Work / Medical University of Lublin [30]

oh, i speak it...
not too hot with reading (slow as hell) but I can communicate well enough. I can usually pass for Polish till I pull a "cram, don't know a word so let's stick a polish ending on an american one and expect everyone to understand" stunt... I've done it enough that the aforementioned friends stopped trying to correct me. I should do fine with patients after I learn a few medically-correct terms for bodily functions...

Anyway, I pmed you about those dorm pictures... still kinda curious.
Oh, and are the EU and US eng programs joined or separated? I forget if that was in one of the deleted posts (even if it is med uni related).

PS~ finally got an account so Elssha = DN

Work / Medical University of Lublin [30]

medicine in PL would be difficult.
I can speak polish and read (if I don't mind spending as much per page as I spend per chapter in englins), but only conversational words. I also have a tendency to revert to the US way of using 'you' vs 'sir'... something that makes my grandparents twitchy.

I'm not sure how you even say 'vertebrate' or 'carnivore' in PL... let alone full blown medical terms. So yeah, even though my mom tells me many things sound similar (latin roots), I'd still look like a full blown idiot.

Food / Asian food - is it easy to find in Poland (particularly Lublin)? [39]

damn... looks like I'm SOL after all...
*shrug*
how's Poland in imitation crab meat and avocado's? super $$$ or hard to find?

Food / Asian food - is it easy to find in Poland (particularly Lublin)? [39]

lol... maybe it changed owners, cuz that's the one i went to in 2000 or so in my post up top (the one about the weird kung po)

the menu still looks similar to what it was... inc the bad english that made me laugh at the time... Here we're used to the menu being in chinese with eng translation... not polish (native language) with english subs... struck me as hella odd ^_^

zlotysmok.lublin.pl/index.php-wh=rch.htm

The free delivery, however, is new... I think. Might try it when i go back, see if it's gotten better.
As for the products, do ytou mean in regular stores? Nothing like a dedicated ethnic store around there? Guess I'll have to bug family to take me to warsaw on a semi-regular basis. *adds 'big bottle of Marukan' and '50-sheet nori' on her to-pack list*

^_^

Love / polish boyfriend has wrecked my english [48]

I think it's just people's tendency to conform to norms... you hear it used a certain way and understand its meaning thus begin to see it as proper. It's how we all learned our first language... long before someone broke things down into nouns and verbs and all those wonderful tense tables >_<

I've a annoying ability to assimilate accents...Only for so long as the people around me use said accent, mind you, so doing an impression a week later (when the ability might be fun) proves impossible.

Most of my life I've lived in California... moved there from Poland at 8... went to germany for 10 days when I was 16... dormed with people from liverpool (only people around who spoke fluent english vs the stuff taught in a classroom). 1st day, couldn't understand them half the time (specially when they started speaking a mile a second) 2 or 3rd day mom calls... I say 'hi mum' and proceed to insist for the next ten min (after realizing I simply cannot shift back to my beloved california accent) that I am not a friend helping her daughter play a prank. -___-;

Food / Asian food - is it easy to find in Poland (particularly Lublin)? [39]

Berlin is kinda far from Lublin...
I don't really need restaurants so much as ingredients, AKA stores that sell bamboo shoots and eel sauce and rice vinegar...
Oh, and a wok. Can you find good size (cheap) wok's there, or should I bring my own?

Work / Medical University of Lublin [30]

It's not just the words. Even if I know the meaning of the words, I still can't read effectively in Polish. It's like reverting back to when you were just learning to read... you see the word (takes you a moment to connect the letters to the word), you extract its meaning, read the rest the same way, then try to figure out the sentence's meaning before moving on to the next. I can't just scan the page and grasp the meaning instantly. I don't see t h a t when I normally read, just the word 'that'. In polish, I have to put the peices together and often sound it out to connect a series of letters with a word I know.

There's no way I could absorb medical texts that way... I'd never get caught up.
And even if my reading got significantly better I still process stuff in english, not polish.
I'm also planning to go back to the US thereafter and practice here (unless something significant happens), so learing to think in polish only to return to the states would be silly.

Plus there's that whole 'USMLE is in english' thing...
^_^

Food / Asian food - is it easy to find in Poland (particularly Lublin)? [39]

pft... i was under the impression most things were, nowadays ^_^
what about the other stuff? Can they be found in Lublin or are they more of a 'trip to Warsaw' kind deal... or is it one of those things that you just can't get? I mean, half the stuff i routinely buy is from ethnic stores cuz the big markets (leklerk-type, though I know I've butchered the spelling) only have a couple stereotyped items at highly elevated prices (some soy sauce, maybe some rice vinegar for 3x what i pay, some seasoning packets and so on)

USA, Canada / WHY SO FEW POLISH RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA? [44]


Depends where. If you live in a neighborhood with a polish community larger than the russian one, pierogi will be polish. Before there was a relatively recent influx of russian immigrants I did have to explain pierogi via Italian or Chinese equivalents... cuz when I said 'pierogi' I got the WTF looks or blank stares.

