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oipivo
Joined: 02 Jan 2012 Posts: 163 Location: Poland
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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" Expecting Swiss style perfection in a country that has been democratic for 23 years and which had an economy in ruins is just - frankly - insanity."
I like you. It drives me up the wall when expats have these expectations. After living abroad for a while, you just come to accept these things. I remember being frustrated with this as well. |
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sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 8:37 am Post subject: erm |
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Who mentioned Swiss style perfection? X-raying my chest when my foot needed the scan or ordering a Meat Feast and getting a Hawajska is hardly expecting 5* service....what's democracy gotta do with that? It's just dumb, can't-be-bothered, useless service. They sure learned how to coin your money in quickly. Even the hospital I was sent to by my private BUPA there sent me off somewhere else on my broken leg. Then there was the monitor that didn't work in the private hospital my then wife gave birth in. Just shabby. Currently I'm moving my banking there from the UK and what a rigmarole that is proving to be. Forget the zillion Poles who moved to the Uk with ease and set up accounts and mortgages and even claim benefits. First I got to register permanently there even though I'm paying close to 20k a month in the account and so on and so forth and that's just to get a visa card. My landlord, who is required by law to register me after 3 months if I so require is umming and ahing....not doubt it can all be arranged for a fee. It's backwarks and parochial.
And why oh why do people keep mentioning Brovaria? It looks like and airport lounge bar. I've had the golonka there and it's ok. The salmon lasagna was dreadful. It's one of the most sterile bars on the planet.
The Liberal apologists here do my nut. If you pay good money, you should get good service. You shouldn't be told to go and buy something cos they have no change or made to wait an hour for a meal to arrive or screwed over when the remote-control helicopter exploded the first time you used it.
Nope....good for a laugh short-term but a truly uninspiring place in which to settle. If the girls were ugly, half you lot wouldn't be there.....maybe even 90%. There was an article in a Brit paper some years ago which basically took great mirth from the fact that Poland was full of Rodney Trotters (TEFL teachers) surrounded by way-outta-their-league beauties. It was spot on.
The students are lovely to teach though. |
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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 10:19 am Post subject: |
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oipivo wrote: |
I like you. It drives me up the wall when expats have these expectations. After living abroad for a while, you just come to accept these things. I remember being frustrated with this as well. |
Honestly - if I sat there and dwelled upon all the things that might drive me nuts (like the lack of decent bacon) - I'd go out of my mind. Much better to focus on the nice things, such as having wonderful friends and being able to discover all sorts of interesting places.
[quote=sharter]X-raying my chest when my foot needed the scan or ordering a Meat Feast and getting a Hawajska is hardly expecting 5* service....what's democracy gotta do with that? It's just dumb, can't-be-bothered, useless service. [/quote]
I really wonder what's wrong with you that all these terrible things keep happening to you. I've never once received the wrong meal in Poland, and the health care - although it looks shabby, has always been fine. How come these terrible things keep happening to you?
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Currently I'm moving my banking there from the UK and what a rigmarole that is proving to be. Forget the zillion Poles who moved to the Uk with ease and set up accounts and mortgages and even claim benefits. First I got to register permanently there even though I'm paying close to 20k a month in the account and so on and so forth and that's just to get a visa card. My landlord, who is required by law to register me after 3 months if I so require is umming and ahing....not doubt it can all be arranged for a fee. It's backwarks and parochial. |
Backwards? It's the reason why identity fraud barely exists in Poland, unlike in the UK where it's considered an entire industry. I like the way that here, they don't go throwing credit at anyone who appears to have cash - but having said this, my mortgage was approved and paperwork done within a week.
As for the landlord - the requirement is on you, not him. But the umming and ahhing is because he's almost certainly not paying tax on the rental - the easiest way to deal with this is simply to refuse to rent a flat unless you can use the address for registration purposes.
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The Liberal apologists here do my nut. If you pay good money, you should get good service. You shouldn't be told to go and buy something cos they have no change or made to wait an hour for a meal to arrive or screwed over when the remote-control helicopter exploded the first time you used it. |
Honestly - if it's so bad for you, why are you bothering moving back here?
Here's a tip of the day - try Setka pub on...I think Marcinkowskiego. A wide range of beers, decent service - and although it looks like a dive bar, it's not a bad place for a few beers. And they have a hell of a selection, too. |
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sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place
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Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:42 am Post subject: erm |
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I've just been there much, much longer. I've had my card cloned twice in Poland by the way. I go there primarily because my son lives there but I also have tonnes of pals, some of whom I've known since 1995. I loved teaching there, don't get me wrong. Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm the life and soul....a bit of legend with the old timers.
I just think that Poznan serves overpriced tat and has truly dreadful service. |
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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 1:45 am Post subject: |
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Actually, speaking of service, I'm noticing one distinct trend. The nicer the place, the more diabolical the service seems to get. I had a rather amusing experience in that sami swoi place on the corner nearest Aleja Kebabowa - truly shockingly slow service, taking almost 10 minutes to serve up two beers and a coffee.
I think one thing we can agree on - so called "nice" places tend to have absolutely shocking service standards. I cannot figure out why some supposedly 'nice' places are employing teenagers as waitresses. |
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sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place
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Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2012 4:48 pm Post subject: erm |
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The best place Poz has ever had was Harry's....sadly he died and it's been closed for years (next to the Londoner Pub). He was an expat.
