@CaptainBohemian Just curious, where did you learn your English? Was your English that good while you were in Taiwan. Most people in Taiwan cannot write English as you do here (at least those people I met). I had to help some students to write SoP and CV in English. That's how I know. You caught me by a surprise when you said you are from the same place.
@CaptainBohemian Anyway, please take care of yourself. Don't forget to put your mask on when you are in a crowded place. It'll be a cruel winter before we have vaccine available. Your family must miss you. Lastly, please always remember to feed yourself. Don't be bothered by those Mainland Chinese. Concentrate on your study. It's the purpose you are there, remember? Take care.
@scaaahu is my English good? My supervisor here asked me to work on my English. I am currently taking English Language Course, which is a compulsory course for all nonnative English speaking students here. It's quite different from the English Language Course I have taken in Taiwan - it focuses on how to make academic presentations - but the quality is lowered due to being conducted online, where intermittent connection breaks happen sometimes so that I couldn't hear clearly.
@scaaahu I have never written a Sop, which is never required in Europe, where generally cover letter or research interests or research proposal is required.
they use textbooks in Chinese for undergraduate education and their PhD students don't need to pass any English tests, so it's possible that their PhD graduates are very poor in English.
like the one I met here; she is just an exchange student from a university in mainland China.
yesterday when I was in supermarket, I recalled my conversation with that mainland Chinese roommate who has moved out, finding she is of the same type as that mainland Chinese who is still here in that she also almost always takes objection to whatever I say. I found a great differences here from the east, then she always responded in a way against me.
@user6232128 ask what? I think people in English Language Usage chatroom don't like to answer others' English language usage questions; they prefer to chat about politics, medicine, culture, etc.
@CaptainBohemian Please don't take what I am about to say offensive. I have no reason to be offensive to you. First, you need to be careful when you type words on SE or chat rooms. Someone could flag the moderator if they think they are offended. Then depends on the situation, you'll be probably suspended. So, be careful.
@CaptainBohemian Second, I usually don't use the words that I don't fully understand. You can tell this from my questions and answers on this site. When I use words that I don't mean exactly, I could cause some misunderstanding which is unnecessary. I always avoid using them. But, anyway, you are young and still learning, eventually you'll be successful. Take care.
I think the mainland Chinese has exasperated me enough these two days. They are obviously "perverts" as I recall - there is no objective reason that a person takes objection to you whatever you say.. This kind of conversation isn't useful in its contents - it's just a way to vent one's dissatisfaction which is not necessarily related to the conversation contents.
I have had a piece of evidence for the above. I told that "the dormitory and the faculty is too far to work efficiently" to that Mainland Chinese and a MSc student in my field. That Mainland Chinese said I am taking excuse. The MSc student said she rents an apartment rather than the dormitory which is far from the faculty because the faculty was built only recently while the dormitory was built long ago.
the mainland Chinese is pervert while that MSc student is sincere in explaining why the distance is far and her solution - only this is a meaningful/helpful conversation.
@user6232128 she doesn't actually find fault with it. She just said something against me even when without sound reason, when this occurs, she said I am finding excuse.
it's very easy to say other finding excuse when you don't want to listen to her reasoning.
@user6232128 indeed I should have said this. I have said this in previous times she visited me. But she still visited me afterwards. I think I should produce some issues so that she doesn't feel boredom with visiting me, so one time I showed her the video of physics Nobel Prize laureates' contribution, then she soon said she is going to leave. The next time she visited me asking me about my issue, I said I am hungry too often to work well, then she said I need to be used to the food here or hunger.
@CaptainBohemian It sounds like she is worried about you, and that isn't very strange. If you hear that someone is hungry it can be good manners to check how they are doing and if they are getting enough to eat.
user486313
4:59 PM
@BryanKrause I'm hungry :(
user486313
I can't afford turkey tomorrow, and I won't be seeing my parents either ...
@BryanKrause she isn't. She said: "getting used to the food here or cook your own food or stay hungry or go back." This kind of reply isn't useful at all. I don't need a person to tell me to do these. Whatever I said my personal issues, she said this kind of useless response, which is worse than not to reply and not to ask.
And when she asked me what I am watching as she suspected I am watch a comedy (I never watch a comedy as I don't like it that much), I show her what I am watching - this year's physics Nobel Prize laureates' contributions - she immediately said she was going to leave, implying she has no interest in it at all. You don't know much the contribution intrigued me when I first heard the announcement.
I think only people of the same mind can talk much; people of different mind can only trade material.
Or donate material. You can donate to hungry children no matter what your mind is. This kind of raising is everywhere. I saw a lot of donation boxes in the Middle East.
but haven'r seen one here. Probably because here people are generally hungry and have no extra to donate to hungry children.
@user131585 I want Thai food. But I don't know where to get it. It should be very expensive in this country, where it's like people are so poor at cooking so whatever cooked food is so expensive, even the one which looks not delicious at all.
@CaptainBohemian well, "getting used to the food here or cook your own food or stay hungry or go back" are indeed your four options, I must say I agree with her there.
And if she isn't interested in what you are watching, why should she stay? Seems better to leave and let you watch what you want.
in Poland the Catholic Church is quite dominant; probably most people who donate food donate through the Church in one way or another, so you may not see boxes outside of churches.
Are you in a smaller city or are you in Warsaw or Krakow?
@BryanKrause but that doesn't need her to say to know. Everyone knows. So what bother to say? This kind of conversation is useless and can just incur hatred.
@CaptainBohemian Sometimes for the person struggling with a problem, the possible options do not seem evident. They're so stuck in the problem they are facing they do not see those options. Laying them out clearly can help them see what those options are and make a decision.
@BryanKrause because she comes to ask and this is not the first time she asks what I am doing or my issue. I originally had the intuition she doesn't share any of my interest so didn't tell her much but since she visited again and again and asked again and again, I just told her.
I don't know what you've said to her about food, but if it's like the things you say here I understand her perspective. It seems you have complaints and barriers to solving your problem but not much of a plan, so a first step towards helping you find a plan is to figure out which goal you want to approach
Maybe you just want to complain and not be offered solutions, and that's okay, too - often people just want to feel like someone hears and understands them. But usually people who are offering solutions aren't doing it out of any malice, they are just trying to help.
@CaptainBohemian Might it be that there just aren't that many Chinese people around where you are and she is hoping to connect with others who are?
I don't think so; this is so easy and everyone can see, even a child. I have ever asked a professor for help with publication, and he said she would help me but after some superficial suggestion she suggested me to give up. What a help? Nobody needs other to help to give up.
then I find a way to work out the publication on my own.
@BryanKrause I do think she is filled with anger and just found me to vent.
she said some very absurd words that day.
I don't actually have a plan to complain that day.
but she asked and that day I suddenly feel I may need some good ideas on good food, so I mentioned it. I thought she has been here for over 4 years and should know what people here generally eat to feel full, but she gives no suuggestion at all.
I don't feel I share any nonmateerial interest with her at all, so when she asked me about my issue again and again, I can only tell her my material problem, which is what everyone shares.
@BryanKrause I don't have great desire to meet Chinese actually.
@BryanKrause yes, there are many churches here but I haven't visited one because I don't have great interest in them. Maybe someday I will enter to see if there are donation boxes therein.
The Ivory Tower
The Ivory Tower