Christmas time :)

Today I would like to write about Christmas in my house because tomorrow I'll start the Christmas break. I cannot wait to have these holidays because they are my favorite holidays. ;) I think that tomorrow or after tomorrow I'll decorate Christmas tree and also my room with fairy lights. ;)
I love the festive atmosphere at home ;) I started to feel it 2 weeks ago when I when I baked with my grandmother and my mother gingerbread. They are delicious ;) In my house everyone buys each other gifts, which after the Christmas Eve are unpacked. I remember when I was a child I had to know some carol by heart because when Santa Clause was coming I had to recite it to get gifts. :)
Usually the Santa Clause was my grandfather or my grandmother. On the Christmas table is always 12 dishes and one free tableware for the wanderer. Under the tablecloth is the hay. Christmas Eve begins the celebration with a prayer and breaking of the Christmas wafer (opłatek). After the First Star appears in the sky and after sharing the Christmas wafer, the Supper begins. After the Christmas Eve my all family sing the carols. After we go to Christmas midnight mass. Christmas time is very family because we spend time with our relatives. During Christmas we eat a lot od very delicious dishes. I love carp in various forms. :D 

And today I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year :)

Cliff Richard - Christmas Time :)

Miss Poland

A few days ago, I watched with my boyfriend Miss Poland. It was jubilee gala which was connected with 25th anniversary of Miss Poland. On 6. July 1990 Aneta Kręglicka who was the first Miss Poland crowned the next Miss Eva Szymczak who was from Łódź. This year twentyfive candidates from all regions of Poland participated in this event. They presented themselves in costumes inspired by folk, bikinis, beautiful wedding dresses and elegant evening dresses. This competition was conducted by Paulina Sykut-Jeżyna, Krzysztof Ibisz, Agnieszka Popielewicz and Zygmunt Chajzer. But only 10 candidates took part in the final. I don't like the way in which the girls are selected to the final. I think that people who are watching this event should choose the girl who is the most beautiful. Unfortunately, the final ten is selected by jury. Everyone has a different taste and I think that the jury isn't competent to choose the most beautiful girl in Poland. This year unusually Rafał Maślak who is the Mister Poland awarded the crown to the beautiful Miss Poland 2014. It was caused by the absence of Ada Sztajerowska who was the Miss Poland 2013. Ada had to be in Britain where was the meeting of girls who partecipate in Miss World. In this competition won Ewa Bozena Mielnicka from Ostrołęka.

Santa Claus Day

Today I want to write about Santa Claus Day, called Mikołajki. This day is celebrated on December 6th. In this day Santa Claus, it is a person who is dressed up as him, brings gifts to children. These are usually small gifts, sweets or small toys. Adults also are giving small gifts to their relatives. There are many customs how the gifts are left. The gifts can be put  under the pillow or in a shoe, or in a large christmas sock. It's said that on December 6 in the early morning, when all the kids are sleeping, Santa Claus is looking into window of the house and when he sees cleaned shoes, leave a gift for the household.

I remember that, when I was a child, I always cleaned shoes and I couldn't sleep all night, because I knew that Santa Claus is coming. And I could not wait to see when he comes and what he leaves in my shoe, but waiting just for him, I always felt asleep. In the morning when I woke up, the small gifts were already in my shoe. I was disappointed, but also very happy. :)

And what are your memories of this day? Do you celebrate this day all the time? ;)

Teen magazines

Today, I would like to write about teen magazines. When I was a child, I had to buy all kind of them. I was reading Bravo, Bravo Girl, Dziewczyna, Trzynastka, Popcorn and so on. I remember that I loved to read Bravo and Bravo Girl. These magazines are the largest and most popular magazines for girls. In these magazines are always the posters of idols. In these magazines we can read about the youth problems. I remember that when I was a child, it was the most important and fascinating for me. I think that Teenage magazines like Bravo are of high importance for the music industry as an advertising medium, because we can founds ads about music in all Bravo formats. In these magazines we can also buy all sorts of additives, such as bracelets, calendars, tattoos. In Dziewczyna were rumors from the world of show business, as well as fashion sessions and a section devoted to beauty. The journal psychologists also gave advice to readers who were sending to them letters and e-mails. Trzynastka is a magazine dedicated to fashion, beauty, celebrities and contains articles counselling. Each issue comes with a gift. I think that almost every girl was reading these magazines. Today when I see them in shops, it reminds me of my childhood. 

