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.

Interstellar - not sure if like it or not

Hearing so many positive opinions about "Interstellar" movie made me go to the cinema, and I don't go to do cinema often. I also got convinced that another movie of that director (Christopher Nolan) would be an interesting piece of art to see, and it might be better to see it on a big screen. So I went. 

Below you have a trailer of Interstellar.

I don't think it's a proper moment to describe whole action, all you have to know is that the effects of global warming (I assume it's because of it) are getting worse and worse, so it's obvious that people on the earth are losing a safe place to live. Randomly turns out that NASA is exploring space so they can find another planet to live (a main character and his daughter find a secret NASA station). And then...mostly we're floating in a space with Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey.

While watching a movie, I had mixed feelings, and I am torn right now. It's hard to say if I liked that movie. Well, I can say it was interesting, whole the plot was absorbing and also moving. Well, my problem is that I cry a lot at every movie that is at least one bit moving, so that's another thing. So generally, it was a well spent money.

On the other hand, it was so not real, I mean it could be real, the future of our planet etc but the whole thing, when dad and his daughter find a NASA station and it turns out that daddy is the only pilot on the earth that can lead that mission, it's incredible, almost funny.

I expected it would be awesome, and it was just a fine way to spend evening. And one another thing: I remembered mostly how much I was fighting for a comfortable position...The movie lasted almost 3 hours and now I think that I might be too old for sitting in a movie theater for so long, and instead, even if the movie requires a big screen, I will watch it at home, have breaks whenever I want, etc. This is the lesson I learned thanks to that movie.

being a reporter

I would like to write a little bit about something that is occupying my mind recently quite a lot, which is a profession of reporter/war correspondent. I was always a huge fan of Ryszard Kapuscinski's books and i read next one last month, and it really bothers me, how interesting person he was and how amazing books he wrote.

The first reportage of Kapuscinski that I read was 'Lapidaria' (different parts), a mix of his thoughts and very short descriptions of some experience, many times accompannying by very apt reflexion.
Then I read 'Heban', 'Imperium' and 'Wojna futbolowa'. These are extremely interesting and also quite depressing books - you realize how different worlds are other continents, for example Africa and Southern America. Also you realize that you would never be so brave and desperate to know other cultures like Kapuscinski and other reporters were/are. When they heard about another war in Kongo (Kapuscinski and his friend from Chech Republic), they organized a rapid trip to Africa to be A PART OF IT. They weren't worried about their lives, their families, their health, the beastly temperatures or bugs of all type. That is what I am afraid of when I think about a possibility of going to Africa, and their only problem was to get there as soon as they could.
I think this is something you have to be born with - extreme interest that won't prevent you from going anywhere.

Another quality a reporter has is a respect. It seem to be something that every human (at least should) has for other humans, but certainly we know it's not always working. It is about something bigger than normal respect, it is, ata least for me, once again extreme. Kapuscinski watches cruelties of african tribes, and he is NOT JUDGING. Not at all! He is just observing and trying to understand and explain, why they are who they are and this is what impresses me the most, because when I see violence I'm getting really angry about 'why they killing themselves all the time'?
But not Kapuscinski - he knows that, although they seem to be cruel and kill others without a proper, higher reason, they must have been formed this way by some circumstances.

That reporter was purposely getting into the worst kettle, wars and adversity, to discover and understand how world works, how politics affects random people and their lives. I think I would be very bad reporter. And, therefore, I'm very grateful that Kapuscinski left us books that can change our way of seeing things, at least it worked for me.

The most beautiful kiss

I would like to describe a painting that I consider to be one of the most beautiful I know - it's a work of Gustaw Klimmt and it's called The Kiss. Below you have a painting:

 

The Kiss is one of the most famous paintings of Gustaw Klimmt. It was painted at the beginnings of the twentieth century and belongs to vienesse secession. It is said that the painting was created in the "Golden period" of his career, when he was mesmerized by the gold.

