My experience in Poland 15 years ago as an American trying to live and work there.

Let me see. 15 years ago? The book is from my journals during those two years. Szwed, I lived in Poland for four more years after that and was quite happy at times. In a normal sense, you know, good days and bad days. The story is about my first two years in Poland, which were something quite extraordinary.

All you did was glance through the stories and post an off-hand remark. Kind of like Pete.
My happiness is of no consequence to the theme of this book.

But thanks for your comment.

Of course you have your advance. You are for once telling the truth, despite the fact that you usually come here only to lie! Let's just take one example: here you say "I just never married."; here you say "I married the girl, and yes we live in the USA." and here you say "I married a Polish girl once. ... We came to the United States. She met a black man and got VD. I divorced her."


So you know the meaning of neither 'copyright' nor 'copywrite'. With skills like that you're a dead cert to win a Nobel prize!

All good catches, Harry.


But I think you meant Pulitzer. :)

No, I mean Nobel. He'd only qualify for a Pulitzer if he were American and, given that he says that he is American, he probably isn't.

feedforall.com/rss-knowledgebase-template.htm&GUID=a377&MAXITEMS=1
Look it up. Teach yourself.

In all honesty, the work looks like the rantings of someone delusional on acid or similar.

Not bad as an attempt to produce something with the atmosphere of "fear and loathing" or similar - but please, don't insult our intelligence by pretending that it's real.

We came to the United States. She met a black man and got VD. I divorced her."

I was taking a shot at someone. Thank you for following my thread. I need fans like you. The attentions really helps.

Regards

Not as much as lithium would.

"might"?


Don't tell Jarnowa - you're on his "hunting ground" :-)

your writing just seemed to hit the spot, it assures me in a wired way or maybe it just helps to complete a sanity check. Polish are going to find your experiences shameful but your outlook on things is eccentric enough to make this interesting

The key to the success is to elaborate upon reasons why you committed yourself on going and staying there. The majority of polish people , if given a choice of being in your shoes, would just go back to the us

let me know when the book is out

Harry. I see what you mean. Copyright vs copywritten. Its ok. Its a common error. I'll make note of it. And thanks again. Anyway, it's just a story of my experiences. Don't take it so personally. I realize many of you have nothing else to do, but post comments. It is why several of you have thousands. Shut-ins and computer geeks are like that.

michaelmansun
LMAO, Great observation
Several high school/college teachers on the mission...
and “native speakers” whatever the purpose of that is in RL

The book should be out in about two months. I get 100 copies. It's a paperback, of course. It is a small time deal. I probably will not make much, but it is my first real shot at righting (For Harry).

I'll send you a copy, Havok. Be warned. There is some strange stuff in there, and a lot of times I was doing the strange stuff. It is really a self-deprecating creation, which Harry would enjoy.

Thanks, Havoc.

Assuming I’ll take it at face value, which I very much doubt, I would have to say it’s rather a sad and tragic autobiography of a broken individual, you seem to be very disappointed at the reality life has dealt you. Someone who blames the world around him for the bitter taste of defeat and unfulfilled dreams. You never stated the reason for moving to Poland especially at that time, the time of turmoil, the time of harsh changes in the economy that had to be made at the time of transition from one system to the other and all the misery that those changes bring about. Any sane person would’ve taken his time before making that move (after all what’s so urgent?) and he would have carefully considered the reality. So one can safely assume that the motive was greed, the arrogance and inexperience of youth, after all that was the reasoning behind it, wasn’t it? What do those former commies know about business anyway? You definitely had advantage, a leg up so to speak or at least you thought so. You, hailing from a rich country where capitalist system has a long tradition and is prospering at the moment, coming to a country in transition, a country in the midst of economic chaos where locals are disillusioned, struggling to make ends meet therefor not even worthy to look at as a threat or even potential competition, you'll outfox them all. To a sly individual like yourself it was all so obvious at that time and so easy, you’ll strike it rich and with strong exchange rate to a dollar on your side you just can’t fail but failed you did, miserably. The more time that has passed without any success materializing the more disillusioned with life in general you’ve become. It’s a rather a sad story of an individual with feeble mind that harbors bitter feelings for the place where he has experienced his first and only defeat in life, a defeat so great that he will never be able to fully recover from or heal and he still can’t get over it. So you project your own failure on your surroundings instead of being honest with yourself as to who and what you are, you are just a Yankee failure who given the optimal environment in Poland as it was back than could not hack it, truly sad but not at all very original.

15 years ago, thug, and I stayed 4 additonal years. Again, you really need to follow the thread. I didn't read much of your rant, as it was easy to see early on that you are just a typing fool. One of those, "It is your fault" types.

It is just my experience first two years in Krakow. Not for the remaining 4 in Poland. Please follow the thread and you wouldnt have to spend so much time ranting and wearing away the tissue on the tips of your chubby little fingers.

