Job Discussion Forums

[sharter]

Accommodation
Shared accommodation is quite easy to arrange;put an ad in the local British Council, look on Gumtree or put an ad in the paper. A studio costs about 1,200-2000ZL/month.

Food
Street food is cheap with a hotdog at 5Zl, a tortilla about 10Zl and sandwiches at about 5Zl. Good restaurants cost a packet.

Travel
Get a monthly tram pass as taxis are proportionally quite expensive.

Dating
It's normal for men to pay here;it can be very expensive.

Kids
School costs about 300Zl/month. In ternational schools are very expensive. Kids clothes and toys are cheaper in the UK, which means also in the USA.

Consumer goods and luxuries.
All electronic goods and stuff like aftershave and other cosmetics are cheaper in the UK and therefore America.

Bills
Running a mobile can be costly. Energy prices are relatively ok. Petrol/gas is expensive.

Booze
Beer and vodka are similar to UK prices. Whisky, gin, wine and other drinks cost a packet.

Clothes
Good clothes in Poland cost a bundle so get them before you come, especially that winter jacket.

Summary.
It is possible to live here on about 4,000Zl a month: Any less and you'll struggle and you can forget doing Europe. Married with kids....forget it on one teacher's income.

[Jack Walker]

Eat zapiekanki 3 times a day.

You can save a lot of money this way.

Make use of your old,mouldy bread,dried up cheese, and shrivelled up mushrooms.

Invest in a little toaster oven and toast up some zapiekanki whenever that hungry feeling arises.

When you first arive in Poland,have a little "bunker warming" party and ask all your friends to bring a bottle of ketchup.You will need a lot of ketchup for your zapiekanki.

Bon appetit!

[hrvatski]

Money

If you have a 200zł note, then you might as well burn it. No one is going to change a 200zł note.

[Jack Walker]

Every time I try to pay for something witha 200zl note,I die a little inside.

It's usually mission impossible.

[hrvatski]

Cars

If you wish to cross the road at the lights, at a crossing or anywhere else, just forget about it. The Polish driving liscence system requires drivers to cull a certain number of pedestrians per year depending on the size of their vehicle. It is best to get an apartment on the same block as a grocery store, your work and a bar, so a road-crossing situation never need arise. In the event that you may need to stray further, reserve a taxi. Try not to leave yourself exposed on the footpath, as the taxi driver may not be able to resist the temptation of smashing you between his vehicle and a townhouse.

[lundjstuart]

If you don't like to stand in lines, you'll be S.O.L. on that because even if there is only 1 person in front of you, it will take the cashier 5 minutes to get to you.

Don't be offended if they ask for exact change even if it's 2,496.79zl.

Wear extra clothing on public transportation because you will get some elbows in the stomach and rib areas from the old ladies! Best to wear your backpack in the front while on a tram or bus!

Old ladies will ask for your seat on the PT, DON'T GET UP WITHOUT THEM ASKING, you might offend them! Either they don't look too old to sit down or you are an inconsiderate human!

Don't immediately walk on a green light in the crosswalk, let the drunk go first! A Red light for a car means go through the light and not STOP like in the States or the Uk!

Nothing is on time! Students will always be 5-10 mins late even in companies!

Your signature will be needed anywhere and everywhere!

Polish beer sucks really bad! Don't try to keep up drinking vodka with anybody! It only hurts in the end!

[Jack Walker]

You must always agree with Polish women when they tell you that they are the most beautiful women in the world.

Pretend to look beyond the solarium orange glows,pink jumpers and white or sequined cowboy boots with bleached out hair and an arse like a naleszniki on a good many of em!

Even if the lady is 200kg with warts and a bald spot,you still must agree.

Yes you ARE the most beautiful in the world.

Saying this will keep you on good terms with everyone, and make your stay in this country more enjoyable.

[lundjstuart]

[hrvatski]

Religion

Don't diss the Polish Pope, but feel free to cut loose on the new German one.

[Jack Walker]

[dynow]

haha, after i saw the title of this thread, i had already known it was a sharter creation

my useful tip: come here with a reason.

if you are somebody with no family ties here, no desire to experience polish culture, let alone unprepared to tackle the most ridiculous language in the world, avoid this country.

there are so many other countries with better weather, better infrastructures, more internationally "with it", cheaper to live, and with a language far easier to get used to and start using in a short time to make your life easier.

poland takes motivation. once you get past the "ooo's" and "ahhh's" of the old churches, beautiful women and cobblestone streets, you will start questioning, "now......why did I come here?"

I dig Poland because I have Polish blood, family ties here and met a great Polish girl, along with a deep appreciation for the older generations and their hospitality.......but for most people, i would think surviving in Poland for anymore than the 1 year fly-by-night ESL stint is just not an easy thing to do, especially for a woman.