Baile Beag

Back from holidays.

2009-12-17T13:18:00.003Z

Long time no post... Maybe it will change but I have been busy lately and have not been much into blogging. Now it may be a more relaxed time of the year with Christmas and family time coming.
By the way, I am just back from Tenerife. They definitely are in the Christmas mood over there but somehow the strong sun and Christmas lights are a strange combination to me! It is so, so cold now in Ireland - about 3 degrees.

treasures, treasures

2008-10-27T22:39:00.004Z

walking on a lovely Sunday afternoon with the our baby boy, we saw this rainbow just over our hill. apparently, there is a pot of gold hidden somewhere there but we didn't look for it... we had 5 kgs of our little precious to carry.

new arrival

2008-10-05T20:08:00.004+01:00

oh, it has been a long time since my last post and a lot has changed with the arrival of our tiny bundle of joy ... well, maybe not so tiny at 9 lbs 1 oz (4120 g) ... but all went well and our little baby boy has been with us since Sept 13th

so now he is in the centre of attention

other news ... hmmm ... IMI exams were passed and I am waiting for my diploma to arrive ... application for the work as a Garda successful but the thing must be postponed for some time ... obviously i am no longer commuting to M to see my M as we live together now ... on the literature scene, Olga Tokarczuk, the author of "Bieguni", has won the NIKE prize ... at the moment I am trying to finish Pawel Huelle's "Ostatnia Wieczerza" ... altogether I have little or no time to browse the Internet or do some other things at the moment but more updates may follow soon ... now it is time to go again though ...

Sunday for study

2008-05-04T13:39:00.004+01:00

Spathiphyllium, the daughter, has recently moved to M. This is her new corner, nice and cosy. I hear she is well looked after by M :)
The mother is still staying here for the moment but is to change her whereabouts pretty soon.
She may get a new pot on this occassion too!
***
It is a sunny, warm and lazy Sunday here and I am trying to study for my final exams. I remember studying in April and May last year and it was not easy. It is not easy now either but then my exams are this Tue and Wed and then there will be no more. Hopefully it will go well. I am going on holidays soon after to recuperate from all the brain damage caused by "excessive studying" ;)

And now all you've been waiting for ...

2008-03-28T20:04:00.009Z

Hmmm I was asked for an update by my faithful (two) readers so here it goes...
Just a quick thing for now as it is late and later there will be more posts (hopefully).

Anyway, a long time has passed since I put away Asne Seierstad's "The Bookseller of Kabul". Since then, I have started reading a few books and now they are queuing on the shelves and waiting to be finished.

1. "Bieguni" by Olga Tokarczuk. Her newest, long-awaited novel on journey and people who travel. Here is the link to some short summary in English.
I must stay I like those stories; some are short and some long, there are a lot of references to various cultures and different people. Now I wonder though: when am I going to finish it?

The same goes for:

2. Asne Seierstad's "With their backs to the world: Portraits from Serbia"
I read a few chapters but I have lost my heart after a while. I don't find this book as compelling as "The Bookseller of Kabul" and I suppose this book must wait for a better moment now.
3. Then I don't even want to mention Steve Jones' "Y: The Descent of Men" (here goes one review) I feel ashamed now; I know I mentioned this book before in my blog but I don't even remember when.

So that is it. My college book gathers dust as well and waits to be opened. This must happen soon as I have my two final exams coming and looming large...

In the meantime, I work as usual (though shorter hours), I sleep more than usual !!! and am starting yoga classes this Monday.

The bookseller of Kabul.

2008-01-05T20:46:00.001Z

Over the Christmas time I read the book by Asne Seierstad - The Bookseller of Kabul. I read it on my way back from PL and unfortunately left it on the plane (with the Christmas card from M. as a bookmark :-( While I got a new copy of the book soon after I landed , I could not get the card back. M gave me then a post-Christmas card with the same image but I am still sorry I lost the first one I had got. Painting is by Sassoferrato (Giovanni Battista Salvi))
... to go back to the book, I did enjoy it because it was about a culture different to ours and also because it was about the women and their life. The portrait drawn by Anne is both intimate and moving. You can read a short review of the book here.

Then I found an interesting article on this book by Ann Marlow. I recommend reading it as it explains more of the culture behind the book and pinpoints inconsistencies in the novel itself.

The bookseller himself, ShahMuhammad Rais, took action against Anne Seierstad for libelling his family.

"Shah Muhammad Rais, owner of the bookshop at the Intercontinental Hotel and another near the Mustafa Hotel, is taking legal action against Norwegian journalist and author Asne Seierstad for her best selling book “The Bookseller of Kabul.” [source]

A bit more on the book can be found here.

Happy New Year

2008-01-05T16:21:00.001Z

Maybe it is a bit late but after all we are only in the first week of 2008. HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone, may it bring whatever it is you are looking or waiting for.
All the best -
nightskyspy

Ride on ... See you

2007-11-27T22:10:00.000Z

Tonight I had my usual Tuesday riding lesson. I do enjoy going there straight after work and relaxing during this fast -flying hour. I was on Blu this time again. He had a break last week and was back in shape tonight so I was happy to have him.
I feel I have made big progress since I rode on him in June (when the picture was taken). I canter better, I jump better, I sit better in the saddle, I am stronger on a horse and enjoying riding more and more. I also notice it all comes naturally to me, which is also a change.

While I was driving from work to my riding school, the following song was on the radio. I found it really suiting the moment! I liked it a lot too and I think the version by Christy Moore played then on the radio is better than the one by Cruachan. I liked it better anyway.

Ride On

True you ride the finest horse
I've ever seen;
Standing Sixteen one or two
with eyes wild and green.
And you ride the horse so well,
hands light to the touch,
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
[ http://www.rare-lyrics.com ]

When you ride into the night
without a trace behind,
run your claw along my gut, one last time.
I turn to face an empty space, where you use to lie,
and look for the spark
that lights the night
through a teardrop in my eye

Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to
Ride on, see you
I could never go with you no matter how I wanted to

lyrics taken from here.

Spathiphylium II

2007-11-27T21:57:00.000Z

small plant, small problem.
big plant, big problem.
Since I replanted my Spathiphylium in August, it has been growing like mad and had a second big flower bloom. It is really growing so quickly and is a beautiful plant now. I will have to get a very big pot for her next spring; way bigger than this one.

I am happy to see her grow like this though.

driving to M

2007-11-17T14:01:00.000Z

so i am back ...

back from another interpreting job in a hospital, back from another horse riding lesson

[it was great today. i was on a horse i had never ridden before and oh isn't he fast and lovely, and strong. Thierry may be called a grumpy old man, but there is no better horse to canter and to jump; he is really soft and easy going]

and soon leaving for M, a little town in west Cork to see M :)

it is not necessary to drive to M all night but here it goes, maybe a good song to hum while driving.

her voice is so powerful, even more so in this acapella version.

friday night / saturday morning

2007-11-10T01:08:00.000Z

i just got back from a pub where we were having some farewell drinks with the girl who left my company today. we had a good night, talking, laughing, enjoying ourselves.
well, i got back home with this song on my mind:

i am not sure why but i was just humming it on the way back so i listened to it on youtube.

i also found this video so hmmm i will post it here. to clear any doubts (if M is wondering), i am not dedicating this song to ted ;)

SLOW DOWN

2007-11-01T21:40:00.000Z

Poll: Who do you think is most to blame for the current

high level of road deaths?

The Government

11%

Gardai

Road Safety Authority

Drivers

81%

[source: irishhealth.com]

If I was asked to take part in this poll, I would say: the drivers. They sit behind the wheel, they are focused (or not) on the road and they do know Irish roads are far from perfect.
The roads here are narrow, winding, and, simply, not safe. True, along most of those roads, there are signs displayed that maximum speed is 100 km/h. I tried this speed once and nearly lost control of my car. I usually travel at lesser speed and if if means there is a queue of some cars behind me, then... well... tough. I am not in a hurry for my own funeral.

I think we should remember about it every day - that we are responsible not only for our own lives but also for the lives of others.

Perhaps today we should remember it in particular. Today is All Saints' Day when we remember our dead and maybe ponder how fragile life is.

In Poland the beginning of November is a very busy time for the police. 10 thousand policemen and policewomen were deployed in the country last Wed and will work till Sunday night to make sure Polish roads are safer. They appeal to drivers to slow down as roads are slippery, to pedestrians to wear high-vis items of clothing, and to all to be very careful.

At the end of this post, I want to mention some statistics.

In 2007 from January till September:
on the Irish roads: 252 killed
on the Polish roads: 3971 killed

It means more than 4000 new graves so far and more than 4000 lives lost.

Slow down on your way wherever you are going.

Updated on 2007-11-02
According to the Polish police, the first days of November are most dangerous on Polish roads. On Wednesday Oct 31 and Thursday Nov 1, 35 persons were killed and 354 injured in 306 car accidents. 743 drink drivers were caught.

* In Poland the max concentration of alcohol in blood is 0.2 per cent while in Ireland it is o.8 per cent (when breath testing, the legal limit in Ireland is 0.35 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of breath).

some of my sources:
Citizens Information
Policja

Reading, writing, and other things.

2007-10-31T20:00:00.000Z

After some break from reading, I started on another book by Orhan Pamuk - My Name Is Red. I must say it begins in an intriguing way and it is hard to put it away. It seems totally different than "Snow" too.
The covers of both books well reflect the contents . While "Snow" is about winter, cold, freezing times, "My Name Is Red" and its half red cover seem to accentuate the hidden passions, secrets and mysteries of the life in Istanbul in the times of Great Sultan.
I am now reading chapter 6 so later on I may add some more on the book.
I have to read my college book too (a chapter on HR) and then I got engrossed in Fantasy Football. Emotions run high on the pitch.

Plus I have been tagged with "when i become a famous rider..." by rough hands. Aagghhh I must think about something and write a post on it so. I had a riding lesson last night but I decided not to take part in the show jumping league that takes place every Friday. I fell during my first competition and well I must still practice before I can jump.
So I must think what will happen when I become a famous rider.

Bacio # 5

2007-10-13T22:29:00.000+01:00

Treat your friends as you would your paintings and show them in their best light. J. J. Churchill

photographer's block...

2007-10-09T22:17:00.001+01:00

ahhh it seems to be a strange period now. I have lived in a new place for more than a month now and I feel very good here. The transition between the old place and the new place was pretty seamless and now everything is just going fine. Now I need less time to get to work and I have it closer to Hop Island where I go horse riding. I have it easier to do some quick shopping on the way back too. To get to my college takes more time now though and I take a car to get there (before I would walk) and then it is so hard to find a parking space in the city. I must think of some solutions before my next classes (this Thursday) but it will be grand soon. On the whole it is good but it has gotten a bit of a routine too. It is not to say that routine is bad; some things need to be well organised and running smoothly. Still no day is the same and I move forward every day and it is nice to feel I am not stuck in a rut, as the saying goes.

I have noticed a bit of a photographer's block recently but hopefully it will pass... along with some kind of a writer's block too!

