Are we being manipulated?

Lately I had an opportunity to talk with a few people about our television, about what we can see there and why is that all so pathetic.

My brother is a medicine student, and he gets very passionate about everything related to health and its false perception. So we were talking about this winter time, that TV gives us definitely too many commercials of medicines. it won't be exagarated to say that it's about 70%, I am sure. We're almost literally bombed by those commercials, which, in most cases, are terribly poor. It's understandable that in the time of a flu and other infections we get to see more commercials, but if it was just that, I wouldn't mind (although I suffer a lot when I see poorly made tv commercial, as well as I really enjoy the good ones).

The problem is that pharmaceutical companies are trying to tell us more and more stupid things, and it becomes disturbing. It looks like we can't live without all kind of vitamins, suplements, we can't lose weight without medicines, and surely fruits and vegetables won't help. I find it truly disturbing, because we spend money on things we actually don't need and may be harmful if we looks further. I think the most exposed to this are elder people.

It's JUST business. We don't need a half of what we have in our houses to "protect our health". They try to tell us that we should buy their product to PROTECT us, and they do it very well. Because who would skimp for health?

Aunt Monika

So it's been almost three weeks since I have become an auntie Monika.

My older sister had a baby at the beginnings of january and I am extremely happy and excited. It's my very first time to have around such a tiny human being, although it's not literally around because they live in Warsaw. I have to admit that I was quite worried if I will be able to hold a baby correctly, not drop it and to keep her head for her...Yeah, it's a girl, I haven't mentioned she's a cute girl named Klara. She got that name after her great grandmother, to comemorate her.

I went last week to visit my sister and her husband and of course the little human. And I was so excited about her tiny fingers and tiny everything actually, also she has few weeks so she's really polite right now, her cry is not even loud. The last day I was already more confident about my taking-care-of-a-baby skills, and I have to say it's a perfect solution for me to visit sometimes my sister...

It's that I don't plan to have a baby now, I want to end my career and then work, so there will be a better time. On the other hand, I always wondered when will my married sister have a baby, because I really wanted to have a baby in a family to cuddle it and buy tiny socks.We all know it's perfect when you don't have to listen a crying baby all 24 hours, and just spend some spare time with him or her. All the hard parts of parenting we leave to the parents... Probably the most of us will experience this some day, so right now I'm very glad I can take care of a baby girl from time to time and claim myself as an aunt!

I just feel it's quite sad that my parents won't be able to see that girl growing because they live a long way from Warsaw. I think it will be very common these times, because a lot of students stay in the cities where they studied, they settle down far away from their parents. Actually I'm not sure if any of my siblings will ever come back to live in my hometown - we're four, so it's a sad perspective of future if my parents will be alone in there without their grandchildren. Well, nobody said my city will never be attractive, though...Maybe it will revive and convince us to come back, find a job there and let the parents of our generation help their children in raising a child.

12 Angry Men in theatre

I don't go often to the theatre, partially because I haven't seen a lot of good performances, and also because I don't think I like all this mugging of actors. Perhaps I shouldn't say I don't like theatre before I don't see more performances...Anyway, yesterday I had an opportunity to see a quite interesting and good adaptation of 12 Angry Men, the excellent movie from 1957.

I have heard about this movie a long time ago, but I could never get to see it. This autumn I finally saw it with my boyfriend, actually he made me see it - he knew I would like it. Frankly, I think it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. So when we found out that Nowy Teatr in Poznan is adapting this movie, we thought it would be a great idea to go and see it, especially because we don't go a lot to the theatre, as I mentioned earlier. My boyfriend bought us for Christmas tickets and we went yesterday...

 

I am really glad that we went. Although there were some things a little bit exagerated or iritating, but my general impression is very good. There was some glitter, some unexpected lines that don't appear in a movie, but that fit very well in a theatre performance.

It doesn't matter if it is a movie or a performance or a book - the story that it tells always makes me feel so confident about people, it restores my faith in humanity. Also, lately I have been watching a lot movies with MAilyn Monroe, and it keeps making me laugh that in 1950s women were embarrased of wearing glasses! Times are changing so much, now it's fashionable and even those who don't need glasses wear them:)

Anybody who saw the movie 12 Angry Men, may like the theatre adaptation and I recommend it. To be honest, I think it may be very good experience and give us another point of view, because of a fresh and modern look that gives us a director.

One optimistic movie

So today I had an opportunity to see a movie that made embarassed me to feel bad about stupid, little things. It's called Fourth floor (Cuarta planta in spanish) and it tells the story of boys who spend even years in a hospital becuase of bone cancer. Most of them have they leg amputated.


