uk is poles apart from home

Seanus:

I c what u r saying Mister H, very reasonable as usual, but sometimes u have to accept what u r given and live within ur means. I'm sure they'd graciously and gratefully accept a mansion but let's be realistic here. The UK is the 4th richest country in the world, or so it is said (I doubt it), so we see things through a different lens. Maybe they were on a waiting list and got a lucky break.

BubbaWooThreads: 46 Posts: 4,438 Joined: Sep 26, 06	Apr 29, 08, 01:42 / #
Builder Piotr Szepsel and wife Anna arrived speaking little English, with nowhere to live, no promise of work and all their possessions in two holdalls. Now, four years on, the couple hold down jobs, own a car, have mastered the language – and have a baby daughter born on British soil. "I love Arsenal, beer, English brekkies and The Sun says Polish immigrant Piotr Szepsel"

davidpeakeThreads: 18 Posts: 515 Joined: Nov 7, 06	Apr 29, 08, 02:16 / #
Cant help that he likes Arsenal, but i say good luck to them.

LondonChickThreads: 43 Posts: 1,261 Joined: Nov 19, 07	Apr 29, 08, 02:42 / #
Good on them.

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Edited by: Mister H Apr 29, 08, 13:39 / #
The couple still live in a cramped, £80-a-week single room above a butcher’s in Barking. A table and chairs are squeezed in next to a double bed, a flat-screen TV and a computer desk. But despite the modesty of their new home, it gave them the privacy to try for a family. Sorry to p*ss on their bonfire, but is that really the kind of place to bring a child up? Why didn't they wait until they could afford somewhere bigger ? While I admire their guts and determination, if a £600 car on credit, a flat above a butchers and a dead-end job each is BETTER than life in Poland, then that country as a lot of problems.

BubbaWooThreads: 46 Posts: 4,438 Joined: Sep 26, 06	Apr 29, 08, 13:43 / #
Mister H: Why didn't they wait until they could afford somewhere bigger ? theyve got aspirations and they are achieving goals. they are probably raising their child in a better environment that they themselves grew up in. good luck to them

osiolThreads: 59 Posts: 4,714 Joined: Jul 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 13:43 / #
Some of us natives don't live in palaces. Mister H: a dead-end job Will there be suddenly no demand for van drivers? How do you know this job might not lead to a better one?

BubbaWooThreads: 46 Posts: 4,438 Joined: Sep 26, 06	Apr 29, 08, 13:47 / #
any man who like beer and english brekkies cant be all that bad in my book. he came over to blighty with his mrs and he got on with building a life and a future for himself. none of this sitting around moaning about how hard done by he was. got a job and found a home. good on him

MatyjaszThreads: 2 Posts: 1,786 Joined: Jul 20, 06	Apr 29, 08, 13:56 / #
The Sun????

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Apr 29, 08, 14:38 / #
osiol: Some of us natives don't live in palaces. Neither do I. osiol: Will there be suddenly no demand for van drivers? How do you know this job might not lead to a better one? I fear that the "glass ceiling" that many women and people who aren't white still come across, even in the enlightened times of 2008, could be something that your average EU migrant might experience. What the British are very good at doing is pigeon holing people. It's fine as long as people don't step out of the little box that they have been given. I don't think Piotr will be doing much more than driving a van for quite a while. BubbaWoo: theyve got aspirations and they are achieving goals. they are probably raising their child in a better environment that they themselves grew up in. good luck to them As I've already said, I admire them for the way that they're rolling up their sleeves and getting on with it. I just think that having a child so soon seems rather bad timing.

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07	Apr 29, 08, 14:43 / #
Mister H: Sorry to p*ss on their bonfire, but is that really the kind of place to bring a child up? is this better?

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 14:44 / #
They are priced out of properties in Warsaw. Brits don't realise how good they have it. Britain offers many 'studenty' foods like Tesco savers baked beans or Safeway savers spaghetti. The prices of food here are admittedly much cheaper but that's changing. In Britain, u can live pretty cheaply. Farmfoods provide decent stuff for cheap. Britain also has some good second hand shops. U can really pick up some bargains there.

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Apr 29, 08, 14:52 / #
plk123: is this better? I'm not going to apologise for saying that a tiny flat above a butchers isn't the best place for a child. This is a kid they had after they moved here, so they had a choice. Just because it might be better than what they would have had in Poland doesn't make it right. Having children is a honour and a privilege, not a right. There are enough kids in britain on the poverty line as it is.

Wroclaw Boy	Apr 29, 08, 15:07 / #
Seanus: Britain offers many 'studenty' foods like Tesco savers baked beans or Safeway savers spaghetti. True, True. I bought some buy by the weight peirogi from Auchen the other day thinking you never know it might be good and i gotta say its the worst peirogi ive ever tasted. They added so much pepper within the filling to camoufalge the fact that there wasnt any cheese in it too pass it off as pierogi ruskia, yukk. Never again, cheap crap in Poland is cheap crap make no mistake.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:13 / #
I wonder how the Poles react to potato waffles, I loved those as a kid. They have gofry although I can't comment on them as I've never tried 'em. Do u get Forfar bridies down south WB? They are probably just a Scottish thing

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:00 / #
I c what u r saying Mister H, very reasonable as usual, but sometimes u have to accept what u r given and live within ur means. I'm sure they'd graciously and gratefully accept a mansion but let's be realistic here. The UK is the 4th richest country in the world, or so it is said (I doubt it), so we see things through a different lens. Maybe they were on a waiting list and got a lucky break.

