Love Life: Marooned in Trinidad
I am from a West Indian Island, she is from Wrocław… we met five years ago. In the past year I have made three visits, two of which were for over ten weeks. I want to make the move to Poland a permanent one. She wants the same of me with one catch: we cannot use marriage as a means, even though we are engaged. I am an ESL qualified teacher, a former journalist and professional photographer. How does one navigate the sea of red tape that my love for a daughter of Poland demands that I surmount? What is my first step?
Marooned in Trinidad
Dear Marooned,
Anyone with a refined sense of poetry and beauty is always welcome in Poland. If on top of that, you are a photographer and journalist qualified as a teacher of English, I cannot imagine you will ever have trouble finding work and creating a fulfilling future for you and your sweetheart from Wrocław.
Quite why you are unable to marry the woman you love remains a mystery – yet I must reassure you – Red Tape should not be a barrier for talented people who want to settle in Poland.
The very history and cultural wealth of this country builds on the influx of talent from elsewhere. Poland is a rich melting pot, and if you play your cards well there are enormous advantages to being a foreigner in this country.
Remember: “A gentle word, a kind look, a good-natured smile can work wonders and accomplish miracles”* when you set out on your journey through the urząd imigracyjny, with its endless corridors and closed doors.
Possible defeat shouldn’t enter your mind. You are here to win, conquer and gain. You are a knight in shining armour, on the road to his damsel waiting at the very top of a very high tower.
Look groomed. Make sure you smell nice. Listen to some cool music that puts you in a good mood. Then knock on the first door and tell your story.
In Poland you rarely speak with reason. You speak from the heart. Look at the person behind the desk in the urząd. Send out lots of good vibes. Bring a little light into the hum-drum day of someone working in an office and convince them you are one of the people that will make Poland an even more valuable country than it already is.
Your success is assured – Viva Polonia !
Yours,
Dr. Ovlowska