my life is brilliant, my love is pure
31 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in Hobbies
Spring Festival, marking coming of Chinese New Year is on Wednesday! 2 days left! I still have to work tomorrow, but later I’ll enjoy 7 days of holiday! The whole city is decorated with lanterns, people can buy fireworks in the streets… The weather has changed – now it’s really beautiful, sunny and getting warmer. Finally!
I went swimming, then had coffee, read a book… and on the way back took some photos. Great day!
31 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in Music
Scissor Sisters still on top – have you seen the video to “Invisible Light”? So weird! So mysterious! So symbolic! Anyway, the album version of that song is much better.
Hitlist #517
January 31st, 2011
1. 1 (7) SCISSOR SISTERS, Invisible Light
2. 11 (2) PJ HARVEY, The Words That Maketh Murder
3. 2 (4) SEAL, Weight Of My Mistakes
4. 5 (4) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now
5. 3 (8) ELLIE GOUDLING, Your Song
6. 4 (7) JÓNSI, New Piano Song
7. 16 (2) 潘玮柏 (WILL PAN), 全面通缉 (Quan Mian Tongji)
8. 6 (15) 周杰伦 (JAY CHOU), 跨时代 (Kua Shidai)
9. 9 (5) JAMES BLUNT, So Far Gone
10. 13 (3) MARTIN SOLVEIG FEAT. DRAGONETTE, Hello
11. 15 (3) JAMIROQUAI, Lifeline
12. 7 (10) 浪花兄弟 (THE DRIFTERS), 说好的幸福呢 (Shuo Hao De Xingfu Ne)
13. 8 (16) JAMIROQUAI, Blue Skies
14. 12 (6) DUCK SAUCE, Barbra Streisand
15. – (1) R.E.M., Überlin
16. 10 (9) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), 她说 (Ta Shuo)
17. 20 (2) HOPE FEAT. JASON MRAZ, Love Love Love
18. – (1) BEADY EYE, The Roller
19. 14 (12) KLAXONS, Twin Flames
20. 17 (5) 张杰 (JASON ZHANG), 今生今世 (Jin Sheng Jin Shi)
28 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in thoughts
Everyday we have to make decisions such as: to take a bus or ride a bicycle, to eat cereal for breakfast or nothing at all, to stay at home or go out… These decisions are very common and don’t require us to think too much.
But sometimes we must make important decisions, which may affect our future. What are they?
– university and major, which will decide about your career
– marriage – in some countries the decision is to get married or not, but there are places where the decision is who you will marry
– having a baby – that will change everything in your future. Sometimes people decide to have a baby under their parents’ pressure…
– having the 2nd baby – in some countries it’s not allowed by law (China); then the choices are: to immigrate, to pay a high fine, to do an abortion, to hide a baby – always a dilemma with serious consequences.
– divorce – affecting the whole family
– death – there are people who decide to commit suicide (how? It’s also a decision!), but that is never a good solution. It’s selfish, it makes many other people suffer. What do you think about euthanasia, where you decide to end your suffering from incurable disease?
– after death – you may decide what will happen with you after your death: who will heritage your wealth? Will you be cremated or buried? Will you allow to make use of your organs for transplantation?
Is it good to change your decisions? Some don’t want to do it because others will think that they are too changeable, not trustworthy. For some people to be consistent is a virtue.
How fast do you make decisions? Are they quick or well-thought-out? How do you get rid of doubts? Why do we hesitate? Do you ever ask for advice in that case? Do you take it seriously?
24 Jan 2011 2 Comments
in Music
“At the doors of Babylon you are my Zion
Pacing tiger, the keeper’s cage
Invisible light shoots from your eyes
A sign I can see from my high rise
(…)
Come to the light! Into the light! The invisible light”
[Scissor Sisters, Invisible Light, Nightwork]
Hitlist #516
January 24th, 2011
1. 2 (6) SCISSOR SISTERS, Invisible Light
2. 4 (3) SEAL, Weight Of My Mistakes
3. 1 (7) ELLIE GOULDING, Your Song
4. 3 (6) JÓNSI, New Piano Song
5. 10 (3) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now
6. 5 (14) 周杰伦 (JAY CHOU), 跨时代 (Kua Shidai)
7. 9 (9) 浪花兄弟 (THE DRIFTERS), 说好的幸福呢 (Shuo Hao De Xingfu Ne)
8. 11 (15) JAMIROQUAI, Blue Skies
9. 12 (4) JAMES BLUNT, So Far Gone
10. 6 (8) 林俊杰 (JJ LIN), 她说 (Ta Shuo)
11. – (1) PJ HARVEY, The Words That Maketh Murder
12. 7 (5) DUCK SAUCE, Barbra Streisand
13. 15 (2) MARTIN SOLVEIG FEAT. DRAGONETTE, Hello
14. 8 (11) KLAXONS, Twin Flames
15. 20 (2) JAMIROQUAI, Lifeline
16. – (1) 潘玮柏 (WILL PAN), 全面通缉 (Quan Mian Tongji)
17. 18 (4) 张杰 (JASON ZHANG), 今生今世 (Jin Sheng Jin Shi)
18. 14 (13) GORILLAZ FEAT. DALEY, Doncamatic
19. 13 (14) KULA SHAKER, All Dressed Up (And Ready To Fall In Love)
20. – (1) HOPE FEAT. JASON MRAZ, Love Love Love
23 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in Chinese
– 我讨厌我们小区的宠物.
