Sunday 20 December 2015

Smoked meat

Hi there,

Christmas is going and in my house the preparations are in progress :). I would like to tell you about home-made smoked meat. Where has this idea come from? As you know, today many meat and cold cuts producers economize on production costs. They often add to their products many preservatives, which could be harmful for our health. These are for example potassium sorbate or glutamade. In meat you can also find unneccessary liaisons like guar or xanthan gum. You could not be sure what is really in a piece of meat you eat, It is also said that in cold meat there is little real meat. I am sure you like sausages, who does not like them? However, have you ever read the list of ingredients on a packaging? Many people do it rarely or never. Somebody could say that there is no list on a packaging or there is too long queue behind them to ask a sales assistant. It is true that many people are angry when one asks for many 'unimportant' things, making them waiting so much time for their queue. My family has found a solution to all of these problems,

I live in a detached house in village so my father has decided to built a smokehouse. It is small but very useful and profitable. It has been made with bricks with a chimney as a part. My parent buy about thirty kilos of pork to smoke. They do it with bacon, loin and ham. The product are very delicious and a big advantage of this method is that meat can stay fresh for so much time. It is a possibility to froze it and it does not change its taste. Nonethless, it is important to remember that meat must be marinated for almost one day. All the smoking process can last from one to three days. It depends on th effect you would like to achieve. I am very happy with the opportunity of having a home-made smokehouse. I know what I eat. I can buy a certified and safe meat to prepare really delicious cold cuts. Somebody could say that the taste is not nice for them. In fact, cold meat bought in a shop has different taste than that home-made because of flavour enhancer.

Next week when I got home, I will upload photos of Christmas smoked meat :).

Sunday 13 December 2015

Christmas time

There are fourteen days left to Christmas Eve so I would like to tell you about Polish Christmas traditions.

As in many countries, every year shop windows are decorated with chains, Christmas baubles and fairy lights. The shops present special Christmas collections, which encourage us to buy almost one piece of cloth or decoration. For me, in Poland Christmas decorations appear too early because it happens immediately after All Saints' Day. From that time, there are more than two months to the holidays.

Before December 24th, that is Christimas Eve, Polish families decorate the Christmas tree with colorful baubles, fairy lights and many more special elements. Some people decide also to ornament balconies, windows and gardens of their houses. During Christmas Eve in Polish Christians' houses is organised a special solemn supper. That time we meet members of our family to pray together and rejoice at Christ's birth. A very important tradition of that time is sharing a special wafer when exchanging Christmas greetings. There are several Christmas carol which can be sing during Christmas.

There is a tradition to prepare twelve dishes, which are presented on the table during Christmas Eve. The meals symbolize twelve apostles. There are many types of dishes we can make and the choice often depends on the region of Poland we derive from. The special ones are borscht with ravioli and mushroom soup. There are also dumplings filled with sauerkraut and mushrooms, a cabbage stew and of course fish like a carp and in my house a cod and a Greek-style fish. Some ladies also prepare a dish consisting of boiled grain. A compote made from dried fruits is also very popular. My mother does it every Christmas but I must say that in the past I did not to used to drink it. It has a really characteristic taste. My mother dries fruits on her own to make the taste and a flavour unique. We cannot omit to bake cakes but there are no manily related to the Christmas tradition.

I will promise you to add photos of my Christmas dishes :)

Sunday 6 December 2015

A holiday trip to Swinoujscie

Hello everyone,

I would like to tell you about one special trip I took in 2014. It was a free sunny August day in which we decided to visit Swinoujscie. I think it is a special place because of its island location.

A few words about its history. Swinoujscie is quite a young town, which became its status in 1765. It is located in three islands called Kasibor, Wolin and Uznam. Swinoujscie is not only a port town but also a captivating health resort and a holiday centre. This medium town is one of the biggest in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. As I said, Swinoujscie is separated from the rest of Polish land because of its island location but there is not a problem to go from the mainland territory to the island. Wolin and Uznam have a constant ferry crossing, which is free of charge and comes very often. To tell you the truth, there are two ferries.

The name Swinoujscie has been created by a amalgamation of two words, Swina and ujscie. Swina is a local river and ujscie means a place in which the river comes to the Baltic. It is said that the name Swinoujscie was translated from German language.

Swinoujscie, as a health resort, was built in nineteenth century. One curiosity is that in the past the town had a constant overland connection to the rest of Poland. Unfortunately, in 1945 it was broken down by the natural disaster related to an ice floe of Swina River. From 2006 in Swinoujscie it has been construted a gas terminal, which is considered as a chance for Poland to independence in the area of energy.

Swinoujscie is also a charming town with a few interesting monuments to sightsee. One of them is undoubtly white characteristic lighthouse, built in 1857 as the biggest in the world in that time.



 I recommend you to see also the Church of Christ King, which an example of gothic architecture.

 
If you like seeing buildings from the distance, you can reach the top of a lookout tower, which in the past was a part of the old church.


It could be a sin not to walk over nearby the port. There it is a possibility to admire enormous proms and tourists ships, which impress nearly everyone.