At first blush the work seem to be a multiple warm and deep colours, without any concrete shapes. But if we look closely at it, we see shapes emerging from a picture. At the centre of it there is a man and a woman in a passionate clinch. They are standing at the edge of a meadow full of colourful flowers and both wear robes with different patterns: a man's robe is yellow with black and white rectangles of different size, and the woman's robe, also yellow, has oval shapes of different colours. The couple wears some kind of a crown made of flowers.They are very close to each other, a man is holding a woman's head in his hands, like he wanted to keep her right to him.

The colours of the cloths are extremely warm and similar to each other, light yellow of man's robe turns slightly into dark yellow robe of his, as we can assume, beloved. The background, though, doesn't seem to be as bright as a couple. The warm shade of yellow cloths converts into almost brown tint of the background, at some places punctures tiny glaring lights, like golden stars.

Generally speaking, the painting reminds mosaics and illuminated manuscripts, because of it's sensual and opulent shapes reflects the spirit of the times of fin de siecle and the decadence.

Although it's a very famous and known painting, I still think it's my favourite. I'm not a specialist if it comes to an art, but certainly I don't enjoy watching classic paintings of great painters, although I understand that those are masterpieces. What I always enjoyed were surrealstic paintings of Salvador Dali and works of Gustaw Klimmt. They always make me think what they mean. And the painting I just described always makes me feel warm and almost jelaous of love I see at the picture ;-) I don't only admire it because it is so bright and sensual, but also its technique, because I can't imagine myself painting such a masterpiece.

Happy Easter

It's incredible how I enjoyed my Easter this year. I like spending some days with my family every christmas and every easter, but it also turns into fights, discussions and there's a moment when you can't stand the noise.

This year it was a wonderful time. Of course we were fighting a bit and doing some other stuff that families usually do, but i feel so much better! A fiancee of my sister came to spend easter with us, actually, we were travelling home with him on his car with some other friends. It was a trip like from a movie - we were laughing all the time and talking about Russia and war, and even politics, and we didn't got in a fight.

Then I spent three peaceful and calm days with my family, we were eating, meeting my aunts and uncles, taking rest, and playing Scrabble. I won twice, so it's a miracle. We also found out my aunt is pregnant - which is amazing! I really cross my fingers - she is 44 and had some problems with having a baby earlier, so it's quite dangerous pregnancy. Anyway, we all are really happy to get a new baby in our family:)

I don't know what is the key to rest deeply during holidays at my home - to spend maximum 3 days, or have a great weather, or maybe win scrabble, or visit my village? Maybe all those little things contributed to spending that time so well. I also have to admit that without my computer, and facebook, and all the problems, I felt so relieved and free... It's normally quite hard to avoid the use of the computer, but I believe that when christmas/easter is coming - the feeling of resting is stronger.

Now I would say I wait for Corpus Christi weekend, but during this weekend I have an oral exam, so it's ruined. High five to UAM!  

There are so many movies and life is so short

Today I wanted to share my true enjoy after watching the movie American Hustle. It got about 10 nominations to Oscar award, and won many different awards, which is understandable, because the movie is really good.

I usually don't know what happens in Hollywood and all the world of movies, I never look what movies won Oscar and who is the best actor of the year. But this weekend I was so sick that the only thing I could do was watch some movies, so I remembered that my friend told me about American Hustle, its nominations etc. So I watched it -and I loved it!

Although it was suppose to be some kind of criminal story, it happens to be really funny. The caracters are just so well planned, the main protagonist seems to be a young man, but his hair tell us other thing. He and his lover and partner (Amy Adams) are fraudsters, that's what do they in their lives but they both have their individual stories. I think that I liked the most the way the actors were playing their roles: Jennifer Lawrence, as always extrafunny, also Bradley Cooper with his curly hair. 

And I loved the outfits - I used to think that fashion from 1978 cannot be nice, but at the movie (I know it's  a movie, so it's not that realistic) is just perfect. I love the dresses (although women are not used to were bras) and funny looking trousers. 

Whole the plot has that something that makes it interesting, and it's good, because the movie lasts 2 hours...

