Language / Grammar - difference between "jaki" and "co" in Polish language [43]


And you would be absolutely wrong. No English speaker would have the faintest clue what you are talking about. Never, ever can "beziehungsweise" be translated as "respectively", and vice versa. The examples you gave are pure nonsense in English, and no English speaker would ever guess what "resp." even stands for. There is no such abbreviation in English.

When a native English professional translator who has 500 articles and 10 books under his belt points out that you are mistaken error, it's not a good idea to contradict him. And if you don't believe me, this topic comes up very frequently on translator forums. Go look for yourself. Professional advice: never, ever use the word "respectively" in English for any reason. At best, it's bad style. And when Germans use it, it's pure gibberish.

Please keep to the topic about POLISH grammar

Language / Grammar - difference between "jaki" and "co" in Polish language [43]

@TheOther

The best solution is to reformulate the sentence in German without using "beziehungsweise" and then translating the result into English. Most of the time, "or" will suffice. "More specifically" would be "genauer gesagt".

Language / Grammar - difference between "jaki" and "co" in Polish language [43]


No native English speaker ever would, and those who do not know German would be very confused by what you meant if you did, as I was when I first encountered it.

Study / Easy to find a part time job in Poznan? - applying for the University of Poznan of Economics [30]


That's not exactly what I say. I say that non-STEM majors are worth pursuing only for top students at top universities. But for the rest, studying at mediocre universities, they are a poor investment, and a complete waste of time and money for any foreigner studying in English in Poland.

Language / Grammar - difference between "jaki" and "co" in Polish language [43]


That is a faux pas in English.

"Respectfully" never ever means "beziehungsweise", regardless of what any dictionary may tell you. It means something completely and utterly different, and has no one word equivalent in German. It's clumsy to translate into German, and even in English, it is a word that is best avoided even by native speakers (except when it means "with respect"). It generally shows that sentence structure has broken down. I think I've only used it once in the 500 articles and 10 books I've translated. Likewise, there is no one English word for "beziehungsweise", except perhaps "or" or "and".

Why do dictionaries give "respectively" as a translation for "beziehungsweise"? Beats the hell out of me. But it's very wrong.

Language / Grammar - difference between "jaki" and "co" in Polish language [43]

@Sophaloaf

"Jak" is an adverb and means "how".

"Jaki/jaka/jakie" is an adjective and means "what kind/sort/type of". "Jaki" is masculine, and "jaka" is feminine, both nominative singular.

Study / Easy to find a part time job in Poznan? - applying for the University of Poznan of Economics [30]

@Ahadi

If you want to flush your parents hard-earned savings down the toilet and waste the best years of your life for nothing useful, be my guest. If you want to be the victim of unscrupulous scam artists, making them rich and you and your family poor, go right ahead. If you want to end up in the EU database as a persona non grata and never be able to set foot in the EU for the rest of your life, I'm not going to stand in your way.

It's your life, and your (or your parents) money, so it's no skin off my back if you throw it all away by acting stupidly. Knock yourself out! Like Terri say, you are entirely free to do so.

Study / Easy to find a part time job in Poznan? - applying for the University of Poznan of Economics [30]

@Boom Boom

He is bitter because his visa was rejected and I told him there was no point in wasting money reapplying because he was obviously not really interested in studying as much as gaining entry to the EU. Oddly, he thanked me for the advice at the time.

Work / Is 400000PLN per year a very high salary in Poland? If so, what kind of job can make this money? [33]

@SChristine

Yes, it's very high, but it's sorta a pointless topic for discussion unless there is, well, a point. Why, specifically, are you asking?

Work / What are career opportunities for a foreigner in Poland? [16]


I'd have more faith in his prospects if he 1) he had run a similar successful business in the past for at least five years, 2) had ABUNDANT capital, 3) had lived in Poland for at least three years, and 4) spoke fluent Polish. Or if he had an active Polish partner with similar experience.

As for convenience stores, there sure are a lot of them around. It's going to take some work finding an underserved location that is capable of bringing a profit in. Like you said, restaurants are worse. Lots of them open up and close within a year, predominantly the small ones with limited capital. A farm, of course, is not an option for a non-EU citizen. And the doner kebab factory market is probably already well taken care of. The demand for kebabs is going down, too, as that fad is past its prime and the market is thing out. Again, it's going to be hard to find an underserved market that could bring in a profit.