Peace Lily

2007-09-22T18:13:00.000+01:00

My Spathiphylium or Peace Lily was kindly posing for a picture this quiet Saturday afternoon.
I got her when she was very small for my 2o odd birthday less than 3 years ago. She had a few white flowers then but once they faded, she did not bloom at all.
I did not give it much thought but just watered it regularly.
I decided to repot here before I would go on my holidays at the end of August. I split the plant into two because it was so big. One part ended up in the new flower pot with fresh earth; the other part remained in the old pot but with fresh earth too.
I moved to a new place and left for Eastern Europe. When I came back after the few days I found the plant in the new flower pot blooming! That was a great surprise. Now it has two white flowers and I hope it will have more soon. Apparently, it must like its new place here.
***
Some credit must go here to M too - for providing some items necessary for successful repotting, a few tips, and of course for this nice ceramic pot.

M like ,,, Myrtleville

2007-09-10T20:32:00.001+01:00

hmmm ... how to say "hello" after almost two months of not blogging? a lot have happened and this has been quite a busy time. yet, it has also been a very relaxing, wonderful time. while those last few days Poland has been battered by rains, we have had a lovely spell of Indian summer here in Ireland. True, we were in Poland the first few days in September and we got cold so it was good to come back to this nice weather. Yesterday we spent the day here ..

and we had a nice swim too! Waves were coming - one warm and one cold alternatively, which I found unusual. It was the first time i swam in the ocean :)

***
On other things that happened:
I have moved to a different place now - with a garden and in a quiet area :) so I am happy
(with the change of address, there has been a change in my phone number too).
I am back to college next week ahhh ... back to studying.
It is time to go back to horse riding too.

***
Thank you and credit for the photo go to M. who has a good eye.

Update

2007-07-17T19:54:00.000+01:00

Strawberries seem to be over this year. I do not mean there will be no more strawberries in the shops this year; most probably they will be. The nicest, sweetest strawberries are only in May and June though. This photo presents Polish strawberries [just in case someone was wondering what "nationality" they were ;) ]

Then, waiting for the exams results is too. I got the envelope on July the 6th and then I was a bit too busy to post. Late but here it goes. I passed all the three exams with distinction (70% +) :) and I know that my holidays from college will be over sometime in mid-September. So I am enjoying my free evenings now and I put the management books away for now. I should be back to "Lapidarium VI" now so till the next post and next updates ...

It's a waiting game ...

2007-07-04T20:22:00.000+01:00

waiting
waiting
waiting
for some things that are yet to come; today is like an enormous waiting room and now the question is of striking that balance between instant and postponed fulfillment:
texts / emails from friends - varied times and not always predictable but it is nice to wait for those;
horse riding - closer and closer because tomorrow night, 7 pm;
the beginning of the weekend - close enough: Friday noon;
exams results - should be this week, should have been today but i found nothing under my door (it is getting annoying now; i want to know!);
second year in college - September 2007 if i have passed. i am looking forward to it because at the end of my course i will get my cert.
advancement in career - well, gradually getting there, slowly but surely; takes time and requires patience but seems like a sure investment.
Garda Reserve application results - "yes" or "no" later this year.

A few travels, books to be read, music to listen to, movies to watch - as i go.

A lot to wait for and to look forward to.

Yet, there are some other things I have been waiting for - for a long time. They are important and personal; they make me see the bigger pictures better and i could call them my gentle priorities even if that is an unusual metaphor.

A certain song has been coming back to me quite a few times over the past two months or so.
It seems kinda proper to post it here;

I will not write here though if I got my answer ... too personal.

Bacio # 4

2007-06-28T21:15:00.000+01:00

Laughter makes you young. Love makes you beautiful.

Monday...

2007-06-25T22:03:00.000+01:00

Another Monday almost over. It has not been a bad day. I overslept this morning but I was not late for work so that's good even if I was a bit annoyed by it. Being late for work has not happened to me since I started working there and usually I am a very punctual person. Yet, this morning my friends had to wait for me as we go to work together - in my car. They did not mind at all though.
Day at work pretty much flew. I was a bit angry still by my near-lateness and so got more easily annoyed by others today. I have worked in this company for 10 months and there are still some people who get my name wrong. It is not despite their best efforts. It is because they do not even try to get it right. I thought, it is my name for f**k's sake. I would just correct one lady today (she used the male version of my name!!!). I also corrected my boss today but it was okay with him; someone misled him a bit when he wanted to get it right. He just said I lost my temper too easily. Maybe I do; still some things make my blood boil (this one made my blood warmer by a few degrees ;))
***
One bit of news here:
I am expecting to get my exams results sometime in the middle of next week. I hope they will be a good reason to celebrate.
***
Anyway, I am going to sleep earlier tonight. Last night I watched American Beauty - I saw it a good few years ago and I wanted to get to it again and enjoy it. Enjoy the words they say (some of the quotes are so beautiful...)
Then I read some beautiful words in an email I got and I wanted to reply. I went to bed later than usual so.
Now I am reading Lapidarium VI by Ryszard Kapuscinski. It is not an easy book to read; yet it is simple at the same time. I may post something more on it later.

The photo is of a park in Douglas. I had a very relaxing time there. It was warm and I would just walk around and take some pictures, or just look around and enjoy the sun and watching the bird(s).Time for my magic potion now and for hitting the pillow. Good night.

Dead Can Dance - The Wind That Shakes The Barley

2007-06-21T19:19:00.001+01:00

This Irish theme got stuck in my head today after I listened to this song at work. It reminded me of the movie too. So here it goes. I find this song moving but for reasons I cannot entirely grasp at this moment. Lyrics.

Architecture - Wroclaw a.k.a. Breslau

2007-06-20T20:48:00.000+01:00

City Hall in one of my favourite cities. Right in the heart of the market square.
This city is a must-visit for more reasons than its architecture; today I will just name its lovely parks - great for cycling, walking, or lying on the grass. The parks there are so spacious you can get positively lost there :)

Bacio # 3

2007-06-19T20:55:00.000+01:00

Friendship brings great happiness with little gestures.

Back in Cork

2007-06-08T20:44:00.001+01:00

Hello again after a few days' break from posting.
I am back, alive and well but getting back to Cork was a fairly easy thing. It is hard to be late for a flight that is delayed after all and it is not much one can do up there but think of ways to kill boredom. One can sleep, read, or converse with another passenger. I was lucky to meet a friend at the airport and we sat in the same row during the flight. We talked for some time but then I tried to sleep or well, I kept my eyes closed and got in a semi-dazed state. Before I did that, I exchanged a few words with the passenger on my right hand side. The guy was from Czech Republic and asked me something about milk served on the plane. MILK MLIKO MLEKO; well I did not chant it as a mantra while in my dazed state; I just remembered now the way he put an accent in the word "mliko". Of course it was different than the accent used by the Polish in "mleko". As you can see I had very "fascinating" thoughts when on this plane ... [German MILCH is way different again]
***
Anyway, I am back in my apartment now; I went back to work on Tuesday morning (half asleep as the plane arrived at c. midnight). I survived the four long days in the office, trying to do my best but it was tough. It is difficult to get back to reality, to the usual after long holidays. I could not muster up enough energy to do things in my usual fast and efficient manner. My brain put up a lot of resistance in face of some tasks.
So I wore this t-shirt today as this week I have been a very good bad example of slackening discipline. It is good then to have an understanding boss with some sense of humour too. He agreed with what my t-shirt said (I bet what he had in mind was that my Polish workmate and I speak Polish when it comes to small talk but it is a different matter).
There will be no mercy next week anyway but I am hoping to be back on the track by Monday.
On Monday, I will be wearing a different t-shirt ;)

leaving ... soon

2007-06-03T20:23:00.000+01:00

"Suddenly the night has grown colder..."

I am just listening to "Alexandra Leaving" performed by Leonard Cohen. Somehow this song always comes to my mind when I am about to travel even if the lyrics do not have much in common with my life. I want to apologise here for not providing any link to a youtube movie with this song. The reason is that there is no video clip with song performed by Cohen. I did not like the version I found.

To get back to my travel, all I want is to land safely at my destination. Then there will be a huge sigh of relief and I will be able to go home.

Recently I got a little nice MP3 player. At the airport I may listen to some songs to kill the time before boarding and to kill boredom when flying.

Before listening to Cohen now, I listened to Nick Cave. I then remembered the concert he gave at the Marquee some time ago. I cannot remember the exact date but the concert was very good. Here are youtube links to two of his songs:

Weeping song

People ain't no good

I listened to many more songs than those two by Cave of course and some are more stuck than others.

Now I feel strangely detached; maybe because of this journey. I am a bit stressed out about my flight and I do not want to think that I am leaving so soon. Knock me out before boarding the plane please so it might get easier. I would not like to crash. When I think about some plane crashes, I think the awareness of the inevitable is the worst. I keep telling myself that nothing bad will happen this time either. I also think it is a good time to say good night now; time to get some sleep before tomorrow. "So long, Marianne" Cohen sings (my name is not Marianne, I must add here ;))

The pic of this weeping willow was taken in Wroclaw a few days ago.

Holidays

2007-06-01T20:41:00.000+01:00

My holidays in Poland are almost, almost over. After two weeks and something I am going to pack my suitcase again. I am going to pack some good memories too. I did not plan to do much during those holidays and things were just following the general flow. Yet, there some unexpected things that took place but it is a mystery :-)

On a cultural side though there are no mysteries. Here goes a list of some movies I watched and the two books I read. [I took plenty of pictures as well - here goes just this one - of the flowers].

Norwegian wood by Haruki Murakami
(Polish cover on the left; English one on the right. Surely this books has had various covers - not only those too. I must say I like the one on the right more but I am adding the other one to this post just for some kind of balance.)

On the book itself ... I enjoyed reading it until the very last page. The ending was rather a surprise and I was disappointed by it to be honest. I could not know that when I started reading of course :-) but it was all calculated risk: you never know where a given book is gonna take you.

Lala by Jacek Dehnel
At the beginning I found it hard to get into rhythm with this book but then I could not be separated from it until the very last page. Great read. Some kind of compensation for "Norwegian Wood".

Buena Vista Social Club by Wim Wenders

Great music. Nothing more to add.

North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock

A fair bit of entertainment in Hitchcock style. Nice and easy for holidays time.

Elizabeth by Shekhar Kapur It was a must - to see "Elizabeth". I was thinking about it for a long time but somehow I never got a chance until a few days ago. She was a strong woman and a feminist. She knew what she wanted and would go for it in spite of all men around. Very often the steps she took were against their advice and she brought England to prosperity. Smart woman.

21 grams by Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu

A must-see. Captivating watch for me from the beginning until the very end. I watched it second time last week.

One Last Dance
No poster here. I found the movie dreadfully boring and lacking in any real emotion. Dance can be so full of emotions and passion but passion was missing from this film big time.

Les Amants by Louis Malle

French lovers escape from settled environment. Nice fairytale but I found it too naive. The female protagonist may have appealed to the viewers back then when the movie was screened in the late 1950's but not so much to me. It was interesting to watch anyway just to have some fun. Yes, I may be too skeptic about love these days but such things just do not happen in real life.
So people will keep going to cinemas, theatres to experience the impossible, the improbable.
For the same reasons the Greeks went to their theatres and the English crowded to see Shakespeare's plays. I realize it is a pretty simplified picture I paint but there is some truth in it, isn't there?

