Holiday break

until 08.06.2009

How to deal with the weather

it’s been incredible lately – sun, rain, storm, hailstorm, and the damn drizzle, all several times in one day – for a week now.

I could hate it, but that would only increase my stress level. So I needed a way to get my head around it. I invented this – we’re in the middle of the Ocean, so the storms are to be expected. We’re on a really big boat, and my flat is actually a dorm on this boat.

Works nicely – with a meal of canned beef.

Pub outings

I’m really becoming partial to those pub outings.

In my culture we don’t usually prefer pub to home – on a Saturday evening my house is way too much fun to miss it. But pubs have their uses.

For one – they’re a good place to meet people for the first time, without the risk of inviting strangers home. It’s not that I keep valuables here, but it’s weird to let people I’m not sure about know my street address. On the other hand, everybody knows my address and post code, it’s so easy to obtain.

Good pubs have a a welcoming atmosphere, are made of wood and have several staff. Also, good pubs are never cleaned up, wiping is the only conservation ever done, to ensure that this good atmosphere stays in.

One can understand the panic couple of years ago when the smoking ban had been announced – what a risk to the pub micro-climate! Some of those venerable establishments have been working on the air aroma for a century! Now all the effort had all gone to waste…

Sad, but my hair is taking it better now.

Another thing is food – food is best in the oldest and most moldy pubs, if one is extremely lucky to be there at the time when food is served. At other times food is not served. Period.

There are new pubs that are clean and new and polished, there are also nice, and serve cheap chili con carne. But usually one cannot chat quite so pleasurably there. I tend to choose the beer rings, to which I can comfortably get stuck to, over the very modern art adorning the new pubs’ walls – for the sake of good conversation.

For some reason pubs never have good parkings lots. I’m not sure, why.

And another thing – animals are welcome in most establishments, dogs are given water, etc. Good news for us. Nothing is better than adequate company for our enjoyments.

Work culture in Britain

One interesting thing for me is how differently we seem to understand freedom as contrasted with duty in the work life. I am naturally speaking from my own experience, and it is limited to the six companies I’ve worked for.

In the UK there is the Western custom of addressing one another by the first name. In Poland we will often use the honorific, and acquintances may choose to be on first name basis. That is sometimes taken for stiffnes of Polans and relaxedness of Brits, but I don’t think that this is the full picture.

Next, the difference in clothes. In the UK people will wear stiff clothes – that is clothes with straight lines and collars, and in few colours: white, blue, black. Unless, somebody is low paid, then, especially women, wear jerseys to work.

In Poland we are not so limited in the choice of garments. In the summer especially it’s not uncommon to war dresses and short trousers. I remember that one time last year there was a delegation from Rugby to Wrocław, that came back shocked – the Polish Director was wearing sunglasses.

I have an opinion about this: looking at the Brits at work, I was appalled by the quality of their clothes. It seems that it’s all right to wear old, worn Pound Shop shirts – as long as they are blue. The same goes for shoes. In Poland we pay more attention to the quality of the clothes, but less importance is put on the particular cut.

Another thing is that women’s clothes are extremely modest at work. I was not able to use most of my wardrobe, because I chose to adhere to this covertness, not wanting to be stared at. That’s another thing that I never accept in the many Internet fora – telling us that Polish women are not liberated, and then wearing skirts to the knee and sleeves to the elbow. Use a burqa and be more honest about it.

Apart from clothes there is the atmosphere of fear of being fired. I am sure that there is such an atmosphere in Poland, too. But it’s taken differently. In Poland it didn’t follow for me that I should obey my ‘masters’ like a little child. We normally assume that people will do their best as best as their can, and not as they are told. That is the one thing that is not understood in the UK – here even the worse version is preferred if it comes from the top of hierarchy.

Hierarchy is big here, people who have low status know not to bother the bosses. Bosses receive from the company status ornaments – like glass offices, chairs with the back to the wall, bigger screens. It’s all very important since majority of office life is carried out in big halls rather than rooms.

There is a very strong drive to express importance, by showing off the company laptop, taking loudly about going to meetings, using the company card etc.

It’s also funny that it seems to be the people on the low levels that are rule-watchers. None of the bosses said one word to me about coming to work in a turquoise stripped shirt and jeans – but many junior engineers have.

I’ve judged the level of insecurity at work, and found the right way to get to friendly terms with most people – I would always stop by their desks when walking somewhere, to have a short chat, and I would bring chocolates every week or two. They enjoy being cared for. But they never take being liked for granted.

Solicitor

Today I won’t write much, because I’m too agog with looking for a solicitor to go after my last employer.
It’s about a guy who used to stand before me and straighten his shirt by putting his hands right into the trousers, because he wouldn’t wear a belt. He got my self-esteem down to nothing, so now I am very aggressive and stressed out. Because of this stress my exam results went from 75-82 percent to 47-52 in the summer session. I flippin’ quit, and now I’m to freaked out to find another job. I’m self employed – but not yet successful.
Do you think I have a chance?
How does the British system treat such cases?

Surly faces of British shop service

Does anyone think that surly shop assistants are restricted to the PL? Not so.

Usually they are passable in the East Midlands. But with a little bad luck one can come across a rude librarian! Like today.

I really felt that the woman does not like me. Normally I would be inclined to think that she doesn’t like immigrants. If it happened in PL I would say that she’s got menopause symptoms. If it happened in Germany I would think that she’s racist. But today I’m tired of big theories and I limit myself to be just a little put off.