Elections

Yesterday, Poles elected mayors of the cities, mayors, village mayors and councillors of municipalities, districts and provinces. It is very important event in the country because we can choose people who will govern in our country. In election can vote people who have completed 18 years, but a lot of people never go to elections. They think that there is no good candidates and we can't change anything in the government of our country. But I think that it is an erroneous thinking because after these elections people who didn't vote complain the most. We can't also be satisfied with the turnout which was about 48%. The survey shows that the highest turnout was in Świętokrzyskie (55%) and Podkarpackie and Lubelskie (50%). 

Swimming pool

I think that everyone likes to come to the pool. This is a great way to relax and forget about the problems, and also to lose weight. Swimming is a social activity as well as a physical exercise. Pools provide venues for meeting new people and socializing with friends. Few days ago I read an article that says that we should clean under a shower in pools without swimwear. In the opinion of the Chief Sanitary Inspector the pool area is a breeding ground for a variety of harmful bacteria and hence the recommendation that before the entrance to the pool each washes thoroughly, bur without the swimswers. This raises various controversies because it is a situation in which people can feel embarrassed. Many people can be ashamed to do it. I think that people go to the pool to have a rest and spend a nice time but not feel embarrassed. And what do you think about this recommendation?

Interesting facts about Australia

Yesterday I read an article about Australia and I was shocked that the koala is not a bear, so how it is commonly considered. And because of this, today I want to write some interesting facts about Australia. 

1. There are twice as many kangaroos in Australia as there are people. The kangaroo population is estimated at about 40 million

 

2. There's the world's longest fence, it is 5 530 kilometres long. It separates wild dingoes from sheep

 

3. In Australia, the red bananas are very popular, they are called Red Dacca

 

4. The national dish is vegemite (a spread of bread made ​​from yeast extract)

 

5. This country is 25 times bigger than Poland

6. The longest train had 682 wagons. It had a length of 7.4 kilometers. It covered a distance of 275 kilometers. The whole composition weighed nearly 100 000 tonnes

7.  There is also the longest in the world golf course which is 850 kilometres long

8.  Anna Creek Station is the world's largest working  cattle station. It covers a huge area of ​​34.000 kilometres ²

 

9. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world

 

Morąg

From 2 weeks I live again in Poznań. I changed now a flat, but the apartment is located on the 11th floor. The views are amazing, but I'm afraid to ride the elevator. It is very stressful for me. 

During the holidays I was in Morąg and in this post I would like to recommend you to visit this city. It is city ​​in the Warmia and Mazury, in the district of Ostróda. It's beautiful and very historical, because we can admire the Castle of the Teutonic from the first half of the fourteenth century, Renaissance palace  of Dohn from the years 1562-1570, Kurkit - the cementary of the former Jewish community Moraska. We can also relax by the lakes: Skiertąg and Narie, which  are amazing. What is interesting, the name of the city in the documents from the Middle Ages, was written differently: Moring, Moringen, Merinck, Maronis, Marung, Morung, Morungen, Mohrungen. But certainly the name of the city is the origin of Prussia, as indicated by the suffix "-ąg" (as in the names of Elbląg, Bartąg, Wadąg, Skiertag).

 Panorama miasta

The Synki

Today I would like to recommend you "The Synki". It is a group from Trzcianka, but now all team members live in Poznan. This team consists of ten people. They are young and in this team my friend which also studies Italian Philology plays. Not so long ago they released their first album which promote during their concert tour. They talk about their music that it is Cosmopolitan Space Music.
I encourage you to listen to their songs which are very interesting. 

