaw, late in 2013.

Travel / Bored foreigner in Warsaw, any advice? [13]

If you like sport, then pop down to the Pepsi Arena, home of Legia Warszawa, and get yourself a Karta Kibica which will allow you to purchase tickets for Legia Warszawa matches.

What are you doing in Warsaw? .....working .... studying .?

Travel / Is there a healthy expats scene in Poland? (drinks, food, golf, etc.) [143]


Good luck with your move ...... what will you be doing?

If things work out, it's possible I'll be following in your footsteps later next year ..... hopefully in summer :o)


same here ...... already checked out the schools and have been looking in Wilanow area for property; it's a good time to be looking at property.... exchange rate is favourable and I think you can get some good deals.


have either of you been out to Poland ?

I'll be looking out for your posts, to see how you settle in ...........

Polanglik

Travel / Is there a healthy expats scene in Poland? (drinks, food, golf, etc.) [143]


Warsaw may be one of the most congested cities , but according to another survey it is the 19th most prosperous city :o)

I have also been looking at buying a house somewhere in the Wilanow area, within easy access to British School as that's where we'd be sending our kids if our planned move to Warsaw goes ahead next summer.

Saw one house ...... detached which was priced at a ridiculous 4.5 million złoty; okay it was 680 m2 but for a house that size I'd have expected a larger plot.

When I was viewing this house I looked over at the houses in the neighbourhood and recognised Lawendowe Ogrody a development I had viewed on my previous visit .... garage linked semi-detached properties of 344m2 on plots of 600-810m2 - these properties are available at 1.9million to 2.2million złoty, but I got the impression 20-30% could be knocked off that asking price.

On my last visit I also saw a few other semi-detached properties in Zawady area, 1.5million złoty , and 1.95 million złoty (2.3million in a finished state) but again I'm sure a good discount could be negotiated.

We'll probably buy ourselves an apartment first, and then look around for a house once we have more time to explore the area and get a good feel of the place; I agree that buying in close proximity to metro stations, tram/bus stops is essential. I like the Powisle area, and I know Nowe Powisle (Menolly) has only a few apartments left, but prices there are in the region of 16,000 -18,000 zloty/m2. Closeby are the Solec 24 Apartments but I have to check the prices on my next visit ( around 12,000 złoty/m2 I think), but both these developments will be close to a planned metro station, and a good base to start looking, as well as a good investment for the future.

At the moment we're trying to sell a property in London, and once that is sold I'll be able to spend some more time in Warsaw looking for property.

It's interesting to hear the different views and opinions of living in Poland, and if I have any interesting comments/observations then I'll join in :o)