First  off EU citizenship from any country is a privilege.  It is not something that is to be taken lightly. It is only for those who have a sincere interest in contributing to the nation they are living and working in. Usually this is reserved for people who have a historical connection or association with the country. My family for example live in Poland since the beginning of the nation. The only reason they left was Poland was partitioned and war was breaking out. After the war they wanted to come back for re-nationalization. However, the politics were too difficult, and so it was I who was repatriated.

I have written a post on how to get a EU citizenship, this is a good starting point. However, beyond that if you have any questions please ask. The following was my story.

10 Steps to EU citizenship

1. Family tree – My first step was  in Excel create a detailed family tree. Use birth, marriage etc dates and locations. Be detailed but readable. Mine was on one page. It does not have to be a work of art, but it does have to be factual and clear to an ordinary person.
2. Original documents - Try to collect as much information as you can from original documents. You can get US birth certificates etc no problem. They even have on the form a question why you need it, you can check off dual citizenship. US municipalities get these requests often.  Get your parents and anyone else you can also. Collect all US documents then focus on foreign documents. The Polish government in Warsaw had my grandparents records from 1900 even thought they were from and area which is today Ukraine. I went to the local church priest and found documents. I basically built a case of original documents that supported my family tree. Paper is everything. Before I live in Europe I paid someone, he tried to rip me off I got my money back, when I threatened to sue the middle man. There are many honest people that can help in local countries. I prefer to do things myself.
3. I got applications from the embassy -  I let the foriegn consulate represntive guide me, as well as talked to the people who worked there to the right government offices to go to. They will tell you what you need.
4. Legal help – I considered a lawyer but by the time I talked to one I knew more than they did.
5. EU visa – My first step was a visa. From there I was in the system. I got this based on the right of blood. Jus sanguinis – You are who you are.
6. Dual citizenship – Unless you want a Ukrainian citizenship, you can keep your US citizenship for almost any country in Europe in the European Union or not. Countries do no care if you are a dual citizenship as long as you obey the laws of the country your in. You are a citizen of that country only, where you are and can not go crying to the USA for help if you get into legal trouble.
7. Buying a citizenship – You can basically buy a Russian citizenship legally if you have the cash to set up a business, but it is not the way to go. A CIS citizenship is not as good as a EU citizenship. Buying an EU citizenship is not possible.
8. Getting official translations – Putting your doucments into the language you need is a moot point, there are a lot of official translators.
9. The citizenship application - When you apply, write from your heart, you have to personally write a strong case of why you want to be a citizen.  It can not be for frivolous reasons, like it is cool.  Write how you have a historical connection that goes way back. Write what is true and honest. That you have an interest in the culture and the language and the people. If possible you would like to add to the society someday. Be sincere and into the country you are trying to get a citizenship for.
10. The EU government – Be patient. It may take years but is worth the wait. Remember every coutry in this Union is an individual country and where you apply is important not the Union as a whole. Your passport will come from one of the member countries.

You can read more about the European Union citizenship on their home page.  Or better yet as a question to a real person, me. If you have any questions regarding citizenship or even questions like citizenship of babies born in a foreign country,  or marriage and citizenship questions, please ask.  I am not an expert but I can tell you based on my personal experiences.

I am not talking about countries to learn a language, you can learn a language anywhere.  I am talking about where to study a language, literally. Where is are the soles of your feet when you are studying.

Living in Poland I am amazed how well Polish people speak languages. Maybe it is because their language is so complex, but more likely they believe in the hard way. They believe in studying for years and hours a day. Americans and Brits just want the easy way. To speak the a language without work. I know I am an American. These are the places I see people here doing translations and having their nose in the dictionary and cramming vocabulary lists. If you see langugae learning not something you do in class or school but rather everyday anywhere than this might help your experience.

