english matters

I’ve always said that popping on your hiking boots and grabbing a rucksack is one of the best ways to spend your free time. And now that the sun is out in full force, it’s the ideal time to do it. I like to try and get back to Britain a few times a year to see family and friends, so yesterday I booked a ticket to go back in a fortnight to spend a few days in the Yorkshire Dales. For anyone who is looking to visit the UK but wants to…Czytaj dalej …

Last Friday I was called up by a friend of mine who owns a little allotment patch close to Wrocłwaw, inviting me to join him for a few days in the sunshine. Seeing as the springtime is in full force, it seemed like a good opportunity to meet up and catch some rays. Of course, there was some hard work involved. See, my mate enjoys gardening and growing his own fruit and veg. So a weekend away didn’t mean relaxing, but involved me helping him pot and plant seeds so he has enough…Czytaj dalej …

Anyone who has read emblog.pl in the past will know that we are big fans of comedy - both on screen and live. Both have their own merits, although for me seeing it on stage just pips it. 
So imagine my joy wen I learned on Monday that as of next week, one of my favourite local venues is all set to start its own stand up comedy show every fortnight. Great news for the city and great news for fans of live entertainment too. Because the venue is rather small - and…Czytaj dalej …

The Brits are renowned for many talents and anyone visiting the country will be left amazed by their behaviour, habits and strange little quirks. They are an eccentric nation and sometimes it’s hard to understand their way of doing things. Their ability to make a mammoth meal out of a breakfast, for example. What other country chooses to eat sausages, mushrooms, bacon, black pudding and baked beans before work?! Then there is their love of queues. This is something of a national sport and their ability to stand in a straight line for…Czytaj dalej …

Over the weekend I was introduced to the fantastic board game Balderdash. The word itself means 'senseless talk or nonsense' and the game is extremely enjoyable to play.   It basically involves a number of cards containing lists of unusual laws, strange events, difficult words and acronyms and players having to make up their own definitions to them. The rest of the players must then try to guess the real answer contained on the card to score points. For each point, you move your counter forward and the first person to make their…Czytaj dalej …

Over the weekend, I was forced to visit one of my friends in Wroclaw, one of my favourite Polish cities. When I say ‘forced’ that makes it sound negative... it really isn’t! The issue is that her flat is full of things which don’t agree with me - cats! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried really hard to get along with these beautiful creatures, but no matter what approach I take, they just don’t seem to like me. Some people just have a natural ability with cats and some people don’t. I definitely…Czytaj dalej …

If you’re anything like me, you will have spent countless nights as a child with the lights on for fear of things that crawled in the dark. Strange noises, evil spirits and zombies were all things that scared me stiff but there was one thing that stood out more than anything - clowns. The reason for this was of course Stephen King’s spooky book and film ‘It’. Well imagine my horror when I saw the new trailer for the upcoming remake, due out in September. Just when I thought I had finally overcome…Czytaj dalej …

In a desperate attempt to shift a little more weight (in preparation for all those upcoming Easter eggs) a few weeks ago myself and two friends decided to get involved in a new sport. Going to the gym has never really been my thing and swimming is more an individual activity, so I suggested looking at badminton. Racquets and shuttlecocks were bought and courts were booked. I even invested in a new pair of trainers and shorts to get myself in the mood. 
In the past I’ve always viewed it as a bit…Czytaj dalej …

One of the (many) best things about purchasing new property is that it gives you the chance to throw one of the most exciting parties going - a Housewarming party. Ok, so I might be cheating a bit. It’s not me that’s the lucky new owner of a smart, nice new apartment, but a good friend of mine from Holland (who I first met incidentally in Poland many, many years ago). So when I was invited along to see the brand new pad, I couldn’t wait to get myself along and help celebrate…Czytaj dalej …

Have you ever been in a situation where you’ve received a text message or an email and it contains a word you just don’t know? It happens to everyone, regardless of what language they speak. Usually of course, you can work out the meaning through the context. But sometimes, well sometimes it’s just impossible. Luckily in this day and age we have Auntie Google to help us, and this week I had to hold my hands up and ask for guidance. The word was ‘insalubrious’. It sounded negative and indeed it was. Here…Czytaj dalej …