I hope I have enocouraged you to visit a little bit unappreciated town called Swinoujscie. It could be a memorable trip for you also due to a ferry crossing. :)

Sunday 29 November 2015

Jamno

Hi there,

Today I would like to tell you about my district. I live in Koszalin, near the Baltic, in a district called Jamno- Labusz, which priviously was a single village.

The first historical reference about Jamno comes from 1278, when a church was built. In the past, from autumn to spring, Jamno was closed from another villages because of its location between the Baltic and a river. It was no route to wriggle out. The first of paved was built in 1899.

The name Jamno dervies from those related to animals. Its previous names were Jamene, Jamele, Jament and Jamen which are said to come from a foxhole (in Polish language).

The architecture of Jamno is concentrated round the main market with the church in center. From 1266 the village became a barrier for the city of Koszalin to have access to the lake and also to the Baltic.

Jamno was built as a municipal village. In Jamno the main representative of the city was a provost, who could administer punishment and gather taxes in. The fields became the property of the city of Koszalin while the farmers could be their lifetime cotters. The wealth of Jamno's inhabitants was showed by their very colorful and embellished cloths, which were put on till 1921.


Jamno created its own specific culture related to cloths, architecture, decorations and craftsmanship. It is treated as a exception in the Middle Pomerania. The main impact on the Jamno's culture was the city and Netherlands boomers, who got there in the seventeenth century. Those boomers tried to clean the lake and the local drains. These two villages Jamno and Labusz adapted the foreign customs to their owns, creating a totally new and special culture.

In which consists the speciality of Jamno's culture? Principally in polichromic furniture characteristic by their different shapes and colors. The Jamno's armchairs were very important in weeding celebrations. In the nineteenth century artisans from Jamno started to manufacture furniture on order.
The inhabitants were also great weavers.



 However, the main characteristic point of Jamno's culture is still engraving and openwork ornaments.

From 2010 Jamno has been a district of Koszalin but still there are people who celebrate the local culture and traditions. In one of Koszalin's museums it is organised a constant exhibition related to Jamno's culture.

Sunday 22 November 2015

A beer fair

Hi there,

how was your weekend? Yesterday I visited a beer fair. The event was organised in the third pavillion of The Poznan International Fair. There were about forty expositors participated in. Every of them constructed their stall, which offered many attractions. It was a possibility to try nearly one hundred and seventy beers from small and local breweries. Some of them had their premiere during the fair.

The idea of beer fair was not only to sell as many bottles as possible but also to let a visitor try some amount of a beer. The organisers proposed to use a special glasses as to make better visitors' taste experiences. Drinking from the glass is supposed to be better than from a plastic. Every visitor could borrow one paying a security deposit. There were also avaliable a few taps which let the people wash their glasses. It was important not to mix two different beers in one glass.

The beer stalls offered a small amount of beer to try. However, to tell you the truth, the price was not adequate to the full size bottle of one beer so it was better to buy a half litre of a drink.

I am visualizer as every woman so I was fully focused on colorful beer stickers. It could sound strange if someone appreciates a beer judging by its sticker but for me many of them were very interesting.
I tried to drink one dark beer from a local Wschowa's brewery. For the first time I really liked one dark rather than a lager. For me that I tried was not similar to dark one, besides its color. Its taste was very sweet and it had a gentian in the same time. It was a really good choice. I have also bought four bottles from the same brewery as the dark one. I wanted to try some new which I had never tried before so I chose ginger, chocolate, mint and strawberry beers. There are not pasteurized so their expiration date is quite short.
I am really curious of the new tastes as I like trying new beers, especially those from local breweries.

I hope that next year I will also be able to partecipate in that interesting event. 


Sunday 15 November 2015

A visit to Szymbark

Yesteday, it was the Indepedence Day in Poland. Despite the bad weather, I went to Tczew to visit my brother, who has lived there from two years. Tczew is a medium city in the Northen Poland. From the one hand it is quite a modern city with many commerce areas and enterntaiment attractions. From the other hand, it can be called a slow city because it is not very crowded and loud. Unfortunately, as my brother said, there are not many monuments in Tczew so he proposed me to visit Szymbark, an architectural complex nearly fifty kilometers from his residence.

Szymbark is a name of a small village located in Pomeranian Voivoodsheep. It is a characteristic place for the Kashubian culture. There is located a Center of Education and Promotion of the Region. Many people know Szymbark from one very special element which is the Upside-down House. It is a simbol of today's life which is sometimes very unusual and complicated. This special building do not have a real door. Every visitor enters by one of the windows. All the furniture is situated in the celling of the house, which in fact is very awry. It causes that our labyritnh does not work well and we have problems with keeping us in balance. It can provoke dizziness.



Szymbark is also a museum of martyrdom related to exciles of Polish citizens to Siberia. There is really interesting and touching house constructed by Polish excile in one Siberian village. It was transported to Poland to become a symbol of Polish suffer and to remind about that difficult time in history of Poland and The Second World War in general. Every visitor can also admire a model of a Soviet train, which was used to transport exciles into the deep of Soviet Union. Every monument is decorated with photos of real exciles, portraits and drawings related to hard work and life in Siberia.




A special part of all the complex is also a bunker of a secret military organisation called the Pomeranian Griffin which organised the resistance during the Second World War. Its interior is reconstructed in detail. One can also read some notes about the story and people related to resistance in Pomerania.



