Discworld

 I don't really like fantasy books. I'm not interested in stories about vampires, witches, magic powers etc. But Terry Pratchett created other type of fantasy. It's fantasy that reflects reality.

Each story is set up on a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which are in turn standing on the back of a giant turtle, the Great A'Tuin. 

Discworld is absolutely amazing. I just love how Terry Pratchett sees the world. There is always a good measure of comedy along with a good story in his books.

You definitely won't find here boredom. 

Death is my favorite character from the Discworld series. He's brilliant because of his bewildered fascination with the living creatures. In his fondness of the human world he decides to copy a piece of it for him to inhabit. Being Death and all he lacks the ability to use all variable colours and sticks with black, white and shades of grey. He turns out to be a really sympathetic and chilling figure, fond of cats and curry.

“YOU FEAR TO DIE?
"It's not that I don't want... I mean, I've always...it's just that life is a habit that's hard to break...”
― Terry Pratchett, Reaper Man

“Nightmares are usually rather daft things and it’s very hard to explain to a listener what was so dreadful about your socks coming alive or giant carrots jumping out of the hedgerows.” 

Terry Pratchett, Eric

My birthday resolution

I hate birthdays... okay, maybe I should say that I love gifts but I hate the fact that I'm getting older. People are always asking me why am I so sad on my birthdays and I'm really tired of explaining them something so obvious. On this particular day I just wonder if the past year was meaningful, fascinating, do I live my life to the fullest?  

Like most of the people I'm too lazy, too tired, I complain a lot and I'm not self-confident to try and do the things that I really want. 

We are not getting any younger.

So I've decided that each year on my birthday I will do something, that I've never done before.

Good idea, don't you think?

This year, thanks to my boyfriend, I went to the shooting range. As my father was a police chief, he used to keep his gun in our house. I was always curious about it, but I knew that I can't touch it (too many stories about poor children who died while playing with a gun). So two days ago I finally got to try it. I have to say that...it was amazing! I was very excited, but at the same time, really scared. I knew that it's not a toy, that I could actually hurt somebody, or myself, if wouldn't pay attencion. 

For those who have ever thought about it, I really recommend it!

Live music

I remember when I was about ten years old, I went with my sister to the bar in our village where all the young folks were always gathering. We used to hang out there a lot, especially in the part of the bar that was built on a tree. This one day, we met a homeless drunk who was reeking of alcohol and sweat, so we decided to go home. But all of a sudden he started to talk about music. I will never forget when he said "Nowdays people don't understand music, for them it's just something that entertains them while they are working. They don't understand the music. The true music is the one that makes your body shiver." 

Couldn't agree more.

Yesterday I went to the Poznań Philharmonic for the first time. I've always wanted to go there, especially to hear Rahmaninov piano concert live, but I thought that it was too expensive for a poor student like me. I was shocked when my boyfriend gave me tickets for my birthday that cost only 20zł! So we went to the concert called "Love a la butterfly".

The Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, leaded by Eiji Oue, a famous japanese conducter, began the concert with the Rapshody for Orchestra by Yuzo Toyama. 

                                       

We were really surprised to hear such a dynamic music. Even the older people were slightly shaking their heads to the melody:) I immediately fell in love with the conducter. He was full of energy and happiness (for me, it looked like he was dancing, not conducting). In the second part called "The Butterfly Lovers" the leading instrument was played by a chinese violinist Xiaoming Wang. This part of the concert was based on a Chinese lengend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. The violin was representing the woman, and the cello - man. It was simply amazing how well they played. In the third part they performed Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 

At the end of the concert the audience just couldn't stop clapping and whistling. The conducter was forced to come back on the stage. While they were playing again one part of Yuzo Toyama's Rapshody, Eiji Oue was conducing not only the orchestra, but also the audience:) He walked through the hall with a big smile on his face and proudly put on himself some kind of japanese coat. 

Beautiful Icelandic music

I've always wanted to go to Iceland. I think it's because of the Icelandic music that created in my mind this beautiful image of land of peace, calm and good people. If I would have to describe Iceland, I would say that it's magic, although I've never been there. 

                                      

I can't say that Múm is well-known band. Actually, I have to admit that I know only the album "Finally we are no one". I fell in love with this band because of the vocalist, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, and her soft and a little bit childish voice. 

Sigur Ros - probably the best icelandic band ever. Half of people will find them boring, while the other half will get chills while listening to their music. 

Amiina will always remind me of my sister. I will never forget the day that we were making video based on this song. She had to make one for her studies, and I was forced to be the main actress.