PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by Szczerbaty  

Joined: 20 Oct 2013 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 24 Nov 2014
Threads: Total: 4 / In This Archive: 2
Posts: Total: 49 / In This Archive: 37 		From: USA
Speaks Polish?: Yes

Displayed posts: 39 / page 1 of 2
sort: Oldest first   Latest first   |
Szczerbaty   
20 Oct 2013
Life / Is gas heat really (that much) cheaper than electric Heating in Poland? [3]

I am trying to rent out our apartment and the fact that we have electric heat is a huge issue for some people. We have accumulating heaters from ENEA that are super efficient. Is gas heat really (that much) cheaper?

Merged: Is gas heating (that much) cheaper than electric?

We are trying to rent out our apartment and the fact that it has electric heat seems to be an issue for potential renters. We have piece akumulacyjne which are very efficient, but it doesn't seem to help.
Szczerbaty   
8 Dec 2013
Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

I was rather thinking that people don't need to take a knife/weapon to watch a match.
Szczerbaty   
8 Dec 2013
Language / Please help me understand Polish adverbs [30]

Unfortunately, very often you simply have to 'feel' the language

I agree with szczecinianin. In English we say She speaks English very well, but we say Her perfume smells good. Here the verbs are being modified by an adverb and adjective. Right, in English sensory verbs taken adjectival forms of adverbs. You will find this rule somewhere in grammar textbooks, but it certainly won't be in the first three chapters. It's usually something you just workout through exposure to a language instead of learning it in a book.

One that I always found funny was saying dobra instead of dobrze for a way to say okay. Can any Poles confirm this one?
Szczerbaty   
8 Dec 2013
Life / Lack of human rights in Poland? [132]

What do you think?

Well of course.

I find football fans truly fascinating. What is it that drives a person to take a weapon to a football match? And what drives people to use them there?
Szczerbaty   
8 Dec 2013
Food / Are eggs in Poland refrigerated/not refrigerated? [33]

Unwashed eggs will keep a long time at room temperature.

I always found eggs with chickensh*t on them in Polish grocery stores rather.....unique. They were pretty good though. Peter seems to have given a practical answer to the mystery.
Szczerbaty   
9 Dec 2013
Language / Please help me understand Polish adverbs [30]

to smell sth (sniff deliberately) - 'wąchać' and it's 'węszyć' - if you talk about your dog
to smell (have odour) - 'pachnieć' / 'śmierdzieć' (if it's unpleasant)

smell (noun) - 'zapach' or 'smród'/'odór' (if it's unpleasant)
sense of smell - 'węch'/'powonienie'

Where does czuć fit in here?
Szczerbaty   
14 Dec 2013
USA, Canada / If you moved from US to Poland, could you please share your experience? [16]

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like for my wife if she went back. We've been here in the U.S. a short time and she is really happy, but I can guess that she misses her homeland and family. My question is just how 'wrecked' she is; she's not the Polish girl from the country side I met ten years ago.

What are you looking for fstop?
Szczerbaty   
22 Dec 2013
News / Poland has the most dangerous roads in Europe [34]

I've never understood the high number of people failing the Polish driving test. I can believe it's difficult, but for what purpose? Obviously it doesn't make for better drivers.
Szczerbaty   
22 Dec 2013
Travel / Any Halal Restaurants in Krakow? [34]

There are a few from Saudi, so for sure they'll have a source of meat.

And where there are Saudis, there is kabsa!
Szczerbaty   
9 Jan 2014
Study / Universities in Poland, will studying here be cheaper than in North America? [4]

I did an MA in linguistics at the university I was working at in Poland. When I came back to the States, I had it evaluated by one of many such companies and was issued an MA which got me my current tenured position. Rock on!

Do you have any language teaching credentials and experience? Can you get a job at a Polish university? It would make your life much easier because you could work and study.
Szczerbaty   
9 Feb 2014
Real Estate / Poland's apartment prices continue to fall [1844]

with the rest 'na czarna'.

Drives me nuts. Sorry, just currently dealing with a person who asked for money under the table for his convenience, and now he's not exactly rushing to get the contracted work done. Live and learn.
Szczerbaty   
16 Feb 2014
Language / Could you please help me to understand Oni vs One? [6]

While studying Polish, we had a bit of a laugh that there is one group for men and another group for women, animals and things. Things that make you go "Hmmm."
Szczerbaty   
30 Mar 2014
Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]

Maybe it was overkill, but when I bought my first apartment in Poznan I hired a lawyer to make sure every step was in order. I slept a lot easier.
Szczerbaty   
30 Mar 2014
Real Estate / Preliminary Contract - Purchase of Apartment [26]

I had an English-speaking lawyer and all he really did was check out the legal status of the property to make sure there wouldn't be any surprises when it came time to sign all the documents at the notary. I don't think I paid more than 500 zlotys for his services. This was in 2001 so prices I am sure are higher now.

My real estate agent was a friend of family, so let's say I trusted her. If you don't trust your agent, you may want to take the lawyer a little further down the road to the notary for the signing of documents.

I got the impression that the notary is rather reliable so long as you go to one that's established. They should check the status of the property online the day of signing just to make sure that no legal funny business is going on with the property at the last moment. I bought two properties in Poland and always felt pretty good about the notary.

If you feel confident in your abilities, go it on your own. I used the lawyer for my first property, but didn't for my second. It doesn't hurt though to know that you have somebody in your corner tending to your interests.
Szczerbaty   
13 Apr 2014
Love / Any Polish Muslim girls living in Poland? [103]

In the Quran God makes it very clear that men and women are equal.

I lived in Saudi Arabia for five years and I just didn't see this. Women are kept in a little box.

What does 'equal' mean? The Muslim use of the word is in reference to the Quran, and not to the definition that would come to the non-Muslim mind.

We had great Muslim friends in Saudi Arabia, but some of the things they would say and do were so hard to believe. Islam and Western thinking are difficult to mix.
Szczerbaty   
26 Apr 2014
USA, Canada / Polish bar the best in the USA [16]

Nye's Polonaise in Minneapolis is a great place. It's been years since I've been there and I can't imagine the band is still alive-the drummer was 87 and the accordion player pushing 70 with diabetes.
Szczerbaty   
26 Apr 2014
UK, Ireland / Do people in Poland live "better" than here in the UK? [150]

It's funny that most people who say that it's better in the UK are from the UK and most people who say it's better in Poland are from Poland. It's so difficult to have honest comparative discussions that it almost makes sense to not have them. I'm waiting for someone to say, "Oh yeah, well my dad can beat up your dad....with one arm tied behind his back."