Back to scorching heat.

2007-05-29T13:17:00.000+01:00

I made this short video at Garretstown beach near Kinsale. I wish I could be at the seaside now - be it Irish sea or Baltic sea. Anywhere where you can wade in chilling waters.

Waterfalls

2007-05-28T21:19:00.001+01:00

This song has come to my mind tonight as well. I was wandering for what reason and I thought about the waterfalls I might be chasing if any. Food for thought.
***
I like the song very much anyway.

"Don’t go chasing waterfalls
please stick to the rivers
and the lakes that you’re used to
I know that you’re gonna have it
your way or nothing at all
but I think you're moving too fast"

RAIN TODAY - part two

2007-05-28T20:56:00.001+01:00

one of my favourite songs. it so well defines my inner desires and ambitions.

RAIN TODAY - part one

2007-05-28T20:23:00.000+01:00

Natasha Bedingfield - Feel The Rain On Your Skin Lyrics

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your innovations
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inner visions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inner visions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah

source of the lyrics

Too hot to post

2007-05-26T11:15:00.001+01:00

Another day of scorching heat in Poland. Weather forecast says there will be thunder storms later today - I hope it is not wrong. Plans for tonight - barbeque party and lot of beer. Rain will not be much of a problem when it comes and it will make a few things easier for us here.
***
The photo is of the roses I gave to my mother this morning.

Another cycling trip this evening

2007-05-22T20:09:00.000+01:00

Day tripper

2007-05-22T09:01:00.000+01:00

Cieszyn - the name of the city is derived from the verb "cieszyc sie" which means "be joyful about something". A legend says that three brothers met up after a long journey and they were so happy to see each other that they decided to build a town at that location. That is only a legend; actually a town started growing around the Castle in the 8th century (if you click on the link, you will read that it was founded in the 10th century).
Park in Cieszyn.

Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight.

2007-05-21T10:03:00.001+01:00

Afternoon Delight Lyrics (one of the songs from Good Will Hunting soundtrack)

Impressions

2007-05-18T19:49:00.000+01:00

Sleeping cat in Cobh

2007-05-13T15:49:00.000+01:00

Well, coma is not exactly a state I am in. However, I am tired enough and I have decided to suspend blogging until further notice. My brain needs to recover from the effort of taking three exams in three days (the last one was taken after a totally sleepless night). There are some other reasons for taking a break but those will not be disclosed.

Mare and me.

2007-05-05T19:31:00.000+01:00

I like this photo a lot - the horse is seen between the fence beams. Good eye; all credit goes to my friend with a broken arm (left one thankfully).

Swans @ Lough

2007-05-05T10:41:00.000+01:00

Off to see my friend with broken arm - to talk and get some break from study. We will go to the riding centre together; she will take photos and I will be riding.
***
My apartment - cleaned. Shopping - not done :-( Mood - let's say okay for now. Study books - waiting for me to come back. Ironic - only my books "wait" for me in my flat. I know it is a commonplace but it is really so tough to be single and to live alone. It seems to me today that it is a life sentence and I am growing more and more tired and fed up with it. Does anyone know how to appeal it?

Shamrock for luck

2007-05-03T23:16:00.000+01:00

Four - leaved shamrock is supposed to bring luck. Everyone (?) knows shamrock is one of the symbols of Ireland. I hope it will bring luck to me too because I am in Ireland after all. I am off all week now and I am going to study really hard. I have four days left and then here it goes - three exams: on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday respectively. I am so stressed out now. After all is done, I will go to a pub to get a well deserved pint of beer (maybe Murphy to remind myself of that taste).

But now it is time to get the well deserved sleep after this week's maddness in the office.

P.S. I wore this shamrock lapel pin when I went to a pub on Paddy's day.

Cormorants

2007-04-29T20:08:00.000+01:00

My friend and I had a quiet Sunday today. We talked and watched some pics together, among other things. It turned out we were taking pictures near the Morrison's Island on separate occasions and that we, most probably, "caught" the same bird. It likes spending its time by the bridge. I saw it there a good couple of times. When I was walking with my camera on a Sunday some time ago, it decided to take a rest on a life ring buoy and was posing for me like a star :)

My friend and I wondered what bird it was.
My knowledge of birds species is really poor. It is a cormorant (the Internet is invaluable).
***
Links:
wildlife of blue flag beaches
Carlingford wildlife page

Sky, blue sky.

2007-04-28T23:32:00.000+01:00

Here goes a picture I took while lying in the grass and relaxing - doing almost nothing.
I wish I could do that some time very soon. Sooner than when I am in Poland. There I can use my parents' huge garden.
***
My best friend fell from a horse today. She is in hospital and I do not know what to say. It has been a long, long day. I just arrived home a few minutes ago and I am going to bed now.

City jungle vs. countryside

2007-04-26T21:59:00.000+01:00

Since I posted that photo of wagtail last night, I have been thinking how much I actually miss contact with nature. Now I live in the concrete jungle where people are indifferent at best, at worst they smash car windows just because they are drunk (I would be guessing about any other underlying reasons. Let's say I would give the one who did it benefit of doubt after all).

I used to live in a small town, then in a big city (university times) with loads of parks and loughs. Just before I came to Ireland I would live about 500 yards from woods where I could go for walks, spy on birds with binoculars (I shared a house with an ornitologist), and relax. Woods were also an escape from the noise of the school where I used to teach.

I have been thinking about moving out of Cork city for a long time now but ... easier thought than done. Especially for someone who is single, lives alone, and does not want to share with strangers. For someone who has friends but none of them is planning any move any time soon. Well, for someone who is a bit of a free spirit too.

I will move for sure though - sooner or later.

This pic is from times when I used to live in a house with a garden (Cork's south side). I moved just because the atmosphere there was unbearable and the garden was not much of a help or escape.

Here it goes. I am not sure what species of bird it is.
I would ask her but I no longer keep in touch with my ex-housemate.

Study Time

2007-04-25T23:00:00.000+01:00

Yes, it is a study time - big time. The final countdown has started: 12 days left till my exams (excluding today as today is ... nearly over). There is less Internet browsing now and less blogging. It is good that there are still two weekends left for studying (Bank Holiday weekend included). To give my brain a break and some more oxygen, I am going horse riding this weekend too.
***
Animals in the city series starts by the way. Yesterday I saw the pheasant in the grass while riding in the countryside. You need to imagine it as I don't have a photo. Tonight, though, here it is - a photo of a bird posing against the grey pavement slabs.

...

2007-04-24T21:12:00.000+01:00

Good evening...
Very good I say.
***
Imagine a quiet evening close to a stony beach
Grey, calm water stretching far into the misty distance
Green trees refreshed by the rain that has finally started falling
Green grass that looks so soft and inviting you want to walk on it barefoot
Bird singing sweetly and incessantly while hidden somewhere between the branches
A pheasant ... against the background of lush, long, and thick grass, moving majestically around
White and blue flowers along the path, fragile, beautiful, and tiny, looked at from a horse's back
...
This time I rode on Blossom :-)

It was perfect in the sense that I could really distanced myself from the entire world out there
being at that moment in that place enjoying riding on Blossom, patting him on that long, warm neck from time to time, playing with him as well and feeling that he was enjoying himself too :)
...
I love horse riding - especially right after work.
Unbelievable - how different it can be and relaxing.
Good before going to sleep too.
***
Good night.

"Get it of your chest" weekend

2007-04-22T17:59:00.000+01:00

I have just finished another chapter of the book "Y: The Descent of Men" by Steve Jones. After the initial 30 pages or so I got into the rhythm of it and I find it quite fascinating. I must say it is hard to put this book aside.

I had to, though, to go to a Cork Garda Station.
(As I mentioned a few times in my previous posts, I am an interpreter for Garda Siochana.)

This time there was a Polish guy arrested under section 49 (nothing new to me; I know the entire procedure so well I could quote all the sections and requirements in my sleep. Obviously, the Garda designated doctor is no strange face to me either).

Well, anyway, this Polish guy was so pissed that he had some problems understanding his native language and kept saying "Okay", "No problem," nodding "yes" to almost everything I was saying. He is going to have no recollation of what he was doing or saying when he sobers up. If someone tells him he tried to pick me up, he's gonna deny. Yeah but that's what happened.

I did not like it. I know I have lots of anger deep down in me at people who, when drunk, try to pick up girls. I do not care when it happens at Garda Stations; when this guy started calling me "his darling", "love", in a harsh tone I simply told him to give it a break. I do my job and I do not care about what a drunk guy may say. I only care that he is caught and cannot be a threat to anyone.

But in a pub it is different. I used to go to pubs a lot to enjoy myself and have a pint or two. Now I do not go out at all. I do not drink much either when I do go out. Last time I went out was a week ago and only because a good friend asked me to join her as she was going to a farewell party.

Drunk guys are what discouraged me totally from visiting pubs. They cannot talk about interesting things. They either stare at you, they give you this bullshit of "I'll text you", "Yes, you are a great girl","I like you" etc etc. They pretend all the time to give a shit. All they want is to get drunk and then have sex. Obvious. A one night stand. What else?

Thanks but no. I have had enough of this attitude, this shallowness. I have enough of the guys who do not understand a simple word "No." Enough of those who do undestand this simple word and then lose all interest. Enough of idiots who think it is funny when they lie down on the floor to take peek under my not-that-short a skirt. Enough of the guys who insist on dancing with me when I really prefer doing that alone. Or of some who when texting me at 3 am tell me how many beers they had overnight. How impressive.

I keep my phone silenced at night and at 3 am I am fast asleep unless I want to work. Then I can either be found at a Garda station or a hospital (CUH most often) or well - in bed when there are no call-outs.

I am not a vengeful creature but something my blood boils when I think about what happened in that one pub for example.
I used to wonder what would happen if I kicked that peeking guy on the floor in that stupid drunk face. Or just called the security.

In reality, I could not kick anyone - in the face or anywhere else. I regret I did not call a security guy. I do not condone any violence just my anger creates various images in my mind. I am venting part of this anger here.

Now I feel I am just "too old" for pubs and I am too fed up with the whole Saturday town thing. Nothing ever changes.

I mean I was not born yesterday. I know what pubs are like and I know what guys are like. I was not a saint myself before and I am not a saint now either.

I am a normal girl who is really fed up with immature men. I have never met anyone in a pub who would deserve the term "mature." Really, never. Pubs are definitely wrong places for looking. Since no one could prove me wrong, I stopped visiting them a good few months ago.

Well, sure, you may say I was naive. Overly optimistic - I would say. After all what can I expect when I go to a pub? Respect - no. Some good conversation - no. Drunk people - yes.

Anyway, now I find the Saturday night out-goers' behaviour is totally obnoxious to me.

