What can I expect in Poland compared to the United States?

scottie1113:

sue:

I live in Northern Michigan. I have an associates degree and I'm able to find Office Management /bookkeeping positions that afford me a three bedroom, one and one half baths 1200 square foot house. Would this be comparable in Poland?

Not a chance.

sueThreads: 2 Posts: 4 Joined: Sep 2, 08	Sep 12, 08, 04:04 / #
What differences should I expect in Poland compared to living in the United States?

ShelleySThreads: 18 Posts: 3,647 Joined: Jun 26, 07	Sep 12, 08, 04:07 / #
What differences were you thinking about?

Captain ScarletThreads: 4 Posts: 44 Joined: Aug 31, 08	Sep 12, 08, 05:33 / #
sue: What differences should I expect in Poland compared to living in the United States? Less black people for a start . Lower crime rate , lower wages , better food/beer and of course the language is quite different .

McCoyThreads: 46 Posts: 1,756 Joined: Jul 3, 08	Sep 12, 08, 05:35 / #
but mcdonalds and malls are just a same

SomerledThreads: 6 Posts: 106 Joined: May 31, 07	Sep 12, 08, 05:37 / #
Depends on where in the states you are from.

sueThreads: 2 Posts: 4 Joined: Sep 2, 08	Sep 12, 08, 06:45 / #
I live in Northern Michigan. I have an associates degree and I'm able to find Office Management /bookkeeping positions that afford me a three bedroom, one and one half baths 1200 square foot house. Would this be comparable in Poland?

sawesaThreads: 3 Posts: 11 Joined: Sep 5, 08	Sep 12, 08, 07:19 / #
is this the way you measure expectations?...

telefonitika	Sep 12, 08, 08:01 / #
it depends what you are going to poland for? just because you have that in the USofA doesnt neccessarily mean you will get the same in Poland

randompalThreads: 7 Posts: 431 Joined: Jul 10, 07	Sep 12, 08, 08:31 / #
sue: What differences should I expect in Poland compared to living in the United States? you have plumbing, we have plumbing. you have electricity, we have electricity. you have KFC, we have KFC...

scottie1113Threads: 11 Posts: 873 Joined: Mar 13, 07	Sep 12, 08, 08:38 / #
sue: I live in Northern Michigan. I have an associates degree and I'm able to find Office Management /bookkeeping positions that afford me a three bedroom, one and one half baths 1200 square foot house. Would this be comparable in Poland? Not a chance. Flats(apartments), which is where most of us live, are much smaller. 500 sq ft is considered large. Mine is 2 rooms, a kitchen, and bathroom and is very nice. The additional plus is that's in the city center in Old Town Gdansk so I can walk everywhere. 4 minutes to school and to my favorite pubs (bars). Public transportation is very good. I can get to anywhere I want to go by bus, tram, or train. For the first time in my life I don't have a car and I don't need one. About food and beer: I think Polish beer is good, but I miss the microbreweries in the US. Ditto for Mexican food, fresh seafood, lamb, good pizza, and lots of different fresh vegetables. Having said that, some Polish food is great. It just depends what you like. But I love this place and I'm going to be here for a very long time. I'll get back to you with some more information/opinions.

terrabullThreads: 4 Posts: 35 Joined: Jul 6, 08	Sep 12, 08, 08:40 / #
I have a question about the food -- we're moving there within the next month or so. I've been looking at carrefour ads and notice you do not refrigerate your milk? It looks like our apt. has a very small fridge, is this common?

ShelleySThreads: 18 Posts: 3,647 Joined: Jun 26, 07	Sep 12, 08, 08:45 / #
terrabull: has a very small fridge, is this common? Poles tend to buy fresh and cook, rather than having a freezer full of read-made meals. There is a thread dedicated to milk that will answer your questions on that.

telefonitika	Sep 12, 08, 08:47 / #
terrabull: you do not refrigerate your milk? i refrigerated mine in Poland .... so did my friends flatmates? and they have a 50/50 fridge freezer so not that small .... standard size in my opinion

scottie1113Threads: 11 Posts: 873 Joined: Mar 13, 07	Sep 12, 08, 10:33 / #
ShelleyS: Poles tend to buy fresh and cook, rather than having a freezer full of read-made meals. So do I. There are several markets and lots of small shops near my flat so I shop almost every day. It helps me meet people and practice my Polish. My fridge is smaller than the ones I had in the US but it's more than adequate. Much less crime here. Also lower salaries, but I can live comfortably but not extravagantly on my teacher's salary. Poland's a white country. I lived in San Diego plus a lot of other places and I'm used to a multicultural environment. You won't find that here. Ah, the language. I majored in French in college and speak it very well, plus some Italian and Japanese and Polish is by far the most difficult language I've studied. But don't let that discourage you. You'd be surprised how many people in the larger cities speak at least some English, and in my experience Poles appreciate it when I trot out my Polish, many mistakes notwithstanding. You've just got to try a little. Clothes and electronics are a lot more expensive here. The digital camera I paid $200 for in the US costs twice that here. The last time I bought Levis in the US I paid $25 for them. The same pair here is 300 zl. That's almost $150. I found a pair of almost new jeans in a second hand store for 16 zl. Quite a difference. One other thing. I live in Gdansk, so my perspective is limited. It's like asking what life is like in the US. Depends on what part you're talking about. New York is very different from California, and the same is true in Poland. Give me time and I'll think of a whole lot more.

