My own thoughts about life in Poland (have lived here for two years)

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That was in 2003 before many poles started sending GBP back home. You'll be lucky to pick up a bedsit (just below 40m2)for a 100 000zł. Try going to PKO or BZ WBK with a minimum salary job plus a part time and apply for a mortgage to buy a flat and see if they will approve. How in the world will you pay back the mortgage, fees and intrests if you're being paid 984zł NET. The only loans that all the banks are quick to approve nowadays are the ones for buying used cars +/-20 000zł.

It's never easy to get a mortgage in any country mate, especially these days. If you're still in the UK and you wanna come back and buy property someday just make sure you have a deposit of at least 40 000zł.

UK teenagers are getting about 3 pounds an hour, or even less. It's not abnormal to hear about 15 year olds in the UK getting less than 3 pounds an hour.

are you sure about the gypsies?


Yes there are observations derived ftom media who inform about miniorities in western countreis living mainly on doles and commiting lots of crimes. Blame media.

Still, Poles in Poland are a known quantity. When they come back from Germany or the UK, they can be cocky. I met a Pole who lives in Dusseldorf now. He spoke more German to me than Polish which I wouldn't have minded had I not told him that my Polish is much better. I generally understood his German but that's not the point. There is sth of a superiority complex of those Poles that come back from Germany :(

I was out on their old bicycles today and have a classic Polish flag on my arms ;( It was really hot there. I like the fact that they make their own pickles often, value miętna wódka and prepare great food for the table. The dogs got a good runout too :) You can feel really free :)

What the heck are you talking about? Why are you sufering from sunstrock or some other malady ?

Nope. Great review, i only have a few problems.


It's not materialism, it's a game of catch up. Americans are by far the most materialist in the world. If anything, poles like to do things for "show" because it makes them feel better than their neighbour when they have a slightly better car, for instance.

So generally you are wrong on this point.



Bullseye.


Somewhat true. Most racists in poland are the older generations. The younger poles seem to be more open, less religious (religion = evil IMO). I found a lot of brits as closet racists - they come out when you talk about how immigrants are taking advantage of the "system" in the UK.


You need to read more about this event.


This brain drain has slowed over the past 2 years, and as a matter of fact it is reversing due improvements in poland - eg. PLN worth more.


Been like that for ages > Pan, Pani, magister, dr, etc you can't say "you" to a stranger.


Prices are ridiculous, i agree. But poles don't buy their clothes in "galerie", they go elsewhere. Galeria's are only for viewing purposes and ideas for what kind of fashions to buy.

Sunburn, yes. No strokes :)

I like the realism of the Poles. They may talk big figures but they know what is attainable and what isn't in their country.

Poland has really come a long way in 20 years. You can buy essential things for cheap and you just need to look around. Veggie stalls and shops like Lumpeks are my favourite. I liked Kurt Cobain's philosophy. He was super wealthy but shopped in cheap, 2nd-hand places. I've bought most of my clothes from there and I'm never disappointed.

Oh your scottishness reveals here in every detail ;D

I used to shop in Lumpeks at their biggest time but I don't do it anymore. I discovered that I buy more needless clothes and they smell pretty awful and sometimes its hard to wash that smell out. Still I have my wardrope full of these "real bargains" which I haven't wear even for once... I much more into buy one in outlet stores if I want to save money. I don't have time for hunting for fashion in lumpeks stores.

You have to buy special cleaners like I do. The smells come out, as do the stains.

Scottishness = sensible? I agree :) Why pay too much for clothes? I get designer label stuff and some other super non-designer stuff from Lumpeks. Life costs enough without wasting money.

hehe not true. i walk to galleries pretty often and i see when my fav shirt in the last copy is bought by someone else... ;/

I buy it gallery stores pretty often but rather on sales (I feel they make ppl idiots by such prices for 2nd quality "brand" clothes)


Really such as?


Oh and that say a person who lives in a village called Gliwice and earn something about 4k... Come on! You don't need to zaciskać pasa so much!