Now what I do over the weekends is reading books, watching movies (last night the turn came to see Good Will Hunting), having a beer or wine from time to time, browsing the Internet (I still have not found out in which constituency I live so I am only guessing at the moment; is this info classified?), studying (at least in theory), riding horses, and doing some other things. I prefer spending time in more constructive ways.

Maybe I will go to a gig sometime soon if I find something worth my time.

P.S. I realize they are exceptions out there. Maybe I could name one or two persons I know but this would be a very different story. (One of them had interesting things to say but was too self-centred). But in general I have a very bad idea of Irish pubs and the people you meet there.
***
I just took part in "Cork talks back" programme on RedFM. Not bad. Thanks Victor. I may be phoning in more often from now on.
***
The photo presents me in the Heineken brewery in Amsterdam (a few years ago). By the way I still have one Heineken in my fridge. I will have it now I think.

Euro 2012 challenge

2007-04-21T21:38:00.000+01:00

On the subject of EURO 2012, I just read an article on TurkishPress.com about how big a challenge it is going to be for both Poland and Ukraine to get the infrastructure in place for the big event.

It was an interesting read I must say. I know what things look like in Poland. After all I spent there 20+ years and even after 2 years and a half here I know what must be done over there. The part of the article on Ukraine was more interesting. I am sure they are facing even a bigger challenge than the Poles.

I have never been to Ukraine myself; I can imagine what it is there like from stories heard and if this country is in any way comparable to Lithuania... well then it is going to be a tremendous task ahead of them. I hope no Lithuanian or Ukrainian will take an offence here at me comparing their countries...

Anyway, the reporter who wrote this caption under the photo on the right made a mistake...

"Ukranian Football Federation Chairman Grigory Surkis(L) kisses his Polish counterpart Michael Listkiewicz after both countries were chosen to co-host the Euro 2012 tournament at a ceremony in Cardiff, Wales.
(AFP)" (source: TurkishPress.com)

The thing is Listkiewicz is the grey-haired, taller guy! His photo (on the left) was taken from here.

I can understand when reporters mistake the Polish president with the Polish prime minister. They are identical twins after all; though not to know which one visited Mr. Blair in UK and which one went to Germany to pay a visit to Ms. Merkel... well... was not very professional.

But then ... to mistake Mr. Surkis and Mr. Listkiewicz? A bad reporter's day to say the least.

A little note on Lithuania:
One of the things I was really impressed by in Lithuania were trains. I went from Vilnius to Riga on an overnight train. It was old, huge and black with steam coming out of the chimney. Inside an employee was putting coal into the furnace. This was the nicest train trip I had - in a warm, relatively comfortable compartment. It was better than a Polish train and it was incredibly punctual with the arrival at the destination not one minute late or one minute early. It will not be much of a consolation though for a football fun travelling between Poland and Ukraine - 22 hours' trip would discourage anyone and make attending most matches simply impossible.

Source of this photo - here.

EURO 2012

2007-04-21T16:05:00.000+01:00

In Poland every fan of football is so happy and proud with the fact that Ukraine and Poland are going to host the Euro 2012. I can understand this perfectly. Poland will build new roads. There will be new stadia built. There will be more work and maybe some of the disillusioned Poles will go back to Poland to get jobs at the construction sites.... just joking ...

Someone must do it though. Maybe Ukrainians will immigrate to Poland to help them out down there...

Polish government complains there are not enough people to work in Poland but they hardly do anything to encourage their citizens to come back.

The situation of the Poles in Ireland is both complex and complicated and would merit a separate post. Or posts.

Still, here I want to mention something else.
Because EURO 2012 will take place in Eastern Europe, the English published a quick guide for English fans. Below are some excerpts and here is the source.

Ten Polish Phrases You Might Need

Dzien dobry - Hello.

Do widzenia - Goodbye.

Na zdrowie! - Cheers!

Piersi - Breasts.

Ile kosztuje befsztyk? - How much is the steak?

Ile to kosztuje? - How much does it cost?

Gdzie jest toaleta? - Where is the toilet?

Jaki jest Twoj numer telefonu? - What's your phone number?

Jestem w ciazy - I'm pregnant.

Wyjezdzam jutro. Powodzenia - I'm leaving tomorrow. Good luck

Five Famous Poles
- Nicolaus Copernicus was the first European astronomer to formulate a modern heliocentric theory of the solar system. But who would have guessed he was Polish?

- Marie Curie, born Maria Sklodowska in Warsaw, was a pioneer in the field of radioactivity, the first twice-honored Nobel laureate (and still today the only laureate in two different sciences), and the first female professor at the Sorbonne.

- Pope John Paul II reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City from October 16, 1978, until his death more than 26 years later. He is the only pope to have come from Poland, and was the first non-Italian pope since the German Adrian VI in the 1520s. He was also a decent goalkeeper.

-The North Pole is the northernmost point on the surface of the Earth, where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects the Earth's surface. Father Christmas lives there.

- Lucyna Cwierczakiewiczowa was a Polish writer, journalist and author of the first Polish cookery book, in 1858. Doesn't ring a bell? That's probably because you know her by her more commonly used name of, erm, Lucyna Cwierciakiewiczowa. No? Ignoramus"

End of quote

My opinion? I am mad at English people's ignorance and lack of good taste. I do have a sense of humour and I love laughing but I feel offended here as a Pole. Have they intended this to be funny? Or informative in any way? I do not see anything funny here or informative, really.

No more comment on my part.

England - out of the pitch please.

Source of the image.
Source of the top image: here

Bacio # 2

2007-04-21T00:39:00.000+01:00

Se la corda e lunga l'aquilone volera in alto

Se o cordel e longo o papagaio voara alto

Si la soga es largo la cometa volara mas alto

The longer the cord the higher the kite flies

(French proverb)

More on sweet stuff:

here comes a story of Baci chocolates... I never kissed anyone from Italy or from France but I say, Italian kisses are very good... ;-)

Image source

Friday night and no fever

2007-04-21T00:01:00.000+01:00

Hello all visitors - from down under too :-)

Finally - another weekend.

This has been an eventful week I must say.

First there has been this move and cleaning of the office area. We are going to have a new canteen soon and everyone is looking forward to it being opened.

Second, we have a new supervisor. Let's say his name is John (although his real name is different of course). He has a hands-on, no-nonsense approach and has a huge drive to change things. He has a strong personality ... well just like me. I hope there is going to easy going co-operation between us. I see some potential area for personality clashes already and it is good I do; then I will act to minimise the risk. As it is weekend, I do not want to write about my boss too much but the next few weeks are going to be very interesting. Some update will be coming soon.

Third, I got my car sorted. The window was fitted last Tuesday in my company parking lot.
My car was fully serviced on Friday. Then I took it to a car wash and vacuumed all the glass from the floor and the seats. I had it washed too and then went for a ride around the city. I went to see a friend too and I cleaned the interior then too. I live in the city centre and it feels kinda awkward to run between my apartment and the busy street with some water in a bowl. It is easier to do those things in a private parking area.

So ... after I finished that and said good night to M. I drove to see my other friend A. We went shopping together. I was starving after all this cleaning and driving I must say. I had to buy just the regular stuff like but there was one treat as well - a pack of three DVDs: GoodFellas, True Romance, Heat. Criminal masterclass, says on the cover. So I will enjoy watching those soon.

I remember here I wanted to add something more on All the King's Men and The Good Shepherd but I cannot find time to sit down to that. I am always busy and tonight I am simply very tired. I will try to make some effort and May sounds like a good month for updates - I am going on long holidays.

I hope though I will have a job to come back to. Over the past 4 weeks my company laid off more than 100 staff. have my job for now and my project is one of the busiest in the office. There will be overtime coming too I imagine. Still I had a dream I was to be fired and I could not sleep last night for it. So I better wind it down now and say good night. I hope to have better dreams tonight.

P.S.
I took this photo in Yellowstone NP. This bird was just behind my window and I could observe it, its eggs and then its little offspring. During the time I lived in that room, this offspring learnt to fly and by the time I moved the nest was empty.

Office on the move

2007-04-16T15:07:00.000+01:00

After we moved to our new office, the cleaning guys started removing all the stuff from the other office space. They dismantled all the partitions and put all the remaining things in the middle of the floor.

This bin is going to be removed soon. I managed to do a quick pic with my mobile phone camera.

Bacio # 1

2007-04-15T22:49:00.000+01:00

Real friendship can be enjoyed in silence

***
A word of explanation here: I decided to start a new series on my blog.

I was in Milan at the beginning of February and, following my friend's advice, I got some good Italian chocolate sweets. They are called Baci. Baci means kisses and those chocolates are really as sweet as good kisses. Each sweet "kiss" is individually wrapped and around it you also find a little piece of paper with a proverb in five languages. The one about friendship I found today.
I always look forward to having a Bacio [singular of Baci] just because I am curious as to what I am going to find when I unwrap it.

To illustrate this proverb about friendship I decided to use the photo I took just at the beginning of a trip to Milan. We were flying over the Alps.
My friend invited me to go with her to Italy and it was the best birthday gift I could get. We had a great stay and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. This invitation really made my day or even more than just one day :-) Thank you again ...
Second reason why I wanted to use this particular photo is because it reminds me of "Touching the Void". This movie is both about male friendship and one man's fight for life in extreme cirmustances of Peruvian Andes. Recommended viewing.
Another post from this series coming soon.

Rafael

2007-04-15T13:38:00.000+01:00

Here are the photos of the lovely horse I rode yesterday. He is incredibly dynamic, very fast and a good goer. By far, Rafael is the best horse I have ever ridden. He is a good jumper too and, needless to say, I cannot wait to ride on him again.

In this photo, we were just about to start countering.
I lost my right stirrup as you can see but it did not really matter then;
I know how to stay on.

Good job, Rafael! This was not exactly the end of the riding but my photographer went missing. I do not want to say where ;-)
We finished some time after so I unsaddled my horse, led him back to the stable and took off the bridle and reins. I enjoyed doing that too - seeing the horse off, giving him some hay and saying "till the next time" :-)
I promised him I would bring some carrots as well.

My Tamed Rose

2007-04-13T21:30:00.000+01:00

The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint - Exupery.
Chapter Twenty-One.

... this is the chapter when the little prince meets the fox ...

... here are some sentences i find so brilliant ...

