It was a bad year for Capricorns

The first thing I heard in the morning in radio was that it was a bad year for Capricorns. I laughed with my mum about it. I don't believe in horoscopes and don't really care about zodiac signs but it was indeed not a good year for me. Twisted leg, health problems, no vacation at all. I didn't send much letters, I almost didn't go to cinema, I didn't go to the theatre, didn't read much books, I didn't travel. I was too tired or too sick or too depressed. So I will welcome 2013 with big pleasure and great hopes.

What good happened to me in 2012:

I've been to Red Hot Chili Peppers concert

I started learning Arabic

I met new friends

I've been to Cracow for a weekend

I've been by my beloved lake for 4 days

I did piercing in the back of my neck

My favourite RHCP song :D

Mazury in Poland where I go every year (at my lake:)):

My piercing :D

And that's all I can think of actually. I didn't make any statistics regarding letters. Maybe I'll do it next year... I probably won't, I know myself well enough :P Last year I read 30 books so this year I challenged myself to read 35 but I read just 25 books this year. Oh well. But I started reading normal books (not just short stories for beginners) in Spanish so at least I'm proud of this. I read 18 books in Polish, 2 books in English, 5 books in Spanish.

My top 3 books read in 2012:

1. Rosario Tijeras by Jorge Franco. It is about a girl raised in poor and dangerous district of Medellin. She gets involved in criminal activities. She meets 2 guys from good families, one of them becomes her lover, the second one a great friend, though both are in love with her. Rosario although she might seem heartless and fearless killer, is very emotional, loving, hurt, scared, depressive, lost, living life to the fullest although she's playing with death a deadly game. I couldn't not fall in love with Rosario, like the guys in the book. And it joined a list of my favourites:) The movie based on this book is also awsome.

2. Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński. It's a non fiction. Kapuściński was a Polish journalist and writer. This book is about the rules of two shahs of Iran, father and son, and the life of people under their regime untill the revolution. It's not a typical bigraphy of the shahs but an analize of their rules and Iranian society. Written in an interesting way, great to learn something about Iran's history.

3. Geografias by Mario Benedetti. 14 great stories about dictatorship time in Uruguay and nostalgia about a country on an exile. Benedetti wrote this book while being on an exile himself.

I think I can call this an Arabic year. Besides starting learning the language, I've been going to this Arabic club, listening to Arabic and Turkish music over and over again, trying all kinds of sheesha.

My best musical discoveries this year:

Buika! I am enchanted with her voice.

Hindi Zahra.

My lovely Chavela Vargas died this year which made me feel sad:( I will never have a chance to listen to her alive. El ultimo trago hoy sera para mi Chavela;) I will love her forever.

Do you have plans for tonight? I'm going to have fun in Arabic rhythms, haha. I have already painted my nails golden color:) Now I just hope I will be able to squeeze myself in my dress after Christmas :P

I wish you all Happy New Year :)

Just some of my blah blah plus a beautiful song of a beautiful lady with a beautiful voice

Have you ever had a year with constant bad luck? This year it doesn't seem to leave me really! All the time I'm either sick or something bad happens. Now I'm sick again and today I had a flood in my office!O.o  Someone knows some way to repel bad luck?

Fortunatelly I don't need to pick my nose out of the warm house today and 'thanks' to the flood I came back home early so I'm relaxing writing a letter, drinking tea with lemon and eating green chocolate mint candies from my penpal. Listening to Buika, my new love whom I discovered not long ago.

 

 

Doesn't she have a unique voice? I can't have enough of this song and I listen to it over and over again.

Well, I go back to my letter. I hope you're enjoing your evening:)

The Arabic alphabet is so friendly it even has a smiley face ت

I started learning Arabic. I've been thinking about it for a long time but this year I really got obsessed with Arabic music and finally I signed up to a course. I've had two lessons so far and I'm now thinking I'm being crazy that I made this decision, haha. But I hope for the best. Wish me luck:P

Do you learn any languages?

Got that swing

Some time ago I suggested that the crafty Bubbles could make swing theme card. I screamed

when she made it but didn't really think I will be the one to get the card since I was the one who suggested the theme and I am the one who has swing in the 'name'=) It would be too much of a coincidence but coincidences happen in life and I won:D Yay! So I now got that swing to hang in my room;)

Thank you Bubbles:D

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing

doo-ah doo-ah doo-ah... ^^

This and that and Merry Christmas

I vanished. I had vacation. I was sick, tired, busy. I was writing letters. I was reading books. I needed a break from blogging. I am not the most regular blogger anyway:P But I am back to wish to all who celebrates Christmas - Happy Holidays and to those who don't but have free time - Happy Free Time=)

I haven't painted any envelopes lately but I had the lovely daisy parchment envelopes. The only problem is they're transparent but on the other hand I think it makes a nice effect.

