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Reflections on a Polish sojourn
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Richfilth



Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 225
Location: Warszawa

PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 3:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

pffft, toys. I have debts to pay off (mortgage, student loan, home renovation expenses.) I still have a 25-year-old TV and, until recently, a 27-year-old car, so I'm not exactly living the high life.

Plus, there's a lot of lesson recycling; 7 hours is just about comfortable, as an average; it's the 9-hour days that kill. Live to work, not work to live.
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Jack Walker



Joined: 23 Oct 2008
Posts: 412

PostPosted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Richfilth wrote:
pffft, toys. I have debts to pay off (mortgage, student loan, home renovation expenses.) I still have a 25-year-old TV and, until recently, a 27-year-old car, so I'm not exactly living the high life.

Plus, there's a lot of lesson recycling; 7 hours is just about comfortable, as an average; it's the 9-hour days that kill. Live to work, not work to live.




I'm too lazy to be able to put in 9 hours per day teaching English.

I work a couple of 6 hour days per week, but two of those hours are a one by one conversation class.My limit for groups is 4.5 hours per day.I simply can't function if I go over 4.5 hours.

It doesn't make sense to work yourself blind in Poland for decent/average money, when other countries offer less work and much more dosh.

If I really wanted to stack the cash,Poland would be one of the last places on my list.
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bfrog



Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 14

PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 3:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Harry from NWE wrote:
Looks like you have no idea how dangerous motor vehicles can be. Did you know that very nearly Americans are killed by motor vehicles every year as were killed in the entire Vietnam war?
Namaste, brother.Wink
Straw man arguments like that which imply a causative link between that and the topic at hand is precisely why this does not make for an interesting debate here. But if you do have the studies, I'm still interested. Very Happy
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Harry from NWE



Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Posts: 283

PostPosted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bfrog wrote:
Straw man arguments like that which imply a causative link between that and the topic at hand is precisely why this does not make for an interesting debate here. But if you do have the studies, I'm still interested. Very Happy
I would suggest that you go and read up on ocular dominance and consider whether it is safer to use one's dominant or weaker eye to view the main wing mirror and monitor oncoming traffic. Also consider whether it is preferable to be in better control of the gear stick or the steering wheel.

If you want studies, go read the road accident data from late 1960 / early 1970s Sweden. That and J. J. Leeming's "Road Accidents: prevent or punish?" (1969). There is research there showing that countries driving on the left have a lower collision rate than countries driving on the right.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

10,000 zl. is an incredible amount of money for a teacher working any number of hours in a month. i guess if you need that much cash, do what you gotta do.

as for me, I put in about 115 lessons last month and I GROSSED around 5,000. after ZUS slaps me in the face, i pay my taxes along with my accountant, i'm looking at about 3,500 net.

regardless, it's still enough to get by on out here but when i factor in airfare and spending cash for a trip home once a year, i'm breaking even.
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

by the way, as pointless as the "who drives on the correct side of the road" discussion goes, it's a useless and boring argument, but I will add this....comparing statistics in countries that drive on one side of the road vs. the other is simply crazy.

there are so many other factors you need to consider when looking at these statistics, such as whether or not the country allows drinking and driving (the US still allows a 180lb. man to legally drive after three 12 oz. beers drank in about an hour's time), the economics of the country, what their insurance policies are regarding automotive accidents, weather (obviously a city like say Detroit has plenty of accidents due to icy roads/snow/rain, something a country like India doesn't have to contend with), how many people in the country actually have their cars insured (i bring up insurance because if there's no insurance claim there often times will be no report of the accident, therefore giving you false statistics), what percentage of people own cars, what the overall road system looks like of the country along with overall population (NYC has more car accidents than say Fiji).....the list goes on and on.

i don't know about the rest of the world, but in America, EVERYBODY drives (once you're old enough to drive, car ownership is automatic), everybody has to have insurance by law, and if there's so much as a fender bender, the insurance companies are notified. in Poland, it's not uncommon for people to not have their driver's licenses even at 25-30 years old. again, i can't speak for other countries, but if Poland is like this, i'm sure other countries are similar, especially ones that are economically further behind, resulting in a crash statistic incomparable to America for the simple reason that more people living in America drive.

more cars, more drivers, more accidents.

people crash their cars due to carelessness, being tired, not paying attention to the road, heavy traffic, driving in the winter, speeding, etc. etc., not because they're using their less dominant eye or hand to shift gears.
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Glenlivet



Joined: 21 Mar 2009
Posts: 179
Location: Poland

PostPosted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dynow wrote:


people crash their cars due to carelessness, being tired, not paying attention to the road, heavy traffic, driving in the winter, speeding, etc. etc., not because they're using their less dominant eye or hand to shift gears.


Engaging brain more important then engaging gear - the Polish problem Confused
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dynow



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 1080

PostPosted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Engaging brain more important then engaging gear - the Polish problem Confused


nah, i'd say it's because their brains are working too hard to conjugate all those words Very Happy
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Glenlivet



Joined: 21 Mar 2009
Posts: 179
Location: Poland

PostPosted: Sat Apr 04, 2009 6:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dynow wrote:

nah, i'd say it's because their brains are working too hard to conjugate all those words Very Happy


"What is it, the past participle of .........." (Insert your own fun words).
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