Where to study a language

1. Study your lessons on a train – I was on the Train back to Kraków last night and all around me where people, not just students studying English. Really, the woman across from me had her son and she was studying English while he was running around the train. There was a girl next to me doing exercises. Trains are a great relaxing way to travel. No need to drive, just sit and learn vocabulary. If you can strike up a conversation with a foreigner even better. I have taken some long Russian Ukrainian trains before and by the end of the 20 something hour ride you are talking politics etc with your car mates. I do not drink, I just like to talk.
2. Study a language on a subway – We have trams in Krakow and I see people all the time cramming lists and just not students.
3. Learn a language in the bath – One of my favorite places to review dialogues. I take an MP3 player in and just sit back and relax. I though in some magnesium salt or even listen to some foreign language songs. The acoustics are great in the bathroom because it is a small room with water so I do not wear earbugs rather a radio MP3 player.
4. While napping study a language with hypnopedia – Laying on the coach I often simple listen to a repeating loop of language words and phrases. Eventually I fall asleep and some how I think the vocabulary sinks in my brain. I think brainwaves are at a deeper cycle and more receptive to music.
5. Walking and talking a language – I often walk down the street talking to myself in a foreign language, my language I study is Polish, now. People think it is strange to see someone talking to themselves, but do you really care?
6. On a bench or in a park is a peaceful place to learn – Not a library? Well is not a nice park bench more enjoyable in the summer. Besides maybe some pretty girl will come sit next to you and help you.
7. Driving and listening on your way to work to language audio lessons – I have not had a car for years but many people like this approach. I think your brain is in an alpha state and this is a good place to be when trying to absorb new information.
8. On vacation or any restful place or environment - The main resistance to studying a language is stress, doubt and lack of confidence. Why not lay on the beach and read some foreign language romance book. By the end of the short novel you will have learned a lot.
9. Bed is a good place to learn a language – Do not think of this in the wrong way, or you can if you like.
10. Church – Go to foreign language service. I live in Kraków and you can attend mass in about a dozen different languages and read the Bible in any. The service and text are all the same in any language, therefore go to mass in your target language and see how it feels different and let it absorb into your conciousness. Although this should not be your purpose of going.

What are your favorite places to study a language even if you are not in a foreign country? Let me know and the more intresting a place the better.

Why Polish real estate is not ready to recover

It is all about supply and demand. This is what determines prices and nothing else. Cost and value are notions that are through back from Marx’s economic theory that the price of an object was determined by the labor or cost to make it. Modern economic theory says value is subjective and determined only by supply and demand. This applies to housing prices also.

• EU is not only in crisis but the Euro might fall apart, and leave the EU in shell shock for a few years, maybe ten. Countries that were throwing money into the Polish land rush are now fighting to save their own houses and collapse. Ireland, Scotland and England were the main speculators and now their lands are in trouble.
• Supply of housing has increase in Poland based on speculation that there is a huge over capacity of residential and commercial units. Because of the economics of the business cycle plans that were started years back are being completed now and the result is a huge over capacity. Empty lots and luxury appartements can not even be rent. Why would they be?
• Demand is continuing a down. I see large buildings that are brand new, falling apart a little as they have been empty for years. My friends are building new houses themselves in the suburbs rather than living in over priced city flats. Credit has not and will not ease any further. The population is not growing. Unemployment is about 13% which is not the best for a high prices.
  

  Polish house with red roof

  When I get the cash I will most likely build a house in the countryside, cheap. A house designed to my specifications and liking not some builders conceptions (to maximize profits) of a boxy house with small windows and a over sized red rood. I will build my dream home, eco friendly and in American style home. I want Polish people to do the same, that is have their dream home in their idea not someone builders idea and they pay it off with a mortgage for 30 years of hard work. Its very unfair to the people that live here.

I will build some American style house in Poland if I am lucky

Is this all bad? Not at all I am a patriot. I love Poland. However, prices are adjusting to normal levels from inflated highs based on foreign speculation. A unit in a city should be about 2000 Polish złoty a meter, but it is still about 5,500 pln a meter. The average person can not afford real housing because the Polish real estate agents and developers are trying to keep the prices inflated at all costs.

My brother in law build a home in the Polish countryside for under 1000 pln a meter. Its beautiful and not far from Krakow, where he works. Granted he did a few things himself but mostly local guys did it for him. A full house done by a builder now is about 2000 pln a meter.

How long will the prices of land and buildings in Poland stay inflated

Price will stay excessively high until they come down to 1/3 the level they are at now. So if a unit costs 6,000 a meter it will have to come to 2,000 a meter. I have seen the same situation in the USA. Prices in Florida and California are cheaper than Poland. These are luxury condos on the beach. I have seen bear markets last 10 or 15 years or never recover. People are fooling themselves if they think they can just wait it out. Take a look around you in Europe what is happening. It might take years if ever.

