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jaskas
Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 3
Location: Nashville, TN
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 Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 8:17 pm Post subject: What do you know about Krakow versus Prague. |
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I'm just a Nashville girl looking for clues. I am really hankering to move to Prague or Krakow while I'm TEFLing in Europe. I have read a lot of postings about cert. classes and job possibilities in these cities, but I want to know more about the cities themselves.
What's the general cost of living? How much is rent going to be if I'm doing it month to month? Basically, how much money do I need per month... maybe that's hard to say. How safe is it? Is there a music scene to be spoken of?
If you know anything about either of these cities, let me know. Thanks a million. |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 9:14 pm Post subject: |
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I went through this too when I was planning on living out here. (I'm currently in Cracow while the Chinese are celebrating their new year.)
Everyone I talked to said, "Go to Prague." But when I talked with people who had been to Prague and Cracow, they said, "Go to Cracow."
I choose Cracow.
Come to Cracow.
In Cracow you'll be able to experience life in a beautiful central European city that still hangs onto some its traditions.
At least a lot more traditional than Prague.
Although Prague is beautiful it doesn't last long when 1000 tourists are walking down the same street as you are as you're rushing late to work.
From my experience of visiting Prague a number of times, which is easy from Cracow, although probably more beautiful than Cracow, Prague has become just another huge impersonal city with millions of people.
Although there aren't millions living there when you add the number of tourists passing through each year it is a lot like that.
Each time I've been there I've found the locals treat all foreigners like "just another tourist" and on top of that there is no longer much of anything traditional about it. Even finding Czech food can be hard.
Don't get me wrong. Go to Prague. See it as well as the rest of the Czech Republic.
But after a few weeks the charm of Charles bridge will pass when you find yourself running from office to office to teach business English.
Although the tourists are now coming to Cracow is still maintains it's charm.
Come to Cracow in the summer, take the CELTA course, get a job and enjoy.
You can make about a $1000 a month and that's enough for a good lifestyle while you're here.
Also most of your students will be univeristy students who are (usually) are a good crowd, although Poles can be very particular about their teachers.
By the way, do what you can to keep Cracow a secret. We don't want it to become the next Prague.  |
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robvermont
Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 7
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 1:21 pm Post subject: Krakow...definitely! |
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I have spent quite a bit of time in both cities and I can recommend Krakow wholeheartedly. The air is a bit funny in both cities but the people in Krakow are still friendly to tourists whereas in Prague it just always seems like they have had enough (and who can blame them with those UK stag parties running wild). I also recommend the IH Krakow program it is pehnomenal!
My 2 cents |
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Eager2teach
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 30
Location: Madison, Wisconsin US
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:32 pm Post subject: air in Krakow |
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Rob,
When you say "the air is a bit funny" in both places, do you mean literally as in polluted, or figuratively, in which case I could only guess what you mean?
John |
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cheeseandegg
Joined: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 58
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| Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2006 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Why do Americans refer to the city as 'Crakow'? The name is Krakow and spelling it correctly hardly impedes pronunciation. |
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Bialonoz
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:07 pm Post subject: Re: air in Krakow |
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| Eager2teach wrote: |
Rob,
When you say "the air is a bit funny" in both places, do you mean literally as in polluted, or figuratively, in which case I could only guess what you mean?
John |
You can sometimes taste the pollution. More than in Warsaw where that only happens a few days a year. Katowice is much worse and the people there have a lower life expectancy than in the rest of Poland.
The difference between Prague and Krak�w is rather like the difference between Venice and Padua. Both are beautiful cities, one heart-stoppingly so, but one sometimes seems to have more tourists than locals.
If you want a huge ready-made expat community, Prague is a good bet, if you want somewhere a bit more sedate (but still fun) Krak�w is better. There are quite a few teachers there, but not the huge foreign penetration that exists in Prague. Also the old town is a living city, not so tourist oriented.
But I prefer Warsaw, Wrocław or Lublin. And by the way, it really is Krak�w (pronounced Crack oof or at a pinch Crack off), rather than Crakow.  |
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slodziak
Joined: 17 Oct 2005
Posts: 143
Location: Tokyo
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| Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 6:27 am Post subject: Re: air in Krakow |
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| Quote: |
| Katowice is much worse and the people there have a lower life expectancy than in the rest of Poland. |
Scary! Can you point me towards a statistic that shows me exactly how much the difference in life expectancy is in Katowice?
