Study / Advice needed for a French student on living in Katowice for a semester [7]

Hi everyone ! =)

My name is Jonathan, I'm 25 and I'm a french student. I will be attending a semester from september to january 2015 at the University of Economics in Katowice. The thing is, I don't know much about Katowice, or polish or even Poland for that matter . So I'd like some pieces of advice on how to absorb this whole new culture and what should I keep in mind and avoid.

Don't get me wrong, I have already done a significant amount of research on Polish culture and the city and I'm also willing to learn the Polish language. The main aim of my approach is to prepare my journey as good as I can, so here is a few questions you might help me with.

First of all, how easy is it for a french student to rent a flat downtown for only 3-4 months ? I already booked a dormitory near the university but I'm considering all the options because the room is double and I'd much rather live alone, even for such a short period. Money is not a problem since I make a good living here and I can afford a decent appartement, however I read somewhere that it can be tricky because owners don't make it easy for foreigners who do not plan to stay for a long time.

I also read that polish people, especially young people, speak an OK english in big cities. But is it the case in Katowice as well ? How about french ? Again, I don't speak polish at all (exept for the word "kurwa" of course ;p) and even if I did take a class that teach the basics, I'm afraid I'll need a long time before I'll be able to hold a conversation properly. By the way, if you know a website that could teach me some survival words, I would gladly spend some time on it.

Third question : what are the major cultural differences between Poland and France ? I mean for example, I read some stuff saying that a man greet a woman by kissing their hands. I would surely not mind, that is a very classy way to do it, but I don't want to sound arrogant either if it is too much Old-Fashioned. Also, what does Polish women like ? I was told they are gorgeous and very caring. I'll probably be looking for some kind of relationship if they are =).

Quid of the way of living, the traditions? I heard that Poland is a very catholique country, is that correct ? Does the fact that I'm agnostic and care very little about religion is going to be problematic ? I mean, I'm definitely not going to the church on sunday morning, nor will I be faking a prayer before a meal. I hope I won't be seen as disrepectful.

How about the people in Katowice ? How do they see young foreigners who do not speak the tongue ? Do they help you when you are standing in the middle of the street with a map in the hands ? Is there a lot of foreigners in the town ? Are the french people appreciated ?

One last question, maybe the trickiest : In France I'm also a semi-professional online poker player/teacher and I'd like to know how poker players are percieved in the public opinion ? Do people generally think this game is pure gamble assume every players are dumb losers ? Is online poker even legal in Poland (I know it is not in Russia and USA for example) ?

Whaou I realise now that this is a lot of questions. I apologize if it is rude to do so for a very first post.