Thanks for the comment.

I appreciate all the comments. Positive and negative. If some of you weren't in such a hurry to just shoot people down, you might see that it is just a story, a sharing of experiences. I check some of your other posts. And it is the same thing. You post to vent your frustrations. Some of you seem addicted to it. Like some kind of therapy. Anything anyone posts you just set upon them. That's OK. If that makes you feel better about who you are.

I have a friend. A Polish guy. He came to the USA and overstayed his visa in Texas. They put him in jail for 6 months. 6 stinking months! And then banned him from re-entry for 5 years. Texas cops are such big-gut hicks. Another friend, an older lady, won the green card lottery and went to Chicago. She was a chemist. She searched for meaningful work. All she found was sitting with old people. A chemist as a babysitter for the elderly. 8 years. What a waste. Yet a third gentleman, an engineer, went to New York. He drove a cab for nearly 10 years. He sent all his money, well most of it, back home and his family built a house in Nowy Targ. When it was nearly completed, he returned home. The USA was one big disappointing lie.

I can see that on my side. I'm really sorry that you cannot see that it is usually like that for any foreigner in any foreign land. At least in the beginning. Poland was no different. What I do not like about Poland and US relations, is that we have always been allies. If we needed help or support, Poland rasied her hand. But the USA, well, we kind of **** all over that relationship. Sorry for that.

As someone said, in so many words, the reason it pisses people off is that there is not much before or after in my exerts here. My life turned out pretty well in Poland. I just had to accept that there were not any oppurtunities for me there to do what I was trained to do. After that, I just got on with it and had a pretty good life.

Thanks again for your comments.

Mmmm... Looks like H, got you in the lights - michaelmansun!

It is The Land of Opportunity. But success is not promised to anyone.


Now you're just ranting nutty.

H dont scare me. As for trener...well..you are obviously enjoying the best of both worlds. And you enjoy that, and feel elitist about that, even against your own people. You hate to see them, don't you. Those village Poles who come and make you "look bad" Check some history, jackass.

======================================================================

A substantial and repeated criticism in Poland of US approach to Poland revolves about US refusal to allow Poles a visa-free entry to United States, despite the fact that most European Union countries – often much less supportive of US on the international scene – have no visa requirements.

Barack Obama said "No country in Europe loves or loved The United States as much as Poland does or has in the past. Nonetheless visa policy becomes strict.

European Union has threatened USA by imposing visa requirements for entry to any of its member countries if visas for Poles are not lifted.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------

And the EU should. But, I certainly do not like it, and hope it does not go that way. I do not think it will happen because Europe enjoys the tourism revenues. The State Department of the USA are a bunch of a'holes. I petitioned the State Department to support a bi-lateral agreement with Poland, for the unrestricted entry for Poles into the US. I also petitioned that Poles receive a 6 month visa, with working privileges. If you overstay your visa, no more than a one year restriction and a fine graduated on the amount of time overstayed. Jail time? Of course not. And built into that, a two week extension for extenuating circumstances. Anything can and does happen. No one should be penalized for a few days overstay, or jailed under any circumstances. It is stupid and makes the USA look like a bunch of arrogant, elitist thinking jerks.

If someone wants to come to the USA from Poland or the UK, and work or just hang out, please come. It's only my opinion, of course. I do not think the US can afford to isolate itself further with these ridiculous restrictive policies against its most stalwart allies. The other countries in the EU, well, I don't think we will ever get along.

Response from the State Department? We appreciate your comments and will review them carefully. Obama needs to get on Hillary's butt.

Please continue with the insults. I do enjoy them so much.

I think you're starting to lose it.

You are turning into the king of simplifications and a hero of populistic ponderers; here's a piece of advice - throw in some Jew hate and anti-Semitic drivel into your book, spice it up with some 911 conspiracy theories and expand on the failings of the rotten capitalist system and the true meaning of the "good" socialism and communism that "the Russians ruined" and there'll be numerous buyers here on PF.

PS. Include some pro-Serbian lines and you've made yourself a millionaire. Well, at least a Dinaric millionaire.

I really love your one liners. They speak volumes.

Kinda thin skinned for a writer...

I agree with everything you've said here. In the past I said here on PF that in my view the citizens from all the countries that have been our true allies, and Poland is certainly in that category, should be entitled to visa-free travel.

Yet you're leaving out Ted Kennedy's immigration reform of '65 from your critique. At the time, the majority of European immigrants arriving in the US came from the eastern block - once eligible to vote a large percentage of them voted for primarily Republican candidates. Kennedy, an ardent Democrat, revised the entire immigration policy in 1965 where from then on a much larger share of Africans, Asians and South Americans were allowed in (DV or diversity [green card] lottery was part of that process).

Citizens from countries that tended to overstay visas (Poland amongst others) were penalized by a more stringent visa requirement. This policy has been in effect for a long time now and frankly I don't see any signs of change.