And now a few of their songs:

Przezroczystość

Motyl

Marzeń drzwi

 

and their profil on Facebook:  

The Synki

 

 

 

Juwenalia :)

Today I would like to write about Juwenalia. It is a feast of student which is celebrated since the XVth century. Juwenalia had its origin in Krakow. This feast lasts usually 3 or 4 days. In these days. presidents of the academic cities give students the keys to the city gates. In these days there are many concerts which are mainly organized by and for students. I like this celebration and this year I'm going to go to two concerts on Thursday. In this day Strachy na Lachy i Habakuk will perform. :) But during Juwenalia there will be the concerts of the groups such as: neeVald, rainfreezer, Kamp,  Rust, Kult, Farben Lehre, Cała góra barwinków, Te-Tris & Pogz , Sokół i Marysia Starosta,  Zeus and Bas Tajpan & Bob On. When I studied in Toruń, during Juwenalia it also performed one of the famous Polish cabaret and I think that it is a great idea. ;) I think that everyone can find for yourself at this time a cool concert and have a good time with friends. But I think that Juwenalia in Poznan are too late because of the ongoing exam session...
And what do you think about Juwenalia? :)

And at the end I add a photo:

The Four Seasons by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

Giuseppe Arcimboldo was born in 1527 in Milan. He was Italian maniersit painter. He created in original way portraits and figural compositions which included elements of still life, arranged in a facial image or scene. He died in 1593 also in Milan.

He created between 1563 - 1573 a series of "The Four Seasons": "Spring", "The Summer", "Autumn" and "Winter". In this work we can see a change of season with the art.

"Spring" is the first oil painting and it shows left profile of a young woman who has got a green robe which is made of various styles of green leaves. Her hair is a number of colorful flowers which are located on the meadows at this time of year. Her jewelry is also in the form of flowers. This image shows the fullness of life and vitality.

"Spring"

In the image showing "The Summer" we can see the right part of the human head which is arranged by fruits and vegetables. Here we can see many kinds of fruits and vegetables which show the various parts of the body such as: lips which are made from grapes, pear was used to present the beard, cheek is shown with apples, nose with cucumber and ears are made from corn cobs. We can see here also grain, which means the wealth of the seasons - summer. Can be noted that the eyes of the characters are facing down. This figure does not have a hat but on the head we see lush still lifes. This picture is located in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.

"Summer"

The "Autumn" presents a mature man who is fully aged. This picture presents fruits which are suitable for this season. Here we see apple, melons, grape shoots and grapes.This man has got body of the barrel.

 "Autumn"

The last image "Winter" presents the old man. His head is covered with branches and small leaves, his nose is presented as a tree trunk. Beard and eyebrows are small branches of trees. We can tell that his lips are hubs.
The old age in this image is shown also by old wrinkled neck which contrasts with the branch of oranges and lemons because these fruits show the youth.

"Winter"

In my opinion "The Four Seasons" is a metaphor for human life because spring is the silhouette of a young girl, summer is the young man, autumn shows the man in the prime of life and the winter is a picture showing the old man. Looking at the seasons of the year, we can see at the same time four periods in the life of each of us.

Happiness :)

Today I would lile to write about happiness which is very important in our lives :) It is the most beautiful of all feelings. I thinkt that happy people live longer because they don't worry and they are in good mood and look on the bright side of everything. A happy person is one who has satisfied all of your needs. But there are many people who are unhappy because they cannot be enthustiastic about small things. And because of this we shouldn't wait for unusual events which may never happen. I think that we should enjoy our everyday life. We have one life and we have to survive it in the best way. Everyone of us have different needs to be happy. For example men need a good car or stereo equipment to be happy while we, women, are happy when can buy new clothes, go to a meeting with a friend or go to the hairdresser. :) I think that people which are happy can cope with problems more easily. Many people think that to be happy they have to have money, an interesting job or be healthy. I think that it is impossible to have everything. I follow a wise of piece of advice: " Don't worry, be happy" and "Carpe diem!". :)

Reggae

Today I would like to write about music which is an important part of my life. Music accompanies everyone from the moment of the birth. Music is a way of life, I cannot immagine life without it. It is always with me. Music is for me a form of relaxion. I can listen to it when I want to relax. Music helps me to forget about everyday problems. I think that music is for me a space where I can find freedom, myself. It is also like a close friend, who is always next to me when I need it. :) I like reggae which is the most characteristic species of Jamaican music. The first track, where is the determination of the species, is a single of the group Toots & The Maytals Fri "Do the Reggay" released in 1968:

