The BEST Guide to POLAND
Unanswered  |  Archives 
 
 
User: Guest

Home / Life  % width posts: 93

Poland safe for a Greek?


OP Marino_Kat 1 | 113
12 Feb 2018 #61
Well we will see.

I wont comment the rubbish posted by some here about our history and just laugh about it.

That said, how does it work with money over there? Is banking cards ok? Or advice bringing money?
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
12 Feb 2018 #62
Cash is fine, atms are plentiful. Cashiers give you option of paying in zloty and usually dollars. Not sure about Euro though - whenever it rang my card itd give me option of dollars or zloty only. Euro are often used for property listings though for some reason otherwise almost everything is zloty. A currency exchange is called a 'kantor'
Crow 155 | 9,025
12 Feb 2018 #63
and just laugh about it.

Well man, while you laughing have in mind that great majority of Poles and Serbians of this forum can agree that Greeks just shouldn`t push Slavic Macedonia too hard. Genocide that your Maurikios, that you yourself mentioned, committed on Macedonian Slavs back in past was quite enough.

And, when in Poland, I suggest you not to talk to proudly about Maurikios, how he dealt with Slavs. Such a talks may prove not to be healthy. Be wise, don`t underestimate Poles. And, of course, don`t mistake, don`t underestimate Serbians.
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
12 Feb 2018 #64
Slavs reached the area around the year 600 after christ.

Not really tho - the sarmatians were part of Scythian culture and even the lusations

I think the situation with Alexander the Great is a bit complicated. To my understanding he was a Greek king, of Macedonian stock. I believe the Greeks were in charge of ancient Macedonia and even Alexander was taught by Aristotle. So he was definitely a Greek but either Macedonian or mixed Greek/Macedonian stock as was common to seal treaties - a king would marry a princess from an ally. Alexander was of the Argead dynasty

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argead_dynasty

The culture of Macedonia and Greece esp high culture was basically the same in those territories too. Also, Alexander's family followed Greek mythology as a religion
OP Marino_Kat 1 | 113
12 Feb 2018 #65
Alexander was greek as was Macedonia. Look at the writings. Evrything is in Greek. Culture is Greek. Religion is Greek. Art is Greek.

The slavic people later setteled in the area, roughly around 550 after christ. This was first ignored, because we were at war with Persia. But then around 600 emperor Maurikios striked back in some heavy campaigns

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice%27s_Balkan_campaigns

@Crow
We dont push FYROM. They should accept a proper name and not try to steal from others and we can be good neighbors

@Dirk diggler
With the money its strange, that you get $. I would have thought to get € ha ha. But thats no problem. I pay most stuff with card, even in stores and i assume in a big city most stores offer card payments.
Crow 155 | 9,025
12 Feb 2018 #66
Famous is that Greek Demedes who said, when Alexander of Macedon died (citation): "Alexander is not dead or the whole world would smell his corpse". That`s how much ethnic Greeks valued Alexander. He was just stranger to them. Stinking stranger, non-Greek. We have many sources about it. And now, Greeks want that Alexander belong to them. Only to them.

The slavic people later setteled in the area, roughly around 550 after christ.

Please, stop that. Don`t say that you know more about Slavs then for example Jewish Netanyahu, Israelly PM.

Look how Netanyahu speaks about Slavs in general (ie Sarmatians) and by analogy about Macedonians of the area > video > youtube.com/watch?v=ISHT-Tc7IPI

//PM Netanyahu: It's an honor to welcome you to Israel, Prime Minister Vučić. The friendship between the Jewish and Serbian peoples goes back to thousands of years, to the time of the Roman Republic.//

also here > youtube.com/watch?v=PhxmLuXYNG4

See, Slavs were there at least 1000 years then you learned in school. Man, Slavs are native Europeans. Don`t deny that. Don`t insult this complete forum. Don`t repeat what Hitler spoke. Are you madman?

Shame on you man. I expected more honesty from Greeks.
kaprys 3 | 2,249
12 Feb 2018 #67
Have some cash with you - Polish złoty and you can use your debit or credit card, too. Just call your bank first to ask if you'll be charged for withdrawing money abroad. Not sure they do it in Greece or not.

In some places you can pay with euros- ask in advance but it's likely you may get the change in Polish złoty.
You may also pay by card or withdraw money from ATMs.
O WELL 1 | 156
12 Feb 2018 #68
There are ATMs also that dispense $ and euros.One is in Citibank on senatorska street.Also Bitcoin ATM is in Bobby Burger on Emily Platter,last time I used.But it will not dispense cash if you want to cash out.
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
12 Feb 2018 #69
With the money its strange, that you get $.