Terri is right. If you want to make it as a foreign small business owner in Poland, you have to find a niche and create a market. You're not going to get very far aping scads of native Polish entrepreneurs on their own turf. It's going to take a good bit of originality. Based on the types of businesses this guy listed, it seems that originality is not his strong point.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]


And it's going to remain free of Western influence for a long, long time after he is dead and gone. It sounds like he's the kind of guy who has no problem adapting and looking out for himself.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]

@globetrekker

Perhaps you should consult a lawyer who specializes in immigration to Russia, Iran or the country of your choice. I was in Macedonia three years ago, and was not expecting it to be so heavily westernized, especially the young people. A HUUUUUUUGE difference from when I was there in 1985. Even in the countryside. So you are unlikely to find anywhere "untainted" within the EU, and if you do, it won't be for long. And, like you said, it's getting hard to find such places in Asia, too. My buddy just got back from Nepal, expecting it to be unspoiled and "spiritual", and he described it as "Disneyland during a garbage strike".

Probably the only spots on the planet where you can find people who are completely unaware of Western culture are the Andaman Islands, which is out of the question, and Papua New Guinea. which is a Commonwealth nation, if that helps in terms of immigration. Of all of them, it's probably the easiest place for you to do business or find gainful employment. That is going to be a major challenge in Russia, especially Siberia, if you do not know the language.

Law / I applied for Poland's national visa for 2 times and I got refused without convincing reasons [13]


Yes, they did. It takes only seconds for them to check, not two weeks. You are indeed in the immigration computer system for the whole EU, and anyone working at the consulate can see that your whole history with only a few key strokes.

From the tone of your posts I can understand why the consul got the idea that you are not coming to Poland to pursue genuine studies and that you have no intention to leave when your visa expires. It has nothing to do with being a Moslem or Arab in and of itself, but rather with the fact that your story just doesn't jive with the story a real student would tell. You don't come across as very believable, honest or trustworthy, and I'm sure that is why the consul had doubts as to your real motives. You're hitting all the wrong notes. I doubt that a consul from any other EU country is going to feel differently.

One of the things you are failing to understand is that the consul doesn't need a good reason to REJECT your application. He needs a good reason to ACCEPT it. And that is what you have not provided. The fault that you got rejected is not his, but 100% yours. If you can't get that through your head, you are going to antagonize any consul you meet, from any country in the world.

My advice is not to make a pest of yourself so that you wind up on the international security black list. And to pursue studies closer to home, if you do in fact intend to study. Frankly, nothing you have said indicates that studying in Poland is a realistic option for you, and a few of the things you said, and didn't say, make me believe that you will not complete your studies there even if you were accepted. Quit wasting your time and money, and make realistic plans that you can pursue in Egypt or a neighboring country.

Law / I applied for Poland's national visa for 2 times and I got refused without convincing reasons [13]


Your rejection was posted in the computer system that all countries in the EU can check, so they will know that you have been rejected by Poland. It doesn't matter that you don't have a stamp in your passport. It's certainly not the "advantage" that you think it should be. So if you apply to France, for example, the French consul will know that you were rejected by the Polish consul, and probably also the real reason why (which he won't share with you).

There is no point in reapplying for a visa to Poland unless your situation changes in a major way, and that's not going to happen for some years. Applying too frequently to more than one country will just send up red flags and get you classified as a possible security risk. If that happens, you will have great problems getting into any EU country, or any developed country, for that matter, probably for the rest of your life. Once you are on the international security black list, there is nothing you can do to get off of it. And since the Egyptian authorities will be alerted, they can make life difficult for you, too. So don't make a pest of yourself.

Again, studying at a good school in Egypt or in a neighboring country may be the best option.

Law / Work permit + national visa in Poland for India citizen [91]

@kesu123

You can't get one without getting a job first. So get a job, and then you will be able to apply for a visa and residence permit.

Law / I applied for Poland's national visa for 2 times and I got refused without convincing reasons [13]

You're not going to like this, but your application and appeal have both been rejected, so there is nothing else you can do except make plans to study elsewhere. Reapplying for a visa would be a waste of time. The consul does not have to give you any reason for rejecting your application. Apparently, something you said or did, or something in your documents, made him think that you are entering the EU for some other reason than genuine studies. The consul doesn't have any obligation to explain what that is, and there is no point is asking. Just scratch Poland off the list of the countries you wish to study in, and focus on making alternative plans.