– 为什么?
– 到处都是它们的粪便.
– 对哦, 而且它们还容易携带病菌.
– 所以这些宠物的主人应该看管好自己的宠物. 不要影响到其他人.
***
讨厌 – dislike, disgusting, nasty
到处 – all places
粪便 – excrement and urine
容易 – easy, likely
病菌 – bacteria
22 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in thoughts
Our parents’ parents… What do they do for a living? They are retired, probably they get pensions from the government, but if not – they will need their children’s support.
What are their habits?
How do they spend their free time? Are they happy? Do they do exactly what they want? What would make them happy?
Is there anything they are afraid of?
– loneliness
– death
– poverty
– getting ill…
What can you talk to them about? What can they teach us and what can we teach them? Are they willing to be taught?
Widows/widowers – how can they make their lives meaningful? What would you think if your widowed grandparent got married again? Should they?
How are your gandparents’ experiences different from yours? Would you like to live at the times when they were young?
In Poland people celebrate the following days:
January 21st – Grandmother’s Day
January 22nd – Grandfather’s Day
20 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
Winter has been very severe this year. It’s been cold in Hangzhou for several weeks now – but recently it has started to snow. Usually it takes a couple of days to rain non-stop here – but because of the low temperatures it’s snowing.
I took a bus to work today and instead of 20 minutes in normal conditions, I spent over an hour to get there. Luckily I left home earlier, because I knew it would happen. On the way back I was more unlucky. I had waited for long minutes of coldness but the bus still didn’t arrive. I decided then to rent a public bicycle. I admit it was a crazy idea, but I really didn’t want to wait any longer. Snow was very heavy and at the same time very tiny, that it covered everything with a wet and slippery surface… My hands were freezing, so I stopped by the nearest KFC and had a cup of coffee there. Then I just walked home; lucky to get there without breaking any bones!
17 Jan 2011 3 Comments
in Music
Thanks to my last week’s class (titled “Wonderful Life”) Ellie Goulding is topping my chart. “How wonderful life is… now you’re in the world” – me and my students enjoyed listening to this song a lot.
Hitlist #515
12 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in Music
“New Piano Song” by Jonsi is the best again. Wonderful sound, emotional vocals, beautiful melody. Keep doing that, Jonsi. Very charming.
Hitlist #514
January 10th, 2011
1. 1 (4) JÓNSI, New Piano Song
2. 5 (4) SCISSOR SISTERS, Invisible Light
3. 3 (12) 周杰伦, 跨时代
4. 2 (5) ELLIE GOUDLING, Your Song
5. 8 (7) 浪花兄弟, 说好的幸福呢
6. 4 (9) KLAXONS, Twin Flames
7. 9 (3) DUCK SAUCE, Barbra Streisand
8. 7 (6) 林俊杰, 她说
9. 6 (11) GORILLAZ FEAT. DALEY, Doncamatic
10. 16 (12) KULA SHAKER, All Dressed Up (And Ready To Fall In Love)
11. 10 (13) JAMIROQUAI, Blue Skies
12. 18 (2) JAMES BLUNT, So Far Gone
13. – (1) SEAL, Weight Of My Mistakes
14. 11 (8) SUSAN BOYLE, Perfect Day
15. 12 (4) THE BLACK EYED PEAS, The Time (Dirty Bit)
16. 14 (7) 王力宏, 你不知道的事
17. 13 (11) PET SHOP BOYS, Together
18. 20 (2) 张杰, 今生今世
19. – (1) DURAN DURAN, All You Need Is Now
20. 15 (3) RED BOX, The Sign
12 Jan 2011 Leave a comment
in thoughts
Life is good. Life is wonderful.
What makes life wonderful?
What makes life interesting?
What makes life worth living?
What are the most important values in life?
Why do people sometimes feel that life is miserable?
Is it because life is not up to their expectations? High expectations?
Follow your dreams, make them come true.
And after you do it, have new dreams!
– personal achievements
– pride of what you’ve done
– happy family life
– exciting love life
– successful career
Songs about how life can be wonderful:
Hurts, “Wonderful Life”;
Black, “Wonderful Life”;
Ellie Goulding, “Your Song” (original by Elton John);
Coldplay, “Don’t Panic”;
Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World”.
+ my personal favourite: “Life Is Wonderful” by Jason Mraz.
feeling good 