Job Discussion Forums

[Guest]

I was just wondering about cultural aspects of living in Poland. I will be very happy to leave South Korea as soon as I can. I noted that on the UN list recently released regarding quality of life in various countries, SK ranked 30th with Poland ranked 34th.

How about things like phone cards (to call the US) or foods? This may sound somewhat vague but after months of being stared at, called "fat" constantly and dealing with kids who are so tired of school and hagwons that they act up a lot in class to rebel, I'm looking for a more sedate setting.

I am also attracted to Poland because it is a Catholic country, and I am also Catholic. The Confucianist traditions of the Far East just don't make me feel good. Plus, Poland is bordered by, or close to, many different countries. In SK, you have to go by water or air to Japan and China, pretty much fly everywhere else.

Thanks, Drew

[Brooks]

yeah, you won`t get stared at.
I work in Japan, and I go to Poland once a year for vacation.
I worked in Warsaw for a year before coming to Japan.
It was nice to be in Europe and not be stared at.
In Poland I can relax. In Tokyo, I am too busy so I don`t have time to.
There is racism in Poland, but often directed at Jews, Gypsies, or blacks.
You can buy phone cards at the post office. One for 100 zloty does not last long for a call to the US. You could get a home phone. That makes things easier.
Poland is laid-back in comparison, but they have too much unpaid vacation time. You will take a pay cut, but as long as you work for a good school, you can have a better time.
In Poland there is more to life than work, but in Japan life is just about work which gets boring.
So when there is a holiday, you get time off. Seems perfectly reasonable.

I doubt Polish kids are as stressed out as Koreans.

Going on vacation is good in Poland. Just hop on the train and head to Slovakia, Prague or Germany. Poles like to go to Slovakia to ski or buy beer because it is cheaper there.
In Poland, having time to spend with the family is important.
But in Japan, work too often dominates peoples` lives.