I live in socal. Not only are pierogi russian, imported ham (polska polędwica and kabanosy) is also in a pile known as the 'russian deli meats' in stores that even bother having said imports. Do you honestly think store owners will bother figuring out what's what? Please.

Ethnic stores have things labeled more correctly, but they are few and far between. Dad has to drive over an hour to Hollywood to go to a (I think it's) Hungarian store that sells his beloved polish beers, wherein we also find most of our polish food stuffs.


Where in socal? I know there's a whole parafia in Hollywood and apparently some other one around San Diego. I know of 2 restaurants and have been warned away from them...


Name a healthy (if you can't even a non-fastfood will do) national American dish...

Unless you are familiar with Native American stuff, I assume you're running through quite a short list, trying to find something that wasn't imported or imported and slightly altered...

there's a good reason for that ^_^

Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]


They probably weren't. Before recent times, the idea was 'move and fit in' vs the more modern view of 'move and try to stay unchanged'. People in that time WERE encouraged to be american and ignore their past.

Some argue this new way of trying to retain one's cultural identity (the whole ______-american after the initial generation) is ruining the states today. Since everyone is trying to pull into their minority/ethnic groups the american unity is destroyed.

Personally I like the move to rediscover your roots, so long as its kept in perspective vs reincorporation with the ancestral land.


Bigot much? The difference is that the US largely lacks a long and stable culture unlike those in EU. Also, since all the main minorities are so insistent on keeping their culture (Mexicans, for instance) others feel deprived for not having a similar root to pull from. Thus the need to find said roots.


You're kidding, right? Look up Japanese tea ceremony, look up why some nations won't eat certain foods (cow/pork) even though they are tasty and available, look up native amarican cooking practices, etc.

earlyfoods expressed everything there was about a population (now it's a bit diff with mass production and such high immigration practices). Hunts were communal, and thus the community had to share the spoils. In africa (for a modern example) there are villages that make this crappy porrage stuff that takes the whole village to prep and everyone takes it from the same place. One person/family wouldn't be able to produce it.

Political and religious views (historically largely synonymous) impacted what a culture could/should eat, and so on
Perceptions also fall under the former, though also translate to what people ate when, special ways some things were prepared, etc. My grandmother still has the superstition that an egg shell holds the chick's spirit, thus insisted I always crush the shell after using the egg to let the spirit free... I do that automatically now.

Behavior traits are practically what makes food so different in different parts of the world. And I don't just mean ingredients. Sushi looks like it does because they needed ways to make food compact. If i'm not mistaken Cornish pastries came about because men needed a lunch for work that they could eat quickly and without lugging utensils and other stuff that might fall and spill.

Work / Medical University of Lublin [30]

several reasons, including the fact that I do enjoy Poland (i'll PM you more on that if you'd like). And I'm not certain i want to return, but as of now that is the plan. Also, med school here is like $40,000/yr for tuition alone. A friend is going into a program that'll run him near $60,000... though i seriously hope that DOES include room and board, or at least books.

My program is gonna run me ~$20,000 and I get to see europe while I'm at it. It's a LOT easier to head over to italy for a few days from PL than it is from the US (the jetlag alone makes you think twice, and I won't mention ticket prices)... specially since I know there are tons of student tours from Lublin that are both cheap and fun ^_^.

Law / Setting up İMPORT Company in Poland. Is 80,000 zl enough? [7]

wouldn't it depend on the products?

Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

lol
it's cooked different ways (or not cooked) due to the above.
Just cuz you're too thick to realize that is not my problem.

History / Trying to identify old military medals. Are they from Poland? [15]

upload the image to a site... photobucket.com maybe? anywhere that stores images online
then use the green orange pink shape button

USA, Canada / WHY SO FEW POLISH RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA? [44]


I think it's more of a 'takes too damn long' problem than a formality thing. I love to make polish food but often turn to making asian because it's just so much faster. Plus, Polish food is hard to make in small portions. It's meant for family, so making it for just yourself makes it hard (golombki, pierogi, etc) as it takes almost as much work to do a full family portion as it does making just enough for one.

USA, Canada / WHY SO FEW POLISH RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA? [44]


I think that's part of granny's job description, and yeah, they're awesome for always making stuff ^_^

Life / Styles in Poland: What do people wear? [65]

-__-;
something tells me I'll be in for a major depression upon moving there. My cousins can all pass for models and beyond the height difference (5'4") I'm on the hefty side >_<

Life / What do you do for fun in poland? [15]

^ horseback riding is something I'm looking forward to picking up again after I move...

News / Peculiar opinions about Poland [33]


Kentucky = state. These are entire countries we're talking about, and we SHOULD know... at least the continent. No one's asking you to know provinces or tribe locations in the unstable parts of the world.