The good news is only the builders and Polish real estate agents lose. The Polish people will get reasonably price real estate again.

My dream experience

I often dream in the Polish language as I have lived here for a while.  My Polish is good but not perfect. When I dream at a subconscious level I am pretty pleased with myself when I am speaking Polish (although I am not aware it is a dream). Why? Because the native speakers in my dreams always understand what I say perfectly. Further, I understand them perfectly. In my dreams (both literally and figuratively), I am like a native speaker in this foreign language. Both in speaking and comprehension and I never need a dictionary.

However, when I recant a dream dialogue to my wife who is a native speaker she laughs. This is because the native speakers in my dreams were making the same grammatical mistakes that I make when I am awake. I wonder why. It takes the wind out of my sail a little as in my dream world I am equipment and people are charmed by my linguistic skills.

A dream is really a dialogue with yourself. Therefore, there is perfect comprehension of the spoken word.

Some people believe that you can tap into the collective unconsciousness and access information and even language information. For me that is a little more speculative. However, this much can be said. If you are dreaming in a foreign language then you are doing well.

Can you use dreams to learn a foreign language?

Can dreams help you learn a language?

• To remember dreams keep a dream journal by your bed. When you wake up write down all your dreams even in sketch form. When I did this, I could remember several a night in detail and often stream of conciousness one leads into the other.
• As you are drifting to sleep try to suggest to yourself to dream in your foreign language.
• Read up on lucid dreaming and try to use this in language learning.
• During the day start thinking in your foreign language, even change your inner dialogue or create dialogues in your mind in a foreign language.
• The purpose of dreams or day dreams in a foreign language is not a grammar drill, school or exercises, so it does not matter if you are making mistakes. The idea is to get more of your brain online linguistically.
• You are smarter than you think. Intelligence and ability is really teaching the brain to access more of the raw material which is latent and waiting for you to develop.

Let me know your thoughts about day dreams, dreams, lucid or deep or even fantasies in foreign language and your experiences. When does your imagination take you linguistically. Do you think imagination is a connection with a deeper reality? I think conscious cognitive thought is like an iceberg, only about ten percent of the mind is conscious and seen on the surface. The other 90% is something that is largely untapped for its potential.

The hard way to learn a language

When I have a student tell me they are not making progress, I dump them with homework.  I tell them to buy a book and do three chapters of grammar exercises a week and explain the ideas in the exercises to me. I also make them read a book in English and write papers on it. There is no way you will learn a language without learning that the responsibility rests on you. You are the one, not the teacher who is responsible for studying. Study every week for x number of hours and then go to class to practice. If you complain you are not good, ask yourself do you study five hours a day?

For most people they have the will and will take the hard way, but they do not have the time. Therefore it becomes a time management issue.  Even for me I have not time to improve my Polish and I live in Poland. I know I have to go back to the old ways, the hard ways and make time and do it.

The easiest way to learn a language

My wife learned English just by speaking to me. It is an easier way then the above mentioned methods. She never studied English in school and spoke only a few words when we meet. I overloaded her with English until her brain hurt as I love to engage in conversation. Now she is fluent in English. I guess that can be called the easy way to learn a language.

If you are trying to learn a language on your own I would recommend tools to make it easier:

• Make your own language flashcards and carry them with you. I have a box of several thousand words and phrases.
• Download audio mp3s and use them. There are many places to go, such as the gutenburg.org.  I am starting a free site with audio mp3s for language learning www.mp3languagelearning.com  – If you send me files I can use them on the site.
• If you religious read the entire Bible in your target language. By the time you finish you will speak the language
• Buy a grammar book and do every exercises in the book and outline the rules
• Practice with native speakers, that alone will help, if you are somewhere in the middle of Kansas try Internet chats.

I have notices women love to do grammar and book work while guys prefer conversation, ironically.  Both are effective, but to work both need overload and work. This is why I believe in the hard way to learn a language.  I think there are easy ways to learn a language, but you have to take those methods and apply them with will and determination. And again the easiest way to learn a language is fall in love.

Please consider the exhibit below. It is only one word, but contains many forms.

This is clearly the most difficult language to learn

What are you kidding me? There are like over 100 forms, you can count them. This is one Polish word. It is the word ‘to read’. Every word in Polish must agree with the other words in the sentence, therefore, there are almost an infinite number of combinations in one sentence.