Do I like the current policy? NO!! ...however, I'm not sure what the solution would be as everything has to be so politically correct nowadays. If they were to waive the visa requirement for Poland (even though a large percentage of Poles still overstay the visas) - then Nigeria, etc., would demand the same treatment. At the same time we have millions of Mexicans coming in with no paper work at all. Ironic and very sad but I'm not sure how they can resolve the problem and make everyone happy.

You guys are sooo full of sh!t, michaelmansun hit the nail on the head. Fuking admit it.
I've noticed that this forum is full of elitist Polacks, most of you have 0 of significant life experience, other than this forum i guess. "


michaelmansun if you're serious about this book... your offer to send me a copy sounds really good, also i want it signed by you please. My wife would like to have a copy as well. I've read some of this to her over the phone. anyways, I PMed you my e-mail address. This is fing great LMAO.

Thx

Well, Nigerians are flooding the US anyway. They are receiving visas for the casinos. And man are they rude. No, we cannot open our borders to the world entire. But what has Nigeria contributed to the United States? What can they contribute. Poland was ready to park our missles on their soil, for goodness sake. I do not blame them for scrapping that idea.

Poland is by no means comparable to Nigeria. They do not have to come to the US. They can work anywhere they want in Europe, and they rotate in and out. The Brits can now come to Poland with their capital and make everything expensive. I hate that for Poles. Heck, some I know cannot even buy an apartment there anymore, because the Brits and others ran there and bid up the prices so that the Poles have to go to the UK to work to earn enough to compete for housing in their own country. The ones with the property before the EU made a fortune and moved to Italy.

It would do no damage to open our borders to Poles and Brits. It might actually help us in the EU. Lord knows we need the PR.

Mexicans? Well, a lot of Mexicans are in the US illegally. I think they should also receive work visas. Why? Because the cheap labor is the reason they go. They earn lower money than what the law allows. Make it legal for them to work and they will demand higher wages. Put them on the same field of comeptition as gringos. They are there anyway, and are afraid to leave for fear of not being able to return. Just make it easier for them and they will not linger around and have anchor babies. They will come home more often to Mexico and stop this damned SS card sharing. They will pay taxes and have benefits instead of working for **** money, getting treated like crap, and maybe they won't risk dying in the back of a ******* truck or drowning in a river just to earn a few bucks. I do not believe it would have much of an impact on drug smuggling, but it could create better relations. Mexico, given a chance, could be an amazing ally for the US. We just have to bring them along and stop treating them like a political football.

It is time the US worked to create better relations in the world. With her allies and her potential allies. Just my ideas. Yes, I risk over-simplification. Yes, just as the EU, there would have to be some fundamental changes on both sides so that we can mesh. It is coming. We might as well prepare now.

Huh? IME most writers (except some journalists) are up their with actors and other performers in having thin skins. It's understandable I think, they do put themselves out there.

As for this book I don't have any particular comment. Skimming the exerpts indicates it's probably not my kind of thing. I was in Poland at the same time and mostly enjoyed it despite a lot of challenges (and my work bringing me up face to face with some the fringes of Polish society where getting by could be pretty dicey).

But ... I was also here for about half of 91, 92 and 93 each (and almost all 94). Compared to those years things in 95-97 were already looking up. The winters did take a lot of getting used to (the first winters were hardest not because of the cold but because of the dark, I wasn't expecting it and it hit me kind of hard).


That is funny (and all too true at the time, maybe still.....).

Oh, and I agree the US is generally a crappy ally (I'm American), if the US and Poland were a man and a woman Poland would be a booty call.

I agree with you except the part where we give Mexicans already here working visas.
1) they'd be rewarded for breaking the law,
2) after the 12 million or whatever the number is, 24 million more would arrive the next day.

The other part of your post I agree with but saw few solutions, remember it has to be politically correct (the other nations must be happy too) or it won't become a law, as simple as that. So how do we do it in your view?

I would seriously buy your book. Your writing makes me miss Poland tonight even more than I miss it on everyday basis.

I'm doing the reverse experience. I've been living in the States for 11 years and I can't take it any longer. The shiny happy faces in their new SUVs, the passive aggressive-games, the fake smiles. I want to be in Krakow with all those angry, unhappy mugs. Be mean and depressed and be open about it.

I think this is what made you feel so miserable there. You came from a country where happiness is mandatory and if you are unhappy it basically stays between you and your shrink.

But my husband will not budge. He refuses to move. And I keep my fake smile handy.

I think you just need more excitement in your life,, move to Brooklyn, better yet, how about camden nj, the worst case scenario you will get shot on the first day and then you wont need to pay for a shrink anymore

I t will never cease to amaze me how Americans are just fine with illegal immigrants when 10 tiny Mexicans are doing the landscaping, and jet when they get to talk abut it on the forums they call them criminals and want all of them out.