Anyway, I'm not surprised that it became so famous. I wish I had more time to see films like that.

potriotism

There are some thoughts lately on my mind that bother me quite a lot. It's about a concept of patriotism. I used to be, or consider myself, very patriotic person. I was always singing whole national anthem, I tried to learn a lot about history of Poland, I like polish and I think we are an interesting nation, and I really loved living here. I always defend Poland when somebody is attacking us without good reasons. I was always truly sad when thinking about wars, warsaw uprising, the death of millions of inocent people. And I do think about that stuff today and I didn't change my mind, but why do I like my country and why it is important to me?

Let's start with this short and so interesting thought:

It has a point, doesn't it? I was absolutely amazed when I saw it, it expresses my point of view so well and in so short way. I am trying to say that I don't love my country because I was born in here. I don't love my language because I should, because it is good to respect your language and your country. 

I wouldn't mind living in another place, with another language, another people and mentality. As long as I feel good in a place, I will live there. And I feel good with polish mentality and language, and landscapes, and trains, and roads and sucky government. I have grown here, and I FEEL GREAT HERE. I had an oportunity to live in Basque Country and I just didn't feel very well there. People were so kind, the culture seems to be so rich and different from ours, it's not even about the horrible climate, rain and stuff - it's just I belong to Poland, and other cultures are worth discovering, but I feel the best right here and there is nothing I can do about it, at least now. 

It doesn't mean I don't see disadvantages - there are so many problems to solve, I just am aware of that every country has its issues. So I don't love Poland because I should, I love it because of many reasons, not because I was born here and it is required to be a patriot. 

If I will enjoy being at Mexico or United States, I will love it as well :)

If Poland was named Germany and we would speak german, I would love it as long as I would feel well, feel grateful for some things that happen here and for some people I meet here. We build our countries, we work for its future, and then it is easier to be a patriot, isn't it?

About truth and history

This week I went to the cinema to see that new movie "Kamienie na szaniec", which I promised to describe in my next note. Well, I saw it, I liked it, and now I'm going to join the discussion about that controversial film of Robert Gliński.

When I left the cinema, I was confused. The last 30 minutes I was crying, almost all the time, and it was hard for me to be objective, because I saw a person that I know being tortured (I know, I really know that it was not real!), and I can't watch scenes like that at all, even if it's a murderer being tortured. Now, after few days, I can say that I really enjoyed the movie. According to me, it was a good way to show to the public a piece of history in a little bit different way. I think that music was the best element from the movie - the scenes with fight between boys and of sabotage, they were purely modern and energetic. It was a better choice than it would be a music from those times.

I think that music was the only modern part of the film, I mean, I don't understand why many ex-soldiers and scouts from Szare Szeregi, who have participated in a Second World War, claim that this movie is a lie, that scouts didn't behave or dress this way. Actually I think that their clothes are pretty out of date, nobody would dress like that today and I know them from other war movies. And I truly believe that the moral aspect during war was kind of strict, but I also believe that scouts were human and they might have had girlfriends and KISS THEM.

"Kamienie na szaniec" were made to show some history and the fact, that these young boys were just like us, while they were having fun or saving their country, and fighting for survive. It was a feature film - a director Robert Gliński has to repeat this all the time - based on historical events and a book of Aleksander Kamiński. That's why it was not supposed to be the same thing as a book, it was more modern version, but true. I think that the actors who performed the leading roles, did great jobs, and it was their first big debut. Congrats for them and the director!

PS The only thing that I would change, were some conversations with huigh language. I mean, I know, they were all the time close to death, but were they seriously talking like that?

 

film adaptions

Last week came out a new movie "Kamienie na szaniec" in polish cinemas. I am especially interested in that movie because my friend (or, to be frank, brother of my friend) has a leading role and I'm really interested how this is gonna be, if I'm gonna like it or not.



I will write about it when I'll see it, but now I have another thing in my mind. I'm very critical if it comes to movies adapted from books. They just NEVER come out good. They might be well done, but it seems to be almost imposible to make a movie that will actually reflect the book, not change antyhing etc. That's the annoying part, why does the director always change the sequence of events? Or the caracteristics of the characters?

I remember when I was watching Harry Potter movies, when I was a girl I loved a book, and at first, I watched few parts of a movie adaptations. Let's face it, they are bad. They change some important issues from the book. I am aware that it's not only fault of the director - it's like you're reading a book, and you imagine things on your own, and then you go to the cinema to see something different from the images from your head. But one thing is change the facts, and other is create presented world in a different way.