I fully admired that place about which I had heard many times before. The visit made me feel touched and really proud of Polish history and people.

Sunday 8 November 2015

The International Dog Show (CACIB)

Hello everyone,



I would like to share with you my latest experience. Yesterday I visited the International Dog Show, which took place in Poznan, where I am currently living. The event was organised in pavillions of The Poznan International Fair. In the show took place above two thousand dogs of about 480 dog breeds. The dogs were presented in three pavillions. There was also one in which it was a possibility to buy some dog accessories, dog foods and snacks. I visited several dog shows but the yesterday's was the first organised indoor I watched. It was a good idea because of the rainy weather.

I was really impressed with the variety of dog breeds I could see. I had been sure I know many names very well but it turned out that I was wrong. There were a lot of dogs I had never seen before. What's more seeing them on the street, I could tell there are mutts. What a shame of me :).

My favourite breed group is FCI1, which includes Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs. To tell you the truth, I claim that a real dog is a big one. The Sheepdogs are massive, elegant and really clever. I have always wanted to have one.

Yesterday I was focused on watching the competition of Australian Cattle Dogs and Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs. I was standing much time, watching the dogs which were running. I realised that the rules of the judging were a little bit changed. Ten years ago it was incredible to give a title for a dog, which is naughty, scared or bark-like. I have the impression that yesterday one of the dogs was unappreciated. It was really well-behaved and cooperated with its owner very well. It's a pitty. I am not an expert but some decisions I am not able to understand.

My favorite was Australian Cattle Dog, the one which loves sitting on the chair. I do not know its name but it was a male from Russia. It was really calm, almost peacefll. It was running with elegance and was not afraid of judges who were controlling its teeths. It fully obeyed its owner, a middle-aged ginger woman.




I really recommend you to visit not only the Dog but also the Cat Shows. This week there is also one organised in Arena Hall in Poznan. Those events can broaden your mind and knowledge of the variety of animals live in the world. :)



Saturday 31 October 2015

When your pet hurts...

Hi,

do you have a pet or would you like to have? I suppose that the big part of you say 'yes'. When you are sad, a little bit alone, when everything goes wrong, there is always it, a small member of your family. I have always had a pet. My friendship with animals has begun from taking care of two hamsters (and later) another one. The first couple was siblings called Edyta and Maksiu. Edyta was mine when Maksiu was my brother's.
Just then for the first time I felt what does the care mean. I do not know why but Edyta was similar to me- dominant, sometimes aggressive. I will never forget many moments like that: Edyta wanted to run in hamster's reel and also Maksiu. When she was inside, he tried to go on the top but he always went down. Maksiu was very stubborn and took several attempts. But what was really sad to my was the day in which Maksiu died. My dad told us that the hamster had a worm in his small nose. As really could it be strange, I did believe in it. He died, suffering. From that time I have decided that no more animal will stay without my help.

Now I have two dogs. They live with my parents in my hometown. They have a really nice and great garden to run and bark. I am sure they are happy animals. However, about two weeks ago it turned out that the eldest is seriously ill. How has it started? In the past Alf was a really active dog. He liked playing, barking and eating as well. Recently, he started to be passive, very tired, sleepy and massive. He also begun to drink a great amount of water and feel always hungry. He has always like eating but it has started to be an obsession. He was spending much time in the front of the fidge, waiting for somebody who gives him some tidbit.

The diagnosis was really sad. Alf has his liver completely demaged and enlarged. I thought 'what had happened'? My two dogs eat the same food and the second one is as right as a rain. After the blood tests we has been really sure: our dog suffers from cushing's syndrome. What is it? It is one of the most common dogs' endocrine disease caused by hyperfunction of adrenal gland.. The same name is called the analogous people's disease. What are the main symptoms? Increased thirst, urinary frequency, a massive stomach, weakness and many more realated symptoms. My parents have decided to fight for the health of our twelve-year-old little friend. Now Alf is taking really toxic medicines which will probably have to take for all his life. Thanks God he tolerates medications and his condition is getting better from day to day. He is drinking less and has lost weight. We are not sure what has caused the disease. Probably it could be a cancer because one of most frequent reasons is a tumour of the adrenal gland. Unfortunately, the medicines, taken by my dog, are really expensive because those have to be imported from United Kingdom or Slovakia. However, the vet says that in November they will probably start the production in one of the Polish factories. 

So cross your fingers for my dog. Even if he is quite old, I belive he will win his life!   

 

Sunday 25 October 2015

A success

Hi there,

have you ever wondered what is success for you? I am sure you have. Today when many people compete with one another, we are under the pressure of success. The rivalry begins just from the elementary school when a teacher gives you a case to solve in the shortest time. Who is the first raises their hand. This situation makes you feel determined to try to be the best and the fastest. You have to remember to answer the question correctly. Now the six-year-old children go to school. Is it a right age to start? I think it is. There are many countries in which the children start from four or five. It is a common step to be educated. Is the Polish school prepared to teach six-year-old? For me not. For those young students it is difficult to concentrate themself for a long time. It is neccessary to teach them through various kind of play.

