Cancer Awareness Campaign

Last weekend I sat down with a dear friend and she told me all about her campaign to promote awareness in the migrant community about checking for the signs of cancer (especially in those intimate areas). Sadly, my friend’s campaign started through her own personal experiences. Her message was so positive and so clear; basically it's time to go public on cancer of those private places!

So, inspired by this beautiful young woman I urge you all to please take the time to get your underwear off and check check check! (and I know how that sounds!)

If you’re due a smear test, don’t put it off. For Cervical Cancer awareness:
http://www.jostrust.org.uk

Get savvy about Gynaecological Cancers:
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/women/index

And get your bra off to be Breast Cancer aware:
http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk

And men, let's go public on the personal:
http://cancer.about.com/od/cancersaffectingmen/Mens_Cancers.htm

Polish-English Baby Care Words

After an interview I conducted with a lovely Polish mum a few weeks ago we were having a chat and she was trying to help me with a few words in Polish, when it occurred to her that Polish words for baby related items were becoming harder for her to recall. I found this really interesting, in that chapters of our lives spent aboard, in this case, becoming a mother in Britain, reflect in the language we know and use. English baby care vocabulary had become part of her everyday.

Language is a recurrent theme in my interviews, it seems to give people a gauge as to who they believe they are, how ‘integrated’ into British society they feel, and how marked the difference between themselves and their children might be or become. Language seems to be one of the biggest areas of frustration and anxiety for Polish parents in the North East, who often link their ability in English to job prospects and future prospects for their family.

Thanks to this interview I've been inspired to look up some Polish-English baby care vocabulary myself:

krem na odparzenia - nappy rash cream
nawilżana chusteczka pielęgnacyjna - wet wipes
mata do przewijania - changing mat
nocnik - potty
kąpiel - baby bath
torba z przyborami do przewijania - changing bag
pielucha - nappy

łóżeczko dziecinne - cot
karuzela - cot mobile
materac - mattress
ochraniacz - cot bumper
prześcieradło - cot sheet
koc - blanket
kosz do noszenia dziecka - moses basket

zabawka - toy
lalka - doll
pluszowa zabawka - cuddly toy
domek do zabawy - playhouse
miś - teddy bear
grzechotka - rattle
kosz na zabawki - toy basket
piłka - ball


zamknięcie zabezpieczające - child locks
elektroniczna niania - baby monitor
bramka na schodach - stair gate
wysokie krzesełko - high chair
wózek spacerowy - pushchair
wózek dziecięcy - pram
nosidełko-gondola - carrycot
nosidełko - baby sling

kubeczek - sippy cup
butelka - bottle
karmić piersią - to breastfeed

podkoszulek - vest
pajacyk - babygro
zatrzask - sleep suit poppers
rękawiczki - mittens
buciki - booties
śpioszki - sleepsuit
rampers - romper suit
kombinezon zimowy - snowsuit
śliniaczek - bib
majtki ceratowe - training pants
kapelusz od słońca - sunhat
ogrodniczki - dungarees ('little gardeners'?...these are so cute!)


And here's some useful language learning resources:

For Polish-English exercise sheets, and learning resources try:
http://www.collinslanguage.com/extras/resources/easy-learning/polish.aspx

A fantastic blog for Polish language learners (like me), with podcasts and songs:
http://bloggypolish.co.uk/index.html

Do zobaczenia wkrótce!

Polish-English children's book (III)

This is possibly the best present I’ve ever had! A British friend recently tracked down a copy of my favourite children’s book, The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and worked her way through a Polish website to buy me the Polish edition of the book. I was so touched. What a great present!

W sierpniu dostałam najlepszy present, było Bardzo Głodna Gąsienica w języku polskim!

I especially love the fact that in the English (Canadian English) version of the book the caterpillar eats ‘a slice of Swiss cheese’, ‘a slice of salami’ and ‘a piece of cherry pie’, but in the Polish version the caterpillar (who’s female by the way) seems less fussy and eats non-specific cheese, sausage and cake. Rather than a cupcake she takes muffins (babeczkę) and she shows a specific interest in frankfurters - and then that evening her belly hurts (‘Ależ ją bolał wieczorem brzuch!’)

The Polish edition of this classic children’s book is published by Wydawnictwo Tatarak.
It makes me smile every time I read it. Każdym razem, gdy czytam tę książke, uśmiecham się do siebie.

Free activities for toddlers in and around Newcastle

From my own experience as a mum with a toddler, I would recommend the following:

The Toy Library
Sure Start North Moor Children's Centre in Kenton, has a free, relaxed and informal play session for under 5’s each Friday. All the toys can then be borrowed and taken home. The session is open 9:30am - 11am on Halewood Avenue, Kenton, (NE3 3RX).

Museums and Galleries

The Laing Art Gallery has an excellent under 5’s area where little ones can use the dress up box, play with blocks, work out simply puzzles, read books, press buttons. We’ve been using it regularly since my little one was 9 months old. It’s a lovely space, next to the café in the Laing, and free to everyone at anytime. http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/laing

I would also recommend the play space in the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. After watching the glass blowing display in wonderment, we then took our toddler around the free permanent exhibition in the National Glass Centre. He especially enjoyed the magic mirrors and again, a good under 5’s area with blocks, toy cars and chalkboards. http://www.nationalglasscentre.com/home.html

Monkwearmouth Museum has the best under 5’s area in my opinion. There’s a huge dress up box with transport related uniforms, a brightly coloured children’s train, trains sets and viewing deck where little ones can watch the metro passing by: http://www.twmuseums.org.uk/monkwearmouth.

All of these activities are free!