Motivation or inspiration?

So, we have a summer! Ok, theoretically it is still a spring, but the weather in the last days suggest us something different. I think we all need it. We need the sun to get some new energy, to be happier and healthier. However, I have to admit that it is not so easy to stand it when you have to stay in the city and work or study. When it was cold people complained about it. Now, when the weather is so great people say that is too hot. People are always complaining. I'm afraid, I also do it. What can I say, human nature... But, who said we can't dream? So, if I had an opportunity to teleport myself, I would go to the beach. Maybe just for a moment during the break between lectures or after the class to feel the sand underfoot or to smell this fantastic air. But, let's go back to reality. We have to wait a bit more to enjoy it. However, as a motivation to study for the exams I decided to present the most beautiful beaches in the world. Maybe it will be an inspiration for your holiday destination. I've chosen three that are the most beautiful for me. Which one is the best for you?

Tulum, México

The name Tulum derived from the Mayan word for wall. There you can find not only crystal water, white sand and palm trees but also the ancient Mayan ruins from as early as A.D. 250. It makes this place very special and stunning. Who wouldn't like to go to this paradise?

La Digue, Seychelles

La Digue is an amazing island and oasis hidden away in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean. Nature, biodiversity, tradition, calm, balance. I think we could find much more words to describe it, but in this case it is unnecessary. The photo tells everything...

Cala Mariolu, Sardinia

And now something more accessible for us. Although you wouldn't say, it is in Europe. It is located along the middle eastern coast of Sardinia, in the province of Nuoro. The area is full of rocks and caves. It is perfect for those who like scuba diving. Let's take a look.

Icarus

The painting I've chosen is Landscape with the Fall of Icarus. It was probably painted by Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel in 1558, although this attribution is doubtful. Now, you can find it in Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

In the painting we can admire a beautiful landscape. In the foreground, you can see a ploughman working on his field on a scarp next to the sea. He's the focal point here. Lower, there is a shepherd that is looking at the sky. In the bottom right-hand corner, you can find a fisherman. In the background, there is the calm sea with some rocks, islands and boats. On the horizon, we can see mountains and town illuminated by the sun. The most invisible point is the title Icarus. You can find him in the bottom right-hand corner, close to the fisherman. You can see his legs in the water and some feathers floating around.

The composition is full of beautiful colours. However, you can see a clear division between the foreground and the background. The first one presents warm colours, for example, brown, yellow, orange. For that reason, it seems to be very distinct and deep. The second one is rather created with cold colours (blue, white, grey). It's very soft and delicate.

The painting is based on Greek mithology. It's a a story of Daedalus' son who dared to fly too near the sun on wings of feathers and wax. His father cautioned him that flying too near the sun would cause the wax to melt, but Icarus forgot his father's warning and drowned in the sea what we can see in the landscape. Despite the tragedy, all the people stay indifferent and everything continues without any change. It shows the dark side of humans nature and his tendency to be selfish. In my opinion, the small figure of Icarus can symbolize insignificance and fragility of our life. I would also say that the painting shows the traditional model of life that is very mundane and full of work. In opposition to this real world there is Icarus, the dreamer.

I've chosen this piece of art because I love its colours and the composition. However, the most important thing for me is its meaning. The painting is quite old. It has more than 450 years, but its message is still valid and current. It is also very thought-provoking. 

Hey Joe

As you may know, I'm from Wrocław and today I would like to write about the Guinness World Guitar Record that takes place in my city on the 1^st of May every year. The record is a part of Thanks Jimi Festival dedicated to Jimi Hendrix. For that reason, people play his song Hey Joe to break a record. For the first time, the event took place in 2003 and continues till today. There was 12 editions with 6 records broken. Maybe you don't know it but I play the guitar and one day I decided to participate in it! It was 5 or 6 years ago when I was in high school. I went there with a group of friends to play Hey Joe with the others. It was really great! We spent a whole day in this amazing atmosphere. There were a loooot of people that year. We had to play out of the prepared area because there wasn't enough place. There were many participants from other cities or even from other countries. I really enjoyed it! I think the Guinness World Guitar Record in Wrocław is a very interesting event that makes special the city. It attracts a lot of tourist. You don't have to take part to have fun. You can just listen a nice song played by thousands of people at the same time. However, if you want to play with the others, it's quite easy because the song isn't complicated. You just have to know some easy chords. This year the record was broken with 7344 guitarists. Below you can see a picture from the day I broke a record. Ok, it was just rehearsal:) 

Next please!