Yeah but I think that's only because most of my bank accounts are in US and for some reason the exchange rates are great - they're usually the official rate and a few times I've gotten it even a tad cheaper - idk if they maybe didn't update it or if they go by the forex official rates before's days close.. not sure. I don't really use my Polish account for buying stuff as the fees are high, points and the gifts are garbage, interest on loans is insane, etc. I usually just use it to pay small fees and bills. Banking industry imo in Poland isn't competitive - esp not compared to US and large wealthier countries but if you're travelling it's fine for those purposes.

You'll be fine with paying with visa's just about anywhere. Carry some loose zloty (at least 100-200 z's worth) for buying stuff in shops, kiosks, markets, etc as those are very popular. Oftentimes some of the best blueberries are ones you can buy from a stand on the side of a highway or even like some nice inexpensive clothes at the bazaars (aka targi)
O WELL 1 | 156
12 Feb 2018 #70
big city most stores offer card payments.

Yes but beware of some restaurants who are cash only esp in Old town warsaw,I was once in a jam there but luckily the Kantor nearby with ****** rates saved me.
OP Marino_Kat 1 | 113
13 Feb 2018 #71
@Crow

Spare me that nonsense. As i said, i can only laugh about that. You must have some heavy chip on your shoulder. Nothing to do with Hitler, that slavs arrived only around 550 in that area that is today FYROM is a fact and can also be read on old church documents.
Crow 155 | 9,025
13 Feb 2018 #72
you better focus on card payments in Poland.
mafketis 36 | 10,700
13 Feb 2018 #73
FYROM is a fact

So you're recognizing the existence of the country of Macedonia? Good for you!
nope 2 | 43
13 Feb 2018 #74
Spare me that nonsense.

A lot of people begged him to do just that but he never listens. It's just Crow and his imaginary world.
About the banks, if you have income in euro just open an account in euro ( if you're going to be here for long ) and you can exchange the money in "kantor" and not at the bank where they have higher rates.
mafketis 36 | 10,700
13 Feb 2018 #75
For two weeks just use your bank card or credit card in ATMs and take out zloties (they all have an english option) ask your bank about charges. Opening an account or changing euros to zloties seems like a lot of unnecessary work.

Some stores might be geared up to accept Euros in cash, but it's easier to pay with zloties or your card.

The Euro-zloty exchange rate usually hovers around 4.15 to 4.25 zloties for one Euro.
Ziemowit 14 | 4,278
13 Feb 2018 #76
slavs arrived only around 550 in that area that is today FYROM is a fact and can also be read on old church documents.

Indeed, they arrived in the area called Macedonia and remained there ever since. Does that mean the name of the area has been changed since then?

So you're recognizing the existence of the country of Macedonia? Good for you!

Greece should stop insisting on the nonsense concerning the name Macedonia as soon as possible. The folk who lives there is different than in the times of Alexander the Great, but the area has retained its name in continuo. Nothing special about it really. The territory of East Prussia, for example, was once inhabited by some Prussian tribe (Baltic folk), but in the mediaeval ages the Prussian language disappeared after the Teutons of Germanic origin came there invited be the Masovian prince Konrad and later on conquered the whole land. Then settlers from Mazovia also came in and settled in southern parts of East Prussia. Nevertheless, the land had been retaining its original name 'Prussia' all that time and the name was even passed onto the whole Kingdom of Prussia until 1945 when it crashed under the strength of the invincible Red Army of the Soviet Union.

Second, the Greek language in its classical form sounds of course completely different to modern Greek. No way that Alexander the Great could ever comprehend modern Greek! I remember that I once read in the memoirs of a British aristocrat being fluent in classical Greek how he went to Greece in the 19th century and started talking to them in that ancient language. In reply, the 19th century Greeks stared at him in bewilderment and simply said nothing to that weirdo. And this is yet another reason why Greece should say good-bye to the ancient Greek Macedonia and stop being silly in opposing the modern Slavic Macedonians choosing the right name for the country they inhabit.
mafketis 36 | 10,700
13 Feb 2018 #77
nonsense concerning the name Macedonia as soon as possible.

I think it's similar to Lithuania, the modern baltic state has jack all to do with the previous political entity but Poles don't get their underwear in knots about it (well a few do but no one pays attention to them).

