How are you this Monday, post-election morning? Are you disappointed or joyful? Do you feel patriotic? Perhaps you want to share your thoughts with us on this subject.

My opinion? Well, instead of a commentary, which would probably sound bitter, I would like to announce my private contest.

I happened to listen to Rock radio today, which has been broadcasting Chopin's 'Funeral March' most of the time, but they also played some songs from my youth - Maanam, Republika etc. That's how I came up with this idea.

First listen to this: Nie pytaj o Polskę

Analyse the lyrics by Grzegorz Ciechowski, here is the TEXT and work on your translation of this song into English. Publish your contest entries as comments to this post of mine. Deadline: June 7, 2015 23:59.

The best translation will be selected by the end of June and awarded a prize. So get down on it!

‘What a drag it is getting old’, or is it?

 

I decided to start off this post with a quote from the Rolling Stones’ hit ‘Mother’s Little Helper’. (Don't be misled by the lyrics of this song: I am not going to advertise tranquilizers here! BTW: the song itself is as old as the hills. Can’t help it: when it comes to music, my taste is really old-fashioned and hippie-like)

Why? Well, maybe it’s because of my latest breakdown in health that I realized I am really getting old. Not that I have a problem with this inevitable biological process. I do not cry over every wrinkle appearing over my face, I decidedly ignore it. J The passing time has simply preoccupied my mind recently, filling my heart with questions like: what have I achieved in my life? Are there any new doors still open ahead of me? Is it my experience that matters, or is it the energy that will ultimately count, despite the fact that it is getting scarce? Should I give way and let myself be replaced with new young cool kids? The last thing in this world I would like is being a backward burden, a redundant retard, a helpless hulk. The young are merciless, that is for sure. I know it because I have been there. Even the very concept of ageism has been turned upside down as it seems. It is no longer “being discriminated based on [ANY] age”. When I look at entries like this URBAN DICTIONARY I feel that youngsters rule. Perhaps I am being punished now for my critical approach to everything that is immature?

On the other hand I am hopeful that my older days can still be fruitful and interesting. I find movies like ‘Quartet’

 

or 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'

really comforting and promising. The character played by Judy Dench nicely defined good elderly life: "the point is not just to cope but to thrive!" Maybe the best is yet to come. I shall definitely let you know once I am there.

Not yet, though

 

 

Flavour Fusion

Melchior Wańkowicz once wrote that “every day has its own flavour”. (Przez cztery klimaty; Pax: 1976). I am not really sure whether he meant smell or taste, but either way - I find it very true. Perhaps it is because I remember various tastes and smells so distinctly and I keep them stored in my brain together with specific memories.

For example when I was a child,  I was eager to run to the newsstand every other day to bring fresh newspapers for my father, and the reason was this incredible scent of fresh print which I wanted to sniff at first in my family. Or this delicate aroma of a lemon slice slowly drowning in a glass of tea to accompany simple cheese sandwiches my grandma used to prepare for me for breakfast. Christmas is the time that brings such smell-associated memories to most of us, isn’t it?

This combination of orange peel, spruce needles, mushrooms and fried carp opens up extraordinary boxes in my brain.

I am writing about these olfactory sensations to somehow complete the discussions we had in class about other senses, i.e. eyesight or taste.  Remember we tried to imagine what would happen if were blind. Take a look at this short clip  below and think: what would you miss most if you suddenly turned anosmic?

I swear I would DIE without the scent of freshly brewed coffee! How about you?

BTW: Having read all your blogs I just discovered that “every blog has its own taste” as well.

New Academic Year's Resolutions?

Welcome Everyone,
We are half way through the first month of our new academic year, so it is high time I asked you about your New Year's Resolutions: any plans, promises, vows or undertakings?
Losing weight, giving up smoking, attending all the lectures, learning to cook?
Maybe the following declaration is not that bad after all?

Easier said than done, huh? The situation is not hopeless, though. They say that Donald Tusk is not very gifted: "his English is shaky, his French nonexistent," but he tries hard.
Let us organize a think tank: we can have a common bank of useful ideas of how to "polish our Englishes" (BTW: did you know that you may actually use the word English in plural?}
Here is my contrubition to this bank: I shall write my blog more regularly. This would facilitate my writing in general and set a good example for you, my ROM-bloggers!








My Dear Bloggers,

 

I just wanted to thank you for all your work. I have read your blogs with great interest. I have learnt so much from you: new films to watch, new recipes to try out, new websites to follow, new games to play. Honestly, I feel pampered!

Exams are almost over, it's high time we had some rest, folks.
We all deserve some good time now.

Have an enjoyable, scorchingly hot/cool, long, adventurous / peaceful summer. May it be lazy if you wish, but I do encourage you to stay in touch with English: watch good movies, read something, talk to people, talk to yourselves, or - keep on blogging!

Remember: The winter will ask what we did all summer. (Gypsy Proverb)

 

Me and my Funia say bye for now.

Miss you already,

see you in October!

Those congenial details

 

It turns out that recently I have been finding more and more enjoyment in spotting peculiar, truly congenial details in the music I listen to, in the magazines that I read, and especially in the movies or TV programs that I watch. And I don’t mean blunders or bloopers, such as a digital watch on the wrist of an ancient Greek knight. Devoted movie mistake spotters are much better at that. And they do it quite purposefully, I heard (i.e. they sit for hours on end and meticulously observe scene after scene).

My “hobby” is rather accidental. This is how it works:
I watch a movie, say “Beginners”

by Mike Mills, starring Ewan McGregor,  and more or less half way through the film I notice that in the main character’s kitchen there is a Polish poster hanging on the wall! What is more, it is a poster of another good movie from the 1960’s “Siedem razy kobieta”. Only then I learnt that Mike Mills is really careful in his selection of film sets and is a graphic artist himself.
Or
Right after the end of every episode of “House MD” there comes a little cartoon advertising a TV production studio (Bad Hat Harry Productions). It is centered around the line originally spoken by Roy Scheider in the 1975 movie, “Jaws”. His character, police chief Martin Brody, is sitting on the beach, nervously observing the people swimming in the sea when Harry comes along wearing a strange cap [hat] on his head.... Obviously, I was not the first one to spot it – but I made this discovery myself.
Or
I listen to some classical music, say a violin masterpiece and after a while I realize that I do not pay attention to the music itself but to the violinist breath which is so audible.  Here is an example If you want to hear some more impressive breathing - eat this. I must admit the pop or rock hits as presented by those two guys are stunning.

This is just a selection of "My Favourite [Small] Things". (BTW: sometimes I just cannot believe that this song was originally performed by Julie Andrews. I mean c'mon!)  Would you share yours with us?

Dear Brain,

To my relief I found out that people no longer think we use only 10 percent of our gray matter. Don’t worry, I refused to believe it anyway. Scientists claim something totally opposite: we do use 100% of our brains even when we sleep! Lots of brainy facts have been discovered, yet, the way you work and why you often fail us seems to be a great mystery. When brain power is not boosted on a regular basis it simply gets switched off – cell by cell. I decided to start working on preventing this deteriorative process. However, one can get lost among the many ideas on how to do it. Can anyone of you, my co-bloggers help me out and select the best methods (as many as 120 are listed under the link above), concurrently providing some justification for your choices?

My brain and I would be very grateful.