2001

The Notting Hill Thrill

Perhaps made famous to foreigners thanks to Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts in the film of the same name, this part of London is really on the map because of the annual carnival in August, second only to Rio de Janeiro's.

If you imagine the Notting Hill Carnival as a colourful, loud and fast moving pageant, you are wrong. It is far more resplendent and clamorous, and way too crowded to move with any speed at all - the streets are not as wide as in Rio!

Exotica, Neurotica

There are many things you learn when you enter into an intercultural relationship. And you are always learning. Remember, though, that often these things are just the natural processes of getting to know your partner over the years. Don't get drawn into the misapprehension that he won't do the washing up because he's British; maybe a Polish man is far less likely to! That's men for you. Nor that he might prefer to watch an important international footie match to spending a romantic evening with you listening to soothing music. We're all the same.

Free Speech

Try getting your tongue around one of Europe's 225 languages in the European Year of Languages 2001.

Language learning is something you can do throughout your lifetime - you are never too old or too young to learn a language! Learning a new tongue is always a challenge, but if it is approached in the right way, it will be enjoyable and provide an immense feeling of satisfaction. It will give a practical skill that can add to the appreciation of other cultures, improve employment prospects and make travel more rewarding.

Failure - a winter's tale

Americans and their New Year's Resolutions: as the world grows a year older it's always a good time to change those natural faults that make us human - but it's always a lost cause.

Big project for small Polish farms

The World of English spoke with Prof. Louis Moore from Penn State University about agriculture and the extension service program in Poland.

WOE: Whose idea was it that Penn State's extension service should come to Poland?

An Amazing Story

After reading this story, be careful where you ski this winter - and remember to wrap up warm, because miracles don't fall off trees, and this is truly a miraculous story of life returning from an icy grave.

Exiled on the Emerald Isle

During and after the Second World War, a small community of Polish people developed in Ireland. The two peoples shared religion and a history of oppression, while marriage brought them closer together.

A Poet for the People

Benjamin Zephaniah, one of Britain's leading poets, merges politics and reggae with incisive wit. He was born in Birmingham in the industrial heartland of England, a far cry from his Jamaican roots, but his popularity has since spread around the globe, even earning him a no.1 slot in Yugoslavia!

A Bard's Eye View

Irish poet and Polish poetry specialist Barry Keane explores the motions and emotions of the poetry translator.

Anyone who has been to conferences on the art of translation may recall the sea of linguistic terms used by academics to describe the process of transferring meaning from one language to another. Yet, while the theoreticians are often present in large numbers at these conferences, the actual hands on translators are generally diving for cover in the dark corner of some pub on the other side of the planet.

DIY, Do and Die?

Think twice before you launch yourself into the world of home improvements, for many perils await you. Life is beautiful - so don't fiddle with it!

It is a curious fact about the British that they have never quite come to terms with the idea that weekends are for resting. Saturday and Sunday are, indeed, the busiest days of the week for many people in Britain. During the week activity has to slow down because they are at work, but come the weekend Brits can indulge in their twin passions, DIY and gardening.

Poetry for the Street

Turbulent times followed Poland's independence in 1918, as Poles came to terms with their freedom. To put into words the emotions of a nation, poet Julian Tuwim tried to rid poetry of its elitist image. How far did he succeed?

This is America

What is the world's best-known country? Most people around the world these days would reply: the United States of America. Variously known as the U.S., U.S.A., the States or simply America, this is the most heavily populated country of North America, although Canada to the north, which has fewer people than Poland, is far bigger territorially. Second question: who, or what, is an American? Read on and you'll find out.

Ireland and the European Union

Ireland is no longer just the Emerald Isle in name - it has become the jewel in the crown of the European Union.

Dr. John Dee - The Original 007

In the 16th century the English were at war with the Spanish. Queen Elizabeth I needed information about her enemies for the empire she was starting to build. And she needed a spy to get it. Dr John Dee, a philosopher, alchemist and mathematician was introduced to her, and became her most trusted and brilliant advisor. He was the man who inspired Shakespeare to create the character of Prospero from The Tempest, and the inspiration for Ian Flemings James Bond...

Jamaica, the heart of the Caribbean

Think Jamaica, think Bob Marley, the King of Reggae, cricket, amazing food, oh and, of course, the regulation tourist-brochure sunshine, sand and palm trees.

The island now known as Jamaica was discovered by the Spanish way back in 1494. It was already populated by Arawak Indians, who had arrived from South America by canoe many centuries before. The Spaniards did not pay much attention to their new colony because it did not have any precious metals to exploit, and so the British met little resistance when they took over in 1655.

Letter From the Editors

STO LAT!!!

The month of October always reminds us that Mr. Edward J. Piszek, the successful businessman, humanitarian and great friend of Poland for the last 40 years, celebrates his birthday. This year it is his 85th and he is still very active in Poland and on behalf of Poland.

Stranger than fiction

British novelist and politician Jeffrey Archer became a Member of Parliament at the age of 29. Bankruptcy forced him to resign, so he sat down and wrote a novel that made him a millionaire. But in July he was sentenced to four years in jail for perjury. This is the story of his rise and fall.

The Naked Eye

People-watching is always fun, but now "reality television", in the guise of Big Brother, takes it one step further, satisfying our deepest voyeuristic desireswhile giving us a chance to influence the outcome. We are part of the plot!

A Letter to Our Readers

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the World of English Summer Issue, in which we invite you to let your hair down (or if you haven't any, to let it grow) and forget, as far as you think wise, about exams, school and university (or, if you are an especially precocious pupil, kindergarten).

A Real Hate of Real Estate

Why is selling and buying a house one of the most stressful and tiring experiences of your life? I think it's on a par with having a baby! Since buying a house is probably one of the largest purchases you make in their lifetime, you don't want to make a mistake.