just look at us now

Badly Drawn Boy. I must admit few things.
That I forgot about him. That I had never been his big fan. That until this year I had never listened to any of his albums. Just few songs that (I must admit) I enjoyed. For example "Spitting In The Wind", which was a clean version of "Pissing In The Wind" – it became a minor hit single in 2001. And then there was a long break until spring of 2008, when he released his download-only single "The Time Of Times". It is still a great song. Of course I know more from him – the most obvious examples must be "Something To Talk About" and "Silent Sigh" from original soundtrack to "About A Boy" from 2002 – I feel so ashamed that at that time I didn’t give them enough chances.
This year has changed everything. By an absolute chance I got one of Badly Drawn Boy’s new songs titled "Just Look At Us Now". And… I’ve been blown away! That’s the sound I was looking for! Traditional instruments. Warm and soft voice. Beautiful melody! Should I expect more? I’ve already got his whole album "Is There Nothing We Could Do?"… There are a couple more wonders. So just look at Badly Drawn Boy. He saved my world today.

Hitlist #473
March 29th, 2010
芜湖 (Wuhu), 安徽 (Anhui)
1. 11 (2) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At Us Now
2. 2 (9) MAXIMO PARK, A Cloud Of Mystery
3. 1 (11) MUSE, Resistance
4. 4 (3) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE, Telephone
5. 7 (5) 林俊杰, 无法克制
6. 3 (6) HURTS, Wonderful Life
7. 6 (8) GORILLAZ, Stylo
8. 5 (4) JÓNSI, Go Do
9. 18 (2) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock That Body
10. 13 (5) KATIE MELUA, The Flood
11. 15 (2) FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, Dog Days Are Over
12. 9 (3) OWL CITY, Vanilla Twilight
13. 8 (8) GOLDFRAPP, Rocket
14. 17 (3) 陶喆, 暗恋
15. 20 (2) ARCTIC MONKEYS, My Propeller
16. – (2) STEREOPHONICS, Could You Be The One?
17. – (1) 浪花兄弟, 想你就写信
18. 10 (10) ADAM LAMBERT, Whataya Want From Me
19. 12 (15) STEREOPHONICS, Innocent
20. – (1) SADE, Bring Me Home

donuts

I love eating sweet food. I could eat cakes everyday. Or donuts! At first I feed my eyes, looking at them intensively; and then eat them – one by one until I’m so full, that I can’t move. But how can anyone resist!

 

 

Another my favourite are strawberries! Fresh and tasty – pure poetry.

 

On Saturday evening I went bowling. Great fun! Although the results were rather poor…

 

 

Hitlist #472

March 22nd, 2010

1. 1 (10) MUSE, Resistance

2. 3 (8) MAXIMO PARK, A Cloud Of Mystery

3. 4 (5) HURTS, Wonderful Life

4. 12 (2) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE, Telephone

5. 7 (3) JÓNSI, Go Do

6. 2 (7) GORILLAZ, Stylo

7. 9 (4) 林俊杰, 无法克制

8. 5 (7) GOLDFRAPP, Rocket

9. 14 (2) OWL CITY, Vanilla Twilight

10. 6 (9) ADAM LAMBERT, Whataya Want From Me

11. – (1) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At Us Now

12. 8 (14) STEREOPHONICS, Innocent

13. 15 (4) KATIE MELUA, The Flood

14. 11 (9) EDITORS, You Don’t Know Love

15. – (1) FLORENCE + THE MACHINE, Dog Days Are Over

16. 13 (10) MIIKE SNOW, Silvia

17. 16 (2) 陶喆, 暗恋

18. – (1) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock That Body

19. 20 (6) AMY MACDONALD, Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over

20. – (1) ARCTIC MONKEYS, My Propeller

Wuzhen

Two weeks ago I visited Wuzhen (乌镇) – a tiny town within the city of Tongxiang (桐乡). It is sometimes called a water town or even "Venice of the East". It’s beautiful, it has a Chinese character, ancient and mysterious – wonderful place to go on a day trip.

 

 

There are many museums in Wuzhen, showing how people used to live many years ago. It’s also possible to rent a room and experience that kind of life by yourself!

 

I’m a big enthusiast of such doors. They are simply astonishing! The esence of China!

 

It is a great feeling to take a walk on those narrow paths and imagine that life was possible without cars, computers, electricity, civilization…

 

 

Life seems slower there; not like in Hangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing. It was worth to feel the difference.

 

There was also a museum where I could learn about dyeing the fabric with a blue paint. Interesting! And on the outside the pieces of fabric were hanging and getting dry.

 

I could easily hide between those pieces. And so did other people!

 

 

Many people chose to go boating over the old canal. I didn’t, walking along those paths was much more enjoyable!

 

People still live in those old buildings! I wonder what they feel about those wild crowds of tourists visiting their little town. When I went there, it was cold and cloudy; I guess on warmer days that place must be packed!

 

Wanna smell the incense? Just find a temple… and voila!

 

 

Oh! And what about Chinese opera? I didn’t really enjoy it; perhaps because I couldn’t understand any word!

 

Let’s meet on the bridge, never under. It’s such a romantic moment – I can hold your hand, I can hear your heartbeat, I can remember that moment forever!

 

 

 

Another gate which impressed me. I noticed it and only said "woah" – I had to take a photo of it. Just look at this surrounding green!

 

Sometimes I need to think. Sometimes I need to stay by myself. Sometimes I need people to leave me alone. That feels right. Sometimes. Take a deep breath.