Beginning of quote

'Come and play with me,' suggested the little prince. I am so terribly sad...'
'I cannot play with you,' said the fox. 'I am not tame.'
(...)
'What does "tame" mean?'
'It is something which is too often forgotten,' said the fox. 'It means to establish ties...'
' "To establish ties"?'
'That's right,' said the fox. 'To me, you are still just a little boy like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you have no need of me, either. To you, I am just a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, we shall need one another. To me, you will be unique. And I shall be unique to you.'
(...)
'My life is monotonous' (...) But if you tame me, my life will be full of sunshine. I shall recognise the sound of a step different from all others. The other steps send me hurrying underground. Yours will call me out of my burrow like the sound of music. And look yonder! Do you see the cornfields? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. Those cornfields don't remind me of anything. And I find that rather sad! But you have hair the colour of gold. So it will be marvellous when you have tamed me. Wheat, which is also golden, will remind me of you. And I shall love the sound of the wind in the wheat...'
(...)
'One can only understand the things one tames,' said the fox. 'Men have no more time to understand anything.They buy ready-made things in the shops. But since there are no shops where you can buy friends, men no longer have any friends. If you want a friend, tame me!
'What should I do?' asked the little prince.'
'You must be very patient,' replied the fox. 'First you will sit down at a little distance from me, like that, in the grass. I shall watch you out of the corner of my eye and you will say nothing. Words are a source of misunderstanding. But every day, you can sit a little closer to me...'
(...)
'You should (...) come back at the same time,' said the fox. 'If for example you come at four o'clock in the afternoon, I shall start feeling happy at three o'clock. As the time passes, I shall feel happier. At four o'clock, I shall become agitated and start worrying. I shall discover the price of happiness. But if you come at just any time, I shall never know when I should prepare my heart to greet you... One must observe certain rites.'
'What is a rite?' asked the little prince.
'It is something which is all too often forgotten,' said the fox. 'It is what makes one day different from other days, one hour different from other hours.'
(...)
Thus it was that the little prince tamed the fox. And when the time came for his departure, the fox said: 'Oh! ... I shall cry.'
'It is your own fault,' said the little prince. 'I wished you no harm but you wanted me to tame you.'
'Yes, indeed,' said the fox.
'But you are going to cry!' said the little prince.
'That is so,' said the fox.
'Then it has not helped you in any way!'
'It has helped me,' said the fox, 'because of the colour of the wheatfields.' Then he added: 'Go and have another look at the roses. And you will understand that yours is indeed unique in all the world. Then you will come back to say good bye to me and I shall tell you a secret as a gift.'
(...)
'It is only with one's heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.'
(...)
'Men have forgotten this basic truth,' said the fox. 'But you must not forget it. For what you have tamed, you become responsible forever. You are responsible for your rose...'

End of quote
[Italics are mine, I must add]

This picture of the rose at the beginning of this post is not a very good one. It is blurred. Out of focus. Still, this is the pic I took and that is what makes it and the flower unique. Yes, yes, this could be just an ordinary rose but because I liked it and wanted to take a photo of it, it has become unique. Simple.

Anything we encounter, touch, or tame, becomes unique. Anything we decide to "tame" , we become responsible for even if sometimes we fail to acknowledge this responsibility.

To Be Continued

BREAKING NEWS

2007-04-12T22:13:00.000+01:00

Indeed breaking.
7.30 AM - this.

I called 112 and the Mayfield gardai arrived at c. 7.45. Very quickly. This is the first time in my life that I had to call the gardai because something wrong happened. Having an empty wallet stolen - laughable. Having a car window broken is bad enough though.

Sickening morning I must say. There was glass all over the pavement. There is still broken glass inside the car - everywhere: on the dashboard, by the meter, on the floor, in the glove compartment, and on the seats apparently. On the pavement there were also remains of a vodka bottle that was used to break my window. On the floor in my car there is the neck of another bottle I think. As you can see on this pic, there is a blood stain on the door. There is a little amount of blood inside too. There was blood on the pavement as well. Ugh...

My car was towed away this morning for Technical Examination. The gardai took the finger prints; hence the dust on the door and the roof. They took the blood samples too and said they would keep in touch. I doubt they find anyone though. Mind, there are no CCTV cameras. It is the very heart of Cork city!!! There is a camera over one shop - facing in another direction. There is another camera directed at a nearby ATM. But there is nothing to record what is happening between the ATM and the shop. Disgrace.

I took a bus to work but was late only 3o minutes. Probably I will put it down on my timesheet as Force Majeure leave or just costly holidays.

At work - more news of a different kind. One of the people I supervise will be assigned to a different team so no more conflict at work!!! Good. The another person ... hmm news is not that good for him, he is not going to show up at my company at all some time soon. Well, that's the Irish job market. One company pulling out from it and here is its knock-on effect.

That news came at 17.30. I already left the building by that time. I was told about it later by my work colleague. As we commute together, she asked when I was going to get the window fixed. Bad question. I phoned tens of places today and right-hand side windows for this car make are out of stock!!! She does not care though. I should fix it ASAP so that she does not need to spend 1.35 euro for a bus each morning and each evening (excuse me here if I made mistake with bus fare in Cork. I was too shaken this morning to notice how much change I got). After all she has her plans, doesn't she? She has a loan to pay off so bus tickets are too expensive. She had squash classes and I can always give her a lift after work, right?

How cheeky can you be to ask me a question like this? Her voice implied: "there is a demand for your car so when will you get it fixed?" Feck off I could say. Such a window costs what it costs. She has not even paid for the fuel this month. Grrrr.

Anyway, straight after work I went to Mayfield. As another of my work colleagues was heading to the same garda station, I managed to get a lift. I collected my car and well ... went to my friend's to leave the car in a quiet area. I do not want anyone to get into it, drive away in it or some boy racer to take it for a ride and then burn it. After all, since I cannot get a window, I would be able to claim damage if anything else happened. After all my car is an easy target now. Nothing will happen though. I do not really think so.

I must say the thing that happened this morning is not a big deal. I am alive and well. I still have my job. I have good friends who care. Friends who showed today that they do - asking how it was going, wishing good luck, asking around for car windows, and giving me all the helpful phone numbers, or giving me a lift. I may need some more lifts this weekend still.

Tomorrow is Friday and then there is another good weekend coming. I will study toward exams (unfortunately today I could not but it was due to some unforeseen circumstances). I am horse riding on Saturday. There is some feeling of disappointment down there though.

Disappointment at some drunk person who did it. Disappointment at the work colleague who proved to be very selfish. Disappointment that the windows are out of stock and I feel vulnerable. I feel grounded as well and frustrated a bit. There are some strange feelings I cannot quite name yet. I am not yet sure what the balance is going to be but I want to think it will be positive in the end.

silence

2007-04-12T17:08:00.000+01:00

Source

Nice, nicer ...

2007-04-11T17:15:00.000+01:00

Another great day here in Cork – and that’s not only weather-wise.

I am sitting in a new office – very close to the window. I regret I cannot have my desk out there in the parking lot but most probably that would not be a good idea.
The documents would be flying all over the parking area… but this room is so much better and brighter. I do have a window and a view; before there were only some ugly partitions.

Then, the view I have is lovely. I can see blue sky, a few white clouds here and there, and lots of green trees. Maybe that does not sound like something too special; after all behind my window there are no mountains, or a lake, or a beach. Still, it is enough. I can hear birds singing too. Me sitting here … can be quite bad for my company’s business ;-)

I am in a very good mood today. Once, we finally moved to a new room. Second, I love horse riding and yesterday we had a great lesson; it was a great laugh too. There were only four of us so we could practice more and jump more too. It is so relaxing to go horse riding right after work – all the stress is gone from the system. I just enjoy the experience and I do not think about anything else. Last night was totally brilliant. I know it may sound cheap or exaggerated but it was brilliant. The evening was warm and the wind very mild. We rode outdoors, very close to the beach. The view of the water, the sun setting had a soothing effect; on the other hand, the physical effort associated with horse riding and the sheer pleasure derived from it were most invigorating and energising.

Then I went home and took a warm shower … applied body butter … and got wrapped up in a warm bathrobe … a divine feeling of total relaxation …

I had a wonderful time.

I am having a good time now as well. I am working away at my project. The system connection is rather slow today so I manage to add a few words to this post every now and again; the job gets done anyway.

Besides the nice view from the window, there are nice job prospects too. For my company I mean.
For example, this does not look bad, does it?

source of the image plus the article - here

total bliss

2007-04-10T22:20:00.000+01:00

Not too many words today. I am feeling great now.
Maybe I will write a post later to say why.
Here it goes - photo from Garretstown beach. I feel the way I felt when I was there; well, kind off that way.

Or maybe better still, I feel as if I just walked on grass with my feet naked.

I feel energised and it is a great sensation.

Light playing on water series

2007-04-09T23:15:00.000+01:00

Here comes another one - similar in composition yet different. The greyish waters are a good background against the bird's blue wings and dark blue tail.
Taken from Patrick's Brigde.

Light playing on water series

2007-04-09T23:03:00.000+01:00

What I like most about this photo is the contrast between the constantly changing light pattern and the steadiness of the bird.
The pic was taken from the bridge near the Morrison Island.

Quiet Easter Monday

2007-04-09T20:08:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone visiting my blog.

I hope you enjoyed your long Easter weekend :-)

I enjoyed mine a lot. It was a very quiet and relaxing one, spent bathing in the sun, reading (a book on genetics - very interesting and entertaining) and studying toward my exams a bit.

I finally managed to see a movie I had intention to see a long time ago - namely The Story of Sin (Dzieje Grzechu). It was quite an interesting choice of movie to watch over Easter period... Just messing here... In fact, this is a drama about unrequited love ... and the title is very pertinent to the story. I enjoyed watching it though I thought at the beginning it would be just boring and not worth it. My praise here goes to the cameraman too - good job, great sensual images! Music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and Johann Pachelbel is so well chosen too.
NB. The movie is based on a novel by Stefan Zeromski.

I am listening to Bach's Brandenburg Concertos now. A real treat to make my day as recently I had so had little time to do anything else but work, study and sleep. I hope to enjoy more things soon. Of course tomorrow I am horse riding again :)

Talking about horse riding...

In one of the Eastern European countries, on Easter Monday a special custom can be witnessed. C. 60 horse riders from the Upper Silesia proceed through their village of Ostropa and the nearby fields praying for good crops. This custom is thought to be pagan in origin and was later christianised. Here go some images (the source is GW):

More images here.

This custom has been preserved only in Ostropa and two other places in the country. Still, another Easter Monday custom is widely spread in several Eastern European countries and way too well preserved. This one is not nice - especially for the fairer sex. On Easter (Wet) Monday men pour buckets of water on women. Supposedly this has something to do with rebirth and fertility and has its roots in some pagan beliefs but who would think about it now? Youth takes it as an opportunity to have "fun" and catch as many (sometimes unsuspecting) victims as possible. For me there would be nothing nice in getting wet while on a walk or a way to the church (water is easy to get as in the town where my parents live there is a fountain in a park close by).

Good that I am in Ireland now. The weather here was better and no crazy youth with buckets in sight. I was in Grand Parade park and there were loads of teenagers - good they have no clue about this custom ;-) mind there is a fountain there as well!

Here go some images of "smingus dyngus":

Women are supposed to do the same to men on Tuesday following Easter Monday but then everyone goes to work and it never happens...

More images - here.
Source - GW

HAPPY EASTER WEEKEND

2007-04-07T13:22:00.000+01:00

All the best to everyone on this gorgeous, totally summer-like weekend.
Do all the things you best enjoy doing.

:-)

I just got back from horse riding lessons ( 2 hours this time) and now I am out in a few minutes - to soak in the sun and relax.

P.S.
The pic is of the magnolia that grows in my parents' garden. I am going to see them in May and I am counting down the days. I expect the magnolia will be in full bloom then.
...
By the way, Easter is not the same when you spend it alone. It is the same with Christmas or any other holiday. I do realize here it is a commomplace but...
It's good I have friends; without them ... I cannot even say. Immigrant life is not bad when you think about it but, at times, it is not easy either .