Also be aware that any other EU country you apply to will know that your application to Poland was rejected, and probably also the real reason why. So your chances of getting a visa to any country in the EU are now lower. Perhaps studying in Egypt or a neighboring country would be a better option.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]

@globetrekker

Well, I hope you find someplace where you can feel at home, but there just aren't many pockets left in the whole EU that fit your requirements, and such as exist are disappearing very rapidly. Maybe Indonesia? Or Papua New Guinea? Don't know what immigration issues you would have there.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]


You're way too late, then. Poland hasn't felt anything like Russia for years. Even Eastern Poland feels less and less like Russia by the day. The last time I was in Białystok, I was impressed how much it had shed its eastern feel. Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are not that far behind, so they are probably not an option, either.

Have you considered Moldova? It's probably the least westernized part of the EU. Or the central Asian former Soviet republics? Or one of the African countries? Or Iran? You will encounter far less western influence in those places than anywhere in the EU.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]


There are sizable, and growing, Chinese and Korean communities in Vladivostok, as well. So, if anything, the trend is toward orientalization rather than toward westernization.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]

@mafketis

I was aware of farmers selling it at the targowisko, but not elsewhere. And I'm still skeptical that this is as widespread as the hype would have it. Hard to find sources that I can trust. But I don't think it will take long for this to be stopped, as is already the case in Poland.

I can see the farmers' point of view. Small scale dairy is minimally profitable, or downright unprofitable, and they are desperate to increase their meager earnings. They don't have anything to lose, even if they do end up getting sued. They've reached the point where they care more about filling their own empty bellies than about the lives of their neighbors' children. I don't sympathize with them much, though, as the taxpayer already has to pay to subsidize their existence as it is. It would be cheaper if they were just on the dole. I understand why the EU is pursuing as scorched earth policy against dairy farmers, and rightly so, but I have no romantic delusions that the dairy farmers should be protected. They've become costly parasites, and are damaging economies both inside the EU and beyond. I have little love for Thatcher, but she did have a point about the miners. Same thing here.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]

@Najade

The OP has expressed his disdain for Western culture, which Poland has embraced with a vengeance. The younger generations are thoroughly westernized, with millennials being practically indistinguishable from their peers in Western Europe, and the country as a whole will become more so as the older generation dies off.

Sure, he can hole up while it lasts somewhere in rural eastern Poland, and hope it lasts until he dies He had better be prepared for life in a hyper-Catholic environment, though.

I did get a chuckle out of your question mark after the word "polite". After living twelve years in Poland, I experienced a bit of a culture shock when I returned to the States because people are just so gosh darn polite. Especially people in the service industry and government workers. At first, I thought they were having one on with me. That's how much I had grown used to the typical Polish gruffness and surliness. In fairness, though, I have to say that I did encounter some stellar customer service in Poland on occasion, but it was the exception, not the rule, and, oddly, from the older generation, from whom I least expected it.

If he's looking for a place that hasn't been "tainted" by Western culture, and won't be for quite some time, Siberia is a much better bet than anywhere in Poland. Vladivostok or Yakutsk, or just out in the middle of the taiga.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]


No, you don't, because you have to pay for it. Even a small outbreak costs taxpayers tens of millions of Euros to contain, and potentially billions of Euros if it gets out of hand. I doubt that you would feel thrilled when you get stuck with the bill, or if you catch antibiotic resistant TB from someone who got infected by drinking raw milk. The cost of living in a civilized society is not being allowed to do things that cost your fellow citizens their hard-earned money or that endanger their health and safety.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]


No, It's probably because of the costs associated with complying with regulations. The vet bills alone would be considerable. Muu already pointed out that they have closed shop in Poland a year ago. It's only a matter of time before they do so in the other countries, too. There is little appetite for loosening regulations on dairy farmers in the EU. Officials wish most of them would just go out of business as it is. especially the smaller operations. It just costs too much to supervise them, and overproduction of dairy has been causing diplomatic headaches for many decades now. Poland itself got heavily fined last year for dairy overproduction.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]


The first article clearly contradicts that, and says that it must be sold directly by the farmer himself on his own farm, and nowhere else or by nobody else. There are no raw milk "distributors" in the UK. Maybe 200 farmers who may sell raw milk directly to consumers within the confines of their farm, at least occasionally, and they have to pass through a load of regulatory hoops to do so, and slap a big health warning on the bottle. Even that doesn't protect them from liability, as the article goes on to show.

The last thing the FSA or anyone else in the EU wants is an outbreak of something nasty like antibiotic resistant TB. The cost to taxpayers would be enormous, much more than the worth of many dairy farms.

