Learn Polish: Mimo że jest gwar, widzę, jak kieszonkowiec kradnie portfel. - Even though there is a hubbub, I see the pickpocket stealing a wallet.

This is the core of a perception clause! When using sensory verbs like widzieć (to see) or słyszeć (to hear), using jak emphasizes that you are directly observing the action as it happens ('I see him in the act of stealing'). If you used że (widzę, że...), it would mean 'I see that he is stealing,' which sounds more like a deduction or a realization rather than watching the physical event unfold live.

Why is the verb kradnie imperfective here?

The jak perception clause focuses on an action being in progress while you observe it. Since you are watching the act of stealing as it is currently unfolding, you need the imperfective aspect. Using a perfective verb wouldn't work for a present, ongoing observation.

Could I just say Mimo gwaru instead of Mimo że jest gwar?

Yes! Mimo że is a conjunction meaning 'even though,' and it must be followed by a full clause with a conjugated verb (jest gwar). Mimo (without że) is a preposition meaning 'despite,' and it must be followed by a noun in the genitive case. So mimo gwaru (despite the hubbub) is a perfectly natural, more concise alternative.

What exactly is gwar?