ShelleySThreads: 18 Posts: 3,647 Joined: Jun 26, 07	Sep 12, 08, 08:38 / #
randompal: we have KFC Your coleslaw is much better though :)

sueThreads: 2 Posts: 4 Joined: Sep 2, 08	Sep 12, 08, 10:44 / #
Thank you for a good overview. I appreciate your answer

SomerledThreads: 6 Posts: 106 Joined: May 31, 07	Sep 13, 08, 09:37 / #
terrabull: I have a question about the food -- we're moving there within the next month or so. I've been looking at carrefour ads and notice you do not refrigerate your milk? It looks like our apt. has a very small fridge, is this common? We refrigerate our milk. When I got here we had a tiny little fridge by the brand name "Silesia", but as it was more of an air conditioner than a fridge we went and got a "regular" size one.

dcchrisThreads: 11 Posts: 687 Joined: Oct 29, 07	Sep 13, 08, 10:10 / #
about the milk there is this milk here which doesnt need refrig. its beyond me how it works but i dont touch it but some people seem to like it maybe they dont have a fridge or it lasts a long time but from my understanding there is no bovine growth hormone in the milk like that stuff in the us

telefonitika	Sep 13, 08, 10:20 / #
dcchris: there is this milk here which doesnt need refrig its called UHT i think ...

dcchrisThreads: 11 Posts: 687 Joined: Oct 29, 07	Sep 13, 08, 10:53 / #
strange stuff that milk

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07	Sep 13, 08, 11:04 / #
dcchris: strange stuff that milk lol.. i still find american milk products strange. scottie1113: sue: I live in Northern Michigan. I have an associates degree and I'm able to find Office Management /bookkeeping positions that afford me a three bedroom, one and one half baths 1200 square foot house. Would this be comparable in Poland? Not a chance. yeah. living in america is easy. (sans the public transit) depends what you mean by N MI, if it's UP then Poland will be quite a shock but our woods are similar. so are the temps and the weather, in general. Poland is packed full of people in comparison with MI N of Lansing. If you're outdoorsy, you will have plenty of choices but none will be remote or people free. Baltic water is about the same temp as L. MI. The other two GLs are colder. The scenery around the lakes is similar to the Baltic coast too.

dcchrisThreads: 11 Posts: 687 Joined: Oct 29, 07	Sep 13, 08, 11:07 / #
the thing that gets me about american food in the supermarket is everything is fat free that is of course except for the people...

plk123Threads: 30 Posts: 6,412 Joined: Aug 29, 07	Sep 13, 08, 11:14 / #
lol,, kinda true

Uncle BobThreads: 3 Posts: 96 Joined: Mar 9, 08	Sep 13, 08, 11:19 / #
randompal: you have plumbing, we have plumbing. you have electricity, we have electricity. you have KFC, we have KFC You have showers in the kitchen. We dont

Lir	Sep 13, 08, 11:35 / #
Uncle Bob: You have showers in the kitchen. We dont Some converted older terraces <in UK> do <well there's just one door separates them......lol. I have never seen Polish style but makes sense, eat your pierogi oozing with butter and then jump into the shower,,,,,,saves getting the floor and your clothes dirty. :)

polishgirltx	Sep 13, 08, 11:37 / #
Lir: I have never seen Polish style but makes sense i have never seen a shower in the kitchen in PL...lol

Lir	Sep 13, 08, 11:38 / #
polishgirltx: i have never seen a shower in the kitchen in PL...lol Glad you said that cos I was wondering about it a bit.......maybe it's a new craze to hit Poland .......at least they aren't using tubs on the floor <grin>

FranekThreads: 21 Posts: 525 Joined: Apr 12, 08	Sep 13, 08, 11:40 / #
Seeing a lot of drunken rowdy brits,contaminating the pristine Polish landscape

Uncle BobThreads: 3 Posts: 96 Joined: Mar 9, 08	Edited by: Uncle Bob Sep 13, 08, 11:40 / #
polishgirltx: i have never seen a shower in the kitchen in PL...lol Have you ever seen a place in Poland without a bathroom, full stop? Have you ever been to Poland Franek? Have you been to Poland Franek, since it joined the EU? Are you basing your assumptions on personal experience or hearsay?

polishgirltx	Edited by: polishgirltx Sep 13, 08, 11:41 / #
Lir: maybe it's a new craze to hit Poland .... a bathtub in the kitchen sounds interesting.... having delicious kotlet with mlode ziemniaki and kapusta while bathing...lol Uncle Bob: Have you ever seen a place in Poland without a bathroom, full stop? no :)