Two letters to me got lost:_( Which made me very sad and nervous about letters on their way to and from me:S I hope it won't happen again:(

On a happier note, I bought new stamps, yay:D

These are this years' Christmas stamps in Poland.

I made few Christmas cards but quit it quickly as I'm not good at it at all:S I decided to show them here anyway because someone was curious about them=)

I am listening much to Marilyn Manson nowadays as I'm reading his biography but it's not the best Christmas theme I guess:P But in my last post TheSnailMailer suggested a very nice singer - Alison Krauss. Thanks:) She has a sweet voice.

I've also found a secret in Post Secret that I like and sais what I think as well.

Therefore, I sent Christmas cards to my friends whenever they celebrate it or not. I would be happy of any good wishes from whichever occasion myself so I don't get the whole offending thing... good wishes have only good intentions behind them, right? Make love, not war;) Merry Christmas!:)

Was it her or not?

Today nothing connected with penpalling. When I was going to work in the morning I passed a lady on the bridge and our eyes met. Was it my Polish teacher from primary school or not? I had doubts so I said nothing although 'hello' was on the tip of my tongue. Some people's features are so undeniable that you'd recognize them after years without batting an eyelid while an image of others covers with mist as time goes by... it would't hurt to greet a stranger in the street but before I made my mind to open my mouth the lady already passed and went her way. But a memory of my Polish teacher came back to me. She was one of my favourites if not the favourite one in that school. I always liked reading so she liked me. We could get extra points if we read some additional books that weren't our lecture. We just had to write about it in a special notebook and give it to her to check. Of course I used that possibility. We wrote many esseys in her classes but she always gave interesting topics. As a part of discussing some lectures, we were performing short sketches or recording 'radio programs'. She was very encouraging and my head was full of stories at her times. When I stopped having classes with her, I stopped writing... My high school teacher was her total contradictory and I stopped enjoing Polish classes. I even think she was the reason to turn in other direction and choose the studies that weren't ment for me. I could say many bad things about that woman but I won't because today my memories are with her predecessor, who helped me develop my imagination and love for words - Ms. K.

Changing the topic, I discovered a new singer that made me have eargasm;P Seeing that he doesn't have many views in YouTube I assume he's not utterly popular... why?! Let me introduce my new music god - Andrew Bird:)

Hearty CD swap

I did a CD swap with lovely tanuki and I got from her a wonderful CD with music of artists that I never heard of. Artists from all over the world singing in many different languages. I enjoyed whole CD but I cannot present all songs here. So I'll share my top 3^^

Number 1 is a song of Susheela Raman with an influence of Tamil music. She's my new love now!^^ Unfortunatelly it seems she doesn't have official video of the song... at least I couldn't find it in YouTube. But the song is so beautiful that it doesn't need anything more than sound;)

On the second position is a song of a Russian singer, Алёна Апина (Alena Apina). I am learning Russian so you can guess I love the sound of the language. This unfortunatelly doesn't mean I understand all the lyrics...yet!;)

And in the end, although the decision was hard because there were so many interesting songs to chose from, let me show you a Singaporian band that mixes Malay music with hip hop  - Ahli Fiqir. I generally like the mixes of styles so it caught my attention:)

Okay, a blog is not a YouTube so I won't post more songs here:P

One more big thank you to tanuki for introducing these artists to me, most probably I wouldn't discover them alone:)

Have a nice mail day!

Maybe, you can never be sure, there'll be knock (knock knock)
ring, (ring ring)
Letters through your door! he he!

People I ♥... Corinne!

As people show sometimes in their blogs their admiration for people they love, I thought to introduce my biggest love, my godess, gorgeous and owning the sweetest voice in the entire world (don't argue with me about it;P)

Corinne Bailey Rae♥

The first song of her's I ever heard was her first single Put Your Records On after which I imediatelly fell in love with her^^ This song and the video always make me smile and warm my heart.

Another song which I must show you because I love it so much as well and together with the video is extraordinary is If I Don't, which Corinne sings with another great artist Amp Fiddler. What do you think of this video?;)



And one more song, from her last CD - Paris Nights/ New York Mornings



Isn't she gorgeous?