Greek language in its classical form sounds of course completely different to modern Greek

Actually some Greek linguists insist the language has not undergone any profound phonological change since ancient times (that is ancient greek sounded like modern Greek). for that to be true you'd have to imagine that ancient greeks were crazy for making such a weird alphabet with such weird spellings (with 5 or so different ways of writing the sound of Polish i )
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
13 Feb 2018 #78
think it's similar to Lithuania, the modern baltic state has jack all to do with the previous political entity

Ehh yes and no, Poles and Lithuanians are two distinct ethnic groups with their own languages, alphabet, culture, last names, etc. But, they are similar in many respects and Poles and Lithuanians have historically been very close. Although lately Poles have seemed to focus more on relationship building with Czechs, Hungarians, and during the 90s and pre-EU especially Germans, at least more so than the Baltic nations anyway. Before WW2 though Poland and Lithuania was like the same and marriages between Poles and Lithuanians frequently took place. Wilno is considered by a small population to be a Polish city, but it's really not at least certainly not today. Even back in the day it was mainly Lithuanians living there but certainly a huge Polish minority as well.
mafketis 36 | 10,700
13 Feb 2018 #79
Poles and Lithuanians are two distinct

I was referring to the fact that the modern state of Lithuania really has nothing to do with the Lithuania referred to in the first line of Pan Tadeusz...
OP Marino_Kat 1 | 113
13 Feb 2018 #80
Yes, i made the mistake to take this serbian serious. As i said, laugh is best to counter that.

As for card payments, i have a normal master card, i think thats good enough. I will ask my bank if they can give me some zloty as well.

I thought Poland is in € ha ha
mafketis 36 | 10,700
13 Feb 2018 #81
Thankfully, no. At this point there are no upsides to the Euro and a zillion downsides (as witnessed by Greece's inability to exit the ongoing crisis - it structurally cannot as long as it retains the Euro)
Crow 155 | 9,025
13 Feb 2018 #82
Yes, i made the mistake to take this serbian serious.

Yes, yes. Just don`t spit on Slavs and on Macedonia in Poland and you`ll be fine. Refrain yourself from greater Greece ideas. Poles are nice and all that but, they aren`t famous by their nerves.
mafketis 36 | 10,700
13 Feb 2018 #83
I will ask my bank if they can give me some zloty as well.

Why bother? if you're flying in you can use an ATM in the airport...
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
14 Feb 2018 #84
I thought Poland is in € ha ha

No, and hopefully we never will be. There were plans for Poland to adopt the euro after EU ascension but then the global recession happened which hurt Europe tremendously - Poland on the other hand clocked in ridiculously high GDP growth esp by EU standards and to this day doesn't want to adopt a stagnant currency and give up its fiscal sovereignty. The government's position is that 'if' the Euro's standing improves, then Poland will 'consider' adopting it.
OP Marino_Kat 1 | 113
14 Feb 2018 #85
Im glad we have the €. It has its pro and cons. I like to travel and pay evrywhere without thinking too much.

Also without the € our elites could move on with their corruption again and again. The € is the medicine Greece needed.
mafketis 36 | 10,700
14 Feb 2018 #86
Eternal depression? The problem is that currency unions usually have transfers built in where money is sent form richer to poorer parts (in the US from North to South, in the UK from South to North, in Poland West to East).

The Euro is a non-transfer currency union where poorer countries are obliged to take out loans which means that service economies like Spain or Greece have to become more productive than production economies like Germany in order to pay them back or they'll fall into eternal debt bondage with no hope of recovery.

The Euro works for production economies (Germany) or banking economies (Luxembourg) it cannot work for service economies in the long term without a central bank and transfers.

Is Greece closer to economic recovery now than it was 5 years ago?
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
14 Feb 2018 #87
Hey if you guys want it in greece thats up to you. We poles generally prefer not to have the imf and eu dictating our fiscal policies. Weve just told the imf in 2017 to take the loan they tried to force down polands throat to stuff it.
delphiandomine 88 | 18,163
14 Feb 2018 #88
Not really, it wasn't needed anymore.

The IMF and the EU still play a major role in Polish fiscal policy. The 3% deficit limit is respected by PiS, and the IMF has played a huge role in Poland for what, 30 years now? The IMF didn't stuff a loan down anyone's throat, it was simply there in case it was needed - which it wasn't in the end.
Dirk diggler 10 | 4,585
14 Feb 2018 #89
The IMF didn't stuff a loan down anyone's throat, it was simply there in case it was needed - which it wasn't in the end.

Thanks to Poles' great handling of the economy, no we didn't need a loan. Yes, they play a role in Polish fiscal policy, nonetheless Poland and its banks ultimately can set policies for the national currency - that wouldn't be the case if we adopted the euro which Poland has no plans to do unless it improves
OP Marino_Kat 1 | 113
16 Feb 2018 #90
@mafketis

Definitly yes. Economy gets better, unemployment went down, corruption is also far less. Im young and i easily found a job and make good money.


Home / Life / Poland safe for a Greek?