English speaking room

Jez,
Good idea. I will dig out my french books now. They are all stored in behidn of the storage room due to a shortage of space. (My hubby is preparing for his final qualification exams so we have books all over the appartment). Or we could look up in some internet source to read and discuss the same book.
This is concerning the reading in English as well. So far I have read only prenancy and parenthood books in this language. Well of course my MSc was in it as well but none of English literature

Splattie,
As you said. There is always targetting one group of people to bring up the issues that would make more people to react and dropping other group that suffer at the same level or more. This is all about politics. And besides the financial crysis wouldn't be there for always! Yes it is the case nowadays, but in two years time I think it will be gone and bright minds take an opportunity of it. Actually we are analysing the housing market as the prices are going down, as we want to get a mortgage at the bottom level and to enjoy the fruits at the ceiling level. The same for the companies, the smart bosses wouldn't cut all the humain capital now, as when the time of investment comes they will not be ready. And they know it! If you look to the job markets even in financial sphere it is wide open! The banks are still hiring young people to graduate prorams. As they know that now they can hire them with the smallest package of the salaries possible and exploit them to maximum while still teaching and preparing them for the brighter future tomorrow. This will pay off. And the ones that are not looking in the long run terms are just doing the job cuts. But by now major job cuts are done in financial world. They are now preparing for gaining back their previous presstige and actually even becoming better and this is so possible. As the young professionals are not demanding now due to the situation. So there are always two sides of the coin that they do not disclose to a greater public.
It is time to make some personal and professional development to answer to even harder demands of the markets in future. And the smart ones are doing that continuing their education or obtaining more qualification. I think this is way better rather than sitting around with shaky knees and expecting getting fired every other second.