I had to pay a late fee as well, which I don’t mind, because in the end it supports the library. But I had to endure a penal facial expression about it, like I’ve done something wrong. Ugh, never-mind.

Then I asked what about the books I’ve ordered. After a lot of clicking she determined that they are missing from shelf. ‘You will not get them’ was the exact phrase. OK. Whatever. I didn’t even feel like asking the bitch about my two pounds paid for the books order.

Sigh.

How to reprimand your broker

What can you do when all else fails and the broker lady in red velvet jacket and red Opel Astra dishes abuse out over the telephone?

Fire back.

She brought it upon herself, when she told me to send her a pre-stamped envelope if I ever want to see my personal papers again.

Okay.

I included this letter:

H,

You may keep this letter of reprimand for future reference, to help you serve your customers better.

I am displeased with your distasteful behaviour. I am particularly displeased with your less than sufficient manners expressed over the telephone.

I will not be forced to use your services by the means of screaming and direct offence. In fact I am in no way obliged to use your services at all, as with any service provider.

After our meeting on Thursday April 29^th I have let you know on Saturday to hold the mortgage procedure. You have proceeded and sent us the paperwork nevertheless, which has been your choice.

As stated in the e-mail of May 7^th to Lisa:

‘We felt that we were being rushed in this deal and not had much time to think. We’ve found different prices being offered for the same plot, for example. We were to meet with Helen and determine if we are able to afford a mortgage, and next thing we know we are to sign the documents. We are not feeling comfortable that Helen has received our Homebuy application papers before us. Or that we were made to pay the booking fee before the application was even ready’.

Because of all this we’ve found a better and safer deal.

I am of the opinion that the way you’ve been pushing us into a bad deal was wrong. You have been screaming about integrity and lack thereof precisely because you know that your behaviour was less than honourable.

Regards,

Anna

Comeback!

I’ve been in Poland for the weekend, then came back, and no major disaster has happened in the progress.

The flight went surprisingly smooth for Ryanair Coach Service, the crew was nice, I wasn’t told to pack my duty-free in my purse or anything of the usual. The landing was HARD, but we survived.

We used the parking in Birmingham Coleshill – I am more and more impressed by this service. It appears that the low price is due to meticulous planning: as soon as the plane lands, the bus is already there, waiting for the passengers.

On the bus there was a couple with two small children – and again I was utterly impressed by how much patience the English people have for their kids. The mother was taking to the little ones all the time, and the father gave his full attention. I have this creeping suspicion that I will not quite match up to this standard with my own kids…

Back in the dorm – we still haven’t had the poster on the door telling us to get out, maybe the bank is interested in keeping the sitting tennants? I would appreciate a letter to clarify this. I hope to move in the house in August, and we both wonder will we hold out that long? It’s the summer now, so we could I guess put the furniture in the storage container and live in a tent for two months, he he.

And the only thing that really cannot be remedied is that i forgot to buy Jacobs Kronung in Poland, and will have to drink Nescafe. Ugh.

Poland and South Africa

I came by this on Polishforums.com:

Dannyboy:

Sometimes, this is how I see Polish people:
Irishman: God, I love orange juice
Englishman: Me too, I love orange juice and I like apple juice
American: Yea, I love apple juice, don’t love OJ tho
Australian: I don’t like either, but I enjoy cranberry juice
French: I like all 3
German: I love all 3!
Polish: POLAND HAS THE BEST JUICE IN THE WORLD, RA RA RA. ALL OTHER JUICE IS SH1T COMPARED TO POLAND, RA RA RA. WHEN YOU DRINK POLISH JUICE, YOUR WHOLE BODY HAS NINE ORGASMS, AND IF YOU DRINK NON-POLISH JUICE, YOUR TEETH ROT AND YOU SH1T YOURSELF INVOLUNTARILY, RA RA RA

I think that this is hilarious and 100% true

I certify that Lukasz gets onto this mode as soon as any of our friends says anything at all about their many countries.

What’s more, this just gets more and more blissful when Graham from South Africa joins in at the very same note:

-in Poland we’ve got the best Śliwowica, it’s the best in the mountains

-in South Africa we’ve got this liquor that farmers make, like 90% strong,  soo good

-in Poland we have Puszcza Kempinoska, the last true wild forest in Europe and żubry live in it, the only wild herd in the world

-in South Africa we have the national parks, like xxxx.

An they go on and on.

Graham and Luke are both nice chaps, both can party hard.

Based on the 100% positive results from the 1 specimen sample I think that South Africa is a nice country and Poland should have a union with them

Mortgages

Today’s lesson – some people are simply too crass to bear.

I have just been scolded by a mortgage broker, Helen, for not going ahead with her. Really.

Helen even threatened me that she will make sure that I will not get another mortgage, saying that I’m not worth a property…

Hm…

[edited for the sake of Frank's gentle feelings, as Frank comes from a country valuing Freedom of Speech]

Did you even know that salespeople lie?

Apparently she will have to cancel our home-buy application. Well we know from another source that the application stays with the borrower. [edited for the sake of Frank's gentle feelings]

After this temper tantrum I am simply pleased that I will not have to work with a person like that.

Added:
I’ve received e-mails from other employees that they would be happy to run the deal for me, but honestly, if Helen threatens not to return my personal documents, returns them only after I was forced to send a pre-stamped envelope, and the envelope is torn, then I just don’t want to deal with them.