Poles don't do service or quality restaurant food....home cooking yes. |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA
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Posted: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:06 am Post subject: |
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delphian-domine wrote: |
Actually, speaking of service, I'm noticing one distinct trend. The nicer the place, the more diabolical the service seems to get. I had a rather amusing experience in that sami swoi place on the corner nearest Aleja Kebabowa - truly shockingly slow service, taking almost 10 minutes to serve up two beers and a coffee.
I think one thing we can agree on - so called "nice" places tend to have absolutely shocking service standards. I cannot figure out why some supposedly 'nice' places are employing teenagers as waitresses. |
One reason is that the fancier places tend to put beauty over brains when hiring waitresses. A gorgeous babe who can barely carry a tray is hired over a homely pro any day of the week. |
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Sgt Bilko
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 136 Location: POLAND
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Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:52 am Post subject: |
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Taking this away from Poznan for a moment, I've just had a family holiday around Poland.
This is what I found.
Gniezno: Nice looking restaurant near the cathedral, service good, food OK
Torun: All you can eat place opposite the planetarium. 16zl, help yourself. Food basic but great value. Pancake place on the rynek. Food great, price cheap, service fine.
Gdynia: Very cheap place just off the main street. (Anker Pizzeria) Order at a counter like a fast food place but waitresses bring it to the table. Amazing value, big portions, waitresses efficient.
Sopot: Place on the pier. Very expensive but good service.
Gdansk: Bistro Kos on Ul. Piwna. First day brilliant. Huge portions, great service. Next day the meals were only OK and the waitress was miserable.
Malbork: Inside the castle. Good service and prices not too bad considering where we were.
On the way home - McDonalds. Kids treat. Good service, friendly and quick.
Hotels:
Torun an apartment right on the main square. 320zl a night approx for a family of four. Breakfast extra (brought to the room). Gdynia - stayed with wife's cousin. Gdansk/Sopot border - Novotel (kids go free!) 310zl advance booking with huge breakfast, swimming pool etc. Near Biskupin - a palace hotel in the middle of nowhere. A bit more pricey (250zl for a double room but 440 including kids) but not considering the elegance. Arrived 9.30pm and the owner invited us to join him for sausages and a chat round a bonfire in the grounds.
Overall: Couldn't complain about anything except the second meal in Gdansk which seemed like an off day for the waitress. Everyone's entitled to those.
Add to that, getting my Karta Pobyta renewed was a dream compared to the first one ten years ago. |
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hrvatski
Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 270
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 10:00 am Post subject: |
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Master Shake wrote: |
A gorgeous babe who can barely carry a tray is hired over a homely pro any day of the week. |
I'm sure the owners of Rooster employ purely based on skills and competencies. |
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Master Shake
Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 1202 Location: Colorado, USA
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2012 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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hrvatski wrote: |
Master Shake wrote: |
A gorgeous babe who can barely carry a tray is hired over a homely pro any day of the week. |
I'm sure the owners of Rooster employ purely based on skills and competencies. |
Yes, and Lance Armstrong won all those Tours de France's legitimately with absolutely no doping, and I'm a monkey's uncle.
Seriously tho, did you hear about the 'Rooster-esque' restaurant in the US that got sued? They not only made the waitresses wear miniskirts, they strategically placed fans in the floor blowing upwards.
Is Rooster even still around? Last I heard they closed down. |
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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 12:45 am Post subject: |
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Master Shake wrote: |
Is Rooster even still around? Last I heard they closed down. |
Gone from Poznan years ago, at least.
And - it's nice to see a report of a genuine holiday in Poland. |
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hrvatski
Joined: 16 Nov 2008 Posts: 270
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Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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Master Shake wrote: |
Seriously tho, did you hear about the 'Rooster-esque' restaurant in the US that got sued? |
Classy. Last time I was in Krakow about two years ago, there were still two Roosters open and serviced well by the British stag party crowd (what a fine bunch of young men btw).
I get the impression Rooster is modelled on Hooters but more focused on legs and bums. |
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sharter
Joined: 25 Jun 2008 Posts: 878 Location: All over the place
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Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 8:36 am Post subject: genuine indeed |
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Genuine indeed...staying with the wife's cousin, MacDonalds, big portions of crud and sloppy service. 1 week in the Red Sea can be got for that price. |
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delphian-domine
Joined: 11 Mar 2011 Posts: 674
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Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2012 9:32 pm Post subject: Re: genuine indeed |
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sharter wrote: |
Genuine indeed...staying with the wife's cousin, MacDonalds, big portions of crud and sloppy service. 1 week in the Red Sea can be got for that price. |
Who the hell would want to go to the Red Sea and have to deal with the aggravation that is getting anything done in Egypt - and worse of all, the nightmare that is Hurghada Airport? Not to mention the inevitable hotels full of boorish Russians and package holiday Poles, as well as a few grumpy Brits?
Anyone who's actually been to the Red Sea knows fine well that the vast majority of it is an absolute dump. |
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Sgt Bilko
Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 136 Location: POLAND
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Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 7:14 am Post subject: |
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I remember night bus trips to Dahab when I worked at IH Sahafayeen in Cairo back in the early 90's before there were any hotels. Just a hippy/traveller-filled Bedouin village. Still a dump but with a certain amount of charm. |
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