Wednesday - on an ambiguous note

2007-04-04T21:13:00.000+01:00

Hi again here.

I am sitting in my warm room in front of my laptop. It's quite quiet - except for a plane flying over Cork and the radio playing.

Today was a very strange day. It was yesterday on the radio that I heard the news on Amgen plant 2 years' delay. I realized what it might mean only today though. I was very busy at work all day, I had to attend a long and important meeting, prepare lot of stuff for posting etc, etc so I did not have much time to dwell on the news but I could sense the uneasy atmosphere in the entire office with people moving around, gathering in rooms, and vividly talking.

I talked with some of my work colleagues and started worrying a bit myself. We have been all waiting for some news and growing more and more uneasy about our jobs. It's so weird and new to me to think about a job loss but since we do not know much yet, it is better not to worry too much for now.

I hope we learn something more tomorrow. Then there is Easter break and sure we need to know as soon as possible what is going to happen. I have some ideas already; I have had them for a longer time now so it may be a good moment to let them resurface. I am being positive.

Image source.
Here go some links to articles on Amgen:
RTE Finfacts Ireland in-Pharmatechnologist

Bad Tuesday.

2007-04-03T22:32:00.000+01:00

What a hell of a day I had today. This happens so rarely and so it is really annoying when it does.

First there is that long and unresolved conflict at work that has been going on for about 4 months. In other words - since I was promoted to a lead position. Yesterday (I really hate Mondays at work) it reached its peak. I will not go into details here; the story has its twists and turns and would be too long-winded. The point is - either I go or the other person goes.

Today it was quiet but my manager is back tomorrow so something is bound to happen. Still, with the Amgen putting its plan to build the pharmaceutical factory in Carrigtwohill on hold, there is less work in my company too. So I don't know what is going to happen.

What I know is that tomorrow there is a crucial meeting with one of our clients. The pressure is definitely on the rise. I still must prepare some things for that meeting still.

My mood is quite bad now. I have a running nose, I could not sleep well last night. Even horse riding went bad today. It was a brilliant evening, sun was low and the views were lovely - with the beach and water so close. The clouds were low and dark, with the sun rays streaming through them. Great weather for riding. Still my horse was as nervous as I was. Once I got her going right but then she got scared of something and started going in circles like a mad animal. I almost fell as I lost both stirrups but I held on by wrapping my legs tightly around the horse's belly.

In the car I must have been so nervous that my car did not want to listen me either! Well, almost. I let go off the clutch too soon ... screech was terrible ... no comment here :-(

Now I am safely at home. I am going to bed now. Good at least that I managed to finish one written translation for tomorrow.

I hope tomorrow will be a better day.

Friday is a day off for me. That's real good.
So till later. Bye for now.

Horse jump

2007-03-31T15:22:00.000+01:00

I cannot jump that well yet or that high. I definitely enjoy it though - I did my first jumps today :-) Great feeling; huge adrenaline rush !!!

Image source

Walk on a Friday evening.

2007-03-30T20:21:00.000+01:00

I just got back from the walk around a part of the north side of Cork. It was chilly enough but I enjoyed it and took a few photos too. Still before I left I decided to immortalise my plant, my little jungle. Whenever I look at it, I am reminded of "Léon" movie by Luc Besson. The protagonist loved his plant.

Here come two more photos of my little jungle :-)

I chose only a few photos from my late walk tonight. I like this one for its strange dark shade of violet and the sun setting above the crane.

This one presents Cork at c. 6.30 pm. I am not sure exactly what appeals so much to me in this one. Maybe the cars whose owners head home after work - up the hill, as if toward the church on the hill. I guess it is the church in Knockaheeny but I am not sure now. I feel a bit ashamed of it!

Here the last three photos for tonight. One - of the steam over the Cork brewery. I will not name it as they do not pay me for any advertising :-) Here I must add I am not into industrial espionage; I deal with another kind of spying... The crane is here because I just like it. A person who works up there must have brilliant views all over the city and further away.

For me as a nightskyspy, the moon still remains the favourite celestial body.

The Good Shepherd - part one.

2007-03-30T15:30:00.001+01:00

As I am in the movie vain, here goes another post - this time on "The Good Shepherd." The post will be short for now as this movie is multi-layered and it hard to grasp all the nuances of the plot just after watching it once. I will wait till it is released on dvd and when I watch it the second time I might add something more.
The film itself is dark and complicated or rather I would say obscure; maybe intentionally so as it is about a secret organisation.
The protagonist figure of Edward Wilson is inspired by a real-life agent, James Jesus Angleton, whose charismatic personality and thorough knowledge of his colleagues' private lives made people uneasy in his presence. In turn, his willingness to sacrifice (almost) anything for his country made him a tragic figure; Willy Stark was also a tragic figure but in a totally different way (about that I will write later).
***
I will try to get hold of the book by Tom Mangold on J.J.Angleton. The title is "Cold Warrior: James Jesus Angleton - The CIA's Master Spyhunter." Here is a review.
***
For those curious or those who have not seen the movie, here is the short summary of the plot.

All the King's Men - part two.

2007-03-30T14:33:00.000+01:00

First of all I wanted to say that Sean Penn's perfomance in this movie is brilliant, befitting the king. I could not find any weak points in his acting (maybe except for the last scene of the movie but once you see it, you'll understand). I was not looking at Sean Penn on the screen - it was Willie Stark, with all of his cold calculation, love of power, readiness to destroy opponents using blackmail and other "dark" means. Still, Willie Stark had the magnetic and powerful personality and was able to give great speaches which won him the people's hearts and votes. He was a brilliant if controversial and corrupted-by-power politician.

In particular I love one scene from this movie. During one of his numerous speaches, Willie Stark says: "Nobody ever helped a hick but a hick himself." Catchy but straight talking.
(more quotes here but this movie is a must)

source of the poster and the photo

All the King's Men - part one.

2007-03-29T23:39:00.000+01:00

I just finished watching this movie and am going straight to sleep. I read the novel too - by Robert Penn Warren. I used to be fascinated by the Southern Literature.
Now only one more thing before I fall asleep. It took long time for Jack Burden to put all pieces together to find out what was going on. When am I going to put all the pieces together so that I can see the bigger picture if not the whole one? Is it at all possible?
***
"What you don't know won't hurt you." Food for thought - not for now though.

Break.out. Time.out.Time.in.

2007-03-28T22:17:00.000+01:00

High time to brake and go back into the slow lane of life. We have that great sunny spell now and sun is a great energiser :-) I feel so happy now and I smile more often and when I do it things get even better. I love spring and I am also very happy with things I am doing at the moment. I can say I do not lack anything. The feeling is great - of invigoration and of doing something meaningful.

***
I joined the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and today I chose the conference I will be a member of. I agree with Tinahely Women's Network: " Such displays of energy and good will put a spring in the step!" I feel spring already and it's intense.

***
Some people again quarel outside the Corner House pub. They get drunk and then get violent and abusive. I hope I will be able to sleep well tonight. If not I will call Gardai to calm them down. Some serious fighting is going on there now. I hope they will not kill each other.

Spring

2007-03-25T20:27:00.000+01:00

Source of the image
Yes, daffodils because there was Daffodil day last Friday. I know it is a bit late to post about it on Sunday but here it goes. This weekend I could finally feel spring in the air as it was a warm weekend. I wish it were longer but this one was even shorther by one hour! Anyway, I have spent this time the best way I could and my horse riding lessons are always my weekend's highlight. Today I went for a short beach ride too :-)

***
A quick update here. I just read a comment from Donal saying that the photo above was taken by his brother. Here goes the link to the actual blog post.
Thanks Donal!
I really like this photo. I'm going to visit your brother's site more often to check on updates :)

David Irving denying Holocaust

2007-03-25T00:03:00.000Z

VIDEO
"Historian David Irving, who denied the existence of the gas chambers at Auschwitz, has defended his views to reporters. He was speaking at a news conference in the UK after being released on probation from an Austrian jail.
The source.

In the light of the movie I just saw and just in general - for a person like me - such remarks are plain outrage. In fact somehow I cannot finds words to comment such a stance.

Sophie Scholl and the White Rose

2007-03-24T23:07:00.000Z

I just finished watching the movie "Sophie Scholl - the final days". For a person from Eastern Europe, a person who is well read in the war history and war literature, a person familiar with various war diaries, a person whose own grandfather fought in this war, this movie cannot bring much revelation. Still, it is a good war movie - definitely worth watching. It is very different from other war movies I have seen so far.
Since the students form a passive resistance movement, the fight takes place at the university, in the students' flat and in the office where they are interrogated, among others. This fight also insists in overcoming physical tiredness, conquering fear and standing up for your beliefs. The scene of the verbal fight between Sophie and Mohr is so well done - using measured means to achieve a strong effect on the audience. The effect stronger for the message communicated - the message really simple and valid also today though in a different context.

Watch this movie if you get a chance.

The site the above image was taken from can be accessed here. I just got this DVD from one of the Chartbuster shops and it was the last one in the stock. I heard about this movie before so I really could not miss the opportunity. It is money well spent.

Deservedly Julia Jentsch and the director Marc Rothemund won the Silver Bear awards at the Berlin Festival. The movie itself won Bavarian Film Award. You can read more on it here.

On the White Rose you can get some information on this website.

Garda career

2007-03-24T10:38:00.001Z

Source of the chart.

I finally found the mission framework of An Garda Siochana. The poster found at Garda stations is slightly different in layout but the text is what counts. You can look it up here. I am well into the subject of Garda recruitment etc. now and the link posted here actually is to the booklet for potential Garda reserves. Tough stuff; one of the requirements that must be met before you join Gardai is being resident in Ireland for five years. I only "served" half of that time. Well, who says it is always easy? I'll see how it goes over the next two years and a half. If things work out successfully, I will wear a very nice Garda uniform like this.

Description:

The new uniform includes:

Operational safety boots (with waterproof breathable membrane), manufactured to E.N. 345 Safety Standard
A new 55 m.m utility belt to hold handcuffs, baton and other items of equipment
A Two tone navy and yellow high visibility fluorescent jacket
A Blousson Jacket, waterpoof and lined with tabs to hold the utility belt
An Inner Fleece, zip detachable from Blousson Jacket
A Leather Belt with brass buckle with Garda Crest
A new type shirt with chevrons on right sleeve (for Sergeants)
A new Cap badge which contains corporate colours.

I may also decide to join the mounted unit. I have another lesson of horse riding today. In two years and a half I am sure I will become a brilliant horse rider.

There are a few options. I might become a detective garda as well. I have one more idea at least but that one is too fresh to write about.

A tent for Borat?

2007-03-22T14:11:00.000Z

I found an interesting article on bbc.co.uk. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev wanted to have a glass dome built in the middle of the Asian steppe. You can read all the details here. I just add a small excerpt from this article.
"But the Astana skyline still looks more surreal than real - with its marble palaces, shining skyscrapers, metal structures and abstract statues, all surrounded by vast, snow covered emptiness."

