Job Discussion Forums

[NilSatis82]

Never heard of Loch Fyne but looking at the website and the menu, it looks like there's a large amount of exaggeration going on on both sides. Who'd have thunk it? On the Polish board, of all places?

[dragonpiwo]

It's a fine restaurant. Delph just constantly posts about places of which he knows nothing. Googling a place is no substitute for actually going there. Whether it's trains I take or hotels I actually stay in or restaurants I try, he's so way off the mark it's risible.

Like a man who has seen the world through the bottom of his pint.

[delphian-domine]

It's a cheap restaurant, you mean. A good restaurant certainly wouldn't have to rely on freebies to get people to sign up to a marketing list.

In my experience of Loch Fyne, it's merely masquerading as an expensive restaurant. The decor and so on - it all betrays the fact that it's a chain operation.

As for it attracting scruffy students - when I went, it was about 10 quid for a main course. A 2 for 1 offer made it very appealling to my scruffy 20 year old self, and it was filled with the usual South East yuppies. Given that a pint at the time in my local cost nearly 3 quid - a tenner for two meals was a bargain.

I'm more surprised that dragonpiwo is advocating a cheap guest house in the middle of nowhere. Wonder why?

[Sgt Bilko]

Well, you two certainly made me interested in this restaurant that I'd never heard of before. Looked on Trip Advisor - big mix of reviews from excellent to food poisoning!!

Most did say it was quite expensive although there is a cheaper set menu, 25% gift cards and kids go free offers.

Does it really matter? I'm going to Krakow in a couple of weeks for pre-Christmas family weekend. We ate once in a 'good' restaurant - Pod Aniołami. No complaints, it was fine and a very nice atmosphere. Will we go this year? No, we'll go two doors up the road to Balaton where we usually go because we all love it - spicy fish soup, huge placeks and Bulls Blood wine. Friendly service and no worries about how we are dressed.

Can you condemn me for preferring it? No. Could I condemn someone else for preferring somehwere a little more upmarket? No.

Chill, lads. Listen to 'Mister you're a better man than I' by the Yardbirds and respect each other's differences!

[ecocks]

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/12/05/american-teacher-shot-and-killed-while-jogging-benghazi

But, did his school owe him any money?

Do you think he enjoyed the beaches and BBQs?

Just maybe the DoS and FO know what they are talking about?

Yeah, working in Libya's a no-brainer.....

I know a guy working at this school, I'll be curious to hear his reaction to this.

[delphian-domine]

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-libya-american-teacher-shot-20131205,0,4385142.story

Perhaps this can be the final word on dragonpiwo and his constant references to how much money he allegedly has.

[dragonpiwo]

Yep, this is one of the risks of being in Libya right now and it's very sad. Benghazi is in a violent state of flux at the mo. I went through the Ansar Al-Sharia gate there several months back and will not be going there again. We are on a huge petrochem complex by the sea, walled in and guarded by hordes of armed security people. Luckily, we aren't near a major urban centre. What he was doing jogging about there, the lord only knows. Where is anyone safe from these nutters? Thoughts and prayers for his family.

And Delph...just go to that country retreat and take a look. You'll be very pleasantly surprised. Top notch.

[scot47]

We seem to have strayed far from the unfortunate OP who was diddled out of a few grosch by an unscrupulous employer.

[dragonpiwo]

Scott-getting diddled, dodgy 'civil contracts and unethical tax practices are commonplace.

Most of the schools pay a subsistence wage. Doing privates is how most people afford the extras. However, some schools even contractually forbid working for others. I wouldn't want to look after my family on 8k PLN (net) a month that's for sure. The average school offers about 3k. Shysters like IH much less.

I guess you can eat healthily for 20-30Zl a day. You know a cereal breakfast, a bit of fruit, a cheap bistro meal for obiad and some sandwiches for dinner. You can also drink in the 4Zl shot bars and walk everywhere. No-one disputes that. However, the moment you stray off the path of frugality and run a car, pay for a child, buy consumer goods and clothes of a western standard or require dental care, a family visit home, a wedding or a holiday, you'll have some serious head scratching to do unless of course your missus earns a good wage too.

Me and the missus like to have a splurge every now and again and these cost thousands. We did the UK on the cheap for a weekend visit last trip and all in it cost more than 4000Zl. We also did Berlin. God only knows how much the average American pays for his trip home to visit the family. Many of these adults get 'helped'.

[Infinite]

[curtmonster]

I started this post a while back reporting that Bell still owed me money and took it took several months of calling Ludka to finally get it. I have a colleague that, unfortunately, couldn't find another offer from a school and had to take what Bell could offer him(knowing damn well that they were having problems). I had to catch up with him to find out if they were still having problems and I felt obliged to report that they are STILL not paying on time, in fact, the DOS in Bydgoszcz told my friend that they still owe her 7 months of pay! He said that she was practically in tears when he was talking with her about not being paid on time and that he was thinking about leaving the school.

For those that are looking to teach in Poland, please do yourself a favour, stay away from BELL!

[Post Mortem]