The rivalry also begins from the parents' side. Some of them sometimes want to realise their own dreams, showing a child a way to follow. It is really important to study languages and have a hobby but it should be really your own one, not your mother's or father's. I am really disgusted with a TV shows like 'Aplauz, Aplauz', in which children and parents compete with another family singing. I think it is a wrong idea which enforces the children to noxious competition. It is also a big stress for the young. Everybody observes and judges you. Could a win in this kind of competition be treated like a success? I think yes but for who? For the child or the parent?

The life consists of many small successes, these personal and those shared. We should always remember to be in accordance with our dreams and our priciples. Of course we can play hardball but sooner or later we we will regret it.

My life consists of small everyday achievements. I am not a really demanding person. I am happy with my family's successes and mine because happiness of my love ones is my happiness.



Saturday 17 October 2015

One of the favorites of the last holiday

Hello,

These days the weather is not pampering us in Poland so I would like to encourage you to start reading! 
So know a book which I read last holiday. The position is strictly related to sport insasmuch from some time I have been fully interested in every type of movement.

Do you know Lance Armstrong? Whoever cannot know him or at least hear some news about this supercyclist. However, are you sure about his being a character worth to follow? I have never been keen on cycling. It seemed to me boring when a group of sweaty guys was riding, riding and riding and the scenery was still the same. I bought 'The cycle of lies' by accident. It was to buy in a really nice price in one of the biggest bookshops so I said 'why not'?

The person who wrote up this tragic and really disgusting real story was Juliet Macur, a sport journalist of Polish roots. For years she had tried to describe the frauds of the cycling, especially those related to Lance Armstrong and she did. The writer shows a really complicated sport carrer of one man and many other dominated by him. What did Armstrong do to win nearly every title and every price in the cycling world? Well, we can say he has been born as a person who could not immagine himself as a second. He had to be the first. Lance Armstrong was a real lier, who pulled the wool over the eyes of every single cycling fan. The author of 'The cycle of lies' desribes in detail Armstrong's way to the top; The way which was really dangerous, bumpy, which at least once has nearly killed him. He was not the first to take dope but the procursor of pracise it in at this scale. His cycling team was a really well-organised machine ready to win but not without sweat, sacrifice and risk. For many years he had tried to defend himself, rebuting. But the truth always wins.

I fully recommend you to read this bestseller book, which tells a real story of a sportman who could have never been treated like this. The legend who in reality did not exist. It was only in our immagination because all the career was just a big lie. The book for those who have a lot of nerve.




Sunday 11 October 2015

Coming back with Gorzow Wielkopolski ;)

Hi there,

I have not been there for so much time! It was a three-month long period full of lazy days and relax.
The new academic year has just started and my blogging time as well. :)

Today I want to tell you about one of my holiday trips, which I took with my boyfriend (the most perseverant man I have ever met). One day in September we visited Gorzow Wielkopolski, the capital city of Lubusz Voivodeship. We started our trip early about five a.m. with an intention to sightsee also Krzyz Wielkopolski.
Well, I have to write how the things have gone from the start.

We arrived in Krzyz Wielkopolski, a small town on the border of Greater Poland and Lubusz Voivodeship, at seven a.m. The town seemed to be charming and because of its size it turned out to be friendly and also the people. We had planned earlier what we wanted to see so we knew our expectations. Krzyz Wielkopolski counts about seven thousand of inhabitants. The town is an important station on the railways because just right there cross the main railway lines of the country.
In Krzyz you can admire the building of a railway station, a few churches and a water tower. On the one of the railway station's platform is situated one old but renovated locomotive. Small green squares also decorate the town, giving a while of rest to tourists. I have to recommand you to try the local donuts so tasty and very cheap. :)




Gorzow Wielkopolski welcomed us with a sunny weather and pretty high temperature. We were lucky people that time. It is a medium-size city which, for me, has many to offer but is sometimes wrongly unappreciated as a tourist attraction. The boulevard at the Warta river is cared and clean with small restaurants, tea gardens, benches and a fountain. There are also at least four statues, one of which is a symbol of Gorzow's boulevard. It is called Janusz Gorzowski. He is a man who sits on the sunbed reading a newspaper. From the distance he looks like a real human but when we go closer we can see that it is made from some kind of plastic and wax. Gorzow can boast about a new concert hall which is made in a modern style. It looks like a one big glass cube. In the center in one of the department stotes there are a few statues of people related to the story of Gorzow as Albert de Luge (th founder of the city) or Oswald Schreiber (a veterinary). The Old Town consists of many small and twisting streets surrounded by parks. The monuments worth to sighsee are witches' well, the gothic cathedral and Osterwa's theatre. One caracteristic point of Gorzow Wielkopolski is an observation tower called the spider, which is not very high but looks quite original and can also be treated as a symbol. The amateurs of sport can also find there something special. Gorzow Wielkopolski has one of the most modern speedway stadium in which take place events on the national and international level. The local speedway team Stal Gorzow are successful in Polish Speedway Extraleague.



Sunday 31 May 2015

A weekend trip to...