After this huge glass tent is built, this capital city will look even more surreal than now. Technologically, it may be a huge achievement to build it and some claim it is to change the image of Kazakhstan as a poor and backwater country. Supposedly its aim also is to show that this country is not as primitive seen in the "Borat" movie but whether this is going to be achieved in this way is debatable. No-nonsense and pragmatical approach would work fine. How practical is it though to build a huge expensive glass dome in a desert called the capital when people in other parts of this country are poor? No doubt they are poor villages in Kazakhstan.

Money spent on this project comes from oil industry. Still, the decision to spend it this way was made by the president. I would like to know what the ordinary Kazakh people think about it. Those in Astana may be happy to use the dome but then make the president build such domes in other Kazakh cities too.

I find Dubai projects more appealing somehow.

Dreams and dreams

2007-03-21T23:59:00.000Z

I got back so late from the Garda station last night that all I could do was say good night to myself in the mirror ;) Another mad busy day behind me - a full day at work, traning as SVdP volunteer and another statement session at the same Garda station. Never can I really sit down to read blogs and post some comments. I want to get away so much sometimes. It does not need to be a place in the photo, Ireland is enough for now but for the lack of time ... I will go to this place one day though - it was great to be there. For the first time in my life I enjoyed being so close to nature and wilderness and this was not always a safe thing to wander around. I love this place a lot and I miss it too. Now is the time though to pack any dreams and pragmatically head for bed. To say good night to myself.

Gardai - business organisation

2007-03-20T21:30:00.000Z

Somewhere in the area photographed here is my favourite Garda Station. Those of you who know this city well and maybe happened to be in there, will guess easily where and what its name is. Some time ago it was funny to see a guy there who was trying to find out at which Garda station he had been kept and whether he had been arrested at all! Alcohol really does bad things to your brain cells. I do not avoid it but my alcohol consumption is moderate as I need to study for college. Among others I have some psychology stuff to learn and one chapter in my book covers motivation at work (Maslow!). While browsing the Internet last weekend, I came across various websites, including this one. It is the source of the image below.

Business2000 describes the activities and community programmes An Garda Siochana engages into. It is very informative and user-friendly and tells as well what it takes to be a good Garda. It also mentions what the Garda mission consists in and highlights its responsibilities as a business organisation. At college and at home I study about organisations (among others) and An Garda Siochana is the one I want to join. I have a plan on how to do it (all fingers and toes crossed it will work out). I am waiting for the Garda Reserves interviews to take place and in the meantime I have another call out - this time Garda HQ in Corcaigh. So I need to go.

My favourite Garda Station

2007-03-20T20:14:00.000Z

Quiet and long Bank Holiday weekend is definitely over. Tuesday is almost over too and we are getting closer and closer to the next weekend :-). The weekend just gone was nice and lazy with few things things happening, which was good for a change. The brilliant rugby match between Ireland and Italy was a major highlight then though the Saturday night out was not bad either. Horse riding was good too but I still feel pain when walking; I strained muscles too much :-( Monday was the best though - very quiet, relaxing, spent on my own and with one visit at my favourite Garda station in Cork. Another EU citizen got into troubles and not knowing the English language, he needed some help to understand what was happening. Bank holidays are lazy days, conducive to binge drinking and so then people are more likely to get into troubles like that chap. Alcohol greatly reduces ability to think clearly and his example is a perfect illustration. First he does shopping and pays for everything in his basket but he forgets to pay for a certain bottle of clear and expensive liquid. Once he realizes that, he (!) goes back to the shop wanting to pay but it is too late to pay and he is arrested for theft. I do not condone theft and maybe he indeed wanted to pay and just forgot. He had the money after all. I would hesitate though if to come back to the shop and pay especially if already on bail for another offence! His forgetfulness, ignorance of the law and naivety can cost him much. He could tell his story in court and count on the judge's lenient sentence but I doubt it will work out well for him. Even if that was his conscience that made him come back, he could just as well not do it. There is a saying in his language that the stolen does not satisfy hunger (or thirst for this matter) and maybe he could not enjoy something not paid for so fingers crossed he gets away with a lesser fine. That depends on the judge.
Well, to get back to my main point here.
I was waiting at my favourite Garda station while the charge sheet was being prepared and I was looking at the leaflets available and at the notice board in the waiting area. There is the usual stuff - warnings about ATM scam, driving lessons ads, stop the domestic violence poster (the one with the woman taking off the opera mask). There is also the An Garda Siochana mission statement poster. I would like to reproduce here but it is nowhere to be found on the web. I tried all possible key words and nothing comes up. I think I will need to take it down from that Garda Station and scan it. I cannot do it though as I am not a thief :-). Well, so I must do without it unless you will help me out here. The reason I want to add it here is mostly to shop my support for the Garda organisation. There are quite a few reasons why I support them; explanation for one lies in the very name: Garda Síochána na hÉireann- meaning Guardians of the Peace of Ireland. They do not use arms in their daily activities (some special units excepted) and try to solve conflicts peacefully. I witnessed more than once. Their mission statement does reflect this no violence policy.
Since I do not have the source of the Garda mission statement, here goes their flag. Source.

Lethal Spy's Equipment

2007-03-18T15:23:00.000Z

As it turns out not every gadget used by James Bond is safe. Some are lethal and proved so by Metin Tolen, a physics professor at the University of Dortmund. I found the information in this article very interesting. You live and learn as always. Bond lives always; ordinary human learns.
Poster's source

No Grand Slam :-(

2007-03-18T00:55:00.000Z

Country	P	W	L	For	Against	Points
France	5	4	1	155	86	8
Ireland	5	4	1	149	84	8
England	5	3	2	119	115	6
Italy	5	2	3	94	147	4
Wales	5	1	4	86	113	2
Scotland	5	1	4	95	153	2

My source

Ireland lost its chance to win the title. We were so close to it!!! France won by 27 points and if they had defeated Scotland by 24 points only, Ireland would have made it. Awww it hurts :-(
It is so late now. I just got back from a pub, one of a few I went into. Good crack but no traditional sessions. Why is it so difficult to find a place where they would play Irish music? On Paddy's day?! Maybe next year so. Maybe next year I will wear a green wig, green earrings and I will wear more of a green stuff too. This year a green top and a little green shamrock lapel pin must suffice.
***
Good night.

Be part of the action

2007-03-17T16:21:00.000Z

I can hear the Irish cheering on in the nearby pub. Does it mean that after the brilliant Ireland's win over Italy (51-24), the Irish won the Grand Slam? I am afraid one has to wait till the last match is over. I am back at home after watching the Irish team's brilliant performance. Go on Ireland! That would be great if they won the Title after 22 years - on Paddy's day.
Picture - courtesy of Eurosport.

Paddy's day celebrations

2007-03-17T13:26:00.000Z

Today's the St. Patrick's day - the most famous Irish immigrant.

Time for celebrations and sure everyone celebrates in different ways.

The parade started at 1 in Cork but I am still at home recovering after a horse riding lesson. I cannot go out yet but I am bracing up for it. I had a long break when it comes to horse riding and now my leg muscles have gone kinda weak. It was hard to drive a car afterwards - very difficult to change gears and brake. Real fun - driving after riding :-)

I am not discouraged though. I am going there next week too. For now I will be going to Hop Island. Only when I feel confident enough I will try Monkstown riding centre. I heard they were better but I need to check it myself in what way.

This is what I love about Ireland. There is no shortage of horse lovers. Some love horse racing and betting (it was enough to go into Paddy Broker shop on Friday around 3.15 when the Gold Cup was about to start). Many love horse riding and there are so many equestrian centers it seems like a little paradise on earth ;-) Photo is the courtesy of AIRE

Thanks to St . Patrick there are no snakes :-) so it is good too. Horses and snakes is a bad combination for both plus for a rider.

So here I head off now to St Patrick St. I am lucky to live only a few minutes' walk from it.

Go on Ireland today!!! Rugby match is about to start so I am off ot watch it.

As they say on the radio - everyting is Irish today. I am a little more Irish too. :-)

My photo of the moon over Cork.

2007-03-14T18:56:00.000Z

The moon came back after the eclipse - as usual mesmerising.

P.S. This is the first post from home. After bad experiences with a certain company, I just got re-connected with a different one. :-)

Lunar Eclipse - 03.03.2007

2007-03-04T19:23:00.000Z

I find this one second best. It was taken by Andrew Cairns from Scotland.
Source

Lunar Eclipse - 03.03.2007

2007-03-04T19:20:00.000Z

I like this photo most - out of those I have seen so far. It was taken by Matt Ohman.
My source

Solar Eclipse from the Moon

2007-03-02T23:52:00.000Z

My source

Books on loan

2007-03-02T22:52:00.000Z

Besides catching up on movies, I am going to read. I am hoping to finish Sex in History soon. It is a long book and though it contains lots of interesting facts from history, it is also repetitive in places and gets monotonous.

This weekend I have loads to do so I also decided I need to stop socializing for some time. I need to study toward my exams but that's a different story.

I am going to the Grand Parade library soon and that is not to see my friend who works there. It's just time to renew my membership there. I was there today to see her and I thought I saw a murder scene there. The "garda, do not cross" tape in the library is an unusual view to me. It turned out to be a competition - to guess the name of the murderer. To guess it you must decipher three clues and read a book. Of course you must guess which book to pick. I guess it is done to encourage people to read more but the 50 Euro voucher will be an incentive too :-)

Still to come back to my main point here.
I noticed a certain regularity when it comes to how my relationship / enounters end.
It is nothing deep here - just the fact that almost every I either split with someone or our ways just parted I ended up with a book I had not managed to return to the owner.

I still have "Life of Pi" that I cherish the most out of those books "I took on loan". It is a brilliant and captivating novel and the story is still very vivid in my memory. Even after the two years that passed since I read it. It is a souvenir of a kind too. It does bring a memory of its owner... Sometimes I wonder how he is doing somewhere in the big world.

Back to the book though, here is what the author Yann Martel says about what inspired this story. I am looking forward to watching the movie too. It is to be released in 2009.

Another book I have is "Fascinating Paris" by Marc Lemonier with photos by Jacques Lebar (I have the version in English of course). It is a guide and as a guide it is very conventional. Still it may come useful when I decide to see the city of love. It may not be this year as I was in Milan already and the flights I booked are to a different country. Maybe next year though.

This guide is good enough so but it is not as interesting as "Paris Mon Amour" by Jean-Claude Gautrand (published by Taschen). I got this latter book as a gift and I know you can get it in Vibes and Scribes. I love some of the photos from this album.

From this person I also have Collins Gem Spanish - English dictionary. At the moment I have little use for it but maybe it will be handy when I am in Spain or in South America. You never know where you end up.

The last and I think the least interesting on my list is the book from my most recent encounter of the third kind. It is "HTML Goodies" by Joe Burns. I have no time whatsoever to open it and I know it is an old one. When it comes to computers, IT etc, everything just changes too fast. It is still there though, at my place. It is more of a souvenir. It serves also as a very peculiar reminder but that's personal. Well, so it is in a way very useful.