 

 

 

I didn’t like that guy. He was so cruel to those birds. He tied them to his boat so that they were not able to fly away. They had to serve him by catching the fish.

 

resistance

Should I introduce Muse? I don’t really think so. Currently they are one of the most popular rock bands in the world, although I had known them long time before the explosion of their fame. I still remember how I was crazy about their early songs: "New Born", "Bliss", "Hyper Music". It’s been already 9 years since that time!
Their music is different now, more pop, more adjustable but still very up to my personal taste. Their album "Resistance" was one of my favourites in 2009. Perhaps the title track will be one of my favourite singles this year. Way to go!
 
  http://www.tudou.com/v/H7EilZ-o-YI

"Love is our resistance

Keep us a promise they won’t stop breaking us down

Hold me

Our lips must always be sealed"

[Muse, Resistance, The Resistance]

Hitlist #471
March 15th, 2010
1. 8 (9) MUSE, Resistance
2. 1 (6) GORILLAZ, Stylo
3. 3 (7) MAXIMO PARK, A Cloud Of Mystery
4. 2 (4) HURTS, Wonderful Life
5. 5 (6) GOLDFRAPP, Rocket
6. 7 (8) ADAM LAMBERT, Whataya Want From Me
7. 9 (2) JÓNSI, Go Do
8. 10 (13) STEREOPHONICS, Innocent
9. 12 (3) 林俊杰, 无法克制
10. 20 (4) AIR, So Light Is Her Footfall
11. 6 (8) EDITORS, You Don’t Know Love
12. – (1) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE, Telephone
13. 4 (9) MIIKE SNOW, Silvia
14. – (1) OWL CITY, Vanilla Twilight
15. 17 (3) KATIE MELUA, The Flood
16. – (1) 陶喆, 暗恋
17. 13 (13) SADE, Soldier Of Love
18. 11 (11) JÓNSI, Boy Lilikoi
19. 14 (7) KENT, Hjarta
20. 16 (5) AMY MACDONALD, Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over

a cloud of mystery

It’s got colder again, the spring has hid somewhere far from Hangzhou. As I read in the news, also Poland has to feal with another strike of the winter. Good thing, that today is my day off, I can stay at home – drink coffee, sit on the sofa with the book in my hands – or write something here.

Today… Maxïmo Park. Where are they from? Of course, as usually my favourite alternative bands do – from the UK. I’ve known them for a couple of years, but actually never been a big fan of. Yes, I remember exactly their best song "Books From Boxes", which was a big hit in summer of 2007, but after that they had a quite hard time to draw my attention to their new music. Until this year! The song is titled "A Cloud Of Mystery", it’s from their album called "Quicken The Heart" – unfortunately it isn’t a single, although it deserves to be… However, my favourite Polish radio (3rd Program) has it on their playlist. Maybe previously I didn’t give them enough chances? Maybe they do have more interesting songs? Maybe there is a mystery going on?

Enough speculation; on such a cloudy, windy and cold day Maxïmo Park with "A Cloud Of Mystery" is a definitely good choice.

 

 

Hitlist #470

March 8th, 2010

1. 1 (5) GORILLAZ, Stylo

2. 2 (3) HURTS, Wonderful Life

3. 5 (6) MAXIMO PARK, A Cloud Of Mystery

4. 3 (8) MIIKE SNOW, Silvia

5. 14 (5) GOLDFRAPP, Rocket

6. 6 (7) EDITORS, You Don’t Know Love

7. 4 (7) ADAM LAMBERT, Whataya Want From Me

8. 9 (8) MUSE, Resistance

9. – (1) JÓNSI, Go Do

10. 7 (12) STEREOPHONICS, Innocent

11. 10 (10) JÓNSI, Boy Lilikoi

12. 13 (2) 林俊杰, 无法克制

13. 8 (12) SADE, Soldier Of Love

14. 12 (6) KENT, Hjärta

15. 11 (8) GREEN DAY, Peacemaker

16. 15 (4) AMY MACDONALD, Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over

17. 20 (2) KATIE MELUA, The Flood

18. 19 (6) OCEAN COLOUR SCENE, Magic Carpet Days

19. – (1) STEREOPHONICS, Could You Be The One?

20. 18 (3) AIR, So Light Is Her Footfall 

Silvia

Coming from Sweden – here is the band called Miike Snow.
Sweden must be an awesome country…
http://www.tudou.com/v/lMf9qMRjgSI
Hitlist #469
March 1st, 2010
1. 1 (4) GORILLAZ, Stylo
2. 2 (2) HURTS, Wonderful Life
3. 6 (7) MIIKE SNOW, Silvia
4. 7 (6) ADAM LAMBERT, Whataya Want From Me
5. 12 (5) MAXIMO PARK, A Cloud Of Mystery
6. 9 (6) EDITORS, You Don’t Know Love
7. 3 (11) STEREOPHONICS, Innocent
8. 8 (11) SADE, Soldier Of Love
9. 13 (7) MUSE, Resistance
10. 5 (9) JÓNSI, Boy Lilikoi
11. 4 (7) GREEN DAY, Peacemaker
12. 10 (5) KENT, Hjarta
13. – (1) 林俊杰, 无法克制
14. 15 (4) GOLDFRAPP, Rocket
15. 14 (3) AMY MACDONALD, Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over
16. 11 (8) MASSIVE ATTACK, Paradise Circus
17. 17 (3) RAY & ANITA, In Da Name Of Love
18. 18 (2) AIR, So Light Is Her Footfall
19. 16 (5) OCEAN COLOUR SCENE, Magic Carpet Days
20. – (1) KATIE MELUA, The Flood