Hi,

I would like to tell you about my last trip. I have found a really high discount on tickets to one of Polish bus lines (you know which one ;) ) so I decided to visit Wroclaw, the largest city of the Lower Silesia. The trip took about three hours and a round-trip ticket costed 10 zloty so I did not hesitate. My boyfriend was my trip companion. We like long field trips so we planned every hour of our departure. We was also so lucky that the accomodation we had booked was also very cheap. Being a student, I paid 31 zloty per night. The condition of apartment was also very well. We slept in a dormitory of University of Environmental and Life Sciences in district Midtown.

Wroclaw made us impressed a lot. It is a city of nearly 100 bridges. These are everywhere. Wroclaw lies on a few islands which are incorporated. It is quite a big city, in which live about 635 thousand people. The public transport is well-developed. There are many tram lines which come in nearly every part of the city.

The Old Town is full of colorful tenement houses, fountains and churches. One of them gave us a possibility to benefit from a really high tower, from which we were able to admire a panorama. The view was breathtaking! Wroclaw is famous from gnomes. Small figures are located in many parts of the Old Town. It was challenging to find them ;)





Wroclaw has not only the impressive Old Town but many sport centres as well. One of them Centennial Hall is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the perspective the hall seems to be enormous but in fact it is not. Close to it there is located a fountain, which becomes colorful every evening at 9:30 p.m.


A totally new item for me was a Japanese Garden, in which we was able to admire many kinds of bushes and flowers. This place is really well-neat and gives a possibility to show something different from that we have in our parks and gardens.


I was also impressed by a building of the Slask Wroclaw football stadium, which was one of the places where played footballers during the Euro 2012. The stadium is located on the suburbs, close to the highway. There is simple to get there because we can take one of two trams or train, the station of which is really next to the stadium. The building is big but a little bit to grey but the surroundings is safe. There are subways which gurantee a safe way from the station to the stadium.



What special did I notice in Wroclaw was the people who are really open-minded and like spending free time together. During a weekend close to parks, halls and the stadium there are organised outdoor events with concerts, markets and plays for children. The inhabitants of Wroclaw take part in them with pleasure which I noticed seeing how many car drivers wanted to park their cars the closest to the event place they were able to.

I really recommand you to visit Wroclaw, which for me is a city different from every other Polish one.

Sunday 24 May 2015

Italian Culture Days

Hi everyone,

This week at my university took place a very impressive set of events. All were related to Italian culture and lasted from Monday to Thursday in classes of Neofilology Department. Students from Italian faculty prepared a really special schedule.

The first full day was addressed to Italian wines. One student told us some facts and curiosities about wines, its production, types etc. Then ,there was organised a wine tasting at one restaurant in the center of the city.

The second day started with a singing event. During this meeting our Italian colleague presented the history of Italian song, describing various types of music and places of its progress. Then, there was a while to present students' talents. Five girls sang more or less familiar Italian songs. I gave them respect because I appreciate every person who can sing because I cannot.
In the afternoon it took place a meeting with an opera singer who told us about her job and passion for the opera. One student also presented us information about opera, what it is and why it is worth to like it. There was organised a food and drinks with Italian cakes and sweets. Students and lecturers did their best to prepare time-consuming and really delicous delicacies.

The third day was related to colors and more precisely to blue and red one. There were two lectures dedicated to various depictions of colors, its importance in culture, books' plot and our life. There were also two other, which presented a television language and how Italian press consider events taken place in Poland.

On Thursday students of Italian filology organised a debate, the main idea of which was job with Italian language. There were invited three guests who told us about their job, perspectives on the job market and gave us plenty of good advices. The debate was really impressive and also interesting.

The next Italian Culture Days will be organised next year !

Friday 15 May 2015

Night of Museums

Hello,

I would like to tell you about a cultural event I am going to participate.
This year in my city Night of Museums starts on Saturday, 16 May at 5 p.m. It is a special day in which plenty of museums, galleries and other cultural institutions open their doors for everyone for free. The whole sightseeing takes place in the late evening up to 1 a.m. Besides the art, every visitor can take part in workshop, concerts and food and drinks. Moreover, that day there is an opportunity to visit places and parts of one museum which are not easy accessed other days.

It is the international event which was initiated in Berlin in 1997. Today in Night of Museums participate about 120 Polish cities. Unforunately, not every museum or gallery of one city is open during the event but for sure the selection is very considerable.

This year I am going to visit the Museum of Instruments, Henryk Sienkiewicz's Literary Museum, the Museum of Motorization. I am also intending to sightsee exhibitions of Institute of National Remembrance, which presents a few of them strictly related to the position of Polish women in Polish People's Republic. There are many other places to admire but unfortunately limited time does not let us participate in more than three or four exhibitions. I hope it will be an exciting day :)


Sunday 10 May 2015

Gomorra

Hi there,

Today I would like to tell you about the latest book I have started to read. The inspiration to begin was born during one of the classes when my group tried to translate a fragment from Polish to Italian.
The book named Gomorra, (in Italian Camorra), written by Roberto Saviano, was published in 2006. Its author is an Italian writer and journalist, who gained a fame after the publication. The book turned out to be a real bestseller, translated in forty languages and sold in ten million copies.

