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. 

For those who like to travel

I'm probably not the best person to give advice to anyone, but I believe that you can learn something from my mistakes:)

1. If you ask for direction, do not depend on one person's opinion. You HAVE to ask someone else. The first one can be mistaken and you can end up 50km away from your destination point. 

2. If your plain is delayed, do not depend on what some flight attendant tells you. For example: he/she can tell you that the plain will be delayed two hours, and when you will come back (supposedly on time) it can turn out that your plain is no longer there. [in my case, the same flight attendant told me that I could hitchhike from Spain to Poland...]

3. If you're in a party somewhere in a foreign city, do not go home alone. You will probably get lost trying to figure out the way that leads to your hotel/hostel/home. And if it's late, don't ask some random people for the direction - at 2 a.m. it's a big possibility that you will come across some weird and dangerous people. 

4. If you're on a trip and you forgot to book a room, remember that you can always use internet and find a place where they still have free rooms. If, unfortunately, you can't find any and it's getting late and really cold outside, don't panic. Try to find hostel (which is at least on the second floor) go inside, make sure that there's no room left, and go to the attic - you can sleep safely there. 

5. Do not try to make apple fritters with purple corn flour - it tastes REALLY bad

San Juan de Gaztelugatxe

If you will ever be in Basque Country, you have to visit Gaztelugatxe. It's an islet on the coast of Biscay, connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge. It's one of the most beautiful places that I've ever seen! 

To go there you can take a bus, rent a car or, like I did, ask your new basque friends for a lift:)

I believe that it's better to go with someone who knows the way, because you can easily get lost.

The view is breathtaking! 

To go on the top of the islet you have to climb the narrow path that contains 241 steps(yeah, it looks a lot, but actually it's not so hard as it seems). Once you there, you will find the church, dedicated to John the Baptist, that has a bell situated along the front of its facade. According to legend, once you're on top, you should ring the bell three times and make a wish.

                 

Bilbao, the city of my dreams

I really miss travelling.

I believe that when I was living in Bilbao I had the best time of my life. I was there as an exchange student at Deusto University just for one year, but that year was the longest and the most fascinating in my life.

Bilbao is the beating heart of Basque Country. Although it's located in Spain, I wouldn't call it a Spanish city. I was surrounded by people who were speaking not only spanish, but also euskera. At first it was strange, because these two languages are totally different. But it didn't take long for me to become more fascinated with the second one. I knew that I came there to study Spanish, but I just couldn't help myself:)

My favorite word is pimpilimpausa, which means butterfly.

The second one, sirimiri which means drizzle.

But it's not only the language that differs them from the rest of Spain. The people who live there at first seem to be more shy, more introvert, but once you get to know them, you see how wonderful they are.

It's not really important whether you like football or not, when you're in Bilbao it's impossible not to love Athletic, the Basque football team.

           And here, one of my favorite songs in euskera.

                       Spring is coming..... :)

Eglė žalčių karalienė

Eglė the Queen of Serpents is one of the most popular Lithuanian fairy tales and the richest in references of Baltic mythology.

I heard it for the first time when I was a little girl, and even though it scared me at the time, I was and still am really fond of it.  

"Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. Together, they had twelve sons and three daughters. The youngest girl was named Eglė. On a warm summer evening, all three girls decided to go swimming. After bathing with her two sisters, Eglė discovered a serpent in the sleeve of her blouse.

The eldest girl grabbed Eglė's blouse, threw it down, and jumped on it, but the serpent did not leave. Turning to the youngest, Eglė, the serpent spoke to her in a man's voice, saying, "Eglė, promise to become my bride, and I will gladly come out."

In order to get him to leave her clothes, Eglė pledged herself to him, not understanding the possible consequences.

Three days later, thousands of serpents came for Eglė, but her relatives tricked them three times in a row. A goose, a sheep, and a cow were given instead of the girl, despite the warnings of a cuckoo. Finally, the enraged serpents returned and took Eglė with them to their master at the bottom of the sea.

Instead of seeing a serpent, Eglė met her bridegroom Žilvinas, a handsome man and the Serpent Prince. They married and bore four children, living happily.

One day, Eglė wished to visit her home, but her husband would not allow her. In order to be allowed the visit, Eglė would be required to fulfill three impossible tasks: to spin a never-ending tuft of silk, wear down a pair of iron shoes, and bake a pie with no utensils. Upon advice from a sorceress, Eglė was able to complete these tasks. She and her children left Žilvinas to visit her home.

After meeting with Eglė and her children, her family wished to keep her rather than let her return to the sea. They plotted to kill Žilvinas. Eglė's brothers asked her sons to reveal the secret calling of Žilvinas, but they would not. Finally, one of Eglė's daughters disclosed it:

"Žilvinas, dear Žilvinas,

If alive - may the sea foam milk

If dead - may the sea foam blood..."

The twelve brothers then called Žilvinas out from the sea, and killed him with scythes. They kept the secret of their deed from Eglė. Worried, Eglė called her husband, but only foams of blood returned from the sea.

Discovering that her beloved husband was dead, Eglė turned herself and her children into trees. Her sons were turned into strong trees: oak, ash and birch; her daughter was turned into a common aspen, and Eglė was turned into a spruce."