That's cuz geography is concentrated on the US and world geo is more or less shimmied in as part of world history (yay, a whole year devoted to elsewhere... the rest of your education devoted to your state and country -__-;). Mine was stuck into social studies first year of HS, and consisted entirely of a coloring book we had to complete by certain deadlines. Yes, that taught us a LOT... -___-;


Our education system sucks... sorry... and I've suffered as a product of it. The parents have decided that educators are supposed to educate their children in everything from manners to academics. That has lead to kids having piss poor manners and an acutely weakened sense of family, but not a poor education.

The whole system is based on the idea that the pace should be set at such a level that everyone will learn... like the whole 'no child left behind' bull. Kids that should repeat a grade are passed along as not to congest the classes and lower a school's success rate. All this does is lower the educational standards till anyone who's half-conscious in class will be sure to pass with flying colors... anyone who actually pays attention is given an A 9/10 times. Even the whole 'honors class' thing doesn't make up for that, as by the time kids are separated they've already missed years of information other systems (like Poland) cram into their students and/or have learned that you don't need to study all that hard to get ahead and thus keep the pace only slightly faster.

Have you ever taken the SAT? My god... this is supposed to be the test colleges look at to determine your readiness and is supposed to reflect completion of most of your high school curriculum. This is a test that stresses subjects covered and forgotten by the time most entered junior high (6th grade). It's a total and utter joke.

Here kids practically don't know chemistry exists till junior or senior year of HS. How well can we possibly understand this stuff after one academic year of study, where they introduce a new symbolic language, new rules and concepts that have never even been hinted at before? At least physics is somewhat intuitive (to the point where i never more than half-listened to my teacher that year, after he spent over two hours explaining the amazing concept that magnets attract... honors physics, mind you).

From what my Polish friends tell me, a good deal of my first year of undergrad was all stuff they had long since covered (sometimes in more detail) in Liceum.

Food / PIERÓG LUBELSKI = BUCKWHEAT PIE? [10]

I've had pierogi lubelskie... no loaf though, just the regular pierogi dough. Personally, I skip the mint... otherwise, yummy ^_^

Food / PIERÓG LUBELSKI = BUCKWHEAT PIE? [10]

not when my granny makes them
the bacon bits go outside with the onion... skwarki...
no ham though

Travel / What Things Are There To Do in Poland For Teens [8]

the nice thing about being a teen is going to school where you're surrounded by a near-constant group of people with whom you are assumed to make friends... a reality that you learn was quite handy when college comes around and you have to work harder to turn classmate into friend. I hear leaving college and working makes making friends even less hassle-free. Thus the need for grownups to look for places to have fun on forums such as these.

Usually 'what to do' if figured out in a group by people your age, thus the lack of pointers on such forums. Also, more often than not, doing something at someone's house proves more fun than engaging in organized entertainment.

Are you asking because you are moving to PL or are you already there and just find yourself bored?

Law / Linux, Unix, and Open Source in Poland [119]


out of the box, maybe... as a majority of linux distributions caters first and foremost to people who want speed vs effects. However, with a few tweeks you can have amazing graphics. Go online to find themes that the OS asks if you want to install as soon as you DL them (wow, just like windows... except that it asks, first) and the options are limitless



first half is vista... thereafter it's ubuntu with an add-on (now I hear you don't even have to install it, just go to preferences ans switch these on... in what amounts to the ubuntu version of control panel, in a pulldown menu)

I started using ubuntu just as hardy came out... I installed it on a laptop and still the only thing I had to hunt down was a driver for my built-in camera. I'll admit that part was a pain... but yeah.

Seriously though, the multiple desktops alone (an out-of-the-box feature) make it far easier to work on than windows where you need to hunt for programs through window upon window

install WINE and poof... even office works on linux

Food / What's a good Polish meal for 4 people [15]

golombki = always a crowd pleaser.
In tomato sauce over mashed potatoes and you're done. ^_^

Law / Linux, Unix, and Open Source in Poland [119]

you'll love us for it ^_^
though just so you know, i have wine installed, but got used to openoffice to the point that i deleted the MSoffice I had installed

that vid is old, too... pre vista launch if I recall right (when vista was going through beta, like win 7 is now)

Also I use Amarok to deal with my ipod (full intergration) without having to use Itunes

Language / Rok vs. Lat [30]


od 4 lat

Language / Plural forms 2-4 and =>5 [30]

1 palec
2-4 palce
5+ palców

Language / Plural forms 2-4 and =>5 [30]


I do believe it would still be
8 odcietych palcow....

for a non-indicated # you might use palce... 'odciente palce' but if you mention many (or a pile of) you'd still switch to palcow 'kupa odcietych palcow'

Language / Rok vs. Lat [30]


yes it does... just antiquated and thus not normally/fully used.
I know my grandma will use roki when speaking of non-consecutive years
and I do believe I have still heard people use rokami on odd occasion...
"licze to rokami" I distinctly remember, though saying 'licze to latami' is just as correct (and I assume more widely used)

Language / Star Wars and Polish language in it :) [30]


i always associated him more with a dung pile... but yeah, phnetically jabba is close to żaba
<<< never noticed that. Now I wonder if the first film with Han talking to the guy trying to kill him might have PL in it too... he did work for Jabba...