I translated the word by showing them the “brightness” option on a phone screen and making a dim screen become bright. After we all read the sentence together, a couple of guys, including Džavad, asked what does “brighter” mean. Whatever it takes.” In the room where his tent was, on a damp white wall, there was graffiti written with black spray paint: Someday things are gonna get brighter. To my question how long does he plan to try to cross the border, whatever the obstacles, he said: “One day. He, like most of the guys, has not reached twenty years of age. Then I met Džavad, a boy who arrived that day in Grafosrem. A boy that was kicked in the groin barely stood while talking to me, but said with a painful expression on his face how he wants for everyone to know the hardship they experience at the border. They were then transferred to no man’s land between Croatia and Serbia and forced to find their way back on foot to Serbia. Over there, according to their testimonies, the police took their money, broke their phones, and beat them until they all ended up with some sort of physical injury. We arrived a day after 40 migrants were returned from Croatia. The group is helped by volunteers of the organization “No Name Kitchen”, who help them with food supplies, electricity, and binding wounds. Tents are everywhere, in small rooms, in former hallways – wherever they could be set up. This time there are about 140 people, mostly Pashtuns from Afghanistan, placed in a bunch of blue tents, with some tents raised above the ground and placed on pallets, for extra protection from the rain and cold. During that time the guards (there are always guards at night because of the police) have enough time to wake up the entire camp, people have all their valuables close with them, they turn up all the lights in the tents and readily await police inspection, and everyone guards their tents, mobile phones, and valuables… With these gates, the police can’t approach as easily, so they have to remove the obstacles. I doubt that a book was printed there as heavy as the lives of these young, persistent people.īefore arriving at the improvised camp, one has to go through improvised gates made by migrants in order to hold back the police when it comes to inspecting the place. There once was a time when during the day books were printed and stored under its caring and warm roof, which at night, in the safety of the big secured facility, still warm after printing and binding, would wait to go somewhere else, to see the world while today, at the entrance to Grafosrem, there is a logo almost completely crushed by the strokes of time, and under the ruined roof of the destroyed building with no gate, door, and most of the walls, at night lie the fates of hundreds of people trying to reach the European Union and the famous better life. During the famous transition process (in which we will apparently remain for eternity), when even giants like BIGZ shut down, what could be expected from publishing and graphic institutions in smaller places? Grafosrem was another institution of this sort, which went bankrupt and in administration, but it never recovered. The most famous is, certainly, BIGZ, short for Publishing and Graphics Institution of Belgrade. Therefore, do NOT write a question mark at the end.There used to be a publishing and graphic institution in almost every small place in SFRY. I would be most grateful if you could send me the reports. We can add “ most” to be even more polite: I would be grateful if you could send me your price list. I would be grateful if you could + base form of verb … Here is a good expression for formal emails and letters: I don’t suppose you could clean the bathroom, could you? Polite requests in written English You wouldn’t take me to the airport, would you?įorm: I don’t suppose you could + base form of verb … + could you? This is very formal English and it’s an excellent way to ask someone something politely.įorm: You couldn’t + base form of verb … + could you?įorm: You wouldn’t + base form of verb … + would you? We can add question tags to a negative statement to transform the negative into a question.
I wonder if you could possibly take me to the airport?Ī statement is a normal sentence. We can add “ possibly” to be even more polite: I wonder if you could give me some advice? ?įorm: I wonder if you could + base form of verb … ? Would you mind taking my photograph? I wonder if you could. ?įorm: Would you mind + ing form of verb … ?
We put “possibly” in between “Could you” and the verb.Ĭould you possibly hold my drink? Would you mind.
We can add “ possibly” to be even more polite. Polite requests in spoken English Could you.