Wroclaw Boy	Apr 29, 08, 15:18 / #
Seanus: I wonder how the Poles react to potato waffles, I loved those as a kid. Dont know about potato waffles but when i first met Polish people back in around 2001 I was a chef and they couldn't get enough of the hash browns, they prefered this to bacon, scarmbled eggs, basically everyting on the english breakfast menu. Was always more hash browns please.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:20 / #
Hash browns are not too dissimilar to waffles as u know.

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Apr 29, 08, 15:22 / #
Seanus: I c what u r saying Mister H, very reasonable as usual, but sometimes u have to accept what u r given and live within ur means. I'm sure they'd graciously and gratefully accept a mansion but let's be realistic here. The UK is the 4th richest country in the world, or so it is said (I doubt it), so we see things through a different lens. Maybe they were on a waiting list and got a lucky break. I hear what you're saying, but I still stand by my original point. I don't think Piotr and Anna should have had a child until they could provide something better than what is basically a bed-sit. They're not living within their means if they've gone and done that.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:23 / #
Why pay more for a pad when u need that cash for ur kid?

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Apr 29, 08, 15:32 / #
Seanus: Why pay more for a pad when u need that cash for ur kid? That's my whole point though. They should have waited until they could afford somewhere bigger before having a child. They seem rather on a knife edge cash wise and bringing a child into it seems wrong to me.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:39 / #
How many people have fallen into that trap tho? I also think it's disgusting how people treat divorce. In Scotland, thank the Lord, one of our 5 grounds is quite tough to prove. Namely, irretrievable breakdown of marriage. I hate the nonchalance of people, cavalier pricks with too much money. I hope they choke on their own vomit

SophiaThreads: 1 Posts: 145 Joined: Apr 8, 08	Edited by: Sophia Apr 29, 08, 15:40 / #
Some people are just never going to have a lot of money themselves and won't ever afford a place bigger than their home - should they never have children?

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:42 / #
Mister H: I don't think Piotr and Anna should have had a child until they could provide something better than what is basically a bed-sit. WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE? Mister H: They're not living within their means if they've gone and done that. OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE TRYING. Mister H: They should have waited until they could afford somewhere bigger before having a child. They seem rather on a knife edge cash wise and bringing a child into it seems wrong to me. SEEMS YOUR FOLKS SHOULD HAVE WAITED.

Wroclaw Boy	Edited by: Wroclaw Boy Apr 29, 08, 15:43 / #
Mister H: They should have waited until they could afford somewhere bigger before having a child. They seem rather on a knife edge cash wise and bringing a child into it seems wrong to me. It would seem wrong to you though as you have different standards, ive been to Polish households in the Uk, basically three bed houses with 10 of them living and working from there with two new born babys to add to the mix. And everything working just fine and certainly better than they could expect back home. I could not believe it till i saw with my own eyes. The Poles are an extremely resilient and resourceful nation, your and my idea of bringing up a child in a secure and stable environmet is totally diferent to their idea and what they consider secure.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:46 / #
Maybe the woman is of perfect child bearing age. Poles know that the 'perfect' time may never come along and that they must plan as best they can.

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Apr 29, 08, 15:50 / #
plk123: WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE? I have an opinion which isn't the same as yours. Deal with it. plk123: OBVIOUSLY THEY ARE TRYING. I agree they are and doing well. I just think they've rushed into starting a family. plk123: SEEMS YOUR FOLKS SHOULD HAVE WAITED. Since you ask, yes they did. My folks had been together almost ten years before they had my brother, partly so they could establish a reasonable standard of living first.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 15:52 / #
Many start a family in their teens Mister H

Mister HThreads: 11 Posts: 845 Joined: Jan 4, 08	Apr 29, 08, 16:00 / #
Seanus: Many start a family in their teens Mister H I know, which is why we have parents of children who are little more than children themselves. Which is probaby why there seem to be so many problems with teens these days. Sophia: Some people are just never going to have a lot of money themselves and won't ever afford a place bigger than their home - should they never have children? More people should really ask themselves if having kids is the best idea. Just because you can have them doesn't mean you should.

SophiaThreads: 1 Posts: 145 Joined: Apr 8, 08	Apr 29, 08, 16:07 / #
Mister H: More people should really ask themselves if having kids is the best idea. I get where you are coming from about what is best for the child, but honestly, there would be so many people who would be never be able to have children if they followed this - which is some punishment for being poor. It seems a little cruel. I'd consider what kind of life the child would have myself, but it is not as if this couple won't be able to feed/clothe and love this child - they are doing well enough I'd say.

SeanusThreads: 22 Posts: 30,158 Joined: Dec 25, 07	Apr 29, 08, 16:08 / #
And the law allows all of this Mister H but I c what u r saying. I'm generally against the idea of having kids young but who am I to throw down my heavy hand?