Conclusion?
Anytime you meet someone, you learn. Because you learn, you move forward. You get experienced and you survive - so maybe that's the key to a successful evolution. Even if it is just a very small key. Maybe it does not make much sense as far as evolution is concerned after all but you do learn from your experiences with people.

The Last Emperor

2007-03-02T22:31:00.000Z

The weekend has come finally and as always I can indulge in some other activities that I have no way of doing during the week.

Now that my laptop has stopped acting up, I will be able to catch with some movies.
Today (just to test the laptop) I chose "The Last Emperor". It's a very long movie - that's the first thing that comes to my mind now. What I found most interesting in it was the Chinese culture and age-long attitudes toward the idea of power and sexuality. I am still reading Sex in History by Reay Tannahill and I finished a chapter on sexual customs in China. Taoist sex manuals, Buddhism, consorts and concubines, Confucianism are only the few things I mention here but the writer describes much more in great detail. The movie only slightly touches on the subject and very indirectly. Still, it was interesting to watch. On the whole, he film presents one face of China - that of the Forbidden City and politics. I was very glad to take a look at today's post on Dark Roasted Blend blog.
There are good photos of Chinese landscape and daily life. Stunning scenery.

Saturn

2007-03-02T22:15:00.000Z

Tonight is the full moon but it is very easy to see. Especially that the sky is cloudless, which is a bit surprising after the rain we have had here this week. Cloudless sky or not, you would not see Saturn in the sky. The recent pictures of this planet were taken by Sonda Cassini (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute).

My source

As I mature

2007-02-28T18:29:00.000Z

Nihil novi sub sole

2007-02-28T17:23:00.000Z

I had so many, many dreams last night. I would call them compensatory dreams as they make up for what I miss or lack in waking life. Well, in a way. I do not lack or miss too much.

Dreams help me sort out issues I have with others or just to come to terms with various situations in life. I need those dreams since handling such issues seems impossible when I am awake. Either I do not have enough of quality time or, more often, those things are painful to deal with. Or I just have no one to talk to at times. But being alone is not bad. It is definitely better that feeling lonely when in company.

I want to be friends with most of the people I know. Usually it works fine but there are always some jerks and bastards out there. They are male – I must say here. Their idea of friendship is totally warped.
If you are a woman, you cannot be friends with guys. It will never ever work.

Sooner or later the question of sex will come up and the illusion of friendship will be destroyed. This is a major issue if not the only one really.

The most annoying thing is that someone is very unfair on you. Someone judges you wrongly. That was so in my case. I had a “friend” who was away for one weekend during which his friend (who has a girlfriend – sic) wanted to do me a “favour” of a specific kind. I told that so called “friend” of mine about the situation and that the guy was not a good boyfriend or a friend either. I was told I must have provoked the situation. He defended that guy. He thinks I tried to seduce his friend or something. I was told I was the guilty party.

It is unthinkable. For me, it is unthinkable that anyone would betray his / her partner.

To me, they deserve each other’s company but not mine.

I wanted to explain but I was treated with contempt.
So be it. I do not care that much. I learn.

I know he does not deserve me. He is just a selfish and pampered guy who is unable to face any truth that may be a little bit uncomfortable. Whatever his reasoning may be, I do not care any more.

I know what I am worth.

He is not willing to try to understand the situation. I also know he is incapable of understanding. I almost feel pity.

I was dumped by my ex long time ago. He first betrayed. Then he came to regret ever dumping me. That is his loss. I moved forward and I learnt. I have no regrets.

I dumped once and I learnt too. I have no regrets about that either since someone could not take my side again his mother. I had to move out and move on.

From every relationship or encounter I learn something. I move forward after. I get stronger as well. I change for the better. My close friend told me, we get as much pain as we can take and we learn from every experience. To learn that my ex wanted to commit suicide was not easy either. He did not kill himself after all. Still, the entire situation was hard to bear. I got over it though. Dreaming helped me too. Dreams are healing.

Good friends are helpful as well.

I also know that once I was hurt, no one ever will hurt me again. Probably in any way. Not any more.

I had lots of dreams last night about travels and about packing. I liked that feeling I had during the night – the feeling associated with being on the move, planning, and excitement. Planning a longer getaway. I booked my flights to another European country yesterday so hence those dreams as well. I am going on holidays in about three months' time and am genuinely looking forward to it.

The other dreams were about protecting me against abuse and deceit. No matter how well veiled the intentions of a person, I will not be fooled.

Yesterday I went to an accountant to have my taxes sorted and there were some unwanted advances and invitations on his part. What was he thinking? I would have no problems reporting an abuse no matter what.

What is wrong with you guys? I wanted to pay in cash for having the accounts done. I could not. I was told not to. It is like buying me. I abhor it. Asking me to do “innocent” typing made me run away for miles. I will never enter that Chartered Accountants’ office again.

Would you think I provoked him? Probably some of you will. That was not the case.

I cannot help the fact I am attractive. I cannot help that 100% guys think with their lower part of the body rather than the upper one.

I am different than your expectations of me. I am much more that what you behold.

TIME

2007-02-27T15:33:00.000Z

Nulla dies sine linea

I wish I had time to write at least one line every day - one sentence. Writing one sentence is a small step. It may also be thought to be a giant leap if you think that one sentence must inevitably lead to another. A few sentences make a paragraph; a number of paragraphs would become a chapter. A book consists of chapters. It’s so simple.

Yet, it is so difficult. It all starts with just one sentence that I wish I had time to write. Each day = one sentence. There is no opportunity at times. There is no inspiration at other times. The worst thing is the mundane reality of work, shopping, college, and study.

I want time off because time is running out. One line a day. One significant change a day. One does not need take this Latin proverb literally. It may be just moment when I am being happy or when someone I know is being happy. It must be something different every day otherwise there is just a terrible, tragic boredom and waste.

Carpe diem, carpe noctem.

The Frames

2007-02-26T07:56:00.000Z

You're telling me I should forget you
But why
You're talking like I never knew you
But that’s a lie
You're playing out your games again
You're never on my side
You're telling me I should forget you

Come on the guys are fake
What do you love him for
And it was my mistake
Kicking in his door
And if its just a game
Then what are we crying for

You're telling me I will regret you
And so
You're talking like I should expect to
But you'll never know
He's left you in the rain again
You're always on my mind
You're telling me I should forget you

Come on the guys are fake
What do you love him for
And it was my mistake
Kicking in his door
And if its just a game
Then what are we crying for

Come on the guys are fake
What do you love him for
And it was my mistake
Kicking in his door
And if its just a game
Then what are we crying for

You're telling me I should forget you
Oh no

Six Nations Rugby

2007-02-25T17:56:00.000Z

Brilliant match.

Photo - courtesy of irishrugby

Bloody Sunday 1920

2007-02-25T17:24:00.000Z

Dublin were scheduled to play Tipperary on November 21st, 1920. On the night before the match the leader of the Irish revolutionary forces Michael Collins had ordered the assassination of the "Cairo Gang'', 14 British intelligence officers sent to infiltrate his organisation under the guise of commercial travellers. In revenge, one of the British auxiliaries involved in the operation recalled that they tossed a coin over whether they would go on a killing spree in Croke Park or loot O'Connell Street instead.

Despite the unease in the city on the morning of November 21st, some 10,000 spectators went to Croke Park for the match.

The ball was thrown in by referee Mick Sammon from Kildare at 2.45 pm. Shortly afterwards an airplane flew over the ground and a red flare was shot from the cockpit. Black and Tans then raided the ground and an officer on top of the wall fired a revolver shot.

The crowd thought at first they were firing blanks but then machine gunfire was fired in increasing volume. The crowd stampeded towards the Railway wall, furthest from the gunfire.

Two of the players, Michael Hogan and Jim Egan, failed to make it off the pitch. A young Wexford man who attempted to whisper an act of contrition into the dying Hogan's ear was also shot dead.

The casualties included Jeannie Boyle, who had gone to the match with her fiancee and was due to be married five days later, and 14-year-old John Scott, so mutilated that they thought he had been bayoneted to death. Another two victims were aged 10 and 11 respectively.

The authorities released the following statement to the newspapers: A number of men came to Dublin on Saturday under the guise of asking to attend a football match between Tipperary and Dublin. But their real intention was to take part in the series of murderous outrages which took place in Dublin that morning. Learning on Saturday that a number of these gunmen were present in Croke Park, the crown forces went to raid the field. It was the original intention that an officer would go to the centre of the field and speaking from a megaphone, invite the assassins to come forward. But on their approach, armed pickets gave warning. Shots were fired to warn the wanted men, who caused a stampede and escaped in the confusion.

my source

"Notes on a Scandal"

2007-02-15T20:59:00.000Z

Notes on a Scandal (2006) - Andrew Simpson, Cate Blanchett

The movie is based on a book by Zoe Heller.

I went to the cinema last night to see it. I must say that was not a brilliant movie. It would not recommend it wholeheartedly. To me it lacked conviction for most of the time. Especially performance by Judi Dench was lacking everything. No tour de force this time. The only thing I found easy to believe in was the passion between the teacher Sheba (Cate Blanchett) and her teenage student Steven Conolly (Andrew Simpson). Real sparks for me there...

What a sexy accent he has by the way (he was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland).

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Love in the Time of Cholera

2007-02-14T12:49:00.000Z

As today is such a very special day … here is something on love … a disease … that will kill you in the end … so you better avoid the risk as well as you can … as there "ain't no cure for love” …

"Love as an emotional and physical disease"
García Márquez’ main notion is that lovesickness is a literal illness, a disease comparable to cholera. Florentino Ariza suffers from this just as he might suffer from any malady. At one point, Florentino conflates his physical agony with his amorous agony when he vomits after eating flowers in order to imbibe Fermina's scent. In the final chapter, the Captain's declaration of metaphorical plague is another manifestation of this. The term cholera as it is used in the Spanish, Cólera, can also denote human rage and ire. It is this second meaning to the title that manifests itself both on the level of Florentino Ariza's hatred for Doctor Juvenal Urbino's marriage to Fermina, as well as the theme of social strife and warfare that serves as a backdrop to the entire story. Gabriel García Márquez thus extends the theme of love as a disease in the socio-political context." [from Wikipedia]

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T12:32:00.000Z

At the moment I am reading a book Sex in History by Reay Tannahill. It is an interesting read for me as a feminist and just a woman. It is a rather thorough study of relationship between the sexes and it also touches upon the question of equality / lack of it between them (women of course were for the most part the disadvantaged sex - the second sex as Simone de Beauvoir would call it) . A very good thing for someone single on Valentine’s day … just joking – it is good on any other day as well – this book I mean :)

Here is a review of the book from the Time Magazine.

Il Duomo - interior

2007-02-11T22:22:00.000Z

Il Duomo

2007-02-11T21:34:00.000Z

There is plenty to see in Milan - I know that is not a very original statement. I am posting just a few pics. There are just too many to choose from. I had great time but I did not go to San Siro Stadium. It was closed because of the riots after the match in Catania on February 2nd.

Duomo Cathedral - fragment of the main doors.

Interior - too massive to take in. Must be seen.