"To było jak sen. Któregoś poranka siedziałem, brzdąkając na swojej gitarze, i słowo się pojawiło, tak po prostu. Powiedziałem więc: Róbmy reggae!, i takie jest właśnie pochodzenie tego słowa."
— Frederick "Toots" Hibbert

This kind of music speaks of respect, love and everyday problems. These positive rhythms, unusual instruments and a specific climate can make that after a busy day I can unwind and relax. I think that everyone knows Bob Marley who is credited with popularizing reggae music worldwide. His song "No woman no cry" is known by everyone throughout the world.
No Woman no cry

I like also a song "Jak dobrze Cię widzieć" Tabu which reminds me a beautiful time spent in Toruń :) This song accompanied me and my friends at every party during the study. ;)
Jak dobrze Cię widzieć

My next favourite song is"Szukając szczęścia" Mesajah feat. Kamil Bednarek.
Szukając szczęścia

I also like Indios Bravos and song "Czas spełnienia" which is very important for me :)
Czas spełnienia

And what do you think about reggae? :)

My hobby

Today I would like to present my few picture because photography is my hobby. :)  I love taking pictures of beautiful scenery, different buildings, nature, trees, animals or people.I really like taking digital macro photos, those really close up ones. I love also to take photos of sunrise and sunset. These moments of the day are the most beautiful and spectacular :) Through the lens you can see so many more details and taking photos also provides a new way of seeing the world around you. My family admire my photos and because of this I make pictures to them, but nobody doesn't want to take photos of me. :D My favourite season for taking pictures is the summer. I think that this hobby is very creative, it refreshes the mind and it gives me a thrill to capture the visual beauty of the world around me. :) But unfortunately photography is quite expensive pastime because when you want to take good pictures you have to have also a good camera which is expensive. I have spent almost 3000 złoty per my camera Nikon which is the best for me. :)
Here are some of my photos:

Long-distance relationship

Today there are many long-distance relationships. This type of intimate relationship is when the partners are separated by a considerable distance. Today people work a lot also in other cities and countries. These people don't live together and have to overcome many kilometers to meet. Very often they cannot meet everyday or every week, but for example, once a month. It is very difficult for them. This kind of relationship has many disadvantages, because we cannot spend much time with our partner, but thanks to modern technology we can be in contact with our partner all the time. People in these relationships more appreciate the time spent together, do not argue, because it is for them a waste of time and we can easily cultivate our interests without awareness that we neglect partner. But on the other hand there are many disadvantages of long-distance relationships. When we don't spend much time with our partner we can not find out what he has habits, how he or she has the type of personality. But I think that the biggest vice is nostalgia which sometimes helps in a relationship, but very often is the cause of relationship breakdown. People can not deal with it and because of this they end their relationship. And what do you think about it? :)

False friends ;)

This morning I found on the web the site about false friends. False friends are pairs of words or phrases in two languages or dialects (or letters in two alphabets) that look or sound similar, but differ significantly in meaning.I have been interested in this issue sometime, because I wanted to write the Bachelor thesis in Italian about this topic. This topic is very interesting and I can give a few examples of false friends (false amici) of the italian language. 
fare colazione (in Italian) means do breakfast, no robić kolację
divano means sofa, no dywan
tappeto means carpet, no tapeta
stipendio means salary, no stypendium
odore means smell, scent, flavour, no odór
firma means signature, no firma
droga means drug, no droga
mai means never, no maj
cura means care, no kura
camera means room, no kamera
ubicazione means site, no ubikacja 
rana means frog, no rana
canapa means hemp, no kanapa
impresa means firm, enterprise, no impreza

I can continue to exchange examples, but is not the point. There are also many false friends in English.
And finally I intercede a link to the web with the false friends in English:
False friends

 

International Women's Day

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8 every year. :) It was established in 1910 to commemorate the strike of 15,000 women who worked in a textile factory, and that 8 March 1908 in New York they demanded voting rights and improve working conditions. The factory owner closed women which were on strike in the factory premises with the intention of avoiding publicity. As a result of sudden fire were killed 129 women. 
The celebration of International Women's Day in Poland were eliminated in 1993, but the last few years is characterized by the back to the tradition of Women's Day.
Women's Day is now an official holiday, among others, in Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Italy and Zambia.This day is a special day for all women and girls in which men are giving gifts to women. They most often buy them flowers because almost all women like them. I read a few months ago that this day in Romania is the equivalent of Mother's Day and children give small presents their mothers and grandmothers. 
And at the end I will add a link to my favorite song, which reminds me the most of the International Women's Day:
Być kobietą