The pronunciation is very hard and people in this central European country speak very soft.  I would say to learn the Polish language it is equivalent to learning several other European languages. This especially goes for English speakers.

The language can be studied and spoken but only if you have the right attitude.  The right attitude is, you do not have to speak it perfectly to communicate, rather focus on vocabulary and you have to be patient.

Please add your comments about or your experiences with language learning and what you think are the determinate criteria for learning and language and the factors that make any language  hard or easy to learn.

Many people ask me why I live in Europe?  Why do you live where you do? If it is because you were born in your country, wrong answer.

When you are 96 years old are you going to look back on your life and say you wish you had more adventures? I live in Krakow, Poland but was born in the US. I am not saying everything everyday is wonderful and super terrific, however, it is beautiful. Life in American is easy, life in Eastern Europe is beautiful. What do you want an easy life or a beautiful life?

I think if you ever get the chance to live abroad do it. I live in Europe because living in Europe in general I can experience so many things that I can not in the United States.

Day in the life of some expats in Europe

First here are some photos of what I did today living in Europe (sorry I left my good camera at home, maybe next time). I guarentee on a Tuesday afternoon in the USA you were not doing the same.

Life in Europe is beautiful

I know there are Middle Age fairs in the USA and reenactors etc. I know the USA has history, but Poland and espcially Krakow where I live has so much history, almost everyday I step out my door and there is something new. If you not in Krakow you feel like your missing something.

This is what it is like to life in Europe. What are you doing today?

Further in the USA everyone, myself included is so programmed to be a career warrior that smelling the roses means taking your laptop to Starbucks from time to time. No way. This is not my idea of living my life. people in Poland and in Europe in general take time to smell real roses and gather a few rose buds while they are at it.  Perhaps it will change but Europe is an interesting place to live.

Life is fun living abroad

I think the split in European and American thinking came from the enlightenment. America took the pragmatic approach while Europe the Romantic lifestyle.

Sometimes you have to fight to survive as an Expat living in Eastern Europe

I am American and like all of us we for formatted like a hard disk to succeed and win, especially in business or on our Resume.  In Europe it is quite OK to be poor.  However, it is not OK if you do not take your two months of vacation in the summer.

Live a life of adventure

Life here also has a mystical side.

Life is a mysterious and beautiful when you are living the life you want

I hope you enjoyed some of these photos I took of the Medieval fair in Krakow I went to yesterday.

If you think living in Europe is about going to the pub and sitting in cafes you are wrong. If you think your life is about working for your resume , career or for your company you are lost. Companies will change you one way. Living in Europe will change you in another way. If you can ever pull yourself away from the Matrix and live as an abroad as an expat do it.  Sometimes my days are harder than in the USA. But other days like when I stepped outside my door and spent the afternoon walking through living history, life is beautiful.  The choice is yours. You can take the blue pill or the red pill. What choice are you making  in your life?

Examples of Polish government in Krakow

Clear examples how the Krakow city government betrayed the citizens of Krakow are, like Zakrzówek Krakow which was a beautiful green area and lake or the use of Polish parks for joint private-public ventures like Polish beach Krakow.  I have even heard of a hotel on the edge of Błonia which is the cities equivalent of central park in NYC, or Hyde park in London or Boston commons, but I am sure this can not be true.

If you are interested more in this type of stupid Krakow government sell outs please see this Facebook group – Krakow city government.

It is clear, Polish citizens have been duped by the Krakow city government, despite 10,000s of protesters. The Krakow, city government traded priceless green area that will never be replaced for green cash. What else could their motive be? What do you think?

Why is Krakow so short-sighted? Maybe it has nothing to do with money or business deals, maybe they are just plain short-sighted and do not know how a city can be developed in a way that would protect the heritage of Krakow and work with the citizens rather than  real estate developers in Krakow.

Krakow city government in these cases  is nothing more than an extension of the miesniak (Polish word for brainless guy who drives a BMW, wears a black leather jacket, and muscles and manifest very primitive behavior) mentality. Perhaps I am being a little dramatic, but the bottom line is they gave away this priceless land and there is nothing that can be done about it. All of Krakow is talking and complaining.

