art

Art! Art! I love art!

I went to the art show yesterday and it was a beautiful experience. Very inspiring!

On the way back my bike broke. The rear tyre exploded! That was a bit scary and very loud! I couldn’t believe what had happened! It was broken completely, so I left it in the street and in the evening I bought a new one. Yay! New bike!

Landscapes were the most amazing. I could’ve stood there for hours and watched the colours…

Isn’t Hangzhou a nice place? Very creative! I wish I were a painter.

Hitlist #482


May 31st, 2010


Hangzhou


1. 1 (4) 周杰伦, 烟花易冷

2. 2 (9) KENT, Ensamheten

3. 8 (4) MGMT, Congratulations

4. 3 (7) BLUR, Fool’s Day

5. 4 (9) MUSE, Exogenesis: Symphony

6. 5 (8) KEANE FEAT. K’NAAN, Stop For A
Minute

7. 9 (4) DOVES, Andalucia

8. 6 (7) 浪花兄弟 FEAT. 周杰伦, 你是我的OK绷

9. 10 (3) HURTS, Better Than Love

10. 12 (6) AMY MACDONALD, Spark

11. 14 (3) TRAIN, Hey, Soul Sister

12. 11 (5) 周杰伦, 超人不会飞

13. 16 (2) 林俊杰, 背对背拥抱

14. 7 (15) HURTS, Wonderful Life

15. – (1) MUSE, Neutron Star Collision
(Love Is Forever)

16. 13 (11) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look
At Us Now

17. 20 (2) THE NATIONAL, Bloodbuzz Ohio

18. 17 (2) EMINEM, Not Afraid

19. – (1) SCISSOR SISTERS, Fire With
Fire

20. 15 (11) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock
Your Body

catching moments

Soundtrack… Jay Chou has just released his 10th album called "跨时代" ("The Era"). I’m listening! Very cool, I like it – especially the lead single titled "烟花易冷" ("Fireworks Cool Easily"). Beautiful and moving.
***

Hitlist #481
May 24th, 2010
1. 2 (3) 周杰伦, 烟花易冷
2. 1 (8) KENT, Ensamheten
3. 3 (6) BLUR, Fool’s Day
4. 5 (8) MUSE, Exogenesis: Symphony
5. 11 (7) KEANE FEAT. K’NAAN, Stop For A Minute
6. 4 (6) 浪花兄弟 FEAT. 周杰伦, 你是我的OK绷
7. 7 (14) HURTS, Wonderful Life
8. 12 (3) MGMT, Congratulations
9. 14 (3) DOVES, Andalucia
10. 17 (2) HURTS, Better Than Love
11. 6 (4) 周杰伦, 超人不会飞
12. 13 (5) AMY MACDONALD, Spark
13. 8 (10) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At Us Now
14. 18 (2) TRAIN, Hey, Soul Sister
15. 9 (10) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock Your Body
16. – (1) 林俊杰, 背对背拥抱
17. – (1) EMINEM, Not Afraid
18. 10 (4) JASON MRAZ, Coyotes (live)
19. 19 (4) THE PIPETTES, Stop The Music
20. – (1) THE NATIONAL, Bloodbuzz Ohio
http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTY5MDQzNTg4/v.swf

going up

Climbing up, going up. Sometimes with hesitation, sometimes with fear.

Step by step, left foot, right foot, left, right, left, right…

Time to take a rest, take a deep breath, take a look around. It’s beautiful up here.

Go through the old gate like many other people did before. And like many others will do after. It seems infinite.

Go home. Bring some good news. Bring some good food. Somebody is longing to get it. Somebody is waiting for you.