Today I decided to write about Nextbike, my new way of moving. Yesterday I signed up on the website and today I used it fot the first time. I think everyone knows somethink about it, but I suppose there are some facts you don't know yet. I didn't. Nextbike is the biggest international network of public bicycle rental system. It was founded in 2004 and now exists in 14 countries, in more than 80 cities. In Poland you can see it in 6 cities. The rules are quite simple. First, you have to register online, than pay at least 10 zlotys (later you can use this money to pay for your ride) and at the end you get a text message with your own code. Now you can start to use it! When you want to rent a bike, you just have to introduce your phone number and your code you got in the message. If you ride from 1 to 20 minutes is free, but if you exceed this time you have to pay 2 zlotys. So, if you want to ride for free you have to change the station every 20 minutes, but if you want to make a longer journey you need to pay. However, I think the price is quite ok. In my oppinion Nextbike has a lot of advantages. It's healthy, eco, fast, cheap and you can use it whenever you want (also at night when, for example, you miss a night bus). Unfortunately, the system has also some disadvantages. Bikes are not always ok. The first I took was broken. Besides, if we talk about Poznań, there are only 7 station and there aren't a lot of bicycle paths. However, I think it was a good idea and for sure I will use it sometimes.  

First Kiss

It's a name of a video that has become a hit of the Internet. ''First Kiss'' is a kind of experiment invented by amateur filmmaker Tatia Pilieva. She asked 20 strangers to kiss for the first time. They were paired off and given no instruction. Most people probably don't know the video is fashion related because it was a part of style.com's video fashion week. In this moment I'm watching it for the second time and I'm really suprised by a number of views. It reached 57 679 352. I thought there are not a lot of things in this world that can shock yet. So, is there any good reason to be interested in watching strangers kissing each other? ''A fruit salad of emotions''. This is one of many opinions found in the Internet. Emotions. Is it a keyword? I must admit that the video is full of different emotions: embarrassment, stress, shyness, curiosity, excitement and maybe even passion. However, the question is: Is it true? Is it real? Or is it just a good piece of acting? I'm afraid we won't never know the truth. In my opinion, the idea is quite interesting and 'fresh'. Besides, it has something that attract you and make you smiling, but I'm a little bit worried about its authenticity. What do you think about it? Have you seen it before? Would you participate in it if you had an oportunity? For those who haven't seen it yet I put the video in my post:) 

What kind of shopper are you?

Shopping is a topic inseparably connected with Christmas. Some people buy gifts in October but the others do it 24^th of December in the morning under the pressure of time. We try to find a perfect thing to see a smile on someone’s face. This task seems to be easy but it is not, especially nowadays in the commercial world. Therefore, it could be useful to recognize what kind of shopper you are. So, for those who haven’t bought Christmas presents yet, I put some types of customers with their mottos and a short quiz about shopping.

The Traditionalist: "When it comes to shopping, I'm a pro." 

The Striver: "I wish I could be a better shopper."

The Stresser: "I really need to save but it’s such a hassle."

The Anti-Shopper: "Shopping is a chore I could live without."

The Casual Spender: "I don't mind paying more if it means zero effort."

Source:  http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Moms/story?id=950906 

QUIZ: http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofshopperareyouquiz/

                                                                                                       

Skills & Language Swap

I was looking for something on the quite popular internet notice board when I saw an interesting category. It was called “Skills & Language Swap”. I heard about it before but I didn’t know what was it exactly. I decided to have a look. In one word, it’s an exchange. However, you don’t exchange things. You can exchange your skills, abilities, talents, hobbies. The main idea is very simple. For example, you speak English and you would like to learn German. What you have to do is find a person who speaks German and who wants to improve English. If you can’t find a suitable notice you can just write it by yourself. The majority of notices are about languages but you can find everything here! A lot of people want to play instruments, for example, the piano or the guitar. And of course, some notices are less common. Something more interesting what I saw? Swimming, hair dying, healing or baking. I realize some people are very creative… Generally, I like the idea of this kind of exchange. You can do something new what you’ve always wanted to do, you can improve your languages or you can just meet interesting and creative people. And everything for free. You just have to give to someone “a part of you”. Satisfaction guaranteed. So, I decided to try it because I would like to learn German and in exchange help someone with Spanish. I put my own notice and we will see:)