This article has some interesting info about pollution in the Upper Silesia area: http://www.unep.or.jp/ietc/Publications/TechPublications/TechPub-7/challenge.asp
I'm thinking about renewing my contract in Katowice.... |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Why do Americans refer to the city as 'Crakow'? The name is Krakow and spelling it correctly hardly impedes pronunciation. |
I don't know anyone who spells it that way.
 If you understood English you'd know that "Cracow" is how it is spelled in English.
http://www.krakow.pl/en/ccb/
| Quote: |
| The name is Krakow and spelling it correctly hardly impedes pronunciation. |
Actually you're wrong again in Polish it's Krak�w. Now please excuse yourself. 
Last edited by gregoryfromcali on Thu Feb 23, 2006 1:46 pm; edited 6 times in total |
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Bialonoz
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 57
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Bialonoz
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| gregoryfromcali wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Why do Americans refer to the city as 'Crakow'? The name is Krakow and spelling it correctly hardly impedes pronunciation. |
I don't know anyone who spells it that way.
If you understood English you'd know that "Cracow" is how it is spelled in English. |
But don't you think that saying (or writing) Crakow instead of Krak�w is a bit like saying Peking rather than Beijing or Tiflis instead of Tblisi  |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 5:32 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| But don't you think that saying (or writing) Crakow instead of Krak�w is a bit like saying Peking rather than Beijing or Tiflis instead of Tblisi |
No I don't.
Because Beijing is the Pinyin spelling of Peking. In the PRC Pinyin is the modern standard for writing Chinese with the Roman alphabet as it is the most accurate system there is today.
In another words if you open a modern day encyclopedia the city will be spelled "Beijing" just as "Cracow" will be spelled "Cracow."
In English "kr" is "cr." As in crown, crack, cram, crate, Craig, etc...
THE MORE YOU KNOW.
The truth is I don't really care. I just get annoyed when EFL teachers attack the way other people write. If you going to contribute to a discussion, then contribute something useful. |
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Khrystene
Joined: 17 Apr 2004
Posts: 271
Location: WAW, PL/SYD, AU
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| Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 10:48 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah but we prefer KRAKOW coz of the KRAK! |
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cezarek
Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 149
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| Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| gregoryfromcali wrote: |
| Quote: |
| But don't you think that saying (or writing) Crakow instead of Krak�w is a bit like saying Peking rather than Beijing or Tiflis instead of Tblisi |
No I don't.
Because Beijing is the Pinyin spelling of Peking. In the PRC Pinyin is the modern standard for writing Chinese with the Roman alphabet as it is the most accurate system there is today.
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But would you also say Leghorn rather than Livorno?
Anyway, it really is Krakow not Crakow, because Krak still lives there in his cave on the side of Wawel Hill. You can see him if you drink enough Winiak Krakowskie. |
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gregoryfromcali
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Posts: 1207
Location: People's Republic of Shanghai
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:49 am Post subject: |
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Let me guess, you also say "Varshava" and "Praha" so that backpackers look up to you.
First of all, I was talking about how it's spelled, not how it's pronounced.
Second of all, I don't think having a CELTA gives someone the right to go around correcting people, especially when their English is correct already.
Maybe instead of trying to stroke your egos, you guys should try reading some history books ocassionally so you'll know how to spell correctly, in English, instead of learning how to spell by reading maps at the youth hostel. 
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
Alright! Who's next? |
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Bialonoz
Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 57
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| Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| gregoryfromcali wrote: |
Let me guess, you also say "Varshava" and "Praha" so that backpackers look up to you.
First of all, I was talking about how it's spelled, not how it's pronounced.
Second of all, I don't think having a CELTA gives someone the right to go around correcting people, especially when their English is correct already.
Maybe instead of trying to stroke your egos, you guys should try reading some history books ocassionally so you'll know how to spell correctly, in English, instead of learning how to spell by reading maps at the youth hostel.
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW! CRACOW!
Alright! Who's next? |
Nobody says Warszawa or Praha unless they're speaking in the appropriate language. But convention dicatates that Crakow is quite simply bad taste. It is Krak�w. My home town (not Bradford - the real one) is called Mirpur. Heaven help any European or American who calls it 'Meerapoor'. That is just old fashioned, and again Bad Taste. |
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