As for the mlekomat in Slovenia, that seems to be very similar. It must be operated by a tightly regulated farmer with strict monitoring and with all milk sold within 24 hours of collection or else discarded, with a big fat health warning. There can be no distributor or middleman, not that anyone would want to touch it with a twenty-foot bargepole, anyways. My bet is that that will be stopped after an outbreak or two. It would take just one single case of septic abortion to have lawmakers calling for blood and banning in the whole country. Ticking time bomb. An even safer bet is that it will be outlawed even before then due to pressure from the EU, who are out to greatly reduce the number of dairy farmers in the EU as it is.

You are aware that, prior to pasteurization, milk was by far the most dangerous foodstuffs on the market, even with modern handling, hygiene and refrigeration? It's even nastier now because the bugs it spreads are often resistant to antibiotics (more than 50% of all antibiotics produced in the world are given to dairy cows). Raw milk is still the most dangerous food available on the world market, and the most common infectious disease in the world is still milk-transmitted tuberculosis. Something you, as a citizen of a developed country, don't have to worry about thanks to pasteurization and vigilant government health organizations like the FSA, whose feet you should be gratefully kissing.

Sorry, but the whole "raw milk" fad is just a bunch of silly, romantic nonsense,

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]

@mafketis

Somebody just got the idea that the word for "fresh" must mean "unpasteurized". Of course, they were wrong. They have those "mlekomaty" in Poland, too. And, like elsewhere, they dispense fresh, but pasteurized, milk. Sloppy journalism. Nothing else.

Like I said, no distributor in a civilized country is going to screw around with unpasteurized milk. The financial risks are way too high. An occasional farmer might, especially if slapping a health warning on it is enough to limit his liability, as the first article seems to suggest. But no one else on the distribution chain would even give it a serious thought.

Another clue: raw milk advocates are as clueless and credible as antivaxers, creationists, alt-med types and other conspiracy theorists. They love to make arrant BS up, and do so with gusto and abandon.

Life / Wish to settle down, which country to choose - Poland or Russia? [126]

I have to agree. Poland is not what they are looking for, in any case. And the things that draw them to Poland are rapidly disappearing.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]

@mafketis

The first article clearly says that you can get this only from the farmer, not beyond the farm gate, and not at all in Scotland.

The second article is just plain wrong about it not being pasteurized. Of course it is pasteurized. The author doesn't have the slightest clue what she is talking about. The whole article is a hilarious load of utter BS that she just made up.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]

It was undoubtedly pasteurized. I don't think you understand what pasteurization is, and why milk is practically always pasteurized before it is sold, and has been for a long, long time. No business wants to take on the staggering financial risk of selling unpasteurized milk to the public, and, even if, they have little stomach for the very costly and difficult transport and distribution of a product that is exceedingly perishable. Even pasteurized milk is no picnic to distribute.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]


Real zsiadle mleko is fresh raw unpasturized milk that has been allowed to sit out at room temperature overnight until it gels from natural bacterial action. The cream floats to the top and hardens into a chewy layer that sits on top of the gelled milk. The stuff you get in the store is pasteurized milk to which a bacterial culture is added, and perhaps also rennet. It resembles rennet custard in texture. The texture is uniform without the cream layer on top.

Real maślanka is what is left in the churn after you make (sour) butter. The milk used is unhomogenized and left to ferment slightly so that the cream can separate out and form the butter. After you scoop the butter out, you're left with maślanka. The stuff you get in the store is made with a bacterial culture.

Good luck finding live kefer grains. Don't get the dehydrated ones, and make sure they are for milk kefir, and not something called "water kefir".

Real kefir is fun to make and a thousand times better than storebought. It's nice and refreshingly tart, and fizzy with a little alcohol in it, but not enough to get you drunk. It has a pleasant yeasty flavor that the storebought does not have. The kefir grains are a symbiotic clump of various bacteria and yeasts. It looks like a piece of cauliflower, and it grows every time you use it, so you can share it with your friends when your piece becomes unmanageably large.

Also, if you're ever back in Poland, the best commercial dairy products are made by Piątnica. MUCH better than other brands like the ones you mentioned.

Food / Kefir drink in Poland [79]


Real kefir, made with kefir grains, is fizzy and tart and does indeed contain alcohol. The stuff you buy in the store is a yoghurt-like product that does not resemble real kefir in the slightest. I used to have kefir grains when I lived in Germany and made kefir every day. They look like pieces of cauliflower, and you fish them out of the kefir to add to a new batch of milk. If you really love kefir, you should hunt down some kefir grains. You won't find real kefir in stores.

Likewise, the zsiadle mleko you buy in the store is not produced from unpasteurized milk. It is also made from a culture, and, judging from the consistency, rennet. No commercial dairy products in any civilized country can ever be made of unpasteurized milk for public health and safety reasons.