;)

Once I come across of real Armani jeans for 100zł. And they looked really like designer jeans (not falsificates)

Well, Vanish for the stains and many others for the smells. Daisy and Poppy, for example. Poland has plenty detergents. They say the German ones are better but Polish ones have much the same chemicals in them.

I believe that only cotton and viscose is easly washed out of smell, but as for polyester, polyamide etc its really hard. Its like with the cheapest sneakers - they will smell a shoe glue forever when they once start to smell! ;D

Fake deary ;)

Prices will always be what the populace can afford. If electronics are overly expensive then it means hat many people are buying them at those prices.

Some things are expensive, other things are cheap. I've never seen so many people with brand new state of the art mobiles in Poland than anywhere else.

exactly. the same for clothes. every polish women must be dressed stylish whatever is the cost! ;)


its because our GSMs have really nice promotions ;)
Mine costed only 1 zł... but its quite poor model ;)

I have had the same mobile for about 7 years now :) Everybody thinks I look strange when using it, but for me it has never broken, it sends txt's, takes rude pictures :P and I can make calls. Nono of that show offy Iphone crap :)

well I also would have the same model for 7 years... if I won'r be tend to broke down my mobiles pretty often. I have no idea why is it happens to me. Every mobile I have starts to get crazy after some time...

I think the manufacturers build some kind of virus in them so they will stop working after a few months, then we need to buy new ones. I believe this especially true with laptops...I have had about 4 in the past year :D

You guys buy mobil phones? Doesn't the provider give you one when you sign up? Of course they don't give anything fancy, but with plenty of features anyway..as long as I get to make calls, text, access the web, 3G then why would i want to pay for the unit in the store? You can get a new unit every 2 years..I have a small collections of phones because I get a new one so the old one (nothing wrong with it) goes in the old shoe box. I know, I should give them to charity...some day. The only benefit I know of is that there is no contract (or one year only?) when you buy your own phone..

And it's usually cheaper in the long run. With the "new phone every 2 years" gig, you just pay for the phone over a longer period of time, with a premium attached to it.

Because I don't want to be tied down to an expensive contract. I prefer to just buy some credit then I know exactly what im paying for. ;)

Well, I don't know what the expense is for you monthly but i don't consider $40.00 or $50.00 monthly such a big deal..and would not call it 'expensive contract'.

But when I have to call abroad a lot, it can be expensive ;)

Most contracts through mobile providers are quite a bit cheaper if you bring your own phone. That is, it's cheaper to buy the phone from the beginning instead of paying for it every month. The contract phone is like buying a phone on credit, list plus interest. Buying a phone is like paying in cash on day one.

I check into the difference the next time I need to renew, but most people I know don't bother to buy their phones. The pay as you go phones are promoted but not too many people use them yet. Mostly older people for all i know.

The phone I have now has a list price of over $200. I doubt if I bought it instead my monthly service would be let's say only $20-25 monthly but as i said I'll check on it.

My calls allover the states are included in the price and I use it plenty. I'd get ruined if I paid regular long distance prices, even with the cheap WDT at 3.9 cents a minute.

It's not my opinion, it's the ridiculous assumption by some people that blacks and gypsies get disliked for nothing but their different looks. If a group gets disliked despite a strong taboo on discrimination, you can be sure that there must be some really good reasons for it.

yes, like stealing Polish women ;D

I looked into this today and it turns out this is illegal and almost never happens.

It was a minor problem back in the 1990s but now employers are afraid, in case a woman brings in a hidden camera to a job interview to collect evidence.

Tesco Polska were insisting on this for female middle-managers shortly after 2000. Hopefully they've stopped.

It goes back to foreign things being more appealing to poles. When a pole goes abroad, he seems to feel more enlightened (because generally things are much better in the west than in poland) and as a result shows off/acts cocky.


Really? I only see people using old nokia phones. Few higer end phones like BB, iphone


Link?

Yes, although you know as well as me that there are many more reasons for Polish people not to welcome them in their country.

But i think it's fair enough if Polish people limit their hospitality to groups that aren't seen as a threat.

So i don't see the point of topicstarter that something would be wrong with Polish people not liking all groups coming to their country.