The main topic described in a plot is the activity of Neapolitan Mafia Camorra. Saviano tried successfully to enter inside the group to observe its rules, structure and illegal business which Comorra runs in Neapolitan harbour. The whole story comes around the illegal benefit related to smuggling textiles from China without paying taxes. The author presents Italy not as a paradise, which everybody wants to visit, but as a country fully-controlled by mafia. The book suggests that Comorra is the organisation that influences people's life in apparently invisible way. After the reading this point of view changes.

The whole book consists of eleven chapters. Roberto Saviano was written a really fascinating piece of art, which put him in a dangerous position. He realised that mafia dislikes his attitude through its attivity and the content of Gomorra as well. As a result Saviano had to hide himself in fear of vendetta. He moved out many times from place to place, living under pressure and got help from Italian government related to security.

On the book was based another appreciated piece of art, the movie Gomorra, which won many prizes, one during Cannes Festival. In 2014 Italian television Sky Atlantic broadcasted a TV series called Gomorra,  which also turned out to be a blockbuster.

I fully recommand this book for those of you who like tipically narrative books and would like to discover different point of view. 



Saturday 2 May 2015

The long weekend of May

Hi,

how are you? I am fine, especially because now there is a free time called the long weekend of May.
In Poland this period is related to three days in a row, every of which has its own characteristic features. The first of them is International Worker's Day or Labor Day. As the name suggests, this holiday is commemorated internationally. In Poland the first celebration took place in 1890. There were organised a lot of demonstrations against conquerors of that time, who occupied Polish lands. The organisers were people from left parties and workmen. After the Second World War, the communist authorities of Poland established the first of May the national holiday, free of work. During the period of communist system there were also organised plenty of processions and marches in nearly every Polish town and city. That kind of celebration was invented as to show the force of communist authorities, communist system and artificial impression of prosperity and contentment.



The second of May, though is not a free work day, it is also related to respect given to one of the most important symbol of Polish country, the flag. The Day of Polish Flag is quite a young holiday in Poland. For the first time it has been celebrated in 2004. The second day of May was checked not by accident. That day is also the day of Polish emigrant, What is more, in the second of May 1945 Polish soldiers, celebrating the victory over Nazism and the end of the Second World War, hoisted one Polish flag on the Victory Column in Berlin.



The third day of May is one of the most important national holiday in Poland. That celebration is related to the first Polish Constitution ratified the third of May 1791. It is a free work day. Genesis of this holiday is strictly related to independence of Poland. The first Polish Constitution was the first one ratified in Europe and the second in the world. The day was celebrated from 1918, the year in which Poland gained the independence. After the Second World War the May 3rd Constitution Day was celebrated up to 1946 when the communist authorithies forbad the celebration. The holiday was re-established in 1990.


Friday 24 April 2015

Frankfurt (Oder)

Hi everyone,

Today I would like to tell you about my next sightseeing trip. Tomorrow I am going to Frankfurt (Oder) with my boyfriend and my friends. There is no problem to arrive there from Poznan because there are two different trains which leaves in the early and late morning. The journey takes only about two hours and that time the train moves on the distance of 177 kilometers.

Frankfurt (Oder) is German town located on the Oder River. The nearest Polish town is Slubice. The town has nearly 60.000 inhabitants and it is the one of Branderburg federated state. Frankfurt was located in 1253. In the medieval times it was a strong trade town which was dominating in the river trade. Unfortunately, Frankfurt was devastated during the Second World War, especially the midtown. It is interesting to know that the border between Germany and Poland ran alone the Oder River and one district of Frankfurt became a new Polish city called Slubice.

In the town we can sightsee the Gothic Town Hall, the neo-Gothic post office and The Church of Peace (Friedenskirche). Frankfurt has a museum of its own history from the 13th century up to our times. It is called in German Stadtarchiv Frankfurt. There is also a boulevard along the Oder River from which we can admire Polish Slubice.






Although Frankfurt (Oder) is not the enormous city, it has the tram network, which consists of five tramways.

EDIT before the trip:

I have also see an old and unfortunately devastated theatre. It looked like a people's theatre because of the elements of its decoration outside. 


I must say that Frankfurt (Oder) made me feel very enthusiastic about living abroad. Simply before I have crossed the border, I felt the change of lifestyle and the quality of life. It is not a very populous town but it is quite big in relation to its area. Yesterday it was Saturday but it was no crowd on the streets and in the shops too. The people are not afraid of leaving their goods without care (I saw one bag without it and its owner who was jogging around but she was not taking care of her bag).
The prices are also not very high. I think there are similar to these Polish if we convert it into zloty. There were also organised one peaceful street demonstration of members of Communist Party but it was totally controlled and nobody was agressive.

I visited also the suburbs of Frankfurt and tipically residential areas. The building are well-cared, repaired, redecorated and in good living condition. There was a total silent in this area. It showed me that not very far away from Poland it is a town where the life is quiet and I hope better and simplier than in Poland.

Wednesday 15 April 2015

The real spring is coming ;)

These days has started really pleasurable period of the year, it means spring. For me it is important time in which the nature awakens and the surroundings makes me feel happy. Many people say that sunlight gives them the new sense of living and force to change something in a good way.