About "Kamienie na szaniec", I am not very worried that it might be different from the book, because I read it like many years ago and I don't remember a lot. But it's another polish historic movie, lately we've seen some movies of that kind, and they are not always well done. I think that "Katyń" was a good one, but there is too much right now, I think it became sort of fashion in polish cinematography to create movies like that. It seems to be the easier way to teach about history. But in every movie we see the same faces, is that a ggood choice of directors?

Well I;m not gonna judge before I see it, and I'm hoping to have some fun on that movie - I know it sounds bad, they are people dying etc, but I mean that I'm gonna see at big screen a person that I know from life, and this is gonna be awesome! :)

My impossible future

When we are children, we have our dreams about who we would like to be as a grown up people: actress, singer, writer, runner,policeman...But then we grow up and everything becomes hard.

When I was a little girl, I had few plans for my future. I wanted to be a hairdresser (omg, why?), a professional runner, and a singer. Now none of those professions seems particularly interesting to me, so I'm not disappointed that I won't be a sportswoman or that I won't sing in front of crowds. Because I'm grown up now and mature, at least I hope so, and I decided to be a translator. This is something I love to do, and as much I want to do for a living this way, as much I know how hard it is for all kind of artists, translators, writers etc. Those are not very rich, if they 're not work-a-holics or super talented in what they do.

I realize how great would be doing something enjoyable for us. I would love to travel and write books, like Ryszard Kapuściński for example. But my books would be reeeaally poor and boring, so I 'm just gonna leave this for talented writers. Does it mean that I have to stop dreaming about "who I want to be when I grow up", and just let the life bring some boring profession  so I can do for living somehow?

I'm quite pessimistic in this matter - I guess it's important to do something we love anyway, but we should remember that this might be not enough. I think that we need to know the balance between things and be realistic.

If I were a boyyy

I'm not gonna sing or dance to Beyonce's video clip called "If I were a boy", don't worry. It just made me think about it, what would I do if i were a boy. Of course when I was a child, I used to wonder how would it be, but now it's different.

So I'm not like I COULD BE AN OFFICER OR A SOLDIER. Actually it's a kind of important and very actual topic. I CAN be a soldier and I can be an officer if I want to, I just really should try very hard to be one. And today it's getting more and more common to fight with stereotypes through our life choices. A lot of women feel like they want to do something important, like save lifes. Women in an army are still a minority, and many times their situation is really hard. They have to literally fight to proove that they also can be effective and good soldiers. They have to fight with discrimination and sexual abusement not a single time.

What about other occupations? There is not a lot of female fireman, I guess. It's the best occupation in the world, I'm full of proud and admiration because of those people, they are heros for me, and I'm sure a woman could do that very well too. There is quite a lot of women in police as far as I know.

When I was a little girl, I had a lot of dreams concerning my future: I wanted to be an actress, a singer, a profesional runner, a hairdresser, and a soldier too. Today my dream is to be a translator and in my childhood I never thought about it - but I have to admit that even today I think I could be a runner or a soldier. But I think that I could, not that I want to. I think I am ready to work hard on my body, to be strong and healthy, to do something good, but I feel like it was some kind of ilusion. My pragmatical part of brain is telling me: you could never join the army and kill, and pretend it's something good. And you could never be a profesional runner, because, although you love to run, you would end your profesional life at your late thirties and then have nothing to do, only train other runners or be pathetic celebrity... So I'm just gonna try to be a translator.

Because if I were a boy, I would definitely wanted to be a fireman.

Winter again

So I mentioned in another post that this winter is being kind of weird. Well now it changed, it has nothing the weird - it's sooo cold and freezing, ang you know what? I love it!

I am aware that this opinion is not very common. But I passed 2 semestres studying in Basque Country and I must say, the weather of this region made me love our polish climate. Vitoria is a city where the rain is a daily reality. It rains during winter, autumn and spring. And summer too. I like rain, but there's a limit. And when I came for Christmas, I was shocked how fresh and cold air of Poland makes me happy. And of course I love summer the most and I miss it every day, but those freezing days that we have now are something I appreciate. I'm cold when it's humid weather, I don't know how to dress myslef...and now I just put on some sweater and although my nose is red and frozen, I feel great.