A job for students

Hi! After a long break, I have to get back to student life. This post will be dedicated to work for students. A job is very important in our lives and everyone want to earn a lot of money and because of this students more and more often are looking for a work. They must look for a job in the local papers or magazines and also there are many Job Centres or employment organisations which help to find a good job, but many often their services are not free. I think that the most popular occupations is that of a shop assistant. Students also can find a job in a coffee shop, supermarket or fast-food restaurant. They can work as for example secretaries, bookkeepers, babysitters or clerks. I think that in today's world the most required qualities are experience, energy, talent and responsability. Sometimes the employers offer good salaries, but in most cases the salaries are not too high. Many students work part-time at weekends or after school. But also some young people willingly take care of the erderly or the handicapped. It is known that before starting a job, you have to take vocational courses which prepare people to perform specific jobs, such as a car mechanic. I know that the job search is not an easy thing, but you have to be patient!

Capital punishment

I think that capital punishment or the death penalty in many cases should be legitimate in Poland, because there are many situation in which many innocent people lose their lives by stupidity and unwisdom the other. I know that anyone doesn't have a right to kill somebody but in the last day in Poland we have had many car accidents in whose several people died on the spot. The perpetrators of these accidents were drunk people which have many family problems. And also we all remember the murder of half-yearly Madzia who was killed by her mother. It was shocking. And because of these situations I think that capital punishment in some cases should be legal.
But I know that most people thinks that capital punishment is inhumane. There are many cases in which a judge, an executioner and all the other people indirectly or directly involved in bringing about  a verdict often have doubts as to whether they did the right thing and this weighs on their conscience to the end of their lives.
And what do you think about it? 

Euthanasia

The problem of euthnasia raises a great deal of controversy. Some people are for euthanasia but most people thinks that it is inhumane.
The supporters of euthanasia say that it can cause more good than harm to the patient and the family. Everyone have the right to decide about his or her life and death. It is very hard to live in a permanent vegative state without any human dignity. For many people euthanasia is an act of mercy and should be allowed. It is also a great problem in the case of whose who cannot express their consent, for example senile, comatose patiens or profoundly retarded children. Some people think that these patiens who have no chances of recovery should be put to death. 
But the opponents of euthanasia are of the opinion that everyone has natural right to continue living. According to them, making euthanasia legal would promote a lack of respect for human life. And in some cases a decision about discontinuing someone's life may be wrong because there are situations in whose the patients whoo seemingly have no chance of recovery miracously survive. ;)
Personally I'm against because I don't think any human has the right to purposefully end the life of another human being. And what do you thinh about this problem?

Sport

Sport is very important in our lives. It is also a popular leisure activity. It is known that people who do physical exercises keep fit and healthy, but it has also some disadvantages, for example injuries. But, first of all, taking up a sport has also many different psychological benefits. First, practising sport we can forget about stresses and problems of everyday life and second, it is a great way of spending free time. :) The product of practicing sports is good physical health, which ultimately impacts mental health. Practising sport regularly, a few hours a week, seems sufficient. And also if you take up a sport, you’ll meet new people, new friends. We can get to know new people and identify with a group. The feeling of satisfaction and often success increases also our self-esteem. But nowadays, when we have Internet, fewer and fewer people practise sport. They prefer playing computer games or watching television. 

For me, the best is volleyball, because I can play with a team. I like to work with others and playing volleyball also helps me to relax. ;) I also like watching volleyball matches in TV. It is very exciting. :) But my mom does not like when I scream and I'm firmly nervous while I'm watching these matches. I also like jogging which calms me.
But we have many other kinds of sport: volleyball, basketball, hockey, jogging, skating, tennis, baseball and many others. And what is your favorite kind of sport? 
Finally, I think you should practise sports, it is the best thing that you can do. Just do it! Take up a sport!