Krakow, Poland was one of the most  beautiful places in all of Europe, however, many people are now starting to preferring to travel to other cities in Europe that are not so commercialized. It is too bad because Krakow was such a wonderful place to live but I guess when it comes to foreign real estate developers and money, this is more important than Polish citizens and the people who live in the city on a day-to-day basis.

Can you fight city hall in Krakow?

I am an American and Polish citizen that lives here in the big K. To see all the billboards, ugly developement in the old town over shadowing historic buildings and pro-business, anti-citizen attitude that prevails is a pity. People ask me what can be done besides just being aware of the situation exists. My answer is complain.  Complain not just to each other but in a real way.

What can be done about this injustice?  Here is a call to action that you can actually do to affect the political process,  join the Facebook group mentioned above. This group it is run by Polish and American citizens who care about Krakow and want to protect the city of Krakow from the government of Krakow, so future generations of people can enjoy this beautiful city.

I think this will be a huge advantage to her in life. However, many people including English people say that I should only teach her Polish or she will be confused. Let the facts speak for themselves, bilingual children gain intelligence because of early brain plasticity. Their brains are stretch, instead of experiencing the normal rate of neuron death most toddlers experience.  It is the time the brain is pruning cells away and half your brain cells have died by age two.

Why I teach my child Chinese

I really do not care if my daughter ever uses or learns Chinese. She might not like it, or have no interest in China. She does not have to go to the best school or be top of her class or be a very important person in life. She can be who she wants to be. However, if I exposure  her to one Asian language at an early age, she will at least have the opportunity to choose this latter if she wants to.

My view is I do not care if my child lays on the beach and is a surf bum, I just want to make sure she has a good foundation for life. Parenting is stewardship not ownership. It is to set the base and let them do what they want with it.

Right now she has a great rapport with her Chinese tutor.  Oudi her tutor, studies music and is from Peking so she speaks Mandarin. At this juncture her lessons are not different than having a Chinese babysitter. We also watch active Chinese videos on Youtube that she likes. But the most important is physical interaction. Kids need real concrete three dimensional one on one interaction for their lessons to be effective. This is better than any Chinese tutorial, but not as good as sending them to Hong Kong or Beijing.

In fact we joke than when our child is ten we can go to China and she can give us a tour as she is a native speaker. I think this would be funny. If you want to educate yourself more on Chinese culture you can go to the official website which has many interesting news, language and cultural items.

• Learn Chinese and about China

Why have I started her so early? Because now its all a game. Its all fun, not work. She craves mental stimulation, her biggest problem is her day gets boring sometimes. So I thought why not solve this with a Chinese babysitter?  Further, only to about the age of three can a baby be a real native speaker.  If you start lessons at five it will be really hard for them to be accent free. Some people say the age is eight or before adolescence, but the reality is the brain is design to absorb languages and that is the plural form before the age of three.

Chinese lesson and money

I am a teacher in Poland so I do not make a lot of money.  However, I believe if my daughter is a trilingual native speaker in Chinese, English and Polish without an accent she could have a very interesting life.

If you give your child Chinese lessons there life might be more interesting

I do not know if I am good father or not. I spend way to much time working and wish I could be wiser. I am not a rich man. But I love her very much and would like this to be something she has in her life.

If you live in the rich USA, and it is a rich place, even if you are poor, I think you can afford to give your child language lessons in Chinese or any other language, it will change their life, statistically they will have a greater increase in future income then even getting an extra degree. But most important because it is fun for them.

This is why I highly recommend as a language teacher and a parent if you have ever considered to exposure to child to a language early do it. Chinese is the third most studied language in the USA after English and Spanish. Let me know your thoughts on my radical idea of having Chinese lessons for my baby.

One of my friends Erik Wesner has written an Amish business book.  It just came out and I can recommend it if you want to learn about how people who use very little technology, credit or anything else connected to a post modern world, not only survive the recession but thrive.

Amish economics

For me as an armchair economist (I have a master’s degree in Economics from Trinity) and with a passing interest in the Amish in America, it will be an interesting read for me.  I want to know why exactly do the Amish do so well in business, further, what are the take aways for me personally that I can apply to my life?

This is not some abstract book but rather a book written by someone who has lived and worked with the Amish and seen first hand what their economic community is about. I hope to gain some  of that  good old fashion, uncommon commonsense from the Amish which will apply to me personally.

This is what I hope to get out of the book when I discover the business secrets of the Amish.