In my opinion spring is the right season to start practising some sport activity. In Poznan, where I currently live, lot of people take up jogging or go to the outdoor gym. It is really laudable initiative to build this kind of place in which people of all ages can take up sport. Outdoor gyms are situated near the parks and squares, giving us an opportunity to stay fit without paying some amount of money. The outdoor gyms are open at all times but, of course, when the weather is bad, it is nearly impossibile to use it. The second opportunity accessibile in spring is the system of bicycle hire. To my mind it is a good alternative for people who change their flat every year and it is a problem for them to buy personal bikes. This kind of service is available in nearly every big Polish city. Unfortunately, it is also seasonal, starts in late spring and finishes in early autumn.

In spring many people decide to be more active than they were during winter. There are organised sport events such as marathons and short-distance runs. If you want to participate in it, you sometimes have to pay some amount of money which is destined to create your personal initiation pack and cover the organisational costs. This kind of activity may be also an opportunity to raise money for charity.  

The springtime may also be atractive for children who this time try to play outdoors, refusing to sit in front of the computer. They moves willingly, especially when the weather cooperates. It can be very positive attivity for their health in times when many children are obese.


Friday 10 April 2015

It's a time for eating :)

Hello,

this moment I would like to start a discussion about eating. To say the truth, I cannot imagine my day without a nutritious breakfast and a warm dinner. As I can cast my mind back to the childhood, I do not remember every single day without those two particular meals.

To my mind breakfast is an important part of my nutrition. I am not able to think clearly and study without eating nothing after a getting up. From some time my breakfast has consisted of oatmeal, a little sunflower seeds and a banana combined with three spoons of natural yogurt. This mix gives me a power and I can feel full of energy after my first meal.

For me dinner is also important. I firmly believe that it should be the most caloric meal of a day. The more colorful it is, the more healthy it can become. I love cooking so I try to prepare different one for every weekday. However, if I do not have much time, I prefer cooking for two days to eating out.

Why do I eat out rarely? In my opinion a food preparing is an important part of life. I often spend lots of time reading new recipes to prepare something special which I have never done. Additionally, I think that I never know what is the quality of food served in restaurants. It means what is the origin of the ingredients used to prepare it. I really cannot guess if the food has not been refreshed and if someone else has not been eating it before my turn. I know that for one my manner may be strange but today when food is often modified, I try to be responsible for myself. In my live I follow the rule that you are what you eat.

Saturday 4 April 2015

My favourite cakes

Hello,

because of the Easter time, I would like to reveal you which cakes are often made in my house for this occasion.

There are many types of cakes which are related to the Easter. The most popular and also the sweetest is Mazurek. It is a real mix of many pastries, sponge, short and half-short. Combined with fudge and richly ornated, this cake can become a real tidbit, especially for children. However, my family do not like that caloric cake but me and my mother always bake another delicious ones.

The pound cake is always present in my family house during the Easter. We often bake one or two from different recipes. This year te first is made with my grandmother's way, another with the mother of my aunt's friend. For me both are delicious. The grandmother's is drier than another and the second is with milk chocolate glaze.



We have also made two poppy-seed cake, but this year they have not gone well. We had used to much poppy and as a result the two fractured. However, I believe that they are still delicious so I will check one tomorrow.


To tell you the truth, my favourite cake is a fruitcake. It is full of dried fruit and nuts so it becomes a really nutrient dessert. This year I have made it with confects, walnuts and almonds. Unfortunately, it has also fractured, similarly to the poppy-seed cake, but thanks God it is without a sad layer.

My mom has also done an experiment related to a new kind of cake she had never done before. We do not know its exact name and the origins of the recipe but I could call it a cake with fudge. It is a really easy cake to make because it is no need to bake it. The base is done with biscuits, we used these wholegrain, so we also saved electricity (:-D). The second layer is the chocolate fudge (really), then the Mountain cream cake, another biscuit layer and finally orange jelly. It is a dessert for the people who love eating much and well :)



Well, there were my special Easter cakes. It happends that we make also a cheesecake but this year we wanted some change.



Saturday 28 March 2015

The Volleyball Champions League

Hi everyone,

Today is a big day for Polish volleyball. Two Polish teams are playing in the Final Four of The Volleyball Champions League. This is the first time when as many as two Polish partecipants have advanced to the final phase. All Poles could be proud of Skra Belchatow and Resovia Rzeszow.

What is really the Volleyball Champions League? The event was initiated in 2000 as a continuation of the previous competition called the Volleyball UEFA Champions League. Well, this type of tournament has been organised continually since 1960. It consists of four different phases, in which teams play initially in bigger and then in smaller groups. It is needed to play two matches with every partecipant of the group, the first and the rematch. The Volleyball Champions League usually starts in October and finishes in March. The teams have to reconcile the play in their national leagues with that in the Champions because there is no break that could facilitate a participation in multinational tournament.

Which club has scored the biggest number of titles? Undoubtly, the masters come from the Russian Federation and more precisely the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics. The real winner is the team CSKA Moscow. On the next two places there are the partecitapants from Italy, Modena and Treviso.
What about Polish teams? Have we scored at least one title? Yes, we have. In 1978 the players from Plomien Milowice won the Champions. Unfortunately, the club has just not existed for many years but there are another great teams well-prepared to win. In 1973 Resovia Rzeszow was the nearest to do it, becoming the runner-up just as Skra Belchatow in the year of 2012.