***
Soundtrack

Hitlist #480

May 17th, 2010

Hangzhou

1. 1 (7) KENT, Ensamheten

2. 11 (2) 周杰伦, 烟花易冷

3. 3 (5) BLUR, Fool’s Day

4. 2 (5) 浪花兄弟 FEAT. 周杰伦, 你是我的OK绷

5. 4 (7) MUSE, Exogenesis: Symphony

6. 7 (3) 周杰伦, 超人不会飞

7. 6 (13) HURTS, Wonderful Life

8. 5 (9) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At
Us Now

9. 8 (9) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock That
Body

10. 9 (3) JASON MRAZ, Coyotes (live)

11. 12 (6) KEANE FEAT. K’NAAN, Stop For
A Minute

12. 17 (2) MGMT, Congratulations

13. 15 (4) AMY MACDONALD, Spark

14. 19 (2) DOVES, Andalucia

15. 14 (6) JOSH ROUSE, Valencia

16. 10 (4) MIIKE SNOW, Animal

17. – (1) HURTS, Better Than Love

18. – (1) TRAIN, Hey, Soul Sister

19. 16 (3) THE PIPETTES, Stop The Music

20. 13 (10) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE,
Telephone

independence hurts

For almost whole day I’ve been in a good mood. Although it’s a working Saturday, I didn’t mind it. I never mind it, because I really enjoy what I do. Sharing what I know with students is very satisfactory, no matter if it’s something simple (like colours and objects) or more advanced (like important life decisions).
Making decisions helps us to build our personal independence. How simple is that! And yet, how hard is to tell others: "this is my life, this is my territory, this is my own decision!"
And after this busy day I came back home and chatted with my younger brother for a while. For a while! Within a very short moment he made me so angry that I turned off the computer immediately – even without saying goodbye. One sentence, single sentence, very tiny, but still very painful. "You must finally come back to Poland!"
Not "how about", not "why don’t you", but "you must". I hate that. Why does anyone give themselves the right to tell me what I should do! Even after many years living far from home, they still haven’t understood that they can’t make me do anything.
Without asking if I like it here (they supposed to know, since I haven’t come back earlier). Without asking what I think. Just "you must". Independence hurts? Probably. Both sides. So stay away.
And life goes on.

fool’s day

Hitlist #479

May 10th, 2010

Hangzhou

1. 1 (6) KENT, Ensamheten

2. 2 (4) 浪花兄弟 FEAT. 周杰伦, 你是我的OK绷

3. 4 (4) BLUR, Fool’s Day

4. 9 (6) MUSE, Exogenesis: Symphony

5. 10 (8) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At
Us Now

6. 5 (12) HURTS, Wonderful Life

7. 8 (2) 周杰伦, 超人不会飞

8. 3 (8) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock That
Body

9. 6 (2) JASON MRAZ, Coyotes (live)

10. 11 (3) MIIKE SNOW, Animal

11. – (1) 周杰伦, 烟花易冷

12. 12 (5) KEANE FEAT. K’NAAN, Stop For
A Minute

13. 7 (9) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE,
Telephone

14. 20 (5) JOSH ROUSE, Valencia

15. 15 (3) AMY MACDONALD, Spark

16. 18 (2) THE PIPETTES, Stop The Music

17. – (1) MGMT, Congratulations

18. 14 (11) 林俊杰, 无法克制

19. – (1) DOVES, Andalucia

20. 16 (9) 陶喆, 暗恋

go for a ride

Sometimes I take my bike and go for a ride. Hangzhou is such a beautiful place! And although I’ve been here for over 4 years, there are many undiscovered places. I guess I will never get bored with this city!

I think this building could easily win in some competition for weird architects’ ideas! It’s going to be a conference centre, it still hasn’t been completed.