So I guess the experience of living in Basque Country, which is beautiful and mysterious, made me more concious and I really think our climate is more "human friendly". Or "me friendly" :)

I post a photo of my faculty during those humid, terrible days when it was snowing with that kind of wet snow, and all you could have done was take some extra socks with you to classes.

And another photo I love: a tree with a snow on it.

About Time - a big surprise

So today I would like to write about a movie, that I expected to be a romantic nightmare, so called "romantic comedy", and I even didn't mean to see that movie EVER. But at last, I don't know why and how did it happen, I stumbled on it when I was looking for another serie to see. Maybe it's because of fever (I was sick), but I decided to see first half hour and see if I was right.

 

I'm sure you must have seen that huuuge poster at our old train station in december:) Anyway, if you haven't seen it, I'll describe shortly what is the movie about.

There is a guy named Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), who really wants to have a girlfriend. He's having another boring New Year's Eve party, and seems to be fed up with his meaningless life. One day his father tells him, that men in their family have an ability to get about to past. Turns out it's true - Tim starts to use this amazing skill to change the moments of his life in a way that suits him. He meets one day his girlfriend and future wife, Mary (Rachel McAdams), and after few travels to the past, he acomplishes his goal.

If that would be the whole story, I would have waste 2 hours of my life. But fortunately, there's something more. There are limitations in travels, that interfere changing everything and always, which means that Tim and his family has to suffer some tough life moments too, like car accident or death of relatives. What I saw in that movie is that although it's a kind of love story with a fantasy elements (although it doesn't seem fantasy at all!), it also shows some important truth,to cherish what we have, to live every moment very consciously, remember that it won't happen again. Maybe it doesn't seem to be too ambitious, but it makes you think, and laugh also. It's a likeable movie, that leaves a smile on your face.

Actually I think it's in some way original, doesn't look like a blockbuster, it is not stereotypical at all. It almost made me jealous of something, maybe the way how the main actors build their weird and funny, but also mature relationship. And I have to admit, McAdams did a great job, and I love that ginger boy.

So if you haven't seen it, I really recommend it to you. About Time is a film that soothes your feelings if you're having a bad day, or you don't believe anymore that something beautiful can happen to you. And if you're totally OKAY, then, congratulation! Watch just to see that there are romantic movies that can be good, or that you can't judge the book by its cover (like I did... :)

Global warming?

It's 12th of January, and we had like 2 days when it was snowing. I'm not complaining at all - i'm just thinking about those winters when we were fed up with snow and winter right after Christmas. Maybe this winter will be more tolerable? I mean, I love snow when it's fresh and white, and those evenings when it's snowing around, it's such a magical view, but we all know what that beautiful view becomes next morning. And we all know what it means, get to the university with socks wet to the skin, swearing to that weather.

What about this winter? I know it's a little bit boring topic, it appears in every news and media, but seriously, is it because of famous global warming? It's undeniable, that phenomenon is really happening, although I, personally, am not very worried about it. I think that media is overreacting, they (as always) do so much noise about everything. Even if this strange season of springwinter is an effect of global warming, I feel like it helps us passing long winter time. There are voices how damaging this might be for crops and agriculture generally, but I'm sure we'll have a lot of cold and snowy days until spring...

And I'm looking forward to summer! Sometimes I think if I could live in Miami or some place where summer never ends, but I guess this is what I love about our climate. The weather changes every few months, when you're chilly for 3 months, you appreciate every sunny day and warm night even more. After hot summer, you put on your coat with a smile. I think I need those changes to never get bored of summer or autumn.

Just my thoughts, it bothers me a little, that weird winter. Anyway, in my next post I'm gonna write about a huge surprise I has after watching a movie I expected to be the worst film ever - About Time. It came out last year, in september. When I saw the posters, I was like "RIGHT, another stupid romantic comedy with Rachel McAdams". But there it is, I am positively surprised about it, and if you haven't seen it, I will recommend it to you, but now I really should get back to my study...

It's monday tomorrow - I wish you a lot of strength for this week!