Unfortunately, this year the final draw has not been lucky for Polish teams. Today, in order to advance in the narrow final, one has to eliminate the other. But there is a chance for every two to win a medal. The spectators are waiting for the interesting matches. In the first semi-final participate Zenit Kazan from Russia and Berlin Recycling Volleys from Germany, who is also the organizer of the the Final Four of The Volleyball Champions League 2015.

Please, cross your fingers for every of two Polish teams! May the fair play win! :)





Sunday 22 March 2015

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog

Hello,

today I am going to tell you about a dog breed I would like to possess. It is the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, which comes from Czechoslovakia. Now the partnership of Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is Slovakia.



Why have I chosen this dog breed? When I was young, I used to attend with my Axel a dog training, in which was participated also Bey, one of the Wolfdogs. The two dogs started to play together. Bey was a really obedient dog, though he was very young, about three year-old.

What are the main characteristics of the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog? The dog is physically strong and well-built, nearly 70 centimeters in the wither height. However, its body seems to be very balanced and suitable. The colour of its coat is similar to the wolf's . The ears are upright and short. There are differences between males and females. The minimum male height is 65 centimeters while female 60 centimeters.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is a very active and brave dog, which could also become an ideal guardian. Its body is resistant to the various weather conditions. Unfortunately, the Wolfdog can feel easily an owner's emotions so it is not resistant to the stress. It may sometimes be very spooky, which is undoubtly the weakness. In extreme situations the dog could be agressive and dominant, which may be really dangerous for another family members.

The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is often trained to become a working dog. In Slovakia there are organised a forty-kilometer runs which are treated as an endurance test to obtain a certificate of dog's usefulness. These dogs also participate in runs for seventy or hundred kilometers.


Sunday 15 March 2015

Polish State Railways- a reflexion

Hello,

This time I would like to tell you about my experience related to the Polish State Railways.

Travel conditions in Polish trains is a subject of many discussions. The situation is difficult even if many has been done to improve the condition of cars. A plenty of Polish trains are not adeguate to use. There are pretty old, renovated at some part but insufficiently. From my personal experience results that a journey taken by a Polish train could be full of adventures, in a prevalent part these negative.

The Polish State Railways was broken into nearly 16 separate partnerships, which owners do not appreciate one another. It makes the passengers' life harder. The problem begins with difficulties in buying a ticket when somebody has to take different trains during a journey. It can't be sold one ticket because amount of money invested should be divided between two or more railway partnerships.

The conditions during a travel are also far from the ideal. In many trains the air conditioner does not exist so the air is sometimes too cold or in another situation too dry. The toilets' quality is very poor. The toilet bowls are neglected and sometimes this is not enough amount of water or soap to wash the hands.
However, the biggest problem is the poor condition of the railway infrastructure. It is often only one track for two or more trains, therefore one train has to wait for another to pass each other. This situation creates delays, especially when one train has just been delayed before.

The one car's equipment sometimes looks ridiculously. The seats are incomforable like those below, made with plastic. When you travel for nearly five hours, it is important for you to sit comfortably, isn't it?



Hopefully, the tickets' prices are relatively low, especially when somebody is a student or pupil who has a discount. For me it is a shame for railways that there is not discount for donors, which is honoured in an urban transport.

Sunday 8 March 2015

My hometown

Hello,

Today I would like to describe you a city that I come from.
Koszalin is situated near the Baltic Sea, about 15 kilometres to the nearest resort. In my home city live almost 110.000 inhabitants. It is the biggest city of the region of the Middle Pomerania, which is not a voivodeship but many people would like to make it the important administrative area.



How is Koszalin like? It is not a large city but very green and friendly. I can say it takes really little time to get from the one border to another. Unfortunately, Koszalin cannot boast of the Old Town. To say the truth, it existed but in 1945 nearly 40 percent of the city was devastated by the Soviet army and also the Old Town. However, it is possible to admire the remnant of the counterwork ,which is situated nearby the Park of the Dukes of Pomerania and the river Dzierzecinka. I can also recommand to see the Catedral, the Chapel of Saint Gertrude and the Domek Kata, where is located one of two theatres of Koszalin.



In Koszalin there are many characteristic buildings which are not the monuments but are affined with the history of the city. The building of the main post office or that of the firehouse are the examples of a tipical neogothic development built with red brick.
Koszalin has many green squares and parks, in which we can take a rest or do up sports. One well-known is Gora Chelmska, which is the topmost point of the city. In the past there was situated a sanctuary destroyed after the Reformation. Nearby we can mount on the observation point, from which we can see a panorama of the city.


The city hall of Koszalin is supposed to be one of the most distinctive in the whole country. Built in 1962, from the beginning was called modern and unique.



Undoubtly, Koszalin invests much in culture and sport. A few years ago a philharmonic hall was rebuilt and now it presents itself very grandly and in a modern way. The main theatre was also renovated. In 2012 the president of Koszalin opened officially the sports hall, which is now the biggest in the Middle Pomerania.