1989 was a year when the nations of Eastern Europe one by one overthrew communist regimes, dependent on the Soviet Union, and recovered their countries for themselves. The downfall of communism started in Poland, although the best known sign of that process was the fall of the Berlin Wall. I remember the parliamentary election in Poland in 1989; the first…

I suppose we all remember the scandal about MPs’ expenses. Most of them were embarrassed or ashamed. One of the most common excuses and justifications was that they had not broken the law. Seemingly they are right because except for a couple of them (so far) no one else has been prosecuted and sentenced. Sometimes I have the impression that…

Every morning I have a roll spread with butter and jam for my breakfast. There is nothing particularly special about this unless you take into account that most butters on the market have added salt. I found this out while having my first breakfast on Scottish soil. Salt and jam are not a tasty combination. Since then I’ve been carefully…

For last few weeks the media informed us about controversial bank bonuses. Astonishment, bitterness, resentment and anger roused among many ordinary people struggling for living. The top bankers seem to be the only people in the UK unaware of austerity. Apparently the only driving force of that system is a rampant lust for money. One of the arguments raised to…

Before Christmas I was travelling to visit my mum. At London Heathrow it turned out that my flight to Berlin had been cancelled. After two hours standing in a queue I was offered another flight to my destination, but with a different airline from a different terminal. I accepted the offer and then was told to use a train the…