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2001

Dressing the Ghetto

Anna Sheppard, internationally acclaimed costume designer for some of the top film productions of recent years, talked to John Edmondson on the 58th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising about her current work on Roman Polanski's The Pianist, and how she got where she is today.

2001

Irish ODWS

So just who are the development workers and how did they originate? Simon Jones, himself a former overseas development worker (ODW), gives us a thumbnail sketch of the people ex-President Mary Robinson (now United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) honours with a candle in the window of her official residence, Áras an Uachtarain, every Christmas.

2001

Where there's a Will there's a way

William Wales (aka Prince William) is reaching the end of his first term at St Andrew's University in Scotland, which we profiled last year (5/2000). What's it like trying to be a normal student getting an education fit for a king?

Life can be tough being an apprentice monarch - especially a British one - when the eyes of the whole world are focused on you. And even more so when your mum was Princess Diana, "England's Rose", whose every move and word was examined and blown out of proportion by a sensation-seeking press.

2001

Working Capital

London offers the best of what can be expected of any European capital: excellent galleries and museums, fantastic bars and clubs - and a top quality education. It's difficult to resist the pull of London when making your choice of where to study abroad, so Jan Majdecki opted for it. Here he describes briefly how to get into a British university. But be warned: it doesn't come cheap!

2001

Bloomsday - a day like no other

Dublin and the Irish diaspora celebrate 16th June in honour of James Joyce, his masterpiece Ulysses and its most famous hero, one Leopold Bloom... It's an excuse for grub and a trip to the pub.

2001

A Little Dose of Truth

>A Polish student living in America, Katarzyna Jelonek-Allen, gives our World of English readers an insight into the realities of American university life. Pay attention (before you pay the fees!)

2001

Bleak Tragedy

It's been a tough year for Blair's Britain, especially in the English Lakes, where the tourist industry, the farmers and the sheep alike have had little say in their survival.

England may be famous for its beautiful seashores and undulating hills, but it is not that well known for its mountains. Indeed, the country's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, in the scenic northern Lake District in the county of Cumbria, is only 3,184 feet (978 metres) high - probably not very impressive to anyone from the Alps or Carpathians.

2001

To a Certain Degree

America draws thousands of foreign students every year. If youre interested, remember the famous American can-do attitude and our saying, Where theres a will, theres a way!

2001

Poland's Farewell to the Peace Corps

The turnout for the Peace Corps' Farewell in Warsaw on June 8th was larger than expected. The atmosphere was moistened with tears and sprinkled with a little sadness and sentimentality, but it still managed to be joyful. It's not easy to say goodbye to firm friends, nor to pack up and go home without having mixed feelings. Yet, this is what is expected of Peace Corps Volunteers when their mission comes to an end. It can almost be compared with a gardener transplanting a flower while it's in full bloom and hoping it survives the shock.

2001

Paradise in East Sussex

For a real taste of old-fashioned England, there's no better place to visit than Rye on (or near enough) the East Sussex coast.

"Jutro jedziemy do Rye'u," I said to my wife (who is Polish, by the way). "Do raju?" she asked. Then I realised that to Poles the name of this little town could well be confused with Paradise. I had never been there before, so I couldn't say whether or not Rye might indeed be "raj". But as it turned out, the little town not far from Hastings came surprisingly close.

2001

Touching Base

The city of Kutno once more brought together Junior and Little baseball players from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa (all, oddly enough, included in the European Region!) this July and August, when it played host to three of Europe's most prestigious baseball tournaments - the Transatlantic Regional, the Junior League Regional and the Little League European Regional.

2001

Only Joking!

The Smiths were proud of their American family tradition. Their ancestors had arrived in America on the Mayflower. Their family included senators and Wall Street wizards.

They decided to compile a family history, a legacy for their children and grandchildren. They hired a fine author. Only one problem arose: how to handle great-uncle George, who had been executed in the electric chair. The author said he could handle the story tactfully.

2001

Letter from a Zambian Mission

Located in the Luano Valley in Zambia is the Chingombe Mission run by Polish priests. Father Wojciech Kozłowicz SDB sent us this communiqué.

As most of you know, Zambia's climate varies from hot to moderate throughout the year. It is located on the rolling African plateau between 3,000 and 5,000 feet above sea level. However, valleys are set at less than 1,000 feet above sea level and are very hot and humid.

I spent some time in the Luano Valley at the Chingombe Mission working alongside its "boss", Father Marcel, a Pole like myself.

2001

A Senior's Rite of Passage

Seeking the right college: this is the annual rite of passage for high school seniors. It is the beginning of a yearlong journey for them and their parents that can be an exciting, but stressful, time for both. The journey usually begins in the spring of a student's junior year (11th grade) and is not completed until the following spring of his or her senior year (12th grade). During the process student and parents are faced with many decisions in determining which college is the right one.

Spoilt for choice

2001

Dance, Billy, Dance!

Forget Brad, Ronan and Becks. There's a new kid on the block and he's got talent in bucketfuls. Discovered by British film director Stephen Daldry at the tender age of 13, he has already achieved what others can only dream of.

The whirl surrounding the boy from Billingham, England, started when he was cast as the eponymous hero of the film Billy Elliot. Since then Jamie Bell has managed - with his adolescent charm and superb skills - to thrill millions of viewers all around the world and turn the British production into a smash hit.

2001

Report from a Bloodless War

We all know of the many wars and revolts in Southeast Asia that have resulted in millions of innocent victims. The war that I intend to tell you about is ruthless, too, even if it causes no bloodshed.

The war we are now witnessing is between two languages, French and English. The language of Shakespeare and Churchill is the aggressor, needless to say, whereas French, comfortably established in the region for many years, fights to survive against the odds.

2001

Sept. 11 - A Day That Will Long Be Remembered

Where were you on September 11? What were you doing? And how did you react when you first learned about the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington? That day is likely to be remembered by many World of English readers, just as their parents recall the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the day martial law was declared in 1981 and when a Pole was elected pope three years earlier.

2001

London Calling

London is the number one place in the world for the rock and pop music fan. It is home to more music publishers, record labels and live music venues than any other city. Here are just some of the places and addresses that have played, or still play, an important part in the history of British rock.

If the postcode begins with W1, WC1 or WC2, then you know you are in the centre of London. And as it's such a large city, we will only concentrate on the central area to give you a taste of London's rock 'n' roll past.

2001

Jokes!

Here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods. We in the West are not all this stupid, honestly! Shop carefully!

1. On a Sears hairdryer: "Do not use while sleeping."

2. On a bag of Fritos: "You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside."

3. On a bar of Dial soap: "Directions: use like regular soap."

4. On some Swanson frozen dinners: "Serving suggestions: defrost."

5. On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom of box): "Do not turn upside down."

2001

From Westlife to Eternity?

After the Pogues and U2, there came the female voices of Sinéad O'Connor, Enya and the Cranberries. But what next? It was the boys' turn (well, mostly), and the money-makers have been having a field day.

2001