And here I am, riding a horse for the first time in my life. My school organized this event and not thinking too much, I joined. Wonderful idea! The horse was so gentle that I wasn’t afraid of it at all. I want to try it again, if possible!

keep coming back

It’s time to begin a new chapter. The summer is coming and as usually I’m getting busier – more students, more classes, more challenges. Let’s face them; no need to act cowardly – so far I’ve experienced even more demanding situations.
I’m going to teach 5 days a week again, just like in 2007, when I started teaching in my current school. I can handle it, can’t I?
My mind keeps coming back to Malaysia. I didn’t want to come back to China – the holiday time was so relaxing; I could stay there for months, enjoying the sea breeze and wonderful conditions in the hotel. But nobody can have holidays all the time. I’ve been working for 4 days since I came back.
What will I remember about Malaysia?
– mangoes! I guess it could easily hold the title of the discovery of a year 2010. Of course I’ve eaten mangoes before, but just this year I’ve fallen in love with their taste.
– sunshine! Wow, sometimes it was scary, when it almost burned my skin (despite the sunblock I used!) and then it was very painful to take a shower. Sometimes it was amazingly romantic, when during the sunset the sky was painted with oranges, yellows and pinks.
– massage! It was different than that in China. In Malaysia I had to take off my clothes (it’s fine for me, haha), and the massage therapist was using oil to enhance the massage. And by the way, I made some friends with therapists, which seldom happens in China (perhaps because of the language barrier).
– Jason Mraz! Yes, the American singer – his music accompanied me almost everywhere I went. The best soundtrack for my Malaysian excursions. "Life is wonderful", truly.

***
Soundtrack

Hitlist #478

May 3rd, 2010

Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia

1. 1 (5) KENT, Ensamheten

2. 12 (3) 浪花兄弟 FEAT. 周杰伦, 你是我的OK绷

3. 6 (7) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock That
Body

4. 10 (3) BLUR, Fool’s Day

5. 4 (11) HURTS, Wonderful Life

6. – (1) JASON MRAZ, Coyotes (live)

7. 14 (8) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE,
Telephone

8. – (1) 周杰伦, 超人不会飞

9. 3 (5) MUSE, Exogenesis: Symphony

10. 2 (7) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At
Us Now

11. 17 (2) MIIKE SNOW, Animal

12. 13 (4) KEANE FEAT. K’NAAN, Stop For
A Minute

13. 9 (6) 浪花兄弟, 想你就写信 

14. 5 (10) 林俊杰, 无法克制

15. 20 (2) AMY MACDONALD, Spark

16. 7 (8) 陶喆, 暗恋

17. 8 (9) JÓNSI, Go Do

18. – (1) THE PIPETTES, Stop The Music

19. 16 (10) KATIE MELUA, The Flood

20. 18 (4) JOSH ROUSE, Valencia

holiday in Malaysia

I went for a short holiday. I’m in Malaysia! In Borneo island, the city of Kota Kinabalu – wow, it feels like a paradise here!
The weather is always wonderful, the sea is always warm, the people are always friendly.
I guess it’s cheaper here than in Hangzhou. I’m going to stay here until Monday. Wait, wait… Monday is tomorrow. Oh. Yes. I have to come back tomorrow.

***
Soundtrack…

Hitlist #477

April 26th, 2010

Hangzhou

1. 2 (4) KENT, Ensamheten

2. 1 (6) BADLY DRAWN BOY, Just Look At Us Now

3. 6 (4) MUSE, Exogenesis: Symphony

4. 4 (10) HURTS, Wonderful Life

5. 3 (9) 林俊杰, 无法克制

6. 5 (6) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, Rock That Body

7. 9 (7) 陶喆, 暗恋

8. 10 (8) JÓNSI, Go Do

9. 12 (5) 浪花兄弟, 想你就写信

10. 18 (2) BLUR, Fool’s Day

11. 7 (13) MAXIMO PARK, A Cloud Of Mystery

12. 16 (2) 浪花兄弟 FEAT. 周杰伦, 你是我的OK绷

13. 13 (3) KEANE FEAT. K’NAAN, Stop For A Minute

14. 11 (7) LADY GAGA FEAT. BEYONCE, Telephone

15. 8 (15) MUSE, Resistance

16. 14 (9) KATIE MELUA, The Flood

17. – (1) MIIKE SNOW, Animal

18. 17 (3) JOSH ROUSE, Valencia

19. 15 (12) GORILLAZ, Stylo

20. – (1) AMY MACDONALD, Spark