The Meditations of the Country Postman

 Time for a little entartainment my dear penpallers ;) Here's a nice old Polish song about postmen. I even translated the text for you. I guess the part about an uncle needs little explanation because it might sound a bit ridiculous. The song is from the times when it was difficult to get many things in shops. Also going abroad was almost impossible. If someone had family abroad who could send unavailable for majority things or clothes, such a person was an important persona. Right, I hope that explains a presence of an uncle in the song. Hope you'll enjoy it:) Do you know any songs connected with letter writing?

There are at least thousand villages and cities in the world

A man writes a letter at least once

People, get out of the way because the postman comes

Turn off the gas, so what that you have an uncle abroad?

People, get out of the way because the postman comes

And this moped of mine everyone here knows well

You’ll get a letter from an uncle

I know, who thinks in life doesn’t write anything

Who loves much writes a long letter

People, get out of the way because the postman comes

Postman’s bag is heavy of letters today

People, get out of the way because the postman comes

Maybe someone has been waiting for this letter for couple of long years

Maybe he’ll get it today

People write letters, regular, registered

They write that they love, can’t sleep or that they kiss you

People write letters, even in a small village

Letters grey, white, colorful

Take off your hat in front of the post.

Show me on a Tuesday... your 3 wishes

I have abandoned my blog lately but as Bursts of Bubbles came back with Show me Tuesdays I thought I'd take part in it again (you can too, just click the button below:) )

 

This week it is about showing three wishes, so I decided to write about more realistic little ones instead of big dreams that maybe will, maybe will not materialize.

1. I wish I could make all variety of sushi. I am always doing the standard maki with salmon and avokado or cucumber. I once made the maki with nori inside and rice outside, it went out pretty well but... they were too big to fit in the mouth. So, I need to work on that. But there are so many other shapes and ingredients to add, I wish to learn to make them^^

2.  I wish to go to Ayo's concert. She has new songs and new concert tour. And she is having couple of concerts in Poland in June!!! I just don't know anyone else who listens to her music among my friends so I'm not sure if I'll find company to go with me, but I MUST GO !!!

3. I wish I could be reading faster than I buy books. So far it's the other way round. Will there ever be a day I'll have all books at home read?

I guess now I need to catch a gold fish... or get the things done myself ;)

[photos googled]

Show me on a Tuesday... Traditional Music from Your Country

^ Click this button and take part in Tuesday Shows too! Share your countries traditional music with us, don't be skinflint ;)

The traditional music of Poland is very diverse depending on a region. I decided to choose some folk music from three regions as my Tuesday (or in my case Wednesday) entry. First is a folk group from the region where I live - Masovia in the original Masovian folk clothes. The dresses of women weigh 14 kg!

The second is a folk group form Silesia region, also in their folk clothes. The song title is "A girl went to the woods" and I've read it's also very known in Japan! O.o

And last but not least is a group from Highland region, in the South of Poland, also in their traditional clothes. You still can meet people wearing these in there, probably mostly for touristic reasons, but I also have a feeling they value their folk culture more.

Show me on a Tuesday... Something Traditional

I wouldn't be myself if I wasn't late with my post ;) But no worries, I am still into Tuesday shows. I was thinking what traditional should I show and thought about some food at first, but in the end decided to show a traditional Polish dance - polonaise. It's a folk dance. Sadly, people nowadays, probably not only in Poland, forget about their folk. I am no exception here... But! polonaise isn't forgotten dance. It's danced in the introduction of the ball 100 days before ending high school. So, most people dance it at least once in their life.

Here's a video from a Polish movie "Pan Tadeusz" based on our national epic from 19th century written by Adam Mickiewicz. The last scene is the wedding and they dance polonaise.

And the second version of polonaise, because there are two melodies for it. This dance here is made by some dancing group so they make more figures than just basic ones made during school ball. But there's always the "tunnel" made, which you can see in the end of the video.

Sesame, open up!

When I started this blog I thought I will be writing more about penpalling but somehow I always end up posting about something else. Today I thought about how some people avoid personal topics in letters. I can’t say I open up easily, I am rather distrustful and often keep what is bothering me for myself, because some things are too painful, too shameful or simply I don’t want to stress other people with my troubles. So I only share personal things with closest friends. However penpals for obvious reasons, as letters are really personal means of communication, gain my trust faster. After all, I can’t imagine writing only about silly stuff. Therefore I can’t understand why people avoid talking about themselves. I never expect anyone to write all their secrets in first letter. This comes with time. But it’s so frustrating when you put efforts and the other person is closed like a safe, nothing personal comes from her or him and after a year of penpalling you feel that you really don’t know that person. I just want to scream, Sesame, open up! I am writing to you because I want to get to know you, be friends, share my life with you, not only happy moments. It can’t be one sided...

