Whenever someone who isn’t from the UK is asked to put on an ‘British accent’, they usually default to a well-to-do South-Eastern impression. But its actual name is Received Pronunciation, or RP for short; it is also referred to as the Queen’s English, Oxford English, and BBC English (for reasons I’ll explain later) and is most often heard in the middle and upper classes in England.
З Різдвом Христовим!
Have you ever wished that Christmas happened more than once a year? This lovely festive dream has been a reality in Ukraine for the last several years. Both Catholic and Orthodox Christmases are celebrated, so the 25th of December and the 7th of January are national holidays. This is due to Ukraine having a diverse population and a majority identifying as either Orthodox Christian or Byzantine Rite Catholic, with the two denominations celebrating on different days. Two Christmases – double the fun. You, my curious reader, are probably wondering whether there are any traditions associated with this festive time. And if you assumed that there are, you would be very right. So, let’s begin our journey of discovering the magical land of Ukrainian festivities.
We have been taught that science is rational and binary, yet medicine can never be truly objective – it resides at the heart of a society and strikes at the core of what it means to be human. In a discipline devoted to caring for the vulnerable, many have been let down, repeatedly ignored and written off due to prejudices deeply engrained in our society. Medicine will always reflect our values, therefore as we move away from the paternalistic doctor, and towards patient-centred care where we are listened to and believed, it’s important to remember where the roots of medicine come from to better understand why so many women have been and still are mistreated.
I’m sure we have all heard of Black Friday, whether you use the day to score an amazing deal on something you will never use, or get a head start on your Christmas shopping (though who is actually this organised..), but have you ever stopped to think where the seemingly sinister term actually originated from?
Establishing a country may seem like a manageable task to some: Settling clear geographical borders? Easy-peasy; Forming a functioning government? Can’t be that difficult; and bonding with other sovereign states? That’s all in the people-skills. But it is actually far more complicated to establish a country than some may think, with a process that can take decades and often involves mountains of bureaucracy, a multitude of setbacks and devastating bloodshed.