I expected it would make me cry and feel pity about those boys, but it didn't. The movie has about 4 or 5 scenes which show the dark side of the illness. The rest of the film we see jokes, sometimes cruel, activities that boys organize themselves to make their lives more similar to the life they had earlier. It might appear that they don't realise how serious their state is - that they can die soon. But in my opinion they just learn to live with their illness, and they do it really well.

I don't think I would be able to do such a great job and deal with amputation and illness so well. The movie is not even a bit depressing - it's a motivation. It shows the courage to live normally even if everything's wrong.

Of course, I recommend to see it, although I have to admit that it's not a masterpiece for me, which made laugh and cry and I won't forget. But I also think it is worth seeing, especially for those who are scared of cancer, death etc. - some of ill boys will show you a nice way to ... live.

This original New Year's Post

When this particular time of the begining of the year comes, it is hard not to think about new year resolutions. I know and you know it all tends to disappear after few weeks, but if it's something we always wanted to do, maybe it's possible? Someone say that new year resolutions just don't work because they are new year resolutions and they happen to fail. Well, that's quite pessimistic, what about a challenge and not failing this year? I dare myself.

My resolutions aren't really original or hard. I made a list of about 20 books I NEED to read, because I always wanted and it's high time to make it an obligation. I'm gonna mark every book I read and control it every few months - and at Christmas 2015 it will be my gift, to know I succeeded. There will be more books that I will read that are not on the list, but I will write them down. I will be so proud of me! 

Also I decided to go at least once to Spain this year, because I haven't been ther since I came back from my Erasmus (it's been 2 years - and I'm a philologist! ...almost).

And the third thing I thought it would be great to do is something I used to do when I was a teenager. I want to practice to do the split again. I used to be quite good at gymnastics and I miss being that flexible and healthy and athletic. I can practice a split at home, during the winter, which I appreciate, because I also would like to run or roller blade. I feel that I really need any kind of movement and sport activities.

There are thousands of things I would like to achieve this year, some are certain - if, of course, anything serious happens. I am going to graduate, for sure. But if it comes to things that depends totally on me - like reading extraacademic books or sport, I have to be realistic.

PS I really, really wish to participate in a half marathon this autumn but I say that very quietly because I still haven't made my mind and I think I might jinx it. Anyway, wish me luck!

hackers won again

Most of us must have heard about Sony's computers being hacked. It might seem ridicuolus that another stupid, and surely fictional movie, cannot be released because of threatens of hackers. But the issue doesn't seem to be ridicoulus, it turnes into political and international issue, commented in many countries. 

The movie's about two guys who go to North Korea and fictinally kill a korean leader. I guess it's one of those movies like "Hangover", not really serious or with a strong political topic. But in the end of november there was an hacker's attack on Sony's computers, which caused data deletion and stealing some important information and password that nobody was suposed to know. What is more, the hackers threatened with an attack similar to 11-S if they will if they company won't cancel the premiere of the movie.

So it's natural to think it was the North Korean attack, which was supose to stop showing a movie that is refering to the regime and killing the leader. After the investigation the FBI concludes it was the North Korea behind the attacks.

My knowledge about the world political issues is not really deep so I don't want to analyse or investigate. I just think I'm torn when I hear the news about that - on the one hand, we shouldn't give way to hackers and the regime which is trying to hide the truth and forbid the others talking about that, although it's obvious. On the other hand, I think that it would be not really deep movie, so it's not that much about freedom of speech. And if there is any risk of an attempt where people can die - then there is no place for a discussion. Anyway, all that thing is a little but depressing. 

that's gonna be a christmas post

That might be the most boring topic of that time, but I find truly disturbing the fact that we still talk about not going crazy about presents, but do nothing about that.

It's the most present topic in churches and media, and social media - don't buy expensive presents, just spend time with your family and friends, or at least be creative and prepare some handmade gifts. Well, I supose the most of us (including me) will agree that Christmas is not about shopping centers and ho-ho-ho craziness...

We're not supose to concentrate on material stuff. We all know that but we keep buying, and worrying about prices, and good manners - should I buy a present for my boss or for that friend of my friend? Consumerism is all over, especially on the West. I think getting rid of that attitude is not that hard, it's about trying and changing our habits. Also it's important to do it by little steps, like thinking about good presents earlier, and trying to enrich them with our personal accent.

Here I put something that looks really tasty. I can't make it, but it still looks great:

And it's December 17th, I have some ideas about my presents, but actually my friends/family members told me what would be great for them, and that's what I am going to buy. I'm not sure if that already is a good step...I failed this year too, because I did think about all christmas stuff earlier, but I didn't DO anything concrete. 

Also I'm not sure if Iwill have time to put some personal accent in those presents. Maybe at least some kind of cards... Well, if I do that, I surely will write that down HERE! So somebody could be a little bit proud of me. For example me.