Moim zdaniem

We're racing ahead now at the language school. To give us a chance to flex our frontal lobes, our teacher has started setting up mini debates in class.

At the moment, for example, we're studying a chapter on professions. There are three of us, so the debate follows a Pro/Con/mediator format, with roles allocated by our all-powerful Polish teacher.

For some reason, I never seem to get the mediator role...

Because Polish is not the easiest idiom in which to express your opinion, we've been equiped with several key phrases to help us structure our debate.

'In my opinion,' I began, 'A doctor is a terrible profession! It is boring and monotonous!'

'I disagree with you!' said my Hungarian classmate, 'Doctors meet lots of different people! They help to solve problems!'

'No- you are wrong!' I continued, 'They always meet the same people. In doctor's surgeries there are always old women in mohair berets. It is not interesting!'

My classmate looked at me and put on a grave pout:

- Wiesz co... she said, wagging a serious finger at me... 'wiesz co...'

The sound of helpless Polish giggles reached us from the front of the classroom...