To all the people who are afraid to open up, I dedicate this song, which always comes to my mind when I think of penpalling.

An Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award

The first good thing that happened this year to me - I got this blog award...

... from other sweet blog owner...

Thank you, Bubbles:)

Now, I must tell 5 guilty pleasures of mine, which are:

1. Chocolate! I know I eat too much of it. But I cannot stop myself. It’s the love of my life and sense of my life ;P Or rather my curse, hehe.

2. Books. Because I buy new ones even though I have lots unread ones. But, I will read them sooner or later anyway. At least it’s my excuse…

3. “Bad” music. The music many people would say is stupid, awful, primitive, sexist, whatever. Like reggaeton for example. But it makes me wanna dance, I don’t care what others opinion is. Oh, and 90’s pop music. It’s kitchy, but hell. I like it.

4. Doing something with my hair. I used to have my natural hair for almost all my life, never dying it or anything. Until one day I got bored with them and I like to have my vivid color now. Although I have some doubts about them being too vivid sometimes… But today I am happy with them. Although I still miss my braids :_(

5. Finding new songs. I found this one some time ago and I think it’s cute.

Polish Christmas Carols

I hope you're having lovely Holidays :)

Show me on a Tuesday... your music collection

Hah, I'm late again with Tuesday entry of Bubbles Show me on a Tuesday. But as they say, better late than not at all :) So... my music collection looks like that.

Most of these were bought long time ago. I don't really buy much CD's nowadays. And on the other photo you can see CD's I got from my penpals.

Divididos is an Argentinian rock band which I fell in love with as soon as I heard it <3



The other CD's are mixes, but I'll just show you the most interesting singers.

From my Portuguese penpal I got to know Dazkarieh.

And from my American penpal - Rilo Kiley

Thank you girls and boy, I probably would never heard of them without you :)

Moscow City Ballet

On Sunday I went for "The Nutcracker" performed by Moscow City Ballet. It's such a magical story. It's about a girl who falls asleep on a Christmas Eve night and in her dream the toys become alive. The Nutcracker changes into a prince and saves her from the Mouse King. They travel through the Land of Flowers and visit Spain, Arabia, China and Russia were they see the typical dances of these countries. It's such beautiful and colorful performance. Plus the amazing music. I knew some pieces of the music although I never realized they were from "The Nutcracker".

Moscow City Ballet was founded in 1988 and they're considered one of the best ballet groups in the world. They travel a lot, performing in different countries, so you might have a chance to see them as well ;)

The only thing I didn't like was the amount of children that came to see it. They didn't know what's going on and constantly asked their parents questions and commented loundly every now and then. Ugh. I understand that that people want their kids to have contact with culture but come on, if they're too small to understand the story and they get bored with it, why not wait wait couple of years when they will get it?

All in all, not to end with complaining I must say I enjoyed the ballet and loved the costumes, the music and every step made on the scene.

Winter bad!

We have a really snowy and frosty weather outside so I thought about this Polish song about winter that every child knows, the text of which was written by Maria Konopnicka - a poet and novelist from the turn of 19th and 20th century. Unfortunatelly, the video of only good version of the song that I found in YouTube is unavailable to post on other sites, so if you're interested in it just click the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2ben4OiDHE

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha, our winter bad

It nips noses, it nips ears

It sprinkles freezing snow in the eyes

Strong wind rushes in the field

Our winter bad

Our winter bad

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha, our winter bad

Cloth on it is long and white

In its hand hoarfrosted branch

And on its back fire-wood

Our winter bad

Our winter bad

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha, our winter bad

But we don’t fear it

Go on, throw a snowball it its back

Let it have a memory

Our winter bad

Our winter bad

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha

Hoo hoo ha, hoo hoo ha

[photo googled]

Viva Cuba!

Today I went to Pasion de Buena Vista concert. I saw a poster advertising this concert some two moths ago, when driving to university. As I love Buena Vista Social Club, I bought tickets straight away. I was so excited about it all the time. And finally the day has come! I loved every minute of the concert. There was so much energy in their music, and so many emocions in the ballads sang by Inocente "Pachin" Fernandez-Jimenez.

After a concert I bougth a CD and got an autograph from Pachin! and from another singer whose name is Marieta (I couldn't find her full name). I am so happy because of it! It's my first ever autograph of a musician, and of so great one! That was a joyful day :)